Chapter Nine – Scary Shiny Glasses
Evelina
Evelina skidded through the Gym's automatic doors and legged it through the trees. Dry leaf litter crackled beneath her boots. I hope I haven't missed it! From up ahead came the sights and sounds of battle - the high-pitched sizzle of Thundershocks, Night Shade rays flickering through the trees. Leaping over a gnarled tree root, Eve thumped to a halt behind the trainer's box.
Josh didn't appear to notice. He was concentrating on the battle, on his magnemite hovering over the middle of the field. Bugsy's pokémon – presumably a spinarak – seemed to be hiding somewhere in the trees off to the left. How much of the battle have I missed? Josh was shifting his weight from foot to foot, as if the soles of his boots were burning.
"If you can't cope with surprises, how do you expect to win one Badge, never mind eight?" Bugsy said. "You should probably quit now rather than lose completely."
Eve felt a pang of disappointment shoot through her chest. Was the battle really going that badly? But Josh said nothing of quitting. Instead he was methodically scanning the treeline - trying to spot Bugsy's pokémon, perhaps.
"Magnemite!" he called, pointing with an outhrust arm. "Sonic Boom that area now!"
Magnemite spun and locked onto its target with remarkable speed. For a brief second Eve wondered whether Magnemite could see something that she couldn't - or whether it was trusting to its trainer's commands – and then it was blasting away with Sonic Boom. Branches snapped and foliage shredded; the shock waves bulldozed the leaf litter and scoured the soil. From somewhere in the trees came a panicked "Spinaa!" and a thump.
"How the hell ..." Bugsy gasped in shock. The referee edged forward for a closer look.
"Spinarak is unable to battle! Magnemite wins!" he called. Eve suppressed a cheer with some difficulty. She didn't want to distract him, not at this critical moment.
"I don't know how you figured out where Spinarak was hiding. I'm wondering whether it was a lucky guess," Bugsy said.
"Calculation," Josh replied.
"Well, consider into your calculations the ashigaru to scyther's samurai – Beedrill! Attack stance!"
The Beedrill that emerged from the Poké Ball was a fine example of its species. Three feet long, with a glossy golden carapace, strong limbs, and beautifully proportioned wings. And disciplined, too. Most Beedrill were berserkers, full of nervous energy. This one hovered almost motionlessly a few feet in the air. It immediately took a stance, thrusting its tail stinger forward, right arm locked out, left held at a right angle above its head ready to stab forwards.
If Josh felt any elation from his victory, he didn't show it. He looked up at the ceiling, for some cryptic reason, before recalling Magnemite. Smart move. If the battle had been hard-fought, then Magnemite would probably be knocked out in short order. This way, the Poké Ball would allow it to heal a little and become his holdout pokémon.
"Battle's on, Bulbasaur!" Josh called out. Bulbasaur shouted no battle-cries upon entering the field, instead choosing to mimic his trainer's composure. Eve couldn't help but look at the seed pokémon with a professional eye. Bulbasaur's bulb was a handsome velvety forest green, his scales shiny and supple, closer to green than teal in colour. She was a little impressed by his lean physique – captive bulbasaur often tended to develop a greedy streak and needed a firm trainer to stop them overeating.
To her slight surprise, Josh took the initiative. "Vine Whip," he ordered hesitantly. A strange move, Eve thought, given Beedrill's double-resistance to Grass-type attacks, but one that would allow Bulbasaur to attack from beyond the reach of those vicious stingers.
"Defence stance, Beedrill!" Bugsy countered, his Beedrill snapping into a new stance - reorienting itself to face Bulbasaur side-on, pulling back its tail stinger and bringing its left arm down, tight across the thorax. Bulbasaur lashed at it from all sides, striking at the wings, the thorax, the abdomen. With practiced ease Beedrill parried and blocked, deflecting the strongest attacks and ignoring others completely.
"I think that's enough waiting around," said Bugsy. "Use your Agility!"
The low drone of Beedrill's wings rose to a buzzsaw wail. It zipped around the field in irregular loops, easily dodging the flailing vines that tried in vain to swat it from the air. Bulbasaur grunted "Bulba! Bulba!" with every attack.
"Don't try and follow it Bulbasaur," Josh said. "Use Growth, and let it come to you."
