Paradise Pokeball System

Chapter 110: Cortondo Gym Pt1

The gym battle was about to begin, and I felt a mix of excitement and nerves. Katy seemed like a friendly and warm person, but I couldn't underestimate her Bug-type Pokémon. Kaili's words echoed in my mind, urging me to engage in friendly banter and make the battle enjoyable for Katy.

"Alright, let's have a great battle, Katy!" I said with a smile, releasing the first Pokémon from my Paradise Balls. Lumi, my Cosmog, emerged in her humanoid form, looking determined and ready.

"Lumi, show them what you've got!" I encouraged, and Lumi nodded, her eyes glowing with cosmic energy.

I looked at the Gym Leader, but Katy was just staring at Lumi. It was a perfectly normal reaction.

"That is your Pokémon?!" Katy asked with shock, but before I could answer, Lumi spoke up.

"Yes, I am master's first Pokémon! I was also the first person master bre-" Lumi started to say, but I rushed over to cover her mouth.

"Yes, this is my Cosmog, and yes, I was the first person to give her bread," I declared a little too forcefully, making Katy tip her head at me, and Lumi turned back and gave me a confused look.

This was really my fault. I needed to have a sit down with my Pokémon and explain the things they should and shouldn't talk to people about. Like me breading them... Yeah, there was no way I was going to try and explain that one to a random person!

"I told you he was special!"

I looked up to see Clive and everyone else standing on a balcony far above the ring. Everyone waved down at me, and I felt a little more confident.

Katy seemed conflicted as I shifted my gaze back to her. "Is there something wrong?" I asked, and Katy sighed.

"It is just strange to see a Pokémon that can not only speak clearly, but also looks like a person," Katy explained, but that made Lumi bristle for some reason.

"I am a Pokémon! I am master's Pokémon!" Lumi declared, taking on what I assumed to be a fighting stance. She was so cute and pretty, it was really hard to tell.

This comment made Katy smile. "And so you are. Well, you came for a gym battle, and now I am really curious," Katy smiled and then pulled out a Poke ball. "Let's see if your Pokémon is more than just a pretty face! Nymble, go!"

In a burst of light, a small Bug-type Pokémon materialized on Katy's side of the battlefield. It was Nymble, a nimble-looking Bug Pokémon with vibrant colors and a playful demeanor.

"Alright, Nymble, let's have a fun battle!" Katy encouraged her Pokémon, and Nymble chirped in response, ready for the challenge.

I took a deep breath, focusing on the battle ahead. If I was being serious, Lumi was a bad first choice, or she would have been. Lumi could open Ultra-Space Wormholes, but besides Splash, my Cosmog had no offensive moves.

Again, that would be the case if I hadn't slapped skins on each of my girls' Poke balls. Cryo reminded me when I went to visit them all this morning.

"Lumi, use Glacial Armor!" I called out.

Lumi responded by extending her hands, and a shimmering icy armor enveloped her. The air around her seemed to chill as the Glacial Armor took effect, enhancing her defenses.

"Nymble, let's start with String Shot!" Katy commanded, and Nymble released thin, sticky silk threads towards Lumi, aiming to slow her down.

Lumi didn't budge as the silk tried to wrap her up, but there was no effect. Katy just stared in shock.

"Why didn't that work?" Katy asked and I grinned.

Cosmog was not a strong Pokémon, but she was extremely rare. While Lumi didn't have attacking abilities, she had a trait called "Unaware." This ability prevented her opponents from changing any of her stats. That meant String Shot had no effect, and it was time to start my trash-talking!

"Looks like your String Shot missed the mark! Maybe Nymble needs a bit more practice?" I teased, adding a playful tone to my words.

Katy chuckled, appreciating the banter. "You've got quite the unique Pokémon there, Landon. Let's see if Nymble can find a way around that Glacial Armor!"

"Nymble, use Struggle Bug!" Katy commanded, and Nymble buzzed with energy. Small, glowing orbs formed around Nymble before shooting toward Lumi.

Lumi took the hit, and while it did some damage, her Glacial Armor held strong. I could see the determination in Nymble's eyes, ready for the next move.

"Lumi, counter with Glacial Impact!" I instructed, and Lumi's eyes glowed brighter as one of her cloud-like hands started to crystal over with ice.

