Chapter 14.5: I'm Friends With My Worst Fear!
A young policeman dressed in a blue uniform watched as inmates dressed in orange jumpsuits sat in their jail cells. Keeping a watchful eye, he didn't take his eyes off of some prisoners for even a moment. He smiled at some of them, knowing they were Team Rocket members his friends had apprehended. Good thing they're off the streets, otherwise, who knows what kind of crimes they could commit next.
"Hey, Roger!" A black haired fellow policeman exclaimed, walking right into the row of jail cells. "You need to see this!"
"What is it, Steven?" Roger barely had any time to properly respond before Steven took him by the arm and pulled him out of the room. A grey newspaper was suddenly pushed in front of his face, obscuring his vision. "Hey! Get that thing out of my face!"
"Look! See the headline?" Once Roger pulled his face out of the newspaper, he took a closer look, adjusting his glasses as he examined the article in question. The large headline read, 'Potential Suspect Found For Cherrygrove Gyarados Rampage, Investigation Continues.' There was a picture of a woman in her mid-forties right underneath the headline. Since the newspaper was printed in black and white, the color of her eyes and hair were obscured, not helped by the fact that the woman's eyes were covered by a pair of black visor glasses.
"Ohhh! I know what this is!" Roger exclaimed. "Is this about that gyarados suddenly blowing Cherrygrove to smithereens some time ago?" He ran a rugged hand through his hair. "Good Arceus, those poor people…"
"I know!" Steven exclaimed. "I have a friend who's been investigating this since it happened. He got some eyewitness reports saying a woman riding some airship was observing the attack and doing nothing to stop it," He pointed to the woman in the picture. "That's her! Some even said to him that they heard her talkin' about it like she was the one behind it!"
Roger raised an eyebrow, noting the woman in the picture. "Who is she, exactly?"
"I hear she's a notorious pokemon hunter. She's on the world's national most wanted list, and holds the number one spot on the blacklist. All we know for sure is that she goes by J, nothing else," Steven explained. "I heard that she's been on the run for years, and despite the police going on huge man hunts for her, nobody's managed to catch her. Not even close."
"She's probably a smart cookie if she's capable of evading the police for so long," Roger mused. "Speaking of which, isn't there some manhunt going on for this Amara girl?"
Steven shrugged. "I've seen police search everywhere, but as usual, they're coming up empty. False tips, leads going nowhere, it's a mess!" He adjusted his police hat to make sure it didn't obscure his vision. "How does this girl do it?"
"Sorry Steve, but I gotta get back to my post," Roger handed the newspaper back to his colleague. "I gotta make sure the Rockets don't escape."
"Can I come take a look with you? Maybe I can help. You're probably bored out of your mind."
As the two policemen walked down the corridor, Roger noticed one cell was empty. Wait, what? He and Steven stopped in their tracks. A cell was completely empty. No sign of human life was in there. One of the bars on the tiny window had been cut, and all that was left was a bundle of white bed sheets tied to the bar like a rope. "Oh no! Margeaux's gone!" Roger screamed. "I gotta let everyone else know!"
"She's not the only one!" Steven shouted. "That Yannick guy's gone too!"
The two policemen were quick to inform their bosses of what happened. Two Team Rocket grunts had escaped! Arceus only knows what kind of trouble they were potentially going to cause...
Roars and growls echoed in the forest, allowing the kids to get a good idea of where that houndoom from earlier was. It helped that Saoirse and Hikaru tracked its scent, since they had hypersensitive noses that could pick up any scent. Soon, the kids saw the black, horned canine growling in front of what appeared to be a hole at the root of a big tree. Julia could hear cries of "Ni ni ni niii!" inside, as loud as the houndoom's growling was.
The large pokemon was a large, black furred canine that stood as tall as the kids, with two grey, curled horns protruding out from the back of its head. Its red eyes gleamed like those of a vicious beast out for blood, with an orange snout and underbelly offsetting the rest of its fur. Wrapped around its neck was a greyish white band, with similarly colored and shaped ridges on its back. Resting on its collarbone was an oval shaped crest that resembled a skull pendant, and four bands that resembled ankle bracelets wrapped around its ankles. It's thin tail wagged left and right, with a black triangle right at the tip.
