Orange rays of light streaked across the blue twilight sky, peeking over the top of the forest and through the cracks in the treeline. Stars twinkled faintly amongst the orange rays, speckled across the blue backdrop. Wisps of grey clouds weaved their way through the mixture of orange and blue, like the smoke of pipe being carried by a gentle breeze. As Abby walked down her small path, the forest began to wake up around her. Although the gleaming eyes of Hoothoot still dotted the dark void beyond the trees and the spine-tingling pitter-patter of Spinaraks' spindly legs echoed around her. They were being replaced by the shrill cries of Pidgey and Spearow, the sweet melodies of Butterfree and the rustling caused by Rattatta running through the brush. A Ghastly whizzed past her head, howling and laughing madly, disappearing back into the dark void as quickly as it had come.
"Fucking Ghastlies," Abby muttered with a disturbed shiver.
Without any meaningful sun, the air was still crisp and cool. The nightclothes Green had bought for her did little to help. Her small shirt's thin fabric and the tiny legs of her shorts that stopped right at the top of her thighs more so invited the cold in than fighting it off. Still, even with goosebumps along her arms and legs, Abby pressed on. She continued down the narrow forest path lined with stones, heading back to the waterfall. Dratini was coiled around her neck in his usual spot. However, without any warmth apart from her own body heat, Dratini was fast asleep and completely frozen. Abby clutched herself, shivering slightly. She held Magikarp's pokéball and without a belt or any pockets to speak of she was forced to simply hold the ball in her hand. While the discomfort of it all was undoubtedly making her miserable, the images of Green's pokémon growing and getting stronger kept her going. A beating sense of determination in her chest moved her forward, powering her freezing legs to take each step. Eventually, she exited the forest and came out into the clearing by the waterfall. The thin rays of the rising sun that peaked through the trees could now reach her, catching her skin and providing just an inkling of warmth. It felt great. She sighed happily and let her arms hang down by her side as she approached the river. She held up Magikarp's ball and released him into the shallows of the river, where the current had little power.
"Karp?" He asked drowsily.
He awoke with a splash, flailing as he got his bearings. Abby stretched out her arms and yawned.
"Sorry Magikarp, I just couldn't wait any longer," She apologised sleepily.
Abby sat back on the large tree stump, feeling a euphoric relief across her body as she took the stress of her legs. A warm, calming feeling that made it feel like she was melting from the inside out. She sighed happily and moved her head back and forth, popping her stiff neck. Magikarp found his bearings and began slowly pacing back and forth in the water, groggily trying to energise his tired body.
"Take your time, get yourself warmed up before making an attempt," Abby insisted.
She looked up at the towering waterfall. It was a dazzling mismatch of dull colourless water and gleaming orange. As it towered up above the treeline, the top half of the waterfall caught the rising sun. Its rays made the water dazzle and gleam with a majestic warm orange. While the bottom half got no light at all, only reflecting back the dull blacks and greys that surrounded it. After a few minutes of swimming back and forth, Magikarp was beginning to feel like his usual self. Abby noticed the gleam in his eyes as he began to eye the waterfall and called out to him.
"Hold on, do a few practice leaps first. Get in tune with the current and the air!" She was starting to feel her own energy start to creep back to normal too.
Magikarp did as she said and swam out into the river. He swam against the current, keeping at equilibrium with it. White sparks spat from his rapidly paddling tail, a white glow quickly following and enveloping the back half of his body. Dark blue sparks flew from his fins as they angled precisely to keep him straight in the water, responding reflexively to the small changes in the current's direction. Once he felt re-accompanied with the water, Magiakarp dived down below the surface. He leapt up out of the water, a trail of light sparks following him. Again and again, he leapt from the water, the trail of sparks growing thicker and thicker each time. Until he leapt from the water and instead of sparks, a trail of light blue essence spiralled behind him. He leapt far higher than before, reaching up high enough that the rising sun shone against his body briefly. When Magikarp splashed down again, he looked over at Abby with a determined smirk.
"Magikarp!" He declared.
Abby laughed and nodded.
"Alright, go on then, give it a shot," She allowed, sitting up properly to watch.
Magikarp immediately dove beneath the surface of the river and shot off with a pulse of white light. He swam against the current as if it weren't even there, slicing through the water as his body let off a pulsing white glow. The blue sparks coming from his fins erupted into a dark blue, glowing liquid that streaked behind him from his fins. The liquid was its own distinct fluid from the surrounding water, forming bubbles as it was left behind the popped with a shower of dark blue sparks on the surface. Magikarp dipped down as far as he could go, skimming across the riverbed before shooting up towards the surface rapidly. He flew from the water with a burst of light blue energy, it erupted into a huge explosion that frothed the water below. The same spiralling trail of light blue essence followed Magikarp as arced towards the waterfall. The glowing dark blue liquid flowing from his fins sputtered out in the air, as did the white glow of his body. Only the spiral of light blue essence remained as he hit the waterfall. Another explosion of light blue energy erupted behind him as he sent himself flying up the waterfall. White and dark blue sparks followed behind him. He shot himself out of the waterfall, flying up beside it as if he were leaping along a river. Soon he was halfway, the orange light of the rising sun basking down on him, flooding the freezing water with warmth. Then, he was two-thirds of the way there and before he knew it the top of the waterfall was in reach. But, he was slowing down. Each burst provided less and less momentum as the inertia of the waterfall tried to drag him back down each time he entered. Plus, his body was tiring, the effort of creating such powerful blasts draining every ounce of strength from him. He gave another burst of energy, although this time it was rather pitiful. He shot out of the waterfall, reaching within a few feet of the top. Again, he tried to create a burst but nothing happened. Gravity gripped its claws around Magiakarp and pulled him back down towards the ground. His goal, which had been so close shrinking away as he fell. Suddenly, the world was snapped away as the beam of his pokéball caught him.
"Fuck, so close," Abby sighed.
