DOC: It looks like we'll be fully operational once again in about a day or so. I wanted to thank you for all of your help, but, and I hate to say it...I'm afraid your job is not yet over.
JESS: No shit.
DOC: Through your actions, you have far exceeded my expectations and the expectations for this gym. You are, of course, welcome to refuse, but I would like to offer you all this.
DOC: The Ingenuity Badge.
ARTURO: ...I'm sorry, nah. Fuck that. I want it to be real.
TOM: I'm with Arturo on this one. It wouldn't feel right to take that without a battle.
DOC: Technically, from what you've told me, you already have battled me...and won.
TOM: But you weren't in control of your faculties, and we teamed up against you.
ARTURO: That's right. One-on-one, Doc. You and me.
JESS: ...look, I'm taking the badge.
TOM: Huh?
JESS: Everything has been so fucking ridiculous ever since the S.S. Anne disappeared, and just for once in my life, I'd like to take the easy way out. Fo fuck's sake, I'm a teenager and I've almost died at least three times in the past week.
TOM: If you wanna take that badge, you don't have to explain shit to us. We've been there right alongside you, we know what you've gone through. For me, though, Electric-types are my specialty. It would be like you taking a badge from Marcus without a fight.
JESS: Which reminds me, I want to try to call him again.
TOM: Arturo, you do you, kick some ass, and I'll follow you.
ARTURO: Let's do this!
Lemme take a good several steps back and find a good place to watch this battle. That catwalk should be a good spectator spot.
Arturo Stone versus Doc, Leader of the Mastam City Gym
DOC: Go, Ampharos!
ARTURO: Rex, it's time!
Ah, so the Gabite is named Rex--
And there it goes underground, just narrowly escaping that charge from Ampharos! That Dig is gonna hit hard--
There it is! Square in the chest. Good hit!
A tremendous slam from the Ampharos, but Rex is taking it in stride.
Sandstorm is up! I can't be sure how much that will help Arturo, but it can't hurt--
It's not helping Rex's ability to evade, though! Ampharos just shoulder checked him into that computer bank--we just repaired that shit! Come on!
Throwing the computer debris at the Ampharos?! I am not fixing this again--
Uh oh...that beam from the Ampharos' gem seems to have confused Rex--
But he shakes it off, launches another Sand Tomb, and the Ampharos goes down! Well done, Arturo!
DOC: Not bad! Ampharos, return. Go, Heliolisk!
Arturo took this lizard down once before, but then again, we really had its defenses lowers thanks to Jess' hounds.
Rex isn't fast enough to lock it in with a Sand Tomb--oooh, slapped right across the face!
Yeah, Arturo! Get Rex underground! I don't think Heliolisk can take a good, strong Dig!
It's waiting, frills out...what is it planning?
...
POW! Rex strikes first--!
But it's not enough! The Heliolisk is still standing, skittering up the computer banks--
It's fast! That's gotta be a Quick Attack from Heliolisk, but it didn't do a whole lot of damage. Arturo might be able to take this with the next attack, and I think he knows it from the way he's hugging Rex.
Dragon Rage! Perfect choice--!
And Heliolisk is out! Arturo's only got the one Pokemon left to take out and he's won! That must mean--
DOC: Go, Electivire!
Whelp...good game, Arturo.
ARTURO: So we're just gonna call out the biggest and best Pokemon we got, huh? Fine.
DOC: Oh, I never said he was my best.
...wait, what?
ARTURO: Remy, go!
He called out Remington?! Anubis is much stronger than Remy!
Thunder Punch inbound--!
But Remy protects! Good scouting, Arturo--!
But you can hardly do that two times in a row...oof, right in the back of Remy's head. I have no idea how Arturo expects Remy to--
ARTURO: Fissure!
IT HIT?! IT ACTUALLY HIT?! Remy brought a whole tower of electronics down on Electivire and it's down for the count! He did it! Arturo won--!
A fourth Pokeball from Doc?! And a Great Ball nonetheless?!
ARTURO: You have four?!
DOC: You're surprised? You shouldn't be. You've already met all of my Pokemon.
Hold on, does that mean...
The Lanturn! It's not just a generator, it's his gym team's champion!
ARTURO: Remy, use Fissure again--!
A massive beam of electricity just shot out from the Lanturn and hit Remy right in the face! It looks like Remy is out--
No? He's still up? He does not look good. Is...is he dying?
The Fissure misses, but the pool of water under the Lanturn drained. Mobility is going to be a big problem from here for Doc.
Good call recalling Remy, Arturo. You're gonna need to think of something interesting for the Lanturn. Using a regular Ground-type will open you up to a Water-type attack, so if you caught that Cacturne in the Ombos Desert, it may be a good idea to--
Anubis works, too. Whelp, good game there, Doc.
In goes Anubis, surrounded by four batons of aura, charging full speed at Doc's Lanturn--!
A mighty blow! The fish seems to be hurt quite badly, but it's still fighting--
Another beam! Anubis takes the brunt of it against his forearms and doesn't seem too badly hurt by it--
He just dove into the chasm Remy created and is charging forward! Oh, that's smart! Remy already dug a hole big enough by far to allow Anubis to dash through it, making his Dig attack that much faster and more acrobatic--
WHAM! The fish goes flying into the computer bank and stops flopping! That looks to be the end of the battle.
ARTURO: Now I'll take that badge.
DOC: Congratulations! I had some Charge Beam TM's to give out, but they must have gotten scattered somewhere during the attack.
Well, while their resolving their gym battle, I should hit the PC and start building a team for my battle.
Elekid is a definite, as is Gliscor. Vigoroth has been a very strong utility, so I'd like to bring him along, too.
Let's see...it wouldn't hurt to have another Ground-type on the team, so let's bring Drilbur. And another Electric-type would be beneficial...how about Jolteon? I've been dying to see how she can do in battle. Lastly...
Honedge? So far, it hasn't had much of a chance to shine--yeah! Let's go with Honedge!
Not the team I would have predicted I'd use, but I think it will do the job. If we had more time, I'd want to see if a team of Electric-type Pokemon only would be able to take out Doc's team--
JESS: Tom! There's nothing wrong with Marcus! He's broadcasting a battle live on TV!
TOM: Is he a Zoroark?
JESS: ...God, I hope so.
TOM: Now we have to punch him.
JESS: I am so happy.
TOM: Oh, we're punching everyone from here to the Indigo Plateau.
JESS: I still can't get through to the Elite Four, though.
TOM: Doc's people seem to be focused on finding the S.S. Anne; perhaps if we find it, we won't need the Elite Four.
JESS: When I tried calling the Citadel Mountains, they said it was closed off. Tom, what if the Elite Four are behind this?! They could be a part of some sinister team--!
TOM: Okay...I'm gonna let you chill out here and come up with your theories. I'm gonna go do my thang against Doc.
JESS: ...your thang?
TOM: It sounded a lot better in my head.
