Chapter 10: VS Sabrina

A/N: Ah, back to the old crew! I've received a review on this story saying it is nice and I'm focusing a lot on the DPP trio. Well, I am, for a purpose.

In this chapter, you will find out just how long Team Copper has existed, and how Platinum's gonna fare against Sabrina.

...

VS Sabrina

Platinum was training hard in some random open field (wow, there's a lot of those in Kanto!) when Pearl and Diamond strolled up to her.

"Missy!" Pearl exclaimed. "You're gonna challenge Sabrina next, aren't you?"

Platinum nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Well." Pearl glanced at Diamond, who nodded. "Sabrina specializes in Psychic Pokémon," Pearl continued. "And... she has a pretty good trump card."

"Which is...?" Platinum lifted her eyebrows.

"When she uses her Mr Mime," Pearl explained. "She uses it to create an invisible house-like structure to trap the enemy, then finish them off inside there. So, how do you propose we stand up against that?"

Platinum was at a loss for words. A Gym Leader whose strategy is so perfect not even Pearl can think of a way to counter it? "Maybe we can fight fire with fire?" she suggested hesitantly.

"Like use another Mr Mime against hers?" Diamond asked.

"Yes," Platinum replied.

"Good thinking," Pearl interjected. "Except, what if she doesn't use Mr Mime?"

The three were silent.

"Well," Platinum stated after a chilling silence. "It's not like we can use Crystal-sempai's Mr Mime against Sabrina's."

Pearl nodded slowly while Diamond chewed on his lollipop. "Then you have to counter her 'house' with super strong force, then!" Pearl declared, startling your other two.

"Let's get down to business, then!" the three said in unison.

...

"I've heard Platinum's challenging the Kanto Gyms," Gold said lazily.

"That's off topic," Green replied coldly. "We need to gather more information on this Team Copper, not worry about what she's doing!"

Sometimes I think Green's Super Serious Gal's male counterpart, Gold thought. Except scarier.

Blue sighed. "You know, Green hon," she said. "The easiest way to get info is to actually go to the thing you want info on, which is, in this context, Team Copper's HQ."

"And how do you even propose we even get there without 'em realising we're there?!" Green countered.

Red sighed and smiled at Yellow. "It's really entertaining to see them argue, isn't it?" Red asked a blushing Yellow.

"Uh... yeah!" she replied, her face almost the same colour as Red's eyes. He's so cute when he smiles. Wait, what're you thinking, Yellow?! she thought.

Blue's fist crashed onto the (Viridian) Gym table, startling the others.

"You owe me two hundred Pokédollars to replace that table," Green said in a bored manner.

Blue ignored him. "You're so stupid sometimes, y'know?!" she spat. "Why, I can slip into their HQ disguising as one of the Commanders with Ditty!"

"Woo!" Gold cheered. "What a lovers' argument!"

"What?!" Blue and Green turned around and cracked their knuckles. Not a very pleasing sound to hear from a girl.

"Eek!" Gold exclaimed as he hurried away from his two murderous seniors.

Crystal face-palmed. "You reap just what you sow."

...

"Who're those two?" Sabrina asked Platinum, pointing to Diamond and Pearl.

"Oh!" Platinum said. "I'm sorry. Those two will be our spectators for today's battle."

Sabrina seemed amused. "Get yourself ready."

Platinum nodded, and then turned around to catch her bodyguards' (yes, all four) eyes. The four, Diamond, Pearl, Paka and Uji, nodded back, the last two giving her encouraging winks. She turned back to Sabrina, and unleashed her Empoleon.

Sabrina laughed, and released her Alakazam. "Alakazam! Psycho Cut!"

"Empoleon!" Platinum commanded. "Use Swords Dance, and then Hydro Pump!"

Sabrina barely blinked while watching Alakazam take damage. "Wow, not bad challenger," she said slowly.

Suddenly, Alakazam unleashed an attack.

"That's the move Psychic!" Pearl gasped. Sabrina can communicate with Pokémon using her telepath powers!

"Yes, I heard what you had just thought, hottie," Sabrina said, turning to face Pearl. "Meet Saffron's famous Sabrina! A psychic warrior in her own right!"

How do I counter this? Platinum wondered. There's no telling what may happen next.

"Missy!" Pearl shouted. "Keep your head in the game!"

Platinum looked up, and saw Alakazam unleash another move.

"That was...?" Paka turned to Pearl.

"That move was Psybeam," Pearl quickly clarified. This Gym Leader's terrifying! Even scarier than Fantina! How's Missy gonna fare?!

"Empoleon, return!" Platinum shouted, sweat-dropping. "Go, Froslass!"

