Indigo Plateau
The sun was not out today. Clouds covered the home of the Pokemon League and rain fell from the sky. Once again, a group of individuals found themselves gathered in a conference room overlooking the vast expanse of the Indigo Plateau. The last time this had occurred, annoyance and confusion permeated the room, leading up to the meeting. This time, the atmosphere could not be more different.
Will, the newest member of the Elite 4 and psychic specialist, leaned against the window, massaging the temple of his head with his fingers. His shoulders were visibly tight and stress oozed from the man.
Lorelei, the ice master, paced back and forth, doing her best to maintain her cool composure. She was clearly teetering on the edge of an outburst though based on her body language.
Bruno, the fighting prodigy, appeared to be the calmest off the bunch. The muscular man sat in a chair, sipping tea, but even the normally stoic man wore a frown filled with worry.
The tension finally broke when the familiar tapping of the old crone's cane echoed from outside the room. All eyes turned to the doorway as Agatha walked through. She looked to be exhausted, and wore a grave expression. Nobody said a thing while she hobbled to the head of the table, but somebody clearly had enough, because the moment she was seated, the silence was broken.
"Well?" tersely asked Lorelei. Agatha sighed and shook her head.
"Lance has not made contact. It has been 72 hours since his missed check-in. I'm afraid we must assume that he has been discovered, and possibly captured or eliminated completely."
"No word has come whatsoever?" pressed Will in slight denial.
"None. At the same time, as I'm sure you have all noticed from the reports you have been getting, Rocket Activity has noticeably exploded during this time frame," grimly added Agatha.
"You believe the Champion's disappearance and the increase in crime to be connected," observed Bruno. Agatha gave the man a nod.
"To an extent, but there may be more to it. Before he disappeared, Lance was investigating one Gym Leader in particular. He had recently been assigned to a Rocket base near the Viridian City Gym," started Agatha.
Will looked up and couldn't hold in a response. "Does that mean—"
"Hold your question! There is more to the story William," scolded Agatha, rebuking the chastised man.
"As I was saying, our Champion was assigned to a base near the Viridian City Gym. His first few reports indicated nothing out of the ordinary and subdued activity in the city overall. In fact, he had mentioned that the orders given were that unusually harsh punishment would be delt out to anyone who dared to cause any issues within Viridian. Obviously, he found it interesting that Team Rocket would care so much about avoiding suspicion in a particular city, lending credence to something being hidden," explained Agatha, pausing for a moment to sip a nearby drink.
"His last report mentioned that he had been abruptly ordered to head to the Viridian City Gym and to prepare for travel. The tracker placed on his person shows that he did indeed go to the Gym, and he then began to travel at a great speed, likely by Helicopter for several hundred miles. His tracker stopped working somewhere over the waters south of Pallet Town. Finally, our most damning piece of evidence comes from another hidden operative in Viridian, who was able to visibly see Lance get on a Helicopter. Along with him and a few others, the infamous Agent 009 and the Viridian City Gym Leader boarded the vessel," concluded Agatha.
"Then it's true," muttered Bruno with underlying anger.
"The Viridian City Gym Leader Giovanni is either a very high-ranking Rocket, or the elusive leader we have been searching for," agreed Agatha.
"Then let's stop this meeting and arrest the fiend!" demanded Will.
"Cool it. We shouldn't go into this unprepared, and there is still something grating me," Lorelei said with narrowed eyes.
"And that is?" evenly asked Agatha
"Why bother taking Lance along in such a public display, instead of quietly having him taken care of? Surely Giovanni knew that he was under suspicion, and abducting the Champion in plain sight all but confirms his guilt," explained the ice mistress.
"Agreed. It is also interesting that our Champion' tracker disappeared in a location very close to the last reported sighting of former Champion Red Ketchum," added Bruno.
"Both good points," Agatha nodded in approval. "They get back to what I meant when I said there may be something more to the spike in Rocket activity. I believe Lance and Champion Red discovered something significant. Whatever it is, this discovery must have given Team Rocket and Giovanni some form of assurance that it now safe to openly terrorize Kanto without repercussion. If we charge in now William, that discovery may give us the same fate as our Champion," summarized Agatha.
