Anything Goes
Part Two
"Izzy Romn is the winner," the referee declared. Stunned, Izzy slowly walked back towards me.
I stared at me for a second, and then said blankly, "I did it." I shifted uneasily in my seat while Izzy sat down. Then I heard the referee call the next match.
"The next match will be Kevin Heron versus Meadow Springs," the referee stated. I turned red. I had never told Izzy my last name because it was embarrassing. I think my parents purposely named me Meadow because it went with my last name. I pushed the embarrassing feelings out of my head as I numbly walked to the trainers box on the end of the field.
"Call the coin," the referee instructed.
"Tails," I called. It landed heads. Figures, because that was my luck.
"I'll start with Snorlax," I sent out.
"Go Mr. Mime," Kevin sent out. "Use Double Slap!" Mr. Mime slapped Snorlax's thick hide. I knew that at least a few hit points were lost, but it appeared like none were.
"Snorlax, use Double Edge," I called out. Even though Double Edge attack causes your own Pokemon to lose a few hit points, I knew Snorlax had plenty to spare. Mr. Mime fell backwards from the hit. Then, it used Light Screen. I decided that as long as Snorlax was at full health, I could have a little bit of fun with the Metronome attack.
"Snorlax, use Metronome," I said smiling. Snorlax's Metronome attack caused him to use Earthquake. The ground shook from the attack, and Mr. Mime's Light Screen shattered. Kevin gasped slightly and then ordered that Mr. Mime use Confusion. This attack did considerably more damage because it wasn't a physical blow. Snorlax shook his head and used Metronome again for the Psywave attack, which didn't do much damage.
"Mr. Mime, use Light Screen again," Kevin ordered, shakily. Snorlax used Metronome for the Counter attack, for a faint. Kevin stared at his Mr. Mime in disbelief. Then, after shaking his head, recalled Mr. Mime and sent out Venomoth to use Psychic attack. Now Snorlax was beginning to weaken.
"Try one last Metronome," I ordered. This time Snorlax used Dig. It was semi-effective, but not like I had hoped.
"Venomoth, use another Psychic attack," Kevin called out confidently. I knew that it would faint Snorlax, and my prediction came true. I recalled Snorlax and thought for a moment on who I would use next.
"Charmander would be good," I observed. I felt Squirtle yanking on my shirt. I looked down and shook my head. Squirtle just gave me a sad look and waited patiently for me to send out Charmander.
"Charmander, use Flamethrower," I commanded. It worked well and Venomoth was already down to less than half of its HP.
"Venomoth, use Sleep Powder," Kevin demanded. Venomoth flapped powder off of its wings and Charmander got drowsy. I knew this was my time to act. I grabbed my Pokeflute that was next to me and played a quick tune to wake Charmander up. Kevin scowled for a moment before ordering Venomoth to use Leech Life. Some of Charmander's energy was absorbed, but it wouldn't do any good for Venomoth. One more Flamethrower from my powerful Charmander fainted Venomoth. I glanced at Kevin to see his panicky expression.
"Venomoth, return," he recalled. "Go Charmeleon! Use Slash!" I remembered reading in a book about Charmeleon. It was the evolved form of Charmander. Charmeleon was strong against Ice types and weakened by Water. I pushed the thought out of my head for the moment and concentrated on Charmander, who was nearly knocked out from the blow.
"Charmander, use your Skull Bash," I encouraged. Charmander slammed into Charmeleon, head first, and took away a third of Charmeleon's HP. Charmeleon spun around and slapped my Charmander with it's powerful tail. Charmander was fainted, but I knew what to do.
"Go Squirtle," I said smiling. "Let's win this with Water Gun." Charmeleon tried to avoid the blast of water, but failed. Despite the critical hit, Charmeleon still was standing.
"Charmeleon, use another Slash," Kevin said quickly. Squirtle flew backwards and took a moment in getting up. His left arm was hurt badly. I hoped that Squirtle could still battle. A look of fire entered his eyes and he stood up in battle position and shot Charmeleon once more with a forceful spray. Although it was clear to see that Charmeleon had fainted, we had to wait a second for the referee to make the call.
"Charmeleon is unable to battle, the winner is Meadow Springs!" he shouted. A roar came from the crowd, and I enjoyed it immensely. Squirtle collapsed as soon as the referee made the call. I rushed out of the trainer's box and scooped Squirtle into my arms.
"Squirtle, are you all right?" I asked concerned. Squirtle opened his eyes and smiled.
"Squirtle squirtle squirt?" he said quietly. (How's that for winning?) I smiled and walked off the field.
"Just fine," I said softly. "Just fine."
Chapter 46
Down to Four
Izzy and I exchanged unspoken happiness while we were walking down to the Pokemon Center to heal our Pokemon. Robin and Nurse Joy, on the other hand, couldn't seem to stop talking.
"I'll love a good Pokemon battle," Robin chatted. "I was worried when that girl brought out Mr. Mime, though."
"He would," I whispered under my breath to Izzy. He just smiled and nodded back. While we were waiting for our Pokemon, and for Joy to stop yakking to her sister, we discussed tomorrow.
"We get to use all six Pokemon," Izzy speculated. "That's going to be tough, even if we only battle twice." Joy's sister brought out our Pokemon and wished us good luck. I was heading out the door when Joy's sister, who was also a Nurse Joy if the reader hasn't figured it out, stopped me.
"Squirtel, wait," she called. "There's a call for you in the Pokemon Center!" I looked at Izzy and shrugged. I was greatly surprised to see who it was.
"Mom!?" I shouted at the videophone. I hadn't seen my mom on the phone since last Christmas.
"My big girl is winning the Indigo Pokemon League," she said terry eyed. "We've been watching you here in America." I was too stunned to talk.
"That's your mom?" Izzy asked. Mom moved her head to see Izzy.
"Meadow, who's that?" she asked. I came back to reality.
"Oh, this is Izzy," I introduced. "He's my boyfriend." My mom went nuts.
"Oh, did you hear that honey?!" she shouted to my dad. "Meadow's going to compete with her little boyfriend!" I wanted to hang up. Why did Mom always have a way of embarrassing me? I looked back at Izzy, who was bright red.
"Mom, I gotta go," I said quickly.
"Okay," she said happily. "We'll keep be watching you on TV." I hung up and ran out the door, with all my friends behind me giggling.
The next day....
"It's a beautiful day at Indigo Stadium today folks!" an announcer blared. "The weather is right to see who will go on to battle for the first and second place, and who will be battling for third. On the field are the first two trainers, Meadow Springs and Gabby Field. The coin flip will be in a few minutes."
"Tails," I called.
"Tails it is," the referee called. I can't believe I actually won a coin toss.
"I choose Kadabra," Gabby sent out.
"Hmm...." I thought. "I better not risk too much."
"Go Snorlax," I sent out. "Use Metronome!" Snorlax's Metronome attack was one of my favorites. This time, Snorlax used Bubblebeam. It wasn't the strongest attack, but at least it slowed Kadabra down and did damage.
"Kadabra, use Disable!" Gabby shouted. Kadabra disabled Snorlax's Rest attack. I shrugged and used Metronome for the Egg Bomb attack. Five eggs appeared and blasted Kadabra. Slowly, but surely, Kadabra was losing strength. "Kadabra, use Reflect!" Kadabra created a barrier. I knew Snorlax was strong enough to break it, so I ordered a Body Slam and it worked. Kadabra was nearly fainted, so Gabby tried one last attempt.
"Kadabra, use Confusion!" Snorlax, for the first time in this battle, lost some HP, but a Body Slam finished off Kadabra. Gabby recalled Kadabra and sent out Hitmonchan to use Counter attack. I cringed as I watched Snorlax take the beating. Normal was weak to fighting types. It would only take one more of those for a faint.
"Snorlax, use Metronome," I said in a last resort. It caused Snorlax to use Rage attack, which did little good. Hitmonchan gave Snorlax another good smack before he could attack for a faint. "Snorlax, return." I thought a moment on what would work well against a fighting type. "Go Butterfree! Use Psybeam attack!" I could always rely on Butterfree for a good psychic attack. It was so strong that Butterfree fainted Hitmonchan in one hit.
"Hitmonchan return," Gabby said irritably. "Go Jolteon! Use Tail Whip." Tail Whip was a pathetic attack in my mind. I didn't mind that Butterfree's defense rating went down a little.
"Butterfree, use Supersonic!" I called out in hope that Butterfree would confuse Jolteon into hurting itself. It worked, and on the next attack Jolteon kicked itself for some damage. "Now Butterfree, use Confusion attack!" Jolteon's HP would be depleted soon. I knew that it would only take two or three more attacks if everything went perfectly. Jolteon tried to attack again, but hurt itself once more. Things were looking good for me. I ordered another Confusion attack. If Jolteon hurt itself again, it would probably faint.