While the failure stung a bit, Abby's spirit was far from weakened. If anything, the beating pulse of determination in her chest was only getting stronger. She released Magikarp back into the shallows where he floated, wallowing in his failure. Abby smiled sympathetically and knelt down beside him on the river bank. She stroked the scales of his body soothingly.
"Feeling bad about yourself isn't going to get you over that waterfall," She whispered softly.
The eye on the side of Magikarp's body above the water looked over at her curiously.
"Karp…" He bubbled pitifully.
Abby continued stroking his scales.
"Listen, your problem isn't that you're not strong enough to make it. Your problem is that you're putting all your strength into one type of energy. You're not just flying through the air, you're also swimming. You need to use water and flying type energies together." Abby explained gently.
The idea made Magikarp spring up off his side, inspiration gleaming in his eyes.
"Magikarp!" He exclaimed in agreement.
Abby giggled and stood up. Something shifted around them at that moment, something Abby could feel but couldn't explain. Dratini opened his eyes partially, looking down at Magikarp. A flicker of purple energy sparked in his eyes as the two pokémon gazed at each other. They said nothing and used no body language but Abby swore it was as if something had been shared between them. Dratini closed his eyes again, shifting around Abby's shoulders as he fell back asleep. With that, Magikarp took off again with a powerful pulse of white energy. He swam faster than Abby had ever seen him move before, tearing through the water so quickly that the surface above him exploded into white foam. The dark blue liquid that had flown from his fins began to pour out again, this time growing in volume rapidly. As Magiakarp flew from the water again with an explosion of light blue energy his body was glowing white and completely enveloped in a veil of pulsing dark blue liquid. When he hit the waterfall this time he flew up it without needing a burst of flying energy. Instead, he swam up the waterfall as easily as he had swum against the river's current. The burst of flying energy only came as he leapt from the waterfall, sending him soaring through the air free of the waterfall's inertia. With his newfound speed and strength, Magikarp swam and flew higher and higher. He reached halfway, crossing the barrier between the dark and light water. He reached two-thirds, with no signs of slowing down. He approached the top, getting closer and closer to where he had fallen from before and then soaring past it. The top of the waterfall rushed to meet him and then in a moment of euphoric triumph he broke through it, soaring high above the waterfall. A rush of what at first felt like raging excitement coursed through him, a hot wave that gripped his heart. However, as it grew and grew it became evident that it was something more. The feeling grew larger than himself, erupting out of his body in an explosion of power. His body began morphing, growing and glowing with an intense white glow more powerful than anything he had given off until now.
His body grew larger and larger, stretching out above the river and forest below. The light he gave off was so powerful that it began battling with the rising sun for dominance of the sky. It beat back the orange rays peeking over the trees, basking the forest below in a dazzling white light. Back at camp, the light had woken everyone up and they were gathered together marvelling at the spectacle in the sky. Darcy clung to Surge's arm, hopping up and down madly with joy.
"They did it! They did it!" Darcy exclaimed ecstatically.
Machoke, Graveler, Primeape, Elekid and Electrode all looked up with a mixture of envy and awe. Green grinned wildly as she began to recognise the form the long glowing silhouette was taking. A long serpent body, a finned tail, large powerful jaws and two long whiskers on either side. The form was unmistakable. Suddenly the glow shattered away into a shower of white sparks, allowing the orange rays of the rising sun to creep back across the sky.
"GYARADOS!" The newly evolved Gyarados cried, his voice shaking the earth beneath their feet.
Terrified Pidgey and Spearow erupted from the surrounding trees, their shrill squawks carrying through the air. Gyarados danced in the air, roaring and bellowing triumphantly. He rocketed up into the sky, weaving around the wisps of grey clouds. His body glistened with a purple sheen, twinkling against his large blue scales.
"You know the evolution of a Magikarp is apparently a good omen. It's meant to bring good luck to anyone that witnesses it," Surge remarked, placing a hand on Green's shoulder.
They looked at each other and Surge grinned wildly at her.
"I guess we'll have to see who's luck is better huh?" He added.
Green laughed and shook her head, looking back up at Gyarados.
"Luck won't have anything to do with it," She replied.
Surge squeezed her shoulder with a nod.
"Right answer again, Green."
Sometime later.
Vermilion City Gym's lobby was its usual, eerily quiet self. Experienced, veteran trainers filled the available seats either going over battle plans laid out before them or dazing off, lost in dreams of glory. Despite their enthralment in their own gym challenge, only a few resisted the temptation to glance over at the spectacle standing before the challenger's entrance. At least, that's how Green thought they saw her. She ignored that imagined judgement, disregarding it as such. Instead, she ran over her own battle plan in her head, over and over. Each improvement she had made to the old one running off like a checklist. Perhaps more importantly, each mistake that had led to these improvements joined them in her mind. While it hurt to remember them, Green welcomed them as they appeared, letting their sting fuel her determination to win.
"Green? Did you hear me?" Darcy's voice interrupted.
"Huh? What?" Green replied, frazzled and confused.
Darcy giggled and shook their head.
"I said, good luck out there," Darcy repeated.
Green nodded and gave them a smile, suddenly very aware of her heart throbbing in her chest.
"Oh, thanks to Darcy," She replied with a glance before lasering the yellow door before her intently.
Darcy left her, walking over to a large archway on the other side of the desk. Above the archway, on the black wall was a glowing yellow neon sign.
"Spectators' Entrance," It read.
An alert flashed with a beep on the screen of the receptionist's computer. She clicked on the screen and pressed a few buttons on the keyboard.
"The arena's ready darl, go on it," She instructed Green pleasantly, flipping a switch underneath the desk.
The yellow door before Green slid upwards in a flash. Green took a deep breath and stepped through it, entering the small room with the podium in the centre. She slid her trainer card from the tight pocket of her jeans as the screen on the podium began to boot up. As soon as the screen prompted her too, Green pressed the card down in an instant. It beeped and before her, her information appeared above the doorway into the arena. She swiftly pressed ready, grinning eagerly as the door flew open. The roar of the crowd filled the space around her, accompanied by thunderous stomping and a chant that Green couldn't help but laugh at.
