Chapter 32
Charmeleon waddled towards his opponents, his eyes throbbing from his newfound
power. His waddle grew into a charge, lunging forwards, brandishing his knife like
claws. Swinging his muscled arm back around, he thrust down onto Espeon's head,
knocking the pokémon out cold in the single hit. Stepping up next, Graveler shot his
gravel fist forward, crushing into the fire lizards' stomach. Roaring in discomfort, it
retaliated with a tornado of fire, swirling out of its sharp-toothed mouth, twisting
around on itself at Graveler's feet, whipping up in a funnel, engulfing the rock
pokémon.
"Plusle! Minun! Use helping hand!" ordered Lucia, her twin electric pokémon leaping
next to the spiral of flames. Applauding Graveler, the rock struggled free, tearing
through the fire as if it were a curtain. The funnel collapsed, and Graveler charged for
a tackle. Colliding, Charmeleon and Graveler struggled on the spot, claws and fingers
entangling as the two fought against the others strength.
"…" Setijin remained frozen, Medicham and Ninjask growing restless on the spot,
scowling at each other. Medicham poked his tongue out from between his thick lips,
Ninjask humming his wings in frustration.
"Setijin, please, we need your help!" pleaded Winona, Setijin crouching down into a
ball, his eyes transfixed on the floor. Shaking her head in return, she unleashed her
two final pokémon, the timid pairing of Oddish and Natu hopping around in front of
her, cowering at the sight of the imposing figure of Charmeleon.
"Minun, use fake tears!" called Lucia, the blue tipped electric mouse bounding
forwards, sitting by Charmeleon's side, before bursting into tears. Flicking his eyes
down, the fire lizard heart melted, his grip loosening and force wavering away.
Graveler heaved forwards, tripping Charmeleon onto his back, slamming his body
onto the lizard's stomach.
"Graveler, finish it with a rock throw!" Winona shouted, Graveler ripping a large slab
of flooring from its side, crushing it into a ball. Swinging the ball around, he hurled it
downwards, the bemused Charmeleon rolling onto its side, sweeping his tail across.
As it whipped by, it shimmered with a thin coat of iron, shattering the ball of debris
into nothing more than dust. Shuffling back to his feet, Charmeleon kicked Minun
aside, and charged at Graveler, head butting the rock pokémon to the floor.
"Plusle, use encore, and Minun, use thunder wave!" Lucia ordered. Encouraging
Minun to her feet, Plusle cheered, Minun flipped onto Charmeleon's scaly back,
erupting in a display of sparks, before leaping away to safety. Charmeleon became
soaked in the lightning energy, dropping to his knees in pain. Natu flapped towards
him, his eyes glowing purple with mysterious energy.
"Natu…future sight," Winona relayed calmly, the tiny bird chirping as Charmeleon
roared in discomfort, the purple aura dragging him along the floor, and eventually into
a wall. Enveloped in red, Charmeleon returned to its pokéball, the group's assailant
backing away.
"Quite a nice show you put on for me there," he muttered, reaching for a spare
pokéball from his pocket. The ball, black all over, with a red trim shimmered in the
light, the man launching it forwards, cracking the unawares Medicham on the back of
the head. "I think I'll be taking our test subject back though," he finished, the ball
ceasing to struggle, crumbling to a halt. The man lunged forwards, sweeping the ball
off of the floor and pocketing it, before sprinting out of the room, and onto the deck.
"Medicham?" Setijin whimpered, snapping out of his slump and leaping to his feet.
"Medicham!" he cried, charging out after the man, Ninjask obediently following his
trainer's lead. Winona and Lucia mimicked Setijin's chase, their pokémon to,
following them outside, Oddish taking the lead.
