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.
Vermillion, The Port of Exquisite Sunsets (yes, that's its actual name), and location of the third Gym, led by the Lightning American, Lt. Surge!
I'll just ignore the last part, because what do you mean American?
"Hehehehehehe."
"Shut up! You've been giggling all morning!"
"I can't help it, it's a lot of zeros!" Misty rolled her eyes as I continued to chuckle at my PokéDex's screen displaying my bank account. Bill had indeed been willing to hand over quite a lot, though, to my great annoyance, I'd been stopped from fleecing the guy by Misty and Ash. Apparently, being the one to cause the loss of the original footage of the giant Dragonite was enough for the Waterflower to step in – plus, she likely wanted to keep a positive relationship with the guy owning half the Clan's Eevee breeding set-up.
Also, as Bill discovered after rummaging through the rubble, some of the data survived by an actual fucking miracle.
Still, I wasn't that sad about it. A hundred grand was no small amount, and there'd be plenty of chances to get shit out of Bill.
"I still don't think it was right to take the money," Ash frowned. His protest seemed entirely philosophical, which kind of pissed me off.
"Says the guy juicing his Pokémon before Gym battles and accepting free badges," I retorted. Ash flushed while Brock frowned at the Ketchum. The Pewter native was not happy about that fact, even if he apparently liked the kid enough not to report him. Performing setup moves or otherwise enhancing your Pokémon's abilities before a battle was a big no-no and could lead to a serious strike on your record. No one liked steroids. "Anyway, we're here." I pointed out, breaking the awkward mood as we crested a small hill and the port city of Vermillion came into view.
As one of the biggest import and export centers in Kanto, Vermillion was the largest city I'd seen in the PokéWorld since I'd gotten there. A seemingly endless jungle of steel and glass glittered in the sun as it stretched towards the horizon, snaking along the coast of a sea inlet. Unlike Pewter, which was clearly in the process of modernization, with the older, more traditional buildings being replaced gradually, the Port of Exquisite Sunsets appeared to have been built yesterday, with no obvious signs of anything from the original Thundercrash Clan remaining in the contemporary cityscape.
"FINALLY!" Ash screamed, all previous thoughts forgotten as he started sprinting towards the city. We hadn't been walking that long in the grand scheme of things, only four-ish hours after leaving Bill's lighthouse, having spent the night and morning in the half-ruined tower, but unlike me, the gang had spent two weeks trekking through the wilderness to get there.
"I hate to agree with him, but same. I need a bed and a shower so bad," Misty groaned, speeding up herself.
"Didn't you get that last night?" Brock quipped, still calmly strolling along with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. While he'd been out there as long as the others and looked just as dirty, he bore it a lot better.
The benefit of growing up scaling mountains or whatever the Pebble Clan did for kicks.
"Once is not anywhere near enough. My clothes are caked in filth and reek so much that I was nervous they would become an actual Grimer. I need to soak for hours before I feel remotely human again, unlike you beasts," the orangenette answered back, visibly putting in some effort to slow down and match our pace.
"That should give me just enough time to register for the Gym and meet up with Gary. After that, I believe you owe me a date," I grinned at Misty, watching with pleasure as she blushed. Heh, bet she thought I'd forgotten.
"That was supposed to be in the future, you Lugia-damned stalker! It doesn't count!" She growled.
"Of course it counts!" I protested, yet hesitated. "I mean, unless you really don't want to, then we won't, obviously."
It was her turn to pause, studying me closely for a moment, before huffing and picking back up speed, throwing her parting words over her shoulder.
"Fine, but I'm picking the place, and you're paying! I'll send you the address when I'm ready!"
And then she was gone, leaving me to smirk in satisfaction.
"Wow," Brock piped up after having been oddly silent since meeting Bill, "that was almost smooth. Well, in the same way that gravel is smooth." Judging by my new Eevee's snort, she wasn't impressed either, though she stayed close. Letting her back out of her PokéBall almost immediately last night had earned me some extra points, it would seem. Baby steps.
"I won't be taking romantic criticism from the guy who's struck out with every Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny in Kanto!"
"First of all, I have not! Second, a brat like you wouldn't understand the unavoidable attraction of a woman in uniform!"
"Oh, I understand plenty well, I'm just not pathetic about it like you!"
"No, instead you're creepy and pushy!"
"Fuck you!"
"Fu-screw you too!"