"Go home, rookie! Go, home rookie! Go home, rookie!" They chanted, stomping five times rapidly in-between.
She entered the arena to a chorus of boos of unintelligible taunts.
"And here she is folks! The plucky rookie who came within inches of beating our beloved Leader back to reclaim her pride after what must have been a devastating loss! Green Isamu of Pallet Town!" The frantic voice of the announcer called out, blaring through the sound system around the arena.
The sound of her name thundering through the air gave Green goosebumps. Across from her Surge entered the arena, bringing on a shower of cheers and applause that competed with the boos being hurled at her. He didn't so much as glance at the crowd, his eyes fixed onto her and her alone. As the announcer began to prattle on about Surge's win streak Surge reached for a pokéball and released his first pokémon. The crowd's reaction drowned out the announcer, their manic screaming and cheering roaring over the sound system. In a juggling act of her pure excitement and professionalism, the announcer fumbled for the volume knob on the panel before him as he just about flew out of his seat with hype.
"Unbelievable! Surge is opening with his ace, Raichu!" The announcer screamed over the crowd.
Raichu basked in the attention, whipping his tail back and forth with a menacing look. He looked up at the crowd high above him, firing a bolt of electricity into the air for them. The crowd shrieked and hollered at each one. While the crows and the announcer revelled in their manic excitement, Green considered Raichu thoughtfully. She unclipped Graveler's pokéball, took one last look at Raichu and nodded to herself. She released him just beyond the light barrier and crouched down before him. He stared at Raichu nervously and looked back at her wearily.
"Don't worry, just stick to the plan. What will work on Electrode will work on him too. Remember, fast and precise," Green instructed, having to raise her voice to be heard over the wild crowd.
Graveler's resolve hardened and he turned back around to face Raichu. He slammed his fists together.
"Graveler," He muttered to himself before tucking up and rolling out into the arena.
The four large rods sticking out the arena floor activated as he entered, whipping and flaring their bolts of electricity around them. The crowd took notice of Graveler and the boos returned.
"Go home, Rookie!" Echoed throughout the stands as Graveler approached Raichu.
They stood an equal distance apart, staring each other down. Graveler slammed his fists together again, much harder than before. Brown sparks flew from his fists on impact as Graveler cried out furiously. Raichu smirked devilishly at him, whipping his tail over his head at him. Silver sparks spat at Graveler, bouncing off his rocky skin. Graveler winced by staying strong, keeping his eyes locked with Raichu. Meanwhile, above them, four central screens hung from steel support beams about 50 feet in the air. On Green's and Surge's overlays were displayed along with a camera feed on either half of the screen. Three pokéball symbols were displayed next to their headshots, the first of which had a Graveler and Raichu sprite on them respectively.
"What a thrilling match to begin the day! Well then, without further ado will both pokémon take their positions!" The announcer bellowed.
Graveler and Raichu's gaze lingered for just a moment as they turned away from one another. They split apart, returning to the respective sides of the arena. As they did Green took the time to get a proper look at Surge across the arena. His was deep in concentration. The muscles exposed by his tank top were so tight and tense that even across the large expanse of the arena Green could make out the veins popping.
"Are both pokémon ready?!" The announcer asked.
Graveler and Raichu both gave ferocious cries in response, spitting brown and silver sparks from their bodies respectively.
"Are both trainers ready?!" The roar of the crowd flared as the question boomed out.
Surge and Green gave the same response, holding a thumbs up above their heads.
"Alright! Round one of Isamu vs Surge, begin!" The announcer declared.
The siren blared. Green and Graveler immediately sprung into action.
"Roll out Graveler!" She commanded.
Graveler curled up and sped away, zooming around the perimeter of the arena. Raichu was about to launch himself at Graveler when Surge cried out, stopping him.
"Hold it!" He bellowed, watching Graveler wearily.
Graveler made no move to attack Raichu, instead, he kept to the perimeter, kicking up dust behind him as rolled across the dirt floor. Raichu stayed where he was, sparking impatiently. Green watched Surge, clenching her fists.
"Come on, take the bait," She muttered to herself.
The crowd had uncharacteristically hushed as they watched the standoff. Eventually, Surge gave in, he gestured to Graveler with a nod.
"Go, iron tail," He commanded, a hint of scepticism remaining in his voice.
Raichu didn't waste any time and darted out into the arena before taking aim at Graveler. As Raichu skidded to a halt to aim, Green called out.
"Now Graveler!" She cried.
As Raichu's body glowed white and he blinked across the arena. Graveler came to a sudden stop, gripping the ground with all four of his hands and stopping immediately. Raichu appeared before him, swinging his iron tail at where Graveler would have been. As his tail hit nothing but air Raichu looked to the side alarmed as Graveler raised hopped to his feet and slammed his foot into the ground. A blaze of brown flames engulfed his legs, a shower of brown sparks erupting on impact as a powerful shock wave tore through the ground in all directions around Graveler. Chunks of rocks flew out with an explosion of dust as the earth rippled. Raichu was thrown through the air like he had been shot from a cannon, slamming into the light barrier above that protected the steel supports holding up the central screens. He bounced off the light barrier and slammed back down into the ground. The hushed crowd erupted in a mixture of excited cheering and spiteful booing. Graveler shot out from the dust cloud, curled back into a ball. He sped across the arena directly at Raichu as he staggered back to his feet.
"Dodge Raichu!" Surge bellowed frantically.
