Before training for her last Gym battle, Summer, Lightning, and Blaze visited their friend, Master Kiyo at his dojo in Saffron City. In a test of strength and determination, Summer and Blaze battled the Karate Master's apprentice, Jayden, and his Hariyama. Although she didn't win, Master Kiyo offered to train Blaze to further his physical training. After much consideration, Summer allowed Blaze to train if he battled with her and the others in the Indigo League. With that decision, Summer begins her strategy of defeating one of the strongest Gym Leaders in the Kanto Region. Will her mind be sharper than the Psychic type user's?
Chapter 44: A Mental Battle
After a long day of training, Lightning and I exhaustively sat on the Pokémon Center couch. We told everyone else about Blaze's training at the dojo and that he'll come back to battle with us in the League. Although they were disappointed they didn't get to say goodbye, they wanted to welcome him back at the end of the week. Now all that was left to mainly do in Saffron City was to defeat the last Gym.
The Kanto News was on so we decided to watch it. "Now for your News Around the World, here's Daisy May."
A brunette woman with a light blue suit and white blouse appeared onscreen. She was standing next to a large projector screen.
"Welcome everyone, this is News Around the World on January 19th, 2004. We begin with the latest news here in the Kanto Region."
A screenshot of the Silph Co. building under repairs appeared on the screen.
"Just three days ago, Saffron City was reopened to the public after Team Rocket infiltrated the city five months ago. For reasons unbeknownst to us, the citizens were unaware of the events during that time but are helping to rebuild the damages caused by this nefarious team. The Kanto branch of the Pokémon League Association was involved with this recapture operation but refused to go into details about what unfolded that night. We will bring you more information if released by the Pokémon League Association."
I can see why the PLA doesn't want people to know the details. It involved a former Champion and now ex-Gym Leader.
The Pokémon League Association symbol and an image of the Earth Badge crossed out in a red circle appeared on the screen next. "Also in the Kanto Region, the Viridian City Gym is no longer receiving challengers due to the Gym Leader's mysterious disappearance. The Pokémon League Association has declared that the Earth Badge will no longer be required for entry into the Indigo League until a replacement Gym Leader can be found. On an additional note, the Saffron City Gym will limit challenges to once a day for a week, but should resume normal operations after that. The Indigo League is scheduled to start next month, so there's still plenty of time for Trainers to earn their badges. After this short commercial, stay tuned for the Johto news after the break."
A commercial about Pokémon-shaped noodles in cheesy sauce appeared on the television. I looked at my Pokégear and saw it was getting late. I smiled as I picked up the sleeping Pikachu and carried her back to our room.
After waking up and getting ready for the day, I stepped outside and took a deep breath. "Ready for the last Gym battle, Lightning?"
She yawned, then replied, "I guess so. Who are you choosing?"
As we walked to the Gym, I strategized, "Flower has a disadvantage, and Rocky's not good with Psychic attacks. And you look pretty tired yourself."
"So it's Swirls and Errol?"
I confidently nodded. "It'll be tough, but I know they can do it. Why don't you get some rest, Lightning?"
She was about to protest when she dozed on my shoulder. I softly grinned as I returned her. I then arrived in front of the Gym, which was right next to Master Kiyo's dojo. It was a large half-circle building with a gold dome in the center. As I approached the doors, they automatically opened. Slightly disappointed it wasn't opened by telekinesis, I walked inside and saw the male receptionist looking at a spoon.
While he was concentrating on bending it, he muttered, "Sabrina's waiting for you in the battle hall, Summer."
He then motioned the two doors open with his left hand. Slightly impressed, I entered a room with a battlefield covered with dirt. On the opposite side, Sabrina was sitting in a gold chair lined with green velvet. Five Pokéballs and one on a creepy looking doll with a white hat and dress sat on a nearby shelf.
She smiled as the closed the doors with her powers. "Welcome, Summer. I've been waiting for our battle. Are you ready?"
I firmly nodded. "I believe so."
She nodded in agreement as a woman in a white lab coat walked to the referee's box. There was no television, but the female referee used her psychic powers to create the images of our faces and the two empty spots.
"This match will be a two on two singles battle between Summer from Hoenn and Miss Sabrina, the Saffron City Gym Leader. The challenger is allowed to switch her Pokémon and will have the first move. The winner will be decided when the opponent's two Pokémon are unable to battle. Do you agree to these rules, Summer from Hoenn?"
