What's up guys? Now that we've hit chapter 2, things start to get interesting in this saga. As always, have a good day :)
-W4f
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon
Chapter 2- The Highest of the Highs to the Lowest of the Lows
The morning sun came through the windows too soon for my liking. Half awake, I nudged Tom and was met with groans. I kept poking him with my paw until he decided to wake up. After he got dressed, we went to the lobby to eat breakfast. Pokémon food wasn't bad but the specialized food for specific types always tasted better. Luckily, Tom purchased fire and dark type food so we enjoyed the special treat after our sweet victory. While we were eating, Tom pulled out a map and studied it in order to decide our next move. After minutes of looking at it, he was still somewhat confused on his next stop so he turned to us.
"Okay, on the count of three, we all point to where we want to go for our next gym challenge. Ready? One. Two. Three!"
All three of us pointed to different areas. Tom had Ecruteak City, I had Olivine City, and Quilava had Azalea Town. After looking at our seemingly random decisions, Tom and Quilava looked at each other with grins on their faces.
"Quilava, you would want to go there again, wouldn't you?" Tom said, grinning wider. "I know how much you want that badge again but we already have it. Plus, that gym leader wasn't too happy that we swept 'em."
Hearing that made Quilava's grin bigger too; he knew that his fire roasted bugs all day, every day. After a long belly rub by Tom, he decided to look up information on Olivine City's gym. I didn't like the looks of the Pokémon from the Pokémon League information guide. I saw "STEEL TYPE" on the top of the page and proceeded to poke at my master.
"What's wrong Umbreon?"
"I can't fight steel types. I want some action next gym battle." But all he heard was a sad "breee". The language barrier can be and still is annoying for us, but at least Tom can read me well so it's not a huge problem.
"Let me guess, you don't want Quilava stealing the spotlight again?" Tom said with a detective like tone. "I guess you're right, plus I need a more diverse team to take down steel types."
Saying I can't fight steel types is an understatement. At the ranch, I played with Magnemite but ran into them on accident and it really hurt, even with my fluffy coat; why would I fight one if it hurts just running into one?
Putting two and two together, we headed for Ecruteak to face the ghost type specialist, Morty. The route to the city was pretty barren. A few trainers were relaxing until we came along. However, they were polite and accepted our challenges. Quilava continued to dominate foes while I learned to use Faint Attack. In fact, I was pretty sure I was able to beat Quilava with my new move, but his flame wheel made me think twice. I found myself not being commanded by Tom whenever my foe was drastically weaker than me or I had a type advantage. I realized that I was one step closer to perfect harmony with Tom trusting my movements. Sure, I was far from perfect but the fact Tom gave me more leeway during fights meant I could handle myself.
We pulled up to the city entrance in the late afternoon despite such a short route. As much as Tom wanted to rush to the gym, his stomach told him otherwise. He decided a trip to the pokemon center was in order first to heal us up and to enjoy a nice 5:30pm dinner. He called Quilava out of its ball and all three of us walked up to the counter.
"Hello, I was wondering if you could heal these two please?" Tom asked. "Also, is Morty going to be in tomorrow morning to take challenges? I have three badges and would like a fourth," he said with a smirk on his face.
A statement like that made my ears perk up. This was not the Tom I knew since we met. That cocky attitude had me worried considering he only had Quilava and me. Did we really stand to waltz through a gym leader like that? Whitney took some tactical planning and a lucky burn to seal the deal. Quilava didn't say a word when I looked at him, but his eyes told me power would get us through this match.
"Of course I can heal these two," she replied sweetly but then turned businesslike shortly after. "Morty actually prefers to battle around this time as opposed to mornings. He says his ghost Pokémon feel energized as the night goes on. If you want, I can look to see if you can get a match in later tonight."
"If you can, that'd be great because someone else likes the night too." He replies, keeping the smirk on his face while looking at me; I tilted my head. The keyboard taps finally come to a stop and she turns the screen to Tom. He analyzes the screen and nods. "Sign me up for a 7:30 battle please. We could use the two hour rest."
"Very well. Good luck in your match."
With that, we all ate our food silently in the lobby but I suspected Tom and Quilava had something going on in their heads to make the battle turn in their favor. My gut feeling was that I would use Faint Attack and Bite constantly so I didn't have the same pressure on me compared to my fire partner. Tom continued to be deep in thought until he saw the clock. He took a deep breath before standing up and motioning for us to follow. The walk over was like the calm before the storm. A beautiful night sky was clear while the streets were lined with lights. We arrived at the gym entrance expecting something ghost themed, but it looked like any other building in town. It was time.
