#riverdale pokeweek

[reggiemantleholdmyhand-tle]

REGGIE MANTLE: THE MIGHT OF THE BULLDOG

The ill-tempered Reggie is always itching for a good fight.

Reggie’s Team: Lucario (able to mega evolve), Pancham, Primeape, Hariyama, Hawlucha, and Machamp

Badge Awarded: Knuckle Badge

If it looks like a locker room and smells like a locker room, it’s probably Reggie Mantle’s gym.

Lockers line the walls, creating little cubicles throughout the gym. Trainers are doing just that: training, using the gym equipment in each locker-cubicle. They’re too busy lifting weights and checking out their own muscles to pay you any mind.

“Guys!” Reggie calls out, rolling his eyes from his platform, “There’s a trainer here! Look alive, maybe!”

All eyes are on you, and the boys in the room flex, while the girls send you ‘Challenge me if you dare’ looks.

They’re more intimidating when out of battle, so beating them is a cinch.

Reggie stands on an elevated platform, arms crossed over his chest. He wears only a sports vest and a pair of sweatpants, that hang almost too low on his hips. Two boulders lay on either side of him.

“Damn bro!” Reggie’s voice rings through the building, “So, you've come this far! Let me tell you, I'm tough! My Pokémon will crush stones and shatter bones! Watch this!”

Reggie picks up one of the boulders sitting beside him with a loud grunt, making a show of it before he tosses it away from him, shattering the boulder against the wall.

“There! Scared now, are you?”

You just stare at him in confusion and he raises his eyebrows at you.

“What? It has nothing to do with Pokémon?” Reggie simply shrugs, “That's true! Whatever. Time to kick some ass!"

(created with the help of my lovely friend @ch4plinfan, dedicated to @awkwardteenwrites, gym leader quote inspired by chuck’s opening line)

[reggiemantleholdmyhand-tle]

KEVIN KELLER: THE WHO, THE WATT, AND THE WHERE

Kevin loves a good, riveting shock.

Kevin’s Team: Plusle, Pachirisu, Ampharos (able to mega evolve), Jolteon, Mareep, and Zebstrika

Badge Awarded: Voltage Badge

Kevin Keller’s gym is basically just an auditorium, and when you arrive, people are seated in comfy chairs, like they’re waiting for a show.

The stage is huge, the bright, velvety red curtains are closed, and you can see people’s feet shuffling around backstage.

“You finally made it!” You hear a voice from the front call out. Kevin stands right in front of the stage, checking his watch, “A little later than I was expecting, but I guess that’s showbiz. Okay, places everyone!”

Places? What?

You don’t have much time to try to wrap your head around what’s happening because Kevin grabs you by the shoulders, spinning you around and marching you up to the podium sitting on the left side of the stage. “You’re gonna do great,” He says, and runs off the stage.

An entirely too bright spotlight flashes onto you. The curtain opens and three people step onto the stage, holding giant cue cards.

Kevin stands in front of the stage, hands clasped together. “Welcome, everyone, to the Pokédale Quiz Show! Answer a question correctly, move on to the next round. Answer a question incorrectly aaaand…”

“BATTLE THAT TRAINER!” The audience roars out, clapping and jeering.

“Are you ready for your first question?” Kevin turns to you. You open your mouth to say something, but he cuts you off, “Great! Let’s begin.”

“Question number one! You’ve all heard of our hot hunk of man, Steel-type Gym Leader Archie Andrews, but how well do you know him? Let’s find out.”

Three more spotlights now illuminate the trainers on stage, holding their lettered cards. “How many hours a day does Archie work on that hot bod of his? A) 1, B) 2, or C) 3?”

You try to resist rolling your eyes as you look at the small answer cards in front of you. You take a guess, holding up the letter C.

“Correct! Archie Andrews spends a whole 3 hours at his buddy Reggie’s gym every day. Round two!”

You barely have any time to take a breath before more trainers waltz on to the stage, Kevin already rolling into the next question.

“Word around town is Pokédale’s sweethearts Josie McCoy and her Pussycats are working on a new album. What is it called? A) The Cat’s Meowth, B) Seeled With A Kiss, or C) Works Like A Charm-ander?”