Will's eyes widened at the implications, but he finally let his shoulders sag as he sighed in defeat. "What can we do then?" weakly asked the man.
An unsettling smile crossed Agatha's face. "Despite the serious situation, not all is lost. After the Champion's tracker disappeared, a covert team was sent to scout the area. They found the smoldering remains of what looked to be a research facility on a man-made island. That is where Lance likely vanished, and that is where we will investigate further."
"Did they bring anything back to connect the island to Lance's disappearance," asked Lorelei with hope.
"Not Lance no. However, a few members of the team thought to use their Pokemon to search the waters surrounding the island, and they did find something," said Agatha, pulling out a worn belt with Pokeballs and tossing it onto the table.
"CHAMPION RED'S BELT AND HIS POKEBALLS!" exclaimed Bruno, losing his normally composed demeanor. The other Elite 4 Members were equally stunned.
"There's more to it than that," added the old crone.
Well?" again said Lorelei.
Agatha sighed, letting out the goose that would spur more dramatic reactions no doubt. "The Pokeballs are empty."
Stone Town Pokemon Center (A few Hours after Ash's Gym Battle)
Ash and Brock stood in front of a truly unique machine in the trading room of the Pokemon Center. Two pedestals with ball sphere shaped pads rested on opposite sides of the machine, while two pipes with suction hanged above them. The center of the machine held a visual display, showing the Pokeballs and the Pokemon within traveling from one side to another.
The friends had already traded Haunter and Graveler to one another, and were now in the process of trading them back, opting to do so before even releasing the Pokemon.
"So Ash, have you ever wondered why some Pokemon need to be traded to be evolved?" asked Brock, trying to pass some time while the Pokemon were swapped back.
"Professor Oak and I actually had a conversation about this once a few years back," responded the boy, watching the device in action.
"What did he say?"
"Well, he said that the truth is that nobody knows exactly why only certain Pokemon evolve when traded, but he did have a theory for the ones that do, and it makes sense to me. The Professor thinks that the trade signifies a radical change in environment for the Pokemon. This change somehow triggers an evolutionary response as a defense mechanism against possible threats from the new environment, or trainer. The added power from the evolution would of course provide the defense," explained Ash.
Brock nodded, accepting the theory as reasonable and never ceasing to be impressed about his young friend's knowledge regarding Pokemon. Once again, the images of the two Pokemon swapped on the above screen, but this time they were quite different from the first swap. Haunter's hands were smaller and were connected to his body by arms. The Pokemon also possessed visible legs and feet, while maintaining a more rotund physique. As for Graveler, the Rock Pokemon's body seemed to have expanded. A head stuck out from the body, which was more smooth with ridges in between rock panels. Hands and feet were still present. The images soon disappeared and the Pokeballs fell in front of their respective trainers.
"Ready to meet our new Pokemon Ash?" Brock asked, while grabbing his own.
"You bet Brock!" exclaimed the enthusiastic boy, throwing his Pokeball into the air.
"Gengar!" cried Ash's ghoulish Pokemon in his newly evolved form as he popped out. Whipping around, the Pokemon quickly pulled his trainer into his a hug and began to levitate.
"G-Genar! W-What are you are doing?"
The Ghost Pokemon said nothing, maintaining a mischievous look as he got higher and higher, until the two reached the ceiling.
"Uh… Can we please get back to the ground?" pleaded the nervous boy.
"Gar," winked the Pokemon, obliging his trainer and immediately releasing him, as the boy began a quick descent to the floor!
"AHHHHHH!" screamed Ash, speeding towards the ground and serious injury!
"Daddy!" cried out Espeon, too shocked to think straight and slow his descent with her powers.
Just when he thought he would hit the ground, Ash's momentum came to a sudden halt. The boy had closed his eyes just before impact, so this came as a nice surprise. Slowly opening them, Ash found himself carried bridal style by the fiend that had dropped him in the first place.
