Chapter 15: A Light In The Ghostly Fog
The new day had arrived, and Caiseal and Morty stood on different sides of the battlefield, firm and ready for battle. Julia and Perrine sat on the bleachers, observing the battle. The referee stood in his usual position. "Hey, Julia?" Perrine whispered, leaning closer to her friend. "You said your mom's coming to visit, right? What time is she gonna be here?"
Julia took a brief moment to think before answering, "I remember her saying she'd come at about ten, so after the battle. But for all I know she might come late. She did say it takes two days to come here by car. Although maybe she might come by plane or use one of her pokemon to come by. She didn't say how she was getting here, though," She explained further.
"Pichu!" Hikaru added. It had been a while since Hikaru had seen Julia's mother. Although the time they had spent together was short, Hikaru found herself liking Kassia. She clearly liked her pokemon, and was kind, too. She could tell Julia was missing her mother. Perhaps the two of them could catch up on some lost time, especially so she can see how much Julia has changed since leaving New Bark Town.
Once the referee gave his obligatory speech, Morty sent out his gastly. Once again, Julia shivered. Caiseal sent out Ravenclaw, who flapped her wings as she descended to the battlefield. "A dark type," Morty said, scratching his hair with one hand. "Smart choice," He kept a smile on his face, but in his heart, doubt swirled around like a raging gyarados. 'This is bad. None of my pokemon know any moves that are effective against dark types.'
The referee raised his flags. "Battle begin!"
"Ravenclaw! Knock'em dead with Dark Pulse!" Caiseal exclaimed.
"Murkrooooow!" Ravenclaw swooped into the air, firing a beam of black and purple rings. Gastly tried to fly away, but the energy blast hit it to the point of throwing him against the wall.
"Gastly, don't give up! Use Smog!"
"Gaaaastly!" The ghost pokemon swirled around the battlefield before spitting out noisome clouds of purple smoke. Perrine and Julia pulled the tops of their shirts over their mouths and noses so they wouldn't inhale it. Thankfully, Ravenclaw flew upward and flapped her wings vigorously, blowing it away.
"Use Night Shade!"
"Lick!"
As gastly floated over to the raven to lick her face, Ravenclaw used the chance to let him come close, then unleashing a black and purple explosion of energy. Gastly tried to dodge, but the energy blast came so quickly that he was unable to react quickly enough. It didn't help that ghost was super effective against...well, ghost types, and since gastly was so close, he fell to the ground.
"Gastly is unable to battle! The winner is Ravenclaw the murkrow!"
"Awwww yeah!" Caiseal cheered, jumping once before throwing his fist in the air.
"Murkrow murkrow!" Ravenclaw joined in the rejoicing, even though both knew this challenge was only getting started. With a sad smile, Morty called back gastly.
"You did the best you could," Morty whispered.
"Whoa," Both girls' eyes were wide and their mouths agape. "That was quick," Julia said. "You couldn't defeat his gastly that quickly!"
"I know," Perrine agreed. "I know dark types are strong against ghost types, but jeez, either Ravenclaw's really strong, or Morty's gastly never had to deal with dark types."
"Haunter, come forth!" This time, Morty's haunter descended onto the battlefield. "You may have defeated gastly with ease, but don't think you can defeat the rest of my team!"
"Hauntaaaaah!" Haunter hissed. Julia shivered and clutched Perrine's sleeve. The orange haired girl didn't say a word, keeping her eyes on the battle.
"Can you keep going, Ravenclaw?" Caiseal asked.
"Murk murkrow!" ("Of course I can!") Ravenclaw replied.
"Battle begin!"
"Haunter, use Hypnosis!" Morty commanded.
"Don't make eye contact with it! Use Wing Attack to keep it from putting you to sleep!" Caiseal exclaimed. As haunter floated toward the bird with glowing eyes, Ravenclaw kept staring at its hands. Her wings glowed in a harsh white light as she sped toward the ghost with blinding speed. Once she got close, she threw herself right into haunter's face, sending him rolling in mid-air. "Great job!"
"Use Shadow Punch!" Morty exclaimed. 'I know it won't do any good...but haunter has to do something!' His body tensed up. Haunter's fist glowed in a black light as it was surrounded by energy.
"Block it with your talons, and then use Dark Pulse on it like before!" Haunter came toward Ravenclaw so fast that he couldn't stop himself. On cue, Ravenclaw grabbed his fist with her talons and spat out black rings that hit haunter on the face. He quickly let freed himself and tried to shake off the attack.
"You can do it haunter! Use Payback!" Morty yelled. Haunter lunged right at Ravenclaw, hitting the small black crow with a million purple fisted punches. Ravenclaw could barely dodge, as the ghost came too quickly for her to react. 'What can I do? That murkrow can easily defeat haunter, especially since haunter doesn't know any...wait!' A realization hit Morty like a raikou's thunderbolt. 'I remember now!' His worry morphed into confidence. Why had he forgotten about this before?
"Ravenclaw! Finish it with Night Shade!"
"You haven't won, little boy!"
"Huh?!"
"Haunter! Dazzling Gleam!"
This time, everyone's mouths fell agape. "WHAT?!" On cue, Haunter let out an eerie howl as a bright light shined from its body. Ravenclaw was blinded, using her wings to cover her eyes as she fell to the ground. "Since when can ghost types learn fairy type moves?!"
Morty crossed his arms and flashed a smile. Haunter did the same. "You'd be surprised at what moves pokemon can learn."
'Oh no! Caiseal's gonna lose!' On impulse, Julia found herself standing up from her seat. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Caiseal! Don't give up! You can beat him! This isn't the first time pokemon know moves you don't expect them to! You have to think!"
Caiseal nodded. She was right. Whitney's meowth threw him for a loop back in Goldenrod City. He needed to think on his feet and find a way to defeat that haunter. Then, an idea hatched in his brain. "Ravenclaw! Use Haze!" On command, the black raven pokemon spit out a cloud of inky black smoke that covered the entire battlefield.
"Hauntaaaah?" Haunter tried to navigate through the smoke, but it was so thick he couldn't see a thing.
"Now! Use Dark Pulse and finish it off!" A blast of black rings bombarded the ghost pokemon. He couldn't react quick enough, and found himself unable to continue battling. The smoke cloud finally dissipated, and haunter fell to the ground, unable to move.
"Haunter is unable to battle! Once again, Ravenclaw is the winner!"
"You go, Ravenclaw!" Caiseal and the murkrow high fived each other, rejoicing in their victory. "One more to go and we'll get the Fog Badge!"
"Murkrooow!"
Morty recalled haunter and pulled out another PokeBall. "I'm quite impressed, Caiseal. You trained your murkrow very well. But do you think you can defeat my last pokemon?" He called forth his gengar.
"Gengaaaah!" Gengar made an eerie expression, but the raven pokemon wasn't deterred one bit.
"Murkrow!" ("I can beat you with my wings tied behind my back!") Ravenclaw cawed.
"If you're tired, you can come back! Don't push it, Raven!" Caiseal warned his friend.
Perrine balled her fists. "If he defeats gengar next, he'll win for sure!" She exclaimed.
"But Ravenclaw's gotta be getting tired, right? She might not last for much longer," Julia told her worriedly. As much as she wanted Caiseal to win, she knew that two straight battles would leave any pokemon tired.
"Battle begin!"
"I won't fall for the same trick twice!" Morty exclaimed, holding his hand out. "Sucker Punch!"
Gengar flitted toward the bird pokemon and punched her at least twice before she could even so much as react. "Ravenclaw! Dark Pulse! Hurry!" Ravenclaw shot dark rings at gengar. Even though gengar took some damage, he acted as though he weren't bothered by it one bit.
