As the next round of battles was announced, the waiting room buzzed with a mix of excitement and nervous energy. The gym trainers came in, calling out names from the list of participants. Each non-trainer would be paired with a gym trainer to guide them through their match.
Emily's name was one of the first to be called, and she skipped forward eagerly, clutching her Pokéball with Swinub inside.
Monika and Jake leaned closer to the monitor as Emily stepped into the battlefield, her parents cheering her from the stands. Her opponent, a boy slightly older than her, looked uncertain but determined. The referee explained the rules briefly, and both children called out their Pokémon.
Emily's Swinub emerged with a happy snort, its small, furry body trembling slightly as it sniffed the air. Across the field, the boy's Pokéball burst open to reveal Pikipek, a small, woodpecker-like Pokémon that chirped sharply and flapped its wings.
Emily's assigned gym trainer crouched beside her, speaking softly. "Remember, Swinub's is good with its Ice moves. The Ground move won't work if the Pikipek is in the air."
Emily nodded enthusiastically and called out, "Swinub, Powder Snow!"
Swinub exhaled a burst of icy wind, sending a flurry of snowflakes toward Pikipek. The bird flapped its wings frantically, but the cold slowed its movements.
"Pikipek, Peck!" the boy shouted, gaining confidence.
The bird swooped forward, striking Swinub with its sharp beak. Swinub staggered but quickly recovered, its thick fur helping absorb the blow.
"Hang in there! Powder Snow, again!" Emily yelled with excitement.
Swinub unleashed another frosty blast, this time hitting Pikipek squarely. The bird let out a weak chirp before tumbling to the ground, unable to continue.
"Pikipek is unable to battle! Swinub wins!" the referee declared.
The audience cheered, and Emily beamed as her gym trainer gave her a thumbs-up. "Great job!" the trainer said.
Back in the waiting room, Monika clapped proudly.
"Go, Emily!"
Jake muttered, "Swinub's tougher than it looks."
As more names were called, the battlefield became a hive of activity. Trainers and non-trainers alike faced off, each pairing accompanied by the gym trainer to help or mentor.
Frank returned to the field for another match with Palpitoad. This time, his opponent was a middle-aged man with a Roggenrola.
Although Roggenrola's sturdy defenses made it a challenging opponent, Frank expertly used Palpitoad's Bubble Beam and Earth Power to wear it down, securing another win.
Meanwhile, murmurs spread through the gym as Prince Charles's name appeared on the match list. The prince strode onto the battlefield, flanked by Simon Bauer, the gym leader himself. The crowd erupted into cheers as Charles waved to them, his calm demeanor showing no signs of nerves.
Charles's opponent was a young man with spiky hair and a Blitzle, the zebra-like Pokémon emitting sparks of electricity from its mane. At first, the Blitzle's trainer seemed hesitant, nervously glancing at the prince as if unsure whether to take the match seriously.
Charles yelled warmly. "It's all in good fun," he said. "Give it your best shot."
Encouraged, the trainer called out,
"Blitzle, Flame Wheel!"
Blitzle charged forward, its body surrounded by fiery energy, and struck Charles's Nincada head-on.
The small, insect Pokémon was knocked back but quickly recovered, its hard exoskeleton protecting it from major damage.
"Nincada, Scratch!" Charles commanded.
Nincada darted forward, its claws scraping against Blitzle's side. However, the attack barely seemed to faze the zebra Pokémon, which retaliated with another Flame Wheel.
Simon leaned closer to the prince, his voice calm and confident.
"Have Nincada use Dig. It'll avoid those Flame Wheels and strike from below."
Charles nodded. "Nincada, Dig!"
The insect Pokémon burrowed into the ground, disappearing from view just as Blitzle charged forward with another Flame Wheel. The zebra skidded to a stop, looking around in confusion.
"Now, attack from below!" Charles shouted.
The ground beneath Blitzle erupted as Nincada emerged, slamming into its opponent with incredible force. Blitzle staggered but managed to stay on its feet.
"Repeat!" Charles called.
Nincada dug again, evading Blitzle's next attack and striking from below once more. This time, the super-effective move proved too much for Blitzle, which collapsed to the ground.
"Blitzle is unable to battle! Nincada wins!"