I nodded, awaiting Sabrina's first Pokémon.
"Very well. Trainers, choose your first Pokémon!"
Sabrina summoned a Pokéball from the shelf. "Come on out, Mr. Mime."
A pink, white, and red humanoid Pokémon with black horns and feet jumped out then began miming with his hands.
[Mr. Mime, the Barrier Pokémon. A Mr. Mime is a master of pantomime. It can convince others that something unseeable actually exists. Once believed, the imaginary object does become real.]
Hmmm… So this is more a tricky, defensive Pokémon… Maybe this Pokémon will disrupt the pace.
"Go Swirls!" Swirls happily jumped out of her Pokéball, ready to battle again.
"Ready to roll, Dudette!" she shouted as her and Mr. Mime's pictures appeared in their respective glowing slots.
"Battle begin!" the referee shouted.
"Swirls, use Water Gun!" I shouted, pointing at the still miming Pokémon.
As she sprayed a forceful stream of water, Sabrina softly smiled. "Mr. Mime, Light Screen."
He happily nodded and formed a yellow barrier with his hands. The Water Gun hit him with half of its normal power when it passed through the Light Screen.
Great, he knows Light Screen… I bet he knows Reflect as well, but I should let him use it…
"Swirls, use Ice Punch!" I commanded while forming a fist.
"You got it!" Her right hand became surrounded with light blue energy and it started to get a little cold on my side of the field.
As she ran forward, Sabrina nodded and Mr. Mime formed a pink barrier. Swirls was able to hit her opponent, but it didn't knock him off his feet.
Sabrina pondered my strategy. "Interesting, Summer. You knew Mr. Mime knows two of the barrier defense moves, but you still let him do it. I'd like to know how you'll counter this."
Before I started my long thought process, I remembered my battle with Giovanni's Nidoking. I grinned, slightly surprising the Gym Leader.
"Swirls, use Doubleslap!"
As the Poliwhirl held out her hand, Sabrina countered, "Psychic."
The Pokémon's eyes glowed pink and the attack was so fast, Swirls didn't have a chance to see it coming. She slammed into the wall on my left, but she was able to pull herself off and jumped back onto the field.
"Are you okay, Swirls?" I asked.
"No sweat, Dudette." Though she said she was fine, her panting revealed otherwise.
The Gym Leader giggled. "I know what you're trying to do. Just because I helped Giovanni with special attack doesn't mean I didn't attend his other training sessions."
So she saw through it. In that case…
"Swirls, use Ice Punch!"
Despite knowing it wasn't going to be as effective, she trusted me enough to charge the attack.
Sabrina softly shook her head. "Mr. Mime, end this with Psychic."
Mr. Mime nodded and shot another blast of pink energy. Swirls then understood my plan and hit the Psychic with her fist. The punch was so strong that it returned the pink energy back to its user. The Barrier Pokémon was shocked but was able to block the attack, which passed through the barrier normally. When he lowered his arms, Swirls was right in front of him.
"Great job, Swirls! Now use Hypnosis!"
Mr. Mime had no counterattack and fell asleep to the close range attack. I thought Sabrina slightly gritted her teeth, but she hid it with her smile.
Feeling the time was right, I shouted, "Water Gun!"
Swirls sprayed the water in front of her opponent, shattering the Light Screen. Mr. Mime then woke up and shook off the water.
Sabrina then commanded, "Hurry, Mr. Mime. Light Screen."
"I don't think so! Swirls, finish him with Ice Punch!"
Before Me. Mime could even raise his hands, Swirls hit him so hard, the Reflect broke as well. The Pokémon slammed into the wall to the right of Sabrina, slumped to the ground, and was unable to move.
The referee examined the fallen Pokémon. "Mr. Mime is unable to battle! Swirls wins!"
"You did it, Swirls!" I happily shouted as Mr. Mime's picture disappeared from the phantasmal screen.
"Thanks to you, Dudette!"
Sabrina smiled ominously as she returned her Pokémon and exchanged his Pokéball with the one sitting in the doll's lap.
"Excellent strategy, Summer. Taking advantage of the defensive barriers like that. You've learned quite a bit, but it won't be the same with this Pokémon. Come out, Alakazam."
