I Don't Know How To Feel About This

There doesn't appear to be too many people watching these battles.  Well, maybe in time the crowds will come--

It's clear whoever is here recognizes me, though.  Weird sort of reactions, though.  It's like they both respect me for winning...but pity me for how I ended up winning.  I don't blame them either way.

Well, there's Jess.  Let's see how she handles this gym.  It nearly killed Elekid...I don't expect anything vastly different here, but one can always hope--

Oh, don't...don't bring up Elekid, Jess.  I'm sure Prodiga feels terrible about that already--

She doesn't really feel that bad? Tear her apart--

Wait...is Prodiga...is she saying the exact same thing she said to me before our battle?! I thought...do the gym leaders script their introductory conversations with challengers? That sounds so very impersonal.  That sort of takes a lot of the charm out of the gym challenge--

Oh! It's beginning!

An interesting choice, Jess, but there isn't enough water to make that fish very useful.  I hope this works out.  At least the Axew looks terrified.

Keep biting and pray for a miracle, Jess, because that thing is fierce--

That Axew does not look phased.  In fact, it looks like it's gonna do something big--

Good decision to swap--

And there go the tusks.  That definitely looked like it hurt.

Good hit, Umbreon.  Knocked the Axew right off the bridge...and out? It's knocked out! Hey, not bad, Jess.

This is not going to end as prettily, I assure you of that--

Umbreon got behind it fairly easily, but that Gible is still looking right at it.

That's not a nice face--

Ouch! Those claws took Umbreon out real quick--

Claws! That's the same attack that the Bagon used to take out Elekid! Could it be...the TM move Prodiga gave me? Dragon Claw?

Jess, what are you thinking?! Larvitar isn't going to be able to take that thing out! It's at a significant type-disadvantage! Jess, get it out of there--!

Here comes the Poke Ball storm! Can't say I didn't warn you--

Wait, where did Larvitar go? Is he in the pit? I think so...Prodiga has a potion out, but she can't seem to get to the Gible to use it.  They must be in the pit of Poke Balls.

There it is--

And there it goes.  Gible knocked it out with another good clawing.  Alright, Jess...what's your plan now?

Alright, now you're using your head!

There you have it! Now you only have to deal with the Bagon.  Hmm...she's lost two Pokemon after beating two of Prodiga's.  That's roughly how well I was doing against her.  If this Sneasel goes down, though, Jess may not have the strength left to beat Prodiga.

This is where things are going to get very interesting.

Smart, but it won't be enough.  If an Ice Punch couldn't take it out, an Icy Wind sure won't do the job.

Here comes the claws.  Well, Jess, you gave it your best shot--

It's still up? Hey, there might be hope for Jess yet--!

Prodiga still had that potion.  Jess, I'm sorry, but you're not going to win this one.

Well...

Yeah.  Do what you can now, Jess...it's pretty much over.  Call it back into the ball, it's looking almost as bad as Elekid.

I guess it doesn't matter much now, does it? Yeah, throw in the fish--

Jess has a Revive?!?! From where--??

She found one in the mountains! That's right! And she's gonna use it on the Sneasel; probably the smartest thing she could do at this point.

Looks like the Carvanha got knocked out pretty badly, too.  Jess is running out of time.

Oh, this is going to be brutal...

Where...the Murkrow just dove into a shadow? Okay, this might be a bit more interesting than I had thought--

Well, I'll be damned! That was a pretty solid hit from out of nowhere! That's a pretty nifty--

And down goes Roses.  I really don't think Sneasel, even after the Revive, has enough--

Jess has a potion, too.  Well, alright then.

Of course, Icy Wind.  It'd be the best option--

Wait...that's it? She won?

I...I actually don't know how to feel about this.  Jess should have lost.  Prodiga defeated her entire team.  Every last Pokemon on the team...but she still didn't win.  It was all because of the Revive and the potion.  I mean, if that's the case, what's stopping a very wealthy person with hundreds of each of those items and a team of vastly weaker Pokemon from beating out the Elite Four that way? I...I just don't know...

And I beat Jess.  My Slakoth and Elekid wiped the floor with her Larvitar and Umbreon, but she still beat Prodiga without an emergency trip to the Pokemon I.C.U.  Does that make me the weaker trainer? Or does that just make her luckier? Why was it so difficult for me when it almost looked like a walk in the park for Jess, even when all of her Pokemon were fainting?

Elekid is far stronger than any of Jess' Pokemon, but he has yet to take out any of the gym leaders' champions.  Maybe I'm asking too much of him.  But then how could she expect so much more from her Pokemon? To face the same things Elekid does with much weaker--?

Wait, what the hell am I saying? Jess is my friend.  She has helped me with everything I have ever asked her for since we started this little journey in Cythos.  I should be happy for her beating the gym.

So...why am I not?

What is this path doing to me?