CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE

Amy, Daniel and Natalie entered the Cinnabar Gym, where electronic gates guarded further passage and an intercom hung on the wall. Amy walked towards it and depressed the buzzer.

"Welcome to the Cinnabar Gym," intoned the cool voice, as overheard the surveillance camera swivelled. "Before entering, you must answer three consecutive questions without failing. If you do, you will be required to wait one week before the next battle."

"One week - "!

Natalie placed her hand gently on Amy's arm. "It's OK. We'll help; we've done this before."

"The questions probably won't be the same, though," said Daniel, turning to Natalie.

"I wasn't asked the questions when I battled earlier today," Natalie replied. "We answered them together."

"First question," intoned the cool voice. Amy stiffened, while Daniel and Natalie listened closely. "What are the four Pokemon which evolve using a Moon Stone?"

"Nidorino, Nidorina," said Amy bitterly, remembering her own that had been stolen. "Two others, um - "

"Jigglypuff," provided Natalie helpfully.

"And Clefairy!" said Daniel.

"Well done," intoned the voice. "Second question: what are the names of the three prehistoric Pokemon displayed in the Pewter Museum of Science?"

All three filled with dread. None of them had visited the museum when they had been in Pewter City.

"I know this!" said Natalie, screwing up her face in concentration. "Come on, Daniel! We went there on a class trip, remember?"

Rolling his eyes, Daniel was forcing himself to remember facts which just would not arrive. "I can't think - "

"Twenty seconds," intoned the voice.

"Aerodactyl for one!" cried Amy, remembering one of the Pokemon Lance had used against Gary Oak. "But how is it prehistoric if - "

"Omanyte!" cried Natalie, all of a sudden. "The second Pokemon is Omanyte!"

"There's a laboratory on Cinnabar which revives prehistoric fossils," Daniel explained. "Lance is the only one to have found a fossil."

"Ten seconds," intoned the voice.

"Oh, what's the name of the last one?" Natalie jumped and up down. "It starts with..."

"It looks like..." Daniel moved his hands as though he were drawing a samurai sword. "It has two scythes on either hand - "

"That's the evolved form! I'm thinking of the... "

"Kabuto! That's it!" Daniel snapped to life.

"Aerodactyl, Omanyte and Kabuto!" cried Amy.

"Well done," intoned the voice, as everyone's shoulders slumped in relief. "Third and final question: what is the shared Type weakness of a dual Grass/Psychic type, such as Exeggutor?"

"Psychic?" asked Amy, turning to Daniel and Natalie. "What are Psychic Pokemon weak to?"

"I was hoping you'd know," Natalie offered a weak smile. "You defeated Sabrina!"

"Twenty seconds," intoned the voice.

Immediately they began to feel the heat.

"Well, it could be Ghost," said Daniel. "But we need one that Grass-types are weak to, too."

"OK, let's refocus," said Amy. "What are all the weaknesses of Grass-types and let's start from there."

"Bug, Flying, Fire, Poison and Ice," Daniel said proudly, off by heart. "We can strike Poison-type off the list, since they're weak to Psychic attacks."

"Ten seconds," intoned the voice.

"Uh, um," Natalie danced a jig on one foot, anxious.

"It's not Fire-type or Ice-type," said Amy, remembering her Growlithe's battle with Sabrina's Abra, and her Nidorina's battle with Sabrina's Mr. Mime.

"Five seconds," intoned the voice.

"Bug! Bug!" shouted Amy, in desperation. "I don't have a damn clue but I'll go with Bug!"

Silence as Amy's chest heaved and Natalie mopped her brow and Daniel wracked his brain.

"That is correct," intoned the voice, to great relief. "Both Grass- and Psychic-type Pokemon are susceptible to Bug-type attacks."

"Well, that's something you don't learn every day!" Natalie's eyes lit up with a smile. "Does your Weepinbell know any Bug-type attacks? Maybe my Butterfree - "

"Shh!" Amy watched as the electronic doors slid open. Tentatively, she stepped forward.


