AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 29 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. In some ways, this is like the Pokémon episode "Gettin' the Bugs Out," but there are differences, as you know. Feel free to read and leave responsible reviews at your leisure.
TEASER: Tristan faces off against Bugsy, the Azalea Town Gym Leader. Will his Pokémon squash Bugsy's Pokémon like bugs, or will they bug him into defeat?
Chapter 29: A BUGGY BATTLE
(Music Cue: Opening Title 1999-2001 (as heard at the beginning of "Gettin' the Bugs Out"))
After getting a good night's sleep, Tristan and Hillary finally arrive at the Azalea Town Gym where Tristan hopes to win his second Johto League badge.
Tristan was feeling very excited the next morning as he, Hillary, and Pikachu came to the Gym. "I can't wait to get started battling," he said excitedly. "This is gonna be a great battle! And I just know we're gonna win today. Right, Pikachu?"
Pikachu nodded eagerly.
"I can see why," agreed Hillary. "You've been waiting for this a long time. I can't wait to see you in another Gym battle. And this'll be a great way to pass the time while we wait for Kurt to finish making our Poké Balls."
Togepi chirped in agreement.
"Let's go, guys," said Tristan. "I can't wait to get started."
And together, he and his friends went inside the Gym.
But they never expected to see a big surprise: an indoor forest full of grass and trees.
In those trees, there were dozens of Weedle, Kakuna, Caterpie, and Metapod roaming around.
"Whoa!" gasped Hillary. "This place is crawling with tons of Bug Pokémon!"
"Somebody sure loves them, or they wouldn't run the Gym that way," added Tristan.
"You bet I do," said a voice.
Tristan and Hillary were startled to find an androgynous boy with purple hair and purple eyes standing on a tree branch behind them.
But Hillary was so startled, she lost her balance and fell backward crushing what she thought was a big stick, which made a big cracking sound.
"Are you okay, sis?" asked Tristan as he helped her back on her feet.
"I think so," replied Hillary.
"Bug Pokémon are my absolute favorites," said the boy. "And I love raising them. And I've learned something as a Gym Leader: 'A Trainer that learns the rules of the Bug Pokémon learns to rule the Bug Pokémon.'"
Tristan and Hillary were left speechless.
"Maybe you've never heard of that saying before," said the boy, "but I'm sure you'll see what I mean...if either of you wants to challenge me to a Gym match, that is."
"I will," said Tristan. "I'm Tristan from New Bark Town, and I've come to challenge you to win a badge."
"Very well," replied the boy. "My name's Bugsy, and I accept any and all challenges. That's my job as the Azalea Town Gym Leader. Except..."
"Except what?" asked Hillary.
"I'm stuck up here," said Bugsy. "Could you get the ladder?"
"We would, but there's one little problem," said Hillary.
Bugsy gasped as he saw the broken ladder. "Now I have no way to get down from here!"
"Leave that to me," said Tristan as he took out Venusaur's Poké Ball, which instantly opened.
Venusaur emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Venusaur, could you help Bugsy down from the tree?" asked Tristan.
Venusaur nodded and used its Vine Whip to gently wrap its vines around Bugsy. Then it lowered him safely toward the ground.
"Thanks, guys," said Bugsy. "I didn't mean to startle you like that."
"That's okay, Bugsy," replied Tristan. "We were just glad to help out, right Venusaur?"
Venusaur nodded as Tristan returned it to its Poké Ball.
"I'm sorry about breaking your ladder," said Hillary.
"Don't worry about it," replied Bugsy. "I've been planning to get a new ladder anyway. That old ladder was making me nervous, and I figured it was only a matter of time before I had to get another one."
"Well, now that that's over, what do you say about having our Gym battle now?" asked Tristan.
"I accept your challenge," replied Bugsy.
Tristan and Bugsy stood at a battlefield in the middle of the indoor forest while Hillary and Togepi watched from the sidelines.
A referee was standing by as he prepared to officiate the match. "This official Pokémon battle between Bugsy, the Azalea Town Gym Leader, and Tristan, the challenger from New Bark Town, is about to begin. Each Trainer may use three Pokémon. The challenger is allowed to change Pokémon if necessary, but the Gym Leader is not. A Gym badge is at stake. Begin the match when ready."
