Thank you to the people who reviewed! I also received a couple of constructive criticism, and I'm grateful for that. Thank you for pointing out the flaws in my story. =) I'm not a native English speaker, so please bear with me. I know I've still got a long way to go before I can call myself a really good writer. So, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
I'm glad I got the contest over and done with. Now it's time for the gym battle! I hope you all, my readers, are enjoying my story. I kind of have the whole story planned out, so I may be able to update sooner, if I'm not too lazy to put my ideas into words. Plus, it's easy to get really lazy since it's the holidays right now… Well, enjoy this chapter, everyone! Thank you all for reviewing and putting this story on your alerts and favorites list!
Oh, and last but not least, MERRY (belated) CHRISTMAS! ^_^
Shocking News
"Excuse me! May I take back my Skitty?" asked a pink haired coordinator. Four days have passed since the Escargot Contest, and Sakura's two best friends have been training their butts off to prepare for the battle against Kakashi. Also, for the past few days Sakura's Skitty has been begging and pleading Sakura to send her to the Day Care Center every day, morning 'till evening.
"Yes of course. Please wait a moment," replied the day care lady. She disappeared through the curtain obscured doorway and came out a few minutes later, holding not one, but two Skitties.
"Um, I only need one," replied Sakura, slowly. The day care lady set both Skitties on the counter and, without a word, disappeared past the doorway again. Sakura's eyes widened when she saw what the lady was carrying in her arms when she emerged from the doorway. An egg was cradled meticulously in the old lady's arms.
"Your Skitty and this other Skitty gave birth to an egg. Do you want to take you Skitty now, and take responsibility for the egg as well?" asked the old lady.
Sakura froze, thinking of the possibilities. She could take care of the egg and her Skitty, but then it wasn't fair for the male Skitty to lose his mate and egg. "Um, I'll think about it. Right now, I want Skitty to spend time with her mate and her unborn child," answered Sakura. The day care lady nodded and carried the egg back; she then came back to get both Skitties.
Sakura glanced at her Poketch. "Oh no, I'm late! I promised the boys I would help them train! I'm gonna be late!" Sakura mentally screamed. She dashed out the Day Care Center and headed south of Mauville City. Once she was outside the city, she spotted Naruto and Sasuke near a group of trees.
"Aron, use Metal Claw!" commanded Naruto. The small iron Pokemon dashed towards Sasuke's Houndour.
"Counter it with Roar," said Sasuke. Houndour unleashed a terrifying roar that stopped Aron's attack and caused it to cower in fear. "Use Flamethrower while it's down!" Houndour obeyed Sasuke's command and fired a huge column of fire towards the cowering Aron.
"Use Iron Defense to lower the effectiveness of the Flamethrower!" shouted Naruto. Aron's body became outlined in blue and shone for a while. Aron withstood the immense Flamethrower attack successfully, but it still took on a decent amount of damage. "Now's your chance to fight back with Mud Slap!"
Aron ran towards Houndour, and slapped the ground. Mud flew towards the fire-type Pokemon, blinding it for a while. "Since your Houndour's a fire type, a ground type move is effective," explained Naruto.
"Not bad, Naruto. You're getting better at remembering strengths and weaknesses of Pokemon types," commented Sakura as she approached the boys.
"Of course! I want to win this gym battle in one shot! Sasuke-teme and I have been training like crazy these past few days. Let Sasuke and me finish this battle, then you can help us train, Sakura-chan," said Naruto. He turned his focus back on his fight and commanded, " Head-butt Houndour, Aron, now!"
While Aron was right beneath Houndour, the smaller Pokemon pushed off the ground and head-butted Houndour square in the chin. Houndour fell on his back, but quickly wiped the mud off his eyes and sprang back up again. Sasuke smirked. "Not bad, dobe. I admit, you're improving, but you still can't beat me! Houndour, tackle it."
"Aron, dodge!" said Naruto. Aron jumped on Houndour's head just as Houndour charged towards it. "Now use Metal Claw while Houndour's back is turned!" Aron's claws glowed and slashed Houndour's back. The hound Pokemon fell, but got up just as quickly.
"Use Faint Attack," commanded Sasuke. Houndour ran towards Aron's right, and disappeared quickly before Aron could counterattack. The confused Aron didn't expect to be attacked from the opposite side. The slightest moment of distraction cost Aron: Houndour reappeared on Aron's left and attacked it with a fireball. The smaller Pokemon flew forward from the impact. "Now, finish it off with Flamethrower," said Sasuke.
