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Joseph made his way into the next car on the Battle Subway, the floor beneath him rattling. He gripped onto one of his Poké Balls, the other two strapped to his belt. Before him stood another man, tall but slightly shorter than himself. His back stood to the brunet. A long, green, cape-like jacket concealed him, but he turned to reveal himself. “Oh? It seems someone’s come far enough to battle me. But don’t worry, I’ll make your defeat a quick one.”
“Hey! You should be the worried one! I made it this far, and I’ll beat you and keep going!” Joseph threw his Poké Ball, releasing his Serperior. It uncoiled as it hit the floor, towering over the two humans.
“Hit me with your best shot. Go, Pidgeot!” Pidgeot was released, letting out a loud cry as it hovered in the air.
“Serperior, use Leaf Blade!” Serperior whipped its tail around, a long blade extending from it. It lashed at Pidgeot, sending it back and shaking the car. However, it recovered quickly, preening its feathers and getting ready to attack.
“Pidgeot is resistant to Grass-type moves. I thought an expert trainer like yourself would know that! Pidgeot, use Air Slash!” The blond in the green jacket directed his arm towards Joseph’s Serperior, ready for the attack. Pidgeot rose in the air again and flapped its wings, sending air blades at Serperior. It wailed at the attack, as its HP was getting low.
“Dammit! Alright, hit them with Wring Out!” Serperior took Pidgeot to the ground and began to squeeze its body around the Flying-type, draining its HP. It had exhausted all it could and released, but Pidgeot hadn’t yet fainted. “Next, you’ll say, ‘Still have some fight in you? Not surprising for someone like you!’”
“Still have some fight in you? Not surprising for someone like you!” The blond gasped and then scoffed, aiming toward Serperior again. “Use Aerial Ace!” Pidgeot dove toward Serperior, striking it fast and knocking it out.
“Shit! Alright, come back, Serperior.” Joseph retrieved his Poké Ball and called Serperior back, turning it into a ray of red light as it shrunk down into it. “Go, Polteageist!” The Black Tea Pokémon let out a cry as it was released and came to life out of its teapot body. “Use Dark Pulse!” Polteageist waved its hands, aiming a beam of dark energy at Pidgeot. It was a critical hit, damaging the Flying-type badly. “Nice hit!”
The blond scoffed again, running his hands through his hair and whipping the bottom of his coat. “Is that the best you can do? Hit them with Quick Attack, Pidgeot!” Pidgeot lunged at Polteageist but went right through its ghostly body and hit the back of the car, narrowly avoiding Joseph. “Cazzo!”
“So much for being an expert trainer yourself! Normal-type moves don’t hit Ghost-types, remember? Or were you too focused on my handsome face? I know I’m irresistible~” Joseph smirked, pulling up the sleeve on his red jacket and straightening his tie.
“N-no, you stronzo! I just wanted to make sure I landed the hit first and forgot you had the advantage!” The man in green covered his face with his hand, acting as if he was face-palming at the mistake but, in reality hiding his blush.
“If you insist! Anyway, finish it off with Psyshockl!” Polteageist waved its hands again, sending will-o’-wisp-like orbs of psychic energy at Pidgeot, knocking it out.
The blond sighed and called his Pidgeot back, tucking its Ball back onto his belt. “Seems you’re stronger than I thought. Go, Ampharos!” Ampharos was released from its Poké Ball, letting out a soft trill. “Attack with Discharge!” Ampharos let out another trill, shocking Polteageist with an intense beam of yellow electricity. It was sent back, with Joseph thankfully being there to catch it instead of being thrown against the wall and cracked. Unfortunately, it was low on HP, only having enough strength to let out another attack as Joseph held it.
“You can do this, Polteageist! Attack with Shadow Ball!” Polteageist opened its mouth wide, sending a ball of dark energy towards Ampharos. Thankfully, its effort was fruitful as it dealt another critical hit! “Seems it's my lucky day!” Joseph cheered, high-fiving his Pokémon with his finger.
