As Told By Hikari, ch. 30

Last time, Hikari met the Gym Leader of Mistralton City Skyla, who also happens to be a close friend of Tatsuya’s.  Now, a few days later, our heroine is ready to battle for her sixth Gym Badge!

“Mistralton City Pokemon Gym
Leader: Skyla
The Highflying Girl”

“I can’t tell you how excited I am, Tatsuya!” I said as we headed toward the Gym at the end of the runway.  “After this, I’ll only have two more Gym Badges to go!”

“Don’t get overconfident, now,” Tatsuya warned.  “Skyla’s not called the Highflying Girl for nothing.  She’ll bombard you with aerial attacks.”

“Relax!  All that training I did is gonna pay off, you’ll see!” I said with full confidence.

When I got inside of the Gym, which was inside of an old hanger, I saw several cannons on the ground pointing in various directions.  There were also some large rings hanging from the ceiling.  “Don’t tell me this is what you meant when you said this Gym was ‘out there’,” I said to Tatsuya.

“Aw c’mon, champ.  It’ll be fun!” Tatsuya said as he dashed toward the first cannon.  Victini just flew ahead of us, having no use for the cannons.  I watched as Tatsuya climbed inside the cannon, winking at me before ducking out of sight.  The cannon leaned forward, and with a loud boom, Tatsuya was shot across the Gym.  “Yeah!  Whoo!” I heard him yell in delight before landing safely on another platform.  

“Whoa!  Wait for me!” I called as I ran over to the cannon.  I climbed in, and seconds later, I was flying through the air.  It was absolutely thrilling!  “Whoo-hoo!”

I landed on the platform next to Tatsuya.  I couldn’t help but notice that he had lost his cap during his flight.  He looked good with wind-blown hair.  “So?  How was your first flight?” Tatsuya asked, even though he seemed to know the answer already.  

“That.  Was.  Awesome!” I squealed.  “Let’s do it again!”  The two of us kept shooting ourselves out of the cannons, getting closer and closer to Skyla.  Every once in a while, we’d fly through one or more of the rings.  One cannon ended up shooting me into a wall, but I shook it off.  

Eventually, we made it to the highest platform where Skyla was waiting.  As soon as she saw us, she giggled.  “Hee hee!  I’ve been waiting for you.  Did you enjoy flying with the help of the Mistralton Gym cannons?”

“Yeah, it was fantastic!  I felt like I was in the circus!” I said happily.  “Although you might wanna move that one cannon back a ways.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Skyla said.  “I’m glad you like them!  They’re my pride and joy!”  Then she took out a Poke Ball and got into a battle position.  “This time, let’s try something else!”

Tatsuya headed for the sidelines, where Victini was waiting and holding his cap.  Dewott and Zorua got out of their balls and joined the other Trainer, who had let Minnie out of her ball.  I smiled at all of them before preparing myself for battle.

A pilot appeared and acted as our referee.  “This battle between the Gym Leader Skyla and the challenger Hikari is about to begin!  Each Trainer shall use three Pokemon!”  Then he gave the signal, and the battle began!

Hikari vs. Skyla!

Hikari is challenged by Leader Skyla!

“Swoobat, come on out!”  The young Leader sent out a large bat-like Pokemon with a heart-shaped nose.

“Swoobat, the Courting Pokemon.  It emits sound waves of various frequencies from its nose, including some powerful enough to destroy rocks.”

I reached for an Ultra Ball before realizing that, considering which Pokemon was inside, that I oughta give Tatsuya fair warning.  “Hey Tatsuya, you might wanna close your eyes for this one!”

“Huh?  Why do I wanna close my-?”  I cut him off before he could finish.

“Just do it!  Go, Galvantula!” I shouted as I unleashed the EleSpider Pokemon.

Tatsuya immediately flinched at the sight of the Pokemon he was afraid of.  “I-I’ll be OK, as long as it doesn’t come near me!” he said, determined to watch in spite of his fear.  I gave him an approving smile.

“Hmm, interesting,” Skyla commented before making the first move. “Acrobatics!”  Swoobat flew back and forth, repeatedly hitting Galvantula and leaving afterimages behind.

“Slow ‘im down with Electroweb!”  The string of electricity shot out at Swoobat before splitting to form a web and tangling up the Flying Pokemon.

