Status: Updating on Sundays and Mondays

Uncontained

Gym Battle in Cerulean City

Spirit and I wandered back to Cerulean City. We chatted on the way. She was really easy to talk to, and even though I was completely flubbed up from being around her, she didn't seem to mind.

Czeslaw took his place in the lead while we went. This seemed to bug Uriah, but so far he didn't do anything. I was just glad he was walking with our group without a complaint. I was worried about him being aggressive toward Bill or Spirit during the time I was staying with them, but he was relatively tolerable. Baby steps. I'd take baby steps with him.

Eventually we made it to the gym.

Nearly everything in it was blue. The walls were sky blue with white trim and the floor was tiled navy blue. The rest was a pool. The water was blue, or rather, the bottom of the pool made it look blue, and there were islands of floor that rose from the bottom to offer footing. They were indigo stepping stones in the arena.

"Isaac and Uriah aren't going to do good here," Spirit whispered. "Water is strong against their types."

It made sense. Uriah was obviously a fire type, and basic knowledge told me water douses fire, and from the battle with Malachi I knew Isaac wouldn't stand much of a chance. "Florence and Czeslaw it is," I said.

Czeslaw stepped forward and growled. I'm ready.

"Also, Beau, electricity is super-effective against water," Spirit said. "Use Florence as a back-up."

"You've got that, Czes?" I called.

He rumbled and pawed at the ground. Got it.

Then I approached the arena.

A pretty, red-haired girl emerged from the pool. I previously hadn't seen her, so it shocked me. "Well hey!" she said in a sing-song voice and flipped her hair. "You're a cutie. Are you here to battle?"

I wasn't, at all, expecting that from a gym leader. "Yeah, I'm here to battle." I glanced around rapidly for someone to help, but there was no one but Spirit. She was glaring daggers across the room.

"Alrighty. I'm Misty, your gorgeous host." She flashed me a dazzling smile. I stiffened. "Two-on-two okay?"

"Perfect." Spirit clenched her fists and it struck me. Maybe Spirit did like me. Was she jealous?

"I've hated that girl since grade school," Spirit growled. "Didn't think she'd become a gym leader."

I deflated. She just had a grudge. "Don't worry, I'll beat her," I promised.

"Good."

"Okay, here we go staryu!" Misty twirled, grabbed a pokeball by a towel, and threw it into the air. With an explosion of light, a crystalline Pokemon with a gem in the center of it's - arms? - appeared. It didn't look like a water type at all.

Czeslaw stepped forward on a platform in the water. "Ready Czes?" I asked. "Charge that fucker!"

"Tackle, staryu!" Misty cried, but Czeslaw was already moving. From the training on the bridge he'd gotten bulkier and faster. Czeslaw got to it before it got to him and pierced it with his horn. The enemy wasn't as crystalline as it seemed; Czeslaw's horn cut it. The nidorino threw it aside and the staryu landed half on, half off a platform. Clear blood oozed from the gash.

"Alright, Czes, stand down," I cautioned.

"Staryu, get up!" Misty yelled.

I was startled. Czeslaw seriously wounded that staryu, and she was still urging it on? The staryu wobbled onto two of its arms and Czeslaw's gaze stabbed into me. "I know," I said quietly. "Just try to knock it out without hurting it too much."

"Tackle it!" Misty shouted.

Czeslaw avoided the blow easily, the staryu was pretty much beat. He knocked it off the platform with his horn and it splat into the water. The staryu floated, motionless.

"Gosh darn!" Misty pouted and stamped her foot. "Too bad. Return." She returned the staryu in a beam of red light, and then grabbed another pokeball in a twirl. "This won't be so easy. Starmie, gooo!"

A Pokemon burst from the capsule and it literally looked like a bigger version of the staryu, but was blue and had more arms. The gem in the center of it's body flickered. Czeslaw snarled and looked at me with rage in his eyes. I refuse to battle anymore.

"I understand. Come back. Florence, you're up."

Florence squealed and fluffed up her fur, but she walked into the arena. Czeslaw returned to my side. Weak, Uriah growled. Czeslaw bumped past him roughly. It takes true strength to restrain yourself, the nidorino said.

Spirit looked at me curiously and I realized she didn't understand the exchange. "Czes doesn't want to hurt her Pokemon," I explained. "Florence is up now."

"Okay. Have her start out with a double team."

"Cool." Florence had only seen the move being done, though, and I hadn't gotten her to do it herself yet. "You want to try a double team?" I called.

Florence nodded weakly and nervous ears welled in her eyes.

"Okey dokey, starmie, harden!" Misty cried.

A shimmery veil coated the enemy Pokemon and it's body grew tough. Florence shivered and all of the sudden, illusions of herself spread around her. I whooped. "Nice, Florence!"

"Beau," Spirit whispered. "Harden raises its defense, so don't use physical attacks."

"Got it. Ready to shock it, Florence?"

All the pikachus nodded.

But before she could do anything, the starmie struck. That thing spun itself like a windmill and plowed through all of Florence's mirages to her. She screamed and was knocked into the water. Later she surfaced, sputtering, and clambered onto a platform. She looked frail and thin with her fur flattened onto her.

"Shit," I hissed.

"You can always stun it," Spirit offered. "A small shock can paralyze the foe."

"Dang, how do you know this?" I laughed. "Okay, Florence, give that bastard a small shock!"

A thread of electricity shot out and struck the starmie. It crackled, but the starmie looked unaffected. Then I saw electricity crawling up its limbs. Misty didn't seem to notice. "Tackle!" she shouted.

The shock took effect. The electricity sparked across its body and the starmie became slow and sluggish. Misty's jaw dropped as she realized my strategy. Florence leaped easily onto another platform to avoid the blow. "Okay, hit it!" I yelled and pumped my fist into the air, and then, Florence let out the biggest shock I'd ever seen.

With the water around her to conduct electricity, there was a bang, a flash of light, and then nothing.

When I could see again I saw the starmie, smoking, in the middle of a platform.

"Aw hell yeah," I said.
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I feel like a total douche for asking y'all for interview questions, but I am excited. Thanks for MattyBGirl for commenting, you guys can totally follow her example! These don't even need to be profound questions, you can ask what their favorite ice cream is.

Gonna whore this out shamelessly. (Actually, with private shame, am I the only person that doesn't like bragging?) It doesn't seem like Mibba is the right place for Pokemon fanfiction, eh? AM I A BAD WRITER OR DO PEOPLE JUST NOT LIKE POKEMON.

Oh the woes of me.