CHAPTER 14
Skyla: The Highflying Girl
“All right, boys, pack it up and pack it in. That was great!”
Jim had spent the next couple of hours working on and familiarizing himself with Echo’s, Jolt’s, and Rok’s move sets, for he’d decided on including the faithful Courting Pokemon alongside his two other entrants. They weren’t sure what Skyla would throw at them, but Jim felt confident that he could get an effective dogfight from Echo, blast them out of the sky with Jolt, or catch them by surprise with Rok’s prehistoric brute force.
“Ok, crew, we’re looking good. Remember, Echo, Jolt, do what you can, but if the worst comes to worst, we’re counting on Rok to finish the job. Now, are we ready?” he asked.
“Yeah!” chorused the three.
“I said, are you READY?”
“YEAH!!”
“That’s what I wanna hear! Rok, Jolt, Echo, return!”
All three disappeared into their Poke Balls, and Jim pocketed them as June took her place on his shoulder. With that, Jim and Leanne went back into the Pokemon Center to grab lunch, intending to later scout out the Mistralton Gym or Skyla, whichever came first.
***
Mistralton City was in the westernmost part of Unova, surrounded by three different mountain ranges. Due to its positioning, it was also subject to frequent cool weather, which began to manifest itself as the autumn days began to wind down. Though it was a small town, as Nigel said, its pride and joy was its airport, which handled the Mistralton Cargo Service, a nationwide delivery system that sent planes out with cargo shipments daily, and had an extensive and dedicated staff. Their motto was ‘Quick and Safe’, and so far, no accidents had ever impaired the validity of that slogan.
Since Skyla was a pilot at this airport, Jim decided to seek her out there first. What he found was a massive tarmac that seemed to stretch literally for miles. He could just barely see the fence that bordered it on the other side. At the far end was a line of glass buildings, which appeared to be greenhouses, while an enormous hanger stood at the opposite end. Cargo planes sat fueling up or ready for take off, so that the air was filled with the buzz of propellers and the growl of engines. A radio tower stood beside the hanger, its antenna swirling with mechanical regularity.
“How are we gonna find Skyla in all this noise and hubbub?” asked Leanne.
“She’s an ace pilot, so somebody must know where she is,” said Jim.
He approached a pilot speaking to a ground crew member.
“Excuse me, sir?”
“Mm? Yes?”
“We’re looking for Skyla, for a Gym Battle. Would you happen to know where she is?”
“Ah, certainly! That’s her coming in for a landing right now!”
He pointed skyward to a one-seater plane that was indeed coming in for a landing. One squeal of tires on the tarmac later, and the plane skidded to an easy halt, its propellers winding down. The co*ckpit opened, and, after removing her aviation helmet, a girl close to Jim’s own age, though perhaps 17 or 18, swung her legs over the side and eased herself down onto the ground.
Jim had thought Elesa looked extravagant, but this girl was positively outlandish in appearance. She had a cute, cheery face crowned with red hair done up with a barrette shaped like a propeller. She was wearing large gloves, boots, a blue top covering only her chest, and a pair of blue shorts, these connected by a crisscross of belts forming an X over her bare midriff. It astounded Jim how she could stand to be up at high, cold altitudes with such little covering. Sometimes, he just couldn’t understand female fashion sense…
“Any sign of them, Sky?” asked the pilot Jim had questioned.
“Not one, Cal,” said Skyla, with a sigh. “They’re fast for a big group. As soon as Clay told me they were on the move, I tried to scope them out, but wherever they went, they’re long gone.”
Jim’s ears perked up at this. Was she keeping an eye out for Team Plasma?
He cleared his throat, catching Cal’s attention.
“Ah! Skyla, this young man was looking for you. Says he wants a Gym Battle.”
“That so?” asked Skyla, turning her attention to Jim. “Well, hey there! Name’s Skyla, or Sky, for short.”
She held out her hand, and Jim shook it.
“I’m Jim, Jim Stevens, from Nuvema Town, and this is Leanne from Accumula Town.”
“Charmed! You’ve got pretty lucky timing, bud. I was just finishing up my daily fly-by, and I’m feeling in the mood for a good battle!”
