Chapter Text
Rin’s head was on a swivel as she and her sister walked around Nimbasa City. Despite learning to use modern technology at a nearly unheard of level for a traditional magus family member, she still found herself a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of lights, theme parks, and attractions littering the modern city streets. Neon and bright signage everywhere she looked. “How does anyone find their way around in this city?” she asked, dodging a group of tourists heading into what seemed to be some sort of Game Parlour, based on the name and imagery on the signs.
“Likely by using a map. Or a GPS,” Sakura replied blandly, looking at her sister with a mild amount of confusion, “Are you feeling okay, Rin-nee? You’d usually be able to figure that out yourself.”
“Just tired.” Rin yawned, Sakura nodding along in agreement. Though they’d had a day of rest after their late-night battle, both girls had tried to get up before noon and handle their affairs, including a debriefing and some significant paperwork. Even with a full night’s sleep behind them, they still felt a little drained. “Everything’s marked on those maps, but I can’t stare at them all the time. Having your nose in a phone while moving around seems very rude.” She shot a glare at one girl passing by in a hoodie, her phone out and plugged into a set of headphones, people having to scramble out of the way of her oblivious power walk.
“Only if you aren’t capable of multitasking and keeping an eye on your surroundings,” Sakura corrected, nodding towards another teen - this one occasionally glancing at their phone while deftly avoiding the foot traffic around them. “Don’t make it other people’s problems and it’s fine, you know?”
Rin smiled. “I wish more people were so considerate,” she said, before pointing. “Oh, there’s the gym!” She led her sister out of the crowded street, walking towards the dark building lit up with colored lights. “So, fourth badge challenge. Are you ready, sis?”
She nodded, “Of course. I’ve been keeping up with my training while we’ve been traveling.” Left unsaid was the fact that Rin was far more casual about training her team than Sakura was. While it wasn’t as if Rin and her team didn’t train, they did not train nearly enough to be taking the Gym Challenge seriously.
Which was fine, but knowing her sister she’d take a loss poorly.
Rin noticed Sakura’s reserve, but after a quick glance to confirm her sister wasn’t feeling poorly, she shrugged and led them towards the gym doors, stopping only as she saw the familiar face of the dark-clad Subway Boss conversing with a glamorous woman with blonde hair and a poofy dress. “Warden Ingo, it’s good to see you!” She called out. “I’d have thought you’d have been at the reserve with N.” Their friend had decided to spend the day outside the city, speaking with the Hisuian Pokemon in the nature park Ingo managed. He’d apologized for missing their battles, but the girls had understood.
“Your friend is trustworthy enough to handle delicate luggage and passengers alike. I do not need to keep a station watch on him.” Ingo retorted, turning on one heel with a clack of polished shoes.
“Warden Ingo? Someone else calls you by that old title?” The woman elbowed Ingo with a smile. “Sorry Ingo didn’t introduce me. I’m Elesa, gym leader here.”
“A friend in Sinnoh would eviscerate us verbally if we didn’t,” Rin replied primly, “Greetings, Leader Elesa. Both of us are here to challenge you for your Gym Badge.”
“Well, as Ingo would say, ‘All Aboard!” Elesa laughed, leading them inside. The interior of the massive building was dark, lit with neon; a massive roller coaster filling the towering space. “Now, I do have a gym challenge; it involves riding to me while targeting deployed targets, but considering your services to my friend, I can waive that.” She motioned to a wide set of stairs leading to a covered walkway, where dozens of people were making their way to the battle court at the back of the gym. “I’m not going to waive the battles, though. Even if you are a couple of do-gooders, the league frowns upon giving out too many badges to one trainer for service or effort. Best not to double up.”
“Better to let them show their skill to make sure they’ve earned it and aren’t called in erroneously in cases of emergency,” Sakura guessed, though it was more of a statement than a guess, really.
“That too. There’s also been a couple of times where people have tried to buy their way into a set of badges; League agents investigate if a person gets more than one or two ‘service’ badges, and effort badges can’t be awarded over a certain level. So, are you riding the Shining Coaster, or are you going to walk with me?”
“We’ll walk with you,” Rin declared, Sakura nodding her agreement without hesitation. The Gym Challenge was a rite specifically to prove worthiness. If the Leader waived it you respected their decision.
Elesa nodded, and the group made their way down the long hall to the battle court behind the roller coaster, the Gym Leader speeding up to head towards her spot on the far side of the court. “Alright, now… Sakura Tohsaka-Juniper, please step forward. You’re up first.”
