CHAPTER SIXTY ONE
Daniel met Natalie outside the Saffron City Gym. She seemed distracted and lost in her own thoughts, which was quite like her, thought Daniel.
"Hey!" he waved at her, crossing the street and staring at Natalie in concern. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," mumbled Natalie, losing her dreamy quality and getting back to business. "Just thinking."
"Did you - " Daniel hesitated.
"No, no!" Natalie smiled, glad to return to joviality. "I won! I won the Marshbadge!"
"Nice job!" Daniel glanced at Natalie's Badge case, where she now held seven of eight Badges. "I hope I'm ready!"
"You'll do great," Natalie patted him on the shoulder, as they walked towards the entrance. "I'll heal my Pokemon at the Pokemon Center, and wait outside for when you finish."
"Cool! See you soon!" Daniel entered the Gym, his heart thudding in anticipation as the doors closed behind him.
Making his way down the regal corridor, Daniel wanted to release his Pokemon from their Pokeballs for company, but did not want the Gym Leader to know what Pokemon he had in reserve. The Saffron Gym Leader was known to be one of the hardest Gyms to beat, so Daniel wanted to come prepared.
The battlefield was spread out with a podium for the challenger at one end and a throne at the other, backed by a high red curtain.
"Hello?" Daniel called, settling himself atop the podium. He placed his four Pokeballs in the holder, glancing up to see a woman sitting in the throne. It had been so sudden she might've materialised in the space of a blink.
"I am Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron," her tone and expression were deadpan.
"How did you do that?" asked Daniel.
"I am psychic," added Sabrina. "I hope you are well prepared for fighting my Pokemon."
"I am," said Daniel, confidently though he did not feel it. He was full of nerves. "My name is Daniel."
The tall red curtain behind Sabrina ruffled in disturbance as three Pokeballs levitated above the throne on which Sabrina sat.
"I will use three Pokemon to defeat your four," Sabrina's mouth was a thin line. "Are you ready, challenger?"
Daniel nodded, selecting his first Pokeball and tossing it into the battlefield. "I choose Meowth!"
Meowth burst forth, claws drawn and ready to battle. Sabrina didn't move a muscle as one of her Pokeballs overhead spilled red light onto the battlefield.
"Abra," Sabrina introduced the fox-like Pokemon who sat cross-legged, eyes closed in apparent sleep.
"I know of your psychic Pokemon and their talents! But my Pokemon will pull through!" said Daniel. "Meowth, Fury Swipes!"
Meowth ran forth, pouncing on Abra to slash wildly, but Abra had teleported a second earlier to the other side of the battlefield.
"Damnit," Daniel muttered to himself. "Meowth, Pay Day!"
"Abra, Flash," Sabrina ordered.
Meowth charged a bright light upon his forehead, but Abra's sudden wave of light made Daniel cringe and Meowth stumble, his Pay Day blast hitting the ceiling so that it rained golden coins.
"Meowth, return!" Daniel held out his Pokeball, returning Meowth inside and selecting another. "Go, Weepinbell!"
Weepinbell waddled forth, waving its leaf arms as it considered the Psychic-type Abra.
"Weepinbell, Stun Spore!"
"Abra, Flash."
Abra's blinding flash of light stunned Weepinbell, but it had already released glittering powder into the air that settled on Abra, paralysing it completely. Behind Sabrina, the red curtain billowed and out levitated a Paralyz Heal, headed for Abra.
"Weepinbell, Vine Whip!" Daniel called.
Lashing out with strong vines, Weepinbell whipped at the paralysed Abra, trying unsuccessfully to also lash out at Sabrina's levitating Paralyz Heal, hovering out of reach but still administering so that Abra began to slowly rouse.
"Razor Leaf, Weepinbell!" shouted Daniel.
Spinning in the air, Weepinbell released razor sharp leaves which shot out and cut into Abra's skin. Groaning in pain, Abra made to teleport away but a flash of red light consumed him and he returned into one of the Pokeballs levitating above Sabrina.
"Not bad," Sabrina considered, as her second of three Pokeballs shot red light onto the battlefield. "Go, Kadabra!"
Kadabra stepped forward, glaring at Weepinbell who paled, not happy to see this particular Psychic-type.
"Weepinbell, Stun Spore!"
"Kadabra, Psychic."