Perrine pulled out her PokeDex to examine it. "Houndoom, the dark pokemon, and the evolved form of houndour. Houndoom's eerie howl is said to cause those who hear it to shudder in fear. Long ago, people imagined its eerie howls to be the call of the grim reaper. In a Houndoom pack, the one with its horns raked sharply towards the back serves a leadership role. These Pokémon choose their leader by fighting amongst themselves. The flames it breathes when angry contain toxins. If they cause a burn, it will hurt forever," A pink female sign flashed as the PokeDex hovered over it.
"Sweet!" Caiseal exclaimed as he pulled out a pokeball. "I am so catching it!"
"Wait! Don't catch it just yet!" Julia held her arm out to keep Caiseal back. Soon, she turned toward the growling beast and shouted, "Hey! Leave them alone!" Saoirse and Hikaru stood in between the two, adopting battle stances, should the situation get out of hand.
The angry houndoom turned to face the kids, its long snout scrunched up and contorted with anger, baring its shiny white teeth. Julia immediately shuddered, but the houndoom growled once more. "Oh...is that why you're growling at them."
"What's it saying?" Perrine asked.
"She says, 'It's their fault for stealing my Oran berries! My children are starving!'" She translated. Immediately, an idea hatched in Hikaru's head. She leaped onto Julia's bag, unzipped it, and rummaged through it. "Hey! Hikaru! What are you doing?" Hikaru popped out of the bag, approached the houndoom with a smile, and showed it two Oran berries.
"Pichu pichu!" ("You can have these!") Hikaru held the Oran berries out to the houndoom with a beaming smile. The sight calmed the houndoom somewhat, as her face softened. She kneeled down to sniff the Oran berries to make sure they were safe. Hikaru didn't move a muscle, but continued to smile, wanting to pacify the large canine. Before long, the houndoom took the berries into its mouth.
"Gar gar gaaaar…" The houndoom growled with the berries still in its mouth. With that, the horned canine trotted away, leaving large footprints in its wake.
"Hikaru! Why'd you give it the Oran berries Mr. Pokemon gave us?" Julia asked, confused by her friend's actions. But she had to admit, Hikaru's actions did prevent a disaster, so it wasn't a total loss. "I kinda wanted to save those for emergencies."
"Pichu pichu pichu!" ("We can always find more! There's lots of them everywhere!") Hikaru reasoned, flapping her arms up and down.
"Snubbull snubbull." ("She does have a valid point.") Saoirse added.
Julia let out a sigh. "Yeah, you're right. But you should ask me first before you do stuff like that!" She told them.
"Pichu!"
"Sorry, Cash," Perrine said. "You wanted to catch that houndoom."
Caiseal crossed his arms. "It's okay. I don't want to break up a family," Perrine gave him a quizzical look. That was a quick recovery.
This time, Hikaru trotted over to the hole in the bottom of the tree. "Pichu pichu pichu!" ("Houndoom's gone! You can come out now!")
"Nyu nyu nyuuu?" ("Really? We can come out?")
"I wonder what pokemon are inside?" Julia kneeled before the hole, but made sure to stay on the side so as to give the pokemon some space for them to come out. "You can come out! It's okay!"
Seeing that it was safe, the two pokemon popped right out of the hole. Julia's content, warm smile immediately morphed into a big frown. Her eyes became so wide, they looked as though they were going to pop right out of her head. She suddenly let out a high pitched scream and ran right behind Perrine, like she couldn't run fast enough. The two kids looked at each other with confused expressions, right as Julia shivered behind her orange haired friend, wondering what the heck just happened. They looked down to get a better look at the pokemon.
