Pokémon Heroes of Hoenn

Nullifying Norman

The last Ace trainer I faced returned her Linoone with a sigh, defeated by Manectric's last Thunderbolt. Unlike the other Gyms I faced, I had to battle almost every trainer in order to reach dad, which was a bit of a pain considering the items and moves they used. The Ace trainer gave me a light nod, pointing with her thumb to the door behind her to the far left of the room.
"Well, there ya go. The Gym Leader waits beyond that door. Give it all you've got and don't hold back, he's no push over." the girl stated softly. I returned Manectric to its Pokéball and approached the girl, stopping beside her before speaking up.
"I wouldn't dream of taking it easy on him." I stated firmly, staring into her dark green eyes that showed a slight fear of me. I continued towards the door, stopping to read the sign on it that read "Gym Leader's Room". Sapphire, Emerald, and Leaf stood behind me, waiting for me to push open the door that stood between me and my father. I took a deep breath, slowly taking the doorknob in my hand and twisting it, opening the door with a light push.
Dad sat on a mat on the floor facing opposite of me. His eyes were closed softly, making him appear to be deep in thought. I was about to speak up first, thinking he was not aware of my presence, but I was surprisingly mistaken.
"So... do you believe you are ready to challenge me?" dad asked softly. I stood silent for a moment, taken aback by the way he suddenly interrupted me before I could speak. I let my determination take its place once more, taking a step forth before nodding to myself in reassurance.
"No, I know I am ready to challenge you. I've been training for this since I left on my journey, there's no doubt that I'm ready for this." I stated calmly, a firm gaze set on my father as I waited for him to react. He opened his sharp onyx eyes and stood up, calmly turning to face me with an unfazed look on his face.
"Is that so? We'll just have to see if you can live up to that statement." dad stated, a slight tone of amusement in his voice as if he didn't believe I could defeat him. He approached his side of the battlefield and pulled out a Pokéball, taking a battle stance as he did so. "We shall have a four on four Pokémon battle, substitutions are permitted. Any objections?" dad asked with a tone that sounded more demanding than it should've.
"Not a one." I stated firmly, plucking out my own Pokéball of choice.
"Good. Then let the battle begin! Go Spinda!!" dad exclaimed as he released his first Pokémon.
"Alright Mightyena, you're up first! Use Bite!" I commanded swiftly.
"Spinda, Dizzy Punch." dad ordered calmly as Mightyena charged forward with bared fangs. Mightyena managed to deal damage to Spinda by its arm, only for a Dizzy Punch to the face forcing it to release its hold. Mightyena shook its head to regain focus, glaring at the much smaller Pokémon sharply.
My eyebrows furrowed as I stared out towards dad with gritted teeth, pondering what move to use next.
"You're holding back. Then I'll keep it going myself. Spinda, Brick Break." dad commanded. I gasped sharply, my eyes widened upon hearing the command.
"Dodge that!!" I shouted just in time for Mightyena to jump over Spinda to avoid the attack. "Mightyena, use Take Down!!"
Mightyena swerved around, pushing forward on its back legs and ramming right into Spinda, taking recoil damage afterwards. On the bright side, dad's Spinda was barely standing thanks to its weakness defense, which left an opening for us to win our first match.
"Spinda, Hidden Power." dad ordered with the same unfazed tone he's been using throughout our battle.
"Mightyena, run and counter the attack with Shadow Ball!" I commanded, swinging my arm for emphasis. I began to feel that rush of energy flow through me faintly, almost unnoticeably, but I knew it was there. Mightyena sprinted forward, blowing up every green ball of energy from the Hidden Power with a Shadow Ball. Mightyena leaped over Spinda, casting a shadow over it as he glared at it from in the air. "Use Ice Fang!!" I commanded. Mightyena tackled Spinda to the ground, clamping down onto its arm once again, but this time spreading ice up from its arm to all around Spinda's body, freezing it solid. Spinda fell onto its back, causing the ice to break off of it, leaving it cold and fainted on the ground.
I caught a glimpse of dad raising a brow in slight surprise, though he kept his unchanged expression as he did so. "Still think I can't handle this?" I asked defiantly as dad returned his Spinda and got out another Pokéball.
"The battle is just getting started. Don't get all worked up about one victory." dad stated firmly in response, releasing his Linoone as he spoke. "Retaliate." dad deadpanned. Linoone shot forward at blinding speed, seemingly brushing past Mightyena and skidding to a stop a few feet in front of me. Mightyena suddenly fell to its side, no longer able to battle.
