As part of the new League requirements, Summer battled Bruno of the Elite Four to secure a spot in the junior division preliminaries. Although Blaze couldn't defeat the Trainer's Machamp, Bruno felt the two were ready for the Indigo League and gave Summer the okay to continue. After a few days, Summer will have her first battle in the Indigo League Stadium. Who will she battle and will she make it to the Top 32?

Chapter 50: The First Wave of Action

I read the Indigo League tournament itinerary on my bed.

So the next three battle sets will be three on three singles, then from the Top 8 comes the full battles. The battlefields vary based at random with the following types: water, rock and grass... This seems so much to take in! And I haven't done any research on the girl I'm battling!

I exhaustively collapsed as Lightning crawled next to me. We had just come back from a party to celebrate the Trainers who passed the Elite Four entry exams. My first match was tomorrow, so I left early. Ariel was dancing so much that I couldn't get her off the dance floor. In the end, she said she would come up later.

"How do you feel, Lightning?" I whispered, striking her head. Unlike me, she was energized from eating so many Pokéblocks specially made for traveling Pokémon.

"Just fine! That preliminary party was AWESOME!" She jumped up and somersaulted five times in a row.

I giggled until I heard someone shouting in the hallway. I was tempted to open the door and see what was going on, but I didn't want to appear nosy. Instead, I put my left ear against the cold wooden door and was able to hear a muffled conversation between two boys.

"No, you're not going to that party! You have to sleep, and we're going to continue training tomorrow." A slightly deep voice sternly lectured.

"Look Stanley. I'm the one participating in this tournament, not you! Let me do what I want!"

That sounds like Weldon… But who's Stanley?

"Why? So you can embarrass our family? You may be good, but you don't have what it takes to be an elite Trainer. Besides, you shouldn't be hanging around unskilled people, like that intern and that girl-"

"Leave those two out of this! They're much stronger than you know!"

A pause. Then, "You're pathetic, Weldon. Just like Grandfather."

Weldon screamed in anger. Footsteps marched towards the elevator as the chime of the doors opening rang. Suddenly, the door handle jiggled and I was able to move back in time.

"Summer, why are you at the door?" Ariel curiously asked. Sebastian was almost as energetic as Lightning, intermittently clasping his pincers as if he was making a song.

"Oh, just admiring the woodwork and sturdiness of this door…" I nervously explained.

She gave me a disbelieving look. "Okay, tell me what happened."

We walked back to our beds and sat on the covers. I filled her in on what I just heard, then she crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

"Sounds to me like an argument between brothers," she surmised.

"How do you know?"

She opened her eyes. "I watched a lot of Belligerent Bibarels when I was younger. It's about two Bibarel brothers who argue about everything because of their opposite personalities."

"Makes sense for a show from the Sinnoh Region. Anyway, I think it's deeper than that..."

"You're right, but you shouldn't concern yourself with that now. Besides, your first real match starts tomorrow! I'll take a quick shower so we can both get some sleep."

I waved thanks as she walked to the bathroom. I laid on my bed once more, hoping Weldon was okay.

The next day…

I arrived at the Indigo League Stadium half an hour before my match to do some strategizing. I checked in, went into my designated locker room located at the southern part of the building, and sat on a wooden bleacher.

So my opponent's name is Sandy… She mainly has Pokémon that reflect her hometown of Vermillion City. I think her strongest Pokémon is her Dugtrio.

I took a deep breath and muttered, "Okay. With the choices I made, I think I'm ready."

I then watched the other division participants enter the room. They looked more focused, but I guess that comes from experience.

Ms. Summer Scorcher. the PA announced. Please enter the green battlefield for your match.

I got up and slowly walked into the hallway north of the locker room. I saw three tunnels painted red, blue, and green. I entered the green tunnel and walked into the arena where a large roar of applause greeted me. The seats were half-full, but I was surprised how many people came to watch. Across from me was Sandy, a blonde haired girl with lightly tanned skin. Her flowing white dress complemented her long bangs and sandy brown dangly earrings. I looked at the enormous television screen to my right and saw our faces with three Pokéball slots towards the middle of the screen. A larger circle was in the middle and showed pictures the three different field types: rock, grass, and water.

A male referee walked into the stadium and entered his designated space on the east side. He carried two flags in one hand, red for north and green for south.

Once he adjusted the flags' position in his hands, he announced through his handless headset, "The junior division match between Sandy from Vermillion City and Summer from Littleroot Town will now begin. The field type and first move will now be chosen at random."

An arrow immediately appeared on top of the circle and spun around. After a few seconds, the pointer stopped at the grass field and the color of the circle turned green. Next, another circle replaced the field icon; this time, it was eight alternating red and green slices. The arrow spun once more then landed on a red piece.

The referee explained, "This battle will be on the grass field, and Sandy will have the first move."

The ground shook, and I watched in amazement as the dirt battlefield was replaced with a sea of short, green grass. The largest circle disappeared from the screen, leaving our pictures and the Pokéball icons.

"Trainers, choose your first Pokémon!"