One pokemon was a deep, pinkish purple rabbit-like creature, with large, spiny ears bigger than its head, almost shaped like diamonds, with the insides being a teal green color. Many spikes, large and small, shot up from its back, and its red eyes had a curious, friendly look to them. Some darker spots dotted its body, and a sharp horn protruded from its head. The other pokemon was rounder and plumper than the other one, with smaller ears that were both teal and dark blue on the inside. It's body was a periwinkle blue color, and two whiskers came out from each cheek. Its horn was smaller than the purple pokemon's, and dark blue spots dotted its body.
"They're...Nidoran…" Caiseal mused.
The two nidoran smiled cheerfully, greeting a happy Hikaru with coos and squeaks. Hikaru shook hands with them like she had known them her whole lives. Perrine pulled out her PokeDex to examine them. "Nidoran, the poison pin pokemon. Because their genders, physical attributes, and evolutionary lines are so drastically different from one another, they are classified as different species. They are relatively docile, mild mannered pokemon who don't like to fight, but their horns can secrete a vicious venom that can easily kill if strong enough. The poison in their horns are extremely potent to a point where even a tiny scratch can result in a fast death. Their horns developed as a means of protection against predators. Because their ears are so large, they can pick up even the smallest sounds, allowing them to be prepared for any danger."
"Awww, they're so cute!" Perrine cooed.
The two nidoran noticed Julia hiding behind Perrine, and cheerfully walked over to her. As soon as she saw them, she yelped once more and ran to hide behind a tree. The two nidoran just stood there, staring at her with a confused, dejected look. "Are...you okay?" Caiseal asked.
"NO! No I am not!" Julia screamed.
"Ohhh!" Perrine facepalmed, chastising herself for forgetting. "I forgot! You're scared of poison types, aren't you?"
Both nidorans' ears twitched at the sound of that. The two rodents stared down at the dirt beneath their feet with dejected eyes. Hikaru couldn't help but pity them. "Yes! Yes I am scared of them! Poison types are evil! They're vicious, and they kiiiiill!" Julia wailed like a scared child.
"Really? I didn't know you were scared of poison types," Caiseal asked. "Dare I ask why?" He kept his distance to give her some space.
"When I was seven, a venomoth and three other pokemon went crazy and tried to attack me!" Julia screamed. The memory of being trapped in that building while those four pokemon battled each other uncontrollably ran through her mind. "When I was eight, a beedrill stabbed me on the arm and I almost died! When I was nine, I stepped on an Ekans's tail by accident and it tried to kill me, and it would have if dad and his blastoise didn't make it go awaaaaaay!" Once again, the horrible memories ran through her mind like a film strip, and just thinking about them made her shudder. Tears had already come trickling right out.
"Nyu nyu ni ni!" ("We're not gonna kill you!") The purple nidoran reasoned.
The blue nidoran nodded in agreement before chirping, "Ni ni ni ni! Nyu nyu nyuuuu!" ("Yeah! You saved us! We wanna be friends!")
Once more, when they tried to approach, Julia let out a scream and sprinted away, like she couldn't run fast enough, leaving everyone else alone. The two nidoran drooped their heads down dejectedly, their hearts broken by her rejection. Seeing their sad expressions, Hikaru kindly patted them on their heads and told them, "I'm sure she knows you're not mean. Just give her some time! She'll come around!"
At least Julia didn't go too far. She made sure she was within the group's vicinity. A good friend wouldn't just leave their friends behind, and she needed to do some training before her gym battle. Once the kids caught up with her, she calmed down and had another faux battle with Caiseal. However, the nidoran couple didn't seem to want to leave, and she found herself stiffening as soon as they would come close. Saoirse would gently shoo them away and make them give her some space. Some of the other pokemon occupied them by playing tag with them, so they'd run around all over the place.
"Whew! That was great!" Caiseal exclaimed, motioning for Ravenclaw to roost on his shoulder. "Thanks, Jule! Ravenclaw and I just might be able to beat Morty tomorrow!"
"Murkrow!" Ravenclaw added.
"Glad to hear it," Julia brushed some hair out of her face and sat down in front of another tree, watching as her friends played tag with the nidoran. She pulled out her sketchbook and began drawing again. Drawing was like her escape from reality. She could just stare at a paper, make pictures with a pencil, and completely block out the world around her.
