Chapter Nine: Histories and Victories

Sayo and Dante stood by the counter of the Pokemon center. Sayo was shaking and looking quite nervous. Seeing this, Dante took her hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm sure Officer Jenny won't have a problem with it Sayo. After all, if it wasn't for you Eevee probably wouldn't be with us now."

Sayo blushed slightly at his touch and looked down. "Thank you Dante." Charmander growled slightly in agreement, and snuggled closer to her leg. Life was so boring when you were as short as he was.

At the sound of Nurse Joy's musical voice Sayo looked sharply up, apprehension evident in her eyes. "What did the officer decide Nurse Joy? Can I keep her?"
The kindly nurse smiled and motioned to Chansey. Clattering and thumping, a stretcher came into view with the small Eevee sitting on top. Her eyes were bright and alert, and at the sight of Sayo, she let out a small cry. "Officer Jenny considers this matter closed. I can think of no better person to entrust this Eevee to, Sayo."

Sayo cried out in delight and rushed over to her new friend, Charmander hot on her heels. Eevee leapt into her arms and the trio spun around on the spot. "Thank you so much!" Sayo cried. "Wait until Professor Oak hears about this!" She and her Pokémon dashed off in the direction of the videophones. Soon the bemused professor was inundated with incomprehensible babble and celebration.

Dante stayed at the counter, smiling at the trio's antics. "Such a simple soul. I only wish that everyone else in the world could be satisfied by friendship alone."

"Perhaps," Joy replied. "Still the pessimist, I see. Sometimes you should take another look around you and find how much joy actually exists in the human heart. It's been a long time since I first met that small boy, who only thought of Pokémon as his escape from reality. Eight years have passed, and I had hoped that he would find happiness for himself in that time."

"Trust me, he has tried." Dante replied his eyes tinged with sadness. "Someone who was brought up in a world where darkness was so evident can have a hard time finding his way out into the sunlight. Yet I have found my first glimmer, and I continue walking towards it. At times I can see it growing larger before my eyes."

Nurse Joy turned toward him, a serious look on her face. "Can I ask you a personal question Dante?" He merely nodded, though a closed expression began to cover his eyes.

"Something tells me you know what I am about to ask," Nurse Joy said resignedly. He didn't reply so she plunged ahead. "Why do you still work for that man? You owe him nothing and yet you still follow his every command; obey his every whim. How can you stand it?"

"That is a very personal question," Dante said softly. He did not speak for a very long time, and Nurse Joy grew afraid that he would never answer. Finally he raised his head and looked her directly in her eyes. "I am merely a moth, who is drawn to his bright flame. I can see the fire in my future, which will eventually engulf me and yet I still fly toward it, blind and helpless."

Joy's expression grew hard and her voice became almost cold. "If that is what you believe, then you are no different from that ten year old child that I hid in my cellars for over a year. Remember him Dante? You haven't grown up at all! Oh, on the outside you are the sleek efficient agent who holds the world at his feet, but inside; you are still a boy who cries for his mother every night. I helped you because I knew that you could change, and I still do. You need to sever that bond, before it's too late!"

Dante merely smiled sadly at her. "It's too late for me, I'm afraid." With that he turned on his heel and strode out the door.

A few minutes later, Sayo reappeared, breaking Joy out of her reverie. "Where did Dante go?"

"He had to leave," Nurse Joy replied absentmindedly. Then, noticing the girl's crestfallen face, she hastily amended her phrase. "I'm sure that he stayed as long as he could! He's a very busy man."

Sayo smiled. "Thank you Nurse Joy. I'm sure that he did."

Joy watched her walk back to her room with a sad expression on her face. She could tell this child had a huge burden weighing on her heart. How ironic. She and Dante really were similar. Sighing, Nurse Joy shook her head and returned to work. "Break free, Dante." She whispered to herself. "Break free and fly away."

Charmander growled his fierce battle cry as he stood in front of the Pewter City Gym. Sayo stood beside him, with a comical expression of excitement and pure terror. "I challenge you!" She cried at the large stone doors. Nothing happened for several seconds, but then the large granite slabs began to creak and groan, and slowly opened up.

