Chapter 17- X- scissor
"Am I even ready for this?" I said to myself feeling utterly defeated. Even though I hadn't even battled yet. Speedy was following me as we got back into town. I stared at the door of the gym, which seemed to tower over me. I slowly got myself to get closer and closer to the door I never realized how nervous I was. I willed hand to knock the door.
"Yes?" Bug Boy! I mistakenly even blurted that out. "No my name is Bugsy." He laughed. "Are you here for a gym challenge?"
"Y-yes I challenge you." I replied nervously. He laughed again and ran into the gym. I sheepishly followed. Speedy shook his head and followed. "Welcome." A robotic voice said. "You must be a challenger right? Click the button on the screen yes or no." I rubbed my finger across the screen and the computer beeped in success. "You may continue on your journey to battle the gym leader. Beware of obstacles on your way." Obstacles what obstacles are in a gym?
"Are you enjoying it so far?" I heard Bug boy call out from the back.
"Bug Boy? Where are you?"
"My names Bugsy."
"What do I do?"
"You talk to the computer she'll tell you what to do. Goodbye see you later." The intercom shut off leaving me alone with the computer.
"Hello Desiree." I heard the voice of the computer echo through the room.
"How do you know my name?" I asked.
"It is registered in your pokedex." I reached in my bag to retrieve my pokedex.
"But how? I thought it was a tool to learn about pokemon."
"Yes that is true. But it also contains the trainers license in case you lose it or you want to sign up for the pokemon league." The computer noted.
"Pokemon league?" I asked.
"Yes the pokemon league is a tournament in which you compete with all the top trainers in a duel battle. It's in a few months. Are you interested in signing up?"
"So is that why everyone does gym battles?"
"No, the pokemon league is a tournament that is optional and you can sign up for it. What you are thinking of is the elite four and the champion. You may still battle these guys without having to sign up. But you still must get all the badges for both. Would you like to sign up?"
"Sure." Why not?
"Please place your pokedex on the scanner to begin."
"What scanner?"
"The one behind you." A device popped out behind me and I willingly placed it on there. "Congratulations you are now signed up for the pokemon league. Now you must complete your set of gym battles to qualify."
"Now what do I do?"
"You fight the gym leaders."
"No that's not what I meant. I meant what do I do here?"
"You must make it through the puzzling maze to get to the gym leader Bug Boy." I thought I heard a note of bantering in it's voice.
"Bugsy." Bugsy randomly spoke from apparently the back of the gym he didn't take that one too well.
"I understand I have to get through the maze. But how?"
"You must figure out by passing each puzzle." Computer said vaguely.
"No that's not what I meant." I whined.
"I have helped as far as I can help." The monitor disappeared.
"Bug Boy your computer is defected." I yelled.
"I am not defective and preform my duties quite well." The computer retorted back.
"Are all gyms like this? I didn't see a computer at Falkner's."
" Most of them are installed with one except Falkner and gym leader Whitney have not yet converted."
Converted? That sounded strange. Should I be suspicious? "Why not?" I asked.
"They don't believe a computer system is morally right. Don't you have a gym leader to fight?"
"Yes I do." With a full sense of distrust to the computer I left to solve the puzzle on my own. The gym was decorated like a jungle and crickets chirped as I tried to get through the dense jungle. It was the Tangela all over again. Vines snatched at my heel I felt intense pain as I tripped through the foliage. Maybe venturing through jungles was just not my thing.
"Whoa that's a long drop." I stepped back before I nearly fell off the edge. There were three platforms that were hovering over the edge. I stepped on one which then came out from under my feet and made it to the next stop. Lucky break.
I walked down a little bit and the rustling of the bush alarmed me. I braced myself in a defensive position and found it to be a boy. He looked to be about ten. "I challenge you to a battle." Okay since it was rude not to accept I did anyway " Go Caterpie." The little bug squirmed around.
I sent out Speedy in response. He looked at the caterpie and scoffed apparently he was no match for the tailless pokemon. "Water gun" I said as the stream of water struck the bug it was all it took to defeat it.
"No! not my Caterpie." The boy ran to his pokemon as I moved on. I came to another set of platforms. I stepped onto the one of my choice, which zipped around to another trainer. Dang it!