"So long!" the man called back, clasping hold of a rope ladder, dropped down from
the helicopter above. The military like chopper was sleek and black, its gargantuan
propellers tipped with red, and a large '0' emblazoned on its flanks. Banking sharply
and rising, the helicopter made haste, Setijin slamming against the rails as he tried to
run further. Oddish stepped up, its crown of leaves throbbing with sunlight. Blurring
the air around it, it squealed energetically as a thick stream of light and energy
exploding through the sky. The torrent of brightness swept upwards, barraging the
rear end of the helicopter.
"Great work!" congratulated Winona, whom had finally reached Setijin and the deck.
As the beam faded, the helicopter shuddered, the tail fin ripping off in flames. It
tipped to one side, a number of items cascading out of its open door crashing down
into the misty blue ocean. Watching carefully, Setijin spied Medicham's pokéball,
calling out excitedly.
"There it is!" he cried, releasing Barboach into the water. The timid water pokémon
slithered forward just skimming the underside of the surface of the water. He swam
into the distance, the helicopter still attempting to regain control. Rolling onto its side,
it smoked and blazed off towards the mountains visible on the horizon.
"Mountains?" Lucia pondered. "That means we're in Johto waters now!" She turned
back around, noticing the dozens of security guards wandering around, examining the
damage and interrogating witnesses.
"They took their time didn't they?" Winona sighed, Setijin still watching the debris of
the helicopter with utmost attention. Less than a minute later, the water rippling along
the pearl white hull of the boat broke, as Barboach emerged, a black pokéball with red
trim snugly stuck against his lips.
"Yes! Great work!" he shouted, calling Ninjask to attention. "Go down and get the
ball back!" Ninjask hovered down, circling the roach pokémon. He clasped the ball
ruggedly in between his two fore claws, ascending to Setijin's eye level. Gently
removing it, he took the ball from Ninjask, dropping it to the floor. In the usual flurry
of sparks, Medicham took shape, standing staring forward.
"Is he ok?" Winona asked. Setijin excitedly examined his pokémon, looking for any
scarring or bruising.
"He seems fine. Just a little bit shaken, that's all." He patted Medicham on the head,
returning both Ninjask and Barboach to the confines of their pokéballs. Lucia and
Winona copied, congratulating their teams as they were recalled, one by one.
"Sample 7Xgy5 has been secured sir," the admin explained. The boss nodded,
playfully nudging his chair from side to side, restlessly.
"Good work…any more field news?" he replied.
"Nothing more than usual…more and more rockets seem to be having problems with
their own specimens, but other than that, things are still going smoothly."
"Yes they are…good, good…return to work," the boss ushered, the admin leaving the
room, shutting the doors behind him. The room shuddered with darkness, a small
lamp, resting on the desk clicking on sheepishly. The boss slumped over the table,
arms folded and chin resting in the nest they had created. "Bored…" he sighed,
slithering back up straight, reaching for his microphone. "Could ID 43B please report
to me sometime in the near future please?" he announced, his voice ringing through
every nook, cranny and coridoor of the complex, employees gazing up at the speakers
relaying his orders. "…That will be all…"
The group stepped off of the ship, onto the dock, police offers waving them off as
they aided fellow passengers onto dry land. Winona stretched tiredly, sighing with
fatigue as she examined her surroundings. The buildings in the immediate area were
all painted with a shimmering white, glossy in the beating sunlight. The buildings
themselves were arranged in perfect rows, the entire town built on a flat landscape, its
only obvious features being its two towering tourist centers: its legendary lighthouse,
and the world famous Johto Battle Tower. The docks, piers and souvenir shops
housed the more foreign of visitors while trainers of all varieties flocked in and out of
the battle towers, large LED displays brimming with life, advertising pokémon related
products and news. Winona sighed triumphantly as Lucia's eyes widened.
"We're finally in Johto!" she exclaimed.
"This place is so much quieter than Lilycove, except for the battle tower over there,"
Setijin observed.
"It's not a particularly busy place," explained Winona. "The only reason that there are
so many people come here is because of that battle tower. Before that was built, this
was simply a quiet port town."
