Pokemon: Way of Life Chapter 45

Hi all,

Here’s the next chapter. Have any of you had covid yet? After dodging the bullet for three years, I finally succumbed. It's horrible.

I haven’t spent much time editing this chapter, so feel free to point out anything wrong with it. I made a slight change to the last chapter and made it so viewers can watch the gym battle on the fourth floor.

Like the first floor, the second floor also had fog with an aura permeating it. Lucas decided to switch tactics on the approach he used to search for the trainer to locate them more quickly. Rather than taking the floor slowly and trying to find his way around like a blind man groping through the darkness, he ran through it. He would map out the place and find the trainer first before he searched for any items. It was a risky move since it was possible that a Pokemon might ambush them. However, Lucas thought they could handle any initial collisions with them.

It took him seven minutes to find the trainer, and he encountered one Pokemon on the way, but Dante trounced it. The trainer was hiding out in a parking lot filled with broken-down cars. It certainly surprised the girl when he found her so quickly.

The match was one of attrition as she had two Jigglypuffs with a propensity for singing and trying to put his Pokemon to sleep. As well as this, they used healing moves in order to restore their HP, which was frustrating. Lucas used Imara and Duke this time, and they ended the match after eight minutes. He even had to administer a potion to Duke after he was struck with the Sleep status and promptly slapped a few times. Overall, Lucas was happy with the performance.

When he finally located the elevator to take him to the next floor, he still had eleven minutes to go after encountering two more Pokemon. After searching a dozen buildings, Lucas found two potions, a full heal, and two ethers. Additionally, he was able to locate an open safe in an office building where he found a full restore. It restored a Pokemon's HP and aura to the max and healed all status effects. It was a lucky find, as they were very expensive

The third floor differed from the previous two in that it consisted primarily of a farmhouse and a wheat field. The main issue was searching through the field, as it was more challenging to navigate, and the potential to be ambushed increased significantly. In fact, he was struck a couple of times, but his Aura Sheen of Armament held up under the Pokemon's initial assault. It definitely hurt like a bitch, though.

Lucas found the trainer hiding next to a scarecrow, and they had their match in a nearby crop circle, which he found to be a hilarious addition. Unlike the last trainer, the guy was super aggressive, which meant the match flew by faster, but Maximus sustained a critical hit from a Farfetch'd. Luckily, he was able to finish it off, and the match ended.

He used two potions to heal Max, and an ether on Duke to restore his aura before the gym battle. In terms of the items he found, he received another potion, a super potion and a quick candy, which permanently increases a Pokemon's speed by one.

Lucas used the elevator to ascend to the fourth floor. Before he stepped through the door, he double-checked his Pokemon for any injuries and took a deep breath.

Opening the door, he found that the floor was quite different from the rest of the floors he had searched. There was no apocalyptic area that needed to be explored. It turned out to be an elaborate battle arena, unlike anything he'd seen before. The arena was surrounded by a line of seating for spectators, and there were an impressive number of people sitting in the seats. Lucas rubbed the back of his head in bemusement. There must have been a good number of spectators present to see him earn his first gym badge. What if he had failed to get here? That would have been embarrassing.

As he stepped up onto the trainer platform raised above the stage below, he spotted his friends and girlfriend in the stands. Unsurprisingly, his fan club was there, and they started playing their instruments when he appeared. Lucas didn't see any reporters there, not that he expected any. Even without the tragedy that had befallen Stone Town, he wasn't conceited enough to believe that they would drop everything to report on a gym challenge.

On the opposing platform, there was a teenager waiting, and he looked to be a year or two older than Lucas. He appeared to have his own fan club, and they were not as friendly as his own, as they started booing, trying to drown out his fan club. Safe to say, they failed.

"My name is Ryan Hawkins, one of Gym Leader Tyrone's apprentices," the teenager introduced himself.

"Lucas Walker," Lucas replied. "Can I ask a question? Why was the fog saturated with aura? That was just mean."

"Because your profile lists you as an Aura User, we had to add it to maintain the difficulty, as it would have been easy for you to find the trainer. Although it didn't seem to make a lot of difference in your case."

"That makes sense."

Lucas looked at the stage with interest. On either side of it, some huge mechanical devices looked like they were being used to move the stage. "Is this a multi-terrain arena?"

"That's right. This arena has three different stages, which will be randomly chosen for the challenge. I find that it adds a little variety and some tactical elements to the match."

