A/N: A/N: Hello :) I haven't forgotten about this story. I do apologize it has take almost a month and a half for an update. Some personal stuff came up and I am now able to sit down and write. I should have another chapter out either tonight or tomorrow. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter :)
Pokemon Journey: Indigo League
Chapter 20: Body Slammed
"Colin and Ava are battling," Brandon says, stopping to watch. "This will be interesting. I haven't seen Colin's team yet."
"Come to think of it, neither have I," Chloe remarks, stepping beside Brandon.
On the field, Ivysaur comes out of her ball with a sleep powder, putting the Raticate to sleep. Growlithe follows up with an ember before being pelted by punches from a Kangaskhan. Ivysaur poisons it, letting Growlithe come in for a bite attack, scoring a direct hit.
"Interesting," Chloe says, watching intently. "Colin is using Ivysaur more for support, allowing Growlithe to attack."
"Not that information helps us, if we face them," Brandon points out.
"No but it does gives us some insight on Colin," Chloe responds. "Not just for this match."
"Ah, I understand now," Brandon says, filing away that information as well.
Raticate manages to wake up, and uses bite as a way to immobilize Growlithe. Ivysaur releases a razor leaf, allowing Growlithe to escape before being knocked out from Kangaskhan's punch. Growlithe comes in for a close range ember, managing to burn Kangaskhan before biting Raticate's tail. Raticate went berserk, attacking Kangaskhan before getting knocked out, leaving it as Growlithe vs Kangaskhan.
"Isn't Growlithe Ava's newest Pokemon?" Chloe asks Brandon.
"She is," Brandon replies, nodding. "She's putting up a good fight."
Growlithe rushes towards Kangaskhan before being halted by some sort of punch. That didn't deter Growlithe, as she gets in close this time and sinks her fangs into Kangaskhan's arm before being thrown into the air. Kangaskhan came back with a brick break attack, effectively knocking out Growlithe.
"Tough break," Chloe replies.
"Agreed. Growlithe did great," Brandon says, feeling bad for Ava. "Still, that was a great debut for Growlithe."
"Wait. That was her first time battling with Growlithe?" Chloe asks, her eyes widen in surprise.
"Yeah," Brandon nods.
"Dang," Chloe whistles, watching Saul and his partner take the stage. "Kinda glad she's not taking part this year."
"Our next battlers are Saul and Ashley vs Rick and Nick," Justin calls out. "Saul and Ashley summons Yungoos and Beedrill while Rick and Nick summon Geodude and Machop. Let the battle begin!"
Yungoos starts off the match with a dust cloud, providing cover for their team. Beedrill lands a quick twinneedle on a surprised Machop. Geodude quickly counters with a rock throw on Beedrill, causing major damage. Yungoos sends up another dust cloud, providing cover for Beedrill to fly away safely. Geodude quickly rock throws, providing Machop a place to quickly leap from. Machop is aiming right for Yungoos, with a low kick, landing a direct and critical hit, causing Yungoos to faint. Beedrill tries to land a twinneedle attack on Machop but was knocked out by a rock throw, thus ending the match.
"Well, folks. That was the last match today. If you will direct your attention to the jumbrotron, we will now show our schedule for tomorrow," Johnny says. Behind him, the remaining trainers had their profile pictures randomly shuffled. Finally, they stop, showing who they are battling. "Good luck tomorrow."
"Do you see who we are facing tomorrow?" Chloe asks.
"There," Brandon says, pointing out their opponents. "Looks like a Kyle and Roger."
"Do you see what Kyle is wearing?" Chloe asks, pointing to the pins on Kyle's uniform.
"First time I've seen that," Brandon replies. "Mind you, I am not well traveled, so maybe I've missed it."
"No. Those pins come from only one region," Misty says, stepping beside them. "I should know because I got invited to an exhibition match between their champion and ours."
"Oh?" Brandon asks, now intrigued.
"They are sponsorship pins," Misty replies. "Kyle is from Motostoke in the Galar Region. He did the gym challenge there twice before coming here to compete in the Indigo League."
"Sponsorship pins? So companies would pay you to compete?" Chloe asks.
"Details are scarce on how sponsorship works, but their champion, Leon, has a bunch on his cape," Misty explains. "The only thing I know is someone needs to endorse you before you can compete in the Wyndon Conference and from the sounds of it, it's tough to get an endorsement."
"Sounds like a tough trainer," Chloe says, gulping a little.
"Some media outlets are calling him an early favorite to win this year, though he still has to battle me," Misty says. Ava and Saul walk by at that moment, hearing the last part.
"You got this," Ava says encouragingly. "Good luck in your next match."
"Thanks. Speaking of," Chloe responds pointedly looking at Brandon.
"Guess we should go strategize. Meet afterwards for supper?" Brandon asks them.
"For sure," Saul responds, watching them leave. He turns towards Misty and Ava. "Do they have a chance?"
"A chance? Yes. Will they win? Very doubtful," Misty responds. "I've battled both of them. They show promise but they are still early in their journey. Kyle, however, has the experience. And odds are, he will have Pokemon they are unfamiliar with."
Brandon and Chloe walk towards the Pokemon Center, deep in thought. Both are processing what they heard about Kyle. They know the upcoming battle will be rough, but it goes beyond that. This goes all the way to the league, if they qualify for it. And to hear the favorite is someone who has more experience is a daunting thought. Stepping into the crowded Pokemon Center, Chloe and Brandon sits down but don't start talking right away. Finally, Chloe clears her throat.
