CHAPTER SEVENTY NINE
Amy stood in the door frame while Joshua waited outside, uncomfortable.
"Can I come in?" Joshua asked, brusque though it was clear he was nervous.
Amy hesitated a moment, still unused to inviting members of the male gender into her quarters. "Sure."
Gratefully, Joshua closed the door behind him as Amy moved past her Pokemon towards the kitchen. He looked at Amy's three Pokemon who were busy eating their food, paying him no notice as Amy returned to the living room, handing him a glass of water while she kept another for herself.
"Thanks."
Amy perched upon the sofa, inviting him to sit. He sat down on the chair opposite, clearly bundled with nerves that he tried hard to hide behind a façade.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Amy kept her posture straight and her legs crossed though she was wearing jeans, but soon noticed her formal body language made him further ill at ease.
"I've come to give you something," Joshua reached into his pocket and showed her a silvery, glowing Moon Stone.
Hesitating, Amy replied coolly, "You know that I don't have my Moon Stone any more, don't you?"
Joshua nodded, pained.
"And you know that this isn't the same one?" Amy indicated the jagged ridges in the stone which were markedly different than the one she had found in Mt. Moon. "I think you better tell me what's going on, Joshua."
He fixed her with a stare that was meant to convey all that his male pride would not. "This is a replacement stone, so that you can evolve your Nidorina."
Amy scoffed at the evasive answer, her bearing furious. She was still angry from the encounter with Daniel.
"What?" Joshua asked, cautious.
Amy gave him a withering stare. "Why would I need to evolve my Nidorina? I think you're under a severe misapprehension of the facts, Joshua."
"What do you mean?"
"You stole my Moon Stone, Joshua," Amy pointed out. "You used it to evolve your Nidorino into Nidoking and now you're trying to give me one back as though I've forgotten all about it."
Joshua's face inflamed. "You're right. I did steal it. But I meant to give it back."
"Give it back?" Amy gave a harsh bark of derisive laughter, so unlike her usual self that Nidorina glanced up from his bowl. "It's bad enough that you stole it - "
"Hey," Joshua's temper was growing. "It's not like it was yours in the first place!"
"Whether it was mine or not is beside the point," Amy's fury rose to match Joshua's. "Your stealing it shows what sort of a person you are!"
"And what person am I?" Joshua demanded, beet-red. "I-I was going to give it back to you, but Nidorino found it first!"
"A likely story," Amy spat, getting to her feet suddenly. "You can leave now. I've had enough of prepubescent boys for one day - "
"I'm serious!" Joshua stood, matching her height. "I took it out of your purse on Cycling Road, but I never intended to keep it. I was planning to give it back to you, so that I could make a good impression."
Stunned, Amy's silence did not bode well for Joshua, who grew steadily more defiant at this open rejection.
"A good impression?" Amy repeated. "What would've that achieved?"
"Well - " Joshua stuttered, at his wits' end. "I thought you wanted your Nidorina evolved. So I figured I'd keep out of your way a bit, let you wonder where it had gotten to, then come by again as though I'd been looking for you all over. It was supposed to all work out!"
He spat this last bit as though she were to blame, though Amy now knew the extent of his feelings towards her. While she was unwilling to believe his story, he was taking it as rejection since it had cost him his pride to spit out the truth.
Shakily, Amy steadied herself on the sofa while it became Joshua's turn to pace. "So, you're saying - you planned the burglars to attack me?"
"What?" Joshua snarled, his anger stemming from hurt pride than her personally. "No! I didn't - you think - ?"
"No, I don't," Amy was quick to reassure him, privately convinced but she had to defuse him for it was clear he had a raging temper. "OK. So the burglars attacked me and you made the decision to take the Moon Stone and return it later to be generous."
He wouldn't catch her eye, but when he did Amy made sure to keep her face neutral. She did not want to awaken the beast in him, nor did she want to make her feelings clear. She wanted more information before proceeding.
"So, after you took the Moon Stone, what happened then?"
