Chapter 9
"Alright, its battle time." Brad said, snatching a Poke-ball from his belt as he began to move toward the pack of Ursaring's.
The children that were previously playing near the edge of the town were now sprinting back at full speed . Releasing his Flygon from its Poke-ball as he neared the Ursaring's, ordering it to use Dragon Breath on the closet Ursaring. Getting the attention of five of the six Ursaring's, Brad kept their attention as Blake went after the final Ursaring that was was still pursuing the children.
One of the children, a small boy, had tripped over his own feet, falling to the ground face first which allowed the remaining Ursaring to catch up to him as the other kids left him behind, focused on their own safety. Looming over the boy, Ursaring roared as it raised its right paw, extending its claws as it prepared to Slash.
Just before it dropped down in large hand on the boy, Larvitar attacked it from behind. Landing a Bite attack on the side of its neck, Ursaring paused for a few moments, glaring at Larvitar.
"Ur!" It shouted, grabbing Larvitar from its neck, Ursaring tossed the small Pokemon aside before focusing on the boy once more, readying its claws again. Opening his eyes just a bit, the boy saw Ursaring begin to drop its massive paw toward him before a body suddenly covered his, blocking Ursaring's attack.
Blake grunted as Ursaring's claws cut straight through his clothes, leaving for long cuts on his back, blood beginning to exit the large wounds. Ursaring jumped back, a bit surprised by Blake who had it hadn't noticed until the last second.
"That's one tough kid you brought Shari." Rachel noted, watching Blake flop over onto his side after taking the hit for the boy. "Nidoqueen, use Mega Punch!"
"He's just full of surprises." Shari replied as her Magmar landed a Flame Thrower on one of the Ursaring's the other Committee members had engaged.
"Larvitar, use Rock Throw!" Blake called out to his partner who was glaring at Ursaring from a considerable distance. Tearing a piece of earth from the ground, Larvitar chucked it at Ursaring who failed to dodge the attack. Even though it didn't cause much damage to Ursaring, it succeeded in getting Ursaring's attention away from Blake.
Going down on all fours, Ursaring charged toward Larvitar, intent on beating the small Pokemon now that it had angered it.
"Go, I'll keep it busy." Blake said, nudging the small boy who was still laying on the ground beside him, completely petrified.
"Blake, are you okay?" Grace asked as she neared the two of them, kneeling down beside the boy.
"I"ll be fine, but Larvitar could use some help." Blake said, motioning to the battle where Ursaring landed a hard chop on Larvitar.
"Arcanine, help out Larvitar with Thunder Fang!" Grace said, releasing her Arcanine to join the battle.
"Thanks." Blake said, still trying to get the boy to move from the curled up position he had transitioned into.
"Don't worry, I'll get him to safety." Grace said, lifting the boy from the ground, beginning to move in the direction that the other children had gone in.
Groaning when a few blades of grass brushed against the cuts on his back, Blake rolled onto his side to avoid having anything else touch his cuts, also gaining a good view of the battle. Jumping onto Ursaring from behind, Arcanine sunk its teeth into the Bear Pokemon's shoulder, running an electrical charge into its body.
Ursaring roared before it grabbed Arcanine by its neck. Roughly ripping the Fire type Pokemon off its shoulder, Ursaring slammed into onto the ground in front of it before landing a hard Brick Break attack to its torso. Using the time Ursaring was busy with Arcanine, Larvitar charged up a Modified Dark Pulse from a distance which it then hurled toward Ursaring.
Surprisingly, Ursaring knocked away the attack with ease using its forearm before rushing at it, landing another Brick Break to Larvitar's side which sent it tumbling across the ground.
'Hmm, they won't be able to handle that Ursaring on their own.' Blake grumbled to himself, reaching for Poke-balls on his belt. Only being able to reach Cyndaquil's and Poliwag's Poke-ball without causing himself to much pain. "Poliwag, Cyndaquil, you guys have to help out Larvitar and Arcanine. Use any means necessary."
The two Pokemon gave him a nod before rushing into the battle. Arcanine stood alone against Ursaring, Larvitar resting on the ground not to far from them with a pair of swirls replacing its eyes. The small green Pokemon had been knocked out by a Brick Break attack from Ursaring earlier, leaving Arcanine to continue by itself.
