The four days after they ran the Pewter Gauntlet had passed 2B and Zoey by quickly. Zoey, having refrained from using Purugly in the Gauntlet, hadn’t managed to secure a full pass, her already-tired Ponyta being taken down by a Breeder’s Association Graveler. She’d still come out with a decent prize of a few super potions for getting through her first three matches. For her own full victory, 2B herself had picked out the single-use TM, Calm Mind. A TM that she’d proceeded to use with Jigglypuff both for its own utility and as a perspective on Psychic-type Energy that could only be useful later.
After they’d spent the rest of that day reviewing how they’d done with each of their pokémon, the next three had seen a return to training. For the first time, they’d combined that training, in order to give their pokémon more diverse opponents, focusing primarily on tightening up the tactics they’d worked out for the Gym. Despite this resulting in Zoey firmly declaring that 2B and her pokémon were pure and utter Tauros shit in how quickly they developed new moves, both of them had been satisfied with the results. Zoey’s far greater experience had allowed her pokémon to at least handle Chinchou and Scyther, though Vulpix had only lost to Purugly.
Not even Purugly wanted to fight Jigglypuff.
Even if he technically could, unlike any of the others.
Frankly, Zoey didn’t blame him, and neither did any of the other pokémon on either team. That Jigglypuff was an absolute menace after over a year of time spent with 2B before technically becoming her pokémon. The only thing that prepared Zoey for its existence was having encountered Ketchum’s equally ridiculous Pickachu. Seriously, what the fuck was with Kanto trainers and turning mid-stage, adorable pokémon into absolutely unholy terrors in a fight?!
Still, training had been productive overall, and the day before their Gym battles had been another that they’d taken off to let their pokémon rest…as well as to arm 2B for her debut! Zoey only felt slightly guilty this time at getting an entire parade of more 2B fanservice, as she was performing a needed function! After all, if 2B was going to cause chaos with whatever utter, reality shattering nonsense she’d inevitably pull against Flint or Forrest, she damn well better look good doing it! Making an impression mattered, even if this wasn’t a Contest and 2B didn’t really need sponsors.
Thankfully, Daisy Oak and that Coordinator friend of hers had equipped 2B’s wardrobe with plenty of clothing suitable to make an impression. Honestly, any of a number of such outfits would have worked, but Zoey might, just possibly, have wanted a chance to play Dress Up with 2B. Who didn’t seem to mind the attention. She still didn’t know why the pair had equipped 2B with a Sexy Catgirl Costume, but Zoey gave it two thumbs up and considered sending both of them something nice.
Maybe a Fruit Basket?
Well, future gifts to certain people needed or not, Zoey was happy with the result. Even if she’d ended up going a little extra by calling in her Gallade from the pokémon retrieval system. Gallade had taken up an interest in costuming and learned to modify clothing after their first Grand Festival win. Something she was glad of, as it kept him entertained when not with her…and he’d come in clutch with some mild modifications to the outfit she’d put together for 2B.
Zoey was sure it would make an impression!
… … …
Between the two back-to-back challenge slots they’d taken, Zoey had ended up with the first slot between the two of them. It had, frankly, been entirely accidental when they’d signed up, neither of them having really thought that far ahead. In retrospect, however, she was grateful it had worked out that way. 2B was, after all, going to be a hell of a tough act to follow. Win or lose, better to get her own challenge out of the way first, so she could properly enjoy the chaos that her friend was entirely too likely to unleash on the world.
Honestly, Zoey was rapidly coming around toward acceptance of the same schadenfreude Daisy Oak apparently experienced whenever 2B unleashed her version of reality/logic on someone else. She hadn’t quite understood it when she first talked to the older girl, but a bit more time around 2B had shown Zoey the light. After all, if she had to deal with having her world view shattered regularly, everyone else could handle a bit of it from time to time. That was only fair, right?
For now, though, it was time to put those thoughts out of her mind as she took the handful of steps up into the Challenger’s Box across from Forrest. Flint, they had learned when they peeked in on other fights the day before, was still dealing with the fallout of the ExoDrill Mining disaster. As something of a geologist alongside his expertise with rock pokémon, the man had been sucked into attempting to find solutions. The Mining company had legitimately purchased rights to mine the area from Kanto’s League, after all. So an alternative site or alternative mining solution needed to be settled if the League didn’t want a lawsuit on their hands after putting a stop to operations.
