The tension in the Canalave Gym was thick enough to choke a Probopass. My back was against the wall, and the "Wall of Iron" standing across from me wasn't showing a single crack. Bastiodon stood there, its massive, shield-like face gleaming under the stadium lights, looking every bit like an immovable fortress.
"Sylveon, we need to slow it down! Test the waters with Yawn!" I called out.
Sylveon, her ribbons tattered and her breath coming in heavy rasps, gathered the last of her strength. She released a shimmering white bubble that drifted lazily toward the prehistoric Pokémon.
"Not happening! Protect!" Byron barked.
A spherical green barrier hummed into existence around Bastiodon, and the Yawn bubble splashed harmlessly against it.
"Now, use Block!"
Bastiodon let out a low, vibrating rumble. A red, cross-shaped aura erupted from its shield-face and slammed into Sylveon. She tried to dodge, but the energy was too fast. It didn't hurt her, but I felt the air grow heavy. Block—it meant Sylveon was trapped. I couldn't switch her out even if I wanted to.
I bit my lip. This was bad. Yawn was being countered by Protect, and if I tried to use Calm Mind again, Bastiodon would flatten her before she could finish the chant. At this range, a Steel-type move would be the end of her. And while Mystical Fire was super-effective against Steel, Bastiodon's Rock-type half neutralized that weakness. It was a neutral hit against a Pokémon with the defensive stats of a bunker.
"No other way," I gritted my teeth. "Sylveon, give it everything! Mystical Fire, continuous fire!"
"Fly-ah!" Sylveon let out a defiant cry. She began spinning, lashing out with stream after stream of swirling purple-and-orange flames.
"Iron Defense!" Byron countered.
Bastiodon hunkered down, its metallic skin turning a deeper, darker shade of grey. The explosions from the Mystical Fire rocked the stadium, creating a massive cloud of soot and embers that swallowed the entire battlefield. Sylveon didn't stop until she was literally staggering, her chest heaving as the last of the embers died down.
As the smoke cleared, my heart sank. Bastiodon was still standing. It had some soot on its face, sure, but it looked mostly annoyed.
"Our turn! Take Down!"
The living fortress began to move. It was slow at first, then picked up terrifying momentum, charging like a runaway freight train.
"Dodge it, Sylveon! Please!"
She tried. She really did. But her legs gave out at the last second. Bastiodon slammed into her with the force of a falling building. Sylveon was sent tumbling across the concrete, rolling several times before coming to a stop. By some miracle, she forced herself back up, shaking her head.
"Again! Take Down!"
"One last Yawn!" I screamed.
It was a desperate trade. As Bastiodon charged, Sylveon managed to blow a bubble right into its face just as the impact happened. The collision was brutal. Sylveon was tossed back, hitting the ground and staying down this time.
"Sylveon is unable to battle!" the referee shouted.
I recalled her, my hand shaking slightly as I touched her Poké Ball. "You were incredible, girl. Rest now."
I looked at my remaining two. Floette was strong, but she'd be shredded by Steel moves. And then there was Togepi. A literal infant. But Togepi had one thing no one could calculate: the chaos of Metronome.
"I have to gamble. Togepi, I'm counting on you!"
"Togi-togi-prrr!" The tiny star-patterned egg appeared, looking hilariously small in front of the massive Bastiodon.
"Don't let up! Take Down!" Byron wasn't showing any mercy.
"Togepi! Use Metronome! Move those fingers!"
Togepi stood its ground, wiggling its tiny stubs back and forth. Just as Bastiodon's massive shield-face was inches away from crushing the little one, Togepi's hands glowed with a white light.
The ground beneath Bastiodon suddenly erupted. A massive geyser of orange-brown energy shot upward, catching the shield-Pokémon right in its soft underbelly and launching it into the air.
"Earth Power!" I yelled, pump-fisting the air. Against a Steel/Rock type, that was quadruple damage.
Bastiodon crashed back down, the floor cracking beneath its weight. It groaned, struggling to its feet. It was heavily scarred now, the combined damage of the fires and the earth tremor finally showing.
"One more time! Metronome!"
"End this! Take Down!"
Togepi wiggled its fingers again. This time, it didn't summon the earth. Instead, it tossed a small, flickering purple flame—Will-O-Wisp. It hit Bastiodon's shoulder, and the massive Pokémon was suddenly wreathed in a sickly purple fire.
THWACK!
Bastiodon completed its charge, knocking Togepi flat. The little one tumbled back, burst into tears, and started bawling.
"Referee, switch!" I shouted, quickly recalling the crying baby. "You did it, Togepi! You got the burn!"
Now, the field was set. Bastiodon was burned, meaning its physical attack power was halved, and it was losing health every second.
"The rest is on you, Floette! Finish what they started!"
Floette emerged, her flower spinning.
"Take Down, continuous!" Byron was desperate now; the burn was eating his Pokémon alive.
"Dance, Floette! Magical Leaf in the openings!"
It was a beautiful, if tense, sight. The massive, lumbering Bastiodon kept charging, but it was too slow and too weak from the burn. Floette flitted around like a butterfly, occasionally flicking sharp, glowing leaves that sliced through the gaps in Bastiodon's armor.
Finally, after one last lunge, Bastiodon's legs gave out. It slid across the floor and didn't get back up.
The referee raised his flag. "Bastiodon is unable to battle! The winner is Julian!"
I fell to my knees, exhaling a breath I felt like I'd been holding for twenty minutes. "We actually did it..."
Byron walked over, wiping sweat from his forehead with a laugh. "Haha! That was a battle for the ages! Using an infant Togepi to fish for a burn? That's either the craziest or the luckiest thing I've ever seen. Here you go, Julian. You earned this."
He handed me a silver badge shaped like three pickaxes.
"The Mine Badge! I actually got it!" I held it up, and my three Pokémon—now recovered enough to stand—gathered around me. Even Togepi had stopped crying and was trying to nibble on the edge of the badge.
Later that night, the Canalave Pokémon Center was quiet. My three partners were out cold, tucked into their respective beds. I sat at the small desk, the Mine Badge glinting under the lamp. I pulled out the photo from the match.
It showed me, looking absolutely exhausted but happy, surrounded by my three exhausted partners, with a grinning Byron giving a thumbs-up in the background.
I flipped it over and began to write.
Julian and the Team vs. Leader Byron.
Our second badge, and man, did we work for it. This was Togepi's debut, and I still can't believe she pulled Earth Power and Will-O-Wisp back-to-back. Talk about beginner's luck! Sylveon was the MVP though—taking down a Bronzor and a Steelix is no small feat. Note to self: If every Gym Leader in Sinnoh is this intense, I'm going to need a lot more coffee.
P.S. We really need a Ground-type or a Fighting-type soon. Relying on Metronome is going to give me a heart attack.
May 28, Year 243 — Canalave Gym.
I tucked the photo into my album and leaned back, watching the moon reflect off the canal outside. Two badges down. Six to go. The road to the Sinnoh League was officially open.