“Um, if I may ask,” said Jim, “were you talking about Team Plasma?”
Skyla gave a small start.
“Hey, yeah! How did you know?”
“Well-”
“Wait a minute…” She clapped a hand to her forehead. “Now I remember! Jim Stevens! Clay told me you’d be coming our way!”
“You keep in contact with Clay?”
“Of course! Driftveil City’s one of our biggest hotspots for our cargo delivery service. He told me two things to keep an eye out for: ‘some low-down, armor-wearing skunks’ and ‘a Trainer by the name of Jim Stevens looking for a Gym Battle’.”
She put her hands on her hips and looked him over.
“And you sure don’t look like an armor-wearing skunk to me, so you must be Jim Stevens.”
“That’d be me,” said Jim, with a laugh. “So, are we ready to do this?”
“Definitely!” said Skyla, clapping him on the shoulder. “Follow me!”
And turning on her heel, she strode down the tarmac toward the hanger, Jim and Leanne tagging behind.
***
The inside of the hanger was truly remarkable. Given its huge size, Jim had figured it was built to accommodate a vast fleet or aircraft, but once inside, he found that the aircraft was nestled cozily on either side, and the middle portion was converted into a regulation battlefield, painted and everything, all under an open roof, so that the sun blazed down on them from above. Skyla took her place at one end, while Jim stood at the other. Leanne, June, and Oshawott stood off to the side.
“You must be pretty good to make it this far,” said Skyla.
“Well, I’m not one to toot my horn,” said Jim, adjusting his cap, “but I’ve had a few close shaves.”
“Well, prepare yourself, then. If this is for your 6th badge, you’ve come a long way, but it’s time to face the big leagues, bud! I may be an ace pilot, but I’m also an ace Flying type master.”
“Oh, I’m ready,” said Jim, boldly.
“Great! Grandpa, we’re ready!”
An elderly man with receding, iron-gray hair stepped out into the open light, bearing a pair of referee flags.
“My grandfather was an amazing pilot in his day,” said Skyla, “and I’ve chosen him to referee our match.”
“I know you’ll do me proud, my girl,” said the old man, paternally.
Skyla beamed, and the old man cleared his throat noisily.
“Today’s Gym Battle between the challenger, Jim Stevens of Nuvema Town, and Mistralton City Gym Leader Skyla is about to begin! Each combatant will use three Pokemon, with no time limit. Only the challenger is allowed to make substitutions. Let the battle…begin!”
Both drew their first Poke Balls.
“Echo, you’re up!”
In a burst of light, Jim’s Swoobat appeared, fluttering in the air.
“Oh! A Swoobat! I love Swoobat!” gushed Skyla, “but I’m gonna go for a different approach this time around. Unfezant, go for it!”
One burst of light later, and a male Unfezant appeared, standing calm and proud on the battlefield.
Jim felt an involuntary shudder pass through him as he remembered his encounter outside Nuvema Town against the swarm of Tranquill and their Unfezant leader. Then again, it was that instant that had sealed his destiny and earned him June’s trust. Still, there was no mistaking that green under-coloring or that mask-like adornment over the eyes, with the long wattles extending toward the ground. Jim took out his Pokedex.
“Unfezant, the Proud Pokemon, and the evolved form of Tranquill. Male Unfezant intimidate their opponents by swinging their plumage. They remain loyal only to their Trainer.”
Jim looked over at June, but was startled by what he saw. She was gripping Oshawott’s paw with one of hers, and her other was clasped to her heart, her chest heaving with her suddenly heavy breath. Worst of all, there was a look of absolute terror in her eyes as she looked at Skyla’s Unfezant. Old memories die slow, it seemed.
“June?” he asked. “What’s the matter?”
June, hearing Jim’s voice, shook her head vigorously, and the terror seemed to pass away.
“I’ll be all right,” she said. “Just some…unpleasant memories.”
Jim nodded gravely. “I gotcha.”
Suddenly, there was the sound of a Poke Ball opening, and in the next moment, Tranquill appeared beside Leanne, who was astonished at this action.
“Tranquill! I didn’t call you out!”
