“Something wrong?” Chad asked, looking up from the sizzling bacon in the pan.
“Right. You do realize telling someone ‘Oh it’s just the worst possible scenario, no need to fret until after tea and biscuits’ is not exactly the most calming thing you could say in this situation?” Chad commented, rolling the five omelets over to reveal a soft golden cook. "Just Keep Calm and Carry On?"
“Two tree-based gyms seems a bit odd, wouldn’t you say?” Chad commented, adjusting his scarf before walking inside. The lobby was relatively empty, save for the front desk attendant and what appeared to be a gym trainer updating the bulletin board. Not waiting for a greeting, Chad pulled his trainer card and offered it to the attendant.
“Oh, you’re Chad? Valerie is waiting for you past the doors on the right. Good luck!” She said, returning the ID with a smile. With a nod, he waddled through the hallway to find a vertical dollhouse complete with nine unique rooms. Though the lights for the odd structure were off, as only the dirt field itself was lit. On the far side of the field stood a theatrical stage with closed silken curtains.
<”It is lovely to meet you, trainer. I have heard words of your feats spoken upon the winds of fortune. And now, with you joining me on stage, the two of us will demonstrate the true power of the fairy type.” She recited, almost poetically, as she strode towards the gym leader’s box. A referee accompanied by a Gardevoir appeared near the midpoint.>
<”This will be a four on four battle, with one switch permitted for the challenger. This match is between Laverre Gym Leader Valerie, and the challenger Trainer Chad. Trainers, are you ready?” She declared, her voice echoing inside the stadium. Valerie palmed a pokeball, signaling her status to the ref.>
Chad stood within the trainer box, with Alexandre’s ball at the ready. “Ready,” he grunted, signalling to the referee.
"Tonight" by Sunset Neon
Unlike Alexandre's previous theme about overwhelming might, this one more aligns with his personality.
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A gentle lob released the pink rhino closer to Chad, as he rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck muscles. “Just as you practiced, remember you have the hard part.” Chad encouraged, watching as Alexandre’s pink skin coated with a soft brown before his muscles increased.
<”Iron Defense, then show them how dangerous a prepared fairy can be.” Valerie commanded with poise, Mawile’s body gaining a shine as it coated itself with solid grey energy. The steel pokemon began to run towards its foe, as fast as its little legs could go.>
“Shit, steel type? It’ll be immune to poison, stick with ground and fire moves.” Chad reacted, as Alexandre frowned at the borderline-order from the back line. Timing it, the pink rabbit increased his muscle mass one more time before clashing with the smaller fairy. His fist glowed with dark brown energy, clashing with the shining silver energy coating the odd toothy appendage.
“Oh look,” Alexandre remarked, lifting the fairy off the ground to his eye level. “Now I don’t even need to hold you.” Mawile wasn’t able to let go in time as it ate a blast of hot fire to the face, forcing it to panic and release its hold… Only to fall onto the ground right as the giant rabbit landed a firm stomp, sending a surge of light brown energy across the field. The vibrations knocked Mawile off their feet, as they struggled to wipe away whatever heat remained on their smaller face.
Alexandre simply stomped on the ground again, this time the vibrations much stronger and knocked his smaller foe flat on their face. The fairy was completely still as he walked around to try and spot any hidden plans, only to see the dizzy eyes of a fainted pokemon.
<”Mawile is unable to battle! Gym Leader Valerie, please send out your next pokemon!” The ref called, as Mawile vanished in the red recall beam. The audience gave a mild applause, showing some favoritism for their hometown hero. “You may have beaten my toughest pokemon, but can you handle my trickiest?” She tossed out her next ball to reveal a Mr Mime. “Shields up!” she called, as her psychic began to set up their defenses.>
Alexandre leaned forward in a ready pose, as the earth broke below him, propelling a small platform forward towards the odd pokemon. “I love this; I missed having an opponent who didn’t fold like paper when I so much as touch them!” He shouted, his cocked-back fist dripping with a sickly purple goo. Mr Mime, in a panic, hurried to raise their defenses right up until the moment of impact. Alexandre broke clean through the first translucent barrier, fracturing the second as one of his spines poked through. The momentum carried forward, spewing the purple goo through the tiny hole and all over his opponent.
