Back again with a (reasonably) long chapter! Woohoo, school holidays! I probably won't do much, so I might upload more because I get bored. A lot. I mean it. Look forward to that, if you like the story so far.
It was raining again the next morning, though not too hard. I was thankful for that. After breakfast Pikachu and I worked on his new move again to make sure none of his skill had gone in the night, and when I was satisfied I headed towards the Gym. Pikachu was determined to weather the rain this time (excuse the pun) so I turned up my hood and he hid on my shoulder beneath my coat. The Gym wasn't hard to find, it was the big building with the sign outside saying 'Pokémon Gym'. I didn't stop to read it, instead heading inside. The floor was littered with rocks of all sizes with a crude path going up the centre. I walked forwards but froze when a man shouted at me.
"Yo, champ in the making! You here to take on Brock?" I looked around for the source of the voice, and blinked when I saw the man in overalls and glasses grinning at me. I nodded.
"Excellent! Then I expect you know what to expect here?"
"Rock types?" I answered. He laughed.
"Good one! Yes, there'll be a few of those, but let me tell you this. Brock is no pushover. He trains seven days a week, rain or shine. You got a plan for taking him down?" I glanced at Pikachu.
"Sort of. I can't really make a plan for something unpredictable, now can I?" He laughed again.
"Very true! Now, I'll delay you no longer. Off you go, towards victory!" He pumped his fist in the air, and I stared for a few more moments before walking past. I walked carefully over all of the rocks in the path, clambering over a few of them when they were too big to sidestep. I'd just walked past a huge one when someone leapt out in front of me, and I froze in my place. It was a young kid wearing incredibly green clothes, and he grinned at the shock on my face.
"Sorry girlie, but you're still a million light-years away from facing Brock!" He pulled out a Poké Ball and held it out.
"Go, Geodude!" The Pokémon looked like a rock with arms, and it slammed its fists together and cried, "Geodude!" I paused for a moment before letting Pikachu out of my coat. He leapt to the floor of the Gym, sparks crackling across his cheeks. The kid smirked.
"Do you really think you have a chance of beating me with that Pokémon? It's your funeral! Geodude, Tackle!"
The thing began bouncing across the floor to Pikachu, ready to slam into it with the force of a wrecking ball. I waited as it approached, and when it was about to hit I shouted, "Now!"
Pikachu's fist glowed orange and he swung his arm, slamming right into Geodude's face and knocking it back several metres. I whistled. Joanna was right. That move was strong. The boy's face was white as a sheet as he recalled his defeated Pokémon, then took out another Poké Ball and released another. This one looked a little like a yellow mole, and it looked around curiously.
"Sandshrew, Sand Attack!"
"Close your eyes, Pikachu!" He squeezed his eyes as shut as they could go, and the sand caught in his fur but otherwise did absolutely nothing to hinder him. The boy gulped as Pikachu readied his attack, and Sandshrew was soon down for the count. The boy recalled his second Pokémon and stared at me as I walked past him, continuing on to the back of the Gym.
"What was that about being light-years away?" I asked cheekily. He gulped and shook his head, waving his hands around.
"No no no! I meant light-years as a measurement of distance, not time!"
"Uh-huh, sure." I kept on walking, being careful of any other people wanting to try and scare me to death. No-one did, and I reached the back of the Gym without trouble. There was a raised platform which I climbed onto, and I stopped when I saw the boy standing there. He had spiky brown hair and squinty eyes, and he didn't look very happy either. He sighed as I approached.
"I expect you want to battle me?"
"Yes, that is the purpose of a Gym, is it not? To battle the Leader?" He cracked a grin.
"I guess so. As you may have guessed, I am the Leader."
"You don't say." I answered sarcastically. He nodded.
"I do say. My name is Brock, and I am a user of the Rock type. What's your name?"
"Fentis." He nodded again.
"Fentis, good name. Alright then, shall we get this started?"
"If you think you're ready, then let's get it on." He grinned again and tossed out a Poké Ball.
"Go, Geodude!" It looked exactly the same as the last one. I don't know why I was expecting it to be different. I didn't know a lot of things when it came to Pokémon.
"Pikachu, go!" Brock raised an eyebrow.
"A Pikachu? How do you plan to win with that?"
"Very skilfully, of course." He stared, and then nodded.
"Alright then. It's your choice, after all. Geodude, use Defence Curl!" It curled up in a tight ball, and a shiny coat of something appeared on its bumpy surface for a moment before it disappeared again.