“Oh my stars…” gasped Tranquill, looking straight at Unfezant. “He’s absolutely handsome! Yoo-hoo!”
She waved to Unfezant, who gave the very merest of glances her way. Echo looked from Tranquill to Unfezant, and his face darkened with rage.
“Are we gonna get this show on the road?” asked Skyla.
“Right, let’s,” said Jim. “Echo, you ready?…Echo!”
“Uh? Er, yeah! I’m ready!…More ready than I was before…”
Jim didn’t recognize the dark undertone Echo carried in his voice as he said this. Clearly, this wasn’t just a battle for a badge anymore, not for Echo…
“Then start things off with an Air Cutter!”
Echo swooped up into the air, his wings glowing white. Each forceful flap sent waves of white energy right for Unfezant.
“Unfezant, Detect!”
A glint of blue appeared in Unfezant’s yellow eyes, and he leaned himself to the right and left, dodging each of the blasts sent at him.
“Oh, so dexterous,” said Tranquill.
Echo growled.
“Simmer down, pal,” said Jim, warningly. “He can’t keep that up forever. Do it again!”
Echo spread his wings and flapped sharply once more, sending another Air Cutter straight for Unfezant.
“Detect!”
Unfezant deftly dodged the attacks once more.
“Such grace…such finesse…” said Tranquill in a swooning voice.
With a snarl, Echo pulled his wing back, a familiar black and purple ball forming in front of his face.
“Echo, stop!” commanded Jim, sharply. “That won’t do any good!”
Too late, Echo fired, and the Shadow Ball sailed for Unfezant, who stood impassively, and for good reason. The attack struck against his chest and evaporated, harmless as smoke. Skyla shook her head with an amused smile.
“That’s just pathetic,” she said. “Even beginners know that even half-Normal Pokemon are immune to Ghost attacks.”
“Echo!” snapped Jim, “What in the world has gotten into you?! I didn’t ask for a Shadow Ball! I understand that he annoyed you, but that’s no reason to disobey me!”
These words seemed to snap Echo back to his senses, and a guilty look replaced the glower that had commanded his countenance moments before.
“Unfezant, use Air Slash!” said Skyla.
Unfezant’s wings glowed a bright blue as he pulled them back, with the mighty flap of his wings, a team of what looked like buzz saws made of wind blasted from them and soared for Echo, who cried out as he was struck over and over by the onslaught, nearly bringing him to the ground.
“Echo!” yelled Jim.
“Oh my,” said Tranquill, concerned, “poor Echo…Such a savage attack.”
Echo, though battered, instantly perked up at this sympathy bestowed upon him, and took to higher skies with a new vigor. Jim couldn’t help observing this, and a dawning comprehension seized him.
“Oh…” he muttered to himself in interest. “I see how it is. Well, don’t worry, pal. We’ll make her proud.”
“Not going to call a new attack?” asked Skyla, “Then allow me. Unfezant, Air Slash once again!”
Unfezant unleashed another onslaught of air-blades.
“Echo, stop them with Confusion!”
Echo’s eyes began to glow a purple-pink, as did the rest of his body, and the same glow surrounded the Air Slash blades. However, there was some real power behind them, as the effort to hold them back was putting a lot of strain into the little blue bat, his brow beaded with sweat.
“Come on, Echo…You can do it…” encouraged Jim.
With one mighty effort, Echo tossed the Air Slash blades straight back, and Unfezant, not expecting this at all, was slammed by his own barrage. Skyla’s jaw dropped.
“No way!”
“Yes way!” said Jim, triumphantly. “Atta boy, Echo!”
Echo, however, was looking at Tranquill, who was gazing up at him with admiration. He tipped her a wink, which made her give a start, and the color mounted to her cheeks as she smiled.
“We’re not through yet!” said Skyla. “Unfezant, Aerial Ace!”
Unfezant spread his wings, crouched, and blasted straight into the sky like an arrow.
“Dodge!” said Jim.
Echo swept to the side, Unfezant blazing past. As he turned back around, however, Echo drew his wings back, which blazed blue, and he swept them forward as if doing Air Cutter, but instead…out came an Air Slash, striking Unfezant on his return and making him veer off course once again. Jim couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Echo! You learned Air Slash!” he said. “That’s unbelievable!”
