Pokémon – Thunder Yellow
Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader
Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri
Chapter 16: Battle at the Museum
Takashi's Pokémon
Pikachu (Male)
Froakie (Female)
Pidgey (Male)
"Look Mom…I did it! I really did it! I won at the Pewter Gym! I won the Boulder Badge!"
Following his victory at the Pewter City Gym a few hours ago, Takashi Nakamura was on cloud nine. Everything he and his Pokémon have went through during the last couple of weeks have all been culminating towards this moment and Takashi couldn't be happier. He finally defeated Brock and won his very first official Pokémon League Gym Badge. Now, with the Boulder Badge in his possession and safely rested in his Badge Case, Takashi only needed to obtain 7 more Gym Badges in order to finally earn the right to compete in the Pokémon League.
Shortly after his victory, the first thing Takashi did after he left the Pewter Gym was make his way over to the Pokémon Center. After giving all of his injured Pokémon over to Nurse Joy so that they can be healed, Takashi spent the next few hours simply staring at his Gym Badge while waiting for them. As he did so, he saw that one of the videophones was free to be used. Wanting to share in this moment, Takashi decided to give his mother, Haruka, a call. Thankfully, Haruka had just finished running her errand for Professor Oak, so she was able to answer the phone this time around. She then listened closely as her son explained how his rematch against Brock went down.
"That's great to hear, Takashi." Haruka said with a smile on her face. "I knew you could do it, sweetie. I'm so proud of you."
Hearing his mother say that to him, brought a huge smile on Takashi's face as well. Haruka was his biggest supporter and the one who got him out of his funk after he lost his first battle against Brock. Out of everyone in the world, her opinion meant the most to him. Because of that, Takashi didn't just enter his rematch against Brock for just his own sake. He also went into it for his mother, who always believed in his strength. The fact that Takashi was able to win was proof that Haruka's faith in him was not misplaced.
As she continued to look at her son from the view screen back at Pallet Town, Haruka could see the pure joy that was beaming off his face. The fact that she was proud of him was an understatement. In her eyes, Takashi carries within him not just her will, but also the will of his late father, Tatsumi. The two of them always believed that he had what it takes to one day become a Pokémon Master and his victory today at the Pewter Gym was validation of that. However, although she was happy for him, Haruka also knew that this wasn't the time for Takashi to be resting on his laurels. To illustrate that point, the smile that she had on her face soon faded away, something that Takashi quickly took notice of.
"Listen Takashi…" She said to him. "You and your Pokémon should be very proud of your accomplishment. However, don't assume that all of your battles from here on out will be just like the one you just had. Now that you've won a Gym Badge, the challenges you'll soon face will be far more difficult. If you don't show the same drive that you did today…you'll simply be blown away. Do you understand?"
For a moment, Takashi didn't respond to his mother's words as he was still coming to terms with it. After a bit of time though, the young man realized that she was right. His path to becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master would only become more difficult as time went on. Because of that he needed to keep up with his training and become even stronger than he already was. Once he realized that, Takashi looked towards his mother and gave her a slight nod.
"Right…I understand, mom." He replied.
"That's good to hear." Haruka said, her smile returning as she did so. "So…What happens now? Do you know what Gym you're going to challenge next?"
Upon being asked that question, Takashi soon realized that had absolutely no idea. He's been preparing for his rematch at the Pewter Gym for so long now that he didn't really consider anything else beyond that. Because of that, he soon shook his head at Haruka, who soon responded with the following suggestion.
"If that's the case, I suggest you head over to Cerulean City next. I hear there's a Gym over there and that the Gym Leader is really tough. I'm sure it'll be a good challenge for you if you want to win your second Gym Badge."
After hearing his mother's suggestion, Takashi pulled out his PokéGear and activated its Map app. From it, he saw that Cerulean City in towards the east, just beyond Mt. Moon. As long as he doesn't make any long stops, he should be able to arrive there in just under a month. Upon seeing that and wanting to take his mother word for it, Takashi decided that his next destination will indeed be the Gym in Cerulean City.
"Alright…I'll head to Cerulean City next." He said with a nod. "Thanks for the suggestion, mom."
"Not a problem, sweetie." Haruka replied.
Shortly after this, an announcement was heard all throughout the Pokémon Center. It was Nurse Joy, who was calling for Takashi to come to the front desk and pick up his Pokémon. When he heard that, Takashi knew that he needed to hang up for now and told his mother. Being very understanding, Haruka was alright with it as she was simply glad that she got to talk to her son again.
"Well mom…I gotta go." He told her. "Next time you see, I would've won two Gym Badges!"
"Is that so?" Haruka replied with a sly smile. "Well in that case, I look forward to that day. Until then…take care of yourself, Takashi."
"I will."
