Chapter 629: Normal Gym Battle (1)
~Third POV~
[Unova Region, Elsewhere, Nacrene City – Cafe Warehouse]
The air inside the private dining room of the Nacrene City Café Warehouse smelled richly of roasted coffee beans, aged cedar, and the faint, sweet tang of blackberry tarts. Soft jazz drifted from a hidden gramophone in the corner, though it was largely ignored by the figures sitting across from one another at the polished mahogany table.
White adjusted the cuffs of her jacket, her fingers tapping a subtle, nervous rhythm against the tablecloth. Across from her sat the Director—a man whose reputation for avant-garde commercials and notoriously harsh casting calls preceded him.
Next to White, sitting remarkably still on an oversized velvet dining chair, was Azure's Gardevoir, serving as an impromptu bodyguard and an impossibly polite guest. The Gardevoir tilted its head, its crimson eyes studying a silver fork with the intense, unblinking curiosity of someone who had only ever known the wild forests and the high-stakes theater of battle.
White began, her voice a careful blend of corporate polish and genuine bewilderment, "I must admit, Director, when you asked for a private meeting here in Nacrene—especially while Black is busy at the museum and Azure is taking his Gym test—I expected a scouting report. Or perhaps a grievance about Gigi's latest stunt rehearsal."
The Director let out a low, gravelly chuckle, swirling the amber tea in his cup. He then began to explain to White about their situation, "Stunts are easy, White. Anyone can throw a Tepig off a hay bale and call it action. No, this isn't about the agency's day-to-day. This is about real estate. And survival."
He reached into his breast pocket, pulled out a sleek, modern Xtransceiver, and set it upright on the table. With a sharp tap of his thumb, he activated the screen.
*Tap—BEEP*
The display flickered, resolving into the crisp, high-definition broadcast of a sleek, marble-lined office in Nimbasa City. Sitting behind an enormous desk carved from fossilized wood was the Mayor of Nimbasa himself, flanked by three sweating, gray-suited assistants who looked as though they hadn't slept.
The Mayor's voice boomed through the small speaker, rich with theatrical resonance: "Ah… The young mind behind the BW Agency. Miss White, am I correct?"
White blinked, her professional mask slipping for a fraction of a second before she sat up straight, clasping her hands neatly over her lap. She quickly greeted the Mayor in a respectful tone, "Yes, Mr. Mayor! Representative of the BW Agency at your service. Though I must confess, I didn't expect to be patched into the city hall of the entertainment capital quite so abruptly."
The Mayor sighed, leaning his heavy chin into his palm. He explained his worries, "These are desperate times, my dear. Nimbasa City is supposed to be the crown jewel of Unova—a paradise of neon, laughter, and endless diversion. Yet, our visitor logs are plummeting. The amusement park is pristine, the sports domes are state-of-the-art, and our stadium shows are fully staffed. And yet... the people are drifting away."
On the screen, one of the assistants leaned in, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke off-mic in a tired tone, "We've tried everything, Mr. Mayor. We funded three separate movie blocks last quarter—box office daggers. We flooded the market with collectible CDs and live-concert DVDs. If the crowds aren't coming for the roller coasters, they aren't coming at all. There's no room for improvement!"
*BAM*
The Mayor barked, slamming a heavy fist onto his desk, causing the screen to shudder slightly. The Mayor shouted, "Nonsense! If we don't revitalize the city's pulse, we might as well turn Nimbasa into a retirement village for retired Stoutlands! We need an idea, Miss White. Something bold. Something that makes people participate, rather than just sit like lumps of coal in a cinema seat."
White stared at the screen, her mind racing at a terrifying velocity. She thought, 'An idea? For all of Nimbasa?'
Beside her, Vivi the Eevee poked her head out from the fold of White's scarf, letting out a soft, inquiring "Vui?" while Gigi the Tepig snorted softly from a basket near White's feet, her snout twitching at the scent of buttered rolls.
White started, her voice catching slightly before she forced it into a clear, projected tone that she usually reserved for stubborn network executives. She said nervously, "Well… If... if the movies and the DVDs aren't working, it's because they're one-directional. People go, they watch a screen, they leave. It's... It's a flat experience."