"What?! But- how did you-?"
"Retaliate is a move that grows more powerful after an ally Pokémon has fainted." dad stated bluntly. I growled lowly, returning Mightyena for a rest, praising it for a good match as I did so.
"Alright, Manectric, let's show him what we've got!" I called out as I released my next Pokémon. Manectric let out a battle cry as it was released, locking its gaze with Linoone's upon spotting it. "Use Thunderbolt!" I commanded.
"Counter with Thunderbolt." dad ordered calmly. Both Thunderbolts collided in the middle, both Pokémon trying to overpower the other by adding more power. Linoone eventually let up do to Manectric having a lot more electric abilities than it, causing Linoone to take all the damage.
"Great job, Manectric! Now use Flamethrower!" I called out.
"Dodge it and use Slash." dad ordered. Linoone jumped to the side just before the Flamethrower could hit, slashing out at Manectric's left shoulder. Manectric cried out, backing away from Linoone and shaking from the pain of the attack.
"Manectric! Are you okay?" I asked, concerned by its response to the attack. Manectric shot me a pained smirk but nodded anyway. I smiled softly in response, relieved that it wasn't too badly injured.
"Linoone, use Thunderbolt from close range." dad commanded. Linoone used the small distance between it and Manectric to its advantage, the Thunderbolt doing more damage at close range. Manectric cried out once more, gritting its teeth as it forced itself to keep standing as it was zapped by the attack.
"Hang tough, Manectric! Close the distance between you and Linoone!" I commanded. Manectric slowly made its way to Linoone, hesitant steps guiding the way as it ignored the pain it was experiencing. "Great, now use Thunder Fang!" I called out. Manectric bit down on Linoone's tail, releasing electricity from its jaw as it held on tightly to it. Linoone cried out, letting up on its Thunderbolt a bit as it tried to shake Manectric off. Both Pokémon eventually gave in, fainting simultaneously after enduring the powerful attacks. Dad and I returned our Pokémon silently, muttering a few words of praise to them when they were in their Pokéballs. Dad released his next Pokémon, a Vigoroth, with a stern look on his face. I was about to lift a hand to grab my next Pokéball when a sudden rattling caused me to freeze, my eyes widening slightly in confusion.
"What's the matter? Scared?" dad asked mockingly. I ignored him as I twisted to look at the back of my belt where I keep my Pokéballs. Sure enough, the fourth Pokéball on my belt was rattling frantically. I heard dad hum in confusion and saw him cross his arms impatiently from the corner of my eye.
"What's going on?" Sapphire asked softly.
"Hey, isn't that..." Emerald murmured.
"The Pokémon that Fire gave him..." Leaf whispered with an awestruck tone. I ignored their murmurs of confusion, plucking the Pokéball of my belt and lifting it to eye level.
"You want... to battle with Vigoroth, don't you? Okay then... We haven't exactly gotten to meet face to face yet, but if you wanna battle then... I choose you!" I cried out as I threw the Pokéball into the air, a flash of light releasing my new Pokémon. My eyes widened as a large green, winged Pokémon appeared from the Pokéball, swishing its tail as it gave out a loud battle cry. I could've sworn I saw dad flinched in fear and his eyes widen in shock.
"Wh-what kind of Pokémon is that?!" Leaf exclaimed in astonishment.
"I-it's a... a..." Emerald stuttered out, too surprised to finish.
"Flygon...!" I exclaimed in awe as I stared at the data in my Pokédex. Flygon turned to face me, nodding firmly with a small smirk on its face. It flew to my side and lowered its head to my eye level, almost as if it was introducing itself to me. "Fire must've told you about me, right? It's nice to meet you... Flygon. I know we've never met before, but what do ya say we give this battle our all and win that Balance Badge?" I asked with a grin full of determination on my face. Flygon cried out in agreement, flying back to its spot on the battlefield and taking a battle stance as it glared at Vigoroth.
Dad cleared his throat as he regained his composure, the shocked look on his face returning to a more serious expression. "Keep your guard up, Vigoroth. Use Slash!" dad commanded. I glanced swiftly at my Pokédex to see what moves Flygon knows before calling one out.
"Flygon, use Dragon Breath!!" I cried out. Flygon flew into the air with one flap of its wings, shooting a hot pink beam directly at Vigoroth, knocking it back quite a few feet. Dad held back a gasp, his eyebrow furrowing as he tried to force an unfazed look. I could see a bead of sweat on the side of his forehead. I smirked at the sight before turning my attention to Flygon with a grin. "Nice work, Flygon! Now, use Flamethrower!" I commanded enthusiastically.