Sakura nodded, moving her hand over her belt. Stepping over to her side of the field, she cleared her throat. “Gym Leader, were you planning on a three-on-three battle, or a four-on-four? My newest team member is eager to prove herself, but she’s not yet up to the standards of a four-badge match.”
Elesa paused briefly as she walked towards her position, turning her head to face Sakura, “What would you prefer, Challenger? Though I will warn you that starting from the fifth badge onward, you are expected to have a certain amount of combat ready Pokemon.”
“I am aware. Sneasel will be ready to fight at our level in a few weeks; she is dedicated and talented,” Sakura responded. “But I also know Ingo probably informed you of my newest team member, and I wouldn’t want to start without checking. I’d prefer a three-on three,” she finished.
“Then a three on three it shall be. Referee?” Elesa replied as she resumed her march to her side of the field.
“This will be a three on three battle between Leader Elesa and Challenger Sakura. Substitutions are not permitted by the Gym Leader, while the Challenger may freely do so.” The League Representative present declared from his place on the refereeing podium, a severe look in his eyes that seemed omnipresent on all his ilk. “Are both trainers prepared?”
Sakura nodded, eyes narrowing. No switching, sure. She’d watched some of Elesa’s matches; the Gym Leader didn’t switch, but she did swap out her teammates a lot. Everyone was prepared to deal with Volt Switch. She flicked a ball into her hand, looking across at the diva holding her own ball.
“Begin!”
The first Pokeballs spun onto the battlefield releasing their fighters. Ana smirked as she materialized, looking across the battlefield as she ruffled her leaves. Across from her floated an Emolga, the flying-squirrel like Pokemon chittering in amusement as she alighted on the field.
Sakura immediately called out. “Reflect, then slow her down, Ana.” The Servine immediately pulsed, a barrier forming around her even as the beginnings of a swirl of leaves manifested around her tail.
“Encour.” Elesa’s command was simple and brutal. With a chittering laugh of faelike amusement, Emolga clapped her paws together and manipulated type energy - throwing the resulting spray of streamers and hearts towards her serpentine foe. Ana scowled as the power settled over her, her Leaf Tornado snuffed out.
Sakura bit her cheek, considering. That… was bad. Not irrevocable, but bad. Encore would wear off quickly, but against an opponent who had a type advantage, that wasn’t great. However… “Ana, looks like we’re tussling.”
Ana nodded, springing forward towards the giggling Emolga, smashing the rodent with her tail and sending them skidding across the ground. Without any energy behind the blow, it was only a little damage, but every bit counted.
“Acrobatics.” A note of approval echoed through Elesa’s voice as she issued her command, simple and to the point without any sense of flair. There was a quiet expectation that she would speak and her Pokemon would know exactly what she needed them to do. Vindicating her trust and training, Emolga surrounded herself with Flying Type energy and threw herself into the brawl with shocking eagerness, the small flying rodent brawling right back against Ana. The energized attack hit Ana like a truck, blunted as it was by the Reflect.
Sakura watched for a moment as Ana was forced back. “Shape yourself a Reflect Blade, counter-attack,” she ordered, her Pokemon grinning wickedly as she swung her now barrier-sharpened tail across in a wicked arc, catching Emolga with the blade and sending the flying mouse tumbling before she could dart away.
Not visibly reacting beyond a small twitch of her lips, Elesa offered her next command, “Volt Switch”
“Reflect!” Sakura yelled, Ana moving before her to shape her barrier back into a guard– just in time to intercept the bundle of electrical energy that crashed into her, causing a wince before Emolga vanished back into Elesa’s belt, the residual electricity forcing out another Pokemon. A Zebstrika formed on the battlefield, Ana readying herself to face her second opponent.
Sakura felt out her Pokemon’s energies, and noted the restraints on her were quickly dissipating. “Ana, prepare to intercept; dodge or deflect.” She ordered, Ana nodded and shifted her stance to bring herself closer to the ground.
“Flame Charge.” At his trainer’s command, Zebstrika surged forward in a burst of speed, cloaked in a corona of flame. Ana smirked as she formed one last Reflect barrier; Zebstrika galloping over the short ramp she formed and skidding to a halt past Ana’s ducking form. Ana spun to face her opponent, the slight sheen of white over her body breaking.
“Leaf Tornado!” Sakura bit out, a storm rising around her Pokemon and hammering into her opponent.
“Take it, continue your charge.” Elesa remained cool despite the command, Zebstrika executing a frankly impressive turn as he continued to doggedly pursue his foe. Ana launched a second burst of leaves which battered him, but his blazing hooves drove her into the ground, blunted by the lingering barrier, but not enough to keep her from crying out from the damage of impact. For his own sake, Zebstrika grunted as the hits he’d taken sapped his strength.
