Welcome to Gaia! ::

I have to admit I felt a bit better the following morning. Probably because I hadn’t been sleeping on the ground and that I managed to have a nice shower last night. Breakfast was actually good for myself and my Pokémon as well. It’s the little things, I suppose, that can perhaps turn the last couple of grueling days into something good. Probably the best mood my Pokémon had been in, for that matter. Suddenly, the Pokémon battle that was to come wasn’t even a worry. I could only wonder a little if such a demeanor was going to hold out with all of them. Once we were good to go, I set off for the nearest Pokémon Center to make sure they were good to go, and shortly after went off back down the city streets, mentally trying to prepare myself for what was to come. As I weaved around the foot traffic, I couldn’t help but to think of strategies to go in and fall back on. I honestly didn’t want to disappoint the team, especially after them feeling pretty jovial this morning.

Once I made it to the gym, I made my way inside and went to the reception counter. “Morning.” I spoke up to the receptionist. “I’m here for a gym leader battle.”

“Ah, yes, okay.” The receptionist spoke up. She’d then would give me the instructions just as the past two receptionists have, updating everything that I had done in Paldea thus far, the usual bureaucratic red tape and what-nots. “Okay, everything is in order.”

“So I take it that there is a gym test that I need to do first.”

“You’d be right.”

“So where do I need to go? Because if the past two gym told me anything, they don’t do anything like that here.” I then said.

“Just right outside.”

“…what?”

“Just right outside. Wait out by the street. I’ll let the gym leader know you are here.” The receptionist said. I stared in confusion for a second. No going across town to do something crazy, just…go right…outside? By the street?

“Am…I going to get picked up by someone?”

“Maybe? Maybe not. The thing I will tell you about our gym leader…she’s…a little random.”

“…random… riiiight. And…I need to go by the street.”

“That’s where all challengers for Levincia start their gym trial at.” She said.

“Okay. I’ll humor it, I guess…” I said, turning around, albeit reluctantly. I felt like I was about to get pranked, but whatever. Let’s just see where it goes.

I found my way back outside and started to look around, trying to see anything out of the ordinary and…there was nothing. People were still going about their day. Automotive traffic was still rolling on by. I didn’t really understand it. I couldn’t help but to cross my arms, a bit frustrated. A minute went by. Then two. Then several. I started to get impatient. I was half-tempted to go back inside and start asking questions as to what I was supposed to be looking for if anything. “Ladies aaaaaaand gentlemens! Its time for the Iono Zone!” a voice would screech out, the voice echoing down the streets down various loudspeakers. I started to look around in confusion, wondering what was going on. Something that wasn’t around when I came into the city just last night. Before I knew it, a camera came flying down from the sky, hovering and pointed right at me. One inhabited by a Rotom given the electrical like aura on it and the happy grin on it. “Your eyeballs are MINE-caught in my Electroweb! Whosawhasit? Iono! Gym Leader of Levincia! ‘Ello, ‘ello, hola! Ciao and Bonjour!”

I looked around, double taking up and down the street and stared at the camera in total confusion. This took a swerve I didn’t expect. So much in fact that I couldn’t help but to point at myself as if to ask if this person was talking to me. “Yes! You silly! And….wait a second!” Stock noise alarms started to go off nearby for about two seconds. “You! You you you you you! I can’t believe it! I know you!”

“Oh God, here we go…” I silently said to myself.

“Ladies and Gentlemens! Clear your schedule, stop the presses, and don’t turn away! We have a celebrity right here on the Iono Zone! The Kalosian Savior, The Icy Menace, The Snagem Spearhead, The Noble Hybrid himself, Blizzard!” she’d announce. “Could it be!? Ooooh! The Noble Hybrid is here to take part of the show! We can’t let an opportunity like this get away!”

“…uh, I’m…just here for a gym battle.”

“Oh, I know! We all know! And we will get to that! But you know usually challengers take part of a test, Iono’s special games! But we can’t just do that! Not for the Noble Hybrid! No! But don’t worry! I got a plan and I can’t wait to get started! We are going to have a special episode of Electrifying Takes! You know about Electrifying Takes, right?”

“…electrifying…takes?”

“You don’t!? Its only one of the highest viewed shows on my stream! Its known the world over!”

“Never heard of it.” I said.

A loud gasp was heard. “’Blizzard: Too busy to enjoy life or out of touch with technology!’ Maybe we can get down to the bottom of this on Electrifying Takes!” My eyes narrowed, practically appalled. If nothing else, with her exuberant screeching over the loudspeakers about my being here, I was already convinced of something…

“Iono: Wild Guessing or Clickbait Streamer. One in the same?” I then replied to her.

“A little too electrifying of a take there, Blizzard. Stick to your element.” She then said. “I’mma tell you how this works. We’re going on a walk on the city! By we, I mean, you. I mean, you’re there. It’s a one-on-one with celeb streamer to celeb trainer as you stroll the city!”

“So…this is an…interview?”

“Yes! You got it! But its not quite that simple! But we’ll get into that in a little bit! Let’s get walking, Blizzard! Go! The public awaits!” I was a little hesitant, but then I gave a shrug and started walking…though I didn’t really have a destination. Hopefully wherever we we’re going, it was going to get a gym battle here sooner than later. Ugh, who watches this sort of stuff?

“So, Blizzard! You are famous, perhaps in some circles, infamous, for your massive authority defying stunt in Kalos! From out of nowhere, a lone hybrid that approached the front doors of the Battle Chateau and once he left, he was fighting one of the Kalosian Elite Four and eventually even the champion, giving them a real run for their money! Certainly, that it couldn’t just be wanting to help the resistance, you were there on some super-secret Team Snagem stuff! What in the world were you thinking!?” I figured that was going to come up. And apparently Team Snagem is known world over at this point thanks to dealing with the likes of Ein. Do I just spill everything? Or just let off just enough?

“Well, I didn’t have too much of a say in it.” I said. “I went there just to try to get information, namely in that of Lysandre.”

“Ooooh! Lysandre! A lot remember him for sure. He had really weird hair.” Iono said.

“Not exactly an ‘electric take’ there.” I said. “I ended up learning more than I imagined going there. Like a good chunk of history about why people were generally discriminating to hybrids even up to that point in Kalos. It was a rather…dark time for Kalos, honestly. Funnier still when there were those that…didn’t seem to mind me being there. It was the general staff and maybe the more entwined nobility that took issue to me being there.”

“There weren’t any other hybrids other than you there?” Iono then asked.

“The only one that was there that I got to meet was a kid, a Skiddo hybrid by the name of Capri. Though he was there because he was with Diantha, the Kalosian champion. He was a prodigy by all rights, presumably tempered by Diantha’s teachings.” I said.

“It would be safe to assume that even the Kalosian champion disagreed with how the region treated hybrids? That’s crazy! Shoutout to Capri! Getting to be taught by the Champion and was able to meet THE Noble Hybrid! Luckiest kid alive! Unbeatable champion in the works? We will see!” Iono spoke up. “OH! Right here! Our first stop!”

“Huh?” I look at where we were and it was apparently a store named Picnic-knacks.

“Picnic-knacks! You’re one-stop place for all your picnic needs! Don’t settle for any ordinary this and that, go with the goods you can say proud you got it from Picnic-knacks! Hashtag not sponsored…guys call me…” she said, the last part in a mock whisper. “Go on in!”

