Chapter 28: The Shocking Gym Battle! Pt. 2
Last time on "Pokémon Kanto Journey", the group had finally arrived in Vermilion City, where Ash, Isamu, and Luna would have their Gym Battle at the Vermilion City Gym. But upon arriving at the Pokémon Center, they learned that the Gym Leader might be completely different from both Brock and Misty.
And when they had arrived at the Gym, they discover that the Gym Leader was a confident, yet arrogant man named Lt. Surge, who is an Electric Type user, with his partners being a Raichu and a Jolteon.
Upon seeing Pikachu and Eevee, the Gym Leader immediately believed victory was at his hands as he claimed that quick evolution was the quickest way to win battles more easily, igniting the fire inside the boys to fight against the Gym Leader to prove him wrong with their partners.
Unfortunately, Ash learned the hard way that Lt. Surge and Raichu were not opponents to take your eyes off of on as Raichu quickly dominated over Pikachu with a much more powerful Electric attack, followed by some brutal physical attacks, resulting in the Mouse Pokémon's defeat.
With Ash defeated in battle, Misty and Brock accompanies the younger brother to the Pokémon Center...
And as for Isamu and Luna... they step up to the plate together so that they could defeat Lt. Surge together in a Multi Battle, while Yellow watches them with Chuchu in her arms.
With all three Trainers ready to battle, the two Gym Trainers got ready to announce the battle once more as the man made the announcement of the battle and the rules for the Multi Battle.
"The Pokémon battle will now begin. Only one Pokémon for the two challengers and the Gym Leader will use two. The Gym Leader, Lieutenant Surge, has chosen Raichu and Jolteon. The challengers, Isamu and Luna, have chosen Eevee and Arcanine. No time limit. Let the battle begin!"
And with that, the bell rang, allowing the Multi Battle to begin, with the challengers making the first moves...!
Lt. Surge: Raichu + Jolteon VS Isamu / Luna: Eevee + Arcanine
"Eevee, use Swift!"
"Arcanine, use Flamethrower!"
The two moves were shot as both Electric Types braced themselves for the incoming attack as the Gym Leader smirked.
"Jolteon! Raichu! Hit 'em both with a double Thunderbolt attack!" Lt. Surge yelled as the two Electric Types got together and unleashed their powerful Electric Type attacks towards the incoming attacks!
The four moves made contact, resulting in an explosion before the Electric Types won, causing them to head straight for both Eevee and Arcanine!
"Look out, you two!" Yellow warned, allowing Isamu to make a defensive counterattack.
"Right... Eevee, use Sand Attack!" Isamu yelled as Eevee did so, kicking up sand to block the electricity! And it worked, as the Electric Type attacks were no good against a Ground Type attack.
"Lucky move, but it won't work twice! Raichu, use Mega Punch!" Lt. Surge yelled as Raichu charged to make a big punch like he did with Pikachu. But Luna was ready to make the defensive tactic this time as she called out to Arcanine.
"Intercept that move with Flamethrower, Arcanine!" Luna yelled as Arcanine got in front of Eevee before blasting Raichu away with heavy fire!
"RAI!"
The evolved Mouse Pokémon screeched in pain before he skidded back from the big damage he took head on from the Fire Type attack. And seeing his attack fail made the Lieutenant irritated as he turned to Jolteon.
"This isn't fun anymore...! Jolteon! Pin Missile!" Lt. Surge yelled as Jolteon shot missiles towards both Eevee and Arcanine as the two challengers nodded to each other before they made their attacks together!
"Counter with Swift!"
"Counter with Flamethrower!"
The two special attacks collided with the needles. And while Swift and Pin Missile resulted in a tie, Flamethrower didn't, as the Bug Type attack was little effective against a Fire Type attack.
And because of that, the Lightning Pokémon screeched as he tumbled back from the burning attack.
Both Electric Types growled at the disadvantage they were in from the heavy fire they've taken from the Flamethrower attacks they took from Arcanine. And they weren't the only ones showing irritation as Lt. Surge gritted his teeth.
"Gah...! What's with the heavy fire...!? Our attacks are getting nowhere!" Lt. Surge snapped.
"Exactly. It's called strategy... that is, if you know what that means, Lt. Surge." Isamu said with narrowed eyes as he folded his arms.
