Chapter 26: Jasmine The Iron Maiden
"Come on out, umbreon!" As the morning sun brightened the world with her light, Cianwood City included, Amara sent out the pokemon she had caught just a few days ago. The white light materialized to form a feline shape before umbreon took form. The first thing the black creature noticed was that it was light out. His long ears twitched as he felt a presence behind him. Turning around, he came face to face with a human being.
Other pokemon were with the human as well, many of which he had never seen before, the feraligatr and gengar being two such pokemon. Immediately upon making eye contact with the human, the guarded umbreon took on a defensive stance, lowering his head and ears before scowling at her. Amara scowled right back, crossing her arms.
"Don't try anything stupid, because I caught you," Amara told the black creature without any warmth in her voice. "I'm your trainer now, and you do as I say! Capice?"
The umbreon had no idea what capice meant, but the hair on his body stood right up as he took a few steps back, continuing to glare at Amara. Just because this random human caught him with a pokeball, that didn't give her any right to call her his trainer! The umbreon always considered himself a free spirit, but wasn't necessarily distrustful of humans. However, he could feel a very bad vibe coming from this girl.
Not only that, all the pokemon looked at Amara with fearful expressions, like they were afraid of her. Already, red flags sprung up in umbreon's mind. Just what was this girl capable of to make them look so afraid of her? All he knew for sure was that he was not going to submit to Amara.
"Umbreon!" ("Absolutely not!") The black creature yelped indignantly, his red eyes giving off a defiant look.
"Fine then," Amara crossed her arms. "If you're not gonna listen to me, I'm gonna have to beat it into you!" All of the hair on umbreon's body stood up further. Amara glanced at feraligatr. "Hey! Feraligatr! Teach it a lesson and use Ice Fang!"
The large alligator pokemon, feraligatr, hesitantly ambled right up to the umbreon, twiddling its sharp fingers. At one point, the blue alligator looked over his shoulder as though he was saying, "You really want me to do something like this?!" Like usual, Amara continued to glare at the feraligatr. His body tensed, getting the message. All of a sudden, the feraligatr opened his gaping maw, his large fangs glowing in a light blue sheen.
"Umbreon!" The umbreon knew he had to do something. Before the feraligatr could charge at him, a black sphere of energy materialized in front of umbreon's mouth. Seeing an opening, umbreon shot the black shadow ball at the alligator's face, making the Ice Fang attack disappear. The black ball hit feraligatr so hard that he had to take two steps back, the energy was too overwhelming to even see.
"Seriously?!" Amara cried as the feraligatr recoiled. "Come on! Knock that thing out! Use Crunch!" Once the blue alligator got over the pain, he bared his teeth once more, charging at the black feline. The umbreon nimbly leaped out of the way, jumping on the alligator's back.
His pointed tail glowed in a silver, metallic sheen right as he landed on feraligatr's back. Once again, he found an opening and spun around in a circle. In mid-air, umbreon struck feraligatr across the back of his head. The blow was so strong that it made feraligatr fall to his knees. The sight made granbull, beedrill, and weepinbell huddle together, cowering in fear.
Haunter simply floated over to the fallen alligator and said, "Hauntahh hauntah hauntaaaaaah!" ("Wow! To think such a big, ferocious pokemon could be easily beaten by a little night crawler! You're pathetic!") He burst into loud, hearty laughter, his big pink tongue hanging out.
Feraligatr shot a glare at him. "Feraligatrrrrrrr," ("Try saying that when he whips your butt! Ghosts are weak against dark types, y'know!") Feraligatr shot back, his growl dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh my lanta!" Amara facepalmed, groaning in disbelief. "You're freaking useless!" She wasted no time kicking feraligatr on his side twice. Since his hide was thick, he was able to tolerate the kicks better, and they didn't hurt as much as before. But it didn't mean it hurt him any less emotionally. "After all that time training and battling and beefing you up, you get knocked around by this thing!"
"Umbreon!" ("Don't call me a thing!") Umbreon hissed. He was a lot of things, and a thing definitely wasn't one of them. The fact that Amara talked about him like he was some object she wanted to parade around for all to see made his skin crawl. And why kick her pokemon after they were defeated? The awful sight made his blood boil.
Before she could complain and beat feraligatr more, her stomach rumbled with the intensity of a pyroar's roar. "Uuuuugh. Great, now I'm hungry!" She whined. "I'm gonna go get some grub!" She pointed to all of her pokemon. "All of you, stay here! If one of you runs, I'm gonna beat you so hard your legs will be so broken they'll never heal!" With that, she turned on her boot and left, leaving her arsenal of pokemon all alone.
Umbreon took the chance to get some answers. "Umbreon umbreon!" ("Who the heck is she?!") He exclaimed, his ears standing up. "Why does she treat you all like that?!"
Everyone exchanged pitiful glances except for haunter. "Hauntah hauntahhhh," ("She hates pokemon, and from what we've heard, a gyarados killed her friend,") Haunter explained, crossing his disembodied hands.
Umbreon's red eyes widened. That was it? She was treating them like trash all because of what a gyarados did to her friend? He had seen and heard ridiculous things before, but to take her anger out on pokemon who had nothing to do with it? His blood burned even hotter.
"And that makes it okay for her to beat you all into a pulp if you so much as lose a battle?!" Umbreon hissed, stamping his paw into the soil. "Why don't you guys say something?! Do something?!"
Weepinbell shivered behind granbull, cowering in fear. Once again, he was drowning in a puddle of tears. "There's nothing we can do…" Weepinbell blubbered, his voice dry and scratchy from too much crying. All granbull could do was stroke his back, but the fly catcher pokemon was inconsolable. "She's so scary…"
"Raaaaaah," ("We tried running,") Fearow added, flapping his wings. "But where would we go? We're too far away from our homes."
"So?!" Umbreon hissed again. "Wouldn't it be better than sucking up to that...that...poor excuse of a human?!" He pointed to the thicket that Amara passed through to empathize his point. "I don't see why you can't just run away!"
"Do you really think we haven't thought about that?!" Feraligatr roared so loud, it made everyone cower in fear. Except umbreon. He had dealt with tough enemies before. There was no scaring this black feline. "She's smart! She knows when we're planning to go against her, and anything we've tried hasn't worked, and when we did, she always catches us and beats us!"
The black feline couldn't believe his ears. These pokemon were big, strong, capable of delivering lethal attacks. It was so easy for them to just cut her loose and run away. For all he knew, they could easily attack that girl and leave her injured enough for them to run. Why not try that? Or even…
"If I were you, I'd kill her before I even let her lay one hand on me!" Umbreon exclaimed.
The pokemon exchanged shocked glances. Was this umbreon serious? Yes, he was. The dead serious look in his eyes told them all they needed to know.
"You're all big, strong pokemon! You can kill this girl easy!" Umbreon added. "I don't see why you can't!"
