The Dream Yard

"I cannot believe it!" cried Sophia. They were hanging out in the Pokémon centre waiting for Sophia's Pokémon to be healed. She was sopping her heart out over her defeat. Of all the time she had ever trained this was the first time she have had such a devastating, overwhelming, shocking, and demoralising defeat. She felt really depressed. "I wish I could fling myself off a bridge or rage war against outrageous fortunes. I wish I could end my misery once and for all. O the suffering! It hurts, it hurts!"

"Are you alright?" asked Pedro comfortingly.

"Do I look alright?" she spattered out gleaming at them like a dog demon processed. "I hate myself at the moment. Why can it end! Make it stop, make it stop!"

"Killing oneself is against the law. Do you really want to do that?" asked Landon.

"I suppose you're right. But I do feel hurt in side. It burns, it burns! I must carry one though since it would make me look like some fool if I came back to my hometown not only defeat but cowardly withdrew as well. Never let that happen, never ever, and never forever!"

"Hey," said Pedro, walking in the centre. "There is some stuff going on near the Dream-Yard some time tonight. I think we should go there and see what is going."

"Sure," said Sophia, even though she wasn't all that happy about going anywhere. All she wanted to do was hide away so that the world could not see her ever, eternally, perpetually again! "I'm going to go have a sleep. Wake me up when it's time to do whatever you want us to do."

"Of course," Landon said. "We will look around town while you sleep. We will make sure to wake you up when it's time to go to the Dream-Yard."

Landon and Pedro left, leaving Sophia to ponder about the battle she had just had. What did she do wrong? And then hit her – no literally but metaphorically – that she had the wrong Pokémon. Tepig was a fire Pokémon so it was palpable that she would be defeated if she went against a water Pokémon. That was so stupid of her for doing that. She remembered being told that the best way to defeat an aquatic Pokémon is a grass Pokémon. She couldn't think of where to get one. The nearest place to get one was a mile away. She could borrow Landon's Bulbasaur but that is against the official Pokemon rules. She had to use her own Pokémon. All she knew was that she was going to have to train harder. She might have to stay in Striaton City for a while to make sure her Tepig is wrong enough to go against Cress Panpour again. The thought of being defeated against shuttered her. There was not a way she would lose again, even if her life was dependent on losing.

"I have to win," she said to herself.

She look around before decided that it was about time she went to asleep. Sleep came quickly for her, but weirdly she didn't dream of anything. She woke up as fast as she went to asleep. She looks around and noticed that it was dark. Neither Landon nor Pedro has returned so she walks about the centre keeping her amused. Landon and Pedro came in suddenly after a while.

"Looks like we didn't have to wake you up after all," Pedro said jokingly. "Now let's go, or else we will miss what is going on at the Dream-Yard."

They rushed to the dream in no minute flat, like cheetah that must catch its prey during the night before it runs away and escapes from ever more to not be the prey of a cheetah, or a horse gashing towards the finish line to please its owner with the greatness of sweat victory. They came to the outside court of the Dream-Yard. There was a small patch in front of a wall. Bush covered it but from inside Sophia could see an old wrecked building many years that had been destroyed.

"Some explosion I was told," said an old man. He had a long white beard that came to his ground and his wore a purple dress thing that had a green N written on the chest, and he worse a half made glasses. "This is what happens when you force Pokémon to fight. We all suffer! Beware of the reactions that happen if you keep your wicked ways. The Pokémon will wake from their dreams soon enough and realize they have been controlled all along." With the comment the old man disappeared into the crowd like a shadow, no one ever knows where it is from and where it is going except for following you wherever you go.

"Mad man," said Pedro. "He's one of those Team Plasma guys. A complete nutcase I tell you."

"A cult I tell you," Landon added in. "I remember being told that cults are dangerous."

"They sure are," laughed Pedro. "It's time to find out what is going on."

They moved through the crowd that was in the middle of the court yard where there was a ring in the centre. There was a man in his forties walk around the ring announcing something. Sophia, Landon and Pedro got closer to work out what the man was saying.

"Greetings, hello, and ciao – welcome to battle rumble," the man announced. "I know some of you have lost to those gym leaders. They are pretty scheming people who think that by using a Pokémon that is strong against a trainer's starter is clever since there is not any other type of Pokémon that could defeat them. They are wrong and I will prove it to you. I have some Pokémon that will aid you on you quest to defeat this first gym. All you have to do is volunteer – come up and battle it. The winner will get the prize that will help them win even more glory."

