"It's a beautiful morning in Johto. It's seventy-five degrees here in
Blackthorn City, and it's currently twelve o'clock. Before we get to the
main story, let's go to our weatherman, and check out the weather predicted
for Johto today. Professor?" the young lady smiled, turning to her right to
look at the white-dressed professor. A peculiar looking Pokemon hovered
besides the Professor.. it seemed to look like a ghost, but it was grey,
with a white mask over its face.
"Thank you, Pam. Well, today Johto can expect some shattered showers around Violet City and Mahogany Town," the Professor began. As he continued, a purplish Pokemon slinked onto the table behind him, and, with a poof, turned into a full-sized map of Johto. The grey Pokemon floated up inbetween Violet City and Mahogany Town, and its head disturbingly changed into what looked like a raindrop. "Which means that Ecruteak City can expect some showers as well. Other than that, the seas are moderately choppy, for those of you planning on Surfing to Kanto or Hoenn, so you can expect less Tentacool attacks until the late afternoon. Thank you, Castform, Ditto. Back to you, Pam."
The professor smiled over at Pam, who gave a smile back. "Thank you, Professor. Well, breaking news. Team Magma, a group that supposedly got its ideas from our own Team Rocket, have shown up in Johto, and weren't lagging in their first attack. The Violet City Pokemon Center was broken into last night, and Team Magma didn't waste their time trying to steal Pokeballs. Their plan would've worked, if a lone trainer using a Magmar hadn't stopped them."
A tall, handsome looking man in a grey suit took a seat next to Pam, smiling ahead of him. "Yes. We don't have any footage, but, currently, the trainer is also being charged with several counts of murder. Though, many trainers are grateful that their Pokemon were saved, since all the Pokeballs were recovered, the only trace of the trainer that had saved the day left was the Magmar sitting next to its supposed trainer, a Team Magma grunt."
"One Magma grunt was taken in for questioning, a female and a higher ranking officer, the only two survivors of the brutal attack. Officer Jenny has promised to the public that the murderer will be caught, and that, because he saved thousands of Pokemon from being stolen, would lessen the charges considerably," Pam continued for the man, shifting a few papers, smiling. "In other news, Professors are pointing out a considerable swarm of Sandshrew in Union Cave. If you've been looking to add a Sandshrew to your collection, then this is a good time and place to go. Professors believe that the swarm could last all day, and ..."
The female reporters voice faded away, as a feminine hand set down plates infront of the three trainers seated at a corner table. "There ya go, darlin'," the older woman smiled, shuffling off to take another trainers orders.
Eric picked up his fork, slowly prodding gently at the eggs on his plate. His eyes held a blank stare, almost as if he had expected the eggs to get up and accuse him, loudly, of murderering fellow trainers, burglers or not. Eugene didn't seem phased by the news, and Eric's story, and so dug into his food. Mistral had a look of intense worry in her eyes, and she looked as though she hadn't bathed or gotten any sleep for a good couple of days.
Finally, Mistral broke the silence. "Listen, you did what you had to do. It wasn't your fault. They would've done the same thing to you.. they were Team Magma. That would've been you dead if you hadn't reacted like you did."
"Yeah. I suppose so." Eric seemed to search for more words to say, but stopped himself short, shoveling a fork full of egg into his mouth.
Mistral gave a sigh of defeat, eating at her own food for a moment, before looking up, her eyes wide. "Hey! I heard they have public baths here, and they're really hot, and good for the body. After that whole ordeal last night, you deserve it. I'll even pay for our ways in. How does that sound?"
"You're paying? Sounds good," Eugene muttered, downing the last of his orange juice.
------
Just as Mistral had suggested, the public baths were not only there, but empty, with the exception of a few feminine types, who retreated to the female side of the public baths. Donning swimming suits, both Eric and Eugene climbed into the large, male side of the baths, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Nothin' like hot water to calm the muscles, eh, Eric?" Eugene suggested, closing his eyes. He leaned back against the side of the pool. "Yeah. I guess so. I'm certainly feeling alot better, but.." Eric stopped his sentence, again, at a loss for words.
"But?"
"That was an experience that just doesen't melt away with the warm water of public baths, you know," Eric sighed, submerging all of his body with the exception of his head. He almost felt like dunking his head under the water, and never coming back up.
Mistral climbed over the artificial mounds of dirt to come over the male side, much to the surprise of the females already inhabiting the female side. The Diglett that were in the mountain of dirt popped up to see who was sifting the dirt and plants. With a splah, Mistral slid in, to get the dirt off her body.
"You know, there's a reason why this is a public bath house, and there's one side for females, and one side for males," Eugene pointed out, opening his eyes, travelling to the bikini-clad female trainer.
