125. [Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[There's no particular fanfare or introduction to the video-- it just opens right up on the battlefield of a Gym that anyone who's battled Claire for the final Johto badge before will recognize as Blackthorn's. It's a cavernous space lined with bubbling canals of lava, lighting up the court in fiery orange.]

[Claire stands proudly at the other end, her Gyarados twining sinuously in front of her-- on the other side, well, the trainer isn't visible, but a tiny yellow blot that (upon being zoomed in on, anyway) proves to be a Pikachu with a little chunk of Eviolite on a cord around her neck is standing before it, glaring it down.]

[The battle begins with a bang, with a tidal-wave of water gushing towards the Pikachu and veritable fireworks-show of crackling, branched lightning exploding across the field in reply. And it goes on from there, the meeting of lava and cold water erupting into clouds of steam that obscure the view of it more often than not, the battle turning into a series of dazzling flashes of light, vibrating booms of impact, and the distant cries (low and rumbling from the Gyarados, high and shrill from the Pikachu) of battling Pokemon.]

[It doesn't last long before the Gyarados goes down and the next players come out.]

[Anyone who had responded to the Heather's video about a week back will recognize the next contender as he enters the fray, standing in the smoke and steam with nostrils flared and rudderlike tail ready to swing: it's Godzilla, the workout enthusiast Croconaw.]

[The Kingdra and Dragonite that will follow their fallen compatriot onto the battlefield are both much bigger than he is, but HE HAS SPENT MONTHS PREPARING FOR THIS AND HE IS READY.]

[He doesn't wait for an introduction, either-- just holds out a pudgy webbed hand to accept the high-five that Hazel the Pikachu offers him (she had to jump to reach) as she scampers back to return to her trainer on the sidelines, and then puffs determinedly and charges in to meet his competitor with a frenzy of Crunches and Slashes, leaping and dodging with a surprising amount of agility for something so... well, pear-shaped.]

[This part of the battle is a lot more visible than the first-- Heather and her Pokemon know better than to use water moves against Dragon-types. ... At least for the sake of doing damage.]

[As the defeated Kingdra is drawn back into its Pokeball in a flash of red light, Zilla pauses to wipe sweat from his brow. It's all very dramatic. Battling in a room full of lava really brings out the perspiration!]

[When another flash, this one white, and a bugling cry signal the release of Claire's final fighter, the Croconaw looks over his shoulder, towards the camera. Which then bobs as its holder (or more accurately, the person who the holder is perched on) nods. Then he turns back to the field. He knows just what to do: which is spray a Hydro Pump straight into the nearest lavaflow and create a pillar of steam, which he then dives into as a mighty Dragon Pulse zaps across the arena to leave a small, smoking crater in the spot he'd previously stood. He does this again-- three, four, FIVE more times, leaping from cloud to cloud for cover and bursting out again, further across the field than before.]

[Until finally, with a flash of ice-coated alligator teeth, he leaps for the Dragonite's throat with Ice Fang.]

[It's a critical hit.]

[The pair topples, and an ear-splitting gong ringing out signals the end of the battle. The crowd-- there's always an audience when Claire the Dragonmaster takes on a challenger-- roars and the camera goes shakily sprinting into the arena through the still-wafting steam.]

[There's a soft glow as the Dragonite, like the Gyarados and Kingdra, is withdrawn-- but it doesn't quite fade, even when the other Pokemon is gone...]</sub>




[GODZILLA has evolved into FERALIGATR!]

Comments

video;

[scratchitti]

[His own array of dragon pokemon were watching alongside him- and are all bellowing like football fans when their team loses.

Neku on the other hand is clapping]

Congrats, that was a pretty impressive battle.

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[He'll get a reply once things have calmed down a little bit-- it's still noisy and the camera's kind of shaking all over the place, but they're at least not being drowned out by the clamor of the audience anymore.]

[Heather's face is still ruddy with both excitement and-- well, SHE MIGHT HAVE CRIED A LITTLE BIT WHEN GODZILLA EVOLVED. JUST A LITTLE.]</sub>

Hahaa, oh man, THANK YOU!

What a rush!

[Video]

[scratchitti]

Reminds me of when I battled Blue. You can't really beat finishing all the gyms, huh?

[Video]

[foolishwren]

I guess not!

I haven't felt this exhilarated in-- ... I don't even KNOW.

EVER, maybe?!

[Video]

[scratchitti]

[Her excitement makes him grin too. It's kinda contagious]

I've never seen a pokemon evolve midbattle though, that's insane!

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

[There's even more rowdy cheering coming from the other side of the Gear.]

Hey, you did it! See, you guys did great, I told you it'd all go fine.

[And this means she can come home!! All kinds of reasons to be excited.]

Zilla got huge, wow.

