Celadon City was alive with vibrant colours and the dancing melody of a tune. The vines that were strung between the buildings, crisscrossing like shoe laces, were weaved with flowers and streamers of all sorts of bright colours. Stalls were set up in the main square, offering food, games and all flower ornaments. The plain, brick wall that had once been the back of Celadon Gym was now a spectacular arched entrance with glass doors and a huge neon sign of the Indigo Plateau’s insignia. Streamers, vines and flowers were weaved into a lattice arch above the Gym’s entrance along with countless creations made of straw weaved around the stems of flowers. In the centre of it all, a group of girls dressed in kimonos performed a dance. The group of mostly young children were led by an older girl in a distinct, purple kimono. She fluttered a fan with golden bells inside the paper folds. A Tangela, a small round creature made of blue vines, darted out from between her legs and glowed green. His vines grew into the air, twirling and spiralling into a canopy above the dancing group. The young girls fluttered their fans and the vines burst into green flames. Flowers of all sorts of colours sprouted from the vines, creating a multi-colour umbrella. The crowd gathered around the group cheered and applauded. Jackson watched it all from a distance sitting on a stool beside a stall. He fidgeted with a shrunken pokéball, rolling it back and forth between his fingers. The girls took a bow and the vines shrank back. They left as a single unit, followed by Tangela who waddled after them, covered in flowers. At the top of the stairs leading to the Gym’s entrance, Erika stood. She stepped forward to a microphone and Jackson rose from his stool. Cameras mounted all around the festival turned and honed in on her.

“Let’s hear it once again for our amazing dancers!”

The crowd cheered and applauded. Jackson continued fidgeting with his pokéball.

“Thank you all for such an amazing afternoon. It’s truly heartwarming to see you all enjoying yourselves. Especially after what we as a community endured. Laughter and smiles, in my experience, are an essential part of healing, and up until recently, our square was in great need of healing. So, to conclude an absolutely spectacular reopening, let’s move on to today’s main event.”

Erika’s eyes met Jackson’s and he began to make his way through the crowd. A hushed murmur spread around him.

“To mark Celadon Gym’s reopening, we have selected a very special trainer to be our first challenger. This young man, despite never having stepped foot within Celadon, aided in its defence during the attack. He helped bring two fellow trainers to safety and even suffered an injury to his head for his efforts. Please welcome, Jackson Kurinji of Pewter City.”

Erika gestured to Jackson as he climbed the stairs and placed her hand on his shoulder as he stood beside her. At first, Jackson faced the crowd with a bold expression but once he saw all those faces staring up at him he ducked his gaze behind the rim of his hat. Erika shoved the microphone into his hand.

“Uh, thank you…”

Erika smiled at him and waited. Her eyes twitched toward the crowd and her smile tightened. Silence lingered. She plucked the microphone from his hand and turned to the crowd.

“Well any-”

“Was it a ranger who attacked you?!” A voice called from the crowd.

Jackson raised his hat and saw a reporter amongst the crowd holding out a small recording device. A hushed murmur rang throughout the crowd which began to grow in volume quickly. Swiftly, Erika put her arm around Jackson and ushered him toward the Gym.

“The Challenger won’t be taking any questions right now.”

Erika left the microphone on the stand. The reporter began to shout something else but was muffled as Erika slammed the Gym doors shut behind them. In the square, several large screens flickered to life showing clips from other Gym Leader’s battles. A clip of Jackson’s battle with Sabrina played. Beedrill dodged a Psybeam from Sabrina’s Kadabra, spiralling around it with his drill poised to strike. It burst into light green flame and swiped two slices across Kadabra’s front, opening an x-shaped wound that spurted blood. A grin spread across Jackson’s face as he turned back to face Erika.

“Sorry about that I told them-” Erika said as she turned from the doors, only to stop as she met Jackson’s gaze.

Erika giggled.

“I see you’re not worried, have you got a plan?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Well it better be a good one, I don’t plan on taking it easy on you.”

“Good! Neither do I!”

Erika giggled again and let out a sigh. She stepped past Jackson and gazed up at the glass ceiling of Celadon Gym’s enormous lobby. Sunlight filtered through the tall tows of lattice, casting crisscrossing shadows across the floor.

“Today is an important day, Jackson.”

“Yeah, no duh it’s the reopening.”

“And a chance for a new start.”

“A new start?”

Erika turned and faced him with fire in her eyes.

“Today, Celadon is going to finally get the Gym Leader they deserve.”

“What do you-”

“Come on! Let’s get ready, just through here.”

Erika took his hand and dragged him towards the entrance of the new arena. On the left wall was a huge, green arch with a desk sitting between two sets of large double doors. Behind the desk was a girl in a pink kimono, as well as two single doors. One had a sign that read, “Challenger’s Entrance.” And the other read, “Leader’s Entrance.” As they approached, the girl behind the counter opened a small gate on the side of the desk.

“All set, Erika?” she asked.

“Yup, buzz me in.”

The girl pressed a button behind the desk and the leader’s entrance slid open, revealing an elevator. Erika let go of Jackson’s hand and stepped inside.

“See you on the other side, Challenger.”

The door slid down and the whirr of mechanisms filled the air. The girl behind the counter stuck out her hand to Jackson.

“Your trainer card, please.”

Jackson pulled the card from his pocket and handed it to her. The girl stuck it into a slot on the desk’s computer, the screen brought up an image of his card before the computer made a beep. A green tick flashed on the screen and the girl pulled the card out.

“Alright, you’re all set.”

“Thanks.”

Jackson took the card and stepped past the girl through the challenger’s entrance. After walking down a short corridor and stepping through another door, he was bombarded with sunlight. He stepped out onto a small platform overlooking a dense forest arena. A small machine with six pokéball holsters, as well as multiple screens, were set up around a circular podium in the centre of the platform. When Jackson stepped onto the podium one of the screens lit up and a red beam scanned his face. A robotic voice spoke.

“Welcome Jackson Kurinji of Pewter City, please place your chosen Pokémon’s pokéballs into the holsters to your left.”

As Jackson moved his pokéballs from his belt to the holsters, he couldn’t help but be enchanted by the arena. Thick trees stretched all the way up to the arena’s glass ceiling high above, their trunks cloaked in vines and moss. Their branches reached out far, overlapping and crisscrossing to form multiple layers of dense canopies. The arena floor was a blanket of shrubs and foliage that looked as if it could swallow you up whole. It was a fair distance below the podium, but close enough that Jackson was sure he’d be able to see his Pokémon easy enough if they were on the ground. Perhaps the most daunting part of the arena was the fact that Jackson couldn’t see through to the other side. It seemed endless, an infinite stretch of ferocious forest. The screen blinked and the robotic voice spoke again.

“Team accepted. Beedrill, Jigglypuff, Golbat, Quagsire, Magneton and Gastly. Is this correct?”

