Thanks to mestwendyfan for the review for the previous chapter
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Chapter Seventeen: Thunder and Lightning
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky followed by a deep rumble of thunder. Hailstones pelted the ground below smashing roofs and glass windows. Another bolt of lightning followed striking a nearby oak tree causing it to topple over onto a house, shattering through the ceiling. After the hail stopped falling, the rain came and low-lying areas quickly became inundated with water. Locals fled to the Pokemon Centre, the only designated place for evacuations.
All the lights were out. Mothers comforted the terrified children while the fathers encouraged their families to stick together. Violent storms were a common occurrence in summer, but it was late autumn. The older generation claimed this was a sign of bad things to come, while some of the younger folk argued against this claim. Jasmine could only look on, as a terrified and concerned community banded together under one roof.
The steel-type gym leader paced back and forth doing her best to move injured Pokemon to storm shelter underneath the Pokemon Centre. There was a backup generator in the shelter which was only used in special circumstances such as this. Without it, the injured Pokemon would struggle to heal.
"Jasmine! We have bad news! Someone has tampered with the backup generator!" a nurse exclaimed, running towards Jasmine, tears running down her cheeks. "I don't understand – it was working fine this morning!"
"Ssshh, don't panic. Everything is going to be all right," Jasmine said, placing comforting hands on the young nurse's shoulders. "I'm going to head to the lighthouse now and lead Ampharos down there to power the generator. The sick Pokemon are depending on it."
"But… Jasmine! It's too dangerous outside! Those men are still out there!"
Jasmine gave the young nurse a stern look. "I have to do what I can to protect the inhabitants of this city. For now, my Magnemite twins will do what they can to try and keep the generator running," she replied. The nurse nodded trying to remain calm, but Jasmine could see the terror in her eyes. She dashed towards the entrance then threw her last pokeball outside. A rather large serpentine Pokemon with a rock-hard body emerged from the pokeball. The Pokemon looked at her trainer, patiently awaiting the next order. "I'm going to head to the lighthouse to lead the Ampharos to the generator!" she called out over a roar of thunder.
Her mascot Pokemon, a female Steelix, nodded. Jasmine stood in the shadow of the Pokemon and moved forward, seeking shelter underneath the Pokemon's strong armour. Steelix moved forward her trainer towards the lighthouse, as the rain continued to pour. It didn't take long to reach the lighthouse since it was only a couple of metres away. Once she reached the door, she recalled her Pokemon back to her pokeball, then stepped inside.
There were various puddles of water beginning to form on the ground floor of the lighthouse. Even though the lighthouse was built on the edge of a cliff, it was still capable of flooding. This was most likely due to a few damaged pipes within the walls. Jasmine made a mental note to hire a plumber to fix the issue. As she headed up the spiral staircase, she heard voices up above.
"…why don't we just try and break the door down? What's the worst that could happen?"
"…the lighthouse Pokemon could electrocute us as soon as we enter? We don't want to provoke it."
"…then what should we do? Try and talk to it soothingly and hope it trusts us?"
There was a smacking sound which sounded like someone had gotten struck in the face. Jasmine tightened her jaw. She hurried up the stairs. About a year ago, a strange man in a white suit arrived on their doorstep, claiming he was interested in purchasing the lighthouse. This same man had also apparently bought out the former ninja base in Mahogany Town. At first, Jasmine hadn't thought much of it, but now she was regretting ever letting them in. The man who had purchased the lighthouse had long since left, heading to Mount Mortar recently to attend to some problems. Even though he had gone, he had left a bunch of his men at the lighthouse to guard the area from nosy locals.
Ever since they had arrived, the citizens of Olivine were facing endless amounts of problems. Electrical faults, stolen goods, injured Pokemon… Jasmine knew these men were to blame. She knew they could not be trusted as soon as they refused to leave the lighthouse at her request. Her plan was to drive them out, but it would be a difficult fight to the top. Pulling out her Xtransceiver, she searched through the list of her contacts, looking for people to assist her in retaking the lighthouse.
She could not call the Elite Four members for assistance – they were in Kanto and that was a very long way from Olivine. She didn't want to call on Lance for assistance either – she knew he was a rather busy person and he had a lot on his plate right now tending to problems north of Mahogany Town. That left the gym leaders of Johto. But who to call? Who could reach her in time? Who could brave the conditions?
With the exception of Falkner, none of the gym leaders had a Pokemon that could fly over. Morty was the closest gym leader by land, but it would take him over a month to reach Olivine. Chuck was also rather close, closer than Morty, but he had to cross the rough ocean to reach her. It would take him a few hours to cross in good weather. In conditions as foul as this, it could take as long as a week. Falkner could make the journey but his Pokemon wouldn't be feeling too good afterwards.
She was alone.