I would make my way into the shop, seeing the various wares out on display, all ripe for the buying. Picnic baskets, from the mass produced to the luxury carefully crafted, cups of various decor, plates and covers. Honestly, I’m surprised a store like this exists instead of having it in some sort of more generalized store, like an outdoorsman sort of store, or at the very least some sort of sporting isle in some major store chain. Let alone the fact that this place is in the middle of a city and there’s really not a place to actually go out for a legit picnic except out of the city. Was there really a demand for this sort of store in a city like this? “Okay! Now we’re going to build a basket! You’re going to express yourself using in the store; show your Electric take as to how a picnic basket is supposed to be!”

“Aaaand…who is covering this?” I said, looking at the Rotom camera that had been following me this entire time.

“Don’t worry about that, get to making that basket set!” she said. I would look towards the store clerk then started my way down the isles. I had the feeling there was going to be a larger underlying reason about getting this basket set; there’s always something to it. So I might as well not make a complete idiot of myself and not look like I give too much of a care. All of this was apparently part of this ‘gym trial’…if one could call it that anymore. “So, Blizzard! Lets keep on! The viewers want to know! What are you doing in Paldea! I got here that you have already taken on two gyms already and you picked little ol’ me as the third? I didn’t think someone like you would need to take on a gym challenge!”

“I’m here on vacation and taking the opportunity to raise some Pokémon that I have been meaning to raise for a while now. Figure there was no better opportunity to actually do that. There was no sense on trying to bring my heaviest hitters in.” I said to her.

“Oh? Wow! I guess there’s not too much of an opportunity to make your Pokémon big and strong without having them take on your dangerous superhero missions?”

I had to hold back a cringe right in front of the camera. “No, not too much of one. Might get it every here and there, but its sort of rare.” I said to her.

“How has the battles been treating you? I bet Paldea is something else, huh?”

“Its been a challenge. There were some fights I thought for sure was going to be a cake walk only to find out differently.”

“Haha! Sounds like you’ve been having a great time! I tell you I’m no slouch myself! I’m sure everyone of the Iono Hype Squad is going to want to stay tuned for that! The Noble Hybrid versus Iono, the Electrifying Mystifying Gym Leader of Levincia!”

“You’re going to stream the battle?”

“Of course! You didn’t think that anyone wouldn’t give up that kind of opportunity! It will be the collab of the century! The millennium!” Great…I’m possibly going to get more famous and well known…that…doesn’t sit well with me. God, this whole noble hybrid stint that Sub put me in is starting to look more and more like a raw deal. When are these people going to realize I never asked for it.

I started to pick up a few items off the shelves; a decent quality picnic basket, no designs whatsoever, but the stuff I started to pick up for it started to come together. I picked up a bit of a Ice type Pokémon theme. Cubchoo print table cloth, a canteen that had the distinct shape of a Pokémon I have yet to see. It was white, and looked sort of like a whale, but it had two legs and I wasn’t sure really if the fins were actually arms. “A Cetoddle container! Oh, that looks so cute! I’m seeing that you couldn’t resist going with some sort of ice theme. What got you into the Ice type anyways?”

“That’s what I’ve been raised on. I’m the apprentice of the Mahogany Town Gym in Jhoto. Ice Type Pokémon are what I tend to know. Though, I don’t…know this one. I haven’t gotten acquainted yet.”

“Cetoddle? Oh I couldn’t tell you too much myself! But I do know they looooove to hang out in the mountains north of here! Though you might want to be more careful of their evolutions! They have enormous mouths that could gobble you up in a blink! It gives me the shivers! And not because of the ice!” she said. “But a gym leader apprentice!? Oh wow! They really must do a lot of things different in Jhoto! How long have you been an apprentice?”

“Over a decade.” I said to her. “Pretty much set to take over the gym at any time once my teacher retires.”

“Wow, it’s a successor sort of thing?” she asked. “Definitely different. We don’t have that here! Everything is dictated by the Pokémon League here. That reminds me, I might need to have an interview with Ms. Geeta! That is the interview to get but she is so elusive. A total mystery! Maybe she doesn’t even exist. The Pokémon League a shadow operation!?”

“That is probably so far reaching it could be mistaken for a flat-earth theory.” I said to her.

“Oh puh-leeeeze! Don’t be snooze-worthy! You can’t honestly tell me that someone couldn’t be the littlest bit of curious! I’m sure there might be a lot of skeletons in the Jhoto league’s closet!”

“Oh, I’m sure there definitely are; but we also tend not to jump to conclusions.” I said. This girl was starting to annoy me now.

Once I managed to get the picnic basket together and went to check out with the store owner, I was waved off as it was okay to take it. Apparently, it wasn’t the first time Iono did this sort of thing and it was probably not the last. This sort of thing was paid for by Iono herself in advance. Once I took the basket and the ice typed theme goods out of the store, I looked back at the Rotom Camera that had been following along. “Great! Next stop, we’re going to need food for the basket! Head down the sidewalk and down the bridge to Northern Lavincia! We’re heading to Aquiesta Supermarket!” Was I doing her grocery shopping suddenly? What was this all about?

As I started down the walkway and onto the bridge over the waters, I started to notice that a lot of eyes were now on me. This broadcast had gotten the attention of the denizens of Levincia; a good few tried to photobomb in anyway they could just so they could show up on camera. In other cases, probably because apparently word of the Noble Hybrid being in the city got all of their attention and they had to get close as they could. It was actually starting to get hard to get around. It didn’t really matter to Iono, though, as continued to fire away at the questions. “So, tell us about Team Snagem! You might stand out as maybe the biggest star of all of them, but let’s be honest, you all are celebrities. Heroes, even! The Shadow Pokémon threat, the biggest threat the world has ever seen! And you people stepped up and fought all the bad guys though maybe made a liiiiiitle bit of a mess in the process.”

“Not like we wanted to make those messes.” I said to her. “Unfortunately, its not exactly so cut and dry. We’re normal people, like you. Trying to make a difference in any way we could.”

“How long have you been with Team Snagem?”

“Pretty much since the start of this team.”

“Oh man! You Were there since the start? Weren’t you bad guys then?” Iono then asked.

“No, no, no. You’re thinking of the other one. The name that we effectively took away for the better.”

“Ooooh! So there were two of them, one is gone, and this Team Snagem, the one you’re part of is the one that saved the day and stuff! That’s real cool!”

“For the most part.” I said.

“Is anyone in Team Snagem from Paldea?”

“Didn’t find out until recently, but yes, one is from here in Paldea. His name is Sol.”

“Oh! You get members from everywhere, don’t you!? What does it take to be part of Team Snagem?” Iono then asked.

“Oh, a little bit of dedication, and a tolerance to randomness. Other than that, you’re probably going to need to talk to the team leader, Sub.” I said.

“Maybe you can…oh, I don’t know…get me in a one-on-one with the Team Snagem leader. Think of the scoops that I could find myself in. Sub: Implacable man or just really lucky?”

“Possibly both.” I said.

“Maybe I can sneak in Team Snagem headquarters and get an inside scoop on what makes the Snagem Leader tick. But let’s get back to you. What got you to join Team Snagem? You were locked in for taking in a Pokémon League gym in Jhoto, right? What got you to get away from that?”

“I never said I did. With all said, I didn’t join Snagem out of choice. It just happened because of the Pokémon rangers trying to peg me for something I didn’t do.” I said. “It was also out of coincidence for the most part where I would meet the majority of what would become Team Snagem today. It originally was put together namely to stop the Pokémon Rangers at the time because they were as corrupt as any faction you could think of, like Team Cipher after them. It wasn’t until we beat them that they had a lot of their corruption weeded out.” I said. “Honestly that should have been the end of it. For a short period, I even went back home after all of that. It, unfortunately, wasn’t the end. Someone new came by the gym and attacked my home. So here I go, back in Team Snagem, found out who was responsible and dealt with that too. But then it wasn’t over then, either.”