A yes/no prompt was displayed on the screen and Jackson hit yes. Above the arena, the whirr of machines filled the air. A rig lowered from the ceiling with four giant screens pointing in all directions. They displayed the picture from Jackson’s trainer card along with a row of six pokéball icons beside it. The display then split diagonally and moved Jackson’s UI to the left, adding Erika’s to the right. However, she only had three pokéball icons. More machines whirred and several slots opened in the ceiling. Spherical drones with wide lenses on the front flew down into the arena, zipping amongst the dense field of obstacles. The other several screens around Jackson switched on and showed the drones’ view, as well as a stationary shot of what must have been Erika’s platform. It was empty and powered down. On either side of the arena were several floors of seats behind light-screen barriers. A gentle flow of people began to trickle in and take their seats. From so far away, everyone seemed featureless and uniform, with only the colours of their clothes and hair making them distinct from one another. Jackson closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. As his lungs filled, his mind slowly honed into focus and the sounds of the world muffled. His strategy was a simple one; rely on his type advantages. Beedrill’s bug attacks and Golbat’s flying attacks were super effective against grass, and Magneton’s steel typing gave him immunity to poison if he got into a pinch. Since leaving Lavender, the fundamentals of his Pokémon had been his whole focus. Reaction time, offence and defence; were all fine-tuned. His hand moved to his sleeve and gripped the folded fan tucked within. An invisible hand gripped his chest, squeezing his lungs and making every breath fall short of being satisfying. Jackson pressed his palms against the temples of his head.

“Calm down, I won’t need him for this fight.”

The hand released, but only slightly. Jackson opened his eyes and the hand squeezed again. The stands were completely full. A sea of countless, featureless faces staring up at him, judging and expecting. Jackson hid them behind the rim of his hat and took slow deep breaths, fending off the hand’s grip. A loud, ecstatic voice boomed around the arena.

“Welcome everyone to the grand reopening of the brand new Celadon Gym Arena! Get excited for an action-packed afternoon full of exciting battles from challengers of all rankings! For our maiden match, we have a very special challenger, a brave young man from Pewter City who selflessly aided our city during its time of need! Please welcome, Jackson Kurinji!”

The announcer paused as a chorus of cheers rang out through the arena. Jackson peeked beneath the rim of his hat and saw on the screen several shots of the audience cheering for him. Their beaming, delighted faces made his own burn hot. A grin weaselled its way onto his face and he stood tall. One wave of his hand and the chorus of cheers erupted into an explosion of noise. As the hand squeezing his chest retreated away, Jackson couldn’t help but laugh. Eventually, the cheering died down and the announcer picked back up.

“The challenger is a tier one intermediate trainer, with a full team of six Pokémon. Today’s match will decide whether or not he moves on to tier two of the intermediate league. He has made an impressive show so far throughout his gym challenge, only suffering one defeat against his first challenge, Brock. After, the challenger has known nothing but victory. Besting Misty with little more than a Beedrill and a Zubat, and then going on to defeat Sabrina with a single Pokémon. At age 12, calling Jackson Kurinji an up-and-coming prodigy wouldn’t even be close to exaggerating! Will his string of victories last, however? Not if our Leader has anything to say about it! Please welcome Gym Leader Erika to the arena!”

On the screens before Jackson and above the arena, the feed of Erika’s platform was displayed. The door behind her platform slid open and she walked out, smiling and waving. In her hair, she had a large red flower. The crowd once again roared with cheers. The feed spliced, showing a shot of a section of young girls waving banners, flags and even their arms. Among them, Oddish and Bellsprouts hopped about waving vines and leaves.

“Although she may only be ranked 15th among the Kanto-Johto league, Erika is not to be under-estimated! Before today’s match, she assured us that the battles you’re all about to witness will be like nothing you’ve ever seen before! That the full potential of the grass type’s power will be on display for all to witness! Leader Erika! Please, choose your first Pokémon!”

Erika plucked a pokéball from the tray of holsters beside her and held it out. With a press of her thumb, the ball snapped open and released a burst of dazzling red light. Victreebell materialised among the reaching branches of the tree. Vines shot out from all over his body and coiled around them, suspending him in the air. No matter how hard Jackson squinted, he couldn’t make him out through the dense forest. His only view of him came from the several angles provided by the drones.

“Challenger! Please, choose your first Pokémon!”

The thundering rhythm of his heart filled Jackson’s chest with fire. He snatched a pokéball from his tray and tossed it into the arena.

“Beedrill, go!”

Beedrill materialised high above the ground on the edge of the imposing forest. His wings became a blur instantly, buzzing as he hovered. White sparks spiralled off his drills as he spun them. Thrusters along the bottom of the pokéball fired and sent it flying back into Jackson’s hand. As soon as it connected with his palm, the hexagonal patterns of a light barrier flickered to life in a cube around the arena, separating it from the trainers’ platforms. Machines whirred and a circle opened on the floor before his podium. A microphone stand rose, stopping level with Jackson’s mouth. The same happened on Erika’s platform.

“Ready, Jackson?” Erika’s voice boomed throughout the arena.

Jackson smirked.

“Yeah, are you?”

His voice boomed too, making him feel larger than life. Excited cheering roared from the audience and laughter from the announcer exploded.

“It seems both trainers are ready! Pokémon, are you ready?”

Victreebell narrowed his eyes and whipped the long vine that grew from the top of his body. He nodded, bending his top half. Beedrill however, looked around before turning back to Jackson.

“Drill?”

“He’s out there, on the other side. We just gotta find him,” Jackson said.

Beedrill’s large, red eyes pulsed. He turned back around and nodded, raising his drills.

“Both Pokémon are ready! With that, let round 1 of today’s maiden match begin!”

A buzzer blared throughout the arena, competing with the thunderous cheers of the audience. At once, Beedrill and Victreebell took off into the forest. Beedrill sped through dense canopies, nimbly swooping between the branches. The drones kept pace with him easily but were struggling with Victreebell. He swung between the branches at an alarming rate, catapulting and flinging himself with a good collection of vines at his disposal. Jackson stepped forward and shouted into the microphone.

“Beedrill, Laser Focus! Find him before he finds you!”

Beedrill stopped and his eyes burst into white flames. He scanned back and forth before crying out.

“Razor Leaf!” Erika yelled.

A swarm of glowing leaves erupted from the thick forest. Beedrill shot away, weaving around branches and tree trunks but the swarm pursued. On the screens, Victreebell climbed up and pursued Beedrill from above. While Beedrill could give a bullet a run for its money, Victreebell was on another level. He was above and ahead of Beedrill in a matter of seconds.

“Above you!” Jackson yelled.

“Vine Whip!”

Victreebell slingshot himself down at Beedrill, the vines growing from his body poised and engulfed in green fire. Desperately, Beedrill dodged to the side, avoiding being hit by Victreebell's body. Three flaming vines caught him, swatting him out of the air and sending him flying into the trunk of the tree. The back of his thorax cracked and one of his four wings was bent and twitching. He stayed in the air wincing, only to be bombarded by the swarm of glowing leaves. More cracks were made in his armour, but the leaves did little more than annoy him. Victreebell suspended himself below and reared his vines back for another attack.

“Pin Missile!”

Beedrill’s stinger burst into light green flame. It fired and split into five even fragments. Each fragment rocketed towards Victreebell, blazing. Victreebell whipped his vines, catching three of the fragments. They exploded into balls of light green flame, blasting the ends off of the vines. The other two fragments hit Victreebell’s body, blasting charred holes and exposing its hollow interior. Blood and a thick, purple liquid oozed from the holes. Victreebell cried out and lost his grip, falling down through the canopies.

“Get out of there!” Jackson yelled.

