The stadium was packed, every seat was taken and the standing only spaces on the upper gallery were jammed with spectators. The noise of the crowd was a heavy susurrus of sound sweeping back and forth across the open duelling field. Kyrio was nervous, the sleek, shiny blue charmander hadn’t been around this many people since he’d been captured now here he was about to take part in a pokémon championship.

It was the opening match, the start of the Indigo Plateau Tournament and Nido was to lead the opening with his team. They were going to be fighting some girl from Celidon city and the opening field was a neutral arena not one of the elemental fields. Vikris was sat calmly on the bench, the totodile munching his way through a poffin as he waited for Nido to get back.

Nall, their other team mate and currently a sleek, shiny brown and cream flygon was buzzing his wings idly, eyes closed as he swung his feet back and forth as they dangled off the bench. Pausing mid munch Vikris regarded Kyrio and the charmander twitched, standing tall on his hind legs as his mentor watched him.

he said with a grin around his snack,

Opening one of his red eyes Nall lowered his head and nudged the charmander gently,

Kyrio was about to say something else when Nidonocu walked over. The purple rabbit was dressed in white and black shorts, an open jacket and a tight black vest. He knelt down and strokes Kyrio’s head and the charmander tremblingly pressed against his touch. It was comforting having him there as he petted Vikris with his other hand, he then took a moment to give Nall some attention as the flygon shuffled along the bench.

“Ok boys,” he said with a smile, “It’s a three round, three knockouts battle and Clara is an expert at ground and grass types so I’ll be switching between all three of you for this.”

Kyrio asked, he hopped from foot to foot nervously,

“You’ll be fine,” Nido said with a smile, “Just follow your instincts, now return,” Kyrio squeaked as red light engulfed him. He still wasn’t used to this bit of being a pokemon. The light spread around his body, making his smooth, latex like hide tingle before he became fluid and travelled up the light.

Breaking apart into data and light, digitised, drawn into the warm embrace of the pokeball. He lost sensation, movement, he was just thought tucked away inside the pokeball now. Floating in the darkness, sightless, quiet Kyrio found a lot of his fears draining away as he strained his sense of hearing to listen to the outside world.

He heard the announcer, energetically introducing Clara, Sponsored by the Celidon City Gym and Nidonocu, Lead Pokemon Trainer from Laboratory Nostor. The crowd cheered, the announcers patter was quick and entertaining as he reeled of facts and figures about each trainer.

“Nidonocu returns for his seventh year at the Indigo Plateau championship, he’s been crowned Kanto champion twice, reached the semi finals four times and been placed as the runner up in the final!”

“He has however drawn Clara, the newest darling of Celidon city Gym, for the third year now she has earned all the badges in the Kanto Pokemon League trial. But this is her first time in the advanced league facing off against a master like Nidonocu! Who will be triumphant the new, beautiful, charming and exciting trainer or the exotic, measured, experience. Only their pokemon and their trainers direction will show!”

“Ah that’s my signal from the referee to shut up, everyone is ready down on the field and… that’s it they're off! Clara has started with her sandslash Jason, look at him go! He’s impressive, Clara has clearly given a lot of time and attention to training her pokemon’s agility and strength! Will he be able to stand up against Nidonocu’s Feralgatr Vikris!”

The running comment was kind of exciting to listen to, type advantage wasn’t giving Vikris the upper hand for most of the battle. Kyrio was also surprised Nido had upped Vikris’ evolution level all the way. He had no idea Vikris was advanced enough to go full feralgatr, but he shouldn’t have been surprised really, he’d been on the team for years.

Kyrio was on tenterhooks, listening to the battle raging back and forth outside his pokéball. The sandslash was fast, Vikris was sturdy, water and earth crashed again and again until with a vast roar that shook the trainer podium Vikris pulled off surf! Kyrio felt his ball rolling until a hand steadied it and with a loud ding the round bell sounded and the announcer burst into life.

“And that’s the bell! Jason has been swept clear out of the arena and the referee has called it! Round one goes to Nidonocu and Clara must select her second pokemon… here it is her sceptile! Henrietta’s data is coming up on the screen now, she’s quick, she’s strong and she’s opened the fight against Vikris with a powerful swords dance blocked by Vikris’ strength and sturdy nature. But what’s this… can it be… yes Clara has a mega-ring! Sceptile is evolving, changing there they go Mega-Sceptile has knocked Vikris for six! He’s down, can he get up… no that’s it the referee has called in Vikris is down!”

The crowd was cheering, the announcer fired out some fun facts and then suddenly there was light! Kyrio’s body seemed to snap around his thoughts and he landed on all fours in the centre of the arena. Deep, soft sand dented beneath his clawed paws and the charmander turned to look back at the podium.

