AN: So continuing from last time, Ash lost. So read on to find out if he can win!
Chapter 9: Battle for the Boulder – Part 2
-Pewter City Pokemon Hotel and Recovery Center-
2:45 PM
Ash and Leaf waited at the recovery center for their pokemon to be recovered. It took longer than usual, so they decided to explore the large center.
"Hey! Let's go up to the roof, Ash!"
"Okay."
They took the elevator up to the top floor where they got out at a landing of sorts. When they walked outside, they could see a large pokemon battlefield with artificial turf and mapped out lines. From the landing, they turned around and looked towards downtown. One could clearly see the buildings and people going about their business. The blue skies reflected off the window panes of the buildings, making them near invisible. The cool breeze swept Leaf's long, brown hair, throwing it everywhere (well, where it was not held down by her fedora). It also set her dress's lower half in motion as it danced to the wind's rhythm. It was just a nice view on a nice day.
"So," Leaf suddenly said, "this is where we will be getting better, understand?"
"Yup," Ash agreed. Suddenly, the elevator door opened again revealing a man in a lab coat, dark brown spiky hair, and squinty eyes. In other words, this was an aged copy of Brock.
"I would like to assist you, as well," the man said, earning the attention and shock of the two trainers.
"Ummmm…who are you?" Leaf asked warily.
"Excuse me for my sudden presence. I couldn't help hear your conversation at the restaurant earlier."
"So you followed us all the way here?" Leaf asked in alarm.
"As I said, I would like to assist you in training the trainer next to you."
"Forget that! You followed us here! YOU CREEPER!"
"Do you want my help or not?!" the man yelled. Ash decided to step in, diffusing the ensuing chaos.
"Ummm…you still haven't introduced yourself, and telling us why you want to help me."
"Ah…forgive me. My name is Flint Harrison. As you can tell from my last name, I am Brock's father." Leaf and Ash gasped at the fact. Why in the world did Brock's dad follow them all the way to the Pokemon Center?
"Brock has mentioned to you that there are in fact two Gym Leaders at the Pewter City Gym," Ash and Leaf nodded recalling the conversation from the other night, "ah, then you can figure out who the other Gym Leader is." Leaf went bug-eyed to the realization, while Ash took a little more time sinking in the new information.
'Okay, Brock ate with us last night…he said there was two gym leaders. He was one of them. That means the other is…well it might be someone who co-runs it. The gym isn't family-owned, is it? Maybe, maybe not. But if this is family run, that means he is the other gym leader. Brock is the oldest sibling, so it makes sense. On the other hand, if it wasn't family owned then who could it be…' Leaf slapped him upside the head to speed up the process, and summoned a…megaphone?
"HE'S THE OTHER GYM LEADER, YOU IDIOT!" Ash cowered to a corner and tried to cover his ears.
"Hey! That's not nice!" Ash yelled back, "It could have been someone else."
"He was making it obvious that it was him!"
"Well, then. Wait…why does a gym leader, whom I might be facing tomorrow, want to help me out? I lost pretty badly." Flint only smiled at the question.
"Well I should start by telling you that I receive a live stream from my office in the lab. There are cameras set up all over the gym so Brock and I know what is going on with the gym at any time of the day. It is the same with the lab. The lab has cameras which get live streaming from the gym. Both areas get live stream from the house. So in the event, like the 4-alarm break-in we had, either Brock and/or I would take care of the situation. In the 4-alarm break-in, I was busy at the time, but I knew Brock was out eating somewhere as he usually does, so I knew he took care of it. I have to thank you guys for the help, by the way. There were three of you, but I only see two; where is the other boy?"
"Oh, he left town early to get to the next city. He prefers travelling alone," Leaf answered for the group.
"Well that's a bummer. How about after the training, I'll treat you all to dinner." Ash's ears perked up at the thought of a free meal, a home-cooked meal, too.
"Alright, you still haven't told me why would help me out."
"Ahh…I have seen the footage at the lab and I see potential in you, boy. Now let's get started, shall we."
"Wait! We haven't got back our pokemon from the recovery ward, yet!" As Leaf said that, both pagers rang. "Speak of the devil…" The three trainers walked down to the recovery center to retrieve their party. Ash and Leaf took Pikachu and Jigglypuff out of their pokeballs, respectively. Pikachu looked at Ash with a sullen face.