"Luna and Arcanine are in the offensive formation while Eevee and I are in the defensive formation. When you launch attacks at us, we use defensive moves to block and counter your attacks. Luna and Arcanine use their attacks to counter and knock your Pokémon away, making us a few steps closer to where victory is." Isamu explained.
"Wow... that explains why it's working so well... They're moving together in sync to take the advantage over Lt. Surge's Pokémon..." Yellow breathed out in awe.
The Electric Type user widened his eyes before he glared.
"Yeah, well... strategy means nothing if it doesn't work! Let's see if you can handle this!? Jolteon, use Double Team!" Lt. Surge snapped.
Without wasting another second, the Lightning Pokémon formed clones to surround both Eevee and Arcanine before...
"Now, Raichu! Use Mega Kick!" Lt. Surge yelled as Raichu leapt up in the air to make a big kick! Luna noticed it coming as she turned to Arcanine.
"Quick, Arcanine! Use Flamethrower!"
But this time, the Electric Type user saw it coming and made a counterattack with Jolteon, who had his two opponents surrounded by his Double Team attack.
"Not so fast there, little lady! Use Thunderbolt, Jolteon!"
The Thunderbolt and the Flamethrower made contact, resulting in a tie. And with the distraction provided, it was enough to let Raichu come through and hit Eevee hard with the Mega Kick attack!
"VEE!"
"Eevee!" Both Luna and Yellow gasped while the elder Ketchum brother narrowed his eyes with a bit of concern and frustration. But with time not on their time, all he could do was encourage Eevee to stay in the fight.
"Eevee, stay strong! Use Sand Attack!" Isamu yelled as Eevee recovered from the blunt of the attack before she kicked sand! The sand got into Raichu's eyes, causing the evolved Mouse Pokémon to yelp as he rubbed his eyes to get the sand off.
"Cheap tricks! Jolteon! Use Pin Missile!" Lt. Surge yelled as Jolteon sent missiles, which ended up hitting Eevee multiple times before she squealed, knocked back from the force of the Bug Type attack.
"Even with our own formations, it doesn't seem to be working out pretty well. Even with Raichu unable to attack much, there's still Jolteon..." Isamu commented as Luna frowned, as she noticed that the clones were still surrounding her Arcanine and the elder brother's Eevee.
"There's got to be a way to dispose of the clones and get us closer to victory at the same time..." Luna frowned.
"Well then, how about this? Eevee, use Swift!"
Eevee shook her fur before shooting Swift all around. As a result, the clones all started disappearing and eventually... the Swift attack ended up hitting the real Jolteon! The Lightning Pokémon gritted its teeth in pain as it skidded back.
"Don't let them get to you, Jolteon! Use Thunderbolt!" Lt. Surge shouted out.
Jolteon growled before launching the Electric Type attack while Luna countered immediately.
"Flamethrower, Arcanine!" Luna shouted as the fire countered the electricity once again. And as a result, the two attacks resulted in a draw as Lt. Surge growled, before turning to see Raichu recovering from the Sand Attack.
"Quick, Raichu! Use Mega Punch!"
"And we'll use Bite to counter!"
As soon as the Gym Leader made the call, Isamu made the call to counter the incoming punch!
When the punch came, the Evolution Pokémon bit onto it, causing Raichu to yelp in pain from the bite before he tried to shake Eevee off!
"What the heck is this!?" Lt. Surge exclaimed in shock as the elder Ketchum brother narrowed his eyes.
"It's called a countermove to block your physical attacks! Eevee, use Swift!" Isamu yelled as stars shone before they all hit Raichu again, causing the evolved Electric Type to shriek in surprise and pain before tumbling back.
The two Electric Types looked a little fatigued, as were Eevee. But Arcanine was hardly fazed as he didn't take much damage during the battle at all, since Lt. Surge's Pokémon were mostly trying to attack Isamu's Eevee.
"It's getting intense..." Yellow commented silently, with Chuchu giving a "Chu" in agreement. But for Lt. Surge, his face showed that he wasn't expecting such a long battle to be dragged out... as his previous battles weren't long enough to satisfy him completely.
"This is getting nuts... I thought for sure this would be an easy win, especially against the little toy there..." Lt. Surge spoke with a frown, before he gestured to Eevee, who glared at the Electric Type user for his insults.
