Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 5 chapters ahead.
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There was a beat of silence as Erika and I stared at each other, but I quickly broke it. There was no need to think. My strategy had been cemented before I stepped foot in the building.
"Go, Sol!"
The Growlithe materialized near the center of the field, woofing happily. He took a huge breath inwards, eyelids flickering, before exhaling explosively as he swayed unsteadily.
Right. He was probably the most affected by the Gloom on my team. Forgot about that.
"A magnificent Growlithe," Erika complimented us, studying the canine with a smile as he flopped to the ground and began rolling around, trying to cover himself in Gloom, "and with a better sense of taste than his owner. Not that such a thing is hard."
"Get up, you idiot! At least try to act like you're as ferocious as you look!" I clapped my hands loudly to get his attention. The drugs certainly weren't helping, but I honestly dreaded his behavior when he evolved.
He'd never take anything seriously again.
Sol snorted disgruntledly at my interruption, but did at least stand up, even if he was still more interested in the nearby flowers than the PokéBall that arched through the air and released his opponent very close to Erika herself.
The red light took the shape of a three-foot-tall bipedal creature, with very simplistic hands and feet, and as the energy faded, the blue skin became visible. Four red, spherical petals, with one white spot each, topped its enormous head – bigger than the rest of its body – like a crown, surrounded by four reddish-brown leaves. For a second, it looked as if, much like its Trainer, the Pokémon was sleeping thanks to its squinted shut eyes, but I knew better.
Even with the incredibly thick, viscous, and white liquid that slowly crawled past the Gloom's thin and purple lips and drooped towards the ground in an almost foot-long strand.
I hated everything about that, and Gloom instantly shot up my list of least liked Pokémon, to just under Mr. Mime and Ditto. Seriously, how did an entire art team look at that thing, and not a single one of them went 'why is it drolling semen?'
Weirdo perverts designing things aimed at children aside, I couldn't take the Grass/Poison-Type too lightly. At the end of the day, it was still a Gym Leader's Pokémon.
That, and as soon as it appeared, the intoxicating smell increased heavily, making me pinch the bridge of my nose as my headache instantly kicked up a notch.
"Since your Growlithe likes our perfume so much, allow us to give him a closer sniff. I will make an exception to our 'no free samples' policy."
Some of the tension leaked from me a little at the sight of the second evolution. As the fourth Badge was considered the 'professional' Trainer level – the point where making a career out of it was a legitimate option – it was also where third-tier evolutions showed up. While most of the PokéNet agreed with Gary and were mostly shit-talking the Grass-Type Gym, there was still respect directed towards her main Vileplume, Venusaur, and Tangrowth – the floppy vine monster standing behind its Trainer, jumping around excitedly at the sight of Gloom.
I probably wouldn't have to worry about the first and third of those, though. Both of them showed up in seventh- and eighth-level Badge matches, so seeing them in fourth-level matches would likely raise concerns.
But the Venusaur was fair game. So despite her words, she wasn't going all out right at the beginning.
The referee looked between us. "Are both Trainers ready?"
We nodded. He nodded back and dropped the flags he'd pulled out of thin air.
"Then begin!"
"Agility!" I barked, hoping to mitigate Sol's biggest weakness right off the bat.
"Sweet Scent, Gloom."
I cursed as my decision immediately backfired. Agility had kind of fallen to the wayside in favor of more firepower after Cerulean, so Sol wasn't the fastest with the move, Psychic energy flickering unsteadily in his eyes as he directed it to his muscles.
Certainly much slower than a Gloom using the move it had been bred and raised for. The Grass-Type held its arms out to its sides and began spinning around on its flat feet. The bulbous flower atop its head pulsed and released an orange powder at the same time, the pollen-esque substance sparkling in the pink-tinted sunlight as it was carried outwards in waves by the wind generated by Gloom's movements.