"Finish it with Shadow Ball!" Gengar formed a black sphere of energy in his arms before throwing it right at the murkrow. She couldn't dodge, as her wings had become tired from too much flying. Soon, she descended to the ground with a thud.
"Ravenclaw is unable to battle! The winner is gengar!"
Caiseal facepalmed. "I knew I should have switched her out!" He chastised himself before calling Ravenclaw back into her pokeball. "Sorry, girl. You were great, though. Go, Geo!" He threw another pokeball, and out came Geo.
"Geodude!"
"Hmm. A geodude. I haven't battled one in ages," Morty mused. "Sucker Punch!"
Once again, gengar flitted toward the rock pokemon with a punch. Unlike before, since geodude is a solid rock type, the attack didn't do much damage. "Use Rock Polish, Geo!" On command, Geo rolled around in the battlefield to smooth out some of his more bumpy areas. "Now use Rock Throw!" Large rocks materialized out of thin air, and Geo threw them at gengar like he was playing dodgeball.
Gengar, being a ghost type, was able to evade most of them with ease, flitting all over the place like an annoying fly. "Use Shadow Ball!"
"Defense Curl!" Geo curled himself into a ball as gengar threw a black sphere at him. Like before, not a scratch was on Geo's body. "Rock Throw again!" Once again, Geo threw rocks at gengar. Thankfully, this time, two of them were able to hit gengar's body.
"It's good to maximize your defense, but it seems your offense is rather lacking," Morty told him.
Caiseal clenched his teeth together. "Don't give up, Geo! You can do it!" He told his friend. However, in his heart, doubt was swelling up, increasing exponentially by the second. 'Aw man! I can't use magnitude because gengar knows levitate, and it won't work at all, and Tackle's no good either! What do I do?!'
His prayers were answered right as a white light consumed Geo's body. The rock pokemon increased in size before becoming as big as gengar himself. Two pairs of arms grew out, along with a set of legs. When the light dissipated, out came a brand new Geo, with a smaller face this time. "Graveleeeeeer!" Geo roared, announcing his glorious rebirth.
"Woohoo!" Caiseal jumped in the air twice. "You rock, Geo! You're a graveler now!"
"Awesome!" Julia exclaimed, pulling out her PokeDex. "Graveler, the rock pokemon, and the evolved form of Geodude. Graveler grows by feeding on rocks, as those are its favorite food. However, graveler prefer to eat rocks that are covered in moss. This Pokémon eats it way through a ton of rocks on a daily basis. This Pokémon will climb a mountain from the base to the summit, crunchingly feasting on rocks all the while. Upon reaching the peak, it rolls back down to the bottom, unable to slow down. It rolls on mountain paths to move, as they are slow walkers. Once it builds momentum, no Pokémon can stop it without difficulty. With a free and uncaring nature, it doesn't mind if pieces break off while it rolls down mountains."
Upon checking Geo's information, she noticed something else: a new attack titled Steamroller. "Caiseal!" Julia exclaimed. "Geo's learned a new move! Steamroller! Try it out!"
"Evolving during battles isn't going to become a trend, is it?" Morty asked, scratching his head.
"Gengaaaah?" Gengar agreed, mimicking his master's movements.
What none of them noticed was that a woman walked right into the gym, sitting at the very edge of the bleachers, wearing a large purple hat. She was also wearing a maroon sweater, blue jeans, and white and red sneakers. She kept herself silent and didn't disturb the battle one bit. Caiseal nodded and faced the battlefield once more. "Hey, Geo! Show me your new Steamroller attack! Go!"
Geo rolled into a ball and began rolling fast across the battlefield, dredging up sand as it did so. Gengar dodged the first attack, but he unknowingly put himself in the way of some sand. As a result, most of it flew right into his eyes, blinding him. "Now's your chance, Geo! Knock'em dead! Steamroller!" Increasing his momentum, Geo rolled right into gengar. Once, twice, thrice, finally stopping at five. Gengar was unable to dodge the attack. Soon, with another sixth attack, gengar was thrown against the wall, falling unconscious.
"Gengar is unable to battle!" The referee pointed an orange flag in Caiseal's direction. "The winner is Geo the graveler, and the victory goes to Caiseal Brownstone of Blackthorn City!"
"Awwwww yeahhhh!" Caiseal ran over to hug his rocky friend. Geo broke into laughter as he embraced his smaller trainer friend. "You rocked, Geo! You're awesome!"
"Graveleeeer!" Geo agreed.
"Caiseal!" Both girls ran over to congratulate him. Even the woman, whom they still didn't notice, smiled in his victory. "You won! You really won!" Julia cheered, trapping him in a hug.
"Congrats! You totally whooped his butt!"
"Indeed you did," Morty interrupted before handing out a badge. "In honor of your victory, here is the Fog Badge."
Impatient as usual, Caiseal swiped it from Morty's palm. "Thanks! See this, Geo? We got the Fog Badge!" Geo let out a growl and raised his arms up to rejoice.
"So that means I get to battle you last, Mr. Morty!" Julia exclaimed, looking right at Morty's headband. As soon as she looked at him, his smile morphed into a frown. She found this to be rather unsettling.
"Oh. Actually...that's not necessary…" Morty said, rummaging through his pocket.
Julia found herself dumbfounded. "Huh?" Gengar floated over to his master, looking just as confused as the other kids were. The woman stood up.
Morty took Julia's hand and put a Fog Badge in it. Everyone's mouths fell agape. "Here's your Fog Badge, miss," He said in a low voice before turning on his heel to leave.
"Wait...what?!" Julia yelped. She ran over to him with a surprised expression. "You're just giving me a badge?! We haven't even battled yet!"
"Gengahh gengaaah?"
"I'm...not battling you, miss."
"Right now? I know that! I can wait a few hours, especially since your pokemon got hurt and all-"
"No," Morty hissed, donning a serious tone of voice. "I'm not battling you. Period."
If he had told them that he managed to catch the legendary Ho-Oh, they wouldn't be any less surprised. Everyone's mouths fell agape. Julia couldn't believe what she was hearing. He just up and said that he refused to battle her. Something inside her told her that this was wrong. Yelling at her was one thing, but this? She couldn't quite get it. But she did read some books about pokemon gyms and how they worked, and one of the rules was that gym leaders had to accept any and all challenges from trainers, and that they could only give badges to trainers who defeated them in battle. She knew this much.
"Wait a minute! Stop!" She ran right in front of Morty to stop him from going further. "You can't just give me a badge! You're only allowed to give a badge to someone if you're defeated in battle! Isn't it against the Pokemon League rules to just give a badge to someone when they haven't even battled you?! And why won't you let me battle you?! If this is about what happened at Brass Tower, I'm sorry! Okay?!"
"Gengah gengah gengaaaaah!" ("She's right, y'know! You can't just do that!") Gengar flapped his arms up and down.
Morty looked away, not making eye contact with her. "Your friends...said you're autistic. Right?" Then he turned back at her, with an expression Julia wasn't quite able to read right off. He looked sad, but sad in an angry way. What was it again? She had seen it sometimes before, but still never figured out what it was. But something about it gave her a bad feeling she found herself unable to describe. "I... just think it would be better this way. I'm sorry, I just...it doesn't feel right."
'Doesn't feel right?' The words made Julia feel cold. What didn't feel right? The fact that she was autistic?
"Dude! Do you have any idea what you're saying right now?!" Caiseal yelled.
"I gave her the badge," said Morty. "Just...you can go now, alright? I'm not in the mood for any tantrums."
Tantrums? Her friends continued to shout at Morty, but Julia couldn't hear them. The Fog badge felt heavy in her hand. She closed her fingers around it and realized she was shaking. This wasn't right. This wasn't fair.
