Chapter Fifty-Four: Flame Burst



Terra's POV



"Attention, everybody!" Shu announces, his N-Comm adjusted a bit by Clemont to work as a microphone. Surprisingly, it hasn't blown up yet. "The battle between Gym Leader Erika and Challenger Terra is about to begin!"



Abe's Diglett have cleared a suitably large, flat parcel of earth in the underground bunker. Ilima's Smeagle has painted down lines on it to mark the center of the battlefield and where each team is supposed to stand. A number of our party have gathered along the sidelines to watch.



"This battle will be three-versus-three," Shu goes on, loving the spotlight. "Only one Pokemon from each side may be active at one time, and only the challenger will be able to make substitutions. The battle is over when all three of one side's Pokemon are unable to fight." He raises a colored flag to the air, bringing it down with flourish. "Let the battle... begin!"



With an elegant swing of her arms, furisode flowing, Erika brings out a Great Ball. "Go! Exeggcute!" she shouts, releasing a half dozen of the small egg-like seed Pokemon onto the field.



I reach into my Poke Ball pocket (my new outfit has a lot of pockets) and pull out Yoshi's ball. I'll save Benga for if I'm having trouble. "Go! Yoshi!"



The Mirror Bulbasaur emerges, preparing for battle. Six pairs of Exeggcute eyes go wide, surprised to see a Pokemon carrying a spotted egg on its back. "Secute?"



I turn to Yoshi. "All right, use Disarming Voice!"



"SAUUUR!"



Yoshi cries out loudly, making the Exeggcute shudder and sway. Erika doesn't seem phased. "Exeggcute, use Bullet Seed! Attack!"



The small army of eggs spit out a barrage of hard seeds over a wide range. While some miss, a number of them hit, leaving red welts on Yoshi's skin and dealing damage. He stumbles back, gathering his strength.



That Sound-type attack looked super-effective on Exeggcute, Kappa whispers to me. And my brothers found it jarring themselves. Could it be that Sound-type is super-effective against Psychic-type?



Hush! You're not supposed to be in this battle, I think back. But I'll test that out. "Yoshi, now use Astonish!"



The Bulbasaur charges forward, clapping his forelegs down hard on the ground and screaming loudly. The Exeggcute yelp, rolling away to avoid the attack, but they look pretty shaken.



"Nice moves," Erika says. "But remember, these are the Pokemon of a Gym Leader. Exeggcute, use Stun Spore!"



The eggs shoot out a fine yellow-orange powder at Yoshi's face, which he inhales. He stumbles a bit, looking woozy, trying to keep moving but struggling to stay on his feet. He stumbles backwards, tripping and falling.



"All right, then!" Erika shouts. "Exeggcute, use Confusion!"



"Yoshi, Disarming Voice!"



As Yoshi struggles to get his mouth open, Exeggcute's eyes glow, and Yoshi is lifted up off the ground, hurled in midair. Thrown off balance, Yoshi struggles to find his footing in a place without ground, and the Exeggcute drop him, knocking him back down to the ground again.



I stare, waiting for my Bulbasaur to get back up. He doesn't. He twitches slightly, and moans, but he doesn't get up.



"Bulbasaur is unable to battle!" Shu announces. "Exeggcute wins!"



Oh dear. This is not going well at all. Well, time to bring out the big guns. "Ali! I choose you!"



Yoshi returns to his ball, and Ali poofs out, twirling her rings expectantly. "Ali-Hooparing, Exeggcute!"



"Exeggcute, use Stun Spore!" Erika orders.



"Ali, dodge it and use Hyperspace Hole!"



Ali darts to the left and to the right, dodging each egg's attempt to paralyze her. Reaching through one of her rings, she grabs one of the eggs and rolls it at a group of others. The eggs collide, scattering like marbles and shrieking like mad. It takes a few moments before they roll to a stop, and they don't get up again.



"Exeggcute is unable to battle!" Shu announces. "Hoopa wins!"



Ali grins. I facepalm. "That... was not what I asked you to do!"



"Ali knows. Ali is awesome!" she says, grinning with a mouthful of teeth. "Ali won anyway!"



"All right, we're just getting warmed up!" Erika announces, pulling out another Great Ball. "Go, Ivysaur!"