Houndour breathed out a large column of fire while Aron was down, and unfortunately for Aron, it couldn't withstand the heat this time. The smaller Pokemon was blown away, and slid to a stop at Naruto's feet. "Ah well, at least you tried your best, Aron. Great job!" praised Naruto.
"You did have a small disadvantage against Sasuke-kun's Houndour, Naruto. Despite the fact that your Aron was part steel, he still fought well against Houndour. Are you focusing on training your Aron the most, Naruto?" asked Sakura.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Since Kakashi's Pokemon are all electric types, I thought Aron's steel and rock type would match up well against his electric Pokemon. I do plan on training the others too, though. Teme doesn't really have any Pokemon that are useful against electric types, so he's training his Houndour right now, so if there are any steel/electric types, Houndour will be useful."
"Wow, you've been studying quite a lot, Naruto. Good job! Ok, do you want me to heal up your Aron?" offered Sakura.
"Sure, Sakura-chan, thank you!" said Naruto. Sakura knelt down beside Aron and rummaged through her bag. With a revive pill and a few potions, Aron was as good as new. Sakura even tossed the iron-eating Pokemon a couple of Pokeblocks.
"Sasuke-kun, let me heal up Houndour too, okay?" offered Sakura.
"Hn, do whatever you want," replied Sasuke. Sakura walked over to Houndour and kneeled down beside it. She offered the hound Pokemon some berries and fed it some Pokeblocks to make it happy as well. The rosette patted the hound's head and stood up.
"Now, let's start again, Naruto, Sakura," said Sasuke. He tossed a Pokeball, which released Grovyle. "I would like to train my trump card as well, so Naruto, choose a second Pokemon. We're going to need to train all our Pokemon."
Naruto grinned. "No problem! Alright, let's go Marshtomp! Marshtomp's my trump card. Plus, I just remembered he's resistant to electric attacks, so that should be really helpful, right?"
Sakura nodded in agreement. "Ok, if you two are using your strongest Pokemon, I'll use mine too! Combusken, on stage, and Eevee, you too!" The rosette tossed out two Pokeballs, which released her Combusken and Eevee in a flash of bright, white light. "Why don't we make things a little interesting? Eevee, I'm changing you into Jolteon. That way, there'll be at least one electric Pokemon for you two to take on."
"Alright, let's battle!" cried Naruto. The trio trained and battled all evening. Naruto and Sasuke declared that they were going to challenge Kakashi the next day. Sakura bade them good luck as she walked towards the Day Care Center, and the boys, toward the Pokemon Center to rest.
"Excuse me, is anyone here?" asked Sakura. The day care lady stood up when she heard Sakura's voice.
"Oh yes. Are you here to retrieve your Skitty?" asked the old lady.
"Not really. May I see my Skitty in the yard, instead?" asked Sakura.
The day care lady replied, "Well, okay sure, since you have been coming to the center everyday for the past few days. Follow me." The old lady parted the curtains and walked through the doorway. Sakura followed close behind.
It was night, but some artificial lights and the gleaming lights of Volbeat and Illumise lit up the large backyard brightly. The day care lady brought her index finger to her lips as she walked across the yard. Sakura tip-toed silently, being careful not to wake any sleeping Pokemon. When the day care lady reached a certain tree, she pointed down. Sakura looked down to see two sleeping Skitties with an egg between them, in a patch of grass. The rosette's face softened, and she came close to tears. "I can't break up a happy family. I can't just take Skitty away from her mate!" Sakura mentally yelled. Tears threatened to spill out, but the rosette stayed strong.
"May I come and see them tomorrow as well?" asked Sakura, her eyes never leaving her Skitty.
"Of course. You can come anytime you wish," answered the old lady.
"Thank you. Can you lead me back, now?" Sakura asked again. The day care lady nodded and walked back to the building. Sakura turned and started to walk back, but stopped herself. She turned her head to glance at her sleeping Skitty. Sakura's face saddened and a single tear trailed down her cheek. The rosette quickly wiped it off and forced herself to walk back silently to the day care building.
"Yo, Sakura-chan! Did you get Skitty back?" greeted Naruto. Without a word, Sakura unclipped her fanny pack from her waist, flung it on the floor, and flopped down on her bed. The rosette covered her eyes with her right arm and started to sniffle. Naruto, who was lying on his bed and messing around with his PokeNavi, immediately shot up and switched off the device. "Sakura-chan? What's wrong?"
