Chương 167: Chapter 164

After a night's rest in an actual bed, finally feeling like a normal human being after a nice hot shower, Ethan stood in a spot he'd stood in only once before. This time, in the afternoon sun and not at night with panic overcoming him. For the last day or two, he'd thought about stopping by and doing what all kids dreamed of, but until this moment, he'd thought he'd run away and back out at the last minute. Afterall, he wasn't prepared in the slightest. The Eterna City Gym was just as he remembered it.

Vines and flowers climbed the walls, which had the symbol of the very badge the gym gave out to successful trainers—three chipped green squares. It was a marvelous building now that he got a look at it when he wasn't in a state of panic, searching for Smeargle. People flowed in and out with their pokemon by their sides. Many were wired bundles of nerves, similar to himself at taking a step forward along their journeys.

Ethan, as calmly as he could, walked in through the automated doors and joined the queue in the lobby, leading up to a reception desk manned by no less than four people. As the line moved, Ethan watched as people were called toward and released from a set of doors. People going in determined or nervous, and leaving either exuberant or devastated.

"Welcome. How may the Eterna City Gym helm you today?" The voice of the receptionist pulled him from his distracted observations. Ethan took a step forward, and not knowing how this normally went, simply asked about what he wanted.

"I'd like to try for a badge." The receptionist, who was a man Ethan's age, nodded along but looked a little surprised.

"Of course. Do you have an appointment already, or are you looking to set a date?" After hearing the question, Ethan inwardly cringed. Of course they didn't just have people walking in and out doing battles nonstop. They'd have to schedule it. It only made sense.

"An appointment, please."

"I'll need your trainer I. D card, sir." Ethan readily handed it over. The man scanned his I. D, then typed in some information as he worked on the computer before him. Then he hit the enter key… With a slight tilt of the head and a frown, he looked back towards Ethan.

"It appears you already had an appointment. It's right now, in fact." Ethan shook his head, confusion also growing on his own face.

"There must be a mistake. This is my first time here." The man grabbed his monitor and turned it towards him, then pointed at the screen.

"Ethan Reed, first badge attempt, battle chamber one… See the date?" He did indeed see the date, but he never made an appointment. Seeing as they were both confused, the man simply pointed to the double doors leading to the back of the gym.

"I'd not question it, if I were you. The closest opening for a reschedule is two weeks out." Ethan looked towards the doors the man pointed at.

"Do I just walk back there? My name wasn't called like the others."

"You're actually a minute late now." The man remarked, turning the screen back towards him.

"Maybe we missed your name being called out? Go ahead and go to the room at the end of the hall—Room number one. I'll fill in that you're here. Good luck, Mr. Reed." Ethan shuffled off towards the door leading to the back, not wanting to hold up the long line behind him. There were two aides with wireless headsets standing by the door for security, and at first he thought they'd stop his passage, but they didn't seem to question why he walked through the back…

Through the doors was a simple hallway with hanging plant pots, filled with exotic flowers and vines that trailed down from the walls and ceiling. It was very nicely decorated and bright with artificial sunlamps high up above, keeping the plants alive. He walked down the quiet hallway, now realising the hustle and bustle of the lobby never made it through the door with him. He found his room, which was at the very end of the hall, and stuck his head inside. Ethan blinked at the sight.

If someone had told him that an open meadow, complete with flowers and tall grass laid beyond the door, he'd have laughed at them. It wasn't all too dissimilar to the meadow of Berry Falls, if you disregarded the two raised technologically advanced platforms situated at both ends. Nobody else was inside, so Ethan entered and… stood about awkwardly. Not ten seconds passed before a hidden door, seamlessly inserted into the far wall, opened… revealing someone he knew.

Gardenia strolled out at the opposite end of the long large room, adorned in her typical green poncho and short brown shorts. Like the games and anime, she wore what appeared to be a black elastic undershirt, which showed off her midriff. She walked confidently up to the platform near her, pushed a few buttons then spoke. Her voice came through the speakers, hidden somewhere in the rafters or the walls.

"Well, well, well." She leaned her elbows on the small guard railing, which blocked trainers from the field. Gardenia wasn't smiling.

"Welcome to my gym, Ethan." She pointed him towards the other platform. With a heavy audible sigh, Ethan realized he should have seen this coming. He'd known that Gardenia wasn't very fond of him, and he didn't really blame her for it. They hadn't gotten off on the best foot—you know, with him basically showing her that she was a stepping stone in a child's videogame with his memories.

Dropping the existential crisis that this entire world was a form of entertainment for the masses not ten minutes after they first met wasn't a very good first impression. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. It wasn't completely his fault, and he knew that she knew that… but… yeah, it sucked, and he didn't blame her for not wanting to have anything to do with him.

She'd even signed up for therapy because of it, if she hadn't been jesting in their first meeting ever. Ethan climbed the three metal steps up onto his platform and saw the layout. There were indentations for pokeballs, a screen that wasn't currently turned on, and an inbuilt microphone at first glance.

"Gardenia, I doubt you have the time for all first timers." The screen flickered on before him, showing Gardenia face on it from the other end of the room.

"You're right about that, but I made a little exception for you." She smirked, and it wasn't a nice one.

"Imagine my surprise when your I. D got scanned at my gym, signing up for a battle for a badge. Why, I just had to make some time for an old friend." She pushed a button, and part of her platform receded. Out from the recession, six pokeballs on a pedestal rose from the ground, stopping at her waist. She pretended to hem and haw, then grabbed two of them, setting them aside.

