Up! Up! Up! Reach the Sky Badge! [Gym Challenge]

[Alex Wynn]

Today was the day. He could feel his hands sweating from a combination of fear, anticipation, and aggravation. His legs had frozen up when he arrived at the entrance, all he could do was stare at the emblem of the Aina Pokemon League that marked this facility as one of the eight Aina gyms. "Come on Alex. Come on, move your damned legs!" he cursed at himself. He was prepared for this! Hours of training, trekking out in search of treasured members to his party, and many battles had led up to this moment; One of the most crucial bookmarks in any Pokemon League challengers journey.

Why though? Why was he so scared to enter. Was he not mentally prepared for the trial ahead? Did he not believe in the days of hard work he and his Pokemon had put in to get to where they stood now? No! Of course he did, they had all worked so hard in learning new techniques, developing their battle styles, and in Jeanne's case even evolving! So much training and battling was proof in itself which meant he would need to do his part. He had to be the leader, the one to take the first steps and have his member follow behind him. 

"Deep breaths Alex." he followed his own advice, taking a few deep breaths. The rigid limbs that kept him from moving starting to loosen up with each exhale. "Alright. Let's do this." His face taking on a drastic change from his usual worry, to a determined mask. His resolve set, he entered the building to face his first real challenge in his career as a trainer. 

"Yo there Champ!" A foreign voice boomed. Alex looked around, seeing a man wearing shades in semi-formal attire. The man waved for Alex to come, to which the obedient young man obliged. "Nice to see some fresh blood here! This your first gym, yeah? You got that virgin look to ya." Alex's face reddened so fast he felt he was about to pass out. Though the strange man before him laughed heartily at the response he had gained "I'm kidding kid! Well, this here is the Flying type gym, ran by the gym leader Cielo. To get to him though, you're gonna have to go and get through the jet first. See, gyms usually test the wit and judgment of trainers with a little puzzle. Once you get through there, the path to Cielo will open up. The trainer made a mental note of that. Seemed there was a lot more to gym challenges than what he assumed. "One last thing! Don't assume he's using your standard Flying pokemon! Gyms here have a wide variety of teams to use so keep on your toes. Good luck kid, I'm always rooting for the underdog." the man gave a thumbs up to further show his belief. Alex gave the man his sincere thanks and moved on to the trial he spoke of.

Jet Maze Theme

He boarded a large jet, various trolleys littered with food stuffs and other passenger conveniences sitting in the three aisles blocking the way to his goal. It seemed he would need to find a way to the front emergency exit if he wished to challenge the gym leader but the way was blocked from his side by the various trolleys. "So I'll need to find a way around." he quickly figured, simple enough. He started by choosing one of the two free aisles, only to be caught in a dead end, luckily enough he had just started, and made note that he would need to be wary of other aisles blocked by food carts. 

The other aisle led him to the middle cabin, this time all three aisles were open and it seemed they started to connect with one another as there were breaks in between the rows of seats for passage. He chose his path, leading him to the back cabin. Looking back and over one of the seats, he saw another trainer sporting the same emblem as the gym, waiting patiently. Perhaps he was one of the gym trainers? He heard they were a staple in gyms, challenging the challengers to see if they were indeed prepared for the upcoming gym leader.

Happy he didn't need to worry about a weakened member for the gym, he quickly took the emergency exit. The slide led to a fixed path that looped to the Cargo Hold of the commercial liner. When he walked up the ramp to the cargo hold, he was stopped by large luggage on rollers blocking his path with a light leaking from the back of the storage unit. It seemed this section was arranged in such a way that he would need to move the cases around to get back to the rear cabin.

It was a simple puzzle, moving one case one way, two in another, and a final up and to the right to make himself a straight path. When he was back in the cabins of the jet it was a straight walk back to the front emergency exit which he quickly slid down. Taking him to a straight path on the runway, the gym leader in clear sight. As he walked along the runway he wondered about the Pokemon he would use. Morgana was made for this, her Ice/Rock typing making the perfect counter for any Flying type Pokemon. Jeanne's newly acquired power as a Luxio would surely come in handy as well, she would definitely provide a lot of necessary power. That left one free slot, he had just began training Khroma in the use of Rock-type attacks and with her surprising bulk she would be a great opener to the battle.