"Vee!"
"That toy is my friend and my partner. You may think she's someone that's easy to beat, but you're wrong! One of your weaknesses is underestimating of what your opponent and their Pokémon can do in battle...! Eevee, use Quick Attack and Swift!" Isamu shouted out.
And Eevee made the initiative attack as she charged with the speed from Quick Attack. And as she was running, she began to use Swift to hit both Jolteon and Raichu all around as they both yelped in surprise and in pain.
The continuous Swift attacks were getting a bit too much as Lt. Surge scratched his head with his two big hands.
"No more games! Raichu! Jolteon! Give that toy a double Thunderbolt attack!" Lt. Surge yelled as the two glared while opening their eyes.
As they were getting hit by the Swift attack, they closed their eyes and ignored the pain from the attack, before focusing on charging the electricity in their bodies! Once that was done...
"JOLT!"
"RAI!"
They both unleashed the Electric Type attacks together, with the moves heading straight for the alarmed Eevee!
"Isamu! Get her out of there!" Yellow shouted out as the elder Ketchum brother gritted his teeth, before calling to Eevee.
"Use Quick Attack to dodge! Get out of there!" Isamu yelled as Eevee ran from the incoming Electric Type attacks as Luna got ready to make the save.
"Quick, Arcanine! Help Eevee out with Flame Wheel!" Luna shouted, causing the Legendary Pokémon to rush forward and surround his body with the flames from the Flame Wheel, before he got in front of Eevee.
As it happened, the double Thunderbolt attack clashed with the flames that surrounded Arcanine, causing the evolved Fire Type to struggle before he began to skid back from the power of the two Electric attacks.
"Vee!?" Eevee called out in concern as Arcanine let out a grunt of reassurance before he roared, resisting the attacks!
An explosion occurred, causing all the Trainers to cover themselves and hold their ground to make sure no one would be thrown back from the shockwave of the collided attacks.
"A sacrifice...? Is that what this is...? Or is it... a rescue to help the weak?" Isamu thought as time began to slow down for him, causing him to think back... back to the past of when he and Ash were young... before they had met Eevee for the first time.
Flashback - 5 Years Ago
Isamu's POV
I was always the type of kid to be energetic and determined to prove others wrong... Like the time when some bullies made fun of Ash's dream to become a Pokémon Master... That was when I would step up, causing the bullies to step back and run away when I intervened.
And when I did so, I would get thanked by my little brother...
At least, that's what I believed was in his mind when he and I parted ways when he ran to head for the forest to find some Pokémon.
Deep down, I wondered what my brother thought about... Did he think of me as a little hero like he does when it comes to seeing heroes on movies or comic books...? Or did he see me as a rival that he didn't want to lose to?
I couldn't read people's minds... and I couldn't understand how they truly feel unless they open up to me.
It's like... I'm not able to do anything for them unless I figure out a way to truly understand their feelings...
So with that, I wanted to try and understand more of what others would feel... and how strong I would really need to be in order to accomplish of what I want to become... a Pokémon Master.
If you think it's strange that I would have the same dream as Ash... well... that's your problem, not mine.
But... there was one time when I was completely naïve... Naïve enough to get hurt and going into things that I'm not supposed to.
It happened when I was exploring the rocky side that was a bit far from home. I think people called this place Mt. Hideaway...
It wasn't safe for young kids to travel alone without a Pokémon, but... I will admit... I was a little cocky to believe that I could actually do it... that I could make it through without any problems... whether they were big or small.
And that nearly costed me my life...
As I was walking along the mountain pathway, the path gave away and...
"AHHHHHH!"
Yeah... I screamed as I fell down before I was knocked out from the fall...
It wasn't long before I regained my consciousness, only to feel warmth from somewhere... As I awakened, I realized that it was the warmth from the fire... a makeshift fireplace in a cave...
The only question came to my mind was...
"Where am I?"
And as soon as I asked that question from my mouth, someone stern, yet kind answered my question.
"You're in the cave that I train and rest in."
Surprise filled my mind as I turned to see who responded to my question... It was a man that looked strong... a man who seemed stern to anyone that would show weakness or even resistance...
Fear filled my mind as I thought of running away, but then I remembered the fall I had, which explained why there was a bandage around my left ankle.
