My heart pounded as I stepped over the threshold. An ornate rope bridge stretched over a seemingly endless abyss. On the other side, a very traditional-looking manor, the windows illuminated by flickering candlelight. The first member of the Elite 4, Sidney, must be waiting inside.
As I stepped across the bridge, a howling gale rushed from my left, threatening to blow me off my feet. I gripped the rope and steadied my feet. What, is this supposed to scare me or something? Ha! I faced much more precarious situations on Mt. Chimney. Fixing my stance, I weathered the sinister wind and made my way across the abyss towards the manor.
The inside of the manor looked nothing like a tradition dwelling. Rather than tatami mats, the floor was made of meticulously polished ceramic tile. A regulation-sized battle court drawn out in faintly phosphorescent paint. The walls faded into darkness they approached where I imagined the ceiling should be. The echoing cheers of a crowd unseen from my position echoed from above. On the far side of the court, a man sat hunched on a simple wooden chair. His head was shaved other than a spiky magenta mohawk. He was dressed in a black suit, but there was nothing professional about the way he wore it. This was the kind of man that your mother would usher you away from if you happened to pass by him on the street. A man who clearly looks like he's up to no good.
And that man is Sidney, the first of the Hoenn Region's Elite 4. My first challenge here at the Hoenn Pokémon League HQ.
"Welcome, challenger! I'm Sidney of the Elite Four." Sidney smirked, still leaning forward from his chair. "I like that look you're giving me. Like I'm trash on the side of the road. I guess you'll give me a good match."
"It's not like that," I responded. I'd never compare someone to trash. "It's just that, you don't strike me as a very nice person."
"Kyekeke! That's good! That's real good!" Sidney let out a hearty laugh before leaping to his feet, the wooden chair clattering to the ground beside him. "You're right, of course. I'm a bad, bad boy. And yet look at me! A delinquent like myself grew up to become a member of the Hoenn Elite 4! How's that for you?
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I would have thought the Elite 4 would have been even more professional than the gym leaders were. This Sidney almost seems like he doesn't care. "Well, I guess sometimes dreams do come true?"
"That's good! Looking real good! Your scorn is biting me to the marrow! That's how a Pokémon League challenger should look!" Sidney cracked his knuckles loudly. "All right! Let's get down to the kind of battle that can happen only here in the Pokémon League!"
This is it! The Pokémon League! Only at this moment did it really strike me. This is really it. I retrieved the Great Ball that stands out from the other five red Poke Balls. "Show them what we're made of, Sir Puffington!"
My fluffy pink bunny-knight, Sir Puffington materialized before me. Across from us, Sidney threw an Ultra Ball, and an imposing Mightyena emerged with a mighty roar. Rather than being intimidated however, Sir Puffington's competitive spirit only pumped him up further!
"Let's not waste any time! Use Dazzling Gleam, Sir Puffington!" Sidney did not call out an order but instead whistled. The Mightyena prepared to attack, but Sir Puffington was faster, shooting a sparkling beam of moonlight directly at the Bite Pokémon. Mightyena was knocked to the ground by the beam, and didn't get back up.
With a cackling laugh, Sidney returned Mightyena to its Poke Ball. "Well, it's rare to see a Fairy-type in Hoenn! Did you really find that in the wild? It's a little early, but I'd better bring out my ace from the get-go! C'mon out, my good buddy Absol!"
As the pale form of the Disaster Pokémon materialized, bright arcs of simulated lightning streaked across the ceiling above, momentarily lighting up the crowd watching the fight. The rolling boom of thunder quickly followed, and Absol let out a howl. "Quite the theatrics there, Sidney! Give it another Dazzle, Sir Puffington!"
However, once again Sidney did not say a word, but simply let out a short whistle. The Dark Master's ability to issue orders more quickly combined with Abol's natural speed allowed it to act much faster than Sir Puffington could unleash his beam, and in a blur the Absol struck the Wigglytuff with a hooked claw, drawing blood.
"You've got this, Puff! Anticipate his next attack!" Absol moved with super-natural speed, little more than a blur to my eyes. Once again it struck Sir Puffington, but he rolled with the attack, allowing the blow to spin him around to face the Absol as it streaked past, and fired a dazzling beam of moonlight into Absol's flank. The Absol spun around, stumbled, and with a cry, collapsed!
"Tch! Get some rest, buddy!" Sidney returned his Pokémon, and grabbed a third Ultra Ball from his belt. "Are you going to keep your Wigglytuff out in that condition?"
