Arata's POV
I stared at my hands as I sat in the comfortable rec room, my arms resting on my knees. It had been nearly an hour since my screening battle. Titania had performed admirably, more than I could have asked of her, but looking at the screen in front of me, I decided she would not be a part of the squad that would fight Lola Harrison.
I watched as the Onix spat out a thick stream of purple-black sludge that covered nearly a quarter of the field, trapping the challenger's Raticate. Then the rock snake charged forward with a crushing Headbutt.
Yeah... no, I thought firmly. If the Gym Leader is going this hard on a trainer with just a year's experience, Titania isn't ready.
There had been three other trainers in the rec room before I arrived; my battle was scheduled right before the afternoon break. One of them looked nervous, while the other two managed their nerves better. Even though one of the battles was over quickly, the Gym staff usually took about thirty minutes between matches to reset the field and give the Gym Leader a breather.
I watched as the Raticate was knocked out in a decisive blow. With a sigh, I stood up and walked over to the water dispenser, filling a paper cup and drinking it quickly. My throat felt dry, and I knew my turn was coming up soon.
Just as I crushed the cup and tossed it, a Gym employee stepped through the automatic doors.
"Mr. Ishida?" she called politely. "If you'd come this way, please. We'd like you to sign a few things before your match."
I followed her down a short hallway. "What's this about?"
"Just standard paperwork," she replied with a practiced smile. "Liability forms, the usual; nothing to worry about."
She led me into a small side office connected to the main battlefield, where a man in a crisp black suit waited with a businesslike smile. He slid a couple of documents across the table towards me.
"Mr. Ishida, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Gideon. If you would have a look at them and sign them, please."
I skimmed through them. As the woman had said, it was just the usual legalese. The Gym wasn't responsible for major injuries or, in extremely rare cases, death, among a few other clauses. I signed where indicated without much hesitation.
The man then cleared his throat. "Your match will also be broadcast publicly on the local Pewter network. Do you consent to that?"
I paused, pen hovering just as I signed it. "Broadcast? The previous matches weren't."
He gave me a noncommittal shrug. "Matches in this time slot usually are. It's fairly standard."
Something tells me that's not the case, I thought, feeling leery of the man now. But after thinking about it for a second, I shrugged. It wasn't going to change how I battled. "Sure. That's fine."
"Excellent. As you currently do not have any badges, the match will be in a 2-on-2 format. We'll call you in about five minutes."
He left me alone in the room. I leaned back against the chair, thinking about my lineup. I was going to go with Livia first; it might sound stupid to an outsider, but I knew she could do this. Caesar might have been my starter and partner, but Livia was the first Pokémon that chose to come with me. This was something I had to prove to her and myself. Caesar would be the finisher; there was no hesitation about that.
A calm gradually settled over me as a loud, clear voice echoed through the speakers.
"Next challenger — Arata Ishida from Vermillion City!"
I opened my eyes, rolled my shoulders once, and stepped toward the arena entrance.
It was time.
I walked through the door to the arena as my ears were bombarded with various sounds: the roar of the crowd, the bright floodlights, the low hum of operating energy generators. I blinked against the sudden brightness and walked forward. A circular platform waited for me. As soon as I stepped onto it, the platform began to rise smoothly with a low mechanical hum, lifting me several feet above the battlefield.
From up here, I had a perfect view of the rocky arena. The field had been specially prepared — jagged stones, scattered boulders, and cracked earth designed to favor Rock-types on both sides. I could see the audience in elevated stands on both sides, and off to the side stood a ref, flag already in hand.
A faint shimmer caught my eye as a translucent psychic barrier flickered into existence, sealing off the battle area, the platforms, and the audience stands for safety. On the far end of the opposite side stood Lola Harrison on a similar platform. Her Teal-colored hair was tied back neatly as she gave me a nod that I could only see due to the Jumbotron display focusing on both of us.
After returning her nod, I focused more on the cameras and the other display. Knowing this was probably being broadcast publicly made my stomach twist for a second. I shrugged it off. Doesn't change anything.
The referee's voice boomed across the arena.