The referee stepped up and started his speech. "This is a Junior League gym battle between Ryan Hawkins of Viridian City and the challenger, Lucas Walker of Pallet Town. It will be a three-on-three match, with only Lucas allowed to make one substitution. The moment all three Pokemon on one side are defeated, that side has lost the match. Ryan, as the gym representative, will send out his Pokemon first. I will now randomly select the stage for the match."

On a screen above the arena, there was a symbol that was cycling through three options at incredible speed. The symbol slowed down after a short while and landed on one of the options.

"The stage for the match is rocky terrain," the referee announced. A large mechanical noise sounded, and the stage started retracting back into itself, and a brand-new stage rose up from the depths. It certainly was an impressive display of technology.

The rocky terrain consisted of a dirt field with quite a few rocks of different sizes scattered throughout it. This would make for some interesting tactics to be used during battle. They could not only restrict the speed of Pokemon in a straight line but they could also be used to defend against incoming attacks as well.

Ryan grabbed a Pokeball and released his first Pokemon onto the field. It was a Tauros, which brought back some traumatic memories of when the previous Lucas was attacked, but at this point, it had little effect on him.

Lucas examined the Pokemon, not ashamed to use his ability in his first gym battle.

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Pokemon: Tauros | Age: 1 | Gender: M | Type: Normal | Potential: A |

Second Stage: The Pokemon has completed its second growth period.

Description: When it targets an enemy, it charges furiously while whipping its body with its long tails.

Stats

Level: 11 | Next: 17% | HP: 230 | Aura: 250 |

Attack: 107 | Defence: 75| Sp Att: 40 | Sp Def: 71 | Speed: 80 |

Special Ability

Anger Point - It raises the ability-bearer's Attack to its maximum level - +6 stages when a move targeting it receives a critical hit.

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Its special ability was troubling. Hopefully, he won't hit the Pokemon with a critical hit. He thought about using the same tactic he used against Ponyta in the tournament and aiming for the legs, but ultimately decided against it. The Tauros' legs were much wider and thicker with corded muscle. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that he could cripple it.

Besides the usual normal and dark-type moves, it had a selection of electric-type as well that it learned from TMs, so he eliminated Duke as his first choice. Really, it was a no-brainer as to who would be picked to face Tauros.

"Max, you're up first," Lucas said.

'I'm going to ride that Tauros into submission.' Max declared as he dropped down onto the stage.

Lucas grimaced. That was a poor choice of words.

Once the two opponents were in place, the referee dropped the flag and the match began.

Tauros started the fight by quickly taking shelter behind a nearby rock and executing a move—Work Up.

Tauros Attack and Special Attack have been raised by one stage.

Meanwhile, Lucas had Maximus use Charge. Once that was in effect, he ordered the Pokemon to approach his opponent. All in all, Lucas had the advantage in this fight due to the terrain. There were numerous rocks scattered around the field, which would prevent the Tauros from using his full speed as there wasn't enough space to achieve it.

Max jumped onto a rock about twice his size and launched himself forward. Tauros poked its head out and was in the midst of charging up energy in its mouth. Lucas recognised the move instantly—Hyper Beam. If Max was hit with that attack, then it may be a one-hit KO.

'Feint.'

Max disappeared and reappeared on the side of Tauros. Lucas quickly used his transparent vision to see through the rock to figure out what was going on. Unfortunately, Max appeared in the gap between the rock and Tauroas, and the Pokemon used its bulk to crush his opponent against the rock. Max cried out as he was trapped.

30 damage dealt to Max.

HP: 120/150

Tauros has been paralysed by Static.

It was fortunate that he managed to paralyse Tauros because the Pokemon had still been charging its Hyper Beam. It may take a long time to charge, but it hardly matters if your opponent is unable to move.

Tauros was still standing even though he was paralysed, which meant that Max was still trapped. Thankfully, his arm was still free.

'Brick Break.'

Max gathered fighting-type energy in his hand and struck Tauros from point-blank range with a cutting motion. Tauros let out a bellow and shifted backwards from the impact, freeing Max from his prison.

It's super effective! 92 damage dealt to Tauros.

HP: 138/230

'Thunder Wave.'

Tauros broke out of paralysis at that moment, just as Max was unleashing his attack. In a show of incredible agility, the bovine Pokemon jumped in the air to avoid the bolt of electricity, and then aimed his head downwards and began an attack while it was still in mid-air.

