"sorry! sorry!" noah bursts into the gym behind valerio. on a leash, a small electrike trods in before him. as its paws strike the cold floor, one can hear its nails clack against it before the electric dog shakes its fur. "walk took a little longer than expected. go ahead, glen."

he unleashes the electrike and as soon as it is freed, the dog scampers to the back. the sounds of a tongue lapping up water can be heard as noah moves to greet his challenger.

rubbing the back of his head, he takes the time to remember his schedule.

"noah." he extends his hand for a shake, while his other detaches two pokeballs from the holsters on his shorts. "remind me. what's your name again, man?"

he tosses them toward the cage, the red bolts sparking through the cage ring's fencing and onto the canvas. there, a medicham and hariyama await.

"so! close quarters combat. if you can demonstrate you know how to keep calm when the pressure's all up in your face? win or lose, you'll get the badge. got it?"

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon hariyama"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon medicham"]

Valerio Dachev

noah relinquishes the handshake with a fiery grin. as the pokemon are sent to their stations, the gym's lights brighten. spotlights douse the ring with gold. diamonds of light twinkle in the corners of the cage ring's fencing.

noah jogs over to his side of the ring. as valerio's pokemon prepare, the gym leader does not hesitate.

"don't give them one breath!" noah shouts.

despite its stocky build, noah's hariyama rushes across the canvas. a wide WHIRLWIND swirls violently between its large mitt-hands before being launched through the TAILWIND in hopes of blowing valerio's pokemon to the fence.

noah's medicham passes his hariyama, hoping to rush in close. purple discs of PSYCHO CUTS fly toward the DRAGAPULT as the medicham weaves in. the REFLECT softens the blows— should they connect.

"let's go, jonathan!"

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon hariyama"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon medicham"]

Valerio Dachev

the HEAT WAVE flies across the ring. like a phoenix spreading its wings, the tide of flame is vast; however, noah's hariyama is quick to respond. the wrestler claps its hands. cold, briny water surges forth to coat both the hariyama and the medicham wet as a SURF meets the attack.

the water continues, flooding across the entire cage. his medicham seamlessly dips into the waters without taking damage, its TELEPATHY allowing it to avoid the powerful current lurking in the blue. his hariyama follows the wave and refuses to lose momentum in order to close the gap.

still, valerio's dragapult strikes the medicham from its ghostly shift. as the medicham stomachs the blow, its serene expression is cast with an cyan hue. this close, the medicham throws a fake left, before slamming forth with a heavy hook: ICE PUNCH.

"don't stop!" noah encourages his pokemon, the cage's fencing licked with flame and water.

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon hariyama"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon medicham"]

Valerio Dachev

before the altaria's BREAKING SWIPE strikes, noah's hariyama leaps. its rotund body attempts to HEAVY SLAM on top of the altaria's swinging wing while medicham dodges. should it be successful, the hariyama aims to pin the limb down on to the floor.

although the ICE PUNCH doesn't freeze, noah's medicham does not falter. it's a battle of attrition, truth be told. every little strike matters. and after dreepy explode on the medicham, the pink pokemon hurls itself away in the resulting smoke that masks them.

the medicham soars through the air, bruised from the draconic detonation— but lands on its feet. the wet canvas allows the medicham to skid purposefully. switching targets, it rushes toward the other opponent where the REFLECT may not reach.

taking advantage of the altaria that is presumably distracted by the hariyama, the medicham seeks to siphon some vigor back with a DRAIN PUNCH to the altaria's chest.

the medicham is focused still on its surroundings, as if a third eye has sprouted on the back of its head.

"keep it up, keep it up!" noah shouts.

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon hariyama"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon medicham"]

Valerio Dachev

the fencing catches the brilliance of valerio's altaria. underneath the canvas, the ring's structure groans and heaves as the EARTHQUAKE ripples through like lasagna sheets.

the move is enough to fend off noah's pokemon for a brief while. impressed, the gym leader watches keenly. his gaze hardens into tight pearls. the pressure of scrutiny rather than stress.

while his hariyama delivers one last WHIRLWIND toward valerio's team from its vast palms, noah's medicham capitalizes on the sacrifice. his hariyama will fall to the dragapult's PSYCHIC FANGS, but his medicham weaves in through the winds. ice coats its fists, and as its lithe body melds into the gales, it throws ICE PUNCHES at the ghostly dragon.

[attr="class","pkspr"][attr="class","pokesprite pokemon medicham"]

Valerio Dachev

hariyama's capsule pops open. upon receiving the downed wrestler in a flash of red, the pokeball shuts close. noah is swift to attach it to his holster; the device hums like a wind-up toy as it cycles.

noah's medicham braces for the altaria's attack. although it may be able to DETECT its approach, the broad wingspan of the dragon may catch it in the follow-up. its trainer understands this too.

as noah commands the medicham to fire a PSYCHO CUT as the altaria approaches, the silver glow intensifies, scattering its metallic sheen across the ring. strikes are exchanged. energy disperses in clouds and smoke.

as the fog dissipates, noah's medicham can be seen still standing. however, it is clearly worn down. the severe cross of attacks reveals its consequences in scuff marks. tired limbs.

his medicham attempts to fight again, but noah is quick to raise a hand. "alright, alright! we're good, man." noah recalls his medicham and as the red takes it, the pokemon closes its eyes to rest. "you know what you're doing."

he attaches the pokeball to his holster. it cycles. a tinny drumroll as noah retrieves what valerio has been waiting for.

"congratulations, jonathan! you've won the knockout badge. well deserved, man."

Valerio Dachev