Taking a deep breath, Red pushed the threes that functioned as the Gym's doors open, and marched inside, Orange and Violet following behind him. The inside of the building didn't exactly look like the inside of a building, however- the floor was topped with well maintained grass, and the walls couldn't even be seen for all the ivy covering them. On the opposite end of the room stood a man who appeared to be in his late teens, if not his early twenties, unkempt black hair atop his head. He was dressed in a pair of blue overalls, the dirtiness of them suggesting that he spent a lot of his time working in the dirt. Several gardening tools could be seen on the ground behind him. Most importantly, attached to his overalls were three Poké Balls.
"Welcome to the Nodacel Gym," the man said. "Allow me to introduce myself- I am Phil, the Nodacel Gym Leader. Now, who might you three be?"
"I'm Red Vershunn from Talpel Town," Red stated.
"Violet Scramble, also from Talpel Town," added Violet.
"Orange McPixel, Talpel Town," continued Orange.
"We're all here to challenge you to a battle," declared Red.
Phil nodded approvingly. "Well, all right, then! Let's get started. Which of you wants to go first?"
"I will," volunteered Red as he stepped forward. Upon closer inspection, a number of small rocks were arranged all over the grassy floor, forming the outline of the battlefield. Red stepped into the small box outside the battlefield in which the challenger was obviously intended to stand, as Phil did the same on his end of the battlefield.
"All right," said Phil as he removed a Poké Ball from his overalls and enlarged it. "Three Pokémon each, that fine with you?"
"Works for me," Red answered.
"Then let's get started!" Phil declared as he threw the Poké Ball. "Exeggutor! Go!"
The ball opened up, and as the light faded away, what appeared to be a palm tree with legs materialized. A trio of yellow coconuts hung close to the leaves, a face visible on each one. "Exeggutor," the heads chanted. Red dug out his Pokédex and aimed it at his arboreal adversary.
"Exeggutor, the Coconut Pokémon, and the evolved form of Exeggcute," said Red's Pokédex. "Legend has it that on rare occasions, one of its heads will drop off and continue on as an Exeggcute. Exeggutor's types are Grass and Psychic."
"Grass and Psychic, huh?" repeated Red as he took a Poké Ball off his belt. "I know what would be best against that... but better to save it for later, I think. OK, Raticate!" he exclaimed as he threw the ball. "Go!"
In a flash of light, Red's Raticate materialized. It glared across the battlefield at the three-headed tree, baring its prominent front teeth.
"He's using Raticate?" muttered Orange. "Wouldn't Parasect have a huge advantage here?"
"Yeah, but I highly doubt Exeggutor is Phil's strongest Pokémon," replied Violet. "Red's doing the smart thing here, saving the type advantage for when he'll really need it."
"Exeggutor! Barrage!" ordered Phil.
"Raticate, Hyper Fang!" Red shouted.
"Rrrrrraticate!" screeched Raticate as it charged across the battlefield.
"Tor!" Exeggutor's heads exclaimed simultaneously as a flurry of small glowing white orbs flew forth from its leaves. Weaving back and forth, Raticate deftly evaded every last one of them before sinking its fangs into Exeggutor's trunk. The Coconut Pokémon cried out in discomfort and stumbled about, trying in vain to shake Raticate off.
"Don't give in, Exeggutor!" Phil called out. "Use Psychic!"
"Exeggutor," replied Exeggutor as its eyes glowed blue. Suddenly, Raticate found itself being forcibly removed from the Grass/Psychic-type and thrown across the battlefield.
"Raticate, try a Quick Attack!" Red called out.
"Teleport to him, then Stomp!" Phil shouted.
As Raticate charged forward, Exeggutor vanished into thin air, reappearing directly in front of the Normal-type, startling it into stopping short. Exeggutor then wasted no time in raising its right foot and bringing it down hard on Raticate, causing it to screech in pain.
"Raticate, come on!" Red called, but as Exeggutor got off of Raticate, it was clear that the Rat Pokémon was down.
"This does not bode well," observed Violet as Red withdrew Raticate.
"Yeah, you think?" Orange replied sarcastically.
"Orange?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up."
"OK, Parasect, let's go!" Red shouted as he threw another Poké Ball, this one unleashing the Bug/Grass-type onto the battlefield. Parasect scuttled forward, raising its claws in a menacing fashion, ready to do battle against Exeggutor.
"Hmm, that could get tricky," murmured Phil. "Exeggutor, Sleep Powder!"
"Parasect, Spore now!" Red shouted.
Simultaneously, both Grass-types unleashed plumes of blue dust at each other. The powdery attacks collided in midair, whereupon the dust settled to the floor, each attack falling far short of its intended target.
"Slash it now!" Red exclaimed.
"Sect para para!" hissed Parasect as it lunged forward with surprising speed, swiping at Exeggutor with brightly glowing claws.
