"Welcome to Azalea Town! Please take a brochure so that you can read up
about our lovely town, and Gym Leader!"
A large wooden case held stacks among stacks of brochures, and stood in the entrance to Azalea Town.. you couldn't miss it unless you pretended it wasn't there. Mistral and Edd both stepped around it, but Eric scooped one up, and immediately opened it to read the contents inside. "Hey. This stuff is actually pretty useful.."
"How's that?" Mistral asked, grabbing Eric's arm to lead him towards the Pokemon Center.
"Well, it says here that this Pokemon Gym specializes in Bug Pokemon. I shouldn't have any problems against the Gym Leader, if that's the case," Eric shrugged, stumbling over himself, being absorbed by the advantageous reading material.
Mistral swiped the brochure from Eric, and opened it to the page he was looking at. "Lemme see that.. 'Bugsy is our lovely town's Gym Leader. She specializes in Bug type Pokemon..' Well, I could've told you that. 'Visit Slowpoke Well, and watch Slowpoke in their natural habitat.'"
"Slowpoke Well?" Edd asked, glancing up at Mistral. "Didn't that swarm move south from here?"
"When was there a swarm?" Mistral blinked, looking clueless. "I didn't know Slowpoke had swarms.."
Edd shrugged, heading off over towards the large well. "Every Pokemon can have swarms. It's a large amount of Pokemon in one area. Daddy said that the Slowpoke had its first ever swarm since a hundred years ago, and so many trainers were flocking here to capture Slowpoke for the Slowking rumors. But there probably aren't many Slowpoke left, ya."
"You said you wanted to capture a Slowpoke, right, Mistral?" Eric asked her, looking down into the dark well below, to see if he could see anything. Nothing but puddles of water, and rock.
"I did. But when you said you wanted to get a Slowking, I stopped worrying about it," Mistral shrugged, smiling. "Besides, I don't want to go into that well..."
Edd stared down into the well. "You're clostrophobic, aren'tcha?"
"Well.. erm.." Mistral muttered, sitting on the edge of the well. "Yeah. I always have been.. I don't have a problem with anything else, just small places and rooms.."
------
"PokeMart! C'mon in! We're having a fifty-percent off sale!" a man shouted, waving banners of different looking Pokemon. "You can't miss this sale! Super Potions for only 350 zenni! You can never have too many!"
The small group stopped infront of the store, watching the man dance about, trying to attract attention. It was working to a degree. Alot of people were pointing and whispering amongst themselves, holding back laughter.
"Well, Super Potions nearly the cost of Potions isan't too bad. Think we should buy a few?" Edd asked, opening the front door. "Hey! I know! I'll buy everyone one!"
Mistral and Eric followed Edd into the PokeMart, where large groups of people had gathered. Most of the items were nearly gone, and the cash register looked stuffed to bursting. "You don't have to do that, Edd," Mistral commented, moving over to a nearby rack of Escape Ropes. "But I could use an Escape Rope incase I ever get caught in another chamber.."
Edd scooped up three Escape Ropes, and shoveled them into the bag he had taken from the counter. "Anything else?"
Eric and Mistral glanced at each other. "How about some Soda Pop?" Eric suggested, smiling. "I could go with something to drink."
"Yeah, me too."
"Alright then." Edd shuffled through the crowds to the fridges, opening it with some effort. He pulled out three of the items, and shoved them into the bag. They each had a picture of a Pokemon on the front, which added to the fact that most of them were gone.
------
"That hit the spot," Eric yawned, crumpling up the empty can. He sat against the door to the Pokemon Gym. A small sign hung from the door. "But what gets me, is when did Gym Leaders go out to lunch?"
Edd shrugged, taking another sip of his pop. "I dunno, but this sun is making me sleepy, ya? How about you guys?"
"No. I'm too busy waiting for the leader," Eric commented, glancing over at Mistral. Surprisingly, she was asleep, a snot bubble issuing from her nose.
"Woah. How does she do that?" Edd blinked in amusement, reaching a hand up to poke it, retreating it before he touched it. "That's weird.."
"Excuse me, but, you're blocking the door to the Gym," a female voice said softly. Both Eric and Edd looked up into the face of Bugsy. Eric felt a twinge in his gut.. he had the feeling he had seen those eyes somewhere. Though not taller than Eric, she was equipped with a bug net like Edd, and had purple hair. She wore the typical junior trainer clothing, but they were covered in grass stains. Eric moved away from the door, and Bugsy smiled, bowing. "Thank you."
She opened the door, and stepped inside, leaving it open. Eric clambered to a stand, and gave Mistral a gentle nudge in the side with his foot. She fell over, and awoke with a start, looking around. "Who? Huh? Where am I?"
"Let's go. The Gym's open," Edd chuckled, watching Eric retreat inside the Pokemon Gym to avoid a beating.