Beedrill’s wing became engulfed in white fire as he sped away. He climbed high and shot out above the upper canopy of the forest. Meanwhile, Victreebell caught a low branch with his remaining vines and catapulted himself back up through the forest, narrowly avoiding the ground. The announcer’s voice boomed.

“What an explosive start to the first round! Both Pokémon have suffered damage, it’s anyone’s round!”

The crowd began chanting but Jackson ignored them.

“He’s coming, get ready!”

Beedrill’s eyes pulsed and his drills burst into light green flames. A new stringer sprouted from his thorax and took on a glow of the same colour. A stillness fell over the battlefield as Beedrill awaited his opponent. The audience’s chanting dominated the still space, and it was only then that Jackson realised what they were shouting. His name. Erika’s too, but people were chanting his name. Enough of them to compete with Erika’s supporters. He had supporters. Real, live people wanted him to win so badly that were screaming their lungs out all around him. Perhaps he would have had a moment to relish in it, if Victreebell hadn’t erupted through the forest’s rooftop canopy, veiled in a swarm of blazing leaves. His vines shot towards Beedrill but Beedrill ducked and weaved around them, slicing the ones he couldn’t with his blazing drills. However, for every vine he cut down, two more took their place. Vines twirled around one another, forming sturdy legs for Victreebell. He chased Beedrill across the forest’s roof, bombarding him with vines and leaves. The leaves, while they did little damage, made Beedrill stagger and got in his eyes. Jackson could only watch with bated breath as Beedrill cut down vine after vine. The unending assault left no openings, gave him no rest and was merciless. Eventually, inevitably, a vine snuck through. But rather than swat Beedrill, it coiled around his arm. Like a child plucking petals from a flower, it tore his arm off and sent it hurtling down into the forest. Beedrill let out a pained, horrific buzzing scream before being wrapped up in vines. They lifted him, slamming him into the light barrier above before tossing him down into the forest. He crashed through the thin rooftop branches before smashing into a thick one. A huge jagged crack split his armour from thorax to nape. The light in his eyes flickered away like that of a dying lamp and he fell to the forest floor limp. The thick underbrush swallowed him up and a siren blared.

“Beedrill is unable to battle! Victreebell wins the first round!”

Immediately, Jackson tossed his pokéball and it took to the air. It sped into the forest, found Beedrill and returned him. As dread began to creep up on him, Jackson readied Golbat’s pokéball.

“It’s okay, he’s weakened. One strong attack should do it. Golbat’s fast… Golbat’s fast.”

Beedrill’s ball came flying back and Jackson snatched it out of the air. He returned it to the tray of holsters. A ring of red lights lit up around it before a golden glow enveloped the ball. Up on the central screens, the first of Jackson’s pokéballs was greyed out. While Erika’s gained a small, pixelated image of Victreebell. Jackson’s supporters were drowned out by a victorious cry from Erika’s. The section of young girls exploded in a flurry of waving flags and vines.

“A devastating loss for the challenger! Victreebell is fast, deadly and everywhere at once. How will the challenger overcome him? Can he?! Challenger, release your second Pokémon!”

Jackson released Golbat and let out a long sigh to calm his nerves. Upon release, Golbat too was baffled by the arena. He turned to Jackson and screeched.

“Bat!” He complained.

Jackson pointed to the screens above.

“See him? That’s your opponent. He’s hurt. Track him down and nail him with Aerial Ace.”

Golbat glared at the drone’s footage of Victreebell and poised his fangs. A viscous purple liquid oozed from them.

“Golbat,” he snarled.

His large wings flapped, shooting him from the platform into the arena. The light barrier rippled into place before becoming clear.

“Are both trainers ready?”

“Ready!” Jackson and Erika said together.

“Are both Pokémon ready?”

“Bat!”

“Bell…”

Victreebell, who had returned below the forest’s rooftop was slumped slightly as he hung from the branches. A mixture of red and purple oozed from his wounds, running down his side. Regardless, he gave a nod

“Round 2! Begin!”

The siren blared. Golbat’s wings burst into light blue flames and he shot into the forest with a burst of energy that roared like a cannon. Rather than dodging and weaving, his wings sliced through the dense foliage, toppling branches that looked to be as thick as Jackson. The drones lagged behind, giving a view from behind Golbat rather than the side. Victreebell, on the other hand, caused them no trouble. He swung from branch to branch lazily, surrounded by a veil of blazing leaves. As Golbat soared, he let out a screech and closed his eyes. Despite not being visible anymore, Jackson was sure he could have heard Golbat’s cry without the drone’s help. Golbat’s snapped open and he abruptly turned. The drones lost him for a split second before following him down and diagonally.

“He’s found you! Get ready!”

“Bell!”

Victreebell stopped and shout out more vines, securing himself firmly in the air. His eyes shifted back and forth as off in the distance, the crashing of branches drew closer rapidly. With a wild cry, Golbat burst from the foliage, veiled completely in a cone of light blue fire. Victreebell launched his swarm of leaves at him, but there obliterated by the cone. All at once, every one of Victreebell’s vines let go, dropping him. They whipped towards Golbat from every direction but never made contact. Golbat turned sharply, followed Victreebell as he fell, punctured through him; and blew a huge gaping hole through his front and back. All of his vines went limp and tangled around one another as he crashed through the several layers of canopies below. The veil around Golbat extinguished and he swooped up, perching on a branch. He watched Victreebell hit the ground and cackled. Erika threw a pokéball and it zipped through the forest to find her defeated Pokémon.

“Victreebell is unable to battle! Golbat wins the second round! It’s one round for each team, could a comeback be on the horizon for the challenger?! Or will Erika deliver him another brutal loss?! Only one way to find out! Erika, please release your second Pokémon!”

Erika snatched Victreebell’s pokéball from the air, returned it to her tray to heal and selected her next Pokémon without hesitation. She tossed the ball and it released a Vileplume on the platform beside her. Before sending him off, she crouched beside him and said something the microphone couldn’t pick up. Vileplume nodded before hopping off the platform and falling to the forest floor. He landed with a bounce amongst thick shrubbery and scrambled on top of a large boulder embedded in the undergrowth carpet.

“Are both trainers ready?”

“Ready!” Erika and Jackson said.

“Are both Pokémon ready?”

Golbat swung off his branch and fluttered in the air.

“Golbat!” He screeched.

“Plume!”

“All right then! Round 3, begin!”

The siren blared and Vileplume leapt from his boulder into the undergrowth, disappearing completely. Although somehow, the drones still moved as if they were following. Jackson leaned towards the screen and squinted. After a moment of searching, he could indeed make out a slight rustle in the undergrowth where Vileplume was moving. He was moving fast, bolting into the heart of the forest. The forest grew denser and denser the further he went.

“He’s under the undergrowth, Golbat! Stay above, let him come to you!”

“Bat!”

Golbat flew off, weaving between the trees as he made a wide circle around the forest. He let out another piercing screech and closed his eyes. After a moment of waiting, he complained with a cry and tried again. Again and again, he screeched but to no result.

“Stay hidden, Vileplume!”

“It appears round 3 has come to a standstill! Neither trainer is willing to commit to an opening move! Who will break first?!”

A second, monotone voice boomed through the arena.