The gym itself looked different, but the battle area remained the same. A giant sandy rectangle with lines brings a sense of stability to all trainers and Pokémon despite each gym having its own style. A man stood with blonde hair and had a ball in hand.
"I assume you are Tom, yes?" Morty asked with a hint of curiosity. Tom nodded in response. "I am Morty and I favor ghost types. They are the craftiest yet most playful Pokémon that I have seen in my time as a trainer. There's just something about them that researchers can't put their finger on. Anyway, this will be a three on three battle." Tom just stared into space before Morty asked him if he was fine.
"I have only two Pokémon," was all my master could say, albeit very calm and stern; that demeanor was a good bluff. I could only assume his first two badges had come on the strength of Quilava alone and Whitney must have been his first intense battle. Maybe Tom was aiming to catch other Pokémon later on, but most people would've assumed any trainer had more than two with three badges. I mean, Quilava wasn't much of a talker so I would appreciate the company.
"I cannot allow myself to be out one less Pokémon simply because a trainer is not prepared, so it will be three on two" Morty shot back. It almost sounded like a worker who scolded me for playing too rough back at the ranch. Tom understood and went to his corner with Quilava and me. The judge stood at the ready.
"Gastly, let's roll!"
"Quilava, you're up!"
I was utterly stunned. A type advantage and I was on the sidelines? I sulked next to Tom as I waited for the judge to start the match. He still showed a calm demeanor despite being down 3-2 before the match even started. At the judge's command, the battle started.
"Ember!"
"Hypnosis!"
Gastly was hit with the ball of fire but missed putting Quilava to sleep. Gastly was visibly upset that its move missed and turned to Morty for an attack. It couldn't come fast enough.
"Flame Wheel! Keep up the pressure!"
Flames engulfed my battle partner and he charged toward the Gastly at full speed. An explosion went off in the middle of the battlefield with Gastly struggling to move after the smoke cleared.
"Gastly, get up and use Night Shade!"
To Tom's dismay, it got up and fired a Night Shade towards Quilava who couldn't dodge it in time. The move connected and Quilava was flat on the ground, but only for a few seconds as he got back up and shook it off.
"Finish it up with Flame Wheel, let's go!" Tom shouted and Quilava did just that. The Gastly fell to the floor; there would be no more attacks from it.
"Gastly is unable to battle, Quilava is the winner!" the judge said after raising Quilava's flag. Morty was unfazed as he recalled Gastly while Tom eased up and smiled a little bit. Haunter was sent out next and his smile faded away as our new opponent was more intimidating.
"Smokescreen!" Tom called out, hoping to provide the same advantage as in Whitney's battle. However, Haunter used Lick from long distance but luckily for Tom the paralyzing effect didn't happen. To my surprise, Morty breathed a sigh of relief despite the attack landing. However, Tom and Quilava hadn't noticed it. I wasn't sure why he sighed but I had a feeling that something worse was coming.
"That won't work if I have ranged attacks," Morty said while waving a finger at my master. Infuriated, Tom ordered a Flame Wheel and it hit its mark, but he paid for that in addition to the smoke clearing from Smokescreen.
"Hypnosis!"
The move hit Quilava and soon it was sleeping like a newborn Pokémon. Tom panicked and looked at me, unsure if he wanted to switch. He decided to bank on Quilava waking up fast. That was a costly mistake.
"Dream Eater," Morty coldly ordered.
"Get up Quilava!" he pleaded but it was no use. The Night Shade from before proved to be too much and now Haunter passed through Quilava smirking while Quilava shivered in fear and pain until he fainted. The judge raised his flag and declared Haunter the winner. Yup, it was definitely worse than paralysis.
Tom and I were awe stricken by the turn of events. So many questions raced through my mind. How could my partner be knocked out? Had he even come close to being knocked out? Is he really being recalled to his ball? Is the road to the top really that hard? How would Tom handle this? This is only the fourth gym for Arceus' sake!
"U-U-Umbreon, g-g-g-go," Tom stuttered as he pointed to the field; he was broken. I had to bring him back to his senses. Thankfully, he had let me fight on my own before so I had some idea how to defend myself while looking for the right time to strike.