Echo beamed.
“Oho, this is getting good!” said Skyla, energetically, “but let’s put an end to this! Unfezant, Giga Impact!”
Unfezant landed back on the ground, crouched once more, wings spread out, and a golden aura surrounded him. Jim knew what was coming.
“Echo, counter it with Heart Stamp! Give it all you’ve got!”
Echo swept into the air, his nose blazing a reddish-pink. As he reached the open ceiling, the glow became a shimmering beacon. Unfezant soared upwards, surrounded in a golden fire, and Echo swooped down to meet him, the glow of his nose carrying over into his entire body. The two blazed right for each other, closer…closer…closer…
WHAM!!!
The force of their impact sent tremors throughout the whole Gym, and it was accompanied by an explosion of light that blinded everybody present. When it all cleared, there was no one in the air. Instead, there lay two figures on the ground. Unfezant and Echo had knocked each other out with their attacks…
Skyla’s grandfather raised both flags.
“Both Unfezant and Swoobat are unable to battle!” he said. “The first match-up is a draw!”
Skyla let out a groan, but as she recalled her Unfezant, she said, “Good work.”
Jim, meanwhile, picked up Echo.
“I’m proud of you, Echo,” he said. “You had a couple minor hiccups, but you still managed to take Unfezant out.”
“Thanks, Jim,” said Echo, weakly. “Only, don’t call me back. Let me sit on the sidelines.”
“With Tranquill?” Jim supplied.
Echo blushed, but nodded.
“I understand. Go get her, Casanova,” he added, wryly.
Echo just chuckled and put his wing on Jim’s arm, and his Trainer led him to the sidelines and placed him down between Tranquill and June. The Wild Pigeon Pokemon immediately sidled up to him.
“Oh, Echo, you were marvelous,” she said. “How could I have ever rooted for that Unfezant over you, when I’ve only seen him for a moment, while you, dear friend…”
She said nothing more, but rested her cheek against his, which all but made him melt in pleasure on the spot.
“Not bad, Jim, not bad,” said Skyla. “You managed to make a draw of Round 1, but now it’s time for Round 2! Ready?”
“You bet I am!” said Jim, drawing his 2nd Poke Ball.
“Great! Swanna, go!”
Skyla’s next Pokemon to appear was a very elegant white swan with huge wings and water-blue feathers on its breast. Jim brought out his Pokedex once more.
“Swanna, the White Bird Pokemon, and the evolved form of Ducklett. Its flexible neck and sharp beak allow it to attack rapidly and precisely. Flocks fly out when the sun rises, and the middle Swanna in a flock is its leader.”
“Water and Flying, huh?” said Jim, grinning. “The odds are with us, then. Jolt, go!”
One burst of light later, and the Zebstrika stood tall and proud. Instead of looking intimidated, Skyla put her hands on her hips with a grin.
“An Electric type? Seriously?” she asked. “I swear, Trainers like you always look for an easy advantage.”
“Just playing it like it is,” said Jim. “Just to be fair, I’ll let you have the first move.”
“Why, thank you,” said Skyla, dropping a mock curtsey. “That’s very gracious of you. Swanna, Bubblebeam!”
Swanna drew back its next, then threw its head forward, spewing a stream of bubbles from its beak.
“Thunderbolt!” said Jim.
Jolt’s mane shone a vivid yellow which carried to the stripes on his body, and a bolt of lightning lanced from his body, blasting through the bubbles and straight for Swanna.
“Protect!” commanded Skyla.
Swanna spread its wings, and a greenish orb surrounded its body, the Thunderbolt striking against it and glancing off. Jim and Jolt both grimaced.
“Well played,” said Jim, “but we’ll see how long you can keep that up. Jolt, Thunderbolt once more!”
“Counter it with Ice Beam!”
As Jolt fired another bolt of electricity, Swanna lunged its next forward, beak open, and this time, an ice-blue bolt shot from it, striking the Thunderbolt in midair. The two attacks struggled for several tense moments before finally cancelling each other out.
