Chapter 2
"What? What!" J.C. stammered, "What does it say?"
"I got an eleven-fifty outa' two thousand," he moaned, "Eight-fifty on the battle and two hundred on the written portion."
"Wait. You got an eight-fifty on the battle section? That's higher than I scored," Isaac said.
"Will you just shut up for a half second! It doesn't matter! I can't go with you guys. I have to wait another three months. But I'm so stupid that I'll probably fail again, and again after that! And After I've failed three times, I won't ever get a license, and clamperl won't ever be anything more than a pet."
"No, no, no! What are you talking about? We won't go on without you! And you're not stupid. You'll pass next time," J.C. interrupted.
"I want you to go without me. I don't want to hold you back. You guys have been waiting your entire life for this, and if I become a burden then… well it's just not worth it to me anyway. Besides, I can just rent a day car and catch up to you if I need to…"
"Wait," Isaac re-interrupted, "How did you get a higher score than me? I've always been better than you!"
Garret looked at him for a moment, the way one would at someone who had just deleted your life's memoirs, and hissed, "You retard! Can you stop thinking about yourself for one moment? You passed. I failed. You got a, lemme see… sixteen hundred. I got an eleven hundred. You shouldn't care that I got a few points higher than you on some stupid test that you'll never take again!"
"But I do care! I bet you didn't even know half the attacks of the pokemon you got. You shouldn't have done that well!" Isaac shot back
"Well? I failed, you idiot! Stop being so damn conceited! You didn't win."
"I know I can beat you!"
"Wanna try?"
The challenge hung in the air. "Shit." J.C. held the curse out, prolonging the feeling of unreality.
"Sure," Isaac spat tersely.
J.C. forced out a hoarse laugh, "No way am I going to be all baby-sitter like I've been lately. If you guys want to make the biggest mistake you've made so far, be my guest. But, please, take this seriously. It's against the law. Just cool down."
Garret ignored her, "Let's go right now and see if your weak torchic can last longer than ten seconds with my clamperl."
J.C. growled and looked up as the sun moved out from behind a cloud. She screamed the worst curse she had ever used, at the top of her lungs, then ran off behind them.
They ran until the houses ended, then squared off in an open field. As if previously planned, they simultaneously released their pokemon. Torchic looked confused, then realized what was going on, and clamperl appeared to be sleeping, but awoke when the fire pokemon called across to it. Clamperl rolled around in its shell with glee, not yet sensing the aggressive attitudes of the two trainers.
J.C. arrived wordlessly and leaned against a tree.
Isaac glared across the field. Torchic is at the disadvantage because of its fire type, but if it uses focus energy first, we have a higher chance of winning.
Garret glared right back. Clamperl can use iron defense for any physical attack Isaac's torchic uses, but clamperl's slower and… ah screw it. I know my pokemon.
"Torchic, focus energy!" Isaac almost coughed, nervous even though he had done it thousands of times with training pokemon.
Orange energy started appearing around the tiny fowl, but faded away. The torchic looked back, not quite understanding.
"What are you doing? You should know that move!" Isaac yelled, "Try it ag-"
"Water gun!"
The weak spray shot slightly to the left of torchic, but managed to hit it and knock it down. The fire pokemon jumped up quickly, shaking itself off, although it clearly appeared damaged.
"Ah… get closer and use ember, torchic!" Isaac shouted, getting used to the battle.
Torchic ran forward, and to the right, after another poorly aimed water gun, then spewed dull flames inside the thick shell of the clamperl.
The water type attempted to turn away, but was practically immobile and failing miserably.
"No, no! Use iron defense!" Garret yelped.
The clam pokemon immediately closed its shell tightly, rendering the already weak ember attack useless.
"Peck at its shell," Isaac screamed, "It can't do anything now!"
There were several awkward moments in which the torchic stood next to the clamperl pecking wholeheartedly at the tough material. Nothing happened until torchic jumped on top of the shell to get a better angle.
Isaac was at first apprehensive about this. Torchic is in a really vulnerable position. What are clamperl's attacks? Water gun: it's closed up and can't shoot the water. Whirlpool: that only works underwater. Vice grip: again, clamperl's closed. Iron defense: he's already doing that!
Confident that torchic was safe, but unsure of his next move, Isaac tentatively said, "Uh, use ember again."
Garret smirked across the battlefield, "Clamperl, use whirlpool!"
The clam began spinning which, although it did not create a vortex of water, effectively knocked the fowl off clamperl's back and onto its own.
"Now… vice grip!"
The water type lunged forward and gripped the chick with its shell, squeezing as hard as it could. Torchic began squealing at the top of its lungs.
"Use ember! Use ember!" Isaac exasperatedly screamed.
Torchic blew weak embers into the clam's face for a moment. "I can still beat you!" trilled Isaac desperately.
Clamperl began to stop clenching, but garret yelled, "Keep at it clamperl!"
J.C. jumped up and gaped at the teenager as he called to Isaac.
"What are you talking about? Are you so freaking blind that can't even see when your own pokemon is hurt! I don't care about the idiotic license, and having it doesn't change how much of an ignorant moron you are! You may know your facts, but you don't know anything about pokemon!"
Isaac looked from the straining clamperl that was imprisoning his injured torchic to Garret.
"Garret… tell it to let go!" he shouted.
"Not until you tell me what really matters."
Blood began running down the back of torchic's head.
J.C. screamed, "This isn't funny, Garret! Tell it to stop! Tell it to stop!"
He glared at her then back to Isaac. "Answer my question Isaac."
Isaac fell to his knees and looked up at Garret with tears in his eyes.
"Garret… you're not stupid. You're not a bad trainer. You don't need a license. You beat me. You beat me! You're better than me! Goddamn it! Damn you! Tell it to let go!"
Garret looked tired, angry and sick. He called off the clamperl.
The clamperl finally let go and torchic fell limply to the ground.
The next day, a thoroughly windswept Isaac stumbled out of the police station.
"Oh my god!" cried J.C. as she ran to him with Mr. and Mrs. Alsup behind her.
"Now son, remember, whatever happens, we always love you, but we can't let you go on your journey," said a reluctant Hector Alsup.
"It doesn't matter," Isaac almost whispered, looking down at the pavement, "I'm not allowed to capture or register pokemon under my name for a year. They said I got off easy for battling an unlicensed trainer. Since, y'know… torchic...got hurt and all."
J.C. looked around uncomfortably, and then tentatively asked, "What happened to… what happened to Garret?"
"How the hell should I know?" he lashed out.
"Son," Janine Alsup warned firmly. "I think we all need to go home now. J.C., you too."
"Alright," she sighed, and began the newly official pokeball on her belt.