'Quick Attack to escape.' Lucas told Max urgently.

Tauros mooed loudly as energy formed on its horns, before aiming downwards. Max sprinted forward, avoiding the attack, and Tauros struck the rock with its horns, and the entire thing exploded, sending a shower of rock debris everywhere.

'Quick Attack once more.'

Max turned around and zoomed forward, aiming for the back of Tauros. His opponent lifted his back legs and kicked out at the Pokemon, but Max anticipated the move and slid underneath the lethal hooves. Using his momentum, he jumped up and struck Tauro's belly, causing the Pokemon to grunt in pain.

33 damage dealt to Tauros.

HP: 105/230

It was an excellent attack, however, Max was in a precarious situation. Reacting quickly, Lucas ordered Max to cast Protect.

Tauros collapsed his legs deliberately, looking to squash Max under his massive weight. A hilarious sight ensued as Tauros seemed to be suspended briefly in the air with his legs sticking out, as the shield held the Pokemon up.

Before the shield could collapse, Lucas ordered Max to use Feint, with no idea if the move would work as intended. Thankfully, it did, and Max disappeared, causing the Tauros to crash to the ground in an awkward heap.

Max reappeared and slammed into the Pokemon as it lay helpless.

28 damage dealt to Tauros.

HP: 77/230

Tauros struggled to his feet, but Lucas was not about to give the Pokemon a chance to recover. It had not been the smartest move to try and squash Max. This was because it was difficult for a Pokemon like Tauros to get back on his feet quickly with its bulk. Then again, Ryan didn't have a clue that Max knew Protect, so he probably thought he could deal huge damage to him.

'Brick Break.'

Max chopped down again with his hand and struck the Pokemon, making the Pokemon collapse to the ground again.

It's super effective! 92 damage dealt to Tauros.

Tauros has fainted.

"Tauros is unable to battle. Victory is awarded to Elekid."

The audience cheered his first victory, and the fan club vigorously played their instruments. There were flashes of light as fans took photos, and Lucas quickly waved at them, causing the flashes to intensify. It was also for his followers' sake as well since Jason was streaming the gym challenge.

Ryan withdrew Tauros from the stage, and contemplated for a moment before sending out his next Pokemon into the field.

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Pokemon: Kangaskhan | Age: 1 | Gender: F | Type: Normal | Potential: B |

Second Stage: The Pokemon has completed its second growth period.

Description: If you come across a young Kangaskhan playing by itself, you must never disturb it or attempt to catch it. The baby Pokemon’s parent is sure to be in the area, and it will become violently enraged at you.

Stats

Level: 12 | Next: 14% | HP: 250 | Aura: 275 |

Attack: 115 | Defence: 84 | Sp Att: 35 | Sp Def: 75 | Speed: 70 |

Special Ability

Scrappy - Enables moves to hit Ghost-type Pokémon.

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Kangaskhan was pretty similar to Tauros in terms of parameters, but her move set was different. Instead of having electric-type moves, she had a few ground-type moves that combined with her high Attack, meant that she would be a formidable opponent. Max was totally at a disadvantage here, and Lucas considered substituting him. After a brief debate with himself, he made the call.

"I would like to swap out my Pokemon," Lucas called, and the referee paused as he was about to restart the match. He nodded to Lucas, who called Max back to him.

'I could have taken him.' Max complained.

"It was too risky. You already did an amazing job fighting the Tauros," Lucas said, before turning to Duke. "You're up next, Duke. Go and wash that Kangaskhan away."

'What a pain. Alright, I expect a lot of obedience from you after I destroy this Pokemon.'

"Yeah, yeah. Talk is cheap. Get out there."

Duke zoomed forward and took his place on the field. Lucas looked back at his other three Pokemon as they discussed Duke's match over the bond. "Are you guys placing a wager on his fight?"

'It's useless. We were all betting that Duke would lose his fight horribly. So there's nothing to wager.' Dante sighed.

Lucas turned back to concentrate on the match. "You guys are absolutely savage and not pleasant teammates."

The match resumed and Lucas ordered Duke to retreat so he could cast Rain Dance. The Pokemon hid behind a rock and used the weather move. The rain started pouring onto the stage.

Duke's speed has been doubled for the duration of Rain Dance. The power of water-type moves has increased by fifty per cent.

