Ch. 4
After getting their first badges, Vance and Ash, along with Brock and Pikachu, decided to head towards the Cerulean City, hoping to get a Cascade Badge from the Gym. As the trainers walked along the path, Ash stretched out his arms and gave a big yawn.
"Ah, it's great day to enjoy the sunshine!" Ash said contently.
"And while you're enjoying the sunshine, Gary is catching more sunshine." Brock pointed out, making Ash miss a step. "But I guess a Pokemon Trainer can capture Pokemon and enjoy the sun." Brock said, and Pikachu, hearing something behind him, turned around and saw Misty running towards them.
"Hey! Wait a minute!" Misty yelled, and everyone turned around and waited for Misty to catch up. "Where do you think you're going!?" Misty asked when she finally caught up with the three trainers.
"Oh, I know where we're going; we're going to Cerulean City!" Ash said, and Misty began to freak out.
"Cerulean City!? What're you going there for!?" Misty said in a high pitched voice.
"Well, it's none of you're business, but I'm going for more badges!" Ash said, and Misty started laughing nervously.
"Uh, Ash, you do not want Pokemon from there, trust me!" Misty said nervously.
"Why not?" Ash asked, and Misty quickly thought up a lie.
"Because they're all…" Misty started, trying to think of a good lie.
"All what?" Ash pressed on, and Misty finally came up with something.
"Because they're all very scary Ghost Pokemon that look like this…" Misty explained as she stretched her face to make it look like a monster's face. "Like monsters!" Misty said, trying to make her voice sound scary; but all Ash did was laugh.
"Hahaha! Nice face Misty! Come on Brock, Vance. Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash said, and they started walking towards Cerulean City.
"Hey! Hey! WAIT A SECOND!" Misty yelled, and everyone stopped walking again as she jumped in front of them and spread her arms out. "Hey! How about Vermilion City? It's right on the water and you can find lots of neat Pokemon! And you can watch all the giant yachts pulling into the harbor! And there's a little park on top of the hill where you can sit and watch the sunset! It's so romantic!" Misty said, the last bit being in a bit of dreamy way. "It's much nicer than that old Cerulean City, so let's get going!" Misty yelled out in excitement.
"Okay, let's go!" Ash said, and Misty got excited real quickly.
"You mean it?" Misty asked hopefully.
"…to Cerulean City!" Ash said finally, and Misty fell over as the rest walked past her. "I've got to get more Gym Badges, Brock. And since there's a Gym in Cerulean City…" Ash explained.
"Yeah; makes since to me." Brock agreed, and they continued their way to Cerulean.
The next morning, when Brock, Ash, and Vance finally reach Cerulean City, they were walking down the street, admiring how nice the City was, when Ash turned around and noticed that Misty wasn't following them.
"Hmm? Hey, that's weird; Misty isn't following us anymore." Ash pointed out, and Pikachu seemed really upset by it.
"She really didn't want to come to Cerulean City, did she?" Brock reminded them.
"I wonder why she hates this place…ah, we'll never understand girls!" Ash decided, and they just kept on walking.
As they got deeper into downtown, Ash, Brock, and Vance noticed a large group of people standing around a heavy-duty hardware store, and several police cars with their sirens going off.
"The police? Wonder what happened." Ash said, and they ran over to the crowd, and shoved their way upfront. "What happened?" Ash asked a guy next to him.
"Some burglars broke in last night." The stranger explained.
"Burglars, huh?" Ash said, and they suddenly heard a familiar voice.
"What do you know about burglars?" The voice said, and the three turned around and saw Officer Jenny staring them down. "You three look pretty suspicious to me." Jenny said.
"Hey! You're that motorcycle officer from Viridian!" Ash said, thinking it was the other Jenny he met.
"Hmm? Ah! You must've met my sister-in-law! If you've met my sister-in-law, than you must've had some dealings with the police in Viridian. Maybe you stopped and asked for directions, or maybe you found a wallet and turned it in, OR MAYBE YOU'RE A BURGLAR WHO BROKE OUT OF JAIL!" Jenny accused, flashing her handcuffs.
