Chapter Twenty-One: The Challenge Part 1-
Julie vs. Michael
The next morning at the Cerulean City Pokécenter…
Gloria was leaning against the wall by the PC. "Okay, do you remember how to program the link now?" Gloria asked after she walked Julie through the steps.
"Uh huh….I think." She replied with a smile. "It is pretty easy once you know how."
"Yup. Didn't I tell you so? Now you can change Pokémon away from a PC." Gloria smiled back at Julie.
"Way cool!" Julie chimed.
"Now we all know how, right?" Gloria said. "I wanna' get on that challenge…"
"What challenge?" Joshua wondered.
"Why, don't you remember?" Gloria asked, a quizzical look on her face, "We agreed upon a challenge. You know, the kind where we fight one battle at a time and the winners challenge each other?"
"Oh, yeah. I forgot." Julie grinned sheepishly with a shrug. "Gee, we've just been so busy…"
"I have a question regarding that." Michael added, "Amanda does train Pokémon too, right?" He turned to Amanda, who, like the others, no longer wore that suit. She now wore a pink T-shirt, a pair of jean-shorts and was barefoot in sandals. Her shoulder-length, rosy hair was just casually hanging un-styled. She also had a fanny pack, stuffed full.
"And boy do I!" Amanda answered cheerily. "I specialize in cross-bred species like Windeon and Bulbamander. What are they, you wonder?" She grinned slyly. "You'll find out, sugar."
"Sugar?" Joshua was stymied.
"…Most of these Pokémon she has are living results of you-know-what." Gloria said cautiously. She shifted her weight nervously. "Shall we go?" She went out the door, Bulbasaur following faithful as ever. The other four, with their Pokémon, came out shortly after.
"I'll take the first match!" Julie cut in before anyone else could get anything out.
"My, my! Excited aren't we?" Michael added. "I'll challenge ya'! I'll have to warn ya', I'm pretty good." He struck a pose. "My Eevees are tops!"
"You sound as if you expect to receive an easy win…" Julie retorted, a dangerous-looking glare on her face, "Don't count on it! I'm darn good too."
"Let's get it on! Go for it, Umbreon!" Michael released an Eevee-like creature, which had gold, ring-shaped patterns on its short, thick, satiny, black fur.
"Umbreon?" It questioned, cocking its rabbit-esque head.
"An Umbreon?" Julie asked with surprise and curiosity. "I heard they're hard to get and even harder still to raise."
"All of my 'Eeveelutions' are actually the pups of my trustworthy Eevee." Michael said, patting his Eevee who squealed happily. "What're you gonna' lose-ahem use. Sorry."
"Hmm…I'll choose Growlithe!" Julie grabbed her Pokéball and let loose a dog Pokémon with tiger-like stripes, who promptly barked defensively at Umbreon, "Arf! Bowwow, wow!!
"Hey, hey. Impressive." Michael said, truly impressed.
"Get a load of this! Roar at that little kitten, my precious puppy!" Julie commanded. Growlithe reared on his/her hind legs and roared menacingly and loudly as it landed on all fours, severely frightening the Umbreon and causing him/her to retreat behind Michael, terrified!"
"Umbreeeeeeee!!!" It wailed, timidly poking its head from behind Michael's legs.
"C'mon, Umbreon." Michael said calmly, crouching down and stroking its back. "It's just a big dog. Get 'im with a Night Shade!!"
"Breee…?" It said again, flattening its long ears against its head and giving Michael a very pitiful look.
"C'mon. For me?" He said, scratching the Moon Pokémon behind its ears. Umbreon nervously came from behind Michael and with sudden new bravery it caused a great globe of darkness to descend upon itself. Growlithe, overcome with curiosity, approached only to have the sly Umbreon flash the darkness from itself toward Growlithe, hurting the puppy Pokémon really good.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! " Growlithe snarled, refusing to show any weakness. It was hurt, but not very badly.
Gloria used her Pokédex to analyze the two Pokémon's levels. It showed Growlithe to be level 22 and it couldn't detect Umbreon's level, beeping twice and instead of saying, "Experience scan indicates this (Pokémon)'s level is (level)," it said, "Unable to detect target's level. Possible mechanical error." Surprised, she put it away. Maybe the error was because of the Night Shade.
"…Tackle 'im!" Julie said. Growlithe got a running start and jumped in the air, landing on Umbreon!
"Eeeeee!" S/he wailed, shaking his/her head. It stood strong however.
"Ok, Umbreon! Use…Psywave!" S/he began to glow a little then let loose a beam of Psychic energy, confusing and injuring the dog.
"Grr? " It growled. It tried to charge at Umbreon, but stumbled into Julie and fell over. It was obvious that it didn't even know which way was up it was so confused.
"Pretty clever. Come back, Growlithe!" Julie recalled Growlithe. Then she paused a minute then said, "C'mon, Magmar!" She let out a strong-looking Pokémon, most of its true body hidden in an orange fiery glow.
"Marrrrr!!" It roared, thrashing its tail about fiercely.
"Umbre?" Squeaked Umbreon as if asking what to do.
"Go on, my little kitten. Show him your you-know-what!"
"Breeeee?!?!?" It said in surprise.
"Yes, that! Now please do it for me!"
"Umbre-bre!!" It began to glow a black color. Then it leapt forward, striking Magmar with surprising power, which sent the Spitfire Pokémon on its rear!
"What the heck was that??" Julie asked stunned.
"Why, it's a move Umbreon taught himself called Power Tackle! I taught him how to charge his power and he mixed his new talent with Tackle, which he already knew!" Michael replied, smiling with pleasure at his success.
