Author's Note: Happy New Year, readers! We hope you enjoy our first chapter of 2014!
A big thank you to everybody who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed our story throughout 2013 and we hope that you continue to support us and read our stories throughout this year!
I was sitting with Jason and Michelle in my dad's hospital room. He was slowly getting his strength and weight back. I had taken time to pick him up some new clothes so he could get rid of his worn-out clothes that he had worn while being captured.
The bathroom door opened and he walked out. Now he actually looked like my dad again. His hair was back to its normal length and the beard was gone, since he had shaved and cut his hair. He was wearing a plain black tee with jeans.
"You look like yourself again, dad." I said.
"Yeah, you do. Back to your old self." Jason added.
Michelle just smiled. I walked over to my dad and removed Pikachu's old Pokeball that my mom had given me on the day I left Pallet Town.
"I think you'll need this again." I said, placing it in his hand.
I then removed the hat that I was wearing and held it out to my dad. After all, this hat meant a lot to him. This was the hat that he was wearing when he was traveling through Kanto and Johto and was wearing it when he was captured. He deserved his hat back. But after a minute, my dad still hadn't taken it and I looked at him, confused.
"You keep it, Adam." he said.
"This hat means a lot to you though, dad. You deserve it." I said.
"Giving something that you cherish to someone you love is the best kind of gift to give."
I looked at my dad, shocked. "Really?" I asked.
He nodded his head. He leaned up and took the hat and placed it on my head. "It's your hat now." he said, smiling at me.
When I found his hat the day that he was taken, I was scared. Scared that the hat would be all that I would have left of him to remember him by. I made a promise to myself that if I found him, which I knew I would eventually, he would have his hat back because that hat was everything to him. It was his first hat that he had ever worn while traveling. He went through everything to make sure he got his hat back if it was missing, even battling an angry Primeape! Now he was giving me his hat?
My dad must've noticed the look on my face because he said, "That hat reminds me of a lot of adventures, but I don't feel bad by giving it up because there's something that I cherish even more than my mementos."
"What's that?"
"You, Adam."
Hearing my dad's kind and loving words, I hugged him and said, "Thank you, dad."
I reached up and adjusted the hat and smiled. "We're battling Ritchie today." I said.
"Yeah, we're gonna get our final gym badges today." Jason said.
"Good luck to both of you. You'll do great."
As we left the room, I realized something. "We need to stop at the Pokemon Center before we go to the gym." I said.
"Okay...?" Jason said, confused.
I knew that neither of them knew why we had to go to the Pokemon Center.
We walked into the Pokemon Center and I walked over to the video phone and dialed Gary. Since Pikachu was back with my dad, I only had five Pokemon now. I had some Pokemon back at the lab with Gary to make my team six Pokemon strong again.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Gary. Can you send me Machoke?" I asked.
"He's on his way." Gary said.
"Thanks,"
The Pokeball appeared and I grabbed it and hooked it to my belt and joined Jason and Michelle.
"Now we can go." I said.
We walked out of the Pokemon Center and into the streets of Viridian City. Just like the first time we passed through, there were kids playing with Pokemon and each other and others talking to one another.
"You know, we tried to challenge Ritchie once before." I said.
"Really?" Michelle asked.
"Yeah, it wasn't too long after we had started our journey." Jason added.
"Well then, I bet my tenth birthday hadn't passed yet, either." Michelle said, laughing. "What happened?"
"Well, he turned us down."
"A shame, but understandable. No offense, but your Pokemon wouldn't have stood a chance against the final gym leader and his Pokemon. They're highly skilled." Michelle said.
"Yeah, that's why he turned us down. But he knew we would challenge him one day." said Jason.
"And that day is today." I added.
We arrived at the gym and stood in front of it. This was finally it. It was finally time to challenge Ritchie. We walked up the steps and pushed the doors open. The doors creaked and the lights were dimmed.
"Nice to see you again. We can have that battle now." Ritchie said, stepping out from behind a pillar. "Which one of you will be challenging me first?"
Jason and I shared a look. He nodded his head and headed towards the bleachers with Michelle.
"I will." I said.
"Then let's get started."
I followed him to the battlefield. A ref ran to the middle and waited.
"The battle between the gym leader, Ritchie, and the challenger, Adam Ketchum, will now begin. This will be a three on three battle and will end when one side's Pokemon are unable to battle. Begin!"
"Dugtrio, go!" Ritchie cried, throwing a Pokeball.
"Wartortle, let's show 'em!" I cried, throwing my Pokeball.
"Go ahead, Adam. Show me what you've got!" Ritchie said.
"Wartortle, use Water Gun!"
"Dig!"
Dugtrio avoided the attack by burrowing underground.
"Be careful, Wartortle. Dugtrio could be anywhere." I said. Wartortle was looking all around the field, waiting for Dugtrio to appear.
"Now!" Dugtrio appeared behind Wartortle.
"Hide!" I cried. Wartortle retreated into its shell. "Now use Rapid Spin!"
Dugtrio's Dig hit Wartortle and sent Wartortle into the air, then the Rapid Spin started.
