Chapter 19: Chucking Out Some Dynamic Punches!
"Alright, everyone! Breakfast is ready!" Truman had just finished pouring another full bag of pokemon food into a big bowl. Bowls, big and small, were arranged in a circle. Pokemon of all shapes and sizes scurried over to the food, some proceeding to scarf them down like they had been starved. Others, such as Aqua and Lavinia, two of Julia's pokemon, took their sweet time and ate the food piece by piece.
One large pokemon, on the other hand, wasn't eating with them. The large turtle had a rock hard brown shell, a yellow belly, bulky blue limbs, and two grey cannons shooting up from his shell like new grass shoots. "Blastoise!" It warbled in a deep voice.
Truman looked up at his friend and smiled. "Good morning, Blastoise!" The cheerful man stroke the blastoise's head gently with one hand. Blastoise smiled, basking in his trainer's warm touch. "You're looking cheerful today. Be sure to eat your fill. I don't want you pushing yourself too hard again."
"Blast blastoise!" The faithful blastoise wrapped one of his bulky arms around Truman, pulling him into a tight bear hug. The giant turtle's limbs were hard like rock, but that didn't mean he wasn't affectionate.
"You're the best, buddy," Truman told him.
"Pijooooooo!" A bird pokemon's caws sent shivers down both of their spines. Truman let out a groan. Oh dear. Tsubasa is up to her usual antics again. All of a sudden, Tsubasa soared right toward Truman, pecking him on his head with her small pink beak repeatedly.
"Stop it, Tsubasa!" Truman demanded, waving his arm around to push the annoying bird away. "Get back! Get back!"
"Blastoise blastoise!" ("Stop harassing him, you chicken!") Blastoise yelled, waving one of his large fists at the naughty bird. Nobody messed with his beloved trainer.
"Pijo pijo pijoooo!" ("You didn't give me enough food, you wimp!") Tsubasa cawed defiantly, continuing to peck at the helpless man. She even went as far as to attempt to pull off the band-aids he had on his cheeks and forehead.
"Marill marill!" ("Quit it, Tsubasa!") Aqua yelled before shooting a jet of water at the bird, giving Truman time to tend to the other pokemon. "Why do you keep picking on him?!" Aqua scolded, waving her stubby arms at the defiant bird. "He's Julia's father!"
Truman watched the two pokemon argue as he cradled a sandshrew in his arms. "Goodness. I don't know what Julia was thinking when she caught that pidgeotto," He wondered out loud. Come to think of it, Julia hadn't called him and her mother for a while now. He figured she was too wrapped up in her journey to think much about them. It was a parent's nature to worry about their children, no matter how much they prepared for them to leave the nest.
As much as he loved taking care of pokemon and the ranch, however, Tsubasa was an absolute pain to deal with. He had dealt with worse, yes, but that didn't stop Tsubasa from giving him and the others a hard time. As soon as the rowdy pidgeotto came to the Parisa house, the first thing she did when she saw Truman was peck him on his hair. In fact, that was all she did if she got annoyed by something. Truman didn't give her enough food? Pecking. He didn't tell her about Julia? Pecking. He tried to hold her responsible for her actions? Pecking. Yell at her for bullying other pokemon? Peck peck peck!
"What was Julia thinking leaving me with that spineless pushover?!" Tsubasa yelled, pointing one of her wings at Truman. If there was one thing Tsubasa hated, it was pushovers. Truman found himself glaring at the bird. She was saying something about him, and whatever it was, he was sure it was insulting. He may not understand what pokemon were saying half the time, but he could tell when something was up. "If I have to spend one more minute with him, I'm gonna send him knocking on Heaven's door!" Tsubasa cawed.
Aqua crossed her little arms. "You know Julia's gonna get mad if you do that, right?"
"Do I look like I care about what she thinks?" Tsubasa retorted without any hint of guilt or remorse. "It's her fault for sending me here in the first place!"
"Sentreeeeeet!" A crying sentret suddenly scurried up to Truman, showing him a bleeding scab on her arm.
"You okay?" Truman put down the sandshrew and scooped the sentret in his arms. Said sandshrew ran off to play with it's friends. "Don't worry. I'll make it better," True to his word, Truman disinfected the wound with a potion before wrapping some gauze around it. "There. How's that?"
The tiny sentret smiled gratefully, nuzzling against the man as thanks for helping her. "Sentret sentret!"
"Fuuuurret!" Neji scooted into the living room, watching as Truman sat down on the couch.
"Goodness. Taking care of so many pokemon is not easy," It wasn't. It was only ten in the morning, and already his back was aching from three straight hours of watching the pokemon. Feeding them, checking on them, taking care of injuries, breaking up fights, etc. His feet became snug in his large sneakers from too much standing around. As soon as he plopped down on the couch, his feet relaxed. His back ached, like it was being forced to stand straight for days, and his arms felt like plum pudding. It was taxing work, not helped by his aging body.
"Furret?" Neji hopped on the couch next to Julia's father and licked the red wound on Truman's forehead. The ferret's prickly tongue moistened the wound, wiping away any leftover blood.
With a smile, Truman stroke his daughter's long, furry friend. "Thanks. You're real sweet, Neji."
"Fuuuurret!" The sentret leaped into Neji's small arms, begging for cuddles. Unable to resist the smaller sentret's innocent demeanor, Neji nuzzled his small friend, blowing a raspberry into her belly. Soon, both furry pokemon were on the floor laughing, like they were brother and sister.
The tired father looked over at a photo sitting on the mantle. Snugly tucked inside a mahogany picture frame was a picture of the whole family. Truman, Kassia, Amara, and Julia, in that order. All four of them were wearing winter clothes, standing in front of a meadow covered in a smooth, pristine white blanket with warm, beaming smiles on their faces. Truman remembered it well. It was two years ago, when they went to Truman's parents' house for a one week vacation. Everyone was so happy and joyful back then.
Now, the family was drifting apart. Kassia was at work, Julia was on her travels, and Amara was still on the run. As much as Truman wanted to go look for Amara, he couldn't leave the pokemon unattended. Nobody he knew in the area would know how to care for them all, nor would they have the stamina or training to handle taking care of almost forty at once. Some of those pokemon had special needs or needed round-the-clock care, or wouldn't trust anyone but the Parisa family. He just wouldn't know who to trust with his cherished pokemon. It didn't help that his other job at Magcargo Express took up much of his night hours.
Even so, he hated sitting here and doing nothing. Both of his daughters were out there. Especially Amara. He needed to be out there looking for her. No, he needed to find her, be there for her, tell her that he still loves her no matter what, that even though he's not proud of what she's recently done, that she's still his daughter. It tore at his heart to not just know that Amara was doing bad things, but that he couldn't go out to find her and talk to her.
(flashback)
A six-year-old Amara sat in her new bedroom, wailing and crying for all the house to hear. Her bright, cotton candy pink comforter was thrown on the floor in a crumpled heap, along with many stuffed animals and shirts scattered about the room. Hearing her cries, Truman came into the room with a concerned look on his face. He sat down next to Amara and stroke her back.
"What's wrong?" Truman asked in a low, kind voice. "Want to tell me?"
Little Amara used her arm to wipe her tears. "My class was making owls out of paper bags," Amara began in a shaky voice. "Stupid Lizzy said I copied her!" She spat out, the tears returning. "I told Mrs. Briggs that wasn't true. But when I was in the nurse's office, I heard her say, 'I had to deal with some kids acting up today. What a nuisance.' It's not fair!" Amara smashed her hand down on the bed, wanting to let off some steam.