"I've never been to jail!" Ash said defensively.
"Me neither, ma'am!" Brock said, but Jenny didn't believe them.
"That's what they all say!" Jenny said.
"We just got into town, and we saw the crowd, so we came over to see what was going on." Brock explained, but Jenny just smirked.
"The criminal always returns to the scene of the crime!" Jenny pointed out, but Ash pulled out his Pokedex, and opened it.
"Maybe this will help clear things up." Ash said, turning Dexter on.
"I'm Dexter, a Pokedex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokemon Trainer, Ash Ketchum." Dexter said, and Brock pulled out a Badge from his gym.
"Yeah, and I'm the leader of the Pewter City Gym." Brock explained, and Vance got out an identification card.
"And my name is Vance Draco, of the Draco family." Vance said, and Jenny nodded and put away her handcuffs.
"Well, that's evidence enough for me. I'm sorry I was so suspicious! Now I'm suspicious about my sister-in-law; she sure has weird taste in friends." Jenny said, the last part being mostly to herself, hen Brock got her attention.
"Uhh…miss? Since I'm new in town, maybe we could get together tonight and you could show me around." Brock suggested.
"Well, I'm not off duty until past your bedtime, and I'll probably have to work around the clock to catch these burglars." Jenny said, and Brock just groaned in disappointment while Vance and Ash held back their laughter.
"Well, what exactly did they steal?" Ash asked.
"That's weird thing about it; they didn't take any money, just a massive vacuum and a giant hose." Jenny explained.
"But why would anyone steal one of those?" Ash asked.
"I'm sure I don't know young man, but I do know I don't have time guessing games with you, because I have a job to do, and it's time for you three to get moving, so come on, let's go!" Jenny said, pushing the three trainers away from the store.
"It's a good thing that I had Dexter and you had that Badge." Ash said to Brock as they rested on a bench, but there was something Ash was still curious. "Hey Vance, when you told Officer Jenny who you were, you said that you were 'of the Draco Family'. What's so special about the Draco Family?" Ash asked, and Brock fell over from the question.
"What!? How can you ask something like that! Don't you know anything, Ash!?" Brock asked, and Vance just calmed Brock down.
"Brock, it's fine; it's actually a little refreshing, knowing that there is someone out there that I come from a famous family." Vance admitted as he took a seat next to Ash. "You see Ash, my family is famous for being filled with Pokemon Masters; for as long as my family can remember, each member has become a Master at some point in their lives. We're also famous for being the most skilled Dragon trainers in the world; that's how I was able to get Dratini as my Starter." Vance explained, and Ash just made a face, showing that he understood, as Vance continued. "I don't really like announcing that I'm from the Draco Family, because I want to be treated like a regular trainer; I don't want others to be too scared to battle me, or Gym Trainers go easy on me. Don't get me wrong, I love my family; I just wish we weren't so famous." Vance finished, and he stood up, hoping to head towards the gym. "Now come on; we have a Badge waiting for us to collect." Vance said, and Ash shot up excitedly.
"Yeah. Hey Brock, you have any inside information on the Gym Trainer there?" Ash asked, but Brock looked confused. "I just want to figure out as much as I can about him before we have our match! 'Know yourself, know your adversary, and you hold the key to victory!'." Ash recited.
"You know some pretty deep stuff Ash." Brock said, and Ash pulled out his Pokedex and Ash laughed nervously.
"I got that one from Dexter." Ash admitted.
"Well, I never actually met the Gym Trainer here, but I know his Pokemon's special move." Brock said.
"Yeah? What is it?" Ash asked.
"I'm sorry, Ash, but I can't tell you that." Brock said, and Ash looked disappointed.
"Why not?" Ash asked.
"I'm a Gym Leader too; I can't tell you out of respect. You understand?" Brock said, and Ash just smiled.
"That's cool." Ash finally said, and when they got a nearby intersection, Brock stopped.