"Yes, this works. Alright, I'm counting on you three." he said holding their pokeballs in his hand. He approached the gym leader, confident in his preparations. "Hello sir. My name is Alex Wynn, and I've come to challenge you for your gym badge." he announced. He gulped, awaiting the gym leader's response. Though he couldn't deny how eager he was for his first gym battle to finally begin and to let go of all the unnecessary stress he was holding on to.

[Satori]

Facing Alex as he reached the end of the runway was a young, clean-shaven man in a pilot's uniform and cap. Until Alex spoke, his head was bowed and his eyes were hidden, suggesting that he might have been nodding off before Alex got there. Once Alex addressed him though, he looked up and seemed to be mostly alert. "Ahh, yes," he said. He definitely seemed to be a bit tired. "Welcome to the Lani City Gym. I am Cielo, the leader here."

He looked Alex over for a moment before continuing. "You...if I had to guess, I would say this is your first gym challenge. Very well. We will each use three Pokemon. I accept your challenge. Let the best trainer win." He reached into his jacket, pulling out a Pokeball and tossing it into the air. It opened midair and a Vullaby emerged, flapping its tiny wings quickly to hold its position above the runway.

Music: Unova Gym Battle (remastered)

Gym Challenge: Vs Cielo


Opponent 1: Vullaby
Gender: Female
Ability: Overcoat

[Alex Wynn]

Was everyone able to see that he was new? Man, this was starting to get embarrassing. Nevertheless he now had a gym battle to worry about, the man gave his rules for the battle, it was convenient that it was a three-on-three, he didn't know how well his other Pokemon would do against flying-type opponents. He must be a man of few words because he was quick to start the trial. "The same to you." Alex replied. "Khroma, time to start." he announced, tossing a pokeball from his belt, his Gligar emerging from a white light. 

His opponents sent out a Vullaby, he remembered seeing them about at home. They were quite. . . disturbing Pokemon, something he never planned on using. Although his time as a trainer has shown that things don't always go according to plan. In any case, he needed to start giving orders. He already knew that Khroma would do well, he just needed to show it. It wouldn't be wise to start on an all out offensive right away. No, he needed to scout his oppenent's reactions, and he knew just the attack to do so.

"Alright Khroma, litter the field with Stealth Rocks!" Alex ordered. The Flying Scorpion closed it's wings before raising high and with a flourish threw out shards of stone. When they touched the ground they stood up on and slowly raised up off the ground. They had spent a few hours training to master this move and she was at the point now that she could successfully perform  when he ordered.Luckily this field hazard would hone in on any Pokemon his opponent switched into. This was only the start though, he would need to be prepared, and make note of how Cielo would respond.

[Satori]

Opponent 1: Vullaby
Gender: Female
Ability: Overcoat

Health: Full

Cielo gave Alex a small smirk as he saw the first Pokemon he sent out. "Interesting choice," he said as jagged stones scattered across the field, making arrivals a hazardous proposition. "So you're going for that sort of strategy. I'll keep that in mind if I have to switch this one out." It sounded like he knew something that Alex didn't, but he wasn't letting on exactly what that was.

"Vullaby, Dark Pulse!" he called out. The baby vulture Pokemon let out a harsh shrieking call in response, creating a wave of malevolent energy that spread out from her body body to wash over her opponent.

[Alex Wynn]

Alex didn't like the response he earned from his previous move. "I'll keep that in mind-" He had to stay on his toes. There was something he was holding back from him, he was sure of it. His opponent then made his command. His Vullaby gave a loud shriek, forming dark waves of malevolent energy that pulsed its way towards Khroma. The Gligar landed, shielding itself with its leathery wings and large pincers. When the attack subsided, Khroma had visibly taken some damage.

