The world came back to Jackson slowly. Sounds whispered in his ears and a crisp sensation brushed his skin. The bellowing of Pokémon and gentle touch of wind nibbled at the corners of his senses. Then, all at once, it returned. Jackson awoke with a gasp and lurched forward, almost throwing himself from the branches cradling him. Immediately he caught himself. The height below made his stomach churn. He scrambled back and sat up against the solid base of the tree trunk. Jackson wrapped his arms around the thin trunk as the wind rocked the treetop. It swayed left and right like a giant waving hand. An oddly soothing, slow motion. Jackson closed his eyes and focused on the motion. His racing heart slowed with each sway until finally, he was calm. A stinging pain bit the back of his head.
"Ow," He whimpered.
He carefully removed a hand from the tree and felt the back of his head. He felt his hat so he removed it. The wind caught it and ripped it away. It sailed down to the ground and landed beside Beedrill's Pokéball. Tears filled Jackson's eyes.
"Leah?!" He shouted, "Where are you?! Help me!"
There was no reply. Jackson began to sob. He felt the back of his head with a shaking hand. His hair was matted and warm, far too warm to be normal. When he brought his hand back around, his palm was red. Suddenly, his head felt light and the world began to spin. Pain coursed through his head and Jackson wailed.
"It hurts! Stop! Stop hurting!"
An explosion snapped the world back into focus. Jackson whipped his head back and forth but only when he looked up did he see it. A huge cloud of black smoke lingered in the sky. Purple energy pulsed from it. A Skarmory shot out of it and looped back up towards a Gyarados. What appeared to be a man was clinging to the Skarmory's back. Even from the ground, the red of his jacket and his silver hair were unmistakable. Jackson let go of the tree and sat up tall as he recognised the man. He stared at the battle with wide eyes.
"Abby!" Jackson said.
Jackson checked his waist. His belt was still there. Without wasting a moment, Jackson popped the lid of his third container and picked out the pokéball. He released Golbat before him.
"Golbat, down there. Get Beedrill," Jackson pointed down.
"Gol?"
"No time for questions, hurry!"
Golbat gave him a puzzled look but swooped down all the same. He clutched Beedrill's pokéball between his talons and zipped back up to Jackson. With the rapid flapping of his wings, Golbat hovered before Jackson and held out the pokéball.
"Good, now grab my shoulder," Jackson said as he released Beedrill.
Golbat flew over and clutched Jackson's shoulder with both feet. Beedrill emerged and looked around. When he looked down he made an alarmed cry.
"Drill!" He buzzed.
"Grab my other shoulder Beedrill, get me down," Jackson said.
"Beedrill!" Beedrill nodded and zipped over.
He slipped one drill beneath Jackson's armpit and pressed the other flat down on his shoulder.
"Alright, three, two, one! Lift!" Jackson said.
Together, Beedrill and Golbat lifted Jackson from the branches. For a moment it went smoothly, Jackson lifted from the tree and hovered steadily with them. But in the next, when they tried to move forward, Beedrill and Golbat moved at different speeds. Jackson spun in the air and Beedrill's drill slipped from beneath his arm.
"Stop! Stop! Put me back!" Jackson cried as he dangled by one shoulder from Golbat's grasp.
Golbat dropped him and Jackson landed on the forked branches. He bounced and for a moment swore he was about to fall entirely. Thankfully, the branches caught him and Jackson scurried back to the tree's trunk.
"Drill!"
"Bat!"
Beedrill and Golbat yelled at each other. Beedrill's drills burst into light-green flame and Golbat's mouth oozed a glowing purple liquid.
"Enough!" Jackson yelled.
Beedrill and Golbat faced Jackson with surprised looks. They shot each other glances. Beedrill extinguished his drills and Golbat sucked his oozing poison back in.
"Let me think…" Jackson considered his belt.
His hand hovered over Jigglypuff's container but he shook his head. Then Magnemite's. Then Gastly's. Finally, it moved to Quagsire's and stayed still for a moment. He opened the container and pointed the ball down. Jackson released Quagsire onto the ground. He appeared, facing the wrong way.