"Well, I gotta check some stuff out; catch you guys later." Brock said, and Vance and Ash were surprised.
"What stuff?" Ash asked, but Brock remained vague.
"Just stuff. See you two later." Brock said, and he walked off.
"Well, come on Pikachu." Ash said, and he and Vance continued to look for the Gym.
When Ash and Vance finally found the Gym, they were surprised to see that it was filled with people sitting in bleachers, cheering for something, when suddenly, and man over an intercom started speaking.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the stars of our show; the Sensational Cerulean City Synchronized Swimming Sisters!" The announcer said, and Vance just sweat dropped.
"Try saying that five times fast." Vance joked, and they watched as three girls got on the large diving board and jumped into the water. The three then started their synchronized swimming, making everyone cheer, except Ash and Vance, who were confused.
"Huh…but, I thought this was a Pokemon Gym." Ash said, and all they could at the moment was just watch and wait for the show to end before they could ask questions.
"I don't get it." Ash said himself while he, Pikachu, and Vance walked into a nearby hallway, and they turned into another hallway, and saw that it was like an aquarium, filled with tanks of water with fish swimming everywhere. "It's like an aquarium; how can this be a Pokemon Gym?" Ash asked when he and Vance heard several voices coming his way. The voices belonged to the three swimmers he saw earlier, and they were praising each other for how well they did during the show. "Uh…excuse me." Ash said, getting the three girls attention.
"Sorry, but if you want an interview, you have to, like, call our manager." The girl with the pink hair said.
"We don't want an interview…" Ash tried to explained, but the girl with blue hair cut him off.
"We don't do autographs." The purple-haired girl said, but Ash shook his head.
"We don't want one. We want to know if this is the Cerulean City Gym." Ash said.
"Of course it is." The girl with blonde hair said, and Ash and Vance perked up.
"Well, I want to know if I can find the Gym trainer." Ash said, and the blonde nodded.
"You're looking at them." She said, and Ash and Vance stared in shock.
"The three of us are the Gym Trainers." The Blonde explained.
"We're the Sensational Sisters." The pink-haired girl said.
"We're world famous!" The purple-haired girl bragged.
"Huh!? But what's with all that swimming?" Ash asked.
"It's, like, our hobby, and our fans love it!" The pink haired girl said.
"We pool our talents to make a big splash!" The purple-haired girl said, and all three of them laughed hysterically.
"Man, and I thought my puns were bad." Vance said quietly to himself.
"Come on! I challenge all of you!" Ash said when the five of them returned to the pool area, and Pikachu seemed just as anxious, but the three sisters were reluctant.
"We don't feel much like battling anymore." Daisy, the blonde sister said, causing Vance, Ash, and Pikachu to sweat drop.
"What do you mean?!" Ash demanded.
"We just got beaten three times in a row by kids from this nowhere place called Pallet Town." Violet, the purple-haired girl said, and all Ash could do was just act depressed and disappointed.
"Not again…" Ash said, annoyed.
"It was just one defeat after another; my eyes were spinning from all the losses." Violet explained.
"We had to like, practically rush all of our Pokemon to the Pokemon Center." Daisy said, and the pink haired girl, Lily grabbed a Poke Ball and enlarged it.
"This is the only one left." Lily said as she dropped the Ball to the ground, causing it to release the Pokemon, a Goldeen.
"You mean all you have left is a Goldeen?!" Ash asked as the Pokemon flopped on the floor, and Lily returned it to the Poke Ball.
"If it would evolve into Seaking, we could use it, but right now, all it can use is its Horn Attack." Violet admitted.
"So, like, there's no point in battling." Daisy explained.
"Now, instead of having matches, we have time to make ourselves even more beautiful than ever!" Lily said.
"I know what you want." Daisy said as she clapped her hands twice. "Seel!" Daisy summoned, and from the pool came a small white Pokemon with a horn on its head. Seel then jumped onto the floor around the pool, and stuck out its tongue, revealing a badge that looked like a drop of water, and Daisy took the badge. A Cascade Badge; this is what you want, right? You can have it." Daisy said, but now Ash and Vance were the reluctant ones.
