A Noble Sacrifice

*Whitney's Gym*

As Flint and I entered Whitney's Gym, I noticed that the whole room was shaped like a Clefairy.

"Must be a Normal type gym…" I mumbled to myself.

"Well that might be a bit of a problem…" Flint said. "If it's a normal type gym, we have no way to effectively hit any of them. The best we can do is use powerful moves and hope for the best.

"Flint…" I said. "My aunt's been buying items with my money, and it just so happens that I have this in my possession now." I reached in and took out a Chilan berry. "This will weaken a normal type attack used on you. I'm going to need your power for the gym battle. I've already given one to Talon, and another to Liteweight."

The Quilava smiled. "Thanks, Hank." He said. "But I'd like to keep my Charcoal."

"Fair enough." I agreed, and sent Sunnyside the Exeggcute out. "Sunnyside, since your still realively low level compared to most of the party, I'm going to give you this berry. It will help you stay strong."

"Ok Master!" She said. "I'll do my best!"

"That's the spirit girl!" I encouraged her.

*Later in gym*

"Well, well, Hank…" Whitney said as I entered her little chamber. "I've been waiting for you for a while! What took you so long?"

"I had to make a few shopping errands." I said holding up a Poke Mart shopping bag, full of enough Super Potions to fill Slowpoke Well.

"Well, you're here now, so let's get started!" Whitney exclaimed. "This will be a full battle, but I'll only use 2 pokemon. The battle will be over when all pokemon on one side are unable to continue fighting."

"In addition." The ref added. "Only the challenger will be allowed to make substitutions! Trainer, are you ready?"

"Of course I am!" I said with a grin, holding up a pokeball.

"Gym Leader, are you ready?"

"Ready as ever!" Whitney exclaimed as she readied her own pokeball.

"Battlers, send out your first pokemon!" The ref said.

"Go Clefairy!" Whitney called as she sent out a Clefairy.

"Flint! It's up to you!" I called as I sent Flint out.

"Hey Hank, look at that!" He joked. "We finally see why the gym is a Clefairy!

"Easy, now isn't the time for humor." I said seriously.

Lyra ran into the Gym. "Hank!" She yelled. "I'm here to cheer you on! Be careful out there!"

"Thanks!" I called back. "I will!" I turned toward Whitney. "I'll go first, Flint use Flame Wheel!"

"Clefairy dodge and use Attract!" Whitney exclaimed.

*Burnt Tower*

Rise….Rise my subjects….

"Master?" asked Suicune rising. "Entei, Raikou, wake up! I think I hear master!"

"huh? Wha?" Entei yawned as he awoke.

"You're hallucinating again Suicune…" Raikou said as she stretched out her paws. "Master flew off around 100 years ago when he gave us our lives back."

Rise….Rise…..

"You heard that right?" Suicune asked. "It can't just be me…"

Entei and Raikou looked at each other, they had both heard it.

"Oh good, you're all up!" Mew said, appearing before them. "I have a task for you!"

The legendary beasts all looked at each other and then nodded.

"What's the task?" Inquired Entei.

Mew smiled.

*Goldenrod City*

"Good job Flint!" I said as Whitney returned her Clefairy.

"Noo! I killed her! My true love!" Flint started crying on the gym floor.

"It's just the Attract talking buddy." I said returning him. "And it's not really dead." I whispered into the pokeball. "You just knocked her out."

"You did good to take down my Clefairy, Hank Coro!" Whitney said. "But defeating my Miltank will be a much harder feat!" She sent out her Miltank. Alright, time to test out the newbie.

"Sunnyside I choose you!" I said as I sent out my Exeggcute.

"Ready to fight master!" She said.

(for the following scenes, listen to that one song from Karate Kid…you know what I'm talking about)

Sunnyside is Leech Seeding the Miltank.

Miltank is using Attract but it doesn't work because Sunnyside also happens to be female.

The Miltank's health is sapped by Leech Seed

Sunnyside uses Hypnosis, putting the Miltank to sleep.

Sunnyside lets loose a flurry of Barrage attacks on the Miltank

The Miltank's health is sapped by Leech Seed

The Miltank wakes up and eats a Sitrus Berry.

The Miltank's health is sapped by Leech Seed

Sunnyside goes for a Hypnosis, but misses.

The Miltank uses Stop to make Sunnyside flinch.

Miltank's health is sapped by Leech seed.

The Miltank uses Rollout.

(Stop the music)

"Sunnyside, return!" I called her back in to heal her up. I gulped and hoped for the best. "Liteweight, I choose you!" I sent out my Skiploom,

"Rollout Miltank!" It hit Liteweight straight on.