"Well, all I want to know is where to find the gym," Setijin continued. "I need to get
Cyndaquil back!"
"I'm going to go and look at the lighthouse," Lucia informed the other two. "What are
you gonna do Winona?"
"I'll probably head over to the gym with Setijin and say 'hello' to Jasmine. We
haven't seen each other in a long time." Lucia nodded, adjusting the rucksack slung
over her right shoulder. She tied her long brown hair back and set off, weaving
through the tourists gazing out to sea. Winona tugged on Setijin's shirtsleeve, guiding
him towards a street leading into the heart of the town. The density of the crowds
seem to fluctuate, some streets home to no more than a few stragglers, lost in the
collection of identical pathways, and others housing hoards of people, all nearing their
destinations, crowds queuing for the battle tower through the back alleys and
pathways.
"That tower must be really popular," Setijin commented, blatantly stating the obvious.
"Well it is the center for pokémon battling outside the leagues in each region. Soon
enough, the battle tower recently opened in Hoenn will be just as popular as this one.
Many trainers consider this the final test of strength before traveling to the Hoenn
league. Feels sort of humbling in a way…being considered that much more powerful
than those who work the gyms here." Winona replied. Setijin stretched his arms in
fatigue.
"Part of me has always wanted to be a gym leader, even though I've never trained
pokémon before," he continued. "There is just something about the whole thing that
seems to appeal to me, but I don't know what it is. Perhaps it's the respect, or the
status. It just seems like a lot of fun, or at least an experience to tell the children." The
two chuckled, Winona adding to the conversation.
"It can be fun; meeting all these aspiring young trainers, having some form of
authority and being a part of the pokémon league, but then it can be restricting. Being
limited to pokémon types and being stuck in towns for years on end with little
happening really starts to drag after a while. This is why I see this trip as a sort of
godsend: I haven't been further than Lilycove for over year until now."
"I guess being the league champion would provide the best of both worlds: the
authority, the power, the respect and the ability to go anywhere and everywhere."
"That would be great, but it is one difficult status to obtain. Think about it! In Hoenn
we have Arc in charge of things, with his almighty pokémon squad, and then Johto
and Kanto share their leagues, with trainers rumored to be even more powerful that
Arc. If those rumors are true, then winning the league here would be nig on
impossible."
"If only there was a new league starting somewhere. Then we'd be able to get into
things right at the start," Setijin pondered.
"But the chances of us being in the right place at the right time are about as slim as us
becoming champions of one of the current leagues," sighed Winona. Setijin nodded in
response.
"You're right, but still, dreaming is a nice thing to do. You never know what might
happen. I suppose this is incentive to try and win more gym badges though. With
them, at least I could have a shot at some of these leagues someday!"
"You never know: your squad is already quite capable. You've been training little
more than a week now, and you already have 2 badges, a silver medal in an official
tournament, a novice ranking in smart contests and 4 powerful pokémon to your
name. You may very well stand a chance to go far in the future!"
"Thanks. That means a lot to me," smiled Setijin, watching Winona fondly as she
complimented him.
"Look out world, here comes Setijin!" she joked. The two chuckled again, Setijin
stopping in his track, gazing up in thought.
"What if we were to start our own league somewhere? You know, after getting some
badges between us, winning a few contests…would we be able to start a league
somewhere that doesn't have one?"
"I guess its possible. We would have to have a lot going for us, and wherever we set it
up would have to have some form of gym system too. But I suppose if we did find
somewhere big enough for a few gyms that we could set up…hire a spare stadium or
something…I think it might be possible! Good idea Setijin!"
"I can't wait already!" he squirmed gleefully at the thought. The pair walked on a
little way down the next street, Winona stopping a few paces ahead of Setijin. She
turned to him, raising her hands to her side, directing his attention towards the large
steel plated building to his left.
"Setijin, welcome to Olivine City Gym," she introduced.
