Chapter 308 - My OC Stash #8 - Alola Galar by Paulzies (Pokemon) (2/2)
Wet, but otherwise no worse for wear, Charizard descended onto the ground, the flame on its tail burning as brightly as ever. Like a mother cat carrying its kitten, it released its toothed grip on the man's shirt and gently laid him down.
When the man coughed, people whooped with joy.
Charizard roared deafeningly, and slightly startled, the crowd faltered and took several steps back.
It was only him and Charizard now.
It lumbered towards him, baring its teeth. He had to look up to meet the towering Pokemon's lizard-like eyes.
”Sorry for making you go into the water,” he said sheepishly.
Charizard grunted.
”I'll make it up to you.”
He'd already prepared Charizard's reward. From his pocket, he pulled out a Rainbow Bean.
The Pokemon's eyes lit up excitedly, and it lowered its snout all the way down to his outstretched hand and sniffed the multi-colored snack several times.
It looked up to him expectantly.
”Don't forget to chew,” he reminded.
The Rainbow Bean vanished into draconian jaws, and within seconds, Charizard swallowed and let out a satisfied huff.
”Good boy,” he said, tiptoeing and stroking its snout.
It nuzzled itself into his palm. Its warm breath tickled his fingers.
Only when he returned Charizard into its Pokeball did he realize just how silent the entire town had become. Even the man he had rescued was now sitting up and staring at him, eyes wide and mouth agape.
A lone voice shattered the silence.
”Make way!”
A pair of brown arms sliced through the crowds and a woman broke through the human wall to stare him down.
”Leon!” she declared, ”fight me! Today's the day…”
She trailed off, her voice weakening and her raised arm deflating.
She blinked at him with eyes that had long and curved lashes, dark blue eyeshadows, and turquoise irises that sparkled like the sea.
She had tanned-colored skin. It wasn't very different from the residents of Alola, who soaked up sunlight every day. Short shorts and a small crop top exposed much of her skin, and the assortment of accessories she wore around her waist and shoulders complemented her toned and lean body. Long, dark blue hair, reminiscent of a waterfall, cascaded down her back.
She was, he couldn't help but admit, very pretty. And judging from the respectful looks she was getting from everyone else, someone important else well.
”You're not Leon,” she finally said, after giving him a onceover.
”No,” he said, ”I am not.”
Her gaze turned curious. ”Was that your Charizard?”
He nodded.
”I don't recall ever seeing you around before.”
”I just arrived,” he pointed to the dock that the ferry was still moored at.
”Oh,” she said, ”a tourist?”
He smiled. ”Something like that.”
”Where are you from?”
He hesitated.
”Kanto,” he said. It wasn't a lie, technically. He'd been born and raised there, even if he had only started his Pokemon journey for real when he'd moved to Alola.
”Ah,” she nodded in understanding. ”No wonder the Charizard.”
She stepped forward and offered a hand.
”I'm Nessa,” she said. ”I'm Hulbury's Gym Leader.”
He stared at Nessa's long and slender fingers. Then he stretched out and shook hands.
”Elios,” was all he said in return.
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Nessa said it was her duty as Gym Leader to thank him for saving one her residents, and so she offered to treat him to a meal at the town's top seafood restaurant.
His stomach had grumbled in agreement, and only briefly he had mourned the wastage of the half-eaten sandwich he'd dropped in his haste to save the drowning man.
”You're a Trainer, I assume,” she said, once they had ordered their food.
”I am.” He couldn't deny that, nor did he want to.
”A very good one.”
”You flatter me.”
”Really?” she said. ”I think it's pretty difficult to convince a Charizard to dive into the ocean.”
”Not as difficult as becoming a Gym Leader,” he pointed out.
”That's true,” she laughed.
”They say Gym Leaders are only second to the Elite Four and the Champion.”
”We don't have an Elite Four here.”
”Oh.”
”We're a little different from other regions,” she said, apparently amused by his disappointment. ”We do have a Champion though. His name's Leon. He hasn't lost a single match since he became Champion.”
”He must be a very strong trainer.”
”He is,” she agreed, almost reluctantly. ”I've battled him twelve times and I've lost all twelve of them. And it's even more frustrating because I keep losing to his Charizard.”
So that was what the misunderstandings at harbor were about.
Nessa must have mistaken his silence as confusion. ”You know, because I specialize in Water Types.”
”Ah,” he said, pretending to be enlightened. ”He wouldn't be a very good Champion if he didn't consider Type disadvantages in his strategy.”
”You're right about that,” she said with a sigh.
”And you?” she then asked. ”Do you want to take part in the Tournament?”