Sandy giggled and took out a Great Ball. "All right then," she said in a loud voice. "Kingler, show them your power!"

A much larger version of Krabby appeared, his left claw bigger than his right. Six pointed pieces of shell created a makeshift crown on his head.

[Kingler, the Pincer Pokémon and the evolved form of Krabby. It waves its huge, oversized claw in the air to communicate with others. But since the claw is so heavy, this Pokémon quickly tires.]

So that's a Kingler… That large claw does look strong, but maybe I can use it to my advantage.

"Flower, let's go!" I shouted.

My Ivysaur landed on the grass, comfortable with the familiar surroundings. After their pictures appeared on the top Pokéball slots, a light blue force field covered the arena, creating a translucent dome.

The referee glanced at our determined faces and shouted, "Battle begin!"

Sandy moved her bangs behind her left ear and shouted, "Kingler, use Mud Shot!"

The Water type nodded and shot a stream of brown mud at the Seed Pokémon.

"Flower," I countered. "Use Razor Leaf!"

"Of course, Summer." She stomped forward and shook her bud.

The sharp leaves easily cut through the soft mud and pushed Kingler back. He then brushed his shell and resumed a battle pose.

That Kingler's much stronger than I thought…

Sandy then smirked. "Your Ivysaur's strong. But we have enough power to take you down. Kingler, Crabhammer!"

To our surprise, the Pokémon sprung up, his left claw turning dark blue.

"Quick, Flower! Use Razor Leaf once more!"

Flower nodded and released another flurry of leaves.

Sandy giggled. "We're not falling for that again. Use Protect!"

The Water type created a light blue barrier ride around him, similar to the shield over us. The leaves harmlessly bounced off as Kingler got closer to her. He swung his left claw forward and made contact with Flower's head. She winced in pain as he retreated to his side of the field with a quick sidestep.

"Are you okay, Flower?" I asked as the crowd cheered.

She glanced at me. "I'm okay. But that hurt more than I thought…"

"Don't worry. Let's keep going with a distraction. Use Leech Seed!"

She smiled as a seed formed in her bud. Sandy however wasn't fazed.

"Too easy. Kingler, when that Leech Seed opens up, cut it apart with Vicegrip!"

He nodded confidently and as the Leech Seed flew closer. Once the energy sapping vines emerged, two slices from his sharp pincers caused the plants to wither and disintegrate. While he was occupied, Flower slowly shook her bud.

Sandy was confused until I shouted, "Sleep Powder!"

She gritted her teeth and countered, "Protect, and don't let up!"

Kingler formed another blue shield, causing the white powder to land on top. This time, it was thicker to last for a longer period of time.

I smirked. "Keep going, Flower, you're doing great!"

The crowd was silent, unsure of what I was doing. It wasn't until the Protect started to fade after a minute did my plan begin to work. Sandy and Kingler could only watch as the Sleep Powder slowly entered the hole-ridden shield. Once they touched his body, his eyes slowly drooped then closed tight. Kingler sat down and fell asleep, much to his Trainer's chagrin.

"No, Kingler! Wake up!" She yelled. But the Pincer Pokémon kept on snoring.

I pointed at the sleeping Pokémon. "Use Razor Leaf once more!"

The sharp leaves cut into Kingler's body for a third time, but even a super effective attack couldn't jolt him awake. He then collapsed on the grass, unable to move.

The referee raised his green flag. "Kingler is unable to battle! Flower wins!"

As the crowd cheered and Sandy returned her Pokémon, Kingler's picture on the screen turned black.

She then said, "Not bad, Summer. But let's see how you handle my next Pokémon. Magneton, show them your tactics!"

A weird looking Electric type levitated out of her Pokéball. It looked like three Pokémon stuck together in a triangular shape. Its picture then appeared under Kingler's.

[Magneton, the Magnet Pokémon and the evolved form of Magnemite. It is actually three Magnemite linked by magnetism. It generates powerful radio waves that raise temperatures by 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit within a 3,300-foot radius.]

That makes more sense…

"Battle begin!"

"Magneton, use Double Team!"

The Electric type nodded and created five illusionary copies of itself, confusing me and Flower.

I don't have Vine Whip as an attack anymore… What's the next best attack?

"Magneton, use Thunder Wave!" Sandy commanded.

The five Pokémon nodded and created rings of weak electrical energy.

I moved quickly. "Let's hurry and attack. Flower, Razor Leaf on all of them!"

Flower unleashed more leaves, but she only hit three copies. Then, the real Magneton showed itself and unleashed its attack. Once hit be the ring, she lightly bent down as small electric sparks coursed through her body.

Paralysis! That's not good…

Flower stood up amidst the pain. I knew we had to land one attack to stand a chance against Magneton.

Sandy happily shouted, "Magneton, finish Flower with Tri Attack!"

"Flower, Leech Seed!"

While Flower created another seed, the Electric type formed a white triangle using its magnetic power. Strangely, orbs of fire, ice, and electricity appeared at the corners of the triangle. Both Pokémon fired their attacks, and the Leech Seed passed through the Tri Attack's open center. Flower collapsed from the Normal type attack as the energy-sapping vines wrapped themselves around Magneton.