Attempting to charge up a Solar Beam attack, Arcanine was knocked to the ground by a Hammer Arm from Ursaring followed by several Slash attacks. As it continued is onslaught of attacks on Arcanine, Ursaring failed to notice Cyndaquil who attacked it from behind with Quick Attack, getting its attention. Turning around to Cyndaquil, Ursaring growled when it was forced to put its arms in front its face to block out an Ember attack.
Holding the attack, Cyndaquil tried to keep Ursaring at bay, but after just a few moments a dark purple aura broke through the flames, snatching Cyndaquil from the ground.
"Quil!" It cried out as Ursaring held over the ground using Shadow Claw, slowly crushing the smaller Pokemon. Taking a blast of pressurized water to its stomach, Ursaring looked to Poliwag who was standing a few feet away, beating its chest as a challenge for Ursaring.
Tossing Cyndaquil, Ursaring lashed out a Poliwag with its Shadow Claw, the Water type Pokemon managing to evade the attack. Moving to its left, Poliwag fired off another Water Gun aimed for Ursaring's face which forced the Bear Pokemon to stumble backward. Cutting off the Water Gun attack, Poliwag took this as an opportunity to launch its newest attack, unleashing a horde of bubbles from its mouth.
While Poliwag kept Ursaring at bay, Cyndaquil had spent its time building up heat around its body for the special Quick Attack it had been working on with Blake back on Route 32.
"Cynda!" It shouted, giving Poliwag the signal to end its attack. As Poliwag did that, Cyndaquil raced toward Ursaring, ramming it self into its stomach which inflicted a Burn status on it. Moving backward, Ursaring's body became engulfed in flames, causing a small amount of damage that was piling onto the damage that had already been done to it.
Cyndaquil and Poliwag moved away from Ursaring, giving Arcanine a clear target with its Solar Beam. Firing the white beam at Ursaring, it exploded on impact, creating a cloud of billowing black smoke. After a few moments, the smoke cleared up revealing Ursaring who rested on its back with a pair of swirls replacing its eyes.
Poliwag beat its chest with its tail, cheering over the victory over Ursaring before is small body became completely white. Gaining a whitish glow, Poliwag grew and extra foot in height, becoming larger that it originally was while its tail retracted into its body in trade for two arms. The light faded away, revealing Poliwag's new form.
"Poliwhirl." It said, its voice much deeper than before, looking down at its hands in confusion, unsure of what exactly they were for.
The Committee members battling the other Ursaring's had some trouble battling them, but all five at won without the need to bring in a second Pokemon.
"What are six Ursaring's doing here?" Randy asked out loud, returning his Ambipom to its Poke-ball.
"I have no idea." Shari replied. "Ursaring's are never in this area."
"They're not wild." Brad said suddenly, observing the Ursaring he had beaten. "Wild Ursaring's live in the mountains. Someone trained them, and released them here for a reason."
"But why would someone release a pack of trained Ursaring's on Azalea Town?" Jackie asked, spraying her Starmie with a Super Potion.
As the Committee members continued to discuss the situation, Blake sat up, removing his jacket and shirt to check the damage, revealing his bare back.
"They're wrecked." Blake mumbled with a sigh, ignoring the pain from his back as best he could.
"Blake, you should get those check out by a doctor." Grace said to Blake as she approached him with pink cheeks since she had never seen a guy shirtless before. Grace's bruise covered Arcanine trotted over to the girl, proud of his victory, although it was sure to make sure it was between Blake and Grace.
"They're just scratches." Blake replied, rising to his feet. Gritting his teeth to ignore the stinging pain from his back, Blake looked around at the Committee members that had joined him and Grace.
"She's right kid. Get those checked out if you plan on helping us." Brad said, walking over to Blake to check the wounds himself.
"It was him mommy." A small voice said. Everyone turned around, finding the small boy Blake had saved, pointing at him with his mother pointing at him.
"Oh my goodness! Are you alright?" She asked when she got a decent look at Blake's back. Although he didn't really feel like talking, Blake gave her small smile with a thumbs to reassure her that he would be fine. "I can't thank you enough for saving Timmy. What's your name? At least let me know the name of my son's savior."
"It was no trouble. My name is Blake."
4/22/0046/Night
Violet City
Battle Dome
Mari and Robbie found each other in the lobby and used the time to catch up while they were waiting for their match.
"It's finally time for our debut, are you ready Mari?" Robbie asked as the two of them stood in the waiting room, watching the second match of the night.