Out of the dark opening strode a tall, thin man badly in need of a shave. He wore long pants and a well worn shirt accompanied by a pair of fingerless gloves and huge brown workboots. "I am Flint," he said in a deep, gravelly voice. "Gym leader of Pewter city, please enter." Sayo followed him inside, excitement drowning out her anxiety. Charmander was practically jogging to keep up with her quick step.

A boy only a year or so younger than her stepped into the light and began to speak quietly to Flint. The gym leader nodded and then turned to address Sayo again. "This is my son," he rumbled proudly. "He is currently training to take over this gym from me and his older brother Brock and will act as referee to our match. Agreed?"

Sayo nodded, a determined smile spreading across her features. "Agreed! Come, Charmander. Let's win ourselves a boulder badge!" The pair ran over to the challenger's box and turned to face Flint.

He had taken his place across the field, and the boy stood on the ref's podium. "This will be a two on two battle between the Gym leader Flint, and the Challenger Sayo." He declared confidently, holding the two colored flags at his side. "The match will be over when both of either combatant's Pokémon are unable to battle. Only the challenger is allowed substitutions." He paused to take a breath and then raised the flags above his head. "Let the battle begin!"

"Geodude, let's go!" Flint shouted at once, hurling his first poke ball in the air. The heavy rock-type Pokémon materialized in the middle of the field and flexed its muscles. "Dude!"

Sayo tossed her own poke ball up. "Eevee, prepare for battle!" Eevee emerged, looking excited. "I don't know what kind of battling you did before." Sayo said to her, clenching her fists. "But we have spent many hours training for this and I know that your power and ability is more than enough to make up for the type match-up. Do your best for all of us!"

"Wee!" Eevee cried and fearlessly faced her larger opponent.

"Sorry, but there is no way that any Eevee could possibly bring down my Geodude," Flint said. "Tackle!"

Geodude launched itself at Eevee with blinding speed, knocking her off of her feet. "Don't let that get to you!" Sayo cried. "Shadow ball!" Eevee sent a large mass of dark energy hurtling back at her opponent. It collided and sent Geodude skidding backwards. "Follow it up with quick attack!" Eevee did so and the rock type groaned under the stress.

Flint was still smiling slightly to himself. "That was fun, but it's my turn now; rockslide!" A rumbling sound filled the room and all of a sudden a huge pile of rocks came hurtling in Eevee's direction.

Sayo gasped and shouted something inaudible over the roar of earth. Geodude and its trainer watched calmly as a large cloud of dust settled over the field. "This match is mine!" Flint remarked, smiling, but then he suddenly stopped, staring ahead. Eevee was nowhere to be seen. "Where-" He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence. Another rumble shook the stadium and Eevee erupted from the earth, sending Geodude flying into a large boulder. It grunted with pain as it slowly righted itself, obviously this battle was still not over.

Sayo, however, had no intention of letting another rockslide fall on top of her Pokemon. "Agility and then shadow ball!" Eevee did so, moving with a blur of speed. Geodude didn't know where to turn as it spun around and around, looking for its opponent. Just then, Eevee's second shadow ball collided with Geodude's back, followed closely by another one that hit its side. Another cloud of dust erupted from the field, and when it cleared, Geodude lay unconscious face-first on the ground.

"Geodude is unable to battle! Sayo is the winner!" cried the referee. Sayo squealed with delight and rushed onto the field, giving her Eevee a huge embrace.

"You did it! You did it! Oh my god I am so proud of you!"

Flint grunted. "Tcha! I guess you did manage to bring down my Geodude. Which I must admit, impresses me to no end, but this next one won't be so easy!"

Another poke ball was thrown and a huge Onyx materialized onto the field. It towered over Sayo and her friends, roaring so loudly that it made the ground shake. The trio stopped their victory dance and turned back towards the battle field, getting serious again.

"What do you think, Charmander?" Sayo whispered. "Can you take him?"

The little fire-type nodded firmly and shuffled forward to meet its opponent. Flint laughed at him and shook his head. "I got to admit to you kid, you've got guts. But guts alone just won't cut it. There is no way that your little Charmander can ever pack enough punch for Onyx to even notice."

Sayo's eyes darkened. "You will definitely regret saying that."

"Round two is about to begin!" The ref called. "Flint's Onyx vs. Sayo's Charmander. There is no time limit. Begin!"

"Charmander, let's show them some pretty artwork!" Sayo roared. "Use Whiteflame to draw a circle around Onyx; no rock type has ever experienced heat like this!"