I'd done some research on Gloom – both because of Erika's fondness for the evolutionary line and the stench – and had to admit that Celadon's specially raised and trained specimens were impressive. Usually, a Gloom's scent had much the opposite effect, repulsing the vast majority and attracting only a few. Managing to flip that and turn it into a near-universal drug once more reminded me that things were not as simple as when it was all fiction.
Pokémon were amazing creatures, and it was always worth trying new shit, even if it was a long shot.
"Shit, Flamethrower! Don't let it touch you!" The second the aromatic attack spread, my eyes crossed and my vision blurred for a moment. I could only imagine how rough it was for Sol.
We had to get rid of it fast.
Fire-Type moves – even ones as newly learned as Flamethrower – came to the Growlithe a lot easier, thankfully. The Sweet Scent had barely reached the halfway point for the vast majority disintegrated under the stream of flames pouring forth. The column of fire wavered side to side from Sol's unsteadiness, giving Gloom enough time to jump to the side, allowing the super-effective attack to pass by with only a minor wilting of the leaves on its head.
There was a small part of me that noted that although the Flamethrower had a lot of oomph to it, nice and wide, the range wasn't quite there yet. We'd need to resume work with Growly at some point and get the kinks ironed out.
But that was for another time. The rest of me was consumed by the chance to hit the Gloom before it could start its bullshit again.
"Flame Wheel, Sol, get in it!"
The Agility hadn't had enough time to work properly, but there was a little extra pep in his step when my Growlithe growled – actually growled, for once – and jumped forwards, curling into a ball as flames leaked from his mouth and an inferno engulfed his pelt, a giant flaming wheel burning a path through the grass towards the recovering Gloom.
Guess he'd had enough of the drugs, too, at least now that we had to battle.
"Razor Leaf, sweet Gloom."
My brow furrowed at the order, but I kept my guard up. Maybe it was some nasty variation with poison.
The long leaves hanging like hair around Gloom's head glinted with green energy and snapped in Sol's direction, the tips breaking off in a barrage of razor-sharp foliage. A few stray projectiles went rogue, carving grooves in the ground and embedding themselves deep under the surface, while the rest continued flying towards the incoming Growlithe-
-and instantly wilted and turned to ash upon contact with the Flame Wheel, the Razor Leaf gone before it had the chance to break through the spinning coat of flames. The only reason Gloom got away with only a glancing blow – which still sent it tumbling to the side, several leaves gone and scorch marks across its left side – was Sol's poor accuracy, blowing past the Weed Pokémon and smacking into the Psychic barrier.
Uhh.
"Sunny Day, Gloom. We are not out of this yet." I cocked my head at Erika's continued even tone. Gloom struggled and groaned, but did manage to get back up to its feet while Sol shook his head furiously to try and clear it.
Maybe… maybe it was a newly evolved Gloom?
"Let 'em, then Morning Sun. Get that shit out of your system."
Gloom cupped its hands together, an orange ball of light filling the space. With another moan, it threw the Sunny Day upwards. The ball expanded as it rose, growing larger and larger before it reached its zenith just beneath the glass ceiling. There it hung, imitation rays of sunlight pouring down on us like the sun it was meant to resemble.
Both Pokémon tilted their heads to absorb the light, glowing as the energy seeped into them and was put to use mending their wounds. Grass-Types were, on average, better at healing moves like Morning Sun or Synthesis, since they were… well, very plant-esque. I didn't have one myself, so the exact details were a little beyond my grasp, but it was something about photosynthesis.
One of the exceptions, however, was Growlithe, or more exactly, Arcanine. It was the first time we used it in combat – partially on account of being the first time we'd met someone that could use Sunny Day – but it was one of the moves we'd put the most time into.
I tsk'd as that focus only allowed us to keep up with the Gloom, its lighter and wrinkled skin and leaves smoothing out at the same rate as Sol started straightening and stopped swaying. Shit, if it had Chlorophyll, it was essentially getting double the boosts we were.