This one you definitely know, as a fan of Josie and the Pussycats. You hold up the letter A.

“Amazing! The new album is titled “The Cat’s Meowth” but answers B and C are also songs featured on the album!”

“Onto our final round! This round features a question about the legendary Dragon-type Elite Four member: Sweet Pea. We’ve all marveled over his perfect signature hair curl. How long does that take him every morning? A) 30 minutes, B) 1 hour, or C) we all know he just wakes up like that, somehow, the beautiful bastard.”

This time you actually do roll your eyes. What kind of trivia question is that?

You trust your gut and hold up the letter C again.

“Bravo, bravo! You have passed my quiz! Fantastic job!”

The audience cheers, and Kevin walks onto the stage to congratulate you. “You did great!”

You just smile, unable to say anything, still weirded out by the whole experience. He snaps his fingers, the stage opening up wide to form a battlefield. Kevin makes his way to the other side of the stage, showing off for the audience members as he takes on a battle stance.

“You’re awfully quiet. Did all of those questions leave you dizzy? My beloved Pokémon will be the next ones to make your head spin!"

(created with the help of my lovely friend @ch4plinfan, dedicated to @awkwardteenwrites, gym leader quote inspired by elesa’s opening line)

[reggiemantleholdmyhand-tle]

BETTY COOPER: THE GIRL NEXT SOAR

Betty yearns for freedom, to soar away from all her problems the way a bird might.

Betty’s Team: Pidgeot (able to mega evolve), Murkrow, Swanna, Swellow, Trumbeak, and Oricorio (Pom Pom Style)

Badge Awarded: Feather Badge

You had heard the rumors about how beautiful Betty Cooper’s gym was, but none if the rumors could quite do it justice. That much you notice right away.

Decorated in pastel goodness, Betty’s gym is warm and inviting. Beautiful topiaries of various bird Pokémon are littered throughout the gym, small mechanical bird Pokémon fluttering in the domed ceiling. Turnstiles that are shades of sky blue and baby pink line your walkway, a puzzle that begs to be solved. Turn the wrong way, and face a trainer. Just complicated enough to be annoying.

As soon as you pass through the last turnstile, you see her. She’s standing sideways, in front of an open window, with her left side to you, wind blowing through her short blonde ponytailed-locks. Her arms are angled like wings, and there’s a soft smile on her face.

“You made it through,” She murmurs cheerfully, almost proudly, “That puzzle has stumped quite a few trainers.”

She lowers her arms to her side slowly, turning on her heel to face you, “My name is Betty Cooper. I’m the Gym Leader here. I have become one with the bird Pokémon and have soared the skies…”

She turns again, staring wistfully out the window again, “My mother has always said that you can clip flying-type Pokémon’s wings with a jolt of electricity…”

She flips around again to face you, an intensity in her eyes that doesn’t match her soft face, “I won’t allow such insults to bird Pokémon! I’ll show you the real power of the magnificent and free bird Pokémon!”

(created with the help of my lovely friend @ch4plinfan, dedicated to @awkwardteenwrites, gym leader quote inspired by winona and faulkner’s opening lines)

[reggiemantleholdmyhand-tle]

ARCHIE ANDREWS: THE ABS OF STEEL

Not only does Archie have abs of steel, but he has nerves of steel as well. And he’s always ready to prove so.

Archie’s Team: Metagross (able to mega evolve), Steelix, Bronzong, Aggron, Aegislash, and Durant

Badge Awarded: Mineral Badge

Here we go, You talk yourself up in your head, First gym. You’ve got this.

You’ve been training for weeks, wanting to have a good, full team before taking on Archie Andrews, the Abs of Steel (coined by one Veronica Lodge), the steel-type gym leader.

You step into the gym, not quite knowing what to expect, and you’re pleasantly surprised at how simple everything is. There are steel girders that hold the ceiling together, steel arches leading to the battlefield, and steel statues of Pokémon in a line on each side of the battlefield. Only two trainers await you before you can take on Archie.

Taking them out is easy, almost too easy, and you’re not sure if it puts you at ease or makes you wary for what is to come.

Archie stands in the center of the battlefield, arms crossed over his bare chest. A pair of jeans hang low on his waist, and he’s sweating, like he just finished a workout.