Weepinbell released glittering powder into the air once more, promptly blasted back by Kadabra's psychic force and knocked into Daniel's podium. Groaning as it tried to stand, Weepinbell was too injured to move.
"Return, Weepinbell!" Daniel held out his Pokeball, a thin layer of sweat across his forehead. Opposite, another of Sabrina's Paralyz Heal bottles zoomed to the rescue, levitating of its own accord. "Go, Arbok!"
Arbok slithered forth, hissing at Kadabra -
"Poison Sting, now, Arbok!" cried Daniel.
Sabrina's Paralyz Heal sprayed on Kadabra, freeing its muscles of paralysis as Arbok shot a volley of poison barbs at the Psychic-type, injuring and poisoning him.
"Kadabra, Disable." Sabrina ordered.
"Arbok, Glare!" shouted Daniel.
But Kadabra had glowed blue and held Arbok in place so that it could not move.
"Psychic, Kadabra."
Buffeted by poison, Kadabra managed to hold its focus and blast Arbok across the room with a wave of psychic energy. Quite damaged, Arbok writhed in pain as Sabrina wordlessly sent an Antidote zooming through the curtain and towards Kadabra.
"Arbok, can you fight?" Daniel asked, as Arbok remained on the floor, but locked eyes with its opponent. It cast a Glare which paralysed Kadabra in place.
"Nice job!" Daniel held out his Pokeball, returning Arbok safely inside. His nerves were worried; two Pokemon down already. He threw his third of four Pokeballs into the battlefield. "Go, Seel!"
Healed of poison but not of paralysis, Kadabra could do naught but watch as Seel materialised from the red light of Daniel's Pokeball.
"Aurora Beam, Seel!" shouted Daniel.
Horn shimmering with all the colours of the rainbow, Seel blasted Kadabra across the room, the levitating Paralyz Heal zooming to catch up.
"Finish it!" cried Daniel. "Water Gun!"
Taking a deep breath, Seel shot a jet of water from his mouth that enveloped Kadabra, harming him further. The Paralyz Heal had freed Kadabra of its paralysis, but now it was too weak to move.
"Return, Kadabra," Sabrina ordered, as red light engulfed the Psychic-type to return him into his Pokeball.
"Your Pokemon are good, Sabrina, but mine are better!" shouted Daniel.
Straight-backed in her throne, Sabrina said, "Your determination is sufficient, your Pokemon are moderately strong. For you, Daniel, it is your friends who give you hope more than anything."
"Sufficient?" scoffed Daniel. "Of course my friends give me hope. Who would want to do anything alone?"
"Are you scared of being alone, Daniel?" asked Sabrina.
"Who isn't?" Daniel shrugged it off, as Seel waddled about on the battlefield. "That's why I have my Pokemon for company."
"Ah, yes. Without Pokemon, we'd be so ordinary, wouldn't we? Daniel, how far would you go for your friends?"
"To the ends of Kanto, and beyond," remarked Daniel. "But who wouldn't?"
"You're very black and white about your opinions. Remember, don't be a doormat, even for your friends."
Daniel frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Your friend Amy. What does she mean to you?"
"Well, I - " Daniel stumbled, remembering Sabrina could read minds. "Y'know. She's a friend, even if I can't quite tell - "
"Does it irritate you, not to have everything clear-cut?" asked Sabrina. "To have ambiguity and indecision?"
"Absolutely!" Daniel blurted, as though someone finally got it. "I wish more people understood that."
"Is that why you travel with Natalie, because she goes with the flow? Because she's passive and doesn't confront?"
"Well," Daniel stumbled. "It makes it easier, sure... but I'm not dominating!"
"No, but surrounding yourself with people who aren't dominating makes it easier for you to stand up for yourself. Daniel, you're not assertive around Amy, are you?"
"I can't imagine why this is relevant," Daniel shot back. "We're in the middle of a Pokemon battle and you're stalling."
"Taking an adventure around Kanto has been the most liberating experience of your life, I'd imagine," Sabrina said. "Imagine doing it without support or resources - in other words, friends and money."
"Well, it'd be tough," Daniel mused, hypothesising though he couldn't truly relate, having not been in the same situation. "I guess it's useful to travel with Natalie, 'cos we split costs and can trust each other..."