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Lyra wrapped her arms around her body, lowering her head as she ran towards the Olivine City gates. She was completely drenched from head to toe shivering uncontrollably as she ran towards the Pokemon Centre. Stepping inside, she was surprised to see just how many people were crammed in the building. People of different ages and backgrounds sat on the floor, looking at her in complete darkness.
"Are you a trainer?" asked one of the nurses.
Lyra nodded. "Yes," she said, through chattering teeth.
The nurse grabbed a white blanket from a nearby chair and handed it to her. "The gym leader is in the lighthouse. You will have to wait until she has finished her business there before she returns." Lyra sat down, wrapping the blanket around her to stop from shaking. Although the cloth provided additional warmth, it still wasn't enough to stop the chills. Still, it was better than nothing.
"What sort of business?"
The nurse shook her head. "It is not my place to say. Jasmine should not be much longer though, so rest here and wait. You won't be able to leave the city until the storm has passed and we won't be able to heal your Pokemon until the generator is working again."
Lyra sighed. She had come all this way for nothing. Her Pokemon were exhausted from all the battles and she couldn't heal them because there was no power. All she had left were a couple of potions left but it wouldn't be enough to restore complete health. "I need to heal my Pokemon." She wasn't going to waste more time just hanging around cities and towns – she had already lost a fair bit of time by staying longer than necessary in both Ecruteak and Goldenrod City. At the rate she was going at now, she wouldn't reach the league until she was seventeen. "You don't understand. I need to get my next gym badge."
The nurse shook her head again, giving Lyra a stern gaze. "No one is allowed to leave. It's far too risky in this weather." Lyra did not flinch. The nurse sighed. "I see you are a determined trainer… Seek out Jasmine in the lighthouse. You might be able to help her restore power to the generator."
"Thank you."
Placing the blanket on the bench, Lyra stood up and made her way to the exit. She was aware the other locals were looking at her but she was more concerned by seeking out Jasmine than worry what others thought of her. Fortunately, no one said a word and Lyra stepped back out into the storm.
The lighthouse was just a few feet away. Through the blinding rain, Lyra crossed the sandy ground of Olivine City and reached the lighthouse. The door was unlocked and slightly ajar. She pushed it and stepped inside, immediately making contact with a growing puddle of water. Cringing at the water seeping through her socks and shoes, Lyra crossed the floor, heading towards the spiral staircase. Uncomfortable and revolting, but now wasn't the time to think about her appearance.
Up above, she heard sounds of battle. Toto, Staravia and her two dragons had all fainted leaving her with no other choice but to summon Growlithe and Eevee. Both her Pokemon looked at her with exhausted but eager eyes. A Pokemon's will to keep on fighting even when it was tired was inspiring. They were willing to do anything to protect their trainer. Lyra gave her Growlithe and Eevee a potion each then made her way up the stairs.
A black-clothed member greeted Jasmine on the second level. He approached her, mouth twisted in a cruel sneer. "We were wondering how to lure you here alone… then it came to us… tamper with the generator before the storm hit!" He laughed.
Jasmine clenched her jaw. "Why?"
"Why not?" The grunt shrugged. "Only you have the key to unlocking the door the lighthouse Pokemon is in. Give us the key now and we'll let you walk away peacefully."
"I will not let you hurt Ampharos!"
He raised his hands in a defensive manner. "Settle down, gym leader. We weren't going to hurt it – we just want to borrow the Pokemon for awhile, that's all." He stepped forward, grinning. "The Electrodes refuse to cooperate with us, so we thought we'd use the Ampharos instead. We hear Ampharos generates the power for this city."
Jasmine nodded. "If you think I'm going to let you have the key to steal Ampharos then you are sadly mistaken."
"Then I guess we'll just have to take it off you by force!" His dark eyes burned with black fire. He threw out a pokeball containing a Raticate. Jasmine thought about summoning her Steelix but decided against it. Steelix was far too big. The lighthouse just was too narrow to cater for a fully-grown Steelix. She had to take a chance and rush past the grunt.
There was a sudden loud explosion from the upper levels, causing the grunt before her to jump. He staggered back, eyes wide. Jasmine took the chance to run past him. The grunt regathered his composure, and tried to grab her hair, but missed. She sprinted up the staircase towards the top level and was relieved to find there were only two other grunts present. They were standing in front of the room Ampharos was locked in. "Step away from the door."
The two grunts looked at her. One female and one male. "Hey look, Raul. It's the gym leader! Looks like our little plan worked after all. Ariana and Pretel will be impressed when we bring back the Ampharos to Mahogany Town," the woman said.
"Then we can finally start our great experiment and force the Magikarp at the Lake of Rage to evolve!" said the man. "Team Rocket will be one step closer to world domination!" he raised his hands above his head and laughed. The woman also joined in the maddened laughter. Jasmine didn't see what was so amusing.