“Do you have any regrets about being with Team Snagem? It seems like a lot that you’ve been through.”

“Plenty.” I said. “Not so much as anything Team Snagem did wrong; more of just who in my life that it has affected. Got a son that I adopted that I’m trying to do good for and its rough trying to take care of him on top of making sure the world he’s in is fine. Or the gym that I’m trying to go back to is going to be in one piece and stay that way should I ever stop. I got a teacher waiting on me. I could go on.” I said.

“Real heavy.” Iono stated. “A lot of responsibility. Who would have known that the Noble Hybrid had so much going on like that?”

I’d eventually make it to the end of the bridge and on Iono’s guidance followed her lead all the way to the supermarket she mentioned. I found my way inside with the picnic basket in tow. “Alright, now we’re going to load this basket up with all sorts of stuff. Food, drinks, what you feel makes a picnic!” As the crowd of people started to watch me from a distance, I started to pick out a bunch of stuff. Bread was needed obviously, chips, sandwich fixings. As I scoured the isles, loading up the picnic basket Iono continued on. “So, give us an Electrifying Take, Blizzard. You seen two gyms so far. Who’s tougher? Your first two gyms here? Or the first usual two gyms in Jhoto.”

“Eh, about the same, actually.”

“Oh boooorrring! Come on, be honest with the viewers. If the gyms went head-to-head with each other, who do you think would come out on top?”

“Probably those back in Jhoto, then. If only because one of the first two gyms is a Flying type gym. Though I will admit the Terastal phenomena makes things not so cut and dry.” I said.

“There aren’t Tera Crystals in Jhoto?”

“Not that I am aware of.” I said.

“That’s insanity! There’s even word that even Unova has been getting sightings here and there and there’s even a means to artificially induce the tera phenomenon over there!” Iono said.

“That…sounds like a bad idea.” I said. “You want an electrifying take? Here’s one: people need to leave that terastal stuff alone and allow a Pokémon be strong on its own merits.” I said. “I’ve been to several regions, and Kalos apparently favors its Mega Evolutions, Alola with those Z-power stuff, Galar likes making their Pokémon super-sized…why tamper in all of that stuff and allow your Pokémon to be the best they can be? Actually build that power between trainer and Pokemon? Show that you can be a good trainer without the need for anything like that. I didn’t end up as the Noble hybrid because I used anything like that. I had faith my Pokémon could pull through and have actually beaten those thinking that such things are the way to go. Trying to induce this Tera stuff artificially sounds like a recipe for disaster; it sounds as if it disrupts the natural order of how this phenomenon actually works.”

“Ooooh, really? That is a rather electrifying take because I can bet anything that there are many out there that would disagree with that.”

“I’m sure they would, and in light of that, I fail to care. I’ve seen too much where people find that sort of thing as a means to an end. Even the Shadow Pokémon virus was seen by a good few, especially in Hoenn, as that next big thing. Sure, the short-term seems great, what about the long term? How is it affecting you or your Pokémon. It’s awful. It shows how little faith you had in Pokémon, let alone your own.”

“So, if I were to Terastalize my Pokémon, I’m saying that I’m not doing enough for them?” Iono asked.

“Essentially.”

“Ha! That is a take for the books. Especially when there are wild Pokémon outside this very city that are terastalized on their own! No trainer input! I guess they’re thinking they’re not good enough either!” Man, this must be a Paldean thing if she was so willing to dismiss that so handedly.

Once I managed to get the picnic basket full of drinks, food, and the like, I then made my way off and checked out. Once again, just as before, the goods were pre-paid for and I was allowed to leave. “Now! Let’s take the basket off to the Levincia Battlefield!”

“That battlefield over the water?” I asked.

“That’s the one!”

“What…exactly are we doing with this basket?” I then asked.

“You’ll see when you get there! But first, while you’re heading over there? So tell us, what is in store for the Noble Hybrid next. You’re on vacation now, you said? Is it back to business as usual? Anything dastardly out in the world we should know about?”

“Its been quiet for the moment. I’m hoping that it stays that way. While I have been out roaming this region and taking on the gym leaders, I’ve been trying to see if I am good to just go back home like I’ve been wanting. I’ve been rather…introspective, lately.”

“Any insights in your introspective journey?” she asked

“Sadly, nothing that I have came to a conclusion to yet. A lot of tough questions I’m asking myself right about now. I’m hoping to have them answered by the time I get done with this run on Victory Road.”

“Well, you might have plenty of time to think about all of what’s going in that birdie mind of yours! Victory Road is a long and tough journey for a lot of trainers! Especially when they have to go through ME! But we’ll see about that soon enough, first! Here we are!” she said as I arrived at the battlefield suspended over the waters. “Now! We are going to deliver a picnic! Down below us is a boat. On the boat is the lucky winner of last week’s Iono Zone contest! A lucky winner of the Iono Hype Squad got a free Picnic Basket, stuffed to the brim with all sorts of cool goods, delivered to them! The thing I didn’t tell them, nor did even I expect, was that I’d have a extra-special, super cool delivery person! But you can’t dally around! You got 30 minutes to find our specially marked boat below and get him waved to the coast to deliver his lunch!”

“…you have got to be kidding me.” I said.

“Clock starts now!”

I had to hold my tongue for a moment; this was part of the trial presumably. All being caught up to Iono’s whims. I rushed off to the side of the wall and looked down; many ships were about. It didn’t take long to find her ship. It was the only one that had an eccentric looking face, neon lights of yellow and pink, and it looked as if it had a dining table at the front of the boat. “Screw waving them to the coastal docks…”

“What do you mean by-“

Before Iono finished that statement, I hopped the partition and fell down to the boats below, wings spread wide and picnic basket held tight to make sure nothing flew out. I could hear her over the loudspeakers throughout the town flipping out that I would pull such a stunt. The people who were following me, trying to get the live view of the interview ran to the partition to look down at me, clamoring out of excitement and shock. I glided a little bit, just enough to get myself over the boat and landed on the roof of where the controls to the boat was at. The crew and the lucky winner, who had been overhearing the entire interview on a tablet that he was holding was staring up at me, jaw dropped. “…your picnic.” 30 minutes to deliver…only took 30 seconds.

After leaving the picnic basket with the ‘lucky winner’ I jumped off the boat and took flight back up towards the battlefield, landing back on the walkway up above. “Oh…yea. Hybrid. Eheheheh. That…kind of gives you an unfair advantage, doesn’t it?” Iono asked. “Well! You passed! I’ll let the attendant at the gym know! Stay right where you are! I will be right over! No sense of you having to go back to the gym and then go back over to the battlefield where we’ll have our battle. In the meantime, to my viewers! That was our special edition episode of Electrifying Takes! Shows like these cannot happen without viewers like you! Be sure to like, comment, subscribe, Patreon, the whole shebang! Stay tuned, Iono Zone faithful! Yours truly will battle the Noble Hybrid, coming up next!”

“……oh god, help me…” I muttered to myself.