"This is a first-level Gym Badge match between challenger Arata Ishida of Vermillion City and Gym Leader Lola Harrison of Pewter City! The battle will be two-on-two with no substitutions! Trainers, are you ready?"
I nodded. Across from me, Lola did the same.
The referee raised his flag sharply. "Begin!"
I flicked open Livia's Poké Ball, enlarging it in my hand before tossing it high into the air.
"Livia, take flight!"
In a brilliant white flash, my Pidgeotto burst forth with a powerful cry. Her massive wings snapped open, kicking up a swirl of dust and wind as she soared gracefully into the air, circling once above the battlefield with majestic poise. A sudden hush fell over the arena, and I could tell everyone was surprised at my choice of a Flying-type and Livia's sheer size.
If Lola was surprised, she didn't let it show as she called out for her Pokémon.
"Come out, Graveler!"
A heavy thud shook the arena as the Rock-type materialized. The bulky Graveler landed hard, its rocky body cracking the ground beneath it. It flexed its four arms with a low, rumbling growl, eyes locked onto Livia high above.
Livia responded with a piercing shriek.
I took a slow breath, feeling the familiar focus settle over me as I pulled upon my power and actively connected with Livia. It was nowhere near as powerful as my bond with Caesar, but it was a work in progress.
Lola didn't give us any breathing room.
"Graveler! Rock Throw!"
The rocky Pokémon planted its four arms into the ground and then suddenly launched a brutal barrage. Instead of single stones, it fired a rapid, shotgun-like spray of jagged rocks straight at Livia. My heart kicked up a notch at the unconventional use of the move, but Livia was already moving. She folded her wings and dropped low, weaving through the storm of stones with graceful precision.
"Tailwind!" I called. "Double Team!"
A small gust swirled around her as she accelerated in the air; streams of wind now filled the arena, stirring up dust and loose pebbles. Suddenly, multiple afterimages of Livia burst into existence, all of them streaking in different directions across the battlefield—a swirling flock of Pidgeotto that made it almost impossible for Graveler to track the real one.
"Heh... smart. Alright then, we'll wait for you. Graveler, Defense Curl and start a Bide!" Lola said with a smirk.
Graveler curled into a tight ball, its rocky hide glowing as it began charging power.
Damn it, I thought, sweat prickling at the back of my neck. I can't let them keep building up Bide's power. The match has just begun, and she's already cornering me. I don't have a choice now; we'll need to get in close and personal.
"Livia, get in close and personal! Aerial Ace!" Knowing she would need the power of Aerial Ace more than the speed of Quick Attack, I fed her every bit of my faith through our bond. She answered, becoming a streaking arrow, and surged forward with deadly precision.
She closed the distance in a blur and slammed into Graveler with a powerful strike, sending the heavy Rock-type crashing backward into a large boulder. A thick plume of dust and debris exploded outward, momentarily swallowing both Pokémon.
For a second, I allowed myself a small grin.
Just as Livia created the plume of dust, the Graveler burst out of the smoke cloud, rotating like a high-speed bowling ball and smashing into her from below.
"Livia!" I shouted in alarm, seeing her cry out in pain as she spiraled wildly before managing to catch herself at a low altitude, her wings beating hard to stabilize.
I saw Lola smile at her Pokémon and realized Livia could not take another hit like that.
"Graveler, continue the Rollout!" Lola called out. "Take that bird down!"
The rocky Pokémon bounced off a nearby boulder formation, launching itself high into the air toward my struggling Pidgeotto with terrifying speed.
"Livia, dodge underneath and hit it with full-power Gust!" I commanded.
She dove sharply, slipping just beneath the spinning Graveler, then unleashed a violent upward blast of wind. The powerful Gust caught the heavy Rock-type mid-air and hurled it skyward. The crowd gasped at the sheer force behind the move.
Now, I thought. We end this.
"Livia! Quick Attack into Steel Wing!"
With a fierce screech, Livia became a silver streak. She rocketed upward and slammed into the falling Graveler with a devastating Steel Wing.
Graveler crashed hard into the arena floor, creating a small crater as dust billowed outward.
