Scene 67: The Nature-Loving Princess!
It's only been a couple days since the Celadon City Contest, but Kari feels ready for this. She's running down the street with Eevee on her heels, a shared piece of toast in their mouths. Kari skids to a halt as she turns a corner- Eevee almost slams into her. The sudden stop causes him to choke a bit on his food. He pounds his chest and finally breaths normally.
"Look at that..!" Eevee stares up at Kari at the sound of her awestruck voice. He jumps onto her right shoulder and the two look up at the building. She remembered when she approached Lt. Surge's gym in Vermillion City- it was obvious the type of gym it was by the electrical decorations it had. Kari smiled and glanced over at Eevee, "Erika must really like Grass-Types, huh?" She climbed the steps towards the giant Gloom-flower shaped building.
The automatic doors slid open as they approached. Kari stops for a moment to collect herself. This would be her 6th Gym Badge... it was hard to believe that they were so close now... She takes a deep breathe before stepping over the threshold.
"Woooow~!" Kari and Eevee are amazed by all the greenery inside the gym. She looks at her friend, "You wouldn't guess that all these plants were here by just looking from the outside! I can't tell if this is a Pokémon Gym or a Greenhouse!"
"That's because it's both." There's an older girl with long green pigtails standing at the counter ahead. She waves them over. Smiling down at Kari she leans over the counter, "Are you here ti register for classes?" Kari raises an eyebrow, "Classes?" The girl nods as she begins to type at her computer screen, "That's right. You see, here at the Celadon Gym, we offer all different types of classes for our students. While most gyms help to teach young Trainers about Pokémon Battle Strategy, in addition to that, we teach about Pokémon Relationships and Harmony and even Herb-robics. There's also advanced classes on Botany, Floriculture, Flower Arrangements and my personal favorite: "Growing Your Own Grass-Type Pokémon!"
With this lady's bright pink dress and sunny attitude, Kari's feeling a bit overwhelmed. She awkwardly scratches her head, "Well, actually, I'm not here for any of those classes... You see..."
"You're here for a Gym Battle, aren't you?" The both turn at the sound the new voice. Another older girl walks up to them. She's wearing a khaki shirt and shorts with a red tie, her long blue hair in a low ponytail. The girl behind the counter speaks up, "What do you mean by that, Tanya? This girl is much too young for a battle against Miss Erika." The other girl, Tanya, just smiles at her friend, "Did you already forget about the young Trainer Miss Erika had told us about, Julia?" She looked back at Kari, "She's been excited waiting for you, you know. Ever since that Pokémon Contest." Kari blushes, "S-she has?"
Tanya nods. She puts an arm around Kari's shoulders, leading her away. She looks back over her shoulder, "You can lock up for now. Something tells me this is going to be a good one!" Julia steps around the counter and gives them a thumbs up.
"Miss Erika is in the middle of Story Time right now, but she should be about finished." They walked deeper into the maze-like greenhouse. Kari turned her head from side to side, admiring the large flowers and trees growing all around the building. She stopped when she recognized a group of Oddish standing amongst the tall grass. She pulled out Dex to confirm.
"Along with the wild plants and fauna, we house several Grass-Type Pokémon here. They just love the natural environment." Tanya explained. As Kari put Dex back in her pant pocket a sudden clash of thunder struck nearby. Kari jumped, "No way! It was so bright and sunny when I got here- is it raining outside?" Tanya giggled, "That's not coming from outside. Actually, it's our very own Rainy-Day System." Kari gave her a confused look, "Rainy-Day System?" Tanya pointed back at the plants, "Look over there."
The sound of thunder continued to echo around them. At the same time, water was beginning to fall. Other Grass-Type Pokémon came out from hiding and joined the group of Oddish, all of them happily dancing amongst the fake rain. Kari and Eevee were smiling at the scene.
"Grass-Type Pokémon are just like plants in the wild, so they love the rain. By using our Rainy-Day System we not only grow our plants naturally, our Pokémon stay happy and lively, too!" And as the Pokémon continued their bath, Tanya led them further inside.
At the very center of the greenhouse was a battlefield next to a set of bleachers. Here, Kari recognizes Erika and her Gloom. She's holding up a group of picture boards as she tells a story to the group of children in front of her. Kari and Tanya wait patiently until the fairytale is over and the group applaud. As the kids take turns raising their hands and asking questions Kari notices more people entering the room. They're all young women about the same age as Erika, some wearing khakis like Tanya and others wearing those pink work dresses like Julia had.
