Acacia, Lickitung, and a Cool Pokémon Journey
Part 5
With Growlithe in hand, Acaia went out in search of a good practice match to strengthen her skills. This way, she would be prepared for her match with Sabrina.

She had walked no more than 5 minutes when out from behind a tree came a stranger. The stranger was a girl with long black hair, serious looking eyes, a red coat with gold buttons, and knee-high black boots. The weird thing about her was that she was levitating a few centimeters above the grass.

The floating girl said in a solemn voice, "I feel you are in search of a battle. Am I correct?" Acacia nodded. The girl continued, "You may battle with me. If you win, which you most certainly will not, I will give you three rewards. Ready?" Acacia answered with yes again. The girl said, "Good.
Let us begin. Go Kadabra."

A Pokéball suddenly floated out of the girl's hand, hovered for a second or two, and then a strong looking Kadabra came out. For more info, Acacia checked its record in the Pokédex. It told her, "Kadabra. A PSI Pokémon. It uses alpha wave-lengths to use some of the most powerful psychic attacks known. It's powers are only surpassed by Alakazam and Mewtwo."

"Then I'll set fire to that Kadabra! Go, Growlithe!" yelled Acacia.

"Grooowwwwwwlithe!"

"Kaaadaaabraaaa!" The battle began. Acacia ordered Growlithe to use bite. It leaped up and aimed for Kadabra, but the strange girl ordered it to use teleport, and Growlithe missed. Growlithe leapt and leaped and sprung but Kadabra's teleport was to fast. But then, she decided a smarter move.

"Growlithe, agility now!" ordered Acacia. Growlithe started at a simple run, then a sprint, and then almost cheetah speed. Growlithe was moving so fast, Kadabra became dizzy. This was the perfect time to attack. "Growlithe, use ember now!" Growlithe sprayed its ember attack straight at Kadabra. But
the girl had some other plans.

"Kadabra, reflect." said the girl in her mysteriously calm voice. Kadabra's body shimmered like a mirror as the ember hit. Sure, it hurt the psychic Pokémon, that was for sure, but most of the attack bounced off Kadabra straight back at Growlithe! Growlithe unexpectedly got hit by its own flames.

"No! Growlithe, can you still fight?" asked Acacia. Growlithe gave a weak nod of its head to show it was still in. "Good. Then use your roar attack!"

Growlithe opened its mouth and right after Acacia put on her earplugs, let out an earsplitting roar.

"GGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWLLLLLLLLIIIIIIITTTTTTHHHHH!!"

Kadabra was scared out of his wits. "Growlithe, use your flamethrower!" shouted Acacia. Growlithe opened its mouth not to roar, but to let loose a blazing flame attack that made Kadabra go unconscious.

"Return Kadabra. You were lucky that time but you will not be able to handle this. Go Mr. Mime." said the girl. She still had a calmness in her voice but it looked as if it could give way to panic any time.

"Mr. Mime"

"Mr. Mime. The BARRIER Pokémon. If interrupted while miming, it will attack with devastating force."

"Uh-oh," said Acacia, "I better do something. Umm, Growlithe, use your agility and take down!" Growlithe started at that breakneck speed again and just as it was about to make the hit, Mr. Mime put up its broad hands and Growlithe looked like it had run right into a wall, which it had. But this wall was an invisible one generated by Mr. Mime.

"Growlithe, return. Go, Ekans!" yelled Acacia.

"Eeeekaaaansssssssss!!"

"Ekans, use acid now! Burn a hole through Mr. Mime's wall!" Ekans spewed out greenish-black acid at Mr. Mime's protective wall and it burned through it onto Mr. Mime's hands and head.

"Mime!"

"Mr. Mime return. My final Pokémon won't be so easy. Go Alakazam."

"Alakazam. The PSI Pokémon. Its intelligence is said to rival that of a super-computer and its attacking power is unimaginable." said the Pokédex.

"We can beat it Ekans. Use glare!" ordered Acacia. Ekans' eyes turned blue and rainbow lights hit Alakazam and paralyzed it. "Now Ekans, use wrap attack!" ordered Acacia. Ekans slithered over to Alakazam and began to squeeze. It squeezed breath out of Alakazam but the girl decided it was time for Ekans to get off.

"Alakazam, psychic." Alakazam stood still and began to focus on Ekans. Suddenly, blue lights surrounded Ekans and it began to unwind itself.

"What are you doing Ekans? Use poison sting!" said Acacia. Ekans tried to open its mouth to let out the stingers, but it couldn't and it poked itself in the tongue with them.

"Eekkk! Aaanssss!"

"Return Ekans! I'm counting on you, so go Lickitung!"

"Tung!"

"Ha. A Lickitung is no match for Alakazam. Alakazam, use psywave." said the girl. She was getting calm again. Alakazam started to glow and then sent a psychic attack in the form of a large circle straight for Lickitung. Lickitung was licked. It was finished. Lickitung was returned by Acacia, but Acacia had a secret way she could still win. She concentrated on a will to win. A bug would be strong against psychic, and the winning transformation began. She went behind a bush and said she dropped her Pokeball there. Once behind the bush, her hands and arms became gigantic needles and her clothing became yellow and black striped hair. Her head became yellow and her eyes got bigger and turned red. In a moment she was a Beedrill!

Before changing, Acacia had told the girl that she would let this Pokémon fight for itself, so she would not be suspicious when no commands were given. Now, Acacia the Beedrill buzzed out from behind the bush. She flew high up into the air above Alakazam's head.

"A Beedrill that will fight for itself. Fine then. Alakazam, psybeam." said the stranger. Alakazam rose its eyes to look at Acacia/Beedrill and gave her a rainbow beam of psychic energy. She was hurt but not down yet. Then, she shot straight down at Alakazam with her arms positioned for a twin needle attack. She hit Alakazam and made it fall over. Alakazam was surprised anything could hurt it a shot back a weak and crooked psywave. Acacia/Beedrill easily dodged it. Now, she flew around and around in the air
above her opponent and fire a powerful pin missile. Well, Alakazam was definitely badly hurt now. But it had enough strength to hit her with a psychic attack. Acacia was nearly out of it when all of a sudden, a Pokéball opened and Lickitung bounced out, bruised, but looking ready to fight. Lickitung stuck its tongue out, wrapped it around Acacia, and pulled her behind the bush. Acacia willed her emotion to win down and became human again. Now she was able to command her Pokemon.

"Okay, Lickitung, use your lick attack!" ordered a weakened Acacia. She was hurt but she didn't let the mystery trainer see her. Lickitung stuck out its tongue this time not to save a person, but to faint Alakazam!

For once, the girl trainer wasn't calm. She yelled at her fainted Pokemon, "What did you do out there? You call yourself a psychic Pokemon! You got beaten by a normal type Pokemon! And in one hit! Anyway, I must keep my end of the battle outcome." The girl turned to Acacia. Acaia tried to hide some
scars that looked like they came from psychic attacks. The girl said to Acacia, "Your three rewards are these. One, I give you this TM. It is Psywave. Two, I will give you one of my psychic Pokemon. I will give you the one I did not battle with. You look like a good trainer for it. I give you a Venomoth. Third, maybe the best reward, here is a Marsh Badge." Acacia was confused. She had wanted a Marsh Badge but how did this girl have one to offer her? Unless she was... "Is your name Sabrina?" asked Acacia.

The girl answered, "You are correct. Now, I leave you your rewards right here. Goodbye" Acacia bent down to pick up her rewards and when she looked up to thank Sabrina, she was nowhere to be seen.