Again, Raichu charged his body to blink away but Graveler crashed into him before he could release the energy. Graveler came uncurled and came to a stop. Green grinned wildly as her suspicions were confirmed. Raichu was again sent flying. However, Surge's reaction that followed created a pit of dread in Green's stomach. He smirked. Raichu slammed into one of the huge rods, its powerful bolts of electricity immediately arched down and connected with his body. Electricity began arching across Raichu's body as he quickly rose to his feet. His erupted into yellow flames and before either Green or Graveler could process what was happening Raichu blinked across the arena with an eruption of electric energy. His tail glowed silver and turned to iron, swinging down towards Graveler's head yet again. Still, a reflexive and ineffectual punch from Graveler to Raichu's side was enough to knock Raichu ever so slightly off balance. The tail came down, skimming the side of Graveler's head and one of his upper arms. No blood gushed, instead, a solid rock stump was left behind as Graveler's decapitated arm writhed on the ground. Graveler cried out angrily and headbutted Raichu, making him stagger back. He stomped the ground furiously with a shower of brown sparks. A concentrated shock wave erupted towards Raichu, noticeably weaker than before. Raichu easily dodged, leaping high into the air.
"Consistency Graveler! Don't let him get to you!" Green called out, eyeing the arm wordily.
Graveler gritted, his eyes full of rage. He watched Raichu arc through the air and raise his foot, forcing himself to calm slightly as he judged the timing. Again, he slammed the earth and created a much more powerful shock wave akin to his first. It was concerted again in one direction and tore through the air, leaving behind a scar. Raichu pointed his still iron tail at the ground, embedding into the earth right in the path of the shock wave. He held himself up by his tail for only a moment, but that moment was enough for the shock wave to hit Raichu's tail instead. While the force of the impact knocked Raichu over and sent him crashing down, the tail had absorbed the brunt of the force.
"What an unbelievable counter from Raichu! That surely just saved him from a knockout!" The announcer screamed in disbelief as the crowd roared.
While the counter had them along with Graveler stunned, Green didn't waste a moment.
"Rock wall him up!" Green shouted over the roaring announcer and crowd.
Miraculously, Graveler heard her over the noise and ignited his hands with light brown flames. As Raichu struggled back to his feet Graveler lifted his lower arms, his hands flat and outstretched. In sync with the motion, a slab of earth shot up beneath Raichu and catapulted him into the air.
"Rock throw!" Green called out.
Graveler reached out at a huge chunk of exploded rock laying on the arena floor. A light-brown aura surrounded it. Graveler pitched it at Raichu, sending it hurtling through the air.
"Hold!" Surge called out.
The chunk slammed into Raichu, opening a gash across his head and seeming to stun him for a moment as he arched through the air. However, he wasn't stunned. Electricity arched across his body and his eyes burst into yellow flames again. Green went to yell out to Graveler but it was too late. An explosion of electric energy erupted behind Raichu, redirecting his momentum towards Graveler in an instant. In a blink, Raichu's tail was slamming down on Graveler's head again. Although Graveler tried to punch again and it did connect, it wasn't enough to throw Raichu off the mark. His iron tail cracked Graveler's rocky skin, a shower of silver sparks flying on impact. Graveler clutched the shattered rock of his head as it began to crumble away, blood began running down his face and he staggered backwards.
"Grav…" He moaned and collapsed.
The crowd exploded with cheers as Graveler hit the ground. Green held up his pokéball and returned him.
"Shit," She hissed, clutching Graveler's ball in her palm with tight frustration.
"Another spectacular performance from Raichu! Round 1 goes to- hold on, somethings wrong folks!" The announcer gasped.
Raichu wasn't in much of a better state than Graveler had been. The gash across his head was bleeding profusely. What had been a crack on his tail while it was iron was now a long splitting cut through the end of his tail. His left front paw was crooked, sprained by the violent impact after that attack. Not to mention the countless cuts and scrapes left behind from being thrown around and crashing into the ground. Raichu was fighting to stay on his feet, shaking like a leaf as the pain made his body tremble terribly. Green watched with a mixture of shock and delight as Surge raised his arms above his head into an X. The siren blared immediately and Surge returned Raichu. The crowd cried out in dismay, stomping unhappily. As their stomps thundered from above Green watched as up on the screens Surge clicked his teeth angrily, allowed himself a small moment of frustration before looking at Green with a proud grin. On their overlays, both Graveler's and Raichu's pokéball were greyed
"Amazing! What an upset! Round 1 ends with a draw, leaving both teams with only two pokémon!" The announcer cried with obvious disappointment.
Green ignored the bias and focused on her belt. Her whole battle plan revolved around getting Graveler through the first round. Now she was left without a clear answer for Electrode. That concern would have to wait however as Surge released Magneton onto the field. Green didn't have to think long about her response.
"Go Primeape!" She yelled, releasing Primeape onto the field.
Primeape materialised into the arena with a flash of red light. Along with physical changes he received from evolving, Primeape had also gained weighted metal rings cuffed around his wrists and ankles. They gleamed under the powerful overhead lights as Primeape raised up his large fists.
"PRRRIMEAPE!" He bellowed.
Despite their bias, Primeape's fury whipped the crowd up into a frenzy. Cheers of excitement and wonder roared from the crowd, in turn whipping Primeape up into a frenzy. He swung wildly at the air, creating trails of orange flames behind his fists. Magneton's eyes widened with alarm and the magnets surrounding them whirred around. They flew across the arena towards Primeape and zipped around him, analysing him from every angle while beeping and buzzing sporadically. Primeape roared at them, whipping around wildly as Magneton zipped around him.
"PRIME!" Orange flames shot from his snout.
He took a swing at Magneton, who zipped out the way nimbly. Immediately a piecing buzzer went off.
"Warning issued to challenging team! Attacking before the siren is a violation of indigo battle conduct!" A stout and official-looking man sitting beside the announcer boomed through the sound system.
Primeape glared furiously up at them but allowed Magneton to zip back over to Surge.
"Further violations will result in automatic disqualification," He added before allowing the announcer to take the microphone.
He laughed awkwardly and leaned forward in his seat.
"Sorry about that folks! Let's get things started then shall we?" He asked with a forced excitement.
"Round 2," appeared in big text across the central screens.
The crowd cheered excitedly in response. On the trainer overlays, Green and Surge's second pokéball was filled by a Primeape sprite and Magneton sprite respectively.