When she made no reply, Naruto stood up and sat down on her bed. Sasuke quietly followed suit. "Sakura-chan, why don't you talk to us? I'm sure it'll make you feel better," comforted Naruto. Sasuke was silent, but his actions spoke louder than words. He helped Sakura sit up and put his hands on her shoulder as a sign of comfort. Sakura, on her part, leaned on Sasuke's shoulder, tears trailing down her cheek.
After a few minutes, the rosette finally spoke, "I don't think I'll be taking Skitty back from the Day Care Center." Naruto and Sasuke were both dumbfounded by her decision.
"What? Why not? Skitty was the first Pokemon you caught, Sakura-chan, and I know you care deeply for her! Why aren't you going to take her back?" asked Naruto, shocked to his core.
Sasuke, even though he was surprised, didn't show it on his facial features. He simply let Sakura lean on him and chose not to make things worse by talking about Skitty. Sakura was the one who spoke next. "Skitty and a male Skitty at the Day Care had an egg together. I saw them sleeping, curled up together, warming the egg. If I take Skitty away, I'll be breaking up a happy family. I just… can't… do that!" With those words, the rosette started wailing. Big drops of tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped on her's and Sasuke's laps.
"Sakura-chan," was all Naruto could muster. The blond felt sympathetic towards his close friend. Sure, he hasn't had any experience on losing one of his Pokemon, but he could still feel her pain. "Sakura-chan, you are willing to feel pain and loss instead of ruining your Pokemon's happiness. You're strong, Sakura-chan."
"Naruto, I think it's best if we let her cry it out. We shouldn't be touching on that subject any further," suggested Sasuke. He gently laid Sakura's head on her pillow. Once her head touched the fluffy pillow, her wails reduced to sobs, then sniffles. Sasuke and Naruto got up and returned to their own beds. Naruto switched off the lights before he snuggled into his covers. That night the boys fell asleep with Sakura's silent sobs echoing in the darkness.
Sunlight filtered through the slight opening between the closed curtains. Naruto turned his body so that the sunlight wouldn't reach his eyes. However, it wasn't the sun that woke him.
"I said, get up you idiotic dobe!" yelled Sasuke as he yanked Naruto's blanket away from the blond's hands.
Naruto sat up impatiently and retorted, "Sasuke-teme! I was having a great dream! Why'd you have to ruin the moment?"
"I didn't know you chose dreams over reality, dobe. We have a match with Kakashi today, remember?" reminded Sasuke. That hit the bulls-eye. As quick as lightening, Naruto jumped off his bed and dashed into the bathroom to change.
"Sasuke-kun," mumbled Sakura, still lying in bed. Sasuke walked over to his team mate and sat on her bed. Sakura turned her head towards the dark haired boy. "Sasuke-kun, I want to thank you for letting me cry on your shoulder yesterday. So, thank you." The rosette then gave him a beaming smile.
Sasuke's face softened and replied, "Hn, I was just trying to make you feel better. After all, you did choose to let your Pokemon live a happy life with her family."
"Yeah. I hope Skitty will be happier with her new family and not cling onto me when I break the news to her," said Sakura.
Sasuke's hand hovered over Sakura's head for a while, then he flicked her forehead. "You did what you thought was best for your Skitty. I'm sure she'll accept your choice."
Sakura brought her hand to her forehead and smiled, heartwarmingly. "I hope so too. You're talking a lot these days, Sasuke-kun."
"S-So? Is it a bad thing?" asked Sasuke.
Sakura giggled. "No, not at all. It's a very good thing actually." The rosette sat up. "I'd better get ready too. I have a job of cheering you on, after all!" Once Naruto had finished changing, Sakura sprang up and rushed into the bathroom to change.
"Sakura-chan looks like she's feeling much better now," commented Naruto.
"Hn," was Sasuke's short reply.
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke ran to the gym together, once all three of them were ready. When the gym doors opened, the trio saw Kakashi, standing calmly, a few meters in front of them. "Alright, Kakashi-sensei, today Sasuke-teme and I are going to bet you and earn your Dynamo badge, dattebayo!" declared Naruto.
Kakashi spoke, "First you'd have to get to me, don't you?"
Naruto shouted, "What do you mean, 'get to you'? I just have to keep walking straight and, WAHHH!" Before Naruto could finish his sentence, he was electrified. Sakura gasped while Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Naruto backed up quickly. "Wh-What was that?"
"That, Naruto, is a specially designed trap to test the challengers. If you can examine these tiles, and successfully get to me without getting electrified, then I will fight you. However, if you step on the wrong tile and get electrified once, the electric current will shuffle around, and different tiles will be set up for electrification," explained Kakashi.
