EPISODE 70: The Heated Gym!*

The moment I arrived back at headquarters, I was met with splendor. The three leaders had given me an opportunity to have another day off and what better way to spend it than catching up with previous events? I'm returning to Lavaridge town to explore the places I have not seen.

Zeal, Copper, and Vizion, the three were jealous of me after being assigned with their respective missions. I guess having solo missions has its own benefits too and I'm glad. It makes me giggle seeing their covetous eyes, wishing they were me.

Again, Xeryll dropped me at the town in the following morning. The first thing which caught my attention was the large stadium with a hanging screen above. It revealed the gym leader's name, Flannery, and her looks. She looks like a woman who is fond of rock music.

Flannery is a slender, medium height girl with long, straight crimson red hair that is tied up in a high, spiky ponytail with a blue band with a side fringe at the front, and crimson red eyes.

She wears a red undershirt with flames, exposes her belly, and a black tied vest crop top over it. She also has on blue flared jeans with x's down the sides with a white karate belt. Her shoes were colored as black and red.

To my surprise, I noticed the next challenger was no other than Logan. Seemingly longing to study more of his battling skills, I made the decision to buy a ticket and watch the whole match. I sat on row four, column five and hell was the crowd loud. They kept on cheering even when the opposers weren't there yet.

All these loud shouts and screams were a pain to my ear like a knife being scratched on a metal plate. From there, the commentator made its way to the center of the green battlefield looking more like a baseball field.

He gave his microphone a little tap, causing sounds to vibrate all over. He then greeted the crowd, lifting their spirits and making them more exuberant. With the loudest he can, "Greetings, Hoenn! I am your commentator, Scott. Today we will witness a Pokemon Gym Battle between the new fiery gym leader of this town against a trainer from Oldale.

Without further ado, we shall begin. On my left, we have, Flannery, one with a fiery passion that burns! On my right, we have Logan the challenger!"

Both opposers walked confidently to the center of the battlefield. They shook each other's hands and went to their respective sides.

"Welcome... No, wait. Puny Trainer, how good to see you've made it here! I have been entrusted with the... No, wait. I am Flannery, and I'm the Gym Leader here! Uh... Dare not underestimate me, though I have been Leader only a short time! With skills inherited from my grandfather, I shall, uh...demonstrate the hot moves we have honed on this land!" she yelled passionately. In response, he smirked.

"Each shall use three Pokemon each! The battle ends when either side no longer has any Pokemon to battle with. Please send out our first Pokemon!" instructed, Scott.

"Magcargo! You're up first." yelled, the gym leader as she tossed the red and white sphere, revealing a snail with a burning passion.

"Manectric, I choose you!" Logan did the same.

Seeing Electrike finally on its last evolutionary stage made me astonished. It had obviously grown closer from a little puppy who hated Logan so much. I can feel the aura between them. Splendid, splendid indeed.

"Battle Begin!" proclaimed, Scott.

"Magcargo, use a sunny day!" Flannery made the first move. Suddenly, the whole stadium intensified with immense heat. Every single one of us felt it, and it made us sweat heavily.

"Manectric! Use Thunder Wave!" Logan proceeded with the second move.

Nearly reaching Magcargo, Flannery commanded her Pokemon to use dig before being hit by the attack. Logan got worried and ordered his Manectric to observe its surroundings carefully. From the ground, arose the Pokemon, shocking Logan and his Pokemon. Too bad, Manectric was unable to dodge.

"Follow it up with Lava Plume!" Flannery screamed and nodded her head to Magcargo. Manectric was hit with double attacks but regardless of this, it stood firm and strong. It howled, proving to the gym leader how powerful it is.

"Alright Manetric, let's try shock wave!" a powerful blue bolt of lightning headed straight to Magcargo. After the attack, Magcargo was stood firm, happily glancing at its foe, Manectric.

"Not bad at all." complimented, the gym leader.

"Hehe, me, and Manectric can do better than that! Manectric, now use quick attack!"

<Mag?! Mag!>Magcargo couldn't keep its eye contact on Manectric due to its swiftness. Logan's Manectric was able to attack from behind. He followed it up by commanding Manetric to use shock wave again in which the foe was spared with no opportunity to dodge at all.

"Magcargo is unable to battle! Gym Leader Flannery, send out your next Pokemon." the commentator, announced.

I have to agree, Logan is a great trainer and I jotted some notes about the way he attacked and the strategies presented during the first round. Now comes, the second and I am dying to meet Flannery's next Pokemon.

She sent Magcargo back and threw out a Torkoal which primarily looks like a red turtle. Torkoal is a tortoise-like, quadruped Pokémon. It has a large black rock-like shell with holes that glow with a red warmth. Its skin is reddish-brown with gray-black bands on its legs and neck. It has a long neck and its eyes seem permanently closed.

"Battle continue!" Scott proclaimed.

"Quick Torkoal, use rapid spin!"

<Tor! Tor! Tor!> Torkoal spun itself and headed towards Manectric. It dealt grave damage, and Manectric was unable to dodge it since its trainer was unable to respond with Torkoal's great speed. Now, Manectric has met a rival like no other.

"Great, now it is time to use Inferno!"

<Tor!> The Pokemon spewed fire unto its foe. Since sunny day is activated, the move was strengthened, thus leading to Manectric's demise. Finally, Logan threw out his next Pokemon, his Aggron. I missed its destructive power. I couldn't forget the moment it showed it to me.

"A steel type? Heh, I'm warning ya! Torkoal, use Inferno!"

"Hehe, quick! Swivel around then use Hammer Arm!" Logan chuckled with confidence.

<TORRR!> Torkoal, blasted back to Flannery. Its heavy weight caused the gym leader to stumble but she was able to stand right away. After that attack, I saw wounds on the poor turtle. My body was rushing with adrenaline, eager to know who would triumph.

Flannery sent back Torkoal after fainting in move. She unleashes her last Pokemon, a Camerupt.

Once more, she made the first move, commanding the camel to use flame burst. Being a heavy Pokemon, it was hard for Aggron to dodge; therefore, it was hit with the powerful flame burst attack which was strengthened because of sunny day. I sighed with relief after seeing Aggron looking steady after that attack. Though, there were signs it was tired. I could tell by the way it breathes.

"Aggron, dragon tail!"

<AGG! AGG!> Aggron shrieked as its tail glowed in a violet pigment. It smacked the poor camel and there, might adrenaline returned.

"Camerupt, don't get intimidated! Use Fire Blast this time!"

"Aggron, use protect! Follow it up with Hammer Arm!"

Aggron shrouded itself with a white barrier that was used to withstand the fiery attack. Just like what the trainer commanded, Aggron quickly punched the foe's jaw with Hammer Arm.

Finally, both Pokemon were exhausted. Both Aggron and Camerupt stared at each other. Aggron is known to be the king of defense aside from Deoxys defense form of course. Suddenly, Camerupt dropped down due to exhaustion and finally fainted.

"Flannery no longer has any Pokemon to battle with! The winner is challenger Logan!" Scott declared. The crowd stood up and clapped their hands for the aspiring Pokemon Champion. Seeing the crowd cheer for him, Logan was in the crest of the waves.

And just like how every Pokemon Gym Challenge ends, Logan was given a gym badge. It was his seventh gym badge which leaves him one more before being a qualified trainer to join the Hoenn Conference. He received the Heat Badge and a pat in the head from Flannery...

That battle gave me goosebumps. It also proved how much Logan has grown to fulfill his dream. He used his failure as a step forward to success, truly inspiring. He won the gym battle with one spare Pokemon.