Green crept behind a rock, making sure her Pokemon followed. The trainer must have stared right past them, because he didn't respond, and was yelling insults in Japanese at a stone placed in the simple gym. On the stone was a photograph of somebody, and this somebody had a lot of permanent marker on it. Unoriginal mustaches, eyepatches and blacked-out teeth dotted the picture. It also had some writing, but some of it was illegible.: "私の名前は-と私は香りがします。."
"It says, 'My name is. . . uh, something-something-something. . . and I smell'. Wow, original," Pearl the Caterpie read out loud.
Green looked closer at the photograph. It looked more like a poster, once she considered it. And the image was familiar. . .
It took her a moment to realize it was the Gym Leader, Tarxi. A similar poster had hung outside on the door. Of course, the doodles all over this poster were unique to it.
She glanced at the child. He was probably her age, but acted like a five year-old throwing a tantrum when he was yelling at the poster.
Green wondered out loud, "I wonder why he dislikes Tarxi so much?"
The trainer girl gestured towards some other rocks, which were ironically shaped perfectly to hide them. The group dashed to hide behind them, but Green was too slow. The trainer noticed her.
He yelled at her, obviously still a little annoyed with his inanimate objects, "You are light years away from facing the gym leader, the little girl! I so as not to run into the house crying when right here invincible were defeated your outs are taking you!"
"I'm the same age as- Oh, I get it!" Green replied. "You think the first gym leader of the Pokemon League is unbeatable! That's why you hate him!"
"Unbeatable," he agreed, but didn't seem quite sure of what he was saying.
She kept talking, oblivious to the fact that she was challenged, "I'm glad, because you trying to talk in English is like listening to Spanish when you don't know a word of it! I can only catch some of your words, and-"
The boy had sent out a brown lump with a big nose sitting in the ground and was already ordering the Diglett to attack, "Digud is, Scratch a rat!"
As she was talking, Lord Hater the Pikachu went flying into the wall. Green stuttered, "Oh! Uh, Hater, Quick Attack!"
Quicker than lightning, the yellow creature had pinned whatever was sticking out of the floor of the gym to the floor. It was then that Green noticed the lump of a mole-thing had no way to Scratch Hater. How had he done it the first time?
The Junior Trainer shouted his commands in Japanese, but they didn't sound too different. And yet, quicker than a blink, Hater was back in his dent on the stone-hued wall, a scratch across his face.
"Ay. . ." Green said, mulling her options. "Hater, let Pearl take over a bit, alright?"
"I'M NOT LETTING SOME SILLY CATERPILLAR FIGHT FOR ME. I, THE ALMIGHTY PIKACHU LORD, SHALL TAKE DOWN THIS DIGLETT! I DO NOT COWER IN DEFEAT, I BASK IN SUCCESS!" the Pikachu screeched.
The Caterpie stepped into the battle ring, ignoring Hater's complaining.
Green confidently shouted over her other Pokemon's chatter, "Pearl, use Tackle!" The bejeweled bug flung itself on top of the mole. Diglett didn't strike back. Pearl gently poked it with her tail, just in case.
The Junior Trainer glared at them, recalling his Diglett. "You can be a powerful PET trainer, so your Caterpie you may let's look take down this post!" He threw a Pokeball onto the battlefield. Out came a Sandshrew, with sharp claws, yellow scale-like patterns, and big, black eyes.
"Sand, Scratch that can be used on its Caterpie!" he called. The yellow creature flew on top of Pearl, clawing at it repeatedly.
The Sandshrew hissed and leapt back off, kicking up some of the dust on the floor like a fog. Pearl stood there silently, and didn't move for quite a while. The entire gym seemed to be holding it's breath.
"Pearl?" Green asked.
Suddenly, without any warning, the crystallized insect Tackled Sandshrew. It flew down and didn't get back up.
The trainer of the two other Pokemon huffed angrily at Green, "Well! You, "green" girl just lucky. Tarxi will take you for me! You please see what I mean!"
"I'm the same age as you," Green answered and crossed her arms.
The Junior Trainer blew a raspberry in defeat.
Jeez, why is he so stubborn? she thought to herself. "And another thing!" Green answered. "Light-years aren't a measure of time, it's a measure of distance. In space."
The Junior stormed off angrily.
"That went well," Green said sarcastically.
"It really did! That child was very good at accepting his loss!" Wander the Charmander agreed. He seemed to be sincere.
Green, Wander, and Lord Hater started off towards the main room with the Grey City gym leader, but for some reason, Pearl didn't budge.
"Pearl?" Green asked. "Are you coming? Y-You're zoning out a lot. . ."
Pearl turned to her, but didn't reply.
Wander hopped up and down like a happy child, "I know, I know! She is trying not to evolve! Caterpie evolve into Metapod at her level!"
"You mean those green lumps? Wow, no wonder she's trying not to," Lord Hater sneered. This didn't seem to improve Pearl's mood.
"I-I'll evolve soon, I just don't want to be a burden. . . Most Metapod don't make it past a single battle,"Pearl finally replied. "I'll be lucky to make it to the second gym."
Green picked up her Bug Pokemon. Seeing her discomfort, she answered, "Don't worry, Pearl! You're going to be fine! When we beat Tarxi, I'll make you a pretty accessory! Those gems don't look too good." She was right. The plastic jewels were peeling off and covered with scratches, and some even had green scale-like material stuck to it, possibly her own skin.
Pearl went silent. Maybe she would live to tell her tale about the Pokemon League, maybe she wouldn't. Green and Wander were being optimistic, and seeing as how far they had progressed with "The Curse" already, they'd survive quite a while.
Green put Hater and Wander on her shoulders, and held up Pearl like a baby. She promised, "We will become the best Pokemon Trainers there are, and nothing will stand in our way!"