"Remember Primeape, each head acts independently of the others. You need a triple knockout to beat him!" Green directed, shouting over the crowd.
Primeape moved one foot back and leaned forward on the other, bending his knee as he lowered his body. He held his fists out either side of him, inches from the ground. His eyes raised and locked onto Magenton. He scowled and small orange flames shot from his nose with a huff.
"Primeape," He replied with a growl.
Across the arena, Green could see Surge saying something to Magneton but she couldn't make it out over the roaring crowd. When they were done Magneton turned back to Primeape with an intent look, yellow sparks spitting from their body sporadically as they narrowed their eyes.
"Well, it looks like to me both pokémon are raring to go! Trainers, do you feel the same?!" The announcer questioned ecstatically.
Surge nodded, his arms folded as he gazed at Magneton and Primeape thoughtfully. Green clenched her jaw and held up a thumbs up. Graveler's early knockout had left lingering anxiety hanging over her. It made her heart race in her chest as she tried to come up with a solution. This fight, however, she figured would be simple. All Primeape needs to do is hit each of Magneton's heads and if he could hit one as a Mankey then surely hitting three now wouldn't be much of a challenge.
"Fantastic! With that, round 2 of Isamu vs Surge, begin!" The announcer shouted.
The siren blared across the arena. Immediately Primeape flew towards Magenton. His feet erupted into flames as he let out a huge burst of orange fighting essence behind him. Although not matching the blink that Raichu and Electrode could achieve, Primeape was on Magneton faster than anyone had expected. Seemingly, that included Primeape as he ran headfirst into Magenton. The crash rang like a bell, followed by a chorus of laughter from the audience. The head Primeape had hit with the accidental headbutt was more startled than hurt. Primeape roared furiously, the humiliation causing a vein to throb violently on his head, noticeable even under his shaggy white fur. His fist burst into orange flames and he punched at the head he had hit.
"Counter!" Surge yelled.
Magenton let off a shower of yellow sparks as they pulled themselves apart. Yellow bands of the electric current that bound them stretched out in newly formed space between them. Primeape's hand passed through the current, shocking him badly. Electricity surged through his body, singing his hand and creating burned streaks across his body beneath his fur. Which was now standing on end. Primeape cried out in anguish as he ripped his hand free. He bellowed wildly, completely seething with rage.
"Stop and think!" Green cried out to him but there was no time to.
Magneton snapped back together with a clang and fired a powerful thunderbolt at Primeape point-blank range. Primeape flew back as the thunderbolt cracked the air. The crowd cheered wildly.
"Devastating! Can Primeape recover from this?!" The announcer cried, his genuine enthusiasms regained.
His question was answered immediately as Primeape opened his eyes and shot to his feet. He screamed a guttural cry as flames of orange essence flared from his eyes.
"PRIMEAPE!" He roared furiously, both fists now engulfed in orange flames.
Magneton's eyes widened with fear.
"Keep up the pressure Magneton!" Surge yelled.
Magenton, still struck by fear did as they were commanded and began charging a tri-attack, each head glowing a different colour. A mixture of yellow, silver and white. Primeape waited, knees bent, ready to leap in an instant. Magenton took aim and just as they were about to fire, Primeape dashed to the side. The three beams fired, missing and singing Primeape's fur. With a burst of energy, Primeape shot towards Magenton, this time clocking the top head with a powerful punch. The punch left a trail of orange sparks behind it and erupted into a ring of orange essence on impact. Primeape sailed past Magenton and skidded to a stop behind him, whipping around to face him. Magneton's top head was knocked out, leaving only two remaining.
"Incredible! Primeape's tenacity is unstoppable!" The announcer cried over the roar of the crowd.
The impact of Primeape's punch had left the remaining two heads dazed. They floated unsteadily, wobbling in the air as the knocked out head hung below them, their magnets limps. Primeape launched at them again, bellowing madly. One of the heads snapped out of it and spun around independently of the other just in time to see Primeape launch towards them with an explosion of orange energy from his feet. The screws in their head whirred fearfully and they spun up out of the way. Unfortunately for them, Primeape had aimed for the other head and he slammed his fist into it hard with a shower of orange sparks. The impact sent Magneton flying this time as the final head tried to fight the momentum caused by the weight of the two limp heads. They spun through the air, managing to claw back control of their body. As they steadied they were met with Primeape leaping at them, poised to throw another punch. Magenton cried out fearfully and blasted a thunderbolt at Primeape. The bolt hit but it seemed to have no effect apart from making Primeape yell louder. He punched Magneton's final head with an explosion of orange energy that thundered around the arena. Magneton crashed into the ground with a heavy slam and the siren blared.
"Round 2 goes to the challenger!" The announcer exclaimed and to Green's surprise that was followed up by a mixture of cheers and boos.
Primeape cried out ferociously, stomping the ground and swinging his fists. The throbbing vein in his head still pulsed furiously and the flames around his hands spread until his whole body was engulfed in orange flames. Even after Surge had recalled Magneton, Primeape didn't stop, still trying to attack an enemy that wasn't there.
"Primeape stop you won!" Green called out.
Primeape continued swinging blindly, the flames slowly dying down as the rage drained from him. The crowd was loving it, cheering wildly at the spectacle. Green, however, was far less enthusiastic. As the flames died away the damage to Primeape's body became apparent. Patches of his fur had been burned away by Magneton's thunderbolts, leaving behind awful searing burns that branched out across his body. A huge patch of fur was missing on his chest where Magneton's point-blank attack had hit him, leaving behind a mangled mess of charred flesh. His hands were a mess too, bleeding from the damage punching Magneton's steel body had caused. His right, dominant hand had been burned badly as well. Although you'd never know it at a glance. Primeape was standing steadily on both feet, pumping his fists into the air and bellowing manically with no sign of fatigue. Green hovered her hand over Primeape's pokéball, tossing up whether or not to bring him back in. She thought back to the injuries Machoke was able to fight with and decided against it, moving her hand off his pokéball. Above them on the screens, Magneton's pokéball was greyed out, leaving only one pokéball remaining. Electrode's sprite filled in immediately after, before Surge had even released him.