With that said, both Haruka and Takashi said their goodbyes and hung up. Takashi then made his way over to the front desk, where both Nurse Joy and her Chansey were waiting patiently for him. Upon arriving, the young man was happily greeted by Pikachu, who immediately jumped into his arms. He also reached out and grabbed both Froakie and Pidgey's respective PokéBalls. Once he had them in hand, the young man looked towards Nurse Joy and Chansey and thanked them with a slight bow.
As soon that was taken care of, Takashi and Pikachu left the Pokémon Center. It was the middle of the afternoon, so the sun was still shining brightly all across Pewter City. Following the Gym Battle, both Rebecca and Danny made their way back home so that they could help their mother prepare a feast in celebration of his victory. Since that takes place later on this evening, Takashi knew that he had a few hours to kill until then.
Before he did anything however, Takashi took the time to sit Pikachu down. He then proceeded to pull out Froakie and Pidgey's PokéBalls and open them. This caused the two Pokémon to appear from them in a burst of light. Once all three Pokémon were standing next to each other, Takashi went on to kneel down so that he could face them on their eye level.
"Guys…I want to say that I'm very proud of all you." He said to them. He then pulled out his Badge Case and showed off his Boulder Badge. "It took us a bit, but we were finally able to get this Gym Badge. Brock told me that it was proof of our victory, but it's more than that. This Gym Badge is also proof of your hard work. I couldn't have won this without you. So Pikachu, Froakie, Pidgey…From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you."
Upon hearing their Trainer say that to him, all of Takashi's Pokémon immediately jumped into in his arms. All three of them felt the same way that he did. Just like how Takashi couldn't have won without them, they couldn't have won without him. He believed in their strength and it was through that belief they were able to overcome Brock and his Rock-Types. This was a team effort and all of them wanted to show Takashi how much they appreciated him.
Following that, Takashi picked himself up and began walking around Pewter City. With Pikachu and Froakie on his shoulders and Pidgey resting comfortably on his head, the four of them just walked around, enjoying each other's company. They had no idea where they were planning to go, but as long as they were together, anywhere was just fine.
Meanwhile, in the forest just outside of Pewter City, a familiar van was busy looking over the rocky metropolis from afar. Inside the van were equally familiar individuals known as Mark and Joe. It's been a few days since their defeat at the hands of Takashi and his Pokémon and the utter humiliation they've been feeling hasn't subsided. Not only did they essentially lose to a child, but they also lost the precious Pokémon Egg that they were told to collect. To say that they were trouble would a massive understatement.
"Damn it!" Joe cursed as he smashed his fist against the horn of his van. "There's no way we can get the egg now and can't return to the organization empty handed. Doing so is certain death!"
"I know that, fool!" Mark sternly replied. "You don't need to remind me."
"Then tell me what are we going to do?! How are we going to fix this?!"
Mark was becoming increasingly irritated with Joe's whining. He was well aware of the situation that they were in and what ultimately awaited if they returned to their organization empty handed. A part of Mark wanted to knock Joe out for all his complaining, but doing so would simply be a waste of time and effort. Instead, he focused his attention on trying to solve this problem of theirs.
While trying to do so, Mark looked down for a moment and saw something lying on the floor of the van. It was a brochure that detailed all the best spots to visit here in Pewter City. Normally, Mark would have simply ignored it, but he noticed that the brochure was advertising one of the city's biggest tourist attractions, the Pewter City Museum of Science. The museum was the home of a variety of exhibits, ranging from Pokémon Fossils, ancient artifacts, and even space technology. There was one limited exhibit that really caught Mark's eye, prompting him to pick the brochure and examine it more thoroughly. As he did so, a fiendish smile soon appeared on his face.
"I think I just found the answer to all of our problems." He said.
"And what's that?" Joe inquired. "You found something for us to take back to headquarters?"
"Yes I have…" Mark showed Joe the brochure, in particular the thing that was making him so happy. "We were unable to steal back a Pokémon Egg, but we're going steal something even more valuable. We're going to steal…a Mega Stone!"
A few hours have passed since Takashi and his Pokémon began wandering around Pewter City. As they did so, they took the time to enjoy everything that the city had to offer them. This ranged from trying out any of their specialty meals to observing some of the things that make Pewter City so special. After some time, Takashi noticed that it was almost time for him to head back over to Rebecca's place and so he decided to make one final stop. That stop was none other than Pewter City's own Museum of Science and Technology.
As he observed the complex from the outside, the first thing that Takashi saw was two statues that looked like they were made from Pokémon Fossils. Given how they were painted gold, the young man knew right away that these statutes weren't authentic. Even so, just the sight of them was still very cool to see. It made him wonder what other kind of things that the museum had to offer and so he decided to head inside and find out.