Meanwhile, Kangaskhan didn't try to chase Duke. Instead, it executed a move of its own—Focus Energy. The Pokemon's body erupted with normal-type energy. Duke must be careful from now on as this move has the potential to ignore all defence, making him a glass cannon.

Duke emerged and sped towards the giant Pokemon. The sheer size difference meant that Duke already outclassed the Pokemon in speed by a fair margin, but with Rain Dance in effect, it was even more ridiculous. Kangaskhan would not be moving much as it would be useless to try and outrun his opponent. However, it wasn't completely helpless.

'Octazooka.' Lucas ordered when Duke was within range.

Duke fired off a ball of ink that shot towards Kangaskhan at speed. She responded by activating Double Team, and a copy appeared to take the attack for her. Concurrently, the original prepared another attack off to the side as the copy was destroyed.

Ground-type energy erupted from Kangaskhan as she launched forwards, seeking to crush Duke who was hovering in the air a few away. However, Duke had already responded to Lucas' command and circled the Pokemon, easily avoiding the attack. Kangaskhan ended up destroying a tall rock in its path, and it was obliterated into pieces.

Meanwhile, Duke was already following and preparing his next attack. Since he didn't have a lot of move variety, and Rain Dance was in effect, he had only two water-type moves to choose from. It made no sense to go for the weaker attack, so it was another Octazooka.

Kangaskhan was turning around as Duke fired off his attack, and it looked like she wasn't going to be able to dodge the attack. However, she cast Protect over herself at the last second, and the ink splashed harmlessly on the shield before disappearing.

She then executed a move that Lucas had been concerned about from the beginning. Dig was a strange move, as it didn't exactly work as its name implied.

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Dig | Ground | Power: 90 | Mastery: Max | Aura: 15

Description: Dig is a very versatile move as it is an attack, defence and movement skill rolled into one. The user of Dig will burrow its way underground, disappearing from view and becoming invulnerable to most attacks as it becomes intangible, swimming through the ground like it was underwater. When the Pokemon chooses to attack, it expels a lot of earth from the ground and turns corporal again, striking its opponent from below.

Mastery: Power: 90 ~ Aura Cost: 15 ~ Increases the speed at which it travels underground.

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Kangashan smashed downwards, creating a huge hole in the ground before disappearing from sight. Lucas had Duke rise in the air to avoid the attack he knew was coming until the Pokemon was about five metres above the ground. Even with his Omniscient eyes, Lucas wasn't able to track the Kangaskhans' movements, so he waited tensely for the Pokemon to emerge.

A few seconds later, an eruption of earth emerged from the ground, expelling high into the air towards Duke. He was able to avoid the attack easily, but Kangaskhan didn't emerge from the hole as expected. She stayed in the hole while preparing for her next attack.

It was here that Duke made a huge mistake. Feeling confident that the attack was over, and maybe a bit conceited, he was already returning to the ground.

'Duke, stop!' Lucas called frantically.

Duke ignored his orders, as he continued to descend. During their training, Lucas discovered that Duke didn't have a fondness for heights, and liked to spend as little time in the air as possible.

From the hole, Kagaskhan unleashed a Hyper Beam, and the attack rocketed towards his opponent. Duke reacted, trying to move out of the way, however, he was too late and was struck head-on.

171 damage dealt to Duke. It's a one-hit KO!

Duke has fainted.

Duke fell to the ground and lay in a dead faint

"Horsea is unable to continue. Victory is awarded to Kangaskhan."

Lucas sighed as he recalled Duke, and the Pokemon was sent back to the first floor where he would be treated. In the end, the defeat was a combination of Duke's conceited attitude, his inexperience in official battles, and Lucas' own mistakes.

"Your Horsea seems to be lacking experience," Ryan observed, echoing his thoughts. "I don't think you wanted him to descend back to the ground."

"You're right," Lucas shrugged. "He is still not comfortable being so high in the air, so it was mainly my fault."

Lucas turned to his other Pokemon, who seemed shocked that Duke had actually lost. Although they were teasing their teammate, they didn't actually want him to lose. At least Lucas hoped that was the case. Hopefully, a positive outcome comes from this loss, but it was too soon to tell.

"Dante, you need to avenge your teammate," Lucas said.

'That Kangaskhan is good as finished.' Dante stepped onto the field.

Lucas had already lost a Pokemon, so he would need to be careful from now on. Thankfully, he had his oldest partner, who was very reliable. The referee lowered the flag and the match resumed.