"Jolteon, try the Double Kick attack," Gabby urged. Jolteon kicked itself in the face from confusion and then fainted. Rather angry now, Gabby recalled Jolteon and sent out Gyarados to use Dragon Rage. It took out a lot of Butterfree's energy.
"Butterfree, try using Poison Powder," I directed. Gyarados was poison, but it used Hydro Pump to faint Butterfree. I recalled Butterfree and sent out Pikachu.
"Pikachu, use Thunder Bolt," I ordered. It worked well, but Gyarados still had a little bit of HP left. It tried to use Bite, but Pikachu jumped out of the way. Gyarados fainted from the poison.
"No," gasped Gabby. "Gyarados return! Go Weepinbell! Use Sleep Powder." At the first signs of drowsiness, I played a tune on my Pokeflute to wake Pikachu up. Gabby scowled and commanded Weepinbell to use Wrap. Pikachu was unable to move for a while, but eventually got free and used Thunder Wave. Weepinbell was paralyzed so it was much slower. "Weepinbell, try using Stun Spore." Weepinbell was unable to move quickly enough.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack," I requested. Weepinbell got a little dizzy, but didn't faint. Instead, it tried to use Slam. Now, Pikachu was at the halfway point of fainting. She got up from the attack and used Swift. Weepinbell and Pikachu were at equal standing points with their HP.
"Weepinbell, use another Wrap!" Gabby demanded. It worked, but Pikachu wasn't licked yet.
"Use Swift again," I cheered Pikachu on. Weepinbell fainted after the attack and Gabby glared at me in hate.
"Weepinbell return," she said loudly. "Go Marowak! Use Bone Club!" Pikachu was so exhausted, she fainted. I proudly recalled Pikachu while sending out Bulbasaur.
"Bulbasaur, use Solar Beam for a grand finale," I said smiling. Grass types have an advantage over Ground. Bulbasaur gathered sunrays and blasted Marowak for an instant knock out and the win of the match. The crowd burst out in cheers. I hadn't realized how much I was liked in the Indigo Stadium. I picked Bulbasaur up and thanked him over and over as I stood in the center of attention.
Down to Four
Part two
Izzy walked up to me after my battle. His hands were shaking badly. I held one of his hands in my own.
"Don't be so nervous," I said calmly. "You've gotten this far. I bet your opponent will be a push over!" He smiled loosely and nodded as he walked out onto the field. The coin toss started and Izzy had won. His opponent was a boy named Riley.
"Go Poliwrath!" he sent out.
"Go Palmpal!" Izzy shouted. "Use Sleep Powder!" The bluish haze that struck Poliwrath worked. That would buy Izzy a little bit of time.
"Poliwrath, wake up!" Riley shouted. No luck. Izzy had Palmpal use Acid attack. It worked fairly well. Poliwrath opened its eyes a crack as it tried to wake up. Izzy had time for one more attack.
"Palmpal, use Solar Beam!" Izzy bellowed. Palmpal gathered in sunlight as Poliwrath woke up.
"Poliwrath, use Body Slam," Riley ordered. He seemed so sure of himself, but I knew what Izzy had in mind.
When Poliwrath was getting close to ramming Palmpal, Izzy said quickly, "Shoot now, Palmpal!" Palmpal let all the solar energy blast Poliwrath when it was only a few inches away for a guaranteed faint. Riley looked a bit shocked and then recalled Poliwrath.
"Go Tangela," Riley chose. "Use Poison Powder!" Tangela spread it's poisonous dust onto Palmpal, but Palmpal just shook it off. Poison had no effect.
"Palmpal, use Sleep Powder," Izzy said, planning to use the same strategy. It didn't work this time.
"Good job Tangela, use Stun Spore," Riley cheered. This time the dust that Tangela shook on Palmpal was yellow. This had worked and Palmpal was now paralyzed.
"Palmpal try to use Acid," Izzy said hopefully. The attack worked and it took major damage away.
"Tangela, use Constrict," Riley directed. Tangela's vines grasped Palmpal in a tight grip and applied damage twice. Palmpal broke free and tried to use Acid again, but missed. The paralysis was slowing Palmpal down.
"Tangela, use Slam!" Riley demanded. Palmpal took a major hit. It would take two more Acid attacks to faint Tangela, and Izzy wasn't sure that Palmpal could last that long. It was worth a shot.
"Palmpal, keep using Acid," Izzy said through clenched teeth. The next attempt failed also.
"Then you keep using Slam, Tangela," Riley challenged back. Palmpal took another hit. It wouldn't be long before Palmpal fainted. Palmpal made a last attempt to attack with Acid and failed again. Tangela took a stride back and bashed Palmpal for a faint. Sadly, Izzy recalled Palmpal.
"You did you best," he whispered to the Pokeball. "Go Charmander! Use Flamethrower." Flamethrower made short work of Tangela.
"Tangela, return," Riley recalled. "Go Vaporeon! Use Haze!" Haze canceled side effects on both Pokemon.
"Charmander, use Skull Bash," Izzy said decidedly. Vaporeon flew backwards and then used Acid Armor, which increased Vaporeon's defense. "Charmander, use Leer and decrease Vaporeon's defense." Riley had about enough of these weak attacks.
"Vaporeon, Water Gun!" Riley shouted out. Being weak to fire, Charmander fainted. Izzy frowned and recalled Charmander.
"Go Psyduck!" Izzy chose. "Use your Disable attack!" Psyduck disabled Vaporeon's Acid Armor attack. Riley didn't seem too disturbed.
"Vaporeon, use Bite," Riley said carelessly.
"He's too sure of himself," I thought. "If Izzy's lucky, Riley will be so sure of himself he'll make a mistake."
"Psyduck, use Fury Swipes!" Ordered Izzy. Psyduck only landed one hit, but it was a good one. Vaporeon was getting exhausted and if Psyduck could hold on long enough, then Izzy would win the round. Vaporeon shook it's head and prepared to attack. Riley had Vaporeon use Quick Attack. Psyduck was at the halfway point of his health.
"Hold on Psyduck," I kept thinking to myself.
"Psyduck, use Confusion," Izzy directed. It was what Psyduck needed to win the round.
Disgusted, Riley recalled Vaporeon. He picked up a Pokeball and shouted, "I choose you, Nidorina! Use Poison Sting." I shivered to myself thinking about the poisonous spines on Nidorina. They weren't as big as Nidorino's, but they were still powerful. Psyduck wasn't poisoned, but it would take much for a faint.
Desperate, Izzy decided to have Psyduck use one last attack.
"Psyduck, use Confusion." Nidorina recoiled in pain from the attack. Psyduck had used a Confusion attack so strong, it took almost half of Nidorina's HP away.
"Nidorina, use Tackle," Riley demanded. Psyduck fainted, but he had gone out with a strong attack.
"Good job Psyduck," Izzy recalled. "Go, Kangaskhan! Use your Bite attack." Kangaskhan didn't faint Nidorina, but all he had to do was flick a nail at this point. If Riley were smart, he'd try to poison Kangaskhan before Nidorina fainted. He was smart, but not lucky enough to succeed. The Poison Sting attack only did minimal damage, and Nidorina faint when Kangaskhan kicked it.
"Nidorina return," Riley scowled. It was down to two to two now. "Go Powerkhan!" Riley had chosen a nicknamed Kangaskhan of his own. This was going to be an interesting round. It was Kangaskhan versus Kangaskhan. "Powerkhan, use Mega Punch!" Izzy's Kangaskhan took a direct hit and stumbled backwards.
"Kangaskhan, don't let Powerkhan push you around," Izzy encouraged. "Use your Mega Punch!" This time it was Powerkhan that took a shot to the mouth. Powerkhan fell backwards, but got up and used Tail Whip.
"What a useless attack," Izzy said to himself. "Kangaskhan, use another Mega Punch." Powerkhan took the hit in surprise.
"Powerkhan, use Rage," Riley said angrily. Powerkhan's eyes glowed an angry red as it slammed into Kangaskhan.
"Kangaskhan, use your Dizzy Punch!" Izzy yelled. Powerkhan did get dizzy, but only for a moment. Powerkhan's Rage attack was still in motion. Kangaskhan took yet another vengeful hit from Powerkhan.
"I better act fast," Izzy thought. I always thought that Izzy's idea of winning a battle was to get as many attacks in as fast as possible.
"Okay, Kangaskhan," Izzy coached. "Two more Mega Punches is all we need." Kangaskhan nodded in agreement. After giving Powerkhan a good hit, Powerkhan charged full speed at Kangaskhan. This was where things got interesting. Kangaskhan spun around, avoiding Powerkhan's attack, and used Mega Punch a final time to put Powerkhan down completely. It was a heated match, and Kangaskhan had won.