Nobody said a word. An awkward silence fell on the group. But it told umbreon everything that he was afraid of. They had accepted their fates. Just what kind of hold did this girl have on them to make them so scared that they can't even act on their own anymore? Now, just the sight of the group made umbreon's stomach go into a knot.
"Tch! I don't believe this," Umbreon let out another hiss. "Submit to her all you want. Don't expect me to do the same," He told them unsympathetically. "I refuse to be a slave to that humanoid trubbish."
Being someone's slave was not part of umbreon's agenda for survival, and he was going to make sure this girl knew it. If he had to kill her to save himself, then so be it. But he hoped he wouldn't resort to such a drastic measure. For his own sake.
"Ugh!" Caiseal sat on a bench in front of the Olivine City gym, holding a book of crossword puzzles in one hand, and a yellow pencil in the other. Perrine sat on his left, listening to a radio drama on her PokeGear. She had attached purple ear buds to her PokeGear, and the buds were shoved in her ears, taking her away from reality. The joy on her face was almost sickening to the blonde boy. He was sure he could see hearts fluttering out of her body. "Man, these crossword puzzles are hard!"
Julia sat on his right with Rina on her lap, brushing her fur with a small hair brush. Rina smiled the whole time, enjoying the soft texture of the brush on her hide. "I didn't know you liked crossword puzzles," She said, brushing Rina's ears next.
"They're okay," Caiseal mused as he wrote something down. "They're certainly a good cure for boredom."
Hikaru sat down on the ground with Rino, tapping their paws together in a game of patty cake. The two of them stayed close to Julia's feet, making sure they weren't out of her line of sight. "Uuuugh...what's this supposed to be?" Caiseal grumbled out loud. Julia leaned closer, staring at the white blocks covering a black page. Some of them were already filled with words written out in pencil.
"What's up? You stuck on a word?"
"Yeah…" Caiseal used the end of his pencil to scratch his hair. "Some of these word descriptions really boggle me," She could tell that he sounded quite flummoxed. "Melted metal scum, slang for kill, a miltank's opinion, a well known incestuous mother...good Arceus, who made this?!" He shouted impatiently. Julia backed away. "And when the heck is Jasmine gonna be here?!"
One of Julia's hands covered her ears. "She'll get here when she gets here," It was here that Rina hopped off of Julia's lap to join Rino and Hikaru in their game.
In fact, all of Julia's pokemon were out and about, running around, their fur being warmed by the sun's rays. Rina, Rino, and Hikaru scurried around the bench in a friendly game of tag. Tokiko and Saoirse sat on the sidewalk in front of the gym palavering amongst each other, probably talking about girl stuff. Aqua sat all by herself, right next to Perrine's part of the bench. Saoirse's ears suddenly twitched as her small eyes fixated on the lone aqua mouse.
Aqua's round ears drooped, facing the ground beneath her feet. To the little snubbull, that was almost always a sign that meant someone was sad or depressed. "Choki?" Tokiko noticed Saoirse stand up, tilting her head to one side in confusion, wondering what was up. Saoirse suddenly walked over to Julia and pulled on her sock. She didn't pull too hard, as Saoirse was gentle like that, but the pull was firm enough to get Julia's attention. Once she felt Saoirse pulling on her sock, Julia looked down.
"Saoirse? What's wrong?" She asked.
The pink bulldog pointed in Aqua's direction. Julia stood up from the bench, moseyed over to her mouse friend, and kneeled to her level. One look said a thousand words. Aqua stared down at the ground she sat on with a despondent look on her face, her round eyes having lost all of their shine. All she did was stroke the ground with one of her stubby arms, and her tail sat lifelessly behind her.
"Aqua? You seem sad," Julia told her in a soft, dulcet voice. "You okay?"
Aqua shook her head left and right. No.
"Do you want to talk about it? We're here to listen," Julia said reassuringly, keeping her voice low.
Aqua let out a sad sigh, her expression still despondent. Finally, the water mouse held her head up, making eye contact with her trainer, and said, in a low, trembling voice, "Marill marill marill?" ("Why haven't I evolved yet?") Julia's heart sank to the pit of her stomach as soon as she saw those round, sad eyes that were begging for an answer to her question.
"Is that what you're sad about?" Julia asked for confirmation. Her friend nodded.
The two girls listened as Aqua told them about what was bothering her: even though she was one of Julia's many pokemon who had been with her the longest, no matter how much she battled, she never evolved. Tokiko evolved, Tsubasa evolved, Neji evolved, Papillon evolved, etc. Even Hikaru, who had stayed a pichu for a long time, managed to evolve during the Raikou fiasco. Seeing her friends evolve made her feel as though she was being left behind. She trained and battled and made herself stronger, but there were no signs of evolution.
Once again, Aqua's ears drooped, facing the dirt beneath her feet. "Marill marill…" ("I want to evolve so bad…") She murmured in a soft, trembling voice, like she was about to cry any moment. All Julia could do was smile and stroke her friend's ear with one hand.
"You'll evolve," Julia reassured her friend. "I'm sure you will. You probably need some more time and experience, that's all."
"Marill marill marill!" ("All I've done is battle and wait, but nothing's happened!") This time, Aqua was yelling and flapping her arms up and down. A hand flew to Julia's ear like before, but this time, she didn't flinch. It was better to let Aqua air out her frustrations. Julia looked away, regretting what she just said earlier.
That was when Saoirse put a hand on Aqua's. "Snubbull snubbull," ("It's not the end of the world if you don't evolve.") She told her plainly. Julia whipped her head up, shocked by Saoirse's boldness. She herself had planned on saying something similar, but she wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say. That, and she didn't want to accidentally hurt Aqua's feelings. Saoirse continued, "Snub snub snubbull snubbull." ("You can't force it. It doesn't happen in a day.")
For once, Saoirse had Aqua's attention. Julia's as well. She had a good point. The trainer couldn't hold back the smile that pushed her cheeks up. Who knew Saoirse could be so reliable. "Saoirse's right. If you evolve, that's great. But it's okay if you don't, too. You'll evolve on your own time, and don't give up," Like before, Julia stroke Aqua's ear.
Just hearing that immediately lifted Aqua's spirits. Not entirely, but Aqua was at least happy to know that no matter what, Julia still loved her. Not once did she regret going on this journey with her. True, she still wanted to evolve, and wished she could evolve right now, but even she knew that some things just needed to take time.
"Oh! Good morning, children!" A familiar, feathery voice made the kids turn their heads to their left. There was Jasmine, wearing her usual white dress, looking as pretty as the flower she was named after. Speaking of flowers, resting in her hands was an orange clay pot filled with soil, with a flurry of white flowers right on top, with their foliage open wide for soaking up the sun. She flashed her signature feathery smile.
"Hi, Jasmine!" Julia greeted. Perrine kept listening to her radio drama, so she stayed silent throughout the conversation.