It's a shame my Bulbasaur fainted so quickly, I think. It would be interesting to test a Mirror Bulbasaur against a regular Ivysaur. "Ali, use Psybeam! It's super-effective!"



Ali focuses her power, firing a beam of pink light at Ivysaur. Ivysaur stumbles back, shaking its head and trying to focus.



"Ivysaur, use Sleep Powder!" Erika orders. "Don't let it hit you again!"



Ivysaur strikes out with a barrage of green powder scattered from its vines. Ali tries to block it with her ring, but the powder sticks to the ring itself, and to the hand holding it. Ali stumbles back, feeling drowsy. "Ali doesn't feel so good..."



"Now use Razor Leaf!" Erika shouts. "Scatter leaves all over the field!"



In a green flurry, Ivysaur unleashes a barrage of sharp-edged foliage. Unable to dodge, Hoopa gets thrown backward by the assault, crying out in pain.



"Ali!" I shout. "You can do this! Use Psybeam again, through the ring!"



Ali grips her ring tightly, focusing all her energy. The yellow ring on her forehead glows, and she screams, letting loose a bolt of psychic energy that strikes through the ring and hits Ivysaur clear in the face.



A critical hit!



Ivysaur flies backward, colliding with the dirt wall of the bunker. Dazedly, it struggles to get up, trying once... twice...



Nope. It collapses, unable to move.



"Ivysaur is unable to battle," Shu announces. "Hoopa is the winner!"



"Yes!" I cheer, but the cheer is short-lived. Ali sways from side to side, her energy dipping as the long-term effects of the Sleep Powder start to kick in. She's covered in cuts and bruises, and I can tell she's, as my dad would say, plumb tuckered out.



"Ali, return!" I say, recalling her to her Poke Ball. "Take a nice, long rest. We've got this!"



"Don't count on that," Erika says, grinning. "We've each got one more Pokemon left, but mine is something special. Go, Victreebel!"



"All right! Come on out, Benga!"



The last Pokemon on each team takes the field...





Benga's POV



I emerge from my pocket cave, where I was enjoying a rather nice nap before being called out against this rather odd excuse for a houseplant. It stares malevolently at me with a pair of eyes that I don't recall noticing on any plant before.



I wonder if I can eat it.



There's a human woman behind it, not much more than a girl, and she raises her hand to the sky. "All right, Victreebel! Mega Evolve!"



Mega Evolve? What does that mea--



Holy fish sticks.



This thing is glowing.



A shell of some strange energy forms around it, some sort of sphere -- something similar to my pocket cave in construction, but more angular, with many facets. It suddenly shatters, and I realize it's not a pocket cave, but a cocoon -- and one with one hell of a butterfly coming out.



The transformed Victreebel has the same head, but stands on a waxy yellow body with two thick legs, a pair of leaves for arms, and two more leaves for ears. Its head has reversed its position, the wide-lipped mouth now facing me, the unnatural eyes boring into my skull.



Meh. I can take it.



"Benga, use Ember!"



I charge forward, my internal fire blazing. Focusing the fire in my belly, I shoot out a stream of pure heat at the monster in front of me. Flames engulf its legs and leaves, and it shudders.



"Victreebel, use Poison Jab!"



The monster raises a leaf to me, and I realize now that the edge is sharp and barbed. I realize moments before said leaf collides with my gut, jabbing me hard with some foul secretion. I yowl, tumbling backwards, clutching my belly in pain. "Me-OWW!"



"Benga!" Terra yells, terrified. "Are you okay?"



"Mow!" I yell, pulling myself back up to my feet. Holy carp, this thing is FAST! I have to keep fighting it if I want to make it out of this one fully conscious.



"Use Ember!"



I'm glad to do so -- this thing needs to die. It's an abomination, an affront to nature. Plants aren't supposed to bite you back. I spit out the charred remains of half my lunch, engulfing the creature again. Wait, half my lunch? I'm starting to feel a bit woozy, like something in that monster's leaves stuck inside me and is making me toss my breakfast.



"Victreebel! Another Poison Jab!"



It finally hits me. Poison Jab?! This can't be good, and I jump back, trying to dodge. But I can't outspeed it. Victreebel strikes once more, and I yowl in pain as the poisoned leaf pierces my furry flesh.