Frankly, Zoey was glad she wasn’t dealing with Flint. He had a reputation of being extra rough on first badgers to ‘toughen them up.’ With her team not exactly being perfectly suited to taking on Rock and Ground types, she was relieved not to be dealing with that. Though it probably would have been extra funny to watch 2B rip him apart with zero effort. Still better to deal with Forrest, though, who…proved he had the usual bombast of a Gym Leader by abruptly appearing from the floor in the Gym Leader’s raised box with an explosion of dirt and fanfare of music. Had they built his platform entirely out of packed Earth just so he could have a pokémon do that for him with every challenger?
The fanfare, a steady roll of bass drums, ended as the debris cloud faded, showing a well-muscled, tall seventeen-year-old wearing an open, sleeveless vest that showed off those muscles. Nice. Absolutely nothing on the delight of 2B’s curves, but Zoey could appreciate the eye candy anyway. Even as she was doing so, the Gym Trainer acting as Ref announced the match.
“Here for a First Badge challenge with Forrest of the Pewter City Gym…Top Coordinator Zoey of Snowpoint City!”
Blinking and internally cursing at forgetting to request they leave out her title, as it wasn’t what she was focusing on here in Kanto, she nevertheless pulled out her usual smile and wave on reflex. The small crowd of spectators noticeably sharpened in their attention, as that was an official title. While Top Coordinators didn’t have legal status or authority in the same way that Ace Trainers did, the title was one that did officially exist to denote someone who had won at least one Grand Festival.
While battling might not be the focus of Contests, it was still a major component, and no one who could win a Grand Festival could be a complete slouch when it came to that aspect of things. Since the title wasn’t legally required to be put forward like Ace Trainers status was though, Zoey had intended to have the officials knock off any announcing of it. She hadn’t really wanted the extra attention. She was here to refine her battle tactics from the ground up, not to lean into her Contest experience to get through. Well, too late now. The damage was done. Her sponsors would be happy, at least, assuming she did well. She had been worried a few of them might bail on her with her focus on battles this season.
“This will be a standard 2 vs 2, with one switch allowed for the challenger. Gym Leader, please send out your Pokémon.”
Forrest nodded, Zoey trying hard not to snort as the younger man attempted a grave look that didn’t quite fit his features. He went for physically tossing out his pokéball, which wasn’t a surprise as it was the more dramatic move. The glow of energy quickly formed into…the completely underwhelming form of a Geodude. Right. This was a First Badge challenge. She could expect this to be an extremely well trained Geodude, given they knew about her Top Coordinator status, but there was a hard cap on the level of power Gym Leaders were allowed to use for each Badge Level. One that escalated steadily with each additional badge you gained.
Making a snap decision, she sent out Teddiursa first, as Ponyta was a better answer if Forrest went for an Onix as his second pokémon. She tossed out the ball with her own usual flare, though without the usual special effects applied to it that she would have had set up for a Contest. She’d stripped that sort of thing away, just as she’d refused to go with her usual elaborate outfits.
Given that she’d made 2B dress to leave an impression, she had made a bit of an effort, just not to the same degree she would have for the Contest circuit. Despite it being late spring, it was fairly cool in Pewter due to the altitude. So she’d thrown on a nice-looking leather jacket over a top that showed off her chest a bit, did up her hair, added some jewelry and basic makeup, then called it good.
“Geodude versus Teddiursa! Begin!”
Forrest was quick off the mark, but so was Zoey, their orders coming out almost on top of one another.
“Rock Polish!”
“Fury-Break!”
Zoey mentally scowled at Forrest’s opening move, which eliminated any speed weakness the Geodude might have suffered. Given Teddiursa wasn’t the fastest, that could be a problem. Thankfully, at this level, the Rock Polish at least took her opponent enough time for Teddi to close with his foe and unleash the combination move they’d worked the hardest on. It combined Fury Swipes with the Fighting Type energy of Brick Break, making a series of faster moves that didn’t quite hit with the power of Brick Break, but were far harder to dodge out of.
The tactic paid off now as, despite its newly enhanced speed, the Geodude couldn’t get out of the attack pattern completely. It only took two hits from the four swipes Teddi made, but both were super effective hits that caused the Rock Type to visibly quail. Yet, it showed that it was well-trained by riding the second hit and rolling away.