"I take it you're all here to battle with me," Jasmine inquired sweetly. "I'm sorry to make you wait, but I have to plant these flowers in my garden and give Angelo his medication, but I shouldn't be too long," She explained. A crisp breeze lifted her brown hair up just a little bit. With that, she moseyed inside the gym to finish what she needed to do.
Finally, Perrine pulled out her earbuds, her radio drama having ended. "Okay, so...which one of us is going to battle Jasmine?" She asked.
"How about we decide through rock-paper-scissors?" Caiseal suggested. "Quick and easy, right?"
"Sure! Great idea!" Julia cheered. The kids gathered round and held their hands out, shaking their fists. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" All fists. Try again. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" All of their hands were flat. One more time. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Perrine and Caiseal had their hands balled into fists. On the other hand, Julia kept one of her hands flat.
"Yay!" She playfully smacked her friends fists with her open hand. "Paper covers rock! I win! I get to battle Jasmine!" Rejoicing in her victory, she jumped in the air twice.
"Man, we've been sucking at this game lately, haven't we?" Caiseal groaned.
Perrine shrugged. "It's not so bad. We can watch the battle and see what Jasmine's battling style is like before we battle with her," Leave it to Perrine to turn a negative into a positive.
Once that was settled, the kids went into the gym. The Olivine City gym wasn't like other gyms that they had seen. The battlefield was made of soil and dirt, but everything else was solid steel or titanium. The walls were a sleek, shiny shade of cobalt blue, making them almost look like solar panels. The bleachers were silver and spotless, very much resembling those one would see at sports events, like football or soccer. It didn't take long for the lady of the hour, Jasmine, to strut on her side of the battlefield like she was a model on a runway.
Behind her were some of her pokemon: her two magnemite, Albert and Alphonse, her magneton, Argentine, the ampharos from the lighthouse, Ampere, and her two togetic, Angela and Angelo. The kids wondered where her steelix, Amandine, was. But then again, she probably kept Amandine in her pokeball, probably because it was so big.
"Hello, and welcome to my gym!" Jasmine greeted them like a queen would, curtseying by bowing and pulling on her dress. "I am honored to battle with you today."
"Same here!" Julia said. She had to wonder why Jasmine had most of her pokemon out. Was she like her in that she liked spending time with her pokemon? Who knows? But as far as she knew, Jasmine specialized in steel types, and three of them were electric or fairy. Jasmine did have steel types with her, so it wasn't like she was wrong.
Steel types...it hit Julia right there. Three of her pokemon were fairy types, and weak against steel. Tokiko is double weak to steel and electric types, being half flying type. None of her pokemon knew any fire type moves except for one, and she wasn't sure how that would go. But this was no time to back down.
Jasmine turned to one of the magnemite behind her. "Albert? Do you wish to battle?"
The magnet pokemon held its magnets up like it was cheering, happy to be able to battle. "Magnemiiiite!" Albert trilled in a robotic voice, but the way its only eye closed and how it zipped onto the battlefield told Julia that it was quite happy.
"Magnemite…" Caiseal pulled out his PokeDex to examine Albert, who kept bouncing in the air like a little kid whose parents gave it candy.
"Magnemite, the magnet pokemon," How fitting. "Magnemite can float in the air by emitting electromagnetic waves from the units on its sides, defying gravity. The faster the units on their sides rotate, the greater the magnetic force they generate becomes. Because of this, they are equally attracted to similar EM waves emitted from things like PokeGears or generators. They become incapable of flight if their internal electrical supply is depleted. They can generate enough magnetism to draw in iron objects from 300 feet away, and they attach themselves to power lines to feed on electricity. If a house has a power outage, it's usually caused by magnemite attaching themselves to breaker boxes."
Right then and there, a realization hit: steel types are weak to fighting type moves, too. Two of her pokemon knew such a move. It took no time for Julia to choose a pokemon. "Rina, come on out!" She threw Rina's pokeball, allowing the blue poison pin pokemon to materialize.
"Nido!" ("I'm ready!") Rina took on a battle stance.
Jasmine made the first move. "Now, Albert! Use Thunderbolt!"
"Magnemiiiiite!" The magents on Albert's body rotated as a jolt of electricity discharged all over the place. Rina was quick to dodge them all, since she was small and agile. One of the sparks almost electrocuted her, though she barely managed to evade it in time.
"Use Leer, Rina!" Julia commanded. Rina stopped in front of the magnet pokemon and gave it a dark scowl, unnerving it somewhat. "Now use Double Kick!" The poison pin kicked her legs up and rammed them into Albert, sending him flying across the battlefield. But he didn't fall on the ground, as Albert rotated his magnets, allowing electromagnetic waves to keep him from making contact with the ground.
"Don't give in, Albert!" Jasmine encouraged. "Use Supersonic!"
"Cover your ears, Rina!"
Rina pulled her long ears down right as Albert screeched a piercing sound wave. Albert generated round circles of yellow energy that hit Rina with the blast of a screech attack. Although she kept her ears down, she could feel the intense pressure the supersonic was piling on her body. She couldn't afford to be confused.
"Use Bite on the magnets!" Julia shouted. Rina got the message and leaped on top of Albert before digging one of her teeth into his magnets. It wasn't enough to dredge right through, as Albert's magnets were hard as steel. Just making contact with them made Rina's teeth ache. But this was a battle, and there was no room for complaining.
"Thunderbolt again!" Jasmine found an opening and took it. Albert discharged a barrage of electricity all around. Since Rina was on top of him, she couldn't escape in time and found electricity surging all throughout her little body. But she clung to Albert like she was hanging from the precipice of a cliff.
"Hang on, Rina!" Julia exclaimed. "Use Double Kick, and make it a good one!" Rina nodded and slammed one of her feet on Albert, finally stopping the thunderbolt attack. Once he was down, Rina didn't give him time to get up, as she spun around in a rolling kick before her foot made contact with Albert's face, sending him rolling across the battlefield.
Oddly enough, Jasmine was calm. She didn't show any signs of fear, anxiety, or confusion. Julia could see her small, thin hands balling into fists. "Albert, I believe in you. Use Tackle!" She told him in a soft voice. Albert floated in the air and charged right at Rina.
"Double Kick again!" Once Albert got close, Rina slammed her two back feet on his face. This time, Albert hung on, and didn't budge one bit.
"Mirror Shot!" A silvery flash of light formed at the ends of the magnets on Albert's sides. They formed two spheres of energy before forming into one.
"Rina, run!" Julia commanded.
Although Rina sprinted away, Albert already unleashed the attack. The flash of silver light chased after Rina until it finally made contact, blowing up a part of the battlefield. The blue poison pin pokemon found herself in mid-air.