She giggled a bit, submerging up to her shoulders. "Since when did you start complaining about a female in a bikini being near you?"
"Point well taken," Eugene shrugged in response, leaning back against the wall again.
"How're you doing now, Eric?" Mistral asked, swimming slowly over to Eric, who was on the complete other side of the pool, across from Eugene.
Eric opened his eyes, looking over at Mistral, quirking an eyebrow. She looked better with her hair down. It reminded him of the female Team Magma grunt that had fainted, just with different color hair. It made his stomach do a flip, which he contained to himself. "Fine, I suppose. Fine enough to take on Falkner."
"He's cured!" Mistral yelled suddenly, raising her hands as if to signal a touch-down had been scored. "I figure if you're still rearing to take Falkner head-on, then you're alright, now."
With a shrug, Eric looked away from Mistral, prompting her to swim closer. "I'm not exactly what you'd call, cured."
"Oh, please. You're going to let a little thing like beating up a few Team Magma members let you down?" Mistral asked, stopping right next to him. "Well.. no," Eric shrugged again in reply, glancing over at her. "But, I know the perfect way to start feeling better. I just need your help."
"'zat so? Alright. Let's hear it, then!" Mistral smiled, folding her arms across her chest.
Sploosh! In the blink of an eye, Eric had put both hands over Mistral's head, and dunked her underwater. Her arms flailed, stirring up a Magikarp which had been swimming along over the deep end. Eric jumped back, releasing her, and she came up, the top of her head breaking the water. Her eyes seemed white, almost.. evil.. and were those fangs sprouting from her mouth?
"Don't you ever!" *BAP!* "Do that!" *BAP!* "Again!" *BAP BAP BAP!*
"Aiyah! Alright! Alright! Sorry!" Eric half-grumbled, half-laughed, rubbing his head in an attempt to dull the pain. His head seemed to be the target for everyones fist. Mistral took a few deep breaths, glancing over at Eugene, who was beside himself with laughter. "And what're YOU laughing at?!"
Eugene took a deep breath to control the laughter, brought his palms together infront of him as if to pray, and looked towards the heavens. "Oh, nothing."
It only took Mistral a few seconds to realize that it wasn't a murder attempt, and only a joke, and she, herself, began laughing. At this point, several of the female trainers from the other side had joined the Diglett in watching the three trainers. "Well, apology accepted, then," she smiled over at the two of them. "Let's get Eric that Zephyr Badge!"
-----
The inside of Falkner's Gym was covered in a bright green grass, which seemed to sway in a gentle wind. It was simply a few fans built into the walls, running high enough to make the breeze, which gave Falkner an advantage, when the wind shifted in his favor. His two disciples were busy tending to their own Pokemon, which had been beaten only previously by a trainer that had passed them on their way in, a look of disappointment on his face. Eric crossed to his side of the Gym, and pointed over at Falkner, who was busy administering a Super Potion to his Spearow. "Falkner, I challenge you for the Zephyr Badge!"
This would be perfect. He didn't have to fight Falkner's disciples, and the trainer before him had worn down whatever Pokemon that the Gym Leader had.
"I accept your challenge, rogue trainer," Falkner grinned, slowly standing up, throwing the Super Potion behind him, since it had been all used. The bottle bounced off the ground, and rested near the back door to the gym. "Let's see.. three Pokemon each?"
"Fine by me. Let's get started." Eric dug into his pocket, pulled out three choice Pokeballs, and selected one from his three to use first.
"When you're ready. Go, Spearow!" Falkner commanded in a loud voice, pointing towards Eric. The Spearow took flight, flapping its small wings to keep itself from falling. Eric noticed this, and quickly threw the first selected Pokeball. It hit the grass with a thump, and opened up, letting the Pokemon out in a red light. He caught the opened Pokeball, just as the red light formed into none other than a Slowpoke.
Again, as if gravity had shifted in the wrong direction, both Eugene and Mistral fell over with a sigh. Maybe their balance was off.. this didn't stop Eric from pulling out his Pokedex, though, scanning the Spearow..
~"Spearow, a bird Pokemon. Unlike the Pidgey, the Spearow, and its evolved form, Fearow, are much more aggressive. They're also more territorial, and trainers have been known to become seriously injured for stirring up large amounts of these Pokemon while they nest in their trees."~
"Spearow! Quick Attack!" Falkner commanded, looking confident. A pre- emptive strike before Eric's Pokemon could recieve its own commands.The Spearow let out a caw, and dove towards the Slowpoke, slamming into it hard. The Slowpoke fell back, doing a little flip from the impact, landing on its side. The grass was soft enough to cushion its fall. It clambered back to its feet, and looked up at the Spearow.