"S-So if we make one little mistake…" started Naruto.
"We'll have to figure out the pattern all over again," finished Sasuke.
"The other gyms don't have these kinds of puzzles. Why do you have this setup, Kakashi-sensei?" inquired Sakura.
"That's just a fun little puzzle for the challengers. If you truly want to beat me, I want to see your motivation and observation skills. It should be easier for you, Naruto and Sasuke, since there are two of you. Now, start solving the puzzle, you two," said Kakashi.
"Naruto, don't do anything rash. Follow my lead," commanded Sasuke.
"What? Why should I follow your lead? I know what I'm DOING!" Naruto yelled his last word as he was electrified once again.
Sasuke slapped his forehead. "You idiot! Now the electric currents are rearranged! Great, I have to figure out the pattern again." When Sasuke saw Naruto stagger towards another tile, he started to yell, "No you idiot, DON'T!" However, his words didn't reach Naruto's ears fast enough. The blond was shocked by electric bolts for the third time.
Sasuke swiftly hopped from tile to tile and supported Naruto as he was about to fall over. "Okay. Now I can listen to your instructions, teme," Naruto wheezed.
"Tch, good. Now, stand up," said Sasuke. The dark haired male gave Naruto a push to help him stand up. The blond planted his feet so that he wouldn't stumble anymore. As Sasuke analyzed the tiles, Naruto made sure his feet didn't move an inch. The young blond would also occasionally help out Sasuke as much as he could. After several moments of observing and analyzing, the two of them finally stepped on the battleground, in front of Kakashi.
"Yes! Finally! We're here! Ha! Take that, Kakashi-sensei!" gloated Naruto.
"May I remind you that it was Sasuke who did almost all of the work, not you," taunted Kakashi.
"Forget about that, now. Let's battle!" shouted Naruto.
"Okay. It'll be a four on four battle. You two will alternate turns battling against me. If you win three out of four battles, you two will receive the Dynamo badge. Now, ready?" asked Kakashi.
"Ready as I'll ever be," answered Naruto. The silent Sasuke simply nodded.
"Rotom, I choose you," said Kakashi, calling out his dual electric and ghost type Pokemon.
"Ok, I'll go first! Go, Marsh… wahh!" exclaimed Naruto, as Sasuke pulled him back. "Teme, what was that for?"
"His normal Rotom is not affected by ground type moves. I know your Marshtomp can stand electric attacks, but from what I know, a normal Rotom's weak against dark and ghost types. So I think it's best to let a dark type Pokemon handle it," explained Sasuke. "I'll go first. Absol, let's go!" Sasuke's Pokeball released a stream of white light, to reveal the most recent addition to his team: Absol.
"Good, good. You have a good field of knowledge on Pokemon, Sasuke. However, don't think that type advantages will do you any good. Rotom, start off with Thunder shock," commanded Kakashi.
Yellow sparks of electricity surrounded Rotom and was hurled at Absol. The disaster Pokemon took the hit, unfortunately, and was thrown on his back. "Absol use Double Team, then Swords Dance!" commanded Sasuke.
Absol swiftly surrounded Rotom with copies of itself. "After Swords Dance, use Razor Wind!" continued Sasuke. Absol's crescent on his forehead glowed white and unleashed a wave of white energy. His copies did the same thing, and they all hit Rotom. However, when the smoke cleared, Rotom was lying on the ground. Sasuke smirked, thinking he had won. However, the dark haired boy's eyes widened when the Rotom on the ground faded away quickly.
"That was Substitute. You should be more observant," taunted Kakashi. "Rotom, now, Shock Wave!" Light blue waves of electricity rained down of Absol and his copies. The illusions immediately disappeared and Absol laid on the ground, paralyzed. As the disaster Pokemon struggled to get up, Kakashi commanded, "Charge Beam."
Rotom was surrounded by yellow sparks, and a massive blast of electricity was fired. "Absol, turn and use Razor Wind!" shouted Sasuke. The paralyzed Pokemon turned on its back and shot a crescent wave of energy towards the fired Charge Beam. Both attacks clashed with each other and caused an explosion of energy. "Good, now use Bite."
The disaster Pokemon leaped into the air and successfully bit Rotom. As the attack was a dark type move, it was effective against the dual ghost/electric type Rotom. "Not bad, not bad at all, but was it really a good idea to come in contact with Rotom?" inquired Kakashi. All of a sudden, Sasuke realized what Kakashi was talking about. "Rotom, Shock Wave."