"Quagsire!" Quagsire cheered and looked around.
He scratched his blue, rubbery head with a confused look.
"Quag?"
"Up here," Jackson said.
Quagsire looked up but in the wrong direction.
"Behind you," Jackson sighed.
Quagsire turned around.
"Quagsire!" Quagsire waddled over with a grin.
"Make a slide Quagsire. Use the ground like we practised. You get that? A. Slide." Jackson said slowly.
Quagsire blinked at him with his beady, black eyes.
"A slide," Jackson repeated and made a curved motion with his hand.
"Quag!"
Quagsire lifted his flat tail off the ground. It burst into a brown flame and slammed the ground. A curved slide erupted from the ground and rose to meet Jackson.
"Yes! Great job!" Jackson cheered.
Quagsire beamed and danced happily. Jackson carefully made his way out along the forked branches to the slide. Either side, Beedrill and Golbat followed ready to catch him. It took a minute but eventually, Jackson made it. He dangled his legs over the edge of the slide and kept his gaze straight out ahead. After a deep breath, he scooted forward and dropped. His stomach flipped as he felt himself fall for half a heartbeat, then the slide caught him. It guided him to the ground smoothly, placing him on the grass with a bump. Beedrill and Golbat swooped down to join him. Jackson hopped back to his feet and looked up at the sky again. Gyarados had a hold of the Skarmory in his mouth. He whipped his head to the side and the ranger was sent hurtling.
"Yeah!" Jackson yelled and pumped his fist.
He returned Quagsire and turned to Beedrill and Golbat.
"Come on! She might still need our help!"
Despite the pain ringing in the back of his head, Jackson picked up his hat, slapped it down onto his head and took off for Celadon. Beedrill and Golbat flew after him.
Gliscor slammed into Machoke's chest and pinned him to the ground. Two huge purple claws engulfed in light-blue flame grasped Machoke's forearms tightly. A menacing-looking stinger on the end of a long purple tail embedded itself into the ground between Machoke's legs. Gliscor leered above Machoke, a devilish gleam in his huge yellow eyes. Two black wings fanned out over Machoke, shimmering with flying energy. Screams and shouts filled the air as citizens fled from the sudden attack. Children fled in groups, aided by the businessmen in suits. Some dropped their belongings in the chaos but evidently, no one felt brave enough to go back for them. Quickly the square emptied as the people huddled in buildings or fled deeper into the city.
"Get him off Machoke!" Green cried.
Machoke writhed and struggled. His arms strained, the muscles in his shoulders bulged and his chest puffed out. Somehow, Gliscor was managing to match Machoke's strength and keep him pinned. Machoke's arms burst into orange flames and Gliscor let go at once. He shot up with a flap of his wings and zipped back through the air. He left behind two burn marks that sparked light blue where his claws had gripped Machoke's arm.
"Whoa, whoa, no need for that sweetie," A slimy voice said.
Gliscor flew over to a short, plump man with messy facial hair and dark skin. He wore a ranger's jacket with brown in place of black. Kerr flashed Green a smirk and opened up his arms wide as he approached. Machoke got to his feet, arms still blazing.
"A ranger… is it time already?" Green thought.
The devastating fear that had plagued her was absent. Her mind darkened and numbed out the distant, anxious cries of her mind. She looked back at Erika. Erika was frozen, her face consumed by fear. Her hand hovered over Tangrowth's pokéball but she made no move to help. Again, Green felt no fear. She accepted the lack of help and turned her attention back to the ranger. She took a step between him and Erika, eyeing him coldly.
"You ready Machoke?" Green asked.
Machoke huffed and slammed his fists together. Orange sparks spat on impact. Kerr raised his hands, slowly. A smirk plastered across his face.
"Whoa! Calm down sweetie, we don't gotta fight. Just tell me where the dragon girl is and I'll let you leave."
"No, fuck off," Green said.
"Come on, girl. This stuff, it doesn't involve you. Do you even know who you're travelling with? What you're getting involved with? Don't you wanna just get back to your gym challenges?" Kerr circled around the courtyard.
