Chapter 12- Nacrene City
Author's Note: I would like to thank UEG nastykiller. I have been bouncing ideas of them for a while and getting their input. It has really helped me on this chapter especially. So, thank you!
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"So this is Nacrene Cit-EEEE!" My words turned into a short squeal as I was suddenly dragged forward.
"Let's hurry to the Poke Center so that our Pokémon can be healed and then we can go to the Gym!" Jen pulled Tim and me forward at a rather frightening speed.
By the time we reached the Poke Center, Tim and I were a little motion sick.
"You two okay?" Jen looked at us leaning against the side of the building with her head tilted.
"Next time...Go slower... Please." Tim managed to huff out after a few minutes.
"Oh. Sorry! I got excited! I want to see Sophie and her little ones battle soon." The grin on Jen's face is full blown.
"Excuse me. That Pokémon in your arms.. She keeps saying the same thing over and over again. Is she alright?" A young man with long, wavy green hair held back in a ponytail and wearing a hat approached them from farther down the rails that bordered the south side of Nacrene City.
"Okay. One: she's fine, just in a bit of shock due to the fact that she is now a mother. Two: saying? Can you understand her?" As I spoke the second point I could feel Tim stiffen beside me and Jen got an intrigued look on her face.
The boy looked into my eyes as he answered. "My name is N. I can understand the speech of all Pokémon."
"N, you say? You wouldn't happen to be involved with a group called Team Plasma, would you?" Tim's face was extremely serious as he spoke.
The green haired boy- N- turned to him. "Yes. I am the king of Team Plasma."
"You're the king? Don't you mean leader?" Jen placed her fist on her hip and raised a brow. "King is a bit pretentious."
"Ghetsis is the leader of the group. I am the king."
"You make no sense. But I'm glad we ran into you. I don't trust those grunts we ran into earlier to deliver my message." I placed a small, most likely a little scary, smile on my face.
N's was obviously confused. "A message? Why would you try to send a message with my people?"
"Because I don't feel like being bothered by you and your people. My message is that as long as you don't bother me, I won't bother you. I will make no guarantees for any other person, but leave me alone and I will do the same."
N considered me. "All you want is to be left alone? Before I promise anything, would you battle me? I want to hear the voices of your Pokémon."
"Nope. I won't battle you. It is unnecessary for me to battle you. But I will let my Pokémon out so that you may speak to them."
"You would let them out even if it is not to battle?"
"You seem shocked. Perhaps you have met some trainers that abuse their Pokémon or perhaps you have met too many Pokémon that have been abused. Don't just assume that all trainers abuse their Pokémon. There are quite a few that see Pokémon as family." Jen ranted at the boy.
"Jen, calm down!" Giggling, I release Dawn and Jolt. "I have one more Pokémon, but he is in even more shock than Dusk, the one in my arms. He's the dad."
"They're...happy with you. Just like hers. I really don't understand." Looking rather lost, N turns and wanders off.
"Rude much?" Jen's fist made its way back to her hip. "That boy really doesn't seem to understand manners."
"I think that he has been raised to see things a certain way. We and someone else are disrupting his view of the world. I wonder how things will turn out..." I returned Dawn and Jolt to their poke balls, assuring Jolt that her first battle will be soon.
"Even though you don't plan to get involved?" Tim looked after N with a small frown on his face.
"Just because I'm not involved doesn't mean I am not concerned with how it all ends." Dusk looks up at me, her finally fully over her shock. "I wonder who the other girl is that is turning his world upside down."
The three of us head into the Poke Center so that Jen and Tim can finally heal their Pokémon.
After we finished up, we left and went around the side of the Poke Center to get to the street behind it faster. Across the street was the Gym. Outside of it was a man in shades. Jen and I looked at him askance. When Tim noticed our looks, he laughed.
"Relax, that's just Clyde. He encourages those challenging the Gyms and aiming for the Championship." Tim nudged us onward. "Though I am beginning to think there are multiple ones because He's ALWAYS at the Gym when you enter. Yesterday was the first time I ever entered a Gym when he wasn't there."
"He was probably getting ready along with everyone else." As we walked over, the man- Clyde- noticed us and coma over.
"Hey Tim! Haven't seen you since Clay's Gym. Thought I would be seeing you at Skyla's next, not back here."
"I decided to go back to the beginning so that I can retrain. This is Sophie. She's challenging the Gyms."
He turns and looks me over. "Oh? So you're the one I missed at Striation. I can tell-"
I hold a finger up to slow him down. "Before you go any farther, let me tell that I do not plan to try for the Championship. I am simply challenging the gyms."
He smirks. "So you see the Gyms as simple, huh?"
"No. I see challenging the Elite Four as complicated." I tilt my head to watch his reaction.
"I see. Well, since I assume that you are going to challenge Lenora, have these Fresh Waters for your Pokémon. I usually only give out one to a challenger, but since I missed your first battle, I'll give you an extra."
"Oh. Thank you." I tuck the two items into my bag.
"Lenora is expecting another couple challengers to come either late today or early tomorrow. The usual trainers have heard that they beat Striation fairly easily- which the three did- and have decided to get some extra training in. I think that there is one trainer in there that doesn't think she needs more training, but I'm not sure."
"I hope that I get one more battle in before I face the Gym Leader. So far I've only had three."
"Waitwaitwait! You've only had three battles? Ever?" Jen looked at me incredulously.
"Tim was my first, there was one on Route 2, and then my first Gym battle."
Clyde shook his head. "If you're that good already then it is a shame that you aren't going for the Championship."
"My brother did that. I am not my brother."