Khroma

Ability: Sand Veil
Health: 70%

"Time to go on the offensive. Khroma, Use Rock Slide!" Alex commanded. The flying scorpion pokemon took large boulder sized chunks of the ground and hurled them one after another, at her opponent. Alex awaited the leader's response. He may have made note of his opening move, but he was sure he didn't see this coming. At least he hoped he didn't. The worst thing to be when forming a strategy is predictable. He's learned that in all types of games but the advice seemed to ring even truer in battle.
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1 - 9 = hit
1-10
1-3 = flinch

1-10·1-10

[Satori]

Opponent 1: Vullaby
Gender: Female
Ability: Overcoat

Health: Fair

Cielo looked up as the rock slide came, as though trying to see where they were actually coming from. Or maybe he was just distracted for a moment. Either way, he didn't lose his cool despite the not insignificant damage the Vullaby had taken. He didn't make any comments on the move choice though, and instead went straight into his next turn.

"Vullaby, Dark Pulse again!" he called out. The Vullaby let out another of those unpleasant shrieks, sending out another wave of dark energy along with it. One could only wonder whether the shriek or the move itself was more painful.

[Alex Wynn]

Khroma

Ability: Sand Veil
Health: 40%

Once again the Vullaby let out a sharp cry, releasing multiple malevolent waves of Dark Pulse. Khroma once again tried her best to shield herself from the oncoming assault though to little effect. The attack still did it's damage and Khroma was beginnig to show signs with her mild pants and steadily slowing body. "Come on Khroma, I need you to stay in this." Alex encouraged. The Gligar shook herself, taking to the skies once more, ready for battle. "Great job, girl. Now, Rock Slide once more!" He needed the Gligar to win this battle, he needed to take the upper hand and hold it throughout the battle. As long as he could keep the upper hand he knew his chances for victory would increase with morale.

G2miXVgc1-10
1-9 = hit
1-10
1-3 = flinch

1-10·1-10

[Satori]

Opponent 1: Vullaby
Gender: Female
Ability: Overcoat

Health: Poor

The second Rock Slide hit as well, leaving the Vullaby in a bad position. For all its defensive ability, it was clear that it wasn't going to survive another Rock Slide. Cielo put a hand to his chin, continuing his options for a moment. "It's clear that I probably won't win this exchange, not without drawing it out unnecessarily first. I don't think either of us want that. I certainly don't want to end up falling asleep in the middle of a battle." He certainly looked like he was already halfway there. How long had this guy been awake? "But I'm not out of options yet. Vullaby, Defog!" The Vullaby flapped its tiny wings at a surprisingly fast rate, creating gusts of wind that blew away the pointed stones the Gligar had summoned.

[Alex Wynn]

Khroma

Ability: Sand Veil
Health: 40%

With the opposing Vullaby showing signs of Khroma being the victor of this exchange it was high time that the Flying Scorpion got out. It was a tad bit annoying to see Cielo so easily get rid of his entry hazard, though he had to admit, the fact that it allowed him to get a free attack off on the gym leader's Pokemon made up for that disappointment. "Alright Khroma, use U-Turn." Alex ordered. Khroma flew towards her weakened opponent, attacking it and then looping back around to be recalled into her pokeball. Quickly, Alex placed the pokeball back on to the attachments of his belt. Then took out his second participant of the battle "Now Morgana!" The Amaura pranced about happily when it landed on the field. He was sure that Morgana was going to be an ideal participant, though with her plethora of weaknesses he would have to be extremely cautious.

Morgana

Ability: Refrigerate

[Satori]

And then came a U-Turn, much to the surprise of Cielo. He didn't react much, but it seemed like he was caught off-guard for a second from his pause before reacting as his Vullaby went down. Or maybe he had just spaced out again. "Hahh, good job with that," he said, recalling the fainted Vullaby.