------
"Welcome to the Azalea Pokemon Gym.. I'm supposing you're here to challenge me?" Bugsy guessed. Trees of all sorts, and tall grasses, lined the floor of the Gym. She dug into her pocket, and produced three Pokemon. "Three Pokemon, then?"
Eric nodded, taking his place on the other side of the field. "Fine. Let's go."
Another female appeared at the side of the field, flag in hand. "Let the battle commence!"
Bugsy quickly tossed the Pokeball she had in her hand onto the field, producing a small, green, cacoon Pokemon.. a Metapod. Eric was quick to summon his Mankey, who had seen few battles, and was probably rearing to beat on something. The Mankey, upon appearing, looked around for a target.. the referee was considered a decent target by the pig-monkey Pokemon, who quickly sped towards her.
"No! Mankey! Go after the Metapod, not her!" Eric commanded, pointing towards the bug Pokemon. "It can take a beating. Go beat up on that!"
The Mankey obeyed, reluctantly, and sped off towards the Metapod. "Metapod, Harden!" Bugsy commanded her Pokemon. It glowed a soft golden hue, and its shell became tougher. The Mankey reached it, and began to beat on the cacoon with all its power. Kicks, chops, swipes. Most of them seemed to glance off, but the Mankey had plenty energy left to go.
"Mankey! If you want to do damage, focus your energy, and then hit it with a Seismic Toss!" Eric commanded. The Mankey let out a screech, and began to shake, as it focused its energies into one powerful attack.. after a few moments, the Mankey let out another screech, picked up the Metapod, and jumped into the air.
"Ack! Metapod!" Bugsy blinked in surprise. The attack was quite successful.. the Metapod hit the ground hard enough to cause the ground to crack beneath it. The Metapod, dazed, was summarily returned to its Pokeball. "That was impressive, but let's see you handle my newest Pokemon.. It only just evolved today. Beedrill! Go!"
The next Pokemon out was a powerful looking bee Pokemon. While not as defensive as the Metapod, it was quick, and the Mankey had trouble keeping track of it. "Mankey, focus your energy again, and then use Fury Swipes! Try to get it down!"
"Beedrill, fly up into the air, so it can't get you!" Bugsy commanded. "When you get a clear shot, use Poison Sting!"
The Mankey stared up evilly at the Beedrill, focusing its energies, before letting out another screech. The Beedrill aimed its stinger at the fighting Pokemon, and fired a barrage of tiny, poison tipped needles. The Mankey rolled out of the way, and into a nearby tree.
"Perfect. Trees are what Mankey like the best.. Now, let's see if my plan works," Eric grinned, watching carefully.
"Eric? Have you noticed the lack of disciples here?" Mistral muttered into his ear. Eric's Mankey shot from the trees, and latched onto the surprised Beedrill, swiping at it with its paws. Bugsy started bouncing up and down, throwing punches at the air, obviously frustrated that she was losing.
"Yeah. So?" Eric replied, looking at her for a moment, before turning back to the fight. The Beedrill was flying around, trying to knock the Mankey off. The pig-monkey didn't seem to have a problem hanging onto the Beedrill's back. "They're probably still at lunch."
"Just a thought," Mistral shrugged, looking back to the fight. Tired out, Bugsy's Beedrill hit the ground with a sickening thud, where the Mankey proceeded to beat the stuffing out of it with kicks and chops. "Beedrill, return!" Bugsy grumbled angrily, pulling out her last Pokeball. "Go, Scyther!"
Eric quickly produced his Pokedex, and pointed it at the newly summoned Pokemon. ~"Scyther, a scythe Pokemon. The Scyther are natural born warriors, who live for battle. Very few are caught, and very few become tame enough to use for sure in battle."~
"Alright! Scyther, use Agility!" Bugsy commanded.
"Mankey, get it before it can get faster!" Eric commanded, gritting his teeth. He hadn't been expecting a Scyther.. he remembered watching a trained Scyther in a televised Pokemon League battle.. the kind that got you the chance to fight the Elite Four, and a walk along Victory Road. His Mankey let out another loud screech, causing the Scyther to look up from its concentration.
With a loud crash, the Mankey tackled the Scyther, sending them both sprawling backwards to the point where Bugsy had to move out of the way to avoid getting hit. "Scyther, use Slash! Take him out!"
The Scyther knocked the Mankey off it, and proceeded to slash it wildly. Eric's Mankey staggered backwards, and fell over. "That's two out of three, good job, Mankey!" he praised, lifting up the Mankey's Pokeball. It returned to it in a stream of red light. "Now for number two. Gastly, go!"
The Gastly appeared, forming its eyes, mouth, and fangs. Bugsy groaned, putting a hand to her head in frustration. "Okay, Gastly. Let's make this quick and easy. Hypnosis!"