"Place all of your pokeballs on the platform and choose which two you're going to use." The feeling that came over him was a very specific one. In his childhood, when he'd done something wrong and he knew that he was going to be punished for it and had to just accept that it was coming… This was the very same feeling. Ethan slowly detached all of his pokeballs from his belt and enlarged them. With a deliberate lack of speed, he put them into the slots meant for them, then grabbed the two he would use.

As soon as the second ball left its spot, a dim green glow and a soft clink rang out from where his pokeballs were stored.

"That's to make sure those pokemon are yours, and to protect my own in case you decide to throw a tantrum and throw more onto the field. It happens more often than you think." Gardenia wasn't even looking at him as she spoke, she was looking at the screen by her side, checking over some data he couldn't see. Not in a rush, Ethan simply let her do whatever she was doing and stayed quiet. Gardenia didn't mind, she spoke for the both of them.

"I don't like you, Ethan." Still, she didn't look away from her monitor.

"But, that doesn't mean I hate you." She finally looked away and into the camera that let him see her face clearly.

"I can see what pokemon you have, and which two you picked, and I approve. There's no switches allowed and I am both your opponent and the referee for this match. I will release my first pokemon, then you can choose which of your to start with." The smirking, revenge inspired woman was gone. Now, Ethan stood across from the Eterna City Gym leader doing her duty. In some ways, it made him more relaxed.

While he didn't know Gardenia very well, he doubted that she would curb stomp him to stop him from getting a badge just because she could—that'd be a severe abuse of power, she didn't seem the type. The flash of red and white spinning through the air, landing in a flash of white, revealed Gardenia's first pokemon. It was a pokemon he was very familiar with, and he could already see what Gardenia was trying to do. The psychological games had already begun." Odd-odd!"

An Oddish took to the field, standing tall and ready to fight. Its leaves were still and its sharp eyes were watching Ethan, waiting for his pokemon. Ethan, having nearly sixty Oddish of his own, immediately saw the differences between his and hers. His were carefree and jovial, while the one on the field was more… not aggressive, but expectant and ready for conflict. He looked at the two pokeballs he'd chosen and made his choice for who to start with.

"You were there with me from the start. So, you can be with me at the start of this too." Ethan said to the pokeball, before launching it out into the field. While not overly important, Ethan did his best to get his throw as close to the enemy Oddish as possible. Gardenia noted it, judging by her slight nod of approval." Pachi!" Pachirisu appeared, not ten feet from Oddish in a low crouch on all fours. His gameface was on as he started down his opponent.

"Begin!" Gardenia shouted, but didn't order Oddish at all. She was waiting…

"Nuzzle!" If she wanted to give him a head start, he would. Pachirisu darted off, closing the small gap between him and his enemy in a second as his cheeks buzzed and flickered with yellow electricity. His body slammed into the Oddish, sending them both tumbling as he began rubbing his cheeks all over the leafy pokemon.

"Oddish, Run Away and Sunny Day." Gardenia ordered calmly, and the order was enough for Ethan to tear his gaze away from the fight to look at Gardenia. She didn't even register his look, but her lips quirked up. Oddish, after landing in a tumble with Pachirisu, swiftly kicked Pachirisu in the head with one of its stumpy feet, then bounced away and onto its feet.

Next, the small leafy pokemon sprinted across the grassy field, leaves blending in with a natural camouflage as a ball of sunlight burst into the air, setting up the weather.

"First badge my ass. Who uses weather for a first badge?" Ethan mumbled, concerned that his estimation of Gardenia's honor was wrong. He shook off his nerves and sent out an order. For his chosen pokemon, Ethan was taking Shuckle, Meloetta, Smeargle, Tinkatuff, Pachirisu, and Pichu.

"Swift!"" Pachi!" Pachirisu shouted with a nod, seemingly agreeing with his order. His electro-squirrel jumped, rising above the grass with a twist in the air. With a flick of his tail, he sent forth a barrage of white stars out seeking Oddish.

"Growth. Two times." Gardenia ordered, not worried in the slightest as Pachirisu's Swift cut through the grass, seeking their target.

"Finish it quick, Pachirisu! It's boosting its strength! Get in there and Super Fang! Go all out!" Ethan saw what the gameplan was now, and berated himself for getting distracted. Oddish had two abilities, Run Away and Chlorophyll. Run Away, in the games, let a pokemon always flee from battle. That obviously wasn't a very good, but occasionally useful in the games. In real life? Well, he didn't actually know what it did in real life. Judging by how fast the little Oddish was, it probably made them faster.

Chlorophyll doubled speed in harsh sunlight—Hence the use of Sunny Day. Growth typically raises a pokemons attack and special attack by one stage. It was a solid move… but again, in the sunlight, it's effect was doubled. If Oddish got off both Growths, then it'd be three times as strong as normal, and very, very quick due to the sunlight. Not good. Pachirisu sprinted, following the path Swift made through the tall grass, just as they exploded.

Ethan heard the faint cry of Oddish, probably getting slammed by the move as it bunkered down to use Growth. His heart ached, even knowing it wasn't one of his. That was a sound he never wanted to hear at his ranch.

"Abort the second Growth, Mega Drain!" Gardenia saw that Ethan knew what was up, which was a shame. It looks like there was going to be a lot of cat and mouse—or plant and squirrel—as Pachirisu got picked apart…