The Battle of Saffron

Zeiro grit his teeth, clenching his shaking hands as he glares at Volt. He spent all this time training...he couldn't let the Gym LEader bring him down.

"Nidoking, Sandstorm!" he shouted the command. Nidoking let out a mighty roar, summoning a storm of sand to surround the two trainers. "Now Sludge Bomb!" Without missing a beat, the purple giant spat out a strange purple substance towards Volt.

"I can hear you, you know." Koreik said. "You're too simple minded, boy. Golduck, disable that Protect!" Golduck's eyes glowed,s ending out an energy to disrupt Aqua's Protect.

Akio grinned lightly and said, "Ice Bean, right there!" With that command, the aquatic Pokemon fired a beam of ice directly at Golduck, aiming to freeze the Pokemon solid. "I had to protect Tails, but using Protect made you drop your guard. Golduck can't attack for a while when it uses Disable, so I knew I'd get a chance if I drew it out."

"...Simple minded. That's what you are." The Ice Beam stops cold just in front of Golduck as an invisible shield appeared in front of him: Protect. "Rain Dance, then Water Pulse." Golduck raised its arms to the ceiling, summoning an indoor storm to rage before a small blue orb appears in his hands. HE glances at Aqua and Tails before shooting the orb straight down, sending a wave of water towards the two pokemon. Moltres shrieks as it tries to avoid the rain and water pulse.

"Aqua, Hydro Pump and Surf!" Akio called out as his Pokemon answered back by sending a large burst of water out of its mouth and towards the ground. The turtle then jumped up, landing on its belly on a massive wave that it had now created. Tails was on top of the wave and it was all heading towards Golduck and its trainer. "Rain Dance helps us both in a case like this. Then again, you never looked at Aqua as a strong opponent."

"Zapdos......." Volt stared the approaching sludge down, even with the sand buffeting him "Thunder." The light in the room became blinding, even through the sand. With a blood thirsty shreik the giant bird focused it's energy in a violent flurry, sending out a massive bolt of electricity hurdling toward the Nidoking and it's trainer. The sand parted in it's power, the sludge blasted apart as it connected with the thunder.

Volt wasn't amused.

"You're pokemon...no...You yourself are weak." Koreik said, seemingly unfazed. "That Rain Dance was not for Golduck's water attacks."

Golduck's eyes glew yellow as the gem on it shead started to spark. "GOL!!!" He shouted as thunder came down from the rain clouds above, assaulting the surfing Wartortle and Vuplix.

"After all...Thunder is impossible to miss with Rain Dance."

Zeiro's eyes widen as the thunder was coming right towards them. Nidoking quickly turned around and covered its trainer with its body as the Thunder hits dead on. "N-Nidoking!"

"Can't protect..." Akio said as he quickly tried to return his Pokemon. Vulpix was returned but the Wartortle couldn't escape in time. The Thunder hit it and had enough force left over to part and disperse the wave of water Wartortle made. He glared at the man as he knew he couldn't hold anything else back. "Spearhead, Light!" he called out as a large bird began to fly through the sky with a small mouse on its back. "Use Thunderbolt on that Golduck!"

"Yeah, that's right." Volt emotionlessly observed the Nidoking take the front fo the blast. "You're starting to realize you can't win. That I'm not just one of these Rocket grunts or your average Gym Leader. There's a reason a trainer rarely makes it past my Gym." He looked up to the mighty bird of the storm above him. "It's your beliefs. That pokemon believes you're his friend, same as you it. That screams weakness."

"I'll fix that now. Zapdos, Thundershock." Another flash and a smaller bolt fo electricity lashed out at the recovering pokemon.

"Sky Attack. Now!" Koreik commanded as the collar on Moltres sparked to light. It shrieked before taking off, doving towards Light and Spearhead.

The attack lands a direct hit on Nidoking. For a few moments, it didn't move. Suddenly, it stood up and glares at Zapdos, rather angry as his trainer was frantically looking at his pokedex.

"P-Poison and Ground type..." he muttered. That's why the attacks didn't affect both Nidoking and himself. Nidoking is immuned. "If htat's the case...EARTHQUAKE!" Nidoking roared before jumping up and down, causing the floor to start shaking.

