Disclaimer: I do not own nor am I affiliated with Pokémon or any of its parent companies. I am merely a humble storyteller. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this journey with me.
Note: I am English, so some of the wording, spellings, and expressions will be those commonly used in England.
Chapter Thirty-Two: Third Gym Preparations
"Will you just stay still and let me capture you!" Red snapped as Pikachu's Rock Smash failed to hit its mark again.
And what was their mark you may ask? Well, it was a Pokémon that you may recall was mentioned when Red first encountered Mint all that time ago on the outskirts of Pewter City, in a funny little cave Red never actually entered: Diglett.
Diglett was a minute, brown Ground-type Pokémon whose dome-shaped head was the only part of its body that stuck out above the ground, the upturned earth around it more a part of it to the eye of the Pokémon world than what was really hidden beneath. To complete its rather simple appearance, it had small, black eyes and a large, oval, pink nose.
Now, from Red's outburst it would be obvious to all that he was rather eager to capture one of these creatures. Considering the Vermilion Gym was an Electric-type one, a Ground-type would work exceptionally well, ensure things went a lot smoother for them. But why on earth would Red use an Electric-type to capture a Ground-type? It did not make sense, did it? Well, the truth of it is that Diglett is quite the speedy Pokémon, and Pikachu is quite fast too. You get the picture? It was taken with a fairly nice camera. Yes, he had Beedrill, but Pikachu had proven to be quicker, and one Rock Smash should theoretically render Diglett unable to avoid a Poké Ball tossed in its direction. There was just one teeny, tiny problem.
Dig.
Yes, every time Pikachu would get close, the furry creatures of the earth would simply head underground and pop up somewhere else, squealing in amusement.
Sending Charmander in an underground pursuit after them was an interesting prospect, but a Sand Attack to the face put an end to that idea.
Which meant that Red had to watch as an increasingly frustrated Pikachu played Whac-a-Diglett with his score staying on zero.
"Pikachu," Red said. "Let's change strategies. We're going to use it, okay?"
Pikachu nodded, scowling at the half a dozen Diglett who were bobbing their heads every which way, black eyes shining, enjoying the game the human and electric mouse were playing with them.
"Let's go, Pikachu: Double Team!"
With a squeak, Pikachu shivered, and multiple other Pikachu jumped from its body, illusions that looked as real as the original. The humour that filled the Diglett quickly drained from their souls. The Pikachu clones grinned sadistically at them.
"Who's the real one? Nobody knows," Red said, emanating triumph. "Rock Smash."
The Diglett squealed and screamed, a Pikachu by each of them, no chance for them to burrow away to safety without taking serious damage. But of course, only one would be struck as the Double Team illusions were powerless, meaning the game of Whac-a-Diglett became an entirely different one.
Five Pikachu faded into nothingness upon launching their ghostly Rock Smashes, the five Diglett they targeted escaping into their underground sanctuary. The last, however, was not as lucky.
Pikachu's tail connected with its cranium with a crunch. The Diglett swayed, its eyes dull. Perfect.
Red pulled out an empty Poké Ball. "Okay, Diglett. Welcome to the fam –"
The cave suddenly shook. Red struggled to stay on his feet as the ground before him opened up and something rose from the newly formed fissure.
It was another Diglett. No, it was another three Diglett, with their heads protruding from the earthy terrain. And they did not look best pleased, beholding Red and Pikachu with a harsh glare. They growled in unison, and Red took out his Pokédex. Wait, were they… was it a…?
Dugtrio, a Ground-type Pokémon and the evolved form of Diglett. In battle, it digs through the ground and strikes the unsuspecting foe from an unexpected direction.
Red's face went ashen. Well, maybe capturing a Diglett was not all it was cracked up to be. He stowed away his Pokédex and smiled at the Dugtrio, his buckling knees kind of ruining its calming effect. "Er… n-nice place you've g-got here. Um… really nice! W-Well, we'd best be off. Er… great… um… great to meet you."
The Dugtrio's growl became louder, increasing in volume until it became a full-on screeching. A massive dust cloud swirled like a tornado around them, snowballing in size, heading towards Red and Pikachu.
"Sandstorm!" Red screamed.
Pikachu fired an ineffectual Thunder Shock at the Sandstorm.
It absorbed them into its gritty clutches, lifting them off their feet, transporting the duo into a world that only knew of sand, where sand was the be-all and end-all.
