POKÉMON: CRYSTAL
(POCKET MONSTERS: HUNT FOR THE CRYSTAL MONSTERBALL!)

(Episode 7)
"Badge of Humility"
(Tim's First Gym Battle! 3 vs. 3!)

Written by TG

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Last Time on POKÉMON: CRYSTAL...

After nearly being killed by crushing rocks, our heroes found themselves in the Rouya Mountains Pokemon Gym. Gym Leader Tony had saved their lives, and the lives of Team Rocket, from the freezing cold. In order to get past the Gym, and to our heroes destination, they would have to battle Tony in a Gym Battle. Annie of Team Rocket fought against Tony and lost, and Team Rocket were escorted out (the hard way). Now Tim prepares to challenge the formidable Gym Leader, while still injured!

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Tim looked up at Beth, "It's now or never."

Tony looked at him, then at Beth. "I am forced to agree with your sister. I will not battle a trainer who is so unprepared." He recalled his Onix.

Beth smiled. "Thank you."

Tim sighed.

Tony nodded at her. "Now, I suggest you two see to your injured Pokémon. Perhaps you will want to call your parents as well. Return to your quarters and I will send someone to show you the way." He began typing at his laptop again.

Beth looked at Tim, who shrugged. Both trainers walked back through the passageway they had exited a few moments prior.

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It took a few moments for the two trainers to return to their quarters. Tim explained the circumstances of the accident and his recovery.

"So after I tried to dig through, me and the Team Rocket girl gave up. I was pretty hurt, and I knew I had to get your Meowth help. We walked for what seemed like forever through tunnels before an Onix showed up with some guy on its back. He took us back here and made sure we were alright. Then he went and found you and that other guy."

Beth sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the ground. "I wonder how long it's been... I bet Mom and Dad are freaking out that we haven't checked in."

Tim shrugged. "My watch got smashed, so I don't know how long we've been here."

There was a knock at the door and it opened. A boy, perhaps 13, walked in. He had a dusky complexion, dark-brown eyes and hair. "Uh, I was told to show two people around?"

Beth hopped off the bed. "Those two people would be us."

The boy looked at Beth for a moment in silence before turning around and walking out the door. "Uh, follow me.."

Tim looked at the boy, then Beth, who shrugged. Both trainers started to follow the dusky-skinned guide. The stone passages seemed maze-like in their number and turns.

Tim looked at Beth, who was staring off ahead. He grinned at his own mischief. "Uh, my name's Tim Satoshi, what's yours?"

Beth looked down at Tim in confusion. She momentarily caught a sly grin, before Tim motioned towards the boy ahead of them. "Oh, and my name's Beth Satoshi.."

The boy came to a dead stop and spun around, causing the two trainers to leap back. He bowed quickly, his eyes seemingly busy studying the trainers' shoes. "My name's Emery, glad to meet you, I'm very sorry I've been rude.." He took a deep breath and slowly turned his eyes upward, at which point he turned red and spun back around. He started to lead again, but his pace quickened.

Beth looked back down at Tim, who was keeping his amusement stifled. She grabbed his left arm, causing him to nearly yelp in pain. Suddenly the two siblings smashed into an open door.

The boy peeked around the door, "Uh, this is the infirmary, where your hurt Pokémon are being kept." Tim leapt up, streaming tears from the pain and the laughter he was busy choking down. He quickly ran inside before Beth leapt up. She looked at Emery, whose face turned a deeper crimson before he ducked behind just enough so only his pointing hand could be seen.

Tim was staring through a small glass case over a table. Inside, on the table lay his Pikachu, in a much better state than after the landslide. The numerous scratches and gashes on it's body had healed, and the large gash on it's forehead was bandaged. Two small electrodes were stuck to its electric sacks, which ran to a small digital read-out. Tim carefully tapped the glass. The small electric rodent opened it's brown eyes and stared up at its owner. The digital read-out began to beep.

Beth approached a table on which her Meowth was laying. A bandage was wrapped around one of its front paws and one of its back paws. Its ears perked up and the feline opened it's eyes.

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Beth slowly sighed as she hung up the phone. Luckily, her parents had only shot into the stratosphere when she told them about the accident. Other than the possibility of being grounded for a decade or two when she was done looking for the crystal Pokéball, things were good. She spun around to come nearly face to face with Emery.

The boy's face colored scarlet as he inched back. "Um, I noticed the Pokéball for your Meowth got destroyed. Here!" He thrust the Pokéball into her hands, before spinning around and zooming back to a computer terminal, trying to look busy.