“This isn’t getting us anywhere,” said Jim, grimly. “We need a new tactic…Jolt, secret weapon time!”
With a grin, Jolt charged up his electrical reserves once more. To Skyla’s astonishment, he fired a Thunderbolt straight into the air, which arced backwards and blasted right back into him. The burst was blinding, but when it subsided, Jolt stood with all that was white on his body glimmering a golden yellow.
“What…what did you do?” asked Skyla.
“Something I cooked up ever since Jolt was a Blitzle. Since it’s unlikely he’ll ever get a lucky Electric strike from an opponent, I decided to devise a way to self-activate his Motor Drive Ability.”
“Oh…very clever,” said Skyla, intrigued, “but Speed’s only going to get you so far. Swanna, Ice Beam!”
“Flame Charge!”
Jolt began stomping the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, and just as Swanna fired another bolt of ice, the Thunderbolt Pokemon dashed forward, cloaked in flames. He struck the Ice Beam head on, and though slowed down for a moment, he began to conquer it, edging forward and making a cloud of steam from the evaporating ice all the while. Finally, with another burst, he blazed forward and slammed into Swanna, knocking it back.
“Kind of bittersweet,” said Jim, “since Fire isn’t effective against Water.”
“Now we’re talking!” said Skyla. “Let’s keep it going!”
“But how?” Jim muttered to himself. “If I use Thunderbolt, she’ll just use Protect or Ice Beam to counter, and she has Bubblebeam, which could douse another Flame Charge…unless…”
His face lit up as an idea struck him.
“Aha…Jolt, Flame Charge once again!”
“Tch. Didn’t you learn from your Swoobat using Shadow Ball on Unfezant?” asked Skyla. “Swanna, get ready to douse it with Bubblebeam!”
Jolt stomped up another cloud of dust, and Swanna fired a barrage of bubbles just as Jolt dashed forward.
“Now, Jolt!” shouted Jim. “Swerve and come up behind!”
Skyla’s eyes popped open at this. Sure enough, Jolt cut to the right, avoiding the bubbles and skidding to a halt behind Swanna and to its left.
“Now, Thunderbolt!”
Jolt let loose an enormous bolt of lightning that struck Swanna, the surprised bird letting out a squawk of pain as it was struck. Deftly, Jolt returned to his side of the field and pawed at the dirt with his hoof.
“Whoo!” whooped Skyla, “I haven’t had this much excitement since my last flight during a big storm! You’re giving me thrills, Jim!”
“Um…glad to be of service?” Jim said, confused.
“But your Thunderbolt-ing’s called down the thunder on this bout!” said Skyla, pointing forward dramatically. “Swanna, Hurricane!”
Swanna flew into the air, its wings beginning to glow brilliantly. The flapping that resulted from them brought down a powerful gust of gale-force wind that nearly blew Jim off his feet. Jolt began to slide backwards, though he clenched his eyes shut and dug his hooves against the ground.
“Hang in there, Jolt…” warned Jim.
“Now, Swanna, while he’s distracted, Ice Beam!”
Swanna fired another bolt of ice, and this one struck home, blasting Jolt square in the chest and knocking him back. He skidded to a halt and shook himself off with a “Brr!”
“Atta boy, Jolt, take it like a champ!” said Jim.
“Your Zebstrika’s certainly tough, but we’re not done yet! Swanna, give it another Hurricane!”
Swanna swept up and began flapping its glowing wings yet again.
“Fire a Thunderbolt!” yelled Jim.
Jolt sent an arcing blast of lightning at Swanna, but the force of the wind sent it off spiraling to strike the wall just above the spectators, making them cringe away in surprise. Jim grimaced at the thought of what almost happened, then scratched his head in thought, wondering how he could get past this…
And then, an idea, more like an insane gambit, presented itself to him, and he had the calculating grin to prove it.
“Jolt, go in for a Wild Charge!”
Rightly so, Jolt looked at him as if he were out of his mind.
“Trust me! Just give it a shot!”
