Summer finally registers for the Indigo League and visits Indigo Plateau where she battles Weldon. After suffering a humiliating defeat, Summer and her Pokémon vow to train and beat him next time. Now, Summer and Samir travel through the famous Viridian Forest, known for its clans of Pikachu and Pichu. When she sees a Trainer trying to catch an injured Pichu, Summer and Blaze try to stop him. What will happen to Pichu?

Chapter 6- An Electrifying Encounter

After waking up late and eating a hearty brunch at the cafeteria, Samir and I packed up our things and returned our keys. We left the Pokémon Center and headed to the PokéMart to stock up on supplies. Knowing the danger of status conditions, I stocked up on Potions, Antidotes, Paralyz Heals, and Awakenings. Samir got food and drink items, and after paying the shopkeeper, we headed to Viridian Forest.

Viridian Forest was a green forest filled with cool breezes and tall trees. Pokémon were able to hide and live in tree stumps and in bushes near patches of grass. After looking at the amazing habitat, Samir and I saw a sign at the entrance, which said, "Please watch out for Pikachu and Pichu in Viridian Forest. They are shy but will attack when they feel threatened."

"That's good to know," I said. "I wish I could see a Pikachu. They're only in the Hoenn Safari Zone."

"Lucky! Johto doesn't have any at all although it's the place where Pichu were discovered," Samir said with awe. "Let's see if we can find any."

"Sure! But let's be careful around them. We don't want to scare any of them," I said cautiously. Samir nodded.

Samir and I looked around for the Pikachu and Pichu but found plenty of orange and green caterpillar Bug type Pokémon instead. After reading the data on them, the Weedle and Caterpie climbed into the trees and didn't want to come down. Although disappointed, I didn't want to give up.

"Why don't we split up? I'll stay here and see if I can hear anything," I said, sitting under a tree.

"Okay, I'll keep going," Samir said and went deeper into the forest.

This place is so calming, I happily thought, feeling a slight breeze touch my face and focusing on the slight chewing sounds of Weedle and Caterpie. I learned in Trainer School that this forest has a special healing energy. Suddenly, I heard some noises in the tree. I quickly looked up, but I only saw a flash of yellow. That's strange. Oh well, better keep on going. I got up and continued through the forest. After a minute, I ran into several Bug Catchers who wanted to show off their new Bug type Pokémon. I smiled at the challenge and quickly defeated them with Blaze, Errol, and Swirls.

"Great job, everyone!" I said happily. "Why don't we continue looking for Pikachu and Pichu together?"

"Sure, Summer," Blaze said.

"Why not?" Swirls said with a shrug.

"I shall lead the charge!" Errol said, hopping ahead of us.

"Why should Errol be in charge?! I am the first Pokémon, so I should be in charge!" Blaze complained.

"Blaze, Errol offered first. You can do it next time," I said, slightly pleasing the two. "You did just learn Foresight after those battles, Errol. Go ahead and scout."

"Of course, Ms. Summer," Errol said. He created a purple monocle over his right eye and scanned the forest. After a minute, he sighed and said, "I apologize Ms. Summer. I cannot see anything."

"Don't worry, Errol," I said patting his head. Noticing the sun was setting, I told them, "Let's find Samir. It's getting late."

"All right, I spotted the boy in that direction," Errol said, pointing to the west. We followed Errol and found Samir setting up camp with Banksia and a small bird on his shoulder.

Samir saw us and said, "Just in time, Summer! I just finished setting up a camping site." I glance around and saw a small campfire, a table with two chairs, and a pile of Oran and Pecha Berries. He saw me looking at the bird Pokémon and said, "Oh, this is Terry. I found him while walking around the forest, and he wanted to join me."

"Cool," I said, "I've never seen a Pidgey up close before. I took out my Pokédex and it said, [Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. It has an extremely sharp sense of direction. It can unerringly return home to its nest, however far it may be removed from its familiar surroundings.]

"Nice to meet you, Terry," I said.

Terry said, "It's nice to meet you too. What's your name?"

"Oh, my name's Summer," I said with a smile.
Terry was a little surprised and said, "I didn't believe Samir when he said his friend can speak to Pokémon. But now I see it's you."

"Why don't we cook dinner?" Samir said, interrupting us. "I think everyone's pretty hungry."

"Sure," I said. "I can finally try out the Pokémon food maker." I took it out, put some Oran and Pecha Berries into the blender, and turned the knob to kibble. The food maker blended the Berries and magically turned the mashed Berries into kibbles. Wow, this is really amazing… I thought. I took out bowls for the Pokémon and gave them the kibble. They were really happy and ate the food by the campfire.