The attack was even more effective since Absol had psychical contact with Rotom. The disaster Pokemon landed with a 'thud' and was not able to continue battling. Without a word, Sasuke returned Absol to its Pokeball and walked back to Naruto. "You'd better win the next one," murmured Sasuke, when he walked past Naruto. Naruto nodded, and walked on the battle field.
Kakashi returned Rotom to its Pokeball and called out a different Pokemon. "Manectric, you're up." With a flash of white light, Manectric stood in front of Kakashi, thin bolts of electricity surrounding its body.
"Marshtomp, go!" Naruto called out his Marshtomp and got launched the first attack. "Okay, Marshtomp, hit Manectric with your Water Gun attack!"
Sakura's jaw dropped open. She was watching the match from the gym's entrance, cheering for the boys. "What are you thinking, Naruto? Water Gun?" Sakura mentally chastised Naruto.
"Are you sure about that, Naruto? Manectric, use Thunderbolt to penetrate that Water Gun," commanded Kakashi. Manectric shot a beam of electricity that dissolved the Water Gun attack and hit Marshtomp. Kakashi's eyes widened as he soon realized that electric attacks were not effective against Marshtomp.
"Okay, Marshtomp, Tackle!" shouted Naruto. While Marshtomp still had sparks of electricity surrounding his body, he rammed into Manectric as hard as possible. The lion like Pokemon slid a few feet backwards. "How'd you like that, Kakashi-sensei?" gloated Naruto.
"I'd have to say you made a smart choice in choosing Marshtomp. Don't think I'll give up easily, though," replied Kakashi. "Quick Attack!" Before Naruto could do anything, Manectric had already dashed towards Marshtomp and rammed into him. The mud-fish Pokemon tumbled back, but sprang up immediately.
"Now use Leer," said Kakashi. Manectric ran towards Marshtomp, and once it was close enough, its eyes glowed blue, while looking at Marshtomp straight in the eyes. The mud-fish Pokemon walked backwards as Manectric approached. "Use Bite," commanded Kakashi. Immediately Manectric leaped in the air, and then landed on Marshtomp's back. Then it bit down on Marshtomp's head. The mud-fish Pokemon frantically waved its arms and ran around in circles.
"Marshtomp, Bide!" shouted Naruto. Marshtomp glowed as it absorbed the energy from the Bite attack. Manectric jumped off quickly, realizing the attack. Marshtomp then fired a white stream of energy towards Manectric, and it hit the electric Pokemon right in the face. "Good job! Now, Mud Shot!" said Naruto. While Manectric was still down, Marshtomp fired a stream of mud towards Manectric.
As more mud piled on the electric Pokemon, the weaker it got. Finally, Manectric couldn't battle anymore. Naruto gave a thumbs up to his Marshtomp and his Pokemon returned the gesture."Take that, Kakashi-sensei! Now we're tied!" boasted Naruto. He walked off to let Sasuke come on again. "Win this too, teme," mumbled Naruto.
Kakashi returned Manectric to its Pokeball and took out a new one. "Luxray, it's your turn!" shouted Kakashi. "Sasuke, I wonder how you'll fare against Luxray. After all, I received him as a gift from one of your relatives: Obito Uchiha."
"I won't lose this time, Kakashi. Grovyle, go!" Sasuke called out his very first Pokemon. "I know Grovyle is a little resistant to electric attacks, so that should be of some use. I cannot lose! Not when that idiot has already won his first battle," thought Sasuke.
"Luxray, start off with Spark, then go into Leer," said Kakashi. Blue sparks of electricity surrounded Luxray, and with a roar, the lion like Pokemon rammed into Grovyle. Then, it jumped a little, and turned its body while looking at Grovyle straight in the eye. Grovyle cowered a little, and while Luxray had the chance, it used its hind legs to kick Grovyle's back.
"Tch, Grovyle, get back at it. Use Pound!" commanded Sasuke. Grovyle swiftly turned around, and while Luxray had its back turned, the gecko like Pokemon swung its head at Luxray's back, hitting Luxray with its huge leaf. "While you're in close proximity, Leaf Blade!" The leaves on Grovyle's arms glowed and the grass type Pokemon slashed Luxray's back, its arms creating an X. Then, Grovyle jumped off of Luxray's back and landed lightly while Luxray fell, forcefully to the ground. Suddenly, Grovyle clutched his sides and fell on his knees. Kakashi smirked under his mask.