I waited at the battlefield for a little while, though not to my own thoughts though. The crowd that followed me started to gather all about the battlefield around the partition waiting to see the oncoming battle between Iono and I. Every last one, I’m betting all here for mainly Iono and not the ‘Noble Hybrid’. Unless it was just to see me lose and rally the ‘Iono Hype Squad’. The Rotom Camera started to hover about, looking at me, getting shots of the battlefield, the crowd trying to squeeze into frame wanting that second or two on the camera. The more I started to look about, the more I started to feel a hair irritated. I’ve dealt with celebrities before, but none like her…either she is as insufferable as I was starting to think or I am just that behind the times. Ugh, to think at one time the net was full of information, funny pictures, and videos of feline Pokémon, among other things. Guess that was the logical conclusion as to where that sort of thing goes. Its honestly crazy, the more I am thinking about it. Gym battles were a lot lower key than this; nothing more than stopping blocks for trainers. Severe tests of mettle for Pokémon and Trainer alike. Roaring crowds were saved for championships and the White City conferences. Not…whatever the heck this is.

I would finally perk up and looked down the walk way across the field as the crowd started going wild, chanting Iono’s name. I couldn’t help but to stare in confusion as a girl in an overly large yellow and black coat, long, thick, and heavily colored hair in light pinks and sky blues. A stocking covering one leg, but not the other, instead some sort of band that went around her leg. Though the boot like heels match, adorned with overly large screws at the ankles. And are…those Magnemite in her hair? “…you have got to be kidding me”. I said to myself. Iono skipped and walked down the path way, greeting random people on the way to the battlefield. Behind her, a Paldean Pokémon league referee, following her down.

Once they finally arrived at the battlefield, the ref would take his spot along side the battlefield but Iono would approach me with the floating Rotom camera close by. “Ladies and gentlemens! Are! You! Ready!?” The crowd surrounding the battlefield would start to cheer loud for the internet celebrity. “Your eyeballs are mine! Caught in my Electroweb! Whosawhatsit? Iono! ‘Ello, ‘ello, hola! Ciao and bonjour! It is time for the main event here on the Iono Zone, everybody!” She’d turn around, having the Rotom camera move around to get me into the shot. “Today’s challenger! His takes are as electrifying as his exterior is cold, and has been storming the countryside like a Zebstrika stampede! The Noble Hybrid, Blizzard!” As the crowd cheered, I slightly sighed to myself, really wishing that people would stop calling me that. The Rotom camera zoomed right to me and for a second there it looked like it was going to run right into me. I quickly ended up getting defensive, but it just stopped short of me. Iono walked forward, getting herself right back into the shot. “So, Blizzard, How’re ya feelin’ about this battle?”

“Just fine. Ready to get this battle going.” I said to her, trying so hard not to come off like a douche to the crowd, rather they be here or over the stream.

“Straight talker, ‘ey? No nonsense? Tough to tell. Such an electrifying aura to make it hard to read. Can really keep people on their toes. I think I like that!” Iono said. “But can it hold out? We’ll find out! Who’s ready to see me kick some butt!” The crowd once again cheered and as they done so, Iono’s Roto phone flew from her coat to start flash various numbers. “You all are getting’ really hyped! Oh wow! Such a dono! Thank you, Rocket Jump! Electro King, long time follower! Thank you!” She would then skip back off across the battlefield, signaling to the referee to get this battle started.

“This is a Pokémon League Gym Leader Match between the challenger, Blizzard of Mahogany Town in the Jhoto Region, versus Iono, Gym Leader of the Levencia Gym! This will be a single battle format, three Pokémon for each combatant. The challenger may switch Pokémon whenever he sees fit. The gym leader will not. Victory is achieved when one side no longer has available Pokémon or if the trainer concedes the battle. Is this understood?” I nodded to the gym leader, taking out a Pokeball and getting it at the ready.

“Let’s get this show on the road!” Iono shouted to the crowd. “How strong is our challenger? I’unno! Let’s find out together just how tough the Noble Hybrid really is!” she’d get out a Pokeball of her own.

“Begin!” The ref shouted, raising flags out to the air. The battle was officially on.

“Go! Luxio!” Iono shouted. She tosses out the Pokeball out onto the field and in a flash out came something actually a bit familiar to me, which was a little surprising to start off with. The blue and black furred electric Pokémon, a Luxio. Not a Luxray, fortunately. Not that I was complaining too much right at the moment.

“Go! Linoone!” I called out, tossing the ball of my own. In a flash, out came Linoone, white and black fur and serrated teeth grin all for its first gym leader battle. I figured to put Linoone through the paces finally and let him cut loose. As far as what I can figure, since she seems to favor Electric types, probably the best way to go is to hold back Marshtomp right at the moment. He would have to be my ace in the hole. I need to get a feel for what she might actually have though to determine what’d be best to use otherwise. Right at this second, I needed something that could perhaps match, if not exceed Luxio in speed. Granted, such things might not matter if Iono starts commanding things like Thunder Wave attacks at some point in this battle. Regardless, Linoone seemed to be the perfect Pokémon to test the proverbial waters with her. That’s not to mention, I really wanted to see the fruits of our labor over the past couple of days. Hopefully the past two days weren’t a waste of time.

“Wow, wicked looking Pokémon there. Okay, Luxio! Get going! Spark attack!” Iono commanded. The Luxio quickly started to run off towards Linoone, its body starting to spark furiously with electricity.

“Linoone! Back off! Don’t touch it!” I shouted back. Linoone got down on all fours, eying the Luxio and quickly leaped off to the side, averting the Luxio’s charge. The Luxio scrambled, trying to turn on a dime, stumbling on the smooth battlefield floor if only a second, but nothing that deterred it from immediately charging at Linoone again. Linoone would once again, eyes set on the Luxio, hop out of the way of the electric Pokémon. We needed to wait for the Luxio to stop the electricity for at least a second. He couldn’t maintain that forever.

“Okay! That isn’t working! Luxio! Shockwave!” She shouted to her Luxio.

“Oh crap…Linoone! Incoming!” The Luxio would stop its fervent assault, switching to unleashing electricity all about it. There was no dodging this one. Linoone would get caught up in the discharged sparks and all he could do was stand there and take it, wincing hard as the voltage wreaked havoc.

“Now, Luxio! Try Crunch attack!” She shouted. With Linoone stunned for the moment, the Luxio took its opportunity and rushed in, pouncing on Linoone and clamped down hard with darkness infused jaws. It looked like a decisive hit, but what many would see was that as soon as Linoone shook the shock, he turned his head, staring at the Luxio as to ask ‘Really?’ Linoone then pushed up, going up on his hind legs, bucking off Luxio. “Wait, is that-?”

“Yea, you guys don’t know Galarian variants, do you? Linoone! Payback!” I shouted. Luxio went wide eyed as Linoone’s serrated smile took to a disapproving grimace. Linoone’s front paws started to take on a darkened glow, which got the Luxio to scamper back. Linoone then went on hot pursuit, chasing down Luxio, subsequently leaping up and driving its paws down into the back of Luxio. Luxio yelped out as the electric type nearly got completely flattened by the harsh attack and Linoone merely used the Pokémon to spring board off and land a short distance away. “Keep it up, Linoone! Pin Missile!” I shouted.

“Bah!” The Linoone barked out, getting back on all fours. His fur started to spike up and near instantly, the Linoone unleashed a harsh needle rain upon the Luxio. Scrambling back up in a near panic, the Luxio started to try to run off from the flurry of shots that Linoone fired off towards it. Some of the needles did hit their mark, most others didn’t.

