CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Bright, harsh light was the first thing piercing Amy's eyes when she woke up the next morning. For the first few seconds before anything else had registered, Amy was aware of passers-by and their humdrum conversation about Magikarp and Goldeen, fishing rods and different types of bait, before a new sensation settled in, taking her into the dark spiral of doubt. A new kind of fear.
She felt paralysed, suddenly uncertain and very aware that she was lying on the ground. Her face was itchy and smeared with dirt, as was her hair. She didn't dare to think of her clothes.
She chanced a glance to the passers-by, but they hadn't seen her or had chosen not to take notice of her. It was easy to see why - they were all headed south, clutching fishing rods with their Pokemon at their sides, jabbering away about mundane subjects, the content of which had no cause for her curiosity.
Growlithe nudged at her with his cold, wet nose and Amy stirred, manoeuvring to a more comfortable sitting position. She brushed the dirt from her face as delicately as she could manage, the imprint still causing an itch on her skin that could not be rubbed away. Her heart jumped into her throat as she remembered the events of last night and all of a sudden she wanted to lie back on the ground, hidden and alone, forever.
She knew of one opportunity, one glimmering hope to her survival. She had to enter a Pokemon battle and win. This alone made it worth standing up and facing the world. She had to avoid that shaky abyss she felt she was teetering on the edge of, from which there would be chance of recuperation.
Amy and Growlithe walked through Lavender Town, heading west to the route which led to Saffron City. In the daylight, it looked much more appealing with wild Pokemon running playfully to and fro. The trees were alive with singing Pidgey, waving in the light breeze. The atmosphere was calm, euphoric almost in its serenity, yet inside Amy felt a mass of emotions brewing, threatening to spill over the edge like an overflowing, hot mug of cocoa. Amy felt delirious just thinking about those little luxuries.
"It's just one battle! Don't be so demanding!" shouted a furious voice.
Amy saw a group of Trainers in conversation, not too far off the path. A group of Rattata ran past her, apples in their mouth, having liberated them from a shrub upon hearing loud voices.
"We only battle as a team," spoke one of the Trainers. Amy could see now that the argument was between a girl her age, and two Trainers who looked to be a couple.
"Besides," spoke the male counterpart of the couple. "We have three Pokemon each. You only have one."
Amy looked closer and saw that the girl her age had a Pokemon hiding behind her legs. It was a small, four-legged mammalian with brown fur, long pointed ears and a bushy tail. It was an Eevee!
The girl with the Eevee had a kind of fiery determination to her.
"I'll take both of you on at once!" shouted the girl, who had balled her hands into fists.
"Sorry, sweetie," chided the girl, who wore a school uniform and looked superior. "But beating you two-to-one would lower us."
Amy felt a surge of anger rock her system. Who were they to speak so critically? Amy had seen these types of girls in Celadon; vain, self-conscious girls who looked in the mirror every other minute. The fact that Amy used to be one of those girls was beside the point. She needed a Trainer to fight and here was the perfect opportunity.
"I'll fight you." said Amy quietly.
The three Trainers looked over to see Amy approaching, with her Growlithe at her side.
"What?" asked the girl with the Eevee.
"You?" asked the girl in the school uniform. She appraised Amy with a satisfied smirk. "You look like you've come from the wrong part of town. Did someone get a little too tipsy and fall in the gutter?"
The guy laughed at his girlfriend's remark, while Amy kept her cool.
Don't rise to them, Amy told herself with building fury.
Forcing herself to turn a blind eye to the similarities between herself and the pampered school girl, Amy turned to the girl with an Eevee.
"I'm Amy. Shall we show these two what our Pokemon can do?"
"Hey!" shouted the guy. "Don't you think for a second we'll go easy on you! If you want to pair up with a girl with a disadvantage, we'll still take both of your money when we win!"
Amy froze at this. She hadn't considered that she might lose - wait a second! She would not lose! Her pride would not allow to suffer defeat once again.
