Last chapter saw James, Livvi and Richard finding the Ruby and bringing it back to Bill and Celio, thus completely half of their quest. Since Bill and Celio don't know where the Sapphire is yet, the group have set off for Boon Island, where Richard hopes to earn his second Sevii League gym badge.
Upload Date: 21st February 2016
Chapter 7: Lighting Up Boon Island!
Boon Town, Sevii Islands
9:37am, 9th July 2005
"Richard, wait for us!" Livvi called after Richard.
"There's no way he's going to stop and wait for us," James said with a sigh.
The three of them had arrived on Boon Island in the middle of the night and stayed on the ferry until morning. As they'd been expecting, Boon Town was a tiny settlement. Smaller than Seaspray Town, it clung to the hillside on the south western side of the island. A single main pier served the ferry, though a number of smaller jetties were available for local boats.
The small size of the town meant that they'd been able to more or less pinpoint the location of everything the moment they'd stepped off the ferry: the pokémon centre was located on the seafront, just opposite the main pier in fact; the large building further back overlooking the town was most likely the gym. This had been confirmed when they'd asked a local where the gym was, and Richard had consequently set off there as fast as he could.
"Was I like this back in Kanto?" James asked as he and Livvi continued following him through the streets.
"A little bit," Livvi admitted.
"I promise that I'll try not to act this way again."
"Come on, guys! What's keeping you?" Richard called back to them. He'd stopped at the top of the hill they'd been climbing and turned to look back at them. Despite his enthusiastic voice, he was panting fairly heavily.
"Don't wear yourself out before you've even got to the gym!" James called.
"I… won't… don't…. worry!" Richard replied.
"There's no point in rushing up there," Livvi said as she and James caught up with him. "For all you know, they might not have a slot available until later, or even tomorrow!"
"We'll only find out when we get there," Richard replied with a grin. "Besides, the faster I get there, the more chance I have of getting in before anyone else!"
"It really annoys me how that makes sense," Livvi sighed as Richard took off again.
James shrugged. "Oh well, we're almost there anyway," he said.
The two of them continued on up the hill.
The gym building wasn't particularly remarkable on the outside – the only reason they'd thought it was the gym in the first place was because it was large enough to stand out in the tiny town. It was about two storeys high with a dull grey exterior. A glass double door stood at the centre of the front of the building.
"I suppose they can't really afford to do much with the place." Richard made a comment as they approached the door.
"Well this is a tiny town on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean, so I doubt they get that many visitors," Livvi replied.
"They don't even have automatic doors," James murmured as they pushed the doors open themselves. "This really is a poor gym!"
"Hello! Are you here for a gym battle?!" the young man behind the reception desk asked them enthusiastically the moment they set foot in the building.
"Just me," Richard replied. "When's the earliest I can fight the gym leader?"
"You can go in straight away!" the receptionist replied. "I just need your trainer card for a quick second!"
Richard quickly handed over his trainer card.
The receptionist quickly swiped it in his machine and took a quick look at the data on his computer screen.
"Thank you." He handed the card back to Richard. "You can go in straight away."
"Thanks!" Richard grinned.
"Umm, we're spectating," said James. "Where do we go?"
"Oh, it's the same door," the receptionist explained, gesturing to the large doorway opposite the entrance. "The arena is surrounded by a wall, so you can watch from behind that."
"They don't even have a stand?" James whispered to Livvi.
"Hello? Archie? You have a challenger!" The receptionist was now calling the gym leader as the three of them entered the doorway. "No, I'm not joking!"
Livvi frowned.
"Just how unused is this gym?!"
9:51am, 9th July 2005
"Hello! Welcome to my gym!"
A young man with blonde hair wearing a black vest and baggy blue trousers was stood at one end of the arena as Richard, James and Livvi walked in.
"I'm Archie, the gym leader here!" he continued.
"I'm Richard Winter from Pewter City!" Richard introduced himself.
"It's nice to meet you! My gym doesn't often get challengers from Kanto!" Archie grinned.
It sounds like you don't often get challengers at all, James and Livvi both thought as they leant on the wall at the side of the arena.
"What are the rules here?" Richard asked as he took his position.