Erika wraps up the Story Time and also notices the group has grown. A bit confused, Erika looks around at them all, but when her eyes land on Kari, she stands up. Kari recognizes the simple teal and white dress from the other day, "Welcome to our Gym, Kari!" She bows. Looking around at the other ladies, Erika giggles, "I see I'm not the only one excited for your challenge." She turns to the children, "You're certainly in for a treat today. Miss Kari, here, is an excellent Trainer." One of the girls in the front row stands, pointing at Kari, "I recognize you! You're the one that won the Celadon Contest!" The other kids start muttering amongst themselves, the excitement building in the room.
Gloom-Gloom! Kari looks down at the sight of a familiar friend. Gloom saunters up to them, nuzzling Kari's legs. She kneels down to pet her, "Hi there, Gloom!" Gloom smiles. Erika jumps off the bleachers and steps up to Kari. Her sweet smile has been replaced with a serious, more determined look, "I was about ready to take a nap after this lesson, but I'd much rather battle you." Kari stands and meets her with a confident smile of her own.
As the ladies of the greenhouse take their seats in the bleachers and the children settle in, Erika and Kari take their spots on the battlefield. Erika pulls out a Pokéball, "I have been training myself on not only flower arrangement but also Pokémon battle. I shall not lose." Kari's taken by the look in Erika's face. Such confidence and determination. She clenches her fists. They weren't planning on losing either..!
Tanya stepped up to the edge of the battlefield to play as ref, giving the conditions of the Gym Battle: a 3x3 Match. Per usual, the Challenger could exchange Pokémon, but the Gym Leader could not.
"I'll go first!" Erika throws her Pokéball to reveal a Tangela. Kari uses her Pokédex to gather data. Kari picks a ball from her belt holster, "Alright then-" She gives it a throw and out jumps Mankey! He's riled up for his 1st Gym Battle. Kari and Eevee are jumping around, getting a bit of his energy. She laughs, "We are so going to win this! I can feel it!" Vee-Ee-Eevee! Erika laughs at them, "Such free-spirits."
And the battle begins! Mankey jumps in for an attack, but Tangela is much stronger than it looks. Tangela uses its vines to keep Mankey at bay, sometimes attacking with them and other times defending. Even with Mankey's powerful Fighting-Type moves, his speed, and agile nature, Tangela is holding its own. Erika is using the perfect combination of Mega Drain and Bind Attack that's really starting to wear Mankey down. But even though they're being pushed back, Kari refuses to give up. She's been in many battles and she knows there has to be a way..!
She scans the entire field and suddenly, she gets an idea. Kari calls out, "Mankey! Let's disappear!" He dodges one of Tengela's vines, looking back at her, confused. Kari smiles and points at the trees. He follows to where she's pointing and, after a moment, he gets it.
Tangela sends out a Vine Whip attempting to capture Mankey, but he dodges the attack. Mankey jumps off the battlefield and uses the trees as cover. Erika and the other ladies are surprised with Kari's strategy. The room is silent as Tangela and Erika keep watch. Erika whispers, "Be careful. They can strike at any moment."
"Too slow..!" There's a rustling, "Now, Mankey!" A blast of energy comes flying out of the trees, surprising Tangela. She stands and shakes off the Hidden Power attack, but Kari and Mankey are still going, "Now go! Use Karate Chop!" Mankey swings on a vine, coming from high above, and landing the attack. The sound of impact reverberates throughout the room. Tangela collapses, unable to battle. Erika is shocked with how quickly that match was turned around.
Mankey is bouncing all around, joining Kari and jumping atop her as well. She laughs at the crazy Pokémon, his weight bring them all down. Erika returns Tangela, "Quite a surprising challenger." She pats Gloom's petals, "But I wouldn't expect anything less after seeing her in that Contest." Gloo-Gloom! Erika stands, ready for the next battle.
Gloom walks onto the field. Kari notices. She readies another Pokéball, "Just because you're my friend, Gloom, doesn't mean we'll go easy on you!" Gloooom! Kari sends out Bulbasaur. Erika smiles, "Oh! It's that sweet little Bulbasaur."