"Nymble, dodge it with Quick Attack!" Katy countered, and Nymble zipped around, evading the Glacial Impact. The icy attack missed its mark, leaving a frosty impact on the ground.

Nymble shot into Lumi, but my Pokémon barely even budged, and I clenched my fist. "Counter with Arctic Splash!"

The look of confusion was apparent on Katy's face, but it was quickly replaced with surprise as Lumi threw herself on the ground.

Splash was an age-old move that did 0 damage. All the Pokémon did was flop around on the ground, sending up small splashes like they were jumping in a rain puddle.

Lumi's Splash was now augmented with the Super Rare Glacial Grade Impact Skin. The moment she hit the ground, and started to flop, spikes of ice shot out in all directions. Nymble had no chance to escape.

The icy spikes hit Nymble, and the Bug-type Pokémon let out a surprised chirp. The Glacial Grade Impact Skin had turned Lumi's seemingly harmless move into a powerful and unexpected attack.

"Nymble, are you okay?" Katy asked, concern in her eyes. Nymble struggled to get back on her feet, showing signs of wear from the unexpected attack.

"Lumi, finish it with Frosty Embrace!" I called out, and Lumi, still on the ground, floated up, extending her arms. A chilling aura surrounded her as she unleashed a wave of frost towards Nymble.

The Frosty Embrace connected, engulfing Nymble in a frozen embrace. The Bug-type Pokémon shivered, unable to break free from the icy grip. After a moment, Nymble fainted, defeated by Lumi's unique combination of moves.

"Nymble is unable to battle! Landon's Cosmog, Lumi, wins the first round!" Kaili announced, and a cheer erupted from the balcony where Clive and the others were watching.

Katy smiled, impressed by the battle so far. "Well done, Landon! Lumi is indeed a special Pokémon. Let's see what you've got next!"

Lumi turned to me with a big smile, and I couldn't be more proud of her. I opened my arms, and Lumi rushed over. My arms closed around her as she hugged me back, but then Lumi looked up at me expectantly.

I was pretty sure I knew what she wanted, and I leaned down to press my lips into hers. The gasp that came from Katy made me slowly break off the kiss, and I lifted my head to face her with Lumi still hugging me. I hadn't planned to be this affectionate with the girls during the fight, but Lumi had done amazing.

"Y-you kiss your... P-Pokémon?!" Katy exclaimed, and laughing came from above.

"If that shocks you, then you don't want to know what they do behind closed doors!" Zossie called down, and I shot a menacing glare up at her, but she just crossed her arms and turned her nose up at me.

At this point, Katy's face was so red that I thought she might faint, and be unable to battle like her Nymble. Thankfully, she clapped her hands to her cheek a few times before letting out a long sigh.

"Not what I was expecting..." Katy said, shaking her head as her voice trailed off. She looked up to Clive and frowned at him. "Where did you find this child?!"

"Find? More like Landon came to me! I can't explain everything about him, but I think you should take this battle a little bit more seriously!" Clive laughed, and a small smile crept onto her face.

"More serious? Are you sure it is alright?" Katy asked Clive, but then looked at me.

"I know you are used to brand new trainers, but I am sure you can see that, while Landon is a beginner in the same sense, his and his Pokémon's abilities are hardly at a beginner level!" Clive laughed, and I nodded.

"Clive isn't wrong. Truthfully, I was pretty nervous about this battle and made preparations. I don't want to explain things too much, but my Pokémon have special abilities that no other Pokémon have. I am sure that Lumi proved that," I explained, and Katy let out a long sigh but then smiled as she took off her baker's hat and apron.

It was like the air had become thicker, and suddenly, Katy no longer looked like a baker playing Gym Leader. If you have ever seen a TV show where a person takes off things that seem to limit their strength and potential, you would understand this feeling. It wasn't like Katy got stronger, and it was her Pokémon that would be doing the fighting, but something told me that this was not the same woman.

Looks like I didn't need to trash talk, but this might be more than I bargained for. Still, I had faith in my girls.

"Ah! It has been so long since I have really been able to cut loose! I hope that you are prepared! Go, Tarountula!" Katy called out as she threw her next Poke ball.

I smirked, kissing Lumi's forehead before calling her back. Now it was time for me to cut loose as well.

"Popsicle! Go!" I called out as I summoned and threw her Paradise Poke Ball.