First Battle Against A Future Rival

Conveniently, the area they were at in the tunnel wasn't that narrow which could serve any inconvenience in their battle.

"Careful, Hercule." Cinder warned aloud. "I'm not sure what that Nidoran can do just yet with his poisonous barbs."

As the young Poliwag nodded, Paul crossed his arms as Elekid took a few steps forward, stopping by its Trainer's side, most likely to observe the upcoming battle better.

"Alright then, Cinder, let's begin."

Cinder nodded, and immediately called out his first command.

"Icy Terrain, Hercule!"

If they didn't know what their opponent was capable of, then they would just have to go all out before they had a chance to find out. It didn't matter if they already had a badge. Cinder wasn't taking any chances with this guy.

Something about Paul made him feel quite uneasy. Uncomfortable.

Was it really just because he disagreed with him? Cinder didn't want to think that his reasoning for such was so petty.

Maybe it was that Paul's ideology was essentially a better thought out version of the stuff that their teacher and the few advice Professor Oak had told him back at the lab? Something that actually presented a point of view that vindicated such a way of thinking?

Maybe it was just the mysterious boy's demeanor. Cinder had never met a child his age quite like this before. He reminded him more of Brock (or, at the very least, Brock's demeanor when he faced his challengers) than just another kid.

Did it really get under his skin that much?

Cinder cursed himself for being put off so easily. He knew he couldn't help himself, but that was part of the problem.

But it doesn't matter right now. He needed to focus on the battle.

Hercule had the advantage of the icy terrain, but he doubted that that alone would be what decided to fight. Paul certainly didn't seem too nervous about it, nevertheless, when Hercule encompasses the rocky tunnel with Ice, he was a bit stunned.

Cinder believed in his tadpole companion. Hercule was still probably sour about how the fight with Brock's Geodude had ended. He wanted a second chance, and now he got it. Cinder wouldn't let it go to waste.

They were going to win this battle and rectify what had happened with the battle with Brock from before.

Cinder grinned proudly as Hercule got himself in the groove with his own 'dominion'.

Paul made the first move. "Be careful on the slippery field, use Tackle. Get in close and use Poison Sting."

"Wait," Cinder ordered. "Keep your stance, but watch out for that horn."

Hercule waited as Nidoran rushed at him, although it was so slow as the poison-type felt the icy ground, gurgling deeply all the while.

"Bubble Beam!"

When the small Pokemon was now close to him, the tadpole opened his mouth and released a stream of blue bubbles at the opponent. The approaching Nidoran was pushed back a few inches, but then retaliated by lunging at Hercule as it got its footing on the ground with a stretch horn, Poison Sting.

"Ice Beam!"

Nidoran squealed and scrabbled to get away as it got hit by a few of the arcs of light blue icy beams. Paul remained calm, however. "Focus Energy."

The poison-type's ears twitched and it stiffened in order to focus its power. Cinder didn't know what game Paul was playing, but he wasn't about to let Nidoran get away from being frozen while Hercule had a heightened chance of scoring a critical hit. "Hypnosis, then Mud Shot!"

Hercule's eyes glow light blue and hypnosis waves shoot out of them while his spiral belly slowly spun on its place. Making his opponent sleep. Nidoran dropped his heavy eyelids, cancelling Focus Energy.

Paul's eyes narrowed. "Wake UP!" Unfortunately for the cry baby, it didn't wake up.

Hercule then followed it up by firing a huge ball of mud at the opponent from its mouth, which was glowing a brownish-orange hue. The Nidoran cried out in shock at the sudden pain as it woke up from the effect of Hypnosis, skidding through the ice from the Impact. Hercule didn't finish his ammo just yet, as he fires multiple glowing light blue balls at the opponent from its mouth, this time, it was much smaller than the initial Mud Shot, but still, it was numerous in number.

The attack consecutively trashed the poison-type's tiny frame with great accuracy, only a few mitting from its mark. Hercule ceased fire when he got a bit out of breath.

Nidoran was hurled away from the bombardment of Mud Shots and came to a stop, ears drooping and looking pretty tired. Cinder frowned. It wasn't putting up too much of a fight.

Cinder waited. It wasn't like Hercule was going to take his sweet time.

"Long range Poison Sting," Paul ordered. Instead of using its horn for Poison Sting, Nidoran opened its mouth and spat a series of venomous needles at Hercule. The tadpole was far enough away to dodge, so it took a slide to the right, avoiding the risk of taking the attacks and fired a counter in the form of Bubble Beam. Hercule was getting fired up.

Paul appeared dissatisfied by the Poison Sting and grunted. "Double Kick."

Nidoran made another rush and this time leapt up on a rocky sort of platform to try and hit Hercule from the flanks. The tadpole growled and opened up his mouth, which released another Bubble Beam. But Nidoran was apparently trained to aim better than that.

Hercule shot his attacks but it didn't hit anything as Nidoran maneuvered mid air with a summersault twist and had its foot collided with Hercule's left face. The Poliwag was initially surprised and in pain from the attack, but then glared at Nidoran with sudden anger. Before Cinder could even give an order, Hercule rapidly stroked and jabbed Nidoran's body with his tail which was channeling the energy for Pound, he attacked the pokemon multiple times from the abrupt emotion he felt, then shot out a Water Gun. When the jet of a high pressured stream of water threw his foe away, Nidoran hit an icy glaced boulder and slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Cinder winced from the impact. He was surprised by Hercule's sudden anger, but was relatively fine with it once he saw the triumph smile on his water-type's face.

Paul recalled Nidoran and glanced at the pokeball with an unknown gaze before setting it back on his belt. Silently, he picked out another one. "Round one to you, then."

"Looks like it." Cinder replied as he got Hercule to return on his side. "You did a good job, Hercule. Get some rest." Hercule gurgled with delight and pride.