"Gar! Gar! Genagr!" uproariously laughed the Pokemon at his latest prank.
"Some things never change," grumbled the boy, before Gengar did decide to drop him from the much safer distance, prompting more laughter. Shortly after, Ash did in fact land on the ground on his butt.
"Are you ok?" Brock asked, half amused and half worried.
"Yeah I'm fine," muttered the boy, picking himself back up and dusting himself off. "Wish Haunter, or well Gengar now, could act serious though."
"I wouldn't worry too much. Looks like Espeon is taking care of that for you," smirked Brock, pointing to the two Pokemon. Ash's princess was indeed tearing Gengar a new one, as the Ghost Pokemon had a look of terror and repentance.
Their eyes were drawn away from Gengar's deserved reward as Misty burst into the room in a sprint, breathing heavily.
"ASH! I heard you screaming. Are you alright," the girl said with concern.
"No need to worry Misty. It was just Gengar playing a little joke, but Espeon seems to be setting him straight," assured Ash.
"Gengar?" the girl said aloud, momentarily confused before clarity set in. "That is what you meant about waiting and seeing! You and Brock followed up on that deal the two of you made back in Saffron City," realized the girl.
"Yup," happily agreed the boy. Misty's expression shifted to one of exasperation and annoyance.
"You really had me worried you know! Also, you really couldn't have just told me what the two of you were planning to do?" she accused with crossed arms.
"We just wanted it to be a surprise," tried Brock. Misty wasn't taking any of that today.
"Not a very nice surprise at all. I though you would know better Brock. In fact, the two of you are going to make it up to me!" decided the girl.
"What do you mean Misty?" Ash asked with worry,
"How did you put it Ash? Just wait and see. Just wait and see," slyly smirked the girl, bringing a sense of dread to both boys.
O-Hina Town (Day 24)
Misty's revenge was beyond anything Ash could have expected. It was something he wouldn't wish on his worst enemies, including Damien, and that was saying something. Well, maybe the Rocket Boss. The horror Ash and Brock were experiencing was a well-known holiday in Kanto that was the source of nightmares for all males. It was Princess Day. Misty had dragged her two friends to a big city called O-Hina Town. It was on the way back to Fuchsia City, albeit a different route, so it still would allow the gang to make it back in time to catch the boat to Cinnabar Island, which is why Ash hadn't initially protested. Sitting on a bench in a department store, weighed down by shopping bags, both he and Brock wished they had. Even Pikachu carried a few small things that Misty had bought for Espeon. That's right, Espeon! Misty had somehow convinced Espeon that she deserved to be spoiled rotten, bringing the now corrupted Psychic Pokemon along with her, and adding to Ash, Brock, and Pikachu's torture.
"She's been shopping for hours. How can she possibly keep up this amount of energy?" A weary Ash asked, watching Misty dash between stores with Espeon in glee, enjoying the Princess Day festivities and discounts.
"Never underestimate a girl and her ability to shop Ash. Doing so can be the end of you," shuddered Brock, who was also exhausted.
"Can we even afford all of this junk? You were telling that we needed to be more careful with our money only just before that tournament," complained Ash.
Brock shook his head and put on hand on Ash's shoulder. "It's not worth it Ash. Trust me. We will survive this. We would not survive bringing this up with Misty though," the teen seriously advised.
"Survive what now? asked a sweet voice behind the two boys. The two slowly turned to see the source of their troubles with even more packages in hand and Ash's traitorous Pokemon. Misty and Espeon also looked like they had somehow had manicures and pedicures done based on Misty's painted nails and Espeon's cutely painted paws.
"N-Nothing Misty. We were just talking about how much you deserved to enjoy a day like today," Ash lied through his teeth, while Brock quickly nodded in agreement.
"Oh. Well that's great to hear!" smiled Misty. "Now, Espeon and I are hungry for some ice cream, so it's time we moved on," delcared the girl, dropping the new packages on the two boys, causing them to collapse from their seats.