"Thanks, I'd rather earn my badges." Ash said, and Vance nodded.
"Same here." Vance agreed, but Daisy was persistent.
"Take it; a badge is a badge." Daisy said, and Ash reluctantly walked forward, and reached to grab the badge, when suddenly, they heard a familiar voice shout.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Misty yelled as she appeared out of nowhere.
"Misty?!" Vance and Ash asked in shock, and Misty jumped down the bleachers, down to the pool grounds.
"Alright Daisy; if you don't want to battle them, I will!" Misty said determinedly, and both Ash and Vance were surprised by the sudden turn of events.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked.
"I'm a Cerulean City Trainer too!" Misty said proudly, and Ash, Vance, and Pikachu gasped in even further shock. "I'm the fourth Sensational Sister!" Misty proclaimed, but Lily got behind her and started shaking her finger back and forth at her.
"There are only three Sensation Sisters, and one runt!" Lily said, and Misty started growling angrily.
"So little sister, it's a surprise to see you again so soon!" Daisy said, and Violet started mocking Misty.
"The little girl with a big mouth that said she wouldn't come back until she was a great Pokemon Trainer; wasn't that you?" Violet asked as she started to giggle, and Misty looked away in shame.
"I guess I did say something like that when I left." Misty admitted.
"So that's why Misty was so dead-set against coming here." Ash deduced.
"Misty, you left here pretending you wanted to be a Pokemon Trainer because you couldn't compare with us; because we're obviously more beautiful and talented than you are." Lily said confidently.
"Uh-oh." Ash said, knowing Misty's temper very well, and at the same time, Vance started taking large steps backwards and holding his cape in front of him, protecting himself in case Misty went berserk.
"THAT WASN'T THE REASON!" Misty yelled.
"Well then, I guess you came back because you couldn't make it as a Pokemon Trainer." Daisy said mockingly, and Vance was getting annoyed of his friend getting made fun of, even though it was by her own sisters.
"I love how these three are making fun of Misty for not being a good trainer, although they're the ones that can hardly make it out as Gym Trainers." Vance said to Ash, though he made sure it was loud enough to where everyone could hear him, though Misty's sisters just ignored him.
"It wasn't my idea to come back here; the only reason I'm here is because he wanted to come!" Misty said, pointing at Ash, and Daisy just smirked.
"Well, he's totally not someone I'd choose for a boyfriend, but you're no prize yourself." Daisy remarked jokingly, and Ash just fell over in disbelief while Vance started rolling on the floor, laughing, and Misty became even angrier.
"MY BOYFRIEND?! If I battle him, I'll prove that I'm not a quitter and that I'm just a good a trainer as you three!" Misty said.
"Well, you are the only one with a Pokemon that can actually battle." Daisy admitted, and Misty got in Ash and Vance's faces.
"Alright Ash, Vance, are you two ready to rumble?!" Misty asked anxiously, and all Vance and Ash could do was laugh nervously.
After getting the pool set up for a Gym Match, Ash and Misty stood at opposite ends ready to battle, while Misty's sisters, Vance, and Dratini watched from the side line.
"I wasn't planning on battling you until you paid me back for my bike; but this is as good a time as any! If you want that Cascade Badge, you're going to have to beat me!" Misty yelled over to Ash.
"It'll be my pleasure!" Ash responded. "Pikachu, this is going to be a piece of cake." Ash said to Pikachu, though Pikachu looked reluctant for some reason. "So, how many Pokemon?"
"Two against two works for me!" Misty declared, and Ash smirked as he picked up Pikachu.
"You got it! Alright then Pikachu; I choose you!" Ash said, and he tried to toss Pikachu, but electric mouse hanged on for dear life on Ash's arm. Pikachu then jumped off of Ash's arm, and refused to move. "Pikachu, what are you doing!?" Ash demanded, and Pikachu pointed over at Misty and shook his head. "Huh? Are you saying you don't want to battle with Misty?" Ash asked, and Pikachu gave a confirming nod. "Well, I guess it's okay if you don't want to battle a friend."
