CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR

Natalie glanced up when Daniel exited the Viridian Gym, his face aglow with rapture. She got to her feet and consulted his almost dreamy expression.

"Well?" she asked, worried. "How did it go?"

Breaking out in a wide grin, Daniel declared, "I won! I won the Earthbadge!"

Flipping open his Badge case, Natalie gasped as she saw all eight Badges embedded in the velvet. They twinkled with all different colours.

"Nice going!" remarked Natalie, pinched with nerves now that she was to go next. "I'm glad to hear it. What Type does the Gym Leader use?"

"Ground-types," said Daniel, eyes alight. "Your Pokemon will have a type advantage! Every one of them!"

"Are you kidding? Don't kid with me," Natalie giggled. "I have a fighting chance!"

Daniel clapped her on the shoulder. "Of course you do! You're an excellent Trainer! Now go inside and claim your Badge! I've got to heal my Pokemon."

Nodding, Natalie knocked and entered the Viridian Gym, glancing about as she closed the door behind her. The silence was thick, the earthen battlefield spread out without a podium on the challenger's side, but with a second-storey balcony for the Gym Leader who walked forward so that his features remained in shadow.

"You must be the eager-beaver Trainer I've been told about! My name is Giovanni, the Gym Leader of Viridian City!"

"I'm Natalie," she called, voice shaking a little. "I am to challenge you for the Earthbadge today."

"How punctual," replied Giovanni. "I have seen Trainers come and go, few of which meet my standards for excellence. Can your Pokemon prove themselves?"

"All the way to the Pokemon League, Giovanni," Natalie smiled, a little more confident now. "Let's battle!"

Taking position, they each fetched their first Pokeball and tossed it onto the battlefield.

"Go, Dugtrio!"

"Butterfree, let's fight!"

Dugtrio glanced above at Butterfree who soared high above the battlefield, out of reach.

"Butterfree, Sleep Powder!" Natalie cried.

"Dugtrio, Dig!" shouted Giovanni.

Butterfree sprinkled shining powder upon the battlefield, settling upon the dirt though Dugtrio had long since burrowed underneath. Slowly, the sleeping dust began to dissipate and Dugtrio reared its head again.

"We're getting nowhere!" cried Natalie, holding out her Pokeball. "Butterfree, return!"

Stalemate concluded, Natalie chose her next Pokemon with care, deciding a strategy she hoped would work.

"Go, Squirtle!"

Squirtle walked forward, unafraid as it stared across the battlefield at Dugtrio, who winked back.

"Dugtrio, Dig!" Giovanni ordered.

"Squirtle, Withdraw!" Natalie shouted.

Squirtle hid in its shell, motionless until Dugtrio burrowed out of the soil and tackled Squirtle from underneath, the turtle Pokemon spinning inside its shell -

Natalie cried, "Hydro Pump, Squirtle!"

Squirtle sucked in its breath, surging forth a powerful jet of water as it spun upwards in the air, head facing down towards Dugtrio. The Ground-type was completely drenched as was the surrounding earthen battlefield, as Squirtle landed cleanly upon the ground, having suffered slight injury from Dugtrio's Dig attack.

"What?" roared Giovanni in some confusion. Dugtrio was close to fainting, dizzy from the water that drenched it still. "Come on, Dugtrio! Slash!"

"Squirtle, Bite!"

Dugtrio headed through the soil towards Squirtle, who pounced towards Dugtrio at the right time, biting hard and causing the Ground-type to utter a shrill scream of pain that echoed around the room.

"You are failing me today, Dugtrio!" Giovanni gritted his teeth as he held out his Pokeball, returning Dugtrio inside and selecting another. "I'll crush your wimp Squirtle! Go, Nidoqueen!"

His thrown Pokeball burst in red light upon the battlefield, forming the great bulk of Nidoqueen who growled and stomped its feet, facing Squirtle with unconcern.

"You can do this, Squirtle!" cried Natalie. "Nidoqueen's a Ground-type!"

"Your Squirtle's done and over with!" retorted Giovanni. "Nidoqueen, Thunder!"

Startled, Natalie cried, "Hydro Pump, Squirtle!"

Nidoqueen crackled with electricity and released a bolt of thunder towards Squirtle, as Squirtle took a deep breath and shot a powerful jet of water towards Nidoqueen. Struck by the bolt of thunder, Squirtle squirmed in agony until he succumbed to paralysis while Nidoqueen toppled over from the force of Squirtle's water cannon.

