The next morning, I woke up at 6, sharp. Vera was sleeping in the bunk
below mine. I knew better than to hope it was from choice, though. I
guessed failing with her would mean I had a better chance of knowing what
not to say to other girls I met. I went into the main foyer of the pokémon
centre, which was already filling with people who were there to hear the
lecture that would be on later in the morning. I sat at a table near the
front, and sipped a cup of tea - I wasn't hungry, yet. The centre quickly
filled. I grabbed a bowl of cereal. By the time Vera woke up, the seat
across from me was the only seat remaining. She picked up a bowl of cereal
for herself, and sat across from me.
"Hello again!" I said. Perhaps I could resurrect the situation by being nice. The reply I got was disappointing. "Hi." She grunted, irritated. I guessed she wasn't a morning person. I noticed she had pokéballs; perhaps she was challenging Lt. Surge too. "You're challenging Surge?" She said something through a mouthful of cereal, which sounded more like a yes than a no. "Me, too. I just got here yesterday. I haven't had a chance to challenge him yet." "Me either." She said, this time swallowing the cereal before talking. "Why don't we go together? I find gyms scary." "Okay." She said. She didn't seem too pleased with the idea. But at least I'd got her to give me another chance.
After breakfast we went into the gym. I couldn't see anyone in it. It was very dark. I was about to suggest we go out, and wait for it to open. It did look like it was closed. "Lt. Surge? Excuse me? We challenge you!" Vera said. In response to this, the gym lit up. The old man at the other end of it started talking. "Two trainers! I will take you at the same time, just as I took two of the enemy troops down in the Great War! There seemed no hope for me, but I managed it in the end! What a battle! What a thought! It would bring back lots of memories to fight you at the same time! Lassie! Which pokémon type are you going to use?"
Vera didn't seem to be paying attention. I guess she wasn't too interested in the war. I elbowed her as gently as I could, to get her to pay attention again.
"I said, Lassie, which type of pokémon will you use?" "Uh." She thought for a few moments. I wondered which pokémon she'd use. "I'll use a psychic type!" She said. I wondered what psychic type she'd have? An Espeon? Or perhaps a Jynx? Almost defiantly an Espeon. It's the most feminine psychic pokémon around.
"Okay. Youngster, what are you going to use?"
I decided Saliba had the best chance.
"I'll use a normal type, sir." "You coward! Use a lightning type!"
Me? A coward? I'd be able to win even with Kienyi!
"Uh, yes, sir." "Good, m'boy! Get 'em! Raichu!" His Raichu was very tough looking - perhaps even good enough to take down Kienyi! And probably Vera's Espeon!
"Humility! Go!" She said, releasing her Espeon. Wait, it was a Kadabra! And it looked nervous. Very nervous. I released Kienyi, without saying anything. "Humility! Psychic!"
"Kienyi! Sonic Boom!" "Raichu! Thunder!" I gritted my teeth, expecting the worst. It wasn't all that bad, however. The three pokémon all managed to attack each other, leaving them all quite tired. I was surprised the Raichu could take two attacks without fainting.
"Psychic again!"
"Kienyi! Rollout!"
"Mega Kick Raichu!" Kienyi rolled straight over the Raichu, flattening it, while the Kadabra's psychic finished it off.
"Ah, yes, like the time Johnny and I took out the anti-aircraft gun! It was a clear day, and we knew that-"
I must admit I followed Vera's example and tuned out, only half-listening. He eventually gave us our badges, and we left quickly. I didn't particularly want to hear about the war again.
"Good battle." I said, when we were out of the gym. I didn't think a girl would be able to battle so well, and with such a strange pokémon. "You battled well, too! That was the easiest badge I've ever won!" I don't know whether it was mine - after all, my pokémon were powerful enough to have defeated the other two gyms in a move or so. But it was the most fun I had getting a gym badge. Spending time with her, I mean.
"Yeah. Where are you off to next?"
I said. I hoped she was going to Celadon too.
"Celadon City." She said. I felt relieved - at least one more city I could visit with her. "I want the Rainbowbadge!"
"Hello again!" I said. Perhaps I could resurrect the situation by being nice. The reply I got was disappointing. "Hi." She grunted, irritated. I guessed she wasn't a morning person. I noticed she had pokéballs; perhaps she was challenging Lt. Surge too. "You're challenging Surge?" She said something through a mouthful of cereal, which sounded more like a yes than a no. "Me, too. I just got here yesterday. I haven't had a chance to challenge him yet." "Me either." She said, this time swallowing the cereal before talking. "Why don't we go together? I find gyms scary." "Okay." She said. She didn't seem too pleased with the idea. But at least I'd got her to give me another chance.
After breakfast we went into the gym. I couldn't see anyone in it. It was very dark. I was about to suggest we go out, and wait for it to open. It did look like it was closed. "Lt. Surge? Excuse me? We challenge you!" Vera said. In response to this, the gym lit up. The old man at the other end of it started talking. "Two trainers! I will take you at the same time, just as I took two of the enemy troops down in the Great War! There seemed no hope for me, but I managed it in the end! What a battle! What a thought! It would bring back lots of memories to fight you at the same time! Lassie! Which pokémon type are you going to use?"
Vera didn't seem to be paying attention. I guess she wasn't too interested in the war. I elbowed her as gently as I could, to get her to pay attention again.
"I said, Lassie, which type of pokémon will you use?" "Uh." She thought for a few moments. I wondered which pokémon she'd use. "I'll use a psychic type!" She said. I wondered what psychic type she'd have? An Espeon? Or perhaps a Jynx? Almost defiantly an Espeon. It's the most feminine psychic pokémon around.
"Okay. Youngster, what are you going to use?"
I decided Saliba had the best chance.
"I'll use a normal type, sir." "You coward! Use a lightning type!"
Me? A coward? I'd be able to win even with Kienyi!
"Uh, yes, sir." "Good, m'boy! Get 'em! Raichu!" His Raichu was very tough looking - perhaps even good enough to take down Kienyi! And probably Vera's Espeon!
"Humility! Go!" She said, releasing her Espeon. Wait, it was a Kadabra! And it looked nervous. Very nervous. I released Kienyi, without saying anything. "Humility! Psychic!"
"Kienyi! Sonic Boom!" "Raichu! Thunder!" I gritted my teeth, expecting the worst. It wasn't all that bad, however. The three pokémon all managed to attack each other, leaving them all quite tired. I was surprised the Raichu could take two attacks without fainting.
"Psychic again!"
"Kienyi! Rollout!"
"Mega Kick Raichu!" Kienyi rolled straight over the Raichu, flattening it, while the Kadabra's psychic finished it off.
"Ah, yes, like the time Johnny and I took out the anti-aircraft gun! It was a clear day, and we knew that-"
I must admit I followed Vera's example and tuned out, only half-listening. He eventually gave us our badges, and we left quickly. I didn't particularly want to hear about the war again.
"Good battle." I said, when we were out of the gym. I didn't think a girl would be able to battle so well, and with such a strange pokémon. "You battled well, too! That was the easiest badge I've ever won!" I don't know whether it was mine - after all, my pokémon were powerful enough to have defeated the other two gyms in a move or so. But it was the most fun I had getting a gym badge. Spending time with her, I mean.
"Yeah. Where are you off to next?"
I said. I hoped she was going to Celadon too.
"Celadon City." She said. I felt relieved - at least one more city I could visit with her. "I want the Rainbowbadge!"