Chapter 8: Fated Battle

As Tyson gazed at the girl before him, he was overwhelmed with confusion and astonishment. A flurry of thoughts raced through his mind as he took in the sight of the girl and the shark, 'It's Cynthia, that explains why Carolina looked familiar; she's Cynthia's grandmother. Hold on, if Cynthia is this young, could it be that I'm in a time before Ash Ketchum? Or even more pressing, am I in the games or the show?' Caught up in his thoughts, he didn't notice Professor Carolina's observation. "What's the matter, are you starstruck, kid?" she asked, prompting Tyson's face to flush a deep shade of red as he stammered, "Wha-" in response.

Shane chuckled at his grandson's reaction, while Carolina pressed on, "Well? Answer me. I see no reason for the prolonged stare." Unbeknownst to Tyson, he had been gazing at Cynthia for a full twenty seconds upon their arrival, clearly overwhelmed with questions. In a hurried attempt to defuse the situation, Tyson stammered, "N-no, I just wanted to observe her training, that's all." Shane intervened to spare his grandson further embarrassment, "Okay, Carolina, there's no need to embarrass the kid further," and though she was inclined to persist, Carolina held back.

Noticing the group, the girl called out, "Oh grandma, I hope I didn't disturb your work," as she neared them. Turning to Tyson and Shane, she continued, "Oh, Mr. Shane, hello! How have you been?" "Just fine, my dear. The reason I'm here is actually to introduce my grandson," Shane replied, gesturing towards Tyson. "Hello, my name— I mean, nice to meet you, I'm Tyson," Tyson said, attempting to overcome his nervousness. A chuckle slipped from the girl's lips as she responded, "It's nice to meet you too. My name is Cynthia, and this," she said, gesturing to the small shark beside her, "is my partner, Gible."

The diminutive shark emitted a boisterous "Gible" in Tyson's direction, as if to say, "Pleased to meet you." Tyson glanced at the small shark and smiled just as a brilliant flash of light burst from his jacket pocket. As Larvitar materialized to his full size, he gazed at the pair before him and uttered a "Lar" in greeting. Carolina, noticing Larvitar, turned with a look of astonishment, scrutinizing him before remarking, "Your partner Pokémon is quite the character." Shane chimed in, "Indeed, the little fellow has been nurtured by the missus since birth." Despite receiving praise from Carolina and Shane, Larvitar's expression remained stoic. It was only when Tyson laid a hand on its head, stroking it affectionately, that a smile broke through on Larvitar's face. Tyson spoke with certainty, "I know he's special."

"A Pokémon raised by Ms. Bertha?" Cynthia inquired; her interest evident. "Yes, my grandmother raised him after my grandfather found him abandoned as an egg," Tyson explained. Shane, with a smile, suggested, "How about you and Cynthia have a battle, kiddo?" Tyson, shocked, responded, "What?!" surprising both Shane and Carolina. A mix of shock, excitement, and fear washed over him; this was Cynthia, the soon-to-be Champion of the region. After a moment to collect himself, he said, "Um, are you sure that's okay? I don't want to interrupt her training." Observing Tyson's shock and hesitation, Cynthia chuckled and reassured him, "It's not a problem; a battle would be a good test of our training." Unbeknownst to her, her words echoed in Tyson's mind as 'Please be my punching bag'. 

Soon, Tyson found himself standing opposite Cynthia and Gible, with Shane acting as the referee. 'How did I get here?' Tyson wondered, a frown etching his face. Glancing at Cynthia and Gible, Tyson called out to his father, "One moment before we begin," as he knelt beside Larvitar to whisper, "Buddy, this is going to be a tough one; they're strong." Larvitar met Gible's gaze and gave a small nod in agreement. Even within the Poké Ball, it could hear the conversations outside, and when Tyson saw Cynthia, it sensed the distress in his voice, prompting it to appear. "Well, I have a plan, but we still might lose," Tyson whispered, earning an irritated look from Larvitar. Tyson recalled from his memories that Larvitar, despite being somewhat stoic, despised giving up more than anything else.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on losing, but I won't rule out the possibility. We can only exploit openings and press any advantage we get," Tyson concluded, with Larvitar nodding in agreement. Returning to his position behind Larvitar, Tyson exchanged nods with Shane. Shane then turned his attention to the center field and announced, "This will be a one-on-one battle with no switches or items allowed. The match ends when one opponent is unable to continue or surrenders. Are both sides ready?" Cynthia and Tyson nodded in affirmation. "Then, begin!" Shane declared, starting the match.

Without wasting any time, Cynthia began issuing her commands. "Gible, Dragonbreath!" she called out, and the small shark-like creature immediately responded, opening its mouth to release a jet of green flames. "Use Dragon Dance to evade," Tyson commanded without hesitation. As the green flames neared, Larvitar swiftly spun to the right, dodging the attack. Upon landing, a faint blue-purple aura was visible around it. Maintaining her composure despite Larvitar's increased power and speed, Cynthia issued her next command. "Dig," she instructed, and Gible promptly took action, diving into the ground as if it were water.