With a glint in its eyes, it stared down at the Scyther, who began to stagger, trying to keep itself up. "Scyther, use Double Team!" Too late. The Scyther fell over, sawing Z's before the command could be issued. "Oh, no.. c'mon."
"Alright, Gastly, Nightshade!" Eric commanded, balling his right hand into a fist. This battle was his, and he didn't even have the type advantage for the first two. His Gastly floated towards the Scyther, disappearing into the darkness that appeared around it. When the darkness disappeared, the Scyther was over on its side, knocked out.
"Eric wins the battle!" the judge confirmed, flashing a green flag in Eric's direction.
"No! No! No! How did you do that?! It's not fair!" Bugsy cried, recalling her Scyther. "They told me you'd be tough to beat, and they weren't kidding!"
Both Mistral and Eric shot each other curious glances. "What do you mean by that?" Eric asked. "I defeated you fair and square, now give me that Hive Badge."
"I would if I could, but I don't know where she keeps them," Bugsy grinned, pulling out another Pokeball. "Besides, i've got a bone to pick with you.."
Eric knew he had seen those eyes somewhere. The junior trainer clothing came off, revealing the bright red uniform which immediately assaulted his memories. The judge on the side let out a squeak, and ran off for the back door, only to get intercepted by two other male members of Team Magma, who quickly slapped her out of the way. "You killed my lover, you asshole, and now you're going to pay for it!"
Edd looked up at Eric with a look of interest. "What's she talkin' about?"
"That, and all the other Team Magma members you killed.. I'll get revenge for all of them all. Go, Houndour!" the female member yelled, throwing out the Pokeball she had clutched in her right hand so tightly, she shook. A small, dog-like Pokemon appeared from the Pokeball, covered in what looked like fake bones. The other two members grinned, and threw out their own Pokeballs.. a Poochyena, and a Dustox appeared with a cry.
"What's goin' on here, ya?" Edd inquired, still looking up at Eric. "Were you the one who caused that slaughter back in Violet City?"
"If this keeps up, i'm going to have a ton of emotional scars," Eric muttered, pulling out a Pokeball. He didn't bother to throw it, as the Pokeball opened upon thought. His Pidgeotto, long awaiting battle, appeared in the bright red light. His Gastly floated over next to the Pidgeotto, looking down at the impending battle. "Mistral, Edd, get out of here. This is my battle. If they want a fight, they'll get it.."
Edd stepped forward, and shook his head. "No. Mistral and I have stuck with you this long, it's not too much to help out. Besides, you're outnumbered, ya? How about we teach these punks a lesson?". Mistral gave a nod, and stepped forward, pulling out two Pokeball from her waist pouch. "I'm with Edd."
"... Fine. Stop hesitating, then, these guys are pretty determined.." Eric nodded, staring down the three Team Magma members.
Edd was quick to summon his Lairon, Pelliper, and Shroomish, while Mistral summoned her Cyndaquil, and Dugtrio. "Alright. Let's show these fools what a real Pokemon Battle is like.." Eric grinned, pointing towards the three Pokemon. "Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack, then Peck on the moth Pokemon! Gastly, try and Lick the other two Pokemon. Let's go!"
"Ignore the other Pokemon, Houndour. Try and burn that trainer to a crisp! Don't give up until he's dead, do you hear me?!" the female grunt screamed, pointing through the crowd of Pokemon on the other end of the gym, at Eric. The Houndour rushed forward, rearing its head back, taking a deep breath. It released a stream of fire towards the group of Pokemon, only to be stopped as the Lairon stepped forward to take the brunt of the attack. Eric's Pidgeotto and Gastly flew off in seperate directions to hit their intended goals. "Good job, Lairon! Now, stomp out that overgrown lighter!"
The Lairon brought up its front feet, and stomped harshly on the Houndour, who, after several hits to the skull and body, went flying back towards its trainer, rolling, resting in an unconcious heap at the feet of her trainer. "Dustox! Stun Spore them all!"
Wham. Another command given much too late. Eric's Pidgeotto had intercepted it before it could move, and had pinned it to the grassy floor of the gym, pecking it. It let out shrieks, shaking the Stun Spore over the Pidgeotto. Sparkles of purple light covered the Pidgeotto from head to toe, causing it to fall over, but not before having knocked out the Dustox.
"Okay, Dugtrio! Hit that dog Pokemon with a Slash!" Mistral commanded, pointing towards the Poochyena. The Dugtrio quickly dug underground, reappearing behind the surprised Poochyena. It got in its slashes, sending the Poochyena flying, where it was intercepted by the awaiting Gastly.. and given a nice long lick. The Poocyhena gagged, and fell over, twitching, hitting the ground stiff as a board.
