After a grueling battle, Summer had to use Blaze against her battle with Weldon. Despite his will to battle, Blaze was hurt badly by Weldon's Fearow. This caused Summer to reluctantly forfeit her match. With the crowd's jeers negatively affecting her, she also pushed Weldon away, who tried to convince her he had nothing to do with her attack. Now, everyone Summer knows has been affected by the battle in some way, especially Weldon. What are their opinions and will Summer recover from her traumatic loss?

Chapter 55: Turmoil

Ariel, Rai, Carlos, and Candy left the Indigo League Stadium last, discouraged not by their friend's loss but by the negative reaction from the crowd. Samir, also upset at what happened, left earlier to check on Weldon.

"That was totally uncalled for!" Rai frustratingly yelled. "The crowd didn't know what happened to her and Blaze!"

Carlos placed his hands behind his head. "I agree. But if I didn't know what happened, I would've come to that conclusion as well. After all, Kantonians hate forfeits, which are considered to be a sign of a Trainer's weakness."

Candy nodded, trying to hide her sadness. "I hope she's okay. Not because she's my friend or anything. I just want to make sure I can beat her the next time we meet!"

Ariel frustratingly sighed as she hung up her purple Pokégear. She'd been trying to get a hold of Summer ever since the end of the battle, but she never picked up.

"No luck still, Ariel?" Rai asked.

Ariel stared at her phone, then looked at them. "No… Where did she go? I'm getting worried..."

Suddenly her Pokégear rang. She immediately answered the call without looking at the caller ID and shouted, "Summer, is that you?"

Sorry Ariel. This is Nurse Lilac from the Pokémon Center. I'm calling to inform you Summer came by a few minutes ago to drop off her Pokémon. She told me to let you know she wants to be left alone for now. But you're welcome to come and check on her Pokémon.

"Okay, thanks Nurse Lilac," the red-haired girl said and ended the call.

"Nurse Lilac called you?" Carlos asked. "What did she say?"

She looked at her new friends. "She said Summer came by and dropped her Pokémon off. I'm going to check up on them."

"Okay," Candy acknowledged. "We'll find a place for dinner."

"When you find Summer," Rai added. "Can you invite her? We want to celebrate her making it farther than all of us."

Ariel cheerfully smiled. "Of course!" She then ran to the Pokémon Center, hoping her friend's Pokémon weren't badly injured.

In a brightly lit room filled with rows of soft, portable beds, Lightning's eyes fluttered then slowly opened.

Was I injured that badly? she thought as she painfully sat up. Her tail and ears felt heavier than usual; when she touched them, she realized they were covered in soft yet durable bandages. She saw the sun from the two windows across from her, then looked around.

Her teammates were resting on the beds next to her: Blaze, Errol, and Swirls to her left and Flower and Rocky to her right. Unlike everyone else, Rocky was curled up in the corner near the door due to his size and weight. She was about to check on her friends when they all stirred.

"Is everyone okay?" the Pikachu asked, trying to stay steady.

"I'm okay," Flower softly responded. Her head was bandaged, covering her left ear. "That Thunder was powerful, despite my type advantage."

Rocky growled as he tried to stay compact, "I don't feel too bad. I've suffered worse against Carlos' previous training."

"But what about Blaze dude?" Swirls worriedly asked. Her stomach was covered in healing ointment and wrapped in gauze.

Errol winced as he stood up, still recovering from the headache. Despite the pain, he scanned the Fire type with his psychic powers. Blaze was lying on his left side and didn't get up like the rest. He was covered in the most bandages, wrapping around his head and stomach.

Errol surmised, "He appears to be physically fine. But he does require more rest than we do."

"I can't believe it…" Flower said, dejected. "We lost…"

Rocky looked at Blaze, then the door. "I know. But I'm more worried about Summer."

"That's right!" Swirls gasped in realization. "Where is the Dudette? She's usually here when we wipeout."

Errol scanned the building with his magenta-glowing eyes. "I cannot find her inside the Pokémon Center. Ms. Summer must be elsewhere."

