Chapter 7 - Maximum Effort

"Common Slaking don't take that!" A young man yells.

He looks to be in his early 20s, short black hair, glasses, t-shirt and shorts.

In the center of the gym is a square marked area of mostly loose dirt with patches of grass. Sunlight shines in from rows of windows in the roof.

The big gorilla just sits against the wall and folds his arms, glaring back at the young man.

A soft giggle comes from the side, a woman sitting on some bleachers with a toddler in her ŀȧp.

"He seems to have had enough dear, besides I think your sister brought a challenger."

He glances over towards us, "Oh? Ya bring me a real fight May?! I swear if one more pre teen brat walks out of here with my badge I'll start using dad's old rules."

May seems unsure of what to say, bȧrėly a second ago she seemed to be glowing with pride for Snorlax's win.

I don't need her to speak for me anyway, "Howdy, I'm Kurt, I'd say I'm a fair bit past my teens but sorry to say this is actually my first time challenging a gym."

The light of excitement visibly fades from his eyes as he gives the most unenthusiastic, "Oh" I've ever heard.

From the bleachers the woman Im suspecting is his wife, giggles again, "Cheer up Dear, you still don't have to fight him like a kid from the neighboring town."

He seems to find his spirit again, "Right, I'm Max, leader of the Petalburg Gym. This really your first gym in general, not just in the region?"

That's what I just said brat. Again he looks super familiar though… Ah! The TV show, him and his sister!

Glancing over, she certainly grew up nice.

Faking an embarrassed chuckle and looking Max in the eye, "Yup my first gym fight ever, show me what ya got, within reason ofcourse."

I wonder how that brat from the show turned out as a trainer.

He scratches the bit of stubble on his chin, "Normally I use some first tier pokemon, nothing fancy save to present a slight challenge. More than wild pokemon and early trainers might fight with. I think we can up it a notch considering your age!"

Max whistles between his fingers and in the distance I hear the sound of barking.

A moment later a large black and grey canine bounds through an open door across the gym. Trailing behind it four pups run in haphazardly followed by a grey ferret of comparable size.

The Mightyena sit in a neat row like trained hounds. The ferret gets in line then sits on its hind legs, back straight, front paw in a military salute.

May hides a laugh behind her hand, I also crack warm smile.

Max calls over, "Lenny, it's your lucky day! We actually have the perfect challenger for you."

The grey ferret gives a yip and runs over in front of Max, facing me with its hands on its hɨps. It then puts a paw towards me and gestures towards me as if to say, 'Come at me!'

I think this thing is a linoone, the evolution of the zigzagoons all over the woods in these parts.

Pulling out my friend ball from my belt, "Alright Shak, its time show off big guy."

A flash of light heralds my monstrosity of a zubat, he flaps his wings and perches on my shoulder like an eagle staring down its prey.

Max nods his head, "Alright I've definitely never seen one that big. May care to play ref? Berke still has a couple days off."

I take a position across the gym as May fetches a pair of flags from a rack on the wall.

She looks at both of us with a grin once she stands at the edge of the marked area, "Trainers are you ready?!"

We both nod, Max calls out, "Welcome to the Pokemon League Kurt!"

May yells, "Fight!"

Max points forward, "Lenny Roll Out!"

The Linoone starts rolling forward at a breakneck speed across the dirt floor while Shak takes off from my shoulders.

I call out, "Wing attack!"

Shak dives low aiming to clip the furball. The two collide, the ferret powering past the hit from my zubat's wing as they both deviate from the clash. Shak swoops around looking to make a better hit.

Lenny comes to a stop seemingly unharmed, he once more gestures towards Shak with a confident grin.

Shak screeches in agreement, I yell, "Show him your own fangs!"

As Shak dives, Max laughs, "Blast him!"

What? It's a ferret, what possible way could it...

Lenny makes a Dragon Ball Z pose and just as Shak opens his gaping mouth to chomp a blinding flash of electricity beams from Lenny's outstretched paws.

Shaq screeches in pain as he flaps away. Did we just get Kamehameha'd?!

Max calls over, "learn to make code words for strategies with your pokemon, some moves chain together for awesome effects!"

Fair enough, "Your turn Shak, Blast him back!"

The big bat makes a straif past Lenny while loudly screeching, the ferret ducks while cradling his ears.

Max yells, "Dust up!"

But a bat doesn't use it's eyes! Shak rounds for another pass.

"Air Cutter Shak!"

He picks up speed and swooshes past the small dust cloud in several quick turns causing visible blades of wind to disperse the dirt and knock aside Lenny.

As he tumbles into a patch of grass I call out, "Chomp him!"

Shak tackles the fallen, confused ferret and bits down on his neck!

Lenny kicks in attempt to break free, scratching deeply at the large bat's sides and wings.

Max raises a fist, "Shock him off Lenny!"

Much the same as my Joltik would, the Linoone releases a burst of static electricity, a thunder wave.

Shak does let of the bite but refuses to let Lenny go as he begins to lift up off the ground.