"You never expected my Luxray to know a poison type move like Toxic, did you?" asked Kakashi. Sasuke winced, feeling his Grovyle's pain, since poison type moves are very effective against grass type Pokemon. "Luxray, Thunder Fang," said Kakashi. Sparks of electricity surrounded Luxray once again and the lion like Pokemon charged towards Grovyle, ready to sink his fangs in Grovyle's skin.
Sasuke quickly commanded, "Use Leaf Blade to block the Thunder Fang!" Swiftly, Grovyle stood up and placed formed an X with his arms with the leaves glowing. Luxray's fangs and the leaves clashed with each other, forcing both Pokemon back. "Hang in there, Grovyle! Quick Attack, then Absorb!" Even though Grovyle was poisoned, he still managed to put up a fight against Luxray. The gecko Pokemon dashed towards Luxray, leaving a white trail of light, and slammed into the electric Pokemon. As quickly as he could, Grovyle latched onto Luxray's back and started draining as much energy from the electric Pokemon as possible. Once Grovyle was rejuvenated, he kicked off of Luxray's back and landed in front of Sasuke.
"That's smart, Sasuke: using Absorb to regain health. However, he's still poisoned. Luxray, Crunch," commanded Kakashi. Luxray sprang back up and ran towards Grovyle, baring his fangs.
"Grovyle, push him back with Fury Cutter!" shouted Sasuke. Grovyle's leaves glowed again and the gecko Pokemon dashed towards Luxray. The two running Pokemon crashed into each other, however, Grovyle seemed to have the upper hand, despite him being poisoned. The grass type Pokemon slashed Luxray over and over again with his leaves, forcing the lion like Pokemon to pace back, step by step. "Now, finish with Leaf Blade!" Grovyle then delivered a final blow with his leaves to Luxray, causing him to roll and tumble back. Grovyle then fell on his knees, panting heavily. The grass type Pokemon then slowly sank down, onto his stomach. Kakashi's Luxray was knocked out, but it seemed like Grovyle was about to faint as well.
"You did well, Sasuke. My Luxray can't battle anymore. You win," declared Kakashi. Sasuke quickly returned Grovyle to his Pokeball and stepped out of the challenger's box, letting Naruto step in. "This is the final match. If you win this, you two will earn your Dynamo badge. Naruto, are you ready?" asked Kakashi.
As actions speak louder than words, Naruto released his Aron without answering Kakashi's question. The young blond had a determined look on his face and Kakashi could clearly see that. "I'll take that as a yes. Let's go, Electabuzz," said Kakashi.
"Aron use Take Down!" started Naruto.
Aron charged towards Electabuzz, but the larger Pokemon easily dodged the attack but jumping up. "Use Brick Break," commanded Kakashi. Sparks of electricity surrounded Electabuzz's right fist, and the electric Pokemon flattened out his hand to karate chop Aron.
"Quick, use Iron Defense!" Naruto countered swiftly. Aron quickly defended itself, making Electabuzz's Brick Break less effective. Even though Iron Defense helped raise Aron's defense, the small Pokemon was still greatly affected by the karate chop, since it's weak to fighting type attacks. "Head-butt it!" shouted Naruto. Aron quickly jumped up and successfully head-butted Electabuzz right in the stomach. "Great job! Metal Claw!" continued Naruto.
While Aron was still under Electabuzz, he prepared his claws for a Metal Claw attack. Kakashi countered, "Use Low Kick!" Since Aron was slower than Electabuzz, the electric Pokemon hit the smaller Pokemon first with a swift kick. Aron crashed to the ground while Electabuzz landed on his feet. "Prepare a Thunder Punch," commanded Kakashi. Electabuzz curled his right hand into a fist and created yellow sparks of electricity around it. Then, he jumped in the air and began to punch down on Aron.
"Aron, come on!" shouted Naruto, trying to give Aron a little motivation. The small Pokemon managed to stand up again, but still looked wobbly. "Yes! Good! Dodge that punch!" said Naruto. The steel Pokemon managed to roll out of the way of the Thunder Punch and spring up on his feet again. "Use Iron Head!" The steel plate on Aron's head glowed. The steel Pokemon then rammed its head into Electabuzz while his back was turned.
"Thundershock," said Kakashi. Electabuzz fired yellow streams of electricity from his antennae, backwards at Aron. Electabuzz then turned and grabbed Aron's head with one hand, and flung him to the ground.
Naruto winced, feeling sorry for his Aron. The blond shook his head back and forth and got his head back in the battle. "Aron, Take Down!" The small Pokemon emerged forcefully from the small crater in the ground and rammed, full force, into the surprised Electabuzz, sending the larger Pokemon flying back. "Alright! Now, Metal Claw!"
