Changing of the Seasons

Page Twenty-Nine; Prizrak

Brooke had actually woken up early to get to the gym and challenge Prizrak as soon as possible. 

They finally arrived to the building with the golden pokemon league seal on the door. It was a building made to look like a haunted house near the edge of the main part of the city. The wood paneling was peeling off, and the old windows were boarded up. "Well this is his gym. Are you ready, Brookie?" Jordan asked and Brooke nodded excitedly, not taking her eyes off the front door. "Then after you." 

Brooke pushed the squeaky door open, and there was an eerie quiet. It was pitch black except for Lukas' glowing rings on his body. As soon as the wooden door slammed shut behind them, torches lit up a stairway up to the battlefield, and a sidewalk for her friends to get to the stands to watch. Brooke walked up the steps illuminated by the blue fire and stood beside her partner on the podium. "Well, well, well, hello there, Skitty." A smooth voice rang out in the darkness and Brooke recognized Prizrak's silhouette brightened by the torches on the four corners of the battlefield. Suddenly the stadium was dimly lit up by several chandeliers dangling above them and Brooke could make out many fans--mostly girls--in the stands cheering as soon as the lights flashed on. Brooklyn smiled across the way at her opponent. "Morning, Prizrak." 

"This will be a three-on-three battle, the battle will be over when either side is out of able Pokemon! Substitutes are allowed, send out your first pokemon!" 

"Mimikyu! Let's light the stadium!" He tossed out a pokeball and released a Mimikyu. Brooke smiled and took a pokeball from her belt. "Let's start this battle off right, Sophia!" She released her Buizel. "Battle begin!" 

"Ladies first." He gestured to her, and his Mimikyi mimicked his actions. "If you insist. Sophia! Water gun!" She spat a heavy stream of water at the Mimikyu. "Double team!" Multiple mimikyu appeared in a hoop around Sophia, leaving her confused, looking around. "Concentrate, Sophia! Only one of them is real!" She kept looking around, trying to focus. "Shadow ball, Mimikyu!" All the mimikyu pulled up a shadow ball. "Aqua jet, Sophia! Plow through them!" The buizel sped through all the copies, passing through each one as they tried to hit her with the shadow ball. Suddenly she rammed into one and it went flying back, making all the copies vanish. "Great job, Sophia!" 

"Now don't let up, use water gun!" Sophia launched the attack and landed a great hit. "Dazzling gleam!" 

"Aqua jet again!" Mimikyu wrapped itself in a bright sparkling ball and launched itself at Sophia, while the buizel became enveloped in water and launched at Mimikyu. The two met in the middle, and the power of their moves clashing together sent waves through the stadium. They pushed against each other for some time, both Brooke and Prizrak holding their breath, hoping their pokemon is the one to make it through. Suddenly, a bright light emerged from Sophia's aqua jet. 

Sophia began to change shape within the water. She grew substantially and her tail split in two, the float around her neck elongated around her entire body, and the blue fins on her paws grew even longer, along with the tufts of hair on her head. The glowing stopped, and Sophia pushed right through Mimikyu's attack, fainting it. "Mimikyu is unable to battle, the first round goes to Brooke!" 

"Great job, Sophia!" Brooke cheered and the now Floatzel smiled and cheered herself. Prizrak returned his pokemon and chuckled. "I knew I shouldn't underestimate you, Brooke. But that was only one of my pokemon, can you handle my star partner? Go Cherie!" He released a Gengar that grinned menacingly across the field at Sophia. "Let's keep up, Sophia! Use Water gun!" 

"Night Shade!" 

"Aqua Jet!" 

"Hypnosis!" 

"Dodge it!" Sophia tried to jump out of the way, but mid-jump was hit and fell asleep on the ground. "Sophia! Wake up!" 

"Now dream eater!" Cherie projected an almost shadow-like version of itself that passed through the sleeping Floatzel, sucking out all of her energy. "Sophia is unable to battle! The round goes to Prizrak!" Brooke returned her partner and held the pokeball up to her mouth. "Thank you, Sophia. You fought well." She reattached it to her belt and looked down at her partner. "You ready?" Lukas looked back up at her with red and determined eyes. "Umbre!" 