Charmander hissed, and out of his mouth came the thin stream of pure white flames. They circled around the gym leader's Pokémon melting the rock on contact. Onyx roared with the sheer heat of it, and squirmed around, trying to escape. Even the two humans had to take a few steps back, shielding their eyes against the glow.

"Use dig to get away!" Flint cried. Just in time, the large stone serpent plunged down into the earth, leaving a huge hole in the middle of the flaming circle. Sayo merely smiled.

"Use that circle as a shield against his attack!" Charmander complied, dashing inside the ring of flames just as Onyx erupted on the other side. It roared in frustration when it spotted the small fire-type standing inside the heat shield making impudent faces.

"Don't let it get the best of you, Onyx!" Flint yelled, sounding desperate himself. "Use Rock Throw to smash your way in!"

Onyx lashed its mighty tail and large boulders were sent hurtling at the field. However, the moment they made contact with the waves of intense heat they simply melted away. Charmander chuckled evilly; this was much more enjoyable than he had anticipated.

"Ok, let's end this." Sayo said so quietly that only Charmander could hear. "Climb up on his back, and blast his head with a flamethrower. Do not under any circumstances use your Whiteflame. We are here to win a match, not kill a Pokémon."

Charmander nodded, and turned back towards his opponent. Onyx was still trying to find a way around the wall of heat, its frustration growing by the second. With a huge slam of its mighty tail, Onyx sent yet another rock slide hurtling into the air. This was the chance that Charmander was waiting for. While the dust clouded the field, he slipped down into the hole that Onyx had created and re-emerged just behind his opponent.

Seeing this, Flint shouted urgently to his partner. "Quick, behind you!" It was too late. With a gigantic leap, Charmander flung himself onto the Pokémon's squirming body and quickly shimmied up to its head. Flint could only watch in horror as the little fire-type let out a burst of fire, and the gigantic Onyx fell heavily at his feet. When the dust settled, the tough Gym Leader could see Sayo and Charmander both standing with their arms folded, identical smiles of triumph on their faces.

"Onyx is unable to battle!" cried the boy ref. "The winner of this match is Sayo!"

Flint just looked on, dumbfounded, as the small girl twirled her two pokemon around and around laughing with all her heart. How could this seemingly fragile trio hold such power? Walking over, he bowed low and held out a gloved hand. Sitting in his palm glinted a small badge. "For attaining victory at the Pewter City Gym, I hereby award you with this boulder badge." Flint said formally. "Although I lost, I am honoured to have fought such a worthy opponent."

Sayo took the badge and held it up to the light. It flashed in the bright sun that filtered down through the opened skylights. "Thank you, Flint." She said, smiling. "The honor is mine."

The trio turned their backs on Pewter Gym and walked out the doors, shielding their eyes against the bright sunlight. Sayo looked again at her new badge, a slightly melancholy feeling settling over her heart. "Dante." She whispered. "I wish you could have been there to see me win, but I guess there are far more important things for you to do. Be careful, wherever you are."

A growl from Charmander made her look up. He was several paces ahead, gesturing to something that lay on the ground. Sayo ran over and picked it up. It was a silver case, old, but polished to perfection. She opened the small clasp and let the lid fall back. The inside was lined with red velvet, and filled with oddly shaped depressions. Sayo noticed a small piece of paper tucked into one of them, and picked it up.

"For your victory, and the others to come." Was all that it said. Sayo noticed that one of the depressions looked slightly familiar. Gently, she placed the boulder badge inside, where it fit perfectly. "This must be a badge case." Sayo mused to herself. "There are twelve slots, for each of the twelve Kanto gym leaders. I only need eight badges to compete in the Indigo League, so I have plenty of choices." Suddenly she laughed out loud, Charmander and Eevee jumped and spun around, looking at her as though she were crazy. "Lets get going guys!" She yelled. "I can smell more battles ahead of us. Onward, to victory!"

Sorry, it's been awhile guys. This is the latest chapter, and before you start yelling at me, lemme clear something up. In the original series, Gary had ten badges when he entered the Indigo league. He was unable to defeat Giovanni, and did not know of Blaine, so that means that he had four badges other than the eight that Ash won. Therefore, there must be at least 12 gym leaders in Kanto. As always, PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!