Nidonocu gave him a thumbs up as the announcer shouted out, “What is this! Nidonocu has picked his second pokémon, his exotic charmander Kyrio! Is this a cunning tactical move on the purple bunny trainers part of a mistake! A charmander against a sceptile the outcome is in the lap of the gods!”

Kyrio wanted to shout at Nido, to ask what the hell he thought he was doing but the sceptile Henrietta was closing fast. He caught their rapid approach out of the corner of his eye and without even thinking about it Kyrio pushed off the ground and leapt out of the way. The plant creature was big, he was strong but he wasn’t fast. On the big screens Kyrio must have looked as if he was flickering in and out of sight as he danced expertly out of the way of each of the lumbering plants attacks.

Sliding to a halt on the sand Kyrio tossed his head back and hissed in defiance as the sceptile lumbered around and unleashed a torrential storm of leaves across the arena. Taking a deep breath Kyrio leapt into the air and exhaled, spinning his body around like a top, creating a whirlwind of flame that expanded out from his body.

The leaf storm flashed to fire and Henrietta was hit by a wave of flame as it battered into her, knocking her backwards. Kyrio landed on all fours, his purple tail flame burning brightly as he faced the sceptile across the arena. The strange seed pods along her back all started to glow, light from the tall rigs around the edge of the arena started to flow into them as she began to build a solarbeam.

Kyrio started to run, charging across the arena, planning to skull-bash his opponent when Nido’s voice cut through the cheering crowd as he shouted down to him.

“Kyrio, remember it’s just another type of fire!”

Sliding to a halt, sand scattering in all directions the charmander grinned and pulled himself up onto his hind legs. Spreading his legs he braced himself, front paws held before him and centred his mind. The flame on his tail flared as he calmed his thoughts and waited. Henrietta hurled the solar beam, the intense beam of solar bright light and Kyrio span, sweeping his tail into the path of the attack!

His tail flamed roared, Kyrio roared as the intense heat of the solarbeam was channelled through his burning tail. Kyrio drew that heat, the fire into himself, tail wreathed in a golden corona of white flame and then he opened his mouth and sent it all back from whence it came.

Henrietta stood dumbfounded as its own attack was used by the fire type to overcharge his flame. Then the column of flame struck it full in the chest and tossed the sceptile backwards. Kyrio finished exhaling and dropped back to all fours, shaking his head to try and dispel the splotches of colour dancing before his eyes.

“Henrietta is down… I repeat Henrietta is down! You saw it here folks, Nidonocu’s charmander just used Clara’s sceptiles own solar beam to supercharge his flame! Ladies and Gentlemen we just witnessed a first! The experts up here in the booth are telling me that was Sacred Flame! A very rare fire pokemon move that they’ve never seen from a charmander before!”

Standing up on his hind legs Kyrio gleamed, his body glittering under a coating of sand and the shining bright light of the arena lamps. The crowd were cheering, Nido was whooping in success the second round was Nidonocu’s and Kyrio had pulled it off. Throwing his head back Kyrio roared a stream of flame into the air and bounced back and forth, he felt amazing. It had felt amazing, fighting off such a big opponent, bringing them down with his fire it was good to win!

Clara was selecting her third and final pokemon and the announcer called it. Her krokorok Nathaniel, Kyrio didn’t mind, he was still in the fight and raced forward, fire wouldn’t work so well on the ground type but he could… red light engulfed him and with a yelp Kyrio was dragged back into his pokéball. Squirming against the tingling sensation of the ball Kyrio pressed against it. He was going to give Nido a piece of his mind for pulling him out of the fight like that! Before he could work his way free however he was released! Soaring through the air his body formed around him, new instincts kicked in and with a excited “Beeeeeeeeee” Kyrio spun his wings into overdrive and dived toward the krokorok.

Nathaniel didn’t stand a chance, Kyrio hit him squarely with his fell stinger which knocked him back. Then curving around on his wings Kyrio used his drill like hands to unleash a series of pin-missiles which took him out!
With Nathaniel lying in a dazed heap by the edge of the arena Kyrio flew up to Nido on the podium and buzzed around him as the crowd cheered and the announcer’s voice boomed across the arena.

“There you have it, the first match of the Indigo Plateau League Championship goes to Nidonocu and his beedrill Yorik.”

Kyrio landed on the edge of the podium and leant his wedge shaped bee head against Nido’s hand as he petted him, “See I knew you had it in you.”

Kyrio crooned happily then launched himself back into the air with a buzz of his wings. He felt great, who cared that he’d been kidnapped, transformed and his shape was depending on the whim and wishes of his trainer. As the cameras flashed, the crowd cheered and the arena thrummed with excited energy Kyrio buzzed around excitedly, being a pokemon rocked!

~fin