Sir Puffington's eye were burning with determination as he expressed his desire to keep fighting. However, the two deep cuts crossing his sides were bleeding badly, and he was breathing heavily. "Come back, Sir Puffington! You've done great!" I could see the disappointment in Puff's eyes for a split second as I recalled him into his Great Ball, but I wasn't about to change my mind. There's no reason to risk his health here, not when I have other options.
Sidney and I threw out our balls in unison, and Goon emerged on my side and a strange bird-like Pokémon with thick white fur and leafy appendages appeared on Sidney's side. I had barely even heard of his Pokémon, but I knew it was called Shiftry. Without even using one of his whistle commands, the Shifty acted immediately, clapping Goon on either side of his head.
"Goon, get back! Make some distance!" Even as I shouted my command, the Shiftry continued to press it's attack, slashing at Goon with its leafy limbs. But Goon is small and fast. He ducked under the foe's attacks and dashed past it, onto Sidney's side of the court. Shiftry spun around to face him, and Sidney let out a sharp whistle.
I also commanded my Pokémon. "Use Pin Missile!" Goon hunched down and fired off sharp spurs from his haunches. The Bug-type missiles dug into Shiftry, damaging the Grass/Dark Pokemon much more than one might normally expect. Sidney recalled the Pokemon to its ball, and prepared to send out his next. Goon had taken a couple hits, but it wasn't anything serious, so I called for him to run back to my side of the field.
"Kekeke, so you trained your Linoone for ranged combat?" Sidney laughed, "That's hilarious! Well I think that's about the end for me, but I'm a tenacious bastard, so let's keep going!" Sidney's fourth Pokémon was another Grass/Dark Pokémon, a Cacturne. With simultaneous commands, both of our Pokémon shot a flurry needles at each other. Cacturne's paralytic spines dug into Goon's face, but the Scarecrow Pokémon fared much worse, fainted by the super-effective attack.
Both of us withdrew our Pokémon, and we prepared for the last fight in this battle. I considered giving Kitty a chance to show off, but for someone who had just a moment ago practically admitted defeat, there was a nasty smirk on Sidney's face. I really didn't like that look on his face, so I decided to play it safe, and I sent out my powerhouse, Slaqueen, and Sidney released a Sharpedo.
A Sharpedo and an evil grin... Memories of Archie and his Mega-Sharpedo flashed across my mind. Quickly they were followed by Kyogre, and Archie's violent end. The thoughts made me queasy, and my vision swam. The sound of crashing waves flooded my ears. Was that the super-ancient Pokémon, rising from the ground behind Sidney?
No! I shook my head and did my best to repress the thoughts. There were no monsters, and no maniacs trying to bring about the apocalypse here. No one was going to die!
Sidney lot out a sharp whistle, and my mind cleared. The roar of the ocean was replaced by the roar of the crowd. Sidney's Sharpedo did not mega-evolve, but instead it lunged at Slaqueen with all the ferocity to be expected of a member of the Brutal Pokémon species.
"Smack it down, Slaqueen!" I shouted, and Slaqueen reacted immediately, striking the Sharpedo mid-lunge with one of her powerful arms. Sharpedo struck the floor with a wet smack, and while its rough scales tore at Slaqueens fur and flesh, the battle was clearly over. Sidney recalled his last Pokémon.
I recalled Slaqueen as well. The crowd burst into applause, and Sidney began a slow clap of his own. congratulatory for sure, but also somehow irritating. He really was good at being shifty.
"Well, how do you like that? I lost!" Sidney called out, beckoning me to approach him. "Eh, it was fun, so it doesn't matter." I crossed the tiled stadium field as the audience continued to cheer on my success. I realized I was sweating, and breathing heavily.
Sidney leaned forward as I approached him, far too close for comfort. "Hey, you doin' okay, girl? You were really out of it for a sec."
I backed up a step. "I'm fine! I was just... thinking about some stuff." The excuse was lame, but I couldn't really think of anything else to say in the moment.
Sidney gave a dramatic sigh, and stepped aside. The doors behind him opened up into a hallway out of the stadium. "Well, I won't pry. We've all got our demons, y'see. Just listen to what this loser has to say. They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but that's not really true. You change under adversity, and while strength can certainly grow from overcoming hardship, that change isn't always sunshine and rainbows. Remember that. Well, the opposite's also true. Even in the deepest abyss, there's still a speck of light shining above you from the surface."
"I- um... thank you." I stumbled my words. "I guess?"
Sidney smiled at me, and this time, it didn't seem so mean, and he patted me on the shoulder in an encouraging, if too heavy-handed way. "You've got what it takes to go a long way! Go on to the next room, maybe get you a drink of water, and challenge your next battle! I won't forgive you if you drop out now!"
Still shaking a little, I stepped forward, onward, towards the next member of the Elite 4.