With one concerned glance back at him, Jolt steeled his nerves, pawed the ground, and crouched, as his stripes and mane began to glimmer and crackle anew. Skyla watched with interest as the glow intensified, and then, finally, Jolt sprang forward, surrounded by a veil of lightning as he galloped straight ahead, straining against the force of the Hurricane winds.
“Come on…you can do it…”
Jolt galloped harder as the winds pushed against him, Swanna trying to keep it up as it seemed to sense the threat of the impact. However, the boost from Flame Charge and activating Motor Drive decided the outcome. With a final burst, Jolt rocketed forward and leaped at Swanna, tackling it right out of the sky. The lightning aura exploded, and the winds died down all at once. Jolt was thrown clear back across the battlefield, where he landed heavily on his hooves, while Swanna crumpled on its back, out cold. Skyla’s grandfather raised a flag.
“Swanna is unable to battle! The winner is Zebstrika!”
Skyla recalled Swanna, looking disappointed, as Leanne and the Pokemon cheered from the sidelines.
“And here I wanted to shatter the misconception that Electric will always beat Flying.”
“Well, don’t get me wrong, Skyla, you very nearly had me,” said Jim. “You were planned for everything.”
Skyla’s downcast face traded itself for a smile.
“Aw, thanks,” she said. “To be honest, you’ve got one heck of a Zebstrika there.”
A sly smile crossed her youthful face as she drew her third Poke Ball.
“Which is why it’s only fitting that it battles my top Pokemon. Braviary, take to the skies!”
She tossed the ball up, and in the burst of light, a very large bird appeared, nearly 5 feet tall, hovering in the air with deliberate flaps of its enormous wings. It was mainly blue, but Jim could see the red that covered its back, as well as the red tail feathers tipped in yellow and blue. Its head was crowned with a plume of white feathers, with a red crest over its sharp beak and proud eyes. Jim brought out his Pokedex once more.
“Braviary, the Valiant Pokemon. This noble warrior of the skies fights for its friends no matter what the odds, and is only respected all the more if its battle scars are numerous. All Braviary are male.”
“Wow…that’s a really majestic Pokemon.”
“Thanks! He’s my go-to Pokemon when my plane’s having tech issues.”
Braviary let out a proud caw.
“Then let’s give it a good show, Jolt. Only the best for a ‘warrior of the skies’,” said Jim. “Thunderbolt!”
Jolt let loose a blast of lightning right for Braviary.
“Dodge it, then go in for Crush Claw!”
Braviary swept upwards, the Thunderbolt just missing his tail, then dove for Jolt, his talons glowing a fiery white. Unfortunately, Jolt couldn’t get out of the way in time, and found himself struck by a vicious slash from the talons, tossing him across the field and onto his side.
“Jolt!” yelled Jim. “You all right?”
Jolt shakily got to his hooves, but looked like he was hurting badly.
“That attack did that much?…”
“Oh! Did I forget to mention?” said Skyla, “Baviary has his own Ability too, called Sheer Force. It doesn’t let him use added effects for his attacks, but gives those attacks a huge power boost!”
“Oh…that’s not good,” muttered Jim. “Well, hang in there, Jolt! Try for a Flame Charge!”
Jolt stomped at the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, then charged through it, shrouded in flames, as he galloped for Braviary.
“Braviary, catch it in your talons and take it for a ride with Sky Drop!”
Jim started. Did he hear all of that right?…
He had. Without missing a beat, Braviary swooped at Jolt and grabbed him along the back with his talons, not even bothering about the flames surrounding him. Jolt was brought to an immediate stop, the flames disappearing, as Braviary swept into the air, flying higher and higher, high enough so that he even left the building entirely, hovering above the battlefield, Jolt flailing all the while, but Braviary took no heed. Everyone craned their necks to see what was going on.
Then, with unbelievable swiftness and force, Braviary flung Jolt earthwards, where he plummeted straight down and slammed right in the center of the battlefield, rocking the floor with the impact and leaving a crater. In the center of said crater, Jolt lay, knocked out cold. Skyla’s grandfather raised a flag.
“Zebstrika is unable to battle! Braviary wins!”
Jim let out a sigh as he called Jolt back.
“Good work, pal. I’m proud of you…I gotta say, Skyla, that Braviary of yours has some brute force behind it.”
