Invisible by Marvech93

Chapter 12: Gold and iron

HI GUYS!! I finally got my phone back and just in time to update.  So how's your summer so far?

Chapter 12: Gold and iron

Blue stood on his elevated platform, his eyes locked on what was by far the most heated battle he ever had to carry out since his debut as a gym leader. His opponent was pushing him and his team so hard a trace of doubt started creeping in the back of his mind and despite his best efforts, it showed. His calm and confident mask was crumbling ever so slightly and his urgency was felt in his every movement.

Needless to say, his adversary wasn't just any random trainer. It was the current champion of the Johto League. Ethan was a short ten year old boy Blue had come across once on Cinnabar Island. Back then, the New Bark native was just an ordinary traveling trainer like so many others and Blue hadn't thought much of him at first. He still had offered the kid a battle when, and only when he got all other seven Kanto badges. The gym leader hadn't really expected to hear from him again after that but there he was now, crowned champion and giving him a run for his money like only one other trainer had ever done before.

Ethan had arrived early in the morning on a Sunday. A very large crowd had gathered to witness the epic clash of a champion and an ex-champion turned gym leader with a perfect record. Ethan had plowed through all six of his trainees without even using all of his pokémon and now Blue was growing increasingly nervous as his trusty Pidgeot took a discharge mid flight from Ethan's Ampharos.

"Pidgeot, return!" Blue called, withdrawing the knocked out bird before he could hit the floor.

The whole crowd was holding its breath, on the edge of their seats. Blue was left with just one pokémon while Ethan still had two, including one Blue hadn't seen before. Perhaps I was the one who was unprepared, the strawberry blonde trainer thought with a hind of dread.

The Johto champion was ready for everything he threw at him, it seemed. His team was perfectly balanced. He didn't specialize and had no clear weakness or pattern. While it was true that Blue thrived under pressure, even he had to come to the realization that he would need luck to win this one. The kid's Ampharos was already battered and weakened; Pidgeot had put up a good fight despite his disadvantage, but as long as it was still standing, it was a threat and that was not even mentioning Ethan's sixth, unknown pokémon.

Blue exchanged a glance with Ethan and saw that the boy was seemingly enjoying himself but was still maintaining a serious concentration. He was reminding him of someone...

It was time to give it all he had left.

"Exeggcutor, go!"

The gym leader sent out his only remaining pokémon. The three-headed creature landed heavily on the floor, enthusiastically shaking his crown of leaves. It wasn't the best possible choice but at least the grass type had a resistance to electricity.

The spectators watched, captivated by the intense battle as the two trainers got ready for another round.

"Ampharos, agility!"

"Exeggcutor, hypnosis!"

The weakened electric type had just begun moving rapidly to increase its speed when the psychic move reached it and stopped it mid-move. The yellow pokémon fell helplessly on the ground, giving Blue the opportunity for a quick finish he had been hoping for.

A single psychic attack later and it was over for Ampharos, which Ethan withdrew.

Blue felt a little bit of confidence coming back to him but he was too wise and experienced to take his victory for granted. He had no idea what he was facing off against, now.