We glared at each other for a moment before huffing with laughter and continuing to move.
"Wanna watch me fuck up Surge?" I asked, amused by the verbal battle.
He shrugged, already over it himself. I really appreciated that about Brock. He didn't take a little bit of shit talking seriously. "Sure, why not. It's always fun to see him lose."
I raised an eyebrow at the easy agreement. Not that I'd expected him not to want to watch, but I thought he would have some words of wisdom to share. "Not going to tell me to be careful, that going in arrogant is gonna bite me in the ass?"
Brock shrugged in response. "Normally, yeah, that's all true, though I would probably let you find that out yourself. You could use a dose of humility. However, not only is the Lieutenant kinda an asshole, but I also don't really think you are going to have that much trouble if what you've said about your battle with the Admiral is correct. Surge's big thing is power and brutality, especially under four Badges. Six if I'm being honest. He barely bothers with tactics until then. He will push a match to the very limits of what's allowed in terms of injuries and power. Most can't handle that and end up in the PokéCenter. You, on the other hand, are not only used to that, but your team of thugs seems almost as specialised for it as Surge is, on top of just being stronger than a third Badge."
I was surprised by the words and a little touched by his confidence in me. We hadn't spent that much time together, but Brock was a good guy who made it hard to be grumpy.
"Obviously, I'll win. I'm awesome and only surpassed by my team. Save your assurances for a dumbass like Ash."
I said hard, not impossible.
"Uh-huh." I take it all back, fuck him and his condescending tone. Thinking he could see through me and shit. I had to change the subject.
"Speaking of Ash, do you know where the Gym is?"
"I do."
"Wanna bet we'll get there before him?"
He laughed. "That's not even a question. I'll probably have to go and get him after he gets lost."
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As it turned out, we did indeed have to go and get Ash after waiting for him next to the Gym. Thankfully, the idiot at least knew how to answer his PokéDex when someone called him, so Brock could find him, leaving me to wait outside the Gym. I could've gone in and gotten my registration over with, but I'd just met up with them again, and it felt a little too scummy to invite Brock to see my match and then ditch him before making the appointment.
Not that I expected to fight Surge that day or anything, but still.
So, I was left to stand under the huge, criss-crossing, golden lightning bolts that decorated the front of the Electric-Type Gym. Having studied it for a while, I'd arrived at the decision that I didn't like it that much. Where Cerulean had gone too far in regards to customizing the building – at least in my, and everybody with eyes', opinion – Vermilion hadn't gone far enough. Unlike the simplicity of Viridian, as much as I hated to give that fucker Giovanni any credit, who had let their age and history speak for them, Vermillion seemed to be more from a lack of effort. The big-ass sign in the middle of the top two thunder symbols that simply said 'GYM' was the only actual point of interest in the facade. The rest was the most standard governmental building I'd ever seen, resembling every school in every movie to have ever been made.
Super lame, but then again, Surge was supposedly a military man, so I'm not sure what I expected.
Vermillion itself was a much greater surprise. The impression I'd gotten from a distance was overall correct – in that it was the most modern city I'd been to, all metal and glass towering over the citizens' heads as they walked up and down the paved streets. I wasn't sure what it actually was, but the building material for the roads and some of the larger multi-story buildings reminded me of concrete from my old world.
It was properly concrete; I don't know why I was overthinking it. Not everything had to be Pokémon-specific.
Yet, beyond the fact that the most prominent architecture resembled the newest parts of Pewter, there was also a strong resemblance to Cerulean. People in clothes that shone every color of the rainbow walked side by side with Pokémon, dragging filled carts to and from the harbor, passing by or starting to restock stands that littered the area near the water. Every hairstyle was represented, and the people were by far the most ethnically diverse I'd seen so far. In general, the Sunset Port became more colorful and personalized the closer to the harbor you looked. For all that Cerulean was a better-looking town, there was no denying that the population was overwhelmingly dominated by the odd Japanese-Caucasian that characterized anime.
Vermillion, however, had been a trade hub for hundreds of years, and its people reflected that, I noticed, gazing out over the city from the vantage point the large hill that the Gym was perched upon provided me. Looking downwards, I smiled as my eyes met the chocolate brown of the fox-cat-thing lying by my feet.
"A nice view, huh? A little more exciting than Cerluean at least."
Eevee yipped softly, peering out over the city curiously. Having not found the time yet, I took the chance to pull out my PokéDex and scan the newest member of my little group.