“Geodude, Rollout!”
Zoey grinned viciously at that order.
“Counter!”
The speed form Rock Polish, combined with Roll Out, should have been a nasty combination. But Teddiursa had been training almost exclusively with pokémon faster than himself. Ponyta and Purugly, Jigglypuff, Scyther, and Vulpix. The only member of either her or 2B’s teams that was slower than Teddi was Chinchou, and even Chinchou cheated with Water Pulse to move around the battlefield far faster than he should be able to.
Teddi had gotten very good at using Counter on opponents faster than him.
It was something that was made readily apparent as Geodude attempted to rush him down with its high-speed Rollout, only for Teddi to shift at just the right instant to grab the other pokémon. Rock Polish had also made Geodude hard to hold onto, but Teddi’s claws got just enough of a grip to brutally redirect Geodude’s momentum and slam him into one of the larger boulders laying around the ground as terrain. With Geodude disrupted and momentarily stunned, Zoey called out a straight attack instead of a combo.
“Brick Break!”
The Geodude, showing its excellent training again, almost managed to recover and throw itself aside. But only almost. Instead, it took ninety plus percent of the hit from Brick Break, which slammed it back into and through the boulder. Teddi rushed to follow up, but…
“Geodude has been rendered unconscious! Gym Leader, you have thirty seconds to replace your pokémon!”
A beam of light reached out to return Geodude almost at the same moment the Ref spoke, and Forrest pursed his lips for a moment. Nodding, he passed over the second pokéball on his belt and pulled out the third, tossing it out. The light coalesced into the form of…
“Rhyhorn, Mud Shot!”
Damn, instead of trying to close the distance and risk Teddi’s Fighting Type moves, Forrest had opted to engage at range.
“Dodge and Eyes!”
Teddi couldn’t completely get free of the attack, but managed to pull a half decent Baby-Doll Eyes even while moving, causing Rhyhorn to not fully commit. The mud it had formed out of the ground with Ground Type energy still hit, but didn’t do much damage. It did, unfortunately, slow Teddi down farther.
“Rock Blast!”
Zoey grimaced, already seeing where this was going to go. Without hesitating long enough to let Teddi get hit, she withdrew him. The Ref made the call immediately, of course.
“Challenger Zoey has used her Swap! Send out your second pokémon!”
It being a Swap, instead of an outright Withdraw, meant she could technically send Teddi back in, but hopefully that wouldn’t be needed.
“Go Ponyta! You know the plan! Show them your speed!”
They’d covered a few plans, in point of fact. But that specific cue was one that, combined with being sent mid-battle, had Ponyta immediately activating Agility after he hit the field. He was at a major disadvantage with nearly any pokémon the Gym fielded, so every plan they’d worked on for the last ten days had centered around the same idea.
Speed. Speed. Speed.
Coming out mid-battle like this, where you were allowed to segue instantly into moves, was actually their best-case scenario in a lot of ways. In any situation other than a Swap, whether the Swap be by choice or previous defeat, it was required that the Ref call the restart. Mid-battle like this, however, you could segue instantly into action. Ponyta did so now, concentrating on Agility even as Forrest, sounding mildly startled, rushed a command for another Mud Shot. Rhyhorn wasn’t fast enough. By the time the Mud Shot arrived, Ponyta was already moving.
“Flame and Turn!”
Ponyta shifted into a Flame Charge, and just barely lept over a hasty Bulldoze. The charge wasn’t actually aimed at Rhyhorn, which seemed to throw both pokémon and Trainer off…only for the ‘Turn’ part of the command to produce a flawless Double Kick to the Rhyhorn’s rear end after the Flame Charge landed the Pony pokémon behind his target.
“Rrrryyyhorn!”
Their opponent’s cry of distress at it was flung forward by a literal ass-kicking, despite its weight, was almost funny enough to cause Zoey to get distracted. Thankfully, she was no newbie, and her lips merely twitched as she shouted what was hopefully the last command she would need.
“Pinball!”