"Who... are you?" I asked the man, who chuckled as a smile came to his lips.
"Me? Well... I guess you could say... I'm a very strong Pokémon Trainer, and a rather strong man at the same time." The man chuckled as I blinked.
"From how you had come all the way here, I'm guessing you came to see some good Pokémon so that you can find a way to be strong, correct?" The man asked, surprising me as I widened my eyes in disbelief.
"How do you know?"
"It's a no brainer since I've seen many Pokémon Trainers come this way just so they could find some strong Pokémon to catch and to make themselves better Pokémon Trainers. But you're a bit too young to be a Trainer, are you, little boy?"
"I'm not a little boy... I may look like it, but I plan on becoming a Pokémon Master someday when I become a Pokémon Trainer!" I retorted, causing the man to raise a brow of amusement before he chuckled.
"Hahaha...! I see... Now that's a big dream..." The man chuckled as I frowned.
What was so funny about having a big dream...?
"Well then... what's your name, then... since you don't want to be called a little boy?" The man asked as I blinked, before introducing myself.
"I'm... Isamu. I'm Isamu Ketchum from Pallet Town..." I introduced myself as the man nodded.
"Not a bad name. And from Pallet Town? You've come a bit of a long way for a little youngster." The man commented as I blushed before turning to the man, as I pressed him to know who he is.
"And you...? What's your name, sir?" I asked as the man smiled.
"Hmm... Me...? Well... I can tell you my name, but I'm afraid you might attract unwanted attention if I give it out now. How about you call me... Master?" The man suggested as I sweat dropped at the suggestion.
"Why that...?" I asked as he chuckled.
"Well... the fact that you came all this way without a Pokémon is very impressive... which is why I'm willing to teach you everything that you need to know on how to be a good Pokémon Trainer... that is... if you want." The man offered to me.
That caught me by surprise... as this man was offering me the chance to learn about what being a good Trainer is like... and... he just learned about me a few minutes ago... But...
The thought came to me... that if I learned from him, then I could learn everything that I can to act serious and be a Trainer that can surpass anyone... So with that in mind...
"...I do... Master." I said, accepting the man as my mentor for Pokémon training...
Flashback End
End POV
The smoke cleared to show Raichu and Jolteon panting in fatigue while Arcanine was growling while sizzling a little from the damage he's taken from the double Thunderbolt attack.
"Arcanine, are you okay!?" Luna called out as Arcanine growled in affirmation, saying that he was alright.
"Why did you do that? There was a chance that Arcanine could've lost this battle...!" Isamu reminded her as the Kanto girl frowned.
"But you know Eevee would've lost if the double attack made their mark... I couldn't let this end so easily..." Luna explained as the elder Ketchum brother frowned before he turned to see the two opponents panting in exhaustion.
"...I appreciate it, Luna... but... I want you to think for the sake of your Pokémon... not with mine." Isamu said calmly as the girl blinked before she slowly nodded in understanding as they turned to see the two Electric Types fatigued.
"That was a close one..." Yellow breathed out in relief, as she was a bit concerned for how Arcanine was looking. But the look on his eyes gave Yellow the answer that the Legendary Pokémon was still willing to battle even with the hurt that he had felt just now.
And as for Lt. Surge, he wasn't content with seeing that the double Thunderbolt attack had failed to finish off his opponents.
"That didn't do it...!? Jolteon! Raichu! Hit 'em again with another double Thunderbolt!" Lt. Surge ordered as the two got ready to charge up and deal the finishing blow. But the two challengers weren't going to let that go on.
"Not this time! Arcanine, use Flamethrower!"
"Eevee, use Swift to counter them!"
Their two partners wasted no time launching their special attacks once again to try and stop their powerful combination. But as the two attacks were shot, they both collided... resulting in Swift... evolving into a Fire Swift attack!
"Whoa!" Yellow gasped as the combination attack hit the two Electric Types!
The two yelled in pain before they tumbled back from the combination attack before falling unconscious as they groaned in defeat.
"Impossible!" Lt. Surge gasped as the Gym Trainers were surprised, but nonetheless... the man announced the winner of the match.
"T-The winner of this match goes to the challengers, Isamu Ketchum from Pallet Town and Luna Wright from Pewter City!" The man announced, causing the two challengers to smile together for their victory.