"Yeah, I'm sure me and my Bayleef can handle anything." Mari said excitedly, waiting for Robbie's reaction. But there wasn't one for a short period of time before Robbie realized she had used the name of Chikorita's evolved form.
"Chikorita evolved?" He exclaimed rather loudly.
"Yup, we had a tough training session Route 32 for the past week and it evolved two days ago." Mari explained with a small grin. "I can't wait to test it out for our debut tonight."
"Well then it look like we're not the only ones who managed to evolve before our debut." Robbie mumbled out.
"Don't tell me...Totodile evolved?" Mari asked, getting a confident nod from Robbie before Nurse Joy entered the room.
"Match 3, Robbie, blue box." Nurse Joy called out, scanning the room for the trainer she had called for.
"Just wait. You'll get to see us in action in just a minute." Robbie said, hitting his chest with his fist before giving her a thumbs up as left the room.
Robbie stood in the blue box of the battle field, waiting for the battle to begin while sizing up his opponent who appeared to only be slightly older than him.
"Trainers, Clash!" The ref shouted.
Robbie selected Croconaw's Poke-ball and chucked onto the field at the same with the male trainer he was battling. Their Poke-balls met in a burst of sparks releasing the Pokemon they were using.
"Battle begin!" The ref shouted raising both the flags he held.
Croconaw appeared on the field facing a Delibird.
"Delibird, use Icy Wind!" The boy shouted, watching the bird Pokemon begin to flap its wings, a chilling icy blue wind flying toward Croconaw who stood firmly in its position.
"Croconaw, use Scratch!" Robbie said, watching his Water Pokemon began to trek through the wind, slowly moving closer to Delibird. Once Croconaw was close enough, it lunged at Delibird, swiping at its body with its claws, stopping the Icy Wind. "Now follow up with Bite."
Croconaw chomped down on its torso, leaving only a little bit of its health back from the attack.
"Now toss it up and get it with Water Gun." Robbie said, watching Croconaw toss Delibird into the air with just its mouth before opening its mouth, shooting a stream of Delibird that sent it flying off the field. Delibird landed on the ground outside the field, its eyes replaced by black swirls.
"Delibird is unable to battle, Croconaw wins." The ref said, raising the blue flag, the crowd bursting into cheers.
"And tonight we see a one-sided victory coming from a rookie who just had their debut." The announcer said as Robbie exited the stadium, waving to the people who were cheering for him.
"And now for tonight's fifth Match, introducing Haley, an R-Class trainer with a record of 2-2-0 in the red box against Mari, a new trainer that's having her debut tonight." The announcer said, introducing the trainers.
"Rookie! Have a good battle!" The crowd said as Mari waved to them, looking at the seating area that surrounded the field holding over a thousand people.
"Trainers, Clash!" The ref said.
Mari and Haley threw their Poke-balls onto the field, a burst of sparks flying out in all directions as they met before releasing Mari's Bayleef and Haley's Gligar.
"Bayleef, start off with Razor Leaf!" Mari shouted.
"Bay!" It shouted, swinging its head, the huge leaf on its head releasing several small crescent shaped leaves that flew toward Gligar.
"Gligar, dodge using Quick Attack." Haley ordered, getting a nod from Gligar. Gligar flew toward the Razor Leaf attack, disappearing just before it was hit, reappearing to the left the attack. Gligar continued to this until it closed in on Bayleef, ramming itself into the Grass Pokemon.
"Bayleef, use Vine Whip while Gligar is close." Mari shouted as Gligar bounced back from Bayleef, regaining its balance in the air. From Bayleef's neck, two vines extended outward, rushing toward Gilgar. Just as they were about to close up around Gligar, the Pokemon disappear from sight, the vines failing to capture it.
"Gligar, use Poison Sting." Haley said as Gligar appeared behind Bayleef, the tip of its tail becoming a dark purple as it rushed at Bayleef.
"Bayleef, push yourself into the air with Vine Whip." Mari said. Two more vines extended out of Bayleef's neck, the Grass type Pokemon using these to push itself into the air to avoid the super effective Posion type attack the Gligar was using. "Now catch it."
Gligar hadn't realized it stopped in between all four of Bayleef's vines, giving Bayleef a chance to catch the Pokemon with its vines which it did, holding Gligar in place. Mari didn't even need to give Bayleef the command since it began to plummet back to the ground, Gligar stuck where it would be landing.