After paying a small fee, Takashi made his way inside the museum and was immediately amazed by what he was seeing. Not only there were even more Pokémon Fossils, which were truly authentic, but there was also several rare stones that he's never seen before. In addition to that, the museum even had displays of rockets and rovers that were used in official moon landings. It was an incredible sight to behold and the more Takashi and his Pokémon looked around, the more impressed they were becoming.
Soon though, as he continued to walk around, Pikachu noticed something going on with Takashi's left arm. It was starting to glow slightly. When he saw that, the Mouse Pokémon quickly alerted his Trainer to what he was seeing, prompting Takashi to stop and look at his arm. When he did, he saw that the glow was coming from one of the two bracelets that used to belong to his father. In particular, it was the stone that was attached to it.
"What the heck?" He said to himself. "What's going on here?"
When his mother first gave him this bracelet before he left on his Pokémon Journey, Takashi never really thought of it as nothing more than an heirloom. For him, the fact that it used to belong to his father was enough and that it didn't need to be special. However, after witnessing the glow that was coming off the stone on the bracelet, Takashi was starting to wonder if there was more to it than he initially thought.
As Takashi continued to examine the bracelet, Pikachu and the others all noticed something located in the back of the museum. When they alerted Takashi of it, the young man saw a flickering light. The way it was glowing resembled the way the stone was glowing, causing Takashi to wonder if there was some kind of connection. Deciding to investigate, Takashi and his Pokémon made their way towards the flickering light that was shining in the distance.
After making his way through all the other customers, Takashi arrived at the source of the light and saw that it was coming from a stone that was inside a display case. It was a somewhat large stone that had a blue and white color scheme to it. Just looking at the stone caused Takashi to feel somewhat mesmerized by it. However, he was quickly brought out of that state when he saw that the stone on his bracelet was glowing even brighter than before. Upon seeing that glow, Takashi again wondered to himself what was going on.
"Just what is this thing?"
"It's a Mega Stone…" A mysterious female voice said in response.
Upon hearing someone respond to his question, Takashi turned around saw a beautiful young woman walking towards him. She had long black hair and has piercing, yet kind, red eyes. Her attire mostly consisted of a red and black shirt with some jeans, giving her a rather tomboyish look about her. However, from the way she carried herself, she also had an aura of elegance around her as well. For a moment, Takashi was completely overwhelmed by the sheer presence of this mysterious woman that just appeared from out of nowhere.
As for the woman herself, she simply looked at Takashi with a small smile on her face. Right away, she could tell that he was still a fairly new Pokémon Trainer who hasn't been on his journey for very long. Even so, she could also tell that Takashi possessed an extremely powerful aura as well, one that even he wasn't aware of. Given all of that, the young woman believed that Takashi had the makings to be an excellent Pokémon Trainer, once he learned to harness the potential that was inside of him.
"…Mega Stone?" Takashi questioned as he continued to look the woman. "What's that?"
"It's a special kind of stone that has wondrous powers." The woman explained as she walked up to him. "When held by a specific Pokémon and when it's in resonance with a Trainer and their respective Key Stone, a Mega Stone has the ability to give a Pokémon the power to Mega Evolve, which greatly enhances their strength."
"Wow…! That's amazing!"
With this new information now filling his brain, Takashi started to examine the Mega Stone with a greater intrigue. He was already aware that certain Pokémon had the ability to evolve, but he's never heard of anything like this before. It was almost hard to believe, but Takashi got the feeling that this woman wasn't lying to him about this. Because of that, the smile that was beaming off of his face only grew bigger as time went by.
Meanwhile, as Takashi continued to examine the Mega Stone, the young woman was simply looking at him. In particular, her eyes were focused on the two bracelets that he wore on both of his wrists. She noticed that the one that was on his left wrist was glowing in resonance to the Mega Stone, which could only mean one thing. This prompted her to ask Takashi a question about it.
"Excuse me but…" The woman stopped herself after suddenly realizing something important. "Pardon me, but I forgot to ask you for your name. My name is Akame Himura and I'm a Trainer from Viridian City."
"Oh…My name is Takashi." Takashi answered as he turned to face her. "I'm Takashi Nakamura from Pallet Town."
"Well Takashi…I would like to ask you where you got that Key Stone from? They're extremely rare, perhaps even more so than a Mega Stone, so I would like to know where you got it."
Pausing for a moment, Takashi took the opportunity to look down at his wrist and stare at the stone that was attached to his bracelet. From what he just learned from Akame, the stone was a Key Stone, one of the two stones required for a Pokémon to Mega Evolve. As he never realized just how important it was before, Takashi was amazed that he had such a rare item on his person. He then told Akame how he got his hands on it.