"Pikachu! You're a Pika-pal!" Misty yelled, and Pikachu perked up at making Misty happy.
"Thanks a lot Pikachu." Ash said as he grabbed a different Poke Ball, and meanwhile, Vance looked down at his Dratini.
"Dratini, are you going to be okay battling Misty?" Vance asked, and Dratini nodded, making Vance smile. "Thanks bud; though I would've been fine either way." Vance said, and knelt down and started petting Dratini.
"Butterfree! I choose you!" Ash shouted, and his Butterfree popped out of the Poke Ball, ready for battle.
Well in that case; Misty calls Staryu!" Misty said, and she released her Staryu, and Ash got out his Pokedex.
"Staryu; the core of this water Pokemon shines in a rainbow of seven colors, a core that is valued by some as a type of jewelry." Dexter explained.
"Wow…leave it to a girl to show off her jewelry." Ash joked, but Misty was getting impatient.
"Quit stalling and let's get this show on the road!" Misty yelled.
"Do you think Misty could really win?" Violet asked.
"Like, in her dreams, maybe." Lily answered.
"Okay Dratini, let's pay close attention to Misty's battling style." Vance said, as he and Dratini started observing.
"Butterfree! You can blow that thing away with one blast! Tackle it!" Ash ordered, and Butterfree started charging towards Staryu, knocking it down with his Tackle.
"Staryu, Counter Attack!" Misty commanded, and Staryu jumped in the air while spinning, and started flying towards Butterfree.
"Butterfree, Dodge!" Ash ordered, and Butterfree raised his altitude, making Staryu miss, and when it landed on one of the platforms in the pool, it had trouble regaining its balance, allowing Butterfree to hit it with another Tackle. "Ha, ha! I'm going to win this!"
"Staryu; use Water Gun!" Misty said, and Staryu jumped into the pool and fired several shots of water at Staryu from one of its arms.
"In that case; Stun Spore now!" Ash yelled, and Butterfree sprinkled fine yellow powder onto Staryu, making it shake in pain.
"Oh no! Staryu looks like it's in real pain!" Misty said fearfully.
"But it doesn't even have a face! How can you tell?" Ash asked.
"Because I'm sensitive to others feelings!" Misty remarked.
"Oh yeah? And I'm not?" Ash asked, and meanwhile, Misty's sisters noticed that Seel was just clapping.
"Which side are you cheering for?" Violet asked, but Seel just continued clapping.
"Staryu! Wash it off!" Misty ordered, and Staryu leaned forward until it feel in the pool. A few seconds later, Staryu jumped out of the water, with the effects of Stun Spore no longer hurting it. "Yay! Too bad you didn't know that Stun Spore doesn't work if you wash it off with water!" Misty bragged.
"She thinks she knows everything! Butterfree! Sleep Powder." Ash ordered, and Butterfree started spraying Butterfree with a blue powder now, but Staryu dived into the water again.
"Tackle it from under water!" Misty ordered, and Staryu flew out of the water, and hit Butterfree in the air, and continued to make a barrage of tackles. "If Staryu can get Butterfree under water, I win! Water Pokemon always have the edge in the water! HAHAHA!" Misty proclaimed, and even her sisters were impressed.
"Misty is totally awesome!" Daisy admitted.
"Well, we three got the good looks in the family, so I guess Misty had to get some talent." Lily said, and Staryu was able to get one final hit on Butterfree, knocking him into the water, and making him helpless.
"Butterfree, return!" Ash said, and he grabbed the next Poke Ball. "Pidgeotto, I choose you!" Ash said, and he let his Pidgeotto loose.
"Oh yeah? Staryu return!" Misty said, and she brought Staryu back, and grabbed Starmie's Poke Ball. "Misty calls Starmie!"
