Chapter 8 and everything's going great.
There's a good bit of action in this chapter, for all of you battle fans out there.
Anyways, I don't own Pokemon, and enjoy!
Chapter 8: Mayhem at the Museum
The trio and there Pokemon had continued on their journey soon after Ethan caught Pidgeotto, stopping only to have a quick breakfast. It was about midday when the group emerged from the forest, blinking their eyes frantically to adjust to the sudden change in lighting. When they finally became accustomed to the light, they all let out a little cheer. Laid out before them was Pewter City, all of its buildings and streets a welcome change to the wilderness they had just left.
"Sure is nice to see civilization again." Peter said, breathing in the air deeply. Ethan silently agreed with Pete, but Stephen shook his head emphatically.
"It's ok every once in a while, but I prefer being outside in the great outdoors. The city is just pollution, overpopulation, and day-to-day living. The outdoors, on the other hand, has no real time to it; it just kind of blends together. Not to mention that the air is crisp and clear and you can feel totally at peace." As Peter opened his mouth to further argue the point, Ethan cut him off.
"As much as I love hearing you two bicker like an old married, what do you say we get to the Pokemon center, and then hit the Gym?" Peter and Stephen agreed to disagree, and then the trio made their way into the city.
…..
Five more minutes saw the trio and their Pokemon arriving at the Pokemon Center. After leaving their Pokemon with Nurse Joy and Chansey, who had been happy to see Peter, the Nurse Joy in Viridian having said glowing things about the brown haired trainer, Stephen rushed off to use the bathroom, saying he would meet Ethan and Peter in the cafeteria. The two teens made their way to the specified location, grabbed something light to snack on, and sat down in a booth that Stephen would notice when he walked in. After eating silently for a few moments, Ethan said:
"So, what do you think about him?" Peter looked up from his meal, a quizzical look on his face.
"About who, Ethan?" Peter asked, truly not understanding. The olive skinned trainer swallowed the last of his food before replying.
"You know, about Stephen. What do you think about him?" Peter shrugged and finished off his meal as well as he considered his answer.
"I don't really know, since I just met him yesterday. He seems like a really kind-hearted person, though. Why do you ask?" Ethan looked down at his hands for a short while before answering.
"I don't really know. I mean, you're right; he's a really good person, as far as I can tell. He seems like he's willing to jump in and help a complete stranger if they need help. And yet…" Ethan broke off at this, gazing out the window aimlessly.
"And yet…?" Peter offered helpfully.
"And yet when he battles, it's like he becomes a completely different person. Like when he beat Casey's Poliwhirl with his Charmander, or any of those things he did in the grove. It's kind of scary and inspiring all at once." Peter nodded his agreement when Ethan was finished.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Where in the world did he come up filling those leaves with powders from the Butterfree, or using those Caterpie as a surprise net?" Ethan shrugged and looked at the back of his hand as he answered.
"I don't know, but I wish I did. The thing is, I think I know why Casey liked me as a trainer." When Peter just stared blankly at him, Ethan continued. "I reminded him of himself. If you remember the battle, he used basically no strategy at all. He just sent out the best type match up he had and thought it was enough. It wasn't until just about now that I realized I would have done the same thing as Casey at that point." Peter waved this off.
"Anybody would have, Ethan. Who'd have thought that a Charmander would beat a Poliwhirl?"
"That's just my point! How did he do it? I've known Stephen for one day, one day, and he's already changed how I see Pokemon battles. That battle against Pidgeotto I had this morning? I wouldn't have believed I could have won that before I met Stephen. But after realizing that strategy and tactics are just as important as type advantages and raw power, I felt like I had a chance." The pair at silently digesting this revelation until they heard the doors to the cafeteria slide open.
"Hey guys!" The two teen turned to see Stephen walk into the cafeteria, followed by all of the group's Pokemon minus Pidgeotto. The blonde teen made his way over to his friends and handed Ethan Pidgeotto's poke ball.