Ponyta were fast. A Ponyta mainlining Agility was fast. A Ponyta mainlining Agility while also using Flame Charge? That Ponyta was fast enough to outpace the flying Rhyhorn. It wouldn’t have worked with a Rhydon, let alone an Onix, but Rhyhorn were still just light weight enough that Ponyta could keep it in the air. Effectively pinballing around ahead of it to deliver another Double Kick. A different pokémon type would have still had plenty of options. Even a Rhyhorn that had been pumped full of TMs like Icy Wind or Sandstorm could have disrupted the attack pattern.
This Rhyhorn was a First Badge challenge and didn’t have anything of the sort. The Gym Leader, after seeing the maneuver was actually working, facepalmed…and hit his pokémon with a return beam before the situation could get any more ridiculous. For just an instant, seeing his expression, Zoey wondered if maybe 2B was a bad influence on her. Then, just as quickly, she dismissed the thought as nonsense, ignoring the disbelief in the Ref’s voice as he announced the conclusion.
“Rhyhorn has been withdrawn! Challenger Zoey wins! Challenger, you may enter the field to collect your badge.”
Beaming widely, Zoey hopped down and rushed over to where Ponyta was prancing happily. She’d collect her badge after giving her good boi some snuggles and praise first!
… … …
Her own battle with Forrest had gone quickly enough that there had been a nearly fifteen-minute gap between her and 2B. Something which Zoey was grateful for as it meant she’d been able to get up into the stands, fend off a few Contest fans that had recognized her after the official had announced her, and settle in for the show. It was almost a pity that she expected 2B to somewhat steamroll Forrest at this level, since it might minimize 2B’s effect. There was at least a decent chance of it being otherwise, though, as she suspected Forrest would push the allowed limits for a First Badge challenge for a Lab Trainer. Doubly so for one of Oak’s who was also a research assistant. His Trainers generally had a bit of a reputation for excellence, even if there were occasional duds among them.
Of course, there was also the fact that Zoey knew 2B intended to give Vulpix a chance to fight, despite her being the absolute worst matchup from 2B’s team. If her friend were almost anyone else, she’d have attempted to talk 2B out of it. As it was, even with the massive type disadvantage, she suspected it was only going to give whatever Forrest used parity with Vulpix, instead of the advantage if should give.
Ah, there went Forrest’s entrance again. He could do with some variety, though the drums were admittedly a nice touch, at least.
“Here for a First Badge challenge with Forrest of the Pewter City Gym…Trainer 2B of Pallet Town!”
Following Zoey’s advice, even if Zoey herself hadn’t, 2B had held back stepping up onto the platform until the announcement. She’d already been present at the base of the challenger’s box stairs, but no one had really bothered to take notice until that moment, when she stepped out of the shadow of the box and up into the afternoon sunlight. The moment she did, however, several people perked up and a few whispers began. Zoey couldn’t help but quirk her lips as she caught the edges of the expected chatter.
In part, Zoey liked to think, that was due to her own efforts. The last year spent in Johto had exposed her to new styles, and she’d been dying just a little inside to see 2B in one or two of them. Thankfully, one of the people who’d done her wardrobe had clearly thought the same, and Zoey had found a black-and-orange kimono-like garment mixed into the lot. Some quick modifications, courtesy of Gallade’s expert touch, and the outfit practically screamed ‘Exotic Sword Waifu.’
The fact it exposed considerable amounts of 2B’s cleavage and thighs had nothing to do with it being Zoey’s ultimate choice for her friend, of course. No, it simply fit 2B! Particularly with that katana of hers openly carried at her side! All other accusations otherwise will, of course, be rightfully ignored. As they should be.
Of course, while 2B’s beauty drew the eye like a lodestone, and Zoey’s work had done a lot to emphasize that beauty, it wasn’t what ultimately drew the gasps and murmurs. Zoey’s lips twitched as she heard more than one confused person ask exactly what she’d expected.
‘Is she blind?’
2B was, of course, wearing her ‘tactical visor.’ Which still, equally of course, looked exactly like a blindfold. She was going to have to make sure that 2B took it off after the battle, just so there were no accusations of her attempting to fake being blind. For now, though, the reactions were admittedly humorous to her. After all, she was aware of the truth, that 2B’s visor was a horribly useful piece of equipment that could do enough mid-battle analysis that the League might well ban it from competition…if they knew it existed.
