Paul and Dawn: First Light

Chapter 32: A Different Strategy

Chapter 32: A Different Strategy 

"Awe, I thought you'd win." Daniel patted Amanda on the back.  

She shrugged. "Can't win them all." 

"Hey, where'd Gabby go?" Emma asked, looking around. 

"It looks to me like Daniel has a new shadow," Anthony said, amused. 

We all looked behind Daniel where the shortest in their group was hiding. 

"Hi," she said quietly. 

"Gabby, it's your turn to battle," Daniel chided. 

Truthfully, if I'd been alone I wouldn't have battled anyone after Emma considering she'd lost so quickly. Only Anthony and Amanda had seemed like a challenge and this little pipsqueak looked like she couldn't even throw a Poke Ball a good ten feet, let alone train Pokemon. 

Still, it'd be experience and Dawn was watching. Not to mention I had nothing else to do today... maybe she'd at least provide a couple minute's worth of a distraction. 

"I don't think I want to." Gabby looked at her feet, glancing up at me every couple of seconds. 

"Why?" Daniel asked. 

"Uh." She lowered her voice, "He's scary looking! I mean, look, he's glaring at us right now!" 

They all looked up to me, staring at them, and then back at Gabby. 

"I just figured he'd had surgery and his face got stuck like that." Daniel shrugged. "He's not that bad, Gabbidy! Come on, battle him." 

"Not even you or Emma or Amanda could beat him! There's no way I have a chance!" She cowered. 

"Ah, but you're wrong!" Daniel grinned. "You have the power of annoyance! That's sure to count as something!" 

"You're kidding me, right?" Emma sighed, obviously irritated. "Since you're the living embodiment of annoyance, why didn't you win?" 

Daniel ignored the question and pushed Gabby towards me. "Ok, last battle! Here you go." 

I nodded in acknowledgement to Gabby and she flinched. Shrugging, I walked to the other side of the field, calling out Gastrodon as I did so. 

"Learning anything useful?" I murmured to Bagon. He nodded, his eyes determined. Seemed like he was ready to battle himself. 

I crossed my arms, looking at Gabby impatiently as she fumbled with her bag for a Poke Ball. "Any day now." 

She almost dropped the Poke Ball she'd managed to pull out. "Sorry!" 

"Don't be sorry, just hurry up," I said bluntly. 

I saw some of her friends look like they wanted to aid in her defense, but they decided to stay out of our way. 

Good. She needed to grow her own spine just like everyone else. 

"Rhea, I need your help!" Gabby cried. A large floating purple Mismagius appeared, singing as Felicity did, except the notes were shriller and gave me a headache. 

So Gastrodon's Body Slam wouldn't work. At least Muddy Water was a Water type move and not a Ground type considering Mismagius's ability was Levitate. 

"Use Ice Beam."

"Dodge it," Gabby said. 

The Mismagius flew with ease around Gastrodon. It was a lot faster than I'd have guessed. 

"Now use Attract!" Gabby smiled sheepishly. 

Oh, Arceus.

"Muddy Water counter!"