"Are you going to continue?" Paul heard Cinder's voice call out.

"Of course we are!" Paul snarled as if he received an insult, then he called back as he pointed forward. "Alright, Elekid, your turn. Standby for battle."

Elekid sprinted on over to the battlefield, and Cinder eyed the electric-type carefully.

Cinder looked at it with interest. Elekid were fairly rare in Kanto, though their evolved form Electabuzz were only slightly easier to find. They were the kind of electric-type which had traded incredible speed for brute force. When they hit, they could hit hard. This was one of the species he adored from being a fan of Lt. Surge's pokemon, Electrivire.

He called upon Storm, who was already getting itself prep up for the battle. The sheep pokemon slowly walked on his part of the field, not at all fazed by the still icy terrain. However, the ice was slowly melting so it wasn't that slippery like it used to initially.

"So you're using your electric-type now, huh?" Paul remarked.

Cinder rolled his eyes and said a matter of factly. "Obviously."

Making its signature whirring noise, Elekid stepped forward on the battlefield, locking its eyes with Storm intensely as a sadistic smirk spread across its face.

Storm, now having gotten on two legs from his hind, growled back at the bloodthirsty electric-type opponent, his white wool sparking madly with electricity.

It was hard to deny the fire in either of their eyes.

"Wait." Paul raised a brow, but didn't say anything else as he waited. Watching Cinder mess with his Pokedex for a bit before continuing. "Alright, I just got to check something real quick. It's all fine now, let's continue."

Cinder dismissed Paul, who was about to talk, kicked things off as quickly as possible. "Use Focus Punch!"

Focus Punch was the move, Storm, learned from his evolution, it was a fighting-type move that was pretty good in the attack prowess department.

"Block with your own, use Brick Break!" Paul countered flusteredly.

Storm bolted forward, speed enhanced with Agility as his raised fist glowed a transparent orange, which was evidently a not yet trained move. In response, Elekid raised a glowing fist of its own, Storm's attack striking against Elekid's own fist.

With the added force behind Flaaffy Focus Punch due to Agility, Elekid's defenses have been toppled over easily. Flaaffy were a naturally more bulky species than Elekid were, for sure.

However, to Cimder's surprise, Elekid proved to be surprisingly sturdy. Although it was struggling against the force of Storm's blow, as it was getting pushed back very slowly, it was actually doing a good job maintaining its footing, the bulkier electric-type pokemon attempting to grind its hooves into the battlefield as he pushed Elekid back gradually.

Not seeing anything that could be set to their advantage except the win over the comparing of strength. He decided to change his tactics, Cinder called out. "Iron Tail! Propel yourself off of the ground!"

Storm coated his tail in metal, pressing it against the ground as he and Elekid continued to struggle. Up until now, this tactic had only been used to save Storm from a fall, but the idea to adapt it to be used offensively had suddenly occurred to Cimder in the heat of the moment.

His Flaaffy was definitely stronger than Elekid, not to mention bulkier. However, that doesn't mean they couldn't use their wits for this battle. Cinder just hoped that Storm was still also faster than Elekid was too, otherwise strategy and power would be their only tool. For now, they could only hope that this tactic would work. Otherwise he wasn't sure what else to do.

Launching himself off the ground with his now-metallic tail, Storm angled his fist as it continued to press against Elekid's, using it to launch himself further. Performing a somersault over the opposing electric-type pokemon's head, Storm swung downwards as he crashed his tail painfully into his rival.

Elekid was sent skidding backwards as the blow collided with his chest. As he came to a halt, he lurched backwards on one foot, but righted himself quickly. Storm was already on the offensive, however, bolting forward with another Agility as he yet again coated his tail in metal.

Paul acted quickly. "Charge Beam!"

Elekid raised its hands, quickly collecting electrical energy in his palms as he prepared to fire. With Storm rushing forward, the opposing electric-type only had enough time to fire a relatively weak beam, a small, narrow blast of lightning, but it was still one that Storm needed to avoid.

As the sheep dashed to the side, Elekid made its next move, bolting forward with a Quick Attack of its own as he raised a fist, now coated in electricity.

Although Elekid wasn't as fast as Storm, it also wasn't too far off, and before Storm could react, Elekid drove the Thunder Punch painfully right into his abdomen.

Cinder winced as Storm was sent a few steps backwards, the pain in his gut preventing him from catching himself with Iron Tail just long enough for his back to slam into the ground. After bouncing off from the landing, however, Storm righted himself just in the nick of time, coating his tail in metal and driving it into the ground to break his fall.

Both combatants had landed a clean hit, and although Cinder was certain that Storm had dealt more damage, neither of them showed any signs of stopping any time soon.

But Paul was at it again, and before Storm could even launch himself off of his tail, another order was shouted. "Electro Ball!"

Once again holding out its hands, Elekid began gathering more electricity into its palms. Cinder's eyes widened as he took in just how much more easily that the Electro Ball was formed in Elekid's hand compared to the videos he watched from the Pokedex, which he was preparing to teach Storm on their next training session.

And when the ball was fired, it was held together a lot better, too. Its stability was almost perfect.

This Elekid had much better control over its electricity than Storm currently did at the moment. Definitely not a good sign.

Storm dashed around the ball, leaving it to slam into the tunnel walls as he raised yet another metallic tail. But Paul countered yet again.

"Dual Chop!"

Cinder blinked at the mention of the dragon-type move, Elekid's now raised fists glowing a distinct shade of transparent purple, as Storm's rival put them together, meeting the Iron Tail head on with a well placed block.

"Focus Punch!" Cinder reacted quickly.

Storm launched himself upwards, using the Iron Tail-still clashing against the Dual Chop- to launch himself upwards, preparing a raised, orange glowing fist.