Ch. 22
Where will you be, when the dust settles? The story continues!
We hit the city about the middle of the day, and it seemed the sun was intent on baking all the water back out of the soil. A quick trip to the pokemon center for a pre-match checkup, and before I knew it, we were standing outside of the local gym.
It boasted impressive statuary, some of the local flavors of pokemon, and a few more exotic offerings obviously not hewn from the same quarry. The rules gave me pause though. It was a three on three format, in double battle.
That put us at a clear disadvantage, and left me with a hard choice to make. One I found unpalatable to say the least.
“Wow, this is some bullshit.” I said aloud as the girls caught up. “You all worked too damn hard for this.” I sighed, and pulled them together. They murmured agreement, and looked to one another with a sense of frustration, and sadness. It took me a few moments, weighing the choices in my own head before I came to a conclusion.
“Mira, you’re the lynch pin.” I said, running my hand over her head. “You’ve trained with everyone, right? You know what they need, so give them your support and try to stay out of harm’s way. You line ‘em up, they’ll knock ‘em down.”
She seemed proud as she stepped forward, looking in at the gym. She seemed pleased by the broad, open format. Smooth stone and dirt just waiting for her to put that space to good use.
“Tempest, you ready to put our hard work to good use?” I didn’t have to ask, she flashed a toothy grin and a wave of her clawed hand, taking her place next to Mira. She was ready, and this would be a solid proving ground for her. In my heart, I knew she needed it.
But nowhere near as much as Cocoa. “Cocoa, you’re up. If it looks like they’re in trouble, you’re going in to assert yourself. Don’t be gentle. I want to see a crater where our opposition used to be. You can do this!”
Finally, I flashed a grin at Claire, who stared at me, surprised I left her out. “And you’re standing with me. I miss anything, we’re going to be counting on you. They said the fight was three on three. Never said anything about a spectator having commentary, right?”
For a moment, she was still, quiet, then her tail started swaying, a grin to match Tempest’s as she grabbed my hand, leading me in.
We were greeted by a woman who looked like she’d be more at home in a corporate office than a pokemon gym. Dressed to kill in a flawless pinstripe suit, her dark hair up in a tight bun, regarding us over a pair of thin silver framed reading glasses.
She started with the usual pleasantries, commented on how resolute my team looked, and even smirked, as Claire took her place beside me at the podium. “Clever. Very clever. I like it.”
The rules were reiterated once more, and the timer began counting down. From her side, a steelix and a graveler, with a rhyhorn to follow up. Truth was, I didn’t like the look of it. At all. But it was a little too late for that. We were here, and we didn't come all this way to go down without a fight.
“Mira, tag, you’re it! Tempest, start with the walking statue, but stay away from the other!”
Mira got the point, and surged in, her attacks were light, and frequent, but her real focus was on not getting hit. Faster, and faster, her turns and pivots, leaping over the sweeping tail of the steelix, and making a show of running up its back to spring away, distracting the graveler by landing on its head before circling behind Tempest again.
Tempest, for her part, turned the graveler’s first hard punch away with a clever pivot, her well practiced guard shielding her and closing the distance to counter with her own heavy strike. She took a hard shot in the exchange, forcing distance between the two, but her smile wasn’t fake. She could take him, head to head.
Mira had managed to piss off the steelix, who was sweeping and slamming his heavy tail against the arena floor, the strikes growing in intensity until the walls themselves shook. But somehow, she’d managed to avoid the worst of it. It was obvious she was getting winded, and it wouldn’t take a hard shot from something that immensely strong to put her down. I needed her standing and debated calling her back, but Tempest needed her at the moment.
Tempest traded a few more hard blows with the graveler, neither seeming to have the advantage. She alternated between guarding and deep, lunging strikes, but it was clear she was distracted by the constant motion of the steelix.
When the graveler rolled up and began his real assault, the game changed.
“Tempest, pull back, give Mira some coverage.” I called, mentally probing Claire to try and figure out his direction, to get Tempest some warning.
She was cool and collected, but he only gave the barest hint of a tell, one limb or another striking against the floor, before his rolling shifted, he easily did a full right angle turn, and I speculated anything short of turning around would be as quick.
She gave me a glimmer of hope though, she saw that the steelix was getting tired and impatient. I could use it, if I could help them set it up.