"Slowpoke, Water Gun!"
The Slowpoke took a few moments to register the attack, before taking a deep breath, releasing a thin stream of water up at the Spearow. It strafed to the left, avoiding it narrowly, before strafing right again, to avoid another one. However, the last one hit, which the Spearow hadn't been expecting so soon from the slow pokemon. It struggled to stay in the air with the water dragging it down, now. "Alright! Slowpoke, Confusion!"
The Slowpoke glowed gently, taking a step towards the Spearow. As if hit by an invisible force, the Spearow flew off, hitting the wall right next to one of the fans, falling to the ground. Its pupils were replaced with swirls, as it was not only confused, but water logged, and couldn't go on any longer. It was recalled into its Pokeball, and Falkner pulled another from his belt.
"Good show, rogue trainer! Not too shabby for a trainer who can hardly recognize a Pokemon!" Falkner grinned again. Eric allowed the insults to bounce off him, too determined now, to become distracted. "Go, Pidgey!"
Out of the new Pokeball, came a form Eric recognized. A Pidgey. No need to use the Pokedex this time. He shoved it back into his pocket. "Slowpoke, use Amnesia!"
He didn't have to tell the Slowpoke twice. It seemed that Amnesia was his favorite attack. "Slowww.." Its eyes took on a blank look, and a question mark appeared over its head. Eric didn't need a mental link with the Slowpoke to hear what it was thinking.. he could've guessed it was somewhere around the lines of 'Where am I?'.
"Pidgey! Sand Attack!"
The Pidgey flapped its wings quickly, disturbing the ground. Soon, sand began to dislodge itself from the ground, flying into the Slowpoke's eyes, causing it to close them to keep out any more sand. "Hmm.. Slowpoke, use Confusion! Feel out where the Pidgey is!"
"Not so fast! Pidgey, use Mudslap!"
Mudslap? Eric had never heard of that attack. The Pidgey dove down towards a wet patch of ground from the Spearow's battle, dug up a good amount of mud and grass from the floor, and, with effort, flung them towards the Slowpoke. Just as the Slowpoke began to glow with power, it took the hits, flying back into Eric, who caught the dopey Pokemon to save it. It was covered in mud, and had certainly seen better days.
"Slowpoke, return!" The Slowpoke disappeared into its Pokeball, turning into the red energy before doing so. "Alright. Pidgeotto, it's your game!"
Much to Falkner's surprise, out of the Pokeball came a fully grown Pidgeotto. It looked strong, and much larger, as compared to Falkner's Pidgey, who stared up at its much larger superior. "Pidgeotto, use Gust!"
The powerful Pidgeotto lifted off the ground, and began flapping its large, powerful wings. The Pidgey gripped the ground, bracing itself against the slowly quickening winds.. but it couldn't hold on for long. Even Falkner was having a hard time holding his ground. The Pidgey flew back, and slammed right into Falkner, sending both man and Pokemon flying back, skidding along the ground.
"Wow.. what an attack. I'm envious of how powerful that Pidgeotto is. You would make an excellent disciple," Falkner offered, slowly getting to his feet. He recalled his Pidgey, pulling out his third and last Pokeball. "How about it, rogue trainer? We can get those theft charges off you, and you can learn valuable skills to use against the Pokemon Leagues of Johto and Kanto.."
"No thanks. I can learn more on the road," Eric grinned, patting the Pidgeotto as it landed on its shoulder.
The Pidgeotto thought, looking down upon his trainer.
Eric replied, grinning. The Pidgeotto nodded, nipped his ear affectionately, and took back off into the air.
"What a shame. Well, then, let's wrap this battle up. Pidgeotto, I choose you!" Falkner commanded, throwing his last Pokeball. It hit the ground, and, in a similar manner to Eric's summoning, it came out of its Pokeball, pecking the ground daintily. "Pidgeotto, use Mud Slap! Get some mud into that Pidgeotto's eyes!"
"Use Quick Attack, Pidgeotto! Dodge the attack!" Eric commanded. Falkner's Pidgeotto dug up some mud in a similar manner to the Pidgey, and threw it mercilessly towards the opponant.. Eric's Pidgeotto turned into a blur, the mud passing where he might have been seconds earlier. Eric's Pidgeotto barely missed Falkner's, as it took flight. Grass and mud went flying in every direction, as Eric's took flight again, only to barely miss.
Falkner laughed, shaking his head. "Disciples, view now what a true flying Pokemon is.. this Pidgeotto is highly trained. I would've expected such an incompetent trainer to use the wrong Pokemon. I am quite impressed.. But now isan't the time for games. Pidgeotto, Whirlwind!"