"Chansey found me as I left the bathroom and told me that our Pokemon were ready, so I though I'd bring them along." Ethan smiled and placed his newest Pokemon's poke ball on his belt, turning to Peter as he spoke.
"So, you guys ready to go win our first Gym Badge?" The trio let out a small cheer, and then made their way out of the Pokemon Center and towards the Gym.
…..
Fifteen minutes later the group arrived at the Gym. It wasn't hard to spot it, as it was one of the more impressive buildings in the city, made to look like a giant rock. That and the words Pewter City Gym were written on it..
"Well, this is it guys. Are you ready?" asked Stephen. Peter and Ethan nodded, and then the trio began to make their way to the front door. When they were about five yards away, the entrance slid open to allow the last person the three teens expected to see to exit.
"Casey, what are you doing here?" Sure enough, the black haired trainer stood in the doorway, a slight smirk spreading across his features as he looked at Stephen. Ethan cast a quick glance over at the blonde trainer as he asked the question, not wanting there to be another fight right before the gym battle. Stephen's shoulders where clenched slightly, and both Machop and Charmander looked ready to maul the older boy, but they were under control. For now.
"If you have to know, blondey, I was just getting my first gym badge." As he spoke, Casey pulled open one side of his jacket to reveal a small, gray octagon: the Boulderbadge. All those present were taken aback by this, but Stephen's mouth literally hung open.
"You beat the gym leader?" Casey's smirk widened as he closed his jacket and pulled out a poke ball.
"Damn right I did, blondey. And I really have you to thank. If I hadn't used my Poliwhirl against you, I wouldn't have seen how weak it was. So the first thing I did after Poliwhirl lost-" Casey threw the ball into the air at this point, releasing the Pokemon inside. What came out wasn't Poliwhirl, though it looked a lot like it. Its hands now had fingers, and its body was now incredibly muscular. Intrigued, Stephen pulled out his Pokedex.
"Poliwrath, the Tadpole Pokemon. An adept swimmer, it knows the front crawl, butterfly, and more. It is faster than the best human swimmers." Putting away the device, Stephen asked:
"So you evolved your Poliwhirl into Poliwrath?" Casey nodded and recalled the Pokemon, placing the ball back on his belt as he replied.
"Very astute, blondey. I happened to have a Water Stone, so I figured I might as well utilize it." Stephen gestured to the poke ball as he replied.
"What about Poliwrath? Did he want to evolve?" Casey shrugged his shoulders.
"What does it matter what he wanted? I'm the master, I know what's best. His feelings were irrelevant." If not for the swift response of the rest of the group, Casey would have been dead where he stood. Peter and Ethan each grabbed one of Stephen's arms as he attempted to swing at the black haired trainer, Scizor gripped Machop's good arm firmly, and Chikorita stood in front of Charmander while Totodile held him by the tail. Laughing to himself, Casey walked past the group and down the road, disappearing from sight around a building.
After making sure he was really gone, those individuals who were restraining Stephen and his Pokemon let them go. Stephen and his two Pokemon glared at where Casey had disappeared around the corner, but made no attempt to follow him. Taking a deep breath, Stephen collected himself and stepped to the door.
"Let's do this."
…..
The inside of the gym was basically an empty warehouse. There was a catwalk aligning the wall of the building, and a sprinkler system installed on the ceiling. On the opposite side of the gym from the entrance sat a slightly elevated platform, on which a lone figure was currently sitting cross-legged. He had very tan skin and dark brown hair. He was definitely older than any of the boys, even older than Casey, but Stephen wouldn't call him an adult. When the brown haired person looked up and saw them entering, he stood up and called out across the room.
"Greetings. My name is Brock, and I am the leader of this gym. Am I correct in assuming that you three are here to battle for the Boulderbadge?"
"You got that right, Brock!" Stephen called out, which made the tan gym leader smile.