Charmeleon waddled towards his opponents, his eyes throbbing from his newfound
power. His waddle grew into a charge, lunging forwards, brandishing his knife like
claws. Swinging his muscled arm back around, he thrust down onto Espeon's head,
knocking the pokémon out cold in the single hit. Stepping up next, Graveler shot his
gravel fist forward, crushing into the fire lizards' stomach. Roaring in discomfort, it
retaliated with a tornado of fire, swirling out of its sharp-toothed mouth, twisting
around on itself at Graveler's feet, whipping up in a funnel, engulfing the rock
pokémon.
"Plusle! Minun! Use helping hand!" ordered Lucia, her twin electric pokémon leaping
next to the spiral of flames. Applauding Graveler, the rock struggled free, tearing
through the fire as if it were a curtain. The funnel collapsed, and Graveler charged for
a tackle. Colliding, Charmeleon and Graveler struggled on the spot, claws and fingers
entangling as the two fought against the others strength.
"…" Setijin remained frozen, Medicham and Ninjask growing restless on the spot,
scowling at each other. Medicham poked his tongue out from between his thick lips,
Ninjask humming his wings in frustration.
"Setijin, please, we need your help!" pleaded Winona, Setijin crouching down into a
ball, his eyes transfixed on the floor. Shaking her head in return, she unleashed her
two final pokémon, the timid pairing of Oddish and Natu hopping around in front of
her, cowering at the sight of the imposing figure of Charmeleon.
"Minun, use fake tears!" called Lucia, the blue tipped electric mouse bounding
forwards, sitting by Charmeleon's side, before bursting into tears. Flicking his eyes
down, the fire lizard heart melted, his grip loosening and force wavering away.
Graveler heaved forwards, tripping Charmeleon onto his back, slamming his body
onto the lizard's stomach.
"Graveler, finish it with a rock throw!" Winona shouted, Graveler ripping a large slab
of flooring from its side, crushing it into a ball. Swinging the ball around, he hurled it
downwards, the bemused Charmeleon rolling onto its side, sweeping his tail across.
As it whipped by, it shimmered with a thin coat of iron, shattering the ball of debris
into nothing more than dust. Shuffling back to his feet, Charmeleon kicked Minun
aside, and charged at Graveler, head butting the rock pokémon to the floor.
"Plusle, use encore, and Minun, use thunder wave!" Lucia ordered. Encouraging
Minun to her feet, Plusle cheered, Minun flipped onto Charmeleon's scaly back,
erupting in a display of sparks, before leaping away to safety. Charmeleon became
soaked in the lightning energy, dropping to his knees in pain. Natu flapped towards
him, his eyes glowing purple with mysterious energy.
"Natu…future sight," Winona relayed calmly, the tiny bird chirping as Charmeleon
roared in discomfort, the purple aura dragging him along the floor, and eventually into
a wall. Enveloped in red, Charmeleon returned to its pokéball, the group's assailant
backing away.
"Quite a nice show you put on for me there," he muttered, reaching for a spare
pokéball from his pocket. The ball, black all over, with a red trim shimmered in the
light, the man launching it forwards, cracking the unawares Medicham on the back of
the head. "I think I'll be taking our test subject back though," he finished, the ball
ceasing to struggle, crumbling to a halt. The man lunged forwards, sweeping the ball
off of the floor and pocketing it, before sprinting out of the room, and onto the deck.
"Medicham?" Setijin whimpered, snapping out of his slump and leaping to his feet.
"Medicham!" he cried, charging out after the man, Ninjask obediently following his
trainer's lead. Winona and Lucia mimicked Setijin's chase, their pokémon to,
following them outside, Oddish taking the lead.