"Only one pokémon remains for our leader folks! Can he still clutch a victory from behind?!" The announcer cried.
Cheers of support roared from the crowd.
"Surge! Surge! Surge!" They chanted.
Green watched Surge's face up on the screens above as the camera crew zoomed in on him. He was paying no attention to the crowd, his expression gave no tell on how he was feeling or what he was thinking. He simply gazed at Electrode's ball, gripped firmly in his large hand. Without saying a word, he held out the pokéball and released Electrode into the arena. Electrode rolled out into the arena and began doing circles around Primeape as he stood directly in the centre. The crowd cheered him on, chanting and stomping all the while. Primeape hollered ferociously and hammered his fists against his chest, whipping around to try and follow Electrode.
"Neither one of these pokémon is backing down! Let's get this round started! Pokémon, take your positions!" The announcer shouted.
Electrode screeched to halt before Primeape, flashed a smirk at him and rocketed back over to Surge, sending a shower of dust at Primeape. Green waited for Primeape to return, her mind still racing to come up with a strategy for Electrode. Primeape, however, didn't move.
"Primeape! Move back, buddy!" She called out to him.
Primeape refused to move, going quiet and still. Green's chest tightened, remembering Machoke's defiance after evolving. Was that happening again?
"Primeape! Come back!" She yelled, sternly this time.
The burns across Primeape's body suddenly spat yellow sparks and his muscles twitched. His body began to contract, forcing him to hunch over. The crowd hushed solemnly, the air filled with confused murmurs.
"Primeape…" Primeape gargled, wincing as he strained his body to move.
Still, he couldn't.
"It appears that last attack from Magenton had left Primeape with paralysis!" The announcer cried out with astonishment, "What will our challenger do?!"
The sparks spitting from Primeape's body disappeared and he lurched forward, stumbling as if he had been pushed from behind. Green immediately reached for his pokéball and aimed it at him but stopped as Primeape looked back at her. He said nothing but his eyes spoke for him. They were burning with passionate defiance, while simultaneously pleading with her. Green hesitated, giving him a pained look. She sighed and reluctantly lowered the ball.
"If that's what you want," She muttered to herself, keeping his ball ready in her hand.
Primeape grinned and pounded his chest.
"AAAAAPPPPPEEEEE!" He bellowed, whipping the crowd up into a frenzy.
"What a gamble from the rookie! Can Primeape beat Electrode before his paralysis kicks back in?!" The announcer shouted.
Up on the screens, "Round 3," was flashing in big letters.
"Both pokémon are clearly ready! Trainers, are you ready?!"
Green gave a weary nod as Surge gave a firm thumbs up.
"Great! Round 3 of Isamu vs Surge, begin!"
The siren blared throughout the arena.
"Give him hell! Use the rods!" Surge commanded immediately.
The command got a thunderous reaction from the audience. Electrode charged up his quick attack, glowing a bright white. Even in his weakened state, Primeape was able to react in time. He swung his fist, pitiful orange flames sputtering as he did. Electrode blinked forward with an explosion of white energy. Despite getting the timing perfect, Primeape's fist hit nothing but air. Halfway across the distance Electrode should have travelled, another explosion of white energy erupted. He changed direction mid dash, shooting himself towards one of the rods and slamming into it. Primeape tried to follow him with his eyes but by the time his head was facing the rod, Electrode had bounced off, flew towards the rod across from it and shot himself at Primeape's back. He hit Primeape from behind with a flash of white light, throwing Primeape forward onto his face and showering him in white sparks. Electrode wasn't stopped by the impact, continuing on and hitting another rod. He bounced around the square the four rods created like he was a pinball, his body leaving a white and yellow trail behind him. From every direction, he crossed the square diagonally, slamming himself into Primeape over and over again. The attacks came so fast that Primeape wasn't even able to hit the ground as midway through his fall, Electrode would slam into him from another angle and throw him in a different direction. Paralysis struck Primeape again, stopping him from even trying to fight back. In a flash it was over, Electrode struck Primeape for a final time and skidded across the ground. Primeape was thrown onto his back, his already burned body now bloody and bruised. He continued to struggle, fighting to get back to his feet as the paralysis subsided again. Green had had enough however, she raised his pokéball and returned him. She held up her arms in a cross above her head and the siren blared.
"The rookie forfeits the round! Round 3 goes to Surge! What a display! Complete annihilation!" The announcer cried manically.
The crowd cheered and chanted ecstatically.
"Surge!" and "Go home Rookie!," thundered around the arena.
Green tuned them out and clutched her hands to stop them from trembling. The anxiety that had previously only been lingering was now screaming at her in the forefront of her mind. Machoke had no chance of matching Electrode's speed, she knew that. There had to be away, something she could do, something she could think of. She wasn't going to let all that training go to waste, for it to mean nothing. Her eyes scanned the arena, analysing the destruction Graveler had left behind for her. Torn earth, ripples and scars left behind by Graveler's ground attacks had scattered chunks of rock everywhere. Some were mere pebbles while others were just about as big as she was. They were their only hope. Green released Machoke and immediately made a plus sign with her arms above her head. The siren blared immediately.
"Before the final round has even begun Isamu has called a timeout! Surge really has her on the ropes!" The announcer yelled.
A countdown of three minutes appeared on the screens above and the light barriers separating the trainers from the arena fell. Green wasted no time and rushed over to Machoke, who crouched down to meet her eye level.
"Ma…" He muttered, glancing over at Electrode with a concerned look.
Green nodded and gripped his arm.
"Yeah I know, it'll be tough. He's faster and has range, landing a hit is gonna be hard. The rocks are your only option, you need to use them to disrupt his attacks. Also, keep out of the square those rods make, he can use them to bounce around," Green directed.
Machoke looked down at the palms of his hands and then back up at the scattered chunks of rocks. A look of doubt crossed his face. Green tightened the grip on his arm.