Around and around Red and Pikachu were thrown, chucked about like ragdolls, hoping for the insane rollercoaster to end, their eyes and skin begging for an end to the pain and discomfort.
Their pleas were heard and answered.
Daylight broke through the Sandstorm and Red found himself lying on his back, Pikachu on his chest, more sand than flesh and bone.
Groggily, he eased Pikachu off himself and sat up, gazing at the entrance of Diglett's Cave. The Dugtrio stared back, an air of haughty triumph emanating from it. With a last sound that came across as laughter, it disappeared back into the recesses of its domain.
"Yeah, whatever," Red said, taking off his cap and shaking his hair free of sand. "I didn't want a Diglett anyway." He scoffed. "You'd better keep running."
The Dugtrio popped out again, trails of sand forming around it, as though saying 'What did you say?'.
Red and Pikachu turned on their heels and fled from battle.
o~o~o~o~o~o
With Operation: Capture a Diglett a bust, Red headed further east, coming to an area with lots of tall grass intersected by dirt paths. Maybe Route Eleven would reap better rewards than Diglett's Cave?
It seemed to be the case. As Red and Pikachu manoeuvred through the tall grass, they happened upon Ekans, Pidgeotto, Drowzee, and Raticate. Oh, and he was even fortunate enough to find the Ground-type Sandshrew. However, he was unfortunate enough for it to know Dig. Guess what happened next?
"We're not having any luck are we, Pikachu?" Red said with a sigh as the Sandshrew burrowed away.
Pikachu raised his non-existent eyebrows at his Trainer. 'We?' he seemed to say. 'You're the one who can't catch Pokémon for toffee'.
"Another teammate would be awesome," he continued. "It gives us more options. Maybe I should capture a Drowzee. A Psychic-type would help a lot and –"
Red broke off the rest of what he was saying for he came to a clearing in the long grass. And in that clearing was a Pokémon sleeping soundly, its chest rising and falling with its soft snores.
"Wait. Is that…?"
Red's Pokédex did the rest:
Abra, a Psychic-type Pokémon. Sleeps eighteen hours a day. If it senses danger, it will teleport itself to safety even as it sleeps.
A Psychic-type? Oh, such a fascinating one, a type not many fully understood. An Abra would be a wonderful addition to Red's party. It looked neat too: a yellow, bipedal creature who appeared to be wearing natural, brown armour on its chest and shoulders; it had a snout of a paler yellow and pointed ears; its tail was long and surprisingly thick, marked by only a brown strip near the tip; it had three fingers on its hands and three toes on its feet, the latter of which had two toes facing forward and the third at the back of the foot. Its eyes were shut as it stayed sleeping.
Sleeping… that would make things easier…
Red took out a Poké Ball. Just one simple toss and that Abra would wake up to being a new member of his team.
Without making a declaration of capture or even uttering a single word, Red threw the Poké Ball at the Abra. It sailed in an arc, anxious to do its thrower's bidding and ensure it became the new home of the Psychic-type.
Except, if one was to remember what the Pokédex said…
The Poké Ball found nothing but air and hit the ground, empty.
Red screamed to the heavens and hurled his cap at his feet. Teleport! Abra actually used Teleport to escape, simply distorting space and vanishing into thin air, the only sign it was once there being the flattened grass it was sleeping upon!
He was having all the luck, wasn't he? First Gyarados, then Diglett, Sandshrew, and now Abra. Vermilion was not being kind to him. As a matter of fact, he had still not captured a Pokémon after weakening it through battle first! That was something he needed to change, and fast!
However, his motivation for trying to capture a new teammate had dwindled to near nothing levels. It would have to be for another day, then. For now, he would train his current party. And the best way to do that was by having battles against other Trainers.
o~o~o~o~o
The first was against a man who introduced himself as Hugo, a Gambler. Pikachu made short work of his two Poliwag with a Zippy Zap each, appearing unimpressed after leaving both electrocuted in the grass.
"You beat me fair and square," Hugo said with a grimace, paying out what he owed Red, which was quite substantial truth be told. "You know, there are more of us in the area. Maybe give them a bit of a challenge too."
Which Red did. He explored the entirety of Route Eleven, coming across several more Gamblers (or Gamer as one named Darian stated adamantly).
Jasper's Oddish and Bellsprout fell to Charmander's Flame Charge, hitting back with Acid and Vine Whip respectively.
