Uncontained

I soon realized that we scared the people in the Center shitless.

Malachi was just amused. "So it's okay for me to leave now?"

"You could've left at any time," I said and grinned. "Dirty rotten traitor."

He squeezed me into a hug and clapped my back. I punched him halfheartedly in the chest. "I'll miss you," he said. "But that was the best comeback from a depressed state I'd ever seen."

"Have fun beating that one." I snickered. "I'll miss you too, loser."

After he left, I paid for the damages Czeslaw did to the Pokemon Center, and headed to the gym.

Somebody graciously gave us directions so we didn't have to wander like headless pidgeys trying to find our way there. My Pokemon were just grateful that I was back into action. Everyone except Uriah. He was pissed. I had apologized for my mental breakdown before we left, but my words bounced right off him. I was just glad Czeslaw was there in all his badassery or else I was sure I was going to get torched.

The gym looked more like a flower shop than a gym; that's why we missed it. As soon as I walked up to it and was blasted with the scent of pollen and allergies, I realized that it was actually a flower shop. A small gazebo to the side sold some small hanging plants and advertised some rare hybrids. Beyond that was the painted lines of an arena. The gym leader Erika, as I recognized from her picture outside, was watering plants.

"Excuse me," I said.

"Oh, hello!" she said. She seemed genuinely surprised I was in here. "Can I interest you in some bouquets or seeds? They're on sale all week."

"Actually, I'm here for a gym battle."

"Oh! I see. Well, then I won't lose."

Czeslaw was more than happy to go first. Erika took a pokeball out of her kimono and flicked her dark hair out of her face. She was probably full-blooded Japanese. "Go! Tangela!" she cried, and a strange Pokemon burst from the ball. It had two bright eyes immersed in a tangle of vines.

"Czeslaw, show me what you can do!" I shouted.

Czeslaw roared and a white light laced the tip of his horn. Before the tangela could react, an ice blue beam shot from the horn and struck it. Frost covered its vines faster than I could see and it crashed backward. I didn't know if it was just frozen, or that it was stunned. But it didn't end up moving again.

"Holy shit!" I burst out. "I don't know what the fuck that was, but that was awesome!"

The power of a king, he growled.

Erika's face went as white as a sheet. She returned her Pokemon and sent out a yellow bell-shaped one with googly eyes. It was a weepinbell according to my pokedex. "Do that beam thing again!" I called.

"Sleep powder," Erika said quietly.

Czeslaw blasted the weepinbell and right then and there I had a flashback to Spirit when she made Florence fall asleep. I was about to cry a warning, but it was too late. The weepinbell burst a flurry of powder from its mouth.

Czeslaw flinched as it enveloped him, and not any more than a second later, he collapsed onto the ground.

"Shit," I hissed. I returned him to his pokeball; there was no way I could move him another way. I glanced at the others. The obvious choice to fight up against a plant Pokemon would be Uriah, but I didn't want to push my luck. Uriah was not going to be helpful at this point. "Florence, you up?" I asked.

She squeaked and hopped out.

"Stun spore!" Erika cried.

"Fuck, move!" I yelled.

But the spores were everywhere. Florence squealed and went rigid as the powder landed on her. It made her bristle. "Crap, Florence!" I tried to think of something to do. "Just - uh, just push through and mega punch it!"

"Acid!" Erika shouted.

The weepinbell moved faster than Florence. Purple-black sludge splurged from its mouth and smote Florence. She screamed and there was a hissing noise on contact. I smelled burnt fur. Florence slammed her fist into the foe in response. "Get out of there!" I shrieked.

"It would be wise to return your Pokemon," Erika said quietly.

I knew she was right, and it hit me then that she was probably the only Pokemon trainer in the world that didn't want to beat my Pokemon to a pulp. But Florence kept moving. The weepinbell spurt more acid and the pikachu smashed her fist into its face. The weepinbell was flung backward. It didn't move.

"Fuck, Florence!" She staggered to me. Parts of her fur was singed off and red patches flared on her exposed skin. "What was that?" I demanded. "You could've been seriously hurt!"

Florence started crying and I scooped her into my arms.

I wanted to beat it, she whimpered.

"You did. And you did a good job," I said softly. "You scared me though. You're not battling any longer, okay? I'll take you to the Pokemon Center after the fight."

Erika returned her Pokemon and sent out a gloom. I debated sending out Summer. Uriah hissed at me. Let me battle. It is the best choice.

"I thought you wouldn't want to battle with me since I'm a dishonorable trainer," I said sardonically.

Fool. You're right about being dishonorable, but I cannot evolve without battling strong trainers. Even though you are cowardly and weak, you battle stronger foes than I ever would encounter in the wild. His gaze pierced me. Let me battle.

I stared back and it clicked. "You're mad that I evolved Czeslaw."

Uriah spat flames and snarled. He is weak and should have stayed as he was until the end of his days. Even an imbecile like you should have seen that.

I was pissed, but being pissed would get me nowhere. "Envy is a sin." I shrugged. "go ahead, bastard."

Uriah slapped me with his tail as he went, which knocked me flat on my butt, but he battled.

It took less than a minute. Uriah torched the gloom and it was over.