The mayor's eyebrows arched. He asked, "Go on."
White blurted out, her hands flying up in a defensive gesture as if she expected the device to detonate, "A musical… A—a special theater! Not just a movie house, but a live stage where the audience isn't just watching actors, but... but participating! Where the music is happening right there in front of them, with real Pokémon performers, real sets that change before their eyes! It's... It's exhilarating because it's live! You can't get that from a digital disc!"
She stopped, her chest heaving slightly as she realized she had just pitched a massive, multi-million-yen municipal project to the most powerful bureaucrat in western Unova on three seconds' notice. She thought, her stomach doing a violent flip, 'That was terrible. Too theatrical, too expensive, too—'
"Brilliant!"
The mayor's shout nearly blew out the Xtransceiver's speaker.
The mayor beamed, his assistants staring at him in sheer, unadulterated horror. He exclaimed loudly, "A live theatrical experience! A place where the barrier between spectator and performer dissolves into the rhythm of the city! Miss White, you have single-handedly saved the season! Draft a proposal by Tuesday. The Nimbasa Musical Theater project is officially yours to spearhead!"
*BEEP*
The screen clicked black.
The private room fell into an absolute, ringing silence, save for the gentle crackle of the gramophone. White sat frozen, her mouth slightly open, staring at the dead screen. The Director slowly raised his teacup, taking a long, deliberate sip.
He said excitedly, a slow, predatory grin spreading across his face, "Well, White… Looks like you're going to Nimbasa!"
White froze as she thought, too stunned, 'White.ExE shut down…'
Azure's Gardevoir chuckled, reading White's thoughts. She thought curiously, 'She's certainly an amusing CEO. Maybe I should join this project or spread the word to my fellow Pokémon back home if they're interested. Fufufu~'
/////
[Unova Region, Nacrene City – Museum (Gym)]
Beneath the towering fossil displays and the hushed, academic quiet of the Nacrene Museum, the basement gymnasium felt worlds away from the bright lights of showbiz. Azure's second Gym Battle is taking place.
Black stood on the metal observation platform with his arms crossed, his brow furrowed so deeply it looked as though he were trying to solve a complex algebraic equation using only sheer willpower. Around him, Azure's menagerie was a chaotic swirl of energy.
Pikachu sat comfortably on Black's shoulder, occasionally twitching his long ears; Eevee was curled like a russet crown atop Black's head; and Pichu (Mew) was peering out from the breast pocket of Azure's coat, nibbling on a sliver of dried Oran berry.
In the shadows, Zoura paced back and forth, its tail swishing with bored impatience, while Gengar hovered half an inch off the concrete floor, cackling silently at nothing. Next to Gengar, the small blue form of a Rotom buzzed inside an old-fashioned lantern shell, its electric eye glowing a bright, inquisitive yellow.
Zoura's voice echoed directly into the minds of everyone standing within his reach, 'This Gym Leader has a very heavy aura, doesn't she? Like a book that's been dropped in the mud too many times.'
Black muttered, being used to Azure's Pokémon being somehow able to talk vocally or mentally, his eyes never leaving the battlefield below, "She's a historian. And she's tough. Azure's got his hands full."
*Click—HUMMM*
Down on the stone-paved arena floor, Gym Leader Lenora tapped the screen of her Rotom Phone. With a low, pneumatic hiss, a heavy steel scanning machine slid out from the wall beside Azure, its digital eye casting a sweeping blue laser across his form.
Lenora's voice echoed off the high, vaulted stone ceilings, her gaze sharp and assessing at Azure, "This will be a two-versus-two Pokémon battle. Choose wisely, challenger. This is an Ace Gym Match."
Azure stood with his hands tucked casually into his pockets, though his eyes were completely locked onto the machine. His six empty digital slots blinked red on the display. He didn't hesitate.
With a flick of his wrist, he unclipped two specific spheres from his belt. Azure said clearly, "These two will do."