"Your plans will never succeed."
"It's already begun, Jasmine," the woman said. "Your reluctance to open the door is only delaying the inevitable." She reached down to her belt and grabbed a pokeball, throwing it onto the ground before her. Her companion did the same. Two Zubats appeared. Jasmine took a couple of steps back. Her Steelix could destroy them with ease, but the room was too small for it. Her twin Magnemite's would also have no problems but she had left them with the generator.
The Zubats advanced towards her, opening their mouths revealing sharp tiny fangs. Jasmine continued moving back until she hit a wall. "You are stuck, Jasmine. Surrender now and we'll let you go unharmed," the woman demanded, holding out her hand.
Jasmine didn't see any other option. She reached down into her belt, pulling out a set of silver keys. "Let me open the door. If anyone else tries, Ampharos will attack." The grunts exchanged exited looks and nodded, taking a couple of steps back to allow Jasmine some room. She moved away from the wall and approached the door, the keys dangling in her right hand. "Ampharos… I've come to help you," she said softly.
The Ampharos made a noise which sounded like a happy bleating sound. Placing the biggest key in the keyhole, she turned her hand clockwise causing the door to pop open. She stepped inside the room then slammed the door behind her, locking it immediately.
"Hey! She tricked us!" Raul screamed, hitting the door with his fists.
Jasmine winced, pressing her back against the door, listening to the two grunts issue threats. The Ampharos greeted Jasmine, rubbing his head against her body. Jasmine stroked his head, and looked him in the eyes. "I would never surrender you to anyone." She sat down besides Ampharos and looked at the door silently hoping someone would come and rescue them.
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Lyra raced up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn't get very far when a grunt stepped in front of her, blocking the path to the second level. "Not so fast, trainer. Did Jasmine call you?" Lyra didn't reply. "Well, nevermind. You're trespassing on Team Rocket territory. It's my duty to bring you down! Go, Rattata!"
It seemed like Rattata was a popular choice for Team Rocket members. Almost all the grunts she had encountered either had a Rattata, Koffing or Zubat in their possession. She glanced down at her Growlithe and Eevee, trying to decide which Pokemon should fight. She eventually decided on Growlithe as the canine was slightly stronger than her Eevee. "Growlithe, use Ember!" Despite being almost drained of energy, Growlithe jumped forward, opened her mouth and sent forth a ball of fire towards the Rattata.
Rattata evaded. "Rattata, use Bite!"
The rodent jumped forward, pouncing on Growlithe's back. The Rattata bit into the canine's flesh. "Growlithe, use Ember again!" This time, the ball of fire struck the Rattata. Flames from the ball spread over the rodent's body, causing the Rattata to scream. It rolled around on the floor, trying to make the flames go away.
"Finish him off with another Ember, Growlithe!" Lyra ordered. Growlithe happily obliged, sending forth yet another ball of fire. The rodent fainted.
"No way! That was my only Pokemon!" the grunt whined, running down past Lyra. Lyra watched his retreating form then headed towards the second level. Fortunately, there were no grunts here so she continued moving on to the third level. Two grunts were standing in front of a door calling out threats and insults, while two Zubats flew above their heads in circles.
"Back away," Lyra said, stepping forwards, Growlithe and Eevee at her side.
The grunts turned around. The woman's eyes looked down at Lyra's dress. "Are you sure you should be here and not attending a beauty pageant with that outfit?" Lyra felt a stab of annoyance. It didn't seem to matter what she wore – people still made fun of her. Next time she was going to change into something far more comfortable, like a pair of jeans and a simple top.
"Go home, shrimp," said the male.
The woman looked at her partner. "How about we take her on in double-battle? It'll help pass some time while we wait for the gym leader to unlock the door again. What do you say, Raul? Want to join me in a battle?"
He nodded. "Sure thing, Julia. She looks pretty weak."
"Zubat, use Bite!"
"Zubat, use Bite!"
The two bats attacked. Both their attacks hit Growlithe, knocking the poor severely weakened canine over. Growlithe pressed her belly to the floor, her body trembling. One more attack and Growlithe would join her roster of fainted Pokemon. "Growlithe, use Ember!"
Growlithe forced herself to stand up on all four feet, and aimed a weak ball of fire at the left Zubat. Zubat flapped its wings, forcing the ball back towards Growlithe. "Watch out, Growlithe!" Growlithe tried to avoid the attack, but her weakened state made it impossible. The ball hit hard causing the Growlithe to faint. Lyra pressed her lips together into a thin line. All her hopes of winning the battle rested on her weakened Eevee.
"Come on, Eevee! We've gotten out of difficult battles before! Use Shadow Claw!" Eevee jumped into the air, swiping at the left Zubat. Zubat hissed, flapping its wings rapidly trying to escape. The other Zubat flew towards Eevee and bit it on the backside. Eevee landed on the ground, wincing.