Deep within Bulbasaur's bulb, a soft green phosphorescence flickered into life, eerily beautiful in its strangeness. Yellow motes of light lit up from nowhere, dancing and flirting around the swell of his bulb like fireflies.
"Saaaur!" Bulbasaur howled with exhilaration, bathed in the glow of his own phosphorescence. Seizing its chance Beedrill slashed down with its stinger, drawing a thin red line down Bulbasaur's face before cutting a deep gash on the backstroke. Faint green afterimages followed behind the stinger, brighter on the second stroke. Fury Cutter. The third Fury Cutter missed as Bulbasaur smashed it to the ground with a Growth-assisted Tackle. Quick though it was, Beedrill only just managed to dodge Bulbasaur's attempt to trample it where it lay.
"You're doing great, Bulbasaur, keep it up!" Josh called.
"Good, Beedrill! Now swarm Bulbasaur with Twineedle!"
Wings wailing out a harsh buzz, Beedrill plummeted vertically down, stingers poised and ready. The first strike whistled past Bulbasaur's flank and ploughed into the dirt; the second caught him behind the ear, the third stabbed at his neck. Bulbasaur tried to drive the poison bee off with Vine Whips – Beedrill slid easily aside and attacked from the flank, perforating his bulb with a flurry of Twineedles. Josh watched, jaw clenched, as Beedrill switched flanks with a mid-air roll, slashing with Fury Cutter as it went.
"It's all about speed. Nothing can match a Bug pokémon that's been trained to move," said Bugsy confidently. He looked relaxed, sure of his strategy and sure of his pokémon, giving orders with an arm outstretched. It was quite common for trainers to make all kinds of grand gestures during the heat of battle – Eve knew that she herself had a tendency to snap her fingers a lot – but Josh hardly moved. Arms folded, he just stood there in the trainer's box with an air of measured concentration. I know it's all a battle persona, but it's kinda, well ... cool.
Yet Eve saw an expression on his face she'd seen once before. Behind those dark eyes the cogs in his head were whirring. She half-expected the sun to reflect off his glasses dramatically.
"Bulbasaur!" Josh shouted. "I need you to trust me! Don't aim this next attack!"
"Bulbasaur!" he protested.
"I know you can do it! I just need you to trust me! Sleep Powder!"
Sleep Powder mushroomed into the air, a heavy, heady cloud that settled around Bulbasaur like veil. Beedrill rose in panic and blundered straight into the powder. Fighting to stay airborne, it zigzagged drowsily out of the reach of Tackle. Bugsy was yelling encouragement, yelling at Beedrill to stay awake.
"Quick! Give it a Leech Seed barrage!"
Bulbasaur let fly with a shower of Leech Seeds, the seeds raining down around Beedrill. With nowhere for it to go three found their mark, wrapping the bee in a thicket of tendrils. I don't know if he knows it yet, but Josh has got this battle won.
"Attack stance! Give it everything you've got!" Bugsy shouted. He's panicking! Beedrill surged forwards, stingers stabbing with all the berserker fury of its wild cousins.
"Keep it in front of you! Heal yourself if you have to," Josh ordered. Bugsy's pokémon was tiring with the Leech Seeds rapidly sapping away its vitality. Each strike was slower than the last, and Bulbasaur seemed to know it. He refused to let Beedrill slip out of his field of vision, constantly herding it back into sight with his Vine Whips. Finish it! One good strong Tackle and it's over!
Bulbasaur reclaimed one of his Leech Seeds, his wounds visibly sealing up before Eve's eyes. Beedrill landed with a stagger – too tired to fly, its legs shaking with the effort of standing up. Call it, referee! Bulbasaur reached out and grabbed Beedrill's stingers, effectively disarming it. Beedrill thrashed and kicked in a futile tug-of-war.
With a certain degree of care, Bulbasaur lifted Beedrill and smashed it against a tree, again and again, until finally, it stopped struggling. Eve's eyes were on the referee. Call it, damn you!
Up swept the green flag.
"Beedrill is unable to battle! The victory goes to the challenger, Joshua Cook!"
"YES!" Eve punched the air, her pent-up excitement bubbling up like soda fizz. Surprised by her outburst, Josh turned just in time to be nearly bowled over as one hundred and twenty pounds of young womanhood threw her arms around his neck. For a brief, horrible moment all Eve could think of was what a complete fool she had made of herself … and then he was wrapping his arms around her, and laughing.