Joshua stopped short, taking a deep breath to quell his fury. "I went to the Pokemon Centre and checked that you were OK. I collected Nidorino and healed my Pokemon. Then I went to the Safari Zone, which is where I caught my Scyther - "
"Ah," Amy nodded in realisation. "I wondered where you caught that bug."
She caught his eye and couldn't help smiling. He began to fume but relaxed when he realised it wasn't personal, smirking slightly.
"Yeah, well." Joshua began to settle, taking a seat on the chair once more. Amy copied his action on the sofa opposite. "After I caught Scyther - which was no easy feat, believe me - I headed back to an inn in Fuchsia."
Arcanine began to whine that he had eaten all the food in his bowl. Amy shushed him with a wave of her hand and bade Joshua continue.
"Um, I woke up around three in the morning and I heard Nidorino scuffling around somewhere. It was dark and I couldn't see very well. Plus, he's the only Pokemon that um, I let sleep with me," Joshua went red, embarrassed. "I walked out into the living room and - "
"He'd found the Moon Stone?" Amy asked, interrupting.
"Yeah," Joshua broke off with an embarrassed grin. "But he'd already evolved."
"No!" Amy replied with a gasp, somehow believing this tale. "What did you think had happened when you saw him?"
"I freaked out!" Joshua grinned, glad to have achieved closeness. "I knew what a Nidoking looked like, of course, but still..."
The silence was palpable. Joshua sat uncomfortable on the couch, unable to meet her eye. Amy ventured forth.
"So, you meant to give this to me as a present?" Amy glanced at the Moon Stone which sat on the coffee table between them. "Where did you get it from, anyway?"
"Well, they don't sell it cheaply," Joshua managed an awkward laugh. "I had half a mind to head back to Mt. Moon. But eventually, I found a trader who was willing to part with his for a princely sum."
"You didn't," Amy replied in disbelief, staring at the Moon Stone.
"Well," Joshua ventured. "I really wanted to talk to you, to get to know you."
"We've been talking all those times we met up," Amy pointed out, grasping at straws. "When we collected our reward in Cerulean City, when we bumped into another at the Celadon Department Store - "
"I'm glad I'm not the only one who remembers," Joshua managed a self-satisfied smile. Infinitesimally, he moved an inch closer on the couch.
Amy was breathless at his daring. She wasn't afraid, but nor she could entice him on. "Joshua - "
He stared at her, heady with intent. He was utterly convinced his story had conveyed the effect he wanted without him having to spell it out. He was correct, of course; Amy could sense the attraction Joshua held for her.
"We're battling each other in the tournament tomorrow."
The spell began to break. Amy forced her expression to stay the same as Joshua's calm began to ebb.
"So?" Joshua shrugged, resuming his smirk. "Let's give it all we've got. We can worry about what happens next afterwards."
Amy's first thought was that Joshua's cockiness had reached a level of grandiosity. He had been so worried about how she would react when confronted with the truth, but now that his path was clear he saw no reason to hold back.
"I intend to win the tournament, Joshua," Amy replied, with as much patience as she could muster. She was trying to spell it out for him without being explicit. "How can you be sure you'll like me if I win?"
"That's if you win," Joshua winked.
"And if I do?" Amy repeated, sighing a little. "Let me explain. Your victory today has sent my friend home in disgrace. He's upset with me for reasons I can't fully comprehend, and Daniel - "
Joshua stood up all of a sudden. "Daniel? You're friends with Daniel?"
Equally surprised, Amy replied, "Well, yeah! Haven't you seen him hanging out with me and Natalie in the food court?"
"Natalie?" Joshua's fury continued to rise, staring at her as though she was an entirely new person. "Why are you friends with them?"
Grasping his distaste but unwilling to back down, Amy rose to her feet so that his physical threat would stand challenged. "Because they're nice people! I like them! And I've known about you from Daniel since we've come to Indigo Plateau!"
Joshua moved closer to her, not as a threat but as a precedent so that he could pretend to sound serious. "And what has he been saying?"
