Chapter 4
The flight to Petalburg city didn't take long even at the leisurely pace John and May were taking. It was a clear day so the view was priceless and it was one of the few times May wished she had a camera as they soared above the forest. Her little brother would get a real thrill out of this if he was here, but Max was out on a journey of his own since turned ten some years ago.
"Wow, that was amazing even if it isn't the real thing," May exclaimed happily as they landed in the main park of Petleburg city.
"Well May why don't we go find a pokemon center so your bellcatty and combustken can get looked at. Good job titan, morph, you guys deserve a break," John said as they returned to their normal amorphous selves and took a seat on his shoulders.
"You know that's just what I was thinking, come on it's this way," May said grabbing John's arm and dragging him toward the standard pokemon healing center.
"Wow that was quick, you must have been here before, you could say that," May said as she handed her pokemon over to nurse Joy.
"You could say that," May said hiding a smile.
"Well then how about telling me a good place to get some food and rest up for the night," John asked not wanting to stay in the pokemon center. While the centers were nice they tended to be over run by young trainers who could be quite problematic at times and this particular center was currently overrun with them.
"Well, silly you'll just stay with me of course since you saved me this morning," May replied sweetly turning on the charm.
"Um ok, I guess," John replied in a daze being somewhat confused, as they headed out the door to May's house.
"So John, what brings you to Petleburg city," May asked.
"I'm trying to earn my first badge for entering the world championship,"
"Well then you're staying at the right place. My dad is the gym leader here in town, you can battle him tomorrow," May said as they turned the corner and headed up to the gym complex. John in the meantime stood there like statue dumbfounded at his good luck.
"Come on John my parents are going to want to meet the guy who saved my but," yelled May.
"Alright I'm coming," John said as he chased after May secretly commenting that she had a very nice ass.
After May retelling the story to her parents they were more than happy to allow John to stay for the night and to battle for the balance badge the next day.
"Well that was one of the bests nights sleep I've had in a while. Nothing beats staying in a real bed," said John as he walked into the kitchen.
"Good morning, John, would you like some breakfast," Asked May's mother.
"Yes please," John replied.
"Is frenchtoast ok," May's mother asked.
"You bet it is," John replied excitedly as he began drooling in anticipation of his favorite breakfast food.
"Well it looks like some one is hungry," May's father said as he entered the kitchen.
"You bet, sir, this is one of my favorite foods," John replied.
"I told you last night just call me Norman, anyone with the courage and skill you showed yesterday is on a first name basis with me. Although just because you saved my daughter it doesn't mean I will go easy on you and you'll have to do better than simple tricks to get past me." Norman said as he sat down.
"Well Norman I wouldn't want it any other way," replied John looking forward to the challenging battle.
"Her you go, eat up now," Said May's mom as she placed a large stack of French toast in front of Norman and John.
With breakfast over with John and Norman headed over to the gym to begin what was to become a very interesting gym battle. John was nervous with what he was going to try, he usually used the shock and awe from having his dittos turn into legendary pokemon to surprise the trainers he met during his travels. The resulting confusion usually alloyed him to get in a few hits with their defenses down. His personal favorite was to have titan turn into raquaza and while the other trainer stood in awe he would drop a smoke screen and have his ditto shift into a smaller pokemon and deliver a shot before the other trainer knew what happened. He knew this wouldn't work with Norman since he heard from May about his ditto's and their abilities. John was broken from his thoughts by May's yelling.
"Did I miss it, did I miss it," May said breathlessly as she ran into the gym not quite awake yet.
"Nope they are just about to start," replied May's mom from the referee position.
"Norman, will this be a two on two battle," John asked, glad he thought up this strategy at the last minute.
"Yes and you're going to be facing vigoroth, and zangooth, John. You'd better be careful because they don't like to loose." Norman said releasing both of his pokemon.
"Don't worry I'm ready for ya, but can we open the roof so I don't accidentally damage it." John said.
"May, open the roof would ya," Norman asked.
"You got it dad," May replied.
"You have got to see this mom even though it isn't real it's still incredible," May said as the roof slid open.