"Eevee, The Evolution Pokémon. Eevee has an unstable genetic makeup that suddenly mutates due to the environment in which it lives. Radiation from various stones causes this Pokémon to evolve to adapt to harsh environments by taking on different evolutionary forms."
"This Eevee has the ability: Anticipation, and knows the moves: Tackle, Growl, Tail Whip, Sand Attack, Quick Attack, Baby-Doll Eyes, Swift, Hyper Voice, Detect (egg move)."
I nodded, finding it amusing that the Clan bred Pokémon was tied for the fewest egg moves. Beyond that, nothing really stood out, except one thing, I noted, bending down to show her the PokéDex when she looked up at the electronic sound.
"Hyper Voice, huh? Can't imagine you being that loud." I joked, chuckling at the bat of her paw I got in return as she huffed, studying the screen and the picture of an Eevee on it. Taking the chance, I gently brushed my hand down the length of her back, feeling her stiffen up and then relaxing, letting me continue for a few seconds before moving away and looking up at me.
"You know, everyone else on the team has a nickname. Do… do you want one too?" I knew the answer even before I finished speaking and saw her reaction. There was no way she was comfortable enough for that.
Sure enough, she shook her head negatively, ducking down and peering up at me through her eyelashes like she thought I'd take offense. Chuckling, I dropped down to sit next to her and leaned back as we took in the view.
"No worries, I get it. Maybe a little later, after you've evolved and stuff. I think you'll still be around by then. I have a good feeling."
She didn't say anything, but after a couple of minutes, I felt her side against my leg as she lay down.
I'd take it.
That's where Brock and Ash eventually found me, alternating my focus between talking to Eevee while taking in the scenery and the automatic front doors of the Gym.
"Sorry about that, Ash has somehow found his way to the battle district, and it took a while to get him to leave," Brock apologised, though I was much more interested in the 'battle district' that he just named. Sounded like something to look into if I had the time.
Ash, on the other hand, was pouting pretty hard. "I was on a win streak too, 3-0! I could definitely have made it to 5!"
"I'm sure you could, but you wanted to do the Gym, remember?" The oldest guy among us asked, rolling his eyes along with me when Ash perked up instantly. Well, I saw Brock's eyelids move, at least. I'd take it as an eyeroll.
"YEAH, GYM TIME! LETS GO!" Ash declared at the top of his lungs, running towards the doors with no hesitation.
Which made him choke when I grabbed him by the collar and yanked him to the side. Hacking and spitting for a moment, he looked ready to lay into me, if not for the doors barely springing open in time before a teen, maybe a year or two older than me, sprinted out with tears in his eyes and snot running down his face, clutching a PokéBall to his chest desperately. All three of us stared after him as his choked sobs drifted back to us in the wind before slowly fading.
"...what was that about?" Ash had gotten a lot quieter from the sight, not rushing back towards the doors yet.
I shrugged in answer, despite being pretty sure I knew. "It's been happening every five or so minutes; someone will come rushing out and run off. Even the ones that aren't crying look like they have seen a Ghost-Type."
"That would be Surge. Told you that most can't handle him." Brock frowned after the teen, whom I presumed had gotten his ass whipped hard and was going to the PokéCenter.
Turning back to look at the Gym, Ash continued to be uncharacteristically quiet, holding Pikachu in his arms rather than the rodent being sat on his shoulder like usual. Looking closer, I could see tremors shaking the poor little guy.
Clapping him on the shoulder, I pushed Ash ahead of me and walked up to the entrance. "Come on, bro, you'll be fine. It's just a battle, you've done dozens by now. Surge is a brute that punches hard, nothing you can't handle."
Taking a deep breath, his expression sharpened up and he nodded firmly. "Right! Pikachu and I have taken on worse things!" I felt a little bad, especially when, after a second, Pikachu also seemed to take my words to heart and cry out in agreement, if more hesitantly than his usual enthusiasm.
If everything went according to canon, they were going to lose, and Pikachu would end up in the PokéCenter. Given that injuries were a lot more real than in the anime, he might even be stuck there for a bit.
I could warn them. Tell them to use their speed and to watch out for Raichu.
I didn't, however, as we entered the equally minimalistic lobby and Ash marched straight up to the receptionist.
