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Gym Battle in Delft Town (by Michael Keens/ Exodus)  

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It hasn’t been the most eventful of weeks concerning me and Tetsubo.  
Chad kept getting in the way and he kept on treating me like a child, he stole 
all my quality time with Tetsubo and he’s majorly selfish, rude and annoying.  
I wished he’d just go somewhere else, and he did, except we were joined by the 
moneymaker, who though was a little withdrawn, he was still quite dark and out 
to battle for money, but I had yet to discover why.  
He wasn’t so bad, and Tetsubo did give me some attention while Scott was with 
us.  
I think Tetsubo’s starting to like me, we got on well during the Snorlax 
incident and he made the effort to try and get me out of my shell at Duplica’s 
place.  
The psychic Gym Leader, Sabrina told me that Tetsubo would show me the way, but 
what to? I wasn’t sure, either the way to express my deepest emotions, or a 
link to my past, all I knew was, I wasn’t going to let him go.  
The Gym Leader of this town had apparently got lost in the mountains, and 
Tetsubo, Scott and one of the assistant Gym Leaders went to find her, I was 
concerned about Tetsubo so I had Armour go with them, I just hoped he would 
follow through on his promise.  

I was left with Bjorn, a short man in a thick yellow coat with fur.  
“Shall we begin? It’ll be a two-on-two battle, draw your Pokémon.”  
I did so and the balls exploded simultaneously.  