“Mega Drain.” Sakura ordered. It’d be a lot better for Ana to hit Zebstrika with Leech Seed, but with Elesa’s key stratagem of swapping teammates around, that wouldn’t last long enough to matter.
“High Horsepower, knock her away.” Another command, another move executed with brutal precision. Rearing back, Zebstrika slammed his rear hooves into Anna’s torso, sending the grass snake flying. Ana skidded to a halt, panting, before taking a deep breath. She narrowed her gaze, leaves shifting to reveal two long vines which shifted to extend her arms, waiting patiently.
“Volt Switch.” Once more, Elesa completely upset the tempo of the fight, Zebstrika launching twin disks of electricity before he withdrew himself back into his Pokeball. Ana intercepted the shocks with her vines, grounding them out, then grimaced as Emolga appeared on the other side of the battlefield again. She immediately dropped Vine Whip and blasted the flying rodent with another Leaf Tornado. As Emolga got her bearings, the blast of leaves intercepted her, some of the fragments catching in her eyes and forcing her to rub them.
“Acrobatics. Force a close-range fight.” Emolga nodded, blurring across the battlefield, smashing into the barrier and rocking the larger Pokemon back.
“Going down… but not just yet.” The grass type hissed, before her eyes gleamed. At such close quarters, Emolga couldn’t dodge the a blast of Seed Bomb directly to her face, sending the flying type tumbling across the ground.
“Another!” Sakura yelled, Ana gathering energy in her throat for a second blast as Emolga rose into the air again. Flying undaunted towards the Seed Bomb, Emolga wove underneath the type construct with the grace and agility of an acrobat, and slammed into the grass snake. Sent flying across the battlefield, Sakura could only wince as Ana collided against a wall, sliding slowly to the ground - clearly knocked out.
“Servine is unable to battle. Challenger, send out your next Pokemon.” An interjection by the referee cut through the battle like the crack of a whip.
Sakura nodded, holding up a Pokeball and recalling Ana, before palming a second ball. “Other.” She tossed out her Pokemon, eyeing the winded and wounded Emolga. “Ice Shard.” The spray of icy blades flashed out before Emolga could react, the super-effective attack downing the flyer in one clean hit. Other huffed, a small cloud of mixed murk and haze forming around her muzzle.
After waiting a few beats, Elesa nodded towards the ref.
“Emolga is unable to battle. Leader, your next Pokemon.”
Without any pause, Emolga disappeared into her Pokeball, only for Zebstrika to once again hit the field. Sakura smiled, nodding to Other. The Zorua immediately sank into the ground before any orders could be issued, popping up much closer to her opponent and blasting him with purple flames.
Elesa narrowed her eyes, not reacting as Zebstrika ignored the flames which raced across him, responding with a fast High Horsepower, forcing Other to leap out of the ground lest be she caught in the pulse of energy from his hooves. She pointed. “Spark.” Zebstrika snorted, lunging into a shoulder tackle to strike at the ghost. Other took the hit with a hiss, but rebounded and fired back a Shadow Ball, staying out of range and smashing the weakened equine with a staggering blow.
“Volt Switch.” Perhaps sensing that the tempo had turned against her, and perhaps sensing that a new approach would be needed against a Ghost, Elesa issued her command. As her lips twitched into a smile, twin disks of electricity slammed into Other, briefly stunning the fox as Zebstrika retreated into his Pokeball. In almost the same instant, another Pokemon presented itself upon the field.
From the sidelines, Gordon perked up as something which might have been his kinsfolk took center stage. “Rin, study the blighter’s fighting style. I won’t be able to scrap like I’m used to once I evolve, and this is a good chance to ready myself.”
Sakura frowned at the new opponent, then gave a sharp gesture. Within seconds, another barrage of Will-o-Wisps sailed towards the Galvantula. Perhaps not particularly surprisingly, such a move was expected and accounted for. “Discharge.”
A deluge of electricity covered the field, each of the ghostly flames utterly drowned out by the sheer amount of electricity. Other ducked underground just in time to avoid the surge, emerging to find Galvantula charging up another strike–
“Other, return.” With a pulse of red light, Sakura pulled back her second teammate, rolling her last Pokeball to her other hand. “Ren, close to quarters.”
Elesa nodded even as the Umbreon hit the field, springing into his own shadow and racing over to his foe, the Shadow Sneak taking him from behind. Bouncing off him, he bared purple fangs and sank a Poison Fang into his opponent. Without an order from his trainer, Gavantula retaliated immediately, a swarm of generated insects forming around him and darting at the Eeveelution latched onto him, Ren barely able to let go and shadow hop out of the way in time.