How on Earth am I supposed to fight this... this THING?



Terra... help me...





Terra's POV



This has gone wrong in so many ways.



Benga's poisoned, and I can't keep using him without risking serious harm. But Ali's asleep, and weak on health, and I can't risk pulling her in just to have her get knocked out again. But at the same time... those are my only options left now.



Fight, or forfeit.



I can't bring myself to look at Erika. How could I have thought that a gym battle was a good idea? Grass-types might not be strong, but they can strike with a variety of status ailments. I had Yoshi paralyzed, Ali asleep, and now Benga poisoned.



And that Victreebel Mega Evolved? How can Victreebel Mega Evolve?



I reach into my pockets to try to find something to help. Did I get Super Potions at the department store? An Antidote? Anything? I can't even remember where I put what!



My hand brushes against something I'd almost forgotten about. My Burst Heart, the one Jirachi gave me. The black stone with red streaks.



Then something happens.





???'s Perspective



Running. Panting. Flaming. Fighting. Furry. Frantic. Cornered. Crying.



Nowhere to go. Nowhere to run.



The monster stares down at us, raising its leaf yet again, thorns dripping with venom. One more strike would do us in.



And we are having none of that.



Fire begins to build within us. More than just the Embers of lunches past. Our fangs grow hot with fury, our fur standing up on end as if about to burst into flame.



"YOU did NOT just DO THAT!"



--we roar, and leap skyward, fangs bared.



We descend.



Fighting, clawing, kicking, biting -- biting down hard, with fangs of fire. Striking, slashing, tearing, gnawing -- this THING, this ABOMINATION, must not survive! It can never threaten us again!



The monster screams, an unholy sound of that which was never meant to be. It stumbles, collapsing in the inferno around it. Stumbles, and does not rise.



"Mega Victreebel is unable to battle!" a voice says. "The winner is--"



"I am BENGA!





Terra's POV



"...or am I?"



My hand pulls away from the stone, and I gasp. For several horrible moments, I had been -- someone else. Something else. A cornered, scared, terrified animal, fighting and clawing with everything I had.



Benga.



I was Benga.



I collapse on the ground, staring in horror at what just happened. Erika is absolutely shocked. She recalls her devolved Victreebel back into its Great Ball, staring blankly at the exhausted Litten in front of her.



I can't believe what just happened. What I just went through. What Benga just went through.



What I put Benga through.



Erika walks up to Benga, who hisses and runs off. He dashes behind me, still hissing. Scarred. Traumatized.



I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure if there's anything to do.



Erika approaches me, handing me a Super Potion and a Pecha Berry. "Here. Your Litten... it could use these." She shakes her head. "But what was all THAT about? You were yelling, meowing, screeching in a language I couldn't understand... and your Pokemon was screaming as well, just like you. What were you two doing?"



"Darned if I know," I mutter, accepting the gifts. Benga won't like being sprayed, and he might not accept a berry as Things That We Eat If We Know What's Good For Us, but it's better than leaving him poisoned, hurt, and confused. "I just touched this rock that Jirachi gave me, and suddenly... I thought I was Benga."



"You what now? Jirachi?"



I explain it all to her. Jirachi, the Burst Heart, Gladion's struggle with his sanity every time he uses it. Erika turns away, looking ashamed. "I see. I... I should not have brought out a Mega Pokemon against an unevolved Pokemon. I had built my team to try to match your Hoopa's strength. I had not expected Ivysaur to do so much... I'm so, so sorry."



I reach back to touch Benga, but he pulls away. I have so much to apologize for. "Benga... please, you need this. It's good for you. It'll help you feel better."



"Rrr..." Benga growls, eyeing the gift from Erika as if it might rear up and attack him as well. "Hsss!"



Kappa floats up from its Poke Ball. The battle is over, it says to Benga. You don't have to be afraid. This potion and berry will help you.



Benga looks skeptical, but I managed to squeeze the Pecha Berry juice into his mouth, and gingerly spray the Super Potion on his wounds. He struggles a bit, but doesn't bite or scratch. He seems pretty worn out.



What have I gotten myself into? How am I supposed to battle with Benga like... like this? He wasn't born a Pokemon. He didn't ask for this. He didn't ask for any of this.



And neither did I.