Slamming his hand into the basic wooden desk with a loud smack! Ash stared at the guy behind the counter with fire in his eyes, any hint of hesitation gone. "I'm here for the Badge!"
Not bothering to look up from his magazine, the man snorted at Ash's words. With his dark hair shorn short in a buzz cut and an open leather jacket with no shirt underneath to display his developed musculature, I'd have thought him a member of a biker gang if he wasn't the greeting party in a governmental institution.
"Whaaat!? You've come to the Gym for a Badge? Are you sure you're not here for the free sandwiches?" I had to respect how little inflection the guy put into his voice. It was hard to sound that dry, I knew from experience.
"What? Uh, no, I-I'm here for the Badge? But I'm actually kinda hungry, so I'll take a sandwich too, I guess." Ash, on the other hand, was just as good with sarcasm as he usually was.
The honest answer finally forced what I was pretty sure was a Vermillion Gym Trainer to look up at us so he could stare at Ash judgmentally. Getting nothing but a big smile in response, he shook it off and turned to the PC on his desk.
"Name and Registration."
"Ash Ketchum, Pokémon Master in the making!" Another snort as the man took Ash's PokéDex and put in his license number.
"Third Badge, huh? 'fraid sandwiches are only for fourth and up. Sign on the lines, you've done this shit before." Turning to Brock and me, the Gym Trainer raised an eyebrow. "Y'all cheerleaders or you fighting too?"
"I'll go after Ash," I responded, rattling off my own number, which I'd long since memorized, and signing the waivers.
"Cool, in that case, 10-15 minutes work for you?"
"10 MINUTES!?" Ash exclaimed in shock, not that I was much better.
"Yeah, right after that guy," the buzz cut pointed over to a sitting area of hard wooden furniture. Sitting stiff-backed on a stool, a kid around Ash's age was staring at the wall, sweat running like bullets down his face. "The Lt. has been on a tear today. We've only been open like four hours, and he's already 16-3. Hope you brought something other than that Pikachu, kid, or this is going to get ugly real fast." Right as he finished speaking, the only door in the room, right behind the desk, opened, and a grown woman slumped out. Another woman, wearing a tank top and a pair of camouflage pants – and a hair band holding her red locks back like it was the fucking 80's – poked her head out and pointed to the sweating kid, beckoning him over with a smirk. "17-3, now. Guess you got five minutes instead of 10."
Said minutes passed in a flash, Ash uncharacteristically silent as he stared at the door, Pikachu fidgeting around nervously. In no time at all, the kid came running, and the same woman gestured at Ash. Brock followed him in, despite nobody telling him to, so I assumed the way to the spectators' seats was through there as well.
Leaving me with the wannabe badass reading his magazine and trying to throw me off my game.
"You know your friend is going to lose, right?"
Usually, I would've defended Ash quite venomously. I was the only one allowed to make fun of my friends. However, in that situation, I agreed.
"I know."
The Trainer looked surprised. "Damn, that's harsh, kid. No faith in your buddy?"
I didn't answer, feeling kind of like a scumbag. If I'd told Ash about Raichu, maybe he could've figured something out, pulled a win out of his ass, protagonist style.
However, I didn't think it would ultimately benefit him. The Surge battle stood out in my memory for a reason. The loss meant a lot to both Ash and Pikachu, the latter especially, and affected everything they did going forward.
Helping them avoid that lesson now might make them feel better, but they would learn it one day. Better earlier than later.
Better then, when all they would get was a trip to the PokéCenter, rather than something more permanent.
So I waited in silence, staring at the door like Ash before me and ignoring the attempted taunts as I awaited the inevitable. And sure enough, it didn't take long for the door to slam open and bounce off the wall, a short figure with black hair sprinting out with an even smaller yellow shape in his arms.
"Ash. Ash!" I tried to call out to him, but he ignored me. Hearing another set of rapid footsteps, I saw Brock come out with the woman in tow. He looked at me hesitantly, his eyes open for once, the dark irises darting between me and the door Ash had disappeared through. "Go, go, I'll be fine!" I assured him, and he ran off without another sound.
Meaning that it was just me.
"And then there was one. Getting cold feet after seeing what happened to your friend? I can't blame you. Last chance to back out, kid." The woman taunted, though I barely heard her as I shoulder checked her on the way through the doorframe. She tried to resist, only to grunt in surprise when I overpowered her and almost sent her to the floor.
I didn't look back.