"And a healing move as well." Erika continued. "A strong Pokémon, certainly at a fourth Badge level. Solar Beam."
"Roar, then Flamethrower, smoke that plant!" She wasn't getting out of her ass-whooping by flattering us.
Lowering its head, Gloom pointed its flower at Sol, a small ball of golden-green light blinking into existence. It expanded rapidly thanks to the Sunny Day, growing from a seed to a fist in a second, the grass around it swaying in the sudden wind generated by the swirling sphere, a light whine filling the air.
Suddenly, without any signs, it exploded, the side facing us disappearing and letting the blinding bright beam of Grass-Type energy scythe through the air, just one second after the shockwave of Sol's Roar reached the stinky creature. I had to squint my eyes through the light, yet still saw what happened. Gloom flinched from the loud sound, the Solar Beam going wide and ripping through the ground – leaving a molten trench behind, whose edges shone with heat – before curving up to strain against the Psychic barrier and finally fade.
Even with most of the energy coming from the faux sun above, Gloom still needed a second to recover from the attack. That second was enough time for Sol to inhale again and unleash another cone of searing flame, the very edges tinted the lightest blue from the added power of Sunny Day.
By the time it ended, only scorched earth remained as Erika lowered her PokéBall and the referee raised his flag towards the Gym Leader.
"Gym Leader Erika's Gloom had been defeated! The score is 0-1 in favor of the challenger! Gym Leader, please release your second Pokémon!"
That… that was it? Was Gloom down?
"Oh, poor Gloom. I had hoped to weaken your Growlithe some more with our special scent, but I suppose I should have known better. Battling is not my specialty, unfortunately."
That… okay, that made more sense. It was a strategic choice, rather than a strength-based one.
The PokéBall containing our second opponent hit the ground and opened, revealing the next fighter.
Standing taller than almost every human I'd ever met, other than maybe Surge, at 7 feet tall, six pairs of eyes blinked at me with various expressions – the left half lidded, the middle narrowed in a scowl, and the right crossed as it drooled slightly on itself. Palm-like leaves hung down like hair from the top of the light-brown tree trunk which ended in two thick legs with two-toed flat feet, dangling over the three coconut-shaped heads.
Psychic power flared briefly in each of the Exeggutor's set of eyes as it sent thoughts between the three different heads, each with its own brain, before all six orbs locked onto Sol.
"Perhaps defense is the key to bringing you low, however. Exeggutor is a stalwart wall against my enemies. He will not fall as easily."
"The second battle is about to begin! Are both Trainers ready?" We indicated as much. "Then begin!"
"Flamethrower again!"
"Screens."
The Fire-Type move washed over a rectangular shield of transparent Psychic power, with a green tint, that appeared right in time to protect the Exeggutor. Even then, the Grass/Psychic-Type groaned in discomfort as the heat made its leaves crinkle up.
Still, the Light Screen held long enough for the Flamethrower to end, and almost immediately, another wall of mental energy overlapped as a Reflect joined the defense.
"Spores, Exeggutor."
I scowled. What was with her and drugs?
"Wide Ember, try to clear it!"
Triple groaning again, Exeggutor shook its large body, motes of green, venomous purple, and dull yellow appearing everywhere, though primarily focused around the three heads. Sol's Ember covered a twenty-foot span, incinerating many of the spores as they drifted through the air, but the Coconut Pokémon kept making more, sending them in multiple directions rather than clumping them together.
Eventually, Sol ran out of breath and had to stop, yet impressively, Exeggutor kept it up, wave after wave of harmful specks leaping from its body, glittering like a three-colored rainbow.
Say what you would about Erika – and I would later – but she sure knew how to train a Pokémon for a specific move.
I opened my mouth to get Sol moving, only to realise that it wasn't necessary as the mist of effect spores came to an end.
Gazing over the field, I realized my mistake.
The spores never crossed my side of the field. They hadn't been aimed at Sol to begin with.