'I'm sorry, Ash. I failed you in your hour of need. I shall atone for my sins! I shall commit Harakiri!' Ash looked back with a displeased face.
"Look, Pikachu. I know you are feeling bad about losing the battle, but I'm proud of you for going out there and trying your hardest. There was nothing you could do to prevent the loss. Forgive yourself for me, please; you have no reason to feel sorry. I don't even feel sorry. Live and learn. That's the motto we all should live by." Pikachu nodded.
"So now you have your party, let's begin the training." They all traveled back up to the roof and out to the battlefield. Flint stood at one end of the semi-circle in the center while Ash and Leaf stood at the other.
"Leaf, I will need you to join me over here and I will request that I borrow your pokemon. Please tell me what moves your pokemon knows." Leaf listed off all of what she knows about her party. Flint took mental notes as he prepared an ad-hoc training regimen.
"Now that we have situated ourselves. Let's get started, shall we? Take out your Bulbasaur; we're gonna teach it some new moves."
-Harrison Residence-
8:00 PM
Flint, Leaf, Ash, Pikachu, and Jigglypuff stood in front of the large house in a gated neighborhood. It was washed in white stucco and sported a very modern architecture. The shapes were geometric and had every possible corner and prism known to mankind. It almost looked straight out of a geometry textbook.
"This…is a very nice house, Mr. Harrison," Ash complimented. Flint laughed and dismissed the comment.
"Why thanks, but you can just call me Flint, the Mr. makes me sound way too old!" Ash and Leaf laughed in response. "I had called Brock earlier to tell him we were having you guys over, so don't worry; there's plenty of food."
"Alright!" the rest of the party said. Flint opened the door into the large foyer and made his presence known.
"Hey, everyone! I'm home!"
"DADDY!" they heard a bunch of kids say. The house started to quake in the wake of a massive stampede. Ash and Leaf's smile transformed into fear as the army of children made their final approach. The front line jumped first at the party. All five of them fell to the crowd, trampled and beaten.
"CRAP! HOW ARE WE GETTING OUT OF THIS?!" Leaf screamed.
"I DON'T KNOW, BUT THERE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CROWD CONTROL OR SOMETHING!" Ash screamed back. They heard a voice from below.
"Hey, kids! Daddy misses you, too, but can we let our two guests have a little bit of breathing room?" The kids suddenly jumped off and away. A voice of a woman can be heard from the kitchen.
"Oh? Is that my husband and his guests that got attacked by the little ones? (haha)"
"Is that Lola, my sweet?"
"Yes, dear. Come give your dearest a hug and kiss." Ash and Leaf looked at each other, with awkward smiles.
"Now I know how they were able to have 10 kids…" Ash whispered to Leaf. This earned him a slap to the face.
"And that's how you get a slap in the face." Lola looked at Ash and Leaf.
"Oh…are these our guests? Are you two trainers?" Ash and Leaf nodded as they took a good look at her. She was a bit taller than Leaf and about the same width and build. Her wavy, auburn hair reached halfway down her neck matched her deep brown eyes. She was physically fit and looked like she could duel a tyrannitar and win. Her skin looked rough, but smooth at the same time. She had on a pink tank top and jeans, with an apron covering herself. In other words, she looked like an athlete built to survive the wilderness. Leaf took the initiative to introduce herself.
"Oh hi! I'm Lily Greenway from Pallet Town, but most people call me Leaf and this is my friend Jigglypuff"
'Hi!' Jigglypuff greeted. It was Ash's turn to go next.
"Hi! I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and I aim to catch all of the Pokemon in the world and become the Champion of Kanto!"
"…after that loss today?" Leaf deadpanned.
"Hey! We're working on it! And this is my friend, Pikachu." Pikachu yipped as his greeting. Lola chuckled and linked arms with her husband.
"Well, let's get dinner started! I'm sure you both are starving." Ash and Leaf beamed at the prospect and followed everyone to the dining room. All was well over small talk as Ash slowly forgot about the devastating loss he experienced earlier. The gym battle was never brought up as a topic between Brock and Ash. They continued to chat through the night until it was time to return to the Pokemon Center.