Winner: Isamu / Luna
"We won...!" Luna exclaimed, causing the elder Ketchum brother to nod.
"We sure did..." Isamu agreed before they shared a little high five.
Eevee and Arcanine did the same with their paws while the Gym Leader fell to his knees to see his two prized Pokémon defeated before his eyes.
"It can't be... We lost...?" Lt. Surge groaned before he looked down on the ground and chuckled bitterly.
"So... even with all this, we lose... It's almost kind of funny..." He spoke to himself before he got up and walked up to his two victorious challengers.
"Congratulations, you two... As proof of your victory against me, here's the Thunder Badge. One for each of you." Lt. Surge said, presenting the two Badges for the two Trainers to have.
"Thanks, Lt. Surge." Luna said softly as she and Isamu took their Badges before the elder brother looked up to the Electric Type user.
"This loss won't be the only loss you'll have. When my brother comes back for a rematch, he and Pikachu will redeem themselves of the loss they had today. That, I can guarantee..." Isamu assured confidently as Lt. Surge rose a brow.
"If you say so, Isamu... I still have doubts especially with the battle they had today, but after what happened just now...? I think I'll be waiting to see on what they can do for myself..." Lt. Surge said, as he didn't have the arrogance inside him anymore.
Rather, it's as if he was expecting a challenge when the younger Ketchum brother comes back for a rematch...
Later...
The three Trainers were heading back to the Pokémon Center, with Luna returning Arcanine back into his Pokéball so that he could rest. As they were heading back, the Kanto girl turned to her friend with a concerned look.
"Um... hey..."
"Hm?"
Luna bit her lips, as if she was unsure on what to say before...
"I'm... sorry for making you upset during the battle... when I told Arcanine to protect Eevee..." Luna apologized as Yellow listened in with the elder Ketchum brother blinking before he shook his head.
"Don't worry about it... It's just like I said... I appreciate for what you've done, but I'd like you to focus on your Pokémon's health before focusing on mine..." Isamu said to her softly, causing her to nod in understanding.
"But that was amazing, you two... Especially with the combination attack you two pulled off with Eevee's Swift and Arcanine's Flamethrower." Yellow reminded them, causing the two Trainers to smile together.
"Yeah... I'll admit I was a bit surprised that the combination attack worked..." Isamu admitted.
"But in the end, it's the results that counts, right? We were successful in ending Lt. Surge's winning streak... even if it was together." Yellow said before taking out her Thunder Badge that was with the Cascade Badge.
"Mm... That's two Badges for you and three Badges for me. Now we just have to wait for Ash to get his Badge from Lt. Surge, and then we're out of here." Isamu said before Yellow frowned.
"But... were you serious? About Ash winning in the rematch against Lt. Surge with Pikachu?" Yellow asked as the elder Ketchum brother smiled.
"This is Ash we're talking about. I'm sure he'll do just fine. Besides, I know what the problem is with Lt. Surge's Raichu..." Isamu explained, leaving curiosity for the two as they tried to get him to talk.
"What's that problem?" pressed Yellow as the elder Ketchum brother shook his head.
"That's for me to know and for you to find out." Isamu chuckled as he walked on ahead, leaving the two be.
"Oh come on! That's not fair, Isa!" Luna pouted as she and Yellow made chase after their friend.
It wasn't long before the three arrived at the Pokémon Center, where they found their friends near the vending machines.
"Hey..." Isamu called out, catching their attention.
"Big bro! Luna...! How did you two do?" Ash asked, only to get a surprise when the elder Ketchum brother and the Kanto girl revealed the Thunder Badge they had won from the Electric Type user.
"You two won?" Misty asked as Luna smiled sheepishly.
"Truthfully, it was a Multi Battle. Isa and I only used one Pokémon each while Lt. Surge used two Pokémon at the same time against us. It was tough, but we managed to take the win." Luna explained.
"Oh wow... so you beat him together as a team, then..." Ash commented, earning a nod from his brother.
"And now... it's your turn to get your Badge with Pikachu, little brother." Isamu said with a small smile, causing him to smile and nod in agreement. Brock and Misty smiled as well as the Water Type user sighed.