"Um, congratulations?" she said redundantly after they broke apart, and giggled. Josh gave her an odd, perplexed look.
Having finished recalling his Beedrill, Bugsy had been waiting tactfully for them to break apart. "I was merciless, but you beat me anyway," he said. "You've earned this Joshua – the Hive Badge."
The round metal badge shone bright and new in the springtime sun, black and red like a ledyba's back. Josh took it between finger and thumb, staring at his prize. Eve wondered what he was thinking.
"You know, Bugsy," he said slowly, "when I came here to challenge you, I wasn't thinking about the Badge. But now I'm holding it in my hands, despite the fact that I didn't really want it till now, I can't remember the last time I was so happy to achieve anything."
"I think you've got potential, Joshua, and I'm not just saying that," Bugsy said. "You strategise well, and you can definitely think on your feet. What I'm not seeing yet is the passion. And that's something you can only find yourself."
"Oh, hey!" Eve broke in. "You should get your Badge scanned at the Pokémon Centre!"
"Scanned?" Josh replied.
"Each Gym Badge you win allows you to claim PokéGelt," Bugsy explained. "PokéGelt is a currency that you can exchange for pokémon-related items and services. It's banked on your Trainer Card, so you can claim your Gelt at any Pokémon Centre. Oh, and Eve? If you've come to challenge me, I'm afraid it'll have to wait a while. Come back around five o'clock."
"That's great. I'll be ready then," Eve replied.
I just hope Josh will want to stay to watch my battle.
From: Imogen Joy
Sent: 1 April 2012 22:13:34
To: Evelina Joy
Eve,
It would depend upon the pidgeotto. I doubt that it will be wary after capture, since it has been attacking humans for their food. Strange behaviour for a rural pidgeotto, given that food should be plentiful. I suspect it likes battles and steals food to provoke combat. If you keep talking to it through the Poké Ball – as you did with Meowth – then it will come to understand that you're a friend. Keep a firm hand, though, or else it will try to challenge you for dominance.
I wish I could be there! I never got the chance to visit Azalea while the flowers were in bloom. How did you like Longwater? You should take the paddle-ferry up river to the Ilex Forest. Trust me, leave the boat at Withy End and walk on to Arborville. There are trainer's trails that will take you round Lake of Life Reserve through the Heartwoods to the Ilex Forest proper.
I still think that you should talk to your mother. If you won't call her then at least e-mail her. I know that you don't believe me, but she misses you and would love to hear about your adventures.
From: Evelina Joy
Sent: 2 April 2012 12:24:16
To: Imogen Joy
We've been over this. If Mum really wanted to hear about my adventures then she would have supported me in the first place. It's my help around the Centre that she misses. I've made up my mind, and that's that. Anyway, it's not like she has no idea what I'm doing – I have to stay at Centres, remember?
I caught that pidgeotto. Had to use a Fast Ball to do it, but I caught it. Turns out it has the Motor Drive ability – isn't that crazy? I know that pokémon can sometimes have unusual abilities but wow! It's got fighting spirit alright, I don't see any problems with it obeying me in battle, but I want to spar a few times before the Gym just to make sure. I'll be battling Bugsy this evening.
I haven't decided which route to take next. It's something I don't want to decide until after the battle. Let you know how it goes.
Eve
"Meowooooo!" Meowth howled piteously as Eve dragged him to his doom. His claws scrabbled and gouged at the floor but it was no use. She had a steel grip, both hands locked tight around his tail. He had sensed that something was wrong the moment she'd let him out his Poké Ball. Growing up as an alley-tom had taught him to run at the first sign of trouble, but Eve could move faster than a human had any right to.
[Somebody stop her! She's no nurse, she's a monster!] he howled. [Call the cops! Confiscate her Trainer Card!]
Eve took no notice. Meowth's increasingly frantic hollering was drawing attention from the other trainers in the Pokémon Centre. Some looked annoyed at the din. Others – the cat lovers, most likely – looked on in horror. Josh had staked out a space by the lounge for her, where he was test-pitching his new tent. Next to him was what Meowth so dreaded – a plastic basin of warm water.
Eve seized her pokémon by the scruff. "You are having a sodding bath, whether you like it or not!" she hissed.