"Nido nido?" Of course, the nidoran's squeaky voices pulled her right back to reality. She yelped and was about to run, but stopped when she saw the sad looks in their eyes. As much as she hated poison types because of the dangers they could pose, she didn't see dangerous pokemon this time. She saw sad little rodents, looking up at her with dejected expressions, like they were asking if they hated her just for existing. Their sad faces broke her heart.
'Uuugh! Come on, Julia! They're just nidoran! They're not gonna kill you! They even said so!' Julia told herself. She wished she wasn't so afraid of poison types. 'They just want to be friends! You'll hurt their feelings if you keep this up!' Chastising herself for being so fearful, she wondered if this was what her mother meant when she said she needed to face her fears. If these two nidoran really were vicious, they would have attacked her by now, and they didn't. She knew that much.
Perhaps...it was time to stop being so scared. After all, she wasn't afraid of oddish, who were part poison types, but were for the most part friendly. Blossom was certainly a nice little oddish who stayed out of trouble and was quiet most of the time. Blossom hasn't attempted to kill her, so that had to mean something. She had faced her fears before. She feared going to Violet City, but went back anyway, and wasn't afraid of it anymore. If she could go someplace where bad memories were strong and come out stronger because of it, then perhaps she could stop being afraid of poison types.
With resolve in her heart, she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a large, chocolate chip cookie. It was still fresh, as she had bought it after she had come out of the police station. But she had lost her appetite, so perhaps the nidoran would like it. Her body trembling, she broke the cookie in half and presented the halves to the two nidoran. "W-W-W-W-Would you...like s-s-s-s-s-some?" She croaked, barely managing to get two words out. At first, the nidoran simply sniffed the cookie, taking care not to touch Julia's fingers. Soon, they used their teeth to pull the cookie out of her hands and gobbled them up.
"Nido nido!"
"Nyu ni nyuuuu!"
The smiles on their faces told Julia all she needed to know. Soon, she found herself smiling, and the tension in her body finally relaxed somewhat. It was a step forward. Perhaps she could go further. Slowly, she held her hand out. "I...I have nothing against you two. Honest," She told them, no longer stuttering. "I...I don't want to be afraid…"
The nidoran couple could sense the lingering fear in her body. Pokemon can sense the feelings of people around them, both wild and trained. Happiness, sadness, anger, hatred...in Julia's case, fear. Julia squeezed her eyes shut but kept her hand held out. She wanted to believe in them. To believe that poison types weren't all dangerous, and were no different from any other pokemon. The two nidoran sniffed Julia's hand with their noses before the blue one gently licked her finger. The purple one soon did the same. Taking care not to scratch her with her horn, the blue one took the initiative and rubbed herself against Julia's finger.
Her body was hard and spiny, like a rock. There was no softness or smooth skin anywhere. Gradually, Julia opened her eyes and found herself shocked. The blue nidoran was happily rubbing herself underneath her hand, basking in her soothing touch. No poison, no pain, nothing. The fear lingering in her body was gradually leaving. She had expected it to hurt, but it didn't. Perhaps these two little rodents weren't vicious after all. She held her hand out to scratch the purple nidoran's ears. Like its best friend, the purple nidoran smiled, basking in the girl's touch.
"Now that I look at you…" Julia mused. "...You are pretty cute."
"Nido nido!" The purple nidoran chirruped.
Caiseal and Perrine crossed their arms, watching as Julia opened her heart to the two rodents. "She's getting there. I guess it works better to just let her deal with it on her own."
The blonde haired boy simply nodded, looking away. 'I'm kinda jealous. I wish I could get over my fear that quickly,' He ruminated. An image of a cave filled to the ceiling with ice and icicles flashed through his mind. A small, frightened child curled up in a ball near a frozen rock, surrounded by shattered icicles, which had fallen from the ceiling. Simply recalling the memory made him shiver as though he were back there again.