Amy's face frosted over into a blank expression, unwilling to fight fire with fire when she was angry with Daniel for a different reason altogether. "That's not the point I'm trying to make. Look at us!"
"What about us?" Joshua replied, altogether confused.
"Precisely! There can't be an 'us'," Amy pointed out with a long drawn out sigh of irritation. "We barely know each other! You hate my friends and I have to go on stage tomorrow to challenge you for the most important Pokemon battle in Kanto! What makes you think we can get through all of that? And be rational! These are plain and simple facts we have to address if we are to move forward."
Joshua seemed at a loss for what to say. "I-I don't know. But I do know I like you, Amy."
Warmed, Amy felt that it was possibly the first time a boy had told her straight to her face and meant it. She held strong.
"I haven't been in a relationship before but I presume that it takes a lot more than wanting to be together," Amy wanted to rend her hair for all the simple things she had to elaborate upon. "You have to know what makes things work, how to structure - "
"You're complicating things," Joshua interrupted with a grimace. "I'm not trying to control you, Amy; I'm not some corporate exec who wants you swinging off my arm and looking beautiful. I'd much rather have you as you are. Fierce, independent and all to myself."
Amy stared at him. She was aware her composure was falling fast, deep into the reaches where lesser women made choices they regretted. But she was no longer trading under her mother's rule; she didn't have to live out the life set for her by her upbringing.
"I admire your honesty, Joshua. I am flattered - " Joshua began to pace again, sensing rejection. " - that you have spent so much time and effort to woo me, not to mention going to great lengths to purchase a Moon Stone on my behalf. Perhaps when we are in a different place - "
"Than what?" Joshua exploded, remaining where he stood. "What better time is there than now, Amy? We are excellent Pokemon Trainers and together we could train to be even better - "
Breaking out in realisation, Amy replied, "So that's all I mean to you, is it? Your attraction to me is because I have strong Pokemon?"
"No!" Joshua vigorously shook his head. "That's a part of you I like. The rest, well - "
He tried to formulate what he wanted to say as Amy watched nervously. Joshua was clearly struggling, at a loss for words.
"I want you, OK?" Joshua blurted. "We both know what that means - but I mean as my girlfriend, you know? I haven't worked out all the details, but isn't that part of the adventure? To go it together?"
He took a step towards her, clearly having no experience whatsoever in female contact because his eyes did not search her body in the way that experienced men did; his eyes were alive with vigour, imagining some thought-out sequence that he wanted to put into words.
"Just you and me and our Pokemon, travelling across Kanto. We would train our Pokemon by day, sleep under the stars by night and use the money from Trainer battles to buy anything we needed. Doesn't that interest you?"
Amy could not pretend that a more tempting proposition had presented itself. "It sounds lovely, Joshua. It really does - "
For a moment, he believed that it could all come true; it was etched in every line of his face, but Amy had to let him down.
"This is all so sudden for me," Amy rambled, gaining traction. "You've been thinking about this for ages, but I can't just make that kind of commitment right now."
"Why not?" Joshua hastened, as though he had caught a Shiny Magikarp and was about to let it escape.
Stonily, Amy replied, "You don't know about me, what sort of person I've become and what history I'm leaving behind. You can claim that I'm a good person and that you like me but the truth is I barely knew myself before I became a Pokemon Trainer!"
Joshua was uncertain how to react to this sudden flood of personal admission. Hesitantly, he replied, "Well, why don't you tell me?"
Drawing a long-suffering sigh, Amy replied, "What?"
"Tell me," Joshua replied calmly, with the meditative calm that precedes total fixation on a subject. "Tell me about your life. In turn, I'll tell you mine; not that there's much to tell."
Amy raised her glance from her lap where she had been fidgeting with her nails. "It's not that easy."
"Sure it is!" Joshua exclaimed. "I grew up in Pallet - "
"You don't know what it's like!" Amy replied, hating herself for letting her personal life seep in. "You have no clue. I mean, you saw me battle Liam, right? That's only the tip of the iceberg. I come from a very stifled and sheltered environment, where I was taught to mask my true feelings behind a veneer of opportunity to get what I want."