“Luxio! This guy is being annoying, isn’t he? How about this! Get all of Levencia hear your Roar!” Iono shouted. The Luxio breathed in, its mane all frilled out, then unleashed a loud roar towards the Linoone, one that very well maybe could be heard through a good chunk at Levencia, over the seas, the traffic nearby, even the people. The ZIgzagoon’s serrated smile turned into a hard grimace as his ears were rocked by the loud, roaring Luxio, as was I, clasping my hands tight against the sides of my head, trying to block out the noise as much as I could. Before I could do much anything else, Linoone ended up retreating back to his Pokeball. But much to my dismay, another Pokémon was released in his place. Unfortunately, it wasn’t one that I felt should have came out. There upon the battlefield came the fox in the snowy white down. My Vulpix.

“Keo?” The fox spoke up, confused as to how it came out.

“Oh no…” I said to myself.

“Oh, its so cute!” Iono spoke up. “Who would have guessed that the Noble Hybrid would have something like that! Now lets see if it can battle!”

“Vulpix! Not the greatest of situations right now! Get ready!”

“Shockwave!” Iono shouted.

The Luxio sparked up furiously then unleashed a hard discharge of electricity that spread out from it. The electrical wave spread out and managed to catch the Vulpix. Vulpix squealed out in pain, taking a considerable amount of damage. Truthfully, while I had the option to get Vulpix off the battlefield, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Its honestly a bit funny because, being one in a gym circuit that has similar rules to those here in Paldea, the trainer switching whenever he wants? It’s a sucker trap for inexperienced trainers. Yes, on paper it would seem like it’s a no-brainer to get your Pokémon out of a disadvantaged position. The problem is, the more that you try to prolong your defeat, the more that a gym leader traps you. Every switch exposes the strategy that you’re trying to perform. Every switch allows the gym trainer’s Pokemon to get free pot-shots at your own Pokémon and less time for your reserve Pokémon to recover in their Pokeballs, for what little reprieve that get to begin with. Every switch further and further traps you and your Pokémon. It’s a game of attrition a lot of times that also tests a trainer’s means of figuring a way out. If a trainer can hold his ground despite being faced with an apparent disadvantage, they’d be better off. Unfortunately, a gym leader worth half his or her salt would think about that too. Either way, it was better to switch when the leader is. I need to get Vulpix to take this Luxio out as soon as possible.

“Vulpix! Are you okay!?” I shouted back to her.

“Keoo!” Vulpix replied. Instantly, I could feel her pressure spiking and her tails started to fan out. I looked up towards the skies, seeing the cloud cover starting to come over the battlefield. She was forcing out her Snow Warning again.

“Vulpix, relax already! Save your energy for something more useful! There’s no sense in you trying to get that going!” I shouted. “Try using Aurora Beam instead!”

Vulpix was a little hesitant but then rushed in, firing her rainbow-like beam towards the Luxio. The Luxio leaped out of the way. “Spark attack!” Iono shouted. The Luxio scrambled and started to rush for Vulpix as its body started to spark up furiously, set to ram the snow fox.

“Vulpix! Move!” I then shouted. The Vulpix ears practically shot straight up as the Luxio barreled toward it. Vulpix leaped off to the side, trying to reposition itself. The Luxio scrambled, making a hard turn to continue its pursuit of the icy Vulpix. “Vulpix! Icy Wind!” I shouted.

Vulpix howled, unleashing a harsh, biting wind upon the Luxio, managing to stop the electric type’s attack. The Luxio turned his head, face away from the wind as best he could as he braced against the bitter cold. “Now, Aurora Beam!” I shouted.

“Luxio! Look out!” Iono shouted. Vulpix quickly shift gears as the Luxio was stuck shivering, readying then quickly firing the rainbow beam once again, blasting the Luxio right off its feet. The Luxio managed to get back on his feet but it was not feeling the greatest at this point. “Ohh, okay, Luxio! How about a Crunch attack!” she then shouted. Not to be deterred by the chilling attacks, the Luxio managed to go back on the assault, rushing for the icy fox with darkness infused jaws. Vulpix kept rushing off, trying to scramble and avoid the relentless pursuit of the Luxio. “Vulpix! Try Confuse Ray!”

“You won’t get the chance! Luxio, use Shockwave!” Iono shouted. The Luxio stopped its pursuit, but given that it was in close enough proximity to Vulpix, it was more than happy to unleash another harsh Shockwave, catching the icy fox in its wake. Vulpix managed to get back up, but it was hurting, feeling generally fried from the electrical attacks. This can’t go on for too much longer. I still have another couple of Pokémon to get through and one of them is sure to be terastalized by the likes of Iono. “Keep it up, Luxio! Spark attack!” She then shouted. She was poised to finish this battle.

“Vulpix! Use Disable!” I shouted. With malice built up, the Vulpix shrieked, unleashing an ethereal power which entwined the Luxio, making the Luxio stumble and fall flat on its face. The most that got hurt out of that was Luxio’s pride.

“Hey, no fair!” Iono shouted. “Luxio! Try another Shockwave!”

As the Luxio tried to gather up more electricity to discharge, trying to bypass the disabling that Vulpix put upon it, I end up calling out to the tiny fox. “Vulpix! Aurora Beam!” I then shouted. Once again, Vulpix charged its rainbow like beam and fired the shot towards the Luxio just as it got ready to discharge the attack. Once again, the Luxio was blasted back. It managed to get back on its feet but then stumbled. The damage started to catch up with the Luxio and it stumbled back to the battlefield floor. Vulpix was kind of breathing hard herself, not too thrilled over the battle it was in. After getting fiercely electrocuted more than once, she wasn’t too good of shape herself and the more she started to look on at the Luxio, the more I could tell she was ready for this fight to end. The ref noticed the harsh shot taken by the Luxio and how much as it wanted to get up, it couldn’t work the energy to push up. The most it could do was shiver from the biting cold attacks Vulpix put on it. The ref would raise the flags and give the call. “Luxio is unable to battle! The round goes to Vulpix!”

“Aw no!” Iono shouted. I couldn’t help but to give a sigh of relief just then; glad the ref knew how to do his job at the very least. “Luxio, come back!” she said, taking out the Luxio’s Pokeball and started to recall the electric Pokémon back to its ball.

“You too, Vulpix!” I said, figuring to get her off the battlefield while the getting was good. I took out her own Pokeball. “Take a break. This is far from over, I think…rest up while you can.” I said to her. I would recall her back to the Pokeball then quickly, without hesitation took out Linoone’s Pokeball once more.

“Man, I thought I would have gotten the early lead with that, especially when I saw that Pokémon of yours. But this one is going to be a toughie!” she said, taking out a second Pokeball. “Bellibolt! Go!” she called out.

“A what?” When the ball was tossed out by Iono and the flash of light came forth from the device, out came a Pokémon I have yet to see here in the Paldea region. It was fairly large, and pretty rotund. Forest green skin, offset by a black stomach with…something glowing in it in the middle? Two large white bumps…which at first I thought were eyes…but something else? The two yellow specs above its mouth, as I noticed it blink a couple of times, were instead. “What…in the hell…is that?” I said under my breath.

“Beeeei!” It cried out excitedly, his entire body wobbling, contracting and expanding rapidly as it moved about. The yellow orb started to spark electricity within its stomach, giving the look of a retro lightning globe somewhat.

“Huh…okay then…” I had a foreboding feeling and I didn’t really like it. Do I want to take the chance and send out Marshtomp now? Not give this thing the time of day? I don’t know. I don’t know the first thing about this Pokémon other than its clearly an electric type as well. I made the sigh, then decided to commit to the original plan. “Linoone! Come back out!” I shouted.