"Pidgeotto! Whirlwind it away!" Ash said, and Pidgeotto started flapping his wings heavily, making a huge gust of wind.
"Dive under, then up!" Misty ordered, and Starmie jumped into the water, and quickly flew back to try and Tackle Pidgeotto.
"Use Wing Attack!" Ash ordered, and Pidgeotto knocked Starmie back into the water, but it quickly flew back out, and Pidgeotto with another Tackle. "Use Gust to blow it away!" Ash yelled, and Pidgeotto started flapping his wings away, and this time, Starmie couldn't get away, since it was in the air, and Starmie was knocked back into a wall.
"Starmie!" Misty yelled in horror, and Starmie's red gem started blinking. "Oh no! Starmie's energy is just about out!"
"Okay Pidgeotto, let's get that trainer badge!" Ash said, but the gym started shaking for some reason. Suddenly, one of the walls started to crumble, and a giant machine rammed into the room.
"Check out that hair!" Violet said as what looked like red and blue haired figures rose from the machine.
"Like, who invited the party crashers?" Daisy asked, and it was quickly revealed who the intruders were.
"Sorry to break in on you ladies." Jessie said as she and James rose on the platform.
"Allow us to introduce ourselves." James offered.
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth! Dat's right!"
"The water Pokemon have the advantage…" James started.
"…but if we take that advantage away…" Jessie continued.
"…the Pokemon are ours for the taking!" James finished, and Meowth cut in.
"And Meowth knows just how to do it!" Meowth said.
"What are they trying to prove?" Daisy asked, when suddenly, a giant hose appeared from behind the machine, and started sucking up the water.
"A massive vacuum and a giant hose…*gasp* Team Rocket were the ones that broke into that store last night! I should've known it was them!" Ash said.
"Our swimming pool!" Daisy yelled sorrowfully.
"They're sucking it dry!" Misty said angrily.
"That's our water!" Lily yelled.
"Right! I should give it back!" Meowth said, and he pulled the lever to the vacuum, and the hose sprayed the water back at the trainers.
"We have to protect the Pokemon!" Misty yelled as she was washed away.
"But what about my hair!?" Violet asked.
"Now it's time to suck 'em up!" Meowth said, and he moved the lever again, and the vacuum started sucking again, this time, taking Seel with it.
"Come back Seel!" Violet yelled, but the current was too powerful for Seel to escape from. A few moments later, Pikachu was swept away from the current, and was being pulled towards the vacuum.
"Pikachu!" Ash yelled in horror, but he quickly remembered something. "Wait, water conducts electricity! Pikachu, Thunder Bolt!" Ash ordered, and Pikachu gave off a massive Thunder Bolt, shocking Team Rocket, making them yell in pain. When the attack ended, Team Rocket was scorched, and their hair frizzy.
"Its times like this that make me want to go straight." James admitted, and Team Rocket fell into the water, with the vacuum still running. "Now I know what it's like to be all washed up." James said.
"We'll never come clean!" Jessie yelled, Team Rocket was sucked into the vacuum, and spat out the other end.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" *ting*
"Pikachu!" Ash yelled as he saw Pikachu still be pulled by the vacuum, and he ran over the vacuum, and deactivate it. The hose the spat Pikachu out of the vacuum, and Daisy caught him as he flew through the air.
"Hey, we never got to finish our match." Misty pointed out after refilling the pool.
"Yeah, and I was about to win it too." Ash said disappointedly.
"Well, you could say the match was postponed due to drain." Violet joked.
"At least nobody lost." Lily pointed out.
"I wanted to win!" Misty pouted.
"Well, I guess I won't be getting that Cascade Badge." Ash said sadly.
"Wrong. We're giving this badge to you." Daisy said, and she offered the Cascade Badge again.
"How come he gets the badge!? He didn't win!" Misty sulked.
"Pikachu, like, saved us all. And if he had used Pikachu from the start, there was no way your water Pokemon could've won!" Daisy said.
"Oh man." Misty continued.