"That's it!" Riley fumed. He stubbornly recalled Kangaskhan, reached for his last Pokeball, squeezed it firmly, and sent out his last Pokemon. "Go Ninetales! Use Fire Blast!" Izzy watched Kangaskhan faint instantly. After recalling Kangaskhan, Izzy picked up Fearow's Pokeball, and sent out Fearow.
"Fearow, use Fly!" Izzy said calmly. I didn't know what to expect. There was no disadvantage and there was no advantage for either. This match would be based on shear power and speed. Fearow's Fly attack landed right on target. Ninetales winced a little as it took the hit.
"Okay, Ninetales," Riley cheered. "Now, use Quick Attack!" Ninetales ran around in circles around Fearow so fast, it was making Fearow dizzy. Then, Ninetales leaped forward knocking into Fearow for a hit.
"Fearow, shake it off and use Fury Attack," Izzy ordered. Fearow dived down and quickly flew back down five times, but hit Ninetales only three times. Ninetales then used Flamethrower to deal a lot of damage. Fearow wouldn't last much longer. In a final attempt, Fearow used Fury Attack again, but didn't hit Ninetales once.
"Ninetales, finish it off," Riley demanded. Ninetales used Quick Attack once more for the faint. Silently, Izzy recalled Fearow. I knew that he only had one shot left.
"It's all up to you," Izzy whispered to Beedrill, who was hovering anxiously above Izzy's shoulders. In a flash, Beedrill was out on the field and all pumped up to battle. "Beedrill, use Twin Needle." Beedrill was so strong, it nearly fainted Ninetales, but Ninetales was still holding on. Just by a thread.
"Ninetales, don't let that Beedrill bug you," Riley shouted defensively. "Use Flamethrower." I cringed in remembrance of how devastating fire was to a bug type. Beedrill avoided the most of the attack, but was nicked. It was still enough to take one-third of Beedrill's HP away. Beedrill narrowed his eyes and dived onto Ninetales, stinger first. There was a lot of dirt kicked up from the attack, and when it cleared Ninetales laid on the ground defeated. Beedrill had one Izzy another victory!
Mr. Goodshow, the Pokemon League owner, stepped out and congratulated both of us. I looked around for the other trainers.
"You two have proven yourselves the strongest trainers," he said into the microphone. "Tomorrow, after the battle for third place, we will see who is the Indigo League champion." I stared in shock at Izzy. I couldn't believe that we were the only ones left. Even more unbelievable was that tomorrow, I'd have to battle the one person who stuck by me the whole way. Izzy and I have never battled each other before, but we knew each other's strategy by heart. I was almost ready to forfeit right then and there, but I knew I couldn't do that to Izzy. That wasn't how either of us wanted to win. Izzy was as stunned as I was. How could we challenge each other and still maintain our relationship?
Chapter 45
Together Until The End
That evening we called Bill and reported our predicament. He stared glumly at us as we explained all. When we finished, we sat and waited a moment for some sort of plan from Bill. We hadn't expected his reply.
"Hmm..." he started. "My advice is to give it your all." I shot Bill a look of disbelief. "If you don't want to forfeit, you might as well make it the toughest battle ever and benefit a little from it. As for picking your Pokemon, I suppose one could go out of the room for a moment while the other receives their Pokemon." I guess he was right. I went first.
"I want a varied team," I mumbled while making my choice. "I'll take Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Pikachu, Pesky, and Butterfree." After trading Snorlax for Butterfree, I requested that Squirtle stay in his Pokeball for the night, so Izzy didn't know. Squirtle nodded in agreement. I walked out of the room while Izzy made his choices.
"I'll take Beedrill, Charmander, Palmpal, Fearow, Pikachu, and Lapras," he said softly. "Bill, I don't wanna do this." Bill nodded sympathetically.
"Try your hardest," is all he could think off. "And the winner has to buy the loser ice cream for the night." Izzy smiled happily and nodded his head. Izzy hung up on Bill and prepared for bed. I got into my cot and tried to sleep, but couldn't. My head was whirling with thoughts.
After I couldn't take it any longer, I sat up and whispered to Izzy, "Whatever happens, I won't think any differently of you." I never got a reply, because Izzy was already fast asleep. I laid back down and slowly fell asleep.
The next day...
"Welcome everyone," the announcer stated. "Today is the day were we see who gets the gold. Today's contestants will be Izzy Romn from right here in Indigo Plateau and Meadow Springs from Celadon City. We are expecting a tough match today, so sit tight and enjoy the battle!" I stepped out to the middle of the field for the coin toss.
Izzy had already said I could go first, so when the referee tossed the coin I shouted, "Tails!" It was heads, as I figured it would be. I never had good luck with coins.
"Go Pikachu," I sent out.
"Go Pikachu," Izzy chose. "Use Quick Attack!" The announcer was having a field day with the prospect that we both had chosen Pikachu. Quick Attack was fairly good of an attack, but my Pikachu was just as quick.
"So as not to get confused, I'll call my Pikachu, Pika," I announced to Izzy and my Pikachu. "So, Pika, use your Quick Attack!" My attack was more successful, but this match was far from over. Pika jumped back after the attack, while Pikachu got back up.
"Pikachu, use Swift!" Izzy ordered. I had Pika do the same. Pikachu got a little upset and used Agility to try and confuse my Pokemon. It didn't work. Instead, Pika used another Quick Attack. Pikachu was getting worn out, and Izzy was panicking. Pikachu used Swift again.
"Pika, use another Quick Attack," I bided. I hated to use the same attack over and over, but if it got the job done I had no complaints.
"Then you use your Quick attack," Izzy said hotly. Pika was still stronger than Pikachu. After receiving the blow, Pika used Swift. Pikachu was hanging by a thread now. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Pika was getting low on energy too, but one more Swift attack was all it took to faint Pikachu. Izzy frowned and recalled Pikachu.
"Go Palmpal!" Izzy sent out. "Use Solar Beam!" After collecting enough sunlight, Palmpal fainted my Pikachu with a blast of solar energy.
"Pikachu, return" I said softly. "Great job. Go Bulbasaur! Use Vine Whip!" It wasn't very effective.
"Palmpal, use Sleep Powder," Izzy directed. Bulbasaur sat in the middle of the blue haze and didn't fall asleep. He was too charged up to take a nap. Bulbasaur backed away for a moment and then used his own Sleep Powder. It didn't affect Palmpal anymore than it affected Bulbasaur. "Palmpal, use Acid." This also wasn't very effective, because Bulbasaur was also part Poison. Neither Grass nor Poison attacks would work on either Pokemon.
"Bulbasaur, just keep using Body Slam," I said exasperated. "Maybe you can paralyze Palmpal." Bulbasaur lunged at Palmpal.
"If that's it then you can do the same," Izzy ordered. For a while Bulbasaur and Palmpal kept ramming each other. It was a pathetic looking match, but there was no other choice. Bulbasaur finally paralyzed Palmpal. Now Bulbasaur had the advantage. Bulbasaur proved victorious as one final Body Slam fainted Palmpal.
"Return Palmpal," Izzy uttered in a discouraged manner. "Go Charmander, use Flamethrower!" The Flamethrower made short work of Bulbasaur. After recalling Bulbasaur, I thought my plan through for a moment.
"I could use Squirtle," I considered. "But he's my strongest and I want to save the strongest for last." I made my decision.
"Go Charmander," I called out. "Use Ember!" It was very ineffective.
"Just like you called your Pikachu, Pika, I'll call my Charmander, Char," Izzy offered. I nodded. "Char, use Slash!" Charmander took the hit hard. He shook his head and used Fire Spin. It stopped Char from attacking for four turns, but it still didn't do that much damage. "Char, use another Slash!" I decided to put my plan into action.
"Charmander, use Rage!" I shouted. By now, Charmander had taken a lot of damage, and I thought it'd be a good opportunity to use that to my advantage. Rage did a lot of damage. Char fell backwards, but got up and used it's own Rage attack, which did more damage. Charmander had the advantage, though. Another Rage attack fainted Char. Izzy called Char back.
"Go Lapras," he sent out. "Use Water Gun." And so ended the match for my Charmander. I recalled him.
"Go Pesky," I sent out. Izzy looked a little surprised. I suppose he expected me to use Squirtle. Not today. "Pesky, use Fly!" Pesky flew out of the way of an attack that Lapras had launched and dive-bombed her. Lapras recoiled for a moment, and then used Confuse Ray, but missed.
"Nice try Lapras," Izzy encouraged.
"Pesky, use Fury Attack," I directed. Pesky landed three hits. So far, Lapras hadn't done any damage.