Much in the manner of the previous Gust attack used by Eric's Pidgeotto, Falkner's flapped its wings quickly, summoning a whirlwind.. the fans on all sides of the Gym began to creak noisely, as the wind hit them. Eric's Pidgeotto hit the ground next to him, looking defeated.. the wind was too much for it. "Damn. Nice try, Pidgeotto.. return."
The Pidgeotto disappeared into its Pokeball, and he shoved it into his pocket. It was the last Pokemon he could use, now.
"Go, Gastly!"
Falkner's face suddenly went from amused, to rock-hard, and emotionless.. this would be a problem. Gastly's were hard to hit, especially for a physical Pokemon like his Pidgeotto. The Pokeball opened, to reveal Falkner's last adversary.. a gaseous ball of purple, with menacing looking fangs, and large eyes. "Gastly, use Lick!"
The Gastly obeyed, and disappeared, leaving the Pidgeotto in mid-air to glance about in confusion. It wasn't everyday your opponant disappeared without much warning.. slurp! Out of nowhere, the Gastly reappeared next to the Pidgeotto, giving it a good lick with its long tongue. The Pidgeotto shivered, and struggled to keep itself in the air. "Pidgeotto! Get away from the Gastly, and blow it away with your Whirlwind!"
The Pidgeotto struggled to get away from the Gastly, who laughed in a vampiric-like voice, awaitings its next order.
"You've got it paralyzed. Let's end it! Use Mean Look, then hit him with Nightshade!" Eric commanded, clenching his fist, knowing that victory was only a few attacks away. The Gastly narrowed its eyes, giving the Pidgeotto a pretty nasty look, causing the Pidgeotto to freeze in place, only his wings keeping him afloat.
"Pidgeotto! Move!"
The area around the Pidgeotto turned as dark as night, and the Gastly moved in for the kill. It disappeared into the darkness, and the Pidgeotto let out a squeak of fear, before falling away from the Gastly.. it hit the ground next to its trainer, and didn't move, except when it breathed.
One of the disciples who had been judging the match lifted a small green flag towards Eric. "Eric Malone is the winnah! Congratulations, Eric!"
Both Eugene and Mistral, who had been holding their breath in suspense, let out a cheer. Mistral flung her arms around Eric's neck, jumping up and down, unable to contain herself. "Awesome, awesome! Maybe you're not as bad of a trainer as I thought you were! You handled that Slowpoke so well.. Professor Elm would be proud, I just know it!"
Eugene simply gave Eric a pat on the shoulder, which was all the congratulations he needed.
"Congratulations, Eric," Falkner smiled, moving across the grass, a small black box in hand. Eric noticed, Falkner had stopped calling him 'rogue trainer'. "Please, accept this Zephyr Badge, and this TM. It contains Mud Slap. It's a good attack."
Eric brought his hand out, and scooped up both the Zephyr Badge, and the TM. He pocketed the TM, and looked up at his new Zephyr Badge. Only a handful of Gyms left. A larger black box was shoved into Eric's free hand, another gift from Falkner. "And if you weren't legally given your Pokedex, then you'll need this. It will carry your Pokemon Badges."
"Thanks," Eric nodded, giving Falkner a smile. He placed his new Zephyr Badge into the box, and slid the box into his backpack, where it would be safer.
"Take care of your Pidgeotto. Make it evolve into a Pidgeot, and come back and see me sometime. I'd love to see how your Pokemon turn out," Falkner grinned, turning on his heel, heading back towards his downed Pdigeotto.
Mistral released her arms from Eric's shoulders, and moved alongside him, as he left the Pokemon Gym, unable to contain her happiness.
"I was impressed back there, Eric," Eugene commented at last, as they began heading down south, towards Route 32. The sun shone brightly, and not a cloud was in the sky. It seemed as though the weather was congratulating Eric in its own way. "I know now why I chose you for a rival.. if i'm to defeat you in battle, i'll want to train harder. Unfortunately, to do that, we must part."
Eugene held out a hand towards Eric, who glanced down at it. He took it, giving it a few hardy shakes. "Make sure to catch many more Pokemon, make them strong. We will meet again."
With that, Eugene turned, heading down a side street for Route 36. Both Mistral and Eric waved after him, until he was gone, and then continued their own way towards Route 32.
"Mistral, how come you didn't try for your own Zephyr Badge?" Eric asked, looking over at her, curiousity in his words.
"I'm not interested in defeating Leagues and becoming a Master. I just want to catch Pokemon, and train them," Mistral answered, shrugging slightly, blushing. She looked quite sheepish. "Well, I DO have the Zephyr Badge.. but that was from a long time ago. I had alot of help.. but after I saw just how aspired you were, I decided to simply come along and give you advice."