"That's not very nice of her," Truman said.
"No it isn't! I'm not a copycat!" Amara exclaimed, her voice still shaking.
Like any father would, Truman wrapped his arms around his daughter and gave her a hug, resting his head on her light brown hair. "I know you're not. You're a good girl."
"Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"Are teachers always mean?"
Teachers? Mean? Truman wasn't sure what to think of it. He had received reports from Amara's teachers that her spelling needs a lot of work, she spends more time talking to friends than paying attention in class, and that while Amara is a delightful social butterfree, she tended to show off sometimes. Of course the teachers would want her to listen to them. But none of them came off as mean in any way.
"No, Amara," Truman told her. "I'd call them strict."
Amara cocked her head to one side, giving her father a confused look. "Strict?"
"Yes, strict. That means they act tough and mean so they can make the kids follow the rules. They usually mean well, though," He explained, hoping Amara would understand. "When I was little, I had a teacher named Mrs. Weaver. She was very nice and often stayed after school to help me when I was struggling with my English. But when kids were being naughty, she would make them stand in the corner of the classroom or yell at them."
Amara's blue eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yep. But she wasn't being mean. Kids can be silly or do silly things," He winked at Amara. "Sometimes people have to be strict so others won't walk all over them. Know what I mean?" Amara looked at him, wondering if he was just making a joke. "Besides, I've talked to Mrs. Briggs a few times. She seems very nice, and I'm sure she wasn't calling you a nuisance. If that's what you're worried about, why don't you ask her?"
"Ask her?"
"It never hurts to ask. Maybe she was talking about something else when she said the word nuisance. I'm sure she doesn't think you're a nuisance."
This made Amara feel better. A smile returned to the girl's face and she hugged her father. "Okay. I will. You're the best, Daddy! I love you!"
"I love you, too."
As it turned out, Mrs. Briggs never thought Amara was a nuisance. She said having to deal with messes related to glue were a nuisance. Another incident. This left both Amara and Truman very pleased.
When Amara was ten, Truman offered to show up at her entrance ceremony, since Kassia was busy with both the ranch and taking care of Julia. But work went on longer than he planned, so he found himself driving anxiously toward Amara's new school. Dressed in a black tuxedo, a white dress shirt, and a purple tie, Truman parked at an open parking spot and stealthily snuck into the auditorium.
"Good! I made it!" He whispered to himself as he found an open seat. Pulling out a video camera, he turned it on and aimed it right at the stage. There was Amara, standing amongst many other children, dressed in a pretty white dress that sparkled under the spotlight. The girl's hair was in a straight ponytail, held up by a fake white rose accessory. Her blue eyes shined like light the minute she noticed Truman in the audience, flashing a smile so bright it would make any parent's heart melt.
Pride filled Truman's heart that day, and it always did whenever his daughters were happy.
(end flashback)
It's a shame he was ungracefully yanked from his happy memories by a certain bird. "Pijooooo!" Tsubasa flew into the living room, almost hitting the wall had she not flapped her wings in time. Truman scrambled out of the couch, ready to deal with her.
"Stop that right now!" Truman scolded.
Annoyed by his presence, Tsubasa glared at him, shaking her tail before trilling, "Pijo pijo pijo!" ("Shut up, you spineless fool!") Truman leaped to try and catch the bird, lurching forward. The bird pokemon leaped out of the way, dug her talons into his shirt, and yanked on his hair.
"Owwww!" Life as a pokemon rancher was truly a hard one, indeed. His heart was internally screaming for Julia to take her back. He wasn't sure if he could take more of this annoying bird terrorizing him over the most trivial things.
"Juliaaaaa...when are you going to caaaaaaall…?" He complained. The bird continued to pull his hair with her beak, happy to have someone to take her anger out on.
"Poliwrath, use Dynamic Punch!"
"Block it with Vice Grip, Stacey!"
Inside a pokemon gym, Caiseal and a big, bulky, shirtless man stood on opposite sides of the battlefield, engaged in battle. Stacey, Caiseal's pinsir, held her large thorns out right as a blue tadpole pokemon raced with a fist out and ready for punching. As the blue humanoid raced toward Stacey to land a punch, the brown bug lurched forward, wrapping her horns right around poliwrath's arm.
"Toss it in the air!" Feeling the blue pokemon's weight on her, Stacey lifted her head up and released poliwrath from her horns. Poliwrath spun in the air, unable to regain his balance.
"Use Hydro Pump!" A man with thinning brown hair roared, his large hands curled into fists as he made a punch gesture. He was wearing nothing but tattered maroon pants with a soft black belt tied around them to keep them secure.
"Poliwrath!" Poliwrath shot a powerful geyser of water from the black spiral on his body. Stacey didn't even dodge. She just stood there in one spot, taking on the water blast. Her feet were firmly planted on the battlefield, not budging so much as an inch.
"Now, Stacey!" Caiseal cried courageously, his hazel eyes shining with determination. This was his chance. He believed in Stacey. "Cut through that Hydro Pump and use X-Scissor! Slice'em and dice'em!"
"Kuki!" Stacey buzzed, her horns glowing in a harsh green light. Poliwrath's eyes widened as he turned up the pressure on the water. But that didn't stop Stacey from taking a majestic leap into the air, cutting right through the Hydro Pump like it was jello.
Poliwrath struggled to move away from the X-Scissor attack, but since he was still blowing water at the big beetle, he didn't have time to stop it. As soon as he stopped the water, Stacey had already sliced through it, making a green X shape as the beetle slammed right onto the spiral pattern on his body. "Poliwrath! No!"
"Alright! You go, Stacey!" Caiseal swung his fist in the air. This was it. The final blow. "Finish it with Double Hit!"
"Kukiiiiii!" Both of Stacey's thin arms glowed in a white light as she slammed the helpless poliwrath with two solid punches, sending the tadpole onto the battlefield. As soon as the blue pokemon made contact with the ground, a brown cloud of sand exploded, covering the entire battlefield, billowing even after Caiseal and the large man covered their faces to keep sand out of their eyes.
Did Stacey win? Or did poliwrath? Neither one was sure, as the thick sand cloud made it hard to see. Soon, the billowing cloud dissipated, showing poliwrath lying on the ground, completely unconscious. Dormant and unmoving. Stacey stood on her feet, the smaller thorns on her horns having broken off. The brown beetle didn't seem bothered by it, as she just stared at poliwrath with a smug, victorious smile.
"Poliwrath is unable to battle!" A female referee pointed a yellow flag at Caiseal's direction. "The winner is Stacey the pinsir, and the victory goes to Caiseal Brownstone of Blackthorn City!"
Caiseal couldn't contain his joy. He leaped into the air with a resounding, "Awwwww yeah!" Stacey flew into his arms and hugged him tight. "You did it, girl! You were awesome!"
"Kuki kukiiiii!" Stacey made sure not to scratch Caiseal's clothes or skin with her small claws. Even so, the two danced around their half of the battlefield with joy.
The pot bellied man with the brown mustache called his poliwrath back into his pokeball before letting out a roar of laughter. "WAHAHAHA! You really steamrolled me there, Cash!" He roared as he walked over to the victor. "I lost, huh? How about that! I enjoyed battling with you!"