"Hey, don't worry buddy. You've trained hard for this, you can do it. Remember to channel your fighting energy if you're struggling alright?" Green assured him.
Machoke closed his fist and nodded firmly.
"Machoke!" He cried out intently, rising to his feet and taking a step forward into the arena.
Green clutched his hand, stopping him. He stopped at her touch, looking back down at her.
"One more thing," She added, "keep an eye on his eyes. That blink attack is too fast to dodge but you can dodge the windup, his eyes give away where he's aiming," Green instructed, having to yell over the crowd as they rained boos down on them.
Machoke grinned and nodded. He slammed his fist into the palm of his hand as walked out into the arena. Surge was using the time out too. He was knelt down beside Electrode, deep in conversation with him and making gestures with his hands. Their eyes continually glanced at Machoke as well as the scattered chunks of rock. The siren blared again.
"Trainers, exit the arena," The referee beside the announcer commanded over the sound system.
Green and Surge walked back to their sides and the light barriers rippled back into place behind them. Electrode rolled forward away from the light barrier, stopping on the perimeter of the square formed by the rods. Machoke kept his distance from the perimeter, staying within the ring around them.
"Are both pokémon ready?!" The announcer asked with a shout.
Machoke ignited his fists with orange flames.
"Machoke!" He declared.
Electrode narrowed his eyes, spitting white sparks from his body.
"Electrode!" He agreed.
The crowd began stomping rapidly, cheering and hollering wildly.
"Are both trainers ready?!" The announcer asked.
Green and Surge gave confirming nods.
"Excellent! Round four, the final round of Isamu vs Surge, begin!" The announcer declared.
The siren blared. Immediately, both pokémom made a dash for the piles of rock on the right side of the arena. Machoke ran at a breakneck speed, empowering his legs with fighting essence to move like a blur across the arena. Electrode charged up and blinked with a thunderous burst, arriving far before Machoke did. He began blasting the rocks with powerful thunderbolts, destroying the larger chunks and crumbling them into small pieces. As Machoke approached Electrode blasted a bolt at him, hitting the ground before him. Machoke tumbled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. He rolled with the fall, quickly getting back to his feet. However, each time Machoke made an attempt at approaching the rubble, Electrode blasted at his feet, forcing Machoke back. Machoke stopped, sighed and gritted his teeth. He ran forward, with no intention of dodging but no thunderbolt came to stop him. Instead, Electrode blinked forward and slammed into Machoke's chest, knocking him onto his back. The crowd roared triumphantly.
"What an amazing read from Electrode! That looked like it hurt!" The announcer cried shrilly.
The impact left behind a bloody bruise on his chest but still, Machoke lifted his head, meeting Electrode's cocky gaze. He started to charge his quick attack and Machoke rolled out of the way. Electrode rocketed past Machoke, grazing his side as Machoke lay on his stomach. Electrode skidded to a halt behind him and turned angrily to attack again but was met with an explosion of orange energy. Machoke flew across the arena and sprinted towards the chunks of rock. Electrode pursued with a sonic boom. Machoke leapt up, jumping over Electrode as he tried to slam into his back, only narrowly avoiding the attack. Electrode tried to skid to a halt again but couldn't stop his momentum in time and crashed into a pile of rocks. Machoke stopped and slammed his fists together, furrowing his brow in concentration. As Electrode rolled out from the pile of rocks, dazed by the impact, the flames around Machoke's fists went from orange to light brown. Light brown flames erupted from his eyes and an aura of light brown energy enveloped the small chunks of rock surrounding Electrode. The crowd roared excitedly.
"Do my eyes deceive me!? Machoke is using a rock-type attack!" The announcer shouted in astonishment.
Rocks roughly the size of baseballs began lifting up off the ground, enveloped by a light-brow aura. They flew towards Machoke, surrounding him in a veil that floated around him. As they lingered in the air, they floated lazily as if unaffected by gravity. Machoke pulled his fists apart and they froze in place with a jolt. Electrode's face dropped as he regained his senses. He turned to dash away. Machoke thrust his arms forward and the rocks flew at Electrode. They crashed into his body, bursting with a small explosion of light-brown light on impact. Individually, they did little damage but combined they created an unrelenting barrage. Electrode cried out, their combined force sending him rolling back through the rubble. His hard, round exterior was getting cracked and chipped by the impacts.
"Thunder Wave!" Surge called out.
Electrode gritted his teeth and charged his body, glowing yellow as lightning arched across the surface. A field of electricity erupted out from him, disintegrating the rocks. In the brief moment of relief from the barrage of rocks, Electrode wasted no time. He charge his body with a white glow and blinked towards Machoke with a thunderous sonic boom. However, this time it was Machoke who read him. Machoke braced and caught him, the force the impact making him slide backwards across the ground. He stayed steady, not letting the impact knocked him over. Electrode spun in Machoke's hands, trying to get free but Machoke's grip didn't falter. The light-brown flames around his hands turned orange and shot up his arms as he raised Electrode above his head. Electrode's body glowed yellow as he released all the stored up electricity from his body. The explosion of electricity split the air, shaking the ground as if a bomb had gone off. The current surged through Machoke's body. He cried out in anguish as the current seared long burns across his body and charred the flesh of his hands. The flames in his eyes flared and he slammed Electrode down hard into the ground. A giant eruption of dirt and rocks flew into the air, spaying the surrounding debris out in all directions. The crowd fell silent, the air full of tense anticipation as the thick plume of dust began to thin. Machoke's silhouette staggered from the dust, his body ravaged by long streaking burns, both hands charred black. The first thing Green saw as the dust cleared around him was the grin plastered on his face. He fell to his knees and raised a charred fist up above his head. Behind him, embedded in a crater was Electrode. A huge crack splintered down his body right between his eyes and over the top. He was completely unconscious. The siren blared and Green threw back her head with a triumphant shout.
"Yes!" She cried and ran up to the light barrier.
"No! It can't be! I won't accept it! The win streak, ended by a rookie trainer!" The announcer cried out in grief.