"Take the badge, Ash; you deserve it!" Daisy said.
"Gee, thanks!" Ash said happily, and Pikachu cheered happily as well.
"Don't forget Misty; you and I haven't had our match yet!" Vance reminded, and Misty quickly got excited again, and nodded.
"You're on!"
"So Vance, are you ready to lose?" Misty asked confidently, just returning from having her Pokemon healed, and Vance just smirked.
"Have you ever fought a Dragon Pokémon before, Misty?" Vance asked, and Misty's confidence dwindled a little.
"No, not really." Misty admitted, and Vance just smiled outright.
"Then don't look so smug; a battle with a Dragon Pokémon is in a different in its own right; you never know what a Dragon might do next." Vance explained, but Misty was still ready for anything Vance and Dratini could dish out. "Okay Dratini; go!"
"Staryu; I choose you!" Misty yelled, and she threw Staryu's Poke Ball, putting Staryu in the battlefield. "You can make the first move, Vance."
"Very well; Dratini, start off with Slam!" Vance ordered, and Dratini lunged forward and wrapped itself around Staryu, and jumped up.
"Quick Staryu, start spinning!" Misty yelled, and Staryu started spinning around quickly, making Dratini lose his grip, and go flying into the pool.
"Dratini!" Vance yelled as Dratini made a big splash.
"Staryu, dive in after Dratini!" Misty commanded, and that's when Vance smirked as Staryu landed in the water.
"She fell for it! Dratini; use Thunder Wave!" Vance ordered, and Misty gasped as the pool turned a faint yellow tint. "Now end this with Slam!" Vance yelled, and Dratini flew out of the water, holding on to Staryu tightly with his body, and with a quick flip, he flung Staryu onto the solid ground around the pools edge. When the dust cleared, everyone could see Staryu's jewel blinking, signaling it as being unable to battle.
"Staryu return!" Misty said as she pulled out a Pokeball and retrieved her Pokemon. "VANCE! How could you be so reckless with your Pokemon, using Thunder Wave while Dratini was still in the water!" Misty scolded, but Vance just chuckled.
"Misty, before you blow up some more, think about my strategy from Dratini and my perspective." Vance suggested calmly, before continuing on. "Dragon type Pokemon have a strong resistance to Electric type attacks, as you know, and Thunder Wave is such a weak move to begin with, that it could hardly do even miniscule damage to any Pokemon. Because of this resistance, it's possible for Dratini to use Thunder Wave in a small body of water, like this pool, and not get affected by it, even when he's caught in the attack himself. The only reason your Staryu was hurt was because it's weak to Electric attacks to begin with, and therefore, more susceptible to the amplified Thunder Wave." Vance concluded, and Misty had to admit, Vance's strategy was brilliant, well thought out, and more that possible, as she just witnessed. She even had to admit the fact that Dratini looked perfectly fine, despite being caught in his own Thunder Wave.
"Alright then, time for my next Pokemon; Starmie! I choose you!" Misty said, and Starmie appeared on the battlefield in a bright white light.
"Dratini, you up for some more battling?" Vance asked, and Dratini gave a reassuring roar. "Excellent! Well Misty, ladies first." Vance said, and Misty smirked.
"Starmie, start off with Bubble Beam!" Commanded Misty, and as Starmie sent a wall of bubbles towards Dratini, Dratini himself waited patiently for orders.
"Dratini, use Agility, and follow up with Thunder Wave." Vance instructed, and Dratini vanished as a blue blur as he used Agility to quickly move across the water, hoping to get close to Starmie.
"Quick, Starmie, use your Water Gun! Don't let Dratini hit you with Thunder Wave!" Misty yelled anxiously, and Starmie sent a jet of water at Dratini, and sent the little Dragon flying into a wall.
"Dratini! Are you okay?" Vance asked, worried, and Dratini nodded. "Excellent! Now, use Agility, and dive into the water!" Vance ordered, and Dratini dove into the water was quickly as he could.