"Thanks, Mr. Chuck," Caiseal told him politely. Even Stacey was polite enough to curtsy before Chuck like she was a proper lady raised in high society. "But don't rest easy. I have friends who are on their way here from Olivine to challenge you."
"GOOD!" Chuck howled, punching the air twice as though he was facing an invisible enemy. "That'll keep me and my pokemon on my toes! Oh! Almost forgot!" He pulled out a small, bronze badge shaped like a closed fist ready for punching. "You proved yourself worthy of the Storm Badge. Here ya go!" He flicked it like it was a coin. It gracefully spun in the air in a perfect arch until Caiseal caught it with one hand.
"Awesome!"
"Kukiii!" ("Awesome!") Stacey agreed.
"So!" Chuck crossed his arms, towering over Caiseal like a tower. "Who're these friends who're coming to challenge me?"
Suicune gracefully tapped his paws on the white sand of Cianwood City. Harsh sunlight beamed down on long stretches of white sand, heating it right up to the point where they felt like fire. But to the aurora pokemon, the sand did nothing but tickle his paws. He gazed upon the glistening ocean, watching from afar as a nice boat came within the city's vicinity. The white streamers flowing beside him moved in sync with the ebbing waves, the body of water rumbling with a soothing euphony.
Groups of magikarp and other assorted water pokemon leaped out from the water, showing off their fins or just saying hello. A smile tickled the aurora pokemon's long face. But in his heart of hearts, he knew this peace was not to last. A pursuer was on his tail, along with Raikou and Entei. For now, he decided to stay here in case said pursuer was to come by. He kept his ears wide open, ready for anything, whether it be a flock of pidgey or an army of machines.
'Mother...Lugia…' Suicune's mind was somewhere else. Silhouettes of two bird pokemon flashed through his mind. Ho-Oh was one of them. 'I can only pray that the hunter doesn't catch you…' Suicune told himself.
No one but he and his brothers knew what was to come. Said white boat rode the waves with grace, en route to Cianwood City. Perrine stood on the deck, the ocean breeze making her wavy orange hair float upward. Fukuro and Ravenclaw, with their wings outstretched, soared across the wind, staying close to the boat so as to not leave their trainers' line of sight.
"Baaaaaay!" ("We're riding on water! Cool!") Florian exclaimed, his red eyes twinkling with delight. He kept a vine wrapped around Baloo so she wouldn't fall off the railing.
"Jigglypuff jiggly!" ("I wanna ride on a water pokemon!") Baloo chirruped, attempting to spin on the rail. Good thing Florian was there to pull her away. Disappointed, Baloo's face puckered into a pout as she found herself ballooning outward. "Jiggly!" ("No fair!")
Florian put the pouty puff ball down on the deck. Good thing she didn't slip and fall, or Perrine would have a potential disaster on her hands. The reliable bayleef simply smiled contentedly. Chirin stood next to Perrine, his white fur taking in the refreshing sea breeze.
"Flaaaaaaffy!" ("This is so nice!") The pink sheep stretched his arms out, already feeling refreshed just from being outside.
"Hey, Chirin," Perrine chimed in. "Want to hear a funny story?"
The pink sheep nodded, tilting his head to one side right afterward. He didn't know Perrine had funny stories to tell. Not even the other pokemon did. Everyone gathered around to listen as though they were circled around a campfire. Luminita's antennae flashed twice in yellow lights, signifying interest.
"My parents and I went on a cruise to Sinnoh once when I was three," Perrine began, drifting down memory lane. A small chuckle escaped her lips. "I was quite a rambunctious little toddler. I yanked on people's things, knocked food plates over, and wanted to explore every new place I wanted. During that cruise, I wanted to see the deck. My mom said that when I wasn't looking," The orange haired girl scratched her skirt somewhat to get rid of an itch. "I was bending way over the deck. I almost fell right into the ocean!"
It was true. The memory flashed right back in Perrine's mind: her three year old self climbing on the rails. Her terrified parents scrambling over to try and grab her before she could fall, which they did, thank goodness. The crowd watching in horror as the three year old girl almost falling into the water without the tiniest hint of fear. The pokemon's eyes widened, shocked at this revelation. Perrine being a rambunctious kid who almost got herself killed never crossed their minds before, so this was quite a shock.
"I know, it was pretty stupid," Perrine chuckled, picturing herself as a fearless toddler almost falling into the ocean. "But wanna know something else?"
"Flaaffy?" ("What else?")
"Bay bay!" ("Tell us more!")
"Chinchou chou!" ("We wanna know!")
Perrine let out another chuckle. "When I was six, I saw the movie Olympic(1). After that, I was absolutely terrified of all boats and ships, thinking they'd all sink deep into the ocean," She explained, unable to hold back laughter. Even the pokemon found themselves laughing. Chirin in particular was rolling on the deck, his wool cackling as he giggled. Another memory flashed through Perrine's mind: her six-year-old self clutching the couch as her mother tried to pry her off.
"Come on, Perrine! I can't leave you alone in the house! The cruise will be fun!"
"Nooooo! Boats are scary!"
"No they're not."
"It'll sink and we'll all die!"
"I never should have let you watch that movie."
Little Luminita folded her fins and put them on her sides. If she was human, she'd have them on her hips. "Chinchou chinchou!" ("We water pokemon NEVER sink!") The blue angler boasted. "In fact, we water pokemon can survive anything humans throw at us!"
Kitsune, Perrine's most trusted companion, rolled her eyes. Baloo followed suit. "That is so not true and you know it," The fluffy orange fox cooed.
That was when Perrine looked over her shoulder. "I wonder why Julia and her pokemon aren't out here?" She wondered out loud. "The view is great."
"Popo! Popo!" Fuwari cooed.
A shout from inside the boat caught their attention. "Ahh! Saoirse! Are you okay?!" Ladybug shot right out, pulled on Perrine's arm, and pointed to the inside of the boat.
"Ledian ledi ledian!" ("Come inside quickly! Julia needs help!") Ladybug almost dragged Perrine inside the boat, the five star pokemon was that desperate. It didn't help that Perrine could see the worry in her eyes.
What happened? Did one of the pokemon get sick? Perrine was sure everybody was accounted for, so they couldn't have fallen off the boat. With Ladybug by her side, Perrine raced inside the boat. Immediately, the noisome, pungent scent of vomit and stomach acid assailed her nostrils, and her hands flew to her nose and mouth.
"Ewww! What in the world?!"
"Perrine!" Julia cried. The orange haired girl opened her eyes to find both Julia and Saoirse on the floor. A splatter of vomit made a huge mark on the carpet right in front of them. That certainly explained the awful smell. Saoirse was on her knees, making harsh wheezing sounds. "I need help!" Julia cried as she placed a paper towel in front of her fairy friend's mouth. It didn't stop the vomiting, nor could it properly contain it and prevent any more stains from falling on the carpet.
Quickly, Perrine raced to her bookbag, pulled out a plastic bowl, and handed it to her. "Here! This should help!" Julia took it without a word and placed it in front of Saoirse.
"It's okay, girl," Julia rubbed the fairy's back gently. All of her other pokemon watched with worry, guilty for not being able to really do much to help. They hoped Saoirse would be okay.
Unbeknownst to them, there was another passenger, who happened to witness the whole thing. A tall, fair skinned man watched the scene with his blue eyes wide with disgust, his mouth turning into a frown. His pale brown hair was pushed back, with one big strand sticking out from the rest, dangling above his forehead in a circular arc. He was wearing a purple tuxedo over a white dress shirt, a large red ribbon, and a small, snow white cape reaching down to his upper back with matching shoes. Lighter purple diamonds embroidered his tuxedo jacket. Despite his disgust, he watched the girls closely, wondering if there was anything he could do to help.
