Characters:

Jayden- A Boy who knows the Way of Pokemon, and has Special Talents.

Totodile- Jayden's Partner. A Witty Personality, but strong in the Heart.

Jenny-Jayden's Traveling Companion and Neighbor. She is an Intelligent Girl who knows her skills.

Prof. Elm- A Pokemon Researcher in Johto, who sends Jayden on his quest for Lugia with Jenny.

Thrax- A Mysterious Boy with an Attitude, who has Rivalry Eyes on Jayden.

Kurt- The World Renowned Pokeball Expert of Azalea Town.

Bugsy- A Boy obsessed with Bug Pokémon, and owns a Nature Dome in Azalea Town.


Chapter 9

Bugsy's Challenge

Jayden and Jenny have been brought to a Nature Dome by a bug loving boy named Bugsy, where he had offered food to the traveling duo, but only on the condition that Jayden beat him in a Pokemon Battle.

Bugsy: "See, I have a code for my nature-dome: when you're here, you can eat all the food you want. But if you want take-out, you gotta battle me first!"

Jayden: "Ha! Jokes on you! I've been aching to battle you since the minute your Scyther jumped me back at Kurt's!"

Bugsy: "Then this should be pretty interesting..."

Jenny: "You guys! Why does everything always have to come down to battles?"

Jayden smirked at Jenny.

Jayden: "This is just the way we do things! We're trainers now, it's what we live for."

Jenny turned away in a pout fashion.

Jenny: "Oh, whatever..."

Jayden: "So...I guess we should take it outside, shouldn't we."

Bugsy: "Oh that won't be necessary, we can just do it here."

Jayden: "Wait, what?"

Jenny: "In here?"

Bugsy: "Yep! We've got a battlefield right through here."

Bugsy led Jayden and Jenny to the other side of the Dome. There, behind the trees, was a battle court outlined in rocks.

Jayden: "Aw sweet!"

Jayden got on one end of the court, and Bugsy got on the other.

Jenny thought: Wait, why would he have a Battleground in a nature dome?

Jayden: "Go Totodile!"

Totodile got in place.

"Totodile!"

Bugsy: "Let's go, Scyther!"

Scyther got in place.

"Scyther!"

Jayden: "So, we're in agreement..."

Bugsy: "Yep! You lose, you leave here empty handed. But if you win, you get some of my food to go, and, this!"

Bugsy held out what looked like a flat, metal looking ladybug.

Jayden: "Wait a minute...isn't that...a Gym Badge?!"

Jenny gasped.

Jenny: "No way!"

Bugsy: "Yep...!"

Bugsy grabbed his Net again and held it in that goofy way he always does, like he's ready to catch something.

Bugsy: "I, Bugsy, The Walking Bug Encyclopedia, am The Azalea Town Gym Leader!"

Jayden and Jenny's jaws were both dropped.

Jayden: "So...THIS is the Azalea Gym?"

Bugsy nodded.

Jenny: "Well, that explains the Battle Court...and I guess the joke's on us since we didn't go the front way, we didn't see a sign or anything."

Bugsy: "And here's a fair deal, I'll only use my Scyther. Especially since as Gym Leader I'm not allowed to switch out Pokemon, but for you the challenging Trainer, you are. I understand you have two Pokemon with you? Well I'll allow you to use both, after all, with them combined, they just might stand a chance against Scyther."

Bugsy winked.

Jayden: "Ha! We'll see! Totodile! Use Scratch!"

Totodile charged forward and prepared a scratch attack on Scyther.

"Dodge and use Quick Attack!"

Scyther suddenly went all over the place, evaded Totodile's attack, and quickly struck Totodile.

"Totodile, use Rage!"

Totodile shot himself at Scyther, striking but not hitting at good impact.

"Scyther, Quick Attack!"

Scyther quickly struck Totodile again.

"Totodile! Rage Again!"

Totodile hit Scyther, but this time, at a greater impact, as Scyther took a bigger blow.

Jenny thought, Unsurely, What's going on...they're just repeating their steps...

"Quick Attack!"

Scyther swung and hit Totodile so fast that he couldn't dodge it and got hit.

"Rage!"

Totodile hit Scyther again. Scyther took an even bigger blow to the stomach.

"Quick Attack again!"

Scyther swung so fast that nobody could see it, and smacked Totodile across the face.

Jenny thought, Wait a minute...I see! Jayden's building up Totodile's strength with Rage, and Bugsy's building up Scyther's spead with Quick Attack! So it's a battle of strength and speed.

"Now Totodile, Water Gun!"

Totodile then unleashed his Water Gun attack on Scyther, doing plenty of physical damage. It looked weak enough that it was pushed to the brink of fainting.

Bugsy: "Hmm. Not bad Jayden. You pushed my Scyther all the way to the edge..."

Scyther pulled a Sitrus Berry out from nowhere, then ate it.

Bugsy: "But not for long!"