“Welcome... No, wait. Puny Trainer, how good to see you've made it here! I have been entrusted with the... No, wait. I am Archie, and I'm the Gym Leader here! Uh... Dare not underestimate me, though I have been Leader only a short time! With skills inherited from my father, I will… demonstrate my nerves of steel!"

(created with the help of my lovely friend @ch4plinfan, dedicated to @awkwardteenwrites, gym leader quote inspired by flannery’s opening line)

[reggiemantleholdmyhand-tle]

JUGHEAD JONES: THE TORTURED SOUL

Jughead’s weird. He’s a weirdo. He doesn’t fit in. And he doesn’t want to fit in.

Jughead’s Team: Gengar (able to mega evolve), Shedinja, Dusclops, Banette, Mismagius, and Dusknoir

Badge Awarded: Fog Badge

The gym is pitch black, save for a few candles lighting the door to the back room. You can’t see anything, even if you squint. You take careful steps, bumping into both walls and other trainers. Once you take down the first trainer, they give you a single candle to carry along with you, lighting your way, but just barely. Upon the walls, there are menacing photographs and paintings of ghost Pokémon. A chill rolls down your spine as you wind and weave through the maze the leader has created.

After harrowing battles with four more tough trainers, a platform that you can hardly see in front of you lurches forward, catching you off guard, and you ascend into the room of shadows. Suddenly, a spotlight illuminates the battlefield and you can see him: Jughead Jones, the self-proclaimed weirdo, the King of Ghosts, is waiting for you. He stands at a good height, chest puffed out enough for you to see the faint S painted on his gray t-shirt. The crown-shaped beanie on his head lays at an angle atop his raven colored hair. A plaid shirt is tied around his waist and he taps his left foot almost impatiently, the combat boot making a sound against the floor that echoed through the pitch black chamber. He crosses his arms over his chest, an expectant smirk evident on his face. He’s waiting for you to step forward.

When you finally do, he says, “'Eyes brimming with dark flame, this man rejected everything other than himself in order to bring about one singular justice...' That's part of a novel I'm writing. I was inspired by the challenger who was just here, and somehow I got a little sad...” He seems to get a little lost in his speech, the intimidating look on his face fading away, being replaced with something a little more... forlorn?

He shakes himself out of it quickly. “Excuse me. You're a challenger, right? I'm the ghost-type Pokémon user, Jughead Jones, and I shall be your opponent.”

“Are you ready to face the spirits head on? This won’t be some cinematic victory for you if you haven’t trained enough. I will not hesitate to put your lights out with my team.”

You take a deep breath in, nodding curtly. He grins, rubbing his hands together, “Let’s do this.”

(created with the help of my lovely friend @ch4plinfan, dedicated to @awkwardteenwrites, gym leader quote inspired by elite four shauntal’s opening line)

[reggiemantleholdmyhand-tle]

VERONICA LODGE: THE ICE QUEEN

Veronica said it herself: her specialty is ice.

Veronica’s Team: Smoochum, Alolan Ninetales, Glalie, Cubchoo, Glaceon, and Froslass (able to mega evolve)

Badge Awarded: Glacier Badge

You can see her sitting atop a throne from the moment you walk into the gym: Veronica Lodge, the Ice Queen. She looks incredibly regal, and you wonder how she’s not absolutely freezing in a building made of solid ice. Her hair falls behind her shoulders, showing off the icy set of pearls adorning her chest. She stands from her throne slowly, giving you a sly wave before crossing her arms over her chest.

She watches you as you battle her trainers, calculating your moves in her head, a stone cold look on her face. She raises her eyebrow as you take down her last trainer, clearly impressed, but she’d never tell you otherwise.

“Congratulations, trainer.” Her voice echoes through the building, as you ascend the stairs leading to her throne, “You’ve earned the right to face me.”

She fiddles with the pearls around her neck, staring you dead in the eye, “But I should tell you, I’m tough as ice because I know how to focus. Pokémon, fashion, romance… It’s all about focus. I’ll show you just what I mean. Get ready to lose!”

(created with the help of my lovely friend @ch4plinfan, dedicated to @awkwardteenwrites, gym leader quote inspired by candice’s opening line)