“If neither team attempts to engage the other within one minute, a timer of 10 minutes will begin. If after that 10 minutes neither Pokémon has attacked, the round will be considered a loss for the challenger.”

Jackson clicked his tongue.

“Concentrate, Golbat! Forget echo-locating, he’s moving. Listen for his movements.”

Golbat stopped and hovered, fury in his eyes.

“Bat!” He complained with a hissing snarl before closing his eyes.

The small, triangular ears on the top of his head twitched and his brow furrowed. Jackson checked the screens and sure enough, Vileplume was still moving. He was in a part of the arena so thick that the drones couldn’t find an angle where at least a little bit of their view was obscured. Boulders were everywhere, huge mounds of rock the size of washing machines. Vileplume was circling them and a faint, green light was peaking through the gaps in the undergrowth. Suddenly, Golbat’s eyes flew open and a veil of light blue fire erupted around him. He shot off like a bullet, catching the drones off guard who now lagged behind.

“Careful! He’s up to something!”

Again, one good hit from Golbat should be enough. Jackson had seen him take down plenty of Vileplume’s with less during their training. Golbat punctured a tunnel through the thick foliage with his blazing, cone-shaped veil. Beneath, his ears still twitched. He broke through the lowest canopy and came to a stop, dropping his veil. Cautiously, he scanned the floor. Green light glimmered beneath the undergrowth and Golbat shot towards it.

“Wait!” Jackson yelled.

Golbat didn’t listen and ignited his veil. Suddenly, Vileplume leapt onto a boulder. Countless vines stretched out from the base of his flower, hovering around him in a loose, protective shield. More vines were stretched into the undergrowth, straight and taut. Golbat swooped down and rocketed along the top of the undergrowth, his cone veil tore and shredded the foliage, leaving behind a long black streak of char. Just as he was about to hit, Vileplume’s stumpy legs burst into white flames and he leapt all the way up to the lowest canopy in the blink of an eye with an explosion of energy. Golbat got caught in the explosion, as well as the mass of blazing green vines that descended on him. The vines, while eviscerated by his veil, blocked his vision and the explosion knocked him off balance. Jackson on the other hand could see what was coming perfectly well. Hundreds of vines beneath the undergrowth suddenly snapped into the air, coiled around a cluster of giant boulders. They formed a net, crashing the boulders together and suspending them in the air all within a fraction of a second. The veil dropped as Golbat shot out of the vines. Before he could even so much as screech, he slammed into the boulders head first. For a few moments, he dropped, limp and lifeless before his wings fluttered and caught him within inches of the undergrowth. Erika watched with a smirk as more vines descended on him. One coiled around his leg and whipped him up, but before it could swing him into the boulders Golbat sliced it with a glowing wing. Only for another to coil around his body and slam him into the boulders anyway. His back hit the boulders, bending a wing and leaving an awful, weeping bruise. Golbat could only fly in circles as more vines descended. They twirled around each other, forming one thick vine that grabbed Golbat’s foot and spun him. He became a blurry, green and purple circle as he was revved up before being cracked against the trunk of a tree. Jackson winced and looked away from the screens as the mangled mess left behind was swallowed up by the forest floor. As the siren sounded, he tossed a ball and it went off to retrieve Golbat.

“What a brutal knockout!”

Cheers and jeers erupted from the audience.

“Golbat is unable to battle! Vileplume wins round 3, despite a type disadvantage! Back and forth the teams go! Win, loss, win! That makes it 2 to 1 in the Leader’s favour! But she’s not out of the woodworks yet! The Challenger still has four Pokémon remaining and if he can snatch a victory quickly, he’ll be in with a fighting chance!”

By the time Golbat’s ball had flown back into his palm, Jackson hadn’t readied a new Pokéball. In fact, he wasn’t even in the territory of knowing what to do now. Quagsire was an obvious no-go. A quad weakness to grass and no flying abilities left him vulnerable to a one-hit KO. Gastly was out of the question, leaving only two options. But that was where the difficulty came, between Magneton and Jigglypuff neither had any tools made for taking down grass types. The monotone voice cut in on his frantic planning.

“Challenger, you must select a Pokémon. You will not be warned again.”

A chorus of boos roared but if they were directed at him or the referee Jackson didn’t know and didn’t care. Back and forth he went between his two choices. His chest began to be crushed all over again, his arms felt like they were wrapped in concrete and his legs were jello.

“Stop panicking, idiot!” He hissed at himself before taking a long deep breath.

“Chall-”

Jackson snatched up a Pokéball and held it up to the commentary box.

“Magenton! I chose Magenton!”

He was met with an agonising pause that hushed the rowdy crowd.

“Release your Pokémon into the arena.”

Cheers roared from the crowd but Jackson’s stress didn’t leave. He considered the ball for a moment.

“It’s the right choice, he can fly and he resists grass…”

He took one last glance at Jigglypuff’s ball before tossing Magneton’s into the arena. As soon as Magenton appeared, its three heads began beeping rapidly. They tugged in different directions, stretching apart and drawing strands of lighting between them before clanging together. Laughter trickled from the audience and the announcer choked down a laugh as he spoke.

“It appears as if this Magneton is newly evolved!”

Jackson glanced side to side and tapped his foot.

“Work together you three! Fly straight!” he shouted. “please…” he whispered.

“Are both Pokémon ready?!’

Perched amongst the lower canopy, Vileplume pumped his stubby little arm and cried out. Magneton, after taking a moment to regather their senses, glanced around at one another before beeping in unison.

“Ton ton ton!”

“Are both trainers ready?!”

“Ready!”

“Yes!”

“Then, let round 4 begin!”

The siren blared and Erika yelled.

“Climb higher!”

Vileplume ran along a sturdy, long branch and slid down a massive leaf. He bounced off it, launching into the higher canopies. Vines shot out, grabbed branches and swung him up yet another level. Meanwhile, Magneton studied the edge of the forest, scanning and beeping.

“Stop scanning and fly in there!”

The two lower heads flew off but the upper one was still scanning. They stretched, then clanged back together. Rapid beeping erupted from Magneton as the heads got into a bumping match, jostling them around in the air. Jackson buried his face in his hands and groaned.

“I should have picked Jigglypuff…”

The two lower heads stretched down and clanged into the upper one. They made a series of elated beeps while the other sulked. Then, as one they flew into the forest. Jackson lurched forward and grasped the microphone as they approached their first obstacle.

“Up!”

They flew up and over a branch, only to meet the trunk of another tree.

“Left!”

Magneton dodged left, finding a small open space in the forest. For every obstacle, even the simple ones, Jackson guided them. Erika shouted another command.

“Vine Harness!”

Vileplume swung up onto a branch and grew several vines. They coiled around his torso and shoulders before launching up above his head. Four more grew, one set in the middle of his back and the other set from the lower. The six vines then shout out and coiled around branches and trunks, nimbly clambering through the forest. Although Jackson couldn’t see where Vileplume was heading, he didn’t need to.

“Alright, stop! He’s coming for you! Use Lock On!”

Thankfully, Magneton stopped with no issues. All three of its eyes glowed white and the pupils turned red. They turned away from each other and fired out translucent red beams that scanned every which way. The upper head beeped and all three eyes snapped to where it was looking.

“Mirror Shot!”