"Hang on, girl! Use Double Kick on the ground!" Julia told her. Now, Rina was calm and used both feet to kick the ground. Soon, she was back in the air, this time cool and in control. "That's it!" Perrine and Caiseal were glued to the battle.
"Albert, use Tackle!"
"One more Double Kick!"
Rina and Albert collided once more. This time, Rina got the last shot and slammed the magnet pokemon across the battlefield. The force was so strong that a cloud of sand obscured Jasmine's view of her friend. Once the sand cloud faded, Albert was lying on the ground, his eye displaying an X sign. Jasmine flashed a sad smile.
"It seems my dear friend lost," She pulled out a pokeball and called him back. "You did good, my friend."
"Yay! We did it, girl!" Rina leaped into her trainer's arms as the two rejoiced in their first victory. "You really showed your stuff!"
"Nido nido!"
It wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot. Julia knew it. "Do you want to take a break?" Julia asked. Rina nodded, figuring she needed to rest a bit before the next time she had to battle. Julia called Rina back to her pokeball.
Jasmine crossed her arms. "I'm impressed. Not many trainers can get past Albert so easily," She praised kindly. Normally, Julia wasn't one to like praise, as she could never tell if it was genuine or just a facade for something sinister. However, something inside her said that Jasmine's praise was genuine. "Considering your feats from before, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It's easy to see why your pokemon trust you so much."
"I don't know about that," Julia scratched her head, her cheeks turning red.
The lovely maiden closed her eyes. "Pokemon can be the best of friends," She folded her hands together. "Their friendship is absolutely wonderful. You can share anything and everything with them, and most of them won't judge you," A shiver ran through Julia's spine. Her voice had a twinge of loneliness about it. Does she...know what it's like to be lonely and to have pokemon for companions?
"Yeah, that's true," Julia agreed.
But the determined look came back. "But the first rule of battle: never let your guard down!" Jasmine edicted, turning to her group of pokemon once more. "Ampere, show them your soul of steel!" With a bright smile, Ampere waddled onto the battlefield.
"Ampaaaar!" Ampere held his arms up and cheered.
Julia grinned. 'Ampharos is an electric type and probably doesn't know steel type moves,' She pulled out Saoirse's pokeball. Maybe it was safe to use her gentle friend. She gripped the pokeball tighter. No time to waste. "Saoirse, this one's on you!" The pink bulldog descended onto the battlefield with a princess-like curtsey, just like Jasmine.
The maiden in the white dress let out a soft giggle. "My, how lovely. Your snubbull has very good manners," She said.
"Ampar?" Ampere tilted his head to one side in confusion.
"She may be cute and polite, but she can pack a punch, too!" Julia crossed her arms. "Saoirse, start off with Scary Face!"
Despite being a friendly, gentle pokemon, Saoirse contorted her face to make herself look like a monster out of a horror movie. It worked, as Ampere suddenly froze in fear before covering his face with his stubby arms.
"Don't be frightened, Ampere!" Jasmine told him reassuringly. "Use Power Gem!"
"Paaaaaro!" Ampere overcame his fear quickly and raised his arms up toward the ceiling. A parade of white lights circled around Ampere, shaped like diamonds. As soon as the ring stopped mid-air, Ampere threw his arms out, and the glowing stones flew right toward Saoirse.
"Jump on them all and use Headbutt!" Julia commanded. Saoirse leaped on the rocks like they were a path toward the exit. Once she got close to Ampere, she rammed her head right on the sheep's forehead, causing him to back off two steps. Rather unsteadily, at that.
"Thunderbolt!" Like Albert before him, Ampere unleashed a barrage of lightning strikes all around the battlefield, intent on electrocuting Saoirse into submission. But the pink bulldog wasn't going to let lightning bring her down. Without Julia telling her to, Saoirse did backflips, ran, and jumped away from the lightning bolts whenever possible.
"Build your speed, Saoirse! Keep running!" Julia exclaimed. "Use Ice Fang!" Once Saoirse was fast enough, she leaped onto Ampere's head and dropped her fangs onto his ears. Her teeth glowed in a blue light, and chunks of ice began to form around Ampere's left ear.
"Ampere, throw her off!" The sheep's ear was covered in ice, stinging with intense cold. With a cry, Ampere slapped Saoirse off of her ear. "Use Confuse Ray!"
"Use Lick!" Before Ampere could use its attack, Saoirse leaped onto the sheep again. This time, she stuck her tongue out and dragged it across the sheep's neck. Covered in saliva, Ampere looked at the pink bulldog with its face contorted with disgust. There was no other way to describe it. The slimy tongue made it unable to use Confuse Ray.
'Yes! Saoirse's got the upper hand!' Julia balled her fists, her confidence building. 'We can win this if we keep this up!'
However, once again, she noticed that Jasmine was calm. Eerily calm. She looked as though she was watching the battle while contemplating something. Just what was she thinking? Soon, the lovely maiden clad in white flashed a smile.
"I admire your battling skills, but you should never underestimate your opponent," Jasmine said, her soft voice brimming with confidence. "Iron Tail!"
"WHAT?!" Everyone, even Caiseal and Perrine, shouted in unison. Ampere's tail glowed in a silvery sheen, shining like pristine steel. Saoirse leaped off of Ampere and tried to run, but the sheep caught up and slammed his tail right into her, sending her rolling across the battlefield. "Saoirse, no!"
Despite the damage, Saoirse managed to get back on her feet, albeit unsteadily. Julia couldn't believe it. How could an ampharos know Iron Tail? As far as she knew, ampharos couldn't learn it naturally. Unless...they had special training. Jasmine was a steel type specialist. Did she maybe train her pokemon to learn steel type moves?
"I can see why you used your snubbull against Ampere," Jasmine folded her hands once again. "It's smart to think of ways to avoid type disadvantages. However…" She waved her index finger in front of her face with a wink. "Some pokemon can learn very unlikely moves if you train them enough, as you just saw. Always learn to expect the unexpected."
As much as Julia hated to admit it, Jasmine was right. She even knew this, too. Hikaru knew Disarming Voice, a fairy type move that pichu and pikachu normally don't learn unless their parents knew it from another source. Tokiko knew Extrasensory and Dazzling Gleam, even as a freshly hatched togepi. Lucretia knew Shadow Ball. How could she not have expected this? She shook her head. This was no time for self-pity.
"Snubbull snubbull!" ("I can still fight!") Saoirse cried, her raspy voice brimming with determination. The look in her scary-looking eyes was imminent. She wasn't going to go down like this, no matter what.
She had to believe in Saoirse. There had to be a way around this. Already, another plan was hatching in her head. "Alright, Saoirse! Use Ice Fang on the battlefield!"
"Huuuuuh?" Everyone exchanged confused glances. Ice Fang on the battlefield?