Dirk's Voltorb fell to Beedrill's Twineedle while Pikachu finished off Magnemite with a Rock Smash, Double Team coming in ever so useful in avoiding the always annoying Supersonic.
Then came Darian's turn, and Red sensed a pattern emerging with the Gamblers: his first pick was a Growlithe. The fire puppy stood alert, hackles raised, tail erect.
"I choose you, Cleffa!" Red shouted.
Cleffa twirled and jumped, mouth formed into a huge smile.
"Cleffa, eh?" Darian said. "Well, this should be easy. Growlithe, use Take Down!"
Growlithe charged down the tiny star-shaped creature, whose body glowed, dazzling the Fire-types eyes. Growlithe's attack missed and Cleffa trilled in joy.
"Get it with Charm!" Red commanded.
Cleffa toddled over to a Growlithe who was trying to sort its sight out and gave it a hug. Growlithe whined and wagged its tail.
"Ignore it, Growlithe!" Darian shouted. "Use Take Down again!"
Responding to its Trainer's call, Growlithe shook itself free of Cleffa and rammed into her with a reckless tackle, wincing as its clumsy attack damaged it too.
"Cleffa?" Red called. "Cleffa, are you all right?"
The pink fairy hopped back onto its feet and danced, chirping merrily. Red breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed that reducing Growlithe's attack was the way to go.
A collision of fiery embers and glowing leaves followed, cancelling each other out, before Growlithe carelessly slammed into Cleffa again, yelping as it hurt itself once more.
"Finish it with Pound," Red said, heart swelling with pride at how his baby Pokémon was handling herself.
With a flourish, Cleffa thumped Growlithe in the jaw with a stubby arm, sending it into a void of unconsciousness.
"Great work, Cleffa!" Red said. Cleffa hopped on one foot and then the other, wiggling her arms excitedly.
Oh, but she did more than that. Her body glowed, but she did not use Flash. Her body grew, but she was not using any technique Red had ever heard of before that could make it so.
No, it was evolution.
In Cleffa's place was a Clefairy.
"You evolved!" Red whooped. "You evolved! This is way better than catching a new Pokémon!"
Clefairy grinned up at her Trainer and gave him a thumbs-up, which she could do now as her hands now had digits.
"Status moves and an evolution, eh?" Darian said, returning Growlithe back to its Poké Ball. "That Cleffa – sorry, Clefairy's got some techniques up its sleeve, doesn't it? But it ends now."
The next Pokémon to come out was another Fire-Type: a Vulpix.
It was a vulpine creature whose fur was mostly russet in colour – except for its underbelly that was cream – slightly darker paws, six curly, orange tails, and a few curly locks on its head with bangs that very nearly reached its brown eyes. Its large, pointed ears twitched as its Trainer called out to it.
Vulpix, the Fire-type Pokémon. At the time of its birth, it has just one tail. The tail splits from its tip as it grows older.
"Are you ready to take down a second one, Clefairy?" Red asked.
Clefairy bounced about in an affirmative response.
"Okay. Clefairy, use –"
"Roar!"
Vulpix roared, the adorable little thing now a ferocious foe. Clefairy was struck dumb, her usual smile gone, and then she was too, disappearing into her Poké Ball. Out popped Beedrill, who gave Red a bewildered stare.
"Wait, what?" Red said, taking off his cap and giving the top of his head a thorough scratch. "You forced Cleffa… Clefairy out? I thought it was Whirlwind that did that?"
"Roar and Whirlwind both do that, lad," Darian explained. "That and they also force wild Pokémon to go away."
"Oh," Red said. "Okay, you learn something new every day." And thanks for ruining Clefairy's debut battle after evolving. He turned to Beedrill. "Are you ready to finish the battle?"
Beedrill buzzed eagerly.
Darian sniggered. "My gambling instincts tell me good things are going to happen for me."
"Doubt it," Red whispered to himself. Type advantage or not, Beedrill would get through this.
And she did.
Yes, she took an Ember, and yes, her Poison Sting was still not Poison Jab, but she still managed to defeat Darian's Vulpix with a Fury Attack, giving the vulpine Pokémon no chance of avoiding the frenzy of strikes from her stingers. When Vulpix collapsed onto her belly, Beedrill buzzed triumphantly to the sky, Red's insectoid powerhouse.