"Three-on-three!" Archie called back. "And you're the only one who can substitute pokémon!"
"Are you both ready?" The referee, who looked as excited as Archie at the arrival of a challenger, looked between them both.
"Yes!" Richard and Archie both called back.
"Okay then! This is an official Sevii League gym battle between the Boon Town gym leader, Archie, and the challenger, Richard Winter from Pewter City!" the referee announced proudly. "The battle will be fought using a three-on-three single format and will be over when one side has no pokémon left who can battle! In addition, only the challenger will be allowed to substitute pokémon! Begin!"
"Go, Sting!" Richard called, throwing out his first poké ball.
Sting called out as he burst out of his poké ball and started hovering above the battlefield.
"Go, Pikachu!" Archie called.
Archie's pikachu emerged from his poké ball and landed softly on the ground with a quiet thud.
"Use String Shot!" Richard ordered, wasting no time.
Sting fired a stream of sticky web towards Pikachu.
"Dodge it using Double Team!" Archie called.
Pikachu nodded. Suddenly, a group of doubles appeared. All of them attempted to dodge the incoming strings and though several were hit and disappeared, most managed it.
"Now use Thunderbolt!" Archie called.
Pikachu fired a blast of electricity towards Sting, who cried in pain as he was hit. He dropped to the ground, but quickly managed to pull himself back up.
"Use Twineedle!" Richard ordered.
Sting nodded. He took off again and dove towards Pikachu. He quickly stabbed him twice in quick succession before the electric type could react.
"Now use Poison Sting!" Richard called.
One of Sting's needle-like arms turned purple. Pikachu cried out as Sting stabbed him, forcing him to take a few steps back.
"Are you alright, Pikachu?" Archie called.
Pikachu nodded in response. However, he had started shaking slightly as poison took effect in his body.
"Looks like we need to finish this up quickly!" Archie shouted. "Use Double Team!"
Pikachu summoned another group of doubles.
"Now use Focus Punch!" Archie ordered.
"Isn't Focus Punch supposed to be really powerful?" Livvi asked.
"Yeah." James nodded. "The downside to it is that it takes time for the user to focus all their power before punching, and you can disrupt their focus with the smallest attack."
"So by using Double Team, Archie's making it harder for Sting to land that attack?"
"That's right," James replied. "It's not a bad strategy actually."
"Sting, use Focus Energy!" Richard called to Sting as Pikachu and his doubles all clenched their right fists and began focusing their energy into them.
Sting looked between the doubles, attempting to identify their weakest points.
"Now use String Shot!" Richard called.
Sting nodded and fired another stream of sticky web towards the doubles, scoring a direct hit on the real one.
"Stay focused, Pikachu!" Archie called to him.
Pikachu nodded. Finishing focusing all his power into his fist, he charged towards Sting. However, the String Shot covering him stuck to the ground and slowed him down.
"Use Twineedle!" Richard ordered Sting.
Sting dove towards Pikachu again, stabbing him with his needle-like arms. Pikachu cried in pain. Sting had clearly managed to strike a weak point. The power stored up in Pikachu's fist faded away.
"Are you alright, Pikachu?" Archie called.
For a moment, Pikachu stayed stable. Then he collapsed forwards, unable to fight through the effects of being poisoned.
"Pikachu is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Beedrill is the winner!"
"Great work Sting!" Richard grinned.
Sting nodded enthusiastically.
"Heh, you're pretty good!" Archie called as he recalled Pikachu. "This could be the most interesting battle I've fought recently!"
From the sound of it, you haven't had any battles recently, James and Livvi both thought.
"Great work so far, Richard!" Livvi called out, remembering that they were supposed to be cheering for him.
"Keep it up!" James grinned.
"Thanks, guys!" Richard called back.
"Guess it's time to bring out the big guns!" Archie grinned. He pulled out his next poké ball and threw it out.
An electabuzz burst out of the ball and landed on the battlefield with a loud thud.
"Start off with Screech!" Archie ordered.
Electabuzz let out a loud screech.
Sting, alert to sounds in his surroundings, recoiled in the face of the high-pitched noise. Richard, James and Livvi all clutched their ears as well.
