Chapter 11 – A Shocking Encounter!
Last Time…
After capturing a Machop en-route to Cerulean, Daniel, Chris and Maddie have arrived in the seaside city, and the site of the second Gym! Now, the trio discuss strategies to defeat the Cerulean Gym, and earn a Cascade Badge!
…
It was mid-morning when Daniel, Chris and Maddie finally arrived in Cerulean City. Like Viridian and Pewter City before it, Cerulean was a loud place, with people moving around everywhere. The buzz that Daniel quickly associated with large cities was present here too.
"So, you guys have any idea on how to beat the Gym?" Daniel asked as they rounded the corner of a city block on their way to the Pokémon Center. Next to him, Chris hummed in thought.
"Well, the battlefield in the Cerulean Gym is a pool with little platforms on it, so it'd be hard to battle with Machop," Chris pointed out. Daniel nodded in response, a slight frown on his face. It was unfortunate that he couldn't use his latest capture in this Gym, but there would be opportunities in the future.
"Squirtle would do well though," the rookie said as he fidgeted with the silver ring on his finger.
"Pidgey might be a good choice too, Daniel. Since she can fly, she can avoid all the Water attacks that the Gym Leader throws at her," added Maddie. Daniel nodded in agreement and the group continued to the Pokémon Center in a comfortable silence. Thanks to Maddie's map-reading skills, it didn't take them long to get there.
oOo
After booking a room and eating a lunch at a nearby restaurant, the trio returned to their room to relax. After a game of rock, paper scissors, it was determined that Daniel would be the one to go downstairs to collect their Pokémon, whom had been left to the nurse for check-ups.
Once Daniel arrived downstairs, he noticed a group of people watching a news report on the Pokémon Center's television. Curious, he walked over and listened in. The news report appeared to be regarding an outbreak of Electric Pokémon at the nearby Power Plant. A reporter stood in front of a camera, delivering news about the outbreak.
"The sudden surge in the numbers of Electric type Pokémon living around the Cerulean Power Plant continue to plague workers. It is believed that the recent shift towards solar power has contributed to the wild Pokémon finding their way into the Power Plant's electricity storage facilities to consume power. The Power Plant declined to comment on the issue."
The reporter continued to talk for a few minutes, but the sound of the Pokémon Trainers talking amongst themselves drowned them out. Daniel frowned in thought. Maybe the plight of the Power Plant could work to his advantage. He was about to challenge a Water type Gym. If he could capture even one of these Electric types causing trouble for the Power Plant, it would make winning a Cascade Badge that much easier.
Satisfied with his idea, he quickly collected their Pokémon from the nurse and returned to their room, where Chris and Maddie were lounging around.
"Guys, I just heard something really cool on TV," he said, getting their attention. Both older Trainers turned their attention to him.
"What is it?"
"There's apparently an outbreak of Electric Pokémon at the Power Plant," said Daniel. "Since the Cerulean Gym uses Water types, I think it'd be a good idea for me to capture one." Chris and Maddie both sighed.
"Can we go later? We just got comfortable," asked Chris. Daniel looked at both of his older friends. Maddie was stretched out on one of the beds, and Chris was lying on the couch. Daniel pressed his lips together.
"Alright, we'll go after you guys have a nap," he said as he sat down on the floor and rested his back against the side of the couch. He may as well have a rest too.
oOo
Daniel's eyes snapped open. How long had he been asleep? He glanced at the clock on the wall. The time read 5:35. Daniel stood up and rubbed his eyes. The curtains to their room had been left open and was bathed in brilliant orange light as a result.
"Guys, wake up," he said, shaking Chris as he did so. The older boys' eyes fluttered and opened slowly.
"Huh? Daniel?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
"It's time to go to the Power Plant," said Daniel as he moved over to where Maddie was softly snoring. He shook her gently as well, and she stirred. Behind him, he heard the crack and pop of joints as Chris stood up.
"You sure you wanna go now? The sun's setting," the breeder pointed out, rubbing his blue eyes. Daniel tapped Maddie's shoulder again before turning around.
"Yeah, I do. There'll be more wild Pokémon there at night anyway," he replied. Behind him, Maddie awoke with a yawn.
"Why'd you have to go ahead and wake me up?" she complained, her eyes half open. Daniel sighed and repeated what he'd told Chris.
Soon, the three Trainers were ready for departure. The sun had continued its descent and was now half-gone by the time the group was outside of Cerulean City.
"You know, I wanted to at least spend one night in an actual bed," drawled Maddie as they trudged slowly along the road. Since they were heading east, the sun was behind them to the west. It cast long shadows in front of them.
"I'm sorry guys, but those wild Electric types won't be there forever. The Power Plant staff are trying to get rid of 'em you know," replied Daniel with a sheepish smile. Truthfully, he felt bad about dragging them out of Cerulean City on the same day they arrived. He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"We know, don't worry," his female friend said with an understanding smile. Next to her, Chris also nodded.