Both Pewter and Cerulean's battle arenas had been fairly stylish affairs. Sure, at the end of the day, they were a rocky field and a large pool, respectively, but effort had been made to appeal to spectators and competitors, creating a sense of grandeur and gravitas. Brock's pillar trick was particularly visually impressive.
Once more, Vermillion and Lt. Surge didn't appear to give a fuck.
While the field was large, occupying most of the center of the larger building, it was essentially just dirt. A 200-250 feet by 150 feet large rectangle of hard-packed dirt in the middle of an overly large gym room. Not Gym in the Pokémon sense, but like an exercise gym. Weights and machines littered the outside of the ring, most of them fucking huge and clearly designed with Pokémon in mind.
And that was it. There were no stands, no podiums, no anything that didn't serve the purpose of training.
And on the other side of the dirt square, stood a man with his arms crossed, looking bored out of his mind. Short blonde hair that pointed in every direction like he'd dunked his head in hair gel, tan skin from a lifetime of being outside, contrasting with the half-lidded blue eyes staring at me.
Oh, and the fucker was also seven feet tall for some reason.
By far the biggest human I'd seen since Bob in Orre, Lt. Surge loomed like a giant, each one of his biceps as large as my head. His chest – exposed under the open, brown jacket with rolled up sleeves that he was wearing like a douchebag – rippled with muscle fibers, each strand clearly defined from the low body fat percentage. The Gym Leader was younger than I thought he would be. Going by the military title, I'd expected him to be old enough to have fought in the Rebellion, as that was the last official war Kanto had been involved in, but Surge didn't look to be past his mid-thirties.
"Brought the next victim, Lt. Another third Badge." The woman whose job it was to bring in challengers piped up, once more smirking at me nastily.
Lieutenant Surge sighed at the info, seeming to shrink a bit, despite his back remaining painfully straight. "Another one, seriously? Fuck me, today is boring as shit. When can we close up shop, Lilla?"
"It's only 1, sir, so another five hours."
Surge groaned. "This is so fucking lame! Damn fucking boat, attracting all these weaklings-"
"Shut the fuck up and name the rules." I cut him off, clenching my hands to calm the tremors. There was no reason for it. Sure, I always got more excited before a battle, with both adrenaline and Aura surging, but that wasn't it. I wasn't eager to fight Surge.
I was unreasonably, fuck-off angry. Way more furious than I thought I'd be. Mainly at the Gym Leader for fucking up Ash like that, but also myself for allowing it.
Unfortunately for Surge, I was going to take it all out on him.
"Oh?" Vermillion's Gym Leader sounded lightly amused. "An eager little shit, are you? I wouldn't be, if I were you. I've fought 21 people today, and only three-"
"What part of shut the fuck up didn't you understand, you bottle bleached, overcompensating cunt? I don't care how small your micro-penis is, or how much beating up children makes you feel better about your sad, pathetic fucking life. Say the rules and send out your Pokémon."
Silence reigned over the Gym hall, the two adults in the room looking at me, stunned. The Lt. recovered pretty quickly, a vicious gleam appearing in his eye.
"Cocky little shit, aren't you? I'll look forward to fixing that."
"He's probably upset that his little friend lost before him, you know, the fucking loser with the Pikachu," Lilla chimed in. My knuckles made an audible pop! that had Surge grinning at getting a reaction from me.
"Aw, angry that your boyfriend got his ass kicked? Hahahahaha," he laughed uproariously at his own 'joke', the female Trainer joining him. Calming down, the Gym Leader lazily threw out a PokéBall that opened with a click! "Well, this is the guy who did it! He'll be the one to send you to the PokéCenter as well!"
The Pokémon in question crossed his arms with the same smug smirk as his Trainer, making me ache to break my fingers on the Electric-Type's face. The Raichu was covered in dark orange fur with a white belly. Its bifurcated ears were brown on the outside and yellow on the inside, ending in a distinctive curl. Circular yellow markings on each cheek marked its electric sacs, which flanked a triangular, dark brown nose. Patches of brown fur covered the end of its stubby limbs, and on its back were two horizontal brown stripes. Its long, thin tail with a lightning bolt-shaped end swished back and forth as arches of electricity sprang from the generative cheek organs.
"Go on then, brat, stop delaying the inevitable! Send out your weakling so I can go 19 and 3!"
The wise choice was Sol, using his size and presumably greater strength to just out-bully Raichu.