[HE'S NOT GONNA FIT IN THE HOUSE ANYMORE.]

[video]

[foolishwren]

ISN'T IT GREAT?

Holy shit, at this point I figured he just wasn't gonna evolve at all!

Not that I like-- MINDED or anything-- but oh my god!

_{[She'll get to how touched she is by Envy's unconditional support this whole time in a moment-- right now she's too busy gushing about Godzilla.]}

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

Hell, you've had him since the beginning! I remember when he was tiny.

[And the WORST BRAT. A big green Tyranitar head shoves its way into the frame over Envy's shoulder, because Chimera wants to give Godzilla a cheer of his own. Envy claps one hand over his closest ear, momentarily deafened.]

[video]

[foolishwren]

YEAH!

I mean, I remember him hatching like it was yesterda--

<sub>[And then DINOSAUR CHEERING happens, and Heather leans back from the 'Gear, chortling at the look on poor Envy's face.]

[Godzilla, meanwhile, turns a healthy shade of purple in the background, and rumbles bashfully. AW SHUCKS, 'MERA....]</sub>

[Video]

[no_ufo_ending]

Great job, Zilla!

_{[Here's a beaming Henry who actually looks awake for once.]}

And you too, Heather. You two worked hard.

[Video]

[foolishwren]

_{[The video's still shaky and loud, but even in all the chaos, Heather looks... incredibly touched that Henry tuned in.]}

Thanks, Henry.

Did you-- did you watch the whole thing?

[Video]

[no_ufo_ending]

Mhmm.

_{[He's still smiling. He remembers the days when there used to be a little lip trading when it came to Heather and her gym battles.]}

[Video]

[foolishwren]

_{[She smiles back-- it's that crooked kind. She hasn't worn that in awhile.]}

So... have I earned my way back out of the doghouse?

Video

[bent_the_world]

....Whoah.

That was amazing!

[Korra has no idea who this person is or what kind of Pokemon those are, but that had been the most impressive battle she's ever seen.]

[That's what she wants to do.]

Video

[foolishwren]

RIGHT?!

<sub>[Whoa Heather, humble thyself a little bit.]

[Still, she doesn't sound smug-- if anything, she seems surprised at her own success. She can barely catch her breath.]</sub>

Like, battling Pryce was pretty intense too, but-- shit! I don't think I've EVER had a battle like that before! Damn!

Video

[bent_the_world]

I've never taken on any Gym Leaders, but if it's like that....

I can't wait till my team's strong enough to start!

How long have you been training?

Video

[foolishwren]

AHAHaah, well... I've been here for about five years now.

But a LOT of people finish fighting the Leaders WELL before I did, I kinda slacked off in the middle 'cuz I had other stuff goin' on.

text;

[ladywithnovoice]

We know you could do it.

text;

[foolishwren]

_{[She'll be getting a return reply some time later once things have quieted down a little bit-- Heather can do many things, but focusing on texting in the middle of all that noise and chaos is not one of them.]}

THANK YOU!!

I don't know if I properly thanked you before but man I REALLY appreciate your support

honestly I think all those sweet responses we got to the training video is a big part of what gave Zilla the confidence to get through this

like I'm not even kidding

text;

[ladywithnovoice]

[That's fine. Red knows the wait times she's liable to get communicating like this.]

He deserved every bit of encouragement, after working so hard.

It seems like he's going to have to get used to being so much bigger now, however.

text;

[foolishwren]

haha YEAH I genuinely expected him to just never evolve

I guess we'll have to make some adjustments when it comes to having him in the house....

[video]

[soundmind]

[Well, how else are you supposed to respond but with applause at a display like that. Evolution after battle, too? Quite the show!]

Congratulations, Heather!

[Clair apparently still hasn't learned not to take a Gyarados to a Dragon fight, but That's None Of Her Business.]

Looks like you had a lot of growth from that battle! [Was...was that a pun.]

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[AHAHAHAHAHA good one]

[Still, Heather's riding the high of victory too hard to be exasperated at the lame joke.]</sub>

HAHAHA, thank you!

Oh man!

Zilla says thanks too, I'm sure!

_{[The Feraligatr is a little busy being showered in adoration by Heather's other Pokemon, who are basically crawling all over him. He's officially the biggest one on the team now.]}

[video]

[soundmind]

[Yep, it was lame, she's a nerd for a reason.]

Haha, looks like Zilla's a little occupied. But that doesn't matter, an evolution after a big battle is something you have every right to be occupied with.

So, Champ, you thinking of heading over to Kanto after this?

[video]

[foolishwren]

Heh, nah, I'm headin' home for awhile.

_{[The fact that she can honestly CALL somewhere 'home' after all this time is... big, actually.]}

I think I need a break from bein' on the road.