"Ready, Tristan?" asked Bugsy. "Ever since you and your Venusaur helped me out of that tree, I could tell that you're a great Trainer. But don't expect me to go easy on you just 'cause you helped me out."
"Bring it on, Bugsy!" replied Tristan, who felt confident about this Gym battle.
(Music Cue: Flying Poké Ball Chaos (as heard in "Two Hits and a Miss"))
"I choose Spinarak!" shouted Bugsy as he threw his first Poké Ball.
A green Pokémon resembling a spider emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"So he's starting off with Spinarark," said Hillary to herself. "This should be easy."
"Ready, Pikachu?" asked Tristan. "We can handle this one."
Pikachu agreed as it ran in front of him and onto the battlefield.
"Spinarak, use String Shot," instructed Bugsy.
Spinarak shot a sticky white string from its mouth.
"Dodge it, Pikachu!" commanded Tristan.
Pikachu zigzagged to evade Spinarak's String Shot.
"Keep it up, Spinarak!" said Bugsy.
Spinarak kept shooting its String Shot attacks in Pikachu's direction, but no matter how hard it tried, Pikachu jumped out of the way to avoid it.
"Your Pikachu's obviously been raised well," said Bugsy to Tristan. "But let's see if you can keep up."
"All right," replied Tristan. "Give it your best shot."
"Okay, you asked for it," smiled Bugsy. "Spinarak, cover the whole field with String Shot!"
Spinarak unleashed as much sticky white string from its mouth as it could.
Unfortunately, the string was covering the area so much that Pikachu couldn't dodge it, and it got caught in the sticky string.
"Pikachu!" gasped Tristan.
"Gotcha!" said Bugsy.
"Boy, Bugsy sure knows how to give it his best shot," said Hillary. "I guess Tristan shouldn't have said to give it his best shot because now Pikachu can't seem to move as easily as it usually does."
"Spinarak, Poison Sting attack!" ordered Bugsy.
Spinarak shot poisonous needles from its mouth at Pikachu.
"Pikachu, use your Thunderbolt attack!" commanded Tristan.
Pikachu unleashed a yellow bolt of electricity to not only defend against Spinarak's Poison Sting, but to also break the string, breaking itself free.
"That was perfect, Pikachu," commended Tristan.
"Hurry, Spinarak, use your Poison Sting again!" ordered Bugsy.
Spinarak shot another barrage of poisonous needles from its mouth at Pikachu.
"Pikachu, dodge it and finish it off with Quick Attack now!" instructed Tristan.
With its speed back to normal, Pikachu nimbly dodged Spinarak's Poison Sting and sped toward Spinarak with a white line trailing behind it, scoring a direct hit on Spinarak and sending it flying backward.
Spinarak collapsed on the ground, knocked out.
"Spinarak, are you okay?" asked Bugsy as he ran to it.
"Spinarak is unable to battle...Pikachu wins!" declared the referee.
"Awesome job, Pikachu," commended Tristan. "We did it again!"
Pikachu smiled. It was so happy for the win that it jumped for joy.
"Pikachu sure seems happy, just like Tristan," remarked Hillary. "They got themselves out of a sticky situation and won the first round."
Togepi nodded in agreement.
"Very good, Tristan," said Bugsy. "You were able to break through SPinarak's String Shot without even flinching. But now, it's time for me to up my game." He took out his second Poké Ball and threw it. "Metapod, go!"
(Music Cue: Johto Rival theme)
A green chrysalis Pokémon emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"So, Metapod's second," said Hillary to herself. "Tristan had better watch out because that Metapod's tougher than it looks."
I wonder why he chose a Metapod, thought Tristan. The only attacks it normally knows are Tackle, Harden, and String Shot. Still, I'd better be careful because that Metapod must be super strong, or else he wouldn't use it in a Gym match. "Keep your guard up, Pikachu," he said aloud. "There's no telling how strong that Metapod really is."
Pikachu nodded.
"Pikachu let's try your Quick Attack one more time now!" commanded Tristan.
Pikachu sped toward Metapod as a white line streaked behind it.
"Metapod, use Harden now," instructed Bugsy.