"Pikachu, Rock Smash!" Brock's eyebrows rose as Pikachu darted towards Geodude, pulled back a glowing orange fist and socked him right in the face. It was a one-hit KO, and Brock exhaled deeply while he recalled it.
"Now I get it. Nice one."
"Thanks."
"It's not going to happen again though. Go, Onix!" He hurled the ball high into the air, and the ground shook with the impact of the creature that appeared. It was a giant snake made of rocks, and it stared down at Pikachu with a gleam in its eyes.
"Oh." Was all I said. Brock nodded.
"Oh indeed. Onix, Rock Tomb!"
The Pokémon slammed its tail on the ground, causing some rocks to bounce in the air. It used its tail like a bat, smacking the rocks right at Pikachu. He managed to dodge them all, but then he looked around. He was trapped inside a cage of rocks! I frowned.
"Pikachu, Rock Smash!" He smashed a rock and scampered away from the tomb, and Brock frowned.
"I guess that is one tiny detail we overlooked."
"And it's that tiny detail that's going to win me this battle. Pikachu, Rock Smash!"
"Onix, Bind!" The rock snake dove at Pikachu, preparing to encircle him and crush him in the solid coils. Pikachu's eyes widened as he slowed his charge.
"Jump!" I cried, and he leapt into the air and slammed his fist down on Onix's head, sending it back down to the floor. It wasn't beaten yet, but I could tell it was severely tired as it got back up slowly, swaying.
"One more time, Pikachu! Back of the head!"
"Pika-CHUUUU!" He shouted, smacking Onix's head back into the ground and this time it didn't get back up. Brock blinked as Pikachu returned to me, and I hugged him tightly.
"Hmm...Well, that's that, then." He recalled his Onix and approached me, and a man ran up the stairs and handed him a velvet-lined tray. In the centre of it was a badge, in the shape of a simple grey octagon. Brock picked it up and the man hurried away, then he turned to me.
"Under the orders of the Pokémon League, I am obligated to give you this badge. Congratulations, you've earned the Boulder Badge!"
I took it, not really sure what to do with it now I had it. I stared up at him and he seemed to notice my confusion, for he said, "Do you have a Badge case?"
"Oh, yeah! I've got one here somewhere!" I gave Pikachu the Boulder Badge to hold while I scrambled around in my bag, and Brock chuckled. I didn't see how it was amusing. I eventually pulled out the case and opened it up, and held it up for Pikachu to put the Badge in. We both grinned as it slid into the first empty spot, then we high-fived in triumph.
"Are you quite finished?" Brock drawled, and I turned back to him. He was smiling, and his smile became even wider when I said, "No. I doubt I ever will be, either." That made him laugh.
"Alright then, moving on. Where do you think you'll go next?" I gave him a blank look and he shook his head, muttering under his breath.
"Well, if you don't know, I'd suggest Cerulean City. It's just on the other side of Mt. Moon to the east." I nodded.
"Sounds good. Well, see ya later!" I called as I left. I passed the green-clad boy who hung his head, and I smirked as I emerged into the open, rain still falling softly. I hated this kind of rain more than heavy rain, as this kind just seemed to get everywhere. I pulled my hood up and Pikachu hid on my shoulder again, and I ran through the puddles to the east side of town. I passed the museum on the way, and something in the window made me skid to a halt, almost slipping over. That would've been embarrassing. It was a poster about the newest exhibit they had, mainly Pokémon fossils. I'd never seen one of those. I walked over to the building and tried the doors, but they were locked. I shrugged and turned away, continuing my way towards the towering mountain. I could come back here another day.
Route 3 was surrounded by rocky hills and the ground was slippery, so I picked my way carefully through the huge boulders. I was trying to edge past a particularly big one when my foot slipped, and I found myself falling. I cried out in surprise as I tumbled down the ledge, falling head over heels until I landed in a heap at the bottom. As I picked myself up I checked on Pikachu, and was relieved to find that he was unharmed, just a little dizzy.
"Hey, you over there! Are you okay?"
There was a huge man waddling towards me. He looked like he could be running, but I wasn't sure. He wore a huge backpack and carried a stick, and as he drew closer I saw he had a large beard.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just took a little tumble, that's all." He stopped in front of me, red-faced and panting. He obviously doesn't do much running.
