Pokemon: Fate's Path

Chapter 22

"F-Finn?" I couldn't lose him, I needed him to win the battle and to complete my journey.

"Marsh..." I was relieved to see him get up, though I knew he wouldn't be able to handle another attack.

"Use water gun on the ground!" I commanded, a plan starting to form. "Slow it down more with the mud then use mud shot on its weak points!"

"Finish it with iron tail!" Oris shouted before glancing at me. "It's been a good battle kid but I'm afraid it's all over now."

"Don't doubt us, we're tougher than we look."

I prayed to Arceus I wouldn't fail and watched as our pokémon took their last stands against each other. Finn was barely able to stand but Aggron was on the ground where he'd fallen after taking a mud shot to the legs and was about to take another one to the face. The only attacks it could use now were defensive ones if I was guessing right because Finn was smart enough to avoid being in range of an iron tail.

"Metal sound! Get back up Aggron!" Oris was giving me a look I didn't quite like as his mega evolved pokémon let out an ear splitting sound that caused both Finn and me to cover our ears.

The aggron recovered his footing and used take down while Finn's defense was lowered. He gave a cry of pain a moment later as Aggron hit him and i returned Finn to his ball, knowing he was knocked out before he'd landed on the ground. The mega evolution wore off and the aggron collapsed to the ground unconscious as well after taking the recoil damage. Oris returned his pokémon and walked across the destroyed battle field to speak with me.

"Congratulations on winning." Oris took out a badge and held it out for me.

I was surprised for a moment and glanced over at the holographic board along the wall behind where Oris had been standing. All of my team was knocked out except two: Jay, who I had used in the prior battles, and Foxy, who's picture wasn't up but his pokéball symbol was glowing because I hadn't wanted to use the weak pokémon yet after what he'd been through. I turned my attention back to Oris and took the badge. "Thanks."

"I knew you'd win from the start kid." Oris shrugged and I realized he had let Aggron lose just to shorten our battle, though I was sure he could've beaten Jay if he had used metal sound and iron tail instead. Steel beat fairy types... had he just given up?

"I see." I was disappointed he hadn't been actually trying, not wonder dog fighting was still around in Iron Well; probably throughout Burned Islet honestly.

"Good luck on your next gym." Oris turned away to go heal his pokémon in his personal machine similar to the ones at the Pokémon Center.

I walked out of the gym half wanting to confront him on what he'd done. A gym leader who was too lazy, too selfish, too stupid... The list could've gone on. How could a powerful trainer, well one strong enough to be a gym leader, ever just give up like this? I should've been thrilled to have the badge but now that I had won it... it felt like a joke. Had he gone easy on Jay when she battled him too? She hadn't cared apparently if he had.

I gave my pokémon to the nurse before turning away to find the other two, who were bent over slightly and talking to something hiding behind the door to Jay's room. "Hey."

"Shut up, Soren." Freya glanced back at me. "We're trying to get Kirlia to stop hiding."

"He's just embarrassed because he thinks he looks like a girl." Jay sighed before turning away and giving up. "So, how'd the battle go?"

"I won." I scowled. "Oris didn't even care for the battle though, he let me win in the end. Hoodini evolved though, I'd like to see Torracat torment him now."