The gym erupted in applause as the prince bowed slightly, returning Nincada to its Pokéball.
Simon patted him on the back.
"Well done. You're getting the hang of it."
The kids in the waiting room cheered loudly, Monika practically bouncing in excitement.
"See? Even the prince listens to advice!"
Jake rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his grin.
"He's pretty good, I guess."
The kids leaned forward as the screen replayed Prince Charles's winning move—a perfectly timed Dig that knocked out Blitzle. Monika crossed her arms, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"See? That Blitzle had no chance!" she declared. "Nincada is just too smart. It's like… a ninja bug!"
Jake frowned, leaning back in his chair. "Blitzle could've won if it used the right moves," he argued.
"It has Flame Wheel! It's fast enough to dodge Dig if it timed it better."
Monika shot him a skeptical look.
"Oh, please, Jakey. Blitzle isn't faster than a ninja bug!"
She mimed a karate chop with her hands for emphasis.
Jake rolled his eyes. "It's not a ninja! It's just a bug. A bug! And Blitzle could've—"
Their debate was cut short as the big screen flickered. The live feed of the current battle, a showdown between a Diglett and a Jigglypuff, froze for a moment. Then strange symbols filled the screen—lines and spirals that didn't look like anything the kids had ever seen.
"What's that?" Jake frowned, sitting up straighter.
"I dunno," Monika muttered, her voice suddenly serious.
"Looks weird."
The screen snapped back to normal just as Jigglypuff used Sing, sending Diglett into a peaceful nap. Around them, the adults didn't seem to notice anything unusual. A few kids in the waiting room murmured, but the buzz of chatter quickly resumed.
"Maybe the TV's broken," Jake suggested.
"Or hacked!" Monika said, her voice hushed but excited.
"Like in those movies mom and dad watches, where the bad guys—"
"Shh!" Jake nudged her. "It's starting!"
The next match was being announced. A confident teenage boy with slicked-back black hair stepped onto the battlefield.
"Mark Vranitzky," the announcer called.
Monika's jaw dropped. "Hey! How'd he get out there? He wasn't in the waiting room with us!"
Jake frowned. "Maybe he skipped it?"
One of their classmates, Emily piped up. "It could be because his dad works here. Maybe he got, like, special treatment."
"That's not fair!" Monika said, crossing her arms. "We all had to wait!"
Jake shrugged. "It's probably like Emily said. You know how adults are."
Monika scowled, but then her expression shifted to one of intrigue as the camera zoomed in on Mark's confident smirk.
"Still… I kinda wanna see how he does."
Jake nodded. "Yeah. Me too."
The screen focused on Mark's opponent, a nervous-looking older boy clutching a Pokéball. The kids settled back in their seats, ready to watch the next battle unfold.
The screen shifted to show Mark confidently tossing his Pokéball onto the battlefield.
"Go, Pokéball!" he called, and the little green cactus Pokémon appeared with a cheerful cry. It was a Cacnea.
The kids in the waiting room tilted their heads, a collective murmur of confusion spreading.
"What is that?" Emily wrinkled her nose.
"It looks... poky."
"I think it's from the red team," she added after a moment, crossing her arms.
"They have Grass and Bug Pokémon, right? So, Mark must've picked one of theirs."
Monika perked up, nodding.
"Yeah, that makes sense! Red team Pokémon are all about plants and bugs. But still, Cacnea's kinda small."
The camera panned to Mark's opponent, who tossed his own Pokéball with a nervous grin. A second later, Pupitar materialized, its tough gray shell gleaming under the arena lights.
"Whoa!" Monika gasped, leaning closer to the screen.
"That thing looks weird," one of the kids muttered.
"Yeah," another agreed. "Like... it's a rock with eyes."
Jake shot them an incredulous look.
"Are you kidding? That's Pupitar!"
"Yeah!"
Monika chimed in, her excitement bubbling. "Pupitar evolves into Tyranitar, one of the strongest Pokémon ever! My mom says it's, like, super rare and really powerful."
The other kids exchanged wide-eyed glances, their skepticism turning to awe.
"But it's not even a Tyranitar yet," Emily pointed out, tilting her head.
"Right now, it's just a... what is it again?"