“Use Heart Stamp!” Managing to get its wings free, Swoobat winked, then zipped right up to Galvantula and hit it face first.  As it backed away, a pink heart appeared for a second before disappearing.

“Galvantula, use Signal Beam!”  A rainbow-colored ball of light appeared in front of the EleSpider Pokemon before shooting off a beam, hitting Swoobat and confusing it.

“C’mon, Swoobat!  Use Assurance!” But it was no use; Swoobat just flew around in circles.

“Electro Ball now!”  Galvantula shot an electric orb at Swoobat, taking it out.

“Swoobat is unable to battle.  Galvantula wins!”

The foe’s Swoobat fainted!

“Nice work, Galvantula!” I said as I knelt down to pet its head.

Skyla recalled her defeated Pokemon before smiling at me.  “When I think about a match with a fabulous Trainer like you, it’s like I’m walking on air!”

“Is that so?” I asked, smiling back at her.

Skyla nodded before sending out another Flying Pokemon.  “Go, Unfezant!”

“Unfezant, the Proud Pokemon and the evolved form of Tranquill.  Males swing their head plumage to threaten opponents. The females' flying abilities surpass those of the males.”

“Use Razor Wind!”  Unfezant flapped her wings, creating a whirlwind which sent out white waves of energy.  The waves hit Galvantula, and I decided it was a good time to switch.

“Galvantula, return!  Go, Vanillite!”  The Ice Pokemon appeared on the battlefield, ready to go.  But to my surprise, the first thing that happened was Vanillite being surrounded by a white glow.

What?  Vanillite is evolving!

Vanillite grew in size, and when it faded, a Vanillish was in its place, still as ready as it was when it came out of its ball.

Congratulations!  Your Vanillite evolved into Vanillish!

“Vanillish, the Icy Snow Pokemon and the evolved form of Vanillite.  Snowy mountains are this Pokémon's habitat. During an ancient ice age, they moved to southern areas.”

“I’d say our odds just got better, eh Vanillish?” I said, grinning at Vanillish.  The Ice Pokemon gave me its usual mischievous grin.

“Oh boy,” I heard Skyla mutter before giving her next command.  “Quick Attack!”  Unfezant rushed at Vanillish and hit it dead on.

“Hail!”  Vanillish’s body grew light blue and it rose up into the air as actual clouds formed inside the Gym.  Snow began to fall, accompanied by large balls of Hail which hit Unfezant.

“Air Slash!”  The Proud Pokemon’s wings glowed blue and she gave a sharp flap, sending out several glowing saw disc-like energy blades at Vanillish.

I flinched as the blades hit my Pokemon.  “Hurry, use Ice Beam!”  The light-blue beam shot out at Unfezant and hit it with incredible accuracy.  The Hail hit it one more time, and the Proud Pokemon had had enough.

“Unfezant is unable to battle.  Vanillish wins!”

The foe’s Unfezant fainted!

“Cool job, Vanillish!” I cracked, causing the Ice Pokemon to laugh.

“Bad one, Hikari!” Tatsuya called out, but he still had a smile on his face.  Zorua cheered for his friend.

Skyla had one Pokemon left, and I had a feeling it was gonna be her strongest one.  “This is my last Pokemon… But I’ll never give up hope!  Go, Swanna!”  A beautiful swan-like Pokemon flew out of its Poke Ball.

“Swanna, the White Bird Pokemon and the evolved form of Ducklett.  Swanna start to dance at dusk. The one dancing in the middle is the leader of the flock.”

I took one look at Swanna, then at Vanillish.  “Vanillish, take a break,” I said, jerking my thumb toward the sidelines.  The happy Pokemon floated over to Zorua, who was still freaking out about his friend’s evolution.  Then I let out my third Pokemon, Zebstrika.  “Zebstrika, it’s up to you!”  The Thunderbolt Pokemon leapt out of its ball, eager for battle.  “Use Stomp!”  Zebstrika leapt into the air, ready to Stomp its opponent.

“Dodge, and use Aerial Ace!”  Swanna swooped out of the way, and then flew back to strike Zebstrika in midair, sending it crashing to the ground.  The still-falling Hail wasn’t helping either, as it hit Zebstrika along with Swanna.

“Zebstrika, you OK?” I called to my fallen Pokemon.

It shakily stood up and looked back at me.  “Zebstrik, zebstrika zebstrika, (I’m fine, I just don’t like crashing.)”