I entered the field as confident as I could be with a Haunter near full strength and one other Pokémon up Morty's sleeve. The judge motioned the battle to begin and I was off to the races. I was not going to lose in a gym battle, not again. Faint Attack was used to counter everything that Haunter threw at me. Night Shades and Shadow Balls couldn't catch up to me as I ran circles around it. Finally, an opening to nail the Haunter came after Morty ordered a Hypnosis but it missed me.
"Haunter is unable to battle, Umbreon is the winner!" the judge declared. And at that moment, I was feeling on top of the world. Only one more foe left. Quilava was let out to witness the final match. As I turn back to my corner, all I see is a Pokémon filled with hope and my master regaining his confidence.
"Gengar, time to finish this, go!" A blob of pure darkness with red eyes stood before me.
No, I will not lose. I refuse to lose. My rings went from dim to a glorious yellow as my body felt leaner and stronger. The judge threw up the flags and the battle proceeded with no commands. I realized that Morty and Gengar had perfect harmony. Both of us could fight to our full potential because neither of us could tell what's coming next. Our masters stood with arms crossed, waiting for the final blow to be struck with Tom looking more concerned than Morty.
We traded Shadow Balls for Faint Attacks and Licks for Bites. It couldn't hide in the shadows for long as I could tell where it was. I kept moving so that Hypnosis wouldn't take hold of me and I did my best not to put myself in a vulnerable position. It got to a point where we were circling the field not wanting to attack at the risk of making the wrong move. Eventually I took the risk and charged in.
Both of us were down after I collided with a Night Shade while using Faint Attack at close range but I was not out. Panting heavily, I rose to my feet expecting Gengar to do the same. It did, but the moment I charged up another Faint Attack, it collapsed and stayed down. Everyone in the gym remained silent as the moment of truth was getting closer. I struggled to remain standing and waited for the judge's verdict; it was the longest five seconds in my life.
"Gengar is unable to battle. Umbreon wins! The victory goes to the challenger!"
Those words gave me enough energy to run over to Tom and for him and Quilava to meet me. He hugged me and I collapsed in his arms. Morty came over and graciously offered us the badge. Tom took it and smiled. However, I heard Morty begin to lecture my master.
"You have won today, but you need more than two Pokémon to make it through the other four leaders. I will, however, acknowledge your strength so I wish you good luck in your quest." After Morty left, Tom brought me back to my senses with a nice belly rub and I licked his hand in return.
"Sorry about the stage fright, Umbreon. I just didn't know how to handle the pressure this time. Quilava hasn't lost a battle since I got him. Anyway, let's go back to the center to rest up. Would you like to walk out in the moonlight?" I nodded since the moon made me feel a little healthier when it was out.
On the way back to the Pokémon center, I became aware that two people were following us too closely. I attempted to cross the street to lure Tom away from them and it worked. However, they stared to get even closer. Tom picked up on the situation and turned around to confront them since nobody was wandering the streets so late at night. Both people stood a little taller than my master with slightly more muscle.
"Is there something I can do for you two?" They pulled out three Great Balls and let loose Arboks.
"Give up the Umbreon and you'll be free to go," one man said calmly.
"Like hell I will!" Arbok slithered in front of its master sensing a fight.
"We've been following you two for weeks after you picked this thing up from the ranch. That idiot running the place shouldn't have sold you that Eevee but we made sure an accident like that won't happen again. He thought you were the middleman; what a pathetic excuse. He knew he screwed up because a girl was supposed to pick it up. By the way, why did you buy it? You don't seem like the type of guy to do something like that. Or am I wrong?" Tom's breathing hastened as he started to get angry.
"Because I couldn't catch anything, okay! I was desperate. Every Pokémon I tried to catch ran away from me or called its pals to gang up on me. I heard about this place from a guy hanging around the Azalea Town well; said I could buy one if I had enough money."
He pulled out a radio. "Hold pink team's position. Nobody is to leave their post until I get there. We need to have a little talk." He then surveyed the area again to calm himself down. "Idiots... all of them. Luckily for me, I won't have to deal with them again after I'm done with you. Last chance to surrender or we'll take it by force."
"You sure you're not the idiot? I'm not giving him up to you just because you asked."
"Listen you pathetic excuse for a trainer, we know you just got out of the gym. Umbreon over there can't fight right away and you know it." A truck pulled up next to the curb. "Don't try to run either; you won't get far. This isn't our first rodeo."
Tom started to get into his own fighting stance. "The moon gives it a little extra power in a pinch. However, I'm willing to take you on with him."
"That's it! You just signed your death certificate. Poison Sting!"
"Umbreon, Bite!"