"Lapras, use Confuse Ray again," Izzy bided. This time it worked.
"Try to use Fury Attack again," I said cautiously. Pesky only hit once, but at least he hit. Lapras gathered her strength and used Body Slam. Pesky was still confused but he tried to use Mirror Move. Instead, he attacked himself.
"Lapras, use Sing!" Izzy shouted. It didn't work at all.
"Pesky, use Drill Peck," I said. It worked well. Much better than Lapras's Sing. Izzy had to think of a plan, and fast. Lapras couldn't last much longer.
"Lapras, use Water Gun!" Izzy shouted quickly. It did fair damage, but Pesky had the advantage.
"Pesky, use Drill Peck at point blank," I directed. It took Izzy a moment to figure out what I had meant, and by the time he had it was too late for him to tell Lapras to move. Pesky flew closely and used Drill Peck for extra damage. Just enough so Lapras would faint. Izzy closed his eyes after recalling Lapras.
After a few moments, he opened them again and sent out his Pokeball shouting, "I choose you, Fearow! Use Peck!" I had anticipated this strategy, so moments before Fearow could attack, I had Pesky fly low. Pesky was able to maneuver the attack.
"Pesky, use Fury Attack," I said with confidence. I could plainly see from the accuracy of Pesky's attacks that he was no longer confused. However, I had underestimated Fearow's speed. Pesky was only able to get two hits in. Fearow used his own Fury Attack. He was able to get three hits on Pesky. "Pesky fly!" Pesky flew upwards in great speed, took a good aim, and nailed Fearow.
"Fearow, use Mirror Move!" Izzy shouted happily. This time it was Fearow who used Fly on Pesky.
"Pesky, use Drill Peck," I said, shaking. Pesky wasn't doing so well. At least, Drill Peck worked. Fearow used his Drill Peck to faint Pesky.
"Pesky return," I said in my daze. I was concentrating on my choices.
"It's down to Squirtle and Butterfree," I debated. After a couple minutes, I made my choice.
"Give it your all, Butterfree," I encouraged. "Use Psybeam!" I knew Butterfree's Psybeam was incredibly powerful. I needed that power for a quick win. Psybeam didn't faint Fearow, but came close.
"Fearow, use Peck," Izzy coached. Butterfree was very quick and avoided the attack. With Fearow's back turned, she used Confusion. It fainted Fearow, leaving Butterfree untouched. Izzy had one Pokemon left. I knew that I was going to have to try my hardest to win, now.
"Go, Beedrill," Izzy sent out. "You're my last shot, so don't give up! Use Agility!" Beedrill's speed rose greatly as Butterfree was lost in the whirl.
"Butterfree, slow him down with Stun Spore," I commanded. It didn't work, though. Beedrill stopped for a moment. Then, his eyes glowed red. Beedrill was using his Rage attack. It didn't do much damage, because Butterfree hadn't done anything yet. I had to be careful. "Butterfree, use Sleep Powder!" I was determined to slow Beedrill down. This had worked! Beedrill drifted down to the ground and fell asleep.
"Wake up Beedrill," Izzy said through clenched teeth.
"Way to go, Butterfree!" I cheered. "Now, use Psybeam!" Beedrill had woken up immediately when he heard Izzy speak. Rising and flying away quickly, Beedrill was able to avoid the attack.
"Beedrill, great job," Izzy said. "Now, use Twin Needle!" Butterfree flinched as Beedrill took two shots with the stingers on his forearms. "Poison Sting!" I watched as Butterfree took the hits, and get poisoned. Why wasn't she attacking?
"Butterfree, use Whirlwind!" I ordered. Butterfree blew up a weak gust that didn't even affect Beedrill.
Squirtle climbed up to my shoulders and whispered in my ear, "Squirtle squirt squirtle squirtle squirt." (I don't think Butterfree's trying.)
"I don't think so either," I answered back, entirely unaware of the fact I understood Squirtle so well that I didn't even need to see him make any hand signs.
"Beedrill, use Fury Attack!" Izzy said with his hand clenched in a fist. At least Butterfree wasn't acting like a free target. Beedrill only hit her twice. That still didn't clear up the fact that Butterfree wasn't trying her hardest to attack Beedrill.
"Butterfree, use Tackle!" I shouted. Butterfree tried the slowest tackle attack I'd ever seen. Beedrill easily avoided it.
"Why won't she attack?" I whispered back to Squirtle.
"Squirtle squirt squirt squirtle squirt squirtle," he replied in a sad tone. (She doesn't want to hurt Beedrill.) At the same time, Izzy was wondering about the same thing.
"If Butterfree's not going to try, then it will be an all out and out battle with Beedrill and Squirtle both at full strength," Izzy speculated.
"Beedrill, use Hyper Beam," Izzy said coolly. Beedrill drew in its energy and shot a golden beam at Butterfree for the faint.
"Butterfree return," I recalled. I stared at the Pokeball for a moment. "You let me down." I whispered the last part softly. Then I got myself back into the battle. "Go Squirtle! Use Bite!"
"Beedrill, use Pin Missile!" Izzy bided. Beedrill took five shots at Squirtle and hit four times. Squirtle shook it off and used Hydro Pump for maximum damage. Hydro Pump is the strongest attack that Squirtle knows. In return, Beedrill came back with his strongest attack. Twin Needle. Luckily, Squirtle's speed prevented it from one of the two stingers.
"Squirtle, try your Bite attack again," I encouraged my tiring Pokemon. At this point in time, if Squirtle could get a few strong attacks in, Beedrill would faint soon.
"Beedrill, don't give up," Izzy urged. "Try your Fury Attack!" I held my breath as Beedrill made five attempts to hit Squirtle. He hit three times, which was about average for Beedrill. Squirtle counter attacked with Tackle attack. It wouldn't have been my preferred choice, but now and then I let Squirtle decided what he thinks would be the best attack. "Beedrill, use Twin Needle!" Once again, with some creative maneuvering from Squirtle, Beedrill only made contact once.
"Squirtle, use Bubble," I suggested. Squirtle's attack paralyzed Beedrill. One more attack should do it.
"Beedrill, use Hyper Beam," Izzy pleaded. Fighting the paralyzing side effect of Squirtle's Bubble attack, Beedrill unleashed a powerful Hyper Beam. Squirtle was knocked in the air flying and landed with a thud.
"Squirtle!" I shrieked. I couldn't imagine how Squirtle felt right now. "Squirtle, you've got to try and get up!" For a moment Squirtle just laid there.
"Squirtle is unable to-" the referee started. Before she could finish, Squirtle stood up. A roar ripped through the crowd as Squirtle trudged forward.
"Squirtle," I breathed, relieved. "Squirtle, try to use Bubble." Squirtle sucked in his breath and sent out an array of Bubbles that hit Beedrill for the win!
"Beedrill is unable to battle!" the referee shouted. "Squirtle is the winner!"
The crowd went nuts as the announcer started screaming into his microphone, "It's all over folks! Meadow Springs is the champion of this years Indigo Pokemon League Tournament!!!"
I ran up to Squirtle and grabbed him in my arms, crying.
"We did it!!!!" I shouted. "We won! You won! Thank you!" Izzy just stood there a few yards away, cradling Beedrill in his arms.
"Izzy," I whispered walking up to him. He looked up sadly. "After we take our Pokemon to the Pokemon Center, I'll go buy us some ice cream."
Chapter 46
A New Adventure?
I leaned back on Izzy and let out a sigh. It had been a hectic day. Izzy had received a medal for second place and an honorable badge for competing in the Pokemon League. I, on the other hand, had gotten my name inscribed on a plaque, a winner's trophy, and my photo with all my Pokemon taken and placed in the Hall of Fame. On top of that, I also received the badge that every trainer had gotten for competing in the Pokemon League. I gave the trophy and my badge to Joy to hold on to while I decided what I would do now.
That was exactly what I was thinking about at this moment. For the past five years Izzy and I had trained for the Indigo League. Now that was over and we had no idea what to do next.
We said goodbye to Robin earlier. Before he left, we asked him what he was going to do now.
He replied, "Now that I've seen how exhilarating the league was, I'm going to start collecting badges for next year."
I happily watched our Pokemon play games with each other. I tilted my head backwards to give Izzy a kiss. At that moment, I heard a voice pierce the calm air.
"Hey Squirtel," Ash greeted. "Hi Izzy. Congratulations!"
"Thanks," I replied standing up. Izzy stood up too.
"So now what are you guys going to do?" he asked bluntly. I frowned and glanced at a poster on a pole nearby. I saw a picture on it and smiled faintly.
"Well," I said slyly smiling at Izzy. "I heard that the Orange Islands are nice this time of year."
