~Soutarou POV~
Misty's Gyarados whose eyes were already glowing couldn't listen to any other commands just charged through the ever growing Leaf Storm-Tornado in a mad dash, even tanking a Giga Drain before slamming against Servine sending dust and water flying into the air. As the dust cleared a scratched up, panting, and confusedly wobbling Gyarados was revealed, along with a battered Servine with swirling eyes.
Soutarou's expression darkened a bit and he sighed before recalling Servine even before Kaede could make the call.
Kaede did eventually announce, "Servine is unable to battle. Gyarados wins."
'So much for Leftovers… Did it even activate once? What a pity… Misty really caught me off guard… But… Unfortunately… Ralts exists. While I've been taking this match slower than my match with Kaede… Misty's shown that I shouldn't be. It would be disrespectful to show her anything less than my best. So…'
Soutarou's voice rang out, "Turn off the camera."
Kaede moved over the league recording camera and shut it off before wiping the last few seconds of the video and nodding at Soutarou and taking her position again. The girls in the crowd turned questioning before Soutarou's eyes lit up with blue psychic energy that washed out towards them and he said, {Keep this a secret.}
His eyes looked onto Dawn especially as he felt something slightly off, but nothing worrisome. Before he pulled out a Luxury Ball and spun the ball on his finger brushing his hair before proudly saying, "Come out, Ralts!"
Misty's Gyarados despite its confusion still huffed as if saying, "A mere first evolution dares?"
Soutarou's eyes and Ralts' body both glowed blue in psychic energy. Before Soutarou said, "Synchronize with me."
Ralts' energy and blue glew stronger as did Soutarou's as the two linked minds completely for the first time.
{As one.}
{
{Let's do this Ralts!}
{
Ralts psychic energy exploded outwards instantly setting a psychic terrain flooding over the grassy terrain, before Ralts yanked the water around Gyarados upwards as Soutarou conveyed to her that Gyarados was now immune to Psychic energy. Yet at the same time Soutarou and her both instantly made use of Gyarados being in water.
Gyarados now found itself in a thin veil of water above the pool and seriously stared down at the powerful Ralts confusedly, before Misty said, "Gyarados shake out of it! Come on! You have to!"
As if triggering some instinctive memory of how Misty beat it and captured it and how it was last defeated, it shook its head and surprisingly broke out of the confusion before roaring proudly and letting out its intimidating aura before it failed and instead Ralts' trace kicked in and instead smacked Gyarados with a blue shimmering attack down.
Misty grit her teeth and said, "Use
Soutarou didn't say anything as Ralts immediately used Quick Attack to dodge before waving its hand and letting out a Thunder Wave which instantly paralyzed Gyarados who had crashed into the ground where Ralts just was.
After which Ralts lit up with Electric type energy and a massive yellow bolt of lightning launched off of Ralts and slammed into Gyarados in a massive Thunderbolt, not before Misty barely managed to order Gyarados to use Endure.
Soutarou and Ralts then ruthlessly used Moonblast with a massive pink shining energy ball forming above Ralts. And Gyarados looking up and back at Misty before just closing its eyes and mouth with its lips looking slightly pouted (It's_So_Cooked_Dog_PNG).
Soutarou broke the synchronization with Ralts and just said outloud, "Finish it."
Before Misty's panicked voice rang out, "I SURRENDER!"
Soutarou deadpanned and said, "How is Ralts supposed to get rid of this thing now?"
Misty didn't say anything and just quickly recalled Gyarados whose eyes turned teary and screamed, "Trainer, you do care about me!"
Ralts sighed and just waved one of her small white hands and dissipated the giant pink spirit bomb, though both Soutarou and Ralts deflated in disappointment.
'Party pooper.'
Misty just deadpanned and said, "You bastard, were you trying to kill Gyarados? What did you even mean? How could you get rid of that thing?!?! Didn't Ralts just wave to make it disappear?"
Ralts responded for Soutarou, {
Kaede's eye twitched and she earnestly said, "Soutarou. Which demon told you not to evolve Ralts already?"
Soutarou looked confused before saying, "Ralts can't evolve yet. She's been trying but there hasn't been a strong enough catalyst now that she's reached this level. Plus Gyarados being Paralyzed was the only reason that Ralts could even charge up a super massive Moonblast in the first place."
Kaede looked dumbfounded and she questioned, "She's only just hit the threshold? No wonder you said to turn off the camera… Though did you really have to go that hard on Misty at the end?"