"But where could she have gone?" Pikachu worriedly asked.

The door slowly opened.

"It's the red-hair dudette!" Swirls shouted as Ariel walked inside.

"Yup, it's me Swirls. How's everyone doing?"

"We're fine, but a bummer Blaze dude's still hurt. By the way, have you seen the Dudette?"

Ariel sadly shook her head. "No, and I've tried to call her. I have no idea where she could've gone either."

Lightning carefully leaped off her bed and slightly winced as she landed. "We have...to go...find her…"

"But Lightning," Flower politely objected. "How can we find her if we don't have a clue? Errol can't fly as well and most of us can't move far."

Lightning was about to reluctantly agree when Rocky slightly moved. "I can carry everyone. I'm not as badly injured that I can't slither at all. Errol can stand on my head and look for her."

"An excellent idea, Mr. Rocky!" Errol exclaimed. "We must all make haste."

Suddenly, shifting sounds caught their attention. Everyone turned to the back of the room and saw Blaze looking at them.

"I thought you were asleep, Blaze," Flower replied.

"I was listening. At least let me go with you."

"But Blaze!" Lightning protested as he painfully stood up. "You're still hurt!"

"And so are the rest of you. Listen, I know my injuries look extreme, but they're not as awful as what Summer's feeling now. We all need to be there for her, especially me."

The team members looked at each other and nodded. After Swirls told Ariel about their planned, she left to get their Pokéballs in case they needed it.

"Okay, everyone," Blaze announced. "Let's go find Summer."

Weldon angrily stomped out of the stadium, trying to find his so-called "brother". Of all the conceited acts, this is the worst!

When he finally found him at the park, sitting on a bench, Stanley gave a sly grin. "So…how did it go?" he nudged, seemingly oblivious to the younger boy's anger.

Weldon grabbed onto Stanley's hoodie with both hands. "What did you do to Summer, Stanley?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about…" the teen tried to play off.

But Weldon wasn't buying it and gripped the clothing harder. "You injured her and Blaze! I thought it was suspicious when our match was delayed, but when I saw Blaze's injury, I knew it was from your Charizard's Slash attack."

"So what?" Stanley argued, easily freeing himself from Weldon's grip with a simple swing of his right arm. "You still battled anyway. And you even made the injury worse."

Weldon bit his lip. He's right…

"In the end, you still battled because you wanted to win. Is it because of our family legacy? Or because the Champion can get access to-"

"How dare you insinuate either of those things!" Weldon roared. "Especially from a Trainer who intimidates others and uses force when things don't go his way."

Stanley stood up, pulled up his sleeves, and growled, "Oh, now you've crossed the line…"

He was about to punch his younger brother when a deep voice shouted, "Hold it!"

The two turned towards the east and saw Samir, Red, and an official from the Pokémon League Association. The man had a navy blue suit, khaki slacks, and a badge displaying the PLA symbol on his left breast pocket. The Champion and Stanley glared at each other, only breaking eye contact when the official handed the younger teenager an envelope also bearing the PLA symbol.

Stanley hastily ripped it open and read its one-page contents. When he finished, he tried to contain his anger. "You're suspending me from official League tournaments?"

"That's right," the official firmly explained. "I just received word from Red about your interference in the match between Summer Scorcher and Weldon Leland. Henceforth, you are suspended from participating in any Leagues and tournaments hosted by the Pokémon League Association for two years. Any word of your participation will be subject to fines and eventual suspension of your Trainer's license."

Stanley laughed. "So, Red. You still despise me because of my family's power and influence?"

The official took out another piece of paper and read, "Red says this, 'I don't despise you because of your heritage as a Leland and a King. I just despise your cruel attitude towards your Pokémon and any Trainer you meet.'"

Stanley nervously chuckled. "How you know what to say, I don't know. But I can say this." He hissed at the silent Trainer, "I will challenge you when I'm ready, and when I do, I'll become the new Champion."

Red just scoffed and shooed him away. Stanley walked away towards the hotel. "I'm checking out early, Weldy."