"Now use Thunderpunch!" Archie called.
Electabuzz immediately charged forwards, his right fist cloaked in electricity. He slammed his fist into Sting, sending him flying back.
"Sting! Are you alright?" Richard called out to Sting as he crashed to the ground in front of him, electricity sparking from his body.
Sting managed to pull himself back up.
"Alright, use Poison Sting!" Richard called.
Sting took off and dove towards Electabuzz.
"Intercept him with Thunderbolt!" Archie ordered.
Electabuzz fired a blast of electricity towards Sting.
"Dodge it!" Richard called.
Sting flew to the left, avoiding the thunderbolt by inches, before continuing to dive towards his opponent. Electabuzz grunted in pain as he was hit.
"Use Swift!" Archie shouted as Sting started to withdraw.
Electabuzz fired a volley of star-shaped rays towards Sting, who cried in pain as the attack hit and sent him flying back in a cloud of glitter-like dust.
"Now finish it up with Thunderbolt!" Archie called.
Electabuzz nodded and fired another thunderbolt at Sting, striking him directly.
"Sting!" Richard cried in alarm.
Sting cried out weakly as he dropped to the ground and landed with a thud.
"Beedrill is unable to battle! The winner is Electabuzz!" the referee announced.
"You did your best, Sting, thanks!" Richard called as he recalled him. He took a deep breath. Electabuzz was clearly going to be a tough opponent.
"Stay strong, Richard – you still have the advantage!" James called.
"Got it!" Richard nodded. He pulled out his next poké ball. "You're up, Flare!"
Flare called excitedly as he burst out of his poké ball.
"Use Agility, followed by Take Down!" Richard ordered.
Flare charged forwards, moving so fast that he was behind Electabuzz in the blink of an eye. He slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground.
"Are you alright, Electabuzz?" Archie called.
Electabuzz pulled himself back his feet and gave himself a shake before nodding.
"Use Screech!" Archie ordered.
Electabuzz let out another ear-splitting screech. Flare cried out in pain.
"Now use Thunder Punch!" Archie called.
Electabuzz nodded and charged forwards. He smashed his electrified fist into Flare's flank before he had a chance to recover from the effects of Screech and sent him flying back towards Richard.
"Are you alright, Flare?" Richard asked urgently as Flare landed with a crash.
Flare painfully pulled himself back to his feet. The last attack had clearly done a great deal of damage, but not enough to put the ponyta out of the battle.
"Use Ember!" Richard called.
Flare fired a burst of fiery embers towards Electabuzz.
"Counter it with Thunderbolt!" Archie ordered.
Electabuzz nodded and fired a blast of electricity towards Flare. The two attacks met closer to Electabuzz since he'd launched his attack later than Flare. However, the more powerful Thunderbolt almost immediately overpowered Flare's Ember and ploughed on towards him.
"Dodge it with Agility!" Richard called to Flare.
Flare nodded. He took off at a blinding speed, easily avoiding the Thunderbolt, which harmlessly struck the ground where he'd been standing a mere second ago.
"Use Swift!" Archie ordered immediately.
Electabuzz fired a volley of Swift rays, which immediately homed in on Flare despite the incredibly fast pace he was travelling at. He cried out as the rays struck him. He toppled to the ground, the momentum of his interrupted charge causing him to roll several times before coming to a halt.
"Now use Thunder Punch!" Archie ordered.
Electabuzz charged forwards and smashed his fist into Flare, who was struggling to pull himself back to his feet.
"Flare, are you alright?" Richard called as he toppled back to the ground.
Flare called back through gritted teeth. He grimaced as he pulled himself back to his feet and turned to face Electabuzz again.
"Are you still good to go, Flare?" Richard asked. "Do you need a rest?"
Flare shook his head and gave Richard a determined grin.
"Alright then, use Agility and then Take Down!" Richard called.
Flare sprang forwards at a slightly slower pace than normal, though still remarkable given his physical condition. He suddenly reappeared as if from nowhere behind Electabuzz and slammed into him. The electric type groaned, forced a few steps forward from the impact.
"Use Thunderbolt!" Archie ordered.