Magneton went cross-eyed and fired three, pencil-thin silver beams. They connected a few inches away from him and formed a glowing silver sphere the size of a baseball. There was a pause. Vileplume swung frantically, racing through the forest. He swung to the side, around a tree and the silver sphere erupted with a powerful beam of steel energy. It sliced off thin branches and vines, punctured smouldering holes through leaves and grazed the edges of tree trunks, leaving behind straight black scars in their bark. The beam hit Vileplume in the left shoulder, taking out a handful of his torso and destroying the ligaments, leaving his arm dangling uselessly. Magneton swiped the beam up and across, severing several of Vileplume’s vines and taking a chunk out of a petal of his flower. Vileplume cried out as he fell through the canopy below. Vines burst back through the canopy and grasped several branches.

“Miraculous! Magenton hits the first attack of the round! They really pulled themselves together!”

Vileplume swung back up and landed on a branch. His usually derpy little face was twisted into a hateful scowl. Vines grew to replace the ones he lost and immediately he rushed Magneton.

“Leaf Blade!”

“Dodge! Fly back!”

Five more vines erupted from beneath Vileplume’s flower and came together in unison. Magneton made a series of beeps as they hightailed it backwards. They spun around and shot off into the forest as Vileplume bore down on them. His thick, powerful vines burst into green flames. Again, Jackson guided Magneton through the forest but at the speed, they were going he only had a fraction of a second to see the obstacle and think of how to dodge it. However, no amount of instruction could change the fact that Vileplume was faster than them. As Magenton navigated the top of the canopy below, Vileplume pursued beneath the canopy above. He got in front of them, dropped down and swung his thick vine. The blazing green flame turned to hard light, forming a glowing green blade around the vine as it swatted Magneton down. With a loud clang, Magenton shot through the canopy, snapping branches thick and thin. However, the attack left little more than a few dents and a long but ultimately shallow cut in the upper head. Magenton got its bearing just before crashing through a second canopy and zipped to the side, avoiding another swipe of the Leaf Blade. Vileplume caught himself, swinging wide to pursue. The hard light blade fizzled out and he out a sigh.

“Razor Leaf! Slow them down!”

His brief bout of exhaustion only lasted a moment as Vileplume launched a swarm of leaves from his flower.

“Mirror Shot! Clear the-”

Magneton’s upper head turned before the rest. The lower heads stretched out then smashed back into it, dazing all three of them. The swarm of leaves washed over them but did little more than leave them covered in scratches. Erika suddenly lurched forward, eyes wide.

“Go now! Do it now!”

“Plume!”

Vileplume swung down and around Magneton, secured vines around the branches above him and swung over the top of him. At the point directly above Magneton, Vileplume launched several vines at him. They coiled around him, went taut and then pulled Vileplume down. Vileplume poised his good fist and it erupted with orange fire. He punched the upper head, cracking it down the centre and instantly knocking it out. The weight of the head dragged the dazed heads down. They screeched, regained their senses and shot off, smashing into a tree but still managing to continue on. Vileplume hung suspended by his vines, grinning. A golden glow washed over him and the previously sliced petal of his flower regrew. The announcer went ballistic.

“Was that Drain Punch?! Does Erika have an answer for everything?!”

Confused and scared, the two lower heads sped through the forest. They worked together beautifully, dodging and weaving around every obstacle without any direction from Jackson. Good thing too, as Jackson’s failing mind, would have likely sent them crashing into a tree.

“Think! Think!” His mind screamed.

Try that he might, but his mind was too muddled with a rapid-fire of thoughts to focus on any one thing. Vileplume pursued Magneton from the shadows, stalking his prey ruthlessly. A vine shot out into Magneton's path. They dodged up and Vileplume erupted from the foliage to their side, cracking the left lower head with a blazing orange fist. Then, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared back into the forest to the right. Magneton spun in the air as the last head desperately tried to control its limp body. The snapping of vines and the whistling of Vileplume soaring through the air howled around him, like an army of vengeful forest demons.

“Think! Think!”

Jackson pressed his palms into his forehead so hard he felt as if he were threatening to cave it in. A fleeting thought caught his attention. He took a deep breath and focused on it, revealing its potential. He whipped his head up and grasped the microphone.

“Thunder Wave! Thunder Wave!”

A vine burst from the forest shot past Magneton and coiled around a tree. Magneton stopped spinning and shook up and down. The two limp heads stretched away, drawing electric strings between them and the conscious head. Vileplume erupted from the forest, fist blazing with orange fire.

“Plume!”

“Ton!”

The strings glowed and fired an electric net. It hit Vileplume and he flinched but his fist still slammed into Magneton all the same. Magenton went flying, all three heads were cracked and limp. He hit a tree, spun and crashed through the canopies to the forest floor with a solid thump. Vileplume’s fist extinguished and he swung up onto a branch. Golden light washed over him and healed his injured shoulder as well as the slight scorching left behind by Thunder Wave. However, Vileplume wasn’t grinning. Yellow sparks popped all over his body and he froze, then spasmed. The sparks disappeared and he lurched forward, gasping.

“Magenton is unable to battle! Vileplume wins the fourth round! But it seems as if he’s been paralysed!”

Jackson sighed and let his body relax. It had worked, there was still hope for victory. He threw Magneton’s Pokéball into the arena and readied Jigglypuff’s.

“That makes it two consecutive knockouts for Vileplume, an absolutely tremendous effort! Erika’s promise seems to be coming true folks! The full power of the grass-type is truly before us! Half of the challenger’s team is out for the count! Is it too much? Is Vileplume setting up for a sweep? Or will the challenger present us with his own power?! There’s only one way to find out!”

Magneton’s ball sped back into Jackson’s hand and the crowd roared.

“Challenger! Release your fourth Pokémon!”

Jackson studied Vileplume on his screens. While he kept a calm and bold face, the underlying twitches and popping yellow sparks were unmistakable. Erika didn’t do nearly as well hiding her concern. He grinned and tossed Jigglypuff’s ball into the air.

“Go! Jigglypuff!”

The ball popped open and Jigglypuff appeared in the air. She floated to the ground like a falling feather, swaying back and forth as she hummed a falsetto melody. The crowd erupted with noise.

“The Challenger really is a mixed bag! No two Pokémon have been of the same typing! A true, mixed trainer!”

Jackson stood tall, his pride swelling in his chest.

“Jiggalee, puff!”

Jigglypuff landed on a boulder on the tip of her stubby foot. She twirled and a pink glow swelled from her body as she basked in the attention.

“Not yet,” Jackson hissed, “you’ll give it away.”

“Puff!”

Jigglypuff beamed and stopped her glow.

“Are both Pokémon ready?!”

“Puff!”

“Plume…”

Vileplume gave a short, stiff nod.

“Are both trainers ready?!”

“Yeah!” Jackson yelled.

“Ready.”

“Well then! Let round 5, begin!”

The siren blared and the crowd cheered.

“Alright, Jigglypuff just like we practised! Body Slam!”

“Puuuuff!” Jigglypuff sang.