"Yeah, we wouldn't let you go all by yourself."
Daniel's eyes sparkled in the fading daylight as he smiled at how fortunate he was. Despite not really knowing Chris and Maddie for that long, he felt close to them anyway. They were almost like the older siblings he'd never had.
oOo
As the sun continued to set, the temperature dropped, forcing the group to put on their jackets. Fortunately, it was a clear night, which allowed light from the moon to illuminate their surroundings well enough to see. In the end, it took the group just under three hours to make it to the Power Plant. When Daniel saw the bright floodlights that lit up the premises, they knew they had arrived.
"This must be it," he said as they approached. The Power Plant was a large factory-looking building with a tall wire fence surrounding the perimeter.
"Well, I don't see any Electric Pokémon," said Maddie as she looked around. Next to her, Chris hummed.
"Why don't we walk all the way around and see if we can find any," he suggested. Maddie and Daniel agreed, and they all walked clockwise along the fence. It didn't take long before they heard the sound of crackling electricity.
"Guys, come on! That has to be them!" Daniel cried, taking off running, Chris and Maddie close behind. Sure enough, when they rounded the corner, there was a large group of Pokémon gathered around what appeared to be a hole in the fence.
"This must be how they get into the Power Plant," Daniel surmised. He grabbed a Poké Ball off his belt and held it at the ready. One of the wild Electric Pokémon noticed the humans standing a few feet away. With an angry zap, it floated towards the group, emitting sparks.
The Pokémon resembled a round metallic sphere about the size of Daniel's head. On either side, a horseshoe magnet protruded, like arms. The Pokémon had a single large eye in the middle of its 'head'. It was a Magnemite, and it looked angry, if the frown on it's face was anything to go by.
Daniel hurled the Poké Ball he was holding into the air. "Go, Machop!"
With a flash, the newest Pokémon on Daniel's growing team appeared. With a cocky smirk and a flex of his muscular arms, Machop dared Magnemite to do its worst.
The Electric and Steel type obliged with a massive Thunderbolt attack. Daniel, Chris and Maddie gaped as Machop was engulfed in a bright yellow flash of electricity that sent the Superpower Pokémon to his knees. With a shake of his head, Daniel snapped out of his daze.
"Machop, Karate Chop!" he ordered. Machop leapt to his feet and ran towards Magnemite, his right arm glowing with the power of the Fighting type move. But before Machop could make contact, Magnemite let off another sizzling Thunderbolt directly into its opponent. At point blank range, the attack was even more powerful than before, but Daniel was determined to not give up.
"Machop, get back!" he directed. Machop got to his feet and jumped back closer to where Daniel was standing. "Now, use Karate Chop on the ground!"
Daniel watched as Machop began to pound the ground with his Karate Chop. True to Daniel's idea, the rocky ground was broken up into smaller, more easily throwable projectiles. Daniel glanced at Magnemite. It appeared to be watching Machop cautiously, but it made no move to continue attacking. That was fine with him.
"Throw the rocks at Magnemite!" commanded Daniel. With a grunt, Machop began to hurl the rocks at Magnemite. Not many of them hit, but the ones that did seemed to annoy Magnemite rather than hurt it. Unfortunately, the rocks that Machop broke up were not unlimited. As soon as the projectiles ran out, Magnemite launched the biggest Thunder attack that Daniel had ever seen.
"Move, Machop!" he yelled, desperation in his voice. But Machop did not move. The Superpower Pokémon stayed stubbornly rooted to where he was standing, intending to take the attack full force. Time slowed down as Daniel watched the yellow electricity arc through the air and strike Machop. The Fighting Pokémon's muscles spasmed as the Thunder attack ran through his body, before collapsing on the ground in a smoking heap.
Daniel look at his downed Pokémon, a horrified expression on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no words would come. He didn't even notice as the Magnemite seemed to smirk at him before floating away. Behind Daniel, Chris and Maddie were also tongue tied. Neither of them knew what to say to the younger Trainer. Daniel's eyes teared up as he reached out with Machop's Poké Ball and recalled the unconscious Pokémon. Without a word, he took off running back towards Cerulean City.
"Daniel!" Maddie called as she and Chris gave chase. But try as they might, the younger Trainer was too fast, and they couldn't keep up.
"Daniel! Daniel! Come back!"
oOo
The sound of his friends calling him echoed through the night, but Daniel did not stop. All he could focus on was placing one foot in front of the other.
Left, right, left, right.
He was cradling Machop's Poké Ball in his arms as he ran along the dirt path that was National Route Nine. The full moon shining overhead cast its gentle light on the road, and Daniel kept his eyes on it. He had failed his Machop badly, just like he had failed Squirtle and Pidgey back in Pewter City. Forrest's words after he'd lost his first Gym Battle came back to him.