"Well, that's something I never heard of before." Julie commented. "Smokescreen, Magmar!"
"Mag?" It asked as if it didn't have a clue what she just said.
"Oh, come on! Don't tell me you forgot how to do it!!"
"Magmar…" It muttered, lowering its head in disappointment. It sounded like it had actually said "Mugmar" instead of "Magmar."
"Okay then. Use Flamethrower!"
"Magmarrrrrrrrrr!!!!" It puffed out a cloud of flames, badly injuring the Dark Eevee.
"That's enough, Umbreon!" Michael said as he recalled the Moon Pokémon. "How embarrassing. Go get 'im, Vaporeon!" Michael grabbed another Pokéball out of his pocket. He released a creature that looked somewhat like a large Eevee, but blue, with a frill around its neck, a ridge on its tail and back, and a mermaid-like fin on its tail.
"Vaporeon!" It said as it sat on its haunches, idly lapping its tail up and down. It started to lick its paw and rub it on its head primly.
"Uh-oh." Julie said nervously. "I knew someone would take advantage of the fact that I train mostly Fire-Types sooner or later! I just knew it!"
"I never knew that, so how could I take advantage?"
"Never mind. Flamethrower again, Magmar!" Once again it blew out a lot of fire, but this time it had little effect against the Water-Type. "Oops. I thought it was part Ice."
"Go for the Water Gun, Vaporeon!"
Vaporeon got up and spat a heavy stream of water at Magmar.
"Get back here, Magmar!" Julie recalled the fainted Magmar. "…Ponyta! Go get 'im!" A small horse with a fiery mane emerged. It reared on its hind legs, neighed, then went back down and awaited its command. As odd as it may seem, "Thundershock 'im!" was the command.
"? Thundershock??" Michael asked. "Ponyta can't learn that!"
"Metronome." Julie grinned. "Do it, Ponyta!"
It neighed and charged its power.
"Quick, Vaporeon! Acid Armor!" Michael yelled as Ponyta began to run toward the all too vulnerable Vaporeon, electric sparks leaping from its flaming body. At its trainer's command, Vaporeon melted quickly away into a puddle of water.
"Yipe!! Stop, Ponyta! Stop, stop, STOP!!" Julie cried out, but it was too late. Ponyta was racing towards where it thought Vaporeon was with intentions to give it a "shocking" experience, only to zap itself as it skidded into the water. It was totally stunned at having its own full-forced blow backfire on it. "Whoa! You are good! Come back Ponyta!" She called back the severely weakened horse. "Go for it, Cyndaquil!" Out of the Pokéball emerged a small, black, mouse-like Pokémon with fire on its back and a yellow underbelly. It squeaked a little and waited for an order.
"A Cyndaquil?! Now those are rare!" Michael commented.
"You bet 'cha! I had to trade Lynn for one of her eggs in order to get it. Fire Blast, Cyndaquil!" The Cyndaquil reared up on its hind legs and charged forward at Vaporeon, letting loose its built-up fire at Vaporeon as it hit. Vaporeon staggered back, shook its head, and got up, ready to attack. It seemed irritated at having been caught off-guard like that.
"Vaporeon! Use Hydro Pump!"
"Vapo!" It stepped toward Cyndaquil and spat a huge downpour of water at it. Cyndaquil fell and didn't get up.
"Don't expect to win with such an easy move next time!" Julie said as she recalled Cyndaquil. "Go for it, Charmander! Do your thing!" Charmander hopped off of his perch on Julie's shoulder and glared menacingly at Vaporeon. Vaporeon's reaction was just a yawn as it waited for a command.
"Okay! Try using Water Gun!" Michael commanded idly. Vaporeon did it but, to Michael and Vaporeon's astonishment, nothing happened!
"Hee, hee, hee! Charmander developed a resistance to Water-Type moves somehow!" Julie smirked. "Pretty odd for a Fire-Type, huh? It must have come from all of the times of challenging Daisy's Pokémon! Fire Spin, Charmander!" Charmander spat out a huge beam of fire at Vaporeon. This time, the flame burned it.
"Come back, Vaporeon!" Michael recalled the Bubble Jet Pokémon. "Go get 'im, Espeon!" A creature that looked somewhat like Umbreon but without rings emerged. It, like Umbreon, didn't have fluffy tufts of fur on the front half of its body, but smooth, light purple fur all over its body with a lighter-colored purple jewel on its forehead, and a tail, which split halfway up into two tails.
"Espe!" It squeaked. It began to lick itself as it waited for an order.
"Oh, its so cute!" Said Julie. "What is it, anyway?"
"Why, she's an Espeon!" Said Michael. "Ready? Good. Here I go! Psychic, Espeon!" Espeon got on all fours and fired a Psychic beam of power from her jewel at the unsuspecting Charmander, who was braced for a Water-Type move but was caught completely off-guard by the flood of Psychic energy.
Far, far above the battleground, Mew watched the fighting with curiosity and fascination. "So this is how humans battle the Pokémon." It thought as it swooped a little closer cautiously. "I wonder if I too can do this someday…"
"I don't believe it!" Said Julie as she grabbed her K.O.'d Charmander, "You beat him! He was at level 15 too!"
"15, huh?" Michael said as he recalled Espeon, "Not much higher than Espeon. Anyway, that means Charmander should be evolving soon."
"Yup." Julie replied as she went into the Pokécenter, "I kinda' have mixed feelings about that. I sorta' want Flame Boy to stay as he is, but I've always wanted a Charizard so I guess I don't exactly mind too much either way…" Julie looked down at her injured friend forlornly.
"I'll be ready for the next challenge when I'm done healing my team." Michael said as he went in too.