"Paras go." She called out a little grass mushroom crab. "Use scratch." At this point I had chosen Unown.
"Hidden power." Paras looked a little unsure of itself as Unown stored power. The empty stare that my pokemon gave it probably did not help.
"What are you doing? Attack." The trainer shrieked which snapped Paras out of its ill confidence. "Stun spore." The yellow gas like material was dispensed from the abdomen of the pokemon.
"Unknown use Hidden power. Again." This repetitive attack started to get really old but I had no choice. I was lucky in the fact that the hidden power blocked the stun spore from reaching us.
"No Paras!" She exclaimed as the pokemon lay unconscious. She picked her pokemon up and left to go heal her pokemon. I wasn't too happy about that. She took the hovercraft that would lead me back. I was stuck!
"Bug Boy your system is defective." The intercom switched on with a snickering laughter.
"How are you going to get out of this one?" He was apparently enjoying himself. Not for long though.
"When I get out of this pickle I'm going to give you a challenge." I chided him for his cocky attitude.
"Really? I can't wait to see that. Bug pokemon can't be beat that easily." He snorted.
"If you ever have given out a gym battle then you've been beat before." I replied. Silence went over the intercom.
"Have the computer show you how to get out." The intercom became silent once more.
"Computer. I need you."
"I'm here what do you need?" Computer switched on.
"Can you help me get off this ledge. I got stuck."
I thought I heard her snicker before she began to talk. "Sure I'll reroute the hovercraft to come pick you up."
"Are you laughing at me?" I asked.
"No." Of course she was she had issues saying no.
"Then why are you laughing?" I asked.
"I'm not. I'm amused." The computer said smugly.
"That's the same difference." I barked. The hovercraft then came to pick me up. I've had such an embarrassing time so far.
"Relax there's one more set of puzzles. Your almost done with the first part." What! First part! I thought I was almost done.
"Oh okay then what's next?" I asked.
"Find the right hovercraft so you can go to the gym leader. You will need a quick heal so please place your pokeballs on my healing pad." I willingly did what the computer asked. She healed them at a rapid pace.
I was ready now. "Wait did I tell you this."
"Tell me what?" I asked.
"Two of these pads when stepped on will take you out of the gym and you will have to start over again."
Again? I had to do this again? There was no way no how I wanted to do it twice. So this was it. This was my chance to show the gym leader that I was capable of beating him.
I reached the area where the three hovercrafts stood. Jungle covered where the hovercrafts led to. I had no idea where to go I was going in blindly. "
"Computer what do I do now?"
"Do eeny miney mo." Okay that might just be what I needed to do.
I recited the old child's game. "My mother told me to pick the very best one and you are it. " I picked the one on the left.
"You chose left." Computer stated. I know I chose left. But was it a great choice?
I cautiously stepped on the hovercraft fearing that I made the wrong choice. " I see you've found me." Bugsy replied. He smiled with a pokeball in his hand ready to challenge me.
"Now I want to battle you." I pulled out a pokeball of my own.
"Allrighty then I will call out my first pokemon. Scyther." The green mantis came out and called out triumphantly. It was determined for battle and so was I.
"Totodile go!" I called out.
"A shiny Totodile wow! But a Totodile's a Totodile. I have battled many Totodile in my career. I know how to deal with them." He laughed I started to rethink my strategy a little bit. Since most trainers had a Totodile on hand he would know how defeat them. "Scyther scratch." Why such a simple move?
"Totodile use water gun." I had already previously known that he had issues of preforming a successful water gun.
The scratch attack came down on Totodile who attempted to use a water gun. But it was more of a squirt gun. I was forced to change my attack. "Bite." I watched in relief as Totodile made it's mark. Bugsy looked slightly impressed but that was quickly changed as he changed his plan of attack or this was part of the original plan.
"X- Scissor." He laughed. My whole body trembled in despair. How tough was this pokemon? X- Scissor was a high level move and in my perspective the toughest move a Scyther could ever use against us. The two scythes on the pokemon started to glow with unused energy, for the moment at least it would soon turn on my pokemon.
With a full on charge I watched helplessly as my chances of winning grew slim and nonexistent. Scyther meant business and I'm not sure we were that ready..
Totodile had no way of escaping the attack and I was sure that he would not survive it. Now it was time for my last resort.