Amy realised Joshua was watching her closely and with a thrill of self-pity, almost wished he would hate her so that she wouldn't have to open up further.
"I have a lot of my own problems which I'm just starting to get over," Amy added, trying to avoid eye contact so that she wouldn't have to look upon his uncomplicated face. "And I don't feel I can do that if I begin to date. Even if I really want to. Even if the circumstances are perfect for it. It wouldn't be fair to you, or to me. Do you understand?"
Mutely, Joshua nodded his head. He hadn't expected such a flood of information, lacked the maturity and experience with which to deal with it and quite honestly, had no solutions now that his infatuation had become littered with a field of caltrops.
"I'm sorry," Amy sniffed, willing her emotions to behave. "I'm very emotional, what with Daniel angry with me and coping with the guilt of Natalie's problems... it's all rather much for me to handle at once so I'll have to ask that you visit me another time."
Amy stood, making her way around the lounge suite and towards the door, where she held it open for him. Reluctantly, he stood and walked past her, pausing as he glanced both ways into the corridor as though expecting spies with listening equipment to be lying in wait.
Suddenly, Joshua swooped upon Amy and kissed her on the cheek, perhaps intending to aim for the lips but petering out halfway. It was so brief and inexpert that Amy couldn't help but compare it to a kiss you give a great-aunt who smells strongly of perfume, but Amy knew he intended it to mean more despite the clumsy dexterity with which he made the manoeuvre.
He walked out into the corridor and she forced herself to close the door behind him, face flaming as she secured the chain lock and settled upon the couch once more. It wasn't until she heard Arcanine whining for more food when she realised that she was not attracted to him. It was merely her own guilt and sympathy at having to let him go.
He had been right. She had wanted to embark on an adventure with someone she had feelings for, especially someone who accepted her for who she was, could take care of himself and could protect her if the need arose. But the truth was that she hadn't known she had wanted to do any of those things until he had put forth the proposition.
Allowing Joshua to see her sensitive side had been a miracle in disguise. She had never felt more wanted or listened to. But the reality was, she was not certain it was sustainable in the long run. If she could only be herself around Joshua, and only while his attentions were focused on her, what would happen during the interludes where he was not around? Would she become dependent on him for validation and to provide her self-esteem?
No. Amy would not allow it. She had made great progress since her departure off the S.S. Anne and had continued to thrive in an environment which was physically demanding but provided potential growth for her emotional stamina. If she could achieve happiness on her own without relying on the affections of a man, what more could she accomplish? Certainly she would be stronger for not having to even ask that kind of question.
I wish things were different, Amy thought, aching with the guilt for what she had to put Joshua through. Perhaps one day they will be. And then who knows. I might be a different person, as might Joshua. Only time will tell.
"Welcome to the Indigo League finals!" boomed the announcer. "Only two Trainers remain to vie for the championship round!"
The crowded stands erupted with applause, chanting either "AMY!" or "JOSHUA!" as their fan base merited. The sky was a cloudless blue and the breeze gentled the grass of the battlefield green. Cameras whizzed by at opportune moments to capture the expressions of the crowd.
"On the left, we have Trainer Amy!"
The crowd burst into applause, cheering for Amy whom they most admired for ascending so high in the tournament. Nervously, Amy waved to the crowd without letting her expression change. They loved her reserved stoicism which broke during the heavy intensity of a battle.
"And on the right, we have Trainer Joshua!"
More guys than girls cheered for Joshua, whose battle prowess had secured him a place so high in the tournament. Joshua grimly acknowledged them, looking across the battlefield to where Amy stood, nodding politely in return.
"These two Trainers have fought long and hard to stand before you today! Let's wish them the best of luck and may the best Trainer win!"
Amy selected her first Pokeball, heart beating in her chest. This was it. The victor of this match would go on to challenge the Champion, Lance. With avid confidence she threw her Pokeball into the battlefield.
"Let's go, Nidorina!"