So, it was ultimately a good day for Red, wasn't it? A massive windfall, Pikachu's new move was perfect, an evolution, the others were gathering wins under their belts, all good, yes?
Except… what kind of Trainer struggles to capture Pokémon? It was disheartening to say the least, a real morale killer. Anyone else would have had a lot of doubt clouding their mind, would have questioned themselves over and over…
But Red had already done that. He had gotten over that hurdle of losing his first Gym Battle and he would leap over this one too. His next Pokémon was out there, but for now he would continue to train the ones he had now.
o~o~o~o~o
"What a day," Red said, sweaty and dirty but grinning like a Darmanitan. "I thought those Gambler dudes were the only Trainer battles we were going to get, so beating those other Trainers was a nice surprise. You did well, Pikachu. You all did. I'm kind of wondering if Beedrill should've kept String Shot though."
Pikachu shrugged.
"We'll go to the Gym tomorrow," Red went on. "I think we're ready. We can't fall behind Blue any farther. But I think another evolution is going to help a lot. You excited, Pikachu?"
Pikachu peered at him from the corners of his eyes but made no sound.
"I am," Red said. "With Gym Battles, it's like the adrenaline you get from regular battles is increased by a lot. It's as if we're in another world." His eyes shone and he disappeared into imagination. "I can only imagine how it'll feel to actually take part in the Pokémon League. On the battlefield, your team with you, watched by thousands in the stadium. On TV, it looks so awesome and –"
"Why, hello there, young man."
Who was that interrupting Red's foray into whimsy? Was it another challenger? Was it Red's own subconscious? Was it a demon ready to possess or feast upon him? Or was it a harmless old man riding on his Pokémon?
It was the third. No, just kidding, it was the fourth.
Coming down a road that intersected with Red's was indeed an old man riding a Pokémon. And what a Pokémon it was! A muscular, cream-coloured steed cloaked in fire, its mane, tail, and fetlocks burning with an intense and comforting flame, a horn protruding from its forehead the finishing touch to the creature's gorgeous design.
Rapidash, a Fire-type Pokémon and the evolved form of Ponyta. It just loves to run. If it sees something faster than itself, it will give chase at top speed.
"It's beautiful," Red breathed as the Rapidash and its Trainer trotted nearer.
"He is, isn't he?" the man said. "He's so cute, lovely, smart, absolutely amazing – oh, you agree? – warm and cuddly, I love hugging him when sleeping – he's like a living hot water bottle. He's so spectacular, so ravishing, simply divine." He stroked Rapidash's head. "You know, I've raised over one-hundred and fifty Pokémon, and I love them all. Pokémon are simply amazing creatures."
"They are! They are!" Red said, nodding fervently, finding himself drawn to the man already. "They're totally awesome! That's one of the reasons I wanted to become a Trainer."
"And you seem to be doing well, judging by your Pikachu," the man said. "Cheeks as red as ripe apples and such a glossy coat. Caught my eye immediately."
Pikachu prodded his cheeks and frowned.
"I take it you're a beginning Trainer," the man said.
"Yeah," Red replied. "I'm Red from Pallet. I've already got two Badges."
"That's a decent record you've got so far," the man said. "I'm not partial to battles myself, but I acknowledge that they are great exercise for Pokémon." His eyes widened. "Oh, I do apologise, young Red, I haven't introduced myself: I am the Chairman of Kanto's Pokémon Fan Club."
"Pokémon Fan Club?" Red repeated.
"That's right. Like-minded people such as I get together and discuss all things Pokémon, although it is mostly about how adorable they are."
"Wow, I didn't know that. And that's right here in Vermilion?"
"Yes," the Chairman said, beaming. He tapped his chin, pondering. "Would you like to accompany me to the Club House?"
"Really?" Red said. "Really, really?"
"Yes. I'm sure you'll have a lot to talk about with the members, and I know they'll want to be regaled of tales of your journey so far. You can hop on Rapidash and we'll be there in two ticks."
The very second Red heard there was a Pokémon Fan Club in Vermilion he was determined to go there at some point, so this offer was quite ideal. But what made it better, what almost made Red explode with excitement was the fact he would go there on the back of a Rapidash. Rapidash, a majestic Pokémon covered in flames…
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Red said, furrowing his brow. "How are you riding Rapidash without getting burned? Are you fireproof?"
"I wish," the Chairman chuckled. "No, Rapidash's flames don't burn those he trusts. Don't worry, you won't be set alight. I doubt it'll happen again."