"What happened?" Perrine asked worriedly. With a harsh wheeze, brownish green liquid came shooting out from Saoirse's mouth, falling right into the plastic bowl. Both girls winced upon hearing the awful sound.
"I don't know," Julia replied uneasily, continuing to stroke her friend's back. "I think she might be seasick. She was kinda weary when we got on the boat, but she kept telling me she was fine," She explained further. "But just now she started throwing up," She looked down at her friend. Saoirse stopped puking, but Arceus only knew when she would start up again. "I should have brought some medicine with me."
Medicine? The man in the purple tuxedo marched forward with a sympathetic expression. "Pardon me, girls," The man chimed in. His voice was calm, suave, but still had a youthful sound about it. The girls looked up, seeing the man in his early thirties towering over them. "I happened to overhear. I have something that may help."
"You do?" Julia asked.
The man in the purple tuxedo dug through a pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a hard, rock shaped root with a sandy color about it. Julia looked at the weird root with a disgusted look, thinking it looked like someone's liver.
"This is a ginger root," The man in the purple tuxedo explained. "These help with seasickness. I keep it with me if I ever get nauseous on a boat," He pulled out a small knife and cut a piece of it off. Saoirse looked up wearily, her pink face green from too much vomiting, her sensitive nose catching the spicy scent of the root.
"Snub snubbull…"
The man looked down at the snubbull. "Here. Try it," Without hesitation, Saoirse grabbed the piece of ginger and scarfed it down like she was eating a whole meal.
"Will she get better?" Julia asked worriedly.
"She will in due time," The man replied.
Saoirse looked down at the vomit with a dejected expression. "Snubbull…" ("Sorry…")
"It's not your fault, Saoirse!" Julia told her reassuringly, like a mother would if their child was sick. "You can't help getting sick. It happens all the time. I've puked a couple times myself when I was little!"
"Choki choki!" Little Tokiko toddled over to her big sister and patted her on the back, just like Julia did. A small smile creeped up on the fairy pokemon's face.
"I'll ask someone to clean this mess up," The purple tuxedo man said.
Perrine put a hand on Julia's shoulder. "We'll be arriving in Cianwood soon, so it won't be much longer now."
"Thanks, sir!" Julia told him kindly.
"Not a problem."
Soon, the island city was within their vicinity. As soon as the boat rested at the dock, the ramp descended downward, allowing any passengers to get off the boat. Julia was the first to get out, with Saoirse cradled in her arms, with all of her other pokemon close behind. Perrine had recalled all of her pokemon. As soon as she set foot on the sand, Luminita's pokeball turned into white light and disappeared.
"Oh, NOW it goes to my house!" Perrine exclaimed.
"Heeeeeeey!" The girls and the purple tuxedo man whipped their heads around to find Caiseal and Chuck waiting for them. Caiseal waved his arm at them, greeting them as he ran right toward them. Stacey and Mallow raced along with him, staying close to their trainer.
"Caiseal! We're back!" Perrine was the first to approach him.
"Murkrow!" Overjoyed to see her trainer again, Ravenclaw allowed her trainer to pull her close and trap her in a warm hug.
"You're back, girl! I sure did miss you!" Caiseal nuzzled the black bird pokemon's beak happily. "Good job for taking the Secret Potion to them."
"Murk murkrow!" Ravenclaw replied gratefully, basking in her trainer's praise.
"Chuck?!" The purple tuxedo man exclaimed.
"Hey!" The big man behind Caiseal shouted. "If it isn't my man Eusine!"
The kids all whipped their heads around in confusion. "Eusine?" Chuck and Eusine shook hands the minute they got close. Julia was the first to put the pieces together. "Oh! Is that your name?"
"Yes it is, dear," Eusine replied, brushing some hair out of his face. "I'm a pokemon researcher."
"Like Professor Elm?"
"Not quite to that level, no," Eusine replied sheepishly, rubbing his hair with one hand. "I mostly research legendary pokemon."
"Oh!" Caiseal exclaimed. "Julia! Perrine!" He pointed to the pot-bellied black belt next to him. "This is Chuck Bergman, the gym leader!" He looked up at the gym leader. "Chuck, these are my friends Julia and Perrine. They're here to battle you!"
Chuck crossed his arms. "Is that so! A pleasure to meet you, ladies, and I'd be more than happy to accept your challenges!" He leaned closer. "To tell you the truth, Caiseal here wiped the floor with my pokemon, so I can't battle you right off."
"We understand!" Julia exclaimed. "My snubbull's sick anyway, so she might need some TLC."
"I just gotta heal my pokemon at the center there," He pointed to the Pokemon Center, which was only a couple meters away. "Help my wife with some stuff and I'll be ready to chuck out some good ol' punches!" He punched the air once more.
"Chuck uses fighting types," Caiseal told them.
Immediately, the girls began strategizing. Fighting types...as far as they knew, they were weak against psychic, flying, and fairy pokemon and their moves. Many of Julia's pokemon were fairy types, or at the very least knew fairy type moves. Tokiko knew Extrasensory and Dazzling Gleam, which were strong moves, Papillon knew Confusion and Gust, and Hikaru knew Disarming Voice. She could swap Ladybug for Tsubasa and Lucretia for Aqua and she would be all set. Lucretia would be no match for fighting types. Eevee were normal types. On the other hand, Perrine's only fairy type was Baloo, but Fuwari knew Fairy Wind, so she could be a backup plan. Kitsune knew Extrasensory as well, and Fukuro knew Confusion and was a flying type. Perrine could already envision herself winning a Storm Badge.
"We'd better get our pokemon healed, too," Perrine suggested.
Since the Pokemon Center at Olivine City was in shambles, the kids were relieved to finally be at a real, working Pokemon Center for the first time in what felt like months. It was only a few days, yes, but the journey was tough. As soon as the kids and Chuck gave their pokemon to Nurse Joy, they found themselves breathing sighs of relief. Finally, their pokemon would get the help they needed. Nurse Joy would be able to monitor Saoirse and help with her seasickness.
"So, Caiseal!" Perrine was the first to start a conversation as they waited in the lobby. "Chuck says you beat him. What was the battle like?"
"It was really tough," Caiseal told them in no uncertain terms. "He uses a machoke, a primeape, and a poliwrath. All of them are super strong."
The cogs in the girls' brains moved once more. Poliwrath was part water type. Julia could use Blossom and Hikaru against his poliwrath if she could. Perrine figured she could use Florian, Chirin, or Fuwari against it. Maybe even Mushi, since she hadn't interacted with her paras since she caught him at Ilex Forest. Perhaps she could swap one of her pokemon for Mushi. But all of them were strong against poliwrath in some way or another, whereas she hadn't trained with her paras once.
"His primeape knows Rock Slide, and his poliwrath knows Dynamic Punch and Hypnosis," Caiseal explained. "Watch out for those."
"Will do," Perrine deadpanned.
The girls then told them about Ampere and how the Secret Potion completely cured his pneumonia. Caiseal wished he could have Ravenclaw with him right now. He felt she deserved some massive praise for doing her job well. But then again, she was his pokemon. The black bird pokemon would always be great in his eyes. All of his pokemon are great in his book. Now that they were in Cianwood City, they could focus on training and battling Chuck. Hopefully this would prepare them for their upcoming battle with Jasmine soon enough.