-Pewter City Pokemon Hotel and Recovery Center-
10:00 PM
Flint had dropped off the four back at the Center and they went back into their rooms. Ash looked a bit restless as he threw himself on the bed. He stared at the bare white ceiling as he recounted what happened today.
'Well, I saw Gary and Leaf trash Brock in their matches and I got trashed in mine. I had Bulbasaur, Weedle, and Pikachu learn some new moves, too. Weedle evolved into Kakuna while training, so that was exciting. Leaf's pokemon also learned some new moves as well. Caterpie evolved into a Metapod, which I have to admit looks pretty badass (not that Kakuna isn't badass). I can only imagine what the next evolution would be. Well aside that, we ate with the Harrisons at their ridiculously nice house. It was an enjoyable dinner with steaks and salad. Sigh, I hope I can do better tomorrow. All that training with Brock's dad should be useful. That was 5 straight hours of drills!' Leaf looked at him space off at the ceiling.
'He must be reeling in all that has happened today. Poor Ash…' "Hey, Ash."
"Hmmm?" he responded, breaking out of his reminiscence.
"Just letting you know I'll be there cheering you on tomorrow. Don't let what Gary said to me get to your head. I know you're better than that. You just have to use your battle style to your advantage, right?"
"Yeah. I guess what Flint said about going with your gut feeling and not second-guessing your choices makes sense. I've been doing that a lot, haven't I?"
"Well, I don't really notice it, but sometimes you do hesitate on moves, like you want to trust your instincts, but you can't at the same time. I think it just takes getting used to." Leaf said as she walked over to the door to turn off the lights.
"Yeah. I guess I shouldn't over think things like I did during the battle."
"Anyways, you should get some sleep so you can battle Brock, or Flint, tomorrow. You need a clear head to win this. Good night, Ash."
"Good night, Leaf. And hey, thanks for being there for me; I really appreciate it that my best friend always has my back."
"That's what best friends are for, right? We always have each other's backs, no matter what the case. Now go to bed!"
"Fine, fine…sheeh." The room fell silent and Ash returned to spacing out at the ceiling.
'I will beat the Pewter Gym tomorrow, no matter what the cost. This time, I'll beat them and take the Boulder Badge!'
October 6th, 2007 – 9:00 AM
Ash did not even need an alarm clock to jolt himself awake. He was more excited than ever. Pikachu also felt the excitement based off of the sparks coming out of his cheeks. Jigglypuff awoke, smiling at Pikachu and giving him the thumbs up. Today was going to be a good day.
"Alright, Jigglypuff. Time to wake up the sleeping beauty." And thus, Jigglypuff commenced "Operation: Alarm Clock". Leaf woke up, angry as ever. Ash and Leaf did their morning routine before packing up and heading down to breakfast. Ash was so confident in winning today that they decided to check out of the hotel. They literally ran down the street to the massive gym. Inside, they found the same receptionist.
"Oh. Back again? I assume the first beating was not enough for you?" Ash growled. Leaf was about to hold him back until he responded rather coolly.
"Well I believe this will be the last time you'll be seeing me around here after today. This will be a good match." The receptionist chuckled.
"We'll see about that. You are the first match today and your match will start in half an hour. I wish you well, Mr. Ketchum. You should know where the arena is."
"Thank you. And I will win this time." The party went into the long tunnel and into the arena. This place brings back haunting memories for Ash. It seemed it was only yesterday he remembered he got his ass handed to him in what would be his most difficult match. Today, however, would be different; this time, he upgraded his weapon arsenal and has a few new tricks up his sleeve. He turned to Leaf to bid her farewell.
"Alright, Leaf. This is it. This is where it ends. I'll walk out of here with the boulder badge whether he likes it or not." Leaf smiled.
"Well look who's overflowing with confidence. You really are amazing to bounce back after that ass-whooping yesterday."
"And I'll use that as fuel for today!"
"Well good luck, Ash! And remember, I'll always be rooting for you. I'll always have your back."
"And I'll always have yours. I'm gonna go warm up with the others."
"Alright! I'll be watching from up here!" Ash turned and took the stairs down to the field and behind the trainer's box. He took out all of his pokemon and led them in a team huddle.
"Alright, guys. This is it! This is where we prove them wrong of what we can do. This is where we make our last stand. We've got this, right?"