"So long!" the man called back, clasping hold of a rope ladder, dropped down from
the helicopter above. The military like chopper was sleek and black, its gargantuan
propellers tipped with red, and a large '0' emblazoned on its flanks. Banking sharply
and rising, the helicopter made haste, Setijin slamming against the rails as he tried to
run further. Oddish stepped up, its crown of leaves throbbing with sunlight. Blurring
the air around it, it squealed energetically as a thick stream of light and energy
exploding through the sky. The torrent of brightness swept upwards, barraging the
rear end of the helicopter.
"Great work!" congratulated Winona, whom had finally reached Setijin and the deck.
As the beam faded, the helicopter shuddered, the tail fin ripping off in flames. It
tipped to one side, a number of items cascading out of its open door crashing down
into the misty blue ocean. Watching carefully, Setijin spied Medicham's pokéball,
calling out excitedly.
"There it is!" he cried, releasing Barboach into the water. The timid water pokémon
slithered forward just skimming the underside of the surface of the water. He swam
into the distance, the helicopter still attempting to regain control. Rolling onto its side,
it smoked and blazed off towards the mountains visible on the horizon.
"Mountains?" Lucia pondered. "That means we're in Johto waters now!" She turned
back around, noticing the dozens of security guards wandering around, examining the
damage and interrogating witnesses.
"They took their time didn't they?" Winona sighed, Setijin still watching the debris of
the helicopter with utmost attention. Less than a minute later, the water rippling along
the pearl white hull of the boat broke, as Barboach emerged, a black pokéball with red
trim snugly stuck against his lips.
"Yes! Great work!" he shouted, calling Ninjask to attention. "Go down and get the
ball back!" Ninjask hovered down, circling the roach pokémon. He clasped the ball
ruggedly in between his two fore claws, ascending to Setijin's eye level. Gently
removing it, he took the ball from Ninjask, dropping it to the floor. In the usual flurry
of sparks, Medicham took shape, standing staring forward.
"Is he ok?" Winona asked. Setijin excitedly examined his pokémon, looking for any
scarring or bruising.
"He seems fine. Just a little bit shaken, that's all." He patted Medicham on the head,
returning both Ninjask and Barboach to the confines of their pokéballs. Lucia and
Winona copied, congratulating their teams as they were recalled, one by one.
"Sample 7Xgy5 has been secured sir," the admin explained. The boss nodded,
playfully nudging his chair from side to side, restlessly.
"Good work…any more field news?" he replied.
"Nothing more than usual…more and more rockets seem to be having problems with
their own specimens, but other than that, things are still going smoothly."
"Yes they are…good, good…return to work," the boss ushered, the admin leaving the
room, shutting the doors behind him. The room shuddered with darkness, a small
lamp, resting on the desk clicking on sheepishly. The boss slumped over the table,
arms folded and chin resting in the nest they had created. "Bored…" he sighed,
slithering back up straight, reaching for his microphone. "Could ID 43B please report
to me sometime in the near future please?" he announced, his voice ringing through
every nook, cranny and coridoor of the complex, employees gazing up at the speakers
relaying his orders. "…That will be all…"
The group stepped off of the ship, onto the dock, police offers waving them off as
they aided fellow passengers onto dry land. Winona stretched tiredly, sighing with
fatigue as she examined her surroundings. The buildings in the immediate area were
all painted with a shimmering white, glossy in the beating sunlight. The buildings
themselves were arranged in perfect rows, the entire town built on a flat landscape, its
only obvious features being its two towering tourist centers: its legendary lighthouse,
and the world famous Johto Battle Tower. The docks, piers and souvenir shops
housed the more foreign of visitors while trainers of all varieties flocked in and out of
the battle towers, large LED displays brimming with life, advertising pokémon related
products and news. Winona sighed triumphantly as Lucia's eyes widened.
"We're finally in Johto!" she exclaimed.
"This place is so much quieter than Lilycove, except for the battle tower over there,"
Setijin observed.
"It's not a particularly busy place," explained Winona. "The only reason that there are
so many people come here is because of that battle tower. Before that was built, this
was simply a quiet port town."