The two Pokémon go head-to-head- a true Grass-Type Pokémon battle! Gloom proves to be much faster than Bulbasaur, but he still has more power. Twice Gloom tries to get him with a Stun Spore and Sleep Powder, but by using Razor Leaf, it's blown away. Erika's starting to sweat, now, "Clever girl." Erika smiles at Kari, "Now! Petal Dance!" Kari calls for a counter, "Knock it down with Vine Whip!" The vines push their way through the attack and grab hold of Gloom. She's thrown into the air. As she begins to fall, Bulbasaur runs forward using a Tackle. Gloom takes a tumble, but she's resilient. At Erika's insistence, Gloom is back up.
"We're not finished yet! Use Acid." Not expecting them to recover so quickly, Bulbasaur isn't quick enough to dodge. He's poisoned! He staggers about the field, "Oh, no! Bulbasaur!" Kari wants to call him back, but Bulbasaur refuses to give up. She tries to put him back in his Pokéball, but even under the influence of the Poison, Bulbasaur side-steps the ball's beam. Kari flinches when a vine smacks her hand. The ball falls to the ground. Erika and the others are watching. Bulbasaur yells at Kari, angry that she wants to take him from the battle.
Fighting through the pain, Bulbasaur continues with the attack. Slower than before, Bulbasaur runs forward for a Tackle Attack. Erika has a sad look on her face. She calls to Kari, "You should call your Pokémon back. It's sick." Kari wants to listen to her, but... She kneels down to pick up the ball, but stops. She notices the small red mark on her hand. Bulbasaur had knocked the ball away. He didn't want to give up yet. [I know, I should want to protect him... That I need to call him back, but...] Kari understands her Pokémon better than anyone. She clenches her fists, the ball held tightly in her hand.
"I won't! Bulbasaur doesn't want to give up, so I won't either!" He can feel Kari's heart, even through the daze of being poisoned. A power pulls from within Bulbasaur. He starts to glow as he runs. Erika and the other ladies are stunned. The children are getting boisterous with excitement. They watch in awe as the light dissipates and Ivysaur appears. Kari is smiling, on the verge of tears, "You..! You evolved..!" She pulls out Dex to check his new stats. Ivysaur slams into Gloom, sending her flying. He turns back to look at Kari as she puts Dex away.
The two share a smile. Even through the pain of being poisoned, he refused to give up. Kari remembered what Erika had said back at the Contest...
{{ "This little one wanted nothing more than to win for you." Buuulba~! The two girls giggle as he smiles up at them. }}
Kari nods, speaking softly to herself, "And I want to do my best for you, too..!" She and Ivysaur lock eyes, "Now... Let's finish this!" Saur!
With his newfound strength, it doesn't take long for Ivysaur to overpower Gloom. A powerful Vine Whip here and a powerful Tackle there, and soon Gloom is down for the count. Erika returns her friend to her Pokéball. She sighs, "I knew Kari had a strong bond with her Pokémon, but I had no idea..!"
"Ivysaur!" As soon as the call is made, Ivysaur passes out as well. Kari dashes forward. She hugs him, "You did a fantastic job. Now get some rest." Exhausted, Ivysaur can only smile up at her. She returns him to his Pokéball.
"You believe in your Pokémon and they believe in you... That's what I like to see..." The girls in the stands are discussing the battle, amazed that Erika's already lost two of her Pokémon. Julia looks at the others, "No wonder she won that Contest. This little girl's really good..!"
Erika calls her next Pokémon: Victreebel. Mankey jumps back onto the battlefield before Kari even has the chance to consider. He's still full of energy and willing to fight. She laughs, "Well, if you're feeling up to it." The two high-five and Mankey readies for battle. Victreebel is faster than Tangela was, but when Kari tries to use their previous strategy, it fails. Mankey grabs onto a vine in the trees and Victreebel follows.
"That strategy won't work twice." Erika laughs. Victreebel gets close, unleashing her vines and snagging Mankey last second. As he begins to fall, Victreebel hits him with Sleep Powder. Before he even hits the ground, Mankey is out. Tanya raises her hand to make the call, "According to the Indigo League rules, a Sleeping Pokémon must be deemed unable to battle!" Kari grimaces as she reaches for his Pokéball. She returns her Mankey. They're both now down to their final one...
"And that means- it's up to you!" Kari throws out the Pokéball holding her Sandslash. This is also his first Gym Battle, but Kari's been Training with him and is feeling pretty confident. Erika is stunned momentarily at the Type Match-up, "Now what's she up to..?" One of the girls on the sidelines whispers to another, confused. Kari smiles. [ We'll show them.] Sandslash catches her eye. She nods.