"Gligar!" Haley shouted as Bayleef landed on top the Pokemon, wiping out all its health with one hit. Bayleef got off of Gligar for the ref to check.
"Gligar is unable to battle, the winner is Bayleef!" The crowd burst into cheers at the finish of another battle.
"Yeah, we did it!" Mari shouted, running onto the field to give Bayleef a hug.
"Nice job Mari." Robbie said to her as the two of them looked met up after Mari's match.
"Same to you. That only leaves Blake to show up next." Mari said as the two of them entered the waiting from, looking up at the monitor where a trainer named Matt and his Lombre were having a match.
"Debut trainers are always in the blue box, I wonder where he went?" Mari said, looking around the room for the third person in the team Professor Elm had put together.
"What!" Matt shouted, slapping his hand down on the counter, surprising the Nurse Joy. "Are you serious?"
"I'm sorry but your debut was in Kanto and that means you have enter the Kanto Rookie Kings." Nurse Joy said to Matt who had come to enter the Rookie Kings Tournament since he had just won his fourth match tonight, the only requirement to enter the Rookie Kings.
"Heh. Alright. Can you move me over to the Regular Circuit?" Matt asked with a sigh.
"Sure. I'm sorry about the Rookie Kings. It's rare something like this happens."
"Its alright, I just need to become a B-Class trainer before the IBF Tourney. The Rookie Kings was the fastest route but the Regular Circuit should get me there on time too." Matt said, watching her type the information into the computer.
The Regular Circuit was different to the Regional Circiut. In the Regional Circuit, you could only battle trainers from the trainer class you were currently in and build up enough wins to move up to the next class. This Circuit is where you can get a little gain with no loss if something goes wrong.
In the Regular Circuit, you have the ability to challenge trainers from different class depending on if you're in the IBF or not and move up a class if you can win against someone from a higher class. This Circuit is a lot riskier than the Regional Circuit because in these battles, your putting the ranking you've built up on the line. Losing means you're back at the bottom of your trainer class, but the gain is excellent if you can win against someone from a higher class.
"It's all set." She said sympathetically, giving him a wave. "Good luck."
Matt returned the wave as he left the Battle Dome in a sour mood.
"Did you find Blake?" Mari asked Robbie as the two them met up outside the Battle Dome once the final Match for the night was finished.
"Nope. I wonder where he is." Robbie said.
"He seemed so serious about his debut but oh well. I'll see you at the Rookie Kings Robbie." Mari said, giving him a wave.
"And I'll be the one taking the Rookie King title." Robbie said as they both began walking off in different directions.
"Well that means you'll have to beat me if you plan to get it!" Mari shouted.
'There's no way I'm going to loss.' Was the thought that went through both their heads.
4/24/0046/Noon
Azalea Town
Gateway to Ilex Forest
Throughout the past four days, Azalea Town had come under attack from the north, west and south by trained Pokemon that did not belong in the area. Ursaring's from the north, Tentacruel's to the south and Victreebel's to the west and today they were battling Vileplume's at the Gate to Ilex Forest.
Blake had gotten his back checked and the doctor told him 'You're lucky they're so shallow. Any deeper and it would be ripping apart your back muscles'. Surprisingly, the cuts had already closed up and Blake wasn't feeling any pain from the old wounds. Even though Blake hadn't asked, Timmy's mother requested that she repair the clothes that were cut up in the battle for him and now his jacket and shirt looked as good as new.
"Cyndaquil, use Flame Wheel." Blake yelled to his partner, watching the Fire Pokemon rushed toward the Vileplume it was battling, its body becoming engulfed in flames that resembled the shape of a wheel. Vileplume was hit straight on, the Fire type attack taking out the last bit of its health.
"Nice." Blake said, watching Cyndaquil turn completely white. Cyndaquil grew an extra foot in height, becoming skinnier than it previously was, its arms becoming somewhat longer and more useable.
"Quilava." It said once the light faded away, igniting the flames on its body. Instead of the flames coming out its back like it had before it evolved, the flames only came out in a straight line on top its head and near its bottom.
"I knew you'd evolve sometime soon. Let's test your strength. Use the Pyro Quick Attack."
Blake watched as the red dome appeared around Quilava without any time being lost for it to build the heat needed for the attack. Quilava rushed forward using its newly developed speed, ramming itself into one of the Vileplume's, knocking out the Pokemon with that one hit.
"Nice." Blake said, impressed it Quilava's power.