"Hustle up boys. That ice cream is not going to pay for itself," Misty ordered impatiently.
"Yeah! Hurry up Daddy!" added Espeon.
"Remind me never to annoy or anger Misty again Brock," moaned Ash from the ground.
"Only after you remind me," wailed his male companion. Slowly but surely, the two rose up and somehow managed to corral everything into their arms. Misty and Espeon nodded in approval, walking off, while the two boys followed, with heads hung low in defeat.
Ice Cream Parlor (1 hour Later)
Ash and Brock watched dumbfounded as Misty and Espeon finished off yet another tasty treat. Apparently, girls got to eat free today and those two were happy to take advantage. The boys were given no such luxury and contented themselves with some nice cheap orange juice.
"Ahhhhh. That really hit the spot," sighed Misty.
"It sure was tasty! Why don't we get to eat like this all the time?" Espeon asked her trainer in an accusatory manner.
"Good point Espeon. Why don't we Ash?" smirked Misty.
"Well you see, it's not exactly healthy to eat sugary treats like this 24/7. We probably couldn't afford to do so either," slowly explained the nervous boy.
"But daddy," pouted Espeon with the cutest expression possible, making Ash sweat bullets. The boy was spared a response by an announcement that blared out over the public PA system in the city.
"Attention O-Hina Town Princesses, the annual Princess Day Tournament will begin in three hours. Registration is now open for the next two hours. Make sure to sign up at the local Pokemon Center for a chance to win your very own set of pristine Pokemon Dolls!" finished the announcer. A moment of silence carried through the city following the announcement, but it was short lived. A mob of crazed, er dedicated, Princesses dashed to the Pokemon Center, and Misty was among them, leaving Ash, Brock, Pikachu, and Espeon behind.
"Looks like Misty is going to compete," observed Brock, standing up and gathering his half of the shopping spree.
"Sucks this thing is going to be limited to girls, but I guess she deserves a chance after she had to miss the last once," conceded Ash, who imitated his companion.
"What are Pokemon Dolls anyway?" Ash asked, struggling to walk back with his heavy load. At least Pikachu was walking beside the boy instead of on his shoulders.
"They're a collectable set of Pokemon figurines dressed up in regal clothing," answered Brock nonchalantly, whose height and muscles allowed him to more easily handle his share of Misty's goodies.
"Wait. How would you know about that?" skeptically asked Ash. Brock merely chuckled.
"Ash, when you have loads of younger siblings, including a few girls, you kind of just know these things. Needless to say, they are pretty expensive and we couldn't afford any, but it didn't stop Yolanda, Cindy, and Suzie from asking for them more than once."
Ash grunted in acknowledgement, not having enough energy to speak anymore on the topic. The two trainers and the two Pokemon slowly made their way to the Pokemon Center.
O-Hina Town Square (A Few Hours Later)
"Ladies and Gentleman, it is my pleasure to welcome you all to beautiful O-Hina Town for our annual Princess Day Tournament!" called out an announcer from a booth overlooking a makeshift battlefield and stands, with a stage currently placed on the center of the battlefield. Ash, Brock, Pikachu, and Espeon currently resided in said stands. The three males were relieved to finally be in a state of relaxation, and were admittedly interested in seeing Misty perform in the tournament.
"Today, we have 16 lovely ladies competing for the title of Grand Princess and a one of a kind set of Pokemon Dolls! Let's introduce you to them now!" continued the announcer. A red curtain split in two on stage and a vast array of beautiful women decked out in dresses emerged, making the crowd go wild with applause. Ash didn't know much about girls, but even he was staring at the display unabashedly.
"Hey Ash, pay attention! Check out Misty," nudged Brock, pointing to a girl near one of the ends. Ash shifted his gaze and the boy was absolutely floored. Misty's hair was no longer in its usual bun, but instead flowed straight down to her back. It was adorned with a gold crown, while the girl herself was enveloped in an elegant pink kimono.
"Misty looks... different," softly spoke Ash, his cheeks glowing red at sight of his gorgeous friend.
"Developing a crush Ash?" chuckled Brock.