“Your luck won’t last for long! Use Thunderbolt!” Ampharos zapped Polteageist and Joseph, causing the latter to tumble to the ground covered in burns with the fainted Pokémon still in his hands.
After smoothing the static from his already messy hair, Joseph called Polteageist back and sent out Gallade, his final Pokémon. “You can do this, beat this bloody bastard!” Gallade was released with a cry of its name, already bearing the blades on its arms. “Use Psycho Cut!” Gallade swung its arms around, firing blades of bright light at Ampharos. The damage was enough to knock it out, causing the blond to call it back with a sneer. “Down to your last Pokémon too, eh? It seems like you underestimated me!”
“Not too fast. The battle isn’t over yet!” The man sent out his Azumarill, which had the type advantage over Gallade. “Azumarill, use Play Rough!” Azumarill pounced on the taller Pokémon, beating it with its arms and tail and causing a cloud of dust to surround them. It was super effective, causing Gallade to lose a chunk of its HP.
Joseph groaned and slapped his face with his palm, wondering what move to use next. “Use Thunder Punch!” Gallade charged at Azumarill, hitting it with an electrified fist and dealing massive damage. However, it still stood, having more HP left than Gallade thanks to its high HP and Defense stats.
“Hit them with Draining Kiss, Azumarill!” Azumarill bounced up to Gallade and kissed it on the cheek, draining its HP and transferring it to itself through a stream of yellow light. It was rejuvenated with more HP at its disposal, leaving Gallade even weaker.
Joseph looked to his Gallade, nodding at each other. “Use Psycho Cut again, and stay near me! I don’t want you taken out!” Gallade took a stance near its trainer, firing off more light blades. It damaged the Water- and Fairy-type, but not as much as Thunder Punch did.
“It seems your time is up, though. Use Hydro Pump!” Azumarill shot a fierce jet of water from its mouth, knocking out Gallade once and for all. “Look at that, I won. It seems your winning streak ends here, stronzo.”
“God, you’re maddening! You think you’re so much better than everyone else!” Joseph came up close to the man after they called their Pokémon back. He poked his finger into his chest, staring him down. “You’re starting to piss me off! How about I shut that mouth of yours?”
“I’ll do the favor for you~” The blond closed off the space between them, tugging on the collar of Joseph’s coat and pulling him into a kiss. After Joseph nearly passed out, the blonde chuckled and pulled him back up. “It’s nice to find someone else so passionate about battling and doesn’t just come here on their work break. What’s your name?”
“It’s Joestar. Joseph Joestar. I just moved here from Galar with my Granny and Uncle. And yours is?”
“Caesar Zeppeli, visiting from Alto Mare. I assumed you were from Galar, as not many people around here have Polteageists on their team.” Caesar let out a breath and patted Joseph’s shoulder. “How about we take a ride on the Ferris Wheel? The next stop should be coming up shortly.” He took a seat on the bench, patting the space next to him.
Joseph sat down, relaxing against the blue material. “Sounds good to me!” The two rode until their next stop, getting off before taking the train back to Gear Station. They made their way to the Ferris Wheel, tentatively holding hands as they boarded. The car went higher up, giving a view of the city below. “So, um… are we gonna be like, a thing now?”
“That’s up to you. I head back home in about a week, but we can keep in touch! I’d love to see if you tackle the gyms at all.” Caesar gently squeezed Joseph’s hand, showing affection. He and Joseph stared out the car's windows, the neon lights of Nimbasa City turning fuzzy as they went higher.
“Well, let’s keep in touch, then! I’ve never been to Alto Mare before, so maybe one day I’ll visit!” Joseph leaned his head on Caesar’s shoulder, causing him to startle briefly before settling into the comfort.
“It’s a beautiful place, and I’m sure you’d love it.” Caesar fondly smiled at Joseph, both of them staring off into the sky.