"Oh, this whole thing has me so nervous..." Misty admitted as she picked up a can of orange juice from the vending machine, much to Ash's confusion as he turned to her.
"Really? Since when did you decide to worry about me?" Ash asked, causing Misty to correct him.
"Not you. I'm concerned about Pikachu. I hope it'll be okay..." Misty corrected him, before Brock called to the younger Ketchum brother.
"Hey, Ash..."
"Yeah?"
"During your battle, Surge said that he made his Raichu evolve as soon as he got it, didn't he?" Brock asked, causing the younger brother to nod in affirmation.
Isamu smiled, realizing that Brock was getting to the point where he understood what Raichu's weakness was as the former Rock Type user smiled.
"Then perhaps there is a way." Brock said, leaving the younger brother curious.
"Huh?"
The next morning...
With Pikachu fully recovered, the younger Ketchum brother and his Electric Type partner stepped out of the Pokémon Center to prepare for their rematch against Lt. Surge and Raichu.
"Pikachu... Our lucky star is shining today!" Ash declared as he pointed at the sun, leaving the Mouse Pokémon confused as Misty shared the same confusion as she came out.
"Where? I don't see it... How can you see a star in the middle of the day?" Misty asked, causing the younger brother to get her off of his arm before he glared at her.
"I don't mean it's actually shining! Let's go, Pikachu!"
"Pika!"
With that, the younger brother and his Electric Type partner continued to make their way towards the Vermilion Gym, as Brock came out with Isamu, Luna, and Yellow.
"Seems like they're ready to win, doesn't it?" Brock asked as Isamu chuckled.
"You can say that again. This time for sure..." Isamu said with a confident smile.
It wasn't long before the six Trainers began to make their way back to the Gym so that Ash could have his Thunder Badge this time. But as they were going there, they were met by a trio with black coats and a flag.
"Uh, who are you guys?" Ash asked.
"To protect the world from devastation-" The man and woman started, only for the little man to slap them both with a fan.
"Ix-nay!" The man snapped as the two yelped in surprise.
"We forgot!" The two groaned as Isamu sweat dropped at the sight.
"You've got to be kidding me... It's them...?" Isamu thought as he face-palmed while Luna and Yellow both blinked. Ash, Misty, and Brock just stared in bewilderment before the man explained themselves.
"We are the challenger's cheerleaders, and we're here to show our support for the brave Pikachu and Ash." The man explained, allowing his two comrades to give out a "Rah" of agreement.
"In honor of the great Pikachu's bravery, we wish to offer a cheer." The man said before the three began their ways of cheering the Mouse Pokémon up to encourage him to win.
"We want you, Pikachu!"
"Give me a Pi! Give me a Ka!"
"Give me a Chu! What you've got?"
"Pikachu, Fight, fight, Pikachu! You're our Pokémon, yeah!"
"Hip, hip, hooray!"
"Yay, Pikachu!"
And with that, the cheering ended before the three began to make their leave.
"Okay, let's split." The tiny man said before the trio began to make their dash getaway, causing the six Trainers to watch them go as Brock frowned at the sight.
"That was really disturbing..." Brock commented, causing Misty to giggle before she waved and called to them.
"Thanks for your support! Bye, Team Rocket!" Misty called out, causing the disguised evil trio to sputter as they continued running while their glasses and hats were thrown off of them.
"How did they know it was us!?" Meowth yelped as he and his allies continued running.
"Lucky guess!" Jessie guessed as the group watched them leave. As they did, the younger Ketchum brother smiled, as if he felt grateful for their... big "support". But now with the cheering done, it was time for him to get his Badge.
And it wasn't long before the group returned to the Vermilion Gym, where Lt. Surge faced off against the younger brother once again.
"Hey, baby, you ready to take another beating? You didn't even make your Pikachu evolve. You haven't learned anything yet." Lt. Surge said smugly, upon seeing Pikachu remaining the same as yesterday.
"Don't be so sure, Surge!" Ash challenged, causing the Electric Gym Leader to raise a brow of amusement.
"Okay, well... Let's see." Lt. Surge smirked as the man made the announcement once more.
"The challenger, Ash, using a Pikachu. The Gym Leader, Lieutenant Surge, using a Raichu. The Pokémon will battle one-on-one with no time limit. Let the battle begin!" The man called out as the bell rang.