After Samir and I made sandwiches for ourselves, we sat at the table and watched the sun set.

"How was your search?" Samir asked.

I sighed and said, "I couldn't find any Pikachu or Pichu. I thought I saw something yellow in the trees but it ran away."

"Don't worry, we'll look again tomorrow," Samir said reassuringly.

I smiled and said, "Thanks, Samir. Let's go get ready for bed. I want to see if we can see stars from the forest canopy."

Samir nodded. After doing the dishes and setting out our sleeping bags, we looked at the stars surrounded by our Pokémon.

As we tried to find constellations, I asked Samir, "So, are you ready for the internship?"

"Well…" Samir said hesitantly. "I'm still a little nervous about it. The Pewter City Museum is a well-known institution with fossils of extinct Pokémon and top researchers reviving and studying them. But I'm sure I'll learn a lot from it."

"How did you get into archaeology and breeding studies?" I asked. "I never heard of someone studying those two topics at the same time."

"Actually, archaeology and breeding aren't so different," Samir said with a smile. "Both involve past events and reveal to us about what to expect or learn from. Most of my relatives from my mom's side are top breeders, so I learned many breeding strategies and techniques. I thought I would become a great Breeder. But when I went into an archeological site near Violet City in Johto, I was fascinated about how Pokémon were viewed in the past. I wasn't too sure which to choose, but I decided to study breeding with Professor Elm and archeology on the side."
"Wow, that's really cool," I said, seeing his point of view. "I can't wait to hear your experiences at the museum."

Samir then asked, "Why do you study Pokémon habitats, Summer?"

I smiled and told him, "I've always enjoyed watching Pokémon, whether in the wild or with Trainers. When Pokémon travel with Trainers, they can change personalities and habits. They can even evolve faster than wild Pokémon. Based on my work with Professor Birch, we believe these events happen because Pokémon are in a different environment. Humans can cause and accelerate these changes, making those Pokémon stronger compared to their wild counterparts. That's one of the reasons why I became a Trainer, to bond with Pokémon and see those changes for myself."

Samir smiled and said, "I hope you and I can see them. Being with Pokémon is one of the greatest joys of being a Trainer."

I smiled and yawned. I said, "It's getting late, let's go to sleep." Blaze, Errol, and Swirls snuggled near my sleeping bag, and Banksia and Terry did the same with Samir's. We all quickly fell asleep while several shooting stars crossed the sky.

We woke up to a bright sunny morning and made a hearty breakfast for us and our Pokémon. Afterwards, we packed up our gear and headed deeper into Viridian Forest.

Suddenly, a loud cry filled the morning air. It startled me and our Pokémon.

"What was that?" I asked, calming down a little.

"I don't know," Samir said. "I don't see anything. Why don't we have breakfast and pack up? We can then figure out where that cry came from."

After a few minutes of walking and scanning the forest, we saw sparks of electricity coming from the west. Samir and I ran to the location and heard the same cry from earlier. We entered a clearing with a deep pond and saw a male Trainer battling a small light yellow Pokémon with black edged ears and a black tail.

Samir gasped and whispered, "I can't believe it, a Pichu!"

I took out my Pokédex, turned off the voice option, and scanned Pichu. The Pokédex showed the words, [Pichu, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon. It is still inept at retaining electricity. When it is startled, it discharges power accidentally. It gets better at holding power as it grows older.] The Trainer had a small electric plug yellow and black Pokémon. I scanned it, and the Pokédex show the words, [Elekid, the Electric Pokémon. If it touches metal and discharges the electricity it has stored in its body, an Elekid begins swinging its arms in circles to recharge itself.]

The Trainer commanded, "Elekid! Use Thundershock!" Elekid swung his arms around and aimed at the Pichu. Pichu dodged but was getting tired. "Yes! Now, go Pokéball!" He threw a Pokéball at Pichu, but she batted it away with her tail. She then growled, but it had no effect on Elekid. "Ugghh! Why do you keep resisting?! Elekid, finish it!"

That's not right, I angrily thought. There must be a reason why the Pichu won't let him catch her.

"Hey you!" Blaze yelled. "Stop this right now!"

"Ssshhh…Blaze!" I hastily whispered. "We don't want them to know we're watching them!"

"Huh?" The Trainer said and turned around.

"Thanks a lot, Blaze!" I hissed.

"What, did I do something wrong?" Blaze asked, a little confused. This gave the Pichu a chance to flee into the bushes.