"You sure? It looked like it hurt." I shook my head.
"No, I'm honestly okay. Just a little...discombobulated." He grinned.
"We've all experienced that around here, girl. There are some of us who basically live on top of this here mountain, and lots of others who wish they could. My name's Sebastian, but people call me Seb." He held out his hand, and I shook it. It was huge compared to mine.
"I'm Fentis, and this is Pikachu." He popped his head out of my coat and grinned at Seb.
"Pika!" He doffed his hat.
"Nice to meet the pair of you. So, where are you headed?"
"Cerulean City. Brock said it was through Mt. Moon, which I'm assuming is around here somewhere."
"And right you are. This whole area is technically Mt. Moon, but the actual tunnel is about two hundred metres that way." He pointed, and my heart sank.
"Well, I can't exactly get back up there, now can I?"
"Of course you can! I assume you didn't beat Brock by a fluke, so you must have some skill. Now it's time to use it." I turned to him and he was staring at me entirely seriously.
"Would you be able to lead me to the entrance, Sebastian?" I asked, as nicely as I could manage. He grinned.
"It'd be my pleasure, Fentis. Follow me!" He set off through the rain and I ran after him, trying to dodge as many puddles as I could. Seb just went right through the middle, not caring about getting his clothes muddy. I was different. I had to wear these for the rest of my journey, so I was being more careful. My hands and feet were soon coated in the thick brown sludge, and I stomped along gloomily. I think the weather was affecting my mood. Seb glanced over his shoulder a few times to make sure I was following, and he stopped suddenly. I almost crashed right into him, then peered around him to see what the problem was. There was a giant rock right in the middle of the path. It was pretty solid, so there was no chance of me or even Seb being able to move it. He shook his head and turned to me.
"The rain must've loosened it from its spot up on that ledge. I'm afraid we'll have to go around." My shoulders sagged, and then I had an idea. I turned to Pikachu, and it was obvious he was thinking the exact same thing.
"No we don't. Excuse me, please." I squeezed past him and stood in front of the rock, sizing it up. I was sure Pikachu would be able to handle it.
"You ready?" I asked. He nodded firmly, giving me a look that said, 'Come on, I was born ready!' I grinned and loosened my coat, allowing him to jump out and splash down to the ground.
"Right then. Pikachu, Rock Smash!" He charged right at the rock before jumping into the air and slamming it with his tiny fist, but it still shattered to millions of tiny pieces under his brute strength. Seb's mouth fell open and I grinned, scooping Pikachu from the ground and putting him back on my shoulder. I walked forwards, and then turned back when Seb wasn't following.
"Are we going or not?" I called. He jumped a little before running after me, and we walked on in silence.
"That was impressive." He said when he got his breath back.
"Why thank you. I would've thought one of your Pokémon would be able to do that. Don't you find this kind of thing all the time?" He nodded.
"Yes I do, but it's not unusual to find one every day. It'd just get too tiring to smash every single one I found, and my Pokémon would get tired as well." I shrugged, stepping over a small crack in the ground. That made sense, I guess. As we walked the going got tougher, and I lost my footing more than once just to be saved by Seb. It'd been about half an hour, and the scenery remained seemingly unchanged. I looked around, and then turned to Seb.
"Doesn't this place drive you mad? Everything looks the same." He shook his head, grinning.
"No, that's part of the challenge of living out here. Finding your way home is an adventure in itself, and I always feel like I've accomplished when it takes me less than an hour to get back."
"That would drive me mad, I know it." He laughed and we carried on. I was pretty much soaked now, and Seb's beard had absorbed water like a sponge. I found it quite entertaining that whenever we stopped he squeezed it, and water would stream out in a never-ending drip. It made me laugh a few times. Before long we arrived at a slightly easier bit of ground to walk on, and I strode ahead confidently.
"Do you even know where you're going?" Seb asked, coming up behind me. I turned to him, frowning.
"Of course I do. I'm going where I need to go." He rolled his eyes and walked past me, then stopped beside a wall.
"You're going right in here. This is Mt. Moon's entrance." My eyes widened.
"Really? We're here?" He nodded.
"Yep, really." I grinned.
"Thanks, Seb. Let me know if you need a favour in return or anything." I waved as I walked in, ducking my head to avoid hitting it on the low roof. He nodded at me and walked away, whistling a merry tune to himself as he disappeared into the rain. I was by myself again, but then I loosened my coat and Pikachu looked around curiously, and then glanced up at me.