He made her feel small and worthless, just like Mrs. Amoretto did. At least she was upfront about it, inexcusable as it was. But a gym leader? He shouldn't do that. She didn't deserve it. Why did adults always assume the worst in her without even trying to understand her? She had no idea what Morty was thinking. Then again, she didn't know what anyone was thinking. She wasn't a mind reader. Nobody was. But one thing did go through her mind: was being autistic really so bad, as some people seem to think?
Julia began to act even before she knew what she was doing. Some part of her, deep down, was determined to do right for her. Without saying a word, she calmly walked towards Morty and held out the badge. "Take it," she said.
"I'm sorry?"
"Take it!" She shook her hand slightly, rattling the Fog Badge around on her palm. "I don't want it! I'm a Pokemon trainer and I want to win the badges fair and square, not get them for free because you think I'm gonna throw a tantrum!"
The gym was dead silent. Julia could feel everyone staring at her and it made her cheeks heat up and her eyes prickle with tears, but she refused to back down.
Morty glanced at the badge and then at her, his eyes wide. "I didn't mean -"
"But that's what you said!" Julia shut her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose, willing herself not to cry. "Well, I'm not. I went to the other gyms and won my badges through fair Pokemon battles! Ask Falkner, Bugsy, and Whitney! They can confirm it!" Anger was surging through her body. She had no idea she could get angry over this. "I don't need you to just give me this and not even let me try to win it! If that's how you're going to do it, I don't want your badge!"
"You go, Jule!" Caiseal swung his fist in the air, cheering for his friend.
"Gengah gengah gengaaaahhh!" ("She's right! Please, Morty! Don't break the rules! You'll get in trouble!") Gengar begged, bowing up and down like he was apologizing for something.
"See?" Julia pointed to Morty's gengar. "Even your gengar gets it, and this is coming from someone who's terrified of poison types!"
All throughout the yelling, Morty didn't say a word. His shock gradually morphed into guilt. Not once did he try to contradict her or stick up for himself. He had to admit, she was right. About everything. Swallowing his pride, he let her yell at him without complaint. But she still wasn't finished. "I really don't appreciate you acting like you know me when you really don't, and you're a grown up! Shouldn't you be better than this?!"
"I...I've been stressed out lately. There's just been a lot going on," Morty sputtered, adjusting his headband. "But...you're right. I was wrong to behave the way I have been."
Julia was about to talk more, but someone else interrupted her, and it wasn't Caiseal or Perrine either. "Indeed. That kind of behavior is very unbecoming of a gym leader, especially since that's my daughter you're degrading!" The woman took off her hat. Julia's green eyes widened with shock as soon as she saw her.
"Mom?!"
"Huh?!" Caiseal and Perrine turned to their friend, looking just as shocked as she. "She's your mom?!"
"When did you get here?!" Perrine asked. Julia's mother didn't hear, and focused her gaze on the stupefied, blonde gym leader. Gengar backed away, hiding behind his trainer.
"Hello, Morty," Julia's mother said with a low voice. The blonde haired man could hear the austere tone in her voice. "I'm Kassia Parisa, owner of the Parisa Pokemon Ranch in New Bark Town. Listen here," She pointed her finger at Morty, the same way she would when she would scold Amara for doing something bad. "I know how it feels to be stressed out and to have a lot on your plate. I've been there. I've spent years raising hundreds of pokemon and two daughters. Even so, that doesn't give you the right to behave in such an immature manner and treat my daughter like she's some kind of nuisance, especially when she hasn't done anything to you!"
Julia shivered. When her mother raised her voice and wagged her index finger at someone, she knew she meant business. She silently took Caiseal and Perrine away from the scene so she could give them some space. "I can easily report this to the current champion, and he can report it to the Pokemon League Board of Directors, and I'm sure you wouldn't want them to revoke your gym leader, status, now do you, sir?"
Once again, Morty didn't say a word. He knew in his heart that she was right. "No, I don't," He looked at Julia with a face full of remorse. "I'm sorry, miss. I should not have treated you the way I have been, no matter the reason," Julia simply huffed and looked away. "I'm free after five o'clock tonight, so you can battle me then."
Julia's ears perked up upon hearing that. 'Ohhh! A chance to kick his butt!' She thought. She clasped her hands together and said, "Thank you, Mr. Morty!"
After that, Morty left the gym to finish whatever else was on his to-do list. Kassia looked down at Julia. "I'm sorry, dear. I know I told you to stand up for yourself sometimes, but I just couldn't ignore this," Kassia told her before wrapping her arms around her, pulling her into a hug. Oh, how Julia had missed her mother's warm, comforting hugs! She wanted to cry right then and there, not just from being treated like she was a nuisance by a gym leader of all people, but because she had yearned for her mother's warmth and kindness ever since she left. But she held her tears back.
"It's okay, Mom," Julia told her. "But...when did you get here?"
"About a few minutes before that battle ended."
A revelation struck Julia like Hikaru's thundershock attack. If she had been there the whole time, then that means...she saw Julia yell at him! Already, her face turned red like a cyndaquil's flame. She went from feeling comforted to mortified. "Awwwww maaaaan! Now I wish I had kept my mouth shuuuuut!" She whined.
"Are you kidding me?" Caiseal exclaimed, confused by her sudden change in demeanor. Already, she was regretting calling him out? "That guy totally deserved everything you gave him!"
"Yeah, but Mom says it's not appropriate to yell at people!" Perrine and Caiseal turned to face each other. That's what she was worrying about right now?
"Julia," Her mother put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Don't fret. I'm proud of you. You were right to call him on his behavior," She told her in a kind, soft voice. Her smile widened further when she saw Perrine and Caiseal. "Oh! You must be Julia's friends!" She took their hands into her own and shook them up and down. "It's so nice to meet you all!"
"Same here, ma'am," Perrine mused.
"You're Perrine, and you're…"
"Caiseal. Caiseal Brownstone," The blonde boy muttered sheepishly. Geo and Hikaru couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's sudden shyness.
"We'd best go back to the Pokemon Center for now," Kassia suggested. "Tell me about your adventures, Julia!"
Her daughter wasted no time telling Kassia everything that happened, from helping Perrine in Union Cave all the way to her and Amara's battle in Brass Tower. Her mother listened to their tales intently, without interrupting them even once. The more she heard, the more serious her expression became. Julia and the kids talked all the way to the Pokemon Center, where Caiseal went to heal his pokemon. Kassia finally sat down on a chair and said, "Wow. It sounds like you kids went through a lot in almost two months."
"Definitely!" Perrine said, brushing her orange curls with a red brush. "We even battled some Team Rocket goons! It was pretty fun!"
"Don't forget dangerous!" Julia added, wagging her index finger at her friend in the same way Kassia did just moments ago. "Oh! Where's your policewoman friend?" She asked, looking up at her mother.
Kassia placed her hands on her lap like a proper lady. "You remember Sherry, right? She's who I'm talking about. She has some duties to tend to here in Ecruteak, but she's looking for Amara, too."
"Are you gonna watch Julia battle Morty later tonight?" Caiseal asked.
"Oh!" The woman clasped her hands together with eagerness peppering her voice. "I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Julia's face turned red at the praise as she found herself looking down at her mother's feet. She was wearing small, black leather shoes. The soles had some brown dirt spots dotting them, probably from walking a lot. The fluorescent lights from the Pokemon Center still reflected off of them, so they still kept their leathery shine.
This time, Julia had a question. "Are you going to report Morty like you said?"
Her mother shook her head. "He seemed remorseful, so I don't think I'll go that far," She said in a soft voice. Her stern expression returned instantaneously. "But if he ever tries to pull that crap again, I definitely will! He's lucky I didn't sue him like I did with Amoretto!"
Julia cringed at the sound of her name. Did she really have to bring her up again? Caiseal leaned closer to Julia and whispered, "Jeez, your mom's pretty scary when she's mad."