He tossed the Poké Balls forward. He grinned as he saw their status screens and chose these two for this battle.
|Name: Axew (S) (Tusk Pokémon)
|Type: Dragon
|Tera: Dragon
|Level: 37
|Gender: Male
|Held Item: [Dragon Fang]
|Ability: Mold Breaker
|Nature: Adamant
|Moves: Protect, Leer, Taunt, Scary Face, Endure, Dragon Dance, Hone Claws, Focus Energy, Dragon Claw [A][S], Dual Chop [A][S], Breaking Swipe [A][S], Dragon Pulse [A][S], Slash [A][S], Dragon Rage [A][S], Crunch [A][S], Assurance [A][S], False Swipe [A][S], Razor Wind [A][S], Reversal [A][S], First Impression [A][S], Counter (EM) (0 moves left to learn)
|Name: Pawniard (Sharp Blade Pokémon)
|Type: Dark/Steel
|Tera: Dark
|Level: 40
|Gender: Male
|Held Item: [Muscle Band]
|Ability: Inner Focus
|Nature: Serious
|Moves: Protect, Leer, Torment, Scary Face, Swords Dance, Metal Sound, Iron Defense, Rock Polish, Thunder Wave, Magnet Rise, Faint Attack [A][S], Assurance [A][S], Night Slash [A][S], Pursuit [A][S], Sucker Punch [A][S], Metal Claw [A][S], Iron Head [A][S], Slash [A][S], Fury Cutter [A][S], Psycho Cut [A][S], Shadow Claw [A][S], Aerial Ace [A][S], Grass Knot [A][S], Cut [A][S] (HM), Mean Look (EM) (1 moves left to learn)
*FLASH—BEEP*
As the machine finished its rapid biometric scan, a massive Mastiff-like Stoutland trotted out from the sidelines, carrying a small wooden tray in its mouth holding two fresh Poké Balls for the exchange. Lenora reached down, retrieved them with practiced ease, and took her position on the opposite end of the box.
Lenora smiled, a fierce, toothy grin that matched the wild glint in her eyes. She declared, "Let's see what you're made of, Challenger! Go, Watchog!"
*POP*
A sleek, ring-tailed Watchog bounded onto the field, its long body coiling like a spring. The instant its paws hit the stone, a faint pink aura rippled around its frame—the telltale sign of its held [Salac Berry], ready to burst into action the moment its vitality dipped.
Azure tossed his Poké Ball forward. He declared in a resolute tone, "Let's do this! Axew, you're up first."
*POP*
In a flash of white light, Axew materialized onto the damp stone: his shiny Axew with his held item [Dragon Fang], its scales gleaming under the torchlight as the little green dragon let out a sharp, warlike hiss, a crescent-shaped ivory tusk protruding from its jaw glowing with draconic power as it stepped onto the arena floor.
Lenora commanded, her voice ringing out with absolute authority, "Watchog! Lock him down. Mean Look!"
The Watchog's eyes flashed a piercing, hypnotic violet. It lunged forward, opening its jaw to cast the gaze that would shackle Axew to the spot, preventing any escape.
Before the hypnotic light could take hold, Axew blurred. Utilizing the lightning-fast execution of the Agile Style, the little dragon lunged forward, its claws outstretched in a sudden, brutal First Impression.
*SMACK*
The blow landed squarely across Watchog's snout, sending the sentinel Pokémon skidding back a full two yards. But the momentum of Watchog's attack didn't entirely fail; even as it reeled from the impact, its eyes flashed, locking a ring of dark, binding energy around Axew's ankles.
*Clang*
The Mean Look took hold. Axew was locked in.
Azure muttered, his lips curling into a faint, confident smirk, "Good recovery. Now, Axew! Let's test the waters. Dragon Pulse!"
*Hummm*
Axew threw its head back, gathering a swirling sphere of violet-blue energy within its maw. Lenora barked, "Interrupt that flow! Low Kick!"
Watchog recovered its footing with terrifying speed, darting across the stone floor like a low-slung bullet. Before Axew could unleash the beam, Watchog's leg swept out in a vicious, ankle-high arc.
*CRACK*
The kick caught Axew dead in the shins, knocking the little dragon entirely off its feet and sending the gathering dragon energy dispersing into the ceiling in a harmless shower of purple sparks.