As Aron's claws glowed white, the steel Pokemon dove towards Electabuzz ready to attack. Fortunately for Aron, the Metal Claw hit successfully. "Good, don't stop! Use Metal Head!" continued Naruto. Aron's head glowed white this time, and while in close proximity with Electabuzz, the steel Pokemon head-butted the electric Pokemon.
"Grab that Aron, Electabuzz, then Shock Wave," commanded Kakashi. The small Pokemon was easily gripped by Electabuzz. Sparks of electricity danced around Electabuzz's antennae, then shocked Aron. Both Pokemon crashed to the ground: Electabuzz, affected by Aron's two simultaneous attacks, and Aron worn out by Electabuzz's physically contacted Shock Wave attack.
Without any further command from Kakashi, Electabuzz stumbled back up to his feet and prepared for a Thunder Shock attack. However, Electabuzz wasn't the only Pokemon to act on his own. Once the streams of electricity were released, Aron swiftly moved his claws and dug his way underground. "Hey, that's Dig!" exclaimed Naruto. Suddenly, the ground beneath Electabuzz started shaking and Aron tackled the electric Pokemon from below, sending Electabuzz flying in the air, and crashing back down on the ground.
"Okay, finish it off, Aron!" was Naruto's last command. The steel Pokemon dug underground once again, and this time, it didn't only tackle Electabuzz from below. Aron rammed Electabuzz with his Metal Head attack as well: a combination of Dig and Metal Head. Electabuzz slid over to Kakashi, knocked out.
Kakashi returned his Pokemon to his Pokeball and sighed. "Well, congratulations you two. You win," declared Kakashi. Naruto broke into a huge grin, Sasuke crossed his arms and smirked, while Sakura was jumping up and down joyfully at the entrance.
Aron ran and jumped into Naruto's arms happily. Naruto hugged his little Pokemon tightly. "I owe you big time, little guy! You're the best, Aron! I guess your huge appetite helped bolster your defense, huh? You love iron just like I love ramen!" teased Naruto, laughing joyfully.
Kakashi walked towards Naruto and Sasuke and held out his hand. On his palm, glistening under the lights of the gym, were two badges. "These are for you two. Congratulations on earning them," said Kakashi. Naruto and Sasuke both took one badge each.
Naruto returned Aron to his Pokeball and grinned at Sasuke. With a "hn", Sasuke turned around and started to walk back to the entrance, when Kakashi stopped him. "Sasuke, are you planning on solving the whole puzzle all over again?" asked Kakashi.
"I've already memorized the path we took, so I have no problem," replied Sasuke.
"Well, the path's changed again," confessed Kakashi. Naruto's jaw dropped while Sasuke's eyes widened blinked many times. Kakashi held up his index finger. "There is one definite path back to the entrance for the challengers who defeated me." Both challengers heaved a relieved sigh. Kakashi continued, "However, seeing how you two can solve my puzzles easily, I'd prefer not to show you that one path. Please solve the puzzle all over again, and have fun, you two!" Kakashi finished, happily, and walked past a doorway that led further into the gym.
"Kakashi-sensei, that's so not fair!" yelled Naruto.
"Calm down, dobe. We'll just have to get this over with. The sooner the better," said Sasuke, calmly. So the two friends struggled to find their way out of the electric maze Kakashi invented.
"Congrats, Sasuke-kun and Naruto! You two beat Kakashi on the first try!" congratulated Sakura while slinging her arms around both their shoulders.
Naruto smiled, despite the fact that he just got electrocuted a dozen times while trying to find the right path back to the entrance of the gym. "I was sure we could beat him! Without a doubt!" boasted Naruto. After walking for a couple of minutes, Naruto realized that Sakura was leading both of them towards the Day Care Center. The blond turned his head back to face the rosette. Her eyes were lowered and she looked downcast. "Sakura-chan," whispered Naruto.
Sasuke could feel the sadness radiating from Sakura's body. He sighed as he kept on letting Sakura steer him towards the Day Care Center. Once the trio stepped inside the building, Sakura ran to the counter and asked to see her Skitty and the family. The old lady nodded and disappeared behind the large curtains. A few moments later, she came out carrying two Skitties in one arm and an egg in the other. The day care lady stepped outside, beside Sakura, and set the family of Skitties down on the ground.
The rosette kneeled down and spoke to her Skitty, "Hey Skitty, it looks like you have a family of your own now."