"Anyway!" Her soft smile returned like it had never disappeared, her voice adopting an eager tone this time. Before she could say anything more, Hikaru suddenly leaped onto her lap, happy to see a familiar face. "Hikaru! Hello! How are you?" Kassia took the tiny mouse in her hands and nuzzled her cheek against her fur. The yellow mouse giggled happily, basking in Julia's mother's warmth and affection. "Oh! Julia! Want to show me your pokemon?"
The kids went outside to do some training, and Julia introduced her whole team to her mother, even though Kassia had met most of them before. After about a while, Julia found herself asking, "Mom? Can I...battle with you?"
Her mother's eyes widened for a brief moment. Never had she ever expected to live to see the day where her own daughter would ask to battle with her. Even Perrine and Caiseal found themselves speechless, staring at each other with confused faces. Kassia's hands flew to her chest, as though her heart was exploding with love. She always knew that Julia hated battling with all of her being. Just what had her journey put her through to make her ask that?
An answer immediately came to her mind, and she didn't hesitate in replying, "Yes! It's a good thing I brought my friends with me," She pulled out one of her PokeBalls. Soon, mother and daughter were on the battlefield.
"Vaporeon, go!" Kassia threw a pokeball, and out came a pokemon Julia knew all too well. She recognized it, but for Perrine and Caiseal, it was a new sight. Vaporeon was a light blue pokemon with four long legs, with three toes on each foot, with round, dark blue fins stretching from its neck all the way to the tip of his split tail fin. A white ruff larger than its head coiled around its neck, with three yellow fins protruding from both cheeks and his forehead. Its black eyes gleamed with determination, combined with happiness from seeing a familiar face.
"Vaporeon!"
"Hi, Vaporeon! It's been a while!" Julia waved a welcoming hand at her friend.
"I've never seen a vaporeon in person before!" Caiseal exclaimed right as Perrine pulled out her PokeDex to examine it.
"Vaporeon, the bubble jet pokemon, and can evolve from Eevee with a Water Stone. Vaporeon love fresh, clean water, and the composition of their cells are similar to water molecules, allowing it to melt and vanish into any kind of body of water, from puddles to oceans. They are usually found resting by lake shores. When Vaporeon's fins begin to vibrate, it is a sign that rain will come within a few hours, and it uses the fins on the tip of its tail to swim. Vaporeon underwent a spontaneous mutation and grew fins and gills that allow them to live underwater. They have the ability to freely control water," A blue male sign appeared.
Julia looked down at Hikaru. "Do you want to battle vaporeon?"
"Pichu!" Hikaru darted onto the battlefield, eager to show off her skills.
"Use Thundershock!"
"Dodge with Agility!"
Electricity shot out from Hikaru's red cheeks, crackling all over the place. None of them landed so much as a scratch on the aquatic cat, as he gracefully ran across the battlefield with blinding speed. The blue cat's body seemed to glow in a white light in every direction he ran. "Wow! Vaporeon's fast!" Julia's mouth fell open, in awe of her mother's friend's agility. She shook her head to force the thought out. No distractions. "Hikaru! Use Sweet Kiss to confuse him!"
On cue, Hikaru held her mouth shut with her paws, then blew a kiss. Cute pink hearts floated from her mouth right toward Kassia's vaporeon. "Bubblebeam!" A barrage of clear, blue bubbles shot out from the cat's mouth, breaking the hearts into nothing. "Now use Aqua Jet!" Kassia announced confidently. As the blue cat ran across the battlefield, a coat of water completely covered him from head to toe. Hikaru tried to run so as to evade the attack, but vaporeon came too fast. Vaporeon lunged right at Hikaru, ramming her so hard that she fell right across the dirt.
"Hikaru!" Julia yelped. "Are you okay?!"
"Wow," Perrine's eyes were glued to Kassia and her vaporeon. "Julia's mom is really strong."
Hikaru, being the tough little pichu she was, hopped right back on her feet and shook the water off. "Pichu!"
"Vaporeon! Bubblebeam!"
"Block it with Disarming Voice!"
The bubble jet pokemon shot a barrage of clear blue bubbles at the tiny mouse. The bubbles reflected the sunlight as they sprinted across the air. Hikaru let out a shrill cry as a tornado of pink hearts spiraled toward the bubbles, holding them off and popping them in mid-air. "Use Thundershock while Vaporeon's distracted!" Wasting no time, Hikaru dropped a thunder jolt down on Kassia's vaporeon. The attack was brief, but that didn't stop it from landing some damage.
"Wow. I'm impressed, Julia," Kassia crossed her arms, flashing a proud smile. "Before, you'd scream like crazy if we even so much as thought about having pokemon battles. Look at you now!"
Julia found herself basking in her mother's praise, but wondered if she really deserved it. All she did was let out a sheepish laugh and scratch her head.
"We're not done yet, though! Vaporeon, Acid Armor!"
Vaporeon stepped into a large puddle that it had created through Aqua Jet and...melted inside it, leaving absolutely no trace of itself. "Pichuuu?" Everyone found themselves tilting their heads in confusion and awe. Hikaru ambled over to the puddle, wondering if vaporeon was still there. "Tackle!" The puddle burst into a tiny explosion as vaporeon materialized. Hikaru turned around and tried to sprint, but vaporeon caught up and rammed her so hard the mouse rolled across the battlefield.
"Hikaru!" Julia was quick to lurch onto the battlefield and catch Hikaru, preventing any injuries. "Are you okay, sweetie?"
"Pichuuu…" ("I don't wanna battle anymore…")
Julia nodded, cradling her friend in her arms as she stood up. "You don't have to. Mom kinda won this battle anyway," She told her reassuringly, giving her a soft kiss on her wet forehead.
"You battled very well, Julia," Kassia ambled over to her daughter, pulling her into another warm hug. "You've really grown up since you've left on your journey," The changes were subtle, but Kassia could see them plain as day. A new kind of eagerness and determination gleamed in her daughter's green eyes, instead of the reticent, shy expression she would always have when around new people. The smiles she would flash were far more radiant, more Julia, than the fake smiles she would have when she would have her picture taken. Just the fact that she seemed to smile more was enough to make Kassia's heart grow warm. She looked less fearful, more eager to try out new things. Not even the loss from this battle was enough to deter her, when usually just about anything that didn't go well would deter her from ever trying anything new again.
"Thanks, Mom."
"Pichu!"
Soon, Kassia let go, and Julia held Hikaru snugly in her arms. "Hikaru seems kinda tired. You want Nurse Joy to take a look at you?" Julia asked her yellow friend.
"Pichu!" Hikaru chirruped, already looking forward to the nice nurse taking care of her.
"We'll be back!" With that, Julia darted into the Pokemon Center with Hikaru in her arms, leaving her mother with Perrine and Caiseal. She handed her pokemon to Nurse Joy and waited in the lobby. However, a familiar yet unwanted sensation rolled over her. She was having a hard enough time holding back her tears. When Nurse Joy came back with her pokemon, she thanked her before going out to lean against a small tree, far away from Perrine and the others, letting herself cry. She felt strangely liberated by it. She didn't have the Fog Badge, but she still felt like she won.
"You were awesome, Mrs. Parisa!" Perrine exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with joy, in awe of the older woman's battling prowess.
Kassia chuckled. "There's no need to be so formal, Perrine. Call me Kassia or Kassie," She told her kindly. Vaporeon rubbed himself against his trainer's leg, vying for her affection.
"She's right, y'know," Caiseal piped in. "You're really strong."
"Thanks, kids," Kassia found herself letting her guard down. She gazed at the two kinds with a soft expression. "And...thank you for being Julia's friends," Her voice trembled somewhat. Perrine could sense some melancholy peppering her voice. "She's autistic, as you probably know. She's wanted to make friends her own age for a long time, but...nobody ever gave her a chance. You two are the first friends she's ever made."