I nodded in understanding.  “Let’s try something else.  Spark!”  Zebstrika stomped its hoof, and it was suddenly surrounded by blue electricity instead of yellow.  It then fired several beams of electricity at Swanna, all of which hit their mark and shocked it.

“Wow!  That was Discharge!” Tatsuya exclaimed, his eyes wide with amazement.  The Pokemon all cheered me and Zebstrika on.  

Skyla wasn’t giving up, however, as she gave her Pokemon a Hyper Potion.  “Aqua Ring!”  A ring of blue energy surrounded Swanna, its healing effect countering the Hail.

“Take this!  Shock Wave!”  Zebstrika’s attack hit without fail, as usual.

“Air Slash!” Swanna flapped its wings, sending out the same blades as Unfezant did. But this time, Zebstrika’s incredible speed helped it avoid the projectiles.

“Discharge again!”  The blue electricity shot out again, and this time the attack proved too much for Swanna.

“Swanna is unable to battle.  Zebstrika wins!  The victory goes to the challenger Hikari!” the referee announced.

The foe’s Swanna fainted!

Hikari defeated Leader Skyla!

“Yes!” I cheered, pumping my fist.  Zebstrika gave me a hard nudge with its head, which was its way of celebrating a victory.

“Alright, Hikari!  Great job!” Tatsuya exclaimed as he ran over and hugged me.  Dewott, Zorua, Minnie, Victini and Vanillish all congratulated me.  Then I recalled all my Pokemon with the exception of Dewott, who wanted to spend more time with Minnie.

Skyla jogged up to me.  “I gotta say, Hikari, being your opponent in battle is a new source of strength for me.  Thank you!”

“No problem!” I grinned.  “It was a fun battle!”

“I’m serious!” Skyla said.  “You’re an amazing Pokemon Trainer.  My Pokemon and I are happy, because for the first time in a while, we could fight with our full strength.”

“Aw, really?” I said sheepishly.  “I was just doing what I do best.”

Skyla and Tatsuya both laughed, then the young Leader held out her hand.  “This is an official League Gym Badge.  I think it will look good on you.”  She opened her hand to reveal a Badge shaped like a feather.

Hikari received the Jet Badge from Skyla!

“Wow, thanks!” I said as I took the Badge and placed it into my badge case.

“Also, as thanks for a Pokemon battle that made me very happy…” Skyla paused as she pulled a small disc out of the holster on her leg.  “I want you to have this TM.”

Hikari obtained a TM62 Acrobatics!

As I placed the TM62 in my bag, Skyla continued to talk.  “By the way, when I flew over Twist Mountain on the way to Icirrus City… Team Plasma – is that the name?”  Tatsuya and I gave her our full attention when we heard her say that name.  “Anyway, they were heading for the city.  What kind of people are they?”

“Bad people, Skyla,” Tatsuya answered.  “Thanks for telling us.”

“Yeah, we better try to catch up with them,” I said.  “Bye, Skyla!” I said as Tatsuya and I climbed into the cannon at the back of the Gym.

As the two of us flew across the Gym, I heard Skyla shout, “Bye, and good luck!”

We walked out of the Gym in a hurry, but a voice stopped us in our tracks.  “I thought you’d be in there.”  We whirled around to see N leaning against the Gym.

“You!” I shouted.  “What do you doing here, N?”

Instead of answering, N glanced at my right hand.  “I see your hand is better,” he observed.  

“Uh, much better, thanks,” I replied, caught somewhat off guard by this.  He was right, though; the bandage that was on my hand during our last encounter was gone.

“Somehow, I don’t think you came to make small talk, N,” Tatsuya said, folding his arms and glaring at the Team Plasma leader.

N grimaced as he looked up at the Gym.  “They may say it is for understanding one another better, but what Trainers really use battles for is to compete… And they hurt each other’s Pokemon!”  He then turned to glare at me and Tatsuya.  “Am I the only one who finds this terribly painful?”

“Well, Skyla and her Pokemon didn’t see it that way!” I retorted.  “That battle made them happy for the first time in a while!”

N clicked his tongue in annoyance.  “Whatever… I’m going to talk to your Pokemon.”

“Huh?  What for?” I asked, tilting my head in confusion.