"Dodge it, Dugtrio!" Ritchie cried. But Dugtrio couldn't dodge the attack and got hit.
"Use Water Gun!"
"Dugtrio, dodge."
Dugtrio hid in one of the holes made from Dig.
"Use Water Gun into the hole!" I cried.
"Sand Tomb, quick!"
"Wartortle!" I cried, realizing what was about to happen. But it was too late. Wartortle was hit by the sand.
When the attack stopped, Wartortle was trapped in the sand, unable to get out. Only his head was showing.
"Stop, Wartortle. Remain calm, it's okay." I called, trying to calm him down.
"Use Slash!"
"Hydro Pump!"
Wartortle may not have been able to move, but he could still attack. Slash hit the water, trying to win the fight for dominance, but Hydro Pump won out.
How could I get Wartortle out of the sand? Would mud be easier...no, mud makes you get stuck even more so than sand. Maybe if I wet the sand just a little...it was worth a shot.
"Wartortle, use Water Gun on the sand." I said. The wet sand started to slide down his body. "Now move!" Wartortle broke out of the sand and was free!
"Dig!"
"Get ready to use Rapid Spin." I said. I hoped that this would work.
"Trio! Trio! Trio!" Dugtrio cried, appearing in front of Wartortle.
"Now!" I cried. Wartortle hid in his shell and was knocked into the air from the attack.
"Water Gun!" Wartortle stopped spinning and popped out of his shell and shot the Water Gun down towards Dugtrio. When the attack finished, I saw that Dugtrio had taken a good amount of damage.
"Now use Skull Bash."
"Wait." Ritchie said.
Wartortle ran headfirst towards Dugtrio.
"Earthquake!" The attack started and stopped Wartortle in his tracks. By now, both Pokemon were almost at their limits.
"Wartortle, let's end this. Use Hydro Spin!" I cried. Hydro Spin was a combination of Rapid Spin and Hydro Pump. It was almost like the move I had used earlier. Wartortle withdrew into his shell and began spinning as powerful streams of water were blasted out of the sides of his shell.
The water hit Dugtrio, causing it to become slightly dazed and then the water hit again, since Wartortle was spinning around. Dugtrio was pounded with water again and again before Wartortle slammed its shell right into Dugtrio and one last quick Water Gun to make sure Dugtrio was defeated! Wartortle landed in front of me and waited. Dugtrio was still standing, but with a cry, it fell to the ground.
"Dugtrio is unable to battle! The winner is Wartortle!" the ref cried.
"Impressive, Adam. You and Wartortle have a strong bond. Time to see how you do against my next Pokemon. Sandslash, go!" Ritchie said as he called out his next Pokemon.
"Wartortle, Water Gun!" I cried.
"Dig!"
I had to stop falling for this. Two of his Pokemon knew Dig. If I wanted to hit his Pokemon with Water Gun, I would have to be closer and not so far away. Besides, Wartortle had almost taken as much damage as he could.
"Now!"
"Dodge!" I cried as Sandslash appeared from behind Wartortle. Wartortle jumped and avoided the attack.
"Slash!"
"No!" I cried as Sandslash hit Wartortle with its powerful claws.
Wartortle hit the field and stayed down.
"Wartortle is unable to battle! The winner is Sandslash!" the ref cried.
I removed Wartortle's Pokeball. "Great job, take a rest." I said.
It was time for one of my Pokemon's gym debut. "Machoke, let's show 'em!" I cried.
I had practiced with Machoke, getting to know its battling style and the moves that it knew. I had had Machoke for a long time, but I had never used it in a gym battle before.
"Sandslash, use Swift."
"Use Karate Chop to block." I said.
Not one Swift star hit Machoke, who blocked them all.
"Use Sandstorm!" Ritchie cried. Not what I was expecting. I covered my eyes slightly to keep the sand from getting into them. Machoke wasn't able to move at the moment.
"Use Seismic Toss! I know you can do it." I cried. I watched as Machoke fought through the sand and winds to get to Sandslash. Machoke grabbed Sandslash and I winced at the impact when it hit the ground.
"Impressive, Adam. It's not easy for a Pokemon to battle through my Sandstorms like that." Ritchie said.
"Use Low Kick once Sandslash gets up."
"Dig!"
That was a smart move. Sandslash used Dig without standing up to be hit. Sandslash appeared behind Machoke.
"Karate Chop, behind you!" I cried. The practice had paid off. Machoke was able to hit Sandslash first, stopping the Dig attack.
"Use Slash!" Ritchie cried. I didn't have time to call out anything. Sandslash's claw struck Machoke head-on. "Now use Swift." Machoke, still in its dazed state, couldn't dodge the attack when I called out to dodge.
"Slash once more!"
"Wait for it..."
I watched as Sandslash got closer and closer. "Low Kick!" I cried.
"Stop!" Ritchie cried, trying to get Sandslash to back off.
Too late. Machoke's foot hit Sandslash and Sandslash was sent flying into the wall of the gym and fell to the ground. Ritchie looked at his fallen Pokemon.
"Sandslash is unable to battle! The winner is Machoke!" the ref cried.