"I don't particularly know where it was found." He started off. "However, I do know that it used to belong to my dad. Before I left to go on my Pokémon Journey, my mother gave both it, as well as the other bracelet to me. Apparently, there were items that my dad wanted me to have."
Upon hearing his explanation, Akame gently nodded her head as she continued to stare at the Key Stone that Takashi was carrying. From what she could tell, Akame was able to determine that Takashi was a fairly kind young man with a strong sense of justice. She was able to determine that from the way all three of his Pokémon were interacting with him. All of them seemed particularly happy and content by just being around him. Given how rare Key Stones and Mega Stones were, it was not uncommon for them to sought after by crooks and thieves. However, Akame believed that this particular Key Stone would be in good hands.
Soon, after continuing to examine the Mega Stone for a bit longer, Takashi began to notice something, prompting him to look down at his wrists again. While the Key Stone that was on his left bracelet was glowing, the one that was on his right bracelet wasn't doing anything at all. Wondering about that, the young Trainer decided to ask Akame in order to see if she knew the answer.
"Hey Akame…" He said as he presented the other bracelet to her. "What about this stone? Is it a Mega Stone as well?"
"…No." Akame answered as she shook her head. "As a matter of fact that stone is a…"
Just as she was about to answer Takashi's question, Akame suddenly stopped and looked behind her. As Takashi stared at her with a confused expression on her face, Akame was busy sniffing the area. She picked up on something just now and although the smell was still unnoticeable to most people, Akame was able to detect it. This prompted her to look towards Takashi and the young man watched as her expression suddenly changed to one of fierce determination.
"Come with me…Quickly!" She told him.
Before Takashi could even question her about what was going on, Akame quickly grabbed him by the hand and brought the young man into a small closet that was nearby. Once both he and his Pokémon were secure, Akame slowly opened the door so that she could get a look outside. Takashi also peeked out the door too and when he did, he was immediately surprised by what he was seeing.
From out of nowhere, a thick smoke cloud suddenly appeared inside the museum and began to envelop the entire area. Right away, all the customers and museum staff succumb to the poisonous effects of the cloud, coughing severely as they struggled to breathe. When he saw this, Takashi was immediately reminded of what happened to him when he faced Mark and Joe a few days ago. This caused him to wonder if there was some kind of connection to them and to what was happening right now.
Before he could determine that however, Akame immediately stopped Takashi and shook her head at him in disapproval. Without saying anything, the young woman informed him that if he went out there now, he would simply fall victim to the gas like everyone else. For now, he needed to stay put and see how things play out before making any rash moves. Realizing that she was right, Takashi reluctantly complied too her wishes and waited things out.
After another 5 minutes of waiting, nearly everyone in the museum was rendered unconscious because of the gas. It was at that moment that two individuals entered into the museum, their faces being hidden by a pair of gas masks. However, they didn't wear those masks for long as when one of them opened the windows and allowed some fresh air to enter, they removed them and revealed their faces. Upon seeing them, Takashi saw that it was indeed Mark and Joe who were behind this, causing him to grit his teeth in frustration.
"We're in." Joe said as he watched his Koffing enter into the building from the windows. "Now…where is the Mega Stone?"
"…This way." Mark answered as he pointed towards his right. "Let's hurry."
As the two criminals slowly made their way over to his location, Takashi found himself shaking rather violently. He could still remember the trouble both he and his Pokémon had to endure after facing the two of them. Now they were back and this time they were after the Mega Stone that the museum was displaying for everyone. Although he still doesn't know much about the stone, Takashi knew that he couldn't allow himself to stand by and let them get their hands on it. To that end, both he and his Pokémon immediately rushed out of the closet, much to Akame's shock.
Once Takashi reached Mark and Joe, both he and his Pokémon quickly stepped in between them and the Mega Stone. Just one look at the young man was enough to anger the criminals as, just like Takashi hasn't forgotten about them, they haven't forgotten him. It was due to Takashi that they failed their last mission and now he's back, interfering with them again. When he saw that, Mark immediately pulled out a PokéBall that he had on him.
"You have a lot of nerve showing up here, brat!" Mark said with an intimidating glare. "But you know…I'm actually glad you did. Now I can pay you back for what happened a few days ago."
"The feeling is mutual." Takashi replied. "But this time I'm going to make sure that you don't get away!"
Right away, Pikachu, Froakie, and Pidgey stepped up and confronted Mark and Joe. In response, Joe had his Koffing confront the three Pokémon while Mark proceeded to let out his Graveler from the PokéBall that he was carrying. As Akame continued to look on from the closet she saw that Takashi had both the numbers and type advantage of his opponents. This would indicate that this battle was Takashi's to win. However, just as she determined that, both Akame and Takashi watched as Mark pulled out another PokéBall that he had on him.
"Ekans…Come on out!"