I felt an adrenaline rush as I sprinted to dig my teeth into the snake Pokemon. Tom had charged the other man while he attempted to call out a second Arbok. He got in a solid punch, but that was all he could do.
"Arbok, Poison Sting on the kid!" I couldn't get away from my battle to help. Screams of pain echoed throughout the streets as Tom was covered in cuts.
"I'm not a kid," he said with labored breathing. "I'm 20 years old! Cut the crap and fight me like a… gaaa!" Tom hunched over and coughed up a little blood.
"Looks like you got poisoned. We could just stand here and you'll be out of our way in minutes. All you had to do was give up Umbreon."
Tom wasn't having any of it. "Quilava!" He came out looking exhausted, but the flames on his back were still bright. "Ember!" The attack was surprisingly effective on Arbok.
"Fighting until the end? Let me show you no mercy… like a man would. Poison Sting! Both of you!"
The onslaught couldn't be dodged as needles pelted the three of us. Quilava collapsed next to Tom while I staggered around only because the moon aided me. A third man in the truck sprinted out with an antidote to spray on me. After that, he stomped on our Poké Balls ensuring we were no longer owned.
"Idiot! This thing needs to be somewhat healthy! She may be a bitch, but she paid good money for this thing and she's going to pay us a month's salary for this." I lost the adrenaline rush and collapsed; he put me in a cage in the back.
The last thing I saw was Quilava smiling before he stopped breathing. I turned to Tom and he too was out cold, or so I thought. He looked up at me, mustering enough strength to speak despite the poison that would end his life after he was done talking.
"You'll make it to the top Umbreon. You'll always be stronger than any opponent." He drew his last breath and I had officially lost the only friends I ever had. My will to live went down to zero, yet I was forced to stay alive because someone else wanted me.
As I was being transported to my unknown destination I realized that I went from the highest of the highs to the lowest of the lows in a matter of minutes. The only question I had was: What now? All I could do was wait.
It had been months since that incident and every day, I was in a cage waiting or was being experimented on for one reason or another. I was scared to fight back for fear of my life ending. Tom and Quilava eventually faded from my memory as I fought just to live another day. I occasionally saw large sums of money around my cage and realized I was "for sale" as they called it. The experiments had to do with learning new attacks at a rapid pace and even learning more than four moves. Bite had been long gone and replaced with some purple substance that weakens the user over time and they deemed my natural speed to be high enough to remove Quick Attack.
The process of learning new moves was seemingly painless, but trying to relearn moves was the painful part once the scientists got orders from a higher up. Needles filled with some kind of memory fluid riddled my body for hours each day until I passed out from exhaustion. I learned a move where I shot a black energy pulse; someone mentioned that the move wasn't native to Johto.
They thought they had me under control until I realized they made two severe mistakes. Their second biggest mistake was giving me powerful moves with no idea how to control them and very little training. The biggest mistake they could've done was say they were going to get rid of Faint Attack for good. Just like that, I regained my will to fight.
Deep down I became enraged when I heard that Faint Attack was going to be replaced. That move brought Tom back into my mind immediately. That move was my last memory of him before I was taken. That move defined my strength, my rivalry with Quilava. That move won me a gym badge! That move was going to take me to the top. Nobody messed with that move, not even Arceus himself.
The next day arrived and as I was led into the experimenting room for the umpteenth time, I decided to test my new moves. My pulse attack knocked out about seven researchers and blew a hole in the wall facing a forest. That's not exactly how I drew it up because I wanted to leave out of the front door, but it's not like I had a choice. Guards and their Pokémon came as I was about to escape so fighting was the only way out. The guard's Pokémon, mostly Persian, were confused by the purple substance at first but kept charging. After fighting them over the next three minutes, they all collapsed. Backup wasn't fast enough and I escaped into the forest, but not without a well placed Slash on my front right leg during the scuffle.
This forest was and still is a savage place with power struggles going on every day. One Pinsir tried to kill me almost immediately after I found a place to sleep peacefully but I defeated him in a hard-fought battle. It couldn't get an actual attack off because I wrestled him to the ground and repeatedly bit him to within an inch of death. After I made sure Pinsir wasn't a threat, I let someone else take care of moving the body because I needed to regain my strength. Pokémon in the immediate area did not challenge me after seeing the fight, especially when my rings reached their maximum brightness. There will always be someone willing to challenge me, but anyone who saw that fight knew they would fall before me every time.
I'll always be stronger than any opponent.