Sara sighed in relief as she finally reached the town of Oreburgh. The girl stopped walking just passed the city gates and took that moment to rest up a bit and relax. Once she did so, Sara once again started to walk into the town. She had to admit...it was disorienting to see all of the buildings that all pretty much looked exactly the same. Still, the newer trainer shook her head and looked for the very familiar building with the red roof.
"Alright, there it is," Sara said with a grin as she finally located the Pokecenter and went at a light jog towards it. She continued the pace until she entered the building and went up to the counter. The Nurse Joy behind it turned around and smiled at the female trainer.
"Hey there! Welcome to the Pokemon Center, how may I help you?" The Nurse joy said cheerfully.
"Yeah, could you heal my Pokemon?" Sara asked as she took her three occupied Pokeballs on the counter. The Joy smiled as she took the 'balls and placed them in a container. Once she did that, the nurse handed Sara the clipboard and pen and had her write down her name and what Pokemon she had.
Once that was done, Sara handed the clipboard back and asked, "So, do you think you could tell me anything about the Gym Leader in this town? Like what his main type is and everything."
"Well," the nurse began as she placed the Pokeballs into the healing machine, "first of all, the leader's name is Byron. His main type is Steel, though I know that his one Pokemon is a Steel/Rock type."
Sara frowned deeply and swore under her breath. Steel and Rock? Just the Rock made it so that Yansa wouldn't be the greatest choice, but with the Steel added on none of her Pokemon's attacks would do much against them! The trainer curled her hands into fists, wishing that she had had known this before hand. She would had at least picked up some kind of a Water type in the forest. Or even one of those Sandshrews that had attacked her party. Sara had to keep herself from punching something.
The Nurse Joy tilted her head as she watched the girl's angry expression. She then looked at what the trainer had and blinked, realizing the girl's problem. The nurse looked back at Sara and said, "You know, there's this offer going on at the museum where, if you show this one guy a certain Pokemon, he will give you an item that will boost that Pokemon type's attack."
Sara looked up sharply at the Nurse Joy. "Really!? Where's the museum!? What types do I need to show him!?" She all but yelled.
The nurse flinched and said, "I don't know, I haven't been there myself. But the museum itself is just near the north gate of the town-" She started to say but didn't get to finish as the girl just ran out of the Pokemon. The nurse sighed and turned back to her work.
A few hours later...
Sara was standing in front of the Oreburgh Gym. Her three balls holding her Pokemon in her pack, with the one holding Lee having the Twisted Spoon she had gotten him. To behonest, it had been a tough decision for the girl trainer. She knew that Lee was already strong enough and that Yansa would probably benefit from the extra little boost. But, at the moment, the bird wouldn't do well at all in the up coming Gym Battle. So, for the time being, things would just work out better if she helped at least one of her stronger Pokemon who can do more then Yansa.
Taking a deep breath, Sara took the last few steps and entered the Gym. Once she did, she looked around, realizing that it lookeas though she was in a tunnel. In fact, if it wasn't for the arena and the electrical lights overhead, she would had thought she was. Not to mention the man standing on the edge of the battle area. Taking another deep breath, the girl approched the area.
"Ah, another kid," Byron said, smiling slightly. "Nice to see that the young ones are also taking an interest in Pokemon Battling."
Sara narrowed her eyes. "Hey, I'm not much younger then you are, for your information," the girl growled, causing the Gym Leader to smile more.
"You don't say huh? You look younger," he said, then added when it seemed as though Sara was going to argue, "But, now is not the time for guessing at People's ages. Do you want to battle or not?"
Sara grunted then pulled out one of her 'balls. The girl threw the ball and shouted, "Angela, it's your time to shine!" She shouted as the ball opened up and the Ghost type appeared in a flash of light.
Byron smiled when he saw the Pokemon, then reached for one of his Apri balls and threw it in the air. "Mawile, show this Pokemon what you got!" He called out as the ball opened up and a small, female looking Pokemon with a jaw coming off of the back of it's head appeared.
"A Mawile?" Sara muttered to herself as she started to take her Pokedex out, but then realized that she was too far away to get a read on the Pokemon and she didn't want to delay this battle anymore then she had to. So, getting back to what was happening, the girl shouted, "Okay, Angela, use a Screech, then a Night Shade attack!"
"Shuppet!" The ghost said happily, then let out an ear splitting cry, making the Mawile cry out in pain and cover her hidden ears. Angela soon stopped the noise and a purple aura surrounded her. The aura quickly spread and hit the Steel Type, knocking her back. Sara knew that Ghost didn't do that well against Steel but since Night Shade was a fixed attack, it was mostly the only option she had.
"Hmm, not too bad there kid," Byron said, then grinned. "But I'm afraid that you're gonna have to do better then that! Mawile, use Fake Tears!"
"Maw!" The Mawile cried out, then its eyes grew wide and started to water a bit, making it seem as though it was going to cry at any minute. Angela, despite herself, couldn't help but to feel sorry and relax slightly.
Before Sara could shout anything, Byron yelled, "Alright! Now use a Bite attack!"
"Angela!" Sara shouted, but it was already too late.
The Shuppet couldn't move fast enough to get out of the way of the very large jaws. The Ghost cried out in pain as the attack hit and, with out even having to have her trainer tell her, she used another Night Shade attack, making the Mawile let go of her. The Puppet Pokemon then slammed itself into the Mawile, hitting it with a Payback.
But when Angela tried to hit the Steel type with another attack, Byron shouted, "Mawile, Astonish now!"
The Mawile reacted quickly and slammed her extra head into the Ghost, knocking her back a ways and slamming her into the ground. Angela cried out in pain once more and slowly floated back up.