"Well, all I want to know is where to find the gym," Setijin continued. "I need to get
Cyndaquil back!"
"I'm going to go and look at the lighthouse," Lucia informed the other two. "What are
you gonna do Winona?"
"I'll probably head over to the gym with Setijin and say 'hello' to Jasmine. We
haven't seen each other in a long time." Lucia nodded, adjusting the rucksack slung
over her right shoulder. She tied her long brown hair back and set off, weaving
through the tourists gazing out to sea. Winona tugged on Setijin's shirtsleeve, guiding
him towards a street leading into the heart of the town. The density of the crowds
seem to fluctuate, some streets home to no more than a few stragglers, lost in the
collection of identical pathways, and others housing hoards of people, all nearing their
destinations, crowds queuing for the battle tower through the back alleys and
pathways.
"That tower must be really popular," Setijin commented, blatantly stating the obvious.
"Well it is the center for pokémon battling outside the leagues in each region. Soon
enough, the battle tower recently opened in Hoenn will be just as popular as this one.
Many trainers consider this the final test of strength before traveling to the Hoenn
league. Feels sort of humbling in a way…being considered that much more powerful
than those who work the gyms here." Winona replied. Setijin stretched his arms in
fatigue.
"Part of me has always wanted to be a gym leader, even though I've never trained
pokémon before," he continued. "There is just something about the whole thing that
seems to appeal to me, but I don't know what it is. Perhaps it's the respect, or the
status. It just seems like a lot of fun, or at least an experience to tell the children." The
two chuckled, Winona adding to the conversation.
"It can be fun; meeting all these aspiring young trainers, having some form of
authority and being a part of the pokémon league, but then it can be restricting. Being
limited to pokémon types and being stuck in towns for years on end with little
happening really starts to drag after a while. This is why I see this trip as a sort of
godsend: I haven't been further than Lilycove for over year until now."
"I guess being the league champion would provide the best of both worlds: the
authority, the power, the respect and the ability to go anywhere and everywhere."
"That would be great, but it is one difficult status to obtain. Think about it! In Hoenn
we have Arc in charge of things, with his almighty pokémon squad, and then Johto
and Kanto share their leagues, with trainers rumored to be even more powerful that
Arc. If those rumors are true, then winning the league here would be nig on
impossible."
"If only there was a new league starting somewhere. Then we'd be able to get into
things right at the start," Setijin pondered.
"But the chances of us being in the right place at the right time are about as slim as us
becoming champions of one of the current leagues," sighed Winona. Setijin nodded in
response.
"You're right, but still, dreaming is a nice thing to do. You never know what might
happen. I suppose this is incentive to try and win more gym badges though. With
them, at least I could have a shot at some of these leagues someday!"
"You never know: your squad is already quite capable. You've been training little
more than a week now, and you already have 2 badges, a silver medal in an official
tournament, a novice ranking in smart contests and 4 powerful pokémon to your
name. You may very well stand a chance to go far in the future!"
"Thanks. That means a lot to me," smiled Setijin, watching Winona fondly as she
complimented him.
"Look out world, here comes Setijin!" she joked. The two chuckled again, Setijin
stopping in his track, gazing up in thought.
"What if we were to start our own league somewhere? You know, after getting some
badges between us, winning a few contests…would we be able to start a league
somewhere that doesn't have one?"
"I guess its possible. We would have to have a lot going for us, and wherever we set it
up would have to have some form of gym system too. But I suppose if we did find
somewhere big enough for a few gyms that we could set up…hire a spare stadium or
something…I think it might be possible! Good idea Setijin!"
"I can't wait already!" he squirmed gleefully at the thought. The pair walked on a
little way down the next street, Winona stopping a few paces ahead of Setijin. She
turned to him, raising her hands to her side, directing his attention towards the large
steel plated building to his left.
"Setijin, welcome to Olivine City Gym," she introduced.