"Magmar, use Flame Thrower." Shari said, watching her Magmar breath out a stream of flames onto two Vileplumes, wiping out the rest of their health.
"Arcanine, Heat Wave." Grace said, watch Arcanine release a cloud of distorted air from its mouth that surround a Vileplume, taking out the Grass type Pokemon. "Hah, I think that was last one."
"We did it." Jackie said, collapsing to the ground along with her Swellow.
"Everyday, there's a horde of trained Pokemon attacking this town. Do you think it has to do with Team Rocket?" Grace asked, returning her exhausted Arcanine to its Poke-ball.
"Has to be. I can't think of any other reason." Brad said.
Azalea Town
East Side
On the east of side town in a small house that was secluded from the rest of town, two Team Rocket Grunts kicked open the door of the house, surprising a short man known as the Charcoal Maker and his son.
"Old man, give us the Charcoal!" One of them shouted, barging into the house.
"Who do you think you are? You can't barge into my house like that, gah!" The man approached them shouting only to receive a left hook to his face, knocking him off his feet.
"We heard you make Charcoal and we want it." One Grunt said, grabbing his son by the collar of his shirt. "Or else your boy here is going to meet with a sour end."
"No!" The Charcoal Maker shouted, rising to his feet, rushing toward the grunt who held his son. Before he even got close, the other grunt was in his path, socking him in the gut once causing him top hunch over in pain.
"Dad!" The boy shouted, struggling for freedom.
The grunt kicked the Charcoal Maker, pushing him backward into the table that was behind him. The other grunt holding his son released an Ekans from its Poke-ball, ordering it to coil itself around the boy. The Ekans did as it was told, beginning to squeeze the boy, causing him to scream in pain.
"Hurry now, or that screaming will stop with an unpleasant sound." One of them said tauntingly.
"Fine, just let him go." The Charcoal Maker said through grit teeth.
"Charcoal first." The grunt said, getting a glare from the Charcoal Maker. He then rose to his feet, walking over to the locked box resting on the shelf in the corner of the room. Inside the box was black object littered with small cracks that was shaped like a cylinder.
"Here." He said, handing the grunt the Charcoal. "Now let my son go."
"Alright. Let him go." The grunt said to his Ekans who released its hold on the boy, dropping him to the floor. The grunt returned Ekans to its Poke-ball before the two of them walked over to the table that was covered in items that Charcoal Maker uses for his job, and flipped it over.
All his work went flying to the floor while the table crashed into the shelf that was against the wall, causing it to tip forward, falling to the ground.
"What are you doing!" The Charcoal Maker shouted, punching the nearest Grunt across the face, busting his lower lip.
"You piece of trash." The grunt said after her checking his lower lip. The Charcoal Maker received a hard punch to his face, sending him to the floor where the both the grunts began to kick and stomp on his torso. The Grunt the Charcoal Maker had punched continued to kick him even after he fell unconscious before deciding to tear apart the house before they left.
"Hey, that's enough. We should report back to Alan." The second Grunt said, looking around the small house that looked like a Rhydon had ran through it.
"This is what happens when you mess with Team Rocket." The first Grunt said, kicking the boy who lay on the floor clutching his right shoulder.
4/24/0046/Night
Azalea Town
Blake casually strolled along the dirt pathway that led out of Azalea Town, planning to sleep outside tonight when a small pathway in between the trees to his left got his attention. Blake followed the path that led up to an average house that was hidden in the forest.
Normally Blake would have gone on his way, but the kicked in door on the house peaked his curiosity. Blake entered the torn up house, finding a boy seated on a table by himself. The living room had been trashed, in fact the whole house looked bad.
"Hello?" Blake said, getting the boy's attention. The boy looked at Blake for a moment, remaining completely still, his eyes completely void.
"Don't worry Dad, I'll keep you going until tomorrow morning, then I'll take you to the doctor in Azalea Town!" Jerry shouted, barging into the living with a bucket of water and a roll of bandages.
Blake walked in, watching Jerry place a wet rag on top his father's forehead.
"Where does it hurt Dad?" He asked.
"My…My entire left side hurts so much." The Charcoal Maker replied softly.
"Jerry, what's going on?" Blake asked, shutting off his PokePod.
"Blake." He said nervously, unraveling the bandages.
"What's going on?" Blake asked, kneeling down next him as he dropped the bandages.