Well, Vance, now it's your turn to fall into my trap! Starmie, use Ice Beam on the pool!" Misty yelled, confident in chances of winning, Starmie sent its Ice Beam straight onto the Water's surface, creating a large layer of ice on top. "Hah! That Ice Beam will have caused a lot of damage to Dratini; looks like I win this round!" Misty said confidently, but she heard something that sent a chill up her spine.
"Heh, heh, heh. You think it's going to be that easy to outsmart me? To use one of my own techniques against me? Sorry Misty, but it's going to take a lot more than that if you want to best me and my Dratini." Vance gloated, and Misty didn't quite understand where Vance was coming from. "While you may have 'tricked' me into sending my Dratini into the water, where he'll typically be completely vulnerable to an Ice attack, you forgot one important aspect; Dratini's Agility. You let your guard down, and let Dratini use Agility multiple times, increasing his speed by a large amount; more than enough to get out of the pool before that Ice Beam even hit its mark." Vance explained, and Misty couldn't help but yell out in shock, realizing that Vance was right.
"But…where is Dratini?" Misty asked, and Vance just pointed up, and Misty could suddenly hear the playful barks coming from Dratini. Misty then looked up, and saw Dratini, wrapped around one of the light fixtures on the ceiling of the Gym.
"And another thing Misty; by using Ice Beam on the pool, you just took away Starmie's biggest advantage; the water." Vance explained, and Misty thought about what Vance had said for a few minutes, before finally processing his words.
"Aah!" Misty yelled out, and Starmie started frantically looking around the pool, both of them realizing that Vance was right.
"So basically, thanks to your own Ice Beam, you know greatly restricted the mobility of your Starmie!" Vance said, wearing a giant smirk on his face the entire, and motioning Dratini to get back on the battlefield. "Now, let's finish this Dratini; Dragon Rage!" Vance ordered, and Dratini summoned a tornado of energy, and sent it towards Starmie.
"Quick Starmie, get out of there!" Misty yelled, but Starmie was too slow on the solid ice to move, and couldn't even move fast enough to fly out of there before it got caught in Dratini's Dragon Rage. "NO! Starmie!" Misty yelled in horror, and when the tornado finally dissipated, Starmie was left lying on the ground, unconscious.
"YEAH! Great work Dratini! We won!" Vance yelled excitedly, and Dratini flew into Vance's chest, and barked out happily. "This couldn't have been possible without you Dratini, thank you."
"Congratulations, Vance. That was the most intense battle I've had in a long time." Misty said, and Vance just smiled, ear to ear. "I'm happy to give the Cascade Badge." Exclaimed Misty, and she gave the Badge to Vance, who proudly clipped it to his cape. "YEAH! I JUST WON THE CASCADE BADGE!" Vance yelled out happily, and Dratini barked happily again, as well.
"Misty, you just go right trying to be a Pokemon trainer." Lily encouraged while Misty was saying goodbye to her sisters. "You may as well be good at something, since you'll never be stars like us." Lily went on, and Misty's temper flared again.
"You go on like that and you'll be seeing stars!" Misty threatened.
"Misty, chill out! You know we love you." Daisy said, and Misty nodded.
"Hey Ash! Vance!" Brock yelled as we walked over to the gang.
"Yo Brock-o!" Ash greeted.
"So how'd it go?" Brock asked, and Vance and Ash flashed their badges.
"See for yourself!" Ash said, and Brock nodded.
"Cool, let's go!" Brock said.
"Right." Ash said.
"You're not leaving without me!" Misty said.
"Misty, you're not going to be a sore loser." Ash said.
"What, I didn't lose!"
"Well, I'm the one with the badge!"
"You know you lost with Butterfree!"
"That was just round one; I made a great comeback!"
"If Team Rocket hadn't busted in, I would've destroyed you!"
"You're lucky they showed up; you were about to lose!"
"Lose? I was just getting started!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Oh yeah!"
"Oh brother." Vance and Brock said in unison as they walked on.
To be continued.