Chapter 6
Johnny woke up to find that while he'd been asleep Elise had dragged her sleeping bag next to his. He still felt terrible for how he'd hurt her. He could see tear tracks on her cheeks. Gem poked her head out of the sleeping bag and growled at him.
"I'm sorry okay? I didn't mean to upset her," he murmured. The Eevee gave him another reproachful look before crawling back into the sleeping bag, the tip of her tail barely visible.
"Hey Johnny, want some breakfast?" came a cheerful voice. He looked up to see Josh had started cooking over the fire, his Squirtle dancing around next to him.
"Sure," he grunted, getting out of his sleeping bag. How can this kid be so happy in the morning? Johnny wondered. He definitely wasn't a morning person. Elise turned over and sat up, looking dazed.
"Hey Elise, how are you this morning?" Josh chirped. Johnny glared at him, but Elise smiled.
"I'm good," she replied, climbing out of her sleeping bag. Gem and Cubchoo had both awakened as well and were chattering to each other, Cubchoo was even licking Gem's fur into place.
Soon enough they were on the road again. Josh was talking as usual. Elise wished he wouldn't, she wanted to talk to Johnny.
"Hey Josh, if I beat you in a battle, will you shut up for a bit?" Johnny snapped. Josh just grinned at him.
"Well sure!" he exclaimed. Elise rolled her eyes but said nothing as the boys got into position for their battle.
"Go Squirtle!" Josh's Squirtle ran forward and stood with a determined expression on its face.
"Take him out Leafeon!" Johnny called, throwing a pokeball. A tan, fox-like Pokemon appeared, leaves occasionally sprouting from its body. Elise flipped open her pokedex.
"Leafeon, the Verdant Pokémon. Leafeon is always surrounded by fresh clean air because it uses photosynthesis just like a plant," the pokedex explained. Elise knew that Leafeon had once been an Eevee just like Gem, and had evolved when Johnny battled with it in Eterna Forest while he'd been travelling around Sinnoh.
"Squirtle use Tail Whip!" Josh yelled. His Pokemon dashed forward and hit Leafeon with the side of its tail. She didn't even flinch.
"Use Giga Drain Leafeon," Johnny said calmly. Elise didn't see why Josh was bothering to battle Johnny, Josh's Pokemon barely had any experience while Johnny had had his for a very long time. Leafeon's body glowed green as she shot beams of energy at Squirtle. The beams surrounded the Pokemon and made him also glow green as it drained his energy. Squirtle fell to the ground with a thud.
"That was easy," Johnny said lightly, returning Leafeon to her pokeball, "now you have to be quiet until we get to Viridian." Josh just smiled, before scooping Squirtle into his arms.
"I don't mind losing, at least we tried!" he retorted. Johnny glared at him again. Man could this kid get any more annoying? Elise thought the battle had been unfair. Johnny had known he was going to win, so why did Josh go along with it? It didn't make any sense. Oh well, at least I have a chance to talk to Johnny now, Elise thought, consoling herself.
"So who is the gym leader at Viridian?" Elise asked Johnny curiously.
"His name is Giovanni, he used to be the leader of Team Rocket, but they say he's good now. He specialises in Ground type Pokemon, but it would be best to face him last once you have a team of really strong Pokemon," Johnny explained.
"Hey you! Dude with the red hair!" a voice called. Elise spun around, behind them was a guy with long orange hair and angry red eyes.
"I. Am. A. Girl, " Elise replied through clenched teeth.
"Whatever, I don't care whether you're a guy or a girl, I challenge you to a battle!" he yelled.
"Let's get this over with then," Elise called back. The guy threw a pokeball.
"Go, Bulbasaur!" A small, dinosaur-like Pokemon with a bulb on its back appeared. It was blue with green spots and stood on four legs. Elise opened her pokedex.
"Bulbasaur, it bears the seed of a plant on its back from birth. The seed slowly develops. Researchers are unsure whether to classify Bulbasaur as a plant or animal. Bulbasaur are extremely calm and are difficult to capture in the wild."
"Okay well I'll use Gem!" Elise cried. Her Eevee bounded forward and stood her ground in front of the Bulbasaur.
"Use Tackle Bulbasaur!" the other trainer called to his Pokemon.
"Gem, counter it with your own Tackle!" Both Pokemon ran forward at the same time and collided, bouncing back on their feet.
"Gem use Sand-Attack!" Gem turned her back on the opponent and started kicking dirt into its eyes with her back paws.
"Bulba!" it cried out, head shaking from side to side as it tried to see through the veil of dirt in its eyes.
"Quickly, before it can see again, use Quick Attack!" Gem darted towards Bulbasaur so fast that she looked like a brown and cream coloured blur, before hitting it right in the face. It fell over on its back and struggled to get up.
"Now Gem finish it with Tail Whip!"
"Bulbasaur get up!" the other trainer yelled angrily, but it was too late. Gem bounded towards the fallen Pokemon and hit it hard with her tail. He had fainted.
"Man that was so unfair," the guy grumbled, returning Bulbasaur to its pokeball and stalking off angrily.
"You did so well Gem!" Elise cried. Her Eevee jumped into her arms and rubbed its face against hers.
"Great job Elise, you're a really good trainer," Johnny said softly. He'd never seen her smile so wide.