She bounced off her foot and gently floated up. As if gravity had vanished, she hovered for a moment. Then suddenly, her arms and legs tucked in and a white glow engulfed her. A whining, high pitch ring wailed before an explosion shook the arena. A ring of white fire exploded behind her and Jigglypuff shot off into the forest. She hit a tree, bounced, and then hit another, ricocheting as a white streak through the forest. The drones had no idea what to do. They flew one way, then another, barely catching glimpses of white streaks in their peripheral. Jackson didn’t need them. The light of Jigglypuff’s body pierced through and the thundering explosions narrowed down her rough position. Vileplume looked around in abject horror. The explosions and flashes of light came from all directions. He raised his vines but made no move.

“Hold, Vileplume! She’ll find you, just get ready to counter!”

“Plu-” Yellow sparks popped, making him wince. “Plume…”

“Such tremendous speed! I-I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it! And what is this?! Is Vileplume suffering from paralysis?!”

Suddenly, on the screens showing Vileplume, a white streak blitzed across the screen and Vileplume disappeared. A roaring bang followed. The drone searched for a moment before focusing on a scene that made the audience descend into frantic commotion, made Erika’s face drop with shock and Jackson’s twist into a smirk. Vileplume was being pummelled from all directions by the white streak. She slammed down on him, bounced off a branch and hit him from below. Only to sail past, bounce off the canopy at an angle, bounce off a tree and slam into his side. Jigglypuff juggled Vileplume, battering him to a pulp. All Erika could do was watch as Vileplume desperately flailed his vines, never once making contact.

“Alright enough! Dazzling Gleam!”

A ring of white fire exploded from Jigglypuff, killing all her momentum. Her pink glow returned with a vengeance, bursting into a thick veil of bright pink flames. The light expanded rapidly past her body, exploding in all directions with a flash so bright it turned every drones’ POV pink. A devastating crash rumbled through the arena, accompanied by a grinding creak. Off, far off in the arena, the canopy of a tree disappeared from view. Another crash thundered. The drone’s view returned, revealing a fell tree and a half charred Vileplume laying beside it. Jigglypuff floated down and landed on an overlooking branch on the tip of her foot.

“Vileplume is unable to battle! Jigglypuff- Wait! I don’t believe it!”

Somehow, Vileplume began to struggle to his feet. His one reaming eye glared with blazing fury. Two vines lifted from his back, engulfed in green fire. Jigglypuff was too busy twirling to notice.

“Jigglypuff!” Jackson began.

“Razor Leaf, quick!”

The good side of Vileplume’s flower burst into green flame. A swarm of blazing leaves filled the air and swiftly rushed Jigglypuff. They enveloped her and she cried out, failing her arms. Long cuts were sliced into the sides of her body, weeping curtains of blood. Tears streamed from her large eyes as she wailed.

“Vine Whip!”

Two vines shot out and coiled around the branch above Jigglypuff. They went taut and launched Vileplume into the air before whipping back and shining green. But then, yellow sparks popped all over his body and he froze in the air for a split second. Time enough for Jigglypuff to abruptly stop her crying, grin and become a white streak. Both Pokémon disappeared and, yet another, a great boom echoed through the arena. When the drone found Vileplume he was embedded in the trunk of a tree, vines limp and slack by his sides. There was a pause, filled with the silence of bated breath.

“I-It appears that Vileplume is unable to battle.” Another pause. “Round 5 goes to Jigglypuff!”

The siren blared and the audience rumbled with cheering and stomping. Jigglypuff twirled as she cascaded to the forest floor. She landed delicately on a boulder and beamed at the camera. Although, her leg betrayed her extravagance as it wobbled and she was forced to stand on both feet. Vileplume’s pokéball zipped into frame, returned him with a flash of light and then zipped back through the forest to Erika. She caught it, her final Pokéball ready in the other hand. Jackson looked at his tray of pokéballs, tensing as he stared at the three red rings.

“This is it…” he whispered.

“Leader Erika! Please release your final Pokémon!”

The already roaring crowd picked up into an absolute frenzy. Even from so far away, Jackson could feel the rumbling of their stomps. The section of young girls in Kimonos was going absolutely ballistics. Every screen flicked over to Erika’s platform, where she was holding out the ball with a grin.

“Tangrowth! Go!”

Erika tossed the pokéball far into the arena. It opened and a dazzling flash of red light shone like a star. The behemoth of blue vines that was Tangrowth materialised and landed on the forest floor with a crashing thud. His large eyes perched on a featureless black face scanned his surroundings before shifting up. He reached up with thick arms made of vines. The arm extended, reaching out a good 15 or so feet into the air to grasp a branch. He hoisted himself up with one fluid motion and wrapped his arm around the trunk for support. Shocked gasps and excited chatter bounced around the arena. Jackson took a steadying breath. Tangrowth was huge, obviously something he already knew, but seeing it on the battlefield was a whole other ordeal. All Jackson could do was believe. Believe in Jigglypuff, believe in her strength and believe in the training he’d done with her. Her speed was unmatched and her power utterly devastating. Tangrowth didn’t stand a chance, the rainbow badge was his for the taking.

“Are both trainers ready?!”

“Ready!” Erika cheered.

“Let’s do this!”

“Listen to that! Both trainers are riled up and raring to go! Are both Pokémon ready?!”

“Jiggly!”

Tangrowth narrowed his eyes as he stared into the void of dense forest.

“Growth.”

“All combatants are set! Match point for the challenger! Let round 6, begin!”

The crowd’s roar did battle with the siren as it blared. Immediately, both of Tangrowth’s arms extended out and took hold of two trees. He hopped off his branch and his arms slingshot him into the forest, crashing him through thin branches like a boulder through brambles.

“He’s close Jigglypuff! Body Slam, let’s go!”

“Puff!”

Jigglypuff hopped into the air, curled and exploded into a white streak. However, when she hit the first tree, rather than bounce she cried out and dropped like a stone. The slashes across her side spurted blood. Jackson’s stomach dropped, his heart stabbed at his chest and his eyes were glued open wide. Even when Jigglypuff managed to regain her composure before hitting the ground, he felt no relief. It was over. He knew it. Jigglypuff streaked back up and prepared to try another bounce when the trunk of the tree exploded. Three blue vines, blazing with green flame sliced through the trunk like a hot knife to butter. They sent Jigglypuff crashing into the forest floor with a teeth-shattering crunch. She bounced, but when she landed it was with a heavy thud. Cruelly, the blow hadn’t knocked her out and she got to her feet only to be confronted by Tangrowth baring down on her. He raised his arms and her eyes filled with panic.

“Puff! PUUUUUUUUUUFFF!”

As she screamed her mouth flashed white and spewed white flames. The scream seemed to shatter the very air itself. Every single pair of hands was on their ears at once, including Jackson. It did nothing to help, the piercing noise punctured through ruthlessness. Fighting not to fall to his knees, Jackson struggled to watch the screen, a small spark of hope fuelling his efforts. Several large, white rings of warbling energy shot from Jigglypuff’s mouth and engulfed Tangrowth. Vine grew over his face, forming a shell. His whole body glowed white and a barrier of hard light formed around him. The rings were absorbed by the barrier, disappearing without a trace. Jigglypuff stopped but still, Jackson’s ears rang. She stumbled forward, her stubbly legs and arms trembling. Her eyes drooped as they gazed helplessly at Tangrowth’s raising arm. Jackson jumped to his feet and made an X with his arms. The siren blared and Tangrowth backed off.

“The challenger has forfeited the round! Tangrowth takes round 6!”