"Shroomish, hit them with Stun Spore! Make sure they don't get away!" Edd commanded, leaping forward, feeling the rush of battle. The Shroomish stormed towards the grunts, as they recalled their unconcious and injured Pokemon. It began to shake violently, covering the grunts in the purple dust that had been used previously against Eric's Pidgeotto. The grunts let out cries, falling over, just as stiff as the Poochyena had been.
"Bellsprout, go!" Mistral released her Bellsprout, who appeared with a cry. "Tie them up with Vine Whip, Bellsprout, until the proper authorities can show up!"
The Bellsprout leapt forward, and shot out vines from its root feet, wrapping up the grunts in vines, who began to struggle in a futile attempt to break free.
Eric recalled his Gastly and Pidgeotto, as Edd and Mistral recalled any Pokemon that weren't helping contain the grunts. "Come quick, guys! I think I found where the real Bugsy is!" Edd called, beckoning to them from the back room. Mistral ran off towards the back room, leaving Eric to double check on the grunts, to make sure they wouldn't be able to escape. "I'm not a murderer," he muttered down at the female grunt, moving towards the back room.
"Mark my words, Eric," the female grunt called after him, the stun spore beginning to wear off. "I WILL kill you."
"We'll see about that," Eric called back to her, entering the back room. Sure enough, there was Bugsy, and several of the other trainers, tied up. Bugsy was without clothes, since they had been stolen for the female grunt to wear. Edd was quick to toss Bugsy her clothing, when Mistral untied her. She scrambled into them, and began to help Mistral and Eric untie her disciples.
-----
"I didn't see them coming," Bugsy smiled at them from over the table, blushing slightly. "I was in the back, getting ready to fetch a badge for a trainer that had defeated my Pokemon, and she appeared from out of nowhere.. took my clothes, and tied me up."
Eric glanced over at Mistral, then looked back over at Bugsy. "Well, I hate to ask so soon after you being.. recovered and all, but, I did defeat the Pokemon that you use in battle.. would it be a bad time to ask if I could get a Hive Badge?"
"Well, let's see.. you defeated my Pokemon, saved the Pokemon Gym, and, as we speak, they're being arrested by Officer Jenny.." Bugsy ticked off three fingers out of five she had open. Eric cringed at the thought of the authorities being so close.. if someone tipped him off to being here, he'd surely be arrested and thrown in jail along with the grunts they had just subdued. "And you saved me and my disciples. Yeah. I think you deserve this Hive Badge."
Bugsy pulled out a small, shiny badge from her back pocket, and slid it over to him from across the table. Eric picked it up, smiling over the table at the gym leader. "Thanks." The box which contained Eric's Zephyr Badge was withdrawn from the backpack, and opened, pinned to its proper place next to the Zephyr Badge.
"I think you'll be a great trainer, Eric. You've got a great group of friends here.. you're from Hoenn, did you say?" Bugsy asked, looking over at Edd, who gave a sheepish nod. "I think, if you all stick together, you can make it to the Pokemon League."
"You really think so, huh?" Eric asked, leaning back in his chair.
"I know so," Mistral grinned, patting Eric on the head daintily. "We'll make sure of that."
Edd laughed, clapping his hands a few times. "Ya. I'd be glad to stick around. It could be fun, ya?"
"Enough talk about Pokemon Leagues and badges. You'll have plenty of time for that when you reach the next city. You still have to get through Ilex Forest to get to Goldenrod," Bugsy interrupted, standing up. She moved over to the small kitchen that was put into the back room, and whipped out some cooking utensils. "I'm sure you're starving, and i'd be glad to treat you all to dinner, and you can all stay the night if you'd like."
"Food! I'm starving!" Edd grinned hungrily, looking quite pleased with himself. "All that praise was makin' me hungry, ya."
------
The cots were stiff, and not as comfortable as a normal bed, but they weren't sleeping outdoors. That was a good thing, since the sky outside the window Eric stared out of was soon covered in clouds, and it began to rain. "Eric? Are you still awake?" Edd's voice called out from the shadows.
"Yeah. What's up?" Eric replied, still staring out of the window at the rain.
"Did you mean to kill them all?"
".. No. I didn't mean to kill anyone. That wasn't my Magmar. I didn't know they'd all go up in flames.. I guess.. I guess I wasn't thinking properly.."
Edd went silent for a few moments, so that all the noise that was in the room was the gentle breathing of Mistral and Bugsy as they slept. "I see.. well, just know, that i'll be by your side if you ever need me, ya?"
"You don't have to tell me that, Edd," Eric smiled, still staring out the window. "You've proven that more than once now. Get some sleep.. we've got a long day tommorow."
"Ya. I suppose you're right."
Eric listened to the sounds of the other trainers breathing, as they slept.. the gentle tick of the rain against the window rocked him gently into the land of dreams. Two badges down.. and another was only a day away. What would tommorow hold? There was only one way to find out.