"Again?"
"Anyway, are you hopping on, young Red?" the Chairman said quickly.
Well, the Chairman said he would not be burned, he would get to ride a Rapidash, and he would get to meet like-minded people who adored Pokémon. Obviously, he was going to hop on.
And he did. And off they went.
o~o~o~o~o
"Aw, they're all so cute!"
"Simply adorable!"
"Look at that smile!"
"Feel those chubby cheeks!"
"Oh, nice and fuzzy!"
"Look at that tail burn!"
Red watched as the members of the Pokémon Fan Club gushed over his Pokémon, petting a female Nidoran that lay in his lap. Beedrill allowed the many hands to run across her fuzzy body, standing proudly and silently like a sentinel; Pikachu appeared ready to give someone a good shock; Charmander appeared locked between uneasiness and happiness, unsure of how to take all the attention; Clefairy twirled and bounded everywhere, singing a song in her Clefairy language.
"You're taking very good care of them, Red," the Pokémon Fan Club Secretary said, smiling at him. "It's always great to see. Especially from someone so young. I can see why Professor Oak sent you on a journey. I couldn't believe it when you told us that."
"Well, my friend, my rival, and I were all going to go on a journey anyway, but working as a Professor Oak assistant is still really cool," Red said, consciously leaving out the fact he was doing the worst out of the three when it came to the task set by the professor.
"And how has your journey been for you?"
"It's been great!" Red exclaimed, showing his pearly whites. Nidoran jumped but relaxed when Red placed his hand back on her head. "Sure, things have been tough at some points, but that's made us stronger. And all the people and Pokémon I've met have made my journey so much better than it would've been otherwise." He smiled to himself as he recalled Mint, Brock, and Misty. Mina too, the toddler who was continuing her own journey with her parents around the world. The bottle cap she picked up when they took a snack break sat in his rucksack, a token of their eventful afternoon.
"And you said you're challenging all the Gyms, didn't you?" the Chairman said. "How many Badges did you say you have?"
"Two Badges," Red said proudly. "Now that we know what they're like, I think we've got what it takes to get the other six no sweat."
"Aha!" the Chairman exclaimed. "Exactly what I like to see. Confidence. Although…" He rubbed his hands on his knees and puffed out his cheeks. "Lt. Surge may give you a bit of trouble."
"Lt. Surge? Is he really an army guy or is that just a nickname?"
"Oh no, he really is a lieutenant," the Chairman said. "Fought in a war a few years ago and was stationed here in Vermilion when it was over. He became the Gym Leader and has never looked back, although he does go back home to see his family when he can. Unova, I think."
"Whoa," Red whispered. A Gym Leader that was a lieutenant. How amazing was that? He no doubt would give him a tough time in battle. Red could only wonder what he was like.
o~o~o~o~o
"Again, Raichu!"
Thump!
"Again!"
THUMP!
Lt. Surge gave Raichu a curt nod of approval. Raichu reciprocated the gesture and stepped back from the punching back, breathing heavily. It appeared to be a larger Pikachu, orange fur rather than yellow, yellow cheeks as opposed to red. It had a long, thin tail, brown like its feet and hands, with an unchipped, yellow, lighting bolt-shaped end. His ears were forked, brown on the outside, yellow on the inside. Now, if Red was around, his Pokédex would have said something like this:
Raichu, an Electric-type Pokémon and the evolved form of Pikachu. Its long tail serves as a ground to protect itself from its own high-voltage power.
"Good work, Raichu," Lt. Surge said. "You're done for the day."
The Gym Leader stared at himself in the mirror that took up an entire wall of the gymnasium, taking in how dark his grey workout vest had become.
"Looks like I am too," he said. He peeled off his soaked vest and swung it over his shoulder. "These extra hours are worth it though. Don't want to be surprised by another Sandslash. Still, a good strategy is one that gets results, and that Blue kid got his Badge."
Raichu growled at the memory of his undignified defeat.
"Don't let it get to you," Lt. Surge said gruffly. "You haven't lost since then."
The man and his Pokémon stepped out the gymnasium, eager for a shower and a drink when someone called to the former. "Sir!"
Lt. Surge and Raichu stopped in their tracks. A man with a neatly clipped moustache marched up to him, eyes hard and serious.
"What is it, Gregory?"
Gregory saluted. "Sir, you have a call?"