A cry of applause and cheers met the entry of Amy's Poison-type. Nidorina pawed the ground and graciously accepted the fanfare, while keeping her feature feral. Joshua selected his first Pokeball, tossing it into the battlefield.
"Golbat, come out!"
Golbat swooped into the stadium, to a round of applause as Golbat gnashed its fangs and flapped its wings, staring down upon Nidorina. Nidorina glared back with beady eyes while Golbat ran its long tongue over the tip of its teeth.
"Nidorina, Ice Beam!" Amy shouted.
"Golbat, Double Team!" Joshua yelled.
Nidorina shot forth an icy beam as Golbat split into three identical copies, all flapping their wings and gnashing their teeth. Nidorina's Ice Beam blasted one of the copies to no avail, dissipating into thin air. The two remaining copies dived for Nidorina, who tensed on her haunches and prepared to attack.
"Golbat, Confuse Ray!"
"Nidorina, Bite!"
Golbat released an eerie wave from its body as Nidorina leapt into the air, surprising the crowd with the height but Golbat flew out of reach. Blasted by the eerie wave, Nidorina landed on the ground and became confused, biting herself with a growl of annoyance.
Amy reddened as the crowd laughed appreciatively. The two Golbat copies performed somersaults in mid-air, pleased with the result.
"Golbat, Razor Wind!" Joshua ordered.
"Nidorina, Ice Beam!" Amy cried.
Golbat conjured razor-sharp scythes of energy propelled towards Nidorina, while Nidorina snapped out of confusion and opened her mouth wide, shooting a frigid beam directed for the Golbat copy on the left. Nidorina was knocked back several paces by the scythes of energy, now quite injured as Nidorina's Ice Beam made contact with the real Golbat, its identical partner copy dissipating into thin air.
"Gotcha!" Amy cried, as the crowd cheered. Joshua merely continued to look grim.
Nidorina stumbled back onto her feet, panting as Golbat flapped its wings hurriedly, almost crashing to the ground from the damage dealt by the Ice Beam.
"Nidorina, Bite!" Amy shouted.
"Golbat, Double Team!" Joshua yelled.
Nidorina pounced upon Golbat, as Golbat split into three copies once again. Nidorina leapt upon one of the copies, dissipating into thin air as the remaining two took advantage of the moment to soar overhead and out of reach. Angrily, Nidorina turned to the airborne Golbat copies.
"Nidorina, Ice Beam!"
"Golbat, Razor Wind!"
Nidorina shot another ice beam as Golbat whipped up razor-sharp scythes, directing them towards Nidorina. Nidorina stumbled back, injured further and in great pain as Golbat was struck by the icy beam, this time crashing to the ground and becoming enveloped in a frigid shield, frozen solid.
"This is our chance, Nidorina!" Amy called. "Body Slam!"
Joshua reached for his Full Heal as Nidorina ran forth, slamming upon the frozen figure of Golbat with all her might. Shattering the frigid shield, Nidorina dealt lasting damage to Golbat who now lay paralysed under the hefty bulk of Nidorina.
"Return, Golbat," Joshua muttered, holding out his Pokeball. Red light flashed out to return fainted Golbat safely inside.
"Trainer Joshua's sneaky Golbat is down!" blared the announcer. "Trainer Amy's Nidorina is showing promise!"
Amy watched Joshua as he selected his second Pokeball. He seemed to have overcome his temper, though he was battling well. Amy didn't think for a second that he was going easy on her. On the other hand, he was not in a position to curse and rage at her given their conversation last night.
He likes me, Amy thought. But he can't afford to lose.
Grim, Joshua tossed his Pokeball into the battlefield. "Take Nidorina out, Scyther!"
Scyther whizzed into the battlefield, flying with the aid of the wings atop its back. Lightning-fast, Scyther was a crowd pleaser not only for its skill but due to the difficulty with which Trainers had trying to capture it in the wild. Joshua must've been uncharacteristically patient to stake out Scyther in the Safari Zone.
"Nidorina!" Amy called, realising she had a type advantage. "Toxic!"
"Scyther! Agility!" Joshua shouted.