Sakura frowned, seeing Struggle Bug nearly catch her partner. “Ren, fire off a couple of Snarls, soften up his attacks. Try not to get hit, but don’t exhaust yourself.” Having poison take root in the bug would’ve changed the calculus of the match, but Galvantula lacked the distinctive purple coating such an infection would’ve shown; and once Struggle Bug landed, Ren’s ranged attacks would be weakened. Shadow sneaking out of the way of strikes wasn’t something her partner could keep up for too long; the technique was too draining to rely on. Ren’s current kit was insufficient for a close-range fight, so losing Snarl’s effectiveness would be devastating.
…she’d need to expand her team’s movepools, now that she thought about it. If Ren had Dark Pulse, or better yet Fire Fang, this would be a very different battle.
“Thunder Wave.” At his trainer’s decree, Gavantula immediately sprung into action, fighting through a deluge of Dark Type Energy to throw a debilitating jolt of electricity towards his opponent. Ren sent a Snarl back at his opponent, but doing so took long enough to slow him down; both hits landed, both lurching from the hits. Ren shuddered as the electricity sunk in, his limbs seizing momentarily before he forced them to relax, popping out another Snarl to hit Galvantula before the bug could fire again, though he ate a Struggle Bug for his troubles.
Evidently quite satisfied with the match turning into an indeterminate slugfest, Elesa simply continued to issue frank, no nonsense orders, until, finally, Gaventula shuddered, ceased standing, and did not get back up again.
“Gaventula is unable to battle. Leader Elesa, send out your next Pokemon.”
Without any fanfare whatsoever, Zebstrika hit the field once more.
“Spark.” Ren, legs shaking from failed dodges and worn down by multiple hits, froze up as his limbs seized in the process of trying to get a move out. Sent flying by the attack, the Umbreon landed hard on the ground, clearly knocked unconscious. Zebstrika winced as his burn singed him, the equine Pokemon trying to catch his breath even through the pain of his bruises and burn.
Other materialized on the battlefield once again, tail flicking as she took in her opponent. With a bark, she shot a Shadow Ball to impact the wounded Zebstrika, causing him to stagger before setting his stance and giving an angry whinny. “You’re not strong enough to take me down, kit.”
Other just grinned. As Zebstrika charged, flames forming across him, she fell into the ground once again, her opponent galloping over her and skidding to a stop just too slowly to prevent her from materializing and basting him with a spray of Ice Shards. Spinning, Zebstrika brought his hooves down into a High Horsepower, Other blasting back with a Shadow Ball. The pulse of Ground-type energy caught her in the same moment her attack caught him, both tossed back off their feet.
The referee and the crowd watched with baited breath as both Pokemon lay still on the battlefield, before one quadruped managed to stagger to her feet. Other righted herself and stood, light flickering off her before dying out, the fox letting her rear impact the ground but remaining upright.
“Zebstrika is unable to battle! Gym Leader Elesa is out of usable Pokemon, the challenger wins!” the referee called, raising a red flag towards Elesa. The crowd broke out into cheers and whistles as Sakura walked onto the battlefield, scooping up her last standing Pokemon and cradling her in her arms. Sakura looked up to see Elesa swaying over to her, an earnest smile on her face.
“Well done,” she began, reaching into her coat with a smile on her face. “Gavantula was a bit more of an unorthodox choice for a 4th Badge Challenge, but you handled it well.” Pausing, Elesa finished fishing through her pockets. “I do however, have a few recommendations.”
Sakura started to voice her own realizations about her deficits, before catching herself. No need to put words in the leader’s mouth. “I’d be happy to hear them.”
“You need to take some time to properly train your team. I’m sure you have ideas in your head about how if your team’s roster was larger you’d have more options, but your fundamental issue at the moment is the lack of time you’ve spent training your core team and yourself,” Elesa stated bluntly though not unkindly, nodding towards Other and the Pokeballs on Sakura’s belt. “You would not have won this fight if not for your own talent and the talent of your partners. But raw talent is useless unless refined.”
Sakura nodded. “Would it be better to focus on move development, or more general strength and skill training? I’d like to draw up a proper schedule.”
“I would personally recommend strength and skill training. Your movepool will always naturally grow over time; however, strength and skill training will always make that process easier,” the Gym Leader’s response was immediate. “Especially with your particular talents.”
“Thank you,” Sakura nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She turned, her eyebrows rising as she saw Rin releasing her full team. “I wonder what sis is doing?”