"Let's get this battle started!" said the girl, as the couple stepped back to make room for a battlefield.
"What's your name?" asked Amy, taking a closer look at the girl who was to be her battle partner. She had greasy ginger ringlets, freckles on her pale face and ripped cargo jeans that looked like they had seen better days. But then again, so had Amy's worn and dirtied attire.
"I'm Zoe. You sure you can handle this?" she asked, not meaning offence as she glanced down at Amy's Growlithe. "How many Pokemon you got?"
"Three. You've only got your Eevee?" asked Amy.
Zoe was quick to defend herself in any altercation, as Amy would later learn. "My Eevee's all I need."
"Come on!" shouted the guy, who wore a backwards baseball cap over his scruffy hair. "Let's battle!"
For lack of their names, Amy decided to call the guy, Lover Boy, and the girl, Lover Girl.
Lover Girl and Lover Boy threw their Pokeballs onto the field, with red light bursting from them to form Nidoran and Rattata, respectively.
"Eevee, it's time to battle!" said Zoe, as Eevee stepped up confidently to face its opponents.
"Growlithe, you're up," Amy said, as Growlithe joined up alongside Eevee. The two Pokemon considered each other, nodding together as they faced their opponents.
"Nidoran, Poison Sting on Eevee!" said Lover Girl.
"Rattata, Hyper Fang on Eevee!" said Lover Boy.
"Eevee, Quick Attack on Nidoran!" Zoe shouted.
"Growlithe, Roar at your opponents!" Amy said.
As Nidoran opened its mouth to release poison barbs and Rattata ran towards Eevee, Eevee evaded into thin air as Growlithe let out a fearsome roar, stopping Nidoran and Rattata in their tracks. Eevee appeared out of nowhere, tackling Nidoran in the side.
"Growlithe, Ember on Nidoran!" cried Amy.
Growlithe opened its mouth and released a volley of flames at Nidoran as Zoe shouted, "Eevee, use Sand-Attack on Rattata!"
"Rattata, Quick Attack on Growlithe!" cried Lover Boy.
Eevee pelted sand at Rattata, but it had already disappeared into thin air. Nidoran was pelted with flames from Growlithe, just as Rattata appeared at Growlithe's side and tackled him onto the ground.
"Eevee, Tackle Rattata!" shouted Zoe.
"Growlithe, Bite!" Amy ordered.
Growlithe attempted to sink its teeth into Rattata, but Rattata jumped backwards off of Growlithe to avoid the attack. Eevee, however, was fast enough to anticipate this and tackled Rattata, sending it flying across the field.
"Return, Nidoran," said Lover Girl. Nidoran had fainted and was returned to its Pokeball in a flash of red light. She selected another Pokeball from her belt and threw it into the battlefield. "Go, Pidgey!"
Pidgey burst from the Pokeball, flying in an arc into the sky and heading towards Eevee.
"Gust, Pidgey!" shouted Lover Girl.
Pidgey flew around its opponents, flapping its wings madly to create a whirlwind which sent Eevee and Growlithe into the air.
"Eevee!" shouted Zoe.
Eevee and Growlithe hit the ground, injured from the attack.
"Quick Attack, Rattata!" shouted Lover Boy. "Go for Eevee!"
Rattata disappeared into thin air, then appeared at the last second in front of Eevee and -
Growlithe protectively ran in front of Eevee and sustained the hit as a guard. Lover Boy cried, "What!?"
Winded, Growlithe rolled over several times, quite injured. Pidgey flew over everyone's heads, watching the action unfold.
"Return, Growlithe," Amy said, returning Growlithe to its Pokeball in a flash of red light. "You did an amazing job."
"That damn canine!" Lover Boy cursed.
"Watch your language," warned Amy. "Unless you've forgotten, this is a double battle. Pokemon look out for each other."
"If I wanted to hear you talk, I'd put a coin in your cap, alright?" Lover Boy scathed, referring to the act of pan handling by homeless people.