*Smash*
Axew hit the ground hard, rolling twice before catching itself on its claws. For a second, the dragon's eyes went wide with shock—then, slowly, they darkened into a murderous, crimson-edged glare.
The blow hadn't just hurt; it had infuriated him. A low, vibrating growl rumbled deep within Axew's chest. The battle mania—that fierce, burning instinct inherited from countless harsh training sessions—flared to life in his veins.
Azure whispered, nodding approvingly, "That's it. Feed the fire."
Across the field, Lenora grinned wider, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of a true trainer finding a worthy adversary. She commanded, "They have spirit! Let's see how they handle heavy artillery. Watchog, Focus Blast!"
*PEW*
A sphere of crackling, white-hot Fighting-type energy materialized between Watchog's paws, swelling to the size of a boulder… before being hurled forward with devastating velocity. Yet Azure remained calm.
Azure's voice cracked like a whip, "Deflect it! Counter Shield Razor Wind!"
Gengar cackled from the air, levitating mid-air, clapping its stubby hands together, "Oh ho! The classic spin!"
Axew didn't hesitate…
*Swirlll—WHOOSH*
Dropping low to the ground, the dragon began to spin on its heel, its body glowing with a brilliant, blinding white aura of pure kinetic energy. In less than a second, the rotation whipped up a miniature, roaring whirlwind around its small frame.
When the giant sphere of Focus Blast slammed into the spinning vortex, it didn't explode—it was caught. The centrifugal force of the Razor Wind seized the energy sphere, spinning it faster until the white-hot light reversed its vector entirely.
*BOOM*
The Focus Blast was whipped right back toward its sender, twice as fast as it had left. Lenora's eyes widened, shouting, "Quick! Protect!"
*SHINNG*
A translucent green barrier flashed into existence around Watchog just as the deflected Focus Blast slammed into it…
*BOOOM—RMBL*
The shockwave blew dust and debris up to the museum's rafters, rattling the glass display cases containing fossilized ancient bones. As the green barrier faded, Watchog barely had time to blink before Axew emerged from the heart of the whirlwind.
The dragon's tusks glowed with a blinding white light as it swung its head in a vicious, scything motion!
*SHING*
A crescent blade of pure, compressed wind—Razor Wind—shot across the stone floor, hissing as it sheared through the flagstones. Lenora shouted, "Jump!"
*SHINNG—BOING*
Watchog leaped upward, its paws tucking tight as the blade whistled beneath it, carving a deep gouge into the stone wall behind. But Watchog wasn't waiting to land. As it dropped, its tail whipped around in a low, blurring arc.
Lenora shouted, "Low Kick again!"
Azure murmured, "Not this time! Strong Style Dragon Pulse!"
*Hisss—PEW*
Before Watchog's kick could connect, Axew's hind legs compressed like steel springs. With a sharp pop of displaced air, the dragon vaulted directly over the sweeping leg, twisting mid-air to unleash a point-blank Dragon Pulse. The violet beam erupted from Axew's jaws with the force of a cannon shell…
*CHOMP*
At that exact instant, Watchog's body shuddered as its held [Salac Berry] burst between its jaws. The tart, concentrated berry juice flooded its system, triggering a surge of adrenaline that instantly boosted its speed by a full stage.
*Whoosh*
The sudden speed burst allowed Watchog to twist its torso an impossible fraction of an inch to the left, letting the Dragon Pulse roar past its ear and scorch the stone wall behind it. Axew landed on all fours, skidding to a halt, but before Watchog could even touch down, the dragon charged again…
*Zoom—SHING*
Its short, razor-sharp claws extended, glowing with a dull, predatory green sheen—Dragon Claw. Lenora roared, her fist clenched in tandem with her Pokémon, "Meet it head-on, Watchog! Iron Tail!"
Watchog's tail hardened into a slab of gleaming, metallic gray, swinging around like a steel bat to meet the incoming claws!
*CLANG-CLANG-CLANG*
A furious exchange of steel and claw erupted in the center of the museum basement. Every strike sent a shower of golden sparks cascading across the damp stones, illuminating the cavernous room in strobes of orange and blue. The sound was deafening—the high-pitched screech of metal against dragon-scale echoing off the display cases.