Like the end result of a group of unicorn clowns binge drinking and throwing up everywhere, a wide circle of the battlefield around Exeggutor sparkled like confetti. The sticky particles clung to whatever grass had survived Sol's flames, and mixed with the dark soot left from what hadn't made it, to make an unapproachable zone.
Sol couldn't get close, and in the time it would take to clear it, they could just set up again.
"And now, the stage is set. Exeggutor, Bombardment."
Bowing its crown a little towards us, a glowing white, egg-shaped ball of Normal-Type energy was born in the blink of an eye between the three heads. With a fwoosh! sound, the Egg Bomb flew high up into the air in an arc – swiftly replaced with another as Exeggutor repeated the move – and came flying down towards Sol like a mortar.
BOOOOOM!
Upon impact with the ground, the Egg Bomb exploded like… well, like a bomb, clumps of dirt and dust launched by the force. Sol yipped as he was caught on the edge of a nearly 10-foot-wide blast, saved by Exeggutor's poor aim.
However, it was unlikely to matter that much when there were already three more raining down towards us.
"SOL, MOVE! AGILITY!"
The Growlithe took off with his own spray of dirt, four paws digging into the earth for purchase as he dodged and weaved between the explosions. The half-finished Agility from the first battle allowed him to stay a little ahead, a new bomb soon dropping behind him or to the side every second as Exeggutor got into the groove.
Slowing down a little to try and at least finish the first Agility, Sol stumbled as the next Egg Bomb landed a little closer. Another sent him to the side, and a third off his feet as he slid across the field. Thankfully, Exeggutor had been aiming where he'd been going, giving him enough time to get back up before the Pokémon-turned-artillary reaimed.
The slight amount of damage was worth it. The pause had given Sol enough time to pull off the speed boosting move, making him fast enough to stay ahead and even try to counterattack. A strong Ember peppered the dual screens protecting the Grass-Type, making them flicker for a moment, but they held.
Okay, area denial, personal shields, and ranged bombardment. Better, definitely better than the Gloom.
Seeing a clever firing pattern almost catch Sol off guard by guiding his movement, I decided enough was enough. I had faith in Sol's ability to outlast the larger Pokémon, but why take the chance?
He'd never been a defensive fighter anyway.
"Fuck the spores! Flame Wheel, as strong as you can!" Lowering my voice, I told Sol the rest of the plan. "Ready with Brick Break on my signal, then Bite and burn until it gives."
Reacting instantly, my Fire-Type turned so hard he almost went fully horizontal, kicking up a wide spray of earth as he faced the Exeggutor. Barking, fire engulfed him as he threw himself forwards in a roll, a Flame Wheel almost half again as large as his first blazing as it bore down on the Gym Leader's Pokémon. Spores evaporated into gas in his wake, hovering briefly over the ground before being swept away, unable to affect him through the inferno.
More Egg Bombs came, but they had to arc more and more straight up, slowing them down and letting Sol close in.
"Direct shot, Exeggutor."
Or, until Exeggutor bent a full 90 degrees at the waist and fired directly at Sol.
BOOOOOM!
The bomb hit right in front of him, blowing up a smoke screen for a moment. I clenched my fist, trying to steady my breathing and calm my Aura. There was nothing I could do but put my faith in him.
Something that was rewarded as Sol emerged from the dust cloud, smoke, and flames clinging to his form as he leapt through the air. The remains of the Flame Wheel trailed behind him like a cloak of fire as he reared back a brightly glowing paw, as best a dog could.
"Protect." I half smiled, half snarled at Erika's infuriatingly calm words.
I'd love to see her stay so smug after the next part.
The emerald shield of hexagons snapped into being with decent speed, fast enough to catch Sol as he descended, much like the Egg Bombs earlier, Brick Break colliding with the Protect with the sound of a gong.
And a series of rapidly spreading cracks as it started to fail.