A large teal pine cone suddenly caught his eye. Upon closer inspection, it was a pineco. Caiseal kneeled down to its level and took out his PokeDex to examine it. "Pineco, the bagworm pokemon. They like to make their shells thicker by adding layers of tree bark to them, and the additional weight doesn't bother them. Pineco don't particularly move around much on their own. Pineco hangs from a tree branch and patiently waits for prey to come along. If the Pokémon is disturbed while eating by someone shaking its tree, it drops down to the ground and explodes with no warning. Their hard shell is able to protect them from bird pokemon." A blue male sign flashed in the PokeDex.
"Pineco!" The pine cone shaped pokemon exclaimed, staring at Julia, Hikaru, and the two nidoran. All of a sudden, a white light consumed it before...BOOM! An explosion consumed the area, and a grey cloud of smoke billowed all over. Nobody could see a thing, and the kids were reduced to coughing fits. Thankfully, the bird pokemon (Tsubasa, Fukuro, and Ravenclaw) flew out of the smoke cloud and flapped their wings vigorously.
The smoke in front of Julia's eyes began to clear. The first thing she saw was a woman in black Team Rocket garb with two pokemon underneath her arms. One of them was Hikaru, the other the blue nidoran. Fear immediately morphed into anger, and it seized her faster than she could comprehend it. How dare this woman take her pokemon?!
"LET MY FRIENDS GO!" With a scream, Julia lunged at the woman and sent her rolling to the ground. She recognized her as Margeaux, the brown haired grunt from the Ruins of Alph who tried to steal Saoirse and Tokiko. Hikaru and the blue nidoran crawled right out from underneath Margeaux's arms as soon as she fell.
"Get off me, you brat!" Margeaux rolled over and grabbed a chunk of Julia's hair.
"OW! Caiseal! Perrine! Call the police NOW!" Julia yelled, slapping the woman across the cheek.
Caiseal already had his PokeGear out. "Baloo, use Wake-Up Slap on that man!" Perrine yelled as she noticed Yannick with the purple nidoran in his arms. The balloon pokemon hopped before the white clad man and slapped him across the face multiple times, losing his grip on the purple nidoran. Both nidoran scurried toward the kids, kicking dirt into the grunts' faces so as to deter them further.
"Grrrr!" Yannick growled. "We'll show you who's boss! Machop, go!" Yannick called forth his trusty machop. "Use Karate Chop!"
"Baloo, Disarming Voice!"
"Jiggly!" As the machop charged toward the pink balloon pokemon with his palm flattened, ready to pound on the little thing, Baloo let out a shrill cry, and pink and red hearts flew at the machop's face. The machop swiped his hand at them to try and force them away, but the impact was too strong.
"Hikaru! Nidorans! Are you okay?" Julia kneeled to their level to see if they weren't hurt.
Hikaru smiled, flashing a thumbs up. "Pichu!" ("Not a scratch on me!")
"Nido nido!" The two joyful nidoran jumped up and down, thanking Julia for saving them a second time despite her fears.
"I thought the police caught you already!" Perrine exclaimed.
Margeaux rubbed her eyes to get the dirt out, not that it did any good. "We escaped! You better hand that shiny pichu over to us or else-"
A crack of Yannick's whip shut her and everyone else up. He raised his large whip at the kids. Julia shivered, but tried to keep her cool. Tokiko, Baloo, Saoirse, Kitsune, Mallow, and the two nidoran all adopted battle stances, completely unafraid. "Hand over the shiny pichu. Unless you wish to endure great pain."
"We're not afraid of you!" Julia shouted. "Tokiko, use Dazzling Gleam!" The spike ball pokemon wasted no time shining a bright light in the Team Rocket grunts' faces. "Saoirse, use Headbutt on both of them!" Saoirse rammed her head into machop, sending him rolling on top of the TR grunts. 'I wish Papillon were here so she could trap them with String Shot, but I can try and make do without her,' Julia told herself. Once again, the adrenaline surged through her body. Just like in battle.