"Team Rocket, they attacked my Dad and little Bro and took the Charcoal." Jerry said, leaving Blake shocked. "My brother's shoulder is out of whack and I don't know if my Dad can pull through to tomorrow but I can't move him by myself."
'So those Pokemon were only a distraction!' Blake exclaimed mentally, realizing that every time they were battling those Pokemon, Team Rocket Grunts must've been searching the town.
Jerry pounded the ground with his fists angrily.
"If only I had stayed back today, I could've been here to beat the crap out of those Team Rocket guys." He said bitterly.
"Come on." Blake said, taking the rag off the Charcoal Maker's head. Jerry looked up at Blake who was lifting up the Charcoal Maker by the legs. "We have to get him to the doctor."
"…Thanks man!" Jerry shouted, pulling Blake into yet another hug. "Little Bro, lets go! Don't worry Dad, we'll get you fixed up."
Blake and Jerry took off, Blake holding the Charcoal Maker by the legs while Jerry held him up by the torso, trying to minimize the amount of movement his chest area would move while they were moving, Jerry's little brother following behind them.
Azalea Town
Blake pounded on the door of the town's Doctor who used his house as an office since the town's population didn't require anything big. After at least thirty seconds, Blake began to hit the door again. The door knob turned and the door opened up revealing a tall man with a robe on.
"Doctor, you have to help us!" Jerry said, pushing Blake into the house with his Dad. "Please check out my Dad and brother."
"Do you mind explained what happened to him for me?" The Doctor asked, stepping out his bedroom where he had put the Charcoal Maker for him to rest.
"I don't know. I came home from Ilex Forest about an hour ago to find the house trashed and Dad and Steve hurt." Jerry explained. "And can you give Steve a check up too? He told me that Team Rocket attacked him with an Ekans."
"Come here little one, let me check you out." The Doctor said, inviting Steve, Jerry's little brother' to come sit by him. "So tell me what happened."
"Dad was working like he normally does. Then they broke in through the door and attacked him. One of them took me and had a Ekans wrap me up unless Dad gave them the Charcoal so he did. After that they let go of me and then flipped over his work table which made him really mad. He punched one of them but then they double teamed him and tore apart the house." Steve explained as the Doctor checked his shoulder. "They finally left after kicking me in my stomach."
"It's a good thing you brought him here tonight, three of his ribs are broken and if you waited, one of them would've punctured his lung." The Doctor explained.
"So is he going to be alright?" Jerry asked.
"Under my care? No." The Doctor said. "I sent a call to Goldenrod City from a team to come check him tomorrow. The most I can do by myself is keep him well until then. All I can ask is why Team Rocket would attack him for the Charcoal. I know it's a rare item but beating someone just seems out of context."
"I don't know." Jerry said before looking at Blake who was silent the whole time. "Thanks for the help Blake. I wouldn't have gotten him here in time without you."
"Oh…yeah. No problem." Blake said, getting up from his seat, beginning to walk toward the exit before stopping. "How's the kid Doctor?"
"He should be fine. His shoulder just has a bad sprain from the pressure that was on it." The Doctor said to Blake.
"Thanks." Blake said, exiting his house.
Outside, Blake quietly walked through town before his anger finally took over. Without any warning, Blake smashed his left fist into the wall of a building, a surge of pain running from his knuckles to his wrist.
"Team Rocket…" Blake hissed, heading toward the northern side of Azalea Town.
4/25/0046/Morning
Azalea Town Park
The Committee members met up once again, waiting for the next attack as well as Blake who still hadn't shown up.
"Where do think the attack is going to come from today?" Rachel asked.
"I have no idea." Shari responded, looking up at th blue skies.
"We'll fan out like we normally do and call each other if we see anything." Brad said, his hands in his pockets before everyone turned to see Blake walking toward the group, the glove on his left hand missing, being replaced by some white bandages that didn't restirct his finger movements. Blake looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep last night, but no one but Brad had the nerve to question him with the expression he was currently wearing.
Even though it was late, Timmy's mother stumbled onto Blake last night when she was throwing out her garbage. Blake knew better than to get angry at people so he released stress on inamiate objects, but that proved to be the wrong answer last night when Timmy's mother found him in an alleyway with a bloody, busted left hand.
"Nothing is going to happen today." Blake stated, dropping himself down on the bench the group was standing in front of.
"What? How do you know?" Brad asked, raising one eyebrow.