Akio grinned lightly as the bird and the Pikachu disappeared. They were above the Moltres with a speed that was double what it was before. It was an Agility technique. "Now, Thunder!" With the rain still falling, Light jumped up into the air, sending down a powerful bolt of lightning from the sky down onto both Moltres and Golduck due to the positioning.

Koreik sighed, shaking his head as a red beam of light shot out from a pokeball, directing the thunder to Rhydon's horn. "You don't seem to learn, do you?" He bluntly said as Rhydon breaks the ground with his fists. He picks up the debris and starts chucking them at Fearow and PIkachu.

Akio grinned and pointed towards the Rhyhorn with his fingers like a gun. He moved his hand back like a shot and said, "Bang..." Just like that, a strong stream of water went directly towards Rhydon. It was a Hydro Pump. "I taught Aqua how to use Hydro Pump so soon for the sole reason of beating you. Water moves are strong against both of Rhyhorn's types. It took me a while to think of why they didn't work, but then I figured it out. It was like dropping rain on a rock, so it wouldn't do anything. That's why I helped Aqua get as strong as possible!"

Rhydon roared, staggering back at the surprising water stream. Koreik's eyes widen slightly. "...Hmph." He returns Rhydon to his pokeball as the rain dies away, glaring at akio.

"Ohh...you shouldn't have done that...." Meladii said.

"Khan!" Suddenly, a large pokemon punches Wartortle away with ease as a Kangaskhan appears.

"Seems I've underestimated you by a little...If you truely wish to die, then so be it. Golem, magnitutde!" He throws out Golem again who causes the whole gym to shake violently.

Magnitude 9.

Akio ran to his Pokemon, catching it before it hit the wall. The impact wasn't fatal due to Wartortle's defense, but now her was in one of the worst case scenarios. If Aqua was down, he couldn't fight that man's Ground type Pokemon. He came into the battle knowing that, and now...

At that moment, a large turtle shell guarded Akio and protected his body from the falling rocks of the Magnitude attack. It was his Aqua, but it was now a Blastoise. "Beating that Rhydon must've been enough for you to evolve!" Akio said happily. He placed his hand on a Pokeball and said, "You won't have to fight alone, buddy. Spearhead and Light can handle Moltres right now, so focus on that Golem! Aqua, Water Pulse!"

"Hmph."

Golem was hit directly with the Water Pulse, knocking the strong pokemon instantly. Moltres looks at Akio with compassion.

"You're starting to annoy me now." Koreik said as Meladi started floating next to him. "Congratz on the evolution, but I'm afraid that will be short lived. I'll cut to the chase: if you don't give up now..." He pulls out a gun and holds it right up against Meladii's terrified head. "I'll shoot the girl. Don't even think I wouldn't, either."

Akio glared at the man, annoyed that he was in this position again. Was he really that useless when his friends were in danger? At that moment, Light glared at the man, aiming his tail downward. It fired a Thundershock from its tail and aimed it directly at the hand of the Gym Leader. Thundershock was the weakest of Electric moves, but also the easiest to control. The lightning was able to move to the hand without even touching Meladii.

The room shook violently, Volt somehow finding his footing and standing still, but Zapdos was not as fortunate. Portions of the ceiling began to fall, smacking into it and pushing it to the ground, but never making contact as it's mighty wings propelled it back into the air.

"Impressive use of your surroundings." Volt spoke to Zeiro. "Allow me to show you mine. Zapdos, Rain Dance." The mystical bird screamed out,t he room growing darker as black clouds formed just under the ceiling. A single drop fell, then another, then another until a full blown rain storm fell, soaking everything in it to the core. "Your Pokemon may be quite durable against electricity, but when soaked to the bone with water even the toughest of materials will crumble. Zapdos, Thunder wave." The bird charged energy within itself, launching the attack at ablinding pace thanks to the accelerating rain storm. Each droplet latched on to the electricity, growing it outwards until a wall of pure energy stormed at Nidoking.

There was nowhere to run.

The thundershock hits, causing his hand th spaz lightly and drop the gun. Koreik stares at his spazzing hand before turning to Akio, seemingly uninterested. "So that's yoru answer? Very well..." Alakazam's eyes glowed darker, causing Meladii to struggle. Her hands were trying to grasp her neck. "I-It hurts..."