'HELLS YEAH!' they all screamed, pumping their fists in the air.
"Alright! Now that we're energized, let's warm up!" The warm-up routine remained the same. This continued until the man of the hour appeared from the door opposing the trainer's box. This morning, it could be either Brock or Flint. The Gym Leader's hair was brown and spiky, his eyes were slits, and he was wearing…an orange shirt and green vest. It was Brock again. The referee also made his appearance.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. The first scheduled match will begin. Will the trainer by the name of Ashton Ketchum step up to the trainer's box." Ash climbed up to the trainer's box, smirking at the tall, spiky-haired young man. Brock offered his own smirk.
"So, I see you've come back for a rematch. Don't think this'll be easy since you got help from my father. Yeah, I heard about that. But anyways, let's skip the small talk and get the show rolling."
"Gladly will. Bulbasaur! I choose you!" Bulbasaur was energized. He was ready for anything, especially with that new move of his. They waited to see what pokemon Brock would use this time around.
"Let's go, Geodude."
'Ah…so it's the same set list as yesterday. This'll help me a bit.' "Alright, Bulbasaur, let's start off with some planting." Bulbasaur knew what this meant. He aimed his bulb at the rock pokemon.
"Geodude! Don't let it hit you like last time!" Geodude started rolling to the right. Bulbasaur knew and calculated the trajectory of the seeds. Ash decided to give Bulbasaur a little help.
"Angle your bulb 35 degrees to the east. You should be able to catch him there." Bulbasaur angled his bulb. "RELEASE!" Seedlings started to rain down on Geodude from a surprisingly wide range. It got caught up in the seed storm and became covered in it. This was already bad news for Geodude.
'Awww not this again!' Brock screamed mentally. He still had the idea that Geodude can wear down Bulbasaur by starting the Tackle-fest again. It was too bad that Ash was not repeating the events of yesterday.
"Geodude! Tackle!" Geodude launched himself, despite being entangled and wrapped by seedlings, at Bulbasaur, who was quick to react and move without Ash's warnings. Brock was shocked by this turn of events.
"So I see you're not gonna tackle back." Ash still smirked.
"Heh. No I'm not. Let's see what you can do about this new trick I have. Bulbasaur! Vine Whip!" Bulbasaur reeled back its bulb and out of the base grew two very long pairs of vines. While Geodude was attempting to get himself out of the dirt, Bulbasaur's vines whipped the poor rock out of the hole and back onto the dirt. It then whipped it several more times, not giving Geodude a chance to recover.
"Geodude! DEFENSE CURL!" Geodude then wrapped its arms around itself. Bulbasaur took this opportunity to test its vine strength. Ash knew where this idea was going.
"Bulbasaur! Toss it in the air with your vines and tackle it from underneath. It should still be unprotected!" And Bulbasaur did just that. Its vines wrapped around Geodude, who wrapped its arms around itself, and tossed it high into the air. Gravity decided it was time for it to return to Earth and right into Bulbasaur's head-butting tackle. The damage to Geodude was devastating, so much that as it hit the ground, it was not able to get back up. It laid still for 10 seconds.
"Geodude is no longer able to battle. Will Gym Leader Brock send out his next pokemon," the referee announced. Unlike yesterday, Bulbasaur was still standing up, feeling even more energized. Brock noticed this and began to panic.
'Shit…at this rate, Onix is done. Just how much training did he do yesterday?! Nevermind that, let's see how he does against Onix.' "Go, Onix!" The rock snake appeared again. Whereas yesterday Bulbasaur looked rather small, today was a different story. Bulbasaur dug his foot into the ground like hw as going to charge. It was time for Ash to make his move, only Brock made it first.
"Onix! Rock Tomb!" And in an instant, rocks were barreling down on the seed pokemon. He was not afraid though, as Ash came up with this idea to combat Rock Tomb.
"Use your vines to break the rocks apart so it would disperse!" Bulbasaur used his vines to deflect the rocks coming straight at him. The rocks fell limp around Bulbasaur, leaving him unscathed.
"My turn. Leech Seed!" Seeds rained from all directions. Onix tried to move, but could not avoid it in time. Seedlings sprouted all over its body as it roared in pain.