Electabuzz turned back to face Flare and fired another blast of electricity at almost point-blank range. Flare cried out in pain as he was hit. He hit the ground with a thud.
"Ponyta is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Electabuzz is the winner!"
"Great work, Electabuzz!" Archie grinned at him.
Electabuzz grinned back.
"You tried your best, Flare, thanks!" Richard called as he withdrew Flare.
"Looks like the battle's managed to draw a small crowd," said James, looking around.
"You're right!" Livvi cried in surprise, looking around as well. There were about six other people who'd come in at some point to watch the match. "I was so focused on the battle that I didn't notice them come in!"
"I guess it really isn't that often that someone comes here for a gym battle!" James grinned.
Richard had pulled out his final poké ball.
"I choose you, Naro!" he called, throwing the ball out into the arena.
Naro roared as he burst out of the ball and landed on the arena floor with a crash.
"Use Megahorn!" Richard ordered.
Naro's horn started glowing a lime green colour as he charged towards Electabuzz, who cried in pain as he was struck in the chest with such force that he was lifted off his feet and hurled back into the arena wall.
"Are you alright, Electabuzz?" Archie called, clearly unnerved by Naro's show of force.
Electabuzz grimaced in pain but pulled himself back to his feet.
"It looks like you saved your best for last!" Archie called over to Richard.
"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Richard gave a shrug. "Naro's so much more powerful than my other pokémon that it caught you unawares!"
"That it did!" Archie nodded. "But now that we've gotten over our surprise, it's our turn to go on the offensive: Electabuzz, use Screech!"
Electabuzz let out another screech.
Naro clutched his ears for a couple of seconds before recovering.
"Use Double Kick!" Richard ordered.
Naro nodded and charged towards Electabuzz.
"Intercept them with Swift!" Archie yelled.
Electabuzz fired a volley of star-shaped rays towards Naro.
"Stay strong and fight through it Naro!" Richard ordered, recognising that it was impossible to dodge Swift.
Naro nodded. The rays struck him, but he continued pushing through regardless. Electabuzz cried in pain as he was struck by the two swift kicks.
"Are you alright, Electabuzz?" Archie called.
Electabuzz pulled himself unsteadily back to his feet.
"Finish it up with Horn Attack!" Richard shouted to Naro.
Naro nodded. He charged forwards and smashed into Electabuzz once again. A series of electrical jolts flitted between the two Pokémon immediately after impact. Then Electabuzz was hurled back.
"Electabuzz!" Archie cried out.
Electabuzz landed with a thud and gave a weak cry in response.
"Electabuzz is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "The winner is Nidoking!"
"You're doing great, Naro!" Richard grinned.
Naro gave him a confident nod in response.
"That nidoking is something else," Archie said in admiration as he recalled Electabuzz to his poké ball. "Looks like it's all down to my last pokémon." He pulled out his last poké ball and threw it out.
A tall, yellow pokémon with a round jewel on its tail emerged from the poké ball and stood to attention on the battlefield.
"I've never seen that pokémon before!" Richard cried, pulling out his Pokédex.
"Ampharos, the light pokémon and the evolved form of Flaaffy. Ampharos gives off so much light that it can even be seen from space. Before the days of electric lighting, people used this pokémon's light to send signals back and forth over long distances. It often acts as a beacon for lost people."
"That's really interesting," Livvi murmured.
"I don't know how much of a fight it can put up though," James said, folding his arms. "Naro's a tough pokémon and it won't be able to use any electrical attacks since its facing a ground type."
"It's probably still a little too early to say that Richard's won yet though," Livvi replied.
"Start off with Horn Attack!" Richard shouted to Naro.
Naro nodded and started charging towards Ampharos.
"Use Cotton Spore!" Archie yelled.
Ampharos nodded and fired a clump of cotton towards Naro. It struck him and clung to his body and the ground, forcing him to a halt as he tried to swat it off.
"Now use Tackle!" Archie called.
Ampharos charged forwards and slammed into Naro, knocking him back.
"Are you alright, Naro?" Richard asked.
Naro pulled himself together and took a step back towards Ampharos.