"Exeggutor, dodge!" It was the first time she had raised her voice during the battle, and I smirked as I finally cracked the superior facade.
Yeah, you'd better be worried, especially with such a shit command.
Exeggutor froze, one leg going left and the other right, the different heads trying to move in opposite directions and freezing instead.
Getting a flaming, human-sized dog to the face as a result of its Trainer's vagueness. The Protect shattered like glass under Sol's Brick Break before the Fighting-Type move faded and was replaced with a maw full of Dark-Type energy as the Growlithe hit the Exeggutor and brought them both to the ground.
Less than two seconds later, Erika's PokéBall saved her Pokémon from a painful mauling. Exeggutor was not defenseless upclose, but it was definitely a losing proposition.
"Gym Leader Erika has withdrawn her Pokémon! Does the Gym Leader wish to use her substitution!?"
"No," Erika sighed, having regained her composure, "I will not force him to suffer through the Dark-Type energy those Bites inflicted. Exeggutor is defeated."
"In that case, the score is 0-2 in favor of the challenger! Gym Leader, release your next Pokémon!"
I could respect that. Exeggutor definitely had more in the tank, especially when it would get to restart at range, but I'd never fault anyone for thinking about their Pokémons health.
Besides, that battle had gotten me excited, a feeling that only increased as Erika's third Pokémon was released.
4 feet tall, most of the bipedal, dinosaur-and-kangaroo-esque Pokémon was green, but the head, neck, and tail were beige. On top of its head was a green, mushroom-like cap with beige gills underneath and a round, red berry-like growth with a hole in the middle on either side. The eyes were oval and black, sitting over a beak-like mouth, and with frilled segments around the base of its neck. Each of its hands and feet had two red claws, almost like a velociraptor. At the end of its long tail, a gathering of plant-like growths turned the tip into a club.
As she had done after each release, Erika had some words. "Very well, if wearing you down won't work, then perhaps meeting you on your own terms will do the trick. Breloom is more than happy to play with such brutes."
The Breloom clawed at the ground with a snort, tail smashing a crater into the soil.
"Are both Trainers ready?" A pair of nods. "Then begin!"
"Charge!"
"Charge."
Both Pokémon took off like lightning, meeting in the middle of the field with a loud thud!
And it was almost immediately clear that Breloom was losing.
Oh, it was fast, hands blurring as it launched a series of jabs towards Sol's head, only to jump back before the responding Ember could catch it. Its tail came curving around and, rather than using it as a weapon, it stuck it out to trip Sol, getting a couple of blows in and dancing back.
It was also skilled. As much as it pained me to admit, it might be better than Hercules in terms of pure fighting ability. Its feet were nimble and constantly moving, feinting left and right to make Sol commit, and then punishing him for the mistakes. One time, I was sure we had it as Sol did his own feint and jumped straight for Breloom's head, only for the dinosaur to do some kind of judo bullshit and redirect Sol over its shoulder, punting him across the field with its tail.
I would even say it was strong. Following a close call with an impromptu Flame Wheel that left burn marks across its side, Breloom managed to get under Sol. Muscles visibly straining against its skin, it heaved and again sent Sol flying an impressive distance and got in a quick Bullet Seed.
But for all those compliments, I knew I wasn't just being biased when I said that Sol was better.
A jab was dodged under, and an Ember forced the Grass/Fighting-Type to jump back, but while it was still in the air, its eyes widened and its arms crossed just in time for the Alpha Growlithe to crash into it. Flames billowed around him as he maintained the opening stage of Flame Wheel – something I would need to remember – to coat himself in fire. Two-clawed hands hammered into his side, making him flinch with every hit, yet his own blow had Breloom shaking and crying out. A heavy sweep of the club-like tail forced Sol off the struggling Pokémon, but that only bought it enough time to roll out of the way of another Ember before Sol was on it again.