Scyther suddenly looked slightly better, and visibly had more energy to fight.

Jayden: "Was that a Berry?"

Jenny: "A Sitrus Berry!"

Bugsy: "And Scyther was holding it. Pokemon can use items whenever neccessary during battle at anytime if they have it on them. So Scyther healed itself without me telling it to, out of nature using that Sitrus berry. And with that said, use Fury Cutter!"

Scyther then started cutting up Totodile at a fast speed where Totodile was constantly getting hit over and over.

Jayden: "What's THIS move?!"

Bugsy: "Fury Cutter allows Scyther to use Cut repeatedly."

Scyther stopped using Fury Cutter, and Totodile was left on the ground in the same situation that Scyther was in; ready to faint at any moment.

Jayden: "Uh oh...!"

Bugsy had a mischevious grin on his face.

Bugsy: "Well Jayden, better choose your actions wisely. Totodile ain't gonna last long now!"

Jayden gave a smirk himself.

Jayden: "HE won't..."

He then recalled Totodile, and grabbed his second Pokeball.

Jayden: "...but THIS guy will!"

Jayden sent out his next Pokemon: Houndour.

"Dour!"

Bugsy: "Wise move switching out. Leer!"

Scyther's eyes glew in Leer at Houndour.

"Counter with your own Leer!"

Houndour did the same to Scyther.

"Quick Attack!"

Scyther charged at Houndour with sword-arm risen, attempting to use Quick Attack.

"Dodge!"

Houndour jumped out of the way as Scyther swung his arm in the Quick Attack.

"Now use Ember!"

Houndour shot a string of Fireballs at Scyther. They all made an explosive impact on Scyther, sending him flying back in a black cloud. Once the cloud cleared, the Scyther was revealed, Fainted.

Bugsy: "Aw Dangit!"

Jayden: "Woot!"

Jenny: "Switching from Totodile to Houndour was an excellent strategy, Jayden!"

Bugsy recalled the fainted Scyther.

Bugsy: "Especially since it knew Ember. Fire type moves are strong against Bug type Pokemon."

Jayden went over to Houndour and hugged him by the mane.

Jayden: "Great job, boy!"

Houndour smirked at Jayden; a first sign of respect for him that it showed since Jayden caught it.

Bugsy: "Well Jayden, you won fair and square. Therefore, you get this."

He held out the Azalea Town Gym Badge.

Bugsy: "The Hive Badge."

Jayden took it and looked at it.

Jayden: "Awesome!"

Bugsy: "And, as promised..."

He handed Jayden the two empty sacks.

Bugsy: "You can take from my food patch."

Jayden: "Finally!"

Jayden gave Jenny the second sack, then recalled Houndour. The two went over to the food patch and started helping themselves, filling the sacks with all sorts of fruits, vegetables, and berries. At one point Jayden picked up a yellow type of fruit, the exact same that Scyther ate during the battle.

Jayden: "What's this berry called again?"

Jenny: "I believe that's the Sitrus berry."

Bugsy: "That was the berry my Scyther used, remember?"

Jayden: "Oh yeah. What do they do again?"

Bugsy: "They just heal. Like Oran berries."

Jayden: "What's the difference?"

Bugsy: "They taste sweeter."

Jayden tilted his head.

Jayden: "Well then..."

In no time, the sacks were full, and Jayden and Jenny were carrying them over their shoulders.

Jayden: "Hey thanks alot Bugsy!"

Jenny: "Yeah! Thanks!"

Bugsy: "No problem! Stop by anytime! Good luck on your journey!"

And so Jayden and Jenny left Bugsy's nature dome, both with a Sack of food over their shoulders. As they walked down a street of Azalea Town, Jenny turned to Jayden.

Jenny: "Hey Jayden, before we head back to Kurt's, you should heal your Pokemon at the Pokemon Center."

Jayden: "Good idea. Oh hey Jenny, I see your bag is heavier. Why don't we switch, it'll be a lot less work for you to carry."

Jenny: "Oh thanks Jayden."

The two swapped sacks. Jayden's was, in fact, lighter than Jenny's. Almost as if it had a few things less than the other. Jenny realized that, and stopped.

Jenny: "Wait a minute, I thought you filled it the same amount that I did."

Jayden: "I did."

Jenny: "Then why does it feel so light?"

Jayden snickered.

Jenny opened the sack and found that only a bunch of Squash, Peppers, Onions, and Carrots were in it. She turned green as she looked at them.

Jenny: *Grossly* "What the..."

Jayden muttered, "Race ya to the PokeCenter...!", then he took off running with the Sack tailing on his shoulder.

Jenny: "Eww Jayden! Why would you leave me with a bunch of disgusting vegetables?!"

Jayden broke into laughter. Jenny, once again, ended up chasing Jayden, through the streets of Azalea.

Jenny: "Wait till I get my hands on you!"

To Be Continued...