“I’ve been living with Pokemon since I was born, so it’s easier for me to talk to them than with people… Because Pokemon never tell lies,” N explained.  

This surprised me.  I had no idea N’s connection with Pokemon went so far back, I thought. No wonder he cares about them so much!

N then looked at Dewott, who was standing in front of Minnie as if he was protecting her.  “Hey, Dewott.  Could I talk to you for a minute?”

“???  Dew, dewott? (Uh, I guess?)” Dewott said with a shrug before relaxing a bit.  He then kissed Minnie on the forehead and whispered something in her ear.  Minnie nodded, and then Dewott walked over to N.

The green-haired Trainer chuckled at the display of affection, showing just a hint of the old N.  “Girlfriend?” he asked Dewott.

“Dew, dewott dewott? (Yeah, isn’t she cute?)” Dewott said before suddenly remembering the situation.  “Dewott dewott dewott! (Don’t try to distract me!)”

“Alright, no more distractions,” N agreed, kneeling down so he was at Dewott’s eye level.  “Would you tell me what kind of Trainer Hikari is?”

“Dew, dew dewott, (Oh, that’s easy)” Dewott said.  “(Hikari was born in Nuvema Town, lives with Mom, and was given the Pokedex to start off a journey to see the world.  She’s nothing but nice to me and other Pokemon, although Ghost Pokemon tend to creep her out…)” He said that last bit quietly so I wouldn’t hear it, but it didn’t work.  N did give an amused smile at this, though.  “(Anyway, I really couldn’t ask for a better Trainer!)” Dewott finished.

N looked at Dewott in surprise before giving a warm smile.  “This Dewott trusts you for some reason,” he said, addressing me.  “That’s good!  If every person and Pokemon cared about one another like you two do, I could watch over the future of people and Pokemon without having to liberate Pokemon from people who just use them.”  For that one moment, he seemed to have gone back to the N I knew back in the woods of Route 1.  Even Tatsuya was surprised by this.  

“Hey, uh… You never answered my question back in Chargestone Cave,” I said, blushing a little from N’s smile.  “What did you mean when you said I was chosen?”

N just shook his head.  “Mm-mm, not yet.  It’ll come to you soon,” he answered cryptically.  Then he stood up and faced me and Tatsuya.  “Ghetsis is using Team Plasma to search for special stones – the Light Stone and the Dark Stone… These stones hold the essence of two legendary Pokemon.”

“Legendary Pokemon?  You don’t mean Reshiram and Zekrom, do you?” Tatsuya asked in surprise.

“Yes,” N answered.  “It is said that when they lost their physical form, they fell into a slumber and were transformed.  Now, they wait for the hero’s arrival…”  His gaze turned to the sky.  “I shall resurrect a legendary Dragon-type from one of these stones, and become its friend.  That will show the world that I am the new hero.  Everyone will follow what I say!”  He suddenly paused and shook his head.  “My vision is to change the world without using force.  Trying to change the world by force will just make others resist. If people resist, the ones that will be hurt are the innocent Pokemon used by foolish Trainers.”  He turned to face me again, and I noticed that his eyes were a little sad.  “You understand.  Pokemon are not just tools for people to use!  As a result… Pokemon and Trainers who care about one another, like you and your Pokemon, will be separated.  And that does break my heart a little.”

“N…” I muttered as I looked at the green-haired leader.  I had never seen this side of him before.  Perhaps he really is a good person, like Mana told me the other day, I thought.

Tatsuya was speechless.  In past encounters, he was always so hostile towards N, but now he actually looked understanding.  Finally, Tatsuya took my hand in his.  “Let’s go, we need to get ready to go into Twist Mountain,” he told me.

I nodded, and gave one last look back at N.  The green-haired leader simply stood there and watched us walk away.

The two of us walked to the Pokemon Center in silence at first, but then Tatsuya spoke up.  “I see why you looked up to him in the past.  He really seems to care about Pokemon.  But even if he’s not a bad person, the people he’s leading are, and it’s up to us to stop them!”

“I agree.  We’ve both seen the terrible things they’ve done,” I said, squeezing Tatsuya’s hand.  “We’ll take on Team Plasma together!”

Tatsuya blushed, and then smiled.

Hikari now has six Gym Badges, and N’s intentions are becoming clearer.  Soon, our heroes will attempt to catch up with Team Plasma at Icirrus City.  Stay tuned!