Once Mark threw the PokéBall that he was holding, everyone present watched as a powerful Ekans appeared from it and stood next to both Graveler and Koffing. Although it's been a while since he's last seen one, Takashi remembered how strong an Ekans can be and knew that he needed to be careful if he wanted to win this battle.
"Ekans, use Bite on Pidgey!" Mark declared. "Graveler, use Rollout on Pikachu!"
"Koffing, use Sludge on Froakie!" Joe followed.
Upon hearing their respective orders, all three Pokémon immediately lunged towards their opponents. While Graveler began rolling towards Pikachu, Ekans prepared to swallow Pidgey whole with its huge mouth. Meanwhile, Koffing spit up a toxic sludge from its mouth and directed it straight at Froakie.
"Everyone…Dodge!" Takashi shouted.
Just as each attack was about to land, Pikachu and the others immediately jumped out of the way. However, when they did so, Akame watched as the enemy Pokémon ended up causing a lot of damage to the museum when their attacks missed. When she saw that she quickly came to the conclusion that it wasn't safe for the battle to continue taking place here.
"Takashi!" She called out too. "You need to move the battle away from here! If this keeps up, you could destroy all the valuable exhibits!"
After hearing Akame say that to him, Takashi looked around for a moment and saw the damage that Graveler and the others caused. Realizing that she was right and that having the battle take place inside the building was bad, Takashi tried to figure out a way to force the battle outside. He knew that it wouldn't be easy though as both Mark and Joe would need a strong enough reason to want to change settings. Eventually, an idea did come to mind and although it was risky, Takashi knew that it was the only thing that could possibly do the job.
To that end, everyone watched as Takashi turned around and immediately broke the glass that was containing the Mega Stone. After taking it, the young man looked around the museum until he found the window that Mark and Joe opened to let in some fresh air. He then took aim and threw the Mega Stone out the window as hard as he could, shocking everyone in the process.
"Pidgey…Grab that Mega Stone!"
Right away, Pidgey responded to Takashi's request and quickly raced out the museum as quickly as he could. Thanks to his incredible speed, the Tiny Bird Pokémon managed to grab a hold of the Mega Stone before it could get to far away. Once he saw that, Takashi looked towards Mark and Joe, praying that the two of them would react in the way he hoped. With a smile on his face, Takashi watched as that was indeed the case as Mark, Joe, and all of their Pokémon immediately fled the museum and began making their way towards Pidgey.
After the two of them left, Takashi looked around the museum one more time in order to survey the damage. Once he finished, he looked towards Akame, who appeared from out of the closet. He then watched as she gave him a reassuring nod.
"You go and take care of those guys." She told him. "I'll make sure everyone else here is okay."
With a nod of his own, Takashi complied with Akame's wishes and immediately rushed out of the museum with the rest of his Pokémon. Once they made it outside, they watched as Pidgey was busy trying to avoid Graveler, Ekans, and Koffing, as Mark and Joe were having all three Pokémon attack him at once.
"Give us that stone!" Mark yelled.
Sticking his tongue at him, Pidgey refused to give in to Mark's words. Takashi was counting on him to protect the Mega Stone and he wasn't about to let him down. When he saw this, Mark nearly popped a blood vessel and decided to be a little more forceful.
"Graveler, use Rock Throw!"
Without question, Graveler punched the ground with all four his arms, creating a sizable crack. It then grabbed four large boulders and threw them directly at Pidgey. Although he managed to avoid two of them, Pidgey's maneuverability was limited due to him trying to protect the Mega Stone. Because of that, the third boulder managed to nick him before the fourth and final boulder connected head on.
As Pidgey started falling towards the ground, Froakie immediately responded to her friend's plight and pulled out several of her Frubbles. She then threw, creating a makeshift cushion that allowed Pidgey to have a soft landing. When they saw this, Mark and Joe turned around and watched as Takashi and his remaining Pokémon was making their way towards them.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Koffing!" He ordered. "Froakie, use Bubble on Graveler!"
Both Pokémon obeyed their Trainer's command, resulting in Pikachu firing off a powerful electrical blast at Koffing while Pidgey bombarded Graveler with a barrage of bubbles. The two attacks were able to land, dealing a significant amount of damage onto Graveler and Koffing. Upon seeing that, Mark and Joe realized that Takashi and his Pokémon have gotten much stronger since the last time they met, meaning that this battle will be even more difficult.
Meanwhile, as the battle between them was going on, Takashi was making his way over to Pidgey, who was slowly picking himself up after being attacked. However, just as he was about to reach him, Ekans suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and slid right past him. The Snake Pokémon then approached Pidgey, intending to swallow him with its Bite attack.
"Get away from him!" Takashi yelled.