<”Psychic!” Valerie called out, losing some of her composure. Mr Mime made a gesture with his hand, a matching magenta glove gripping around Alexandre, and he threw the massive rhino across the field to send him tumbling. It seemed to stumble for balance, the poisonous goo stuck to them.>
Alexandre took a moment to dust himself off as he stood, shaking off having just been thrown across the room. “Huh, that kinda hurt. Fine, dirty tactics it is.” With his claws practically vibrating with light brown energy, he leapt forward, vanishing into the earth as it rippled apart to accept him.
<”Watch the ground, he has to come up soon.” Valerie warned, as the referee eyed a stopwatch. Mr Mime took the moment to replace one of its shields, but waited patiently.>
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The ground beneath Mr Mime began to vibrate, and reflexively it unleashed a psychic punch against the dirt below it, compacting the ground and stopping the rumble. The crowd cheered in excitement at the massive move. Then, a sizzling purple projectile rocketed from the edge of the newly-formed crater, hitting the psychic square in the back of the head and sending them into an immediate dirt nap, silencing the onlookers.
<”Mr Mime is unable to battle! Gym Leader Valerie, please send out your third pokemon!” The ref called, as the fainted pokemon was returned.>
Alexandre resurfaced on Chad’s side of the field, clearly having been clobbered by the final attack. “I think that’s it for me unless the lass drops the ball.” He admitted, leading to Chad signaling the use of his switch and recalling the injured Nidoking.
Chad released Ginette beside him inside the trainer box, catching a look from both the gym leader and ref. He unclipped the belt of pokeballs and handed it to her, along with the mega bracelet. “Pretty sure they might get upset at this, but if so we can keep it in mind for future matches. Save the Mega Evolution for her fourth if you can.” He whispered before vanishing into his own pokeball on the belt.
Ginette waved an apology, clicking the belt buckle as she draped it across her shoulder like a sash, before pulling an ultra ball to toss onto the field. As Lucielle solidified, the referee motioned for the battle to continue, with both combatants rushing forward. “You can do it, Luci!” Ginette shouted loudly, her enthusiasm leading the audience to cheer in response.
"She's a Blast" by Beautiful Bodies
I was originally planning to use this for her gym battle against Ginette, but I realized it was better for their first serious challenge as a team, and so here we are!
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“Please be careful not to damage my perm; one must always look their finest in battle!” Sylveon called out, dodging left to unleash a flurry of white stars that homed in on Lucielle. The jackal swung to reveal her signature bone staff, twirling it to demolish the incoming projectiles. The distraction was enough, as the pink fox used his ribbons to blow a kiss and a glowing pink heart that slammed into Lucielle. “Now, how about we tone it down a bit, hmm?”
The brown ki came and faded almost instantly, her muscles growing in a split second as she returned a knowing smile. “Oh honey, sorry to burst your bubble, but you just aren’t my type.” There was a supersonic crack in the air as Lucielle vanished before reappearing to take a swipe at the fox, followed by a swoosh as the same fox leapt backwards in a blur of white energy. “And the last man who stood between me and my girlfriend wasn’t walking for a while after I gave him a lesson.”
Both eventually came to a stop, panting hard and struggling to move, the high speeds having depleted their stamina. Sylveon was unsteady on his feet, while Lucielle used her bone staff as a support. The ref wasn’t using a timer on this one, granting both pokemon a brief reprieve until they both stood up straighter. “It seems we’ll need to rely on a contest other than looks or speed.” The fox suggested, as a cloud of white stars began to form behind him.