"Good riddance. I don't want to see you again," Weldon angrily replied.

After the disgraced teen left, Red nodded to the official in gratitude. The official bowed, then left.

"Are you okay, Weldon?" Samir asked. "I was worried when you ran after Summer but didn't come back for the Final Four interviews."

"Yeah? Well maybe I shouldn't even be in the Final 4…" Weldon bitterly spat.

Red sensed the boy's conflicted emotions and motioned the two to follow him. They did, and they walked to Red's office at the Indigo League headquarters. There, Pika was waiting for them, along with two wooden chairs.

When Weldon and Samir sat down, Red handed his trusty partner a roll of paper. He whispered some instructions, then the Pikachu ran outside, carrying the message in his teeth. The Champion then closed the door and sat down in front of his guests.

"That was really an exciting battle, Weldon," Red complimented.

Samir was slightly surprised. "You actually talk, Red?"

He nodded. "Yeah, to people I trust. Sorry I couldn't talk to you earlier during the Saffron City incident, Samir. I just wasn't sure about you since I never saw you battle."

Samir sheepishly grinned. "Not at all! It's really nice to talk to the 'Silent Champion" anyway."

Red then looked at the crestfallen Weldon. "Are you really not going to continue, Weldon?"

"I don't know…" He placed his fists on his knees. "I want to keep going...but those mean comments she said…"

"I know what she said," the teenager casually replied. "I was shocked at how the battle ended so I went to the north locker room. I overheard your conversation, and I don't think she really meant it. Her emotions were also shaken up by the crowd."

"I have a question, Red," Samir pointed out. "Since Stanley was involved with the match's outcome, would there be a rematch?"

Red sighed and shook his head. "No. The rules state that cheating has to be reported before a tournament match. Since Summer never told the Pokémon League Association what happened, there can't be a rematch."

Samir protested, "But that's not fair!

"I know it's not. But it seems Summer might not want to battle anyway. Her spirit seems to be broken."

Red took out a newspaper from a desk drawer and showed the two an upcoming issue of the Kanto Times. "I got this issue early. It's a pretty ignorant article, if I do say so myself."

The title read, "Summer Chickens Out: The Top 8 Match between Weldon Leland and Summer Scorcher".

Weldon's hands trembled as he held the paper. "Th-They're blowing this out of proportion!"

"That's crazy!" Samir wholeheartedly agreed. "Who would write such an article in a respectable newspaper?"

"Does this make you want to continue, Weldon?" Red asked, happy to see the correct response from the two boys.

"But what can I do if I win?"

Red put the newspaper away. "If you become the tournament winner, you have some authority in the region. I'm sure the press is also going to ask you about this match during the winner interview. So, if you speak the truth, then Summer would be vindicated. The only question is, do you care enough to use your win to help your rival?"

Weldon didn't have to think about this any longer. "Yes, I will."

It's all my fault! I bitterly thought as I limped through the town. Luckily, people were still occupied with the battles at the stadium so the streets were quiet. At least no one's here to mock me for something I had no control over…

Eventually, I found a bench that overlooked the vast peak of Mt. Silver, the easternmost edge of the Johto Region. Blinded by a new set of tears, I stumbled as I tried to sit down. It took me a while, but I was able to get into a comfortable position.

I don't know what to think… I believe Weldon wasn't involved… But why did he continue the battle? Or maybe I shouldn't have used Blaze at all and forfeited then. No...that would've caused more issues… Maybe I shouldn't even be a Trainer anymore… I put all of my Pokémon in harm's way. Even Nurse Lilac said it they need an extra few days to recover…

I closed my eyes and tried to forget what happened, but echoes of the crowd's jeers rang inside my mind. This only made me cry more.

I heard something heavy slithering towards me, but I ignored it, not wanting to interact with anyone.

"Summer?"

I looked behind me and saw Ariel and my Pokémon with concerned looks.

"Are you okay, Summer?" Rocky asked.