"Pika?" I nodded, looking around.
"Yeah. I have no idea where we're going, either."
Seeing as I was already a little lost, I just started walking randomly in a random direction. I should've convinced Seb to come in here with me. At least then I'd have someone who knew their way around. In Mt. Moon I had no way of telling the time, and the only noises I ever heard were the dripping of water from stalactites, the flutter of wings as Pokémon flew about in the dark and the fall of my own feet. Pikachu clung to my shoulder, as though reminding me he was still there. I was grateful for that, as it was rather spooky in the dark. I was just walking and minding my own business when suddenly the ground wasn't there anymore, and I yelped as I fell forwards into a giant hole in the ground. I managed to pick myself up and I felt around for Pikachu.
"Pikachu? You around here somewhere?"
"Pika!" He called, and I found him and he crawled back onto my shoulder.
"Sorry about that." I said lamely, and he snorted.
"Pikachu, pika pika." It sounded like he was scolding me, and I nodded.
"Yeah, I'll try not to do that again." I kept on walking, and soon the ground became quite a steep upwards slope and my shoes kept slipping.
"Pika?"
"I dunno, it's like a crater or something." I managed to pull myself out and I kept going. My eyes were adjusted to the gloom now, and I could see things as I looked around. I now noticed there were craters all over the place, and I wove my way through them like I was in a maze. The ceiling was incredibly high and covered in stalactites, which kept dripping on my face. Suddenly the ground was soft and I looked down. I was walking in golden sand which clung to my wet shoes, and I plodded on with no idea of where I was supposed to go. I turned a corner and found a ladder in front of me, and I tested the strength of the rungs before I climbed down. This new place wasn't too exciting, but there was a little waterfall running from a hole in the wall and pooling at the bottom. I wandered around and found another ladder which I descended, and I was in a much larger area, and it seemed to be a lot lighter as well. Weren't we supposed to be about three levels underground? I stayed where I was as I heard a voice, and I listened or a few seconds. It was a man, and he didn't sound too happy about something. I poked my head around a rock to see him, and I frowned in confusion. He was dressed entirely in black, and his shirt had a red R on the front. He looked very weird. I got to my feet and stepped out, and his head whipped around to face me. He frowned and reached in his pocket, presumably for a Poké Ball.
"We're pulling a big job in here, kid! Get lost!" He threw the Poké Ball, and a little blue bat with no eyes appeared. I pulled out my PokéDex to get an idea of what I was fighting, as I didn't think this guy would be too nice to me if I lost. Zubat, the Bat Pokémon. It checks its surroundings and location by using the reflections of the ultrasonic waves from its mouth. That probably explained why it didn't have any eyes.
"Go, Pikachu!" He leapt onto the ground, keeping his eyes fixed on the flapping Zubat.
"Thundershock!"
"Pika...CHUUUU!" The bolt zapped the bat, making it cry out and collapse on the ground, twitching in a way not too dissimilar from Blue's Eevee. The man frowned again and recalled it, and then pulled out another Poké Ball.
"Go, Ekans!"
Ekans was a purple snake with a yellow underbelly, and it hissed at Pikachu. I held up my PokéDex again. Ekans, the Snake Pokémon. It sneaks through the grass without making a sound and strikes unsuspecting prey from behind. I glanced back up, and was just in time to see the Pokémon wrap its long body around Pikachu, and begin squeezing.
"Pikachu, Thundershock again!"
There was no way it could miss, and the Ekans unwrapped itself and hissed in anger. I thought hard.
"Rock Smash!" Pikachu swung his fist at the snake, knocking it back into its Trainer. He recalled his defeated Ekans and glared at me.
"So...you are good." He muttered before turning and running, heading straight up the ladder I'd just come down. I retrieved Pikachu and looked him over carefully.
"You alright?" I asked. He nodded and frowned after the man, then turned back to me.
"Pika! Pikachu!"
"You want to follow him?" He nodded again, and I put him on my shoulder and chased after the man. He was nowhere to be seen at the top of the ladder, but Pikachu pointed with his tail eagerly.
"Can you hear him?" I asked, and he nodded again.
"Pika!"