Part Two
"Izzy Romn is the winner," the referee declared. Stunned, Izzy slowly walked back towards me.
I stared at me for a second, and then said blankly, "I did it." I shifted uneasily in my seat while Izzy sat down. Then I heard the referee call the next match.
"The next match will be Kevin Heron versus Meadow Springs," the referee stated. I turned red. I had never told Izzy my last name because it was embarrassing. I think my parents purposely named me Meadow because it went with my last name. I pushed the embarrassing feelings out of my head as I numbly walked to the trainers box on the end of the field.
"Call the coin," the referee instructed.
"Tails," I called. It landed heads. Figures, because that was my luck.
"I'll start with Snorlax," I sent out.
"Go Mr. Mime," Kevin sent out. "Use Double Slap!" Mr. Mime slapped Snorlax's thick hide. I knew that at least a few hit points were lost, but it appeared like none were.
"Snorlax, use Double Edge," I called out. Even though Double Edge attack causes your own Pokemon to lose a few hit points, I knew Snorlax had plenty to spare. Mr. Mime fell backwards from the hit. Then, it used Light Screen. I decided that as long as Snorlax was at full health, I could have a little bit of fun with the Metronome attack.
"Snorlax, use Metronome," I said smiling. Snorlax's Metronome attack caused him to use Earthquake. The ground shook from the attack, and Mr. Mime's Light Screen shattered. Kevin gasped slightly and then ordered that Mr. Mime use Confusion. This attack did considerably more damage because it wasn't a physical blow. Snorlax shook his head and used Metronome again for the Psywave attack, which didn't do much damage.
"Mr. Mime, use Light Screen again," Kevin ordered, shakily. Snorlax used Metronome for the Counter attack, for a faint. Kevin stared at his Mr. Mime in disbelief. Then, after shaking his head, recalled Mr. Mime and sent out Venomoth to use Psychic attack. Now Snorlax was beginning to weaken.
"Try one last Metronome," I ordered. This time Snorlax used Dig. It was semi-effective, but not like I had hoped.
"Venomoth, use another Psychic attack," Kevin called out confidently. I knew that it would faint Snorlax, and my prediction came true. I recalled Snorlax and thought for a moment on who I would use next.
"Charmander would be good," I observed. I felt Squirtle yanking on my shirt. I looked down and shook my head. Squirtle just gave me a sad look and waited patiently for me to send out Charmander.
"Charmander, use Flamethrower," I commanded. It worked well and Venomoth was already down to less than half of its HP.
"Venomoth, use Sleep Powder," Kevin demanded. Venomoth flapped powder off of its wings and Charmander got drowsy. I knew this was my time to act. I grabbed my Pokeflute that was next to me and played a quick tune to wake Charmander up. Kevin scowled for a moment before ordering Venomoth to use Leech Life. Some of Charmander's energy was absorbed, but it wouldn't do any good for Venomoth. One more Flamethrower from my powerful Charmander fainted Venomoth. I glanced at Kevin to see his panicky expression.
"Venomoth, return," he recalled. "Go Charmeleon! Use Slash!" I remembered reading in a book about Charmeleon. It was the evolved form of Charmander. Charmeleon was strong against Ice types and weakened by Water. I pushed the thought out of my head for the moment and concentrated on Charmander, who was nearly knocked out from the blow.
"Charmander, use your Skull Bash," I encouraged. Charmander slammed into Charmeleon, head first, and took away a third of Charmeleon's HP. Charmeleon spun around and slapped my Charmander with it's powerful tail. Charmander was fainted, but I knew what to do.
"Go Squirtle," I said smiling. "Let's win this with Water Gun." Charmeleon tried to avoid the blast of water, but failed. Despite the critical hit, Charmeleon still was standing.
"Charmeleon, use another Slash," Kevin said quickly. Squirtle flew backwards and took a moment in getting up. His left arm was hurt badly. I hoped that Squirtle could still battle. A look of fire entered his eyes and he stood up in battle position and shot Charmeleon once more with a forceful spray. Although it was clear to see that Charmeleon had fainted, we had to wait a second for the referee to make the call.
"Charmeleon is unable to battle, the winner is Meadow Springs!" he shouted. A roar came from the crowd, and I enjoyed it immensely. Squirtle collapsed as soon as the referee made the call. I rushed out of the trainer's box and scooped Squirtle into my arms.
"Squirtle, are you all right?" I asked concerned. Squirtle opened his eyes and smiled.
"Squirtle squirtle squirt?" he said quietly. (How's that for winning?) I smiled and walked off the field.
"Just fine," I said softly. "Just fine."
Chapter 46
Down to Four
Izzy and I exchanged unspoken happiness while we were walking down to the Pokemon Center to heal our Pokemon. Robin and Nurse Joy, on the other hand, couldn't seem to stop talking.
"I'll love a good Pokemon battle," Robin chatted. "I was worried when that girl brought out Mr. Mime, though."
"He would," I whispered under my breath to Izzy. He just smiled and nodded back. While we were waiting for our Pokemon, and for Joy to stop yakking to her sister, we discussed tomorrow.
"We get to use all six Pokemon," Izzy speculated. "That's going to be tough, even if we only battle twice." Joy's sister brought out our Pokemon and wished us good luck. I was heading out the door when Joy's sister, who was also a Nurse Joy if the reader hasn't figured it out, stopped me.
"Squirtel, wait," she called. "There's a call for you in the Pokemon Center!" I looked at Izzy and shrugged. I was greatly surprised to see who it was.
"Mom!?" I shouted at the videophone. I hadn't seen my mom on the phone since last Christmas.
"My big girl is winning the Indigo Pokemon League," she said terry eyed. "We've been watching you here in America." I was too stunned to talk.
"That's your mom?" Izzy asked. Mom moved her head to see Izzy.
"Meadow, who's that?" she asked. I came back to reality.
"Oh, this is Izzy," I introduced. "He's my boyfriend." My mom went nuts.
"Oh, did you hear that honey?!" she shouted to my dad. "Meadow's going to compete with her little boyfriend!" I wanted to hang up. Why did Mom always have a way of embarrassing me? I looked back at Izzy, who was bright red.
"Mom, I gotta go," I said quickly.
"Okay," she said happily. "We'll keep be watching you on TV." I hung up and ran out the door, with all my friends behind me giggling.
The next day....
"It's a beautiful day at Indigo Stadium today folks!" an announcer blared. "The weather is right to see who will go on to battle for the first and second place, and who will be battling for third. On the field are the first two trainers, Meadow Springs and Gabby Field. The coin flip will be in a few minutes."
"Tails," I called.
"Tails it is," the referee called. I can't believe I actually won a coin toss.
"I choose Kadabra," Gabby sent out.
"Hmm...." I thought. "I better not risk too much."
"Go Snorlax," I sent out. "Use Metronome!" Snorlax's Metronome attack was one of my favorites. This time, Snorlax used Bubblebeam. It wasn't the strongest attack, but at least it slowed Kadabra down and did damage.
"Kadabra, use Disable!" Gabby shouted. Kadabra disabled Snorlax's Rest attack. I shrugged and used Metronome for the Egg Bomb attack. Five eggs appeared and blasted Kadabra. Slowly, but surely, Kadabra was losing strength. "Kadabra, use Reflect!" Kadabra created a barrier. I knew Snorlax was strong enough to break it, so I ordered a Body Slam and it worked. Kadabra was nearly fainted, so Gabby tried one last attempt.
"Kadabra, use Confusion!" Snorlax, for the first time in this battle, lost some HP, but a Body Slam finished off Kadabra. Gabby recalled Kadabra and sent out Hitmonchan to use Counter attack. I cringed as I watched Snorlax take the beating. Normal was weak to fighting types. It would only take one more of those for a faint.
"Snorlax, use Metronome," I said in a last resort. It caused Snorlax to use Rage attack, which did little good. Hitmonchan gave Snorlax another good smack before he could attack for a faint. "Snorlax, return." I thought a moment on what would work well against a fighting type. "Go Butterfree! Use Psybeam attack!" I could always rely on Butterfree for a good psychic attack. It was so strong that Butterfree fainted Hitmonchan in one hit.
"Hitmonchan return," Gabby said irritably. "Go Jolteon! Use Tail Whip." Tail Whip was a pathetic attack in my mind. I didn't mind that Butterfree's defense rating went down a little.
"Butterfree, use Supersonic!" I called out in hope that Butterfree would confuse Jolteon into hurting itself. It worked, and on the next attack Jolteon kicked itself for some damage. "Now Butterfree, use Confusion attack!" Jolteon's HP would be depleted soon. I knew that it would only take two or three more attacks if everything went perfectly. Jolteon tried to attack again, but hurt itself once more. Things were looking good for me. I ordered another Confusion attack. If Jolteon hurt itself again, it would probably faint.