Eric gave a nod, looking towards the road. A sign they passed read 'Route 32'. "Thanks.."
He had a feeling the weather would stay sunny all day..
-------
End Chapter 6
"Thank you, Pam. Well, today Johto can expect some shattered showers around Violet City and Mahogany Town," the Professor began. As he continued, a purplish Pokemon slinked onto the table behind him, and, with a poof, turned into a full-sized map of Johto. The grey Pokemon floated up inbetween Violet City and Mahogany Town, and its head disturbingly changed into what looked like a raindrop. "Which means that Ecruteak City can expect some showers as well. Other than that, the seas are moderately choppy, for those of you planning on Surfing to Kanto or Hoenn, so you can expect less Tentacool attacks until the late afternoon. Thank you, Castform, Ditto. Back to you, Pam."
The professor smiled over at Pam, who gave a smile back. "Thank you, Professor. Well, breaking news. Team Magma, a group that supposedly got its ideas from our own Team Rocket, have shown up in Johto, and weren't lagging in their first attack. The Violet City Pokemon Center was broken into last night, and Team Magma didn't waste their time trying to steal Pokeballs. Their plan would've worked, if a lone trainer using a Magmar hadn't stopped them."
A tall, handsome looking man in a grey suit took a seat next to Pam, smiling ahead of him. "Yes. We don't have any footage, but, currently, the trainer is also being charged with several counts of murder. Though, many trainers are grateful that their Pokemon were saved, since all the Pokeballs were recovered, the only trace of the trainer that had saved the day left was the Magmar sitting next to its supposed trainer, a Team Magma grunt."
"One Magma grunt was taken in for questioning, a female and a higher ranking officer, the only two survivors of the brutal attack. Officer Jenny has promised to the public that the murderer will be caught, and that, because he saved thousands of Pokemon from being stolen, would lessen the charges considerably," Pam continued for the man, shifting a few papers, smiling. "In other news, Professors are pointing out a considerable swarm of Sandshrew in Union Cave. If you've been looking to add a Sandshrew to your collection, then this is a good time and place to go. Professors believe that the swarm could last all day, and ..."
The female reporters voice faded away, as a feminine hand set down plates infront of the three trainers seated at a corner table. "There ya go, darlin'," the older woman smiled, shuffling off to take another trainers orders.
Eric picked up his fork, slowly prodding gently at the eggs on his plate. His eyes held a blank stare, almost as if he had expected the eggs to get up and accuse him, loudly, of murderering fellow trainers, burglers or not. Eugene didn't seem phased by the news, and Eric's story, and so dug into his food. Mistral had a look of intense worry in her eyes, and she looked as though she hadn't bathed or gotten any sleep for a good couple of days.
Finally, Mistral broke the silence. "Listen, you did what you had to do. It wasn't your fault. They would've done the same thing to you.. they were Team Magma. That would've been you dead if you hadn't reacted like you did."
"Yeah. I suppose so." Eric seemed to search for more words to say, but stopped himself short, shoveling a fork full of egg into his mouth.
Mistral gave a sigh of defeat, eating at her own food for a moment, before looking up, her eyes wide. "Hey! I heard they have public baths here, and they're really hot, and good for the body. After that whole ordeal last night, you deserve it. I'll even pay for our ways in. How does that sound?"
"You're paying? Sounds good," Eugene muttered, downing the last of his orange juice.
------
Just as Mistral had suggested, the public baths were not only there, but empty, with the exception of a few feminine types, who retreated to the female side of the public baths. Donning swimming suits, both Eric and Eugene climbed into the large, male side of the baths, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Nothin' like hot water to calm the muscles, eh, Eric?" Eugene suggested, closing his eyes. He leaned back against the side of the pool. "Yeah. I guess so. I'm certainly feeling alot better, but.." Eric stopped his sentence, again, at a loss for words.
"But?"
"That was an experience that just doesen't melt away with the warm water of public baths, you know," Eric sighed, submerging all of his body with the exception of his head. He almost felt like dunking his head under the water, and never coming back up.
Mistral climbed over the artificial mounds of dirt to come over the male side, much to the surprise of the females already inhabiting the female side. The Diglett that were in the mountain of dirt popped up to see who was sifting the dirt and plants. With a splah, Mistral slid in, to get the dirt off her body.
"You know, there's a reason why this is a public bath house, and there's one side for females, and one side for males," Eugene pointed out, opening his eyes, travelling to the bikini-clad female trainer.
She giggled a bit, submerging up to her shoulders. "Since when did you start complaining about a female in a bikini being near you?"
"Point well taken," Eugene shrugged in response, leaning back against the wall again.