Nidorina spat a wad of poisonous liquid at Scyther, as Scyther disappeared into thin air to evade the attack. Scyther appeared and reappeared at various points around the stadium, seeming to come closer each time as Nidorina glanced wildly about -
"Scyther, Double Team!" Joshua shouted.
Scyther split into three copies, all dancing about as Nidorina tried to identify the correct one. Suddenly, the three Scyther copies all dove for Nidorina from different directions.
"Slash, Scyther!" Joshua yelled in triumph.
"Nidorina!" Amy cried. "Use Ice Beam to hit all three!"
Nodding, Nidorina turned in a circle as she fired an icy beam from her mouth. The first copy dissipated as Nidorina's ice beam hit, while Nidorina continued to turn and eliminated the second copy in a frosty mist -
"No!" Amy cried.
The real Scyther charged into Nidorina, scythes cutting deep as Nidorina toppled over before she could aim for the remaining, substantial copy. Wounded, Nidorina let out a groan as Amy held out her Pokeball. The crowd cheered for Joshua and his Scyther's tactics.
"Nidorina, return!" Amy ordered with haste. Red light flashed out and returned her fainted Nidorina inside.
Amy was worried. Scyther was a danger with its lightning-quick speed. She needed to find a way to take the Bug/Flying-type Pokemon out.
"I'm ready when you are, Amy!" Joshua's voice blared through the microphone. Up until now, the crowd had been surprised that there was sparse verbal commentary between the two Trainers. "Choose your next Pokemon!"
Amy respected Joshua as a strong Trainer, but she was pretty good, too. Selecting her second Pokeball, she tossed it into the battlefield with a cry,
"Arcanine! You're up!"
Fresh shouts and cheers erupted from the stands for the majestic Fire-type Pokemon who entered the battlefield. Crimson fur with black stripes waving in the breeze, Arcanine howled to loud applause and faced Scyther who looked on with determination. Arcanine's face still bore the scar from Liam's Charizard.
"Scyther, Double Team!" Joshua shouted, sensing trouble.
"Arcanine, Flamethrower!" Amy cried.
Scyther split into three copies, all identical with the wings atop their backs whizzing madly as Arcanine launched white-hot flame from his mouth, incinerating one of the copies harmlessly as the two remaining copies darted to safety, moving fast.
"That was a close call!" blared the announcer.
"Scyther, Double Team!" Joshua roared.
"Arcanine, Fire Blast!" Amy hastened.
The two remaining Scyther copies split into two more, as Arcanine tensed before releasing a massive wave of fire which the four Scyther copies managed to evade just in time.
"Incredible!" boomed the announcer. "Arcanine's flames just aren't hot enough, folks!"
Maddened, Amy gripped the podium and tried to make sense of where Scyther was coming from next, but all four copies darted about the green of the stadium with such speed it was impossible to chart a pattern. Arcanine glanced about, growling angrily as his eyes went dizzy from the dancing Scyther.
"Converge on Arcanine, Scyther!" Joshua bellowed. "Double-Edge!"
All four Scyther copies glowed with bright light, surrounding Arcanine at all four points of a compass. Wings whizzing so that they hovered mid-air, the four Scyther headed straight for Arcanine, preparing a full body tackle.
Amy knew there was no way she could eliminate all four with Arcanine spinning in a circle with his Flamethrower. Nidorina hadn't been fast enough and besides, in this instance there were four copies to take care of instead of the previous three. There had to be some way to eliminate them all at once -
"Arcanine!" Amy shouted in triumph. "Fire Spin!"
Joshua frowned, watching as his four Scyther copies dove for Arcanine. Arcanine waited until the last second, then opened his mouth and let loose a fiery inferno not at a copy in particular, but at the ground where the flaming vortex sucked in all four copies at once, three dissipating like ashes while the fourth and very real Scyther took immense damage.
"What?" Joshua roared in shock. "No way!"
Standing unharmed with the blazing tornado of heat, Arcanine watched as Scyther crashed to the ground as it began to disperse. Arcanine sprinted forth as Scyther struggled in agony.
