"We're close I can feel it." Minnie whispered behind me. Minnie and I along with Umbreon and Tiny were riding Archy as he walked through the dense forest.
"There it is!" Minnie whispered loudly and jumped off Archy. "Wait Minnie!" I jumped off as well and ran after her. I grabbed her arm just as a door opened in front of us. We knelt down in the long grass. The pure black building sat in the shadows of a large ring of big trees. I man dressed in black looked around the door and then he looked the other way. He walked out and into the forest.
I ran forward as fast as I could and caught the door before it shut. I looked in quick and didn't see anyone. "Come on!" I whispered loudly waving my arm toward me at Minnie.
She ran forward and Archy followed. I returned Archy and then crept into the building. All along the walls there were black clothes. It went from smallest all the way to a pretty big guy. "Should we change?" Minnie asked excitedly.
"No we aren't going to be here long, if we get caught we won't have time to change back into our clothes." I walked over to another door. "Yeah that's true." Minnie looked around and then followed me through. I didn't see anyone so I opened the door all the way. It swung wildly and then hit the wall behind it with a loud bang.
"Who's there?!" I boy stood up from where he was sitting in the shadows. "Charlie?!" I said watching him frightfully walk over. "It's Char now." He stated. "What? What are you talking about?" I said thinking of the worst.
"I joined Team Shadow. They told me I could be truly powerful. They explained to me how I didn't need Logan. How he was a snob evolving his Pokemon so quickly and ordering me around. I don't need him! He's a jerk!" Charlie yelled at me.
"Charlie…" "It's Char!" He shouted. I closed my eyes thinking, "They're just manipulating you…" I told him. "Ha! You don't think I thought of that as I was whisked away and watched my friend get rammed by a Houndoom! They made me watch as they tied him up to a tree, the whole time they were whispering in my ear the greatness of Team Shadow." Tears were flowing down his cheeks, but I couldn't tell if they were happy tears or sad ones.
"You should leave. I don't want to battle you Summer." Charlie said looking down at his shoes. "I don't want to fight you either but if you tell me where they keep the Pokeballs I can leave in piece." He scowled at me but pointed toward a door to the side. Minnie watched him carefully as I walked over to the door. I opened it and found Forrest's Pokeballs right away. I stuffed them in my bag and then walked back over to Minnie.
"You don't have to do this Charlie." I added as I opened the door we came from. "GET OUT!" He shouted running at me fists in the air. Ty randomly came out of his ball and kicked Charlie in the shins. He fell over but his Houndour jumped out of the shadows and ran at Ty. Ty dodged and then used tackle.
"Houndour ember!" Charlie said raising to his knees. Houndour ran at Ty his coat on fire. That's when it happened Ty started to shake violently and he grew. "Hitmonlee!" He shouted and then used brick break bringing his hand down on Houndour's head with incredible speed.
Houndour was knocked out and we were gone before Charlie could react. We ran into the forest, Hitmonlee following. Once we were a good distance away I evaluated him.
"Ty! You evolved!" I gave him a hug and then looked him over one more time. "Hitmonlee!" He said happily. "Your new name is Lee." I told him and then he returned to his Pokeball.
"Wow… that was intense. That was the guy that your brother is best friends with?" Minnie asked. "Not anymore. I don't know how to tell him this. It'll destroy him." I said gravely.
"Tell him the truth. Charlie's heart turned black and he died, in its place is just Char."
We arrived to Pewter City gym once again. I knocked on the doors and waited. "Yes?" Forrest asked opening the door just a crack. "Look what I found?" I said holding up his four Pokeballs. "Oh my goodness! I need to call Brock right away!" He ran in and I followed.
I heard him talking on the phone with his brother, loudly. He walked out into the gym afterwards his Pokeballs in his hands.
"Care for a battle?" He asked happily. "Not yet, but my friend here would love too." I said looking behind me at Minnie. "What?" She said surprised. "I think you're ready." I told her.
"Ah, I see. A battle for the Boulder Badge." Forrest said with a sneaky smile. I winked at her and then walked up the steps to the viewing platform. I let all my Pokemon out so she could have an audience.
"If you can defeat all of my Pokemon you may receive the Boulder Badge, but first you must introduce yourself and your first Pokemon of chose." Forrest put his Pokemon on his belt while explaining and then waited.
"My name is Minnie. And I choose Liepard!" She threw out a Pokeball and red Liepard appeared. "Hm… that's different. Well… my name is Forrest, the rock hard gym leader and I choose, Rhyperior!" Forrest's main Pokemon appeared.
"Liepard! Fury swipes!" Minnie pointed at Rhyperior. Liepard ran at him and then stood on her hind legs and scratched his face over and over again. "Rhyperior use dig!" Rhyperior pushed Liepard aside and then dove into the ground.
"Follow 'im Liepard!" Minnie said happily. "What? Why would you do that?" Forrest asked. "Use Payback!" Minnie shouted not answering his question. The ground vibrated for a split second as Rhyperior struggled to get out of the ground. Liepard came out the way she went in and stared him down.
"Hm… use Megahorn!" Forrest casted. Rhyperior charged at Liepard, head down, horns up. "Jump and use thief!" Minnie ordered. Liepard used Rhyperior momentum against him but he still got back up tipsily.
"Very nice Minnie." Forrest brought back Rhyperior. "What are you doing?" She asked. "I can tell you are a talented Trainer." He said simply. "Thank you." Minnie said returning her Liepard.
"Your Pokemon didn't even take any damage. It was a very nice battle. I feel you deserve this." They met in the middle of the Gym and Forrest gave Minnie the Boulder Badge.
"Really?" She asked taking it from his fingers. "That's right." "Nice Job Minnie. See I told you, you were ready." I walked up from behind her. "Are you sure you don't want to battle Summer?" Forrest turned toward me. "I have three more Pokemon." He added.
"Ha! Maybe another time Forrest. I have to go tell my brother some bad news." I shared. "And what would that be?" He asked. "His friend has joined Team Shadow." I spat out. "That's awful!" He gasped. "We should probably go." Minnie said looking up at me.
"Good luck you two!" Forrest waved bye leaning on the doors of the gym as we walked toward Cerulean Gym.
The sun was setting as we came up to the Gym where my brother was sitting on the steps with Misty next to him, his face in his hands.
"Logan. I have some-uh-bad news." I told him kneeling down in front of him. He looked at me his face bright red from crying for hours. "Charlie has joined Team Shadow." I whispered. He let out a deep sigh his shoulders shaking because he was weak from crying.
"Oh Summer. What am I going to do now?" He moaned at me. "I know what you're going to do." Minnie budged in. "You're going to keep on going on your quest for the badge. You don't need that jerk Charlie! You can make even better friends." Minnie pep talked into him.
Logan smiled up at her. "You're right." He stated simply. Minnie stepped back with a smile as she crossed her arms. Logan stood up and stretched, the redness disappearing from his eyes and face.
"Let's go camp in the forest and in the morning we can split out ways." I suggested. "That sounds great. I would never want to travel with you." Logan said pushing me aside and then running toward the forest. "Oh well I may just have to now!" I said running after him. Minnie waved to Misty and then followed us into the forest.
We made a fire and roasted berries and shared tales of our journey so far. Eventually we became so tired that out bodies automatically made our tents, put out the fire, made our beds and then sleep peacefully throughout the night.
Didn't see that one coming did you?