"No!" I shouted.

"Heh…don't worry boss…" Liteweight grinned. "I may be frail, and I may die someday, but it is not this day!" He winked.

"That's the spirit!" I said as I returned him. I had wanted to give Sunnyside a Super Potion, but clearly that wasn't going to work. I'd have to hope for the Miltank's rollout to miss. "Sunnyside, I choose you again!"

"Master…*pant* what about *pant* healing me?"

"Just hang in there Sunnyside, I'm sure you can do it!"

"Miltank, use Rollout!" Whitney ordered. "I'm sorry Hank…" She said grimly. "But your eggs are about to get scrambled."

"No!" I screamed. I had come so far without a death, and I didn't want my newest pokemon to die right away! Was this really it for Sunnyside?

"Damn right no!" I heard a voice say and suddenly, Sunnyside was switched out, and the Miltank's rollout attack hit Dracula straight on.

Dracula fainted

"Dracula!" I screamed. As I sent out Sunnyday again to avenge him, the Leech Seed finally caught up to the Miltank, and it too, slumped to the floor dead.

"Dracula!" I ran up to Dracula

"Miltank!" Whitney ran up to her Miltank.

"Darcula I'm so sorry!" I said. "You were so close to evolution too!" I wanted to tell him it'd be alright but it wasn't. I had failed him in his finest hour… "I'm so sorry it had to end like this."

"Oh, cheer up Hank…" Dracula said in a wheeze. "You know what they say…Some things in life are bad. Some things make you mad! Others just make you swear and curse…"

"Dracula…" My pokemon all released themselves and crowded around him. They all wanted to be there for Dracula in his final moments.

"When you're chewing on life's gristle…" He sang. "Don't grumble, give a whistle! And this'll help things turn out for the best, ay…" He grinned as he breathed heavily. "Always look on the bright side of life, who who, who who who who who who," he whistled. "Always look on the light side of life, who who, who who who who who who. If life seems terribly rotten, there's something you've forgotten! And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing. When you're feeling in the dumps, don't be silly chumps, just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing! Always look on the bright side of life,"

"Who who, who who who who who who." Sunnyside began to sing alongside him.

"Always look on the light side of life." All the pokemon were singing now. "Who who, who who who who who who."

"For life is quite absurd." Dracula soloed. "And Death's the final word, you must always face the curtain, with a bow. Forget about your sins, and give the audience a grin! Enjoy it! It's your last chance anyhow!"

"But-" I began to protest, but Dracula wouldn't have it.

"So always look on the bright side of death, who who, who who who who who who. Just before you draw your terminal breath, who who, who who who who who who. Life's a piece of shit, when you look it at. Life's a laugh and Death's a joke it's true. You'll see it's all a show, keep on laughing as you go, just remember that the last laugh is on you!"

"Always look on the bright side of life." The rest of the pokemon sang. "Who who, who who who who who who. Always look on the light side of life. "Who who, who who who who who who."

"See there we are." Dracula said. "The end of the gym match."

"Dracula…" I said again as the pokemon continued to sing.

"Look, I started out with nothing, and I'm going back to nothing." He said. "What have I lost? Nothing!"

And that was the last sentence I heard out of Dracula. I approached Whitney who was mourning over her dead Miltank. "I-I'm sorry…" I said. "I didn't want to-"

"Just take your badge and fucking leave me alone!" She threw the badge and it would've pierced my eye out had Talon not caught it.

"Thanks." I told him.

"No sweat." Replied the Pidgeotto.

Lyra ran up to me. "Hank, Hank are you okay?" She was concerned. I showed her the dead Zubat I was holding.

"I will be, I can't say the same for him though…"

"Well I know what might cheer you up…" She handed me a flyer.

Annual Bug Catching Contest! Calling all Trainers to National Park, just north of Glodenrod! Win one of our 3 grand prizes! This Thursday at 6:00! Don't be late!

Lyra was right. The opportunity to catch a new pokemon did make me a little more happy, but I still made everyone go through a proper funeral and burial for Dracula.

"That contest is in a few hours…" I said. "If we hurry, I bet we could make it."

"That's for you bro…" She said as we walked towards Goldenrod's north gate. "I'm not about to catch no bug pokemon…"

As we laughed and walked past the radio tower, I could swear I was hallucinating, but I was fairly certain I saw a Team Rocket member lurking around near the entrance…

So...The Death count has now reached an astounding 1 with the death of Dracula. (who seemed to take it pretty well…) Anyways, what pokemon (If any) awaits Hank at National Park? Find out next chapter!