The referee raised his flag immediately.
"Graveler is unable to battle! Livia wins!"
The jumbotron flashed 1 - 0 in bright letters.
Livia landed gracefully in front of me, breathing heavily but clearly proud of herself. I gave her a warm smile through the bond.
Excellent work girl
Lola recalled her Pokémon with a light laugh and leaned toward the microphone on her platform.
"Haha! I expected nothing less from a Protégé of Professor Samuel Oak!"
The already excited crowd roared even louder at her words. Lola grinned, clearly enjoying the energy.
"Let's take this up a notch, shall we?"
She tossed her next Poké Ball high. In a flash of light, a sleek, blade-armed Kabutops materialized, its rocky shell gleaming under the arena lights. I was amazed at the now non-extinct Pokémon in front of me. Looking at Livia and knowing she couldn't take this fight without sustaining more injuries, I recalled Livia with a quiet word of thanks. "You did amazing, girl. Rest up."
Then I reached for Caesar's Poké Ball.
"Caesar! Battle stance!"
The ball flew forward. The moment it opened, my massive Fraxure burst out with a ground-shaking roar that echoed through the entire stadium. He landed hard, rearing up to his full intimidating height.
The crowd's roar grew even louder as i I felt a grin spread across my face.
Round two, this time we start the fight.
"Caesar! Dragon Pulse, wide area!"
My Fraxure planted his feet and opened his jaws. A swirling vortex of blue-green draconic energy erupted outward in a wide, sweeping arc as he swayed his head side to side, flooding across the battlefield like a tidal wave of raw power.
Lola didn't hesitate. "Kabutops! Aqua Jet, get in close!"
The ancient Pokémon became a high-speed blur, wrapped in a swirling cloak of water. It weaved and dodged through the Dragon Pulse with shocking agility, cutting across the field like a living torpedo. I felt Caesar snort as the Pokémon closed in for a direct engagement.
Caesar slid back a few steps, but he didn't fall. Instead, a fierce smirk crossed his face as he clamped both powerful arms around the Kabutops, locking it in place.
I saw Lola's eyes widen slightly in panic, realizing the move had no effect on my dragon.
Caesar raised one clawed hand, dark energy gathering for a Dragon Claw.
"Quick Attack, move!" Lola shouted.
Kabutops slipped free at the last second with blinding speed. "Rock Polish!" Lola followed up. The fossil Pokémon's shell gleamed as its speed skyrocketed. "X-Scissor!"
It came streaking back in, blades glowing.
Caesar, annoyed at losing his prey. Just as Kabutops closed in, he slammed his heavy tail into the ground with a sharp thump. A localized quake rippled outward, staggering the Kabutops mid-strike. It still landed a glancing blow, but Caesar parried the rest with his tusks.
My smile froze as I heard Lola call out again.
"Now! ICE PUNCH!"
Kabutops ducked low and drove a freezing fist hard into Caesar's side. He roared in pain, staggering back several steps as frost spread across his scales.
I was horrified at the situation.
Lola continued, "Don't let up! Ice Punch again keep fighting!"
No. Not like this.
"Caesar!" I shouted, my voice ringing across the arena. "Full power Outrage! End this!"
Something inside Caesar snapped. A wild, draconic roar tore from him as energy exploded across his body. Pure rage and power surged through our bond.He met the Kabutops head-on, trading blow for blow in a violent, earth-shaking clash. Each strike of Outrage grew stronger, more ferocious, until the Rock-Water type simply couldn't keep up.
With one final, devastating uppercut, Caesar sent Kabutops flying. The ancient Pokémon crashed hard into a boulder, skipping across the ground before lying still.
The referee thrust his flag forward.
"Kabutops is unable to battle! Caesar wins! The victory goes to challenger Arata Ishida!"
The crowd erupted as Caesar stood tall in the center of the field, chest heaving from those Ice Punches, his scales still crackling with leftover draconic energy. He threw his head back and roared in victory.
I let out a long, shaky breath, my shoulders finally relaxing.
That was way too close...
But we'd won.