"Then I shall release another Pokémon," Sabrina mused. "To make it fair. Alakazam, return! Go, Mr Mime!"

I knew it! Pearl thought with horror.

"Froslass!" Platinum cried. "Shadow Ball! Follow it with Ice Beam!"

"Not bad!" Sabrina said approvingly. "I had always wished challengers like you would show up every day, but I mostly get weaklings with no hope. But," Sabrina added thoughtfully. "Since you're so strong, why don't you stick around to see my trump card?"

Platinum narrowed her eyes. Is she...?

"Yes, I am," Sabrina replied coolly to Platinum's thought. "Mr Mime! Light Screen!"

Uh-oh, Paka thought. This is so bad.

Platinum furrowed her brow. How do I counter this?!

"Let me answer your question!" Sabrina said. "There's absolutely no way for you to counter!"

"There must be!" Platinum protested. "I won't give up! I must get stronger!"

"Looks like someone's determination has rubbed off onto Missy Platinum," Paka whispered into Pearl's ear.

Pearl blushed. "Oh, shut up."

"Well." Sabrina folded her arms. "Let me see just how you do that."

"The way is to attack this structure's weak spot!" Platinum spun around.

"The problem is, you can't see it." Sabrina smirked and flipped her hair.

Platinum was suddenly struck with an idea. "If that's the case," she replied. "Then the only way is to attack everything at one go! Froslass, Shadow Ball! Make sure it hits the surrounding psychic structure," she added.

I didn't anticipate that happening, Sabrina thought. "Okay," she said. "You've knocked down the entire structure. So? I can just build it up again. That ain't hard."

"Froslass! Taunt!" Platinum said quickly.

"Mr Mime, Light Screen!" Sabrina shouted.

Mr Mime didn't carry out the attack.

...

Fifteen minutes later, Gold was covered in bandages. Blue and Green were avoiding each other by sitting at the opposite ends of the back room of the Gym.

"Well," Red said, stretching. "There goes out entertainment. That doeesn't matter; there wasn't popcorn anyway." He winked at Yellow, whose face almost burst into flames.

"W-who said anything about popcorn?" Yellow stammered.

"Oh, so that wasn't like a ten minute movie?" Red teased.

"Eh?" Yellow panicked. "T-that's too short for a proper movie anyway."

Red laughed and ruffled Yellow's hair. "Ah, I was just kidding, Yellow."

"What entertainment?" Emerald said, strolling out of the gents.

...

"Mr Mime!" Sabrina cried. "Why aren't you attacking?!"

Mr Mime sweat-dropped and shrugged.

"That is because Taunt only allows the for to use Attack moves," Platinum explained. "Finish this off, Froslass! Blizzard!"

Mr Mime collapsed, and Diamond and Pearl actually stood up and cheered. Paka and Uji grinned. "At last," the four said.

"You really got me there with that Taunt attack," Sabrina admitted. "I'd never saw it coming. Oh well. But since you won," Sabrina added. "Here's the Marsh Badge, as proof you have defeated me."

Platinum received it graciously. "Thank you," she replied. "Oh, and may I ask you something?"

"Go ahead." Sabrina was all ears.

"Do you know anything about this organization called Team Copper?"

...

Red, Yellow, Blue, Gold, Silver, Sapphire and Emerald were sitting on the Gym floor playing Black Jack.

"Okay!" Blue said. "I have... Twenty-one!"

Everyone else groaned and handed Blue the money they had betted.

"This is getting ridiculous," Gold grumbled. "I haven't win a single round yet."

"Hey," Blue said cheerfully. "All's fair in love and gambling. Surely you'd know."

"Says the girl who has won every single round," Gold pointed out.

"Emerald won the third round."

"Yeah." Gold shrugged. "Out of the fifteen rounds we're playing, including this round."

"Uh..." Red looked at Gold and Blue. "Hey, can someone give out the cards?"

...

Sabrina paused and thought it over. "I've heard off them,"she said slowly. "But I only know that they've existed since 2004, so they must be very experienced."

Platinum nodded. "Ah, thank you!"

She bowed, and walked out of the Gym.

"Heeeeeeey!" Diamond cried. "Wait for me!"

...

Once outside, Pearl asked Platinum, "Why'd you ask that?"

Platinum smiled. "Because we'll be fighting them soon, so we will need all the information we can get."

...

A/N: Ah, this chapter is so much better! I hope this chapter's been funny enough. Ah, some romance has started already! ^^

Please take note this story is following 2012 time. Wait, didn't I say that in another chapter? Well, I'll never know. But for the sake of that, I'll repeat.

Please review!