"Caiseal? Perrine? Julia?" Nurse Joy called out. "All of your pokemon are in tip-top shape!"
Upon hearing the announcement, the kids all raced to get their pokemon. Julia quickly released Saoirse and Ladybug from their pokeballs. She kneeled down to the fairy pokemon's level and asked, in a dulcet voice, "How are you feeling, girl?"
Saoirse looked down at her feet, still looking a little weary. "Snubbull snubbull…" ("I'm still a little groggy.") She replied evasively. Ladybug gave her friend a sympathetic look before putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Ledian ledian ledi!" ("We're not on the ocean anymore, so it's okay!") Ladybug told her kindly.
"Would the two of you like to go to my house and see Mom and Dad?" Julia asked. "I'll bet some time at my house might do you some good, Saoirse."
The two pokemon looked at each other, their minds searching for an answer. Since Julia rotated them, they had become stronger and saw far more of the world than they ever knew existed at home. Ladybug evolved, and Saoirse got to know Julia and her friends. But perhaps some time at her house would be nice. They would get to relax and play with the other pokemon and not have to worry about training or battling. Maybe the fresh air from the Parisa family's backyard would help Saoirse's nausea.
Ladybug nodded in agreement. Saoirse did the same. "Snubbull!" "Ledi!"
"Good!" Julia replied. "I'll call Mom or Dad and let them know!" She raced right over to the visual phone and punched in some numbers. The dormant screen flickered, projecting static until the static came together to form a good quality video. Julia had expected to see either one of her parents, smiling happily and saying something like, "Julia! We missed you!" or "It's so good to hear your voice!"
Not the case here. Instead, Truman answered the phone, his blue eyes wide with desperation. His hair was a disheveled mess, with strands standing right up facing the ceiling. Band-aids covered his face and arms, and holes dotted his shirt. "Oh, Arceus! Julia! I'm so glad you called!" Truman cried, sounding like he saw a ghost in a movie.
All the kids found themselves taken aback. "Hey, Dad...what happened to you?" Julia asked, her voice bordering on confused. "You don't look so good."
"Your pidgeotto is a menace!" Truman yelled so loud, Julia had to pull the phone away and back off from the screen. He didn't sound angry, but the desperation in his voice was thick. "I'm begging you! Please take Tsubasa back! I don't know how much more I can-"
"Pijooooo!" Tsubasa bereaved him of the opportunity to finish by headbutting him so hard, he fell off his chair. Tsubasa faced the screen, taking note of Julia's presence, before squawking, "Pijo pijo pijo pijoooooo!" ("How dare you leave me with that spineless excuse of a human being?!")
Of course. Julia's surprise turned into the maternal kind of anger. Her poor father. Immediately, her heart went out to him. Still, Tsubasa's behavior was unacceptable, and she let her bird pokemon know that in no uncertain terms. "Tsubasa! You've been terrorizing my poor dad, haven't you?!" She scolded in the same way her mother would scold Amara when she would do something bad. "That's not nice, and neither is calling him names!"
"Marill!" ("Cut it out!") Aqua grabbed Tsubasa's tall and pulled her back, allowing Truman to get back on the screen.
"Uuuugh!" Truman groaned, rubbing his chest. "Sorry, Julia. I'm afraid your pidgeotto is quite a little…" He didn't know a nicer word to describe Tsubasa. "...brat. I've tried to understand her and befriend her, but goodness! I've been pecked more times than I can count!"
Caiseal and Perrine covered their mouths, stifling back giggles. As much as their hearts went out to poor, hapless Truman, imagining Tsubasa terrorizing him was quite humorous. "Sorry, Dad. Good thing you told me this, because I was gonna ask you to send Aqua, Blossom, and Tsubasa to me."
Hearing those words was like entering heaven for Truman. Waterfalls of tears came pouring right out of his eyes. "Thank you, my sweet girl! Thank you thank you thank yoooooou!" Truman wailed before recalling the two to their pokeballs. Julia placed Ladybug, Lucretia, and Saoirse's pokeballs on the transporters, watching them disappear into white light. Soon, three more lights materialized, forming two pokeballs. The stickers, reading Aqua and Tsubasa, were right where she placed them.
"They're here! Thanks, Dad!" Julia held up the pokeballs for him to see.
"I just received Saoirse, Lucretia, and Ladybug," Truman replied, holding up the pokeballs Julia sent him. "That's a big load off my back. Have I told you I love you lately?"
"No."
"Well, I do, and I always will!" Truman beamed as soon as he said that.
Julia found herself smiling. She always liked her father's goofy ways, humorous nature, and exaggerated way of expressing his love for pretty much anything. Before, she used to hate it when he would tell a bad joke or say something silly when she was trying to be serious. Now, her little heart began to yearn for her father's light humor. "By the way, where are you, anyway?" Truman asked curiously.
"Guess what? I'm in Cianwood City!"
"Cianwood City?!" To Truman, hearing that his youngest daughter was in Cianwood City was like she got invited to go inside a huge, fancy castle. His eyes were wide with shock, but not the desperate kind of shock. "You're that far?! Goodness!" Truman found himself rubbing his head of dark chocolate brown hair. "My little girl really is growing up!"
Julia simply smiled silently. "How's Mom doing?"
"She's at work right now," Truman answered. "But she told me about what happened at Ecruteak and your new friends. Can I see them?"
On cue, Caiseal and Perrine leaned closer to get a look at Julia's father. "Hello!" Perrine waved her hand at the screen. "You're Julia's dad, right?" Perrine couldn't help but think that Truman's soft faced features made him look much nicer than Eduardo. "I'm Perrine!"
"The name's Caiseal."
Truman beamed. "It's so nice to meet you two, even if it is through a tiny screen!" He told them joyfully.
After that, Julia and Truman talked for a while longer before the latter had to go take care of the pokemon. Saying their goodbyes, both parties hung up the phone. Julia released Aqua and Tsubasa from their pokeballs. Aqua's round eyes glimmered with joy as soon as she saw Julia's face. The blue mouse leaped into her friend's arms.
"Aqua! I haven't seen you in so long!" Julia chirruped, nuzzling her friend's cheek with her own. "Sorry I've been neglecting you," She couldn't think of a better word to describe their absence. But Julia knew her old friend probably missed her, and truth be told, she missed her blue mouse friend also. Tsubasa simply let out a terse chirp.
Her trainer's hypersensitive ears caught that, and the girl glared down at the bird as she set Aqua down on the ground. Crossing her arms, she said in an authoritative tone, "Tsubasa? Have you been bullying my father and everyone at the ranch?"
"Pijo pijo!" ("It's their fault for being too weak for my awesomeness!")
"Don't take that tone with me, young lady!" Julia wagged her finger at the bird pokemon like a parent scolding a naughty child. Once again, Perrine and Caiseal found themselves giggling under their breath. Watching Tsubasa be scolded was just too funny. "That kind of behavior is unacceptable, and since you've been a bad girl, you're grounded!" Then it hit her. Tsubasa loved battling. That'll do the trick. "No battling for a whole week!"
Tsubasa's expression went from disinterested to utterly flabbergasted within milliseconds. No battling? For a whole week? After all that time being cooped up at the ranch? Tsubasa found herself squawking like a chicken. "You can't do that to me! Battling is my life! That's not fair!" Tsubasa whined like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum. Everyone in the Pokemon Center turned to watch the scene play out before them.