"Jolteon, try the Double Kick attack," Gabby urged. Jolteon kicked itself in the face from confusion and then fainted. Rather angry now, Gabby recalled Jolteon and sent out Gyarados to use Dragon Rage. It took out a lot of Butterfree's energy.
"Butterfree, try using Poison Powder," I directed. Gyarados was poison, but it used Hydro Pump to faint Butterfree. I recalled Butterfree and sent out Pikachu.
"Pikachu, use Thunder Bolt," I ordered. It worked well, but Gyarados still had a little bit of HP left. It tried to use Bite, but Pikachu jumped out of the way. Gyarados fainted from the poison.
"No," gasped Gabby. "Gyarados return! Go Weepinbell! Use Sleep Powder." At the first signs of drowsiness, I played a tune on my Pokeflute to wake Pikachu up. Gabby scowled and commanded Weepinbell to use Wrap. Pikachu was unable to move for a while, but eventually got free and used Thunder Wave. Weepinbell was paralyzed so it was much slower. "Weepinbell, try using Stun Spore." Weepinbell was unable to move quickly enough.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack," I requested. Weepinbell got a little dizzy, but didn't faint. Instead, it tried to use Slam. Now, Pikachu was at the halfway point of fainting. She got up from the attack and used Swift. Weepinbell and Pikachu were at equal standing points with their HP.
"Weepinbell, use another Wrap!" Gabby demanded. It worked, but Pikachu wasn't licked yet.
"Use Swift again," I cheered Pikachu on. Weepinbell fainted after the attack and Gabby glared at me in hate.
"Weepinbell return," she said loudly. "Go Marowak! Use Bone Club!" Pikachu was so exhausted, she fainted. I proudly recalled Pikachu while sending out Bulbasaur.
"Bulbasaur, use Solar Beam for a grand finale," I said smiling. Grass types have an advantage over Ground. Bulbasaur gathered sunrays and blasted Marowak for an instant knock out and the win of the match. The crowd burst out in cheers. I hadn't realized how much I was liked in the Indigo Stadium. I picked Bulbasaur up and thanked him over and over as I stood in the center of attention.
Down to Four
Part two
Izzy walked up to me after my battle. His hands were shaking badly. I held one of his hands in my own.
"Don't be so nervous," I said calmly. "You've gotten this far. I bet your opponent will be a push over!" He smiled loosely and nodded as he walked out onto the field. The coin toss started and Izzy had won. His opponent was a boy named Riley.
"Go Poliwrath!" he sent out.
"Go Palmpal!" Izzy shouted. "Use Sleep Powder!" The bluish haze that struck Poliwrath worked. That would buy Izzy a little bit of time.
"Poliwrath, wake up!" Riley shouted. No luck. Izzy had Palmpal use Acid attack. It worked fairly well. Poliwrath opened its eyes a crack as it tried to wake up. Izzy had time for one more attack.
"Palmpal, use Solar Beam!" Izzy bellowed. Palmpal gathered in sunlight as Poliwrath woke up.
"Poliwrath, use Body Slam," Riley ordered. He seemed so sure of himself, but I knew what Izzy had in mind.
When Poliwrath was getting close to ramming Palmpal, Izzy said quickly, "Shoot now, Palmpal!" Palmpal let all the solar energy blast Poliwrath when it was only a few inches away for a guaranteed faint. Riley looked a bit shocked and then recalled Poliwrath.
"Go Tangela," Riley chose. "Use Poison Powder!" Tangela spread it's poisonous dust onto Palmpal, but Palmpal just shook it off. Poison had no effect.
"Palmpal, use Sleep Powder," Izzy said, planning to use the same strategy. It didn't work this time.
"Good job Tangela, use Stun Spore," Riley cheered. This time the dust that Tangela shook on Palmpal was yellow. This had worked and Palmpal was now paralyzed.
"Palmpal try to use Acid," Izzy said hopefully. The attack worked and it took major damage away.
"Tangela, use Constrict," Riley directed. Tangela's vines grasped Palmpal in a tight grip and applied damage twice. Palmpal broke free and tried to use Acid again, but missed. The paralysis was slowing Palmpal down.
"Tangela, use Slam!" Riley demanded. Palmpal took a major hit. It would take two more Acid attacks to faint Tangela, and Izzy wasn't sure that Palmpal could last that long. It was worth a shot.
"Palmpal, keep using Acid," Izzy said through clenched teeth. The next attempt failed also.
"Then you keep using Slam, Tangela," Riley challenged back. Palmpal took another hit. It wouldn't be long before Palmpal fainted. Palmpal made a last attempt to attack with Acid and failed again. Tangela took a stride back and bashed Palmpal for a faint. Sadly, Izzy recalled Palmpal.
"You did you best," he whispered to the Pokeball. "Go Charmander! Use Flamethrower." Flamethrower made short work of Tangela.
"Tangela, return," Riley recalled. "Go Vaporeon! Use Haze!" Haze canceled side effects on both Pokemon.
"Charmander, use Skull Bash," Izzy said decidedly. Vaporeon flew backwards and then used Acid Armor, which increased Vaporeon's defense. "Charmander, use Leer and decrease Vaporeon's defense." Riley had about enough of these weak attacks.
"Vaporeon, Water Gun!" Riley shouted out. Being weak to fire, Charmander fainted. Izzy frowned and recalled Charmander.
"Go Psyduck!" Izzy chose. "Use your Disable attack!" Psyduck disabled Vaporeon's Acid Armor attack. Riley didn't seem too disturbed.
"Vaporeon, use Bite," Riley said carelessly.
"He's too sure of himself," I thought. "If Izzy's lucky, Riley will be so sure of himself he'll make a mistake."
"Psyduck, use Fury Swipes!" Ordered Izzy. Psyduck only landed one hit, but it was a good one. Vaporeon was getting exhausted and if Psyduck could hold on long enough, then Izzy would win the round. Vaporeon shook it's head and prepared to attack. Riley had Vaporeon use Quick Attack. Psyduck was at the halfway point of his health.
"Hold on Psyduck," I kept thinking to myself.
"Psyduck, use Confusion," Izzy directed. It was what Psyduck needed to win the round.
Disgusted, Riley recalled Vaporeon. He picked up a Pokeball and shouted, "I choose you, Nidorina! Use Poison Sting." I shivered to myself thinking about the poisonous spines on Nidorina. They weren't as big as Nidorino's, but they were still powerful. Psyduck wasn't poisoned, but it would take much for a faint.
Desperate, Izzy decided to have Psyduck use one last attack.
"Psyduck, use Confusion." Nidorina recoiled in pain from the attack. Psyduck had used a Confusion attack so strong, it took almost half of Nidorina's HP away.
"Nidorina, use Tackle," Riley demanded. Psyduck fainted, but he had gone out with a strong attack.
"Good job Psyduck," Izzy recalled. "Go, Kangaskhan! Use your Bite attack." Kangaskhan didn't faint Nidorina, but all he had to do was flick a nail at this point. If Riley were smart, he'd try to poison Kangaskhan before Nidorina fainted. He was smart, but not lucky enough to succeed. The Poison Sting attack only did minimal damage, and Nidorina faint when Kangaskhan kicked it.
"Nidorina return," Riley scowled. It was down to two to two now. "Go Powerkhan!" Riley had chosen a nicknamed Kangaskhan of his own. This was going to be an interesting round. It was Kangaskhan versus Kangaskhan. "Powerkhan, use Mega Punch!" Izzy's Kangaskhan took a direct hit and stumbled backwards.
"Kangaskhan, don't let Powerkhan push you around," Izzy encouraged. "Use your Mega Punch!" This time it was Powerkhan that took a shot to the mouth. Powerkhan fell backwards, but got up and used Tail Whip.
"What a useless attack," Izzy said to himself. "Kangaskhan, use another Mega Punch." Powerkhan took the hit in surprise.
"Powerkhan, use Rage," Riley said angrily. Powerkhan's eyes glowed an angry red as it slammed into Kangaskhan.
"Kangaskhan, use your Dizzy Punch!" Izzy yelled. Powerkhan did get dizzy, but only for a moment. Powerkhan's Rage attack was still in motion. Kangaskhan took yet another vengeful hit from Powerkhan.
"I better act fast," Izzy thought. I always thought that Izzy's idea of winning a battle was to get as many attacks in as fast as possible.
"Okay, Kangaskhan," Izzy coached. "Two more Mega Punches is all we need." Kangaskhan nodded in agreement. After giving Powerkhan a good hit, Powerkhan charged full speed at Kangaskhan. This was where things got interesting. Kangaskhan spun around, avoiding Powerkhan's attack, and used Mega Punch a final time to put Powerkhan down completely. It was a heated match, and Kangaskhan had won.