"How're you doing now, Eric?" Mistral asked, swimming slowly over to Eric, who was on the complete other side of the pool, across from Eugene.
Eric opened his eyes, looking over at Mistral, quirking an eyebrow. She looked better with her hair down. It reminded him of the female Team Magma grunt that had fainted, just with different color hair. It made his stomach do a flip, which he contained to himself. "Fine, I suppose. Fine enough to take on Falkner."
"He's cured!" Mistral yelled suddenly, raising her hands as if to signal a touch-down had been scored. "I figure if you're still rearing to take Falkner head-on, then you're alright, now."
With a shrug, Eric looked away from Mistral, prompting her to swim closer. "I'm not exactly what you'd call, cured."
"Oh, please. You're going to let a little thing like beating up a few Team Magma members let you down?" Mistral asked, stopping right next to him. "Well.. no," Eric shrugged again in reply, glancing over at her. "But, I know the perfect way to start feeling better. I just need your help."
"'zat so? Alright. Let's hear it, then!" Mistral smiled, folding her arms across her chest.
Sploosh! In the blink of an eye, Eric had put both hands over Mistral's head, and dunked her underwater. Her arms flailed, stirring up a Magikarp which had been swimming along over the deep end. Eric jumped back, releasing her, and she came up, the top of her head breaking the water. Her eyes seemed white, almost.. evil.. and were those fangs sprouting from her mouth?
"Don't you ever!" *BAP!* "Do that!" *BAP!* "Again!" *BAP BAP BAP!*
"Aiyah! Alright! Alright! Sorry!" Eric half-grumbled, half-laughed, rubbing his head in an attempt to dull the pain. His head seemed to be the target for everyones fist. Mistral took a few deep breaths, glancing over at Eugene, who was beside himself with laughter. "And what're YOU laughing at?!"
Eugene took a deep breath to control the laughter, brought his palms together infront of him as if to pray, and looked towards the heavens. "Oh, nothing."
It only took Mistral a few seconds to realize that it wasn't a murder attempt, and only a joke, and she, herself, began laughing. At this point, several of the female trainers from the other side had joined the Diglett in watching the three trainers. "Well, apology accepted, then," she smiled over at the two of them. "Let's get Eric that Zephyr Badge!"
-----
The inside of Falkner's Gym was covered in a bright green grass, which seemed to sway in a gentle wind. It was simply a few fans built into the walls, running high enough to make the breeze, which gave Falkner an advantage, when the wind shifted in his favor. His two disciples were busy tending to their own Pokemon, which had been beaten only previously by a trainer that had passed them on their way in, a look of disappointment on his face. Eric crossed to his side of the Gym, and pointed over at Falkner, who was busy administering a Super Potion to his Spearow. "Falkner, I challenge you for the Zephyr Badge!"
This would be perfect. He didn't have to fight Falkner's disciples, and the trainer before him had worn down whatever Pokemon that the Gym Leader had.
"I accept your challenge, rogue trainer," Falkner grinned, slowly standing up, throwing the Super Potion behind him, since it had been all used. The bottle bounced off the ground, and rested near the back door to the gym. "Let's see.. three Pokemon each?"
"Fine by me. Let's get started." Eric dug into his pocket, pulled out three choice Pokeballs, and selected one from his three to use first.
"When you're ready. Go, Spearow!" Falkner commanded in a loud voice, pointing towards Eric. The Spearow took flight, flapping its small wings to keep itself from falling. Eric noticed this, and quickly threw the first selected Pokeball. It hit the grass with a thump, and opened up, letting the Pokemon out in a red light. He caught the opened Pokeball, just as the red light formed into none other than a Slowpoke.
Again, as if gravity had shifted in the wrong direction, both Eugene and Mistral fell over with a sigh. Maybe their balance was off.. this didn't stop Eric from pulling out his Pokedex, though, scanning the Spearow..
~"Spearow, a bird Pokemon. Unlike the Pidgey, the Spearow, and its evolved form, Fearow, are much more aggressive. They're also more territorial, and trainers have been known to become seriously injured for stirring up large amounts of these Pokemon while they nest in their trees."~
"Spearow! Quick Attack!" Falkner commanded, looking confident. A pre- emptive strike before Eric's Pokemon could recieve its own commands.The Spearow let out a caw, and dove towards the Slowpoke, slamming into it hard. The Slowpoke fell back, doing a little flip from the impact, landing on its side. The grass was soft enough to cushion its fall. It clambered back to its feet, and looked up at the Spearow.
"Slowpoke, Water Gun!"