"N-No," stuttered the boy, though his eyes never left his companion on stage.
"Sure Ash," Brock answered with some amusement and skepticism.
The crowd continued its long applause as the girls waved out to those in attendance, but the announcer soon regained a semblance of order with his next announcement.
"Thank you all for showing such a good amount of enthusiasm for our participants! Ladies, please exit the stage as we prepare the battlefield for the first round. You have all been informed of the pairings, and we will call you up as soon as it is your turn. As they head off, please give them all one last round of applause folks!" Cheers rang out once more as the girls exited the stage and sat on the sidelines with decorum. The tournament was just about to begin.
1 Hour Later
An hour later, the stage had been removed from the battlefield and two battles had already taken place.
"An excellent battle, but we still have plenty more to see in this first round. For the third battle of the day, welcome Misty Waterflower from Cerulean City and Kirl Millican from Lavender Town!"
Following the announcement, Misty and another girl, who appeared slightly younger, stood up and gracefully walked to opposite sides of the battlefield, offering each other a quick curtesy before taking their positions.
A referee stood at the center. "This third match of round one will be a 1 on 1 battle. The victor will be determined when one trainer's Pokemon is unable to continue. Misty Waterflower won the pre-round coin toss, which means Kirl Millican will send out her Pokemon first. Let the match begin!"
"I choose you Charmander!" called Kirl, sending out the familiar sight of Kanto's fire starter.
"Let's go Horsea!" responded Misty. The Sea-Horse Pokemon materialized, looking well trained and primed for battle.
"Ember."
"Smokescreen," countered Misty, using one of Ash's strategies. Charmander expelled a ball of fire, which was making its way towards Horsea, but the Water Pokemon quickly fired back a torrent of smoke, obscuring Charmander's vision, while dodging the attack as well.
Taking advantage of the lack of vision, Misty made her next move. "Rain Dance followed by Agility!"
Back in the stands, the boys marveled at the combination. "Not bad Misty. I assume you see why she is using those two moves together?" Brock asked Ash.
"Yup. She is taking advantage of Horsea's Swift Swim ability, which will allow her to speed up in the rain. Add in an Agility and Horsea will be practically untouchable. That doesn't even mention the fact that Rain Dance is going to severely weaken Charmander," summarized Ash. Indeed, rain started to poor from the sky and Horsea looked like she was gliding around the battlefield in a blur of motion. Charmander was far more sluggish, but Kirl wasn't about to give up yet. The Smokescreen finally cleared and she called for another attack.
"Try and get close with a Slash Charmander," ordered the girl. Charmander began a charge with a glowing paw, doing his best to fight through the elements. Alas, it was not to be. Right before the attack landed, Misty ordered a counter.
"Agility," calmly called the girl. Horsea zoomed away and Charmander's claw hit the air. That wasn't all though, the zig-zagging Sea-Horse began to glow a bright white while moving. Everything was going Misty's way.
"No Way," Misty softly spoke, looking at her glowing Pokemon. Horsea tripled in height, her tail and nose grew in length, and spikes emerged out of her back. When the light died down, A newly evolved Seadra stood still, and it was directly behind Charmander.
"FINISH THIS WITH BUBBLEBEAM SEADRA!" a fired up Misty yelled out. Bubbles rapidly flew from Seadra's cannon of a nose and struck the helpless Charmander in the back, making him cry out in pain and sending him to the ground in just a few seconds.
"CHARMANDER NO!" cried Kirl. The rain continued to fall and Charmander made no movement whatsoever.
"Charmander is unable to battle! The winner of this first round match is Misty and Seadra!" declared the referee.
"A SPECTACULAR BATTLE FROM MISTY WATERFLOWER, WHO USED THE ELEMENTS TO HER ADVANTAGE AND FOLLOWED UP ON AN IN BATTLE EVOLUTION TO AN EASY VICTORY! GIVE IT UP FOR THE VICTOR!" roared the announcer.
The crowd showed their approval with an uproar of cheering and applause, even if a few of them did not appreciate the rain Misty had caused. Ash didn't shy away either.