I didn't want wise, I wanted to humiliate the fuck.
Surge, Raichu, and Lilla fully doubled over from laughter as Hercules appeared, slapping their knees as the Elekid windmilled his arms, whirring annoyedly at the disrespect of Raichu rolling around in the dirt.
"Oh shit, that's funny! The fuck's in the Pallet water? I-if both Trainers are ready?" Lilla managed to get out between her giggles. Surge nodded through his own chuckles, while Raichu at least had the decency to stand up, even if he didn't take a fighting stance or anything.
I, meanwhile, crouched down to be closer to Herc's level, keeping my voice low on the off-chance they could hear me through their own noise.
"It's going to be stronger than you – both physically and electrically – but you're faster, especially with Quick Attack. Keep that up as much as you can while hitting it, use Hammer Arm if you think you can get Quick Attack back up in time, and in general, don't get hit. Try to target the legs or ribs; anything that slows it further. If it uses Electric-Type moves, avoid what you can and ground the rest. Okay?"
He nodded, holding out his fist towards me, and despite myself, I felt a smile tug at my lips as we fistbumped. Standing back up, I nodded to Lilla, who had released a Kadabra while I talked to Herc.
They were going to regret giving me that chance.
"In that case, the match is between Lt. Surge and the challenger Pietwinkle for the third Badge! Begin!"
"Alright, Raichu, let's get this over with quick so the lovebirds can share a hospital room! Hit 'em with a Mega Punch!"
The Mouse Pokémon bent his knees and cocked back a hand that began to glow a bright white. As Raichu launched himself forward with a lower-pitched cry than one would expect from something his size, kicking up a decent dust cloud in his wake, I was briefly reminded of the Azumarill I fought in Cerulean doing the same move.
Except, where Azumarill had been faster than my entire team – other than Siren in the water – Raichu might be slightly quicker than Eevee.
Might. Like, on a good day, and I hadn't even seen Eevee run.
The rodent's victorious exclamation died in his throat as Hercules slipped under the Mega Punch, the mouse's fist passing between the prongs on the Elekid's head. Despite my disparaging thoughts about its Trainer, Raichu wasn't an amateur. The Electric-Type kicked off with its feet, trying to turn its forward momentum into a somersault over Herc's head.
But there was a long way between not being an amateur and being actually strong.
Eyes bulging comically out of its head, Raichu gagged wetly, saliva flying out of its gaping mouth as the Hammer Arm struck it in the gut. Curling around Hercules' large hand, Surge's Pokémon started to lift upwards as the blow threatened to send it flying, only to come to a sudden halt as my Elekid grabbed the zigzaggy tail that dangled in front of him with his free hand and – in a more successful maneuver than the Pokémon's own – converted the force into a swing that hammered the Raichu into the dirt, a much larger dustcloud shielding the two from view.
"Wha-RAICHU! THUNDER SHOCK!" Another screech sounded from the cover as Lt. Surge remembered that he was supposed to be a Gym Leader, one of the greatest Trainers in the Region, and reacted to our turn around.
"Herc, back." Sometimes I could swear that he was a Psychic-Type, as Hercules seemed to preempt my command and was already leaping backwards towards me, as the obscuration lit up with bright yellow electricity of an intensity that far outshone Hercules' own capacity. Maybe it was just a personality compatibility – or because I understood how to use his body type better, as it was humanoid – but Herc was probably the Pokémon I worked the best with, other than Siren, despite having the others longer.
As the Thunder Shock cleared, Raichu once more came into view. The giant mouse was breathing heavily despite the battle just beginning, bending over as it tried to recover the breath that Herc had knocked out of it. I also didn't fail to see the huge bruise forming right before my eyes on the opponent's hip.
So, Herc did land another Hammer Arm. I thought as much, but it was nice to confirm. It was unlikely that we'd get such easy shots going forward.
At the end of the day, the Raichu we were facing was just a shittier version of Azumarill. They damn near fought the same and made the same arrogant mistakes. The only difference was that Azumarill was strong enough to recover from them.
Raichu was not.
Surge growled, murder flashing in his eyes. "You trying to play us for fools!? You only get one lucky shot! Raichu, send these kids packing, Mega Combat!"
"Evade, Herc."