"No! Exeggutor!" Phil shouted. "Stomp attack now!"
"End it!" Red called out. "Leech Life now!"
Giving Exeggutor no time to even raise a leg into the air, Parasect's small teeth glowed green as it chomped onto the side of one of Exeggutor's legs, and the three-headed tree howled with pain as Parasect sucked health from its enemy. At last, Parasect dug its teeth out of Exeggutor's side, and the latter toppled backwards, hitting the ground like the fallen tree that it was.
"Exeggu... tor..." gasped Exeggutor before all three heads simultaneously slipped into unconsciousness.
"Don't sweat it, Exeggutor," sighed Phil as he returned it to its Poké Ball. "You were great out there. Take a good rest." He then produced and threw another Poké Ball. "OK, Tangela, it's your turn now!" he shouted.
As the flash of light faded away, what looked to be a large tangle of teal seaweed with red feet stood in Exeggutor's place. A pair of large eyes were visible through a sizable gap in the tangled vines.
"Piece of cake," scoffed Red. "Parasect, go! Leech Life now!"
"Parasect!" hissed Parasect as it scuttled forward, the tiny teeth in its mouth glowing a bright neon green.
"Tangela! Swords Dance!" yelled Phil.
"Taaaang!" replied Tangela in a high voice as it proceeded to spin around in place, its body gradually taking on a silvery metallic glow. Parasect lunged forward, but due to the sheer speed of the spinning Tangela, ricocheted off the pure Grass-type and fell off to the side. Tangela stopped spinning at that moment, a fiery intensity now visible in its eyes.
"Hmm, this could be trouble," Violet remarked. "Swords Dance sharply increases Attack power.
"But Grass-type moves are special attacks," Orange argued. "Swords Dance isn't gonna affect how they work."
"I doubt Phil's gonna have Tangela use Grass moves on a Parasect anyway," snorted Violet. "Probably has some Normal moves, like-"
"Body Slam now!" Phil ordered.
"Taaaangela!" screeched Tangela as it leapt into the air, preparing to land on Parasect.
"Use Bide!" Red ordered.
Parasect focused hard, its body glowing brightly as Tangela slammed into it. The Vine Pokémon jumped back, eyeing the glowing Parasect warily.
"PoisonPowder attack!" said Phil.
Tangela responded to this by shaking its vines wildly, scattering a dark purple dust from within, all over Parasect. At that moment, Parasect exclaimed loudly, letting off a powerful beam of energy from its whole body, plowing Tangela backwards. Though Tangela was blown back by this powerful technique, Parasect was looking a little shaky, clearly suffering from the powerful blow, not to mention the poison. However, though Parasect was still standing, Tangela had slumped to the ground and was not getting up.
"With one attack?!" Orange exclaimed incredulously. "How does that even happen?"
"Well, Tangela had gotten in that Swords Dance, so the initial Body Slam was pretty powerful," Violet replied as Phil withdrew Tangela. "Then consider that Bide sent double that power right back at it... It's not surprising, really."
"Of course, just as I thought," nodded Orange. Violet rolled her eyes, then lightly slapped Orange's head. "Hey, what's that for?" Orange demanded.
"For being an idiot," Violet replied smoothly.
"Now, Victreebel!" shouted Phil as he threw another ball onto the battlefield. "Go!"
As he yelled this, the ball opened up, and poured a large amount of light onto the battlefield, the glowing energy forming itself into a decidedly familiar shape. As the glowing faded, Phil's Victreebel stood before Red and Parasect, shrieking menacingly.
"Let's win this, Parasect!" Red exclaimed. "Leech Life now!"
"Victreebel! Wrap attack!" commanded Phil.
As Parasect scuttled forward, it was met very quickly by a thick brown vine; Victreebel was extending the vine which started from its large leaf, and was tightly binding the Bug/Grass-type with it.
"Parasect!" Red called.
"It's no good," smirked Phil. "Parasect can't move."
"Aw, come on, Parasect," Red said quietly, hoping that the struggling bug would fight its way out of the entangling vine. Alas, this did not happen, and Red could only look on helplessly for the next couple of tense minutes. Once Parasect's struggling ceased, Victreebel let go, letting Red's Parasect fall to the ground, unconscious.
"Parasect, return," Red sighed as he held out Parasect's Poké Ball, allowing it to fire off a red beam of energy which sucked Parasect into the ball's spherical depths. Once Parasect was back in its ball, Red placed it back on his belt and took off another one. "Okay," he sighed. "It's up to you now," he declared as he threw the ball. "Doduo! Go!"
Despite the type disadvantage, neither Phil nor Victreebel looked especially phased at the sight of the two-headed Normal/Flying-type which materialized on the battlefield. "Type advantage isn't everything," grinned Phil. "But then, your Parasect knows that already, doesn't it? Victreebel, let's hit it with a Stun Spore!"