"Good. I like enthusiasm in my opponents. There's just one problem. If, by chance, the first challenger happens to beat me, the other two would have to wait for my Pokemon to rest, and the same thing for the next battle. Needless to say, it would take quite awhile." The three companions turned and looked at each other at this, the idea having never occurred to any of them.
"What do you guys think?" asked Peter. Ethan shrugged, but Stephen had a thoughtful expression on his face.
"I think that Peter should battle first, Ethan second, and I'll go last." The other two boys looked at the blonde trainer, both of their faces showing their surprise quite plainly.
"Are you sure, Stephen? You've been waiting for this for awhile." Stephen nodded his head.
"I'm sure. I've already had some battles, and Ethan just had the last one against Pidgeotto. I think Peter should get the first crack at the gym leader." Peter and Ethan smiled at Stephen; both of them pleased with yet another act of selflessness from Stephen. Peter turned and looked at Brock, his face determined.
"Ok, Brock, we've worked it out. I'm going to be your first opponent." The tan gym leader smiled.
"Very well." Brock snapped his fingers, which was followed by a dull thunk. Suddenly, the floor began to change as two halves of a rocky battlefield began to close in towards the center. When the battle zone had locked together, Brock leapt off his platform and stood in his designated box opposite of Peter's.
"The rules are simple. These will be one on one battle with each of us having two Pokemon. First trainer to have neither Pokemon able to battle loses. Understood?" Peter nodded, and then Brock pulled out a poke ball. "Then let's do it." But just as Brock was about enlarge his poke ball, the door to the gym burst open.
"Brock, come quick! There's a robbery taking place at the Museum!" In the doorway stood a young woman wearing a police uniform with a serious expression on her face. She had sky blue hair, and a body that filled out her outfit nicely, a fact that the three teens struggled to ignore. However, Stephen quickly shook off his adolescent fantasies when the woman's words hit him.
"A robbery at the museum!" The blonde teen cast a quick glance at Brock. "I'll be back, guys." Without another word, Stephen and his Pokemon rushed out the door of the gym, heading for the Museum that was a short five minute walk to the north. The police woman gestured to where the blonde trainer had just been.
"Is that normal for him?" Ethan and Peter shrugged.
"As far as we can tell it is." Jenny turned her gaze back to Brock.
"Anyways, we may need your help on this one, Brock. The perpetrators are none other than Team Rocket." Peter and Ethan gasped at the news, while Brock's face simply hardened. Team Rocket was the largest crime syndicate in the Kanto region. They were involved in all sorts of things, most of the time utilizing Pokemon to commit whatever dastardly crime they had planned. Whatever they were stealing from the museum, it was bad news for everybody. And Stephen was currently running right into it.
"We've got to go help Stephen, Ethan. He could really get hurt." Ethan nodded, and then the pair rushed off after their blonde friend, their Pokemon in tow. The blue haired woman walked over to Brock, whose expression, which had been so serious before, was now very thoughtful.
"What are you thinking, Brock? We need to go make sure those kids don't get hurt!" Brock motioned for the woman to come closer.
"I've got an idea I'd like to run by you, Officer Jenny." After Brock laid out his plan, Jenny grudgingly nodded her head in agreement.
"Alright, Brock, we'll give it a chance. But we're going to be close so that the moment something goes wrong we'll be able to step in. Agreed?" Brock smiled and nodded his head.
"That's all I'm asking for, Jenny."
…..
Stephen arrived at the museum two minutes after he left the gym, he and his Pokemon panting after their madcap sprint. Once he had caught his breath, the blonde teen assessed the situation. Overall the museum looked quite normal, save for the people running out the front door screaming and the giant hole in the side of the building that three men were currently climbing out of. Each man wore a black outfit with a red "R" emblazoned on the chest. The last one to come out of the hole was carrying a large sack, so it wasn't hard to determine that these three were the burglars. Stephen cleared his throat and stepped in front of them as they attempted to leave.