Metapod glowed for a few seconds, and then it stopped glowing. An instant later, its body was as hard as steel.
Pikachu rammed into Metapod, but didn't do any damage to it. Worse, Pikachu seemed to take on some damage itself.
"Are you okay, Pikachu?" asked Tristan.
Pikachu shook off the damage and nodded.
"Bugsy's strategy must've worked," said Hillary nervously. "Now Tristan has to come up with something else and not just attack Metapod directly."
"Metapod, jump, then use Tackle attack!" commanded Bugsy.
Metapod jumped high in the air and proceeded to land on top of Pikachu.
"Dodge it, Pikachu!" ordered Tristan.
Pikachu jumped out of the way just as Metapod was about to land on it.
The force of Metapod's landing created a huge cloud of dust to form.
"Where did that Metapod go?" asked Tristan as he tried to see through the dust.
"Tackle it, Metapod!" ordered Bugsy.
Suddenly, Metapod shot out from the cloud and proceeded to attack Pikachu.
"Watch out, Pikachu!" shouted Tristan.
Fortunately, Pikachu's sensitive ears picked up on Metapod's movements, and it quickly jumped out of the way, causing Metapod to miss its target.
"Phew! That was close," said Hillary. "There has to be a way for Tristan to win this without that Metapod bugging him and Pikachu. And I know he'll find it."
By that time, the dust cleared up, and Pikachu was ready for Metapod's next attack.
If I use Quick Attack again, Metapod will just use Harden to block it, thought Tristan. But maybe I can use Quick Attack another way.
"Metapod, Tackle attack again!" commanded Bugsy.
Metapod jumped and proceeded to pounce on Pikachu.
"Pikachu, use your Quick Attack to dodge it, then you can tire it out!" instructed Tristan.
Pikachu sped from side to side as it dodged Metapod's Tackle attacks. Then, when Metapod's reflexes slowed down enough, Pikachu jumped on top of Metapod, surprising it.
There was no way for Metapod to get away from Pikachu now.
"Okay, Pikachu, Thunderbolt attack!" ordered Tristan.
Pikachu unleashed a close-range Thunderbolt attack on Metapod, shocking it.
"Metapod!" cried Bugsy.
"Metapod sure felt that!" remarked Hillary.
Metapod collapsed from the damage, and it was knocked out.
"Metapod is unable to continue...Pikachu wins!" declared the referee.
Bugsy returned Metapod to its Poké Ball and held it close to him. "You battled great, Metapod. You deserve a good rest."
"That's two down and one to go," said Hillary.
Tristan and Pikachu shared in their triumph over two of Bugsy's Pokémon.
"You're good, Tristan," said Bugsy. "You remind me of another Trainer named Ash, whom I battled not too long ago. Like him, you've also lasted into the third round, but you've managed to hang in without losing any of your Pokémon. But that's all gonna end here and now. I've saved my best Pokémon for last. It's time for the Bug Pokémon Warrior to make an appearance." And he took out his third Poké Ball and threw it. "I choose you, Scyther!"
A green Pokémon resembling a mantis emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"A Scyther!" gasped Hillary.
Sparks were sizzling from the electric sacs on Pikachu's cheeks.
This one'll be tough, but Pikachu seems to be ready for it, thought Tristan. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt attack!" he shouted.
(Music Cue: Raid!)
Pikachu prepared to launch a yellow bolt of electricity from its cheeks.
"Scyther, use your Double Team now!" instructed Bugsy.
Scyther quickly made illusory copies of itself as Pikachu launched a yellow bolt of electricity at it.
Unfortunately, Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack missed its target.
"That Scyther's fast," grunted Tristan. "Don't let it fool you, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt on all of them!"
Pikachu launched multiple yellow bolts of electricity from its body at the illusory copies, which were disappearing one by one.
Once Pikachu's Thunderbolt eliminates all the copies, we should be able to finish it off with one more Thunderbolt attack, thought Tristan. He was expecting the real Scyther to make itself known at any moment; however, he noticed that every one of them disappeared, including the real one. "Now where'd that Scyther go? It just disappeared."
"Fury Cutter!" ordered Bugsy.