Even Saoirse looked confused. But she figured Julia had some kind of plan, so she had to trust her. Saoirse bit down on a small rock that was nearby. The ice from her glowing fangs covered the rock, which gradually extended to cover Julia's half of the field. Ampere's side was untouched.
"I do wonder what you plan to do," Jasmine pushed some hair out of her face. "Ampere, use Iron Tail."
Ampere's tail glowed once more, and he tried to move toward Saoirse's side of the battlefield...only to realize his feet wouldn't move. He looked down, realizing the ice from Saoirse's Ice Fang didn't just cover her half of the field...it completely froze his legs! Jasmine finally noticed as well, and gasped.
"Saoirse, use Fire Fang!" Julia commanded. Saoirse skated across the ice like she was a professional ice skater, her fangs burning with red hot flames. Ampere slammed his hands on the ice, but nothing he did could free him. Soon, Saoirse's burning fangs made contact with his neck. Some of the flames fell onto the ice freezing Ampere's feet, melting. "Now use Headbutt!"
Without hesitation, Saoirse rammed her head against Ampere. The blow was so strong, the ice from the battlefield broke off of his legs and he was rolling on the dirt. The yellow sheep tried to get back up, but his legs were stiff from being stuck in the ice. It didn't help that he had no energy left to continue. With a groan, Ampere collapsed, unable to move, right as Saoirse used Fire Fang to clear out the rest of her side of the field.
Realizing that Ampere lost, Jasmine called him back. "You did great, my friend."
"Woohoo!" Julia cheered, rejoicing in another victory. The pink bulldog leaped into her arms. "You were awesome, girl!"
"Snub snubbull!" Saoirse flashed a big smile, and Julia nuzzled her friend's pink fur.
"You are a great trainer," Jasmine told her, right as she put Saoirse back in her pokeball. "I can almost see the bond you and your friends have," The memory of seeing Hikaru evolve after freeing Raikou was strong in her mind. "It's no wonder your pokemon trust you so strongly."
Julia's heart slowed. The gym leader's voice was so soft and tender, like she truly meant what she said. Her whole body just exuded a warmth that neither girl could explain. Jasmine's eyelashes fluttered open and closed for a brief moment, as though she was ruminating.
"Tell me...what have you seen on your journey with your friends and pokemon?" She asked, her voice as lofty as a cloud, warm and gentle, but that softness hid steel. "What have you felt, meeting so many trainers out there?" Soon, Jasmine's determined expression returned. "I want you to come at me with everything you've learned. That is the true purpose of a Pokemon battle!"
What had she seen on her journey? What had she felt? There was so much to say, but not enough time to explain it, and how could she put it into words? Before she could answer, Jasmine turned to her white winged friends. "Angela. Angelo. Show her the strength of your bond."
"Chokikko!" The two togetic floated over to the battlefield, all smiles, ready for battle.
"This will be a double battle now," Jasmine said. "They always battle together."
Togetic. Flying and fairy types. Hikaru and Rino would be good choices. Julia looked down at her yellow friend. "Hikaru? Ready to knock her socks off?"
"Pikapi!" Hikaru scurried onto the battlefield. Without a word, Julia released Rino from his pokeball, allowing him to materialize.
"Nidoooo!" The spikes on Rino's back stood upward as he waved his horn.
"Angela. Angelo. Use Extrasensory," Jasmine told them in a calm voice.
"Chokiiiii!" Both of their eyes glowed in a purple light. Rino and Hikaru were unable to dodge, as they found themselves levitating off of the ground.
"Hikaru, Thunderbolt! Rino, Poison Sting!" Julia shouted. As the togetic duo threw them across the field, Hikaru called forth a lightning strike that struck Angela. Rino fired a barrage of purple needles that hit Angelo point blank. It was enough to stop the attack from holding them up in the air. The two pokemon managed to land right on their feet as the togetic duo floated back in the air despite the damage they took.
"Use Steel Wing. Don't hold back!"
Their tiny wings glowed in a fierce, silvery shine, like steel, as they charged right at Hikaru and Rino. "Hikaru, Volt Tackle! Rino, use Horn Attack!" The rodents ran as fast as their tiny bodies could muster. Electricity surrounded Hikaru, forming what appeared to be an electric force field around her body as she ran toward the duo of tiny, angel-like beings. Rino's horn just glowed in a white light, but he hoped it would do some good.
Finally, the two pokemon collided. An explosion of thunder covered the battlefield. Perrine, Caiseal, and Jasmine held their hands up to prevent dust from getting into their eyes. When the dust cloud faded, both pairs of pokemon were on the ground. Angela and Angelo's tiny bodies were covered in brown marks, a combination of both dirt and charred skin. Hikaru had some scratches on her head. Rino didn't have a scratch on him.
Angelo was the first to get to his feet, followed by Hikaru, Rino, and Angela. However, as soon as he hovered back in the air, his body suddenly felt an intense pang of burning pain. Like blazing flames were running through his veins.
For the first time, Jasmine's jaw dropped. "Angelo!"
At first, Julia found herself confused. Then she looked closer. A purple, circle shaped mark was on Angelo's chest. It hit her right then. "Poison Point!" Rino's ability. Once they made contact, Angelo had become poisoned. This was their chance.
"Angela and Angelo! Don't give up!" Jasmine threw her hand out. "Use Dazzling Gleam!"
"Chokiiiiiii!" The two togetic joined hands as their bodies radiated a flash of blinding white light. Hikaru and Rino covered their eyes.
"Rino! Use Poison Sting on both of them!" Julia commanded. On cue, Rino fired a frenzy of stinging purple needles at them. Although they did massive damage, it wasn't enough to knock them out completely.
"Now use Ancient Power!"
"Disarming Voice, Hikaru! Blow them away!"
Glowing purple rocks were hurled their way. "Pi-KAAAAAA!" Hikaru's shrill cry generated a wave of pink circles and hearts, blowing the rocks in the togetic duo's direction. Some of them hit Angelo, as his poisoned body rendered him too weak to dodge them. Angela fared better as she dodged them whenever they came her way.
"Extrasensory on Rino!"
The duo's eyes glowed once again. This time, Rino was unable to move or struggle. The burning pain in his body was unfathomable. Soon, he was hurled across the battlefield, landing right in front of Julia. "Rino!" The dark marks on his body told the trainer all she needed to know. Even so, Rino managed to hoist himself back on his feet. "Can you still battle?"
Rino nodded affirmatively, his dark eyes sporting a determined sheen. "Nyu nyu!"
Angela and Angelo floated in the air, their wings unmoving. Jasmine found her heart pounding. Never before had a battle with a young trainer made her feel so excited, so pumped, so...amazed. The girl's ingenuity, sincerity, and the bond with her pokemon was almost too overwhelming to look at. But her pokemon continued on. That told Jasmine all she needed to know about how much they trusted her.
"Angela! Angelo! Steel Wing!"
"Volt Tackle and Horn Attack again!"