"Alright, I'm going!" I ran through the cave, jumping over the occasional crater and being guided by Pikachu. Every now and then we'd stop and Pikachu would listen while I caught me breath, then we'd be off again. We arrived at another ladder and I glanced at Pikachu, who was angling his ears down towards it and nodding at me. I grabbed the sides of it and braced my feet against the poles and slid down it like it was a 90˚ slide, and I leapt off at the bottom and landed on both feet. Before I could look around, someone yelled at me.
"Hey, you!"
I was battling again. He had a Sandshrew, just like the kid in the Pewter Gym. Pikachu quickly took care of it with a Rock Smash to the face and the man ran away. I didn't bother following this one. He didn't really have many places he could go, and I explored the place I was in thoroughly. What did all those guys in black want here? The first one I fought had told me they were pulling a big job, but what did that mean? What job? Oh, I was getting all confused again. There were no little side tunnels in this area so I went back up the ladder and kept wandering around. A while later I found another ladder, but there was a man standing beside this one, and he looked worried.
"Hey, is something wrong?" I asked as I approached. He whirled to face me, and he broke out into a huge grin.
"Oh, you don't know how pleased I am to see you! Are you a Pokémon Trainer?" I nodded, and he sighed in relief.
"You're just who I've been waiting for, then! Come over here and listen carefully." This was more than a little weird, but I went over to the ladder and knelt down beside it, and tilted my head so I could listen better
"Did you guys hear about what happened to our scouts?" A gruff voice said from somewhere below us.
"Yeah. Didn't they get it handed to them by a little kid?"
"According to them, anyway."
"HAHA! What losers! I don't know why they're still members, after losing like that!"
"You're not thinking in the long term, you idiot! What if this kid comes after all of Team Rocket? It could be bad news for us."
"Mhmm, the Boss wouldn't like that one bit. Well, what do you propose we do?"
That was the last of the voices, as the two speakers seemed to begin whispering as though they were afraid of being overheard. I sat back on the ground and turned to the man, who was frowning.
"This Team Rocket...What is their intention? What do they mean to do here in Mt. Moon?"
"I've fought a couple of their members here and there. One of them said they were pulling a big job here." He stared at me.
"Are you the little kid who they were talking about?"
"Yes, but I'm no little kid!" He nodded.
"Obviously not. Tell you what, can you do me a favour?" I frowned.
"Depends what it is."
"Could you go down there and find out what Team Rocket is up to?" I blinked at him.
"Are you mad? They'd flay me alive!"
"I doubt that. You've managed to defeat two of their members, so your skill must be real. I'm sure the rest of them will pose no threat to you whatsoever. Please?"
I frowned, but inside I was curious. I wanted to know what was going on here as well, and the best way to do that seemed to be to confront them head-on. I turned to Pikachu, and saw that his ears were angled down to the hole. He wanted to do it, I could tell, so I sighed and nodded.
"Alright, I'll do it. But I blame you if anything happens." He nodded.
"Of course, of course. Now please, hurry! Who knows what they could be doing down there?"
"I said I'd do it, so there's no need to rush me!" I spat, and the man fell silent. I lowered my legs into the hole, grabbed onto the ladder and slid down. My feet hit the ground sooner than I'd anticipated so I almost fell over, but I managed to pick myself up and look around. There was a large open area here, and no Team Rocket men in sight. I walked forwards cautiously, and when I rounded a corner I almost screamed. There was a Team Rocket man standing in front of me, hiding out of my peripheral vision in the dark.
"Got you! You're not going to get the jump on me!" He pulled out a Poké Ball and released a small purple rat. I glanced at my PokéDex. Rattata, the Moue Pokémon. It searches for food all day. It gnaws on hard objects to wear down its fangs, which grow constantly during its lifetime. I looked up at the Rattata, and saw that it did indeed have large fangs. More like buck teeth, actually, but who was I to judge? Pikachu took it down quickly with a Rock Smash, and I mentally thanked Joanna for teaching it to him. It was making this so much easier. He also had a Sandshrew that went down to a Rock Smash, and then he backed away.
"You...who are you?" I didn't say anything, instead collecting Pikachu and running off through the twists and turns of Mt. Moon. I'd just turned another corner when yet another black-clad man jumped out at me, and challenged me to a fight. He had the same Pokémon as the bulk of Team Rocket seemed to have, consisting of a Rattata and Zubat. He too backed away from me, but he wasn't like the last one. He was the kind of villain that you see in movies, when they meet the hero and reveal their entire plan in one of those long-winded monologues.
