Play woke up in a pool of sweat. His white sheets were quite similar to his at the Pokémon center, looking all around, he actually was. Turning his head right, he saw Sebastian sitting on a chair, waiting for him.
"Wh-what happened." Play said, clutching his head.
"It was Groudon." Sebastian said gravely. "The great legendary Pokémon who lives in Brimber volcano." Play swung his legs out of his bed and looked to his Pokémon, all of them were asleep. Prinplup, Mareep, Rookidie, and Nidorino.
"With Groudon, it was about to kill everyone there, but I arrived just in time, then, Groudon went away, but before that, it looked at you, as though it saw something special in you. And oh, That Prinplup of yours, he carried you all the way home." Sebastian said, continuing his grave tone.
"Really?" Play asked. His Prinplup was only around two feet and seven inches, but it carried HIM? All of his Pokémon were asleep. Fast asleep. And once again, Prinplup had pulled it's bed away from the others. Sebastian noticed Play looking that way.
"You know, I think I can explain why it behaves like that." Sebastian said.
"You can?" Play said, all this time...
"I'm not really the water specialist, you should ask gym leader Quentin, in Rosecove city, but you see, every Prinplup thinks itself as the most important, like in the Pokédex, and when it evolves into it's final form, Empoleon, it'll hurt anyone who damages it's pride. It'll destroy them. But anyway, that's just my perspective." Play took a moment to let all of that information sink in, he was going to have to be careful when his Prinplup evolved into an Empoleon.
"Say, why don't you come by the gym today and challenge me, this is your second badge, am I right?"
"Umm, yes." Play said. Sebastian smiled.
"I'll leave you to it then." He said.
After Sebastian had left, Play leapt to work. Prinplup opened an eye, while this was happening. He washed his face, brushed his teeth, and put a fresh T-shirt on.
"Okay guys, let's go challenge the GYM!" Play said loudly. Mareep stretched and yawned, Rookidie chirped and flew up, while Nidorino and Prinplup slowly got to their feet. "Let's go." Play said. At the snack-bar, Play ordered some lunch, and some food for His Pokémon. After lunch, he strolled out of the Pokémon center, and turned toward the Brimber gym, it was much bigger than the Silvent gym, despite being an actual Volcano, it wasn't that hot. The door was made out of dark brown wood, again, if the gym was fire specialty, then it might not be smart to use wood for your interior. But on the inside, the walls, and floor were all made out entirely of stone, was it even a Volcano then? And unlike the ACTUAL Brimber volcano, it wasn't blazingly hot. The exterior was in the shape of a volcano though, and at the top, if Play squinted, he could see Sebastian proudly standing at the top of the gym, to get to the top, the volcano was in a twisted pathway to the top, like a spiral. And just before Play was about to begin the climb, when a man with tanned skin, and a yellow top, grabbed his shoulder, and stopped him.
"In this gym." He started. "You're going to want to not touch lava. If you touch it, it will hurt, a lot, but don't worry, you should be able to jump pretty high in here. Jump, climb and jump more to avoid it. Gym Leader Sebastian is all the way at the top. Got that?" Play slowly nodded his head, even though, the only bit he could hear, was don't touch the lava.
So moving carefully forward, he jumped over strings of lava that had stretched over the floor. He hadn't gotten far, but a pyro with red dyed hair stopped him.
"Careful, you nearly stepped on a tile back there, Oh, I also need to battle you. GO Slugma!" Knowing the type matchup. Play sent out Prinplup.
"Prinplup, use bubble beam." Play said.
"Use harden!" Pyro said. Even a harden wasn't enough to block the bubble beam Slugma crashed backwards and fainted.
"Nice battling." He said. "You can move on." Amazed at Prinplup's strength, he let it stay out of it's Pokéball. Straight ahead, was a rock wall, so Play climbed it, Prinplup hitched a ride on his back, not being able to climb by itself, but Prinplup, weighing over fifty pounds, didn't make the climb that easy. At the top, the spiral continued for Play, and all of the other pyro's Pokemon, were fire types, so Prinplup was easily able to take them out. And by the end, there was one last pyro, before facing Sebastian.
"Hey, slow down there, I'm the last person you need to get past to face gym leader Sebastian." He said. "GO Charmeleon."
"GO Prinplup." Play said. But Prinplup was tired out from all the battling. So it bravely took on Charmeleon, because it did think it was better than everyone else.
"Ember, Charmeleon!" Pyro said.
"Use Bubble beam!" Play called. Ember and Bubble beam clashed, and both formed an explosion of vapor.
"Now dragon rage." Pyro said. A small tornado shot out of Charmeleon's mouth and surrounded Prinplup. It was tossed back and fourth, but then, out of the clouds. Prinplup shot forward and sliced into Charmeleon's skin with a metal claw. Charmeleon was sent flying back into the volcano wall and fainted.
"Prinplup, you gotta stop." Play said, he tried to reach for Prinplup, but it swatted his hand away, and sat down.
After a short moment, it was time for the battle with gym leader Sebastian, the long awaited moment of Brimber city. Across from the spiral, at the top, was Sebastian, as grand and as prime as he'd always been.
"Hello again. As you know, I am Sebastian, leader of the Brimber City gym. I'm grateful for your assistance earlier with Groudon. I think everyone in town is. Now, show me the power of your Pokémon!"
"Oh, I will!" Play thought.
"GO Litleo." Sebastian said. "Use takedown!" Sebastian called, Litleo shot forward with a huge amount of force, that it knocked Mareep back, and sent it nearly tumbling into lava.
"No insurance included!" Sebastian joked, But Play wasn't in the mood for jokes. "Use charge beam." Play called. A beam of electricity shot toward Litleo. It was so quick that Litleo was electrocuted head-on. And each charge beam got weaker, the more it was used.
