Chapter One

Erika

"I'm here to Battle the Gym Leader here!" A boy of about 15 busted through the front doors, clothes slightly tatted and his hair a mess of bright gold, almost knowing over the front counter. "Watch it!" The girl behind the counter growled. She retrieved some of the fallen pamphlets and fliers. The boy stared eagerly around the karate school, his previous excitement slowly vanishing. "Where's the battle field?" He questioned the girl. He rolled her eyes and flipped her pony tail back. "Outside. This is a martial arts school first and then a gym. The gym leader is giving classes. If you don't wanna wait for it to end, then you better talk to him now." The boy was taken aback at the girl's bad attitude, but she simply shrugged it off. She hated when people came in for gym battles. They where either overly confident, too loud or disrespectful.

"Um, Mister?" The teen called from across the mat. "Yes sir?" The instructor was not very tall, but was a well built man in his late 20's, and obvious fighter. "Can we have a gym battle now?" He said, his voice full of fake force. The instructor eyed his class and the looked toward the girl at the counter. "Erika?" He called. "Yes sir?" The girl cringed. She knew what was coming. "Will you please battle this boy with my pokemon for the gym battle?" Erika tired to hide her displeasure. "Yes sir..."

"Why do I have to battle some girl?" The boy scoffed. He tossed a pokeball in the air impatiently. "This is not treat for me either." Erika held a small pouch that held her instructor's pokemon. "So what's your name anyways. Its kind of called manners or whatever." Erika stood at one end of a large field that was outlined with white chalk, as the field was actually part of a back road. "It's Jordan. Remember it. I'm going too be the best trainer ever." He placed a hand on his chest and beamed. Erika shoved a hand on her hip and chuckled. "Whatever you say Jordan. Are we gonna start or not?"

"I'll go first, okay?" Erika tossed a pokeball in the air. A bright light erupted from the small device and formed a slim, tanned figure. It grunted and shoved bright red boxing gloves back and forth, preparing for a fight. "A hitmonchan huh? I knew it would be a fighting type!" Jordan laughed as he pulled out his own pokeball. "Well duh..." Erika placed her thumb and forefinger over her eyes and rubbed them. "Go Speedy!" A large blue bird burst from the ball, feathers shot backwards, as though it flew at high speeds all the time. Red feathers adorned its chest and tail and it shook off the sleep from its tiny mechanical home. "A swellow? Alright, alright. Where is Marley? That kid...." Erika groaned, as an 12 year old boy with shoulder length dirty blond hair skipped out from the back door, his karate uniform dragging on the pavement. "I'm here! Right on time, right Ricky?" He smiled and whipped some sweat from his head. "Yeah yeah. Just get over there. We need to start." She coughed. "Aw, your in a bad mood. Don't worry, once you beat this kid, you'll feel better." Marley smiled.

"Okay! I want a clean battle here! No dirty moves! This is two vs two!" Marley rose a blue and red flag. "Start!" Jordan grinned from ear to ear. "Too easy! Speedy! Use wing attack!" The bird pokemon begun to flap its wings profusely as dust lifted heading straight toward hitmonchan. "Counter. Then ice punch." Erika whipped her hand around. "Like I don't know how to handle a bird pokemon." She purred to herself. A glowing white shield took the pound of the wing attack and shot it directly back at the swellow, thought it didn't do much damage. But before the winged pokemon could recuperate, hitmonchan was already in the air, fist slung back, rippling with ice. The red fabric smashed into the swellow's chest, causing it to be flung back into the aged over tar. Ice sparkled from it's feathers. "Oh no! Speedy! Get up!" Jordan wailed, as the swellow slowly returned to it's feet. "Don't underestimate me boy." The sun flashed over Erika's bright green eyes. There was no way she was going to lose.