Amy ascended the podium, glancing out at the barren, desolate battlefield. Daniel and Natalie stood spectator on either side of the podium, gasping in fright as the familiar white-hot flames surrounded the room, beginning the inferno.

"I see why the Gym Leader uses Fire-types," Amy delicately mopped her brow, taking off her woollen jumper. "The heat is ridiculous - "

She stopped as she noticed Blaine ascend the podium opposite.

"Who are you to stand the heat, challenger?" Blaine demanded.

"I am Amy, to battle you for the Volcanobadge," she cried.

"Well, you can certainly try. I am Blaine," he announced. "The Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island! I use Fire-type Pokemon."

"My first Pokemon was a Fire-type," Amy called. "If you can beat my Pokemon, I might show you how he fights."

"Feisty!" Blaine called, sweeping his arms in a wide arc to indicate the battlefield. "But you'll find that I reign here and the flames consume all!"

Amy placed her three Pokeballs in the holder, selecting her first and tossing it into the fray.

"Go, Cubone!"

Unafraid of the surrounding flames, Cubone ran forth into the battlefield, waving its bone club in the air. Blaine threw his chosen Pokeball into the battlefield, spilling forth with bright red light.

"Ninetales, go!"

Ninetales sprang forth on all paws, showing no fear as it stared down at Cubone.

"Cubone, Bonemerang!" cried Amy.

"Ninetales, Confuse Ray!" shouted Blaine.

Ninetales emitted a ghostly aura as Cubone swung the bone club in an arc towards Ninetales, the projectile spinning wildly as it hit Ninetales not once, but spun back to hit her again from the rear. Cubone, suffering confusion, leapt to catch the bone club which spun back towards him, but tripped on his tail and suffered slight damage.

"No way!" cried Blaine, as Ninetales struggled to stand, close to unconsciousness.

"Cubone! Bone Club!" Amy shouted.

"Ninetales, Quick Attack!" demanded Blaine.

As Ninetales disappeared into thin air, Cubone spun on the spot and swung its bone club into empty air, not at all sure what it was doing. Ninetales reappeared and rammed into Cubone's side, sending him flailing to the ground.

"Nice work, Ninetales!" said Blaine, though he noticed his Fire-type's critical state of health. He held out his Pokeball. "Return, Ninetales!"

Cubone staggered to his feet, shaking off the confusion as Ninetales disappeared in a flash of red light.

"I'm taking out your Pokemon faster than anticipated, Blaine," said Amy.

"We'll see about that!" Blaine selected his second Pokeball, throwing it into the air. "Go, Rapidash!"

Cantering forth, Rapidash stomped its foot in a display of aggression as Cubone blinked back, wielding its bone club threateningly.

"Rapidash, Take Down!" shouted Blaine.

"Cubone, Bonemerang!" cried Amy.

Cubone had just thrown the bone club when Rapidash crashed into him, sending the Ground-type sprawled against Amy's podium. Suffering recoil, Rapidash's sudden burst of speed had allowed her to dodge the first hit but when the bone club soared back, it bashed into Rapidash's haunch as Cubone leapt to grab it.

"Stomp, Rapidash!" yelled Blaine.

"Cubone," cried Amy. "Bone Club!"

Rapidash was faster - a blur as her hoof knocked Cubone sideways, greatly injured. Cantering back to Blaine's side of the field, Amy held out her Pokeball, flashing with red light.

"Cubone, return!"

Blaine chuckled from atop his podium as Amy selected which one of two remaining Pokeballs she should use.

"Not too bad, eh? You'll have to be faster than that to take my Rapidash down!" roared Blaine.

Amy chose a Pokeball and tossed it onto the field.

"Go, Nidorina!"

Nidorina growled as she landed on the battlefield, staring at Rapidash in disdain as the fiery horse Pokemon responded with equal haughty fervour.

"Rapidash, Fire Spin!" cried Blaine.

"Nidorina, Poison Sting!" shouted Amy.