"We, Team Rocket, shall be the first to find the fossils! Reviving the Pokémon from them will earn us huge riches!" What was he on about? I don't know, but I ran past him and went through a narrow crack in the rocks, and emerged into a small cavern with stairs leading up. I climbed up them, and almost jumped out of my skin when someone yelled at me.
"Hey, stop right there! I found these fossils! They're both mine!" I turned to see a man in a long white lab coat and shiny glasses running towards me. He was one of those people who really should stick to the books and complicated equations, and leave running to the professionals. As he ran he fumbled in his pocket and threw out a Poké Ball, and I stumbled away from what burst out. It was a pile of purple ooze with eyes, a large gaping mouth and hands that reached towards me. It was gross. I leapt onto a rock to get away from it, and pulled out my PokéDex. Grimer, the Sludge Pokémon. It was born when sludge in a dirty stream was exposed to the moon's X-rays. It appears among filth. Eww, that sounded nasty.
"Go, Pikachu!" The Grimer looked huge compared to Pikachu, and it opened its mouth wide enough to eat his head. It was very disturbing.
"Pikachu, Thundershock!" Grimer seemed to absorb the attack, thought it did slow down considerably.
"Alright, Grimer! Use Pound!" The ooze suddenly shot forwards and whacked Pikachu around the face with its ooze-hand, knocking him back to the nearby wall.
"Are you alright?" I shouted, and he picked himself up and nodded determinedly.
"Pika pika!" I sighed in relief, then called, "Thundershock again! Don't stop until it goes down!"
"Pika...CHUUUU!" The electricity surged from his small body in a never-ending stream, and soon Grimer was down. The man recalled it, frowning and sweating in anxiety.
"Alright, that's not too bad. We're not losing yet. Go, Voltorb!" For a moment I thought his Poké Ball hadn't opened, and then I realized it had eyes and was glaring at me. I whipped out my PokéDex yet again. Voltorb, the Ball Pokémon. It looks just like a Poké Ball. It is dangerous because it may electrocute or explode on touch. That didn't sound too good.
"Voltorb, Sonicboom!" The shockwave was huge, and it sent both me and Pikachu reeling from the impact. I almost fell back down the stairs and had to windmill my arms to regain my balance, and Pikachu flew backwards a few metres and picked himself back up again pretty fast. He looked angry now and crouched with all four paws on the ground, and then he darted forwards so fast he was almost invisible. He sent Voltorb flying backwards, but kept running and socked it with a Rock Smash, knocking it out. I blinked and pulled out my PokéDex and quickly scanned Pikachu, and he had indeed learnt a new move. Quick Attack. Not too bad, if I do say so myself. The man seemed to be freaking out now, as he was trembling when he recalled his Voltorb and sent out his last Pokémon, which looked a little like a floating purple cloud. Koffing, the Poison Gas Pokémon. Lighter-than-air gases in its body keep it aloft. The gases do not only smell, but are also explosive. Yet another Pokémon that could explode in my face. Why do people seem to like these Pokémon better than the others? I shrugged.
"Alright Pikachu, time to use Quick Attack!" He darted at the Koffing and slammed into it, knocking it to the ground and making it groan.
"Alright, now use Thundershock!" The bolts of electricity zapped the Pokémon and it rolled about, trying to escape the static. It couldn't.
"Finish it off with a Quick Attack!" As Pikachu sped towards the helpless Koffing, the man smiled. Instantly I knew it was a trap, but it was too late to do anything about it.
"Koffing, use Smog!" Purple gas hissed from the pores on Koffing's body, quickly enveloping Pikachu and drifting back towards me. I coughed and pulled the front of my shirt over my nose, holding my breath and trying to fan it away with my hands.
"Pikachu!" I shouted, really afraid now. When he didn't reply, I panicked. I ran forwards into the purple cloud, the gas stinging my eyes and making them water. I couldn't see a thing, and I tripped on something and fell on my face. I rolled over and inspected it, and found Pikachu unconscious next to Koffing. I coughed like mad as I picked him up and wrapped him in my jersey, and then I slowly got to my feet and staggered away. The gas was taking its toll on me, and I stumbled and fell to one knee, coughing and gasping. I had no idea what became of the man or of Koffing, as I toppled onto my side and blacked out.
Yay for cliffhangers! If you want the next bit, I shall put it simply for you; The more you review, the sooner you'll get it. Kapeesh? R&R, for Fentis' sake!