Amy kept the sugar-sweet smile on her face, trying hard not to storm obscenities at the boy.
"You're a jerk!" shouted Zoe, taking the affront on behalf of her battle partner.
"Don't sink to his level," said Amy. "We'll win against them, don't worry."
"I'm not worried!" Zoe was quick to retort.
Amy selected her next Pokeball, throwing it onto the field. "Go, Nidorina!"
Nidorina appeared in a burst of red light, pawing the ground angrily.
"Rattata, Hyper Fang on Nidorina!" said Lover Boy.
"Pidgey, Sand-Attack on Eevee!" said Lover Girl.
As Rattata headed towards Nidorina and Pidgey kicked up a mound of dust, Zoe cried, "Eevee, block your eyes!"
Eevee covered its eyes as Pidgey pelted sand in its direction, to no avail. As Rattata neared Nidorina, its teeth gleaming, Nidorina crouched and dodged the attack, sending a Double Kick directly into Rattata's body which sent it across the field, wailing in pain. Without warning, Nidorina opened its mouth and shot a volley of poison barbs at Pidgey, some missing its airborne target but the rest landing a direct hit.
"Pidgey!" squealed Lover Girl, as the bird Pokemon struggled to maintain flight.
Grumbling, Lover Boy returned Rattata to its Pokeball.
"Your Pokemon's awesome!" Zoe said, amazed.
Amy smiled modestly. "Nidorina's been my friend for years, ever since she was a Nidoran."
"Go, Sandshrew!" said Lover Boy.
Sandshrew appeared in a burst of red light, regarding its opponents with a flinty stare.
"Hah! Your Nidorina's Poison attacks won't work against my Ground-Type Pokemon!" said Lover Boy.
"Then I'll just have to beat your Sandshrew back to the desert it came from!" shouted Zoe. "Eevee, Quick Attack on Sandshrew!"
"Pidgey, use Gust again!" shrieked Lover Girl.
"Nidorina - "
But before Amy could speak, Nidorina had already opened its mouth and released a volley of poison barbs at Pidgey. Almost all missed, apart from one or two which landed on Pidgey, causing it to cry in pain. It had been poisoned.
"Sandshrew, use Slash on Eevee!" Lover Boy said, enraged that Nidorina had landed a hit on his girlfriend's Pidgey.
Sandshrew nodded, tensing in wait for Eevee to reappear. As Eevee appeared, Sandshrew struck out, causing Eevee to double over in pain. Amy noticed Pidgey falling from the sky, succumbing to the poison and called, "Nidorina, Tackle Sandshrew before it hurts Eevee!"
Nidorina bounded towards Sandshrew as Sandshrew ran over to Eevee, its claws drawn. Seeing Nidorina approach, Sandshrew kicked up a mound of dirt which landed in Nidorina's eyes, causing it to stumble in agony.
"Sandshrew, finish Eevee!" yelled Lover Boy.
Amy felt a wave of foreboding as Nidorina opened its mouth and she shouted, "Get down!"
Eevee ran as best it could towards Zoe as Nidorina blindly fired a volley of poison barbs in random directions, trying to aim for Sandshrew. Lover Boy and Girl ran, shrieking, into one another's arms, while Zoe tackled Amy to the ground in an attempt for safety.
Glancing up, Amy saw that Eevee had made it to safety and nobody was worse for wear, except Sandshrew, who had been pelted with enough of the barbs to be sufficiently enraged. Nidorina still had trouble seeing with the sand in its eyes.
"Eevee, Quick Attack!" shouted Zoe.
Lover Boy yelled, "Slash Attack, Sandshrew!"
Eevee disappeared into thin air as Sandshrew leapt at the fumbling Nidorina, causing a scuffle which ended in both Eevee and Sandshrew rolling backwards away from each other on the ground.
