Episode 25: The Flame pokémon!

The group left the Saffron City gym with, well, mixed results. On one hand, Fay obtained his marsh badge. On the other, Niko lost, and left with bulbasaur temporarily blinded as a result.

"Anyways, should we wait until Niko can re-challenge Sabrina before we leave?" JJ asked, pulling out the pamphlet.

"JJ…shut up, man," Fay said, "Can't you see Niko doesn't feel up for talking?" Fay said as he gripped his friend's shoulder.

"No, let's talk about this, actually," Niko said, looking up from his food, "Where's the next gym, JJ?"

"It looks like it's in Celadon City, which is only a day's walk from here. Grass gym, it seems like."

"Well, that shouldn't be too difficult, right Niko? But I think we should wait until he wins his marsh badge before we head off," Brittany said, trying to come to her friend's defense.

"No, let's go. I'd rather not keep you guys waiting. We can head to Celadon in the morning, and we'll probably make it there by nighttime," Niko said quietly.

"You sure?" Fay wondered. Niko nodded, and explained that it wouldn't be fair to Fay if they had to pause their journey just so he could re-match Sabrina. Plus, he wanted to keep moving on anyways. That was the only way he would get over this loss.

Fay, JJ, and Brittany all smiled at the revelation. The three finished their food and went out to tour the city. Niko decided to stay back, his pokémon choosing to stay with him. He walked with his four remaining companions out to a nearby park. Leaning back against the bench, Niko looked up at the sky for a moment. As he did so, magnemite lay on his lap; Hitmonchan to his left; kadabra to his right; and pidgeotto perched on the back of the bench.

"I'm really sorry if I failed you guys," Niko began, much to the shock of his pokémon, "To be honest, I don't know what I'm doing most of the time. This whole training business—its way harder than I thought. You know, I really just wanted to go out and see the world. I've been cooped up in Pallet Town for so long. My family never went on vacations, partly because Jake was too young and my dad was always busy with his research.

"But, even though seeing the world is great, I want to be something in it. I want to make something of myself. And when I fail…I guess I just see that as a setback, even though in my heart I know it isn't. It's a mental block, and it's very hard to overcome," He said. His pokémon were all staring at him, listening intently. "Oh, who am I kidding!? I can't just think about myself! I have to think about you guys. You're the only reason I've gotten as far as I—we—have. I've been so selfish recently, and I think that's why bulbasaur is blind…" Niko then put his head in his hands in frustration.

Hitmonchan, his newest addition, put its boxing glove for a hand on Niko's shoulder. Kadabra did the same with its spoon-free hand. Magnemite cuddled up on his lap, and pidgeotto rested a single talon on his shoulder next to kadabra. The trainer lifted his head up and looked at his team.

"Thanks, guys. I promise I won't let you guys down again," He got up, and the five—trainer and pokémon—decided to go through the city, trying to find their friends.

Niko reunited with the rest of the group a few hours later. Apparently, something had gone down at the rail station with Team Rocket:

-Three hours prior-

"Do you think Niko will be alright, Fay? You seem to know him best," Brittany asked concernedly.

"Yeah, I really think so…but it might take a while, and his feelings won't disappear quickly," The black-haired trainer responded.

"They never do…" Brittany added. The three were walking through the city, trying to find something to do while they waited for bulbasaur to be released from the pokémon center. They took a quick tour of the Silph Company in the center of the city, and as they were heading back to the pokémon center they decided to check out the rail station, since they had mentioned the day prior that they would eventually travel to the Johto region. As they were walking in, a man in a black suit was sprinting back out of the station with some men and women yelling after him.

Fay walked up to one of them, only to be told that they had been robbed by Team Rocket. JJ, growlithe in his arms, immediately ran off. Fay and Brittany followed.

They found a member of Team Rocket catching his breath in an alleyway a few blocks from the train station. Once the grunt saw them, he immediately began sprinting again. Fay was quicker, or rather, hit pokémon were.