[This crazy bitch is trying to drown me!] Meowth yowled. [Murder! Murder! Mur-blbl-bbl-blr!]
Eve gave him a thorough dunking in the tub before bringing him up for air. "Shut. Up. And put those claws away, because if you scratch me, by God you will regret it!"
Meowth watched her sullenly, water dripping off the ends of his drooping whiskers. [MUR-bbl-blubl-bll!]
"Is that really necessary?" Josh asked with an amused smile.
"I'll have no grubby pokémon on my team," she said, methodically scrubbing Meowth's fur.
[Don't act so proud. I can smell your pits from here, pinko.]
"At least I don't wash my hair with spit!" Eve snapped. His constant struggles splashed an especially large spray over her polo shirt, and she snarled in annoyance. Meowth quailed, sensing that he'd gone too far.
She was somewhat relieved to see Josh pay no attention to the damp spectacle. "Ok, I'm familiar with this thing now," he said. "Pass me my boots?"
Josh's boots were a solid-looking pair of hobnailed brown hiking boots. They seemed to be the only item of clothing he bothered to look after – unlike his scuffed Pokégear, faded jumper and fraying jacket, his boots were freshly cleaned and polished.
"These are quite heavy," she said, passing them over. Meowth took the opportunity to make a valiant bid for freedom. Without really thinking, Eve seized him and dragged him back in.
"They should be. They're reinforced toe to backstay with aron steel," he replied casually.
Eve flipped a sceptical double-take and realised that he wasn't joking. "Aron steel? Where on earth did you buy them?"
"I didn't. I made them. Well, with help. I was on holiday once, on Dewford Island. There's a craftsman there who makes aron steel the traditional way, almost the last to do so. Mostly he makes pocket knives and the like to sell to tourists. Anyway, one day I went in to buy a knife and we got talking. He ended up taking me on as apprentice for the week," he smiled fondly. "He was so happy to find a young person who was actually interested in learning from him."
"Hold on, hold on, back up! You made aron steel? Like, shirt off and ringing hammer?"
"Well … yeah. It was hot in front of the forge," he replied, embarrassed.
The mental image of Josh stripped to the waist, hammering away at an anvil was so strange that Eve wanted to laugh. She forced herself not to; it would be cruel to make him think she was laughing at him.
"Hey, where's Magnemite gone?" she asked. Magnemite had been let out of its Poké Ball to be charged and had been behaving itself so far.
"Oh no," Josh said, "Magnemite! Magnemite! Leave that bloody pikachu alone!"
Still in his socks, he awkwardly ran to try and haul his pokémon away from the spooked pikachu it was pestering. Eve really did laugh then – the struggling pair were the centre of attention, Josh cursing and threatening while Magnemite did its level best to get near the pikachu. He'll be cuddling that metal ball later. For all that they didn't see eye-to-eye, Eve could see they were beginning to develop an affection for each other.
And what about you, Evelina Joy? The last two days had been unexpectedly fun. Since leaving Cherrygrove City, Eve had been quite content to adventure on her own. She wasn't quite sure what she expected to happen when she invited Josh to the café, but it had turned out to have been one of her better ideas. He was good company. You might look at him and see only the bookish trainer, but beneath that was a woodsman, a steelsmith … full of odd surprises. Someone who went climbing down onix-burrows to get out of the rain was someone she wanted to get to know better.
Part of Eve wondered whether she should even be feeling this way. She'd only known Josh two short days, after all. They would soon be going their separate ways, probably for good. Too soon. How long has it been since I last clicked with someone so well?
"I just fed you, you overgrown ball bearing!" Josh had finally managed to restrain Magnemite in a bear hug. Red and blue bolts were crackling between the poles of Magnemite's magnets. Before she could shout a warning it blasted out a halo of coloured sparks which promptly earthed themselves on Josh's arms.
"OW! What was that for?" he said, sounding more hurt than angry.
"Congratulations, Josh," Eve called. "Your screwball learned Thunder Wave."
"I'm so very proud," he replied dryly.
Eve's smile didn't last long. What do I do about this? She forgot about scrubbing and automatically started scratching her pokémon behind the ears.
Meowth looked up, confused. [Something wrong, boss?]
"Just thinking, buddy. Just thinking."