The referee waved his red flag. "Flower is unable to battle! Magneton wins!"

"Great job, Flower," I praised, returning her. I didn't worry about what the television showed, but what was happening on the field.

I then took out another Pokéball. This may be a long shot, but I know the only Pokémon who has had no trouble with evasion moves.

"Go, Errol!" I threw the ball into the sky and Errol flew out, ready to battle.

"I don't know if you're losing on purpose or not," Sandy taunted.

I just smirked. You should wait until the battle's over…

"Battle begin!"

"Magneton, Double Team again!"

Magneton created the five copies, which levitated towards Errol and surrounded him. Instead of confusing him, he just looked at each one and smirked at the one to his left.

"Errol, use Psychic!" I shouted.

His eyes glowed magenta, then released the powerful attack. The real Magneton was hurt, but its half-Steel typing reduced the damage taken. The illusory copies immediately faded.

"But how?" Sandy asked, dumbfounded. She then recovered from the shock. "That Noctowl must have Keen Eye. No matter. Magneton, Thunder Wave!"

"Errol, dodge, then use Confusion!"

The Pokémon winced from the Leech Seed but was able to shoot several yellow rings. Errol easily evaded them all and controlled Magneton's body with his blue telekinetic energy. The Owl Pokémon lifted his opponent 10 feet into the air then threw it into the grass, the last of the Electric type's energy absorbed by the vines around him.

"Magneton is unable to battle! Errol wins!"

"Great job, Errol!" I happily shouted.

He turned his head backwards towards me and said, "Thank you Ms. Summer! Now, let us finish this haughty lady!"

Sandy returned her strategist and sighed. She smiled, trying to maintain her composure. She picked her last Pokéball and shouted, "Dugtrio, show them your speed!"

The familiar three-headed Pokémon popped out, immediately cementing himself into the grass.

"Battle begin!"

"All right." She took a deep breath and commanded, "Use Sludge Bomb!"

"Errol, throw it back with Confusion!"

The Noctowl nodded and mentally grabbed onto the large poisonous blob as it hurled towards him. Similar to what happened with his previous opponent, Errol threw the attack back at its user.

"Dugtrio, dodge and try again!"

The Mole Pokémon dug into the grass, narrowly avoiding the faster-moving Sludge Bomb. He then popped back up and unleashed more in rapid succession.

"Errol, dodge then use Psychic!"

With his perfect eyesight, the Flying type evaded them with excellent skill, making the crowd gasp in amazement. He then launched another blast of magenta energy, this time making contact. Dugtrio became exhausted, but he still wanted to continue.

Sandy's eyes started to well up from the frustration and she looked down. I sensed she didn't have any moves that could hurt Errol, and I felt bad for her. Errol saw my pained face and nodded to end it quickly.

"Errol, use Peck!"

Errol dove then straightened near the ground. He charged at Dugtrio with his extended beak. The Ground type tried to dig underground, but he didn't have enough energy to do so. As the Flying type move made contact, it slowly scratched Dugtrio's right head, causing major damage. The Mole Pokémon's heads became limp as Errol returned to the air.

The referee scanned the fainted Pokémon and raised the flags into the air. "Dugtrio is unable to battle! Errol wins, and the winner of this match is Summer from Littleroot Town!"

My picture on the screen enlarged as the other pictures disappeared, with large yellow letters spelling "WINNER" on the bottom.

I returned Errol and thanked him for battling well. I then walked up to Sandy, who was comforting her Dugtrio. I knelt down and offered her a hand. "Thanks for a great battle, Sandy."

She was slightly surprised but smiled appreciatively. "Thanks, Summer. You too. Good luck with the rest of the league."

She took my hand and we stood up, completing the handshake. The crowd cheered the sportsmanship, then we separated and went back to our respective tunnels.

A few days later…

"I can't believe it's already Wednesday!" Ariel exclaimed as we sat in one of the hotel's hot springs.

Although she, Sebastian, and Lightning were enjoyed the soothing water, I couldn't help thinking about the Top 32 pairings.

"Come on, Summer," the Pikachu reassured. "Just relax for a bit. The listings will be at the Pokémon Center at 6."

"It's 5:50…" I bluntly responded.

Shocked, Lightning jumped out of the pool. "Well what are you waiting for?! Let's go!"

"Lightning wants to go check the pairings now. I'll see you at dinner, then?" I asked Ariel.

She sighed but happily replied, "Okay. Let's go to that teppenyaki place tonight!"

"Okay, see you later!" I ran back to our room, changed and headed to the Pokémon Center.

When we got there, three groups of Trainers formed around three large television screens above the reception area. I looked at the television with the green background and scanned for my face. To my surprise, my next opponent was Carlos and our match was in two days.

Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Double Kick, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick; Sky Uppercut- learning

Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck

Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch

Lightning (Pikachu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch

Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder

Rocky (Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail

Questions for the Chapter:

What did you think of Summer's first real battle in the Indigo League?

How will her battle against Carlos go?