Errol, Flower, Lightning, and Swirls carefully got off and walked towards me. I flinched when I saw their bandages and looked away.

Ariel smiled and hugged me. "I'll leave you guys alone. I won't be far, so just call me when you're done, okay?"

I nodded, and she left. I then turned to my Pokémon. "How come you're not resting at the Pokémon Center?"

"We learned you weren't waiting for us, Summer, so we decided to go look for you," Flower explained softly.

"But…your injuries…"

"Ms. Summer!" Errol shouted, irritated. He tried to flap his arms but the pain made him think otherwise. "We are all injured. But we are more worried about your mental well-being, especially Mr. Blaze!"

I started to cry again, but to my surprise, Blaze got off Rocky and approached me. "Summer, please don't cry. No matter what happens to me, I'll be fine. We'll all be fine. What matters to us the most is that you're fine."

Everyone else nodded firmly.

"I...I don't know what to say…" I mumbled.

Lightning jumped onto my lap despite her bandaged tail. She nuzzled my hand and I happily petted her head.

Blaze chuckled as he sat to my right. "Then say this: let's renew our team promise so everyone knows. All of us here promise to care for each other and trust each other. Through battles, conflicts, and hard times. Even if our team members change, we'll do the same with them. Right everyone?"

Errol jumped onto the top of the bench to my left and puffed out his chest. "I concur. Especially since I am the second-in-command!"

"Second-in-command?" Swirls howled then burst into laughter. "That's bogus, man! You stole Blaze dude's lingo!" We all laughed as well, slightly annoying the Noctowl. But she sat on my left and said, "I got all our backs. Especially you, Dudette."

"I knew I found the right Trainer when I first met you, Summer," Flower acknowledged as she affectionately rubbed her head against my left leg. "And I like battling alongside all of you. I will do my best."

Rocky leaned his head in between me and Blaze. "I feel the same way as Flower does. You believed in me when no one else wanted to. I want to keep traveling with you and everyone else, Summer."

I was so touched by everyone's compassion for me and each other that this time, I cried tears of happiness. Maybe it's still worthwhile being a Trainer after all…

Suddenly I heard a faint bird-like cry in front of us. We all looked at Mt. Silver and saw something take off from its pewter-gray peak. It was hard to tell because of the setting sun, but I could make out a bird Pokémon with green and white tips on its wings. It soared towards Johto, then out of sight as the sun dipped lower, causing the sky to display purple and dark blue hues.

Was that Pokémon watching us? I don't know why, but I have a strong feeling we'll meet it again.

"Sorry, Summer. Am I interrupting?"

We turned to the left and saw Pika walk towards us, a rolled up note in his hands.

"Brother!" Lightning exclaimed.

"How are you feeling, Lightning?"

She sighed. "Could be better. What're you doing here?"

Pika handed me the paper, and I knelt down and took it. I read its contents and said, "Red wants to see me in his office."

"When?" Blaze asked.

"During the last round of the junior division championship match."

"I cannot comprehend why the Champion would like you to arrive at this exact time," Errol mused.

Pika shrugged. "Beats me. Can you make it?"

I nodded. "Of course. My ankle should be better then."

The older Pikachu nodded and said, "Go ahead and write your response on the paper, and I'll give it to him."

I took out a black pen from my backpack and did just that. We waved goodbye to Pika as he ran back into town with the paper in his mouth.

"Okay, everyone. Let's go back and see everyone." They all nodded and I called Ariel, letting her know I was done. After I hung up, I was so tired that I couldn't even make it to the dinner my friends planned out. But we rescheduled to meet during the closing festival happening in two days. Luckily, the championship matches were on that day as well, so I focused on resting and making sure my Pokémon were okay. I couldn't believe that once the last matches are done, my first journey would be over.

Pokémon: Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Fire Punch, Double Kick, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick; Sky Uppercut- learning

Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, moves: Psychic, 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, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail

Questions for the Chapter:

Who will be in the finals for the junior division tournament?

What was the Pokémon Summer and her team saw?

What would Summer do next once the Indigo League concludes?