Despair weighed on Jackson. His body felt twice as heavy and his mind was cloudy and muddled. He had come so close, so close he could taste the victory in the air. But now, with these Pokémon, there was no hope. He threw Jigglypuff’s ball into the arena and reluctantly picked up Quagsire’s pokéball. He wasn’t going to forfeit the match. No way. He’d lose by KO, like a proper trainer. Jigglypuff’s ball returned and he snatched it from the air.

“A heavy loss for the challenger! But still, match point. A win this round will bring him victory! Challenger, please release your fifth Pokémon!”

Jackson pressed Quagsire’s ball against his forehead and whispered.

“Sorry, it’ll be over quickly.”

He tossed the ball and watched with a heavy heart as it opened. Quagsire materialised on the ground outside the forest. His head poked up above the undergrowth and he waved to Jackson.

“Quagsire!”

“A Quagsire?! What is the challenger thinking?! Does he have some sort of special tactic?! Or perhaps, no. Could it be that he’s reached the end of this rope?!”

Jackson lowered the brim of his hat.

“Are both Pokémon ready?!”

Tangrowth stood tall.

“Growth!”

“Quag! Quag!”

“Are both trainers ready?!”

“Ready!”

“Ready.”

“Round 7! Begin!”

The siren blared and Erika yelled immediately.

“He’s outside the forest! Go, quickly!”

“Tang!”

Jackson raised his brim with a stern, hardened look. He would watch. This was his decision and he would watch its outcome. What kind of trainer would he be if he couldn’t? Tangrowth was swinging through the forest, each swing launching him a great distance. The branches buckled and complained as his enormous weight tore at them. In what felt like an eternity but was little more than a few seconds, he burst out of the forest. Quagsire cried out and looked at Jackson. Jackson readied his Pokéball. Blue vines blazing green took to the air.

“Vine Wall!”

Rapidly, the vines formed a huge wall from side to side of the arena, leaving Tangrowth looking more like a suspended Tangela. It glowed green before falling onto Quagsire. He tried to run but only tripped over the undergrowth. The vines crashed down with a deafening crash, cracking the arena floor below the foliage. They squiggled back to Tangrowth and reformed his body. The siren began to blare when Quagsire’s head popped up again, it cut out immediately. Quagsire clutched his head and staggered side to side.

“Continue,” The referee announced.

Before Jackson could even start to lift his arms one of Tangrowth’s vines cracked through the air, blazing green and sliced Quagsire in two. Jackson’s body moved before his mind and he returned Quagsire in a flash. Jackson rushed to the edge of his platform.

“Hey!” He yelled at Tangrowth.

Tangrowth glared at him as he retreated a blood-soaked vine back into his body.

“Challenger, step back from the edge and return to your podium.”

Jackson huffed and did as he was told. Screw losing, not after that. He didn’t care, he’d find a way. Somehow, Gastly was going to KO that Tangrowth. He just had to.

“What an absolutely brutal knockout! The challenger is down to his final Pokémon! It’s all even! Match point! What will be the match-up for the final round?! Challenger, please enlighten us! Release your sixth Pokémon!”

Placing Quagsire’s ball on the tray was easy but, despite his fury, picking up Gastlies was near impossible. He just wasn’t ready, not for this level of battle. All he had was speed. He was impatient, headstrong and lacking in power as well as type mastery. His control of ghost energy was fine but he had no real control of his poison. The progress they’d made wasn’t enough for a casual battle, let alone this. Regardless, Jackson picked up Gastlie’s pokéball and released him into the arena. When the ball opened and its light flashed, nothing appeared. Jackson sighed and unsheathed his fan from his sleeve. He opened it and made the bells chime. Purple mist swirled and Gastly popped into view, inches from Tangrowth’s face. He poked out his tongue and crossed his eyes.

“G-Growth!” Tangrowth stumbled backwards, arms failing.

“I don’t believe it!” The announcer laughed. “A ghost type! This challenger is full of surprises!”

The crowd started a chant but Jackson paid them no attention, he focused solely on Erika’s reaction. She looked taken aback at first but quickly her brow furrowed in contemplation.

“Are both trainers ready?!”

“Ready!” Jackson yelled.

“Yes.”

“Are both Pokémon ready?!”

Gastly let out a wailing howl and began flying circles around Tangrowth.

“Grooowth!” He cried unhappily.

“Calm down, he’s weak,” Erika said.

Her voice sounded unusually harsh. Gastly cackled and flew back a few feet away from him.

“Tangrowth? Are you ready?!”

“G-Growth!”

Tangrowth glared at Gastly.

“Well then! It all ends here! Round 8, the final round, begin!”

The siren blared and both Jackson and Erika shouted their commands over the other.

“Shadow Ball!” Jackson shook his fan.

“Vine Whip!”

Before Tangrowth could even raise his vines, Gastly had charged and fired his attack. The grey sphere rocketed towards him, ablaze with grey fire. Tangrowth’s eyes widened and his head moved down through his body. The sphere shot a charred hole through the spot where his head ought to be. Now, it was Gastlie’s turn to be shocked.

“What?!” Jackson yelled.

“An incredible dodge by Tangrowth!”

“Vine Whip!”

Tangrowth's arms burst into green flames and several vines whipped, cracking the air. One by one they came and Gastly weaved around them, but only narrowly. Each attack made the grey sphere veiling his visible form warble as it missed by inches. Vines filled the hole in Tangrowth and his head slid back up into place. Jackson made his fan chime.

“Disappear!”

Gastly grinned and vanished. Tangrowth’s eyes widened and he looked around. His vines froze in the air and lost their green flames. Excited chattering rumbled through the audience.

“Night Shade!”

Gastly popped back into view behind Tangrowth. He blew a raspberry, making Tangrowth cry with alarm and spin around. Black sparks spat from Gastly as pitch black energy began to spin around him in a ring. Tangrowth stumbled back and swatted at Gastly with non-empowered vines but they passed right through. The ring of black energy fired from Gastly like a frisbee. Tangrowth moved his head to the side and it sliced through his shoulder, making his arm droop. Gastly screeched. Frustration began to gnaw at Jackson.

“You need elemental energy to hit him!” Erika yelled.

Vines, blazing green, whipped at Gastly. He dodged one but the next hit him from above, slamming him to the ground. The veil warbled violently and Gastly made a brief cry before it was cut off as he passed through the ground. Tangrowth roared with laughter and he watched the ground eagerly. It was starting to slip away, Jackson knew it. As if the rainbow badge which had been so close to his grasp had now turned to sand. He groaned as he said his next command.

“Confuse Ray.” He chimed his fan.

Gastly popped up out of the ground a few feet away and began charging the attack. It took time to charge, the grey energy swirling around him struggled to form.

“Vine Whip!” Erika yelled.

But Tangrowth laughed instead. He folded his arms as he watched Gastly struggle to charge the attack. Two small grey orbs began to form in front of him. They orbited each other, swirling in independent circles. The orbs grew and grew but again, Tangrowth laughed. He opened his arms and took a wide stance. Grey fire erupted from Gastlie’s eyes and he cried. The attack fired. Tangrowth hollered. The Confuse Ray moved slow, embarrassingly so. So slow that Tangrowth just casually stepped out of its path and watched it go by. Before slamming a panting Gastly with blazing vines and knocking him away. The veil cracked but held. Gastly cried out, the pain stark on his face. He struggled to keep both eyes open, resolving to only open one. Around Jackson, the audience was either cheering or dead quiet. An eerie mix of despair and feverish excitement. Tangrowth began to twirl a vine, creating a blazing circle as it revved up. As he waltzed over to Gastly, a stupid, crazy idea entered Jackson’s head.