Once more, the pairs charged at each other to deal the final blow. As soon as they made contact, yet another explosion covered the area, generating a gale that almost blew everyone off their seats. Or, in the case of Julia and Jasmine, sending them falling to their rears. When the dust cloud faded, both pairs of pokemon were on the ground, battered and beaten, unable to continue.
A draw.
Both trainers put their pokemon back into their pokeballs. Argentine, Jasmine's magneton, suddenly approached Jasmine, rolling the magnets on its sides and shaking its body.
"Oh. You and Alphonse don't wish to battle?" Jasmine stroke the screws on Argentine's head gently. "I see. That's okay."
Julia exhaled a sigh of relief. That's two less pokemon to deal with, and most of her friends were tired from the earlier battles. But that left one pokemon: steelix. The giant snake covered in steel. Argentine and Alphonse left the area. But not before Perrine pulled out her PokeDex to examine Argentine.
"Magneton, the magnet pokemon," Once again, how fitting. "Magneton are formed when three magnemite are linked together by a strong, magnetic force, even though a single magnemite can evolve by itself when no other magnemite are within its vicinity. The magnetic force holding them together is powerful enough to dry up all moisture, raise the temperature to 3.6 degrees fahrenheit within 3,300 feet, and can disrupt electrical devices like cell phones or television sets. They usually appear when sunspots flare up. Despite their modern appearance, recent studies have confirmed that magneton have existed for over 1,500 years."
It's amazing what pokemon can do. Not once was Julia ever not impressed by a pokemon and its abilities. But she would be further impressed when she noticed something on the ribbon on Jasmine's torso. It looked to be a small brooch, shaped like a marble that looked almost orange, yellow, green, and blue, with a black wave shaped symbol inside it. It wasn't anything she had seen before. Wait, upon further reflection...she had. In a book somewhere. But what was it? She couldn't put a name on it.
Jasmine pulled out her pokeball. "You've humbled me with your strength. However, properly tempered steel won't be made rusty no matter what you throw at me! Amandine!" She threw her pokeball, allowing the large, steel covered snake to materialize.
Everyone looked up...and up...and up. The steelix was large, towering over everything, but the gym was big enough to accommodate its large size. The scary expression on its face, combined with its pearly white teeth showing, was enough to make everyone shiver. Julia immediately froze. How could her pokemon possibly beat that?
"Rina! Go!" Julia sent Rina out. At first, Rina wondered what was up until she looked up at the steelix towering over her. Rina froze.
"Steeeeeeel," Amandine let out a low growl.
That was when Julia noticed something else. Strapped to one of the spikes on its body was some kind of gold brace, with a large, blue and grey orb embedded inside. Said orb, which Julia couldn't help but think looked like a large marble, had a blue and periwinkle wave shaped symbol resting inside it.
"Julia? May I ask you something?"
"You already did," Julia joked.
Jasmine let out a giggle. "It seems I did. Anyway…" The white clad maiden crossed her arms. "Have you ever heard of Mega Evolution?"
Mega Evolution. Those two words had never been put together in the same sentence before. At least, not in Julia's mind. Still, it sounded familiar. Then she looked at the brooch on Jasmine's dress again. "I...I think I have. Sorta. Isn't that the new evolution where pokemon take on new forms but they go away after battle?"
"You're correct," Jasmine flashed a sweet smile. "Please allow me to show you the strength of our bond."
All of a sudden, the brooch on Jasmine's dress glowed in a magnificent, rainbow hued light. "Amandine, my dear friend!" She exclaimed, placing her hands on her brooch. "Unleash the power of our bond and take on a new form! Mega Evolve!" The light from her brooch flooded into the brace on Amandine's brace. Soon, the steelix itself was encased in the rainbow light.
Amandine's body gradually began to change shape. The light was so blinding, everyone had to cover their eyes to make sure they didn't go blind. Before long, the light dissipated, and out came a new Amandine. Long, rectangle shaped structures protruded out from the bottom of its mouth. Hexagonal glass stones floated in a circular motion around its neck. Some stones on her body increased in size, and the spikes were replaced with rainbow hued, crystalline structures, including one such crystal at the end of its tail. The smaller stones on its body turned black, with blue circles dotting them.
Everyone's jaws dropped, and their eyes couldn't avert their gaze. For a moment, Julia's heart stopped. Amandine had become a new creature. Just how was this possible? Even seeing it with their own eyes, they just couldn't believe it.
"Uhhh...what just happened?!" Julia yelped.
"It's Mega Evolution," Jasmine explained simply, her tone of voice still soft and gentle. "It only occurs during battle, and when a trainer and pokemon share a strong friendship. Of course, it was just recently discovered. But..." The determined sheen in her eyes returned the minute she opened them. "I won't hold back."
The urge to run away and forfeit the gym battle seized her. How could any of her pokemon stand up to that?! Three of them were fairy types, and for all she knew, Mega Steelix-scratch that, Mega Amandine-could wipe them out easy. True, type advantages weren't everything, but she wasn't battling any run of the mill trainer. Jasmine was a gym leader, and one who could utilize Mega Evolution, at that. Sure enough, Saoirse, Tokiko, and Rina were knocked out, all with one Iron Tail attack.
Only one option left.
"Aqua! Go!" Aqua was the only pokemon she had now. Even if she was weak, what else could she do? With that, the battle resumed.
"Amandine, use Iron Tail," Jasmine told her friend.
"Liiiiiiix!" Amandine's tail shined like a crystal.
"Aqua! Use Water Gun on the ground to dodge!" Julia commanded. Right as Amandine's tail got close, Aqua fired a blast of water at the ground, using it to fly into the air. "Now use Water Gun on Amandine!" Another blast of water soaked the steel snake to the bone. Julia knew Aqua was her only chance. Even though Amandine was a steel type, steelix were still part ground type, and was possibly still weak to water.
"Use Rock Throw!" Jasmine cried valiantly. The rock snake slammed its tail onto the ground, making rocks come flying into the air.
"Jump on them all and use Water Gun again!" The aqua mouse leaped on all the rocks, finally reaching Amandine's face, before spitting another water blast at it. Amandine squeezed its eyes shut and turned the other way.
"Use Slam!" Jasmine commanded, not once losing her cool. Once Amandine shook off the water in its face, the steelix finally rammed itself against the tiny aqua mouse. Aqua wasn't able to dodge in time and was thrown into some rocks. Upon contact, the rocks shattered. They almost seemed to fall on top of Aqua. Thankfully, the little round mouse scurried out from the wreckage before she could be crushed.
"Aqua! Are you okay?!" Julia cried.
"Marill mar!" Aqua wished she had a thumb so she could flash a thumb's up. For now, she just waved her stubby arms and said she was okay.
"Use BubbleBeam!"
"Rock Throw again!"
