The four onlookers were unsure how to react, though Chad had a strong enough reaction to cover them all as he burst into tears, wailing loudly. Lucielle, keeping her head on straight, asked the important question. “So, what does that mean for the three that aren’t… this?”
“YOU LITERALLY PULLED ME FROM ANOTHER WORLD!” Chad shouted between the tears, the room shaking in his anger.
No use sugar coating it, Narrator. Your other half? Their story’s core concept is beginning to wobble. Worst case scenario? It’ll take all four timelines’ teams to address it.
“Wait, are you saying every Chad thinks he’s the principale timeline?” Ginette inquired while attempting to console her teammate.
“Why not the third?”
“Wait, if there’s four timelines, doesn’t that mean you also have four problems which would each need four timelines each to resolve?” Chad raised, now seemingly starting to feel a little better with it out of his system.
<…Poppycock. Right, forget that plan, we’ll just go with this one timeline and hope for the best. Shame, I anticipate you would’ve had an interesting reaction to Buff Charizard. I highly suggest you keep that mega stone I gave you, just in case. You can unwrap it later, I still need to have a holder made for you.>
“Can it be a gauntlet?”
“Hey, Narrator?” Ginette asked while the group watched a matchup of a familiar young boy with a Delphox against Clemont’s Magneton. “I didn’t get to ask, but why am I able to read Chad’s handwriting, but not anything written by humans?”
“D'accord, but will we or won’t we be able to read Lucielle’s notes?” Ginette pushed the issue, holding up a page of scribbles and wiggly lines.
<...Admittedly I was hoping you and the readers would overlook that minor detail.>
“So we can’t actually read, or write?” Lucielle clarified, putting the pencil down.
Lucielle decided not to let the small speed bump stop her, and stood off to the side of the screen. “I noted that you may want secondary coverage for his likely team. First, Magneton–” she pointed at the screen, where Delphox was forcing the metal pokemon to decide between being hit by fire, cooked by fire, or melted (also by fire). “If we can teach you a fire move, that’d give you a surprise option. Next, he likes to use an Emolga, which appears to be part flying type, so Gaston could help you with a rock move. Lastly, while not strictly necessary, I can teach you a fighting move for coverage against his other likely choices for the third slot.”
Alexandre grinned at the list, pounding his fists together with a solid thunk. “Sounds like vous may not even get a turn, Gaston.”
The brown dinosaur eyed his pink rabbit compatriot before clearing his throat. “We need to verify, but so far Clemont has used both Emolga and Magneton in every battle. I would posit that they are guaranteed matchups, as he seems to always start with an Emolga. Thus, I propose I take the vanguard position and tackle the cute squirrel, attempt to wear down his second choice, and pass the baton to Alexadre to finish the match.”
Ginette lightly struck her forehead with an open palm. “Lucielle, go help Chad; take his trainer ID with you. The rest of us are going to brainstorm some strategies for Clemont.” Her girlfriend nodded, grabbing the plastic rectangle from the backpack and rushing out the door.
Chad came to a soft landing at the entrance for Lumiose City, lifting up his flight goggles as Ginette (who was very exhausted from the excitement) returned to her ball to rest.
This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Just a single song for this gym, one that really embodies the feeling of an unstoppable rampage. "Exile" by LukHash and Shirobon
Spotify:
Youtube:
As Gaston solidified, he looked to the skies, eyeing his already airborne opponent. “You can do this, Gaston. Show me the might of the Emperor!” Chad encouraged, as Gaston flared with magenta energy as he grooved out a quick haka.
<”I see, smart choice, but did you know Volt Switch doesn’t count as a switch? Emolga, zap him!” Clemont shouted, as the ref facepalmed before clarifying that no, Volt Switch would count. Clemont, confident in himself, chose not to hear her as his flying squirrel began to charge up and dive down.>
Gaston barely had to shift to dodge the attack, continuing to dance in place. Weaving the movements in, he was able to continuously evade the squirrel and enrage the opposing trainer. After the fifth pass, Gaston struck a pose, taunting Emolga to try once more. “Are you really slower than this old fossil? Such a shame.”
Gaston merely stood in place waiting, and in the blink of an eye there was a resounding ‘thwack’ as the speeding squirrel came to an immediate stop upon crashing into a stone slab that had not been present before. Emolga peeled off backwards, before righting themselves and leaping back into the air. “Hmm, more durable than I expected. Very well, let us test your agility and pattern recognition.” Gaston sounded impressed, before stomping on the ground to raise dozens of small pebbles into the air.