"That's it!" Riley fumed. He stubbornly recalled Kangaskhan, reached for his last Pokeball, squeezed it firmly, and sent out his last Pokemon. "Go Ninetales! Use Fire Blast!" Izzy watched Kangaskhan faint instantly. After recalling Kangaskhan, Izzy picked up Fearow's Pokeball, and sent out Fearow.
"Fearow, use Fly!" Izzy said calmly. I didn't know what to expect. There was no disadvantage and there was no advantage for either. This match would be based on shear power and speed. Fearow's Fly attack landed right on target. Ninetales winced a little as it took the hit.
"Okay, Ninetales," Riley cheered. "Now, use Quick Attack!" Ninetales ran around in circles around Fearow so fast, it was making Fearow dizzy. Then, Ninetales leaped forward knocking into Fearow for a hit.
"Fearow, shake it off and use Fury Attack," Izzy ordered. Fearow dived down and quickly flew back down five times, but hit Ninetales only three times. Ninetales then used Flamethrower to deal a lot of damage. Fearow wouldn't last much longer. In a final attempt, Fearow used Fury Attack again, but didn't hit Ninetales once.
"Ninetales, finish it off," Riley demanded. Ninetales used Quick Attack once more for the faint. Silently, Izzy recalled Fearow. I knew that he only had one shot left.
"It's all up to you," Izzy whispered to Beedrill, who was hovering anxiously above Izzy's shoulders. In a flash, Beedrill was out on the field and all pumped up to battle. "Beedrill, use Twin Needle." Beedrill was so strong, it nearly fainted Ninetales, but Ninetales was still holding on. Just by a thread.
"Ninetales, don't let that Beedrill bug you," Riley shouted defensively. "Use Flamethrower." I cringed in remembrance of how devastating fire was to a bug type. Beedrill avoided the most of the attack, but was nicked. It was still enough to take one-third of Beedrill's HP away. Beedrill narrowed his eyes and dived onto Ninetales, stinger first. There was a lot of dirt kicked up from the attack, and when it cleared Ninetales laid on the ground defeated. Beedrill had one Izzy another victory!
Mr. Goodshow, the Pokemon League owner, stepped out and congratulated both of us. I looked around for the other trainers.
"You two have proven yourselves the strongest trainers," he said into the microphone. "Tomorrow, after the battle for third place, we will see who is the Indigo League champion." I stared in shock at Izzy. I couldn't believe that we were the only ones left. Even more unbelievable was that tomorrow, I'd have to battle the one person who stuck by me the whole way. Izzy and I have never battled each other before, but we knew each other's strategy by heart. I was almost ready to forfeit right then and there, but I knew I couldn't do that to Izzy. That wasn't how either of us wanted to win. Izzy was as stunned as I was. How could we challenge each other and still maintain our relationship?
Chapter 45
Together Until The End
That evening we called Bill and reported our predicament. He stared glumly at us as we explained all. When we finished, we sat and waited a moment for some sort of plan from Bill. We hadn't expected his reply.
"Hmm..." he started. "My advice is to give it your all." I shot Bill a look of disbelief. "If you don't want to forfeit, you might as well make it the toughest battle ever and benefit a little from it. As for picking your Pokemon, I suppose one could go out of the room for a moment while the other receives their Pokemon." I guess he was right. I went first.
"I want a varied team," I mumbled while making my choice. "I'll take Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Pikachu, Pesky, and Butterfree." After trading Snorlax for Butterfree, I requested that Squirtle stay in his Pokeball for the night, so Izzy didn't know. Squirtle nodded in agreement. I walked out of the room while Izzy made his choices.
"I'll take Beedrill, Charmander, Palmpal, Fearow, Pikachu, and Lapras," he said softly. "Bill, I don't wanna do this." Bill nodded sympathetically.
"Try your hardest," is all he could think off. "And the winner has to buy the loser ice cream for the night." Izzy smiled happily and nodded his head. Izzy hung up on Bill and prepared for bed. I got into my cot and tried to sleep, but couldn't. My head was whirling with thoughts.
After I couldn't take it any longer, I sat up and whispered to Izzy, "Whatever happens, I won't think any differently of you." I never got a reply, because Izzy was already fast asleep. I laid back down and slowly fell asleep.
The next day...
"Welcome everyone," the announcer stated. "Today is the day were we see who gets the gold. Today's contestants will be Izzy Romn from right here in Indigo Plateau and Meadow Springs from Celadon City. We are expecting a tough match today, so sit tight and enjoy the battle!" I stepped out to the middle of the field for the coin toss.
Izzy had already said I could go first, so when the referee tossed the coin I shouted, "Tails!" It was heads, as I figured it would be. I never had good luck with coins.
"Go Pikachu," I sent out.
"Go Pikachu," Izzy chose. "Use Quick Attack!" The announcer was having a field day with the prospect that we both had chosen Pikachu. Quick Attack was fairly good of an attack, but my Pikachu was just as quick.
"So as not to get confused, I'll call my Pikachu, Pika," I announced to Izzy and my Pikachu. "So, Pika, use your Quick Attack!" My attack was more successful, but this match was far from over. Pika jumped back after the attack, while Pikachu got back up.
"Pikachu, use Swift!" Izzy ordered. I had Pika do the same. Pikachu got a little upset and used Agility to try and confuse my Pokemon. It didn't work. Instead, Pika used another Quick Attack. Pikachu was getting worn out, and Izzy was panicking. Pikachu used Swift again.
"Pika, use another Quick Attack," I bided. I hated to use the same attack over and over, but if it got the job done I had no complaints.
"Then you use your Quick attack," Izzy said hotly. Pika was still stronger than Pikachu. After receiving the blow, Pika used Swift. Pikachu was hanging by a thread now. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Pika was getting low on energy too, but one more Swift attack was all it took to faint Pikachu. Izzy frowned and recalled Pikachu.
"Go Palmpal!" Izzy sent out. "Use Solar Beam!" After collecting enough sunlight, Palmpal fainted my Pikachu with a blast of solar energy.
"Pikachu, return" I said softly. "Great job. Go Bulbasaur! Use Vine Whip!" It wasn't very effective.
"Palmpal, use Sleep Powder," Izzy directed. Bulbasaur sat in the middle of the blue haze and didn't fall asleep. He was too charged up to take a nap. Bulbasaur backed away for a moment and then used his own Sleep Powder. It didn't affect Palmpal anymore than it affected Bulbasaur. "Palmpal, use Acid." This also wasn't very effective, because Bulbasaur was also part Poison. Neither Grass nor Poison attacks would work on either Pokemon.
"Bulbasaur, just keep using Body Slam," I said exasperated. "Maybe you can paralyze Palmpal." Bulbasaur lunged at Palmpal.
"If that's it then you can do the same," Izzy ordered. For a while Bulbasaur and Palmpal kept ramming each other. It was a pathetic looking match, but there was no other choice. Bulbasaur finally paralyzed Palmpal. Now Bulbasaur had the advantage. Bulbasaur proved victorious as one final Body Slam fainted Palmpal.
"Return Palmpal," Izzy uttered in a discouraged manner. "Go Charmander, use Flamethrower!" The Flamethrower made short work of Bulbasaur. After recalling Bulbasaur, I thought my plan through for a moment.
"I could use Squirtle," I considered. "But he's my strongest and I want to save the strongest for last." I made my decision.
"Go Charmander," I called out. "Use Ember!" It was very ineffective.
"Just like you called your Pikachu, Pika, I'll call my Charmander, Char," Izzy offered. I nodded. "Char, use Slash!" Charmander took the hit hard. He shook his head and used Fire Spin. It stopped Char from attacking for four turns, but it still didn't do that much damage. "Char, use another Slash!" I decided to put my plan into action.
"Charmander, use Rage!" I shouted. By now, Charmander had taken a lot of damage, and I thought it'd be a good opportunity to use that to my advantage. Rage did a lot of damage. Char fell backwards, but got up and used it's own Rage attack, which did more damage. Charmander had the advantage, though. Another Rage attack fainted Char. Izzy called Char back.
"Go Lapras," he sent out. "Use Water Gun." And so ended the match for my Charmander. I recalled him.
"Go Pesky," I sent out. Izzy looked a little surprised. I suppose he expected me to use Squirtle. Not today. "Pesky, use Fly!" Pesky flew out of the way of an attack that Lapras had launched and dive-bombed her. Lapras recoiled for a moment, and then used Confuse Ray, but missed.
"Nice try Lapras," Izzy encouraged.
"Pesky, use Fury Attack," I directed. Pesky landed three hits. So far, Lapras hadn't done any damage.