"We are?" Caiseal asked. Perrine didn't say anything, as Julia had already told her such. Still, it didn't make the revelation any less surprising. On the other hand, Caiseal wasn't sure what to make of this. He and Julia didn't start off on the best of terms, but they gradually became somewhat friends, even if it was somewhat awkward. Sitting on the bench were Julia's pokemon, resting in their PokeBalls. Despite residing in round capsules, they could hear everything going on around them, even Kassia's words.
A hand covered Kassia's mouth, like she was trying to stop herself from crying. "She was never much of a fighter. She's always been a quiet girl who loved to read and draw and play with pokemon, just so sweet, never wanting to fight. You'd be surprised at the amount of people I had to deal with who thought she was either a nuisance or a bad kid," Kassia explained.
'And my mom told me I'm a bad kid,' Caiseal remarked sarcastically. As much as he hated to admit it, Julia was lucky. He could see this woman clearly cared about her daughter. Why couldn't he have someone like Kassia in his life?
"Ummm...my aunt Mao's autistic too," Perrine began. "She was the champion of Johto for a while. She always told me that everybody has a place in the world, and that everyone around me are people. People with dreams, strengths, flaws, all that stuff, and that's what makes the world wonderful. Yeesh! I sound so cheesy!" She found herself laughing at her aunt's philosophy. Soon, both Kassia and Caiseal laughed alongside her. A warm and loving glow enveloped the three, increasing exponentially the moment Julia came back, wondering what they were laughing about.
Morty slumped down on a chair and laid his head down on his desk. "Uuuuugh. I really screwed up this time," He grumbled, his voice muffled by his face rubbing into the surface of his desk.
A bluish green pokemon suddenly materialized from thin air, floating over to the tired gym leader with red eyes brimming with concern. The pokemon's hairy head of hair had pink ends, with a body that resembled a tiny ruffled dress, devoid of arms or legs. Around its neck was a necklace that resembled one made out of red pearls, or orbs in this case. "Misdreavus?"
"Hey, misdreavus," Morty pulled his head up to stroke his friend on her head. "Sorry you can't battle in the gym yet. There's still a lot of training you need to do."
"Miss miss?"
"Yeah. You'll get there soon," Morty told her kindly.
The mahogany shelves in his study were filled to the brim with books, small and large, old and new. Some haven't been touched in weeks, accumulating dust, while others he had pulled out were piled on the floor, sitting right on top of a small oval rug next to a big red chair. A visual phone sat on the wall, right across the room, with a smaller chair right in front of it.
The blonde gym leader found himself lost in his mind. He had to admit, both mother and daughter were absolutely right. His behavior was definitely uncalled for, and giving Julia a pity badge instead of battling her fair and square, if she won, was against the league regulations. He was surprised they didn't report him right then and there, as they had enough reason to do so. Maybe they wanted to see if he could realize the error of his ways on his own. In his heart, he was at least glad they didn't go that far. Maybe they understood that he was stressed out from so much to do. Still, that wasn't an excuse. He needed to own up to his mistakes. His parents drilled it into him that he needed to take responsibility for his own actions instead of blaming others. But managing the gym, doing research late into the night, paying bills...it was all too much. He felt as though bricks were being duct taped to him.
Ring ring ring! The phone on the wall blared a jolly jingle, pulling Morty back to reality. He stumbled from his desk, sat down on the chair, and picked up the phone. The static on the screen soon materialized to form a picture of a pink haired woman waving at him with a radiant smile. Immediately, a smile of his own touched his face.
"Hey hey heeeeeey!" Whitney greeted him in a loud, elated sing-song voice. "So you finally decided to take your nose out of those dusty old books, huh?"
A chuckle escaped Morty's mouth. "Ha ha, nice to see you too, Whitney," He remarked sarcastically. "What's going on?"
"You are NOT going to believe this!" Whitney exclaimed in her usual cheerful voice, her reddish pink eyes intense with cheer and joy. "You know the softball team I play for, right? The Goldenrod High School Miltanks?"
Morty nodded. "Yes. You're a senior at the high school, right?"
"Bingo!" Whitney wagged her index finger back and forth. "Guess what? My team and I got to face the Mahogany High School Dewgongs yesterday…" She pumped her free hand into a fist and threw it into the air. "...And we totally won! We're going to the finals!"
"Wow!" For the first time in a while, Morty found himself genuinely surprised and happy at the same time. "Congratulations, Whitney."
Whitney found herself giggling. "Thanks! It's been suuuuuch a long time since the Miltanks got to go to the final playoffs, and I've been telling pretty much everyone I know about it for the past two hours! My parents saw me play, and I've already told my boyfriend, my girlfriends, my cousins, aunts, uncles, Falkner, Bugsy, grandma..." Her index finger pointed right at the screen. "You're the 16th person I've told about this!"
Sixteenth? Morty found himself dumbfounded. He heard the stories about her being an unstoppable chatterbox-namely a permanently erupting volcano of giggles and words-but spending two straight hours telling people about her achievements? As much as he liked her enthusiasm, that seemed like overkill. Even so, it didn't hurt his own happiness for her any. "Well, I hope you and your team win the playoffs. The Miltanks will be well known all over Johto."
"I know, right?! We're going off against a Kanto team in the next two weeks! The Celadon City High School Vileplumes! They're the best softball team in all of Kanto!" Whitney exclaimed, her enthusiasm continuing to pound on his ears. "I can't wait until we beat their butts!" As soon as it had appeared, her smile suddenly morphed into a confused frown. "What's wrong, Morty? You look like you had a rough day."
The blonde gym leader ran a hand through his hair. "That's because I did have a rough day."
"Wanna talk about it? I'm all ears!"
As much as he wanted to get it off his chest, he found himself at an impasse. If he told anyone about what he had done in the past few days, especially the other gym leaders, they were sure to really lay it on him. If there was one thing he always hated, it was being scolded. True, he always faced it without complaint, but he always felt as though he had disgraced himself as a trainer if called out on something, like he was being judged as a person on his actions alone. It wasn't like he felt he didn't deserve it. In fact, he knew he deserved a good scolding. Whitney, on the other hand...she was younger than him. Perhaps she could hear him out without judging him.
"Actually...I've done some things that I'm not happy about," Morty began sheepishly. His voice quivered, like that of a kid who got caught stealing candy from a store. "I...broke two important league rules," He explained the situation to Whitney in detail.
Before he could finish, she wasted no time shouting, "WHAT?!" Her eyes widened to the point of looking like saucers, and her mouth fell agape. Morty wasn't surprised that she would look so aghast. Of course she would. She always was an emotional girl. "You did that?! This really isn't like you, Morty! I get that you're busy with a lot of stuff, but...still! You usually follow league rules religiously!"
Morty cringed at the sound of that. "I know. I'm sorry. I…shouldn't have done what I did."
"Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, those were bad moves on your part," Whitney told him without mincing words. Once again, Morty cringed. "Refusing to battle someone, just giving them a badge, and hating a kid because she's autistic? That's not exactly professional behavior, y'know," The blonde gym leader didn't try to contradict her, because he knew she was right in every way. It was better to face the music than try to make excuses. There were no excuses to be made. "Can I...can I ask why you don't like autistic people so much? I want to understand," She asked, in a calmer voice this time.
"Well...I had to deliver some papers to a friend…" Morty began sheepishly. "But I came when his son was having a meltdown. As soon as he saw me, he lunged at me and bit me on my arm."
"Ouch."
"He apologized to me profusely, but I wound up snapping at him about disciplining his son. I didn't know his situation well, and he told me a little bit, but I was in a bad mood after that."