A large golden yellow Pokémon with a long beard levitated out of her Pokéball. He played with the two spoons in his hands and made a battle pose.
[Alakazam, the Psi Pokémon and the final evolved form of Abra. While it has strong psychic abilities and high intelligence, an Alakazam's muscles are very weak. It uses psychic power to move its body.]
That must be Sabrina's strongest Pokémon… I should wait to see how strong he is.
When the referee saw I wasn't going to exchange Pokémon, she added Alakazam's image and shouted, "Battle begin!"
"Use Hypnosis, Swirls!" I shouted, hoping to get the status condition.
As Swirls formed the rings, the Gym Leader softly laughed. "I'm sorry, Summer. Safeguard, Alakazam."
The Pokémon's eyes glowed white, allowing him to create a misty white barrier. When Swirls launched the rings, they immediately dissipated as they hit the Safeguard. Alakazam smirked while Swirls and I were in shock.
Great...now Hypnosis won't work… Guess Sabrina wants to battle without any tricks.
"Something wrong, Summer?" she teased.
I smirked, trying to hide my worried expression. Sabrina smirked as well, as if she knew how I really felt.
"Swirls, use Water Gun!"
The Tadpole Pokémon inhaled and released a stream of water.
"Confusion, Alakazam." The Psychic type's eyes glowed blue as did the Water type attack. But instead of returning the water back at Swirls, he lowered it harmlessly onto the battlefield.
Oh no! She saw right through my plan!
Sabrina giggled. "Trying to use reverse psychology, I see. I know your Poliwhirl has Water Absorb. Attacking her with her own attack would be quite detrimental to my case. Finish Swirls off with Psychic, Alakazam."
"Quick, Swirls! Dodge it!"
She tried to swerve away from the pink blast of energy, but Alakazam's mastery of the move allowed it to change course and hit Swirls in the back. She collapsed head first, unable to move.
"Swirls is unable to battle! Alakazam wins!"
I sadly returned Swirls and thanked her for her hard work. I took off my last choice and threw his Pokéball. "Let's go, Errol!"
He flew out and circled the field before landing in front of me. The two Pokémon stared at each other, with Alakazam smirking.
Sabrina quietly smiled. "So this the Noctowl I've heard quite a bit about. I can't wait to see your psychic powers."
Errol hooted loudly, "I intend to display my intellect and strength to you!" He turned to me. "Ms. Summer! Let us achieve the final badge."
"You got it, Errol!" I confidently shouted as his picture appeared on the screen.
"Battle begin!"
"Errol, use Confusion!"
Errol's eyes glowed magenta as he tried to lift Alakazam up. The Pokémon just smiled and used his spoons to increase his power, overcoming Errol's attack. The Owl Pokémon became surprised while I noted the obvious difference in psychic ability.
"It seems Errol has not fully tapped into his mental potential," Sabrina sighed. "Why don't we show you how it's done, Alakazam?"
The Psychic type nodded and shot out a powerful blast of pink energy.
Knowing this would cause a lot of damage, I warned, "Errol, dodge it!"
The Noctowl's eyes focused on the oncoming attack and skillfully dodged it. Unfortunately, Alakazam was still able
to redirect it to focus on his target. Errol tried to outfly it, but it slowly inched closer to his wings.
As I tried to figure out how to help Errol, I noticed Sabrina and her Pokémon were moving their heads together.
That looks similar to the synchronized movement Blaze and I trained in. Maybe there's a way to break that concentration.
Errol was finally able to dodge the attack as the Psychic smashed into the wall and carefully landed back on the battlefield. He was panting, but more from exhaustion rather than damage.
The Gym Leader giggled. "What a determined Pokémon. But it'll take more than just physical strength to defeat us." Her Pokémon nodded solemnly.
Errol then turned his head around to look at me. "Ms. Summer, I have a strategy. I will challenge Mr. Alakazam to a psychic duel. Once I find an opening, I will inform you the moment and will do the rest."
I nodded. "Okay. Errol, use Confusion!"
The Gym Leader and her Psychic type grinned at the challenge. "I'll play your game, Summer," she responded. "Confusion as well, Alakazam."