“Hey Mira, you ready?” I called out, as she tried to dodge another sweep, taking the trailing end hard. She staggered, but kept her composure, a ribbon held in attentive curiosity.
“Run to Tempest and tumble out! Tempest, go for broke, push the wannabe pinball towards Mira!”
It was a hard ask. They didn't have a chance to do anything but react, Mira sprinted towards Tempest, who slammed her whole body into the graveler’s immense impact, trading her own wellbeing for one good shot. He wobbled on an odd axis. Struggled to correct, Mira leaping up on his back didn't hurt him in that regard, but the steelix only saw the fly he wanted to swat, not his partner behind it.
Mira had managed to avoid being caught between a rock and a hard place, if only just. The concussive reverberations of the impact threw her away, and to the ground. She struggled to get back up, and limped towards Tempest, who swept out an arm, as if to shield her.
“Batter, up!” I crowed, flashing a wolf grin at the gym leader. She tensed, but only for the barest moment. She was definitely made of sterner stuff.
The graveler was all but rubble, and the steelix was none too happy about the situation, looming over Tempest with murder in his eyes.
His eyes. Maybe the best shot we'd get, but we had another problem, first.
“Mira, pull back. Cocoa, time to show them a thing or two.” She'd done great, but she couldn't keep it up forever. Tempest seemed to understand before I said anything, drawing to the far side, and taking the angry eyes of the steelix with her.
Cocoa didn't flinch at all as the rhyhorn charged her, just curled defensively at the last second, throwing off his aim. The hit she took was nothing compared to the one she would have. He charged again, and I knew her posture. I taught her that posture.
The rhyhorn outweighed her, easily twice her weight but it didn't matter if he did most of the work. She ducked, and took his charge on her shoulder, and pulled as hard as she could, rolling his fury off of her back in a tremendous slam. As he got up to his feet, she made show of dusting off her hands, calling out to Tempest. “You gonna stand there while ol’ hayseed over here does all the work? Go on, git! Reckon we got some varmints ta round up!”
Tempest cackled, as she lunged in, charging the steelix in a reckless looking fury. Her shots rang off of his metal body, but did little else. She suffered grievous retaliation, but kept up the act, laughing and taunting and provoking him.
Claire realized her gambit before I did, and shot me a tense, terse thought. She was counting on me for cues. So far, I was screwing up. But that was about to change. I saw it, the tail tensed, and I shouted.
She ducked, claws gripping the divots in his body to swing her down, ahead of the crashing iron tail. He hurt himself in the confusion!
The more he struggled, the worse it got. Impact after impact, and her mocking cries. “You were so close!” “Stop hitting yourself!” “What's wrong, swatting flies?”
She loved it, so did I. Between the two of us that half ton monstrosity tore itself apart and only managed a few hits that weren't self directed.
Fatigued, pained, they both were, but Tempest was ready and waiting. “Take his eyes, Tempest!”
The flash of red pulled the steelix back, and left Tempest, midway up his back to carry out the war cry, plummeting to the arena floor. She stuck the landing, but it was obvious it slowed her.
Cocoa had kept up with the rhyhorn, his drill attacks and charges kept her on the defensive, but she hadn't given up. The wounds she took weren't enough to stop her. She was bloodied, but I could tell from her posture she had no intention of calling it quits.
“Tempest, switch it up, great job! Mira, time to clean up!”
Mira surged forth with renewed vigor, her ribbons dancing as she stood next to Cocoa. The two seemed to have an understanding as the rhyhorn charged in to greet them.
They moved in opposite directions, circling the brute. When he lashed out at Cocoa, Mira moved further back. Her dancing ribbons had taken a curious rhythm. Harder, violent. Dangerous. I couldn’t tell what she was planning, only that she absolutely was not playing.
Cocoa took the unspoken cue, lunging in to flat out punch him. It was the kind of shot that could have graveled a golem, I was impressed. Not only did she execute it in fantastic style, she did it without the slightest hesitation. She knew it was going to hurt her to do, and she followed through with absolute conviction. She had been watching me practice my form. Copycat.
But I realized I hadn't seen anything yet. As I heard Claire's triumphant cry, Mira made her move.
The pressure was familiar to me, even at my distance. To her target, agony, like twisting knives in his head, a head already aching from Cocoa using it for a brick breaking demonstration. I wouldn't have wished it on anyone.
To me, Claire's private little laugh. “You don't get to say you can't do it anymore.”