"I can imagine that," Whitney piped in. "If it helps you to know, my boyfriend is autistic and he's not like your friend's son. In fact, I'd love to introduce you to him," Her friendly smile returned like it had never left. "He's really into legendary pokemon myths and doing research on history, like you do! You could teach him a lot. He's super sweet, too!"
A smile touched the blonde man's face once more. "I'd like that. Thanks," Morty mused gratefully.
"Forgive me if I sound rude, but...maybe you should report yourself."
"Huh?" Talk about out of the blue.
"I won't lie, you did break some important rules and behaved in an unprofessional manner, so it's only fair that you face the consequences," Whitney told him in an authoritative voice, sounding nothing like the cheerful teenager she usually is. However, she immediately turned back into said cheerful teenager. "At the same time, I know your jobs and life can be pretty stressful, with managing the gym and talking with your researcher friends and your studies. If you're honest about it and tell them everything, I'm pretty sure they'll go easy on you. Maybe a 30-day or two month suspension of your gym license at best. Who knows? Maybe time off from being a gym leader will be good for you," She suggested.
Morty hadn't thought about it like that. In a way, it made quite a lot of sense. The higher ups in the League Board of Directors knew him well, and he always followed the rules religiously. Perhaps some time off from the gym would do him some good. He could get lots of his other duties done, spend some time with his pokemon and friends, and try to do some research on the side. Plus...he could take time to learn more about autism and change his views on it. His smile grew wider.
"I hadn't thought about it like that," Morty whispered. "I'll try that. But...I want to see if that girl can defeat me in a battle first, before I do that," He immediately waved his hand at her. "Don't think I'm trying to run away or anything! I want her to show me her true self and see if maybe she can help me change a little. I want to learn more about her."
Whitney fired a stern glare at him. "Promise me you'll at least do it, right? No running away, Mortimer!"
"I will, Whitney. I will. I don't like breaking promises," He exhaled a big sigh of relief. "I'm feeling much better now. Thanks for hearing me out."
"Don't mention it! I'll always be here if you wanna vent or just talk! Oh! I gotta run. Just got a text from Tyler! I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Sure."
Whitney smiled once more and waved at him happily. "Bye-beeeeee!" With that, the screen flashed and turned completely black. Morty hung the phone up. He went back to his desk and typed on his computer. This time, he wasn't researching legendary pokemon. He typed the word autism in the search engine. He had some time before his battle with Julia, so perhaps this was a start.
"I really hope Amara goes to jail," Julia said aloud as she and Kassia sat in the Pokemon Center together. Caiseal and Perrine were on the battlefield training their pokemon for their next gym battle since they both won their Fog Badges already. Kassia was brushing vaporeon's fur with a brush, and Julia's other pokemon were out and about, playing. "Stealing a pokemon from a lab, hurting other people with them, and abusing her other pokemon...it's wrong! Completely terrible! If your friend finds her, she should send her to jail right away."
"Julia…" Kassia began as she stopped brushing her friend's fur. "That's not quite how that works. You have to remember that Amara's only thirteen. In the eyes of the law, she's a minor. If she does get caught, she'll be sent to juvie, not jail. Jail is for adults eighteen and older. Or if they're lenient, they can send her to a correctional facility that'll help her deal with her problems in a healthier manner," She explained calmly.
Tokiko hopped on vaporeon's back, begging for the blue cat to carry her around. The blue cat walked around the lobby with Tokiko on his back without protest. Hikaru and Saoirse followed them around to make sure Tokiko didn't fall off. "But Mom! You've seen what she's done!" Julia protested in a loud voice. Kassia held a finger to her (Kassia's) mouth, gesturing for Julia to lower her voice. Her younger daughter got the message. "Animal abuse and assault are criminal acts, right? Why else do you think there's a manhunt out for her?"
"Yes, I know, and none of that is okay," Kassia replied, keeping her composure. "But it's not as though she's some murderer or a criminal mastermind. Personally, I think the whole manhunt is excessive. They should be saving that for hardened criminals, like that pokemon hunter J we've been hearing about."
As a mother, there was a lot she knew about her daughters, and some things she figured out later as they grew up. One thing she definitely knew about Julia was that she had a somewhat black and white view on the world. No person in this world is truly good or truly bad. Even good people can do bad things, and it's usually for a good reason or out of genuine ignorance. People who have done bad things can change for the better if they want to or if they let others help them. As far as Kassia knew, Julia had a lot of trouble seeing the grey areas and subtle nuances in people and life. If she was going to be a responsible adult, she was going to have to learn about those things, even if she did have some subtle grasp on it in other areas.
"Amara's still grieving her friend, Julia," Kassia explained kindly. "It's okay to grieve, but Amara's expressing her grief in an unhealthy manner. That's the reason I wanted to send her to grief counseling, so she could express herself in a healthier manner and face her problems instead of running away from them. Plus, I know how much she hates dealing with me and your father, so I thought it'd do her some good if she could talk to someone other than us," She looked down at her shoes, frowning.
Julia knew that look well. It was regret. "I know I haven't done a very good job of being there for Amara. I've done everything I could to help her, but you've seen how she shuts us all out. I don't blame her. I haven't exactly been the best mother, and in a way she's right. I haven't tried to understand her or why she feels the way she does," She buried her face in her hands. "Maybe...if I had been a better mother, none of this would have happened," Her shoulders hunched up and down.
Immediately, Kassia felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She looked up to find Julia's head resting on her shoulder, her skinny arms wrapped around her mother. It wounded the girl's heart to see her mother sad like this. Not only that, she had seen her mother attempt to help Amara long before her sudden transformation. The memories were strong in her mind: seeing Amara coming home in tears. Her mother embracing her, attempting to console her, and whispering, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…" Amara bawling into her mother's arms like she had never done before. Her mother trying to help Amara through her grief, and being heartbroken when Amara would either shut her out or snap at her. Amara misconstruing her mother's attempts to help as wanting her to forget about Chanel. Her mother asking her to do chores as a way to take her mind off it but Amara snapping at her. Kassia's frustration when Amara refused to come out of her room after four whole weeks.
It clicked right then and there: what if...Amara was letting Chanel's death control or define her entire life, completely blocking out everything else?
"Sorry, Julia…I wish I wasn't so stupid…"
"You're not stupid, Mom. I know how hard you're trying. At least you're not one of those moms who hates their kids or beats them for even wanting to talk."
"That's true."
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you, too. You and Amara, both. You're both my precious girls. I wouldn't trade either of you for anything in the world."
Julia could hear and feel her sincerity with ease. "By the way...I just remembered: doesn't Amara carry her phone with her a lot?"
Her mother's eyes widened so fast it was like someone had flashed a camera. Julia let go as Kassia stood up fast, like a jack-in-a-box. Kassia whipped around and took Julia's hands into her own. "Oh my goodness! You're right! She is obsessed with her phone! Why didn't I think of that before?!" She yelped cheerfully. Her loud voice made everyone's heads turn in their direction. "Julia Carol Parisa, you're a genius!"
"Uhhh...no I'm not," Kassia didn't hear that last part, as she had pulled her PokeGear out and dialed Amara's number.
"Amara?" Kassia's voice caught in her throat. She didn't get anything but the answer machine. But she needed to try to reach out. "It's Mom. Listen...I know you're angry at me, and I get it. I know I'm not the best mom in the world. I'm sorry I didn't always listen to you. You don't have to come home if you don't want to. But...no matter what, I'll always love you. All I want is for you to be happy. I don't think Chanel would want you to be sad all the time. She would want you to live life to the fullest and fulfill your dreams. It's okay to be sad. But...there are people out there who can help you face your problems. Everyone's worried about you. I am, too. Julia misses you. We all do. Just...be safe, okay? I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt or killed. Please be safe. Just remember...that no matter what, you'll always have a home with me, your father, and your sister. Treat your pokemon well and give them love. Please, do the right thing. That's all I ask."