"Go titan, go morph," John yelled as his morphing pokemon jumped off his shoulders.
"Well then boys let the match, begin," May's mother said as roof fully opened.
"Vigoroth, furry swipe now before they change," Norman yelled taking a proactive stance to start the match.
"Well time for some shock and awe," John said as the battle started. "Titan, raquaza now,Morph, entie" John yelled as vigoroth continued his charge across the gym floor.
The battle had begun, with titan in rising into the air morph took the full force of vigoroths asualt and was thrown into the wall. Morph's sacrifice was not in vain though as titan was able to catch vigoroth in a bind wrapping himself around him. Norman did not watch helplessly as titan lifted his vigorath high into the air, he immediately sent zangooth into a quick attack against morph who was now a mew who was till recovering from the earlier fury swipe was able to dodge just in time and only took a glancing blow.
"Morph, seviper, wrap, now," yelled John as Zangooth flew by the ever changing pokemon,
"Its going to take more than wrap attacks to beat my pokemon," Norman chuckled while watching as his pokemon were confined by the transformed dittos. He wasn't to worried he knew that both of his opponents did not have the strength of the originals. All he had to do was play the waiting game and both of his pokemon would break free with minimal damage.
Good, thought John he is forgetting how high up raquaza is. While both vigoroth and zangooth would both soon break free John was counting on gravity adding to the damage he was planning to do.
"Raquaza, throw vigoroth now," John yelled just as Vigoroth broke free of titan.
"Good job vigoroth….. Oh no," Norman yelled as vigoroth was knocked by titan toward the ground from several stories up.
"I don't need a strong attack if physics will do the work for me," John said as vigoroth continued to fall. "Morph get out of the way," John yelled as vigoroth slammed into zangooth right after morph released him into the path of the rapidly falling pokemon.
"Come on vigoroth, zangooth, I know your not done yet," Norman yelled as his pokemon slowly got up from the ground.
"Morph, quilava, smoke screen now. Titan, snorlax, now," John yelled. With the smoke screen covering them Norman's pokemon took their time to recover from the previous attack and could not see what was coming.
Norman was dumb founded by what John was doing by covering his own pokemon with a smoke screen John prevented any attacks by his own pokemon. He almost thought the kid trying to buy time to get a new strategy since the wrapp em up strategy didn't work, until he saw titan shift from raquaza to snorlax.
"Oh, no," Norman muttered as snorlax cam crashing down on his unsuspecting pokemon and with a resounding crash the smoke screen was blown away to reveal a snorlax laying on top of an unconscious vigoroth, and zangooth.
"Zigoroth, and Vangooth are unable to battle," John is the winner." May's mom said as titan transformed back into a ditto.
"Morph, Titan its not over yet guys you know the drill," John said as his pokemon shifted into latias and latios while picking up Norman's injured pokemon in a psychic bubble. Ok boys you know where the pokemon center is so don't waste anytime. With that all four pokemon disappeared in a sonic boom.
"What just happened?" Norman asked, looking around in disbelief as his pokemon have vanished.
"Well, I saw that my strategy might have inflicted some major damage to your pokemon so I had mine run them to the pokemon center faster than any of us could.
"Wow, thank you, John. That alone proves how much you deserve this badge," Norman said handing over the badge.
"No thank you Norman for the battle." John said trying to hold in his excitement. After 8 years of dreaming he had finally gotten his first badge.
"Yum the burger was excellent," John said with satisfaction while patting his full stomach.
"Well, I'm glad you like it," Bill said while paying the check.
"Here let me help," John said pulling out his wallet.
"No way your story was more than enough payment," Bill replied as he handed the check back to the waitress.
"Hey Bill you know a good place to stay since its getting kinda late and I don't want to stay in the pokemon center with the all the hyper young trainers." John asked.
"Well John, why don't you stay at my place. I'm close to the stadium and wife is a good cook.
"Thanks Bill, I owe you," John said happy that he had a place to stay that wouldn't be packed with crazy kids.
"Hey just keep the stories coming and I'll be happy as a clam," Bill said as they excited the restaurant and into the cool night air.