Sleep.
-------
End Chapter 9
A large wooden case held stacks among stacks of brochures, and stood in the entrance to Azalea Town.. you couldn't miss it unless you pretended it wasn't there. Mistral and Edd both stepped around it, but Eric scooped one up, and immediately opened it to read the contents inside. "Hey. This stuff is actually pretty useful.."
"How's that?" Mistral asked, grabbing Eric's arm to lead him towards the Pokemon Center.
"Well, it says here that this Pokemon Gym specializes in Bug Pokemon. I shouldn't have any problems against the Gym Leader, if that's the case," Eric shrugged, stumbling over himself, being absorbed by the advantageous reading material.
Mistral swiped the brochure from Eric, and opened it to the page he was looking at. "Lemme see that.. 'Bugsy is our lovely town's Gym Leader. She specializes in Bug type Pokemon..' Well, I could've told you that. 'Visit Slowpoke Well, and watch Slowpoke in their natural habitat.'"
"Slowpoke Well?" Edd asked, glancing up at Mistral. "Didn't that swarm move south from here?"
"When was there a swarm?" Mistral blinked, looking clueless. "I didn't know Slowpoke had swarms.."
Edd shrugged, heading off over towards the large well. "Every Pokemon can have swarms. It's a large amount of Pokemon in one area. Daddy said that the Slowpoke had its first ever swarm since a hundred years ago, and so many trainers were flocking here to capture Slowpoke for the Slowking rumors. But there probably aren't many Slowpoke left, ya."
"You said you wanted to capture a Slowpoke, right, Mistral?" Eric asked her, looking down into the dark well below, to see if he could see anything. Nothing but puddles of water, and rock.
"I did. But when you said you wanted to get a Slowking, I stopped worrying about it," Mistral shrugged, smiling. "Besides, I don't want to go into that well..."
Edd stared down into the well. "You're clostrophobic, aren'tcha?"
"Well.. erm.." Mistral muttered, sitting on the edge of the well. "Yeah. I always have been.. I don't have a problem with anything else, just small places and rooms.."
------
"PokeMart! C'mon in! We're having a fifty-percent off sale!" a man shouted, waving banners of different looking Pokemon. "You can't miss this sale! Super Potions for only 350 zenni! You can never have too many!"
The small group stopped infront of the store, watching the man dance about, trying to attract attention. It was working to a degree. Alot of people were pointing and whispering amongst themselves, holding back laughter.
"Well, Super Potions nearly the cost of Potions isan't too bad. Think we should buy a few?" Edd asked, opening the front door. "Hey! I know! I'll buy everyone one!"
Mistral and Eric followed Edd into the PokeMart, where large groups of people had gathered. Most of the items were nearly gone, and the cash register looked stuffed to bursting. "You don't have to do that, Edd," Mistral commented, moving over to a nearby rack of Escape Ropes. "But I could use an Escape Rope incase I ever get caught in another chamber.."
Edd scooped up three Escape Ropes, and shoveled them into the bag he had taken from the counter. "Anything else?"
Eric and Mistral glanced at each other. "How about some Soda Pop?" Eric suggested, smiling. "I could go with something to drink."
"Yeah, me too."
"Alright then." Edd shuffled through the crowds to the fridges, opening it with some effort. He pulled out three of the items, and shoved them into the bag. They each had a picture of a Pokemon on the front, which added to the fact that most of them were gone.
------
"That hit the spot," Eric yawned, crumpling up the empty can. He sat against the door to the Pokemon Gym. A small sign hung from the door. "But what gets me, is when did Gym Leaders go out to lunch?"
Edd shrugged, taking another sip of his pop. "I dunno, but this sun is making me sleepy, ya? How about you guys?"
"No. I'm too busy waiting for the leader," Eric commented, glancing over at Mistral. Surprisingly, she was asleep, a snot bubble issuing from her nose.
"Woah. How does she do that?" Edd blinked in amusement, reaching a hand up to poke it, retreating it before he touched it. "That's weird.."
"Excuse me, but, you're blocking the door to the Gym," a female voice said softly. Both Eric and Edd looked up into the face of Bugsy. Eric felt a twinge in his gut.. he had the feeling he had seen those eyes somewhere. Though not taller than Eric, she was equipped with a bug net like Edd, and had purple hair. She wore the typical junior trainer clothing, but they were covered in grass stains. Eric moved away from the door, and Bugsy smiled, bowing. "Thank you."
She opened the door, and stepped inside, leaving it open. Eric clambered to a stand, and gave Mistral a gentle nudge in the side with his foot. She fell over, and awoke with a start, looking around. "Who? Huh? Where am I?"
"Let's go. The Gym's open," Edd chuckled, watching Eric retreat inside the Pokemon Gym to avoid a beating.