"Vigoroth, counter that with Flamethrower!" dad ordered swiftly. Vigoroth blocked Flygon's Flamethrower with its own, causing a blast that damaged both Pokémon. Flygon shook off the attack easily while Vigoroth struggled to its feet, both Pokémon glaring at each other like fierce rivals would.
"This next attack should decide the match, don't you think?" I asked softly, earning a slight not from dad in response.
"Vigoroth, Shadow Claw!!"
"Flygon, Dragon Claw!!" dad and I commanded our Pokémon in unison, both Pokémon charging towards each other with sharp claws readied to attack. They collided swiftly, moving so fast that they only appeared to glide past each other. Flygon stood facing dad while Vigoroth stood facing me, both Pokémon gazing back at each other as they waited for the other to give in. Vigoroth eventually fell forward onto its face, fainted do to the powerful combination of attacks.
Dad sighed roughly, returning Vigoroth with a mildly annoyed expression. He stared firmly into my eyes as he plucked out his last Pokémon, releasing his prized partner from it.
Slaking.
I smirked at dad as his Pokémon cried out, shuffling my feet for a more battle ready pose. "Hey, Flygon!" I called out, earning the attention of said Pokémon. Flygon flew to my side once again, staring curiously into my eyes. "Thanks for that, you were great! I'm sure you'd like to battle more, but I've been saving this match for another Pokémon. You don't mind, do you?" I asked softly. Flygon shook its head in response, a cheerful look on its face as it did so. "Thanks, Flygon. Return and take a good rest." I stated softly as I returned Flygon to its Pokéball. Dad stared at me curiously as I pulled out my next Pokéball, smirking at him as I did so. Alright, dad.... Get ready to face my Pokémon partner! Go, Combusken!!" I cried out enthusiastically as I released the first Pokémon I ever battled beside from its Pokéball.
Combusken cried out with an equal amount of enthusiasm, getting into a battle stance as it did so. Dad's curious look shifted to one of disappointment. I hadn't noticed the tenseness in his shoulders until I saw them relax, most likely because he didn't see Combusken as a threat.
"You've been betting your Balance Badge on that Pokémon?" dad asked rudely. I smirked at his question, shifting my legs apart a bit more to appear more battle ready.
"You seem to be neglecting the fact that..." I paused, signalling Combusken with my head, causing it to leap up into the air and make a kicking motion at the air before flipping forward and landing on its feet effortlessly, "Combusken is a Fighting type Pokémon!" I stated proudly.
"Don't forget, type isn't everything. Slaking, use Brick Break!!" dad commanded. The lazy looking Pokémon surprisingly moved faster than you'd expect, rushing to Combusken side with its arms ready to attack.
"Combusken, spin and use Flamethrower!!" I ordered swiftly. Combusken leaped into the air as Slaking reached its side, twirling in the air as it used Flamethrower, causing the flames to surround it and head straight for Slaking in the process. Slaking retreated from Combusken's side, trying to fan off the flames as it backed away.
"Nice one!" Leaf commented. I shot him a quick grin before returning my attention to the battle at hand.
"Now use Double Kick!" I called out enthusiastically, knowing that Slaking wouldn't be able to use a move for a turn thanks to its ability, Truant. Combusken did as told, following up its Flamethrower attack with a swift Double Kick to Slaking's gut.
"Great job, Combusken! Use Double Kick once more!" I commanded.
"Use Counter!!" dad ordered. Slaking stopped Combusken's kick with one hand, using its other to swing its attack. Combusken was knocking to the ground, skidding back a few feet from the power of the attack. I gasped in slight shock, wondering how the move could've done so much damage so fast. As if reading my thoughts, dad suddenly spoke up to answer my question. "Counter is a move that doubles in power after the user has just been attacked by a physical move. In other words, Slaking's Counter turned Double Kick into Quadruple Kick." dad informed me as if he was talking to a young child. I growled in frustration, the anger soon leaving me as I turned my attention back to Combusken.
"Combusken, are you okay to keep going?" I asked softly, earning a swift nod from my partner. "Alright then, use Peck!" I commanded. Combusken leaped onto Slaking's shoulder, pecking at its head as it did so. Though I know it's not the strongest move it'd chip away at Slaking's health, which was much needed at the moment. "Now, Flamethrower!"