"Get up, you lazy beast!" shouted Giovanni. "That was nothing!"

"Squirtle!" Natalie screamed, aghast to see her Pokemon so close to unconsciousness. She reached for a Paralyz Heal in her back, realising too soon that Nidoqueen had got back on her feet. "No!"

"Nidoqueen, Earthquake!"

Nidoqueen leapt high into the air, as Natalie hurriedly administered the Paralyz Heal to Squirtle. Rousing, Squirtle awoke as Nidoqueen crashed upon the ground, shaking the walls in her strength and causing a crevice to snake across the floor and strike Squirtle where he stood.

"No! Squirtle!" Natalie held out her Pokeball, returning her unconscious turtle Pokemon inside. "I'm so sorry!"

"Your Pokemon was weak from the start," said Giovanni. "The type advantage was your only trump card."

"I will not succumb to your taunts, Giovanni!" Natalie called, selecting her next Pokeball. "Let's take this one out, Butterfree!"

Flying freely above the battlefield, Butterfree was also out of Nidoqueen's swiping range.

"My Nidoqueen will splatter your pincy Butterfree!" cried Giovanni. "Nidoqueen, Thunder!"

"Butterfree, Psybeam!" cried Natalie.

Butterfree glowed with a bright light and shot a psychic beam towards Nidoqueen, who released a bolt of thunder towards Butterfree.

"Watch out!" shouted Natalie.

Blasted by the psychic beam, Nidoqueen was almost out for the count, incredibly injured. Butterfree was struck by the bolt of thunder, screaming as it fell to the ground, not paralysed but greatly harmed.

"You great brute!" Giovanni yelled at Nidoqueen. "Even I could've dodged that! Nidoqueen, Body Slam!"

"Butterfree, watch out!" screamed Natalie.

Rushing towards weakened Butterfree who could not move, Nidoqueen was unstoppable, except she was clearly suffering from confusion, changing her direction at the last second.

"What are you doing?" roared Giovanni.

Ramming into the wall, Nidoqueen stumbled and added insult to injury by punching herself in face. Still not down, Butterfree swooped from its perch to tackle Nidoqueen a final time, who succumbed to unconsciousness at last.

"Damnit!" Giovanni shouted, his fury reverberating around the walls. He held out his Pokeball for Nidoqueen to return inside.

"You treat your Pokemon horribly!" Natalie said, awed by his majesty but shocked with his tactics. "No wonder you're losing!"

"You are disrespectful and in over your head, young lady! My final Pokemon will put you in your place!" Giovanni bellowed, tossing his third and final Pokeball from atop his balcony. "Go, Rhydon!"

Rhydon appeared in a flash of red light, hide like steel and roaring ferociously.

"What is that thing?" cried Natalie.

"Rhydon, demonstrate your strength! Rock Slide!" Giovanni ordered.

"Butterfree, Sleep Powder!" cried Natalie.

Rhydon leapt into the air though Butterfree flew higher, as Rhydon crashed down, rocks falling from the ceiling and walls. Butterfree swooped low to avoid them, bashed against one falling boulder and screaming in pain as it plummeted -

"Return!" Natalie cried, pulse beating madly as she held out her Pokeball and returned Butterfree in a flash of red light.

Unaffected by the sleeping powder, Rhydon cleared the battlefield with awesome displays of strength, as the rumbling and falling boulders stopped. Natalie selected her next Pokeball, vastly aware she had only two remaining.

"Go, Seadra!" cried Natalie.

Awkwardly standing upon the earthen battlefield, Seadra winced at Rhydon's tough exterior and masculine displays of power.

"Your Rhydon isn't so tough against my Water-type!" Natalie screamed shrilly. "Seadra, Bubblebeam!"

"Rhydon, Fissure!" Giovanni demanded.

Seadra released a rapid stream of bubbles from its mouth as Rhydon leapt into the air, striking the ground with force and opening a fissure in the ground that snaked towards Seadra. Impeded by Seadra's blasts of bubbles, Rhydon suffered slight damage though Seadra was lost inside the cavity that Rhydon had caused.

"Seadra!" Natalie cried, rushing to the crevice edge. She could just see the blue, spiky fins of her Water-type Pokemon and held out her Pokeball. "Return!"

Dread draining her stamina, Natalie returned to her position and held tightly onto her last Pokeball, summoning all her hope.