Lenora stared in genuine awe. She thought, her brow furrowed, 'How?! Watchog's speed is boosted by the Salac Berry! By all rights, Axew shouldn't be able to keep up with these exchanges!'
From the spectator stands, Azure offered a quiet, inward smile. He reached up, unconsciously touching the hem of his coat where the heavy, invisible weight of his old Gravity Training lingered in his muscle memory. He thought, 'You don't know about the gravity drills I enforced on my teammates, Lenora. Axew's base speed is forged in heavier fires than this.'
Azure shouted aloud, encouraging his partner's fighting spirit, "Keep pushing him! He's a battle maniac—prove your mettle!"
*BOOM*
With one final, thunderous clash of claw and tail, both Pokémon were hurled backward by the kinetic recoil, sliding across the stone floor to create several yards of separation. Both breathed heavily, their chests heaving as the dust settled between them.
Azure's arm swept down, ordering, "Now! Dual Chop!"
Axew's paws blurred as he charged forward, two distinct green energy blades forming over his forelimbs. Lenora commanded, "Dodge and weave!"
Watchog tried to pivot, but the exhaustion from the previous exchanges had slowed its berry-boosted reflexes just enough. Axew's first chop caught the sentinel across the shoulder, and the second—a vicious backhand—struck it square in the chest.
*THUD*
Watchog stumbled backward, reeling from the impact. But the blow had carried Axew in entirely too close—right into the danger zone.
Lenora's eyes flashed as she shouted, "Now! Confuse Ray!"
*FLASH*
Before Axew could leap back, Watchog's eyes spun into a mesmerizing, kaleidoscopic pinwheel of multi-colored light. The beams washed over Axew's face. The dragon's eyes rolled back slightly, its green scales flickering with a sickly, disoriented pink haze. It staggered to the left, shaking its head violently as the world spun on its axis. Lenora bellowed, her voice echoing off the vaulted ceiling, "It's time to finish it! Giga Impact!"
Watchog dropped low, its entire body erupting in a blinding aura of white, destructive energy. It became a human-sized comet, launching itself forward with a deafening roar that shook the museum foundations.
Before Azure could even issue a command, the white comet struck.
*BOOM*
The impact was absolute.
The shockwave blew Black's hair back from the observation deck, and Pikachu let out an alarmed squeak, digging its claws into Black's jacket.
Axew didn't just take the hit—he was picked up entirely by the momentum, carried across the entire length of the room before slamming directly into the solid stone wall behind Azure's standing box.
*CRACK*
A spiderweb of fissures spidered out across the masonry as a small crater formed around the impact site. Dust and masonry rained down in a thick gray fog.
Down on the floor, Watchog dropped to one knee, panting violently, its body trembling from the massive physical recoil of the Giga Impact move. It hung its head, barely able to keep its eyes open. Lenora lowered her hand, let out a long breath, and announced, "That's it. Axew is unable to—"
She stopped.
From within the dusty crater at the back of the room, a sound began to rise. It wasn't a whimper of defeat. It was a deep, guttural, vibrating roar that sounded less like a lizard and more like an ancient drake waking from a centuries-long slumber.
"ROOOOAR!"
Black gripped the metal railing of the stands, his eyes wide. He muttered, "No way... He took a STAB Giga Impact point-blank? And he's still standing?!!"
Through the settling dust, a small, green-scaled form stumbled forward out of the crater. Its limbs were shaking, and dust coated its snout, but it was standing. Azure let out a low whistle, a grin spreading across his face, and whispered in a proud tone, "You absolute madman. Or rather, mad dragon."
He looked across the field at Lenora, who was staring in absolute disbelief. He explained, "She thought she had you. But right before the impact hit... Axew used Endure. He traded his last ounce of health to stay in the ring."
Lenora's jaw dropped slightly, muttering, "He... he endured that?"
[DING!]
[Axew has leveled up: Lv.37 -> 38!]
[Axew is now evolving!]
Azure, seeing the pop-up screens, smirked. Azure said happily, his voice rising over the hum of the room's lantern, "And more than that… I think you just pushed him a little too far, Gym Leader."