Rapidash shot forth a bright burst of flame as Nidorina fired poison barbs from its mouth. Whinnying in pain, though not poisoned, Rapidash watched as Nidorina was sucked up into the vortex of flame which consumed the Poison-type Pokemon, slamming her on the battlefield upon its apex.

"Nidorina!" cried Amy. "Fury Swipes!"

"Rapidash, Take Down!" shouted Blaine.

Rapidash charged into Nidorina, sending her rolling her across the field so that she stopped just at the barrier of white-hot flame. Greatly injured, Nidorina nonetheless leapt for Rapidash who was distracted by suffering recoil.

"Bite, Nidorina!" cried Amy.

Nidorina crashed into Rapidash, tumbling to the ground as she delivered a hefty bite to the horse Pokemon's hindquarters. Whinnying in pain, Rapidash kicked out at Nidorina with a Stomp attack but Nidorina evaded, leaping into the air and landing upon Rapidash's fallen frame, delivering the Fury Swipes that she had prevented from using before.

"Rapidash!" shouted Blaine.

Crumpling in pain, Nidorina leapt up into the air but landed on empty ground, nothing but flashing red light as Blaine held out his Pokeball to return Rapidash inside.

"Not bad," Blaine mopped his brow of sweat. "You've fought well, and I can respect that. But I am not to be taken lightly - and nor are my Pokemon! Go, Arcanine!"

Ferocious, Arcanine pawed the ground and stared down Nidorina, hackles raised.

"Fire Blast, Arcanine!"

"Nidorina, Poison Sting!"

Nidorina opened her mouth and fired poison barbs which were mostly consumed by the five-pronged blast of fire which knocked Nidorina against Amy's podium, utterly down for the count. Wincing in pain, Arcanine suffered little injury though he was poisoned.

"Nidorina, return!" Amy held out her Pokeball so that Nidorina disappeared safely inside. She selected her third and final Pokeball, hoping he made the cut. "Go, my great Growlithe!"

Materialising mid-air, Growlithe bounded forth towards Arcanine as Blaine reached for an Antidote to administer to his Fire-type's ailment.

"Arcanine, Roar!" declared Blaine. "Show that Growlithe who's boss!"

"Be brave, Growlithe! Take Down!" screamed Amy.

Wincing at the pain of poison, Arcanine roared ferociously at Growlithe upon whom it had no effect, as Amy's Fire-type charged into Blaine's Fire-type, the two canine Pokemon duking it out while Growlithe suffered recoil and Arcanine suffered poison.

"Go, Growlithe!" chanted Daniel and Natalie from the sidelines. "Go, Amy!"

"Finish Arcanine! Bite, Growlithe!" called Amy.

Sinking his jaws deep into Arcanine, the evolved counterpart to Growlithe gave a final roar and collapsed upon the battlefield. Growlithe leapt back to clear space, barking triumphantly.

"I did it!" cried Amy. "I won!"

Clapping and cheers from her two spectators of solidarity, Amy rushed down to Growlithe and was promptly bowled over by her canine Pokemon's embrace, licking all over her face so that she stunk of dog drool.

"Oh - uh, Growlithe - no!" cried Amy, erupting into peals of laughter, feeling as uninhibited of her emotions as the many gamblers who visited Celadon Game Corner.

Blaine returned Arcanine to its Pokeball and walked over to her, the surrounding flames dying down into nothingness. Daniel and Natalie watched Amy in amusement as she got to her feet, hurriedly smoothing her hair which stood out at a wonky ankle. Combined with her sweat-drenched clothes covered with Growlithe's fur, she nonetheless melted in with everyone else who had perspired from the furnace that was the Cinnabar Gym's battlefield.

"I didn't think it was possible!" Blaine shook Amy's hand heartily, the Volcanobadge and prize money concealed within his grip. "It has been a pleasure to battle you - and you - and you."

His gaze focused on all of them in turn, adjusting his spectacles and shaking Daniel and Natalie's hands again.

"Thank you, Blaine," they chorused as one.

"It was a pleasure," Blaine turned to walk away and they watched him, together unified in their goal that was coming closer to fruition, that of collecting all eight Badges to enter the Pokemon League.