"Glad to hear it!" Richard grinned. "Use Megahorn!"
Naro started charging towards his opponent, his horn turning a lime green colour. However, after only a couple of paces, his muscles suddenly seized up and he ground to a halt.
"What's wrong, Naro?" Richard cried. He suddenly remembered the electrical jolts that had flitted across to Naro when he'd launched his final attack on Electabuzz.
"He's been paralyzed," James murmured. "That'll make it much tougher for him."
"Stay strong Richard!" Livvi called.
"Got to think of a plan," Richard mumbled to himself. Paralysis reduced a pokémon's speed and sometimes stopped them attacking altogether. Any attack he launched risked failing and leaving him open to a counter attack. How could he get around that?
"Ampharos, use Tackle!" Archie shouted.
Ampharos nodded and started charging towards Naro.
An idea came to Richard.
"Stand and take it, Naro!" he called.
Naro looked a little surprised but nodded and adopted a defensive posture. Ampharos slammed into him and forced him to take a couple of steps back before retreating.
"Nice hit, Ampharos!" Archie grinned.
Ampharos panted. His breathing had become slightly irregular all of a sudden.
"Wait, are you alright, Ampharos?" Archie called, noticing that something was wrong.
Ampharos grimaced. He started shuddering and sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Nice work there, Richard!" James called to him. "Using Poison Point to poison Ampharos!"
"Thanks!" Richard grinned back.
"I see," Archie said grimly. "You realised that it'd be difficult for you to win on the offensive, so you turned it into a battle of attrition!"
"And Naro has the advantage in a battle of attrition!" Richard grinned back.
"Alright, Ampharos!" Archie called. "Use Tackle again. We need to finish this up quickly!"
Ampharos nodded and charged towards Naro again.
Richard waited until Ampharos was almost upon them before issuing his next command.
"Naro, use Double Kick!"
Naro nodded. Just as Ampharos drew within range, he delivered two swift and powerful kicks without moving a step. Ampharos cried out in pain as he was thrown back. He landed with a crash close to Archie.
"Are you alright, Ampharos?" Archie called.
Ampharos managed to pull himself back to his feet and nodded.
"Alright, try using Tackle once more!" Archie ordered.
Ampharos nodded and charged once again.
Once again, Richard and Naro waited until Ampharos was almost upon them before reacting.
"Use Horn Attack!" Richard called as Ampharos began his final leap.
Naro smashed his horn into the approaching Ampharos and sent him flying back again.
"Are you okay, Ampharos?" Archie called as Ampharos landed with a crash.
Ampharos attempted to pull himself up again but his strength, sapped by the effects of being poisoned, finally failed him and he fell back with a thud.
"Ampharos is unable to battle! Nidoking is the winner!" the referee announced. "All three of the gym leader's pokémon are unable to battle, so the match goes to the challenger, Richard Winter from Pewter City!"
"We did it, Naro!" Richard grinned.
You did a great job, Ampharos, thanks," Archie smiled kindly as he recalled his fallen pokémon. He looked up at Richard. "That was an intense fight – I really enjoyed it!"
"Same! It was great fun!" Richard nodded, recalling Naro and walking over to shake Archie's hand.
"In recognition of your victory, I bestow upon you the Generator Badge," said Archie, handing him a badge in the shape of a semi-circle with a pair of lightning bolts on it.
"Thanks, Archie!" Richard grinned. "I'll make sure I tell any other trainers I meet about the gym here!"
"You will?!" Archie cried excitedly before regaining control of himself. He cleared his throat. "Though don't go overboard – we already have plenty of challengers as it is!"
Liar, James, Livvi and Richard all thought at the same time.
"In any case, I wish you luck in your remaining gym battles!" Archie grinned.
"Thanks! I'll try my best!" Richard replied.
10:21am, 9th July 2005
"So, what do you want to do now?" James asked as he, Livvi and Richard left the gym.
"Any idea where the next gym is?" Richard asked with a grin.
"I'll have a look at the town map when we get to the pokémon centre," Livvi replied. "We need to give Bill and Celio a call after all."
"I get that you're on a roll, Richard," James began. "But I'd quite like to check out the rest of Boon Island – you remember what Celio and Bill were saying about there being powerful trainers living out in the wilds."
