PokeWild

David inhaled, the air flowing through his nose, down his throat and slowly filling his lungs. His chest rose, expanding to accommodate the pressure.

He felt every second stretch, every sensation; from the tingling in his hand against the cold metal ball, to the friction against his right foot as he shifted stance. None of it was as important as the thrumming that he felt resonate in his jaw.

His opponent hung suspended in the air, wings beating fast enough they seemed to flicker in place. Its body was made from three shapes; a teardrop skull, a small ovular chest and a large egg shaped abdomen. The creature’s carapace was bright yellow, disrupted only by bands of black that wound around the Pokemon’s abdomen. Four limbs gleaming like black metal extruded from the front of its small ovular chest. They were mirrored by wings at its back. This part of its body was the connection. Slight though the chest was, it was clearly the source of the creature’s strength.

Bright red orbs covered the sides of the Pokemon's head. Each eye was as still as its body in the air. It did not shift an inch to examine its surroundings. The creature was not defenseless, far from it. Its upper two limbs ended in long conical stingers with the texture of clean iron. A smaller, but more dangerous looking yellow stinger stuck out from the base of the Pokemon’s abdomen. This was a warrior.

For all these features, it was a short creature even though fully evolved. Shorter even than his Venonat facing it, white antennae vibrating in response to the thrumming. Beedrill was not a Pokemon that fought with its size. This was a Pokemon that fought in swarms, that stung and left wounds in a fury of violence.

David exhaled, and both Pokemon moved.

Venonat began to run, hopping forward and bouncing off each step in random directions. He was building distance between himself and David, which unfortunately led him towards the opponent, but kept them from being cornered together. Against a flier, Venonat would need to rely on constant, unpredictable movements. He was well used to this kind of fight. Hopefully it would be enough.

Beedrill was a Bug-Poison type Pokemon, but it flew at a speed that made David second guess his knowledge. It wasn’t as fast as Carine, but Jenny’s Venomoth rarely went flat out and in this arena, the difference was moot. It was in the air above Venonat in seconds, two thirds of the way to David.

“Fury Attack.” Yuto gave orders like he was spitting out a sour berry, fast and flustered.

Beedrill dived, wings stilling and finally becoming clearly visible. It had four of them like a butterfly. Each was transparent except for dark veins that ran across them. All four tucked back as the Pokemon attacked.

Venonat began to dodge before the flying Pokemon reached him, his antennae were shaking now.

A limb stinger covered in a beige film came down, striking nothing but sand. Grains were thrown into the air from the impact, but both Pokemon were already gone. The next strike was from the other limb. It passed through purple fur, but it too struck only sand.

Beedrill pressed on, clacking in fury. It put its weight into the next stab, abdomen stabbing down.

Venonat twisted, jumping backwards like a flea, and narrowly avoiding the deadly stinger. In the air he couldn’t avoid the next strike from an outstretched limb. Clean iron stabbed into purple fur and Venonat rattled in pain.

Fury Attack. It was a fast, furious attack from a physical brawler, designed to inflict as many hits in a short time. Each attack was nothing special, and a strong defensive Pokemon could shrug them off. All together they were a nightmare for a glass cannon or a ranged fighter, and Beedrill was fast enough to catch up to them.

Venonat had done well to avoid the attacks. He was well setup to defend against the Beedrill, but... not to attack. He was fast enough to avoid the attacks but not fast enough to do that and counterattack.

A plan formed in David’s mind. First-

“Nope!”

Fury Attack had to go. It was early to use up Venonat’s Move, but holding it back to defend against a possible future was foolish when they didn’t have a counter for a current one.

There was no sign of any action by Venonat, he just continued to dodge.

Yuto’s brush-like eyebrows narrowed. His eyes left the fighting Pokemon to inspect David’s.

“Fury Attack.”

Beedrill jumped forward on its lower limbs, aided by a frantic beat of its wings. No beige covered its stingers. Yuto saw it at the same time as David, and his eyes widened before narrowing again. The gym trainer still lost a second in response.

It was a faster reaction time than David had hoped for, but given how popular and well known Venonat was in this city, it was better than nothing.

“Supersonic.”

“Fury Cutter.”

The air between Venonat and Beedrill shimmered.

Lime coated the Beedrill’s two limb stingers. The glowing energy on each oscillated at a different speed. The Pokemon stabbed forward, swiping its limbs in a wide arc towards each other. The hum built as the two stingers grew closer, gaining in volume until the limbs stuck to each other, a scissor closing.

The screech made David wince, but he smiled as Venonat too winced, well away from the attack and unharmed. Beedrill was confused, and had misjudged the attack. Venonat had done perfectly.

“Switch!”

Yuto grimaced, but there was nothing he could do.

Venonat disappeared in a burst of light. Cloudburst announced her presence before David could reopen his eyes. She threw her wings back and took to the air, zeroing in on the Beedrill across the arena in an instant. His one switch in this battle was gone.

Beedrill had been facing the wrong way for its attack earlier, but confused or not, there was no missing the explosions of light or the Pidgey’s greeting. The Pokemon took to the air, flying up and preparing itself for a fight.

Cloudburst beat her wings, making ground as fast as she could. A powerful prey was vulnerable before her. She banked to the left, letting her wings roll back and wide. Lavender began to dance at the edges and-

“Switch!”

Beedrill disappeared in a diminished flap. Cloudburst’s flight stalled as her prey disappeared.

David bit his lip, holding back a shout. It was a fair move, though Yuto had held back from making it until the last second, buying time for his Beedrill to recover from the confusion. He didn’t stall any longer however, retrieving a red and white pokeball from his belt and releasing.

The flash was brighter than Beedrill’s recall, and originated close to the ground. Not another flier then. He opened his eyes, ignoring Cloudburst protesting squawks to focus on the new opponent.

Ekans, the snake Pokemon and a big one. Its body was thick as a drainage pipe and nearly three meters long. The Pokemon wasted no time uncoiling and was already slithering its way into the arena. What else could it do? There was no hiding a creature like this, dark purple scales stood out from the sand, though an occasional band of yellow scales broke up its shape and blended into the sand. The end of its tail too seemed to disappear into the trail Ekans left in its wake.

How it was planning on crossing the canals, David didn’t know or care. It was never going to reach them.

Cloudburst spotted her opponent and let out an angry squawk. She was not impressed by her latest challenger. She flapped her wings and gave chase. David said nothing. He needed her close.

Yuto was not as content to wait. “Leer!” He shouted.

Ekans lifted its head from the sand, slithering away without pause. Two yellow eyes split in half by a thin line down the middle focused on the flying Pidgey. A gray film formed over the Pokemon’s eyes.

Cloudburst shivered in the air and David could feel the urge to retaliate, but he held back. Soon.

Two wingbeats later, Yuto called out the same order, but this time Cloudburst was close enough for one of David’s own.

“Leer.”

“Whirlwind.”

Ekans raised its head again.

Cloudburst began to glow, a mix of lavender and bright light starting from her chest, like she was being recalled. With a flick of her wings she began to spin in the air as she flew closer.

The film formed on Ekans’ eyes and David held his breath. Cloudburst didn’t have the control yet to continue the Move if disturbed.

“Pi-dgey!”

Lavender and bright light whirled forward in a rush of wind, a spinning disk of air. Long as it was, the Ekans had no hope of escaping. The bright light grew as the Move struck, gaining a yellow tint and substance as the sand was drawn into it. For a second the Whirlwind dimmed, and died out.

Ekans disappeared in a flash of light.

David’s smile became predatory. They had them.

Yuto scowled as he threaded Ekans’ pokeball back into his belt, but there was an amused pull at the corner of his lips. Unlike his previous switch, the gym trainer took his time preparing Beedrill’s pokeball. Every second counted here.

Cloudburst began to circle in the air, shaking stiffness from her wings and talons. That last Leer had not been without effect then.

David took a breath, easing some of the tension out of his limbs. Adrenaline was coursing through his body and he had the shakes to prove it.

Yuto held his pokeball up, and Beedrill was released.

David wasted no time. “Leer!”

Cloudburst beat her wings and went on the attack.

Beedrill, right in front of Yuto, took to the air. It wasn’t as fast as before. Its movements were hesitant, Venonat’s attacks lingering.

“Cannon!”

Cloudburst swept her wings back. Lavender twists spiraled into the air. Beedrill didn’t move.

“Laser Focus.” Yuto commanded grimly.

David didn’t recognize the Move. There was nothing he could do now, he would have to react to whatever it was and hope it would miss under confusion. He bit the inside of his cheek.

As the cutting swirls of energy neared Beedrill began to move but too late. Lines were scored across its yellow carapace. The Pokemon’s thin wings fared worse, frays appearing between the veins.

“Again.” If Beedrill was going to stay in place, David would take advantage.

After enduring the hit, Beedrill stilled completely. Its head began to turn, eyes zeroing in on Cloudburst. The Pokemon didn’t move even as bright threads filled the air between the two Pokemon.

More scars covered its body, and tore at its wings. The Beedrill endured, then began to move.

“Fury Cutter.”

“Cannon.”

David was hoping the call was a bluff. After Beedrill’s previous Move had passed without lasers filling the air, he had relaxed, but now the Bug-Poison type followed Cloudburst’s movements unerringly. Somehow the Move had cleared the effects of confusion from Beedrill, and Bug type Move or not, getting hit by that scissors cut would hurt.

Cloudburst swept her wings forward. Lavender lines filled the air. Threads slashed at Beedrill for the third time, cutting at its exoskeleton, tearing at its wings. The Pokemon continued undaunted. It was not as fast as before, but it was fast. Cloudburst turned to flee in the face of those stingers.

Cloudburst flew with steady wingbeats. She tried everything she’d learned in the last week. Dipping so low her feathers tickled the sand. Flying through the narrow rafters. Diving, climbing, twisting and banking. It wasn’t enough. Beedrill pursued with a constant thrum.

It was gaining.

David grit his teeth, held his breath and gave the order.

“Peck!”

Cloudburst swooped around, energy flowing inside her in a pattern she’d created hundreds, thousands of times at his order.

Lime stingers closed in on her from the sides. Cloudburst Pecked.

She shrieked. Pain. So much pain.

David blinked, eyes unfocused and blurred as feathers fell to the sand. Cloudburst fell with them.

She was not alone.

Beedrill fell still, its ovular chest sporting a crack on the carapace.

Cloudburst shook, deep breaths wracking her body.

“Withdrawing Beedrill.” Yuto called.

David didn’t look away from the flash of light, not with Cloudburst so close.

“Pidgey?” He called, asking what, he wasn’t sure.

The feathered heap on the sand twitched, one wing shifting then the other. With a twitch, Cloudburst limped herself to her feet. Her wings were missing several feathers, she was badly hurt, but she was still moving.

“Pidgey!” She shook her wings, but the movement was faltering.

Flight was out of the question.

Yuto held out his pokeball.

“Cloudburst, back!”

She obeyed immediately, turning her back on Yuto and hopping to his side of the arena. Thankfully her flight from Beedrill had left her on the edge of the arena and the canal wasn’t an issue.

A week ago she would have hesitated in the middle of a fight, with victory in her grasp. Wounds or not, she enjoyed a battle. Not now. Fighting outmatched had taught them why they needed to cooperate.

Ekans burst into reality in front of Yuto.

David waited another three hops, for Cloudburst to put the arena’s water feature between her, and the snake before speaking.

“Leer.”

She turned, ready to face another opponent with the last of her strength.

The giant snake slithered closer.

“Leer.”

Yuto wasn’t willing to sit there and do nothing, but his Ekans was still quite far away.

“Glare.”

Ekans raised its head from the sand, and transfixed the wounded Pidgey with its sharp eyes.

Cloudburst shuddered.

“Leer.”

Even with her back to him, David could tell the Move had failed.

Ekans dived into the canal, not slowing a second.

David raised a battered pokeball. “Withdrawing Pidgey.”

She had done enough. It was time for Venonat to finish this.

Venonat appeared before him, twitching and ready to fight. Usually a curious, but taciturn Pokemon, now he was eager.

The fuzzy purple Pokemon faced off against slithering dark scales.

David grinned. “Nope!”

“Poison Sting!“ Yuto shouted in response and anger.

Venonat leapt forward, avoiding some darts of venom and letting others soak into his fur.

“Supersonic!”

“Leer!”

They closed.

“Wrap.”

“Bug Bite!”

The Ekans sprung, leaving the air in a jump that David would never have expected. Venonat twitched to the side, but the snake had predicted that. Its head swung to the right, and its body to the left, slapping into Venonat and coiling around him. He was trapped.

There was going to be no more dodging. This was now a slog.

“Bite!”

A murky, festering brown glow dripped out of the Ekans' mouth. It reared back.

“Again.”

Quivering sparks of lime danced around Venonat’s mandibles.

David had been here before. He’d seen this.

The Ekans snapped down, jaws closed on flesh under all the purple fur. A murky brown glow flowed down Venonat’s body, infusing into it.

Venonat rattled, the pain pushing the lime sparks further, faster until David felt the vibration in his bones. He attacked the coils around him, sawing, clawing and biting with his teeth.

The Pokemon fought without restraint, the battle disappearing under purple coils. Bright flashes of color gave David and Yuto the only hints of how it went. There was no point giving orders. The Pokemon were lost to the fight.

The flashes became less frequent, until they stopped. The coils stilled. A yellow tail fell to rest in the sand.

David held his breath, panic and fear filling his limbs. He cradled Venonat’s pokeball, wanting to run out but knowing to do so would be to forfeit and waste all of his Pokemon’s efforts, their pain.

There was a twitch from the mass.

Then another.

The mess of coils gave a chirp, a high-pitched buzzing chirp.

David’s shoulders eased and he laughed in stunned relief.

The coils gave a trill now, but didn’t move. It seemed Venonat was stuck.

He laughed harder, eyes watering even as he looked across the arena at Yuto.

Yuto made a face, but he raised his pokeball. “Recalling Ekans.”

One bright flash of light, and Venonat was there, falling onto his back. His fur was matted with venom and blood. Red blood mixed with green in a dark mess on his pincers and limbs. He was alright.

They had won.

“Great job.” David whispered, recalling his Pokemon.

He had his second badge.