“Doesn’t he, though?”
“Well, you may have your secret weapon…but I also have mine,” said Jim, holding up his third Poke Ball.
“Oh?”
“Yep, one that, you might say…turns back the clock a few years. Rok, it’s your time to shine!”
He tossed the ball up, it burst open, and with a shrill cry, the newly-evolved Archeops appeared. Skyla’s jaw could’ve hit the floor if possible. Even her grandfather looked stunned.
“That’s a…how did…Where did you get an Archeops?!”
“A present from the good folks at the Nacrene Museum,” said Jim. Rok flapped his wings and squawked.
“Whoa…this is…WHOA! Now THIS is gonna be an awesome final battle!” whooped Skyla, hopping up and down excitedly. “All my life I’ve wanted to see or battle a real Archeops, and now I’ve got the chance! Let’s make this a good fight, Jim!”
“But of course,” said Jim, giving the brim of his hat a twitch. “Rok, get ready.”
Rok nodded and unfurled his feathery wings.
“Braviary, use Crush Claw!”
Braviary dove, its talons blazing once more.
“Rok, Aerial Ace!”
With a sweep of his wings, Rok swept upwards and forwards, narrowly missing Braviary’s attack before striking back by slamming into him from behind.
“Ooh, yeah!” said Skyla, excitedly. “Let’s make this a dogfight! Braviary, Crush Claw, once again!”
Once more, Braviary lunged, talons glowing.
“Dodge and use AncientPower!” said Jim.
Rok swept out of the way of Braviary’s attack, then cupped his claws in front of his face. A glowing white sphere, which seemed to possess small chunks of stone floating within it, formed and expanded until he launched it, striking Braviary square in the chest, knocking it back.
“Ok, you’ve got yourself a speedy Archeops,” said Skyla, “This is getting more and more exciting!”
“Glad to keep you entertained,” said Jim, cracking a grin. “Rok, give him another AncientPower!”
Rok formed another glowing ball in front of his face.
“Braviary, blast straight on through with Superpower!”
As Rok launched the AncientPower, Braviary flew straight for him, a fierce blue aura surrounding his entire body. He blasted right through the AncientPower, smashing it as if it were a real stone, and carried straight on through, slamming full-force into Rok, who toppled backwards from the impact, almost hitting the ground, but catching himself at the last minute. Jim winced.
“Ooh…that looked like it really hurt. Rok’s a Rock type, but a Flying type too, which means normal damage from Fighting moves…”
“Come on, Jim, no stalling!” said Skyla, “Or else you’re gonna get crushed! Speaking of, Braviary, Crush Claw!”
Braviary dove talon-first for Rok.
“Rok, use Dragonbreath!”
Rok took a deep breath and let out a reptilian roar, a roar punctuated by a jet of white flames that spewed from his fanged mouth. Braviary saw too late what it had gotten itself into, and was struck full-force by the flames, bringing a wince from Skyla.
“What was that you were saying, Skyla?” asked Jim, wryly.
“Har-har, very funny,” said Skyla, “but we’re not through yet. Braviary, Sky Drop!”
Bravary flew straight at Rok, talons at the ready.
“I don’t think so!” said Jim. “Rok, use Crunch!”
With the dexterity of a snake, Rok moved his neck back, narrowly missing Braviary’s talons, then bit violently down on his leg. Braviary’s eyes popped wide open, and he let out a howl of pain as he tried to whip Rok off of him. He finally succeeded in shaking the First Bird Pokemon off, but the latter looked very proud of himself for his maneuvering, while the former was glaring at him with a gaze that could have melted ice.
“Your Archeops has a lot of energy,” said Skyla, “but you’re not gonna get out of this so easily.”
“We’ll see,” said Jim. “Rok, Aerial Ace!”
“Superpower!”
The two soared at each other, and the match turned into an all-out dogfight, each dodging and striking this way and that, only chance deciding who got a hit in and who didn’t. Rok swiped and bit while Braviary struck out with his wings or his talons, the sky becoming overcast as a true visual testament to their furious struggle. The wind picked up and blew through the open ceiling as everyone watched the two rivals duking it out.