"Kitsune, use Confuse Ray!" Perrine commanded. The orange fox pokemon stared them in the eyes. As soon as the two made eye contact, their minds were thrown asunder, and they found themselves unable to even so much as stand.
The pokemon surrounded them until the police arrived. They took Margeaux and Yannick back as soon as they had arrived, and before they knew it, the police cars had scattered. Julia felt something nudge her legs. It was Hikaru and the two nidoran, rubbing themselves against her gratefully. With a laugh, Julia kneeled down to their level and stroke them.
"I'm glad you're all safe," She told them.
"Pichu pichu!" ("Thanks for saving us!") Hikaru was quick to give Julia a peck on the cheek. The dark yellow mouse never doubted her trainer one bit.
"Those nidoran really seem to like you," Caiseal told her, crossing his arms. "I think they want to be your friends, and you don't seem scared of them anymore."
It hit her right there. Caiseal was right. She wasn't running away or screaming in terror as the nidoran got close. They were even rubbing themselves against her, and she wasn't dying. Perhaps...she could be friends with them after all. "Nidoran? Would you two...like to come with us?" Julia asked.
The two nidoran didn't hesitate. They chirruped joyfully, their ears twitching back and forth as they rejoiced. They stood completely still as Julia tapped them with two PokeBalls. As the blinking disappeared, so did the PokeBalls. They teleported back to her house without a hitch. "Rino and Rina. Those'll be their names."
As soon as she said that, she saw a kakuna clutching a tree right next to her. With a yelp, she ran behind Perrine and shivered. Caiseal and Perrine let out some sighs. "Well, you're not completely over your poison fear, but it's a start," Caiseal said. "It's okay."
"Cubone!" Mallow agreed.
Rumbling roars echoed from Caiseal's stomach. He turned red like a tomato as Julia and Perrine were unable to stifle their giggles. Soon, he joined in on their laughter. If you can't beat'em, join'em. "I'm getting hungry. Want to go grab something to eat?" Caiseal suggested.
"I hear there's this cool cafe around here called Tin and Brass Taverns, and they serve really good vegetable pot pies," Perrine looked through the map function on her PokeGear, zooming in on Ecruteak, and noting the restaurant near the pond.
"What's a pot pie?" Julia asked, leaning in to get a closer look.
Instead of telling her, Perrine showed her some pictures in some books she had. The kids recalled their pokemon and stopped for a bite to eat, since it was almost dinner time anyway. Both Julia and Caiseal couldn't wait for their battles with Morty tomorrow.
Morty let out a deep sigh as he laid down on his desk, having finally finished pouring over yet another ancient book on legendary pokemon. His gastly and haunter circled around him, wondering if he was okay. His hands cramped from holding a pencil for three hours straight. He couldn't even grip a cup of coffee if he wanted to. The bottoms of his eyelids were being bogged down by bags, like he hadn't gotten any sleep. His headband had fallen off, messing up his already scraggly blonde hair.
If he could, he wished he wouldn't have to battle Caiseal tomorrow. Envelopes containing bills that needed paying piled up next to him. He had paid most of them off, but there were still more to do. Already, his phone beeped, begging to be answered. Haunter grabbed the phone with one hand and gave it to Morty. The tired gym leader smiled weakly and took the phone.
"Thanks, buddy," Morty scratched his friend's chin before answering the phone. "Hello? Yes, this is Morty. Yes. Yes," His smile faded, morphing into a frown. "I see. I have some time after eleven, so after I finish a pokemon battle, I'll come by and pay it then, if that's okay. Yes. Thank you. Bye. Uuuuugh!" He laid his face down on the desk again. "Bills, bills, bills! Goodness! I'm never this disorganized!"
"Hauntaaaa," The concerned haunter stroke his trainer's head with one hand, hoping to reassure him somewhat.
Morty put his headband back on and swished his scarf around his neck. "Well, a gym leader can't back out from a battle, so I better get this stuff done and over with," He pulled out a to-do list he had written. The corners of the paper were bent, the list itself had many creases and crumples from being folded about a thousand times, and everything was hastily written in black pen. Some lines had been crossed out, such as paying the gas and electric bills, both for his house and the gym.