"Then get out there." He nodded and jumped out onto the battlefield. "Bite, Lukas!" 

"Sucker punch!" 

"Assurance!" 

"Hypnosis!" Cherie launched several glowing rings at Lukas. "Dodge it and use bite!" Lukas lowered himself to the ground at a pounce, and near the last moment he leaped up over them and landed on the ground in front of the opponent, biting down hard on them before jumping away. Cherie teetered a bit before falling down on the ground. "Well done, Lukas!" He jogged back to Brooke's side and stood in front of her, waiting for the last opponent. 

Prizrak took off his last pokeball and released a Misdreavus onto the field. "You're our last shot, Misdreavus! Let's show them what we've got!" 

"Lukas! Use assurance!"

"Mean look!" The opponent glared at Lukas, and Brooke knew she'd have to be even more careful. There was no switching out unless Lukas fainted. "Now use confuse ray!" 

So that's what he was planning! Trapping him out there and giving him an ailment. Lukas teetered out in the field, trying to gain control of his movements. "Hang in there, Lukas! Use Bite!" She tried to command, but he didn't seem to understand her and used iron tail instead, and it almost missed. "Use hex!" 

"Lukas, no!" It was a good hit, and although it wasn't very effective, it still did a number on him. "Lukas, snap out of it, buddy! Use bite!" He shook his head clear and used bite on the Misdreavus. "Yes! There's my boy! Assurance!" 

"Hex again!" 

"Bite, one last time!" A super effective hit caused the ghost type to hit the ground. "Misdreavus is no longer able to battle! Brooke and Lukas are the winners!" 

"YES!" Brooke rushed out onto the field and hugged her partner tightly. Jordan and Charlie, along with their partners rushed onto the field to congratulate her as well. "Brooke! We're so proud of you!" 

"Now you're halfway to being eligible for the Pokemon League!" Charlie smiled at her. "Thanks you guys! It was really Sophia and Lukas who did all the work." 

"Not bad, Skitty. Not bad at all." She looked over and Prizrak was there, holding a dark purple antique box in his hands. "This belongs to you." He opened the box, inside was a badge that was dark purple in the shape of a ghost, and in silver was a creepy smiling face on it. "Thank you, Prizrak!" She gently took the badge out and placed it in her badge case. "Brooke! Brooklyn!" She looked over and her eyebrows shot up when she saw Logan against the barriers of the stands. "Logan!?" She rushed over and nodded to the security guards who let him in. He hugged her quickly. "What are you doing here, Logan?" 

"Well, I'm in town for the contest happening tomorrow, and when I heard there was a level four gym battle going on, I had a feeling it was you!" 

"Brooke, we should go heal Sophia." Charlie suggested and Brooke nodded. "Come on, Logan! We'll talk at the Pokemon Center!" 

The trainers sat in the lounge while they waited for their pokemon to be treated. "So there's a contest tomorrow?" 

"There sure is! This'll be my second one." 

"So how do these contests work?" Jordan asked. "Well, like the ones in Kalos. First is the primary round that has some sort of theme competition that three contestants compete in at a time, then is the freestyle performance round! At the end, the winner gets a contest ribbon. When they get three ribbons, they can advance to the next round." 

"That sounds like a lot of fun!" Brooke smiled. "I can get all of you in, if you'd like." 

"Really? Logan, that sounds amazing!" 

"You sure you're fine with staying in Pintar Town another day?" 

"I'm sure Brooke will be just fine with that." Jordan teased and Brooke punched his arm playfully. "It'll be so much fun, we're happy to stay and watch your performance!" 

"Great! I'll see you all at the performance hall tomorrow at ten! I have some last minute training to do." He stood and left to collect his pokemon from Nurse Joy, and go outside to the park and prepare while the other trainers left for their rooms.