"Hold it right there. There's no way I'm letting you three make off with museum property." The three men stared at Stephen, then his Charmander and Machop, and then let out a chorus of laughter.
"Oh, look at that, boys." said the man closest to Stephen. "This fine young lad's going to put three members of Team Rocket in jail." The other two laughed louder at this.
"What do you think this is, kid? This ain't some Saturday morning cartoon where the good guys always win. Now step aside or you'll be in a world of hurt." Stephen shook his head emphatically.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, I know this isn't a cartoon, because if it was I'd bee cowering in a corner, waiting for some hero to come save the day. But that's not going to happen." The three men stopped laughing at this, and one of them let out a low growl.
"Alright, kid. You want to play rough? I'll play rough. Go, Raticate!" The man pulled out a poke ball and tossed it into the air, releasing the Pokemon inside of it. What came out was a large, tawny colored rat. Stephen whipped out his Pokedex and pointed it at the new arrival.
"Raticate, the Mouse Pokemon. Raticate's sturdy fangs grow steadily. To keep them ground down, it gnaws on rocks and logs. It may even chew on the walls of houses." Putting away the Pokedex, Stephen turned to Machop.
"You feel like battling, Machop?" The gray Pokemon nodded his head, cracking its knuckles in anticipation. The man smirked as he called out an order.
"Alright, Raticate, use Quick Attack!" The large rat called out an affirmation, and then rushed at Machop with blinding speed.
"Quick, Machop, dodge it!" called Stephen. But the order was pointless. The speed of the Raticate was too great, allowing it to smash into Machop just as the fighting type began to move out of the way. Machop flew back several feet, sliding to a stop after a few seconds.
"You ok, Machop?" The gray Pokemon picked himself off the ground and nodded, smashing his fists together in aggravation. Stephen smiled grimly and turned back to the Raticate.
"Machop, hit it with Karate Chop!"
"Chop!" The fighting type rushed at Raticate, bringing its arm back for a devastating blow. The man smirked again.
"Raticate, dodge it and use Tackle!" The tawny rat reacted immediately, rolling out of the way of Machop's blow and then launching itself at him. The gray Pokemon took the attack full in the side and was again sent flying several feet. Stephen looked over at the man, who was laughing to himself.
"Did you really think you could beat a member of Team Rocket, kid? This is the big leagues, and you're not even Semi-Pro material." Stephen growled, racking his brain for a plan.
This is really bad. That Raticate's way too fast; Machop can't even land a blow. I've got to find a way to counteract it. As Stephen was thinking, the Team Rocket member called out another order to his Raticate.
"Let's end this, Raticate. Use Hyper Fang!" Stephen almost choked on his own spit.
Hyper Fang! If that lands, this battle is as good as done. There's got to be-wait! That's it! Stephen smiled slightly as he called out to Machop.
"Machop, use your injured arm!" The gray Pokemon looked back at his trainer, a confused expression on his face. He then looked down at this arm, which was covered in the medical tape. Suddenly, Machop understood, and looked up at the Raticate that was bearing down on him. As the tawny rat opened its mouth to bite down on the fighting type, Machop maneuvered his arm so that all the Raticate bit into was the tape on his arm. Machop smiled as he watched Raticate's eyes widen as it attempted to pull itself free of the tape, only to discover it was a futile effort.
Stephen smiled as he saw his plan work out. "Alright, Machop, let him have it!" Smiling, Machop raised his free hand, and then brought it crashing down in-between Raticate's eyes, knocking it cold. The Team Rocket member stared dumbly as he unconsciously recalled his Raticate. Smiling, Stephen held out his hand.
"I'll take whatever's in the bag." The other two members quickly shook off their shock, pulling out poke balls of their own.
"No going to happen, kid! Go, Ekans"
"Let's see how you like my Koffing!" The pair threw their poke balls, releasing a purple snake with yellow stripes and a large, purple ball with a symbol on its chest. Stephen opened his mouth to speak when a familiar voice called out.