With Pidgey still struggling and with no time to jump in and get him, Takashi found himself tackling Ekans before the snake could devour his Pokémon. He then struggled to keep Ekans from getting any closer to Pidgey. Unfortunately, the Snake Pokémon was simply too powerful for him to overcome and Takashi found himself being wrapped in its long body. Ekans then squeezed Takashi tightly, causing him to scream out in agony.
When Pidgey heard Takashi cry out, the Tiny Bird Pokémon instantly snapped out of his gaze and saw the peril that his Trainer was in. With Pikachu and Froakie still dealing with their own battles, Pidgey knew that he was the only one who could possibly help Takashi. To that end, he attempted to get Ekans to release him by attack with a barrage of attacks. Unfortunately, due to its weaken state, Pidgey wasn't able to get enough power into them and so Ekans was able to shrug them off.
"That's it, Ekans!" Mark said as he took notice at what was happening. "Don't stop! Squeeze the life out of that little bastard!"
Ekans immediately complied with Mark's request and squeezed down on Takashi even harder. When Pidgey saw that, he once again tried to get Ekans to release him, but was simply not strong enough. After getting knocked down again, Pidgey looked up and saw how much pain that Takashi was in. When he saw that, something suddenly erupted inside of the Flying Pokémon, causing him to scream out as his entire body started to glow.
Upon noticing this, everyone suddenly stopped what they were doing and looked on at Pidgey with shocked expressions on their faces. They watched as Pidgey's body began to morph and become much bigger. When the glow finally faded away, Pidgey now had a more raptor-like appearance with pinkish-red feathers on his head and red and yellow tail feathers.
"Impossible…" Mark said with a stunned look. "It evolved…"
As Mark continued to look on in shock, Pidgey immediately dashed over towards Ekans at an incredible speed and hit it head on with a powerful Quick Attack. The force of the attack was so great that it not only caused Ekans to release Takashi, but also knocked the Snake Pokémon a few feet as well. Once he did that, Pidgey then made his way over to Takashi, checking to see if he was alright.
After getting it together, Takashi slowly looked up at Pidgey and saw how much it changed, especially when it came to his height. Just a few seconds ago he could fit in the palm of his hand, but not he was nearly half his size. Seeing this made him realize that Mark was right and that Pidgey did in fact evolve. He then pulled out his PokéDex in order to see what kind of Pokémon Pidgey evolved into.
"Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokémon and the evolved form of Pidgey." Dexter explained. "Pidgeotto renders its prey immobile using its well-developed claws, then carries the prey more than 60 miles to its nest. Pidgeotto is a Normal/Flying-Type Pokémon."
Once Dexter finished its explanation and Takashi put it back into his pocket, the young man took a moment to carefully examine his newly evolved Pokémon. Despite the fact that he may have changed physically, he could tell right away that Pidgeotto was still the same Pokémon that he always was. This put a smile on Takashi face, which in turned caused Pidgeotto to smile too. The two of them then confronted Ekans, who began making its way towards the both of them.
"Okay Pidgeotto…use Quick Attack!"
With a quick nod, Pidgeotto instantly dashed towards Ekans rammed into it with blinding speed. After getting knocked back, the Snake Pokémon attempted to counter attack by firing off several poisonous needles from its mouth. Unfortunately for it however, Pidgeotto was able to avoid each and every one of them with little effort. The Bird Pokémon then went on to bombard Ekans with a barrage of Quick Attacks. His final strike was so strong that it caused Ekans to fly straight into a nearby tree, knocking it out.
Once that was taken care of, Pidgeotto walked back over towards Takashi and went on to hand him the Mega Stone that he was still protecting. Thankful that the stone was still safe, Takashi happily petted Pidgeotto's head. The two of them then looked back over at the remaining battles and saw that both Pikachu and Froakie were just finishing things up. Pikachu knocked out Koffing with a powerful Electro Ball while Froakie did the same to Graveler with her Water Pulse attack. After the battle was over, Takashi and all of his Pokémon confronted Mark and Joe.
"So what now…?" He questioned. "Do you want to give up or keep going? I'm fine with either answer."
Angered by the young man's arrogance, both Mark and Joe wanted to put him in his place and continue the battle. However, given Takashi's increased strength, the two of them realized that they couldn't win this battle now. They had to regroup and so, to that end, Joe angrily pulled out a small smoke bomb and smashed it onto the ground. This caused a thick cloud of smoke to cover the immediate area, allowing the two criminals to escape with their Pokémon. Unfortunately, they wouldn't get far.
"Alakazam…use Psychic!"
Recognizing the voice that just spoke up, Takashi turned his head and saw that it indeed Akame's. By her side was a rather humanoid Pokémon with a yellow and brown body, spiky-like ears, and a large mustache. In its hands was two spoons, which it was using to not only disperse the smoke cloud, but also stop Mark and Joe right in their tracks. Once they were in place, Akame then went on to give Alakazam another command.