Julia's stern expression didn't change. Not one bit. A good trainer always scolded their pokemon for doing something wrong. "You should have thought of that before you pecked everyone. You brought this on yourself, Tsubasa. If I see you bullying someone again, whether it's my friends or my parents, you won't battle for two weeks! Got it?"
Two weeks?! Wasn't one week bad enough? But Tsubasa could see the stoic look in Julia's eyes. She was dead serious. Knowing it wouldn't do any good to go against her, Tsubasa relented. To think she used to pick on Julia when they first met. Seeing the dejected bird made Julia's heart melt. Shedding her authoritative air, she kneeled down to Tsubasa and said, "I'm only doing this because I love you. I don't want people thinking you're a bad pokemon, and I know you're not. Would you like it if someone kept attacking your friends all the time?"
The bird pokemon wasn't sure how to answer that. Julia could see she was sorry, but still wanted to go through with the grounding. No cutting corners or playing favorites. With that, Julia put Tsubasa in her pokeball. She turned to her friends and asked, "So who's up for training?"
Now that Chuck and Eusine's pokemon were healed, and that Perrine switched Chirin for Mushi, all five of them decided to head to the same place: a small, uninhabited area north of the city. It was relatively close by if one took a car, but was still a trek on foot, not that anyone minded. Julia looked down at Chuck's feet. No shoes covered them. She couldn't help but wonder how Chuck was managing to deal with dirt, grime, or whatever else on his feet.
She couldn't resist the urge to ask. "Mr. Bergman?"
"Wahahaha!" Chuck roared in laughter. Julia's hands flew to her ears. "Don't be so formal! You can call me Chuck if you want!"
"Sorry…" Julia murmured. "My mom says it's not nice to call someone who's older than you by their first name," She was one to stick to the rules no matter what. But that didn't mean she wouldn't bend them every now and again.
"I don't mind at all!" Chuck exclaimed.
"Uhh...Mr. Chuck then. How come you're not wearing shoes?" She asked. "I mean, won't you get rocks or splinters or dirt on your feet?" Julia remembered trying to walk outside in her bare feet many times. The feeling of splinters in her toes resembled that of a beedrill's stinger, and she could always feel the little things poking her skin. It would always hurt, too. There was also a time when she ran too fast, tripped on the sidewalk, and ripped a big bloody hole on her large toe.
She mentally prepared herself for a potential scolding. She assumed somebody around her was going to say something like, "It's not appropriate to ask questions like that," or "Some people have their own way of doing things, and it's not our place to ask." Maybe even something like, "That's really rude," She was sure Amara would say something like that. She always did whenever Julia asked personal questions. But she never asked them to be mean. Just out of curiosity or concern for their safety.
Oddly enough, Chuck simply flashed a big, toothy smile. "Training requires someone to endure any and all kinds of trials and tribulations, and walking barefoot is one such trial!" He exclaimed boldly. "If I can't handle a little grit and grime on my feet, then I won't be a proper fighting type master! Overcoming life's obstacles is what living is all about!"
'I wish I could live by that philosophy,' Julia thought. As much as she liked his philosophy and having already endured such trials, Julia wasn't sure if she could be strong like he was. In her mind, she was just a young autistic girl who cried at almost everything, was sensitive to little things others weren't bothered by, and who was scared of everything. She wished she had his fearless, go-getter personality.
"But what if something stabs your foot, like a rock or a piece of wood?" Julia asked further. "Who knows what kinds of germs and infections are in those. They might even be fatal."
"Ehehehe…" Chuck let out a sheepish laugh. "If it happens, it happens, and all I gotta do is deal with it. That's all. But thanks for your concern, uhh...sorry," He gave her a confused look. "I never did ask yer names, did I?"
"Julia."
"I'm Perrine."
Caiseal glanced at Eusine before saying, "Caiseal's the name."
"Nothin' wrong with being curious!" Chuck announced. "In fact, curiosity is what drives people to do great things! It'd be so boring if we all didn't want to learn about stuff we didn't know about!" He glanced at Eusine, waggling his thick, bushy eyebrows. "Ain't that right, Eusine?"
The purple tuxedo clad man held a hand up, as though to keep Chuck out of his personal space. "You are, yes, but I have grand visions in mind-"
"Hey! Hikaru!" All of a sudden, Hikaru darted away from the group. "Come back!" Julia raced after her friend. Everyone else did the same.
Hikaru heard a soft growl from afar. She recognized it immediately. It was one of her father's friends! Her tiny arms and legs raced across the white sand, not caring that said sand was hot like a cyndaquil's flame. Her tiny feet kicked some sand upward, some of it getting into the kids' shoes as they chased after her. Soon, something came into view. A large, diamond shaped crest and a purple, aurora-like mane.
"Pichu!" ("Suicune!")
Everyone stopped in their tracks, eyes wide with bewilderment. There was Suicune, standing before some rocks in his usual regal manner. His aurora-like mane flowed beautifully like the ocean waves, the diamond-shaped crest on his head reflecting the sunlight. Hikaru didn't stop to stare in awe of Suicune's presence. She just approached Suicune and talked to him like he was any other pokemon.
"Hikaru!"
"Suicune!" Eusine suddenly exclaimed, interrupting their conversation. "For ten years, I have searched for you far and wide!" He opened his arms up to Suicune like he was expecting a hug. "My search has come to fruition, as now I'm seeing you up close and personal, like I've always dreamed!"
The three kids all stared at each other in confusion. Neither Hikaru nor Suicune noticed his presence, as they continued their conversation. Julia could hear it quite clearly.
"How is Daddy doing?"
"He is alive and well, little one," Suicune gently nudged Hikaru with his muzzle.
"Huh?" Eusine finally took notice of their conversation, turning to Julia and immediately putting her on the spot. "What is this? Does your pichu know Suicune?"
"Well…" Julia wasn't sure how to explain it.
"Pichuuuu!" Hikaru suddenly cried, her smile fading. Julia knew what she said. "Don't go! I want to talk more!"
"I'm sorry, little one," Suicune let out a light growl. "I cannot allow humans to find me here, lest I put you and the others in danger," He flashed a soft smile at the tiny mouse. "But I will let Raikou know you're well. Au revoir!" With that, Suicune gracefully raced away from the area, hopping on the ocean as though his large paws never even touched the large body of water. Hikaru tried to race toward the ocean but stopped once her feet touched the wet sand. There was no way a tiny pichu would be able to cross an entire ocean.
"Hikaru…" Julia cradled the mouse in her arms and nuzzled her. "You really miss Raikou, don't you?"
"Chuuu…"
"What was that?!" Eusine suddenly raced over to Julia, bending so close to her that he got into her personal space. She was quick to get out of his way. "Are you in some way acquainted with Suicune?! How can a child gaze upon Suicune in all of its glory?!"
"Calm down, Eusine," Chuck told him. "Let the kid explain."
Knowing there was no other alternative, Julia figured she might as well come clean. She told Eusine and Chuck about Hikaru, how Raikou was acquainted with her, how Julia can understand pokemon, etc. Immediately she regretted it, as she could see the disbelief written all over Eusine's face. Seeing it made her feel as though she was some pathological liar. She had seen it far too often to mistake it for anything else.