Aqua shot forth a strong barrage of bubbles as big as she was, all of them flying right toward Amandine. The crystalline steelix slammed its tail on the ground, making a shield of rocks that blocked the bubbles. Some of them did manage to knock some of the rocks away, making them bounce on the ground. Others she managed to hit with near perfect accuracy. Some managed to hit Amandine's rock-like body, but it wasn't enough to render it unconscious.
"Use Screech!" Everyone covered their ears instantaneously. They all knew what was coming. Amandine opened its mouth wide before letting out a piercing roar. It was so loud, it seemed as though gravity intensified, pressing everyone way down on the ground. Aqua curled up her ears to block the noise, but the roar generated a strong blast of wind that not even her tiny body could resist. Before long, she was blown away, once again smashing against a large rock. This time, she couldn't escape as rocks piled right on top of her.
"Marill!"
"AQUA!" Julia cried, her voice bordering on hysterical. There was no movement. The screech disappeared, but Aqua didn't come out. Immediately, fear seized the girl. Was Aqua grievously hurt? Or possibly dead? What if…? No. Julia shook her head. There was no way that could happen. Even Jasmine found herself trembling. Being the steel maiden she was, she kept her cool expression.
Then, it happened. A blinding white light shot out from the pile of rocks, strong enough to light up the entire arena. Suddenly, the rocks trapping Aqua were blown away. However...it didn't look like Aqua. The creature was taller, reaching Julia's waist, with long rabbit ears. But the zig-zag tail and ovaline body shape said it all. Aqua was evolving! Just like she wanted! The light dissipated, and out came a new Aqua. Her body was a slightly lighter blue tint, and the lower half of her body was white, with some white circles dotting her abdomen. Her ears had grown longer, resembling rabbit ears.
"Azumarill!" Aqua announced, waving her arms as she popped out from what was left of the rock pile.
The fear morphed into joy that Julia just couldn't contain. "Aqua! You're safe, and you evolved just like you wanted!"
Aqua's long ears twitched. Did she really? She looked down and examined herself. The markings on her abdomen were different. She could see higher up than before. Her legs and arms grew longer. It hit her right then and there, and Aqua couldn't hold back the bright smile that tickled her face. She really evolved! She really did, and all this time she had been so worried about not being able to! Even if she was in a battle, this was a cause for celebration. Aqua jumped up and down like a little kid who won a prize.
"Awesome! Right in the middle of a battle, too!" Perrine pulled out her PokeDex.
"Azumarill, the aqua rabbit pokemon, and the evolved form of marill. Azumarill can make balloons out of air so they can save drowning pokemon or people and give them air to breathe. They usually always live in water, and can spend days without going to the surface. The wave-like pattern on their bodies allows them to camouflage themselves in order to hide from predators. Their ears are very sensitive, and because of their hypersensitivity, they can tell what's hiding around it, even in environments as loud as wild, fast moving rivers."
Jasmine exhaled a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I was scared for a moment there…" Her soft expression morphed back into determination. "But this battle's not over! Steel will hang on, even to the very last moment!"
"Ready, Aqua?"
"Azumarill!"
"Use Water Gun!"
"Iron Tail, Amandine!"
The battle raged on. Caiseal and Perrine could see flames of determination dancing in their eyes. As Amandine readied her Iron Tail, preparing to slam it right on top of the newly evolved Aqua, the blue rabbit managed to hold it off by shooting a blast of water at the tail. Once she held it off long enough, Aqua rolled away from the scene as Amandine slammed its tail on the ground. For just a moment, it seemed as though Aqua emitted an orange light.
Since Amandine was so large, it was unable to attack as quickly as it would have liked. Aqua was naturally faster, and her speed allowed her to land some hits on the giant steel snake. Jasmine's heart raced like it had never done before. For once, she was shocked at the turn of events. Not many people and pokemon could handle Amandine's mega form. How was Aqua managing to keep going, even as the odds were completely against her? Actually, she knew the answer to that.
All of a sudden, a large orange sphere formed in between Aqua's hands. With a valiant battle cry, Aqua threw the glowing orb at Amandine. It hit with perfect accuracy, knocking the steel snake straight to the ground. Everyone's hearts stopped for just a moment.
"What was that?!" Julia yelped.
Caiseal stood up. "That was Superpower!" He cried. "Hey, Julia! Aqua just learned Superpower! It's a fighting type move!"
Superpower. A fighting type move. First, Aqua evolved, and now she learned a new move. All in the same battle. Evolution never ceased to leave her awestruck. Now she had a fighting chance. At this point, Amandine was struggling to get back.
"Amandine, you can still fight!" Jasmine pleaded.
"Aqua! Let's win this!"
"Azumarill!"
"Knock it out with another Superpower!"
Aqua was glad to be able to launch another Superpower attack at the steel snake. Once again, the blow struck the steel snake to the ground. As Amandine fell, it generated a dust cloud. When it dissipated, her mega form disappeared along with it, returning the steelix back to its normal form. Finally, Aqua herself fell to her knees, her entire body battered and exhausted from the fierce battle.
Jasmine flashed a sad smile. "It seems you've won, Julia Parisa," She told her in a soft, modest voice.
"Yaaaaay!" Julia cheered and jumped in the air. As did Caiseal, Perrine, and Aqua, who all gathered around her, rejoicing in her victory.
Even now, Jasmine's heart was still pounding. She couldn't believe it. A young trainer actually managed to defeat her mega evolved steelix. But she knew the answer to why. She called Amandine back to its pokeball. "You were wonderful, my friend. Take a good rest."
"Man, you and Aqua were amazing!" Caiseal cheered.
"You totally tore her down, Julia-dactyl!" Perrine exclaimed, throwing her arms around her friend.
Jasmine ambled over to the happy trio, this time with a satisfied expression. "Our battle was wonderful. You were wonderful. No, you are a great trainer," Jasmine told her. "Now I see what made you come this far on your journey."
"Thanks. I hope...we didn't injure your friends too badly," Julia replied modestly.
"It's nothing a trip to the Pokemon Center can't handle," Jasmine told her. She rummaged through her dress pocket and pulled out a badge. It was a simple, cobalt blue badge shaped like a hexagon with a silver outline. "As the league rules decree, you are worthy of this Mineral Badge."
Without hesitation, Julia took the badge in her hand. "Thank you."
"You love your pokemon a lot, don't you?"
Julia nodded affirmatively. "I'm autistic, and when I was little, I didn't have friends my own age because I was different. I always found myself connecting better with pokemon than people, not that I didn't want human friends," She explained.
Normally, Julia barely ever disclosed that kind of information to anyone, especially if she hadn't warmed up to them. Caiseal and Perrine already knew, so they were okay. However...Jasmine just exuded a kind of warm, welcoming aura that seemed to make the girl feel safe around her. Not once did Jasmine ever make her feel uncomfortable or try to invade her personal space. She just simply acted the way she usually did, even in battle. She didn't hold back, nor did she try to avoid or pity her like Morty did. In fact, Jasmine smiled the whole time.