He had Dante moving backwards straight away as he was predicting that Kangaaskhan would use a specific move from the start. He was correct. Kanhaskhan used Fake Out, which did not work as Dante had already moved. If you already knew the Pokemon had the move in their arsenal, then it was easy to predict and avoid. He didn't have Dante copy the special ability , as it was completely useless in this situation.

'Calm Mind.'

Dante executed the support move at a safe distance from his opponent.

Dante's Special Attack and Special Defence have been raised by one stage.

His plan was to avoid Kangaskhan while frustrating Ryan and continuing to raise Dante's parameters. Due to Dante's size advantage and the obstacles, he had no problem avoiding the Pokemon.

Dante used Calm Mind two more times, and his Special Attack was already looking overpowered. Now it would just be a matter of landing an attack on his opponent.

Ryan had enough of Dante avoiding him and Kangaskhan hid underground again.

"Use Double Team.' Lucas ordered.

Dante made a copy and placed it far enough away so that he wouldn't be caught up in the attack when Kangaskhan appeared.

The ground erupted under Dante, but he quickly substituted with the copy, and Kangaskhan destroyed it.

'Psybeam.'

Dante was cleverly positioned behind the Pokemon, so there was no chance that Kangaskhan would be able to turn in time, but it utilised Protect again. The attack struck the shield and dissipated harmlessly. Lucas had Dante already moving backwards, with the instruction to use Calm Mind again.

Ground-type energy emerged from Kangaskhan and he launched forward with Bulldoze, seeking to catch Dante in one desperate move. It destroyed two small rocks in its path, not losing any momentum as it chased the fleeing Dante.

Lucas changed his tactics on the fly. Dante was ordered to use another Double Team behind the concealment of a rock in an attempt to confuse Ryan and his Kangaskhan.

The copy emerged and ran to the side. Khangaskhan spotted him, and the Pokemon was able to change his direction to follow up, even though he was in the middle of charging.

'Psybeam.' Lucas ordered.

Dante poked his out and fired off a beam of psychic-type energy at his opponent's back just as the copy slowed down, allowing the Kangaskhan to reach him. It was impeccable timing as there was no time for the Pokemon to respond.

She destroyed the copy and the attack immediately followed, striking Kangaskhan in the back. The force of the attack pushed her forward a couple of metres and she roared out in pain.

A critical hit! 182 damage dealt to Kangaskhan.

HP: 68/250

Dante's enhanced Special Attack and the critical hit ensured that it dealt huge damage to the Pokemon. It was too bad that he couldn't score a one-hit KO as revenge for Duke.

'Psybeam again. Finish her off.'

Dante complied and fired off another Psybeam at his opponent's back. Kangaskhan tried to activate Protect again to avoid the attack, but this time she was out of luck as the move failed.

89 damage dealt to Kangaskhan.

Kangaskhan has fainted.

Dante raised his arms in the air as his opponent fell to the ground. A true David versus Goliath victory. Not quite a one-hit KO, but Dante remained untouched, so it was fitting revenge. The referee declared victory and Ryan recalled his Pokemon. The audience supporting Lucas raised their voices again after going silent when Duke was taken out.

"That was well done," Ryan commented. "Why did you choose Horsea over Ralts if he has a lot more experience?"

"I correctly deduced that Kangaskhan would have some ground-type moves," Lucas said. "I was thinking about having a Pokemon that could potentially avoid those kinds of attacks. That was a mistake. As you said, my Horsea does not have enough experience."

Ryan took out his next Pokeball and released his last Pokemon onto the field. It was a Vigoroth from the Hoenn region.

As Ryan released a new Pokemon, Lucas followed the same process of examining its parameters.

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Pokemon: Vigoroth | Age: 1 | Gender: M | Type: Normal | Potential: B|

Second Stage: The Pokemon has gone through its second growth period.

Description: Vigoroth is always itching and agitated to go on a wild rampage. It simply can’t tolerate sitting still for even a minute. This Pokemon's stress level rises if it can’t move constantly.

Stats

Level: 12 | Next: 79% | HP: 230 | Aura: 255 |

Attack: 120 | Defence: 79 | Sp Att: 35 | Sp Def: 63 | Speed: 90 |

Special Ability

Vital Spirit - It prevents the ability-bearer from falling asleep. This means that it also prevents the use of the move Rest.