"A human who can understand the language of pokemon…" Eusine mused to himself, putting a hand on his chin. "That's not something I've heard of in all my years of research," He flashed a smug smile. "I'm not sure if I believe you, but…" He pulled out a pokeball. "Since we have both seen Suicune with our eyes, I would very much like to challenge you to a battle."
"No thanks," Julia was quick to interrupt. "I wanna train for my battle with Chuck, and I'm not gonna battle you just to convince you I can talk to pokemon," She told him without mincing words. "Besides, you're probably gonna beat me anyway."
"Pichu!" ("She makes a good point!") Hikaru added.
Eusine put his pokeball away. "Oh well. I would have liked to battle you, but I do want to continue my search for Suicune," He told them. "It was nice meeting you, though," With that, the man in the purple tuxedo went about his way.
"Man! That suicune was a sight to see!" Chuck exclaimed.
"Wait!" Perrine held her hands up, facing Julia. "Who's gonna battle Chuck? Me or you?"
"Rock paper scissors?" Julia suggested.
With a nod, the two girls held their fists out. "Rock paper scissors, shoot!" Two fists. "Rock paper scissors, shoot!" Two flat hands. One more try. "Rock paper scissors, shoot!" Perrine had two fingers out, Julia had her hand flat. "Woohoo!" Perrine cheered, jumping up once. "I get to battle Chuck first!"
To prepare for their battle with Chuck, the two girls had a practice battle. Chuck himself went off on his own to do some of his own training, leaving the girls alone. Perrine sent out Mushi and Julia sent out Blossom, since they figured they deserved some training.
"Use Scratch, Mushi!"
The orange bug pokemon scurried forward, with one of his large claws out and ready. "Parassss!" Mushi hissed.
"Defend yourself with Acid!" Julia commanded. With a light chirp, Blossom sprayed a yellowish green substance on Mushi's face. As soon as it made contact with the orange bug's face, the substance burned like a blazing flame. Mushi hissed and scurried around desperately trying to shake it off. "Now use Mega Drain!" A blue and green light shot out from the leaves on Blossom's head, wrapping right around the hapless Mushi.
"Don't give up, boy!" Perrine shouted. "Set yourself free with Scratch!"
Encouraged by his trainer's words, Mushi managed to use his large claws to cut the Mega Drain, freeing himself. Soon, the orange bug raced toward the sentient plant and scratched her face three times. Blossom held up her small feet to try and block it, but Mushi was too big and too fast for her. "You can do it, Blossom! I know you can!" Julia exclaimed. "I believe in you!"
She believed in her. Blossom opened her red eyes before slamming Mushi so hard she sent the orange bug rolling on the sand. That was when it happened. Blossom shone in a bright white light, blinding everything and everyone around her. The plant pokemon grew a little bit bigger, the leaves on her head morphing into a round, pumpkin-like shape. Soon, the light faded. Out came a new Blossom. Her body was still the same deep blue color, but her eyes were closed, her feet grew longer, and a set of small, stubby arms grew out. Drool came trickling out of Blossom's mouth. A brownish orange flower crowned her head, with orange leaves curling outward.
"Glooooooom…" Blossom cooed in a small voice.
"Yay!" Julia cheered, jumping up and down. "You evolved, Blossom! Yay yay yay!"
"Gloom gloom!" Blossom found herself jumping up and down as well, rejoicing in her new evolution.
Perrine pulled out her PokeDex and examined Blossom's new form. "Gloom, the weed pokemon. The fluid that oozes from its mouth isn't drool. It is a nectar that is used to attract prey. It is very sticky and clings stubbornly if touched. One whiff of the honey can result in memory loss. Gloom releases a foul fragrance from the pistil of its flower. When faced with danger, the stench worsens. If this Pokémon is feeling calm and secure, it does not release its usual stinky aroma."
"I think we're done here," Perrine cradled her friend in her arms. "You were great out there, Mushi."
Mushi waved his big claws around. "Paras paras!"
All Caiseal could do was smile as he watched Julia and Blossom dance, holding hands and jumping around like little kids.
Finally, the time had come. Chuck and Perrine both stood on opposite sides of the battlefield. The inside of Cianwood Gym pretty much had nothing in it save for some large bleachers, rocks, and a small built-in bond. Julia, Caiseal, and their pokemon all sat on the bleachers as a female referee made her announcement.
"The gym battle between Chuck Bergman, the Cianwood City gym leader, and Perrine Innocenti of Goldenrod City is set to begin in a moment!" The plump referee announced in a bold albeit husky voice. "The gym leader may only use three pokemon with no substitutions. The challenger is allowed to use six pokemon and is allowed substitutions!"
"Fine with me!" Chuck pulled out a pokeball, flashing a confident smile. "Machoke! Let's rock, buddy!"
A white light materialized on Chuck's side of the battlefield before forming a machoke. Said grey humanoid flexed his muscles, ready for battle. "Maaaaachoke!" Machoke proclaimed in a deep, husky voice.
"A fighting type, huh?" Perrine pulled out a pokeball. "This'll be over quick! Baloo, knock'em dead!" The pink balloon pokemon gracefully popped out of her pokeball, floating onto the battlefield gracefully, like she was a ballerina.
"Jiggly!"
"Ready?" The female referee asked. With both parties nodding, she raised two flags in the air. "Battle, begin!"
Perrine was the first to make a move. "Baloo, start off with Disarming Voice!"
"Jiggly!" Baloo let out a charming yet shrill cry, shooting waves of glowing pink circles right at Chuck's machoke. Pinkish red hearts accompanied the sound waves, flying right toward machoke.
"Machoke, punch'em out with Karate Chop!" Chuck commanded.
On cue, machoke flattened his hands before completely cutting the hearts into smithereens with both hands. Even though the sound waves managed to strike the grey humanoid, his flat hands made contact with the hearts, turning them into dust.
"Now use Low Sweep!"
Machoke stuck his foot out as he raced toward Baloo, almost swiping at her feet. "Inflate yourself and dodge it!" Perrine exclaimed. Baloo sucked in a breath of air as she ballooned right up, floating into the air right as Machoke's foot barely made contact with one of her own. Since the balloon pokemon managed to fly up in the nick of time, the Low Sweep didn't do much damage.
"Now use-" Before Perrine could call out an attack, Chuck suddenly interrupted her with his roaring.
"Poison Jab!"
"Huh?!" Everyone's mouth fell agape. What was with pokemon and knowing impossible moves? Perrine was so dumbfounded that she didn't give Baloo a commanded. The balloon pokemon was helpless as machoke's hand glowed in a purple light. Without mercy, machoke jabbed his hand right on Baloo's side. A sharp, burning pain shot all throughout Baloo's body like she had been set on fire.
Immediately, Baloo deflated and floated down to the ground, unable to continue.
"Baloo the jigglypuff is unable to battle!" The female referee pointed a brown flag in Chuck's direction. "Machoke is the winner!"
Perrine facepalmed before calling Baloo back to her pokeball. "What in the world? How is this even possible?" She asked herself. She had planned her battle down to the last detail. She trained and practiced with her pokemon whenever she could. Now it was all going down in flames thanks to machoke's Poison Jab. Then again...she still had a chance.
She sent Fuwari out next. Machoke knocked her out with Poison Jab. Next came Fukuro. "Use Confusion!" Perrine commanded.
"Toooooh!" Thankfully, Fukuro's eyes glowed in a purple light. Machoke found himself unable to move for a while as a sharp pain surged through his muscular body. Soon, machoke was stumbling all over the place.