Green moved with him, ensuring they stayed as far apart as possible.
"Go fuck yourself," Green said.
"That's not very nice sweetheart, I'm trying to be reasonable here," Kerr said, his jaw clenched.
Green pointed at him.
"Machoke! Attack!"
Machoke bellowed and began barrelling towards Kerr. Kerr sighed, shook his head and waved his hand. In an instant, Gliscor shot towards Machoke. His claws burst into light-blue flames
"Dodge and slam!" Green cried.
Machoke dodged around Gliscor with a side hop and a twirl, keeping his eyes glued to him. Gliscor's claw sailed past his head. Machoke made a grab for Gliscor but Gliscor fired off a burst of energy and shot to the side. Machoke grabbed air. Gliscor spun away and whipped his tail. The barb on the end shone white and cracked against the back of Machoke's head with a loud bang. The force made Machoke stagger but not fall. Instantly, he grabbed Gliscor's tail and hurled him overarm. Machoke's whole body flexed as he turned. Gliscor shot towards the fountain in the centre of Celadon Square. Like a bullet, Gliscor crashed through the fountain. The stone shattered like glass. Water sprayed high into the air.
"Nice counter, keep him close though! He's gonna fly up!" Green called out.
Machoke glanced at Green with blazing eyes and nodded. Kerr's smirk was replaced with a tight scowl.
"Ariel Ace!" He cried.
Gliscor flew up out of the fountain's rubble, above the spraying water with an explosion of light-blue energy. Holes had been torn in his wings. Cuts and bruised covered his purple body. Still, he moved as fast as ever. Little more than a purple blur to Green, Gliscor shot up high, looped and came at Machoke with blazing claws.
"Rock wall!" Green shouted.
Machoke's eyes went from blazing orange to blazing brown in a heartbeat. He stomped the ground and raised a wall of rock from the ground. Gliscor crashed headfirst into the wall and punctured straight through it, right into Machoke's waiting arms. Machoke caught him, bracing with a wide stance. He hunched forward as his body absorbed the impact. Dazed, Gliscor's claws extinguished.
"Slam him!" Green said.
"Snap out of it!" Kerr yelled.
Machoke lifted Gliscor up above his head and slammed him down onto his knee. A sickening crunch filled the air and Gliscor squealed in agony. Machoke lifted him again, the flames around his arms crept onto his chest and Machoke slammed Gliscor down to the ground. Gliscor's purple exoskeleton had been cracked and splintered along his back. One of his wings was bent and his ear twitched. Gliscor groaned and looked up at Machoke, his large yellow eyes now straining to stay open. Machoke lifted his foot. It burst into orange flames.
"Get up!" Kerr barked, shrill panic in his voice.
Gliscor shot back a few feet with a burst of light-blue energy, but not as a blur this time. Instead, he hovered a foot off the ground panting and straining to flap his wings. His bent wing fluttered desperately to keep him in the air. Machoke stared at him with a dead, cold look.
"Attack!" Green and Kerr yelled together.
Both Pokémon charged each other. Gliscor's claws blazed light blue and Machoke's fists blazed orange. Just as they were about to meet, Kerr yelled again.
"Burrow!"
Gliscor's claws flared with brown flames and he abruptly shot downwards, dodging a punch from Machoke. He burrowed down beneath the cobbles, as easily as diving into water. The ground trembled as Gliscor burrowed through the earth. Machoke stopped and stared at the hole left behind confused. He looked around at the ground, stepping side to side cautiously.
"Concentrate Machoke! Feel his vibrations!" Green yelled.
Machoke stopped still and closed his eyes. Green did the same, listening and feeling Gliscor's vibrations. She couldn't tell where he was, the vibrations all felt the same. That was, only for a moment. Suddenly, they became stronger. Green's opened her eyes and shouted.
"Stomp!" Green yelled.
Machoke was one step ahead of her, foot already raised and blazing. Kerr's face dropped.
"Wait! No Gliscor, stop!" He shouted.