The Slowpoke took a few moments to register the attack, before taking a deep breath, releasing a thin stream of water up at the Spearow. It strafed to the left, avoiding it narrowly, before strafing right again, to avoid another one. However, the last one hit, which the Spearow hadn't been expecting so soon from the slow pokemon. It struggled to stay in the air with the water dragging it down, now. "Alright! Slowpoke, Confusion!"
The Slowpoke glowed gently, taking a step towards the Spearow. As if hit by an invisible force, the Spearow flew off, hitting the wall right next to one of the fans, falling to the ground. Its pupils were replaced with swirls, as it was not only confused, but water logged, and couldn't go on any longer. It was recalled into its Pokeball, and Falkner pulled another from his belt.
"Good show, rogue trainer! Not too shabby for a trainer who can hardly recognize a Pokemon!" Falkner grinned again. Eric allowed the insults to bounce off him, too determined now, to become distracted. "Go, Pidgey!"
Out of the new Pokeball, came a form Eric recognized. A Pidgey. No need to use the Pokedex this time. He shoved it back into his pocket. "Slowpoke, use Amnesia!"
He didn't have to tell the Slowpoke twice. It seemed that Amnesia was his favorite attack. "Slowww.." Its eyes took on a blank look, and a question mark appeared over its head. Eric didn't need a mental link with the Slowpoke to hear what it was thinking.. he could've guessed it was somewhere around the lines of 'Where am I?'.
"Pidgey! Sand Attack!"
The Pidgey flapped its wings quickly, disturbing the ground. Soon, sand began to dislodge itself from the ground, flying into the Slowpoke's eyes, causing it to close them to keep out any more sand. "Hmm.. Slowpoke, use Confusion! Feel out where the Pidgey is!"
"Not so fast! Pidgey, use Mudslap!"
Mudslap? Eric had never heard of that attack. The Pidgey dove down towards a wet patch of ground from the Spearow's battle, dug up a good amount of mud and grass from the floor, and, with effort, flung them towards the Slowpoke. Just as the Slowpoke began to glow with power, it took the hits, flying back into Eric, who caught the dopey Pokemon to save it. It was covered in mud, and had certainly seen better days.
"Slowpoke, return!" The Slowpoke disappeared into its Pokeball, turning into the red energy before doing so. "Alright. Pidgeotto, it's your game!"
Much to Falkner's surprise, out of the Pokeball came a fully grown Pidgeotto. It looked strong, and much larger, as compared to Falkner's Pidgey, who stared up at its much larger superior. "Pidgeotto, use Gust!"
The powerful Pidgeotto lifted off the ground, and began flapping its large, powerful wings. The Pidgey gripped the ground, bracing itself against the slowly quickening winds.. but it couldn't hold on for long. Even Falkner was having a hard time holding his ground. The Pidgey flew back, and slammed right into Falkner, sending both man and Pokemon flying back, skidding along the ground.
"Wow.. what an attack. I'm envious of how powerful that Pidgeotto is. You would make an excellent disciple," Falkner offered, slowly getting to his feet. He recalled his Pidgey, pulling out his third and last Pokeball. "How about it, rogue trainer? We can get those theft charges off you, and you can learn valuable skills to use against the Pokemon Leagues of Johto and Kanto.."
"No thanks. I can learn more on the road," Eric grinned, patting the Pidgeotto as it landed on its shoulder.
The Pidgeotto thought, looking down upon his trainer.
Eric replied, grinning. The Pidgeotto nodded, nipped his ear affectionately, and took back off into the air.
"What a shame. Well, then, let's wrap this battle up. Pidgeotto, I choose you!" Falkner commanded, throwing his last Pokeball. It hit the ground, and, in a similar manner to Eric's summoning, it came out of its Pokeball, pecking the ground daintily. "Pidgeotto, use Mud Slap! Get some mud into that Pidgeotto's eyes!"
"Use Quick Attack, Pidgeotto! Dodge the attack!" Eric commanded. Falkner's Pidgeotto dug up some mud in a similar manner to the Pidgey, and threw it mercilessly towards the opponant.. Eric's Pidgeotto turned into a blur, the mud passing where he might have been seconds earlier. Eric's Pidgeotto barely missed Falkner's, as it took flight. Grass and mud went flying in every direction, as Eric's took flight again, only to barely miss.
Falkner laughed, shaking his head. "Disciples, view now what a true flying Pokemon is.. this Pidgeotto is highly trained. I would've expected such an incompetent trainer to use the wrong Pokemon. I am quite impressed.. But now isan't the time for games. Pidgeotto, Whirlwind!"
Much in the manner of the previous Gust attack used by Eric's Pidgeotto, Falkner's flapped its wings quickly, summoning a whirlwind.. the fans on all sides of the Gym began to creak noisely, as the wind hit them. Eric's Pidgeotto hit the ground next to him, looking defeated.. the wind was too much for it. "Damn. Nice try, Pidgeotto.. return."