He tilted his head. ”Tournament?”
”It's Galar's special version of a Pokemon League. Trainers who've managed to clear the Gym Challenge can enter a tournament to earn the right to challenge the Champion. If they win,” she clenched her fists determinedly, ”they become the new Champion.”
”You look like you want to be Champion quite badly,” he remarked.
”Who wouldn't? It's nice to be the strongest.”
”Maybe not for everyone,” he said softly.
She looked at him curiously. She had a habit of scrunching up her nose slightly when she did that, he noticed.
”You don't want to be strong?” she asked.
”I never said that,” he said, ”but that's not why I came here anyway. I just wanted to explore the other regions. See other Pokemon—”
”Battle other Trainers,” she finished with a sly smile.
He replied with a smile of his own, ”if the opportunity arises.”
She leaned forward. She smelled like an ocean breeze.
”Say, Elios…do you want to battle me?”
”Are you sure?” he asked. ”I have a Charizard. I thought you had trouble against them?”
She frowned. ”Are you making fun of me?”
”Only a little bit.”
”You aren't Leon. You try bringing your Charizard into our fight and I'll wipe the floor with you.”
He laughed. He also wouldn't be a very good Champion if he didn't take Type disadvantages into account in his strategies.
”But in all seriousness,” Nessa said, ”you should take part in the Gym Challenge. You need at least three badges to enter some parts of the Wild Area.”
”The Wild Area?”
She nodded. ”A large part of Galar's undeveloped. We call it the Wild Area, and Pokemon roam free in it, and some places are more dangerous than the others. Trainers might sometimes be all alone in the Wild Area, so we have that rule in place for safety reasons.”
”I see,” he said. Alola had something similar, he recalled, though it had been a few years since he'd been a participant in the Island Trials. Becoming Champion had let him go wherever he pleased, and the safety regulations had become somewhat fuzzy to him because of that.
”So?” Nessa said, ”how about it? You want to battle?”
His eyes narrowed. ”Now?”
She burst into laughter. ”Aren't you an eager one?” She shook her head. ”No, not now. I'm a busy person, you know? You need to schedule a battle with me. Specifically, through the Gym Challenge.”
”I'll think about it.”
”Come to the stadium tomorrow. I have a few matches you can watch. I think that'll help you make up your mind. And,” she grinned, ”if you do decide to enter the Gym Challenge, I'll give you my endors_e_m_e_nt.”
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Nessa was down to her last Pokemon.
So was her opponent.
He did not think any less of her because of this. He had learned a long time ago, after being Champion, that the Kahunas and Trial Captains had to lower their strength in battle against challengers. If they used their best Pokemon and strategies from the start…then no one would have ever passed the island trials.
He imagined the same thing applied for Gym Leaders.
Nessa had a Drednaw in front of her. It was his first time seeing the Turtle-like Pokemon. His Rotom-Dex had helpfully informed him that it was Rock and Water Type.
Her opponent, an excited looking man, had a Mudbray in front of him.
The Mudbray's Ground Type would be strong against the Drednaw's Rock, but Drednaw's Water Type gave it the same advantage against its opponent.
It was down to the individual parameters of the Pokemon, then. And the strategies of their Trainers.
He saw Nessa looking into the crowd, raising her arms up repeatedly, trying to rile them up. His eyes met hers. A flash of white told her she'd broken into a smile as the crowd's cheering suddenly climaxed.
The mic attached to her amplified her voice.
”Flood the stadium and make it our ocean! Drednaw, time to Dynamax!”
Dynamax?
His eyes flicked to the monitors, which showed a zoomed-in image of Nessa. A confident grin adorned her face, but what drew his attention was the bracelet on her right hand.
That hadn't been there yesterday.
He narrowed his eyes in concentration when red arcs of energy lashed out from it, whipping through the air angrily and, seemingly, uncontrollably.
She raised her arm and Drednaw was recalled back into the Pokeball that was held within it.
He furrowed his brows in confusion.
They reached his hairline when the Pokeball expanded, almost instantly, as if it were a balloon that had been inflated with a massive blast of air, until it became several times its original size. It looked as if Nessa was holding a giant beach ball.
She lobbed it into the air.
At the peak of its trajectory, it cracked open, and out from the giant Pokeball burst forth a gargantuan Drednaw, this time standing on its two hind legs, and its head, which he had to crane his neck to see, was almost reaching the ceiling of the stadium.
The crowd roared in excited approval. He was almost certain his jaw had dislocated from how low it dropped.
What in Solgaleo's name is THAT?
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A/N: As always, do follow/fav if you like this. I really appreciate it, and it goes a long way as encouragement.