"I'm not autistic, but…" Jasmine began. "...I see a lot of myself in you," She put a hand on the key stone resting on her brooch. "I've always been shy, and kids my age were too busy with their own lives to notice me," It was here that Argentine hovered to Jasmine's side. "Argentine has been my friend for as long as I can remember. Amandine, too. People say steel types are cold and unfeeling, but they're really just like other pokemon."
Yes. Someone who understands. No wonder she liked Jasmine right off. She had been there. Sure, she can't understand pokemon speech like she can, but the fact that she knew the sheer comfort and love a pokemon could provide was enough to make Julia want to hug her. Instead, all she could do was shake her hand. It was soft and warm to the touch. Kind, just like she was.
"Thanks for...battling with me," Julia said shyly. But she wasn't afraid. No, she couldn't stop herself from smiling.
"Your pokemon love you very much. I see you and your friends are on a journey?"
"Yes."
"The real world comes with many hardships. There may be times when you want to run away and cry. I've had those times myself. But no matter what happens...never forget who you are and that your friends, family, and pokemon will always love you."
Peppering the maiden's soft voice was the wisdom of a woman who had lived many years. Julia had to wonder what Jasmine went through to say something so...genuine.
"Hey! We still want to battle you, too!" Caiseal exclaimed, hoping Jasmine didn't forget.
She didn't, and chuckled. "I know. If you want, I'll battle you both later in the day. I have to heal my friends and talk to my mother first, though."
"That's fine!" Perrine agreed. "Ohhh! A double battle with Caiseal!" She pumped her fists. "We'd better get to training!"
With that, the kids went to the Pokemon Center. Julia to heal her pokemon, and Perrine and Caiseal to do some training before their battle with Jasmine. As she waited, a lot weighed on the girl's mind, the biggest thing being Mega Evolution. Exactly what was it? How was it possible? How could she do it? How did Julia even manage to defeat a mega evolved pokemon? Jasmine said that it was only recently discovered and that it comes from the bond someone has with their pokemon. But what were those stones? She wondered...could she maybe utilize Mega Evolution in the future? Could any of her pokemon mega evolve? Was her bond with them strong enough? She loved all of her pokemon dearly, but...was it enough?
Julia wished she knew the answers.
Before long, both her and Jasmine's pokemon were healed. However, Tokiko suddenly popped out of her pokeball. "Wha?! Tokiko?!" Tokiko didn't even react when Julia yelped. She just tapped two pokeballs, forcing Angela and Angelo to come right out. As soon as the three togetic made eye contact, time seemed to stop all around them.
"Uhh…" Even Jasmine found herself flummoxed. "Has she done this before?"
"No," Julia replied, looking just as confused. "This is new. Tokiko, what's up? This isn't like you?"
None of the togetic said a word to each other. Tokiko turned around to face Julia, sporting a stern expression. "Choki…" ("I think…") She paused before finishing. "Chokikko!" ("...I think they're my parents!")
Both girls' jaws dropped. Even more so when Angela piped in, "Chokikko! Choki!" ("It's true! I can feel it! You are our child!")
OH MY GOD WILDSTAR93 WANTS TO MAKE A SHOUT-OUT TO THIS IN HIS FAN FIC AAAAAAAHHHHHH! I seriously don't deserve such kindness but he is such a sweet person and I give him full permission to do so! He just made my day! Seriously guys, check out his work. He's a great writer!
Fangirling aside, I had a job interview recently at a Dunkin Donuts, and it went really well despite it being my first interview! I don't know if I'll get the job or not, but I'll wait and see. I'm gonna have to start searching and making money, after all. But expect more chapters to come out soon!...if I'm not working on my Steven Universe fic or planning an Akatsuki no Yona fic I plan to write. And Red/Blue/Yellow are coming out on the Virtual Console in 11 days! Awesome! I'm gonna get them all, even though I already own them, that way we won't have to worry about internal batteries dying out!
Also, I'm sure a bunch of you guys are wondering, "When is Amara gonna get arrested?" She will in due time, but I still have some things I want to do with her before she's brought to justice. I have a plan for this story and I intend to see it through no matter what. Expect her to be turned in before they get to Victory Road at the latest. Hopefully that satiates your curiosity for now.
And yeah, I made her steelix Mega Evolve. Why not? If Elite Four members can do it (according to ORAS, anyway), why can't Gym Leaders do it?
Random Fact: Out of all the Johto gym leaders, Jasmine is my favorite, along with Falkner. I hope she doesn't come off as a creator's pet.
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Sweet Kiss, Volt Tackle
Aqua (Azumarill, Female, Mild Nature)
Ability: Thick Fat
Attacks: Superpower, Bubblebeam, Play Rough, and Water Gun
Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Magical Leaf
Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Intimidate
Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Fire Fang, and Scary Face
Rina (Nidoran, Female, Bold Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Sting, Scratch, and Bite
Rino (Nidoran, Male, Modest Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Sting, Peck, and Horn Attack
Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack
Florian (Bayleef, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Razor Leaf, Tackle, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain
Fuwari (Skiploom, Female, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Leaf Guard
Attacks: Tackle, Fairy Wind, Bullet Seed, and Acrobat
Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: Scratch, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain
Luminita (Chinchou, Female, Naive Nature)
Ability: Water Absorb
Attacks: Supersonic, Water Gun, BubbleBeam, and Electro Ball
Fukuro (Noctowl, Male, Sassy Nature)
Ability: Tinted Lens
Attacks: Psybeam, Peck, Hypnosis, and Dream Eater
Caiseal's Party:
Mallow (Cubone, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Rush, Headbutt, and Rock Smash
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 (Gloom, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Acid, Sludge Bomb, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent
Stacey (Pinsir, Female, Serious Nature)
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Attacks: X-Scissor, Swords Dance, Seismic Toss, and Double Hit
Amara's Party:
Feraligatr (Male, Lonely Nature)
Ability: Torrent
Attacks: Hydro Pump, Crunch, Ice Fang, and Superpower
Weepinbell (Male, Modest Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Slam, and Sleep Powder
Beedrill (Male, Hasty Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Poison Jab, Fury Attack, Fell Stinger, and Pin Missile
Granbull (Female, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Run Away
Attacks: Fire Fang, Play Rough, Lick, and Thunderbolt
Fearow (Male, Timid Nature)
Ability: Sniper
Attacks: Drill Peck, Pursuit, Aerial Ace, and Leer
Haunter (Male, Impish Nature)
Ability: Levitate
Attacks: Shadow Punch, Hypnosis, Dream Eater, and Poison Jab
Umbreon (Male, Serious Nature)
Ability: Synchronize
Attacks: Iron Tail, Confuse Ray, Shadow Ball, and Bite