Soutarou indignantly glanced at Misty before saying, "Well who told her to ruthlessly explode her Staryu and Starmie just to take out my Pokemon?"
Misty instantly shot back, "And who told you to be so damn strong?"
Sparks clashed between the two as they bickered, while also handing their injured Pokemon to Kaede for healing. They continued to bicker back and forth until Yellow came and Soutarou's witty remarks and comments died down, with Misty backing down because she thought she won.
As Yellow, Misty's Sisters, Dawn and Hilda came over each stared at Soutarou and Misty with a new kind of respect. With Dawn going so far as to say, "That was the most impressive Gym Battle I've seen. A pleasure to meet you by the way, I'm Dawn Berlitz, the Heir to the Berlitz family."
The white with pink strips hatted girl with blue hair, a pink skirt, yellow hair clips, a red scarf, and a black top with a white undershirt politely introduced herself with a curtsy before motioning over to her friend and saying, "And this is my friend Hilda Blackwood. She was planning on challenging the Gym, and so we were waiting to go after you. But what we didn't expect was to see this level of a battle. Truly impressive."
Soutarou responded with a polite light bow before saying, "The pleasure is all mine Ms.Berlitz, I'm Soutarou Morita, the Heir to the Morita family. Though I must say I am curious about one thing… You wouldn't happen to know a Platinum Berlitz or someone named Akari would you?"
Dawn's eyes widened and turned blank locking onto Soutarou's figure in such a way that sent chills down his spine for a split second, before her expression turned confused and she shook her head and said, "I'm afraid I've never met an Akari before. As for Platinum… She was my older cousin… She looked awfully like me or so my uncle and aunty say."
Soutarou turned confused, before his eyes softened and he said, "I see… I'm sorry for your loss that was truly rude of me to ask."
Dawn shook her head and said, "No worries… Though if you don't mind, why would the young master of the Morita Corporation be challenging gyms?"
Soutarou shrugged his shoulders and said, "I imagine for the same reason as Ms. Berlitz… Because it's fun and a damned good excuse to get away from the mansion."
Dawn chuckled before Misty coughed and said, "Are you two rich kids done having your prim and proper conversation?"
Soutarou and Dawn both deadpanned and said at the same time, "Can't you just let us have our fun and let us act pretentious for a bit?/We're just having a bit of fun, Ms. Misty."
Misty rolled her eyes at Soutarou before saying to Dawn, "Don't catch his bad influence… One is already too much to deal with."
Soutarou indignantly responded, "As if you're the one dealing with me… I'm the one who has to deal with you for heaven's sake!"
Misty and Soutarou got locked in bickering again before Kaede just awkwardly smiled and Hilda just giggled a bit at Soutarou and Misty's little spat, before Yellow finally walked over to Soutarou and said, "I knew you could do it Soutarou! That was amazing!"
Soutarou smiled and said, "I'm sure you and Chuchu will be able to do even better one day."
Misty muttered, "So soft with her, but the moment I speak you get all fussy."
Soutarou's brow twitched and he said, "No at all.. It's just fun to mess with you."
Misty grinned and lightly punched him in the shoulder saying, "Right back at you big guy."
The pair rolled their eyes together, before Dawn smiled and said, "You have a lovely and humorous group… Do you mind asking if you all travel together?"
Soutarou, Misty, Kaede, and Yellow nodded together before Dawn said, "If you don't mind, might I ask where you shall be heading next?"
Soutarou crassly said, "Celadon. Then Vermillion and Saffron."
Dawn put her hand on her chin before looking over at the quiet Hilda who said, "That's…"
Dawn shook her head and sadly smiled saying, "That's a pity…. I imagine traveling with your group would've been an enjoyable experience… Not to mention traveling with such a skilled party would've improved our own skills… Still perhaps if fate reunites us, shall we have a battle? Perhaps, if you don't mind, we might even be able to join you in your journey in the future when we don't have commitments."
Soutarou gave a thumbs up and said, "Someday then… I'm sure we'll meet again and no problem, we don't mind, afterall the more the merrier! Though a fair warning we're a crass bunch-"
Kaede interjected and said, "Excuse them, it's just Misty and Soutarou who are crass, the rest of us are completely normal."
Hilda and Dawn chuckled for a bit before Hilda said seriously, "I suppose we'll have to ask you to wait a day…"
Soutarou shook his head and said, "Ah there's no need. Just fight Misty's sisters sometime while we're traveling. Those three are still able to hand out the cascade badges. Speaking of… Where's my damn badge?"