"Doduo, use Whirlwind!" Red ordered.
"Do do!" cawed both of Doduo's heads simultaneously as what appeared to be miniature tornadoes erupted forth from its beaks. Though Victreebel was blasting a plume of yellow dust from its mouth, the Whirlwind forced the powder back onto Victreebel, causing it to wince in discomfort.
"Nice," nodded Violet in approval. "It's paralyzed."
"Yeah, nice strategy, Red," added Orange.
"Good job, Doduo!" grinned Red. "Now use Peck!"
"Wrap attack now!" Phil ordered.
Doduo charged forward, both heads focused on the target, both beaks aimed right at their bell-shaped adversary... And then came the thick brown vine, swiftly coiling itself around Doduo's legs, torso, and necks. Struggle and cry out though it might, Doduo could not break free of the vine, its grip holding strong in spite of Victreebel's paralysis.
"No..." Red murmured as Doduo continued its apparently futile struggle against Victreebel's Wrap. No trainer said a word, the four of them focused only on the struggling Doduo and the Victreebel who was fighting valiantly in spite of its paralysis.
And then, suddenly, all four of them were very nearly blinded, as a bright glow exploded forth from that which they were watching so intensely.
"Oh, come on, don't tell me," grumbled Phil.
"OK, I won't tell you that Red's Doduo is evolving," smirked Orange.
Indeed, as Red determinedly peered through the blinding light, he could just barely make out the sight of a third head and neck growing between the other two as the bright light forced Victreebel to let go. The glowing then faded, and it was clear that Doduo had indeed evolved. It now possessed three heads, each one topped with several black feathers. From its rear end, it now sported brilliantly pink tail feathers.
"Do," "dri," "o", cried the newly evolved Pokémon, each syllable cawed by a different head. Red, now grinning widely, held out his Pokédex.
"Dodrio, the Triple Bird Pokémon, and the evolved form of Doduo," said the device. "An odd species which is rarely found. At night, only two of its heads will sleep at a time while the third stays awake and keeps watch."
"Ready to win this, Dodrio?" Red asked.
"Driiiiiiio," Dodrio's three heads simultaneously cawed loudly.
"Victreebel, trap it with Wrap once more!" Phil ordered.
"Let's try this new move of yours out, Dodrio," Red stated as he was apparently reading something off his Pokedex's screen. "Use Drill Peck!"
"Drio Dodrio," cawed Dodrio as streaks of rapidly swirling white energy formed around its beaks, making them appear to be spinning like drills as it dashed forward with astounding swiftness on its two legs. Though Victreebel's vine started snaking forward, Dodrio expertly jumped over it at every chance, and plowed all three of its beaks into Victreebel at once, sending it flying backwards, crashing to the ground at Phil's feet. However, Victreebel was not out just yet, as it unsteadily attempted to right itself.
"Finish it off!" Red called. "Dodrio! Skull Bash now!"
"Victreebel, try an Acid attack-" Phil began, but far too late, as all three of Dodrio's heads were already colliding with Victreebel in what was evidently a very painful manner. Once the cranial onslaught had ceased, Victreebel ceased its efforts to get back up.
"YES!" Red cheered as Dodrio dashed over to its trainer. Red responded by hugging Dodrio, who cawed happily with all three heads. "Dodrio, you were great!"
"That was some battle," Phil admitted as he walked across the battlefield, having returned Victreebel to its ball. "Type advantage might not be everything, but it's definitely something. Doduo evolving like that was pretty well timed, though- had it not evolved, I'm certain you would have lost."
"It sure looked that way," Red admitted as he returned Dodrio to its Poké Ball.
"So, without further ado, here it is," Phil stated as he produced a green and brown badge made to look like a little tree and handed it to Red. "The official Pokémon League Arbor Badge. You've earned it."
"Thanks!" Red grinned, accepting the badge.
"And take this too," Phil added as he handed a greenish disc to Red. "That TM teaches Mega Drain. Useful attack for a Grass-type to know. It does damage to the opponent and heals the user at the same time. OK, so who's next?"
"I am!" Orange declared, sounding pumped up. "I'm ready to go, so let's do this!"
Violet rolled her eyes as Phil walked back over to his end of the battlefield and placed his Poké Balls on a healing machine built into a tree stump. "Orange, did you ever think that maybe I might have wanted to go next?" she asked.
After a brief pause, Orange replied, "...no." Violet facepalmed.
"OK, Exeggutor!" Phil shouted as he heaved one of his Poké Balls back out onto the battlefield. "It's go time!"
As Exeggutor reappeared on the battlefield, looking to be back at 100% health, Orange's right hand hovered over the Poké Balls at his belt before finally deciding on one. He took the ball off the belt, pressed the button to bring it to its full size, and then threw it out onto the battlefield.