Not that Zoey really thought it would matter for 2B. After all, she could sense just about everything with Aura that her visor could tell her, and you couldn’t ban Aura. According to carefully phrased questions Zoey had asked, everyone had it, with Aura playing a major part in the mysterious ‘bond’ between Trainers and their pokémon. It was just that very few humans ever learned to consciously reach for it.
“This will be a standard 2 vs 2, with one switch allowed for the challenger. Gym Leader, please send out your Pokémon.”
Ah, the Ref must have been caught off guard along with the spectators, he’d delayed for several long seconds, then canceled his mike to ask 2B a question. Likely about her ability to see, since that could be a liability in knowing when to stop for matches like this. There were the occasional individuals who, via various means, managed to become trainers despite such problems. It was rare, though, and stopping to assess if 2B was going to be dangerous to herself or others was only sensible.
Still, the match was properly starting now, with Forrest throwing out a pokéball again. Zoey was virtually certain her assessment regarding his willingness to push boundaries against a Lab Trainer was accurate when she saw what formed…
“Is that a Shieldon?”
The incredulous question slipped out, Zoey only even recognizing the pokémon because of her and 2B’s little not-a-date to the Pewter Museum. Of course, a moment later, just before someone answered, she realized the very reason she recognized it was why it was here. Something that a jolly local confirmed for her a moment later.
“It is! Rare to see Forrest or Flint use one of them in a First Badge challenge! But with the Pewter Museum being one of the few places in the world where you can get fossils revived, they have a small but steady supply of Lileep, Anorith, Omanyte and Shieldon! It’s really spiced things up with some variety these last few years!”
Yeah, that was what Zoey had abruptly realized might be the case, though she appreciated the confirmation and whispered a quiet thanks to the man. 2B’s face hadn’t shown any surprise at the pokémon, but then she was from Kanto and likely knew that such pokémon had joined the Pewter Gym lineup. Of course, despite it being an unexpected dual type, it didn’t actually help 2B that much. Vulpix was still just as vulnerable to a Steel type as Rock or Ground, which made Zoey suspect 2B wouldn’t use her just yet.
It was something that proved true when, without the showy fanfare of Forrest or Zoey, 2B simply pointed a pokéball at the arena and calmly released her choice as a beam. Zoey grinned as Jigglypuff appeared. Clearly, even if her friend was willing to give Vulpix a chance, she was still going to stack the deck to make sure she walked away with a victory. Zoey was all for it. Mostly because she really wanted to see a larger group of people’s reactions to some of the shit this Jigglypuff pulled regularly.
“Shieldon vs Jigglypuff! Begin!”
Forrest was on the ball immediately. Yet, despite getting his order off first, the difference in complexity was stark.
“Iron Head!”
“Water Evade into Pulse Machinegun.”
If Iron Head had possessed even the slimmest of chances to actually hit, it would have been the right call. Fairy Types like Jigglypuff were weak to Steel Type energy, after all. Yet, trying to hit this Jigglypuff when she had been ordered to evade was nightmare fuel. Sure enough, in a repeat of a pattern Zoey had seen several times, Jigglypuff jetted up and over the Arena. Shieldon passed right below it, even as Jigglypuff leaned into her species’ ability to float for hangtime, swallow more air-
No, wait, not air.
Type Energy.
Zoey leaned forward eagerly. This move wasn’t quite as refined as Fairy Gatling, still needing that minor bit of setup. Yet, Zoey suspected they were on the cusp of being able to pull it off without that, which would make it yet another original move. For now, it didn’t matter, Shieldon was too out of place and…
“Protect!”
Fuck! The translucent barrier that formed in response to Forrest’s call was just fast enough to interdict the half dozen rapidly-fired Water Pulses. Each one was, in truth, shaped more like a bullet of water at this point, with the Type Energy Jigglypuff had swallowed serving to buff each ‘bullet’ of water into something nearly as powerful as a full Water Pulse. The six fired in a stream like the Machinegun the move was named for, but four were interdicted by Protect before it broke. The final two got through, the Protect not having managed to form at full strength. They were enough to stagger the Shieldon…but it was a tough Pokémon and shrugged it off.
“Metal Sound into Rock Blast!”
“Dazzling Dodge. Wave Breaker.”
The horrible noise of Metal Sound made Zoey cringe, and Jigglypuff clearly didn’t like it either, but she powered through and used Dazzling Gleam not as an attack, but as a way to create a blinding light. It caused Shieldon to lose track of Jigglypuff before it could fire Rock Blast, making it miss entirely as Jigglypuff plummeted to the ground and then flashed forward with another Water Pulse.