"Angela…" Sara said, then looked up when she heard Byron sigh.
"You really need to learn how to control you're Pokemon," the Gym Leader said, making a 'tsk' sound as he did so.
Sara glared hatefully at Byron and, in an effort to prove him wrong, shouted, "Okay Angela, use Payback again, then a Night Shade!"
The Shuppet just grunted and once again slammed dark covered horn into the Mawile. Then before the Steel type could recover, sent out the purple aura once more. This knocked the Mawile to the ground. It tried to push itself back up, but its arms gave out on it and it collapsed once more. With a sigh, Byron returned the Pokemon to its ball and took out another Apri ball.
"Nice going there," Byron said, throwing the ball up into the air. "But you still haven't convinced me of anything! Shieldon, come out!"
The Apri ball opened once more and, in a flash of light, a small, dinosaur like creature appeared. It titled its head the weaken ghost, then grunted and pawed the ground, seeming impatient for the battle to start.
"Alright Angela," Sara said. "Quick, use a Night Shade!"
"Shup!" Angela said with a nod, then once again sent the purple aura at the Rock/Steel type. The Shieldon grunted when the attack hit him, but didn't seem too bothered by it. Sara figured this, but she wanted to take as much of the small dinosaur's health as she could before her ghost fainted.
"Alright Shieldon, finish this with a Mud Slap!" Byron shouted.
The Shieldon nodded and kicked up some mud at Angela. Of course, when the mud hit the ghost, she fell to the ground and didn't get back up.
Sara sighed herself and returned the Shuppet to her ball. She then picked up a Pokeball, threw it in the air and said, "Lee, it's all up to you now!"
The ball opened up and, in yet another flash of light, the Ralts appeared with his arms crossed. The Twisted Spoon, though quite large on his small body, hung around his neck with a ribbon tied around it. Lee seemed to glare at the Shieldon, making it shift nervously under the gaze.
"Huh, now this should be interesting," Byron said with a smirk, then shouted, "Shieldon, use a Headbutt on that Ralts!"
"Lee, counter with Confusion!" Sara shouted to her Pokemon.
The Shieldon pawed the ground a couple times before charging at the small Psychic type. But before it could hit him, Lee let out a small cry and a burst of Psychic energy came from him, knocking the dinosaur back and making it slam into the ground.
Byron grunted, not expecting the little Pokemon to have that much power, especially since his Shieldon was a Steel type and should have repelled that attack some what. Sara, on the other hand, smirked. Now she was really thankful that she had gotten the Twisted Spoon from the man in the museum.
"Alright Lee, use a Growl attack now!" Sara ordered her Ralts.
Lee grunted before growling lowly at the Shieldon. The Shield Pokemon shivered in fear slightly as its attack was lowered. But before Sara could give her Pokemon another order, Byron shouted, "Shieldon, Metal Claw now!"
The Shieldon charged at the Ralts and tried to slash at him with its glowing claws. But Lee quickly jumped out of the way, making the dinosaur slash the ground instead.
"Lee, use Confusion again!" Sara yelled quickly. The Ralts just grunted once more before sending another psychic burst at the Shieldon, making it cry out in slight pain as it was once again knocked away.
"Shieldon, Tackle now!" Byron shouted at his Pokemon.
The Shieldon quickly recovered and, at speeds that seem faster then what it could go at, slammed its body onto the Psychic, knocking it back a ways. Lee bounced on the ground a couple times before stopping. Sara bit her lip, wondering if her Ralts was going to make it. But then, the Ralts let out a grunt and slowly pushed himself up. Though his eyes could not be seen, he glared daggers at the Shieldon, once again making it nervous.
"Alright Lee, use another Confusion!" Sara ordered her Ralts.
Lee nodded before the psychic aura surrounded him. Soon enough, this same aura surrounded the Shieldon. Before either Pokemon or Leader could do anything, the Shieldon was being thrown from one side of the Gym to the other. Not to mention how it was slammed across the ground a couple times. Byron opened his mouth to yell something, but before he could Lee had thrown the Shieldon into the air and broke the psychic connection. The Shieldon let out a startled cry as it started to fall to the ground, but just before it hit the ground, Lee sent out another, a bit more powerful, Confusion attack. This knocked the Shieldon hard into a wall, causing dust to fly everywhere.
When the dust finally settled, Sara and Byron could see a knocked out Shieldon with its own little indent in the wall. Byron sighed and returned his Pokemon to the ball.
"Well kid, you beat me," Byron said. "There isn't anything I can say against it. You've won the Coal Badge."
"Yes!" Sara said happily, punching the air as Lee let out a happy cry. The girl smirked widely before picking her Ralts up and walking over to Byron. The trainer and leader met half way across the battle field.
Her smirk growing, Sara held her hand out for the badge. Byron took one out of his pocket and held it out for her. But just before he gave it to her, Byron said, "Now, I want you to know. You've still got a lot to learn. Just because you won this battle, it doesn't mean that you can just ignore any and all of the problems that going on with in your own party. For instance, that Shuppet and Ralts are strong, but they're wild and do things on their own. I don't really care how you do it, but you have to teach them that you're the boss and to do things when and only when you tell them to during a battle. You get me?"
"Yeah, I get ya," Sara grunted, extending her hand more.
Byron sighed and dropped the badge on her palm. "Sure, what ever you say kid." He said before turning around and walking away from her.
Sara stared at the Gym Leader before sighing herself. "Maybe I handled that wrong…" She muttered to herself, then shook her head and looked at her Ralts. "Well, I'll think about it later. Right now, we celebrate!"
"Ralts!" Lee called out happily, making his trainer smile more. Then the two walked out of the Gym, ready to have a small celebration to winning their first badge.