"WAY TO GO MISTY! KEEP IT UP!" rooted the boy.
Misty herself waved in appreciation, calling back her new Seadra, and shook hands with her opponent over a well fought battle. Hopefully things go this smoothly for the rest of the tournament, Misty thought to herself, as she walked back to the sidelines.
A Few Hours Later
It was now well into the evening and the tournmaent had progressed to its final stage. Misty continued to breeze through the competition, utilizing Starmie, Seadra, and Psyduck as her main competitors. Sadly, Psyduck had taken a good amount of damage in the previous battles, making Misty hesitant to call him out for the upcoming finals, which would be a 3 on 3 battle. Seaking and Tentacool were not trained to battle on land either, which meant Magikarp would have to step up if necessary. Luckily, Misty had trained the seemingly useless Pokemon to have a few tricks here and there, though she hoped it wouldn't come to that.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you have all been having as much fun as I have," started the announcer, prompting cheers in agreement.
"Today we started with sixteen wonderful participants, and now only two remain. Only one can claim the title of Grand Princess though, so how about we introduce them! First, from Cerulean City, we have the talented Misty Waterflower and her powerful Water Pokemon!" yelled the announcer. Ash and Brock joined the crowd in giving Misty a loud cheer as she walked to her side of the battlefield.
"Our other finalist hails from Crimson City. Led by her Grass and Bug Pokemon, this trainer has carved through the competition. Give it up for Jeanette Fisher!" A beautiful girl with long dark hair and a yellow bow walked to her side of the battlefield. She wore a refined red kimono and maintained an ever-present smile. This might have been helped by her own cheering squad that seemed to be present in the crowd and making a lot of noise.
"JEANETTE! JEANETTE! SHE'S THE BEST YOU'LL EVER GET!" recited the wily cheer squad.
The referee stepped forward, silencing the crowd with a gesture, before turning to the finalists. The finals will be a 3 on 3 battle. Substitutions will be allowed. The winner will be determined when all of trainer's Pokemon are unable to continue. Misty Waterflower will send out the first Pokemon."
Her Grass Pokemon are going to make this tough, but I didn't come this far just to lose, a determined Misty thought. "Start us off right Starmie!" Misty's ace made its appearance and silently waited for the battle to come.
"Then I shall begin with Beedrill," called Jeanette, tossing her Pokeball into the air. A large yellow wasp with wings, a stinger, and stinger-like hands emerged.
"Rain Dance," started Misty, opting to use a similar strategy to earlier. Clouds rumbled and rain poured onto the battlefield once again. Meanwhile, Jeanette was making her own opening play.
"Toxic Spikes." Beedrill shot out purple spikes from his stinger, all of which were heading for the ground. Misty instantly recognized the attack from Ash's Gym Battle with Koga and reacted as fast as she could.
"Swift before those spike hit the ground Starmie!" Yellow stars flew from the star-shaped Pokemon, colliding with most of the spikes, but a few did successfully hit the ground beneath Starmie.
Darn! Well I'lll have to worry about that later. Time to press the attack. "Psybeam," ordered Misty. Starmie emitted purple waves, all of which were now on course with Beedrill. The water from Rain Dance had already done a number on his wings, preventing any quick movement. This was still no issue for Jeanette.
"Agility Beedrill and then Twineedle." In a flash, Beedrill gained speed, and dodged the attack with ease, getting closer to Starmie with each movement.
That attack will be super-effective if it lands, and Beedrill is way too close to dodge. I think we have an attack that may just turn the tide though, thought the girl, patiently waiting for the right moment.
"Rapid Spin now!" Misty yelled as Beedrill prepared to strike. Just before Beedrill's attack hit home, Starmie abruptly began spinning at a frightening speed. The spinning star easily deflected the incoming attack, managing to catch Beedrill's head as well and stunning it.
"NOW FINISH WITH THUNDER!" Starmie's tip crackled with electricity and shot a bolt of lightning into the sky, while Jeanette's eyes widened in horror.