“Agreed,” Lucielle commented, holding her staff in one hand for defense as her off-hand’s claws took on a shining silver hue. The two stared each other down, until a flick of an ear kicked off a literal barrage of white stars raining down on the jackal. Staff spinning as a makeshift shield, only a handful of the stars penetrated through to hit her, to which she repaid with a vicious slash with her claws and forcing the fox to retreat.
<”She’s limited to melee attacks, Sylv; just keep your distance and chip her down.” Valerie directed, covering the lower half of her face with the paper fan. Sylveon yipped in response, continually leaping backwards and throwing out homing stars.>
“I really need another ranged attack.” Lucielle grumbled, as she ran across the field in chase, focusing more on blocking or dodging the stars as she closed the gap. The sky kept falling around her, the shower limiting each step to be strategic and guided by the flare of white in her eyes. Sylveon smiled as she burst through, her shining claw streaking for him, “Well played.” Catching her breath, Lucielle panted hard as everyone watched and waited.
<”Sylveon is unable to battle! Gym Leader Valerie, please send out your final pokemon,” the referee instructed, as the white and pink collapsed pokemon vanished in a beam of red. “Very well; most trainers would have earned their badge after defeating my Sylveon, but you are no ordinary trainer, and thus I believe one extra step is required in this recital…” Valerie monologued, withdrawing a scuffed red and white pokeball from her sleeve. “Be prepared, for you have won the badge, and now you shall endeavor to earn my respect!” From the ball emerged a blob of white and pink, a menacing Wigglytuff which seemed to warp space around itself.>
“Go big or go home, let’s show her the strength of our bond, Luci!” Ginette shouted while striking a pose, her mega bracelet shining bright with her resolve. Simultaneously, the Mega Stone mounted in a belt buckle around Lucielle’s waist shone with a matching light, before enveloping the entire jackal as she shifted into her stronger self.
<”I see, it appears you are endorsed by the Tower of Mastery; marvelous! Puffy, Korrina strategy.” Valerie called out, as the Wigglytuff’s stance shifted slightly. The fairy conjured what appeared to be a puff pastry made of white energy before swallowing the construct whole.>
Rocketing out of her evolution, Lucielle was across the field before Puffy could generate another of the odd powerups, knocking it out of his hand with a swing of her empowered femur staff. Before her follow-up of a swipe with the shining claws could make contact, the giant blob had shifted backwards just enough to avoid her attack by a centimeter. “You must be exhausted, why don’t you take it a bit slower?” His melodic voice suggested, as Lucielle’s movements immediately began to slow down.
She continued her assault, making frantic swings with both her claws and staff, each one slower than the last. Up until her final swing, which was so sluggish Puffy was able to stop it with barely any effort before the jackal outright collapsed forward fast asleep. Wigglytuff grinned in amusement as Ginette groaned in frustration. “Sleep is always a nasty affliction, so hard to ward off, and yet so effective when an opponent has already worn themselves down.” He explained, mildly gloating as he created another cream puff and ate it.
Ginette shut her eyes in resolution, her shoulders falling as she weighed something on her mind. “Luci… If you wake up tout de suite and win this… We can do item twenty-seven on your list.” The frog offered, her smile soft as she noticed her girlfriend’s ear twitch. The Lucario went from fast asleep to awake and alert in a split-second as she glanced back towards Ginette.
“Twenty-seven? Not twenty-six?” She asked with wide pleading eyes, startling Puffy with how quickly she had seemed to awaken.
“I’ll upgrade to twenty-six if you can manage to keep yourself from falling asleep again,” Ginette offered after taking a moment to consider the request.
Lucielle’s gaze returned to Puffy, free of any hesitation or signs of recently being out cold; she was wide awake and seemingly wired out of her mind. “If you avoid using that sleep move again, I’ll avoid your face,” she offered to the fairy. He barely had the time to say ‘No deal’ before taking a knee to the center of his face, sending him rolling backwards.