Misty whistled before looking over at her sisters, before Daisy pulled a Cascade badge out of her bosom making Soutarou's face blank. Yellow became confused as to how that worked, Misty's face blackened as did Dawn's while Hilda sighed in relief while muttering, "At least Rosa's not around…I'm still on the bigger side!"
Kaede on the other hand just pinched Soutarou's waist before Misty and Yellow joined in. Dawn thought it was funny and joined in before Hilda just shrugged and joined in too, then Lily decided to jump in causing Violet to also join. While Daisy just chuckled, all while Soutarou felt the skin around his waist becoming stretched by the increasing number of pinchers.
He threw his hands up in surrender and at the same time Daisy just tossed the Cascade Badge at him which he struggled to catch, almost falling in the water. Misty laughed at him as he tried to maintain balance to avoid falling, before he gave in though not before tossing his bag and important stuff ashore and grabbing Misty's arm and dragging her into the water.
Kaede just sighed and Yellow's brows furrowed, while Dawn looked on with amusement and Hilda kept her hand on her chin before pulling out a notepad and jotting something down.
As the two came out of the water looking a bit like wet dogs, Misty growled at Soutarou and pouted before clutching her chest area and saying firmly, "You'd better not look or I'll kill you!"
Soutarou muttered under his breath, "There's not… Nevermind."
Soutarou stopped himself as he felt a chilling deathly energy rise out of Misty and he gave up lest Misty started sending her Staryu and Starmie to chase him and explode one after the other.
Dawn covered her mouth demurely to hide her laugh and asked Kaede, "Are they always like this?"
Kaede just sighed and said, "As far as I've seen at least."
Soutarou just had Ralts wring the water out of their clothes before using some fire type energy to dry them off. Misty still kicked him before rummaging through his bag and pulling out his Badge Box and saying, "Hurry up and put it."
Soutarou coughed lightly and said, "Phrasin-"
Misty's foot slammed into his with a flushed face as she said, "Get your head out of the gutter or you'll find it permanently inside of Muk or Grimmer."
Soutarou smiled awkwardly and put the badge inside the box all while he thought, 'I got the Cascade badge!'
Soutarou smiled for a moment before saying, "Wait a moment… Dawn, is it ok if I call you that? Why are you in Indigo or rather Kanto if you're from Sinnoh?"
Dawn shrugged and said, "The Indigo Plateau conference is the hardest amongst competitors, it's considered the mini world championship since there isn't an official one, not to mention it's basically a League with two Regions combined in one. My uncle told me that Johto and Kanto are likely to split soon so the champion from this conference will be a memorable one. Not to mention the right to challenge one of the strongest Elite Four and Champion set-ups. Only Alola can threaten or claim to have a stronger Elite Four, but they have their own issues with the Ultra Space… As for Sinnoh… It's too hard to become a Champion and even Elite Four is a dump… Because everyone lives under the shadow of Champion Cynthia…"
"She's too strong… There's a reason she's acknowledged as the world's strongest… Her Lucario and Garchomp are something else… People even claim she's beyond Champion Level… So my best shot at a real challenge with any chance of victory that won't break my spirit in the process… is Indigo."
"That's the same reason Hilda left Unova… While Unova's Champion Caitlin isn't as strong as Cousin Cynthia… She is without a doubt one of the strongest… Stronger than Ms. Lorelei or Lance. Worse Champion Caitlin is universally acknowledged as the strongest psychic type ability user in the entire world. Some even claim she's as strong as Top Tier Champion pokemon herself… So even if you have the ability to beat her pokemon… Can you possibly beat her? Afterall her Championship battles are all free for all battles… Meaning… She can just put you in a hypnosis and it's done… Not to mention there's been raising tensions with the local villain group, Team Plasma… They've been ravaging the whole region…"
Soutarou's jaw clenched and he said, "Other regions have it hard huh…?"
'What the hell… What the actual hell… Alder? What happened to him?!?!? Man, I need to read more carefully I guess…But wait…'
Soutarou turned confused and said, "Wait, if you're challenging the league, how come you aren't collecting badges?"
Dawn smiled and opened her backpack and pulled out a completely full badge box, before putting it back and saying, "I already finished. I ran into Hilda while finishing my last challenge and I found out she's into film making so I tagged along with her since we had similar interests. Plus I don't really want to go back to Sinnoh to wait for the conference season so I might as well tag along with her and help her make her film."
Soutaoru nodded in understanding. And the group finally wrapped up as Kaede and Blissey finished healing up the group's Pokemon…