I tossed the ball back out onto the battlefield and in a flash, the Linoone was back out onto the field. Linoone quickly looked around, realizing he was back in the same place, with the same people watching, but now, there’s a goofy looking green thing just across the battlefield from it. “The battle is Linoone versus Bellibolt!” The ref proclaimed. “Begin!”

“Linoone! Headbutt!” I shouted. Linoone went on a full on sprint towards the Bellibolt and slammed head first into it. The Bellibolt skidded back, wincing hard from the impact, but stayed on his feet, his entire body gyrating a bit as if a bowl of jello. The Pokémon’s stomach sparking furiously from the impact. “…did…that do anything?” I asked.

“Damage? Sure. But there was something else~!” She said, sing-songy. “Bellibolt! Use Discharge!” The Bellibolt started to spark furiously then a massive discharge was unleashed upon the battlefield. Linoone got swept up in the electrical attack, its own fur spiking out from the electricity wrecking havoc up and down its body. Linoone going completely wide eyed. That was worse than anything the Luxio had put out, bar none.

“WOAH! What the hell!?” That was far more electricity than I expected this sort of thing to crank out.

“Bellibelli!” The Pokémon started to gyrate more, almost tauntingly, but as it done so, its belly started to spark up more until I started to realize something that was going to make this battle severely more difficult. That gyrating was how it makes its electricity, let alone make it more potent. It even uses the attacks of other Pokémon to cause it to produce electricity. And it probably doesn’t matter what kind. Just as long as it shakes this electric Pokémon about, it gets all the electricity it could ever want. Oh this has just gotten complicated…

“Linoone, you alright!?” Linoone shook his head, his serrated grin was so far perpetually a frown given what it was dealing with.

“What’s wrong? Not feeling like Bellibolt is that enticing of a punching bag?” Iono said, rather mockingly. “Bellibolt! How about Rain Dance!” she then shouted.

“Belli!” The Bellibolt cried out. I look up and the clear skies started to darken up and suddenly rainfall started to come down onto the battlefield.

“Crap…an electric trainer with a Pokémon with Rain Dance in its arsenal? Never a good sign…screw it! Linoone! We got to go! Slash attack!” I shouted. Linoone quickly started to dart across the battle field as it started to get soaked by the rains. Linoone then leaped over and then slashed furiously at the Bellibolt, causing more extensive damage, but as it shirked back from the harsh strike, the stomach once again sparked furiously.

“Bellibolt! Thunder!” Iono shouted.

“Linoone! Incoming!”

“Belli” The Bellibolt bellowed out. Massive amounts of electricity was unleashed from the Bellibolt just as Linoone tried to scramble away, but with the rains guiding it, the massive bolt of lightning crashed down upon Linoone, an attack even worse than before. I grimaced hard over the sight of it. The look on Linoone’s face which practically screamed that I needed to send Marshtomp after all. Once Linoone was released from the lightning’s grip, he fell over and passed out.

“Linoone is unable to battle! This round goes to Bellibolt!” The ref proclaimed. Ugh, I never imagined this battle going so lopsided like this so suddenly.

I took Linoone’s Pokeball back out. “Sorry, Linoone. Come back.” I said, recalling the fallen Pokémon back to his ball. That one was completely on me. Time to make up for lost ground. “Marshtomp! Go!” I then called out, tossing the Pokeball out upon the battlefield.

The ball landed onto the battlefield and in a flash, Marshtomp arrived on the battlefield, ready to go. “Marshtomp!” it yelled out.

“What the-wait, I know what that is!” she shouted. “Ground types!? You really are not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

“Never said that I would.” I said.

“The battle is now Marshtomp versus Bellibolt! Begin!” The ref called out.

“Bellibolt! Use Weather Ball!” Iono shouted.

“Marshtomp! Use Water Pulse!” I then commanded. The two Pokémon manage to fire their respective attacks, the orb from the Bellibolt ended up transforming into a large water ball in transit and the Water Pulse became intensified as it started to rush across the field. The two attacks splashed, water flying everywhere, completely drenching the field more than what it already had.

“Ugh! This is so annoying! I need Bellibolt to shock stuff!” Iono shouted. “Bellibolt! Use Mud shot!” she shouted. Another non electric attack and one that didn’t seem that great against the likes of Marshtomp. Bellibolt must be generally a one trick pony. I had my chance.

“Marshtomp! Move!” Marshtomp ducked off to the side just as the Bellibolt formed the large ball of mud and fired it towards Marshtomp. However, Marshtomp tripped a little once the mud blasted everywhere. “Now! Use Take Down!” I shouted. Marshtomp scrambled up and started to rush for the Bellibolt. With not much to worry about as far as electrical attacks were concerned, I felt a bit more comfortable with going completely reckless with trying to take this thing down. The Marshtomp rushed in and slammed into the Bellibolt with a whole bodied charge, smashing into the Pokémon. Bellibolt tumbled backwards from the harsh attack, though Marshtomp didn’t get off unscathed as were the nature of such attacks.

“Ooooh! Bellibolt, try another Weather Ball!” The Bellibolt rolled backwards to get back off the ground, its stomach was sparking furiously, but unfortunately, that electricity had no target to be unleashed on effectively, which I could tell was making Iono grind her teeth a little. The Bellibolt then managed to form another orb and fired it off, the ball transforming into a large water ball which managed to land its mark, causing a fair deal of damage to the Marshtomp.

“Mud Shot!” I then shouted. After Marshtomp shook its head a bit, trying to shake off the hit, Marshtomp formed a large mud ball himself and fired it back towards the Bellibolt. The ball splattered on its mark, causing considerable damage to the Bellibolt.

“No! Bellibolt! This is not the kind of mud slinging I am used to!” Iono shouted. “Bellibolt! Try another Mud Shot!” The Bellibolt tried to wipe the mud that it took out of his eyes then in a hurry, managed to form a shot itself to fire off towards Marshtomp, rather hastily at that. Marshtomp braced himself as the attack pelted him. “Now! Hurry! Use another Weather Ball while we still have the rain coming down!” Quickly, trying to capitalize on the attack, another weather orb was made.

“Marshtomp! Move!” I shouted. Marsthomp was trying to shake off the thick, cakey mud when it saw the next attack form up before the Bellibolt. Marsthomp scrambled, moving about as the attack was fired, averting the attack. “MOVE IN!” Marshtomp then made the hard rush towards the Bellibolt as it tried to get another Weather Ball at the ready. “Tackle it!” I then shouted. Marshtomp jumped in and slammed right into Bellibolt, pouncing on top of the Bellibolt and pinning it to the floor. The tackle itself didn’t do much, but as far as I was concerned, Iono did have the right idea. And the rain was for all, as far as any trainer was concerned. “Water Pulse!”

“MARSHTOMP!” The water-ground type yelled out. Marshtomp, attack pointed down towards the pinned Bellibolt, readied its Water Pulse and before everyone a spectacular geyser erupted on the battlefield. Marshtomp landed just close by on the battlefield, feet first, almost heroic like nearby the tall water geyser. But once the geyser went away, down came Bellibolt thereafter, flopping down upon the battlefield. No longer sparking electricity. Knocked out.

“No! Bellibolt!” Iono shouted.

“Bellibolt is unable to battle. The round goes to Bellibolt!” The ref announced.

As Iono despairingly recalled the Bellibolt, I felt a little better with how this battle was turning out. With any luck, Marshtomp can carry me through the rest of the battle. “Nice work, Marshtomp!” I called out.

“Marsh-tomp!” He called out, waving excitedly.