------
"Welcome to the Azalea Pokemon Gym.. I'm supposing you're here to challenge me?" Bugsy guessed. Trees of all sorts, and tall grasses, lined the floor of the Gym. She dug into her pocket, and produced three Pokemon. "Three Pokemon, then?"
Eric nodded, taking his place on the other side of the field. "Fine. Let's go."
Another female appeared at the side of the field, flag in hand. "Let the battle commence!"
Bugsy quickly tossed the Pokeball she had in her hand onto the field, producing a small, green, cacoon Pokemon.. a Metapod. Eric was quick to summon his Mankey, who had seen few battles, and was probably rearing to beat on something. The Mankey, upon appearing, looked around for a target.. the referee was considered a decent target by the pig-monkey Pokemon, who quickly sped towards her.
"No! Mankey! Go after the Metapod, not her!" Eric commanded, pointing towards the bug Pokemon. "It can take a beating. Go beat up on that!"
The Mankey obeyed, reluctantly, and sped off towards the Metapod. "Metapod, Harden!" Bugsy commanded her Pokemon. It glowed a soft golden hue, and its shell became tougher. The Mankey reached it, and began to beat on the cacoon with all its power. Kicks, chops, swipes. Most of them seemed to glance off, but the Mankey had plenty energy left to go.
"Mankey! If you want to do damage, focus your energy, and then hit it with a Seismic Toss!" Eric commanded. The Mankey let out a screech, and began to shake, as it focused its energies into one powerful attack.. after a few moments, the Mankey let out another screech, picked up the Metapod, and jumped into the air.
"Ack! Metapod!" Bugsy blinked in surprise. The attack was quite successful.. the Metapod hit the ground hard enough to cause the ground to crack beneath it. The Metapod, dazed, was summarily returned to its Pokeball. "That was impressive, but let's see you handle my newest Pokemon.. It only just evolved today. Beedrill! Go!"
The next Pokemon out was a powerful looking bee Pokemon. While not as defensive as the Metapod, it was quick, and the Mankey had trouble keeping track of it. "Mankey, focus your energy again, and then use Fury Swipes! Try to get it down!"
"Beedrill, fly up into the air, so it can't get you!" Bugsy commanded. "When you get a clear shot, use Poison Sting!"
The Mankey stared up evilly at the Beedrill, focusing its energies, before letting out another screech. The Beedrill aimed its stinger at the fighting Pokemon, and fired a barrage of tiny, poison tipped needles. The Mankey rolled out of the way, and into a nearby tree.
"Perfect. Trees are what Mankey like the best.. Now, let's see if my plan works," Eric grinned, watching carefully.
"Eric? Have you noticed the lack of disciples here?" Mistral muttered into his ear. Eric's Mankey shot from the trees, and latched onto the surprised Beedrill, swiping at it with its paws. Bugsy started bouncing up and down, throwing punches at the air, obviously frustrated that she was losing.
"Yeah. So?" Eric replied, looking at her for a moment, before turning back to the fight. The Beedrill was flying around, trying to knock the Mankey off. The pig-monkey didn't seem to have a problem hanging onto the Beedrill's back. "They're probably still at lunch."
"Just a thought," Mistral shrugged, looking back to the fight. Tired out, Bugsy's Beedrill hit the ground with a sickening thud, where the Mankey proceeded to beat the stuffing out of it with kicks and chops. "Beedrill, return!" Bugsy grumbled angrily, pulling out her last Pokeball. "Go, Scyther!"
Eric quickly produced his Pokedex, and pointed it at the newly summoned Pokemon. ~"Scyther, a scythe Pokemon. The Scyther are natural born warriors, who live for battle. Very few are caught, and very few become tame enough to use for sure in battle."~
"Alright! Scyther, use Agility!" Bugsy commanded.
"Mankey, get it before it can get faster!" Eric commanded, gritting his teeth. He hadn't been expecting a Scyther.. he remembered watching a trained Scyther in a televised Pokemon League battle.. the kind that got you the chance to fight the Elite Four, and a walk along Victory Road. His Mankey let out another loud screech, causing the Scyther to look up from its concentration.
With a loud crash, the Mankey tackled the Scyther, sending them both sprawling backwards to the point where Bugsy had to move out of the way to avoid getting hit. "Scyther, use Slash! Take him out!"
The Scyther knocked the Mankey off it, and proceeded to slash it wildly. Eric's Mankey staggered backwards, and fell over. "That's two out of three, good job, Mankey!" he praised, lifting up the Mankey's Pokeball. It returned to it in a stream of red light. "Now for number two. Gastly, go!"
The Gastly appeared, forming its eyes, mouth, and fangs. Bugsy groaned, putting a hand to her head in frustration. "Okay, Gastly. Let's make this quick and easy. Hypnosis!"