"Hang on, Stephen!" The blonde teen turned around to see Peter and Ethan running towards him, their Pokemon right behind them. Stephen smiled as his friends came to a stop next to him.
"Nice of you guys to join me." Ethan smirked.
"Well, we couldn't let you have all the glory, now could we?" The olive skinned trainer turned back to the Rockets, pulling out a poke ball as he did so. "Peter, I think you and I can handle these jokers." Peter smiled as he replied.
"I think you're right, Ethan. Scizor, are you ready?" The red female nodded and stepped forward, glaring at the Rockets' Pokemon as she did. Ethan then threw his poke ball into the air.
"Alright, Pidgeotto, let's see what you can do!" Ethan's newly caught Pidgeotto came out of the ball and flew over to Scizor, a determined look on his face. The two Rockets snarled as they called out orders.
"Ekans, use Bite on Pidgeotto!"
"Koffing, cover Ekans with Smokescreen!" The Pokemon reacted immediately to their masters orders. Koffing began shooting dense smoke from the holes in its body while Ekans began to quickly slither towards Pidgeotto by using the smoke as cover.
"Alright then, Pidgeotto, blow that Smokescreen away with Gust!"
"Scizor, take out Ekans with Metal Claw!" Pidgeotto began flapping its wings rapidly, quickly dispersing the smoke. Suddenly, Ekans leapt out of the smoke, flying in a direct line towards Pidgeotto. However, its travel path changed dramatically when the side of Ekans' head was introduced to Scizor's Metal Claw. The snake went flying, and landed several yards away, where it did not rise. Ekans' owner growled as he recalled his Pokemon.
Charmander, who was watching the battle, looked down at his claw at this. He had been watching Scizor use Metal Claw when his hand had started to tingle. However, his attention was pulled away from this phenomenon by the sound of one of the Rockets' voices.
"Don't worry, I'll get them." said the man's battle partner. "Koffing, use Sludge on that Pidgeotto!" The man's Koffing opened its mouth and shot a highly toxic burst of sludge at Ethan's Pidgeotto. The attack would have been devastating if Peter hadn't been prepared.
"Scizor, use Iron Defense and take the hit for Pidgeotto!" Scizor nodded and leapt in front of the ball of muck. The red female crossed her arms and shut her eyes as she leapt, a slight glow encasing her body. As the Sludge hit her, the glow disappeared, but Scizor remained perfectly unharmed. Ethan smiled over at Peter.
"Thanks, Peter! Alright, Pidgeotto, let's rap this up with Wing Attack!" Pidgeotto nodded and sped towards Koffing, his wings glowing bright white as he did so. The three Rockets could only watch as Koffing took the attack head on and fell to the ground unconscious. The owner dumbly recalled the toxic Pokemon, and then he and his comrades stared blankly at the three teens. But as Stephen opened his mouth to once again demand the bag, the owner of the Raticate snapped out of his trance. Growling, he pulled out another poke ball.
"We don't have time for this. Weezing, cover us with Smokescreen!" The Pokemon that came out of the ball was what appeared to be three Koffings fused together. It quickly obeyed its master's order, unleashing a wall of smoke that was much thicker than Koffing's. The three teens soon found themselves coughing in an attempt to get the smoke out of their lungs. The Rocket recalled his Wheezing, and then the three of them took off while the boys were incapacitated.
"Pidgeotto…ack…use Gust…ack!" Ethan managed to yell between coughs. Pidgeotto responded immediately, blowing away the smoke as fast as it could. When the smoke finally cleared, the boys' fears that the three crooks had gotten away vanished. Standing between them and freedom was Officer Jenny and Brock, each with a Pokemon by their side. Next to Jenny was what Stephen could easily identify as a Growlithe. The Pokemon next to Brock was what appeared to be a floating rock. Stephen quickly whipped out his Pokedex.