"That was close!" Julia remarked.
"Use Bite again, Zubat! Take that Eevee down!"
"Do the same, Zubat!"
Once again, the two Zubat's attacked, swooping down at the Eevee. Eevee was struck hard on the left, and then again on the right. She called out in pain. "Quick Attack!" Eevee tried to stand on her feet, but could hardly move. The previous two attacks had inflicted far too much damage. Eevee lay on the ground, trying hard to stand. "It's over, Eevee," Lyra said sadly.
"Hah, that's right. Surrender to the might of Team Rocket!" Julia boasted.
Raul gave Julia a high-five. "Good work, sister."
Lyra dropped to the ground, hands resting on her knees, head bowed and eyes squeezed shut. Tears stung her eyes. Another important match lost, but this hurt more than the resignation against Morty. Although she had resigned for the same reasons (protecting her Pokemon from further harm), she had conceded defeat to a couple of Team Rocket grunts.
Eevee whimpered her name, still determined to stand. Lyra rushed over to assist her Pokemon, the two grunts staring, dumbfounded expressions on their faces. "Eevee… what are you doing?" Lyra said softly, gazing down at the fennec fox Pokemon. "You can't be… willing to continue battling?" Eevee nodded, finally managing to stand on shaky legs. Lyra nodded. "All right… then… give it your best!"
Eevee looked at Lyra, a joyful expression on her face. She wagged her bushy tail and stood still, as she began to glow. Evolution time? Lyra thought. It seemed rather early, but the kimono girl had said an Eevee evolved into an Espeon when it reached a certain level of happiness. She wasn't quite sure what she had done to make that happen, but she wasn't going to argue against it.
The light faded, and the convulsions stopped. A light-purple elegant fox with a slender body and dainty claws stood in the Eevee's place. There was a ruby-like gem implanted in the centre point between her eyes and Lyra figured that's how the canine gained her psychic abilities. She pulled out her Pokedex, this time to update her Pokemon's moves. She had purchased quite a number of Pokemon attacks and defences in between her travels, and now was a good time to actually teach them to her Pokemon. Currently, Espeon knew Tackle, Helping Hand, Shadow Claw and Quick Attack. Lyra realized Espeon now had access to Confusion upon levelling up replacing the useless Helping Hand.
"No way! That's impossible!" said Raul.
"Your Pokemon had fainted!"
Lyra shook her head. "No, she hadn't. You underestimated her. Espeon, use Confusion!" Twin beams left the gem. The two Zubats immediately dropped to the ground, their eyes crossed. It was only after that attack Lyra learnt Psychic moves were powerful against poison-types. Now she had a super effective way of battling Team Rocket. An image of Archer appeared in her mind. The next time they met, he would lose.
The sibling team rushed past Lyra, shoving her out of the way as they hurried down the stairs. Once they were gone, Lyra strode over to the door. She was about to knock when the door opened. A timid looking well-dressed lady stepped outside to greet Lyra, a yellow Pokemon standing behind her. It peered at Lyra with curious eyes.
"I'm Jasmine, the gym leader of Olivine City. You have done a great deed here today. May I have your name?"
"Lyra."
She smiled. "I trust you have come all this way for a gym battle?" Lyra nodded. "I'm afraid I will not be able to return to the gym until the power in this city is restored. Ampharos has suffered a terrible fright and without some extra medical attention, I'm afraid I can't battle."
"What can I do to help?"
"Head to Cianwood City, it's just a few hours travel to the south-west of here. Drop by the pharmacy and tell them you are here to pick up the secret potion. If he asks for proof, simply give me a call and I'll talk to him." She reached down into her pocket, pulling out a tiny piece of paper. "Here are my contact details."
"Thanks."
Jasmine smiled again. "I should be thanking you. You risked everything to come to the lighthouse with a weakened team. Why did you do it knowing your chances of victory were slim?" She peered down at Lyra with wonder.
"I was given a chance to travel the region with a Pokemon… to become Champion," Lyra replied softly, as her Espeon rubbed herself against her legs. "I didn't want to disappoint the people who placed such trust in me. I need four more badges."
"Professor Elm, I presume? He was right to place such trust in a trainer such as yourself." Jasmine exited the room with the nervous Ampharos standing behind her.
Lyra glanced at her Espeon. "Is there any way I can heal up my Pokemon?"
Jasmine thought hard. "Go the Pokemon Mart and ask for a few Revives and some Hyper Potions. Tell the assistant it's a special gift from Jasmine. They'll restore your Pokemon to perfect health." She walked over to a window and peered outside. "The storm seems to have passed now. You should be able to cross the ocean with no problems." She pulled away. "I look forward to seeing you again soon, Lyra. Please don't be too long."