Daniel realised the link Sabrina had tried to infer. She had put Amy in his mind and then asked him to imagine taking an adventure without any of the things he took for granted... precisely the adventure Amy had to go through, and what may have lead to her initial frosty reception.
"Do you understand?" asked Sabrina, as Daniel nodded. "You will have to go a step further out of your comfort zone to make friends. Does that make them worth any less?"
"No," Daniel insisted. "I understand. Friendship is a lot more than only having the friends you have tons in common with. But Sabrina, why is this relevant to our Pokemon battle?"
"I wouldn't call it a distraction, but as Gym Leader I like to point Pokemon Trainers in the right direction. You have not suffered to the extent where you need help. But you need to understand where your friends may need yours."
Daniel nodded, eager to return to the battle. Sabrina's third and final Pokeball spilled red light onto the battlefield.
"Mr. Mime!" Sabrina commanded, as the Psychic-type walked onto the battlefield.
"Seel, Aurora Beam!" cried Daniel.
"Mr. Mime, Light Screen."
Mr. Mime conjured a shimmering, golden barrier which absorbed the shining beam shot forth by Seel. Shimmering with telekinetic energies, Mr. Mime peeked his head around the barrier and blasted Seel off his feet with its Confusion attack.
"Seel!" Daniel shouted, as Seel became confused. "Rest!"
Seel promptly fell asleep, snoring loudly as it was healed of its injuries and status conditions.
"Mr. Mime, Confusion."
Blasting Seel over again, Mr. Mime now ran forward, waving its big hands. Daniel reached for an Awakening, but Mr. Mime had dealt a Doubleslap which sent Seel reeling, though it had now woken up. Injured, Seel growled at Mr. Mime.
"Headbutt!" cried Daniel.
"Barrier." Sabrina ordered.
Seel crashed into the conjured wall Mr. Mime produced, who then lashed out at Seel with another Doubleslap attack.
"Return, Seel!" cried Daniel, concerned as Seel disappeared in red light. Mr. Mime was more trouble than it was worth.
"I hope my chat with you has not been a distraction," Sabrina commented, as Mr. Mime returned to the Gym Leader's side of the field.
"Not at all!" said Daniel, grabbing hold of his fourth and final Pokemon. "I'm still ready to tango! Go, Meowth!"
Meowth burst forth, raring to go with its fur on edge. Mr. Mime watched Meowth with an expression as blank as Sabrina.
"Meowth, Pay Day!"
"Mr. Mime, Confusion."
Meowth's forehead glowed and blasted Mr. Mime with coins that scattered everywhere, leaping out of the way to avoid Mr. Mime's Confusion and sprinting towards his opponent.
"Mr. Mime, Barrier."
"Meowth, Fury Swipes!"
Meowth crashed flat against Mr. Mime's invisible barrier, slightly injured.
"Mr. Mime, Confusion." Sabrina ordered.
"Meowth, get up!" urged Daniel.
Glowing with telekinetic energies, Mr. Mime blasted Meowth back, now suffering confusion. Meowth tottered unsteadily as Mr. Mime raced forward.
"Doubleslap, Mr. Mime."
Meowth broke out of its confusion, leaping high to avoid Mr. Mime's vicious slaps and clawing the Psychic-type madly across the face. Stumbling, Mr. Mime fell as Meowth pinned him down, delivering a Bite that made the pasty-white clown Pokemon screech in pain.
"Meowth!" cried Daniel, as Meowth evaded Mr. Mime's retaliatory Doubleslap offensive. "Pay Day!"
"Stop," Sabrina stood all of a sudden. "Mr. Mime has suffered enough. I will concede this match."
Blood pulsed into Daniel's face. Overjoyed, he ran out onto the field to hug Meowth, spinning him around and stopping when Meowth turned a shade of green.
"Uh oh," Daniel grimaced, looking for a refuse bin. "Sorry, Meowth!"
Meowth collected his urges but began cleaning his fur. Daniel wanted to pat him, but instead was consumed with Sabrina, who walked forward to shake hands.
"Thank you for a good match," Daniel smiled. "Your Mr. Mime can be hard to get through."
Sabrina handed over the Marshbadge and a sizeable sum of prize money. "You'll do well in your travels, Daniel, so long as you keep your friends close."
"I always do," said Daniel, stuffing the cash in his wallet and reverently placing the Marshbadge in his Badge case. "I don't know what I would do without them."