"Brick Break." dad ordered bluntly. Slaking swiped a hand at Combusken this time landing the attack and causing Combusken to stumble backwards a bit from the force. My partner seemed to be at its peak of exhaustion already, falling onto one knee as it panted roughly, trying to catch it's breath.
"Hey, Combusken, you okay, pal? Combusken!" I called out, worried about my partner Pokémon. Dad closed his eyes softly, thinking I was down for the count.
"Guess that's it then. Now all you have left is-" dad was cut off by a sudden burst of light, causing him to opened his eyes in shock. Combusken glowed a bright white, slowly beginning to change form. It grew larger and larger, taking a completely new shape before he light bursted off of it, revealing a brand new Pokémon.
"Wh-who's that Pokémon?" Emerald murmured in awe.
"Combusken... you... you evolved into Blaziken!" I exclaimed with the same awestruck tone as Emerald as I looked up from my bright red Pokédex. Blaziken turned to face me with a smirk, igniting the flames on its wrists as it did so. "Awesome! So let's see what you can do now, partner! Use Blaze Kick!!" I cried out loudly. Blaziken bounded high into the air, locking eyes with Slaking as it began to dive straight towards it, a leg surrounded by flames outstretched for the attack. Slaking rolled back a good few feet after Blaziken landed its powerful new attack, causing dad's eyes to visibly widen.
"Wow! Did you see that?! That's one nasty kick its got now!" Leaf exclaimed with an impressed whistle.
"Alright! One last move should decide this battle! So let's see your new and improved Flamethrower, Blaziken!" I ordered enthusiastically.
"Not on my watch! Hyper Beam, Slaking!" dad cried out.
The two attacks collided in the middle, struggling to overpower the other to win the match. The collided beams couldn't hold the power for much longer, causing an explosion that surrounded the battlefield with debris. Dad and I slowly turned back to face the field when the debris cleared, spotting our Pokémon in the center of the battlefield, completely out of breath as they waited for one or the other to give in.
Dad and I stared intently as well, watching silently for one of our Pokémon to faint. I panicked for a moment when Blaziken wobbled, but relaxed when it placed its large, powerful leg firmly on the ground. Dad's eyes widened when Slaking fell forward, completely exhausted from our battle. We stood in silence for a moment, processing the fact that I had won.
I had won.
My eyes widened in excitement as I raced to Blaziken's side, almost forgetting how much bigger its grown when it pulled me up onto its upper arm and cried out victoriously. I cheered as well, raising my fist to the air in unison with Blaziken as I did so. Blaziken soon put me back down as Sapphire, Emerald, and Leaf raced to my side, tackling me into a hug as they praised us for our win. Dad watched silently for a while, returning his Slaking while our attention was turned. He slowly made his way to my side, causing everyone to quiet down to hear him out.
"I must admit..." he finally said, "you've given me quite the shock. You actually defeated me.... well done." dad stated genuinely. My eyes widened upon hearing those last two words, shocked that he actually complemented me for once. "It makes me happy, and a little sad... As your father, I'm glad to see how strong you've become, but as a Gym Leader, it makes me both frustrated to lose and proud to know that you'll go on to greater heights from here." dad continued.
"Dad..." I murmured, at a complete loss for words as I processed what he said.
"Listen son, I know I'm not the greatest dad in the world, but seeing you giving it your all out there, knowing you were doing it just to prove yourself worthy, it helped me realize that. I know I can't fully make up for the past mistakes I've made, but know this, from here on out, you have my full support in whatever you choose to do. And maybe one day you'll choose to take after your old man... and run this very same Gym with your favorite Pokémon. Until then, take this Balance Badge as proof of your victory against I, Norman, the Petalburgh City Gym Leader." dad stated warmly as he placed my Balance Badge in my palm. I stood motionlessly for a moment, taking in every word he spoke. I had inspired his change of heart...? Whatever that means, I couldn't say. All I know is I'm honored to accept the Balance Badge from my very own father.
I clutched my Badge to my chest and grinned up at dad with a new view of him in my eyes.
"Yeah... thanks, dad! I promise you, even though we still gotta make up for all the bad times... I can at least promise you that I'll give it my all on my way to the Pokémon League!" I exclaimed cheerfully. Dad smiled in response, a genuine smile, one that I've never really seen on him before. This sudden change in heart from my father, in some way, doesn't feel sudden. It's almost as if it's been building up, waiting to be uncovered through battle. Either way, I'm glad for it. Now I can continue towards my dream with a new feeling in my heart. A feeling of worthiness. Knowing that someone will be waiting for me to come home with my head held high, waiting for me to grin and say one last time;

"I won it."