It was not good, Gliscor erupted from the ground below Machoke and Machoke stomped his foot down hard onto his face. A huge burst of orange and brown erupted as the two attacks collided, followed by a deafening explosion that blew a fierce gust of wind in all directions. The windows of the surrounding bullrings shattered, raining glass down on the perimeter of the square. Screams escaped the empty windows A thick cloud of dust, followed by a rain of gravel filled the air. The two colours pulsed from the cloud, followed by two pulses of light blue. Green heard Machoke shout and Gliscor screech. Then, an enormous pulse of orange flared and orange flames shout up out of the dust cloud. Another explosion rocked the ground and split the air. A crack split through the ground the reached beyond the cloud. Machoke stepped from the cloud as it thinned, arms and legs blazing. Two cuts wept on his chest and his foot was slick with blood. However, Machoke wasn't limping. Green winced as she tried not to picture what Gliscor must look like now. Thankfully, she didn't have to. Kerr fired the beam of a pokéball into the cloud and recalled Gliscor before the cloud thinned away. Still, the red stain at the bottom of a crater told Green enough to make her feel a little queasy. Kerr's hands shook as he stared Green down, still scowling but now wide-eyed.
"You're going to regret that, whore," He hissed.
Kerr plucked the second pokéball of three from his arm holster.
"No!" Erika rushed forward in front of Green.
"Stop this Kerr! You're destroying the square, you're putting people's lives in danger!" Erika pleaded.
"Shut up!" Kerr yelled.
He pointed at Erika with the pokéball.
"Stay out of this, you pathetic excuse of a gym leader!"
Erika shrank back and what looked like guilt plagued her. She looked to Green pleadingly. Green stepped in front of her, blocking her from Kerr.
"She's right, look around us! You're destroying the city!" Green yelled.
"Me?! This is your fault! You chose this by protecting your stupid brat of a friend!" Kerr shouted and threw his pokéball into the air.
The pokéball opened with a flash of red light. A pokémon Green didn't recognise appeared. That baffled her, Green had seen every single Pokémon in Kanto around Pallet. Red had caught one of each Pokémon in Kanto and Johto and abandoned nearly all of them for Oak to take care of. But this Pokémon hadn't been among them.
"Rhyperior!" He bellowed.
Rhyperior threw back his head as he roared and raised his thick stone arms up above his head. The drill he had for a nose whirred and the orange stone armour that plated his body burst into brown flames. Again, Green ignored her fear and instead tried to figure out what she was looking at. This so-called Rhyperior looked vaguely familiar to her. After a brief stare, Green recognised him. She had read about him in a textbook while studying under Oak. He was the evolved form of Rhydon, a pokémon she had seen before. From memory, the book had said Rhydon can only evolve in a special location in the Sinnoh region.
"The Sinnoh region? How'd he end up here?" Green thought to herself.
Her racing mind was interrupted by Kerr's shout.
"Arena trap!"
Rhyperior bellowed and stomped the ground with an explosion of brown flames. The ground shook violently, throwing both Erika and Green off their feet. Kerr stayed perfectly upright, not even staggering. The surrounding buildings shook too, cracking at their foundations. Green's stomach dropped at the idea of one of them collapsing. More screams filled the air. Machoke remained on his feet, but barely. It clearly took all his effort to stay standing. Around Machoke and Rhyperior a round jagged line cracked a circle into the ground. The moment it was completed, the earth beneath them exploded and fell away. Machoke dropped down out of sight, along with Rhyperior. Green gasped and ran forward without a moment's thought. She waved the dust out of the air as she peered over the edge of the newly formed pit. Machoke was at the bottom, a good 10 feet deep. He was on his back, dazed and confused. Rhyperior was on his feet, a smirk on his face. His clubbed, stone tail swished back and forth with a brown shimmer.
"Earthquake!" Kerr cried.
As Machoke struggled back to his feet, Rhyperior's tail burst into brown flames. The flames crept up the entire length and spread down to his legs. He slammed his tail down to the ground. The earth shook again as a shock wave tore through the ground. The ground beneath Machoke and Rhyperior split, craving a scar towards Machoke rapidly. The shock wave threw Machoke back into the arena wall with a violent slam. The wall cracked and Machoke fell back to the rumbling earth. Again he struggled, fighting the rattling vibrations for balance.