Alakazam was surrounded with pink energy, Errol was surrounded with blue energy as both Pokémon tried to force the other to succumb to their power. But as the mental battle continued, Errol gritted in pain while Alakazam looked like he didn't take any damage.
As the Owl Pokémon started to collapse, Sabrina shook her head and muttered, "How disappointing. Finish him, Alakazam."
As Alakazam's eyes changed from blue to pink, Errol recovered and eagerly flapped his wings. Realizing what he was trying to accomplish, I shouted, "Dodge and use Peck!"
Errol waited for the right moment and shot into the air as the Psychic blast approached. As expected, the Psi Pokémon merely adjusted his eyesight to continue the attack. This time, Errol charged at the Psychic type, beak extended. Sabrina and Alakazam were shocked by such a reckless move that her Pokémon was struck by the Peck and the Psychic attack that followed it. Alakazam winced in pain but softly smiled at his opponent's cunning strategy.
"Maybe I judged too early," Sabrina reluctantly admitted. "Very well. Alakazam, finish this with Ice Punch."
The Pokémon smirked as he charged his right fist with cold, light blue energy. Just as I was about to issue a command, Errol's eyes glowed purple. I was wondering why he did that when the misty white barrier began to disappear.
"I get it! Errol use Hypnosis, then Peck!"
As Alakazam jumped up to launch the attack, he batted away the hypnotic rings with his left hand, leaving him slightly open to Errol's sharp beak. Although the Flying type landed a critical hit in his opponent's chest, he was unable to dodge the icy fist and smashed into the ceiling. Both Pokémon then fell and crashed into the battlefield, unable to move.
The referee didn't know what to do but announced, "Both Pokémon are unable to battle! This Gym match is declared a draw!"
"Errol, are you okay?" I asked, immediately running over to the Pokémon struggling to stand.
He sadly looked at me. "I am fine, Ms. Summer. I apologize I did not accomplish the victory."
I stroked his head feathers. "Well, we didn't lose either. You did really well against a Pokémon with stronger psychic powers."
Sabrina and Alakazam teleported next to us. "How true," she stated. "I haven't had a Trainer challenge me so much that I was forced to use a physical move."
The Gym Leader smiled, but I couldn't tell if it was genuine or creepy. Changing the topic, I curiously asked, "Anyway, what happens now?"
A yellow pin comprised of two circles mysteriously appeared in her hands. "The League rules state that if a Gym battle ends in a draw, the Gym Leader will determine if the challenger is worthy of their badge. However, I still believe you are not ready to have this Marsh Badge."
Errol and I were stunned. "B-but...but…" I muttered
She and her Alakazam laughed. "It is just a joke my Master tells Trainers if she feels them worthy, miss," Alakazam explained with a proper voice.
Well, I didn't think that was funny…
"And she does read minds as well," the Psi Pokémon continued.
I sweatdropped, but Sabrina smiled. "Oh stop, Alakazam. You know my powers aren't even capable of that."
The two laughed in synchronicity while Errol and I recovered slowly from the "joke".
"In any case," Sabrina changed the subject as the Marsh Badge appeared in my hands. "You and your Pokémon deserve my badge. Congratulations, Summer. You're now eligible to compete in the Indigo League."
Making sure it wasn't another trick, I tapped the pin, and it gave a soft metallic clink. Sabrina was amused by my caution, but she was relieved I knew it wasn't a fake badge.
After I put it away, Sabrina offered, "If you like, Summer, I can help Errol tap further into his psychic powers. I don't have much to do for the rest of the day."
"What do you think, Errol?" I asked as he preened himself.
He bowed. "I would be honored."
Sabrina giggled. "I'll take that as a yes. Come you two. It's time to practice concentration and inner focus."
Errol and I nodded, then we followed her into a training room, where we spent the rest of the day meditating and helping Errol strengthen his special attacks. This was just the start of our preparations for the Indigo League, but it wasn't going to end there.
Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Double Kick, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick [training with Master Kiyo]
Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Foresight, Confusion, Hypnosis, Peck
Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Ice Punch
Lightning (Pikachu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch
Flower (Ivysaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Sludge Bomb, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder
Rocky (Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Slam, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail
Questions for the Chapter:
What did you think of the Gym battle?
Will Summer have enough time to train for the Indigo League?
Summer will encounter a rival the next day. Who do you think it'll be?