The Trainer became angry and yelled at us, "Look what you did! It took me two hours trying to find and catch that Pichu!"

"Look," I said, putting my hands in front of me. "I'm sorry about that. But you shouldn't be so rough on the Pichu. It looked like she didn't like you."

"Don't give me any excuses!" The Trainer yelled without listening to what I said. "Why don't we have a battle?! Winner gets the Pichu."

"What good would a battle do?" I reasoned.

"What's the matter? Afraid that you'll lose?" the Trainer taunted.

I looked at Samir. His face only showed a confused look. Without receiving any input, I sighed and said, "Fine, let's battle. Blaze, you got me into this mess, so you'll battle."

Blaze nodded and said, "Yeah! Let's do this!" He ran in front of me and looked ready to battle.

"Good luck, Summer and Blaze," Samir said and slowly backed away.

The Trainer smiled and said, "Your Torchic has some spunk. But Elekid will tear that down. Use Quick Attack!"

"All right, a new target!" Elekid shouted with joy and quickly charged at Blaze.

"Dodge and use Ember!" I commanded Blaze.

Blaze moved left and shot small embers at Elekid.

The Trainer sneered and commanded, "Use Light Screen!"

Elekid held up his hands and created a pink wall. The wall made the embers smaller, causing Elekid to be hit with less damage.

What just happened? I thought.

The Trainer saw my confused face and laughed. "Looks like you don't know much about defensive wall," he bragged. "Light Screen halves the damage of special moves, so your Ember isn't as effective now."

This isn't good, I thought. Now what can I do?

The Trainer then said, "Elekid, use Thunderpunch!" Elekid charged up his right arm.

I see…it takes Elekid a while to attack because it has to charge up. Now's my chance! I happily thought. "Quick, Blaze use Growl!" Blaze yelled, but the Growl didn't affect Elekid as much. That's not good. He must be used to the Growl from battling Pichu. Elekid's arm finished charging, and he hit Blaze in the face. Blaze rolled backwards, visibly hurt.

"Blaze! You okay?" I worried asked.

"Yeah," Blaze said, slowly getting up. "I'm fine, Summer."

"Okay, use Scratch!" I commanded.

"Elekid, take the hit," the Trainer said.

What is he doing? I wondered.

Blaze scratched Elekid. Although the attack did some damage, some electrical sparks from Elekid touched Blaze. Blaze tried to move, but couldn't. "That's not good," Blaze said with a small smile.

"Excellent, the Static ability kicked in," the Trainer said with a smile. "Now that Torchic's paralyzed."

Ugh, I didn't know that! I worriedly thought. Now it'll be harder for Blaze to attack! Blaze tried to stay standing, but the paralysis made it hard for him to do so.

The Trainer laughed and said, "This battle's over! Never mess with me again! Elekid finish him with Thunderpunch!"

"Blaze, use Ember!" I commanded, but Blaze couldn't move. The Thunderpunch hit Blaze and sent him flying into the pond.

"Oh, no! Blaze!" I yelled. This is all my fault! I have to save him! I quickly took off my shoes, threw my backpack on the grass, and ran to the pond.

Swirls followed me and yelled, "Comin' to assist, dudette!"

I held my breath, and the two of us dove into the pond's clear water. I looked around and saw Swirls swimming to Blaze. I swam over and to my amazement, Blaze seemed to be fine, enjoying the cool water. Blaze saw us and swam towards me. I held onto Blaze and swam back to the surface. We got out of the pond, soaking wet. I took a towel from my backpack and dried myself and Blaze off.

"Thanks, Swirls," I said, squeezing my hair.

Swirls said, "No probs, dudette. It's what I do."

"How about you, Blaze?" I asked, a little worried.

Blaze shook off the excess water and his feathers caused him to look like a fluffy ball. After his feathers returned to normal, he casually said, "Yeah, I'm fine, Summer. A little tired, but fine." I quickly hugged Blaze and felt he was still warm. I knew Blaze was still healthy and breathed a sigh of relief. I looked up and saw Errol, Samir, Banskia, and Terry near the pond. Blaze and Swirls rejoined the Pokémon, who all looked relieved to see him okay.

I got up and asked, "Hey, Samir, what happened to that Trainer?"

"Oh him?" Samir said. "He yelled out his name, Rai, and claimed the right to catch Pichu. He and his Elekid then ran out to keep looking for her. I'm glad Blaze is okay."

"Me too," I replied. I pondered for a moment and said, "I need to catch that Pichu."