"Onix! Work through the pain and tackle it!" Onix cleared its head of all pain and reared its head back. It then charged full-force at Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur knew it had to move, so it slid to the left. This gave him an opening.
"Alright! Vine whip!" His vines started whipping the rock snake at its crevices near the head. Onix's head was swatted left, right, and backwards. Onix was slowing down fast from the amount of damage it was taking. Ash had another idea he wanted to try out.
"Hey, Bulbasaur! Wanna take a rest and let Pikachu have a go. He still wants to 'atone for his sins, apparently'." Pikachu rolled his eyes in response to that remark. Bulbasaur, sensing no immediate danger with the decision, went back into his ball. Ash then looked at Pikachu.
"Alright, buddy. Let's see what you can do now with that new attack of yours." Pikachu nodded and hopped onto the field.
"Onix! Bind it, NOW!" Onix started to launch its tail towards Pikachu, but Ash had another trick up his sleeve.
"Pikachu! Dodge it with Quick Attack!" Pikachu created after-images of himself and running circles around the snake. The snake became confused and became dizzy. Pikachu took this opening and slammed right into the snake's neck, throwing it 10 feet away. Brock was shocked to see his pokemon being thrown by a small mouse. Now that it was down on the ground, Ash had yet another idea he came up with on the spot.
'Okay, so I remember that water is a conductor of electricity (thank you, spearows from hell). If I make the sprinklers go off, the water will pour onto the snake and then we can shoot electricity at it. This'll be great!' "Alright, Pikachu! Aim a Thundershock at the head." Onix was still trying to get up. Pikachu fired an electric shock towards the head, which bounced off. Brock laughed at this feeble attempt of an electrical strike.
"Have you forgotten about yesterday? Electric attacks won't work." Ash smirked again.
"Oh, but will it work on water?" Brock raised his eyebrows at the idea, but was soon diverted to a loud zap from above the ceiling. The electric spark had hit one of the emergency sprinklers, setting it off. The water rained down on to the field, with Ash and Pikachu unaffected, but Onix having a terrible water experience. It was already roaring in pain from the seedlings, and now the water raining down helping the seedlings to grow and further damaging the rock snake. To add a cherry on top, Ash decided to issue the last attack.
"Pikachu, Thundershock at Onix." A large bolt of electricity was released and made contact with Onix. Now soaked in water, there was no way the electricity would bounce off and the shock impacted all of the rock snake. This was the loudest roar of pain that Brock ever heard of. As soon as the electricity dissipated, Onix collapsed to its side and remained still for 10 seconds. It was out cold. Brock and Leaf stared wide-eyed at the fallen pokemon. Ash still retained the smirk he held for the entire battle.
"Onix is unable to battle. Ash Ketchum is the winner!" the referee announced, breaking the deafening silence. Ash just came to the realization that he defeated his first ever Gym Leader in the most difficult series of battles he has ever faced. Pikachu ran up to him and jumped in his arms, shouting for joy. Bulbasar and Kakuna also jumped out of their balls to hug Ash at his feet. Leaf ran down the stairs with Jigglypuff and embraced Ash in a tight hug. Jigglypuff even gave Pikachu a hug. Brock made his way over to the trainers' box, the Boulder Badge in hand.
"That was some skills you had there, Ash. How did you improve so much in one afternoon?"
"Well, Leaf, your father, and I just kept working at it until we got every single attack worked out right. From there, I really battle on instinct and impulse. I think as I do things. I'm not the planning guy."
"Ah, I understand. But nevertheless, I present to you the Boulder Badge as a sign of progress on your way to becoming the Champion of Kanto. I wish you both safe travels and well on your future endeavors."
"Wait a minute!" a voice called from the door opposite of the trainers' box. There stood Flint and Lola, with Lola carrying a backpack. Brock looked at them in surprise.
"Hey wait…you were supposed to be at the office today!" Brock yelled in surprise. Flint and Lola laughed.
"Well, there was an announcement we wanted to make last night, but we couldn't get around to it. But we'll make it here since it deals with your future."
"…go on…"
"I've decided to retire from field work and stay at the office." Lola spoke up. This took Brock by surprise.
"But, wait! Don't you love your work in the field? What about finding all of ancient water pokemon?" Lola chuckled.