“Go beneath the ground!”

Without a word, Gastly shot beneath the ground, making a popping sound and getting an eye roll from Tangrowth. He shot out more vines and began twirling them in all directions, creating an impenetrable wall of spinning blazing vines. Erika’s face dropped but Jackson shouted before she could.

“Fly into him!”

Tangrowth looked down, eyes wide as a popping sound rang out. Jackson rattled his fan.

“Shadow Ball!”

Grey light flashed between the gaps of Tangrowth’s vines as an explosion clapped like thunder. Gastly flew out of Tangrowth’s body, seemingly out of control. However, by the time he recovered, Tangrowth was still reeling from the attack. His eyes were boggled and he clutched his head with both hands as he staggered side to side.

“What an insane attack from the challenger!”

“Tangrowth! Snap out of it! Vine Whip!”

“Night Shade!”

Gastly began to charge his attack, as Tangrowth shook his head. He snapped back into focus and whipped a blazing arm of vines at Gastly. However, that small hesitation gave Gastly enough room to fire first. The spinning ring of black energy sliced through the encroaching vines, splitting the arm down the middle. Tangrowth dodged his head to the side but Jackson was already waving his fan. As the black ring sliced through Tangrowth’s shoulder, a Shadow Ball hit his face and exploded. He reared back, losing his footing but managing to catch himself with his good arm. However, he struggled to stand straight, his face tight with pain.

“Fly inside! Confuse Ray!” Jackson flailed his fan.

Gastly shot inside Tangrowth with a pop. There was a pause, an agonising pause. Everyone, the audience, the announcer, Erika and Jackson were all quiet. Only the chiming on the fan’s bells rang out. Then, just as Tangrowth began to stand a grey light flashed within him and Gastly shot out, again out of control. Grey fire erupted from Tangrowth’s eyes and he bellowed. He swung his vines wildly without any grass energy. They kicked up brush, sent bark spitting from trees and sprayed dirt everywhere.

“Snap out of it Tangrowth!”

It was no good. Tangrowth began running around in circles, swinging wildly at nothing. Then, suddenly he faced the forest and charged straight into a tree. He grasped it and began slamming his face into it over and over again. Jackson waved his fan.

“Shadow ball! Charge it fully!”

Grey light shimmered around Jackson’s fan as he waved it. The silver bells sang as a sphere of swirling grey fire grew in front of Gastly. It grew and grew until it was bigger than Gastly itself before disappearing. A grey streak shot across the tight open space and exploded on the back of Tangrowth's head. A cloud of black smoke filled the air. Tangrowth stumbled out of it and a drone revealed his back and the giant chunk of vines blown out of it. He took one final step before tripping on the underbrush and collapsing into a limp pile of vines. The siren blared.

“He’s done it! The Challenger, Jackson Kurinji of Pewter City wins, extending his win streak to four!”

The roar of the crowd was fearsome but it was dwarfed by Jackson’s own. It was as if all the doubt and fear weighing down on him was rushing out of him with each cheer.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” He shouted, pumping his fists.

Gastly lingered in the air, eyes drooped by grinning all the same. The flash of frustration across Erika’s face made Jackson’s pride swell larger than himself. But it only lasted a moment as her eyes lay upon her screens and a grin replaced her scowl. Every screen showed Jackson, his was ablaze with elation, practically gleaming. Erika tossed Tangrowth’s pokéball into the arena.

“That’s it, folks! The maiden match of the new Celadon Gym has ended with a challenger victory. But don’t worry all you Erika fans! There’s plenty more action planned for this afternoon. Now, give it up once again for Jackson Kurinji!”

The cheers of the crowd swelled and Jackson faced them with an unstoppable grin. He let it sink in and wash over him. It was a sweet taste, always was. And this victory tasted perhaps the sweetest of them all. Once he was done basking in the adoration of the crowd and the adrenaline had begun to dull, Jackson reached for Gastlie’s pokéball and returned him. He placed the ball on the tray out of habit and at once, it flashed and the balls vanished. Before Jackson could panic, the robotic voice that had greeted him earlier spoke.

“Congratulations, challenger. Your Pokémon have been transported to the Celadon Pokémon Centre. You may collect your Pokémon from Nurse Joel Joy.”

Jackson sighed and stepped off the podium. As he did, he spotted Erika doing the same on the screens. She exited through a door behind her platform so Jackson did the same. The cheering of the crowd muffled, became a whisper and then disappeared entirely as he stepped out into the lobby. He was met with a scowl from the girl in the pink kimono.

“You got lucky, Erika’ll win the next one.”

“Lucky?! Nuh-uh! I found Tangrowth’s weakness and used Gastly’s strength to beat it!”

“Nope! You only won that round cause Tangrowth is scared of ghosts!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yuh-huh!”

“Mavis!” Erika snapped.

She exited the door beside Jackson’s and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Enough, the challenger beat me fair and square.”

“But-”

“I said enough.”

Mavis huffed and went back to her work behind the desk, shooting Jackson a dirty look as Erika moved past her.

“Here Jackson, I think you’ve earned this.”

She reached into the sleeve of her Kimono and pulled out the Rainbow Badge. Jackson stared at it eagerly and as soon as Erika extended her hand he snatched it up. If it wasn’t a pin, Jackson would have squeezed it, he was that excited. Instead, he pinned it beside Sabrina’s golden Marsh Badge. Erika giggled and touched his shoulder.

“That was a great fight, you did amazingly. Tell me! Did you bring that Gastly specifically for my Tangrowth?”

“Uh…” Jackson clutched the back of his head. “Well, I kinda wasn’t planning on using Gastly. I thought I’d beat you with two, three at most.”

Jackson skirted his eyes, making Erika giggle again.

“Well, you did a great job spotting Tangrowth’s weakness nonetheless. Ghosts are a big problem for all Tangrowth. Without a dark move, like Fling, they’re weak to being hit from the inside. However, I would recommend teaching your Golbat some counters to rock attacks and focusing on improving your Beedrill’s defence. Use his bug energy to fortify his armour.”

Jackson scrambled to get out his notepad and began frantically scribbling down this priceless advice. He nodded along and once he had it jotted down, he looked up only to find himself blushing. When she wasn’t his enemy, Erika was actually quite pretty. He snapped his gaze to his shoes, getting an amused laugh from her which only made him blush harder.

“Your team’s speed is incredible though! I can’t wait to see you at your full strength. Make sure to challenge me again when you do. I want to show you my full strength!”

The grin on Erika’s voice spoke through her words, bringing about one for Jackson too.

“I-I will!” He braved her beauty and looked up. “And I’ll win!”

“We’ll see about that!”

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Next chapter, Green, Abby and their pokémon arrive in Fuchsia city. Now safe from ranger attacks they can afford to relax, if only a little. Green spends the day getting in a much needed training session before her first challenge of Fuchsia's Gym Leader, Janine, daughter of the Elite Four's Koga.