"I warned you no funny tricks, boy. The girl will die one way or another...or woudl you rather want me to kill her off in an instant with Moltres' legendary flames that never die out?"

Zeiro narrowed his eyes at the Rain Dance. "Why...wait!" He was far too late as the Thunder Wave wall strikes Nidoking. Although his ground type makes him immuned, he was still paralyzed. "Damn it! Water conducts electricity!" He hissed before throwing out a pokeball. "Venasaur! Use Leech Seed!" Venasaur nodded as a seed shot out from its flower and towarsd Zapdos.

Akio's fists started to shake as he said out loud," I won't.... I won't let you hurt my friends anymore! Eevee, Shadow Ball!" He threw the Pokeball that Zeiro had given him as the small brown Pokemon appeared, opening its mouth as darkness began to concentrate in the form of a ball. It launched forward at Alakazam directly. "She's my friend, and I WILL protect her. Just like I'll protect Moltres and the other Legends, and I'll protect this whole world if I have to!"

~Eevee?!~ Koreik's eyes widen as the shadow ball flies past him, hitting Alakazam and instantly knocking him out with one shot. Meladii lands on her feet and rushes behind Akio, trying to catch her breath.

"You...That Eevee is not yours." He said, getting rather angry. "I didn't see this predicament come...Moltres, Sky Attack!" The bird shrieked as the collar shocks it as it starts flying and decends on Eevee and Akio.

"Tails, let's go!" Akio called out as he turned to his Vulpix who was still out and ready. The fox Pokemon moved in front of Akio with great speed. Its eyes started to glow as it hit the diving bird with an attack meant to confuse it before it descended. A Confuse Ray. Akio turned to Meladii and said, "Don't worry... no matter what happens. I'll keep you safe."

"Panic. You're in a panic. Another sign of weakness. Two against one......you're a coward." A pokeball grew in Volt's hand. He threw it underhanded, the ball bursting open in a flash of red. "Wrath, Discharge." From the ball came "Wrath", an Electabuzz. It jumped infront of Zapdos, roaring as a full burst of energy expanded around it, blasting the seeds out of the way and into the walls and ceiling.

"Time to end this. Zapdos......." His hand crept out, pointing at Zeiro and his two pokemon companions. ".....Hyper Beam." The bird opened it's beak, specks of energy drawning from the very air it flew in, forming into an orb of pure destruction. With a thrusting motion it launched forward in a chaotic beam.

"Tch!"

The beam hits Nidoking, sending up a cloud of dust. As it disapepared however, a faint and invisible shield could be seen in front of the unharmed Nidoking.

"Dodrio, Tri Attack on Electabuzz! Arcanine, Sunny Day!"

Two streams of light shot out of his belt as a 3 headed bird appered on teh field and Arcanine howling to the ceiling, destroying the Rain Dance and replacing it with the shining sun. The bird pokemon squawks as a blue, yellow, and red orb appear in the three different heads' mouth. They swing their heads towards electabuzz, throwwing the orbs at the electric pokemon.

"Venasaur, tie down Zapdos!" Vines shot out of Venasaur's back, entangling the electric bird before forcing it down to the ground.

Moltres' eyes widen as the Confuse Ray hits. IT cries out, shaking its head from side to side as it soon grew off course, hitting the groudn near Akio.

"Tch!" Koreik glares at the boy. "So be it....."

"Explosion. Self Destruct."

Suddenly, the gym's lights turn on, revealing a row of Golems and Gravelers lined up around the borders of the gym. They started to shine before one explodes, then another, and then another. He was planning on destroying the gym, taking the two kids along with him and his pokemon.

Akio's eyes widened as he didn't know what to do from here. He looked at all of his Pokemon, quickly grabbing his Pokeballs and sending them there. He then turned to Meladii and ran as quickly as he could to the sides of the gym. "It'll come down from the middle! Hyrry to the side and you might be save!"

"R-Right!" Meladii managed to say as she starts running after akio

"Where do you think you two aer going?!" Koreik shouted as Gengar appeared in front of Akio and Meladii, gazing at them with Mean Look to prevent them from leaving before using Hypnosis. "You two will die in this gym."