To-Do List
8:00 PM: Email Gym Leader Association regarding incorporating new battling styles
8:30 PM: Take a shower
9:00 PM: Organize documents to mail them out to Eusine and take sleep medicine
Tomorrow:
9:00 AM: Battle Caiseal Brownstone
11:00 AM: Go to City Hall and pay water bill
11:30 AM: Mail documents to Eusine at the post office
12:00 PM: Email badge maker regarding shortage of Fog Badges
12:30 PM: Grocery shopping
3:00 PM: Do research on newly revealed ghost type pokemon for future plans for the gym
"Gengah gengaaaahh," Gengar leaned over Morty's shoulder, marveling at how much his trainer has to do in such a short amount of time. Gengar handed his tired trainer a plate with a sandwich on it that contained meat, cheese, and lettuce. Morty's smile briefly returned.
"You're the best, gengar," Morty took a bite out of his sandwich as he opened his laptop and typed out the email. He noticed a medication bottle being placed next to his laptop. Haunter looked at him with a concerned expression. "I know, haunter. My insomnia's not getting any better, but it's because of you guys that I can get all of this stuff done on time."
"Hauntaaah!"
"Gengahh!"
Ping! Morty finished the email and clicked the send button. Gastly took a pen with his mouth and crossed out the eight o'clock slot on today's part of the to-do list. Morty stretched his arms out, walked to the refrigerator, and pulled out a cup of yogurt, along with a spoon. He opened his medication bottle, put a pill inside some yogurt, and swallowed it. He always hated the bitter taste of pills. It was a good thing a friend suggested he take them with yogurt. He never even tasted the bitterness, and it really helped. Already, haunter and gengar were organizing old papers. Warm feelings of gratitude enveloped the ghost gym leader's heart.
"I'll be in the shower, guys. Thanks for helping me out," With that, Morty shut the door, hoping he could get some good sleep tonight. He heard that sometimes dealing with stress could help him sleep better, but for all he knew, it could turn out to be a lie. At least he got a lot done today, and he was going to need some sleep in order to deal with tomorrow's tasks. Haunter took a pen and crossed out the rest of the tasks for today. A job well done.
Yeah, a short chapter, I know. Maybe I should have combined it with chapter 14 after all. Oh well!
Random Fact: Julia's last name, Parisa, means "like a fairy" in Persian.
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pichu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thundershock, Disarming Voice, Sweet Kiss, Tail Whip
Tokiko (Togepi, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Protect
Tsubasa (Pidgeotto, Female, Naughty Nature)
Ability: Keen Eye
Attacks: Tackle, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Twister
Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Intimidate
Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Lick, and Scary Face
Blossom (Oddish, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Acid, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, and Mega Drain
Lucretia (Eevee, Female, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Anticipation
Attacks: Quick Attack, Helping Hand, Bite, and Shadow Ball
Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Vulpix, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Flamethrower, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack
Florian (Chikorita, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Razor Leaf, Tackle, Reflect, and Poison Powder
Fuwari (Skiploom, Female, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Leaf Guard
Attacks: Tackle, Fairy Wind, Bullet Seed, and Sleep Powder
Chirin (Flaaffy, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thundershock, Charge, Cotton Spore, and Tackle
Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Round
Fukuro (Noctowl, Male, Sassy Nature)
Ability: Tinted Lens
Attacks: Confusion, Peck, Hypnosis, and Dream Eater
Caiseal's Party:
Mallow (Cubone, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Club, Headbutt, Growl
Apollo (Quilava, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flame Wheel, Tackle, Quick Attack, and Smokescreen
Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Damp
Attacks: Water Gun, Mud Bomb, Mud Slap, and Slam
Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Super Luck
Attacks: Wing Attack, Night Shade, Dark Pulse, and Haze
Viole (Oddish, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Acid, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent
Geo (Geodude, Male, Brave Nature)
Ability: Sturdy
Attacks: Tackle, Rock Throw, Rock Polish, and Magnitude