Above them on the screens Electrode's pokéball was greyed out and the words, "Challenger Victory," scrawled across them.
The light barriers fell and Green ran up to Machoke, throwing her arms around his burnt shoulders.
"You did it! You did it! You did it!" Green repeated over and over again, completely overcome by excitement.
Machoke winced as she hugged him but still, he smiled. He embraced her, pressing his head against her collarbone with an exhausted sigh. The feeling of his arms trembling as he embraced her, snapped Green back to her senses. She gasped.
"Sorry! Take a rest," She apologised, un-clipping his ball from her belt and returning him.
Above her, Surge extended out his hand, a proud grin on his face. Green grabbed his hand and he hauled her up onto her feet. Above them, the crowd rained thundering boos down at her.
"Ignore them, you did great kid," Surge shouted over them.
Green couldn't care less, she was too busy staring past him at the "Challenger Victory," text still sprawling across the overhead screens. Surge laughed and patted her shoulder. He led her by the hand back across the arena towards his side. Green followed him with a giddy grin as her mind spun from the excitement. The doors Surge had entered through opened, revealing the yellow interior of an elevator. They stepped inside and the doors closed behind them, plunging them into silence. Surge laughed excitedly and pulled Green against his chest, patting her on the back. Green gasped and laughed along with him as the elevator began to ascend.
"Ahh amazing work!" He congratulated, beaming with pride.
Green blushed as his large arm squeezed her. Her eyes fell to his crotch only for a moment before she tore them away, fighting off those feelings into the back of her mind.
"I couldn't have done it without you!" Green exclaimed.
Surge shrugged dismissively, letting go of her.
"Nah, you would have figured it out eventually. I just sped up the process," He refuted humbly.
The elevator chimed and the doors across from the ones they had entered through opened. Together, they stepped out into what Green assumed was Surge's office. A wide, polished wooden desk sat against the far wall covered in scattered blueprints and official-looking documents. A stack of papers had been placed on the left corner, uncharacteristically neat. Surge groaned seeing the stack and walked over, flipping through it and groaning more.
"Seriously, I'm gone two days…" He muttered.
The walls of the office were lined with shelves packed full of training supplies. Pokéballs, potions, paralysis heals, burns heals, awakenings, antidotes and revives all belonging to their own shelves. Apart from the scattered papers, there were a few other things on his desk that caught Green's attention. A desk toy made up of three rows of five small containers on a board with a bunch of switches and lights. There was a long desk plate with Surge's full official name.
Leader Lieutenant Matis Surge of Vermilion City Gym
While interesting they paled in comparison to the item in the right-hand corner. A small, open box full to the brim with yellow badges. Green rushed over it, peering into the box with a look of glee. Surge chuckled and plopped down the stack of papers. He joined her by her side and pulled one out for her.
"Congratulations," He said proudly, handing her the Thunder Badge.
Green took the badge from him and marvelled at it. The badge was made up of a metal eight-pointed yellow star with a gleaming, octagonal orange gem in the centre. Green eagerly pinned it to her belt next to raindrop shaped Cascade Badge. Surge walked behind his desk and opened a drawer, pulling out two small rectangular pieces of paper.
"Here I want you to have this too," He handed her a ticket, "come by tonight, we can celebrate your win properly," he insisted cheerfully.
Green took the ticket and studied it curiously.
"The S.S. Anne?" She read out loud, "Surge, I can't go on a cruise," She remarked with confusion.
Surge laughed as he sat down behind his desk.
"Read closer, it's not a cruise. There's a party tonight, you'll still be in Vermilion come morning I promise," He chuckled.
Green blushed and laughed awkwardly.
"Oh, then yeah okay that sounds fun. That works with the plan Abby and I have." She agreed and slid the ticket into her jean's pocket.
Green and Surge stared at each other blankly for a moment and Green felt the feelings she had fought into the back of her mind creeping back. Surge smiled at her gently and gestured behind her.
"Sorry to kick you out but other trainers are waiting, the elevator will take you back to the front. Just press the lobby button," He instructed apologetically.
Green nodded quickly, whirling around and hurrying over to the elevator. The doors opened for her and she stepped inside.
"See you tonight Green," Surge called out after her.
Green turned around and called back to him.
"See you-" The doors shut in her face, "tonight," she finished.
She pressed the lobby button as Surge had told her and the elevator began moving up. Green ran her thumb over the orange gem of her Thunder Badge. A euphoric rush of excitement flooded her and she clenched her fists. She couldn't wait to see the look on Jackson's smug little face when he saw it. Suddenly, the elevator stopped. Green looked at the doors confused when it hit her, the lobby was on the other side of the building. The elevator lurched backwards, throwing her onto her ass. She gasped as she fell, feeling the elevator started to move horizontally. The floor below her suddenly opened up and she screamed, quickly stopping as she realised the floor was just made of glass. Below she could see the arena as the elevator moved her across it to the other side. The arena floor began to lower down, the loud whirring of machines roared beneath her. Moments later another floor was lifted up, identical to the previous one only without any of the destruction caused by Graveler. Green to her feet and marvelled down at the spectacle, only for it to disappear as the elevator exited the arena. It stopped again before heading down, like a normal elevator. It stopped again and the doors opened. Green stepped out, finding that she had just stepped through the door she had entered the arena through. Gears whirred behind her as what must have been the podium room was slotted back into place.
"Well done darl," The receptionist congratulated her.
The trainers waiting in the lobby stared at her, no longer with looks of scepticism but with looks of approval. At least, Green liked to imagine they were. She made her way through the lobby, passing by them. Some of their eyes fell back to their work while others followed her, turning their heads as she passed by them. The sliding doors opened and Green was met with a much clearer reaction. Boos and taunts were thrown at her as she left the Gym by the crowd watching the screens on the outside of the building. Green ignored their taunts and boos, still raging with an unstoppable excitement. With adrenaline coursing through her, she happily made her way down Vermilion City's streets back to the pokémon centre.