"Wait," Samir said, surprised at my response. "Why do you want to catch her? You have to deal with that guy again."

"I know," I said, staring at the clearing. "But I can't let Pichu suffer under that selfish Trainer. I think she knows that being with him will be dangerous for her."

I heard my stomach growling and realized it's almost time for lunch. "Why don't we have lunch first?" I asked.

Samir smiled and said, "Sounds good. I'll set up lunch today. Why don't you and your Pokémon go find some Berries?"

"Sure, let's go, everyone," I said.

As we were walking around the forest, Errol and Swirls scanned the forest while Blaze and I walked slower. I looked at Blaze and said, "I'm sorry I told you to battle, Blaze. I didn't expect that Elekid to be so tough. Plus, you fell into the pond, and-"

"Don't be sorry, Summer," Blaze said. "I knew what I was getting into. I feel the same way about that Pichu. Besides, I'm fine being in the water for short periods of time since I have an internal flame, not like the other Fire starters. "

"Thanks, Blazz," I said with a smile.

"Ms. Summer! Ms. Summer!" Errol yelled, flying towards me.

"What is it, Errol?" I asked.

"Ms. Swirls and I traveled ahead and we encountered an injured Pokémon! Ms. Swirls is with it now," Errol said with a panicked voice.

Oh no, I thought. Could it be…? "Lead me, Errol."

Errol nodded and quickly led us to a shady spot in the forest. Swirls saw us and said, "She's not looking so hot."

As I got closer, I saw it was the Pichu from earlier. She was breathing heavily and could barely keep her eyes open. I tried to get close to her, but Pichu saw me and became defensive. Small sparks flew from her cheeks, and I knew she didn't trust me.

"Please, Ms. Pichu," Errol calmly said. "Ms. Summer is our friend and she will not cause you harm." Pichu was still looked at me cautiously.

I knelt down and quietly said, "It's okay, Pichu. I'm not going to hurt you." I slowly put out my hand for her to sniff. Pichu became scared and used Thundershock on me. My arm surged with a light jolt of electricity but I was barely hurt.

"Summer, are you okay?!" Blaze asked, shocked at what happened.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I told Blaze. I shook my hand and turned back to Pichu. The Thundershock weakened her more and she closed her eyes. This looks really bad. I need Samir's help. I quickly put Pichu into my arms and the four of us ran back to the campsite.

Samir saw us and asked, "What happened?"

"It's the Pichu from earlier," I said, slightly exhausted. "We found her and she's not doing too well."

I wrapped Pichu in a blanket to keep her warm and slowly put her on the ground. I used the Pokémon food maker to make a mash with the Oran Berries from my gardening kit. Samir heated some water with Swirls's and Blaze's help.

Errol looked at Pichu with his Foresight monocle and said, "I do not see any physical injuries, Ms. Summer. It appears the Pichu just requires more rest."

"That's good," I said, watching my Pokémon help Samir. I smiled at my Pokémon's caring personalities, knowing they were worried as much as I was. The food maker finished mashing the Berries, and I put the mash into a small bowl with a spoon.

"Here, Pichu," I calmly said. I slowly knelt down, scooped a small spoonful of mashed Oran Berry, and showed it to Pichu. Pichu slightly opened her eyes and was hesitant to eat it. "Don't worry. It'll make her feel better." Pichu slowly took a bite of the mash. I kept feeding her the mash until it was gone. Pichu's eyes then brightened and she was able to get out of the blanket. "Thank goodness. You should take it easy and not move around too much. Are you was feeling better?" She nodded and stared at me intently. I smiled at her, and she shyly smiled back.

Samir walked over with a cup of warm water. Pichu became scared and looked like she wanted to flee. I calmed her down and said, "Don't be scared. Samir isn't a bad person. He's my friend." Pichu paused and went back into the blanket. Samir gave me the cup, and I handed it to Pichu. Pichu drank from the cup and immediately looked better.

I unwrapped the blanket and asked, "How are you doing, Pichu?" Pichu smiled and moved her arms. "That's great! You should go back to your family. They must be worried about you." Pichu nodded and ran to the clearing entrance, looking at us before dashing into the nearby bushes. I'm glad she's feeling better, I thought. And it looks like she's not as scared of humans as before.

"Thanks for your help, everyone," I said as Samir and our Pokémon cleaned up the clearing.

"Of course, Ms. Summer," Errol said.

"Yeah, we're glad to help out," Swirls said.

"Is Pichu going to be okay?" Blaze asked.