Then, as he saw the Amaura come out in its place, he considered for a moment, then selected and sent out his second Pokemon, a Ducklett. It fluttered down onto the tarmac and raised one wing as though trying to salute with it. "Ducklett, Water Pulse!" Cielo called. The Ducklett squawked, then let loose a surge of water at the Amaura.

Opponent 2: Ducklett
Gender: Male
Ability: Big Pecks
Health: Full

[Alex Wynn]

Though Amaura had a plethora of weaknesses, it also had surprisingly solid defenses for a Pokemon of it's stage. So when the Water Pulse came Morgana's way, she was more than able to withstand the super-effective attack. Though he knew she wasn't going to be able to take these attacks for long, luckily she was also capable of one of the most devastating attacks he's seen thanks to her ability. "Alright Morgana, use Hyper Voice." Aex commanded. The Amaura let loose a booming shout, traces of ice adorning the visible sound waves as they pulsed their way towards the water fowl Pokemon. Alex had a hunch the attack would not take it out right now, though he was sure it would do considerable damage. Enough that one more attack would do the trick.

Morgana

Ability: Refrigerate
Health: 60%

[Satori]

Opponent 2: Ducklett
Gender: Male
Ability: Big Pecks
Health: Poor

Cielo tensed as the wash of noise and eyes hit his Ducklett and spread over the runway. He didn't comment on it, but it was clear that he wasn't too happy about the sudden cold snap. He seemed to recover soon afterwards, though. The Ducklett, meanwhile, was clearly unsteady and had trouble taking off, but was still in the fight. "Ducklett, Water Pulse again!" Cielo called out. Making its not-quite-salute and letting out a weaker squawk, the Ducklett let loose another pulse of water at the Amaura. It seemed clear that this wouldn't be enough to take it out though, and that Cielo would soon need to rely on his last Pokemon.

[Alex Wynn]

Morgana was once again able to take the wet attack, though despite the Amaura's jovial nature it's fatigue was clearly starting to set in. Thankfully, the Amaura was able to dish out even more than what her opponent Ducklett was giving. He would just need to make sure to keep this up, and hopefully the next Pokemon Cielo brought out, wouldn't be able to take Morgana's powerful special attacks as well as this Ducklett. A part of him wanted to make sure of that, perhaps a minor stat boost all across would help in guaranteeing that. "Alright Morgana, use Ancient Power." The Amaura called upon the earth itself, summoning orbs of rocks that shot towards Cielo's Ducklett.

8NF3BKC11-10
1 = +1 to all stats

Morgana

Ability: Refrigerate
Health: 20%

1-10

[Satori]

Thankfully, rather than another blast of noise and ice, the Amaura finished off with a barrage of rocks. Not so thankfully, that barrage of rocks was enough to finish off the Ducklett. As he fell over, Cielo recalled him and switched to his final Pokemon. "Well...I guess we're winding down," he said. "Landings are always the hardest part, though. I hope you're ready. Rufflet, take us in!" He sent out his final Pokemon, and the Rufflet materialized, fluttering to a rest where the Ducklett had stood moments before. "Rock Tomb!" Cielo called out. The Rufflet let out a bold caw, taking to the air and calling down a rain of rocks to trap and bury the Amaura.

Opponent 3: Rufflet
Gender: Male
Ability: Sheer Force
Health: Full

[Alex Wynn]

Cielo's last Pokemon's attack was more than enough to knock out Morgana, though the revived Pokemon wasn't able to boost her stats with Ancient Power, he doubted it would even matter with Rufflet's considerable power. "Alright then Jeanne, let's finish." Alex sent out his last Pokemon. When the Luxio touched down on the field she let out a fierce battle roar and got into stance. Utilizing her Intimidate ability to lower her opponent's attack power. Alex was more than confident that the Luxio would be enough to end this battle. With the electric types recent evolution she also gained access to even more powerful moves fitting of her new body. "Alright Jeanne, Wild Charge!" Alex ordered. The Spark Pokemon charged her body with powerful electricity. When she finished charging she made a sprint towards her opponent giving the Rufflet an electrified, full body tackle.

Jeanne

Ability: Intimidate