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His speed was comparable to Dante's if you took their sizes into consideration, which made it the most dangerous opponent yet. Unlike Tauros, it had excellent manoeuvrability and acceleration. Lucas considered his game plan as the Pokemon got into position. There was still time before Dante lost his enhancement. Therefore, if he could use another Calm Mind off the bat, then he would be in a strong position. However, would his opponent allow that to happen?

The match resumed and Vigoroth rushed forward as Dante retreated. Lucas ordered Dante to copy his special ability, and Dante did so.

Dante has copied Vigoroth's Vital Spirit special ability.

The Pokemon used its manoeuvrability to leap over rocks and its choice of sharp angles to close the gap. Dante didn't have time to execute any moves without becoming vulnerable to an attack.

Lucas directed Dante to a large rock where he could be concealed from Ryan and the Vigoroth temporarily. He decided to try and use the Grass Knot as a temporary shield as he did in the tournament. The vines were starting to cover Dante when Vigoroth appeared, slashing at the vines, which thankfully survived the first onslaught, but only barely.

'Calm Mind.' Lucas ordered.

Dante executed the move just as the timer on the enhancement was almost up.

Dante's Special Attack and Special Defence have risen to the fourth stage.

Vigoroth laid into the last vines protecting Dante with a series of furious swipes, but he left a gap open between his legs for Dante to escape. Vigoroth roared and turned around, beating its chest in anger.

With incredible athleticism, it jumped into the air and spread its body out, aiming to Body Slam Dante who was running away. Dante didn't need instructions from Lucas, as he could see the huge shadow over his head getting even larger. The Vigoroth had aimed ahead of Dante, where it thought that Dante would be, and so it looked like he was about to land the attack.

Dante skidded to a stop and launched himself backwards as the Vigoroth came crashing down onto the ground, and it shuddered under the impact. Lucas decided to try a different approach.

'Grass Knot. Slam him into the ground.'

Dante launched vines at Vigoroth as it got to its feet and they wrapped around its body. Dante lifted the Pokemon off the ground and was about to slam him straight down when he caught sight of one of the holes created by Kangaskhan. Altering his aim slightly, he slammed Vigoroth into the hole, causing him to roar in pain as he impacted the ground. The vines exploded, causing grass-type energy to strike the downed Vigoroth.

63 damage dealt to Vigoroth.

HP: 167/230

Quick to take advantage of the situation while the Vigoroth was down, Lucas ordered Dante to lift a heavy rock and slam it down on top of his opponent.

Dante complied, and he used the vines to grasp onto a nearby rock, but struggled to lift it as it was stuck in the ground. Eventually, he managed to pry it out, and he lifted it just as Vigoroth was climbing out of the hole. Dante slammed the rock down brutally on top of the Pokemon's head. Its eyes rolled back and it fell back into the hole with the rock following it down.

51 damage dealt to Vigoroth.

HP: 116/230

'Again.' Lucas ordered ruthlessly.

The Vigoroth was stunned, and it hadn't yet attempted to move the rock off its body, deep inside the hole in the ground. Dante lifted another large rock and was about to bring it down on the Pokemon when the referee blew his whistle and raised his flag. Ryan had forfeited!

'Stop the attack.'

Lucas was both elated and bewildered at the conclusion of the match. Dante threw the rock to the side as the audience erupted in cheers. Ryan dropped down onto the stage and ran towards his Pokemon.

Lucas followed him down and asked Dante to lift the rock off the Vigoroth. Dante obeyed and the Vigoroth was revealed down in the hole, completely motionless. The strike to the head had stunned the Pokemon, and it didn't look like he would be getting up anytime soon.

Ryan recalled the Pokémon and sent him off to the treatment centre on the first floor. He turned to Lucas with a smile. "He should be okay. That last move was ingenious. The hole was deep enough that Vigoroth took an extra beating on that first drop."

"Actually, that was all Dante's idea." Lucas smiled, lifting Dante into the air, as Imara and Max joined them and hugged his leg. "He is pretty smart."

"I would say," Ryan said, reaching into his pocket and grabbing an item. "Well, congratulations. You have defeated me and so here is the Viridian Junior Gym Badge."

Lucas took the grey badge, which had the simple design of a 'V' imprinted on it, as well as the word 'Junior' underneath it. Lucas lifted the badge in the air and the audience rose and cheered him on. Finally, he received his first badge. It had been a long time coming.

So, what do you think? Duke has finally gotten a beatdown. Will this have an impact on his character going forward?

Thanks for reading.