Lt. Surge: Raichu VS Ash: Pikachu
Isamu's POV
And the rematch began with Ash and Pikachu getting ready to face off against Lt. Surge and his Raichu once more... I only hoped that with the strategy Brock gave to them, this would work...
Even with the weakness that Raichu had, it served as a powerful opponent...
And I was right to think that when Raichu made the first strike by knocking Pikachu back with its tail... And it continued to whip Pikachu before using a Body Slam attack.
The first hit was painful, and just when it looked like the next attack could end it... that was when the speed strategy came into mind as Ash had Pikachu use Agility to easily dodge all of Raichu's attempts to strike Pikachu down.
That was Raichu's weakness. Since it was so focused on using electricity and power, Lt. Surge had been reckless with the timing of the evolution as Raichu hadn't learned of the speed attacks that it can use as a Pikachu, such as Quick Attack and Agility.
And with that, that left Pikachu in the advantage.
But things could change, as Lt. Surge had Raichu give off a Thunderbolt with all his power. But thanks to Pikachu using his tail, the attack was dodged and that sapped the rest of Raichu's electricity...
Without the electricity needed, Raichu could only use Body Slam and Take Down... but with the increased amount of speed Pikachu had, the battle was already over... resulting in Pikachu's victory.
Winner: Ash
After the match was declared to be Ash's win, I couldn't help but smile proudly to see the joy that he had whenever something good happened to him or to his team...
With that victory, it allowed to take the Thunder Badge from Lt. Surge, resulting in him having the same three Badges as me now...
And with that, both Lt. Surge and Raichu began to respect Ash and Pikachu for their victory, as they seemed to realize that they weren't the team to underestimate now that they've defeated them.
"Thank you, Pikachu!" Ash smiled happily, hugging him tightly. "This is your victory too!"
"Pi... KA!" Pikachu shrieked in a happy way before unleashing Thunderbolt, surprising the others before they all saw the duo laughing together even in the shock of the Electric Type attack.
"Wow! Now I can see lots of lucky stars!" Ash grinned, his pupils turning into actual stars.
"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu smiled happily alongside his human partner, as the others smiled to see them bonding even with the little shock and the pain.
"Those two really are quite a team," Misty complimented, with Brock and Yellow nodding together in agreement.
"Yes indeed..."
"Mm hm."
Isamu smiled, before he turned to Eevee, who nodded happily with a satisfied smile on her face.
"Yeah..." Isamu agreed before he turned back to see his brother and his partner continuing to embrace each other for their big victory at the third Gym.
"So far, so good... With the pace we're in... the Pokémon League shouldn't be too far away from our grasp..." Isamu thought before looking out the windows to see the sun still shining bright.
To be continued...
Isamu's Team:
Eevee: (F): (Swift, Bite, Sand Attack, Quick Attack)
Pidgey: (M): (Gust, Sand-Attack, Quick Attack, Tackle)
Nidorino: (M): (Double Kick, Poison Sting, Body Slam, Peck)
Vulpix: (F): (Ember, Quick Attack, Roar, Dig)
Oddish: (F): (Poison Powder, Mega Drain, Sleep Powder, Acid)
Next chapters:
Chapter 29: Aboard the St. Anne! A Big Challenge?
Chapter 30: Battle at the St. Anne! Abandon Ship!
Chapter 31: Escape from the St. Anne! A Truce!
Chapter 32: More Troubles! A Raging Evolution!?
Chapter 33: Stranded and Apart in the Lost Island!?
Next chapter preview:
Ash: So that's... the St. Anne. It's a lot bigger than the rest of the boats out here...
Isamu: Even if we wanted to ride on it, we couldn't. Think about it... Us, of all people, having the chance to ride that?
Brock: But these tickets seem to be our tickets inside... although it's a little fishy, especially with those girls.
Yellow: Funny. I thought you'd be attracted to them since you seemed to think that Nurse Joy was pretty attractive.
Isamu: Anyways, let's just go in... Luna, are you with me? I want the chance to explore around for a bit.
Luna: Oh sure... Why not? But there are lots of Pokémon Trainers here. I just hope that no one gets hurt...
Events that occurred:
- Ash, Isamu, and Luna all win their Thunder Badge against their Gym Battles against Lt. Surge