"Use overheat." A huge column of fire exploded out of Litleo's mouth. It was so big, that Mareep couldn't dodge it, it was enveloped in the heat and nearly passed out.
"Use cotton spore!" Play said. Mareep shot balls of wool all around Litleo. They trapped it in place.
Now, use charge beam!" Play said, pointing. Mareep shot a slightly weaker beam of electricity than before into Litleo. It was strong enough to brake it free, and through the thunder and smoke, Litleo once more used an overheat. Even though it was weaker, it still dealt damage, and Mareep was knocked out.
"Mareep, return!" Play said. "Rookidie, go!" Rookidie came out, and was surprised by the lack of heat.
"Use hone claws." Play said. Rookidie's accuracy and attack was raised, and Litleo also went for a status move.
"Litleo, use noble roar." Litleo quietly roared as it's attack rose greatly.
"NOW!" Play said. "Use power trip." Rookidie's claws turned black, as it rushed toward Litleo while it was still upgrading. But with the upgraded stats. Litleo used an overheat, which was lucky for Sebastian, it surged forward burning brighter than ever before and OHKO'd. Play was really in trouble now, he was down two Pokémon and Sebastian hadn't even lost his first.
"Rookidie, return!" Play said, sadly. "Nidorino, GO!" But Litleo was so tired out from having used three overheats, that it couldn't even pull off a move.
"Finish it with a mud slap." Play called. Nidorino's easily knocked out the tired Litleo with a super effective ground move.
"You did great, Litleo." Sebastian said. "Growlithe, GO!" Nidorino was able to face Nidorino.
"Use poison sting!" Play said. Nidorino's horn glowed until the tip of it's horn was glistening with poison. Then it launched, straight at Growlithe.
"Growlithe, use overheat." another column of fire shout of Growlithe's mouth and launched toward Nidorino. And for a terrible moment, it looked like Nidorino was finished, but through the thick of the fire and flames. Nidorino emerged and landed, causing Growlithe to howl in pain. And on top of that, Growlithe was poisoned, which it's physical attack in half.
"A very good gimmick." Sebastian complemented. "But not good enough! Growlithe, use fire spin." A spinning wheel of fire erupted from Growlithe and span toward Nidorino at an alarming rate.
"Dodge it, and use scratch." Play said.
"Don't let it get away." Sebastian said. "Use reversal." Growlithe reversed itself and caught up with Nidorino in an instant. Nidorino tottered dangerously close to the lava but hung on.
"Use mud slap combo!" Play called intensely. Now the battle was really getting heated up.
"Overheat, Growlithe." Sebastian said. Another column of fire surged forward, but Nidorino's passion was too strong. It crashed through the flames and landed multiple mud slaps, all of them dealing serious damage.
"Good Nidorino, NOW, FINISH IT with poison sting." The battle was getting more heated every second.
"NOW." Sebastian yelled. "Take it, and use reversal." Growlithe barely tanked another poison sting, then used reversal, and sent the reversed power crashing into Nidorino. But Growlithe was fainted.
"Good job Growlithe." Growlithe said, staring affectionately at it's pokéball. "Now, for my ACE, Magmar, GO! Magmar came out in all it's glory, and the heat really started to rapidly turn up.
"Use flame burst." Sebastian called. An x cross of fire exploded into an exhausted Nidorino's face. Knocking it out.
"Nidorino, return." Play said. He switched his Pokéball to Prinplup's.
"You're my last hope." Play said. "Prinplup, GO!" Play said. And now Prinplup was properly rested up, and Now, it was even more ready for battle. Sebastian saw this.
"A clear one versus one." He said. "You have the type advantage, but it might not be that easy."
"Yeah, I get it." Play muttered, the whole time, he hadn't spoke to Sebastian, he was too focused on the match.
"Prinplup, use bubble beam!" Play called, Prinplup shot a string of bubbles right forward.
"Use feint attack." Sebastian said. Magmar moved quickly on it's feet and dodged the bubbles, and then kicked forward into Prinplup's chest. It flew back, but not yet defeated. Then, after that, it went into it's rage mode.
"Prinplup, please listen to me." Play pleaded. But Prinplup still didn't kick in, it's future Empoleon spirit had taken over. It madly slashed with metal claw, all over Magmar.
"Woah, keep it under control." Sebastian teased. "Magmar, use overheat. The most powerful column of fire smashed into Prinplup. It flew back and it the cave wall. And when that happened, it was as though a bomb has literally set off, inside Prinplup's head. At this point, Play had stepped back, in this mode, Prinplup was too angry to compare. Then, all of a sudden, in the middle of it's rampage, it used a barrage a slashes all over Magmar's face.
Prinplup: Moves: Fury attack learned
Then, after that, Prinplup shot one more powerful bubble beam, to wrap up the battle, Magmar, sank against the cave wall, and fainted. For a moment, there was silence, then Sebastian began clapping.
"Good work." He said. You really do have quite the potential."
"I wasn't wrong when I said that Groudon saw something in you! I am proud to present you with Brimber City's Gym Badge."
With shaking hands, Play took and accepted the badge, his heart leapt, his second badge had been won. Even Prinplup calmed down and looked at the badge.
"YES!" Play yelled excitedly. "I Got I Brimber badge!"
"It's the least I can do to give you this TM as well." H said, reaching into his jacket and bringing out a TM "TM50 contains Overheat. Overheat is a Fire-type move that is extremely powerful, however it harshly reduces your Pokémon's Special Attack after use. Good luck with the rest of your adventure. I believe you will do many great things." Play was so excited about his badge, that he nearly stepped in lava. But luckily, the pyros were there to remind him.