Bugs Bugging Me

As Talon and I walked into the gym, we noticed something strange. The room was covered in webs. "I don't see how this is going to work…" Said Talon. "There's nowhere I can land without being stuck like a-"

"Bug pokemon are my specialty." Bugsy said, walking in behind us. "I take it you're using that Pidgey against me?"

"Yeah. I have absolute faith in Talon!" I said.

"I'd have thought you'd use your Quilava…That Pidgey won't be enough to beat my pokemon."

"That's where you're wrong!" I countered.

"We'll see." Bugsy smirked. "Go, Scyther!" (Oh you have to be kidding me.)

"Um….I don't like the look of those scythes…" Lyra leaned over and said to Pearl, who was sitting in the bleachers.

"Scyther is a…special…pokemon." Pearl said. "It's only a basic pokemon but it's stats can rival some final evolutions. Stat-wise, Hank is at a disadvantage."

"But a huge advantage everywhere else!" I called over. I turned to Bugsy. "Alright let's start this! Talon, use Quick Attack!"

"Scyther counter it with your own Quick Attack!" The Scyther was incredibly faster than Talon and landed it's hit first.

"Talon you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Talon said, recovering from the blow. "Barely a scratch."

"Alright, use Gust!" Talon whipped up a tornado of wind and sent it straight at the Scyther.

"Scyther, use U-Turn!" Bugsy ordered. The Scyther, who was clearly in pain from the gust, used U-Turn and slammed Talon right into the wall of the building.

"Aggh!" Talon yelled. "Ow, oh my Arceus! That hurt!"

"Talon don't give up!" I yelled. "Use Roost!" Talon reluctantly landed on the giant spider-web over a hole in the floor, and roosted.

"Roost?" Lyra asked Pearl, inquisitively.

"Roost." Pearl nodded. "The pokemon using it recovers up to half it's lost health, but Talon Roosted right on that web…And I don't think that bodes well for Hank."

"Scyther, U-Turn again!" Bugsy ordered, and the Scyther slammed into Talon and broke the web, causing them all to fall.

"Talon!" I yelled. The Scyther flew back up.

"Never just go into a gym battle willy nilly like that." Bugsy said as his Scyther landed by him. "You're pokemon will suffer greatly for you underestimations."

"Talon…." I fell to my knees.

"Hank…" Lyra slowly walked onto the field.

"Alirght, I've seen enough." Pearl said, getting up. "C'mon Hank let's go home."

"Talon…" I was crying now. He was the son of my favorite bird pokemon in the world, and now I had let them both down. My tears created a blinding flash that blurred my vision. "Talon…."

"Hank.." Lyra started to shake me.

"Talon!" I cried.

"Hank look!" Lyra yelled. I opened my eyes, and soon realized that the flash I thought was my tears, was actually coming from the hole I was leaning over.

"Talon?" I asked looking down. The light got brighter, and brighter, and soon something zoomed up out of the hole and flew right by my head. The gust of wind was so strong it knocked me back onto my feet.

As the light and wind cleared, I saw the most badass looking Pidgeotto I'd ever seen.

"You called?" He asked with a smile.

"Haha, We're not done yet, Bugsy!" I hollered at Bugsy. "Talon, use Gust to wrap Scyther in the broken strands of web!"

"You got it boss!" Talon smirked and he flew up into the air, and concocted a gigantic whirlwind of web strands.

"Scyther! Get out of there!" Bugsy called.

"Sorry, Bugsy…" I said with a grin, "But everyone knows that Scythers aren't strong flyers! So yours isn't going to dodge that anytime soon!"

"No!" Bugsy gasped in disbelief as Talon performed Quick Attack after Quick Attack on Scyther.

"I….I don't believe it…." Pearl said, her mouth agape. "He…He's winning now…"

"Alright Talon, let's wrap this up!" I called with a grin. "Quick Attack the Scyther into that hole!"

"Nooo!" Bugsy screamed. "Stop the match, stop it! Scyther return!"

"Talon, stop attacking." I calmed him down. I turned to Bugsy. "Sorry man, I guess I got a little carried away."

"It's fine." He said looking at his poke ball. "I did too…."

"Well…I've seen everything I needed to." Pearl said walking onto the battlefield. "Hank: You're a reckless boy who's in way over his head." Then she hugged me and kissed my forehead. "Good Luck saving Johto."

And with that, Pearl left the building. Not looking back once.

"And this is also for you!" Bugsy said holding out the Hive Badge. "This will allow your pokemon to use Cut outside of battle in this region! Good thing you have it now, because the Ilex Forest is becoming overgrown with those types of trees, and one is blocking the path to Goldenrod."

Lyra and I looked at each other. Goldenrod. That's the city where he lives. He may be able to help us.

"Thanks Bugsy!" I said. I turned to Lyra. "Come on, let's get to Goldenrod ASAP."

As we approached the Ilex Forest Entrance, I sent out Dracula the Zubat. "I can't believe I actually found you!" He said excitedly. "Now you can actually train me! Right? Right?"

"Haha, sure Dracula, I guess I do owe it to you." I said cheerily. "How long had you been looking for me?"

"Oh, I've been keeping an eye on you since you left New Bark with Lyra. I tried to get to you in Union Cave, but there was this turf war between the Sandshrew and the Rattata there, so I layed low, and hid in Slowpoke well, and then when I saw you in trouble, I had to help!"

"Well, you definitely deserve to be trained if that's actually the case." I said.

"Actually…." I heard a voice say. "The case right now is that you're still going strong on your journey."

"Hank…Who's that?" Lyra asked pointing and tugging at my shoulder. I turned around.

"Silver." I said.

"Silver!?" Lyra asked, astonished.

"Silver." Silver said nodding.

"Dracula!" Dracula exclaimed attempting to lighten the gloomy mood that had suddenly fallen upon Azalea.

"Let's finish this quickly." Silver said holding out a poke ball. I motioned for Dracula to prepare for battle. "Then Mo-…Ariana's plan can be put into action."