"Arcanine, finish Scyther off! Take Down!" Amy yelled.
"Scyther, Substitute!" Joshua screamed.
Scyther was too weak to conjure a substitute, as Arcanine charged into Scyther and knocked him several paces further into the grass. Scyther gave a final cry and collapsed, while Arcanine suffered slight recoil.
"Trainer Amy's Arcanine has defeated Trainer Joshua's Scyther!" boomed the announcer. "A last minute recovery made in the heat of battle!"
Glad to be rid of Scyther, Amy congratulated Arcanine who barked in reply. Joshua returned the fainted Scyther to his Pokeball and selected his third Pokeball.
"This is where it gets tricky, folks!" boomed the announcer. "Who will Trainer Joshua send out to combat the fearsome Arcanine?"
Amy was worried. She knew it wasn't Primeape he would send out. Joshua had saved his best for last.
"Let's rock and roll!" Joshua threw his third and final Pokeball onto the battlefield. "Go, Nidoking!"
Nidoking roared and crashed onto the battlefield, to fresh applause and cheers. Hulking with strength, Nidoking readied its fists and waved its tail which made indents upon the grass. Joshua looked grim though inside he was confident.
"Arcanine, Fire Blast!" Amy shouted.
"Nidoking, Rock Slide!" Joshua demanded.
Arcanine released a massive wave of fire towards Nidoking, as Nidoking charged its fist with a bright light and slammed it into the ground, creating no other effect than for the ground to shake. Nidoking was knocked back a step by the Fire Blast, damaged but not burned; while Arcanine glanced askance at the underground avalanche which headed his way, barely visible as rumblings under the dirt.
"Watch out!" Amy cried.
Suddenly, the ground burst before Arcanine's feet and boulders of all shapes and sizes barrelled into Arcanine, greatly damaging him as Arcanine yelped in pain.
"Arcanine!" Amy shrieked with terror.
As Arcanine leapt out of the pile of boulders to safe ground, Nidoking leapt high in the air.
"Nidoking, Earthquake!" Joshua yelled.
"No!" Amy cried. "Arcanine, Hyper Beam!"
Arcanine's mouth glowed with bright light as he directed a powerful surge of energy towards Nidoking. Nidoking crashed upon the ground, causing the stadium to rumble and shake as crevices shot through the earth at sporadic intervals, headed for Arcanine.
"Look out!" Amy and Joshua shouted in unison.
Nidoking took the full force of Arcanine's Hyper Beam, blasted off its feet and crashing atop its back in front of Joshua's podium. Meanwhile, Nidoking's Earthquake shot out and struck Arcanine, howling in pain. Nidoking wheezed while Arcanine suffered recharge recoil.
"On your feet, Nidoking!" Joshua shouted, maddened that Arcanine's Hyper Beam had made contact. His Pokemon was in serious turmoil.
"Arcanine, are you OK?" Amy demanded. Her Arcanine was whimpering in pain, palpitating with the toll Hyper Beam had taken on his system.
Nidoking got to his feet, roaring loudly to shake off the pain. Joshua smirked in triumph as he yelled,
"Nidoking, finish Arcanine! Hyper B - "
"Wait!" Amy shrieked, holding out her Pokeball. "I won't let Arcanine suffer further. Return."
Red light flashed out and the crowd applauded with merit for Amy's consideration towards her Pokemon's well being. Joshua was not fazed.
Amy's heart beat frantically as she selected her third and final Pokeball. She had been unable to use Marowak against either Golbat or Scyther because both of Joshua's Pokemon had been part Flying-types and consequently immune to Ground-type attacks.
"We all know which Pokemon you have remaining!" Joshua smirked. "Send him out!"
For once, Amy wished she had kept a Pokemon in reserve like Joshua had done with his Nidoking, to surprise the crowd and keep his strategy a secret from other Trainers. A Pokemon Trainer could carry six Pokemon at once, but she had made do with only three.
"Let's take out that Nidoking!" Amy shouted in a burst of optimism, throwing her Pokeball into the battlefield. "Go, Marowak!"