As if responding to his words, the draconic roar grew louder, vibrating through the stone floorboards until the display cases rattled in unison, "AXXXXEWWWW…!!"
*FLASH*
A brilliant, blinding pillar of white-and-blue light erupted from Axew's small frame, swallowing him whole in a column of pure evolutionary energy. Black leaned over the railing, his hot-blooded instincts surging, and muttered in disbelief, "He's evolving! Right in the middle of an Ace match!"
The light expanded, stretching upward, reshaping the short tail, lengthening the ivory tusks into jagged, battle-scarred blades along the jawline, and broadening the muscular frame of the little dragon into something far more formidable. When the light finally snapped out of existence, standing in the center of the crater was no longer an Axew…
*TMP*
It was a Fraxure.
The newly evolved dragon shook its head, its crimson eyes glowing with absolute, unadulterated power. It let out one final, chest-deep roar that rattled the museum's hanging banners, "FRAAAAAXUREEE!!!"
Azure smiled happily seeing this. He quickly checked Fraxure's info.
[Fraxure is the Axe Jaw Pokémon. Fraxure is very violent and territorial. Fights over turf often break out between it and another Fraxure. After a fight, it sharpens its tusks on river rocks, as they do not regenerate. It lives alongside rivers. Fraxure engages in violent confrontations with Bisharp for the locations of sharpening stones.
Fraxure uses its tusks only when necessary. The reason is that once its tusks break, Fraxure will be unable to use them again. Fraxure uses its tusks to cut the prey into two different food portions, one for eating now and the second portion for later.]
Azure's attention returned when Lenora breathed, a slow, appreciative smile spreading across her tired face, complimenting them, "Incredible! An evolutionary breakthrough in the heat of battle. You truly don't pull your punches, do you, Azure?"
Azure said, his hand pointing directly at the exhausted Watchog across the field, "Never! And we finish this the same way we started. Fraxure! Reversal!"
Watchog tried to raise its head, but the heavy recoil of the Giga Impact had locked its muscles in place. It couldn't move an inch.
*ZOOOOM*
Fraxure moved like a ghost. Blurring across the stone floor, its fist glowing with a brilliant, concentrated orange aura of sheer, accumulated desperation, the dragon closed the distance in a fraction of a second.
Azure roared alongside his partner, "HAAAAH!"
Fraxure drove its glowing fist downward, striking the ground—and Watchog—with an impact that felt like a localized earthquake.
*BOOOOM*
A massive shockwave blew outward in a perfect circle, shattering the remaining dust clouds and sending loose stones skipping across the floor. When the smoke finally cleared, the arena was dead silent.
*Thud*
Watchog lay flat on its back in a small crater of its own, its eyes replaced by small, swirling spirals. It was completely knocked out. Fraxure stood atop the rubble, its chest heaving, its massive new tusks gleaming under the torchlight.
It threw its head back and let out a proud, victorious cry that echoed off the high stone ceiling of the Nacrene Museum. Lenora recalled her fallen partner with a soft click of her Poké Ball, her expression one of profound respect.
She looked across the ruined floor at Azure and his newly evolved Pokémon. She murmured, "A magnificent finish, challenger."
Azure walked forward, placing a gentle hand on Fraxure's scaly shoulder. He praised softly before turning his head with a knowing smirk and said, "Good work, partner. Don't relax just yet... We still have one more opponent left."
Fraxure's ears twitched. It turned its glowing crimson eyes from the empty floor toward the back of the gym, where Lenora was already reaching for her final Poké Ball.
Across the stands, Black slammed a fist into his open palm, his eyes burning with competitive fire. He exclaimed excitedly, "That's how you do it! Come on, Lenora, show us what that last ace is!"
Lenora stepped forward, her eyes twinkling with a fierce, competitive fire as she looked across the field at Azure and his newly evolved partner. Lenora said resolutely, her voice carrying across the quiet room, "Impressive! You broke through my defenses, you evolved mid-battle, and you hit back twice as hard. But don't pop the champagne just yet, challenger..."
She reached for her belt, her fingers resting on the final sphere. She said in a serious tone with an eager expression, "...because my true ace is still waiting."
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter!