"Gordon, time to train," said Selene as she released her Pansear, almost as though in a daze. Gordon looked up at his trainer, but Selene was already scanning the area, looking for any possible opponents - not Trainers, Pokemon. Gordon and Cat were still too weak; Selene was determined more than ever to evolve them. Spotting movement in a set-back cave, Selene smiled contentedly and made her way toward the cave, motioning with her head for Gordon to follow her.
Stepping warily into the cave, Selene gasped slightly - the biggest Onix she'd ever seen was just sat there...seemingly eating rocks, judging by the grating and crushing sounds coming from its' hidden maw - before laughing quietly. She turned to Gordon and pointed at the Onix. "Grass Knot, Gordon," she stated simply, and Gordon followed her outstretched finger, blanching slightly. The anxiety was evident in his face, but Selene wasn't having any of it and jabbed toward the Onix again. Gordon swallowed his fear and set his face into a stoic mask, rushing forward to the Onix and tripping it with Grass Knot. The loudest roar that Selene had ever heard reverberated from the walls of the cave, making Selene and Gordon both cover their ears. Judging by the high pitch of the noise, the Onix was retaliating to the attack using Screech...mad control for a wild Pokemon, Selene noted with a wide smile. Gordon would get plenty of experience for this.
"Yawn, Gordon," said Selene as the Onix whirled to face her and Gordon, watching as the fire monkey took in a deep breath and puffed out a cloud of air that swirled around the Onix' head. The rock snakes giant head seemed to droop slightly, seeming drowsy, and Selene smiled happily - Yawn had worked. As long as Gordon could avoid...but even as she thought this, the Onix seemed to have pulled itself together enough to slam its' huge tail into Gordon in what seemed like a Brick Break attack. Brick Break? Selene frowned - surely that wasn't a move that an Onix would learn in the wild...could this be a trained Onix she'd decided to pick a battle with?
As Gordon picked himself up off the floor somewhat shakily, the Onix' eyes snapped shut and his head drooped, even snores rumbled around the cave and Selene grinned. "Okay Gordon, just use Grass Knot repeatedly until the Onix faints," Gordon rushed at the Onix, using Grass Knot. Of course seeing as the Pokemon was already on the floor it couldn't be tripped up, but the Grass Knot did in fact throw the Onix slightly up into the air, sending it crashing back down. Gordon managed to get a further two Grass Knot attacks in before the Onix woke up, and when the rock snake retaliated with a move that looked like Strength, that was when Selene knew this was no ordinary wild Onix. The Pokemon slammed into Gordon, sending him onto his back with a sharp cry, but Selene just knew that the Onix wouldn't be able to take many more hits from Gordon. "Try Flamethrower Gordon, just stay out of range of physical attacks!" advised Selene, watching as the Flamethrower engulfed the Onix, whose cry was again deafening. Suddenly, the flames ceased, the Onix swayed slightly before crashing to the floor, knocked out.
"Way to go Gordon!" cried Selene happily, and Gordon couldn't help but smile despite his exhaustion. His trainer seemed pleased...she was smiling, she hadn't smiled like that in a long time...Gordon vowed that he would work as hard as he could to make Selene smile like that again. "Come on, let's find another challenge like that for you!"
"Right here," came a voice from behind Selene, both she and Gordon whirled around to see an arrogant looking blonde haired boy lounging against the wall of the cave. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him, instantly affronted by his cocky, self-assured stance. "Your challenge is right here - the name's Rick, Entei dorm. I've seen you around," he said calmly even as Selene glared at him, arms folded. "You're pretty strong, from what I've gathered...you'll be good exercise for my team and I. Let's just say...the only reason I'm not in Suicune dorm is because I threw the exam, blue just isn't my colour, washes out my complexion..." his hand plucked a Pokeball from his belt. "You ready?"
"Ready?" scoffed Selene, smirking at the boy with narrowed eyes. "You even have to ask? You obviously haven't seen enough of me if you need ask that. My Pokemon is already out, release yours." She commanded in an even tone that made the boy's smirk waver slightly, almost as though her direction irked him. "Fine," he replied calmly, throwing forward his Pokeball...releasing his Kirlia out in front of Gordon with a self-satisfied smirk. Obviously he didn't think that a fire type could pose much of a problem to his psychic type, but Selene had a few tricks with Gordon.
"Torment, Gordon," she instructed, watching as a pulse of dark energy emitted from the Pansear and consequently stopped the Kirlia from using any of the arsenal of special defensive or status-changing attacks that Selene knew the Psychic type must benefit from. Instantly the boy's face changed from assured arrogance to alarm.
"Well, you may have got that one in but my Kirlia still has plenty of ammunition against you. Psycho Cut Kirlia!" shouted the boy, Selene watching with that assured smirk still in place as the blades of psychic energy slashed at Gordon. He recoiled from the attack, pushed backwards, recovering in time as Selene shouted "Bite!"
Gordon leapt forward and clamped his strong jaws around the Kirlia's arm, the boy crying out in disbelief with wide eyes. "Not expecting that, were you?" asked Selene with a wide grin and a slight laugh as the boy glared at her. "No, I wasn't. But, you won't be winning this battle so easily. Psychic, Kirlia!" As the Kirlia's eyes glowed purple, almost instantly Gordon cried out in pain, clutching his head with both hands...before promptly fainting. Selene frowned in confusion before horrid realisation dawned on her...the Onix. She had gone from battle to battle without healing Gordon up...she refused to look into the arrogant face of the boy as she returned Pansear. "Rookie error," she said simply, before releasing Sharpay. The boy's face blanched somewhat.
"Kingdra...Kingdra are strong Pokemon. But not strong enough I fear, Kirlia use Psychic again!"
"Aqua Jet Kingdra!" shouted Selene, watching as in a flood of water, faster than she could hardly keep track of, Sharpay smashed into Kirlia and sent the Psychic type flying through the air, knocked out cold. Rick frowned in disbelief, returning his Pokemon and removing the next Pokeball from his belt.
"Okay, if that's how you wish to play this. Claydol, I choose you!" he cried out, and Selene watched as the Pokemon levitated over the battlefield, it seemed a well-trained Pokemon. She nodded, somewhat impressed. "Good choice...but a poor one I fear, use Hydro Pump Sharpay!" she yelled, somewhat alarmed as the Claydol dodged the powerful jet of water, not quite quickly enough however as the attack struck one side of the Claydol and made it waver slightly in levitation.
"Not quite fast enough...never matter. Claydol, use Psychic!" Rich ordered, and the attack struck Kingdra in her mind, making her cry out painfully. The attack wasn't very effective however, and Selene shouted out "Hydro Pump again!!"
This time the attack struck the Claydol head on and sent it crashing into the wall of the cave, the jet of water relentlessly pounding the Claydol into the wall. The type weakness proved too much for the Ground- and Psychic-type to take, and it was knocked out. Rich didn't move instantly, completely astounded. Eventually he returned his Claydol and looked at Selene with an oddly blank face.
"Your Pokemon are well trained," he observed as she returned Sharpay, folding her arms as she watched him. She nodded once, not speaking. "As you can see...my Pokemon are well trained too...may I suggest something? Completely hypothetically of course?" Selene frowned slightly, nodding again. "That Pansear of yours...it's a good Pokemon. It has potential...I think it would benefit from training with my team for a while. And I think that Claydol would learn a lot from you...may I suggest a trade?"
Selene's eyes widened. "A trade? My Pansear...for your Claydol?" for a moment she had a pang of guilt at the thought of sending her Pansear to another team, but it was not as great as the consideration of a trade would ordinarily have been. It was almost as though she felt detached from the idea of HER pokemon, and saw her team less as friends and more as Pokemon. Completely unlike Selene.
"Yes," she said finally with a smirk as Rich held out the Pokeball of his Claydol. Selene looked at it for a moments' hesitation before holding out her Pansear's Pokeball, both she and Rich placing their other hands on the tradable Pokeball and, with a intake of breath, released their hold on the traded Pokemon. Selene looked at the Claydol's Pokeball blankly, feeling the promise of a new challenge but no particular attachment, as Rich nodded.
"Pleasure trading with you, Selene. I'll see you around," and with that he left the cave, taking Gordon with him. Selene watched as he left, and felt a pang of guilt for what she had just done, immediately feeling sickened with herself. "Sorry," she whispered into the silent cave.