"Horn drill!" Kerr said.
Rhyperior lowered his head and rushed Machoke. His drill-like horn burst into white flames and began to whirr as he charged forward.
"Grapple him!" Green cried.
Miraculously, Machoke did. He ducked down and lunged forward. Rhyperior's head flew over Machoke's as Machoke grappled his waist. Orange flames flared along Machoke's arms, torso and legs as he tackled Rhyperior. They flew backwards and Rhyperior crashed into the arena wall opposite. Rocks and dirt flew everywhere on impact. The white flames extinguished from his drill. Rhyperior cried out and flailed his tail, slamming it into Machoke's back. It made a bruise but little more. Machoke grunted and slammed his knee, blazing with orange flame into Rhyperior's stone body. Rhyperior's stomach exploded on impact as a huge chunk of him burst into rubble. Green's eyes widened as she realised the advantage Machoke had.
"Go for the head!" Green shouted.
"Earthquake!" Kerr tried to yell over her.
Rhyperior's tail burst into brown flames again and lifted to slam. Machoke stepped back and raised his arms, readying to bring both blazing fists down. Both attacks landed at once. The earth below them rattled and split again, sending out cracks through the earth in all directions. Machoke's fists came down on Rhyperior's head. A ring of orange flame erupted on impact as his head exploded. Machoke fell forward and held onto Rhyperior's limp body for support as the ground shook. The tight, concentrated anger on Kerr's face disappeared as Rhyperior's head was crushed. Once the earthquake ended, he raised Rhyperior's pokéball with a trembling hand and returned him.
"He- You aren't going to get away with this. You're just some bitch," Kerr stammered as he unclipped his final pokéball.
Green said nothing as she waited. Her mind was too busy thinking about the capability of pokéball healing.
"Can it regrow heads?" She thought.
The idea that she'd just killed a pokémon made her feel sick. She shook her head and focused back on the present.
"All that matters is winning this battle. Keeping Erika safe. Keeping Abby safe," Green told herself.
Machoke climbed out of the sunken arena with a leap. His body was cut and bruised but Green had seen him worse. He didn't shake, he didn't stumble. Machoke walked confidently back to Green, eyeing Kerr with a firm scowl. He stood before her, cracked his neck, rolled his shoulders and ignited his entire upper body in orange flames. Kerr stood frozen, pokéball outstretched. He stared at Machoke wide-eyed. His eyes glanced back towards the main path leading out of Celadon. Machoke huffed and slammed his fists together. Kerr's eyes snapped back to him as he winced.
"She's just some intermediate, just a girl," Green heard Kerr mutter to himself before he pressed the button on his pokéball.
Another Pokémon, Green had never seen before appeared with a flash. A tall, raptor-like pokémon with dark grey leathery skin and a large blue-domed head appeared.
"Rampardos!" He yelled.
He scraped at the ground with his feet and lowered his head. The blue plating of his domed head began to glow white. Green's mind raced, trying to remember if she knew it from a book. Quickly, she stopped herself. Green shook her head and chuckled.
"It doesn't matter," Green muttered.
"Machoke! End this."
Machoke looked back at her with a smirk. His eyes erupted with orange flames. He slammed his fist into his chest with a shower of orange sparks.
"MA!" He bellowed.
At once, both Pokémon rushed each other. Machoke charged with a blazing fist poised to strike and Rampardos charged with his head low, engulfed in white flames. Kerr sighed and looked away. Machoke's fist crashed into Rampardos's head. Rings of white and orange erupted on impact. However, the orange quickly overpowered the white as Machoke's punch split Rampardos's head with a crackling crunch. Rampardos was limp before he hit the ground. While Machoke's hand only suffered from a few bloody knuckles. Blood gushed from Rampardos's split head for a brief moment before Kerr recalled him. Silently, Kerr watched as Machoke approached him. He didn't move his head to look up as Machoke loomed over him.