Maybe if the Sunny Day hadn't been up, it would've been different. Maybe Breloom would've been able to leverage its greater skill into something more closely resembling a draw. Maybe if Exeggutor, or even Gloom, had managed to get some effects on the Shiny Growlithe, they could've worn him down, or at least set their last teammate up for better success.
Hell, if Erika would just actually get into it, maybe she could've pulled off a sick substitution that would bring some tension back into the match.
But that wasn't the reality we lived in. In the real world, around five minutes after it had been sent out, Breloom fell to the ground, eyes closed, its green, rubber-esque body oddly shiny from burns.
And then it was recalled. Sol was panting fairly hard and nursing the ribs on his left side, but even with the ultra-cautious mindset I'd come into the Gym with, regarding injuries, I didn't feel the need to even ask him if he could keep going.
"Gym Leader Erika withdraws her Pokémon! The score is now 0-3, in favor of the challenger! Gym Leader Erika, please release your last Pokémon!"
"Oh dear," even down 3 Pokémon to my 0 and a useless substitution, she still didn't seem to care. Whatever brief outburst I'd pulled out of her was gone. If anything, she looked less interested than when we started. "This does not look good for me. Under normal circumstances, I might have offered to surrender here. You have more than demonstrated the proficiency for your fourth Badge – or your Growlithe has, at least – and there really is no need to put our Pokémon through anymore harm. However, not only do you not seem the type to accept, but I do not feel like extending the offer."
"Uh, what a scathing insult," I rolled my eyes as Sol took the chance to lie down, sighing heavily as I whistled at him and forced him back up, "just send out your last Pokémon so we can get this over with. As you can see, you're putting him to sleep."
"As you wish." Her last PokéBall flew through the air, and I readied myself for her Venusaur. Surely, the third-stage Kanto Starter would be able to at least make Sol work for it.
So imagine my disappointment when the Pokémon that popped out wasn't Venusaur. Sure, the large, pale green, quadrupedal, reptilian Pokémon that resembled a sauropod dinosaur was a third-stage starter Pokémon. It had a long, well-defined neck, a pair of eyes with yellow irises, a short, rounded snout, a pair of antena-like feelers, and a stubby tail. Each of its feet ended in a set of three white claws. Around its neck, a large, pink flower with six petals and a frilly white edge bloomed beautifully.
The Meganium threw its head to the side and let out a surprisingly deep cry, a lovely fragrance spreading that I'd normally like a lot, but I'd had more than enough of smelling shit.
More importantly, what was the Meganium doing here, and where was my PokéNet-renowned Venusaur?
"You seem disappointed." Erika caught me gaping, hiding her smile behind her enormous sleeve. "Were you expecting something specific? I know your type. It has become clear that I cannot beat you in battle, but there are other ways of punishing you. You enjoy battling. One might even say you love it, and as such, I am sure you have done your research online. You likely expected my Venusaur, if I remember those objectifying tier-lists correctly – as if battling is all there is to Pokémon. But no, I believe this is a more fitting end to our bout."
"Are both Trainers ready?" My agreement was a lot more reluctant that time. "Then begin!"
"Screens, Mega."
"Flamethrower," I sighed, only absently noting that it was the first of Erika's Pokémon that had a nickname.
The beginning of the battle was much the same as the one against Exeggutor; Sol's long-range Fire-Type moves were repealed by the Light Screen.
But there were differences.
A second pair of screens appeared as the Meganium focused, soon followed by a third. A constant barrage of ill-aimed Razor Leafs kept Sol at bay as the Grass-Type set up, trembling from the strain of using three moves at the same time. The attacks faded by the fourth set of shields, yet it was only by the fifth that I realised that the Johto starter was glowing softly.
And then it was ready.
"Frenzy Plant."
My jaw dropped as I realised I'd been played. Denying me a good fight, my ass!