"It's a Rock and Ground type," Monika explained with the confidence of someone used to helping at the Pokémon Center.
"That means it's strong against Electric and Fire moves, but it's super weak to Water, Ice, and... Grass."
One of the smaller kids tugged at Monika's sleeve.
"Does that mean Cacnea's gonna win?"
"Well..." Monika hesitated, glancing at Jake.
"Grass moves are really strong against Rock and Ground," Jake said, crossing his arms like a mini-expert.
"But Pupitar is tough. It might not go down easy."
The kids leaned closer to the screen, their chatter growing excited.
"I bet Mark wins!"
"No way! Pupitar's too cool to lose."
"Cacnea's gonna zap it with Grass moves!"
"Grass doesn't zap, dummy," Emily corrected, rolling her eyes.
"Shhh!" Monika waved her hands.
"Let's just watch!"
The kids all fell quiet, their eyes glued to the battle as the referee raised her flags to start the match.
The referee raised her flags, signaling the start of the match.
Mark wasted no time.
"Cacnea, use Razor Leaf!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the arena.
Cacnea spun in place, launching a flurry of razor-sharp leaves that zipped through the air toward Pupitar. The crowd leaned forward, the children in the waiting room watching intently.
"Whoa, look at those leaves fly!" Emily exclaimed, pointing at the screen.
Pupitar's trainer, a boy slightly older than Mark, reacted quickly.
"Iron Defense!" he commanded.
Pupitar's rocky shell glowed with a metallic sheen, and the barrage of leaves pinged harmlessly off its body, scattering around the battlefield like confetti.
"Cool!" one of the kids in the waiting room gasped.
"It didn't even scratch it!"
"Pupitar's like a tank!" Jake said, eyes wide.
Monika nodded. "That's what Iron Defense does—it makes the Pokémon super hard to hurt. But I bet it won't stop Mark."
On the battlefield, Mark furrowed his brow, thinking fast.
"Alright, let's change it up! Cacnea, use Trailblaze!"
Cacnea's entire body began to glow with a vibrant green energy. It crouched low, then started bouncing around the battlefield with incredible speed, leaving glowing streaks of grass energy in its wake.
"Whoa, what's it doing?" a younger kid asked, tilting his head.
"It's getting faster," Monika explained.
"Trailblaze probably boosts its speed."
"Cool," Emily said. "But why's it bouncing everywhere?"
On-screen, Pupitar's trainer was fidgeting nervously.
"Iron Defense again!" he called out, trying to anticipate Cacnea's erratic movements.
Cacnea kept bounding around, darting closer and closer to Pupitar. Mark was growing visibly impatient.
"Cacnea, stop messing around and attack already!"
With a final bounce, Cacnea launched itself at Pupitar, hitting it with a glowing tackle. The impact echoed across the battlefield.
"Hang in there!" Pupitar's trainer yelled.
Mark grinned smugly. "Keep it up, Cacnea! Trailblaze again!"
Cacnea's green aura intensified as it pounded into Pupitar repeatedly, each hit forcing the rock Pokémon to shift slightly on its rocky base.
"Is it working?" one of the kids in the waiting room asked, leaning so close to the screen he nearly bumped his nose on it.
"I don't know," Monika replied, chewing her lip.
"Pupitar's Iron Defense is strong, but... Cacnea's getting faster and stronger with every hit."
Jake frowned, his eyes narrowing. "But Pupitar's tough. It won't go down easy."
The kids fell silent, glued to the screen as the intense battle unfolded before them.
The battle raged on, with Cacnea darting around the battlefield, glowing brightly as it executed another Trailblaze. Pupitar, firmly rooted in place, gleamed with its reinforced defenses as it responded once more with Iron Defense, its metallic sheen deflecting some of the glowing tackle's force but not all of it.
"Pupitar can't win if it doesn't attack!" Emily declared, leaning forward, her fists clenched in frustration.
"But Pupitar is strong and amazing. It can't lose that easily," Jake countered, a touch of defiance in his voice.
"Jakey, Emily's right," Monika said, her tone impatient but firm.
"Pupitar can't win without attacking."
"I know, I know," Jake said, grinning.
"I just think Pupitar is cool. And imagine if it evolved! Mark would have no chance of winning against Tyranitar!"