With a glint in its eyes, it stared down at the Scyther, who began to stagger, trying to keep itself up. "Scyther, use Double Team!" Too late. The Scyther fell over, sawing Z's before the command could be issued. "Oh, no.. c'mon."
"Alright, Gastly, Nightshade!" Eric commanded, balling his right hand into a fist. This battle was his, and he didn't even have the type advantage for the first two. His Gastly floated towards the Scyther, disappearing into the darkness that appeared around it. When the darkness disappeared, the Scyther was over on its side, knocked out.
"Eric wins the battle!" the judge confirmed, flashing a green flag in Eric's direction.
"No! No! No! How did you do that?! It's not fair!" Bugsy cried, recalling her Scyther. "They told me you'd be tough to beat, and they weren't kidding!"
Both Mistral and Eric shot each other curious glances. "What do you mean by that?" Eric asked. "I defeated you fair and square, now give me that Hive Badge."
"I would if I could, but I don't know where she keeps them," Bugsy grinned, pulling out another Pokeball. "Besides, i've got a bone to pick with you.."
Eric knew he had seen those eyes somewhere. The junior trainer clothing came off, revealing the bright red uniform which immediately assaulted his memories. The judge on the side let out a squeak, and ran off for the back door, only to get intercepted by two other male members of Team Magma, who quickly slapped her out of the way. "You killed my lover, you asshole, and now you're going to pay for it!"
Edd looked up at Eric with a look of interest. "What's she talkin' about?"
"That, and all the other Team Magma members you killed.. I'll get revenge for all of them all. Go, Houndour!" the female member yelled, throwing out the Pokeball she had clutched in her right hand so tightly, she shook. A small, dog-like Pokemon appeared from the Pokeball, covered in what looked like fake bones. The other two members grinned, and threw out their own Pokeballs.. a Poochyena, and a Dustox appeared with a cry.
"What's goin' on here, ya?" Edd inquired, still looking up at Eric. "Were you the one who caused that slaughter back in Violet City?"
"If this keeps up, i'm going to have a ton of emotional scars," Eric muttered, pulling out a Pokeball. He didn't bother to throw it, as the Pokeball opened upon thought. His Pidgeotto, long awaiting battle, appeared in the bright red light. His Gastly floated over next to the Pidgeotto, looking down at the impending battle. "Mistral, Edd, get out of here. This is my battle. If they want a fight, they'll get it.."
Edd stepped forward, and shook his head. "No. Mistral and I have stuck with you this long, it's not too much to help out. Besides, you're outnumbered, ya? How about we teach these punks a lesson?". Mistral gave a nod, and stepped forward, pulling out two Pokeball from her waist pouch. "I'm with Edd."
"... Fine. Stop hesitating, then, these guys are pretty determined.." Eric nodded, staring down the three Team Magma members.
Edd was quick to summon his Lairon, Pelliper, and Shroomish, while Mistral summoned her Cyndaquil, and Dugtrio. "Alright. Let's show these fools what a real Pokemon Battle is like.." Eric grinned, pointing towards the three Pokemon. "Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack, then Peck on the moth Pokemon! Gastly, try and Lick the other two Pokemon. Let's go!"
"Ignore the other Pokemon, Houndour. Try and burn that trainer to a crisp! Don't give up until he's dead, do you hear me?!" the female grunt screamed, pointing through the crowd of Pokemon on the other end of the gym, at Eric. The Houndour rushed forward, rearing its head back, taking a deep breath. It released a stream of fire towards the group of Pokemon, only to be stopped as the Lairon stepped forward to take the brunt of the attack. Eric's Pidgeotto and Gastly flew off in seperate directions to hit their intended goals. "Good job, Lairon! Now, stomp out that overgrown lighter!"
The Lairon brought up its front feet, and stomped harshly on the Houndour, who, after several hits to the skull and body, went flying back towards its trainer, rolling, resting in an unconcious heap at the feet of her trainer. "Dustox! Stun Spore them all!"
Wham. Another command given much too late. Eric's Pidgeotto had intercepted it before it could move, and had pinned it to the grassy floor of the gym, pecking it. It let out shrieks, shaking the Stun Spore over the Pidgeotto. Sparkles of purple light covered the Pidgeotto from head to toe, causing it to fall over, but not before having knocked out the Dustox.
"Okay, Dugtrio! Hit that dog Pokemon with a Slash!" Mistral commanded, pointing towards the Poochyena. The Dugtrio quickly dug underground, reappearing behind the surprised Poochyena. It got in its slashes, sending the Poochyena flying, where it was intercepted by the awaiting Gastly.. and given a nice long lick. The Poocyhena gagged, and fell over, twitching, hitting the ground stiff as a board.