As the rains started to die out, “Oh this isn’t good, Loyal fans! Everyone! I need to hear you cheerin’! Gimme all you got!” she shouted. The crowd around the battlefield started cheering, roaring, whistling. They were all into the battle. “YES! Okay! Let’s! DO THIS!” she said, taking out her final Pokeball. “Go! Mismagius!” she then shouted.

“Wait, what?”

The ball got tossed out and out came a ghostly figure from the flash of light. A loud cackle that harkened its arrival. It was a Mismagius, and suddenly I wasn’t liking my chances. I needed to take this thing out and fast, and hopefully with Marshtomp. Granted, I still have Vulpix, but she Is probably still reeling from Luxio earlier. In some respects, I wish I still had the rain coming down right about now. That would have helped a little, because even if I had gotten Marshtomp to at least approach mastery of the likes of Earthquake or even Bulldoze at the very least, those, let alone the likes of say its Mud Shot attack was practically useless against this thing. Even if it terastalizes like I suspect she is going to do at some point. I couldn’t hide the slight hint of worry on my face. “Heh, not feelin’ good about that?” she then asked.

“Just part of the gym experience.” I then said.

“Marshtomp versus Mismagius! Go!” the ref then called out.

“Mismagius! Use Psybeam!” Iono called out. Electric attacks were still off the table currently for her, so she was going to try to get Marshtomp dusted off as fast as she could. The Mismagius flew about, giving a bit of a twirl as she did so, but then fired off a dense beam of psychic power towards Marsthomp. Marshtomp was trying to get ready to move out of the way of it, but couldn’t get away in time. Marshtomp got blasted back, taking considerable damage from the hit.

“Marshtomp! Use Rock Slide!” I then shouted. Marshtomp started to stomp and rampage with the floor, summoning a whole rock storm to toss towards the Mismagius. Mismagius started to weave about the rocks but it managed to get pelted by a few stones, causing a fair bit of damage to the ghost. “Hurry! Try Water Pulse!”

“I don’t think so! Magical Leaf!” she then called out. As Marsthomp tried to wind up the attack, the Mismagius unleashed a flurry of leaves towards Marshtomp, ripping right into the Pokémon for excruciating amounts of damage. Marshtomp was down on his hands and knees at this point, not caring at all for the attack.

“Marshtomp, are you alright!?” Marshstomp managed to push himself up off the ground, but it didn’t have much left after that attack. “Just hang on for me! Try using another Rock Slide!” Marshtomp started to try to thrash about, managing to fling more rocks towards the ghost. There was only so many that the ghost could avoid, but the attack still couldn’t hit its mark fully to bury this ghost. It didn’t cause the kind of damage that I needed.

“Now, take it down! Psybeam!” Iono shouted. It didn’t take long to shirk off the second rock slide attack. The ghost once again squared up and fired off the psychic attack towards Marshtomp. And this time, the hardy water type was not getting up.

“Marshtomp is unable to battle! Mismagius wins the round!” The ref proclaims. That only got a loud cackle out of the ghost, celebrating its victory over the water type.

“You tried, Marshtomp, return now.” I said, recalling the Marshtomp back to its Pokeball. Part of me wished at this point that Iono didn’t force out Vulpix like she did. At this point, I’d probably be sending Combusken or Beartic to try to lay a hurt on this thing. Her luck was paying off severely, to say the least. “Alright, Vulpix, back out!” I then shouted. I tossed out the Pokeball and in a flash, out came the Vulpix, ready for battle. Or at least as best as she could be anyways. She didn’t have that much time to recover from the Luxio still, but whatever the case, we had to make it count.

“Vulpix versus Mismagius! Final Round! Begin!” The ref shouted.

“Let’s lock it in, Mismagius!” she said as she took out a Tera Orb. “Come forth, shiny li’l lightbulb! I’m not done yet! Iono power, gooooo!” she shouted. As she held the orb out, the power started to collect forth, making her wince a bit but once it was primed, she gave a big grin just as her Magnemite hair accessories started to make angry eyes. She would then toss the ball out, unleashing the terastal power. The ghost would become encased in the tera crystal and then erupts, and out came the Mismagius, covered in yellow crystal, a light bulb on top of its head.

“Ugh, I swear...” I uttered under my breath. Vulpix stared wide-eyed at the Mismagius as it floated across from it down the battlefield, shining brightly. Vulpix started to tense up again, and once again I started to notice her pressure spike again. I then perked up, the skies started to darken again as Snow warning was threatening to take hold. “Vulpix, don’t do it. You’re burning more energy just trying to maintain that level of attack power than you are actually using it against the Mismagius! I know you’re trying to be strong and all, but this is not the way to do it! You got to let that strength come to you naturally. Not strain yourself! Then again…” A realization started to occur to me. While she didn’t have much of anything that could benefit from the likes of a hailstorm coming down, this might help out in a larger scale plan. “Okay, you know what! Screw it! Let’s play it your way! Have at it, Vulpix!”

“KEO!” Vulpix howled out.

Vulpix harshly pushed herself, the clouds thickened, Iono then stared up towards the sky as did the Mismagius in confusion. “What…is going on?” she asked. She’d get her answer once Mismagius yelped out a little bit. She would look down towards the battlefield, seeing the ice pellet on the ground. Then another one. Then several more. Hail started to come down upon the battlefield, Iono went completely wide eyed, covering her head with her overly large coat sleeves, her Magnemite hair accessories starting to make teardrops on their display. “AAACK! HAIL!? WHY!?” she shouted. Snow Warning was now in play.

I had to admit this was a gamble, but at this point I had nothing else to lose other than this battle and already it wasn’t looking like that I was going to win it. But Vulpix was going to try to do this going down fighting just to prove something, even though this was probably going to put her out sooner from how much power she had to use to summon this storm. “Vulpix! Go! Confuse Ray!” I then shouted. As far as I was concerned, the more we can keep Mismagius off Vulpix’s case, the better off it was for us. This ghost had too much assault power to be trifled with and now that it had terastalized, and to presumably the electric type, then any electric attack was going to be a disaster for the fox.

Vulpix, tails fanned out, unleashed a ghostly flash of light down upon the Mismagius. The Mismagius was disoriented, confused, trying to make sense of everything going about it. “No! Mismagius! Use Charge Beam!” she called out. The Mismagius started to charge and fire one beam right after the next. Vulpix ended up dodging a couple, I even had to duck out of the way of some, even Iono had to duck for cover. “Okay! Bad idea!” Iono shouted. “Mismagius! Stop that! Hit the Vulpix!”

“Vulpix! Move in! Ice Shard!” As Mismagius was lost in confusion and a hailstorm, Vulpix darted in, firing rapid firing ice pellets, striking the Mismagius as hard as she could. It wasn’t doing the damage that I was hoping for, however. It was only a couple steps above the hailstones that was striking the ghost.

“Mismagius! Snap out of it!” Iono pleaded with her electrified ghost. “How about Psybeam!” she then shouted. The ghost constantly tried shaking its head, trying to make heads or tails of what was happening. It tried to look about, and as it found Vulpix, all it could see was multiple copies of Vulpix running about it within the hailstorm that was falling upon the battlefield. It started to try to take guesses, sweeping the Psybeam about the illusion copies.

“Vulpix, watch it!” I called out. Vulpix honestly tried. Skidding to a stop as the attack nearly cut her off. Hopping as the beam started to sweep about. But another sweep of the attack managed to clip the icy fox. Vulpix howled out in pain. Even a hit like that was not kosher to the likes of the fox. “Vulpix! Try Aurora Beam!” Vulpix scrambled back up and repositioned itself, charging a rainbow beam and pelting the Mismagius with it, doing a fair more damage than what the Ice Shard attack could do. It still wasn’t enough, though, and we were running out of time.