I smiled and said, "I think so. That Pichu's very tough. Let's have lunch. I'm sure you're all hungry."

Samir brought some sandwiched and asked, "Ready to lunch?"
"Yup," I said, getting my backpack. "I have some Berries from my gardening kit the Pokémon can eat."

As we were about to eat, Pichu ran to us. A little confused about why she came back, I asked, "Pichu, is there something wrong?"

She climbed onto my shoulder, went into my bag, and took out my Pokédex. "Hey," I lightly shouted. "What do you want with that?" Pichu put my Pokédex into her mouth ran into the bushes.

"I think she wanted us to follow her into the bushes," I told Samir.

"I agree," Samir said. "Let's go." We packed away the sandwiches and followed Pichu's trail through the bushes. Once we got through, we saw a larger clearing than the one we were at earlier. We saw groups of Pikachu and Pichu in the trees and on the ground, having fun. The Pokémon then saw us and froze, unsure of what to do.

Pichu gave me my Pokédex and said with a soft, light voice, "Don't run away, everyone. These two humans saved me earlier."

A scruffy Pikachu ran forward and cautiously looked at us. Wow, I excitedly thought, trying to keep calm, a real Pikachu! I turned on the voice option and scanned the Pikachu with my Pokédex. It said [Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon. It stores electricity in the electric sacs on its cheeks. When it releases pent-up energy in a burst, the electric power is equal to a lightning bolt.]

"Are you sure, my daughter?" he asked Pichu in a gruff voice.

Pichu nodded. The Pikachu sniffed our clothes and said, "I don't smell any bad scents from these two. Everyone, they are safe humans!"

The Pikachu and Pichu were relieved. "Hey, Summer," Blaze asked, "can we eat here?"

"Sure, Blaze," I said. "They trust us now."

"Yay!" Blaze shouted. As Samir took out the sandwiches and I picked some Berries from my gardening kit, some Pichu came over. Blaze and the other Pokémon shared the Berries with the Pikachu and Pichu. After quickly eating, all of them played with each other.

"Wow, Samir," I said with awe. I took a sandwich and slowly ate it. "I can't believe it. I read about their behavior in their natural habitat, and now I can see it in real life."

"I know how you feel," Samir said, taking a break from eating his sandwich. He looked around the trees and smiled. "I'm going to remember this for a long time." The Pichu I helped then walked to me and said, "Thank you for helping me, Summer. I've been watching you yesterday, and I really like you!"

I sat down next to her and said, "Of course. Wait, were you the yellow blur I saw in the trees yesterday?"

Pichu nodded and rubbed her cheeks against my arm. I felt a small jolt of electricity enter my arm again, but it still didn't felt painful. I petted her and she gave a happy yawn. Samir tapped my shoulder and said, "Summer, we should get going."

I softly sighed and got up. "Awww…" Pichu sadly said. "Do you really have to go?"

"I do, Pichu, sorry," I said. "We're traveling to fulfill our dreams of helping people and Pokémon. Hopefully we'll be able to come back and visit." Our Pokémon waved goodbye to the Pikachu and Pichu and ran back to us Samir and I returned our Pokémon and went to the clearing entrance. I looked at the Pikachu and Pichu and said, "Thanks everyone for trusting and playing with us."

The Pikachu and Pichu waved goodbye to us. The scruffy Pikachu said, "You two are welcome to visit us again anytime."

Pichu looked at me with sad eyes, but quickly blinked the tears away. She confidently looked at her father and declared, "Father, I want to travel with Summer."

"Daughter," Pikachu said with a surprised look. "Are you sure? You've never been outside the forest before."

"I know," Pichu said with determination. "But I want to fulfill my dream of becoming a strong Raichu."

Pikachu looked at Pichu intently and said, "You have the same determination as your older brother. All right, you have my blessing." He then looked at me and said, "Please take care of my daughter. And if you see my son, please tell him that we miss him."

"I will," I said. I wonder who he means by his son.

Pichu smiled and jumped into my arms. I caught her and said, "Is it okay if I give you a nickname?"

"I love nicknames!" Lightning happily said. "My brother's nickname is Pika. It's pretty boring, so I hope you give me a better nickname."

I chuckled and said, "How about Lightning?"

"That's so much better than Pika!" Lightning said with a smile. I took out a Pokéball and caught her.

Samir and I then left the clearing and continued walking through Viridian Forest. As we were walking, I felt one of my Pokéballs shaking. Lightning came out and climbed on my shoulder.

"What is it, Lightning?" I asked her.