The pebbles arranged themselves into two diagonal rings before slowly beginning to orbit around Gaston, crossing from his upper left to lower right, and upper right to lower left. “Ah, this takes me back,” Gaston commented, as the rocks began to whip up wind from how quickly they orbited him. Once Emolga reached the peak and began to dive, Gaston began firing the pebbles one at a time, forcing the squirrel to take evasive maneuvers on the way in (and thus slowed their approach).
Emolga looked ecstatic when it was just within a meter of Gaston, locking eyes with the dinosaur as it celebrated the victory of finally landing a hit– only to be sent off-course by a rock to the face at an unavoidable last second. The rodent crashed into the ground, rolling and tumbling, only to be squished between two stone ‘hands’ that rose from the field to make a clapping motion.
<”Emolga is unable to battle! Gym Leader Clemont, please send out your next pokemon!” The ref called from the sidelines, as Clemont returned his fainted pokemon. He didn’t bother to say anything, releasing his second pokemon as a Magneton took to the field.>
“How bad is this, Chad?” Gaston asked, using the moment to spin up another ring of rocks.
“Bad; it’ll resist everything you have except Earthquake, and unless it’s touching the ground that won’t do much. You’ll have to ground it to hurt it.” Chad laid out the issues, crossing his arms in frustration. “Just do what you can, you’ve achieved your goal already.”
Gaston flung a barrage of stones at the floating machine in raw defiance, as the pebbles plinked upon making contact without even a scratch to show for it. After the tyrannosaur’s ring of stones was empty, Magneton wiggled its magnets and a massive yellow spike of lighting shot down on Gaston. It came and went, leaving the fossil charred and smoking as he fell to the ground unconscious. “Good show, Gaston; you’ll get your chance to shine soon enough.” Chad promised, recalling his fallen teammate before releasing the next one.
Alexadre rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck, then began to slowly walk across the field with the most nonchalant expression possible. When the first lighting bolt hit, he leaned back in surprise with his arms shaking as he shouted in pain. When it faded, he continued to approach the floating steel type. The process kept repeating, as he ‘tanked’ each attack and continued to advance with relentless endurance. The final bolt stuck as he was almost in arm’s reach of his opponent, at which he laughed mid-shock, and grappled the Magneton in his hands. “Gotcha!” He whispered menacingly, before his hands glowed an earthly brown and he shoved the three spheres into the dirt. Point-blank, he spat a gush of hot flames from his mouth, super-heating the metal pokemon caught in his grip.
“Hah, I almost felt that!” Alexandre laughed, as he once more dragged his opponent through the dirt in a circle around him. With a grin, he smacked the ground with his tail, causing the field to rumble and shake as the vibrations transferred into the steel type. Its eyes began to swirl as it stopped resisting the firm grip.
<”Magneton is unable to battle! Gym Leader Clemont, please send out your final pokemon!” The ref called, as Alexandre lifted the fallen pokemon up to be recalled by the signature red energy beam. “You are tough, I can admit that. But just because you can ground my charge, doesn’t mean I can’t overpower your resistance!” Clemont shouted in the most corny way possible, as a yellow lizard with a black head appeared on his side of the field.>
Alexandre laughed, seeing his opponent was barely half his height. “You look like a fast one, just try not to end this match quickly.” He warned, his words dripping with malice as Heliolisk flared its hood with a hiss. The little guy bursts forward, slamming into Alexandre with a burst of white… only to bounce off harmlessly. Disappointed, the pink rabbit placed both fists on his hips, leaning over to tower above his opponent. “Well?”
Chad met him at the halfway point and shook hands with the gym leader, accepting the Voltage Badge and adding it to his case. “Though, I wish I had the chance to fight you earlier; I enjoy the second badge fights the most. Shame the power wasn’t stable,” Clemont admitted with a shrug, before waving goodbye as the referee escorted Chad and Alexandre to the exit.
After having barely a minute to read over the menu, an elegant Dragonair slid over to their table, balancing a tray on its head with five glasses of water. With a practiced flourish, the noodle grabbed each with their tail and arranged the glasses around the table, smiling the whole time. “Welcome to Eevee’s Choice, what can I start you with tonight?”
Bite, Stomp, Rock Tomb, Dragon Dance, Hone Claws, Rock Smash, Bulk Up, Detect, Protect, Dragon Tail, Ancient Power, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Crunch, Earthquake
Focus Energy, Double Kick, Poison Sting, Horn Attack, Dig, Venoshock, Sludge Bomb, Poison Jab, Earthquake, Bulldoze, Protect, Flamethrower, Stone Edge, Power-Up Punch
Detect, Protect, Extreme Speed, Aura Sphere, Close Combat, Bulk Up, Power-Up Punch, Bone Rush