Never before had Julia ever heard her mother sound so sad. Was that was it was like to worry about a child? Julia wondered if she'd sound like that if she were a mother. But she had no plans on having kids anytime soon.
Later in the evening, Julia's battle with Morty arrived. Perrine, Caiseal, and Kassia all sat on the bleachers, watching as Morty sent out his trusty gastly, and Julia sent out Papillon. She contacted her father and sent Blossom to him, switching her for Papillon. Julia was sure Blossom wouldn't be able to handle a ghost and poison type pokemon, as her attacks wouldn't be effective.
"Gastly, use Lick!"
"Evade it and use Confusion!"
The ghostly sphere of poison gas stuck his tongue out, ready for licking. Since Papillon could fly, she was able to evade the attack flawlessly. Once gastly was distracted, Papillon's red eyes glowed in an eerie red light. Gastly suddenly found itself unable to think straight. "Keep using Confusion!" Papillon continued to bombard the helpless gastly with her psychic powers. Soon, the sphere of gas fell to the ground, unable to continue.
"Gastly is unable to battle! The winner is Papillon the butterfree!"
"Freeee!" Papillon flew into Julia's arms, rejoicing in her win.
"You did it, girl! You were great!" Julia nuzzled her winged friend as Morty called back his gastly before sending out haunter. Julia shivered. "Do you think you can go on, girl?"
"Freee!" Papillon flapped her wings once.
"Okay then! Use Stun Spore!" Papillon flew toward the ghost pokemon and flapped her wings vigorously, generating a cloud of sparkling yellow dust.
"Dodge and use Shadow Punch!" Haunter disappeared in the air for a moment. Papillon found herself confused, wondering where the ghost pokemon went. All of a sudden, said pokemon materialized behind her. Before she could turn around, the butterfly was punched right in the face, rolling on the sandy battlefield.
"Papillon! Don't give up! You can do it!" Julia cried with her hands cupped around the sides of her mouth. Not wanting to concede defeat, Papillon got back on her feet and flapped her wings to carry herself in the air once more. "Use Confusion again!"
"Sucker Punch!" Haunter punched Papillon once more. This time, since he came in close range, the butterfly was able to land one hit on him. The ghost pokemon found himself unable to move right off, falling to the ground right alongside Papillon.
Once more, the butterfly flapped her white wings and flew back in the air. "This is our chance! Use Confusion to knock'em out, girl!" Julia screamed. Papillon's eyes glowed in a bright, rainbow hued light. But instead of simply messing with haunter's brain, the energy turned into a beam of light glowing in a multitude of colors, striking haunter before he could get up.
"Hey! That wasn't confusion!" Julia exclaimed, scratching her head once.
Kassia stood up joyfully. "Your butterfree just learned Psybeam!"
"Is this true, Papillon?"
The butterfree nodded. "Freeee!" ("Yes I did!")
"Yay!" Julia jumped up once.
"Don't think you've won yet!" Morty exclaimed. "Haunter! Get back up and use Dazzling Gleam!"
"Counter it with Psybeam one more time!"
Haunter raced toward the butterfly as a blinding white light surrounded him. Once again, Papillon fired the rainbow colored beam of light at the ghost, undeterred by the light. Soon, a cloud of smoke exploded around them, covering the center of the battlefield. When it dissipated, both Papillon and haunter were on the ground, unconscious.
"Both Papillon and haunter are unable to battle!"
Both trainers called their pokemon back into their pokeballs. Morty found himself smiling as Julia sent out Tokiko. "I must admit, I'm quite impressed, Julia," He told her, not in a condescending way, but in a casual, genuine manner. "I regret underestimating you before. Your battling style is quite interesting. But it can only get you so far, as it's still rather rustic."
"Ehehehe," Julia scratched her head. "I used to hate pokemon battles before, so I guess I still have a lot to learn."
"Nothing wrong with that! Gengar, show me your power, my friend!" Morty sent his gengar out. Gengar was twice Tokiko's size, and could easily squash the little spike ball. Strangely enough, Tokiko wasn't the least be frightened. She just squeaked and jumped for joy, happy to battle.
"Battle begin!"
"Tokiko! Use Extrasensory!" The little spike ball rolled onto the sand and glared right at gengar, her eyes glowing in a purple light. Gengar didn't even dodge.
Morty smirked. "Use Poison Jab."
"What?!" Everyone on the bleachers stood up with alarm. Gengar raised his left arm up as purple energy surrounded it. Tokiko tried to run, but gengar caught up with her and stabbed her right on her shell, sending her rolling.
"Tokiko!" Julia cried, her hands almost covering her mouth. Tokiko got back on her feet quickly, but a sharp, burning pain shot right through her entire body. She seemed to be glowing purple for a few seconds. "Oh no! She's been poisoned!" This wasn't good. Tokiko was a fairy type, therefore weak against poison attacks.
"No way!" Caiseal exclaimed, looking just as surprised as everyone else was. "Gengar didn't know Poison Jab when we battled him!"
"I don't spend my days slacking off, y'know," Morty adjusted his headband. The kids could only assume that Morty, having learned from the previous battles, taught his pokemon other moves so he could have an advantage and not have any problems should Julia have nothing but normal types on her team. "Use Poison Jab once more!"
"Extrasensory again!"
Tokiko let out a shrill cry as her eyes glowed further. Unfortunately, gengar stabbed her twice, sending her rolling on the sandy battlefield. This time, she couldn't stand up. "Togepi is unable to battle! Gengar is the winner!"
"Tokiko!" Julia was quick to cradle her tiny friend in her arms. "Sorry about that. Are you okay?"
"Choki…"
"I know it hurts," Julia pulled out a pecha berry and let Tokiko take a bite out of it. Immediately, the poison in her body went away, as though it had never been there. The pain disappeared. "You rest up, okay?" She put Tokiko back in her pokeball.
Unfortunately for Julia, gengar was quite strong. She sent out Tsubasa next. Tsubasa bombarded gengar with a flurry of Wing Attacks and Twisters. However, gengar also knew Thunder Punch, and was able to knock Tsubasa right out of the sky. Once again, everyone on the bleachers found themselves breathless. Poison Jab and Thunder Punch. Gengar didn't know those moves when they battled him before. Not even Hikaru, Saoirse, and Lucretia could defeat gengar despite knowing moves that could easily defeat him. With a final Thunder Punch, gengar knocked Lucretia out.
"Eevee is unable to battle! Gengar wins, and the victory goes to Mortimer Prieto, the Ecruteak Gym Leader!" Morty embraced his beloved gengar, silently rejoicing in their victory. With a dejected frown, Julia cradled her fallen, furry friend in her arms.
"Vuii…"
"Sorry, girl. We lost," Julia told her sadly. "But it's not the end of the world. He trained for this, so we should train some more, too. We'll beat him."
Lucretia took comfort in her trainer's words and nuzzled her cheek. Julia did the same. Oddly enough, she didn't feel sad upon losing despite her friends and mother watching. She remembered her first battles with the monks at Sprout Tower and what they said to her: defeat can teach someone far more than victory could ever hope to do. Morty let go of his gengar and noticed Julia hugging her eevee. He had expected her to scream and throw a tantrum. Instead, she was taking her loss gracefully. To think he had completely degraded her before. Regret continued to swell in his heart. But this time, he knew what he needed to do.
"I quite enjoyed battling with you," Morty told her. Julia looked up at his scarf, clutching her friend tightly, keeping her guard up. "I was wrong about you before. I'm impressed with how you're handling your loss. But do keep in mind: while it is good to plan your strategy in great detail before a battle, you have to think on your feet when there are unexpected changes, like my gengar's new moves. Spontaneity is common in pokemon battles," He threw a piece of his scarf over himself. "It's important to keep your cool in battle. Getting nervous can prevent you from making decisions."