The kids chuckled, but their laughter was interrupted when the screen flickered briefly. Strange symbols flashed for a split second before the broadcast resumed, leaving the group momentarily startled.
"Again?" one of the younger kids asked, wide-eyed.
"Maybe it's a glitch," Monika suggested, though her brow furrowed slightly.
"Or... maybe it's aliens!" one boy blurted, earning an exasperated groan from Emily.
Before they could speculate further, the screen got back on just as Pupitar's trainer made a bold call.
"Pupitar, Iron Head!"
"Finally!" the kids exclaimed in unison, leaning closer to the screen.
Pupitar lunged forward, its rocky body shimmering with metallic energy as it aimed its head at Cacnea. But Cacnea, boosted by its relentless use of Trailblaze, was far too fast. It zipped around Pupitar's slow advance, striking repeatedly from different angles.
"Why isn't Cacnea getting tired?" another young child asked, perplexed.
Jake tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"I think it's the weather. It's sunny, so it's good for Cacnea."
Monika nodded. "Yeah, grass-types love the sun. It makes them faster and stronger."
Pupitar's trainer realized the current approach wasn't working and shifted tactics. "Use Mud Shot!"
Pupitar steadied itself, launching globs of muddy energy toward Cacnea.
Emily frowned. "But Mud Shot isn't very effective against a Grass-type. Why's he doing that?"
"Probably because it doesn't have any other useful moves," Monika said, shrugging.
The explanation satisfied some of the kids, but Jake squinted at the screen.
"I think it's also slowing Cacnea down."
Sure enough, as the Mud Shot struck its target, Cacnea's movements began to lose their edge, its speed visibly decreasing.
Mark scowled, annoyed.
"Cacnea, counter with Razor Leaf!"
The next volley of Mud Shot clashed with Cacnea's spinning leaves, meeting in the middle of the battlefield in a burst of smoke and debris.
The arena was momentarily obscured, and the kids held their breath, waiting to see who had gained the upper hand.
As the dust settled, gasps filled the waiting room. Pupitar had landed a clean hit with Iron Head, slamming into Cacnea and sending it flying across the battlefield.
"Did you see that?!" one kid shouted, clapping their hands.
"That was awesome!" another cheered.
Jake grinned. "I told you Pupitar's amazing!"
Cacnea tumbled backward but quickly found its footing. Mark, unfazed by the applause for his opponent, barked, "Cacnea, Trailblaze! And no funny business this time!"
Cacnea glowed with green energy again, this time using the momentum from the hit to rebound off the arena wall. It launched itself toward Pupitar at even greater speed, slamming into it with incredible force.
The impact echoed through the arena, and the screen shook slightly, making the kids in the waiting room erupt into cheers and shouts as they eagerly awaited the next phase of the battle.
Cacnea darted across the battlefield, its glowing form relentless as it launched another Trailblaze, slamming into Pupitar head-on. Pupitar reeled from the impact, its rocky body trembling under the strain. Though it managed to fire another Mud Shot, the attack barely slowed Cacnea's momentum as it delivered a final strike directly to Pupitar's head.
With a loud thud, Pupitar collapsed to the ground, its rocky form twitching before going still.
The referee raised their arm.
"Pupitar is unable to battle. Cacnea wins! The victory goes to Mark!"
The waiting room erupted into mixed reactions. Jake and the other kids groaned in unison, slumping back in their chairs.
"Aw, come on!" Jake muttered, crossing his arms.
"Pupitar could've won if it just had more time!"
"I can't believe it lost," Emily said, shaking her head.
"It was so strong!"
Monika sighed.
"It wasn't Pupitar's fault. Grass-types have an advantage over Ground and Rock-types. Mark just got lucky with his pick."
Mark strode into the waiting room moments later, wearing a smug grin as he casually tossed his Pokéball into the air and caught it.
"Well, that's how it's done!" he declared loudly, making sure everyone could hear.
The kids looked at him with varying degrees of annoyance, except for Monika, who raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously? You're acting like you're the best trainer here," Emily said, glaring at him.
"That's because I am," Mark shot back with a smirk.
"Unlike you lot, I actually know how to battle. Pupitar didn't stand a chance against my strategy."