Skyla, a grim smile on her face, gave a business-like tug at her flight gloves.
“Jim, your Archeops is just amazing. It hurts me to have to do this, but it’s my duty as a Gym Leader to give my all, and by gum, that’s what I’m about to do! Braviary, prepare for Brave Bird!”
Braviary swept back, covered in buffets and scrapes from his dogfight with Rok. A blue glow surrounded his noble frame, a glow that soon became a blazing, towering fire. Jim didn’t know what to expect, but he knew that fiery aura plus strong Pokemon equals very, very bad news. There was only one thing for it…
“Rok, I want you to counter with AncientPower,” he said, “and don’t spare anything in using it. Give it everything you have! Understand?”
Rok looked uneasily at him for a moment, but then, with a confident smile, he nodded and, turning back towards Braviary, cupped his claws in front of his face, forming another white, blazing sphere studded with floating rock chunks. As Braviary spread his wings and blazed straight for Rok like an arrow, the sphere grew bigger and bigger, until it was just as big as he was, if not bigger!
And then, he fired!
Braviary and the AncientPower connected, the impact unleashing an enormous, fiery explosion that all but blew Jim off of his feet and deafened him to boot. June and Oshawott kept a tight grip on Leanne’s legs to keep from blowing away while Echo shielded Tranquill with his leathery wings. A heavy smokescreen hung over the battlefield, and for several tense moments, not a trace of the combatants could be seen.
And then…two floating shapes were seen, barely inches from each other: Rok and Braviary, glaring each other down, both looking very battered and worn. However, Braviary looked the most damaged, with smoke from the explosion still dissipating in wisps off of his wings and back. His noble eyes were narrowed to mere slits, and Rok was giving him quite the enduring stink-eye as well.
Then…it happened.
Braviary, without making a single check in its steadfast expression, dropped to the ground, finally yielding. Skyla gasped, and her grandfather raised one flag.
“Braviary is unable to battle! Archeops is the winner, and the victory goes to the challenger, Jim Stevens!”
Jim stood stock-still, absolutely stunned by what he’d just seen, but found himself knocked violently out of his stupor as Rok swooped at him and wrapped his wings around him in a crushing hug. Finally finding his senses again, Jim laughed and embraced the goofy Archeops.
“You did it, Rok! I knew you’d see us through! You were amazing!”
“Me good secret weapon, Jim-friend?”
“You were an awesome secret weapon, buddy! I’m proud of you!”
Rok beamed and nuzzled his scaly head against Jim’s cheek. Leanne and the little crowd of Pokemon cheered wildly, praising Rok for pulling off a spectacular finish. Skyla, meanwhile, had hunched down by Braviary and was stroking his plumage.
“You were wonderful, Braviary,” she said, consolingly. “Even though we lost, I’m still proud of you. Now get a good rest.”
And the Valiant Pokemon vanished into its Poke Ball.
“You did a splendid job, my girl,” said her grandfather. “You didn’t win, but you put on quite the aerial battle.”
“Thanks, Grandpa,” said Skyla, with a smile.
She then crossed over to Jim, who finally managed to get out of Rok’s crusher-hug.
“Jim, I’ve gotta say, out of all the Trainers who’ve faced me over the years, you gave me the biggest thrill out of any of them! Your Archeops is an absolute marvel!”
“Thanks, Skyla. You really had me on my toes, though. If this is what it’s gonna be like from here on out, I’ve gotta step up my game.”
“See that you do,” said Skyla, with a giggle.
Then, clearing her throat, she reached into the pocket of her shorts and pulled out a badge resembling a bluish feather.
“As Gym Leader of Mistralton City, I, Skyla, confer onto you, Jim Stevens, the Jet Badge!”
And she placed it into the palm of his hand. Jim held it skyward, where it caught the sun filtering through a rent in the clouds.
“And this makes six: the Jet Badge!”
The pose only lasted a moment, however, as Rok took that moment to tackle Jim to the ground from behind, like a playful dog. As everyone around him laughed, Jim muttered, in a strained voice,
“Now I can see why the Professor wanted you off her hands for a while…”