"Get out of there with Agility!" panicked Jeanette, prompting Beedrill to zoom away. Thanks to Rain Dance, it did not matter. The clouds above the battlefield gave a loud roar and lightning flew from the sky, honing in on Beedrill. Soaked with water, Beedrill lit up like it ran into a Bug Zapper, having been dealt double the amount of damage thanks to the water conducting the electricity. When the lightning ceased, Beedrill fell straight down and hit the ground with a thud.
"Beedrill is unable to battle!" immediately judged the referee, giving Misty an early lead.
"Return Beedrill," sighed Jeanette in disappointment, calling back her Pokemon.
"Nice work Starmie. Let's keep it up," said Misty, earning a cry in agreement from the Pokemon.
"Misty's off to another good start," Ash cheerily told his companion, while Jeanette sent out a Scyther to resume the battle.
"She is, but this battle if far from over Ash," the more reserved Brock replied.
"Sure, but it doesn't hurt to have a little faith in your friend now does it?" Ash asked with some irritation.
Brock deflected that with a question of his own. "You've paid close attention to all of Misty battles, but have you done the same with Jeanette or any of the other competitors?"
"Uh... no I guess I haven't," confessed Ash.
"I have. In many of her battles, Jeanette has managed to lose a Pokemon or two, but one Pokemon of hers has yet to be knocked out. In fact, I don't think anyone has gotten close to hurting it," scolded Brock.
Ash looked a bit worried at that and turned back to the battlefield. Scyther was on the ground, crackling with electricity like Beedrill before it. Starmie still stood, but was visibly exhausted "I'm guessing it's not Scyther. Which Pokemon is it Brock?"
"You're about to find out," muttered Brock.
"Scyther is unable to battle!" called the referee.
"Jeanette Fisher is down to one final Pokemon, while Misty WaterFlower maintains all three. Are we in for a clean sweep, or can Miss Fisher turn it around. Let's find out!" yelled the announcer.
"You've fought well Misty," Jeanette politely smiled, having already returned Scyther.
"Thanks," Misty awkwardly answered back, feeling like there was more to this mid-battle discussion. Indeed there was.
"However, my final Pokemon and I haven't lost a a battle in a very long time. Best of luck, because you will need it against BELLSPROUT!" hollered the girl, dispatching a plant-like Pokemon to the field. The bulk of its body was composed of a stem, including both feet. It had two leaves for hands and a yellow bell shaped head with beady eyes.
"Let's end this quick! Use Thunder!" ordered Misty, taking advantage of the fact that it was still raining. Lightning flew from Starmie into the clouds again, but this time Jeanette did nothing. She sat there with a smile on her face, ignoring the giant electric surge heading down from the clouds and towards her Pokemon. The attack connected, zapping Bellsprout with an intense amount of electricity.
Misty was about to celebrate, but then she noticed. Bellsprout stood there, acting completely unfazed, and soon enough the attack was finished.
"But How?" wondered the girl.
"Not telling," chuckled Jeanette. "Bellsprout, use Razor Leaf." In a blink, razor sharp leaves speeded through the air on course for Starmie.
"Rapid Spin!" called Misty, thinking another deflection was in order. Starmie spun at a great pace, ready to bat the leaves away, but when they came, it wasn't the leaves that were repelled. Starmie was pummeled by two leaves, making the Pokemon fly in the air until it hit a wall behind Misty. The girl in question turned quickly to see her Pokemon slowly slide down the wall with a large crack in its gem. Starmie hit the ground and moved no more.
"Starmie is unable to battle!" called the referee.
Calling back Starmie, Misty eyed the Bellsprout with new respect and worry. That Razor Leaf was incredible. I can't underestimate this Pokemon, or things are going to get worse and fast.
"Seadra, come on out." Misty's newly evolved Pokemon materialized, signifying the resumption of the battle. Before a single Pokemon could use an attack, a few purple spike sprang up from the ground, injecting themselves in Seadra and immediately poisoning her.