"Geodude, the Rock Pokemon. It is impossible to distinguish from rocks. It slams against others in contests of hardness." Stephen put away the device, smiling to himself as Officer Jenny stepped forward.
"Hand over the bag and put your hands where I can see them. You three are under arrest for robbing the Pewter City Museum!" The three Rockets may have been self confident enough to face a group of teenagers, but they had no desire to tangle with an officer of the law and a gym leader. In a few short minutes they were handcuffed and on their way to the station.
…..
"I can't thank you enough for saving this!" After the three Rockets had been sent off, Officer Jenny, Brock, the three teens, and their Pokemon made their way into the Museum. They were currently talking with the owner of the Museum, who had just received the bag from Officer Jenny.
"It was no problem, sir. I was just doing my job. Though I admit, those three boys were a big help." The Museum Owner turned to the Stephen, Peter, and Ethan, a kind smile spreading across his face.
"I am in your debt, boys. How can I ever repay you?" Stephen smiled at the man, shaking his head slightly.
"You don't have to, sir. It was the right thing to do." Ethan nodded in agreement while Peter said:
"Still, it would be nice to know what we just fought to save." The owner smiled and placed the bag on his desk, motioning everybody closer.
"Of course, of course!" The man carefully reached into the bag and pulled out what appeared to be an old rock with a helix shape engraved in it.
"Is that…a fossil?" asked Brock. The owner nodded sagely.
"It is indeed, Brock. This is a fossil of the ancient and extinct Pokemon, Omanyte." All those gathered let out a chorus of "oohs" at this. Then, Officer Jenny straightened up and nodded at the Museum owner.
"Well, sir, I've got to get back to patrolling the streets. Crime doesn't rest and all of that." Turning to the three teens, Jenny put on a friendly smile. "Thanks again for your help boys. But try not to rush off blindly into trouble. I wouldn't want you getting hurt." The blue haired policewoman had winked at Stephen as she said this, making the blonde boy blush slightly.
"Um, yeah, y-you got it, ma'am." Jenny smiled.
"Call me Jenny." Turning to Brock, the woman held out her hand for him to shake. The gym leader accepted the gesture, smiling as he spoke.
"Didn't I tell you it would work out?" Jenny smiled grudgingly at him walking out the door as she did.
"Yes, yes you did." After saying their own goodbyes to the Museum owner, Brock, the teens, and their Pokemon made their way out of the building. Once they were outside, Brock turned to the boys.
"Excellent job, you three. You each handled your Pokemon exceptionally well in your battles. It is because of this that I am honored to award you with these." At this, Brock opened his hand to reveal three Boulderbadges, making the three boys gasp.
"But…we didn't beat you." Brock shook his head at Ethan.
"A Gym Badge doesn't symbolize victory, Ethan, though that is how it is often attained. A Gym Badge symbolizes that the gym leader who awarded it believes you are worthy as a trainer to receive it. And from what I saw today, I can easily say that all three of you are worthy." Peter and Ethan smiled at this, both of them happily accepting their first Gym Badge. Stephen, on the other hand, shook his head when Brock offered him the badge.
"I can't accept that, Brock." The gym leader looked at Stephen, confused.
"Why not, Stephen?"
"Because I didn't do anything to deserve it. Like I told the owner of the museum, I don't expect to be rewarded for my actions. I just acted in the way I thought was right. I don't want that badge for that." Brock smiled at the blonde teen, placing the badge back in his pocket.
"Does this mean what I think it means, Stephen?" The teen nodded, a determined smile spreading across his face.
"You bet it does. You didn't think you were going to get out of a battle with me that easily, did you?" Brock shook his head.
"You know, a part of me was hoping you'd still want to battle. Let's do it."
…..
Cliffhanger!
Well, how did that chapter work for you guys? I personally though it turned out well.
If you have anything to say, or if you see any errors, please utilize the review button. It's free.
The next chapter should be a really sweet Gym Battle, seeing as how I have it planned out already.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed, and see you next time!