Another sonic boom echoed as she pursued, throwing punches and kicks with reckless abandon, unwilling to give her opponent so much as a breath’s opening. But a breath was all it took, as a blast of sound forced her backwards through the air. Puffy made a swallowing movement, as his body began to glow with soft white energy, the majority of his injuries and bruises fading under the gentle illumination. “Clearly, someone needs her naptime,” he called out, imbuing his voice with the same energy as before.
Recognizing the trick this time, Lucielle swung the back of her hand into her side, grunting as the metal spike penetrated her skin to draw blood. Steadily moving her arm back into a fighting pose, her muzzle gained a maniacal grin. “You first,” she offered before leaping in with a flying overhead kick which he easily side-stepped.
<”It seems I was correct; there are very few Lucario who have their own unique fighting style. Once you’ve seen Korrina’s team, you have a strategy for every Lucario that passes through these doors.” Valerie commented with a humble-brag, seemingly disappointed with the current progress of the fight.>
Ginette was watching for any suggestions she could offer, but straightened up like a light bulb lit up at Valerie’s comment. “Luci! Remember what Chad did at the other giant tree, with the sword? You need to try something similar with steel energy!” She shouted, the command forcing Lucielle to disengage to parse it. Puffy paused, almost as if he were waiting to see what would happen.
Lucielle accepted the momentary respite, and examined her white femur staff, feeling the ki flowing through it. The staff began to change colors, from bright white to muted gray, as she slowly replaced the ki with steel energy. Things were going fine, up until the energy reached the middle of the staff, at which point it fractured in half; leaving her two halves which resembled metal rods. Lucielle swung one as a test, frowning at how it felt, injecting more of the gray energy into the constructs. Then, with a knowing smirk, two handles began to sprout perpendicular to the rods, allowing her to change her grip. Some swipes, swings, and elbows later, Lucielle stood ready to continue with her tonfa.
<”Interesting, something novel; but will it be enough?” Valerie commented, as Puffy signaled his agreement with her. The referee, trying to be respectful of the moment but adherent to the rules, signaled for the fight to resume.>
As Lucielle charged in once more, Puffy did his best to avoid the new weapons. Unfortunately for him, she was able to extend and shorten her range mid-swing, causing him to both dodge too far to respond with his own attacks, and to not dodge far enough. Lucielle traded blows with the pink balloon, doing her utmost to secure at least two of her own strikes for every one of his.
Lucielle reverted to her normal form, falling to one knee as Ginette rushed onto the field. “Twenty-six, and I’ll hold you to it,” she promised between gasps. The frog gave her exhausted teammate a firm hug before returning her to the ultra ball, followed by releasing Chad from his own pokeball. The Charizard stretched out his wings, accepting the pokeball belt and mega bracelet back from Ginette.
Before the victorious amphibian could return to her own ball, Chad found himself facing the gym leader, noting that she had literally deployed a roll-out red carpet onto the field before making her way across. ”Yes... That was a fine battle. I shall reward you for this great victory. This is the Fairy Badge. It is yours now. Its beauty is captivating, is it not?” She said, pausing to stare at the badge. ”Ah... Do forgive me. I was so captivated, I forgot for a moment that it is yours.” As Valerie handed over the pin, she eyed the open spot on Chad’s belt. “It may sound presumptuous of me, but I do hope to see a Fairy on your team in the Conference this year.”
Chad watched her walk away, before shrugging and doing the same, heading for the door he had entered from with a vibrating Ginette beside him. “So,” he began, an eye glancing down at the mischievous water type. “What’s number twenty-six?”
Roost
Water Shuriken
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, Horn Attack, Dig, Venoshock, Sludge Bomb, Poison Jab, Earthquake, Bulldoze, Protect, Flamethrower, Stone Edge, Power-Up Punch, Bulk Up, Earth Power
Detect, Protect, Extreme Speed, Aura Sphere, Close Combat, Bulk Up, Power-Up Punch, Bone Rush, Metal Claw, ??
Detect, Protect, Swift, Shadow Sneak, Nasty Plot, Phantom Force, Leaf Storm, Synthesis, Leaf Blade, Shadow Ball, Magical Leaf