"Summer, can I stay outside my Pokéball when we travel?" Lightning asked. "I want to explore the world with you."

"Sure, that sounds great!" I said cheerfully.

"Yay! Thanks Summer!" Lightning said with a beaming smile. Her ears then perked up and she turned around.

"What's wrong, Lightning?" I asked with concern. I looked in her direction and saw the Trainer from earlier: Rai.

Rai stomped angrily towards us and demanded, "How did you get that Pichu?! It's mine!"

Lightning became angry and her cheeks emitted small sparks. "There's no way I'll join you!" she angrily yelled.

I petted her and said, "Even though you won the battle earlier, Lightning wants to go with me."

"How about another battle, then?" Rai said, pointing his finger at us. "My Elekid versus that Pichu with the bad nickname."

"It's not bad, I love it!" Lightning shouted. She tried to use Thundershock on Rai but she ran out of electricity.

Rai laughed and said, "The deal still stands. Winner gets the Pichu!"

I nodded and said, "Okay, Lightning, let's have our first battle together!" Lightning nodded and she jumped off my shoulder and landed on the grass.

Rai took out a Pokéball and shouted, "Elekid, let's show them why you're stronger!" He threw the Pokéball and Elekid came out, ready for another battle.

"This should be good," Rai said, "Elekid, use Thunderpunch!"

As Elekid charged his right arm, I knew I needed to make him charge slower. "Lightning, use Charm!" I commanded. Lightning smiled and sent out small pink hearts. The hearts distracted Elekid and slowed him down.

Rai yelled, "Elekid! Don't get distracted by those girly hearts! Finish the attack!" Elekid snapped out of it and hit Lightning with Thunderpunch. Lightning stood her ground and electric sparks flew from her fur to Elekid. Elekid fell to his knee and was covered in small sparks. Rai gritted his teeth and said, "So Pichu have Static too…"

Now's our chance! I happily thought. As Elekid tried to stand, I commanded Lightning, "Use Sweet Kiss!" Lightning ran up close to Elekid and created a pink angel. The angel kissed Elekid and he danced in a small circle. I see. Sweet Kiss causes Pokémon to dance in a confused circle!

Rai became angry and yelled, "Elekid, snap out of it!" Elekid then started hitting itself from the confusion.

"Great job, Lightning!" I happily said.

"Thanks, Summer!" she said, "I can't believe my dream's starting to become true! I knew that you're the right Trainer for me." After she said that, her tail began to glow silver. "What's going on?" she wondered.

I know that attack! I thought. But how did she learn it so fast? Did she learn it from being with me?

Elekid snapped out of confusion, and Rai commanded, "Elekid, use Quick Attack!" Elekid quickly charged at Lightning, but the paralysis slowed him a little.

"Lightning, finish it with Iron Tail!" I commanded. As Elekid came closer, she hardened her tail and hit him on the head. Elekid fell on the grass and tried to stand. Lightning smiled, and Elekid fell again, fainting. "Great job, Lightning!" I cheered, and she jumped into my open arms.

Rai became quiet and returned Elekid without saying a word. I expected Rai to become angry but he looked at me and calmly said, "Congratulations on winning the battle."

I was taken aback but said, "Thanks, Rai."

"Sorry for hurting you so badly, Lightning," Rai said to my Pichu. "And I'm sorry for making fun of your nickname. It's a great one." He then looked at me and said, "I guess I should work on the relationship with my Pokémon more."

"I'm sure you can do it," I told Rai. "We should get going. Bye!" Rai waved goodbye and headed deeper into the forest.

"Hey, Summer," Lightning asked, "where are we going now?"

"We're going to Pewter City to challenge the gym," I said.

"Ooohh… That's where my brother won a huge battle for his Trainer. Can I battle there too?" Lightning asked.

I petted her head and said with a soft smile, "Sorry Lightning, but you still need some more battle experience."

Lightning frowned but said, "I understand."

Samir said, "Let's go before it gets too late." I nodded, and Lightning climbed onto my shoulder. We got out of the forest and saw the entrance to Pewter City. Okay, I thought. First Gym battle, here I come!

Pokémon: Blaze (Torchic): Brave Nature, moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember

Errol (Hoothoot): Rash Nature, moves: Tackle, Growl

Swirls (Poliwag): Relaxed Nature, moves: Bubble

Lightning (Pichu): Adamant Nature, moves: Thundershock, Charm, Iron Tail, Sweet Kiss

Questions for the Chapter:

What do you think of Lightning?

Would you like to see Rai in a future chapter?