Returning her poisoned Pidgey to its Pokeball, Lover Girl pulled her last Pokeball from her purse. "Go, Meowth!"
The Pokeball she threw into the fray burst open, revealing Meowth in a flash of red light, drawing its claws and headed for Nidorina.
"Bite Attack, Meowth! Go for Eevee!" shouted Lover Girl.
Weakened from the scuffle with Sandshrew, Eevee struggled to stand as Meowth came forth, claws drawn and feral gaze intent.
"Nidorina, Double Kick on Meowth!" Amy cried.
Nidorina headed towards Meowth, catching it unawares as it landed two solid kicks to Meowth's chest, sending it across the field. Nidorina stood in front of Eevee protectively.
"You've done it now!" roared Lover Boy. "Sandshrew, attack Nidorina with Slash Attack!"
"Meowth, Pay Day on Nidorina!" cried Lover Girl.
Nidorina held its ground as the coin on Meowth's forehead glowed and Sandshrew headed towards her -
Eevee disappeared into thin air and tackled Meowth just as its Pay Day attack blasted the sky. Coins fell like rain drops as Meowth flew across the field.
"Nice going, Eevee!" said Zoe, proudly raising her fist into the air.
Nidorina avoided the slash Sandshrew dealt and used Tail Whip to sent Sandshrew stumbling backwards.
"Switch opponents," Amy said to Zoe. "Trust me!"
Zoe stared at Amy, then nodded. "Eevee, Quick Attack on Sandshrew!"
"Nidorina, Double Kick on Meowth!"
Eevee disappeared into thin air as Nidorina headed towards Meowth. Nidorina delivered its Double Kick attack to Meowth, finishing it off, as Eevee appeared behind Sandshrew, tackling it as it tried to run away. Both Meowth and Sandshrew had fainted.
"Nice going!" said Amy to Zoe. Lover Girl let out a shriek of dismay.
Lover Girl returned Meowth to its Pokeball, sulkily attaching herself to Lover Boy's arm. "You need to win this! Don't let me down!"
"Your tactics are impressive. I wish I knew how to fight like that," said Zoe doubtfully.
"Your Eevee's held up well in this fight. Don't let your guard down, though; we've still got one more Pokemon from Lover Boy to defeat."
"Lover Boy?" laughed Zoe. "I was thinking of something a bit more like - "
I don't want to hear your vulgarities, thought Amy, tuning her out for the moment.
"I'll make you pay! Go, Nidoran!" shouted Lover Boy, throwing the Pokeball into the field.
Nidoran appeared in a flash of red light, pawing the ground and readying to attack.
"You've done an excellent job today, Nidorina. Return," Amy said, holding out Nidorina's Pokeball. Nidorina disappeared inside the Pokeball in a flash of red light.
"You're running scared?" taunted Lover Boy.
Amy ignored him, throwing another Pokeball into the field. "Go, Cubone!"
Cubone appeared in a flash of red light, waving its bone club threateningly.
"Think we can take him?" Amy asked.
Zoe nodded. "Let's take him down!"
"Nidoran, Poison Sting at Eevee!"
"Eevee, Quick Attack!" shouted Zoe.
"Cubone, Bone Club!"
Eevee disappeared into thin air, barely dodging the volley of poison barbs from Nidoran's mouth. As Cubone ran up to Nidoran, Eevee appeared out of nowhere, tackling Nidoran and sending it onto its side. Before it could stand up, Cubone had hurried over and struck Nidoran with its Bone Club attack. Nidoran slumped slowly onto the grass.
"We did it!" Zoe shouted, her face red with joy. Amy was silently amused at Zoe's excitement.
"You were supposed to win!" shrieked Lover Girl, hitting Lover Boy with her handbag, who cringed for defence.
Amy returned Cubone to its Pokeball, walking over to the couple. "Our winnings, please."