As planned, the white, flickering coating spread over my Pokémon's body and condensed as Raichu approached once more, though much slower, between its newfound caution and the limp on its left side. 10 feet from its opponent, the Vermillion Gym Pokémon stopped, the two Electric-Types sizing each other up for a moment. A more solid, tighter-packed glow of Normal-Type energy leaked from Raichu's hands and feet as it narrowed its eyes in concentration, gathering around the limbs as Herc slid into a proper fighting stance.
And then they were off.
When Surge said 'Mega Combat', I'd been worried he was about to pull the move Close Combat out of his ass; however, that thankfully wasn't the case as far as I could tell. Raichu's enhanced fists punched holes in the hard dirt as it pursued Hercules doggedly, wind and dust kicked up when a foot whooshed past Herc's side as he side-stepped. His attempt at a quick jab in return was similarly dodged, yet the bulkier Electric-Type couldn't avoid the sneaky kick to its bad side before Herc jumped back out of range, and the game was on once more.
The arena swiftly became a mess as they raced back and forth, Raichu growling as Herc slipped by it with inches to spare again and again. Lightning leapt from its cheek poaches unwillingly as the surprisingly bipedal rat's attack grew sloppier in return for a little extra speed. The previously easily cleared blows got a little closer, Hercules having to abandon most chances to strike back to make sure he got away unscathed.
Seeing Raichu slip in its frustrations, I was quick to call it out.
"Hammer Arm, left!"
"Raichu, shock him!"
The Quick Attack faded into whisps of energy as the part around Hercules' right arm almost appeared to coalesce. The heavy blow struck Raichu in the shoulder, causing it to squeak in pain, but it was clever enough to spin with the motion, a fast flash of thunder leaping from its generative glands. I clicked my tongue when Herc couldn't dodge it all in time due to committing, as a restrained whir matched Raichu's own sound of pain.
It wasn't a bad hit, but it didn't need to be.
Hercules was faster, and the early hits we got in were doing work, but there was no getting around the fact that Raichu was a fully evolved Pokémon, and Elekid was classified as a baby. Surge was a fucking piece of shit, but there was some bit of truth to his philosophy about evolving Pokémon as early as possible. On top of that, I just hadn't had that much time to train with Hercules yet.
Every one of Raichu's Mega Punches was equal to five of our Quick Attacks.
"Enough fuckin' around! Raichu, hit 'em with da Thundabolt! End it!"
And that was just physically.
"BACK!" I barked as the panting Mouse Pokémon stopped its relentless pursuit and dropped to all fours. Jumping away, Hercules landed in front of me as the electricity coming from Raichu intensified. Raising one hand towards the incoming attack, Herc had just enough time to place the other on the ground before everything exploded.
"RAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
Thunder erupted from the overgrown rodent, an almost solid sphere of lightning forming around it as it screamed, little more than a shadow in the middle of brilliance brought forth by its might. Lightning bolts sprang from the sphere uncontrollably, lashing out with thunderous crack! and snap! sounds. Psychic barriers flashed into visibility as the electric lances clashed against them; dirt melted into a glowing mess as thin branches forked from the main ones, carving minor grooves in the flooring.
I had to admit, Raichu was powerful. Only Betty – and maybe Sol if he had better AOE – could match that kind of sheer strength.
I couldn't say the same about its technique, though, as the Thunderbolt hit nearly everything else before a bolt leapt towards Hercules, the upper windows shattering with glass raining down as they burst under the force. A bright light flashed as the attack made contact with Herc's outstretched hand, forcing me to close my eyes and turn my head.
Seconds later, when I looked back, it was to see a heavily panting Elekid on one knee with his hand still up as every muscle in his body twitched furiously from electric overload, being stared at by a gaping Surge and a heaving Raichu.
It was a terrible technique. Fuck, it wasn't even an actual technique in the first place. All it did was take the Electabuzz line's natural talent for absorbing foreign electricity and, instead of holding onto it with Herc's small capacity for how much he could handle at a time, he just became a conduit between the lightning and the ground. It didn't solve shit. His system was still overloaded from too much energy flowing through him; it just stopped him from being completely incapacitated by it. It was made for training more than combat, and it hurt like hell.
But pain was nothing new for Hercules.
I didn't get the chance to say anything before Herc was on the move. One of the worst Quick Attacks I'd ever seen him do barely clung to life and propelled him forward on trembling legs, shoddy Fighting-Type energy more than a Hammer Arm clinging to his arm as excess power sprang from his body uncontrollably.