Lt. Surge raised an eyebrow. "Is that it?"
"It's urgent."
"Urgent?
"Yes, sir."
"Is it a higher up?"
"I want to say yes."
"If you want to then why don't you say it?"
"Okay, sir. Yes."
"Who is it, then?"
"It's Lyn."
"Lyn?" Lt. Surge chuckled. "Okay, I get it. 'Higher up'. You're not wrong."
"Are you going to take the call now?"
"Yeah. It's been a couple of weeks."
Sending Gregory off, Lt. Surge and Raichu strolled to his office, which also served as his living quarters, and went straight to his computer screen. He tapped the keyboard several times and the silent room was filled with ringing.
On the fifth ring someone answered, and a woman's face appeared on screen, a raven-haired beauty lightly tinged with the progressions of age.
"Hi, honey," Lt. Surge said.
"Hi," Lyn said, the traces of a frown upon her lips. Her eyes fell upon Raichu and a smile appeared there instead. "Hi, Raichu. You look as powerful as ever. Have you been helping out the other Pokémon?"
Raichu nodded eagerly, his tail almost catching his Trainer in the side of the head.
"How are you doing?" Lt. Surge asked. "Things good over there?"
Her smile faded. "Same old, same old. You know, Elly was asking about you again."
Being a tough military man who had survived war, Lt. Surge was not one to squirm uncomfortably. And he did not this time. But he came very close.
"She would be, I guess," he said, exhaling through his teeth. "It's been really busy here recently. Trainers challenging me every single day because of the Pokémon League starting up again, it just takes too much time."
"Too much time to even call your family?" Lyn said accusingly.
"Come on, honey," Lt. Surge said. "I call when I can, don't I? I just said it's been busy because of the League. And I just promised I'd call more. Let's not start this again."
"Start what again?" Lyn said coldly. "About how you don't care about your family? You wouldn't need to make this promise in the first place if you would at least phone more often than you do. When was the last time you came home? Early last year?"
Colour rose in Lt. Surge's face. "This is my job! I have to keep my Pokémon fully fit all the time and expect challengers throughout the day. If I don't, I'll end up on a losing streak, just a free Badge for these Trainers. What kind of Gym Leader would I be?"
"That's no excuse to not have even a ten-minute call with us every couple days at least." Lyn shut her eyes, slowly moving her lips, counting to ten. "Look," she began again. "You've still got the option of being the Gym Leader here. Why don't you take it? You fought bravely in that stupid war, so why don't you serve out the remainder of your time back here while being a Gym Leader? We can have our family back. Elly can have her father back."
Lt. Surge barely stopped his gaze from drifting. "Like I said before, I can't. The men, women, and Pokémon I've served with still need me. I can't just leave them."
"But you can leave your family?"
"I haven't left you."
"You may as well have."
"Stop making this so difficult."
"Actually, it's easy if you think about it."
Lt. Surge turned to Raichu, silently asking him for his advice; Raichu grimaced and shook his head.
"We're getting nowhere, are we?" he said to Lyn.
"We can't keep doing this same song and dance all the time," she said dully.
The silence that washed over them was viscous and suffocating. The implication was there but neither would say it. How could they? But one day it would need to be stated, loud and clear. Maybe that day would be soon.
"Can I speak to Elly?" Lt. Surge said, breaking the silence.
"She's not here," Lyn replied. "She's having a sleepover at her friend's."
"Right."
Words failed them both once again for several more eternal seconds.
"I'm going to go," Lyn said, her gaze not meeting his. "I'll tell Elly I actually managed to speak to you. You can speak to her next time… if you call."
"I will," Lt. Surge said fiercely.
"If you say so. I'll see you, then."
"I love –"
Click.
Lt. Surge stared at his reflection in the black screen, his face so tight it might have been hewn from stone. He drummed his fingers on his desk, so hard either of them might have broken. He stood up sharply, startling Raichu.
"What do you say we squeeze in some more training, Raichu? I bet we're going to have a hell of a lot of battles tomorrow."
Despite the sinking sensation in his stomach, despite the heavy weight upon his chest, he and Raichu returned to the gymnasium.
Yes, he would sweep aside anyone that came to his Gym for a Badge. This was his duty.
No matter how bad he felt, no matter what incidents tried to accost him, he would continue doing what he needed to do.
He was Lieutenant Surge, Vermilion City Gym Leader.