The ground of half the field began undulating and buckling. With the sound of a rockslide, the earth burst open as something large forced its way up, an enormous root, with strands hanging limply along the length of the brown stalk. Further along, another gigantic plant ripped itself from the ground, then another, and another, until eight, fifty-plus-feet-long roots loomed over us, each as thick as the trees in Viridian Forest.
Welp.
"Venusaur is not quite as good with this move, and you seemed disappointed with our raw power. Hopefully, this will change that."
Bitch.
Like the arms of a giant, the roots whipped down towards Sol, three of them overlapping to provide more width. The first was dodged easily, its size working against it. The second was harder with the shaking from the first impact, but he got around it.
The third graced him and made him fall even as another three came down.
"SOL!" I yelled, almost concerned for a moment. It would take all of them hitting to actually have a chance of causing serious harm, but even Sol wouldn't stay standing after taking that kind of damage.
Not that I'd needed to worry.
Gathering himself, Sol crouched and focused, glaring up at the branches hurling down at him. Psychic energy of another Agility flared briefly around his legs, and with an explosion of dirt, he jumped up right as the fourth Frenzy Plant came swinging, avoiding the whip-like tip and landing on the root itself.
Like in an anime, the Growlithe sprinted up the root, leaping across to another as it struck the first. Up and down, left and right, he jumped as the remaining plants twisted around themselves, trying to get him. The one he was standing on jerked downwards at the same time as another tried to club him, only for the canine to latch on to the underside as it passed over him and allow it to fling him over towards Meganium. Curling into a ball, fire exploded from him in a humongous Flame Wheel, the biggest I'd seen him make, the speed of his descent and rotation making it look like a comet was about to strike Meganium dead on-
-and hit nothing as the Grass-Type vanished, leaving Sol to tumble across the ground as his glory was stolen, the dog whining as he looked around, confused.
"Ah, well. We tried." Erika sighed, putting her last PokéBall away and replacing it with something smaller and shinier as she approached. "You have a strong Pokémon, which both is a compliment and not. Several times, there were smarter paths that you skewed in favour of a frontal assault. That is something that would have cost you against a more equal opponent. Regardless, you have shown ample aptitude, and as such, it is my honor to present you with the Rainbow Badge." She held out her hand, the flower-shaped Badge shining in her palm, each of the eight petals moving from red to yellow, green, and then blue before coming back to red.
"Thanks, I guess," I mumbled, taking and turning the Badge over in my hand before putting it in the case. I knew I should be happy, even with everything else that was about to go down, but I'd been happier getting the Thunder Badge, and I'd barely looked at that thing.
That was the 'professional' level of Training? That was where the Gyms were supposed to get hard?
I had more issues with Brock for the first Badge, other than that Frenzy Plant at the end, and even that turned out to be more visually impressive than anything.
What a scam.
"Usually, I would say that I hope you will stick around to take in the sights. Celadon is often hailed as the most beautiful Kantonian city, after all, but I am afraid your taste does not seem refined enough to appreciate our charms. That, and I find you unpleasant."
"Charms, sure," I snorted, "if you've had a lobotomy. Nah, you can keep your trash stink. We'll hit the Department Store in the morning, and then we're gone." I made sure I didn't raise my voice, keeping it normal. Wouldn't do to spook the prey.
"Then I wish you safe travels." And with that, Erika yawned and walked back towards where I'd found her, barely making it halfway before getting scooped up by Tangrowth's eagerly waiting vines.
I took my leave with mixed feelings. On one hand, I loved a good battle, and that couldn't be described as such, even if I was feeling generous. On the other hand, I won without any major injuries that couldn't be fixed with a Potion or two, plus a few hours in the sun.
Which meant that we were basically ready. Now, we baited the waters a little more.
And then we went for the kill.
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While the battle was somewhat of a let down for Peri, I hope that wasn't the case reading it. I had fun writing it, at least.
Erika not being that strong is due to a bunch of reasons, partly Peri being stronger than his number of Badges would indicate, and other reasons we'll get into later.
Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 5 chapters ahead.