DPA: Rivals

Chapter 30: She Aimed, She Fired, And She Misty

The group took their first steps into the Cerulean City Gym. The very first thing that anyone noticed was just how much bigger this Gym was compared to the one in Pewter City, stretching out for at least a few hundred yards. The second thing that anyone noticed was that the vast majority of the Gym consisted of nothing more than water.

That's right. Rather than a battlefield, the Cerulean Gym was essentially one giant pool. Dozens of wooden pallets floated at the top of the water, scattered at random locations, most likely to give non-aquatic Pokémon somewhere to stand. There were small paths on the sides, of course, allowing access to a couple of benches for spectators. Several digital screens were set up against the walls, recording the still water below. Close to the doors was a platform for challenging trainers. On the far side stood another platform, and on this platform stood the Gym leader, Misty.

A young woman, probably in her early thirties, Misty sat at the edge of her platform, her toes dipped into the water. A yellow plastic bucket stood a few feet away. She wore an ocean blue tank top with a Magikarp pattern, and blue jeans that had been cut to the knee, roughly, as if she had cut them herself. Flowing long red locks fell down nearly to her elbows, and a simple white flower had been clipped to the side of her hair.

Misty looked up to the approaching challengers, and smiled. "It's obvious you're here for the Gym challenge, so I guess I should be ready for a battle?" She asked simply, her voice calm, but serious. Something about Misty made the group, especially Daryon, nervous.

"Um, yeah, my friend Cameron and I would like to battle you," Daryon gulped, stepping forward. "Me first, of course. I'm Daryon."

Misty chuckled, taking her feet out of the water. "Fair enough, Daryon. Onto the platform, please. The others can watch from the sidelines."

Daryon stepped up onto the platform while Cameron, Skye, Max, and Ero walked over to the benches, and Vince floated to the benches. Pikachu, who had been walking beside Daryon, climbed up onto his shoulder, ready to jump in when needed.

"I will say," Misty began, reaching into the plastic bucket and removing a Pokéball. "I don't lose easily. Most trainers come in here believing strength is enough, but I have a strategy that has worked well for me during my time as this city's Gym leader: an all out offensive with Water types!"

Misty took a full body swim, elegant, not unlike a dancer, before throwing the Pokéball she had been holding, sending out a Psyduck, who landed on one of the floating pallet.

Daryon had already grabbed a Pokéball of his own, sending Bulbasaur into battle, Bulbasaur landing on an adjacent pallet.

"Disorient!" Misty ordered.

Psyduck opened up its beak, releasing an ear piercing Screech attack, forcing everyone in the room to cover their ears, including Misty. Bulbasaur retaliated by using a Vine Whip, wrapping its vines around Psyduck and yeeting the Water type at the ceiling, knocking it out.

"Holy Spritzee, that was quick," Daryon said under his breath, as Misty returned Psyduck. She was about to send out her next Pokémon when Bulbasaur suddenly began to glow. Vines sprouted out everywhere from its body, wrapping around Bulbasaur, completely encasing it, although the glowing light still peeked through the vines.

Suddenly, shredded fragments of vines flew in every direction as the light faded, showing that what was once Bulbasaur had evolved, and was now Ivysaur.

"Woo!" Daryon cheered, pumping a fist in the air. Pikachu let out a happy "pika!," and the other members of the group applauded.

"Vince, the details, please!" Daryon asked, turning to the floating Pokédex.

"Ivysaur has higher speed and attack stats compared to Bulbasaur, and that will be helpful," Vince stated. "Ivysaur has also learned Sleep Powder, which could be useful down the road."

"Are you done patting yourselves on the back yet?" Misty interrupted, twirling a Pokéball between her fingers. "Let's get moving."

"Of course," Daryon nodded. "Give me your worst."

"Oh kid, you have no idea," Misty chuckled, sending out her final Pokémon, a Starmie.

Daryon was about to order Ivysaur to use Vine Whip again, but before he could even blink, Starmie had zipped through the water, onto Ivysaur's pallet, and delivered a powerful Facade that instantly knocked out Ivysaur, leaving Daryon speechless.

"How did you do that?" Daryon asked incredulously as he returned Ivysaur to its Pokéball.

"I play the long game, kid," Misty replied. "Psyduck was never meant to defeat Ivysaur. I figured based on how you reacted to entering the Gym for the first time that you were a relatively new trainer, and would probably make the mistake of sending out your best Pokémon first. So I used Psyduck's Screech to lower Ivysaur's defense significantly, making Starmie's attack an instant win."

"That is actually really clever," Daryon could hear Cameron say to Ero from the sidelines.

"Well," Daryon shrugged, pointing at the water. "You made a big mistake. Ivysaur is amazing, but it isn't my strongest Pokémon. Pikachu!"

Pikachu ran down Daryon's arm, leaping off the back of Daryon's wrist and landing on a pallet a few feet away from Starmie.

"A Pikachu?" Misty laughed. "Really? Well, whatever floats your boat. Starmie, hit him with our combo move Barrage Pulse!"

Starmie bolted towards Pikachu, gliding on the water, spinning on its side like a wheel. Pikachu attempts a Thunder Shock to slow it down, but misses, and is unable to move out of the way when Starmie, summoning the water around itself, fires off said water at Pikachu with a swift Water Pulse, almost knocking Pikachu off the pallet.

Pikachu tried to stand up, but fell back onto its feet, dizzy, disoriented, wobbling a bit from side to side.

"I see by the look on your face that you don't know what's gotten into poor Pikachu, do you?" Misty quipped to Daryon. "Pikachu is in a state called Confusion. Water Pulse does that sometimes."

Starmie proceeded with its attack, blasting off several more Water Pulses in rapid succession, each one weakening Pikachu a bit more, while Pikachu, confused, tried to aim at the opposing Starmie.

Daryon bit his lip. What would Cameron do in this situation? He'd probably try and use the opponent's strength against him/her. This gave Daryon an idea.

"Pikachu, fire off a Thunder Shock in every direction!"

Pikachu, dizzy but still vaguely aware, let off the most powerful Thunder Shock that it could muster, sending bolts of electricity surging everywhere. Two or three of these bolts came in contact with the water that surrounded Starmie as it geared up for another Water Pulse. The Water Pulse itself acted as a conduit of electricity, with the end point being Starmie itself.

Starmie convulsed, loaded with unwanted electricity, before falling into the water. Daryon looked at one of the many screens on the wall, watching Starmie sink to the bottom of the pool, definitely defeated.

Misty sighed, returning Starmie to its Pokéball before looking up at Daryon, a mixture of impressed and annoyed expressed through her gaze. After a few seconds of silent staring, she reached into her back pocket, pulling out something, which she chucked across the pool. Daryon reached out to catch it, managing to do so while barely avoiding falling into the pool. He looked at said object, and smiled. It was the Cascade Badge, the second Gym badge. He clipped this onto his hat, right next to the Boulder Badge.

"Good job, kid," Misty said casually, before walking around the pool, past everyone else, and out the doors.

"H-hey, what about m-me?" Cameron pleaded.

"I have a date," Misty said as she left the Gym. "Come back tomorrow morning."

Daryon laughed.