Monika stood up, crossing her arms.
"Strategy? All you did was take advantage of Pupitar being slow and weak to Grass moves. That's not exactly genius-level battling."
Mark's grin faltered, and he frowned at her.
"Whatever," he muttered, looking away, clearly irritated by her reasoning.
Before anyone could say more, the screen in the waiting room flickered again. For a split second, strange, incomprehensible symbols flashed across it, followed by a low crackle of static.
"What was that?" Jake asked, his voice tinged with unease.
"Probably just a glitch," Mark said dismissively, though his brow furrowed slightly.
The broadcast resumed, showing two new trainers stepping onto the battlefield. The kids leaned closer to the screen, the tension from the glitch momentarily forgotten as they waited to see what would happen next.
Mark, still annoyed, shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at the screen, though he occasionally glanced at Monika, clearly not over her earlier remark.
The crowd in the waiting room watched as the screen displayed several more battles, ranging from heated competitions to lighthearted matches between newcomers.
Then, after what felt like ages to the kids, Monika's number was called.
"That's me!" she said, jumping up excitedly. She turned to Jake and grinned.
"Watch this and wish me luck. I'll show them how it's done."
"You better not lose!" Jake called after his cousin as she walked toward the battlefield, accompanied by a gym trainer to assist her.
Monika stepped onto the field, beaming with excitement. The bright sunlight overhead and the gentle buzz of the crowd only fueled her energy. Across from her stood a young boy about her age, looking determined but slightly nervous.
The referee raised their hand.
"This will be a one-on-one battle! Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"
Monika tossed her Pokéball into the air.
"Let's go, Hippopotas!" she called out. The Pokéball opened with a burst of light, and the small Ground-type Pokémon appeared, stomping its stubby legs with a playful growl.
The boy's Pokéball followed, releasing a Farfetch'd that twirled its leek like a sword before striking a ready stance.
Monika giggled. "That's such a funny Pokémon! Look at it twirling that leek!"
"Trainers, begin!" the referee called, lowering their arm.
Monika took a second to think, then pointed dramatically.
"Hippopotas, use Tackle!"
Hippopotas barreled forward, its round body bouncing slightly as it charged.
"Farfetch'd, Fury Cutter!" the boy shouted.
Farfetch'd darted forward with surprising speed, its leek glowing faintly as it slashed at Hippopotas. The attack hit, but Hippopotas shrugged it off and continued its charge, slamming into Farfetch'd and sending it stumbling back.
"Nice one, Hippopotas!" Monika cheered.
"Okay, let's try Sand Attack!"
Hippopotas snorted and kicked up a spray of sand toward Farfetch'd.
"Cut through it with Cut!" the boy countered.
Farfetch'd swung its leek, slicing through the sand cloud and rushing toward Hippopotas, landing another hit.
"Another Cut!" the boy commanded.
Monika laughed, not seeming bothered at all.
"This is so fun! Hippopotas, use Bite on the leek!"
Hippopotas lunged forward, jaws wide, and bit directly into the attacking leek.
"What?" the boy was confused as he saw Hippopotas chewing on the leek, meanwhile Farfetch'd looked totally dazed as its vegetable was stolen from it.
"Yes!" Monika giggled.
"Farfetch'd, Aerial Ace!" the boy shouted.
Farfetch'd leapt into the air, its body glowing as it streaked toward Hippopotas with a perfectly executed dive.
Monika's eyes widened. "Quick, use Yawn!"
Hippopotas opened its mouth, let go of the leek and released a large pink bubble. Farfetch'd, unable to change direction mid-dive, flew directly into it. Though it landed the Aerial Ace, the effect of Yawn was immediate. Farfetch'd wobbled mid-flight before fluttering to the ground, its eyes drooping. Within seconds, it was fast asleep.
"Yes!" Monika pumped her fist.
"Now, one more Bite!"
Hippopotas wasted no time, charging forward and sinking its jaws into the sleeping Farfetch'd. The attack was strong enough to knock it out cold.
"Farfetch'd is unable to battle!" the referee declared.
"The winner is Monika Prochazka and Hippopotas!"
Monika cheered loudly, running to Hippopotas and giving it a big hug.
"You were amazing!"