Out of nowhere, Scyther appeared, much to Tristan's shock, and came right behind Pikachu, and before Pikachu could react, Scyther used its scythes to slash Pikachu. Again and again it successfully scored a direct hit, giving it no time to counterattack.
"Pikachu's in big trouble!" exclaimed Hillary.
"That's because Scyther's Fury Cutter gets stronger and stronger every time it hits," explained Bugsy. "And when it hits, the damage is doubled."
"Pikachu, no!" cried Tristan.
Pikachu collapsed from the damage it took from Scyther's Fury Cutter. It had been knocked out.
"Pikachu is unable to battle...Scyther wins the round!" declared the referee.
"I was afraid this would happen," said Hillary sadly.
Tristan quickly rushed over to Pikachu. "Are you okay? Say something, buddy."
Pikachu opened its eyes and gave a weak reply.
"You rest up for awhile," said Tristan. "You battled really well." And he carried Pikachu back over to his side of the field and carefully placed it next to him.
(Music Cue: Johto Trainer Battle (as heard in
"Tristan has two Pokémon left," said Hillary to herself. "He still has a chance to win this."
"Your Pikachu may not have defeated Scyther, Tristan," said Bugsy. "But it's proven to be a very strong opponent. Who's up for the challenge next?"
"The answer is a Pokémon that'll help turn the heat up...way up," answered Tristan as he took out his Fast Ball and threw it. "Cyndaquil, I choose you!"
His Cyndaquil emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Looks like Tristan made a good decision," said Hillary. "Cyndaquil's Flamethrower attacks should be able to scorch that Scyther with no problem."
"This is it, Cyndaquil," said Tristan. "Your Fire attacks will bring us to victory. Let's go!"
Cyndaquil ignited the flame on its back and charged into battle against Scyther.
"Scyther, Fury Cutter attack!" ordered Bugsy.
Scyther charged toward Cyndaquil and used its scythes to attack.
"That's how they beat Pikachu! Dodge it, Cyndaquil!" ordered Tristan.
Cyndaquil nimbly jumped out of the way of Scyther's Fury Cutter.
"Scyther, use your Double Team attack!" ordered Bugsy.
Once again, Scyther made illusory copies of itself.
But Tristan knew how to stop it. "Okay, Cyndaquil, use your Flamethrower attack!"
Cyndaquil unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its mouth at the Scyther copies.
One by one they disappeared, but this time, the real Scyther was revealed before it could launch another sneak attack on Cyndaquil.
"That's the one, Cyndaqul!" shouted Tristan. "Aim your Flamethrower straight at it!"
But Bugsy seemed unconcerned. "Scyther, time for Swords Dance!"
Scyther quickly spun round and round, creating a gust of wind that repelled Cyndaquil's Flamethrower attack before it could reach it.
But Cyndaquil kept going at it in the hopes that it would score a hit on it.
However, Tristan could see that Cyndaquil's Flamethrower was going nowhere fast. That Swords Dance attack is just repelling Cyndaquil's Flamethrower, and I can't risk Cyndaquil tiring out early. "Cyndaquil, stop your attack!" he said aloud.
Instantly, Cyndaquil stopped its Flamethrower attack.
Scyther stopped its Swords Dance a few seconds later.
"Now what's Tristan gonna do?" said Hillary.
"Fire attacks are a Bug Pokémon's greatest weakness, Tristan," said Bugsy. "But they're useless if they can't reach them."
He's right, thought Tristan. I can't just use any straightforward attack. I'll have to improvise and think of a way to stop that Scyther, even with its Swords Dance in motion. He then thought back to how Scyther's Swords Dance repelled Flamethrower from the ground. Wait a minute. If we can't use Flamethrower from the ground, maybe we can attack it from the air. Yes! This just might work. "Okay, Cyndaquil get your Flamethrower attack ready!" he said aloud.
(Music Cue: OK! Orchestra and Guitar (as heard in "The Totodile Duel"))
Cyndaquil got ready to use its Flamethrower attack as it charged in once again.
"Bad move, Tristan," said Bugsy. "Scyther, Swords Dance now!"
Once again, Scyther spun round and round, going faster and faster, creating a strong gust of wind.
But that was just what Tristan had planned. "Cyndaquil, jump right above Scyther and point your body straight down!" he shouted.