Clyde shrugs his shoulders. "Well, good luck with your battles. I look forward to seeing the results."
He waves us onwards into the Gym. Once we enter the building Jen and I discover that the front part is actually a museum. Tim guides us through to the actual Gym. Which turned out to be a library.
One of the shelves was pushed to the side to uncover hidden staircase. A girl was coming up the stairs as we entered. she quickly noticed us, looked back at the uncovered stairs and shrugged before coming up to speak with us.
"Okay. Which of you is challenging the Gym?" After Tim and Jen pointed at me she continued while focusing on me. "Well then. If you beat me you can go down the stairs and challenge Lenora. But only if you beat me. My name is Carla. Are you ready to begin?"
"Just let me return Dusk to her poke ball." As I returned Dusk, Carla turned and led us to one of the sections of the library that were obviously meant for the battles.
As we caught up with her, she went over to a little pedestal that held a single poke ball. She pressed the release button and out came a Gothita. When the little Pokémon spotted me, she ran over and gave me a huge hug.
Carla looked startled. "I've never seen her do that before."
Giggling, I crouch down and return the hug. "It's been a couple of years since I saw you Thea!" Looking at the other three Trainers, I explained. "Thea was bred by my older brother for Lenora."
"You're older brother? That would make you Saphronia Stone!" Carla squeaked.
"Sophie, please. And it's not like I'm anything special." I stand up and give Thea one last pat on the head. "Shall we get started?"
"Oh. Yes. Of course." Carla quickly heads to the other side of the ring while Jen and Tim head to the spectators' spots and Thea gets into her position.
Carla releases her Pokémon, a Herdier, into its position. I let Jolt out so that she can finally get the battle that she has been wanting. She bounded out of her poke ball so fast that she tumbled head over heels for a moment before stopping and jumping back to her starting position and fidgeting like mad.
(Momma, can I use ThunderShock and then Return? Pleasepleaseplease?) Jolt shouted to me across our link.
I smile and give her a little nod. With the training that Granny gave Jolt, she is more than ready for her first battle. I want to see what kind of strategy my Electric type had come up with.
Suddenly Carla's eyes flashed. "Herdier use Take Down!"
"Jolt, use ThunderShock." I calmly give the requested order and Jolt immediately went on the offensive.
While the Herdier was still preparing to charge, Jolt released a shock that rolled across the ring, but only hit the Herdier thanks to Thea's shields.
After the shock faded, the Herdier tried to charge, but ended up falling down because of its joints being paralyzed.
Carla's eyes widened when she realized what had happened. "Herdier, try to use Bite."
"Jolt, use Return."
The Herdier tried to get up to attack, but was unable to.
Jolt rushed forward and tackled the Herdier with all the strength of the positive feelings she had developed for me in the days since I had received her egg. She and the Herdier go tumbling head over heels until they reach the barrier where they are forced to stop.
Jolt had the Herdier pinned and she gave the other Pokémon a lick on the nose before hopping off and waiting to see the state of the Herdier.
The Herdier struggled to get up and we all could tell that its difficulty was caused by more than the paralysis. It was managing to stay awake, but it was just barely.
"Herdier use Leer." Carla could tell they were beaten, but the rules for Trainer battles clearly stated that the battle wasn't over until one of the Pokémon was completely knocked out.
"Jolt use Tackle." I gave the last order of the battle.
Jolt quickly tackled the Herdier and knocked it out. After it was over Jolt nosed the Herdier to make sure that she hadn't done any permanent damage to it.
Carla scooped her Pokémon up and gave it a once over then looked down at Jolt. "Don't worry. He's fine."
Relieved, Jolt bounded over to me and after receiving some praise, went to rest in her poke ball.
I went up to Carla. "Thank you. I'm glad that Jolt got to fight against you in her first battle."
"That was only her first battle? She's incredible. We didn't even land a hit on her, so you probably won't need to go to the Poke Center before facing Lenora. She's just down the stairs. Good luck!" Carla waved to us after handing me the prize money but before dashing out of the Gym and, presumably, heading to the Poke Center to heal her precious partner.
Thea hopped up and down to get our attention and once she had it she led us down the stairs. Once downstairs, she went and stood in her spot on the ring that resided there.
"Carla? Do you need something else? I-" A dark-skinned woman had her back to us when we entered, stopping her words when she turned and spotted us. "I'm sorry, I thought it was one of my Gym trainers."
I give her a smile. "Carla had to go to the Poke Center after our battle."
"You beat her? Probably for the best. She was getting a little too confident. It does mean that she won't be able to battle the three trainers that are coming later, but oh well. Now, I've already battled one of you, am I battling the other two?"
"No, just Sophie!" Jen chirped. Tim looked at her, clearly wondering just how she managed to do that.
"Sophie? You wouldn't happen to be the little sister of Tristan, would you?" Lenora crouched down to get a better look at me. "My, you've grown. I last saw you a couple of years ago when I went to get Thea."
"I remember! I actually haven't grown all that much though." I made a face. "I don't seem to be growing very fast at all."
"Don't rush yourself girl." Lenora stood back up and went to the other end of the ring. "Shall we get started Sophie? I want to see just what you can do."
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Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to get this story out. I was just having so much trouble figuring out how to go about it. Then I decided to have N meet Sophie and it all came pouring out. With UEG nastykiller's input I decided to split the chapter into two, so you will have to wait awhile for the actual Gym battle. One question, should I use White or Hilda or Touko for the game character. You know the one that is going to take Plasma down? I really need input.
And yeah, the battle was pretty pathetic. I am sorry.
I am not a writer! I am a puppet controlled by fictional characters!