"There are some things that take priority over others, like looking after the well-being of this family. I know that I haven't been there as much for you guys as I should have and I think now is the time to catch up. That leaves what your father has to say to you."
"Brock," Flint said in a stern voice, "I've always wanted you to be an archaeologist like your mother and I, but we realize that your passion was not in it. We can't hold you back on your talents as a Pokemon Breeder. You've taken good care of the resident pokemon in our garden. So Lola and I will look after the gym while you go on your journey to become a Pokemon Breeder. And don't worry, Forrest should be able to start learning the art of Pokemon Battling in the coming years. So what do you say? Do you want to go?" Brock's eyes lit up like fire. He was beyond excited and was starting to jump around like a five-year-old.
"No way! Are you serious?! You better not be punking me!"
"We're as serious as we could ever be," Lola replied, smiling at Brock.
"Thank you so much, Mom and Dad! I won't let you down!"
"I know you won't. You're 20 years old. You should be asking if you would let yourself down," Flint said as he hugged his son. Lola joined in on the hug as well, moving Leaf to near-tears.
"Here's your bag. I've packed everything from pots, pans, portable stove, portable table, silverware, and things you might need out there. Oh, and your two favorite pokemon in their pokeballs. Good luck to you, my oldest son!" Lola cried as she let go of Brock. He ran over to Ash and Leaf and asked the one question he had been dying to ask.
"Hey, you two. You mind if I tag along? I think it'll be great traveling together!" There was no way in hell that the two trainers would decline.
"Not at all! It would be a pleasure for you to join us," Leaf happily said.
"DUDE! THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME HAVING A THIRD TRAVELING BUDDY!" Ash exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air. Brock walked back to his parents and left them with an almost tearful good-bye.
"Mom and Dad, thank you so much for supporting me throughout all these years. I could have never asked for better parents like yourselves. I wish you all the best for this gym and the fossil research. I'll do my best to make the most out of my life." Flint and Lola smiled dearly at their son.
"Alright, now go on. Your friends are waiting," Flint waved off. Brock walked over to the two trainers with his backpack, ready to go.
"Well, you two. Are you both ready to hit the high-road?" Ash and Leaf nodded.
"Bye, Mr. and Mrs. Harrison! We enjoyed your company! We hope to meet you again!" They all waved back as they exited the gym. There were now three human members of the traveling party, all of them heading for the next challenge.
"Alright, so to get to Cerulean City, we must go through Mt. Moon," Brock calculated.
"Yup, and it says here in PokeMaps that Marion Boulevard turns into Route 3 after we cross the Pewter Loop freeway and walk for another mile and a half or so. It should get pretty mountainous," Leaf added on.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Ash shouted as the two trainers and former Gym Leader made their way across downtown, across the eastern freeway, and through the eastern city gates into mountainous territory. What awaits them at Mt. Moon remains to be discovered, but for now, they will just have to enjoy the view.
-The Oak Residence – Pallet Town-
11:00 AM
A silver Honda Accord slowed to a stop atop of a hill where there was a large windmill and a large house beside it. This was the Oak Residence where it houses the laboratory and home base of Professor Oak. What business could be conducted here on this sunny morning?
The people who stepped out from the car was a medium height, dark-brown haired man donned in a nice suit, a short, blonde-haired woman in a traditional yellow dress and katana, and a shorter, blonde-haired girl in the same traditional yellow dress also wielding a katana. At the double oak doors was an elderly man in a lab coat with his hands properly behind his back. He waved to the arriving party as he saw their car pull up to the top of the hill.
"Greetings, Mr. and Mrs. Lighthouse. What a pleasure to finally meet you both!"
"Pleasure to meet you, too, Professor Oak," Mr. Lighthouse politely replied, "but call me Eric and my wife Elise. The Mr. and Mrs. Thing makes us feel too old!"
"Ahhh…well if you three could follow me inside we'll get started." They followed the old man into the living room where Nora brought out some tea.
"Ah, this is my daughter-in-law and assistant, Nora." She bowed to the guests as she set the tea set down.
"It's a pleasure to meet you three. I have a son who is on his Pokemon Journey. I'm so proud of that boy…" Professor Oak cleared his throat, grabbing back the attention of the three.
"So Amber," Professor Oak started, "how are you today?" Amber fidgeted and hesitated with her reply.