Cyndaquil jumped into the air with all its might and pointed its body straight toward Scyther.
Sure enough, there was no wind above Scyther to repel any of Cyndaquil's attacks, leaving it completely vulnerable from above.
"Perfect! Now spin and use your Flamethrower attack at maximum power now!" ordered Tristan.
Cyndaquil spun round and round in midair just like Scyther did, and unleashed a powerful flame from its mouth right above Scyther, and scored a huge direct hit.
"Scyther!" cried Bugsy.
"Yes! That sure hit the mark!" said Hillary excitedly.
Scyther was left dazed from a combination of spinning around so much and from the direct hit it had taken from Cyndaqul's Flamethrower.
"Hurry, Cyndaquil, finish it off with Quick Attack before it can recover!" shouted Tristan.
Cyndaquil sped toward Scyther with a white line trailing behind it, and scored another direct hit on a dazed Scyther before it could do anything.
Scyther collapsed on the ground from the two direct hits. It had been knocked out.
"Scyther is unable to battle...Cyndaquil wins the round!" declared the referee. "The victory goes to the challenger, Tristan, from New Bark Town!"
"Yes!" cried Tristan excitedly. "Cyndaquil, we did it!"
Cyndaquil squealed in excitement and happily ran to its Trainer.
Bugsy returned Scyther to its Poké Ball and held it close to him. "Great job, Scyther. Take a good rest."
"You were awesome, Cyndaquil," said Tristan as he embraced Cyndaquil in his arms. "I'm very proud of you."
Cyndaquil nodded.
Hillary and Togepi came out to congratulate him.
"Now that was a great technique," said Hillary. "I'd like to call it the Tailspin attack."
Tristan gave a good chuckle. "Well, it was a good technique, wasn't it, Cyndaquil?"
Cyndaquil nodded. It seemed to like the name of the improvised attack.
Bugsy came over to Tristan to congratulate him as well. "Well, Tristan, I thoroughly enjoyed our battle today. I leaned a lot from you. That was a really good strategy, kind of like the strategy Ash used to defeat my Scyther in my battle with him. And I think the Tailspin attack is a good name, too. You deserved to win today."
"Thank you, Bugsy," replied Tristan. "Your Pokémon have been raised well, too."
Bugsy took out a badge that resembled a ladybug. "This Hive Badge is yours, and you earned it."
Tristan happily accepted the Hive Badge. "Thanks a lot, Bugsy." Then he raised his new badge in the air and happily proclaimed, "Yes! A Hive Badge!"
"Pi-Pikachu!" added Pikachu.
(Music Cue: Meeting and Parting)
"Hey, Tristan?" said Bugsy. "If you and Hillary ever come back to Azalea Town, why don't we have a rematch?"
"I'd like that," replied Tristan. "But I should warn you that we'll be even stronger than we are now."
"And so will I," agreed Bugsy. "I wish you success on your Johto League journey."
And Tristan and Bugsy shared a happy handshake.
That night, Tristan and Hillary gave Maizie a call at the Pokémon Center.
"I earned a Hive Badge in my Gym battle today," said Tristan.
"Congratulations," smiled Maizie. "Grandpa says that making Poké Balls is a lot of hard work, especially when he has 14 Apricorns to work with. So I'm afraid I'm stuck helping him, so I can't help you pick any more Apricorns."
"Don't worry about that, Maizie," said Hillary. "We'll be able to tell which ones are ready to be picked."
"That's good," replied Maizie. "I have to get back to helping my grandpa. But feel free to pick Apricorns on your own tomorrow morning on your way back to our place."
"We will," said Tristan. "Thanks, Maizie. Say hi to Kurt for us."
"I will," replied Maizie. "Good night."
The video screen then turned off.
"Well, I guess we'd better wait some more until tomorrow," sighed Hillary. "Let's get some sleep until then."
"Good idea," yawned Hillary. "I can't wait to see what we'll be doing tomorrow."
And together, they set off toward their bedroom.
And so, Tristan has earned his second badge from the Azalea Town Gym. Now he and Hillary prepare for another good night's rest as they think about the many adventures that lie ahead.
► TO BE CONTINUED