Lover Girl pouted as she reached into her handbag, drawing out a wad of cash. Lover Boy retrieved his wallet and handed Amy a number of hundred dollar bills, too. In total, there was eight hundred and twenty dollars - split between them, Amy's share was four hundred and ten dollars. It would do very nicely!
As the couple stalked off, fighting with one another, Amy walked over to Zoe, handing her her share of the winnings.
"Thanks," said Zoe. Amy noticed that she counted each note to make sure they added up.
"Are you afraid I duped you?" Amy joked.
"No..." Zoe hesitated."I'm a bit short on cash right now. Well, I always come up short. I try to make each dollar count."
Amy was almost uncomfortable with this tale of woe. It was similar to her own predicament.
"Where are you headed to next?" Amy asked coolly.
"I'm going back to the Pokemon Center to heal Eevee." said Zoe.
"I've got to heal my Pokemon, too. Mind if I join you?" asked Amy.
"Sure," said Zoe, taken aback.
As the two walked together, Amy decided that Zoe was OK. A little down on her luck, clearly a pessimist, but she was still a nice person. As they approached Lavender Town, Zoe returned Eevee to her Pokeball and the two of them entered the Pokemon Center.
"Good morning! How may I help you today?" asked the nurse.
Amy waited behind Zoe in line as Eevee was healed. She thought about the next Gym she was due to visit. It would have to be either the Gym in either Vermilion or Celadon. She knew the Celadon Gym specialised in Grass-type Pokemon, so her Growlithe and Nidorina would be a strength there. But for the time being, Amy wanted to avoid Celadon City.
Zoe thinks I'm a good Trainer... I'm nothing compared to how Liam battles... then again, Liam pushes his Pokemon too hard, impatiently demanding results before they're ready, thought Amy.
Zoe exited the line with a healthy, happy Eevee in her arms. Amy stepped forward, handing over the three Pokeballs containing Growlithe, Nidorina and Cubone. Once they had been healed and Amy had been bid a good day from the nurse, Amy headed to the exit.
Zoe was sitting on a bench near the payphones, with Eevee in her arms. She looked dejected, exhausted even, staring at the linoleum floor as though she had been told the worst kind of news.
"Zoe." Amy said, walking up to her. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah. I'm fine," Zoe cleared her throat, standing suddenly. "I should go - "
"Is something wrong?" Amy pressed, concerned. Zoe looked nervous.
"I was watching you battle before and it got me thinking. I've got to train my Eevee harder if I want to take on the Gyms one day."
"You haven't - "?
Zoe shook her head, shoulders slumping in defeat as she exhaled.
"I've been saving up for a trip on the S.S. Anne. They depart from Vermilion and go to Pallet Town, which is where I'd find my first Gym. But a ticket costs two thousand dollars..."
Amy knew without asking that Zoe was talking about the price of an economy class ticket. Amy didn't know how much a first-class ticket cost, but she bet it was more than triple the fee.
"So I'm screwed, to say the least." Zoe smiled dejectedly.
"Can't your parents contribute to the cost?" asked Amy, immediately regretting her presumption.
Zoe rolled her eyes, blushing. "My mother spends all her time at the Celadon Game Corner, gambling all her money away. My dad died when I was three."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."
Reluctantly Zoe stood, embarrassed. "Thanks for battling with me. I've never battled beside somebody before."
Amy shook hands with Zoe, adding, "You'll be fine, trust me. You have a warrior's spirit about you."
Shrugging wordlessly, Zoe turned and exiting the Pokemon Centre with little Eevee on her trail.
Amy stared after her, a jumble of emotions in her mind. She couldn't feel sorry for herself, not when there were others who had it so much harder. She knew what she was inciting her mother's wrath when she became a Pokemon Trainer... and when she lost her money to Liam, all it took was one battle to start her hopes up again.
Amy could do it. She knew that now. Her Pokemon were getting stronger from every battle. It would only be a matter of time before she reached the League.
She smiled, her first real smile since the shock of her defeat and exited the Pokemon Center, headed west towards Saffron City.