"…ummmm…I'm doing fine, I guess." Professor Oak just smiled, thinking little of the stage fright the girl was experiencing.
"Well, we're here to discuss a proposition I have for you. I have this device here called the Pokedex. I'm sure you've heard of this device, Eric?" Eric nodded to the thought.
"Yeah. We're supposed to be assisting in the production and manufacturing of those devices. It's a very useful tool for Pokemon Trainers."
"Anyways, this is the fourth prototype and all of the recent data has already been uploaded. This device will record new pokemon that you have come across and still you specifics just by scanning it. I have a feeling that the three already on their journey can't do this alone. I know you have been doing well in school, well enough to place out of the 3rd year through your bypass examinations. All you have to do is go around the region and take note of every single pokemon you come across. That is if you can pass the Trainer's Certification Exam within the next week. You can take it here at the Lab, at the Pokemon League Office, or at any Pokemon Center around. Are we clear of the requirements? This is a grand opportunity for you to learn about the world of Pokemon." Amber seemed excited about the prospect. Her parents, though, are a little more reserved on the matter.
"What if she get hurt, injured, kidnapped, or other things?" Elise said in worry. Professor Oak nodded in understanding.
"I understand that there are dangers in the world and some can't be avoided. This is why we have the Trainer's Certification Exam as it tests the common sense level and awareness of the prospective candidates. It will essentially bypass them out of high school and send them off on their own. We want to make sure that they are even remotely capable of doing that. So have faith in your daughter; I'm sure she's a resilient girl."
"Yeah, Mom! I can take care of myself!" Amber excitedly pumped her fist in the air…until she realized what she said, "…ummmm…I mean…I'll miss you guys, but I can take care of myself…"
"Hold on, your father and I need to discuss this. We'll see if you can go on your journey or not." It was fifteen straight minutes of arguing, deliberating, and debating on the subject matter. Professor Oak, in the meantime, took Amber out to the ranch to see some of the pokemon. A Pikachu walked up to her and curiously sniffed her.
'Oh…you're human!' the Pikachu said. Amber was able to read its mind clearly, and even respond back telepathically.
'Hello, there! My name is Amber! I can speak directly with you through telekinesis.'
'What's that?'
'Mind-reading.'
'Ohhhh…cool!'
"Okay! We've made our decision," Elise announced from the sliding door, "Amber, you may go on your journey, but only if you promise to stay safe and out of trouble."
"I will, Mom. Thank you for letting me do this! I'll be able to go out and see the world and learn about it!" Eric smiled.
"Well it seems like you've grown up! Now all you need is to pass the test."
"I can take it today, can't I?" Amber asked.
"Wouldn't you want to study for it?"
"Nah…it's common sense, right? How hard could it be?" Needless to say, she was given the test half an hour later in one of the lounges, turned in the normally 45 minute test in 15 minutes, and was outfitted with a pokedex.
"Now, you need to pick a starter pokemon. I have a Charmander, a Squirtle, and a Bul-," Professor Oak was cut off.
"What about that Pikachu I was talking to earlier?" Amber asked, having taken a liking to that Pikachu.
"Well…" thought Professor Oak, "I guess it would be fine. It's not your standard starter pokemon. I guess we all have to be different, right? Let me get you its ball." The ball was an ordinary pokeball…with a lightning bolt on it. The Pikachu that Professor Oak brought into the lab happily jumped in. Amber took this ball and hugged it with all her heart and rushed back to her parents.
"Well, ready to go back home? We need to start packing!" Elise asked, also excited.
"Yup! I need to prepare for this journey! This will be awesome!" Amber replied excitedly. So one more pokedex was added to the ever-growing roster of pokedexes. She was excited to leave home and explore the world around her, learn new things, and discover new adventures. This would one hell of a journey for Amber as she has to play catch up with her seniors, who were already two cities over!
A/N: Yeah, this chapter was originally supposed to be with Chapter 7 and 8. If that were to have happened, this chapter would total at 22,000 words and would just simply be too long of a chapter (even the first split was still way too long). The target release for the next chapter will be in middle to late Janurary. I hope this was a good battle chapter with the badassery I promised. Also, the chapters will get noticeably shorter as this story presses forward as I'm pretty much done introducing concepts. As always, read, love and critique! =)