Beth looked at the Pokéball before walking back to a table. The bag was still a bit dirty, but had survived being partially buried. She examined her Ivysaur's Pokéball, which was intact. She then looked at the Pokédex which had been in her pocket in the accident. Part of the cover had been smashed and fallen off. Several keys were missing, and the main screen was cracked. As she slid it open, the smashed status light fizzled.

"Hi.... I'm De-De-Dex-ter, the Po-ka-kamon database diss-play syss-tem. I ammm the-property-of... Beth..tosh..iiiiii.. Warrn-ing... Poo-kaaaDEX op-op-operating sys-teeeeeem can- cannot load... Un-able-able to re-COV..errrrr." Suddenly three chimes sounded and the cracked screen went dark; a small Pokédex icon with a frowning face appeared.

"I'm afraid we don't have any spare Pokédexes, young lady." A woman with long, aqua-green hair walked into the room. Beth looked confused when the stranger started to examine her bandage.

"Um, my name's Beth.."

The woman nodded as she stepped back. "Beth Satoshi, as you told me." Seeing Beth's look of confusion, she smiled. "That's okay. You were quite delirious from the blow to your head. I practically had to sedate you to keep you from running around screaming."

Beth blushed. "I, uh, don't remember.. The last thing I can remember is being knocked out by a Golbat."

The woman eyed the Pokéball Beth was holding. "I see. Well, then I'll just reintroduce myself. My name's Tess. You said before you had heard of me, but you went to sleep before answering."

Beth shook her head. "I don't think so.. The name sounds familiar, maybe one of the stories my Dad tells..." She looked down at the Pokéball. "Um, thanks for saving me and my little brother."

Tess smiled. "That's just fine. I see you've met Emery."

Beth looked back up quickly. "Oh, yeah.. He gave this to me, to replace the one that got smashed."

Tess smiled knowingly. "Well, let's get your stuff together." She picked up a small, glass tube, staring at it. "What's... this?"

Beth slipped the scroll case from Tess's hands and pulled out the map. "This is the map to the pieces of the crystal Pokéball." Beth looked at the haunted look that came over Tess. "Is there something wrong, Tess?"

Tess shook her head. "Oh, I just was remembering something from some time ago. I've heard about this thing you're looking before, but I thought it was just a legend."

Beth tucked the map back into its storage, before stowing the glass tube inside her bag. "We've gotta get it before anybody else."

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Beth woke up with a start. After fumbling around in the darkness, she flipped the lamp on. The thing she detested the most about staying underground was the lack of a sun. She looked at the small clock on the opposite wall. It was 8:20. But which 8:20? She let out a frustrated sigh and opened the door, to find the lights bright. The lights in the facility always dimmed when the sun went down, in a wise attempt to keep residents' Circadian rhythms from being disrupted. Beth happily grabbed her towel and began the trek to the hot baths.

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Tim sat back in his seat and stared across the table at Beth. "Hurry up.."

Beth looked up from her cereal, her spoon inches from her mouth. "Will you shut up? I wasn't raised by wolves." She grinned and continued to eat as Tim stewed.

Tim looked over at Pikachu, who was sitting in its chair, holding a full belly. It opened its mouth to say something, but a burp came out. It turned red, and Tim laughed.

Beth's eyebrows twitched. "Like father, like son, like Pokémon." She grinned at her own joke before continuing to eat.

Tim watched her. "Did you know that Emery was the one who healed our Pokémon?"

Beth stopped for a moment. "Really? Not Tess?"

Tim nodded. "He's pretty cool. He knows alot about Pokémon, like what certain types like to eat and stuff."

"Speaking of food, I'm done with mine." She slowly slid the bowl away and dabbed her mouth with a napkin, eliciting a yawn from Tim.

Tim jumped up from the table. "Finally! Let's go, I wanna get that badge." He then fell back into his chair with a sigh as Beth slid the bowl of milk over to Meowth. Meowth happily lapped at the milk. Tim looked at Beth. "You were saying something about wolves?"

Beth picked up the empty bowl. "I'll have you know cats are very refined creatures, unlike canines."

Tim got up and followed her. "You're just lucky my Growlithe isn't here to hear that.."

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Tim stood in the challenger's box. Next to him stood Pikachu, ready for battle. "I challenge the leader of this gym to a Pokémon battle!"

Tony sat in his seat on the dais. Standing next to him on either side were Tess and Emery. "I accept your challenge. We shall battle with three Pokémon only, one at a time. For this match, I choose to have a proxy trainer be my champion!"