"Shroomish, hit them with Stun Spore! Make sure they don't get away!" Edd commanded, leaping forward, feeling the rush of battle. The Shroomish stormed towards the grunts, as they recalled their unconcious and injured Pokemon. It began to shake violently, covering the grunts in the purple dust that had been used previously against Eric's Pidgeotto. The grunts let out cries, falling over, just as stiff as the Poochyena had been.
"Bellsprout, go!" Mistral released her Bellsprout, who appeared with a cry. "Tie them up with Vine Whip, Bellsprout, until the proper authorities can show up!"
The Bellsprout leapt forward, and shot out vines from its root feet, wrapping up the grunts in vines, who began to struggle in a futile attempt to break free.
Eric recalled his Gastly and Pidgeotto, as Edd and Mistral recalled any Pokemon that weren't helping contain the grunts. "Come quick, guys! I think I found where the real Bugsy is!" Edd called, beckoning to them from the back room. Mistral ran off towards the back room, leaving Eric to double check on the grunts, to make sure they wouldn't be able to escape. "I'm not a murderer," he muttered down at the female grunt, moving towards the back room.
"Mark my words, Eric," the female grunt called after him, the stun spore beginning to wear off. "I WILL kill you."
"We'll see about that," Eric called back to her, entering the back room. Sure enough, there was Bugsy, and several of the other trainers, tied up. Bugsy was without clothes, since they had been stolen for the female grunt to wear. Edd was quick to toss Bugsy her clothing, when Mistral untied her. She scrambled into them, and began to help Mistral and Eric untie her disciples.
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"I didn't see them coming," Bugsy smiled at them from over the table, blushing slightly. "I was in the back, getting ready to fetch a badge for a trainer that had defeated my Pokemon, and she appeared from out of nowhere.. took my clothes, and tied me up."
Eric glanced over at Mistral, then looked back over at Bugsy. "Well, I hate to ask so soon after you being.. recovered and all, but, I did defeat the Pokemon that you use in battle.. would it be a bad time to ask if I could get a Hive Badge?"
"Well, let's see.. you defeated my Pokemon, saved the Pokemon Gym, and, as we speak, they're being arrested by Officer Jenny.." Bugsy ticked off three fingers out of five she had open. Eric cringed at the thought of the authorities being so close.. if someone tipped him off to being here, he'd surely be arrested and thrown in jail along with the grunts they had just subdued. "And you saved me and my disciples. Yeah. I think you deserve this Hive Badge."
Bugsy pulled out a small, shiny badge from her back pocket, and slid it over to him from across the table. Eric picked it up, smiling over the table at the gym leader. "Thanks." The box which contained Eric's Zephyr Badge was withdrawn from the backpack, and opened, pinned to its proper place next to the Zephyr Badge.
"I think you'll be a great trainer, Eric. You've got a great group of friends here.. you're from Hoenn, did you say?" Bugsy asked, looking over at Edd, who gave a sheepish nod. "I think, if you all stick together, you can make it to the Pokemon League."
"You really think so, huh?" Eric asked, leaning back in his chair.
"I know so," Mistral grinned, patting Eric on the head daintily. "We'll make sure of that."
Edd laughed, clapping his hands a few times. "Ya. I'd be glad to stick around. It could be fun, ya?"
"Enough talk about Pokemon Leagues and badges. You'll have plenty of time for that when you reach the next city. You still have to get through Ilex Forest to get to Goldenrod," Bugsy interrupted, standing up. She moved over to the small kitchen that was put into the back room, and whipped out some cooking utensils. "I'm sure you're starving, and i'd be glad to treat you all to dinner, and you can all stay the night if you'd like."
"Food! I'm starving!" Edd grinned hungrily, looking quite pleased with himself. "All that praise was makin' me hungry, ya."
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The cots were stiff, and not as comfortable as a normal bed, but they weren't sleeping outdoors. That was a good thing, since the sky outside the window Eric stared out of was soon covered in clouds, and it began to rain. "Eric? Are you still awake?" Edd's voice called out from the shadows.
"Yeah. What's up?" Eric replied, still staring out of the window at the rain.
"Did you mean to kill them all?"
".. No. I didn't mean to kill anyone. That wasn't my Magmar. I didn't know they'd all go up in flames.. I guess.. I guess I wasn't thinking properly.."
Edd went silent for a few moments, so that all the noise that was in the room was the gentle breathing of Mistral and Bugsy as they slept. "I see.. well, just know, that i'll be by your side if you ever need me, ya?"
"You don't have to tell me that, Edd," Eric smiled, still staring out the window. "You've proven that more than once now. Get some sleep.. we've got a long day tommorow."
"Ya. I suppose you're right."
Eric listened to the sounds of the other trainers breathing, as they slept.. the gentle tick of the rain against the window rocked him gently into the land of dreams. Two badges down.. and another was only a day away. What would tommorow hold? There was only one way to find out.
Sleep.
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End Chapter 9