The ferret's speed won't help him now, "Drop him from high!"

Shak heavily flaps towards the ceiling but instead of just letting go he turns into a dive. Both of the pokemon plummet for the ground. This won't end well for Lenny at all!

Just before the ground Shak looks to let go but a pulse of lingering electricity causes him to clench resulting in both of them slamming into the dirt.

As the dust clears, Lenny is laying on his back in a daze. Shak is standing while breathing heavily, a wing looks heavily scraped up and bleeding.

May calls out, "Linoone is unable to battle,"

Shak starts to sway and he collapses forward.

May raises both flags in a cross, "both pokemon are unable to battle."

I return my zubat to the pokeball, admittedly annoyed he didn't just drop the linoone like I said.

Max similarly seems upset as Lenny returns to a ball, "That zubat seems more than strong enough to evolve, when they get like that they tend not to listen to fresh trainers. It becomes dangerous to use them in official matches."

He pulls out a green pokeball, "Bree, you're up!"

I pull up my phone for the dex app and miss hotty voice identifies the creature, "Breloom, this mushroom pokemon delivers powerful punches and caustic hits with its poisonous tail."

The claws are shiney red and the small pods on its tail suddenly feel menacing while she hops and punches like a prize fighter ready to enter the ring.

Max sighs, "Just another heads up, it's not written in stone but it is generally frowned on to use the dex during an official league fight, especially a gym battle. It's supposed to be a test, challenging your preparation, knowledge, tactics, and ability to adapt to the unexpected."

Got it, no open notebook. The static charged ferret was certainly unexpected, now it's time for my own static shocker.

I grab my net ball from my belt, "Let's show our stuff Tesla."

My shiney red Joltik takes the field causing May and Max to pause.

May mutters, "Kinda cute, for a spider….Trainers are you ready?!"

Max gives another sigh, "At Least I don't need to explain type advantages too."

"Fight!"

I'll move first this time, "Ready the field Tess!"

Dozens of strings and webs start to shoot across the ground between the two pokemon while Tess side steps towards a patch of grass.

Max points forward again, "Spores Away!"

Bree hops forward once and spins like a dancer slinging her tail around and sending a cluster of spores into the air near Tess. They burst mid flight causing a rain of red specs to float to the ground over a large area.

Shit! "Shock it away Tess!"

A small burst of static sends some of the spores off but a lot still hits her.

"Get over there Bree, mind your feet!"

Tess seems to struggle to shrug off the effect while the breloom hops past the maze of webs and strings to close the distance.

Just as my little joltik looks to shake the paralysis, Bree arrives!

"Serve it up Bree!"

With a graceful leap and spin the breloom brings a sweeping kick, knocking Tess off her four legs. Without further instructions the breloom whips her tail from below in a continued spin knocking Tess higher before launching into the air and head buŧŧing Tesla back to the ground.

Talk about spiked, "Shake it off Tess get in your webs!"

She bounces off the floor one last time shooting some string to block the bitch fungal kangaroo from following up it's combo.

Tesla then skitters into her maze of sticky thread and starts rubbing her legs against her fur to build up more static.

I call out, "More webs Tess! Claim your turf."

The gaps fill and soon the breloom can only hop along the edges with no way to advance. Tess starts sending strings in front and behind to block Bree's way.

Max huffs, "A joltik can't keep up webs for so long, it's not a true spider. More spores Bree, the green ones."

That doesn't sound good, as the breloom hops to fling its tail again, "Now Tess!"

A final salvo of string shot hits the ground beneath Bree and trails up catching her feet, her spore toss goess off target.

With a grin, "Reel her in Tess!"

Tesla starts pulling at multiple threads causing a net to close around her victim. She tries to pull her into more webs but it turns out the pokemon is too heavy for little Tess to drag around!

Fine that would be too easy anyway, "Get in there and do it the old fashion way."

My Joltik skitters forward, picking up webs along the way and tossing more onto the breloom before moving to bite down.

Max seems to have been waiting for this, "Counter!"

Just as her fangs are poised a red claw cuts out and hits Tess, sending her flying with bits of web.

Not yet, "Spiderman Tess!"

She hooks her claws on the trailing string and slingshots herself back. A bright arc of red energy flashes along the webs and shocks Bree who's still trying to untangle herself.

Max shouts, "Solar beam!"

The mushroom top begins to glow in the sunlight but it's too slow, Tesla lands on Bree's ċhėst and starts ruthlessly biting and scratching.

Bree struggles to turn the situation but another pulse of red electricity puts her into a daze and she collapses to the ground. Tesla hurriedly wraps the breloom in all the webbing within reach before perching triumphantly on her cocooned prey.

After a moment the struggling stops… I hope it isn't suffocating.

Max shakes his head, "cut her out please."

I nod to Tess and she cuts a line down the wrappings to reveal an unconscious Bree.

May raises a flag towards me, "Breloom is unable to battle, Challenger Kurt Wins!"