"Hitmonlee! Run after that grunt! Trip him with your double kick!" Fay commanded as his newest pokémon bounded off for its opponent, catching it within seconds and causing the grunt to fall to the floor. Looking up, the grunt was now circled by Fay, JJ, and Brittany. Minutes later, they were joined by Officer Jenny and her squad, who arrested the grunt and drove back to the police station.

-Present time—

Niko looked at the three as they finished their story, in awe that they had a far more exciting day than he had. He then began asking how Silph was. Fay, who was a huge fan of technology, started regaling his friend in some of the products that he had seen, specifically on some of the new pokéballs. One of them currently in the planning stages was a pokéball specifically for heavy pokémon. He said that the researchers had been helped by a pokéball designer over in Johto, and decided to mass produce his ideas.

The gang then grabbed dinner back at the pokémon center just as bulbasaur was released. Niko had to help his seed pokémon eat, and returned him to his pokéball afterwards to let it rest. The group, after a long and tiring day, all went to bed relatively early. The following day would be back on the road, this time to Celadon City.

While on the road, Niko decided to train with hitmonchan for a bit, while Fay practiced with charmander. Since the next gym leader specialized in grass types, this made sense. Niko knew that hitmonchan could learn firepunch, and Fay decided that the two of them could help each other—charmander would improve on its fire spin, and hitmonchan would work on firepunch.

"Alright hitmonchan," Niko said as he stood next to his pokémon, "charmander is going to light your gloves on fire, and you're gonna start punching! We need to emulate what this move is going to look like."

"Niko…are you sure this is going to work?" Fay asked curiously.

"Of course! There's no way this will fail!" Niko responded cheerfully.

Charmander then used ember directly at the punching pokémon's fists. As expected, they lit up on fire, but it spread to the rest of hitmonchan's body. The fighting type started running around frantically, trying to put out the flames until squirtle dosed it with its water gun. Hitmonchan glared at its trainer, unsure of this new technique.

"Eheh…sorry, hitmonchan…" Niko said, scratching his brown hair nervously.

"How about we just battle instead, Niko?" Fay inquired. His friend nodded in response. "Alright, let's go charmander!"

"Hitmonchan, use comet punch!" Niko commanded as the punching pokémon rushed at its opponent, gloves covering its face as it began to launch a series of lightning quick punches. Charmander, having worked on Fay's dodging exercise for months now, was able to dodge all of them successfully and unleashed an ember in retaliation. The fireball hit hitmonchan's glove and the fighting type got low and socked charmander in the face, and then uppercut it with the other glove.

The lizard pokémon flew backwards in the air, crashing into the grass below it. Hitmonchan then leapt into the air and slammed its glove into charmander's stomach, causing the fire type to unleash a torrent of flames in response. The fighting type blocked the fire with its glove as it stood back up on its feet and, now with its fist successfully on fire, ran up and punched charmander one final time.

As charmander struggled to get back up, Fay did his best to encourage his starter pokémon. As he was able to direct another fire spin, charmander began to glow. It grew twice its original size, and when everyone was able to get a better look at its new form, realized its skin was a darker red, and it had a horn-like protrusion on the back of its head. Niko and Fay both pulled out their pokédexes:

"Charmeleon, the flame pokémon. Tough fights could excite this pokémon. When excited, it may blow out bluish-white flames."

Fay, now very impressed and significantly more fired up, order charmeleon to use slash. Hitmonchan dodged and landed a firepunch in the flame pokémon's side. Charmeleon responded with a fire spin that engulfed hitmonchan and ultimately defeated it.

"Hitmonchan, you did a great job, thanks!" Niko said, returning his pokémon. "Hey, Fay! Nice job too!"

"Thanks, Niko. And thank you too, charmeleon!" Fay said, patting his new pokémon on its horn. "Now we're definitely going to get our next badge!"

"Hey trainers!" Brittany called over to her friends, "Dinner is ready!"

Fay and Niko ran over to their little campsite to have a well-deserved meal. The following morning, they would make it to Celadon City, and the site of the next gym battle for the two trainers. With a new addition to their team, and a new resolve to continue battling, Fay and Niko were more determined than ever to succeed in their next challenge.