“Vul!!!”  
“Jynx...”  
I had presumed that this was an Ice Gym, and was correct that he’d use an 
Ice-type, Foxfire was quite developed, she had learned all of her moves and the 
only thing I hadn’t done was evolve her, she didn’t want to evolve anyway, and 
I was happy with that, but also because Foxfire was a link to my past, I didn’t 
want to change her, she could very well be the Pokémon that my parents might 
recognise when I made it to the League.  
“Jynx, use your Ice Punch!”  
“Quick Attack, Foxfire.”  
She zipped over to the side as the fist came down, though not too effective, I 
wasn’t risking her getting frozen.  
“Meditate!”  
“Roar.”  
“VUUULLL!!!” she barked, and the Jynx stopped the move that would have 
increased her attack power.  
“Sing.”  
“Jyn Jynx... Jyn, Jyn, Jyn, Jyn, Jyn, Jyn, Jyn, Jyn, Jyn, Jynx.” she sung, and 
the melody made Foxfire drowsy.  
“Now Pound it!”  
It raised both its fists and bought them down on Foxfire.  
“Vul!” she cried, shaking her head afterwards.  
“Quick Attack.”  
She leaped up and rammed herself against the Jynx who fell over.  
“Flamethrower.”  
“Get away!“ shouted Bjorn and the Jynx frantically moved aside, her hair was 
too long though and the fire caught it and grew.  
“JYNNNN! Jynx! Jynx! Jynx! Jynx!” she yelled putting it out.  
“Use the Lovely Kiss!”  
“Jynx!” she shouted, trying to get close to Foxfire.  
“Use Ember.”  
“Vul! Vul! Vulpix!”  
The Jynx dodged left and right, the last fireball hit her but she wouldn’t turn 
away, she picked up Foxfire and kissed her on the cheek, this somehow made 
Foxfire dizzy and drowsy.  
“Now, Psychic attack!”  
“Jynx!” she shouted, throwing her hands forward to project the attack, Foxfire 
went flying, towards one of the holes in the icy floor.  
“Use your Fire Spin.  Aim down.” I said loudly.  
She did so, and the red tornado spun her in and then out, towards the Jynx.  
She burnt herself a little, but the cold water would have been much more 
damaging.  
She landed on the Jynx’s face and stuck there, the Jynx turned around and tried 
to get Foxfire off, she clung as if for dear life, but the large lips of the 
Jynx tried to touch her and she finally retreated.  
The Jynx smiled fiendishly, before the rumbling of the Fire Spin became 
apparent, she turned around and looked shocked.  
The tornado pulled her in, spun her around, burnt her up and spat her into the 
long hole in the ice that the attack had made.  
“Jynx! Jynx! Jynx!” she cried, unable to swim to safety.  
“Flamethrower.” I said, and Foxfire fired, the Jynx ducked down into the water 
until the attack had past.  
“If I try Flamethrower again...” I thought, “... Then Jynx will just duck 
down...”  
Bjorn had trained this Jynx to think for herself at times.  
“Tail Whip.” I called out, and Foxfire went towards the hole.  
The Jynx lunged her hands out in order to grab my Vulpix and dunk her in the 
water but Foxfire was wise to it and had leaped up and whacked her face with 
her tails, some fur must have come off as Jynx was then rubbing her eyes.  
“Confuse Ray.” I said, and Foxfire’s eyes glowed yellow, the Jynx fell hook, 
line and sinker, and immediately opened her eyes to the fiendish fox.  
“Now, while its confused, Flamethrower.”  
“VUL!!!” screamed Foxfire, putting all of her strength into the attack.  
Powerful flames erupted from the little fox and burnt the Jynx, so much that 
her hair was as black as her face.  
“Jynx...” she groaned, but surprisingly found the strength to pull herself up 
and ram Foxfire with a taught move:  Body Slam.  
Foxfire fell down weakened, not only by the attack, but by her effort to burn 
the Jynx, but she succeeded on that level.  
The Jynx was superheated and was suffering from the status ailment:  Burn.  
It breathed heavily and fought against the searing pain.  
“Finish it up, Jynx, Blizzard.”  
“Oh no.” I thought, “An attack that powerful is sure to freeze Foxfire.”  
The Jynx leaped into the air, the only attack that might hide Foxfire was Dig 
attack, but with that water past the ice, I might be condemning Foxfire to a 
watery grave rather than a freezing one, but I had to do something.  
“Foxfire, Dig.”  
“Vul?” she questioned, and quickly dug.  
“JYNX!!!” shouted the Jynx as a huge burst of cold wind filled the arena, it 
was so powerful, that the holes in the icy floor were sealed up, I suppose 
that’s how they fixed the arena after an impressive Gym Battle.  
But I couldn’t see Foxfire, what if she were trapped underneath the ice, not 
only suffering from the water damage but by not being able to breathe.  
“Vul!” she screamed, and a thin layer of ice shattered, she had dug halfway 
down and withstood the little damage from the icy build-up.  
I sighed a breath of relief.  
“Foxfire, Flamethrower attack.”  
“Vulpix!” she said confidently and blasted the Jynx before it could land, she 
was thrown towards Bjorn and broke through the ice of a covered up hole, and 
moments later, rose above the water, dizzy and defeated.  
“That fox is one tough mammal, but you surely won’t beat my Cloyster.”  
“Cllloysterrr...” it said menacingly as its shell opened up to reveal the 
grinning face on the black orb.  
“Cloyster...” I pondered, “It has properties of both Water and Ice-types...  
Return Foxfire.”  
“Vul...” she said, a little relieved as she ran back to me.  
I petted her on the head and she enjoyed it, I hadn’t really done this a lot 
until I properly met Tetsubo, the three little Pokémon I owned knew the real 
me, and I’d recently brought myself into the habit of hugging and stroking the 
little guy and gals.  
They in turn fought more valiantly, because they were starting to love me a 
little more.  
I’m not sure if its possible to go back to the way I was, so this was all I 
could do to help the three adjust.  
“Pika!” said Sparky happily, I made the point of stroking his head.  
“Chaaa...” he squealed, and then adopted an attack stance.  
“Sparky, Thunderbolt.”  
“Pika!”  
He ran towards the Cloyster who was preparing something of his own.  
“Pika-CHU!!!”  
“Cllloysterrr...”  
It shut its shell and the electricity didn’t get past its defenses.  
“Darn it...” I muttered quietly.  
“Cloyster?” it inquired as it opened up.  
“Pika!”  
Sparky leapt onto the Cloyster’s face without my consent, but it was necessary, 
if he waited for my every order, the Cloyster would have plenty of time to 
react.  
“Thunder Wave.”  
“Chuuuu!!!”  
“CccLLOYyYYSsSTteRrrR...” it wailed as Sparky shocked it into a state of 
paralysis.  
“Clamp it!” shouted Bjorn, moments after the attack, but why would he-  
“Sparky.  Get out of there.” I said firmly.  
“Pika?”  
“Cloy!”  
“Chaaa!!!” he squealed as his tail was caught between the Cloyster’s two shell 
parts.  
He hung upside down and looked helplessly at me, I didn’t know what to do.  
“Can you handle a Thundershock?” I asked politely.  
“Pika... Chu!!!”  
“CccLLOYyYYSsSTteRrrR...” wailed the Cloyster again as it was forced to open 
up, Sparky was angry and used Quick Attack to ram the Cloyster while he had the 
chance, but he made the cautious act of moving out of its shell’s range, his 
tail was a little scrunched out of place.  
“Tackle!”  
“Light Screen.”  
The Cloyster bounced off the newly formed glass shield, but not much.  
“Double Team.”  
“Pika Pika Pika Chu Chu Chu...” said the many Pikachus.  
“Use Spike Cannon.” grinned Bjorn.  
The Cloyster spun itself around and shards from its shell started firing 
forward, the four fakes were taken out by the first round and the real Sparky 
was one of the next targets.  
“Chaaa!!!”  
“Aurora Beam.”  
“Swift attack.”  
The stars that were flung from Sparky’s tail were inaccurate due to his minor 
injury, but some of them hit the beam and deflected it, making a spectacular 
light show.  
“Sparky, Thunder.” I said loudly, he’d never tried it before but we needed it 
now while the Cloyster was distracted.  
“Pika!” yelled Sparky confidently, leaping upward to initiate the attack, but a 
stray beam hit him and knocked him back, another one forward, and one flung him 
into the ceiling.  
“Sparky...”  
“CHAAAAA!!!” he yelled, and unleashed an explosion of electricity on the 
Cloyster before falling back down to earth.  
“CLOYYYYY!!!” it screamed and fell back, stopping the attack.  
“Pika...” panted Sparky as cold smoke filled the air.  
“Tackle!”  
“Cloy!!!” screamed Cloyster and rammed Sparky, a sneak attack, it wasn’t 
finished yet.  
“Pi-Kaaaa!!!”  
“Ice Beam!”  
“Pi-”  
The beam blasted Sparky and engulfed him, I shut my eyes, as the beam blasted 
inches away from my side.  
I looked again, and Sparky was encased in ice.  
“What have you done?” I questioned angrily, and picked up the block of ice and 
shattered it against the wall, I received a couple of shards in my arms, but I 
didn’t care, Sparky had done so much for me...  Me.  A total stranger on the 
inside, in the shell of his original trainer.  
He didn’t have to battle for me, but he did, because of the sort of person I 
could turn out to be, I might not be an exact copy, but the love was the same.  
“... Pika!” he said as he could breathe again, his body was still surrounded by 
ice, but he seemed okay.  
“Pika...” he said as he smiled nervously, happy but concerned for me.  
“Girl, just forfeit the match and we’ll get you to the Pokémon Centre.” said 
Bjorn concerned, “I’m sure Joy could-”  
“No.”  
I braced the pain and removed the shards, it hurt a lot, but I wouldn’t let it 
sway the battle, my Pokémon and I would prove ourselves winners today.  
“I won’t back down, not as long as my Pokémon and I have faith in our 
abilities.”  
“If... you say so.” replied Bjorn nervously.  
“Sparky, you’re excused, you’ve definitely got a case of the ‘cold’.  Foxfire, 
please, finish it up.”  
“Vul!” she shouted and charged forward.  
“Easy pickings, Cloyster, use Water Gun.”  
“Quick Attack.”  
She ran around the two jet sprays and shot herself into the Cloyster’s face.  
“Withdraw!”  
“Flamethrower.”  
Foxfire breathed in and... “VULLL!!!”  
She shot a long blaze that continued to burn the Cloyster, it was partially a 
Water-type, but it still had an Ice side to prey on, I wouldn’t let Sparky’s 
efforts be in vain, he’d worked so hard, and we’d be rewarded for it, when I 
won this badge, and one more later on, and then win the Pokémon League, find my 
parents, and give Sparky a proper upbringing in a real home.  
“Cloyster, stop, you can’t take it!” shouted Bjorn.  
“Cloy...”  
“Fire Spin.”  
I couldn’t afford for Foxfire to be hit, she’d been damaged enough in the last 
fight.  
The blaze formed as the Cloyster opened up, and the tornado grew around him, 
slowly rising it into the air.  
“Quick Attack.”  
With one fantastic leap, Foxfire flew up the fiery tornado and finished off the 
Cloyster.  
Foxfire leapt out of the dissipating Fire Spin, while the Cloyster plummeted.  
It broke through the ice and sunk, coming up defeated moments later.  