Her Skitty answered with a, "Nya!"
Sakura nodded. "Well, I can't possibly take that happiness away from you can I?" Skitty then looked at Sakura with a confused expression, tilting her head and uttering a, "Nya?"
Beads of tears were starting to collect at the corners of Sakura's eyes. "So…so… I… decided to let you stay at this center with your new family. Don't worry, I'll come and visit if I have the chance!" said Sakura, trying to lighten up the mood. Her face betrayed her words though, as tears started rolling down her cheeks. Skitty paced towards Sakura and rubbed her head against Sakura's thigh.
The rosette scooped her Skitty up and hugged her. "Skitty, you are the very first Pokemon I caught. Even though I decided to let you live here, I'll never forget the friendship you and I shared. I really want you to be happy with your new family," sobbed Sakura. She set Skitty down on the ground again. "So, I guess this is… goodbye, for now." Wiping the tears away, Sakura stood up and walked towards the entrance.
Skitty followed Sakura, but suddenly stopped when her ex-owner stopped. Sakura bent down to scoop up Skitty, walked back to the male Skitty, and set her Skitty down beside him. "Take good care of her, okay? I hope a gorgeous Skitty will hatch out of your egg too. Have a great live together," bid Sakura. Instead of walking, the rosette ran out of the building. Sasuke and Naruto were forcefully pushed out of the way by Sakura while she was running. The two of them looked at each other, said their 'good-byes' to the day care lady, and ran after their friend.
"Nya…" Sakura's Skitty was left with her mate and egg on the ground. Even though the pink Pokemon felt sad to part with her trainer, she still felt happy that Sakura chose to let Skitty keep her own happiness with her new family. The day care lady took the Skitty family to the backyard once again. Sakura's Skitty positioned herself so that she could look back at the entrance. However she didn't have the chance to observe the door long, as she was brought to the backyard of the center.
"Sakura-chan, wait!" shouted Naruto, trying to catch up with Sakura. "Could she run this fast before?" Naruto asked out loud.
"Just follow her," suggested Sasuke. The two of them kept running after their female team mate. As they kept running, they realized that Sakura had run to the beach. Sasuke and Naruto soon spotted their friend sitting on the shore, not minding the people running back and forth on the beach at all. The two boys each took a seat beside Sakura, one on each side of her.
"The beach is relaxing, isn't it?" started Sakura. Naruto just nodded while Sasuke stayed silent. "I'm going to miss Skitty, but I did what's best for her. I'm pretty sure she understands."
"You did a really unselfish act, Sakura-chan," commented Naruto.
"Mm, I just want Skitty to be happier," replied Sakura.
"It's best if we just don't talk about it anymore," interrupted Sasuke.
Sakura blinked at him, then smiled. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Thanks for coming out all this way with me you two."
Naruto grinned and said, "You're welcome! That's what friends are for!" The blond then jumped up and ran into the sea. "Come on you two! Have some fun!"
Sakura's face lit up and she stood up. The rosette grabbed Sasuke's wrists and pulled him into the sea as well. The three of them stayed on the shallowest side of the sea. Naruto and Sakura splashed each other with water while Sasuke just sat in the water, watching his friends fool around.
All of a sudden, Naruto pushed Sakura a little too hard, and she stumbled onto Sasuke. The dark haired boy held Sakura's arms to lessen the impact of her fall. "Ah, thanks, Sasuke…kun." Sakura's words trailed off as she looked straight into Sasuke's eyes. For some reason, Sasuke just froze in that position as well. Sakura had her hands on his shoulders, and she was on her knees. Sasuke held Sakura's arms and he was sitting down. Both of them were in very close physical proximity with each other.
"Hey, are you two ever gonna get up from that position?" teased Naruto. An embarrassed Sakura quickly pushed herself off Sasuke and turned around to face Naruto. Instead of yelling back at him, she just ran towards him and started splashing him with more water.
Sasuke didn't move from his spot. He stared at his two friends once again, however, this time, his attention was more focused on the pink haired girl who chose to give up some of her happiness, instead of take it away from someone else.
Yay, this chapter's done! ^_^ Did I surprise all of you with that Skitty part? Sorry if that was really sudden. I just wanted to get a lot of things over and done with, in one chapter, especially the gym battle part. I hope you, my readers, enjoyed it! Please review to tell me what you think! I accept constructive criticism as well, so if there is anyone out there who can help me improve my writing, please review and tell me what's missing! I'm not a native English speaker, but I'm trying hard to write good stories! =) Review please!