As the swellow shook of the remnants of ice, Jordan started to sweat. "Speedy, use agility, and then aerial ace!" The swellow took off with such speed, like a bullet headed toward a bullseye. "Hitmonchan, bullet punch!" Erika yelled. Though hitmonchan's fists were fast, it still could not deflect the straight on hit from the swellow, and stumbled back a few steps. Jordan's face rolled into a menacing grin. "Speedy, again!" Swellow shook of the punches and again, zoomed toward hitmonchan. "Great..." Erika growled. "Hitmonchan thunder punch, full force!" Both creatures rushed toward each other in a blunt furry, smashing into each other. A large burst of light, followed by crackling eventually showed a strong standing fighting pokemon, and a collapsed bird.

"No...Speedy..." Jordon's eyes glazed over with what looked like heartbreak. Most of his confidence had been shot. "Gee Ricky. That was kind of harsh." Marley tried to say as quietly as he could. "Come on Marls, it's not like this is the first time he's ever lost a battle. And I'm sure it won't be the last." Erika said, recalling hitmonchan. She switched the pokeball, in hopes the battle would be over soon. Thunder rumbled in the skies above.

"Alright hitmonlee, you're up!" The next fighting pokemon was the same sandy tan color of the last, but its body had a unique bean shape with slinky like legs that let of quick, powerful kicks. "I won't lose this time!" Jordan cried. "Go Jewels!" With a bright flash of white light, a silvery purple pokemon spun out toward hitmonlee. It's 10 spikes of what seemed to be two stars stuck together slashed at the fighting pokemon's body leaving small skid marks. "...let's not be nasty now. Not with such a cute starmie" Erika mocked. "But don't dish it out, if you can't take it back. Hitmonlee, use hi jump kick!" Jordon, though he looked worn and worried, was not going down without a fight. "Use rapid spin Jewels!" Starmie launched its body full force at an unwavering hitmonlee. Jordon let out a loud scoff, and waved his hand. "No where to run! This your finished." Erika simply shrugged.

Starmie was on full assault, spinning so quickly, that the wind tore away as it approached hitmonlee. "Attack now!" Erika yelled, as hitmonlee took to the air, about to smash the double star pokemon into the ground. "Not so fast, swift!" Jordan cried, as starmie's attack was no longer just a flying, spinning razor, but now shot out stars. Hitmonlee took a heavy dose of the swift attack, before it's foot made contact with starmie's geometric body. Both pokemon fell with a large thud on the gravely surface. Hitmonlee struggled to its feet, while starmie rolled itself back on either of it's many sides. "Jewels, bubble beam!" Jordan stomped his foot to the ground, and at the same time, Erika cupped her hands around her mouth. "Hitmonlee, blaze kick!" As his pokemon fired a mass of bubbles, Jordan inquired, rhetorically, "A fire attack? Nice choice." Erika placed her hand on her hips. "Just wait for it." Hitmonlee slashed thought the bubbles, not only popping them, but turning them into vapor. The quick mist blinded the field for a few second, until a large pillar of fire burst up from starmie's body.

"Did I...lose?" Jordan's face was contorted. Marley rose the flag that faced Erika. "Um, yeah you did." He mumbled. Erika recalled hitmonlee and started to walk toward the back door of the karate school. "Hey, I want to battle the real gym leader." He growled. "Excuse me?" Erika's foot scrapped the ground as she did an about face. "You heard me. I want to battle the real gym leader. Not some...girl." He said, crossing his arms neatly over his chest, He tried to puff himself up so he seemed bigger, more intimidating. Erika narrowed her glossy green eyes, and gritted her teeth. "So what we have here is a sore loser. Hitmonchan and hitmonlee are not my pokemon. And trust me, you would have lost either way." Erika clutched her fist together and raised one a few inches away from Jordan's face. "So now you can run on home and cry how you lost to girl. Get out of my face." Jordan swallowed hard and tried to respond. "Well...I..." But Erika interjected. "Marley! Let's go back inside. I'm tired of hanging around with trash."

Author's Note

Hey. I just want to know what you think about said story. At the moment I think my character Erika seems like a pretty mean person. Well thats because there are no free handouts in life! It's actually just her introduction and remember that first impressions aren't always everything. She's really not that bad the whole time. Anger management issues and all. Well please keep reading and feel free to comment or utilize constructive criticism. Use advanced vocabulary people.