Amazingly enough, this time the Water Pulse was performed with pure Water manipulation, rather than spitting out a jet of water. Apparently, working so hard on Pulse Machinegun had enhanced Jigglypuff’s ability to manipulate Type Energy enough to refine her favorite movement ability. Yet, that was almost a side note as Zoey was the only one who’d managed to close her eyes fast enough to see what ‘Wave Breaker’ was.
The answer was simple, and just as aggressive as 2B tended to train all of her pokémon to be. It was nothing more or less than a refinement of the Water Pulse + Brick Break maneuver Zoey had seen Jigglypuff pull back in Viridian. Just like then, the pure speed of the Water-Pulse-riding added brutally to Jigglypuff’s Brick Break to the Face. Despite Shieldon’s head being by far the toughest part of the pokémon, it cried out in pain as it was thrown back several meters by the hit.
“Dig!”
“Pulse and Lullaby”
There wasn’t enough time to set up another Pulse Machinegun, but a straightforward Water Pulse was a different matter. Before Shieldon could recover enough to execute the command to use Dig, it ate a Water Pulse to the face that prevented it from doing anything of the sort. That kept it on the surface long enough for Zoey to blink in astonishment at a move 2B had never shown before.
Jigglypuff Sang a pair of notes, but instead of continuing and triggering Sing like normal, she concentrated the power of those notes in her fist and…smashed Shieldon between the eyes with her fist. The move was whole unexpected and incongruous with the action until now. Yet, contrary to sanity, it seemed to work. Shieldon just collapsed, out like a light as Jigglypuff pulled away.
“Fairy Buster Sword.”
Who to the what now? Zoey started in disbelief as Jigglypuff started pulling together a sword made of Fairy Type Energy. A Sword that was five times her own size. It clearly was a charge-up style move, like Solar Beam…but Shieldon was asleep. Forrest clearly read the writing on the wall and a beam lanced out from Shieldon’s pokéball, returning him. The Gym Leader looked a little pole-axed, and to Zoey’s blissful amusement, even the Ref took unprofessionally long seconds to come out of his shock.
“S-shieldon has been withdrawn! Gym Leader, you have thirty seconds to send out your second pokémon!”
More like forty seconds, given the delay the Ref had accidentally added via his own surprise. Still, Zoey was sanguine about that. She had a pretty good idea what 2B was about to do, and Forrest having extra time to think wouldn’t help him one bit. She noted the Gym Leader was frowning, hand tapping along his pokéballs, and she narrowed her eyes as it drifted toward the back of his pokébelt.
Strictly speaking it wasn’t universal, but most Gym Leaders kept their Ace there. A pokémon a badge or two higher than the rest, intended for dealing with those who misrepresented the strength of their pokémon. She could understand why Forrest was considering it, and couldn’t even quite be offended on 2B’s behalf by it. While Jigglypuff hadn’t been an inherited pokémon like the usual exceptions, trained by someone else first, the amount of time she’d spent with 2B had made her similarly higher-level than she really ought to be. Their circumstances and the fact Jigglypuff had been a baby pokémon for much of that time mean they technically squeaked by without even bending the rules on that, let alone breaking them.
Something that wouldn’t be obvious to an outsider like Forrest, justifying him breaking out the bigger guns.
The problem, of course, is Zoey knew 2B wasn’t intending to continue using Jigglypuff.
Zoey could only cringe and hope for the best when Forrest made his decision and pulled his Ace, face stormy as he didn’t bother with the theatrics and sent his choice out in a beam of light. When it processed what she was seeing, though, a huge grin split her face.
“Oh! A Tyrunt! Those are far rarer, the Gym only uses them as Aces for at least 2nd and 3rd badges! I wonder why he decided to use it here?”
The local that had been helpful before sounded a mix of excited and puzzled, but Zoey was just relieved. Forrest couldn’t have known it, not without looking more deeply into 2B’s team than he was supposed to be allowed without reason, but he’d just fucked up epically. Tyrunt’s Rock Typing might even things out, but it’s Dragon Typing had just made Vulpix’s Ice moves neutral hits, instead of coming in at a disadvantage. She also understood now why Forrest had hesitated. It would, after all, be neutral to Jigglypuff’s Fairy Typing too. He’d obviously decided that it being his Ace, the most capable pokémon he’d allowed himself to bring, was more important.