“Urrrgh! How about you use Confuse Ray!” The Mismagius, still in its daze was trying to comply with the gym leader’s orders. But still seeing multiples of Vulpix, it wasn’t happening too much. It flashed a harsh light down, but Vulpix managed to scramble away.

“Icy Wind!” I then shouted to her. The more we could try to put this thing at a disadvantage, the better, I figured. The Vulpix quickly repositioned once again and blew out a harsh biting gale which pelted the Mismagius, giving the ghost a chill. Unfortunately in the midst of getting bombarded by the chilling cold and stinging ice, the Mismagius finally came back to its senses. The Mismagius flew up out of the icy gale, shocking Vulpix out of her attack, staring wide eyed and mouth agape. “Oh no…”

“Finally!” Iono said. “Put it to bed, Mismagius! Charge Beam!” The terastal energy started to flash and electricity started to collect before the Mismagius.

“Vulpix!” I then shouted. “Get out of there!” The Mismagius howled and fired the powerful electrical attack down towards Vulpix, no where to run from the attack. The beam crashed down, electricity sparking everywhere from the water getting left behind on the battlefield earlier in the match. The beam giving off a powerful flash, which made me and Iono turn away for a second.

“That’s how you do it!” Iono shouted. “HA! Scratch one Noble Hybrid! So much for underestimating terastal-wha…” Iono wanted to celebrate just then but as the flash started to clear our eyes, we started to see what was going on. Vulpix was still standing. A shield about it, rainbow like, just as her aurora beam. She was severely tense, like she was straining every bit. It wasn’t a protect shield or anything of that sort. She was still singed from that, she did take damage from that. But that didn’t look like a light screen either.

“An Aurora Veil…?” I asked. I seen such an ability back in Kalos, more specifically when I went through the Battle Chateau. One of the guards had a Pokémon do that against me in a effort to stall me out and prevent me from meeting Wikstrom. To think Vulpix had that too. Vulpix sighed out, dropping the veil. She cushioned the shot, but she wasn’t going to be able to conjure that again, not in the shape she’s feeling right now. Even if she could, she probably wasn’t going to stand up to the charge beam shot anyways with the damage she’s taken. All the same, Mismagius wasn’t cackling anymore, now finding itself irritated because of this tiny fox.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Iono shouted. The ghost wasn’t the only one irritated. As far as Iono was concerned, this should have been a simple mop-up exercise, if I had to guess. “Mismagius! Use Psybeam!” she shouted. The Mismagius then started to swoop in, still being pelted by the likes of the hail, trying to make sure it had a clear enough shot to put this fox down. “Charge Beam!” Iono then shouted.

“Disable!” I shouted. As Mismagius started to shift attacks, the terastal energy once again flashed. Vulpix slid about, quickly facing the floating ghost as it readied another ice beam. The Vulpix howled out, letting loose crippling, spiteful power which entangled the ghost. As it charged the electrical attack, the disable ensnared it, the charge stopped and the electricity dispersed about it. Mismagius caught surprised by the attack. That put the Charge beam on hold for the time being. We didn’t have long.

“Okay then! Magical Leaf!” Iono then shouted. She was getting impatient now. I could understand it, if I am honest. But we are working as hard as we could. This was a tough fight and we’d be remiss if we didn’t give it everything. But with an attack like that, we weren’t going to get away. We had to stand up to it.

“Vulpix! Ice Beam!” I then shouted. Vulpix charged the beam as the leaves started to disperse from the Mismagius. The rainbow leaves rushed in, the beam fired. Some of the leaves frozen in the leaves wake, the rest, rushing right for Vulpix. The beam crashes into Mismagius, a massive ice patch forming on the ethereal body of the ghost, the leaves shreds and embed into the fox. The ghost and fox fell down to the ground. Iono gasped and I couldn’t help but to look on intently, wondering if that was it.

The hailstorm would finally die out and the pressure spike that Vulpix was trying to force itself to do had finally ceased. The ref would move in to look at the chaos that was wrought on the field. The two Pokémon were not in the greatest shape at all. The ghost was out of its terastalization, its crown broken off and had rolled a short ways way from where it laid as it was still mostly encased in the ice. Vulpix was not moving. I couldn’t help but to hold my breath a little. Back home, even draws didn’t necessitate a victory and a badge claim. Tying wasn’t beating the leader, as it were, and I had the feeling that it was no different here. The fact that Vulpix held out as long as she did, doing what she did, was nothing shy of astounding. I couldn’t say this was that bad of a battle.

The ref looked at the two and was about to wave both flags, but then saw movement out of Vulpix. Vulpix pushed herself up, her legs trembling severely, her breath heavy. She was wanting to still fight. She still had too much to prove. “Vulpix, just stay down…its fine. I’ll take the draw. Please…” I said silently. She stayed up, every second on her feet felt like an eternity to the fox. The ref continued to study the fox. Vulpix looked at the ref as if to ask what in the world was he waiting for? It was all that the ref needed. The ref would raise the challenger’s flag. “That’s the end of the battle! Mismagius is no longer able to battle! The winner is Vulpix and Blizzard!”

“Keeeo…” Finally, the fox moaned out, collapsing back onto the floor. I quickly rushed out onto the field, full sprint, skidding to a stop when I made it to Vulpix. I scooped the fox off the floor, practically cradling the Pokémon. Iono fell to her knees, stunned. The Magnemite accessories fell off her head out of pure shock. The crowd around the battlefield roared, the scales swinging fiercely and cheeks were probably clenched there at the end.

“Vulpix? Vulpix!”

“Ke…keooo…” It moaned out, looking at me.

“Oh my god, you did it, but I swear to God, don’t do that again.” I said, hugging the fox tight. “You made your point. I’m sorry.” The fox would wearily lick my face. Iono at this point would get up, reposition the Magnemite back in her hair then make her way over to her frozen Mismagius. “You know…I think I can be okay with this.” She said. “Good job, Mismagius.” She recalled the Mismagius back to its Pokeball and looked over at me.

“You are? Really? How’s that?” I asked, curiously.

“Do you have ANY idea the numbers you got me!? I got 300,000 new subscribers! That was amazing! We definitely need to do that again!” I couldn’t help but to sigh. Iono laughed a bit. “But, that’s not gonna be anytime soon. Even I know you gotta spread that sort of stuff out. Make the viewers look forward to it. They don’t need to be desensitized to it.” She said. “But, in the meantime, here ya’ go.” She said, pulling out from her coat. “As Iono, the most electrifying streamer and Levencia City Gym Leader, I present the badge of Levencia gym!” The crowd once again yelled out, cheering over the spectacle of the battle they just watched. I took the badge and showed Vulpix. “Good job, Vulpix. Vulpix?” Vulpix couldn’t care…she was asleep in my arms. She deserved it.

Crystal’s ear would twitch as the flash of a camera went off, annoyed to say the least. It was still bright, but she wouldn't flinch like she would have if she still had proper optical nerves. Still, it was enough for Aria to get away without so much as a peep, annoying her even more. “So, we’re being broadcast for everyone to see, we have to find Aria… somewhere in this city that we don’t know, we can’t split up and we’re in a time crunch or we’ll look like fools. Wonderful.” The hybrid sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “What if I made a light board we all could ride on and we go flying around,” she suggested. “Unless somehow, that’s against the rules as well.”