"What now, girl?" He asked, his voice dry and lifeless.
"Get out of here," Green said and returned Machoke to his pokéball.
Kerr blinked at her.
"What?" He asked.
"I said, go."
"Just like that? After all this?" Kerr gestured around them.
"I said go!" Green yelled growing frustrated.
Kerr glanced at Erika before scrambling away and running down Celadon's main path. Green turned to Erika, she was still shell shocked. Gingerly, she grasped Erika's shoulder.
"Help your people, okay? You need to do your job," She said trying to be gentle with her words.
Erika blinked and looked up at Green as if she'd only just registered Green's presence. Her hand fell away from Tangrowth's ball as she gave a nod.
"O-Okay, what about you?" Erika asked.
"I need to find Abby," Green took a step back and let go of Erika's shoulder.
Green glanced over her shoulder, up at the sky. Gyarados was speeding towards the forest with an auburn speck on his back. Green gave Erika an uncertain look before turning and running off. She released Primeape from his ball as she ran. He appeared at a standstill but quickly picked up the pace as she ran by him. He ran alongside her, eyes wild with mad glee.
"Ape!"
"Find the way through to Abby, use your nose," Green said as they ducked into the maze of Celadon's back alleys.
Jackson's heart gripped his chest and throat as he sprinted through Celadon's back alleys. Each hard step against the concrete sent a sharp, burning pulse through him. Still, he kept running. His eyes darted back and forth between the ground and the sky. They tracked the obstacles before him and the sharp turns that kept coming and coming. They followed Beedrill and Golbat, high above in the sky, scouting out the path towards Abby. At least, Jackson trusted they knew where they were going. For once, they weren't bickering. So that at the very least gave him a little hope to cling to. His eyes lingered for too long however and a low pipe caught his foot. Jackson tripped but caught himself on the alley wall. He allowed himself a brief moment of pause before taking off again. Again, no sooner had he taken off and rounded the next turn did he crash right into someone's chest.
"Hey!" He shouted as he was thrown onto his back.
The back of his head hit the concrete, sending excruciating pain coursing through him. He wailed, his body contorting as the brief blast of pain pummelled him.
"Shit! Are you okay kid?" The man Jackson had run into said.
He crouched down and offered his hand. Once the pain cleared, Jackson reached for it. Abruptly, Jackson pulled back his hand and scooted backwards.
"Who are you? If you're a ranger, I'll beat you!" He yelled and reached for his pokéball belt.
The man backed up, his pink eyes wide. He raised his hands. Jackson spotted the lone pokéball on his belt.
"I'm not, I'm not! I'm a nurse, I swear."
"Prove it!" Jackson demanded and scrambled to his feet.
"How?" The man asked with a pained look.
Golbat and Beedrill swooped down either side of Jackson with worried cries and buzzes. They, along with Jackson eyed the man suspiciously. Jackson considered the question.
"What's your last name?" He asked, keeping his hand on Jigglypuff's container.
"Joy, my last name's Joy!"
Jackson sighed and lowered his hand.
"Oh, well then you gotta be a nurse. All the Joys are nurses. I know so, there are like 20 of you or something!" Jackson exclaimed cheerfully.
Joy shot him an odd look and lowered his hands.
"Uh yeah… that's right. My name's Joel, what's yours?" Joel asked.
"Jackson! I'm a pokémon trainer! I've got three badges! I beat Sabrina!" He thrust his waist forward, "Check 'em out, they're real and genuine!"
"I believe you," Joel laughed.
"What are you doing out here? Why are you running from the battle?" Jackson pointed past him towards the forest.
"I'm getting help, I'm not a trainer."
Jackson grinned and stepped forward.
"Well, I am! I'll be your help!"
"Yeah, you definitely are a trainer," Joel responded cautiously, glancing past Jackson with a desperate look.
"Exactly! Come on, Abby needs our help!" Jackson ran past Joel.
Joel whipped around with a bewildered look. Golbat and Beedrill zipped past his head.
"Wait what?! How do you know Abby?!" He called out after him as he gave chase.