"Remember during the battle when your Pidgey was struggling? Just because it wasn't knocked out, doesn't mean it could continue."
He'd claimed to have learned that lesson. But now, he'd repeated his mistake and continued battling with Machop even after the Fighting Pokémon had endured several of Magnemite's Electric type attacks.
He wasn't a good Trainer. He was…!
With a yelp, Daniel kicked a stone that was half buried in the ground. The unexpected roadblock caused him to lose balance, and he toppled forward, letting go of Machop's Poké Ball as he did so. With a pained gasp, he came down hard on his front. His forearms, which had been used to brace his fall, had felt the full brunt of the rocky ground, and were now scratched raw. In the moonlight, Daniel could see that they were definitely bleeding. His top lip quivering, he gently touched his left arm with his right hand. When he removed his fingers, they were covered in blood and dirt and gravel. He let out a pained sob and pressed his arms to his stomach. For a few minutes he sat hunched over in pain, his head bowed. The tears falling from his eyes landed on his arms, causing them to sting, but he didn't care.
He wasn't a good Trainer. He was useless.
Eventually, he looked up and scanned the ground around him. A few meters away, Machop's Poké Ball lay on the rocky ground. Part of the red paint on the top half of the ball was scratched away, leaving the raw grey metal exposed. With a groan, Daniel collected himself and hauled himself to his feet. He forced himself to pick up Machop's Poké Ball. His arms stung as he moved them, but he ignored that. Right now, Machop was in a bad way, and it was his responsibility to take care of him.
So, he set off once more.
oOo
Nurse Joy had seen plenty of things that weren't for the faint of heart. It came with the job of running a Pokémon Center. Unfortunately, many Trainers weren't careful with either themselves or their Pokémon. However, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't more than a little surprised to see one such Trainer covered in blood banging on the glass doors of the Pokémon Center at half past two in the morning. Joy quickly closed the game she was playing on her computer and unlocked the doors.
"Oh my gosh! Are you alright?" she exclaimed, her eyebrows knitted together in concern. She looked at the Trainer up and down. His clothes were covered in dust and blood, especially his shirt. His hair was brown and stuck up like an Arcanine's mane. But his face haunted the nurse. It was covered in dirt and sweat, but all she noticed was the tears. It reminded her just how young some Pokémon Trainers were. Too young. The Trainer must have noticed her gawking at him, because he shifted uncomfortably.
"I'm fine… please just help my Machop," the boy whispered, holding out a Poké Ball. Nurse Joy tore her attention from the Trainer and looked at the Poké Ball. It also seemed to be in bad shape. Some of the red paint on the top was gone, and there were small dents in the metal. What had happened?
Then, she remembered her training. She gently took the Poké Ball from the boy and then guided him to one of the couches. He didn't resist when she pushed his shoulder into the soft cushion.
"I'll only be a moment, alright? Just wait right here."
oOo
Daniel merely nodded as the nurse took his Machop away. True to her word, she returned soon after with a first aid kit.
"You've had a rough night, Daniel. But your Machop will be just fine. He's resting in the recovery room," she said. Daniel nodded and winced. He didn't bother asking how she found out his name. Probably with Machop's Poké Ball or something. Right now, his arms still stung. The nurse smiled sadly and sat down next to him, opening her first aid kit. She pulled out rubbing alcohol and cotton balls.
"This is going to hurt, but I need to clean your arms. They're covered in dirt and they'll get infected if I don't," she explained. Daniel held out his arms and she rubbed some of the alcohol on them. If they stung before, they were now on fire. But he refused to cry out in front of the nurse. Instead, he gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. While the nurse was cleaning his cuts, she noticed the silver ring on his right ring finger.
"That's a nice ring," she said, trying to make conversation. Daniel opened his eyes and looked at the ring. It glinted under the lights of the Pokémon Center.
"I got it from an old woman in Viridian City," he said through gritted teeth. The nurse hummed in response but didn't say anymore.
It seemed to last an eternity, but finally, both of his arms were clean and bandaged.
"There you are," she said with a smile as she packed the medical supplies back into the kit. Daniel bowed his head at the nurse.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," he said softly. The nurse nodded and told him she was happy to help, and that he should have a shower and get some sleep. Daniel thanked her again and stood to go back to his room. As he walked away, the nurse called to him.
"I'll have to change your bandages every evening for the next few days, alright?" Daniel nodded at her and thanked her again.
"I hope Chris and Maddie are alright," he mumbled to himself. Yet another thing he'd done wrong. Leaving his friends on their own in the middle of the night. A wave of guilt washed over him. What was he thinking when he registered with the Indigo League?
He was on autopilot as he stripped off his dirty clothes and stood under the hot water of the shower.
The next day, he wouldn't even remember climbing into bed.
oOo
Next time…
Daniel struggles to come to terms with what has happened, as his father Ben closes in…
►TO BE CONTINUED….
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