Tyson's face tensed up. "Not good, we have few counters to ground-type Pokémon above ground, and now we must contend with one below," he muttered. Cynthia noticed Tyson's concern and smiled, not wanting to relinquish her advantage. "Gible, come up and give it your all!" she commanded. The earth beneath Larvitar began to quiver, and Tyson observed the surrounding rocks shaking too. But before he could react, Gible burst from the ground with a resounding boom, propelling Larvitar skyward and inflicting severe damage.

Momentarily flustered, Tyson hesitated to issue another command, but Cynthia did not hesitate as she ordered "Bite!" Gible sprang towards Larvitar and clamped down, eliciting a loud yelp of pain from Larvitar. Tyson, teeth clenched, commanded, "Larvitar, use Payback!" Larvitar, responding to its partner's call, also gritted its teeth to resist the pain as a dark energy enveloped its hand. Initially the size of a golf ball, the energy swiftly expanded to the size of a beach ball, making Cynthia flinch. In a frantic tone, she instructed, "Gible, let go and back off!" But it was too late. A loud bang and a subsequent small explosion sent Gible flying back, bouncing on the dirt and leaving a sizable skid mark before coming to a halt.

Concern was evident on the faces of both trainers, yet Larvitar remained unscathed by the explosion. Despite being knocked back and sustaining damage from the previous assaults, Tyson inquired, "Still good to go, buddy?" On its feet again, Larvitar let out a small huff, reassuring Tyson. Across the field, Gible too had risen. A tense standoff ensued, each side anticipating the other's error. Breaking the silence, Tyson commanded, "Use Ancient Power!" Larvitar's roar, "Lar!" heralded the summoning of two beach ball-sized stones above its head, which it then hurled towards Gible.

Without missing a beat, Cynthia countered with "Use Dig!" and Gible instantly obeyed, burrowing into the ground to dodge the incoming attack. 'Damn it!' Tyson thought, realizing not only had the attack missed, but now he had to anticipate Gible's next move. However, this time Tyson was confident; he had noticed the telltale signs of Gible's imminent attack. Observing the ground around Larvitar, he saw no movement until a few rocks on Larvitar's left began to stir. Acting swiftly, Tyson instructed, "Larvitar, on your left, use Payback!" Immediately, dark energy coalesced around Larvitar's right arm, which it thrust towards the ground. Unyielding, Cynthia commanded, "Push through!" as Gible burst from the earth, heading straight for Larvitar amidst a cloud of dust.

Just as the two sides were about to clash, Larvitar winced in pain. The damage it had taken earlier was not without consequences, as its right shoulder was injured during Gible's previous Dig and Bite combo, causing its attack to veer off course and miss its target. With a loud bang, Gible slammed into Larvitar's side, throwing the small dinosaur to the side and onto its back, unresponsive. Noticing that Larvitar was unable to continue, Shane called the match: "And the winner is Cynthia." Looking at the unconscious Larvitar, Tyson was taken aback. 'We... lost?' he thought. Tyson was not overly confident in victory, but he had not anticipated defeat either. Taking out Larvitar's Pokéball, Tyson returned his partner with a bitter expression. This was his first loss since arriving in this world, and reflecting on the battle, he recognized his mistake in losing composure after Gible's first successful Dig.

If he had reacted promptly, he might have shielded Larvitar from further harm, potentially altering the battle's outcome. Shane noticed Tyson's crestfallen expression and approached, patting his shoulder. "You can't win them all, champ," he consoled, recalling the tales of Tyson's school battles shared by his parents. Despite Tyson's frequent victories, he always frowned upon defeat. Dismissing Shane's attempt at comfort, Tyson shook his head and said, "It's fine, Grandpa. I'm just replaying the battle in my mind, recognizing my errors." Admiring his grandson's reflective attitude, Shane gave him an approving pat on the head before greeting the approaching Carolina and Cynthia.

Approaching Tyson, Cynthia offered her hand, saying with a smile, "That was a great battle." Tyson grasped her hand firmly, responding with a smile, "Yeah, but next time we won't lose." Both adults watched the young trainers with joy, whispering, "You were right, Shane; the kids are quite the battlers. Without that small error, the outcome might have been different," Caroline murmured. "The result doesn't matter; witnessing my grandson's battle is all this old man could ask for," Shane retorted. He then added, "Now, about that favor..."

Pokémon Team:

Team Rank: 1

Larvitar

Gender: Male

Type: Rock/Ground

Abilities: Guts, Sand Veil [Undeveloped]

Held Item: None

Moves: Rock Throw, Bite, Payback, Leer, Scary Face, Dragon Dance [Inherited], Ancient Power [Inherited]