The rhyhorn begged for mercy, before Cocoa administered the coup de grace, a stout headbutt that turned his whole world black. To her credit, the gym leader pulled him back before he hit the floor. Not by much, though.
It was over. It was close, but it was over. They were clever. They were great. They were way more hurt than I realized. Tempest took a heavy, exhausted, pained seat next to me. She had never sat in the aftermath of a fight before.
Mira limped her way back, giving Claire a tight hug, before looking up at me with a playful grin. “I've been reading your mind for ages.” She teased, wrapping a ribbon around my arm. “You're such a pervert!” She paused, pulling her ribbons away in a teasing caress. “But I'd do it just how you want, if you be a good boy, and ask nicely.”
Cocoa was the last one back, looking up at me with a shy little smile. “We did it. I reckoned I would have messed it all up, but we did it. I did it.” She paused, taking my hand, whispering softly, words only for me. “Thank you. For not giving up on me.”
The severe looking gym leader smiled as she crossed the arena. I was too distracted by my team to really notice more than that, but as she approached us, I turned to regard her. I was honestly wishing we’d had a few more moments to bask in that win, but all good things must come to an end.
Still, I supposed it was fine. She laughed, and shook my hand. “I’ve gotta hand it to you. I’ve seen some pretty odd strategies in my time here. I’ve never seen a show quite like that. Are you sure you’re a battle trainer? Those girls would be awesome in a circus troupe.”
I grinned, and ruffled Mira’s fur, before turning back to regard her. “I’d swear Mira was half jolteon. And Tempest?” I hooked a thumb behind me. “I’ve seen some crazy things, heck, I’ve been involved in a few, but she’s absolutely fearless.”
I paused, turning to face Cocoa, “As for Cocoa, you’d never have guessed she was the new girl on the team. She worked harder than anyone for this, and I couldn’t be more proud.” for a moment, she regarded me with a sense of innocent wonder, but her joyful tears weren't far behind.
The gym leader smiled at that, and handed Cocoa the gym badge. “You proved you’re as solid as the Earth, and as graceful as a dust devil.” She told her, before regarding me once more. “You have a good team, and make no mistake of it, they are a team. Take the lessons you learned here, and be proud. A lot of trainers focus only on individual strength. You’re taking the harder, higher road, and you’ll go further for it, if you see it through.”
She had begun to walk away, but paused, mid-stride and looked over her shoulder. “I’m actually glad you let your braixen sit this one out, judging by how today went. I’d have hated to have to mop up what was left of poor Cobalt.” She said with a smirk and a dismissive wave as she turned on her heel and continued her trip across the arena.
Our departure took more than a few minutes, but when we left it was with heads held high, and a bright, shiny badge glimmering in the sunlight. Sunlight that no longer felt oppressive.
The celebration, such as it was, was surprisingly muted, a happy pile of cuddle on a bed in a nice hotel, several floors up, overlooking the city. I took my time, and devoted my energy to rubbing all the aching muscles and taking care of the girls as best as I could. Eventually they collectively just pulled me in and held me.
It was a win hard won, and a surprise. They’d come so far, not just on their own, but relying on each other. Learning from one another. For everything we had to face to get here, for all the times I screwed up, they still made me so proud. Still tried so hard. I felt the tears welling up and I just let them go. Mira didn't say a word, just wiped them away and nuzzled against me.
“You worked just as hard as we did.” Claire said, squeezed between Tempest and I, her hand resting on my chest. “This is your victory, too.”
Mira murmured agreement at that, from her comfortable spot on Cocoa’s belly.
Cocoa smiled, her hand brushing against my cheek. “I reckon I can't keep pretending I'm some dumb farm girl, huh? You made me somethin’ more. Might only be one badge, but it's ours. It's more than anyone back on the farm could boast.”
Tempest laughed at that. “Two for him, and more to come! We're just getting started. Right, Cocoa?”
I laughed, ruffling Tempest’s fur. “Today the gym, tomorrow the world?”
“Tomorrow the bedroom. Put the world down for next week.” Tempest replied with a sleepy wave of her hand, before shifting to lay her head on Claire's shoulder.
“For now,” Mira said, stifling a yawn with her ribbons. “I just want a good night's sleep.”
It was something we could all agree on. I had set the air conditioning as low as it would go, and before long, we were all lulled to sleep by the gentle hiss of cold air, washing over us in the comfortable room.