“Tyrunt vs Jigglypuff! Begin!”
The instant the Ref spoke, Forrest called out a move.
“Rock Blast!”
…Only for that Move to hit empty air as 2B did exactly what Zoey was expecting and withdrew Jigglypuff. The Ref was visibly confused, but powered through.
“Challenger 2B had used her Swap! Challenger, you have thirty seconds to release your second pokémon!”
Zoey was riding the edge of her seat as she watched 2B’s lips finally switch from a level deadpan, twitching up just slightly at the corners, as she raised a Luxury Ball and spoke calmly and clearly as she deployed Vulpix.
“Barrage Start.”
Poor Forrest and the Spectators were both left with whiplash as, between one heartbeat and the next, Vulpix wrenched the Type Energy that would normally surge out for Snow Warning and forced it into the Charge Up for Ice Burst Barrage. Five of her Ice Burst modified Ice Shards formed instantly on and between Vulpix’s tails, and those tails whipped forward before Forrest could even process what pokémon he was facing.
By the time he could react, the barrage of grenade-like ice shells broke on contact with the ground all around Tyrunt, viciously stabbing the pokémon from every direction with Type-infused shards of ice. Tyrunt cried out in pain, completely unprepared for the move that battered and sliced at it from all sides.
“Disarming Voice.”
Forrest snapped out of his surprise and reflexively shouted his own command.
“Rock Slide and keep it up!”
It was a good move, as Vulpix didn’t have the same insane maneuverability as Jigglypuff. Yet the Disarming Voice hit first, disrupting Tyrunt’s concentration enough that Vulpix was able to doge most of the damage with a Quick Attack used on her own initiative.
“Disable and Barrage.”
Zoey blinked as Vulpix’s eyes flashed and Tyrunt cried out in frustration. She’d forgotten that Vulpix even knew Disable. Yet, it was a good move. Vulpix wasn’t a tank and would struggle with Area attacks like Rock Slide. It also disrupted the flow as Forrest had to switch orders, letting Vulpix build a three-shard Ice Burst Barrage.
“Damnit. Close and Bite!”
Clearly, Forrest was hoping that closing with Vulpix would prevent her from using any additional Ice Bursts, and he’d been correct in thinking so. Tyrunt didn’t look very happy after tanking all three of the current Barrage, but its charge had closed the distance.
“Hypnosis.”
Except that there was apparently a reason that 2B hadn’t bothered to order a dodge. Another move from Vulpix’s pool that Zoey had forgotten about was all the more effective with Tyrunt having charged Vulpix down with angry eye-contact. It slowed, sleep taking it just a step or two before reaching Vulpix, who dodged back and started building another Barrage without orders.
A beam of light shot out and Tyrunt vanished. Apparently, Forrest had seen enough.
“Tyrunt has been withdrawn! Challenger 2B wins! Challenger, you may enter the field to collect your badge.”
The Ref seemed to be operating on autopilot at this point, looking nearly as stunned as the crowd, who’d gone wide-eyed and silent, unsure what the hell they’d just watched. Grinning at that thought, Zoey lept the railing and dashed for 2B. Hopefully, Forrest wasn’t as annoyed as he’d looked when he settled on Tyrunt…
... ... ... ... ... ... ...
A/N 1: The Gym Debut! I hope I did a decent job of this! Honestly, one of the things I've been most concerned about with this fic is my ability to write pokémon battles. A realistic view of them is a lot different than what the game depicts, with even the anime regularly making that clear. How to write certain moves seems to vary wildly between authors, even without me having 2B stretching minds by creating new moves. I'm fairly happy with how Zoey and 2B's Gym battles turned out, but it was just as hard to do as I'd feared *sweatdrop*. Hopefully the result isn't horrible.
A/N 2: Yes, in a very '2B' move, 'Lullaby' is a move where Jigglypuff loads the energy for Sing into her fist and punches someone in the face with it. The moment of concussion amplifying the 'oh, unconsciousness is a logical thing to happen here' effect on the target's brain. This makes it more effective than Sing alone, as the target believes there is a logical reason why they should be headed to la-la-land.