Ritchie returned his fallen Pokemon and faced me. "I must say, that was an impressive Low Kick, very powerful. It's time to see how well you do against my final Pokemon and one of my most trusted friends. Marowak, go!"
"Use Bonemerang!" Ritchie cried, not wasting anytime.
"Dodge it!" I cried.
The move was a lot faster than I thought and faster than Machoke thought, too. The bone hit Machoke and then looped around and hit it once again.
"Use Headbutt, Marowak." Marowak ran at Machoke with its head ready.
"Wait for it, then use Seismic Toss!" Machoke stood ready to grab Marowak.
I saw Ritchie smirk and I knew that this was a trick.
"Bone Club, now!"
"No, Machoke!" I cried.
Marowak jumped right as Machoke made a grab for it and hit Machoke on the head with its Bone Club. Machoke was dazed.
"Finish this with Bone Rush." Ritchie said. I watched as Machoke was hit several times and fell to the ground, fainted. Ritchie's Marowak was stronger than I could've imagined and its attacks were very fast.
"Machoke is unable to battle! Marowak wins!" the ref cried.
"You did well, take a rest." I said, returning Machoke.
I removed my final Pokeball, which contained my trusted partner, Ivysaur. "Ivysaur, let's show 'em!" I cried.
"Use Razor Leaf!" I yelled. I had faith that Ivysaur could win against Marowak.
"Use your Bone Club to keep them away!" Ritchie cried.
I watched as Marowak hit most of the leaves away, only getting hit by a few. Still, some damage had been done, but that was an impressive counter move.
"Bonemerang!"
"Vine Whip!" I cried.
Marowak threw the bone and Ivysaur used Vine Whip. The vines wrapped around Marowak and Ivysaur was hit by the bone twice as it came back around. Marowak caught the bone right before Ivysaur slammed it into the ground with his vines. This was going to be a tough battle.
"Use Razor Leaf again!" I cried.
"Counter it and use Bone Rush!"
This time, Marowak jumped and avoided the attack and ran at Ivysaur, hitting it in the head. Ivysaur shook off the hit.
"Use Bonemerang once more!"
This wasn't good. This move was a long range attack and most of Ivysaur's attacks were long range attacks that could be avoided. It was hard to avoid Bonemerang because of its speed. The bone hit Ivysaur and flew past him.
"Vine Whip and Razor Leaf!" I cried. Marowak didn't have its bone at the moment so it couldn't counter my attack. If I could get this attack in at full power, then Marowak would suffer a great amount of damage, being a Ground Pokemon against my Grass Pokemon.
Ivysaur wrapped his vines around Marowak, preventing it from moving. Then he launched a hail of leaves, hitting full force! Ivysaur continued to use Razor Leaf even after he got hit by the bone and then the attack stopped.
I noted that Ivysaur was covered in scratches and looked ready to collapse. Marowak had taken a good amount of damage and it wouldn't last much longer, either.
"Use Headbutt!"
"Dodge it!" I cried.
Ivysaur went to dodge, but got hit. Ivysaur lay on the field, not moving.
"Ivysaur is-" the ref started, but stopped.
Ivysaur stood up and cried out his name and started to glow. Ivysaur grew larger and the flower on his back bloomed. When the light died down, Venusaur stood there. Ivysaur had evolved!
"Okay Venusaur, use Solarbeam!" I cried.
"Use Bone Rush!" Ritchie cried.
He was going to attack while Venusaur gathered energy. Marowak struck Venusaur and jumped back right as Venusaur finished gathering his energy.
"Do it!" I cried. The beam shot towards Marowak who put its bone up, trying to block it. But it was being overpowered. Marowak cried out as it was engulfed by the massive energy beam and when the attack ended, Marowak was on the ground, fainted.
"Marowak is unable to battle! Venusaur is the winner! Which means the winner is the challenger, Adam!" the ref cried.
"Way to go on evolving. You did great." I said, praising my partner. I pulled out my Pokedex and checked out my new Pokemon.
"Venusaur, the Seed Pokemon and the evolved form of Ivysaur. Venusaur uses its large petals to capture sunlight and transform it into energy."
Jason and Michelle ran down to me as Ritchie went to get the badge.
"Way to go! Now you can enter the Pokemon League!" Michelle cried, hugging me.
"Good job, Adam. You had me on the edge of my seat the whole time." Jason said. "I wasn't sure who was going to win until Ivysaur evolved."
Ritchie approached me. "Well Adam, you've earned it. Here's the Earth Badge. I must say, that was an impressive battle. I think you're even stronger than your dad was when he battled me." he said.
I removed the badge from the cushion and looked at it. I did it...I had won my final badge! I could now compete in the Pokemon League!
"My final badge!" I cried. I had done it...I had beaten the final gym and won. Now all that was left was for Jason to win his last badge. Michelle and I had won our final ribbon and badge that we needed to be in the Grand Festival and Pokemon League, now it was his turn.
Author's Note: So Adam has defeated Ritchie, won his final badge, and his Ivysaur has evolved into Venusaur. All that's left is for Jason to win his final badge, too.
Stay tuned for Jason's battle with Ritchie in the next chapter of Pokemon NG!