"Now use Hypnosis."
Nodding its head in response, Alakazam walked over towards the criminals before looking at them with glowing blue eyes. When they saw its eyes, both Mark and Joe suddenly felt incredibly drowsy and soon feel asleep. As soon as they were out cold, Akame walked over with a long rope in hand and proceeded to tie the two of them up.
As Akame doing that, Takashi was amazed by the power of her Pokémon. This was the first time he's seen an Alakazam in person before and so he was highly impressed by its power. He then found himself pulling his PokéDex back out in order to learn more about it.
"Alakazam, the Psi Pokémon and the final evolved form of Abra." Dexter stated. "Alakazam's brain continually grows, infinitely multiplying brain cells. This amazing brain gives this Pokémon an astoundingly high IQ of 5,000. It has a thorough memory of everything that has occurred in the world. Alakazam is a Psychic-Type Pokémon."
Following Dexter's explanation, Akame finished tying up Mark and Joe and went on to walk towards Alakazam. She then went on to share a light fist-bump with her Pokémon before returning it back into its PokéBall. Once she did so, the young woman made her way over to Takashi and his Pokémon.
"That was well done, Takashi." She said with a smile on her face. "You and your Pokémon did great…Especially your Pidgeotto."
"Yeah…" Takashi replied before looking over and smiling at his Pokémon. "We sure did."
Shortly after the incident at the museum was settled, Takashi and Akame waited for Officer Jenny to arrive with her men. When she did, she immediately arrested Mark and Joe and took them into custody in order to be questioned. She then made her way over to Takashi and Akame, thanking them for what they've done here.
"Excellent work, you two." Jenny said with a smile. "Thanks to you, those criminals won't be causing any more trouble for a while."
Although she flattered by Jenny's kind words, Akame suggested that Takashi take all the credit for this as he was the one who stopped Mark and Joe from getting their hands on the Mega Stone. Jenny agreed with this and was about to thank him again, but soon noticed something up with Takashi. The young man was in deep thought, as if there was something troubling weighing on his mind. She was about to ask him about it, but stopped when Takashi started talking to her first.
"Officer Jenny…" He started off. "This isn't the first time I've seen these men in black before. A met a few more in both Viridian City and the Viridian Forest. Do you have any idea if they're connected in anyway?"
Upon being asked that, Jenny took a moment to ponder whether or not she should answer that question. What Takashi was talking about was considered highly classified and she didn't want to get him involved in something so potentially dangerous. Still, given everything that's happened, Jenny came to the conclusion that Takashi was a trustworthy individual and decided to tell him.
"They're indeed connected." She explained. "You see…those individuals are all a part of secret criminal organization that's been causing trouble all throughout the Kanto Region for some time now. They call themselves Team Rocket. Apparently, their goals revolve around stealing and selling rare Pokémon for profit. However…there's still much about them that we still don't know so we can't say for certain."
"I see…"
After hearing all this, something within Takashi started to click. He started to understand why all the Team Rocket members that he's faced up until now were so eager to obtain the Pokémon that they were trying to capture. However, he could also tell that there was something more to it than just making a profit. Takashi could sense that Team Rocket at another goal behind all their actions…but he wasn't able to figure out what that goal was.
"Anyway…you shouldn't have to worry about such things, Takashi." Jenny told him as she placed her hand upon his shoulder. "Let us handle this situation. You just focus on your own Pokémon Journey."
Nodding her head in agreement, Akame assured Takashi that the police have got everything under control and that he shouldn't have to bother dealing with scum like Team Rocket. Although a part of him knew that they were right, Takashi couldn't help but want to get involved after seeing all the trouble the evil organization have been causing. Still, he decided to be respectful to both Jenny and Akame's feeling and drop the issue for now.
Once that was settled, Takashi went on to hand the Mega Stone over to Officer Jenny before leaving with his Pokémon to head over to Rebecca's place. As they watched him leave, Jenny took a moment to glance over at Akame and saw that she was looking the young man with a small smile on her face.
"What's up?" She questioned.
"…Nothing." Akame answered. "It's just…I have a feeling that we're looking at the next great Pokémon Master."
"Wow…Given that you're a Pokémon Master yourself, and the current Kanto Region Champion, that's quite the claim you're making, Akame."
"Well…Let's just say I have an eye for talent."
Following morning, after having a nice party with Rebecca and the rest of her family, Takashi was just outside of their home. It's been nearly a month since he first arrived in Pewter City and although he was a bit sad to be leaving, Takashi knew that he had to continue on with his journey. To that end, his next destination was Cerulean City, site of his second Gym Battle challenge.