"Have to make this fast. Use Agility and then BubbleBeam," quickly ordered Misty. Seadra may have been poisoned, but she had plenty of energy to spare and took off in a flash. Stopping randomly, all of a sudden Seadra let loose the stream of bubbles.
"Swat those away with Vine Whip," a composed Jeanette answered. Vines emerged from Bellsprout's stems and easily battered the bubbles into nothing, not allowing any damage to be done.
"Continue the Vine Whip and grab a hold of Seadra," ordered the now smirking girl. Now the vines chased after the Sea Horse itself. Misty didn't need to say a word for Seadra to begin evasion tactics though. Her Pokemon was starting to lose some speed though as the poison continued to do its work.
"Good work Seadra. Let's try a—"
"Split Vine Whip," interrupted Jeanette, throwing Misty off with the wording. One of Bellsprout's vines ceased chasing down Seadra, splitting off and swerving to intercept the Pokemon elsewhere.
"LOOK OUT!" yelled Misty, seeing the vine almost appear out of nowhere in the direction Seadra was heading. Too late. Seadra was tripped up and began to skid across the floor. This didn't last long though as the second vine wrapped around Seadra's frame soon after.
"Now slam it!" Jeanette said without remorse. Seadra was lifted into the air and the repeatedly brought down hard to the ground.
"TWISTER!" screamed Misty, trying to catch Seadra's attention. Seadra looked like she was beginning to charge up an attack, but this came to a quick stop when she was forced to the ground yet again. Soon enough, the poison and repeated connections with the ground added up. Seadra was released and stopped moving altogether.
"Seadra is unable to battle!" called the referee.
"UNBELEIVABLE FOLKS! JEANETTE WAS DOWN TO HER LAST POKEMON, BUT TWO QUICK KNOCK-OUTS HAVE MADE THIS A 1 ON 1 BATTLE!" yelled the announcer.
"You were right," Ash said with little emotion, trying to drown out the cheering crowd around him and Brock.
"I didn't want to be," sighed the older teen.
Back on the field of battle, Misty had already called back Seadra. "Can I still win this?" the girl softly asked herself, confidence nearly shattered from the previous beatdown. Looking around, Misty saw Jeanette radiating her own confidence, the referee looking at Misty expectantly, and the crowd was still going berserk. Finally, her eyes connected with her friends. They both showed concern, but Ash flashed a quick smile and gave an encouraging nod.
"Ash wouldn't give up, and neither should I!" Misty said a little louder, gaining newfound resolve. Pulling out a Pokeball, the girl gave it a deep look.
"It's all up to you now. Go Magikarp!"
END CHAPTER
Yay cliffhanger! Today's chapter saw us progress the story with the Elite 4, a few evolutions, and a nice Misty-centric section, which we will wrap up next time.
Next Time - Misty concludes her battle with Jeanette, we continue the Rocket/Mewtwo plot, and the gang runs into a fiendish scheme on the way back to Fuchsia City.
Espeon860 - Thanks for the review! Yes it was a disappointing Gym Battle, but that was kind of the point. I wanted to show how far Ash has come, while also showcasing the incompetence of new Gym Leaders who do not work well together. Cinnabar will be a massive one though. As for Magikarp, we will see next chapter won't we.
I am vegito - Thanks for the review! Glad you liked it as always.
Reader - Thanks for the review! I like your suggestions for Blaine's Gym. I do plan on it being a 6 on 6 battle, but Entei is going to have to be a pass. I am going to limit legendary trainers and have no plan for one to make an appearance anytime soon. As for the others, you make some good suggestions and I will use a few. Look for Blaine's ace to be familiar yet different.
Today I would like to recommend a criminally underrated piece of FanFiction, which I am unashamed to say I binge read last week, probably taking time away from writing. The Boy Without a Fairy by TheLoneStar6 features the best Ocarina of Time retelling I have ever seen in Fanfic form. The relationship with Navi is particularly heartwarming. The author has also planned a Majora's Mask sequel, so I advise you to give it a shot.
Remember to review with your thoughts and critique :)
Smell ya later!