As soon as the match begins, he disappears underground with Dig. Though surprised with the sudden attack, Erika is sure it won't be enough to beat them. Kari yells to Sandshrew, "Keep going!" He digs again. Another two times, and now Erika and Victreebel are getting annoyed. With Sandslash jumping in and out of the dirt like that they can't keep up..! Kari giggles, "Type doesn't matter if you can't land a hit." Sandslash appears behind Victreebel and hits her with Scratch. Victreebel quickly spins around and counters with Razor Leaf, sending Sandshrew flying.
He stands and shakes himself off. Erika calls out, "Use Wrap!" Victreebel uses her vines and begins to entangle the smaller Sandslash. Kari steps forward, "Nuh-uh!" She gives the signal to Sandslash. He knows what to do. Even wrapped in Victreebel's attack, he starts spinning! Victreebel can't keep hold on him. As his body spins faster and faster, the friction is starting to burn Victreebel's vine, eventually causing her to release him. Erika can see the burn marks on her Pokémon, "Oh no!"
"This is our Rollout Defense!" Sandslash circles around Victreebel on the battlefield, leaping suddenly to hit her. Again and again- they're slowly chipping away at her health. Erika calls for Sleep Powder, but with Sandslash's spinning, it has no affect.
"Alrighty! Let's finish this, Sandslash!" He uses the spinning to leap into the air. Sandslash uncurls and comes in for an attack, "Arial Ace!" Erika's eyes are wide, "No way!" The hit makes contact. It's Super-Effective.
The other ladies are shocked. Victreebel is knocked out, splayed out on the battlefield. After a moment to collect herself, Tanya makes the call, "The match goes to the challenger- Kari from Viridian City!" Sandslash puts a claw in the air for victory.
Erika sighs. She returns her Pokémon, smiling down at the Pokéball. She looks across to where the others are celebrating. With Eevee on her shoulder, Kari has Sandslash's claws in her hands- they're dancing around.
"I concede defeat. You are remarkably strong." Kari stops as Erika walks up to her. She pulls something from her dress pocket and offers it to Kari, "I must confer you the Rainbow Badge." Kari smiles, looking between Eevee and Sandslash. She reaches out and accepts her new Gym Badge.
"Losing leaves a bitter aftertaste... But knowing that there are strong trainers spurs me to do better..." Kari nods, "Me, too." The two girls smile at each other. Suddenly, Erika yawns. She looks up towards the warm sun coming from the nearby windows. "Lovely weather, isn't it? It's so pleasant... I'm afraid I may doze off..." She yawns again. Kari, Eevee, and Sandslash also yawn. She blushes, covering her mouth. Erika and the other ladies laugh.
...
After some snacks and a nice afternoon nap, Kari is ready to head out. She stretches, Eevee yawning at her shoulder. Erika and the other ladies are seeing them off just outside. Erika giggles, "Good. I'm glad you were able to rest easy. Like Grass-Type Pokémon, we must learn to soak in the warmth of mother-nature around us, for she is what brings bounty and beauty all around us..." Kari cocks an eyebrow, looking to Eevee.
They don't really understand it, but they smile. She waves to Erika, the special TM in her hand from Erika. Another gift for winning the Gym Battle. She and Eevee turn their attention to the Pokémon Center.
{{Current Team: Eevee, Sandslash, Mankey, Bulbasaur - Ivysaur, Magnemite, Gastly}}
Eevee: Tackle, Swift, Shadow Ball, Hyper Beam
Sandslash: Dig, Rollout, Aerial Ace, Sand Tomb
Mankey: Focus Energy, Scratch, Hidden Power, Karate Chop,
Ivysaur: Tackle, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Solar Beam
Magnemite: Tackle, Thunder Shock, Supersonic, Magnet Bomb
Gastly: Lick, Shadow Ball, Psychic, Night Shade
Total Pokémon: Eevee, *Pidgeot*, *Raticate*, *Butterfree*, *Beedrill*, Ceffairy, Spearow, *Arbok*, *Sandslash*, Goldeen, Mankey, Ivysaur, Oddish, Krabby, Poliwag, Jolteon, Drowzee, Horsea, Tentacool, Magikarp, Psyduck, Slowpoke, Magnemite, Voltorb, Zapdos, Elekid, Gastly, Meowth Growlithe, *Hitmonlee*, Hitmonchan, Koffing, Grimer, Vulpix...
((Sandslash ~PC Psyduck))
{{Current Team: Eevee, Ivysaur, Magnemite, Gastly, Mankey, Psyduck}}