"You can't hope to beat my Rhydon!" Giovanni taunted. "Not you or your weakling Pokemon!"

"Shut up!" cried Natalie, throwing her fourth and final Pokeball onto the battlefield. "Poliwhirl, put an end to this Rhydon's rampage!"

Flexing its fingers and clenching them into fists, Poliwhirl jumped up and down to ready itself for the incoming fight.

"Show this challenger why you're the best! Rhydon, Horn Drill!" Giovanni shouted.

"Poliwhirl," Natalie shouted. "Hypnosis!"

Horn spinning like a drill, Rhydon sprinted towards Poliwhirl, who released a hypnotic wave from his chest. Buffeted, Rhydon tackled Poliwhirl across the room where it landed at Natalie's feet, quite injured. Rhydon slumped, succumbing to the ecstasy of slumber.

"Get up!" growled Giovanni, fetching a Full Heal. Poliwhirl managed to stand.

"Poliwhirl, concentrate hard! Hydro Pump!" cried Natalie.

Inhaling deeply, Poliwhirl released a powerful surge of water which washed over Rhydon's immobile, sleeping frame and damaging it greatly. Giovanni could not reach Rhydon from where he stood.

"Surrender, Giovanni!" Natalie called. "Your Rhydon cannot be saved!"

"How dare you!" he roared. "I will never surrender!"

"Poliwhirl, again!" Natalie's eyes flashed in anger to Giovanni. "Hydro Pump!"

Taking a step back to gather focus, Poliwhirl discharged another powerful jet of water, drenching Rhydon yet again. Annihilated with damage, Rhydon awoke from its slumber and crawled towards Poliwhirl, unrelenting in its revenge.

"Poliwhirl, a third time! Hydro - "

"Stop!" Giovanni demanded. All became quiet as he held out his Pokeball and returned Rhydon inside.

Disbelieving, Natalie felt the weight drop from her shoulders as Poliwhirl ran up to her, concerned.

"I'm OK," answered Natalie, relieved. "I've won. We've won!"

Hugging him tightly, Natalie glanced over his shoulder to see Giovanni approaching, stern-faced and wearing a business suit, attire out of place in the labours of battle.

"I can't fathom it," Giovanni muttered, almost to himself as he plucked the Earthbadge that had been a pin on his lapel. "Three times I have been beaten recently, by Trainers who show real affection for their Pokemon. Three times more I have lost to Trainers who win through forcing their Pokemon to go beyond their limits."

"It is not so black and white," added Natalie helpfully. "Raising Pokemon is not love or war. All Pokemon must suffer at the hands of each other. But that way they learn, adapt and survive. With Trainers nearby, we can take them to safety and keep them in good hands. Else they'd be running wild to fall into certain death."

Handing over the Earthbadge and prize money, Giovanni replied, "I will think on this matter. It has merits, though I cannot yet understand them."

"Sometimes, you need to understand yourself before you can understand your Pokemon," Natalie smiled. "We all have it within ourselves. All you have to do is look."

Natalie emerged from the Viridian Gym, counting just over five thousand dollars in prize money. She would have enough to buy supplies before Victory Road, and some left over to tide her mother over for the time being...

"Hey!" Daniel waved her over from a distance, holding his Meowth in his arms who scrambled to escape upon seeing a wild Pidgey. "Meowth, stay still!"

Waving back, Natalie ran over to greet him. "Hi!"

The two met in the middle, an awkward silence until Natalie reached for her Badge case and Daniel grinned, ear to ear.

"You won?" he asked, tentative.

"I won!" she smiled. "You were right about Giovanni! He's just as tough as you'd expect the final Gym Leader to be!"

Together, they headed towards the Pokemon Center, the afternoon sun waning in the cloudy sky. As they entered into the wide, clinical-white reception, Daniel said, "I'll call my mum and let her know we're on our way."

"Cool," Natalie replied, joining the queue where other Trainers lined up to heal their Pokemon.

After Natalie had healed her Pokemon, she joined Daniel as the two of them set out for the route south which lead to Pallet Town. They shared strategies and how strong Giovanni's Pokemon had proven to be, including their shared anxiety as to the difficulty of making it through Victory Road with their party of Pokemon.

"We should be fine," Daniel injected a note of optimism, as they entered Pallet Town and the familiar sights and smells greeted him. He couldn't wait to taste his mother's home cooking again."The two of us have gotten this far! Nothing can stop us now!"