"I will come and battle," said a girl. She was a half cast – both of white descent and African American descent. She didn't look that bratty. "My name is April Saunders! Is there anyone willing to challenge me! I have work so hard and now that my first badge is in my sight some stumbling block comes around to stop me! Challenge me, encounter me, and test me!"

"I will accept your challenge," Sophia said in a bold and bravely voice. She looks like an awesome heroin. "I Sophia Grace Smithson will take you on! I have lost a gym battle but it won't stop me from losing this won. I will win even if it kills me!"

"Nidoking," April said. "I choose you!" She took out one of her balls and threw it into the circle. She started playing with her other ball as if she was envious. The Nidoking was a massive purple reptile creature that had a massive horn that look as if it could do a lot of damage.

"Tepig," Sophia said as she took out one of her balls as well. "Give it your best. Don't disappoint me or else I won't feed you tonight!"

Tepig charged at the other Pokémon. There wasn't that much room so it didn't have go that far to get to its opponent. The Nidoking tried to grab the Tepig and smash it to the ground like some paper weight, but Tepig was able to dodge the grab like a NFL player. The Nidoking turned around and moved slowly towards Tepig. Tepig started to shake nerviously, it was only a small Pokémon so it wouldn't do too much damage against a Nidoking by just tackling it. Theee other Pokemon did a Double Kick on Tepig, knocking him back into the crowd. It looked as if Tepig had been knocked out but it shook its head and got back up.

"Yes! Keep at it!" yelled Sophia from the crowd. "Just keep at it. You will be able to tire the Nidoking in no time."

Suddenly the Nidoking's horn started to glow bright red. It pointed at Tepig and started to charge at the poor Pokémon. It was about to use it Megahorn, which if it hit it would not only hurt Tepig really bad but it could poison the Pokémon with Nidoking's poisonous points on its horn. Nidoking go only an inch away from Tepig with Tepig suddenly burst out with a flame of fire. This startled Nidoking causing it to move back again. Tepig than charged at it with tackle and then an ember blast and the Nidoking doped to the ground.

"Sophos has won the battle," said the man that had announced the battle. "I will now reward you with a Pansage which aid you in your next gym battle."

"Thank you," said Sophia as she was handed a Pokémon ball that was green and had a picture of the trio badge on it.

"As for April, she will be given a master ball as a contrition prize," the man said. "The next time you come across a wild Pokémon, use this ball and it will catch the Pokémon straight away. I hope it will aid you on you quest in defeating the trio badge gym leaders."

"It will," said April. "I will accept this prize gracefully and move on since it's no good to mellow on a defeat. You just have to move on." And she left happily knowing that she had improved her battling skill. "I hope to face you again," she said to Sophia before leaving.

Since it was getting too dark, nearing midnight by then, they decided to go to the Pokémon centre to rest. Both Landon and Pedro went to sleep quickly, but Sophia stayed awake for another hour or so. She had already slept that day so it wouldn't hurt her if she stayed awake. She was much more convergence now that she had a much stronger Pokémon to help her defeat the first gym leader. After an hour she got her Pokémon healed for tomorrow and then went to bed.

They arrived at the gym the next day as early as possible. Sophia wanted to finish this once and for all, so they can quickly leave this town and move onto the next town. She had been there longer than she intended and was starting to get bored of the town.

"Here comes the loser again. Prepared to lose again?" Cress said in cocky way. He looked pleased about himself. Sophia was ready to wipe that grim off his face.

"I re-challenge you!" she announced. "Audino and Pansage, I choose you!" Out her balls came her town Pokémon, ready to take on Cress's Pokémon.

"Time to lose again then," he smirked sneeringly. "Panpour and Lillipup, lets teach them to give up after they have already failed."

Lillipup charged at Audino, but the Audino was able to move out of the way. It used attract, which made the Lillipup fall in love with it – this worked since they were different genders. The Lillipup refused to attack Audino, which gave Audino the chance to use Secret Power on Lillipup, knocking it out. By now Panpour and Pansage were trying to throw swipes at each other but both pokemon were able to dodge the attacks. Suddenly, Panpour tackled Pansage, causing it to lose dramatic amounts of health and paralyzing it. Audino suddenly used Refresh melodramatically. It caused Pansage to be healed of its paralyzing state. Then Audino used Heal Pulse to deal Pansage, which healed him. Pansage then used Seed Bomb which blasted at Panpour, causing the Panpour to lose a large amount of health. Pansage then used Fury Swipes to finish the Panpour off.

"Ok, you have won," said Cress. "Here is the trio badge." As he said that some guy rushed in. He was puffing so it was looked as if he had run there. He was also panicking.

"Team Plasma is at the Dream-Yard. They are planning to do some terrorist acts! Someone must stop them!" he said.