Tim looked at Tess. "Very well."

Tony pointed forward. "Emery, step forward."

Everybody else stopped. All eyes turned to Emery, who was having trouble finding his tongue.

Finally, Emery turned to Tony, "Are you sure you want me, Uncle Tony?"

Tony nodded. "You need to battle. There's more to Pokémon than how they live, what they eat, and how to heal them. Now step into champion's box."

Emery slowly walked down the steps and into the box. He looked over at Beth, before he turned back to study the lines in the center of the arena. He half-mumbled as he moved his gaze to Tim, "You're first."

Tim nodded. "I choose Pikachu!"

Pikachu ran out into the arena, waiting and watching.

Emery looked at his belt and slowly picked a Pokéball off and threw it. "Voltorb, go!"

The Voltorb rolled forward, staring at the Pikachu.

Tim slipped out his Pokédex and examined the information on Voltorb, before deciding on a course of action.

The battle went quickly. Tim's Pikachu thundershocked Emery's Voltorb. It retaliated by using its screech. As the Pikachu waved off the dizzy spell, it was stunned by Voltorb's tackle. It, in turn, thundershocked the Voltorb, sending it crashing back to the other side of the arena.

Emery ran up to Voltorb, making sure it wasn't too injured. "Voltorb, return. Krabby, go!"

Tim looked at the Krabby, then at his Pikachu, which was showing signs of tiring. "Pikachu, you're too hurt and weak.. This looks like a job for Marril! Marril, go!"

Emery's Krabby quickly used it's bubbles, but was blown sideways by Marril's watergun. It then attempted to leer Marril, but Marril's bubbles made that impossible. It did manage to vicegrip Marril momentarily, before Marril blew Krabby back to Emery with it's powerful watergun.

Emery, face red, recalled Krabby. He looked at his last Pokéball, then back at Tim. "Vulpix, go!"

Tim looked at the Vulpix, then at his Marril. "Marril, return." He looked at Beth, who nodded. He threw his third Pokéball. "Growlithe, go!"

Emery's Vulpix used its ember attack, but Growlithe shook it off, then retaliated by roaring. Vulpix backed up, then attempted to use a tail whip. Growlithe bit Vulpix's tail, causing it to cry out and bound over to Emery, hiding behind him. Growlithe roared again and shot flames in the air, before bounding back to Tim.

Tim recalled Growlithe and walked over to Emery.

Emery bent down and hugged his Vulpix, before recalling it. He stood up and immediately looked down at Tim's hand.

"You were good."

Emery slowly took Tim's hand. "Good as a Magikarp out of water."

Tim shrugged in embarrassment. "You just haven't had alot of battle experience."

Tony stood up. "That is why I wanted Emery to battle. He needs the experience. Now you and your sister both need to get prepared. It's important that you leave as soon as possible."

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Tim and Beth stood in front of the tunnel. Both were wearing heavy wool jackets that Tess had insisted they have. They looked at each other as Emery walked up wearing a heavy jacket and carrying a muddy-brown pack. Tony walked up behind him. As soon as Emery stopped, he started to stare downward.

Tony put his hand on Emery's shoulder. "You'll need Emery to show you how to get to the ruins. It's very important that you get there, the head supervisor hasn't reported in this week. If you find something suspicious, or there was an accident, I want you to come back here immediately. Okay?"

Beth nodded. "We won't do anything foolish." She stared down at Tim, who nodded in return.

Tony pulled out a small pin. "This is for you, Tim." He carefully placed it in Tim's hand.

Tim looked at the badge. "The Granite Badge... But-" Tim stopped when he saw Emery's face turn a bright crimson. "Thank you.." He snapped the badge inside his jacket.

Emery quickly took up the lead as the group departed through the tunnels. Tony waved to the group. "Remember, if there's trouble, come back here!"

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Next Time on POKÉMON: CRYSTAL...

Our heroes, plus their new guide Emery, travel through the frozen wastes to an abandoned mine. There they hope to find a piece of the Pokéball Krystallos! Travelling deep into the earth, they'll find more than they bargained for. Will they figure out what plagues them, or will they be too scared to think? It's a spooky situation, on Episode 8 of POKÉMON: CRYSTAL...

"Mineful of Trouble"

Tim: "Dig Those Diglett, it ain't."

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Pokémon and certain characters are , ®, or © Nintendo and are used without permission.
"Pokémon: Crystal" serial fanfiction & concept © 2000 Brightblade Productions