"RAICHU!"
However, Raichu had used a lot of energy on that Thunderbolt and had only just managed to get to its feet, sweat leaking through its fur. Given as little as 20 seconds, it should be ready to go again.
SMACK!
But it didn't have 20 seconds. It barely got three before Herc's fist plowed into its face, cheek pouche mashed flat against the bone of its skull, before the mouse shot backwards. Thudding against the barrier back first with a squeaky gasp, it bounced off, right into Herc's even less enhanced left hook that nevertheless expelled whatever shreds of air were left in its lungs, unwilling arches of electricity leaking into the rodent. Proving that he was occasionally smarter than I gave him credit for, Herc backed off as Raichu hit the ground limply. He was still sticking to the hit-and-run strategy, rather than getting lost in the advantage.
"Come on, Raichu, get up!"
I was impressed when Raichu actually stirred from its collapsed position at its Trainer's words, feebly struggling to its feet. The Electric-Type's durability was good, in addition to its power. While I was fuzzy on the exact Badge-level borders, I could understand why Brock said that Surge focused on power.
Ordinarily, I'd have given it the time to get up. Battling was fun and gave a rush only surpassed by actual combat, but the enjoyment dropped markedly if the prey wasn't fighting back.
I wasn't interested in fun at that time.
"Hammer Arm."
Hercules twitched at my words – well, more than his fried system was making him jerk already. I knew that it wasn't really his style. Betty wouldn't have stopped in the first place, and Siren would be acting as soon as she understood my words. But Herc wasn't like them, and I knew that as he looked at me out of the corner of his eye to see if I was sure.
I wasn't looking back. I was locked on Surge as he gazed back in surprise, shock clear on his face until it melted into a look of realization, eyes bouncing between the still struggling Raichu and Herc – having confirmed my order – focusing on forming a proper Hammer Arm and preparing to drive it into Raichu's already weakened form.
It wouldn't kill it or anything like that, but it would send it to the PokéCenter and was properly on the edge of what you should be doing in an official battle.
I didn't give a single fuck about the begrudging respect in Surge's eyes at using his own move against him and forcing him to call it off.
"Alright, alright, that's enough. You've proven your fucking point, so call it off already."
I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself. I felt the urge to ask Hercules to keep going, to send the arrogant rat to the PokéCenter, and see how Surge liked it. Fuck, maybe I could fix it so that the Gym Leader and Ash were across from each other.
But I was in public, and I'd already spotted three cameras around the ceiling. Guess Surge wasn't above recording his matches for some cash.
I fucking hoped someone made a meme with the steroid fucker's dumb face.
"You heard him! Call the match!" I snarled at the dumbstruck Lilla, who was gaping at the outcome of the battle with a truly unflattering facial expression as Surge recalled Raichu and moved towards the back of the Gym while Herc let his attack fade and spasmed his way over to me. Knocked from her stupor, she shook her head and shakily raised a hand in my direction, voice thick with disbelief.
"T-the winner is Pietwink-"
"It's fucking Periwinkle! Say it again!"
She jumped at the interruption, looking at me like she'd never seen a human before. If only they knew that I was holding myself back so I wouldn't start throwing hands.
"...the winner is the challenger, Periwinkle."
God damn fucking right I was, most of the rage leaking out of me. Looking up as a shadow covered me, I glared at Surge as he loomed over me, glaring back.
"...Congratulations, I suppose. Not every day someone beats me on the first try." He grunted, not sounding happy about it. I didn't respond, knowing that what would come out of my mouth would result in a fist fight. Getting nothing, Surge snorted and held out his enormous hand, a plastic case with some writing on it containing a yellow disk and a yellow-ish, jagged piece of metal easily fitting into his ginormous palm. "Guess you've earned this. Cheap move you pulled-Hey! You fucking brat!"
I ignored what the giant skidmark was yelling, having recalled Herc, snatched the TM and Badge out of his hand without a word, spun around on my heel, and power walked for the door with Eevee hot on my tail. As I slammed the door shut behind me, I rubbed my eyes as weariness replaced the anger. Making my way outside and checking my PokéDex, I realised that the whole thing from start to end took less than 45 minutes.
And yet, I felt wrung out, hands deep in my pockets as I slumped my way towards the PokéCenter.
When the fuck did I start caring so much?
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A Bagde in only one chapter!? What socery is this!?
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.