Acacia, Lickitung, and a Cool Pokémon Journey
Part 8
Acacia walked through the forest with her new companion, Dagger the Butterfree. As they wandered, they ran into a fellow trainer, a girl about a year younger than she was. The girl was kind of fat and had long black hair down to a bit below the shoulders.

"My name is Lisa. I challenge you to a 1 vs. 1 Pokemon battle. Do you accept?" said Lisa.

"Yes, I do. Go Lickitung!" said Acacia.

"Lick!" said Lickitung. Lisa sent out a Mankey.

"Lickitung, wrap now!" instructed Acacia. But instead of licking towards Lisa's Mankey, it wrapped up Acacia in its long tongue!

"What are you doing Lickitung?! Not me! Mankey!" screamed Acacia. Suddenly, Dagger swooped in and used sleep powder on Lickitung. After carefully climbing out of its tongue, Acacia wondered why Lickitung would turn like that. Then the old Pokedex translation fired up to translate Dagger's words.

"Translation: 'It is most likely my fault. Lickitung feels that since you nicknamed me and you keep me out of a Pokeball and near you, you might have replaced it as your most special Pokemon. Maybe if I spent time in a Pokeball and you kept Lickitung out for a while, it would feel better.' Translation deactivated." said the Pokedex.

"Well, if you really feel that way, return Dagger!" said Acacia as she held up a Pokeball. Its red beam touched Dagger and Dagger was swept inside. Lickitung had woken up and witnessed this. It felt relieved and finally wrapped its tongue around Mankey. It was so tight that Mankey went blue.

"Alright Lickitung! You feel better!" exclaimed Acacia.

"Mankey, break free and give it your karate chop!" ordered Lisa. But Mankey couldn't move. Lickitung kept its hold. As an added bonus, Lickitung slurped Mankey on the face paralyzing it.

"Now Lickitung, use your double-edge!" yelled Acacia.

"Tung!" Lickitung charged at Mankey shoulder first and let Mankey fly into the stomach of its trainer. Lisa fell down anime style. Unfortunately, Lickitung was a bit damaged as well. But only a bit. After bidding farewell to Lisa, Acacia told Lickitung it could stay out of its Pokeball and walk by her side. Lickitung was thrilled to hear this and quickly nodded. It gave her a big slurp to show its gratitude. Acacia was a little stiff but able to move enough to see Cerulean City ahead.

Once in the Pokemon Center, Lickitung tried to climb up on the counter, but fell down on its head. Acacia gave it a boost and it was fine.

"Just wait here and you'll have your Pokemon in a jiffy." said the Cerulean City Nurse Joy. While she waited, she found it difficult to keep from screaming with excitement but she kept her mouth. But the thought of beating one of the Sensational Sisters at the gym tomorrow was hard to keep down.

The next day, Acacia and Lickitung went off to the Cerulean Gym for a Cascade Badge. Once inside the aquatic gym, Acacia found the three female gym leaders working out in a huge pool. She called to them and watched them backstroke towards her and finish by flipping onto the side of the pool. All Acacia could do was clap.

"Thanks," said the blonde one, "My name is Daisy and these are my sisters. You may select one of us to challenge. We all have one Pokemon and that makes it a one on one battle. Choose wisely." Acacia chose Daisy. Daisy said, "Okay then, let's go." Many platforms rose up onto the surface of the pool. Acacia and Daisy stood on opposite platforms.

"Go Ekans!" said Acacia.

"Go Seel!" said Daisy.

"Ekanssssss!"

"Seel! Seel!"

"Ekans, use your acid!" instructed Acacia. Ekans spewed out the toxic fluid all over Seel, poisoning it. Ekans also sprayed some into the pool so that if Seel tried to wash it off, it would just get more on it.

"Smart move, but I, like, have a better one. Seel, aurora beam!" yelled Daisy. Seel's rainbow beam hit square on Ekans's head. Ekans looked pretty mad.

"Ekans, bite attack!" Ekans rocketed toward Seel, but Seel dodged.

"Seel, at this range you won't miss! Headbutt!" Seel drove its horn in the direction of Ekans. But used the side of its head instead. It knew that if it had used the horn, Ekans would have been severely hurt, more than a regular battle attack. Still, Ekans looked even more fierce.

"Ekans, use your poison sting!" Ekans blasted blue glowing poison darts into Seel's flippers.

"Seel, come on buddy! Use your ice beam!" Seel opened its mouth, let a glowing ball form and let a beam of ice fly at Ekans. Ekans was frozen.

"No! Ekans!" exclaimed Acacia.

"Well, it looks like I've wo.. What?!" Daisy said. She was surprised to she the frozen Pokemon in the ice glow brightly and begin to change form. It got bigger, shattering the ice. A hood with frightening markings sprouted from its head. Its purple color got darker and all traces of yellow on its body disappeared. Ekans had evolved into Arbok!

"Whoa! That was some evolution! Go get that Seel with your wrap attack Eka, I mean Arbok!" ordered Acacia with awe. Arbok shot to Seel and squeezed so hard Seel fainted!

"Man! Seel return!" said Daisy with dismay. "Well, here's the badge, you earned it." Daisy opened her hand to reveal a tear drop shaped badge. Afterwards, Acacia jumped for joy and skipped along to the Pokemon center. Now she had to go along Nugget Bridge to see Bill, the Pokemon expert for information on how to be a master.