"I'm fine with doing that," Richard replied. "After all, it won't take that long to explore the whole island."
"I'd quite like to relax for a bit," Livvi replied. "And then explore the town."
"The town's even smaller than the island," James replied. "That'll only take us, like, an hour or so at most."
"How about we book a room at the pokémon centre and call Bill and Celio," Livvi suggested. "Then we explore the town before heading out to the wilds. Does that sound like a plan?"
"That could work I guess," James replied.
"I suppose I need a bit of time to come up with new tactics for the new gym battle," Richard said thoughtfully. "I don't see any harm in it."
"Great! That's what we'll do then!" Livvi grinned.
Don't get excited – we're going to be skipping out the trip to the wilds since none of the protagonists have a pokémon that can learn one of the ultimate attacks. Instead, we'll arriving on the next island next week.
And that should have all kinds of interesting developments…
Until next time!
Team Listings:
James' Team:
Active:
Charka (Charmeleon): male, naïve, often scatters things, likes sweet food, fire type, Blaze ability, known moves are Fire Spin, Smokescreen, Flamethrower and Metal Claw.
Kacha (Pikachu): male, modest, sturdy body, likes dry food, electric type, Static ability, known moves are Thunderbolt, Agility, Slam and Thunder Wave.
Raenok (Mankey): male, impish, loves to eat, likes sour food, fighting type, Anger Point ability, known moves are Rock Slide, Screech, Cross Chop and Brick Break.
Ayra (Paras): male, lax, loves to relax, likes sour food, bug-grass type, Dry Skin ability, known moves are Aerial Ace, Leech Life, Giga Drain and Spore.
Saeloc (Persian): female, rash, likes to thrash about, likes dry food, normal type, Technician ability, known moves are Slash, Screech, Bite and Icy Wind.
Leytor (Seel): male, careful, good perseverance, likes bitter food, water type, Thick Fat ability, known moves are Water Pulse, Take Down, Safeguard and Ice Beam.
In Pallet Town:
Cuba (Cubone): male, serious, quick to flee, eats anything, ground type, Rock Head ability, known moves are Bone Club, Double-Edge, Bonemerang and Bone Rush.
Livvi's Team:
Active:
Barru (Bulbasaur): male, timid, highly persistent, likes sweet food, grass-poison type, Overgrow ability, known moves are Tackle, Razor Leaf, Solar Beam (not mastered) and Leech Seed.
Dorru (Nidoran): female, quiet, mischievous, likes dry food, poison type, Rivalry ability, known moves are Fury Swipes, Double Kick, Poison Sting and Crunch.
Cylune (Venomoth): male, modest, proud of its power, likes dry food, poison-bug type, Shield Dust ability, known moves are Stun Spore, Psychic, Poison Powder and Silver Wind.
Evoro (Eevee): male, jolly, alert to sounds, likes sweet food, normal type, Adaptability ability, known moves are Bite, Double Team, Take Down and Quick Attack.
Salea (Chansey): female, gentle, somewhat vain, likes bitter food, normal type, Natural Cure ability, known moves are Softboiled, Refresh, Double Slap and Egg Bomb.
Richard's Team:
Active:
Naro (Nidoking): male, mild, sturdy body, likes dry food, poison-ground type, Poison Point ability, known moves are Horn Attack, Megahorn, Poison Sting and Double Kick.
Sting (Beedrill): male, hardy, often dozes off, eats anything, bug-poison type, Swarm ability, known moves are Focus Energy, Poison Sting, Twineedle and String Shot.
Spear (Fearow): male, mild, likes to thrash about, likes dry food, normal-flying type, Keen Eye ability, known moves are Drill Peck, Double Team, Aerial Ace and Agility.
Helix (Omastar): male, naïve, somewhat stubborn, likes sweet food, rock-water type, Shell Armour ability, known moves are Spike Cannon, Water Gun, Ancient Power and Tickle.
Flare (Ponyta): male, rash, likes to thrash about, likes dry food, fire type, Flash Fire ability, known moves are Take Down, Agility, Stomp and Ember.