Marowak walked forward to cheers and applause, spinning his bone club in the air and catching it one-handed, his dexterity expert. Nidoking raged, stomping his large feet.
"This is it, Amy!" Joshua remained grim. "The final showdown!"
"I know," Amy replied. "Let's make it count."
Nodding, Joshua turned to his beast of a Nidoking while Amy gave the thumbs-up to Marowak. Both Trainers glanced ahead.
"Marowak, Bonemerang!" Amy shouted.
"Nidoking, Earthquake!" Joshua yelled.
Nidoking leapt into the air as Marowak arched his arm back and tossed his bone club towards Nidoking. Nidoking crashed upon the ground, causing the stadium to shake once more as Marowak's thrown bone club bashed Nidoking in the face, causing severe injury that almost made Nidoking buckle.
"We're almost there, Marowak! Double Team!" Amy cried.
"Focus, Nidoking!" Joshua gritted his teeth. "Don't lose your cool!"
Nidoking's Earthquake snaked underneath the layers of grass and dirt atop which the stadium was held. Marowak split into three identical copies, all leaping for safety as crevices formed in the ground, toppling one copy into nothingness and striking out at another copy which dissipated into thin air.
Meanwhile, Marowak's thrown bone club returned for its second hit but Nidoking dodged it just in time. Marowak leapt high into the air, catching his bone club simultaneously as he crashed upon the ground, with nowhere near the impact that Nidoking had caused but still causing unseen tremors throughout the ground.
"Earthquake!" Amy confirmed fiercely.
Ashen, Joshua shouted, "Nidoking, Hyper Beam!"
Nidoking's mouth glowed with bright light, releasing a powerful surge of energy straight for Marowak. Marowak's Earthquake snaked towards Nidoking, ripping crevices in the stadium green which struck out at Nidoking, causing particularly great harm to the Poison/Ground-type Pokemon.
Amy cried, "Marowak, Double Team!"
The Hyper Beam collided with Marowak and caused a large crater in the battlefield where it had hit. Meanwhile, Nidoking tottered on his feet and crashed to the ground, insensible. Marowak had split into three copies just in time, but the blast had damaged all three and Marowak lay upon the battlefield.
"Marowak!" Amy called down to her Pokemon. "Are you OK?"
Grim, Joshua glanced down to his Nidoking who refused to move. His temper began to build until he glanced over at Amy, knowing who had won.
"Return, Nidoking."
With cries of shock and dismay, the crowd watched as Joshua held out his Pokeball and returned his fainted Nidoking inside. Joshua felt a sense of pride that Nidoking had managed to weather the effects of Arcanine's Fire Blast and Hyper Beam, as well as Marowak's Bone Club and Earthquake. No matter what, Nidoking had - as much as he hated to admit the failing - tried his best.
"Well, folks! We have a result!" boomed the announcer, all smiles. "Trainer Joshua has recalled his Nidoking from the field! Trainer Amy wins the match!"
Blinking back tears, Amy was sure she should feel more victorious, but she felt strangely empty as she watched Joshua wave to her in a brief fashion and head for the connecting passage which would take him to his apartment suite. Cameras zoomed around Amy, so intrusive she felt like yelling in her sombre interlude but she managed to paste on a smile for the cameras before rushing down to console Marowak, who lay barely breathing.
The announcer boomed his congratulations and informed the crowd and televised audience to tune in tomorrow at noon for the ultimate showdown held here at Indigo Plateau. Meanwhile, Amy returned Marowak to his Pokeball and strode across the field, offering a smile for the cameras and a departing wave for the cheering fans as she reached the air-conditioned cool of the connecting passageway.
Amy felt truly alone since reaching the finals of the Indigo League. She had lost Natalie, Daniel and Joshua in battles that had sent them packing home, so that she was all by herself to face the coming match tomorrow. There could be no consultation or strategy with their help. Alongside all of Kanto, they would be watching and waiting for her face to appear on live TV, in a contest of wills between her and the Champion.