"I understand, sir."
"I would love to battle you again. How about we battle once more tomorrow at about nine in the morning? Would that be good?"
Julia looked right at him. This time, right in the eyes. "Yes, sir! Thank you!"
"Eevee!" Lucretia agreed.
The girl wasted no time healing her pokemon at the center and training with them once more. In a way, he was right. She hated change, but sometimes, life is full of things that just happen out of nowhere. Whether she was prepared for them or not, she needed to face them. Pokemon battles were no different. After that, she and Kassia partook in practice battles in the Pokemon Center's makeshift battlefield. Caiseal and Perrine watched them from the inside. Perrine sipped some of her favorite milk tea.
"She's really determined to win, isn't she?" Perrine mused.
"I don't blame her," Caiseal agreed. "But I think it's great she's working so hard. Defeat isn't always a bad thing."
"Yeah. True. I hope she wins tomorrow."
Tomorrow arrived with a beautiful sunrise. Julia and the others arrived at the gym once more, and Morty was waiting for her. This time, only gengar was by his side. "Since you defeated my other pokemon already, I will only use gengar today," Although he healed his other pokemon, they had no interest in battling anymore. Morty respected their wishes and left them at home to watch the house. Plus, gengar was a good enough obstacle for her to try and overcome.
Julia didn't mind and sent Lucretia out. "Lucretia. Let's do it like we practiced. Okay? Be ready for any unexpected changes!"
"Vui!"
"Battle begin!"
"Poison Jab!" Morty commanded.
"Lucretia! Hop on gengar's head and use bite!" Julia shouted. On command, as soon as gengar got close, Lucretia ran up the ghost's arm and dug her teeth onto gengar's head. Gengar let out a pained howl, running around like a maniac trying to throw the little furry cat off his head. "Keep biting!" Lucretia didn't let go, not even as her teeth began to hurt.
"Use Thunder Punch to throw her off!" Lucretia saw this coming, as her long ears heard the gengar's crackling electricity covering his arm. She leaped right off with a backflip, landing gracefully on her paws. As gengar tried to punch her again, Lucretia threw sand in its face with a kick before running away.
"Good job, Lucretia!" Gengar's eyes burned as he tried to get the sand out. "Use Bite one more time!"
"Sucker Punch!" Before Lucretia could land an attack, gengar slammed the furry pokemon with two solid punches, knocking her right out. Julia called her back and sent Hikaru out.
"Let's win this, Hikaru!"
"Pichuuuu!" ("Way ahead of you, Jules!")
"Use Tail Whip!" Hikaru cutely wagged her tail at gengar, daring him to come and attack her.
"Poison Jab!" Gengar only managed to swipe at Hikaru's ear, as the little pichu ran underneath his legs and dodged the attack. Unlike with Tokiko, Hikaru didn't get poisoned. However, something else happened. As gengar tried to launch another attack, his body went numb. He lurched forward, but his legs gave out, making him fall to the floor.
Morty's eyes widened. "Of course! Static! I completely forgot pichu had such an ability!"
"Thundershock!"
Hikaru didn't just let down one thundershock. She sent down three simultaneously, all of which electrocuted the large ghost type pokemon. Finally, unable to battle anymore, gengar fell to the ground, unconscious, with his tongue sticking out.
"Gengar is unable to battle! The winner is Hikaru the pichu, and the victory goes to Julia Parisa of New Bark Town!" The referee announced.
Pandemonium broke out. Caiseal, Perrine, and Kassia whistled and cheered and rejoiced in Julia's victory. Julia herself screeched with joy, and Hikaru leaped into her arms. Trainer and pokemon spun around like a top. "We did it, Hikaru! We finally won! You're so great!" Soon, everyone gathered around Julia and trapped her in a hug. Morty silently called gengar back to his pokeball and walked over to the girl.
"That was an amazing battle," Morty rummaged through his pocket and handed Julia a Fog Badge. "In honor of your victory, here is a Fog Badge...and yes, this is the same one you threw at my head."
"Thanks, Mr. Morty!" Julia took it out of his palm and showed it to everybody. "I got a Fog Badge for real this time! See?"
"I'm so proud of you, Julia!" Kassia embraced her daughter warmly, exalting her for her achievement. She turned to Morty and said, "Thank you, sir."
"No problem," Morty gave a polite bow. "I've learned my lesson. I hope you have a marvelous journey, children."
"We will!" The kids all said in perfect unison.
"Let's celebrate!" Kassia exclaimed. "How about we go to Ecruteak Eden for breakfast! They have great pancakes!"
"I love pancakes!" Caiseal cheered. With that, everyone stormed out of the gym, leaving Morty alone. He didn't mind. After all, now that his gym battle was over, there was something else he absolutely needed to do.
He walked over to the police station. An officer Jenny was sitting at her desk, organizing some papers. "Oh! Good morning, Morty!" Jenny greeted him politely. "Is everything going well?"
"Yes. Young trainers these days are quite lively," Morty replied kindly. "Anyway...I came to report a very serious matter."
Officer Jenny put her papers down. "Can you contact Mr. Rhodes? A gym leader has violated pokemon league regulations. He refused to challenge a trainer and gave them a badge when they didn't battle him."
"I see," Officer Jenny was already typing out the report. "So...who's the gym leader responsible?"
The blonde man looked right at her and didn't mince words. "Me." He told her everything in detail. Soon, he was asked to sit in a waiting room before another man came in. The bald man evaluated the papers Officer Jenny made.
"I see..." The bald man mused in a deep, croaky voice. "This is quite serious, Mortimer."
"Yes, Mr. Rhodes. I'm willing to accept any kind of punishment," Morty told him without protest or complaint.
It took a few minutes for Mr. Rhodes to come to a decision, but he folded his hands together. "I appreciate your honesty and telling us about this. You always were a dutiful gym leader. But as per league regulations, you must face the consequences."
"Yes, sir."
"Since this is your first offense, I have decreed that your gym leader status and license be suspended for two months. If this happens again, I won't be so merciful."
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
The blonde man wasted no time closing his gym and putting a sign on it. The bold, black marker ink read 'Gym Is Closed For Two Months. No Gym Battles For Now.' He then stared up at what remained of Brass Tower, putting a hand on the soot covered walls. The tower next to it, Tin Tower, stood as tall as ever, overlooking all of Ecruteak City. These two towers once stood side by side, like two twin giants. Now that one was gone, the other was alone.
"The people of long ago built these towers to foster hope and friendship between pokemon and people," Morty whispered to himself, looking at the soot dirtying his fingers. "I wonder if the future will be filled with hope?" He looked up. A majestic rainbow appeared in the sky, and a winged silhouette flew right underneath it. Ho-Oh. Perhaps this was a sign, that the legend of the towers is true.
Whew! Done with chapter 15! Longest chapter yet! But I've written much longer chapters for other stories. I didn't feel like making another point five chapter, as I kinda wanted to get this subplot done and over with. Plus, I have school projects I need to work on. Hope you like it!
Random Fact: The two towers are Brass Tower and Tin Tower. But those names aren't used in any of the games after Pokemon Crystal. I used them because I felt the legends behind them were good for the messages and symbolism here in the story.
Update: I edited this chapter somewhat to rectify some inconsistencies some people pointed out. Hope it's better now!
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
Papillon (Butterfree, Female, Calm Nature)
Ability: Compound Eyes
Attacks: Confusion, Sleep Powder, Psybeam, Stun Spore
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 (Graveler, Male, Brave Nature)
Ability: Sturdy
Attacks: Steamroller, Rock Throw, Rock Polish, and Magnitude