The Pidgeotto disappeared into its Pokeball, and he shoved it into his pocket. It was the last Pokemon he could use, now.
"Go, Gastly!"
Falkner's face suddenly went from amused, to rock-hard, and emotionless.. this would be a problem. Gastly's were hard to hit, especially for a physical Pokemon like his Pidgeotto. The Pokeball opened, to reveal Falkner's last adversary.. a gaseous ball of purple, with menacing looking fangs, and large eyes. "Gastly, use Lick!"
The Gastly obeyed, and disappeared, leaving the Pidgeotto in mid-air to glance about in confusion. It wasn't everyday your opponant disappeared without much warning.. slurp! Out of nowhere, the Gastly reappeared next to the Pidgeotto, giving it a good lick with its long tongue. The Pidgeotto shivered, and struggled to keep itself in the air. "Pidgeotto! Get away from the Gastly, and blow it away with your Whirlwind!"
The Pidgeotto struggled to get away from the Gastly, who laughed in a vampiric-like voice, awaitings its next order.
"You've got it paralyzed. Let's end it! Use Mean Look, then hit him with Nightshade!" Eric commanded, clenching his fist, knowing that victory was only a few attacks away. The Gastly narrowed its eyes, giving the Pidgeotto a pretty nasty look, causing the Pidgeotto to freeze in place, only his wings keeping him afloat.
"Pidgeotto! Move!"
The area around the Pidgeotto turned as dark as night, and the Gastly moved in for the kill. It disappeared into the darkness, and the Pidgeotto let out a squeak of fear, before falling away from the Gastly.. it hit the ground next to its trainer, and didn't move, except when it breathed.
One of the disciples who had been judging the match lifted a small green flag towards Eric. "Eric Malone is the winnah! Congratulations, Eric!"
Both Eugene and Mistral, who had been holding their breath in suspense, let out a cheer. Mistral flung her arms around Eric's neck, jumping up and down, unable to contain herself. "Awesome, awesome! Maybe you're not as bad of a trainer as I thought you were! You handled that Slowpoke so well.. Professor Elm would be proud, I just know it!"
Eugene simply gave Eric a pat on the shoulder, which was all the congratulations he needed.
"Congratulations, Eric," Falkner smiled, moving across the grass, a small black box in hand. Eric noticed, Falkner had stopped calling him 'rogue trainer'. "Please, accept this Zephyr Badge, and this TM. It contains Mud Slap. It's a good attack."
Eric brought his hand out, and scooped up both the Zephyr Badge, and the TM. He pocketed the TM, and looked up at his new Zephyr Badge. Only a handful of Gyms left. A larger black box was shoved into Eric's free hand, another gift from Falkner. "And if you weren't legally given your Pokedex, then you'll need this. It will carry your Pokemon Badges."
"Thanks," Eric nodded, giving Falkner a smile. He placed his new Zephyr Badge into the box, and slid the box into his backpack, where it would be safer.
"Take care of your Pidgeotto. Make it evolve into a Pidgeot, and come back and see me sometime. I'd love to see how your Pokemon turn out," Falkner grinned, turning on his heel, heading back towards his downed Pdigeotto.
Mistral released her arms from Eric's shoulders, and moved alongside him, as he left the Pokemon Gym, unable to contain her happiness.
"I was impressed back there, Eric," Eugene commented at last, as they began heading down south, towards Route 32. The sun shone brightly, and not a cloud was in the sky. It seemed as though the weather was congratulating Eric in its own way. "I know now why I chose you for a rival.. if i'm to defeat you in battle, i'll want to train harder. Unfortunately, to do that, we must part."
Eugene held out a hand towards Eric, who glanced down at it. He took it, giving it a few hardy shakes. "Make sure to catch many more Pokemon, make them strong. We will meet again."
With that, Eugene turned, heading down a side street for Route 36. Both Mistral and Eric waved after him, until he was gone, and then continued their own way towards Route 32.
"Mistral, how come you didn't try for your own Zephyr Badge?" Eric asked, looking over at her, curiousity in his words.
"I'm not interested in defeating Leagues and becoming a Master. I just want to catch Pokemon, and train them," Mistral answered, shrugging slightly, blushing. She looked quite sheepish. "Well, I DO have the Zephyr Badge.. but that was from a long time ago. I had alot of help.. but after I saw just how aspired you were, I decided to simply come along and give you advice."
Eric gave a nod, looking towards the road. A sign they passed read 'Route 32'. "Thanks.."
He had a feeling the weather would stay sunny all day..
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End Chapter 6