“Here you go, dear.” said Bjorn, reaching up and covering my cuts with a spare 
scarf, “And here is the Cold Badge.”  
A smirk came to my face, months ago this badge would have suited me to a ‘T’, 
but now...  Now I had friends and a loving friendship with my first set of 
Pokémon.  
Perhaps one day, I could be just as nice to people, especially towards Tetsubo, 
who was safe to say, the starting point of my change for the better.  
“We did it...” I said relieved.  
“Vul!” cheered Foxfire.  
“Pi Pikachu!” shouted Sparky happily, even though he was still encased in ice.  
I smiled a little and took the spiky icicle-shaped badge.  

Bjorn soon escorted me to the Pokémon Centre where Tetsubo was, safe and sound 
thanks to Armour, Tetsubo showed his concern but I assured him I’d be alright, 
so that he could take his Gym Battle without worrying about me.  
Scott was worried about his Onix, and I shared some things that I haven’t dared 
to explain to Tetsubo, but Scott returned the favour in kind by telling me 
everything, the loss of his parents and his sister going into a coma, he 
battled for money in order to raise funds for a delicate operation, I decided 
that if I won instead of Scott, I’d give the prize money to him, all I wanted 
was my parents, not money.  
Scott had already made the decision to leave us after his Gym Battle, and with 
Tetsubo’s nugget too.  
I usually wouldn’t let thieves get away with an innocent person’s belongings, 
but it was for a good cause.  
Scott was similar to me, a dark exterior and a confused interior, it did me 
some good to talk about my experiences, a weight had been lifted off my head 
and now I could only look towards the future.  

Rick's Fifth Gym Battle
Scott's Seventh Gym Battle
Back to the Side Stories
Back to the Pokézone