"Lapras, use Confuse Ray again," Izzy bided. This time it worked.
"Try to use Fury Attack again," I said cautiously. Pesky only hit once, but at least he hit. Lapras gathered her strength and used Body Slam. Pesky was still confused but he tried to use Mirror Move. Instead, he attacked himself.
"Lapras, use Sing!" Izzy shouted. It didn't work at all.
"Pesky, use Drill Peck," I said. It worked well. Much better than Lapras's Sing. Izzy had to think of a plan, and fast. Lapras couldn't last much longer.
"Lapras, use Water Gun!" Izzy shouted quickly. It did fair damage, but Pesky had the advantage.
"Pesky, use Drill Peck at point blank," I directed. It took Izzy a moment to figure out what I had meant, and by the time he had it was too late for him to tell Lapras to move. Pesky flew closely and used Drill Peck for extra damage. Just enough so Lapras would faint. Izzy closed his eyes after recalling Lapras.
After a few moments, he opened them again and sent out his Pokeball shouting, "I choose you, Fearow! Use Peck!" I had anticipated this strategy, so moments before Fearow could attack, I had Pesky fly low. Pesky was able to maneuver the attack.
"Pesky, use Fury Attack," I said with confidence. I could plainly see from the accuracy of Pesky's attacks that he was no longer confused. However, I had underestimated Fearow's speed. Pesky was only able to get two hits in. Fearow used his own Fury Attack. He was able to get three hits on Pesky. "Pesky fly!" Pesky flew upwards in great speed, took a good aim, and nailed Fearow.
"Fearow, use Mirror Move!" Izzy shouted happily. This time it was Fearow who used Fly on Pesky.
"Pesky, use Drill Peck," I said, shaking. Pesky wasn't doing so well. At least, Drill Peck worked. Fearow used his Drill Peck to faint Pesky.
"Pesky return," I said in my daze. I was concentrating on my choices.
"It's down to Squirtle and Butterfree," I debated. After a couple minutes, I made my choice.
"Give it your all, Butterfree," I encouraged. "Use Psybeam!" I knew Butterfree's Psybeam was incredibly powerful. I needed that power for a quick win. Psybeam didn't faint Fearow, but came close.
"Fearow, use Peck," Izzy coached. Butterfree was very quick and avoided the attack. With Fearow's back turned, she used Confusion. It fainted Fearow, leaving Butterfree untouched. Izzy had one Pokemon left. I knew that I was going to have to try my hardest to win, now.
"Go, Beedrill," Izzy sent out. "You're my last shot, so don't give up! Use Agility!" Beedrill's speed rose greatly as Butterfree was lost in the whirl.
"Butterfree, slow him down with Stun Spore," I commanded. It didn't work, though. Beedrill stopped for a moment. Then, his eyes glowed red. Beedrill was using his Rage attack. It didn't do much damage, because Butterfree hadn't done anything yet. I had to be careful. "Butterfree, use Sleep Powder!" I was determined to slow Beedrill down. This had worked! Beedrill drifted down to the ground and fell asleep.
"Wake up Beedrill," Izzy said through clenched teeth.
"Way to go, Butterfree!" I cheered. "Now, use Psybeam!" Beedrill had woken up immediately when he heard Izzy speak. Rising and flying away quickly, Beedrill was able to avoid the attack.
"Beedrill, great job," Izzy said. "Now, use Twin Needle!" Butterfree flinched as Beedrill took two shots with the stingers on his forearms. "Poison Sting!" I watched as Butterfree took the hits, and get poisoned. Why wasn't she attacking?
"Butterfree, use Whirlwind!" I ordered. Butterfree blew up a weak gust that didn't even affect Beedrill.
Squirtle climbed up to my shoulders and whispered in my ear, "Squirtle squirt squirtle squirtle squirt." (I don't think Butterfree's trying.)
"I don't think so either," I answered back, entirely unaware of the fact I understood Squirtle so well that I didn't even need to see him make any hand signs.
"Beedrill, use Fury Attack!" Izzy said with his hand clenched in a fist. At least Butterfree wasn't acting like a free target. Beedrill only hit her twice. That still didn't clear up the fact that Butterfree wasn't trying her hardest to attack Beedrill.
"Butterfree, use Tackle!" I shouted. Butterfree tried the slowest tackle attack I'd ever seen. Beedrill easily avoided it.
"Why won't she attack?" I whispered back to Squirtle.
"Squirtle squirt squirt squirtle squirt squirtle," he replied in a sad tone. (She doesn't want to hurt Beedrill.) At the same time, Izzy was wondering about the same thing.
"If Butterfree's not going to try, then it will be an all out and out battle with Beedrill and Squirtle both at full strength," Izzy speculated.
"Beedrill, use Hyper Beam," Izzy said coolly. Beedrill drew in its energy and shot a golden beam at Butterfree for the faint.
"Butterfree return," I recalled. I stared at the Pokeball for a moment. "You let me down." I whispered the last part softly. Then I got myself back into the battle. "Go Squirtle! Use Bite!"
"Beedrill, use Pin Missile!" Izzy bided. Beedrill took five shots at Squirtle and hit four times. Squirtle shook it off and used Hydro Pump for maximum damage. Hydro Pump is the strongest attack that Squirtle knows. In return, Beedrill came back with his strongest attack. Twin Needle. Luckily, Squirtle's speed prevented it from one of the two stingers.
"Squirtle, try your Bite attack again," I encouraged my tiring Pokemon. At this point in time, if Squirtle could get a few strong attacks in, Beedrill would faint soon.
"Beedrill, don't give up," Izzy urged. "Try your Fury Attack!" I held my breath as Beedrill made five attempts to hit Squirtle. He hit three times, which was about average for Beedrill. Squirtle counter attacked with Tackle attack. It wouldn't have been my preferred choice, but now and then I let Squirtle decided what he thinks would be the best attack. "Beedrill, use Twin Needle!" Once again, with some creative maneuvering from Squirtle, Beedrill only made contact once.
"Squirtle, use Bubble," I suggested. Squirtle's attack paralyzed Beedrill. One more attack should do it.
"Beedrill, use Hyper Beam," Izzy pleaded. Fighting the paralyzing side effect of Squirtle's Bubble attack, Beedrill unleashed a powerful Hyper Beam. Squirtle was knocked in the air flying and landed with a thud.
"Squirtle!" I shrieked. I couldn't imagine how Squirtle felt right now. "Squirtle, you've got to try and get up!" For a moment Squirtle just laid there.
"Squirtle is unable to-" the referee started. Before she could finish, Squirtle stood up. A roar ripped through the crowd as Squirtle trudged forward.
"Squirtle," I breathed, relieved. "Squirtle, try to use Bubble." Squirtle sucked in his breath and sent out an array of Bubbles that hit Beedrill for the win!
"Beedrill is unable to battle!" the referee shouted. "Squirtle is the winner!"
The crowd went nuts as the announcer started screaming into his microphone, "It's all over folks! Meadow Springs is the champion of this years Indigo Pokemon League Tournament!!!"
I ran up to Squirtle and grabbed him in my arms, crying.
"We did it!!!!" I shouted. "We won! You won! Thank you!" Izzy just stood there a few yards away, cradling Beedrill in his arms.
"Izzy," I whispered walking up to him. He looked up sadly. "After we take our Pokemon to the Pokemon Center, I'll go buy us some ice cream."
Chapter 46
A New Adventure?
I leaned back on Izzy and let out a sigh. It had been a hectic day. Izzy had received a medal for second place and an honorable badge for competing in the Pokemon League. I, on the other hand, had gotten my name inscribed on a plaque, a winner's trophy, and my photo with all my Pokemon taken and placed in the Hall of Fame. On top of that, I also received the badge that every trainer had gotten for competing in the Pokemon League. I gave the trophy and my badge to Joy to hold on to while I decided what I would do now.
That was exactly what I was thinking about at this moment. For the past five years Izzy and I had trained for the Indigo League. Now that was over and we had no idea what to do next.
We said goodbye to Robin earlier. Before he left, we asked him what he was going to do now.
He replied, "Now that I've seen how exhilarating the league was, I'm going to start collecting badges for next year."
I happily watched our Pokemon play games with each other. I tilted my head backwards to give Izzy a kiss. At that moment, I heard a voice pierce the calm air.
"Hey Squirtel," Ash greeted. "Hi Izzy. Congratulations!"
"Thanks," I replied standing up. Izzy stood up too.
"So now what are you guys going to do?" he asked bluntly. I frowned and glanced at a poster on a pole nearby. I saw a picture on it and smiled faintly.
"Well," I said slyly smiling at Izzy. "I heard that the Orange Islands are nice this time of year."
