Spark Of Interest

Shock It Up To Experience

Ivan didn't know what to expect when he walked into Elesa's gym for the interview. Figuring he'd at least dress for the occasion, he went with a blue dress shirt and black slacks and dress shoes. He had been told to bring any Electric-types he might have and to not worry about his resume because it wasn't a typical interview. As he walked in through the double doors of the gym, he took the time to admire the theme of it. While there was a roller coaster car waiting for him by the door. He'd heard of the new installments in the gym and had always been curious to see what she had done to the place after the old gym leader retired.

He'd been instructed to get into the car upon arrival, and that would take him to where Elesa would be waiting. Getting into the car, he pulled down on the bar and strapped himself in. The car soon began to move, slowly at first and then, without warning, it took off at an accelerated pace through a set of automatic doors, going up along the wall, going upside down at one point. Ivan held on tightly, his head spinning as the ride went through a few twists and turns before finally coming to a halt in front of another pair of automatic doors.

The bar went up, and he unbuckled himself so he could step out of the car. Walking through the doors, he was greeted with the sight of what looked to be a runway-themed battlefield with two, circular trainer spots on either side. Waiting for him at the top of the runway was Elesa, dressed in a Zebstrika-themed outfit. She had on headphones with lightningbolt-shaped antennas that were of black and white coloration with a blue oval in the center to represent a Zebstrika's eye. She wore a Zebstrika-themed leotard with matching arm-length gloves and boots. Her long black hair was fashioned into two long and wavy strands that resembled lightning bolts. Draped over her shoulder was a fluffy coat that was also patterened like a Zebstrika's fur.

Standing beside her were two of her models, each wearing outfits of like coloration to Elesa. Hearing the doors open, Elesa turned away from her conversation with her models and locked eyes with Ivan. She smiled, her eyes filled with intrigue as she noticed the startled expression on his face, followed by a hint of color rising to his cheeks. Knowing the cause, she chuckled, knowing that seeing her in her various outfits was going to take some getting used to. As he approached, she began to address him.

"Good morning, Ivan, I'm so glad you could make it, you're right on time!"

"Morning," Ivan replied, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"You're probably wondering how this is going to work, right?" Elesa asked, earning a nod from Ivan. "It's simple really," she went on, "since you're applying for an assistant leader position, I'll need to conduct a field test in order to see how well you battle. Now... according to Tommy, you have several fully evolved Electric-types correct?"

"Yes, I have four with me now. I wasn't sure how many I would need," Ivan responded, indicating to the four black and white spheres on his belt.

"Excellent! I'll be needing to assess your capabilities in battle so if you don't mind, I'd like you to battle Nikola with just one of them so I can get a good feel for the way you battle. Should you do well enough, you're hired, simple as that." Elesa explained while motioning for the aforementioned model to take her position.

"Wait... that's my interview, a battle?" Ivan asked Elesa who nodded as she assumed the post of the judge.

"Most interviews are filled with a lot of questions and most of them make the one being interviewed rather uncomfortable. I find that it's better I do things this way so I can see for myself if they are well equipped for the job instead of having their resume do all the talking. A resume can be impressive to look at, but anyone can tweak it to make themselves look good which is why I didn't ask you for one. Tommy said you're a damn good battler, and his word has been proven to be reliable. So, that being said, just show me a good battle with a firm understanding of Electric-types and the job is yours," Elesa finished with a gesture to the trainer box.

Ivan nodded in agreement and made his way over to his box and turned to face Nikola who already had a ball in her hand. Relieved that he wouldn't have to go through a typical grueling interview process, Ivan reached down and snapped off the teammate he'd been advised by Tommy to use.

"Alright you two, let's make this clear. This will be a one on one battle and will follow the league format meaning Ivan will have the first move. Trainers, send out your Pokémon at the same time!" Elesa shouted in a commanding tone.

Nikola released an Electabuzz onto the field and waited for Ivan to make his choice. Steeling his nerves, Ivan took a deep breath and focused. It had been a while since he'd been in a battle, and while this wasn't a league battle, it was still just as serious if not more. Priming the ball he gripped it and thrust it from his hand with a powerful shout.

"Raichu, center stage!"

The thunder mouse came bursting out of his sphere and soaring above the stadium on his tail before surfing downward and hovering just a few feet above the arena floor. Elesa's eyes went wide the moment she laid eyes on the Alolan variant. Exercising restraint, she refrained from rushing over and hugging it and rubbing her face against its cute cheeks. She could see her models snickering to themselves, making her feel slightly embarrassed, mostly because they knew her well enough to know that she'd do something like that. Clearing her throat she looked between the two and called for the match to begin.

"Raichu, Electric Terrain!"

Raichu's cheeks began to spark to life and soon several bolts of electricity erupted from him, causing his body and the arena to glow bright yellow. Sparks of electricity crackled along the ground, making both Electric-types feel more energized than usual. While Nikola didn't quite understand why he would power them both up, Elesa saw something she didn't, a smile on Ivan's face that wreaked of mischief.

"Now why on earth would he open with that?" Nikola muttered before commanding, "Electabuzz, Thunderbolt!"

Sparks flew between both antennas on Electabuzz's head. But before he could release the thunderous blast, Raichu suddenly blurred forward, faster than the eye could track, and nailed Electabuzz in the face with a speed-backed punch that sent him onto his back and sliding along the ground. Getting back up, Electabuzz exploded from his position in a burst of speed, fists aflame as he swung at the air-surfing mouse. Ducking a fiery fist, Raichu cracked Electabuzz across the jaw with his paw, and then flickered away, leaving an after-image of himself which was passed through by Electabuzz's flaming fist.

Elesa watched carefully as Ivan's Raichu successfully countered one attack after another with near flawless execution. She took note of his Raichu's use of certain moves, namely Electro Ball which was amplified not only by the field that was in play, but also by the ridiculous increase in speed due to Raichu's ability, which resulted in Electabuzz being laid out flat and out cold after what was no less than a few minutes. Nikola blinked as she stared down at her passed out Electabuzz while steam rose from his body.

"Well I'll be damned... that was—wow!" Nikola exclaimed, recalling Electabuzz and placing him back onto her waist. "I don't think I've had a battle that difficult in a long time. What did you think Elesa? Um... Elesa?"

Nikola laughed nervously as she saw Elesa gushing over Raichu after having snatched him up into an affectionate hug. Being the attention hog that he was, Raichu did not protest in the least. Ivan mimicked the reaction of Elesa's models and nervously rubbed the back of his head. Realizing that everyone was staring at her while she was rubbing her nose against his, she stopped and cleared her throat, releasing Raichu back to his trainer before turning to face him.

"I regret nothing," Elesa said, placing her hands on her hips as she spoke. "Well Ivan, I must say that you most certainly impressed me out there. Seeing how you stayed focused, regardless of what was thrown at you, was refreshing to watch. It seems Tommy was right about you having a deep understanding of Electric-types. I'm looking forward to seeing what else you're able to do."

"Does this mean—"

"You guessed it," Elesa said, smiliing as she reached her hand out to shake his. "Welcome to the team, Ivan!"