"Isn't it?" She replies. No corners were cut in the creation of the gym. It was made not only as a gym facility, but as a work of art as well.

Alice plucks a pokemon from her pocket and lightly tosses it up into the air. Only for it to fall back down and the cycle to repeat itself. "Well we're both here now, aren't we? Just whenever you've picked your pokemon, I suppose." With her final words she broke the ball's cycle by clicking it, releasing a blastoise into the water.

"It'll just be a standard one on one today, basically the same as before the league's regulations here. We didn't have any riddle nonsense before, thankfully."

「Blastoise is released!」

---

kyle lopez

As blastoise swam into the depths of the pool to match dragalge it found its vision blurred and its skin stinging from the secreted poison. With each second that passes the pain grows worse.

When its vision clears blastoise's cannons lock in on the dragalage. Unable to hear its trainer so far below the surface it proceeds to take the battle into its own hands. Light begins to emanate from the two cannons atop its shell, which adjust position as the poison pokemon slowly moves in the water. Simultaneously both cannons fire, releasing the pent up light of flash cannon.

「Blastoise used flash cannon!」

---

kyle lopez

When the bubbles clear blastoise saw no sign of the dragalge. It was as if it vanished into thin air. Swimming in circles produce no clues as to where it was in the pool, assuming it was still there.

With no flash of red light nor a sign from its trainer to return blastoise assumes that the kelp pokemon is still in the pool. Lying in wait. Past experience with a certain alcoholic's vikavolt taught it hitting a fast moving target was hard enough. But an invisible target? That's near impossible.

With no viable offensive moves at its disposal the shellfish pokemon did what came naturally. It withdraws into its shell and sinks to the floor of the pool. Two could play at this waiting game.

「Blastoise used withdraw!」

---

kyle lopez

The poison crept through Blastoise's body with each passing moment. A crushing pain began on the left side of its skull, the first of the poison's many side effects.

Cold reptilian eyes dart towards the spread of smoke. The only movement in the whole pool. Slowly withdrawing itself from its shell Blastoise prepares its cannons to fire once more. They click into position, aim directed roughly where the smokescreen began. Light fires from the aquatic cannons in the form of flash cannon. It tears through the edges of the smokescreen, massively off its original target. Blastoise stumbling from the toxins threw its aim off. Its legs were numb now, unable to feel the rough floor beneath its feet.

Blastoise attempts to stay upright after its misfire. Its body shook and head throbbed. Alice's pokemon is fighting a losing battle.

「Flash cannon missed!」

---

kyle lopez

Blastoise's palms are sweaty. Knees weak. Arms are heavy. There's vomit in the pool. Alice's spaghetti.

The shellfish pokemon succumbs to dragalge's poison. It courses through its body, carried by the bloodstream. Sludge masks the details of its face and impairs its already difficult breathing. With a final heavy and pained breath blastoise's vision fades to black.

The limp body begins to slowly rise to the top of the pool.

「Blastoise fainted!」

---

kyle lopez

"Yes, Kyle," was Alice's reply. She glances at her blastoise for a split moment. The body hadn't moved. "Of course you can." Light flashes and blastoises body disappears, leaving ripples in the water. "Just follow me please."

She turns and sweeps herself into another room. There the badges and relevant paperwork for winners were kept.

kyle lopez