Before he left, Takashi and his Pokémon all made sure to say goodbye to the small family and thank them for allowing all of them into their home. Darla even went out of her way to give Takashi a handmade lunch that he could enjoy while he was out traveling. After thanking her for the meal, Takashi went on to say his goodbyes to Rebecca and Danny respectively.
"See you guys." He said with a smile. "And thanks for everything."
"You're welcome." Rebecca replied. "Have a good time on your Journey."
"Yeah…" Danny agreed. "And the next time we meet…Let's have a Pokémon Battle!"
Takashi let out a light chuckle after hearing Danny say that to him before nodding his head in agreement. Even though it would still be quite a while before Danny would be old enough to become a Trainer, Takashi promised himself that when that time came he would definitely come back and challenge him. To symbolize that, the two of them shared a pinky promise.
Once that was said, Takashi turned to face Victor, who was busy looking disinterested about all of this. Despite that however, Takashi remember how both he and the old man worked together to take care of that wild Ursaring and so that there more to him than what meets the eye. Because of that, Takashi simply smiled at Victor before nodding his head at him. He then prepared to head out, but stopped when Victor suddenly started talking to him.
"I still believe that striving to become a Pokémon Master is a fool's errand…" He stated. "However…like you said, it's because it's a fool's errand that it's worth pursuing. So if you're going to become a Pokémon Master…you better not give up on it!"
"…Right!" Takashi replied with a smile
With that said, Victor gently nodded at Takashi before making his way back inside with his Lycanroc. Once he was gone, the young man said one more goodbye to Rebecca and the others before leaving with Pikachu. As they watched them leave, both Rebecca and Danny both felt a little bit sad that Takashi was leaving them. However, the two of them also knew that it wouldn't be the last time that they would see him and found comfort in that. With that, they all went inside their home and continued on with their day.
As for Takashi, both he and Pikachu soon reached the outskirts of Pewter City after about 30 minutes of walking. They then took the opportunity to look back at it for a moment, trying to savor everything that they went through ever since they first arrived here. Once they finished doing so, Takashi prepared to head out and continue on with his Pokémon Journey. However, before he could even take a step, he stopped when Pikachu alerted him to something.
Upon turning his head back towards the city, Takashi looked on in surprise as Nurse Joy's Chansey was making its way towards him and Pikachu. As it did, Takashi saw that Chansey was carrying two items. One of them was the Pokémon Egg that he saved from Mark and Joe and the other was an envelope. Once Chansey arrived, the Egg Pokémon handed both items to a confused Takashi, who went on to open the envelope and read the letter that was inside.
Dear Takashi. Recently I've learned that the Pokémon Egg that you rescued from those criminals has no owner. From what Officer Jenny was able to gather, the egg was stolen from a faraway place in the Sinnoh Region and no one has claimed it. After some discussion, both Officer Jenny and I have decided to leave the egg under your care from now on. Consider it a gift for everything that you've done. Please promise to always take care of the egg and to raise the Pokémon inside to be happy and healthy.
Sincerely yours, Nurse Joy.
Once Takashi finished reading the letter, he took a moment to examine his newly acquired Pokémon Egg before looking back at Chansey. Although he was still coming to grips with what he just learned, Takashi promised himself to take good care of the egg now that it officially belonged to him. To that end, the young man gently nodded his head at Chansey, who proceeded to smile at him in turn.
After Chansey left and returned to the Pokémon Center, Takashi and Pikachu proceeded to walk down the road towards their next destination. As they did so, Takashi stared at the egg and started to wonder what kind of Pokémon was inside of it. In any event though, he would be happy with whatever it may be as all it would mean that he has a brand new friend. For right now though, all that was in Takashi's mind was making his way to his next destination.
"Alright…Onward to Cerulean City!"
Chapter Preview
With his adventures in Pewter City now behind him, Takashi and his Pokémon are now on their way to Cerulean City for their next Gym Battle. While taking time to have a break, a wild Pokémon suddenly appears and steals some of his food. Just who is this Pokémon and what is the reason behind its actions?
Next Time, Chapter 17: The Defender of the Forest – Part 1
Announcement
Spirit Reader: Hey guys, it's Spirit Reader with a quick announcement. Well, it's been a long time coming, but Thunder Yellow's first story arc has officially come to an end. Thank you for sticking with the story for long, despite the hiatus that it went through. Starting with Chapter 17, the story's second story arc will begin so please look forward to that. Like always, please leave your thoughts on today's chapter with a review as I would really like to hear your thoughts on it. Also, I'm strongly considering having all of you be involved in the story by allowing OCs to be included. I'll announce the details on how you can send them next chapter. The best OCs may end up becoming regular characters within the story.
Well, that's it for now. Until Next Time, this is Spirit Reader signing off!