"Team Rocket already got what they were looking for." Blake began. "Last night…I found a family that had been attacked by Team Rocket yesterday. Their house was destroyed and an item called the Charcoal was taken from them."
"Are you sure they won't come today?" Shari asked.
"Guaranteed. But we can stay for the day and make sure." Blake offered, leaning back in his chair.
"Yeah, let's do that just to be sure." Brad said.
4/25/0046/Evening
Gateway to Ilex Forest
Like Blake had said, there was no attack meaning what he said was right, Team Rocket succeeded even though the the Committee was guarding the town. Now, Blake, Grace and Shari were headed for Goldenrod City which was through Ilex Forest which takes roughly four days if you go at a normal pace.
"See you guys!" Shari shouted, waving to the Committee members as they enter the building that acted as the only entrance and exit to Ilex Forest for Azalea Town to prevent wild Pokemon from getting into the town.
"So you guys plan to get there to in time for the weekly matches?" Shari asked as they walked through the gate, heading for the door at the other end that would give them access to Ilex Forest.
"Yeah. I still haven't had four matches for the Rookie Kings. I have to start now." Blake said.
"And my next match will give me the chance to move up the SS-Class." Grace said as Blake opened the door.
All of them looked at the dense forest around them, tall trees raising fifty feet into the air. The canopy is so thick that it's blocking out daylight, making it seem dark even though it was day time still. There was a clear pathway for them to follow through, but come night time it would get even darker than it already was and they would have to stop moving.
"Blake, you go first." Shari said, pushing him out into the forest. Blake glanced over his shouler at her before continuing into the forest, leaving the two of them behind.
Grace followed after Blake, realizing that Blake would disappear into the forest if she didn't keep up with him now.
"Hoothoot!" A Hoothoot said from the trees above as the bushes near the door rustled.
"Hey guys. Don't forget about your beloved Shari!" She said, chasing after them.
4/26/0046/Night
Center of Ilex Forest
"Kirlia, Confusion." Blake said, watching the Psychic type blow away two Oddish and a Paras using yet another form of the attack, this time waving its hand from left to right, creating a ripple in the air the rushed toward the three Pokemon, finishing them off in one hit.
"Blake, don't you think you've battled enough?" Shari asked, forcefully dragging him along to make sure he or his Pokemon didn't pick anymore battles.
"I have to be ready for Rookie Kings." He said, breaking loose from her grip before returning Kirlia to its Poke-ball.
"Why is that tournament so important? It's just a bunch of battles between small fries." Shari said, getting a dark look from Blake.
"It's also the quickest route to the IBF Tourney." Blake said, surprising Grace.
"You want to enter the IBF Tourney?" Grace asked.
"If I can become a B-Class trainer by the cut off date, I'll be entering." Blake said, feeling a small shock on his right wrist.
"So you're going to skip right through Johto and head up to the IBF?" Shari asked.
"I plan to take over the IBF and become the champion." Blake clarified as the path way widened out, a small wooden structure standing in the center of the pathway. As Blake neared it, he bumped into an unseen wall as Grace and Shari continued along as though nothing was in their way.
Blake took another step forward, outstretching his arm. His hand felt a solid wall standing in his way, blocking the entire pathway. Shari turned around, noticing that Blake had been left behind, but she couldn't help but snicker at the performance Blake was putting on as he tried to find away around the wall.
"Nice mime act Blake, now come on." She said, motioning for him to come along.
"I'm trying. There's something blocking my way." Blake said back, attempting to push the wall and see if it would move.
"I don't see anything. Do you Grace?" Shari asked, turning the girl who shook her head. "Quit faking Blake and come on, we have to find a place to sleep."
Blake felt uneasy as he pushed against the wall, once again feeling the zap on his wrist when a blinding light appeared above him, getting his attention. Grace and Shari joined Blake in looking up, but they saw nothing.
"Blake?" Grace said, approaching him. Grace watched as Blake shut his eyes, his body beginning to lean back.
A thud was only reply she got in return.
Just in case anyone was wondering, the Battle Circuit is comprised of many smaller Circuits that make it up as a whole. There's the Regional Circuit, the Regular Circuit, the IBF (Inter-regional Battle Federation) Circuit and the World Circuit.
Out of those four listed, the Regular Circuit exists in three of them as a way for a faster rise through the ranks, but the risks of battling in this Circuit is also greater.
Anyway, R & R