"Now's our chance!" Perrine knew this could turn things around. "Use Peck and don't hold back!"
On cue, Fukuro dashed right toward machoke's face and pecked at him with his beak with everything he had.
"Dynamic Punch!" Chuck roared, balling his fists.
"Maaachoke!" Machoke's left hand glowed in a white light as he raised it upward. Fukuro was occupied with pecking machoke's face, so he failed to notice the fist flying right at him. But Perrine did.
"FUKURO! MOVE AWAY!" Perrine screamed. But Fukuro didn't react in time. The fist collided, and the bird was sent rolling on the battlefield. The referee announced that Fukuro was unable to battle.
"No…" Perrine found herself shaking. "Why is this happening?!" She asked herself. Her pokemon were losing left and right and Chuck still had machoke out. Either Chuck was really strong or Perrine didn't train with her pokemon hard enough. But she still had three more. Maybe she could try and turn it around?
Unfortunately, her other three didn't fare any better. Mushi was knocked out with Poison Jab, as was Florian despite knowing Reflect. Kitsune barely stood a chance, as she was rendered confused with one Dynamic Punch.
"Flamethrower! Come on!" Anger seized Perrine, and she found herself shouting commands like an angry military officer.
"I can't watch!" Julia covered her face with her hands.
Kitsune spat out a stream of fire, but machoke was able to dodge it by doing a few backflips. Chuck punched the air. "Now, finish it with Karate Chop!"
The grey humanoid struck Kitsune with a flat hand, sending the fox rolling across the battlefield. Kitsune tried to get back up, but her battered body refused to obey her commands. Soon, her legs buckled and she collapsed on the battlefield.
"Kitsune the vulpix is unable to battle!" The referee announced. "The winner is machoke, and the victory goes to Chuck Bergman, the Cianwood City gym leader!"
"We did it, buddy!" Chuck and his machoke wrapped their arms around each other in affectionate embraces, laughing and rejoicing in their victory.
But they were the only ones who were happy. Perrine just fell to her knees, her expression a mask of utter shock and disbelief. Her mind was aswirl with questions for which she had no answers. What happened? What went wrong? She knew everything about Chuck and his battling style. She researched him and all of the other gym leaders before her journey. She knew all there was to know, and yet…
"Perrine?" Julia was quick to run over to her. But something about Perrine's gait told the girl that she did not want to be touched. Julia kept her hands to herself. Still, the urge to wrap her arms around her friend and comfort her was strong. She looked at Caiseal, silently wondering if she should do what her heart was telling her to.
All she got in response was Caiseal shaking his head side to side. No. Discouraged, Julia looked down, her heart going out to Perrine. What could she say?
"Vul?" Thankfully, Kitsune managed to get back up, finding the strength to walk up to her trainer. The dejection in the fox's eyes was all too imminent. Kitsune stuck her tongue out, kneeling down to Perrine's hand to give her a comforting lick.
Everyone thought Perrine would accept her best friend's comfort and realize that it wasn't the end of the world. She could always battle Chuck again another time. But what Perrine did right afterward took everyone's breath away, and not in a good way.
Perrine glared at Kitsune, her blue eyes blazing with anger. A swipe of her hand forced Kitsune to back away five steps. Perrine's mind was shouting at her not to react this way, but her heart did not listen. "You're so stupid!" Perrine screamed. "You're supposed to be stronger than this! We trained all day for this and you completely blew it! Now we lost and it's all your fault!"
Where did this angry Perrine come from? Julia found herself breathless, her eyes wide with terror. How could Perrine talk to her friend like that? Seeing Perrine so angry reminded Julia of Amara. This was too much. Terror suddenly morphed into anger. This was very unlike her friend. Kitsune didn't deserve to be talked to like that!
"Hey!" Julia stood in between Kitsune and Perrine, her green eyes glaring right at the orange haired girl. "Don't talk to Kitsune like that!" She yelled. "She battled hard for you! It's not the end of the world!"
"Perrine," Chuck's deep voice pulled everyone back to reality. But Julia could see the hurt in Kitsune's eyes. The small vulpix looked away from her trainer, staring down at the battlefield beneath her paws. The girl's heart went out to the small fox. "I enjoyed battling with you. But you still have much to learn," Chuck began. "Your battling style is too rigid. It's good to plan ahead and strategize, but you have to be able to adapt when there's unexpected changes."
Everyone's ears perked up. Didn't Morty say something similar back in Ecruteak?
"I know you can be a good trainer. But if a small change is enough to render you completely unable to battle, then it leaves you and your pokemon open for defeat," Chuck told her in no uncertain terms. "You have to be flexible. You can't be narrow-minded about your battling or your goals in life," He held his hand out with a smile. "But I'd be more than happy to battle you again."
Once again, Perrine swiped at his hand before storming off in tears. "Perrine!" Julia was about to go after her, but Caiseal grabbed her by the arm, holding her back.
"Let's give her some space," Caiseal whispered calmly.
As much as Julia wanted to listen to him, seeing Perrine in her current state wounded her heart. Then again, the one who was the most hurt was Kitsune. The fox pokemon continued to stare at her own paws, lost in her own mind. This was a first for the fox pokemon. Perrine had always been unfailingly kind and generous toward her. She took her in during a dark time in her life. How could one loss suddenly bring out the worst in her? Perrine never treated Kitsune like that before.
What changed?
Yes yes, I know. I suck at writing battles. They never seem to come out right, and I don't want to end up dragging them out. As for Perrine's anger at the end, one of my best online friends said that Perrine comes off as a bit too idealistic of a friend. I see where he's coming from, so I'm trying to give Perrine some flaws that'll help her be more rounded. If I'm doing it wrong, feel free to offer suggestions and let me know how I can rectify it!
Also, another pokemon evolves in the next chapter! Try to guess who!
Random fact: I thought about having the kids battle Eusine in a triple battle, but I'll save that for a future chapter. A triple battle might have made the chapter drag out far too long and I don't want to bore you.
Footnotes:
1. This is actually a reference to the Titanic. Or, to be more specific, the Titanic's sister ship, the Olympic. Olympic was drafted into service in World War I as a troopship, and once engaged a German submarine. The sub fired a torpedo at the ship but missed. Olympic in return rammed the submarine and sank it. This is on top of the fact that she was one of the largest commercial ocean liners at the time, and was only drafted due to a shortage of ships. Large troopships were extremely vulnerable targets because if one sunk they would take with them a lot more lives than smaller troopships. The Olympic not only rammed a submarine to death, but survived the entire war intact. This earned her the name "Old Reliable."
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pichu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thundershock, Disarming Voice, Sweet Kiss, Tail Whip
Aqua (Marill, Female, Mild Nature)
Ability: Thick Fat
Attacks: Rollout, Bubblebeam, Play Rough, and Water Gun
Tokiko (Togepi, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Protect
Papillon (Butterfree, Female, Calm Nature)
Ability: Compound Eyes
Attacks: Confusion, Sleep Powder, Psybeam, Stun Spore
Tsubasa (Pidgeotto, Female, Naughty Nature)
Ability: Keen Eye
Attacks: Tackle, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Twister
Blossom (Gloom, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Acid, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, and Mega Drain
Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Vulpix, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Flamethrower, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack
Florian (Bayleef, 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
Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: Scratch, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain
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
Stacey (Pinsir, Female, Serious Nature)
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Attacks: X-Scissor, Swords Dance, Seismic Toss, and Double Hit