"What sort of strategies are you thinking of for this match?" Chloe asks.
"Honestly, I'm not sure," Brandon replies, thinking. "I'm thinking of using Joltik."
"Isn't Joltik your newest Pokemon?" Chloe asks, looking at Brandon. "Why use Joltik?"
"Simple," Brandon replies. "Odds are, he won't get much battle time in the Vermilion gym. So I want to make sure he gets into one."
"That's why you used Wartortle," Chloe exclaims in realization. "Since Vermilion Gym is an electric type gym, Wartortle would be at a disadvantage."
"Exactly," Brandon nods. "Even though I won't be using Wartortle in the gym match, I want him to battle. Same with Joltik."
"That is actually smart," Chloe says, nodding in approval. "In that case, I will use Pidgey then."
"Cool. We have our pair then," Brandon says, leaning back in his chair.
"Be prepared though," Chloe warns him. "If we make it far, we will need to use our other Pokemon."
"We will cross that bridge when we get there," Brandon says, giving her a small smile. "Right now, we need to focus on the next match."
"Are you also thinking about what Misty said?" Chloe asks.
"Yeah," Brandon replies. "It is a little frightening to think about. And I am not just talking about our next battle."
"I hear you," Chloe responds. "To think we will be fighting the early favorite to win the league."
"You know what? Let's not worry about that right now," Brandon says. "Let's just worry about our match tomorrow."
"So just push it down the road?" Chloe asks, unsure.
"Yeah, but not because the league is far away," Brandon explains. "We use tomorrow as a way to see how we match up. If we lose, we lose."
"OH!" Chloe exclaims, understanding what Brandon wasn't saying directly. "I get you."
"What about getting some food?" Colin asks, sitting down with the duo. Beside him, Ava and Saul sits down as well.
"Food sounds great," Brandon says as his stomach rumbles. "Tough matches for you guys today."
"I did as well as I expected," Saul replies with a shrug. "Since I am not training every day like you guys."
"It was a tough match for sure," Colin remarks. "But the stronger trainers are the ones who can learn from defeats as well as wins."
"Exactly," Ava says, nodding her head.
"Besides, we learned a little about Colin," Chloe says, teasing Colin.
"Learn about me?" Colin asks in confusion.
"Well yeah," Ava answers. "Out of the five of us, your team remains a mystery, besides Ivysaur."
"Really?" Colin asks, chuckling. "All you need to do is ask."
"What team do you have?" Brandon asks him.
"Ivysaur, Machop, Geodude and Zubat," Colin replies.
"That is an interesting team," Ava comments. "Did you catch them in Mt. Moon?"
"I caught Geodude and Zubat there but Machop is hatched by a family member," Colin explains.
"Alright. Enough battle talk," Saul says, standing up. "Or at least, until we have some food."
"I like the way you think," Chloe says with a chuckle. She joins Saul as he lines up near the food table at the Pokemon Center.
On the table are all kinds of food items. There is pasta, chicken, pork, beef, rice, vegetables, potatoes, buns, soup, pastries, salad bar and drinks. Everyone began to pile up a plate and sat back down.
"They really went out for this place," Chloe says, taking a fork full. "The food is delicious."
"Oh I agree," Colin replies, stuffing another forkful in his mouth. "So good."
Shortly after finishing his plate, Brandon gets up and excuses himself. He wants to turn in early and be well rested for the match tomorrow. But truthfully, even though he told Chloe not to worry, he felt a little seed starting to blossom in his head. He just wants to be alone as he sits on his bed, leaning against the wall with he hands behind his head. Soon, he manages to fall asleep. Unbeknownst to him, Chloe is having the same feelings in her room as she too drifts off to sleep.
"Welcome to day two folks!" Justin speaks into the microphone. He is once again seated beside Johnny. "To kick off the battles today, we have Chloe Summers and Brandon Adams, both from Pallet Town against Roger Brown from Virbank City in the Unova Region and Kyle Anderson from Motostoke in the Galar Region."
"Ready?" Chloe asks Brandon. They are both standing in the hallway, staring out to the battle field.
"Ready," Brandon nods.
"What about the crowd?" Chloe asks gently.
"Still not comfortable but I can manage," Brandon replies, sending her a small smile.
"Good. If you feel overwhelmed, look towards me and we will cover you," Chloe tells him, sending that smile back.
"Thank you," Brandon says softly. Just then, they hear their cue to enter the field. Stepping into the light, Chloe and Brandon hear the claps as all four trainers enter. Brandon takes a deep breath, tuning out the crowd. They meet their opponents at center field with the ref.
"Heads or tails?" the ref asks both duos.
"Heads," Chloe calls out.
The ref flips a coin, landing on tails. He looks at Kyle and Roger. "Do you want first reveal or first attack?"
"First reveal," Kyle immediately calls out, looking at Roger, who nodded.
"Very well," the ref nods. He signals both duos back to their respective sides. "Let the match begin!"
"Greedent, come on out!" Kyle shouts, summoning his partner.
'Woobat, I need your help!" Roger commands, also summoning his partner.
A small brown squirrel like Pokemon emerges from Kyle's Pokeball. Its bushy tail stands straight up in the air, as Greedent stands perfectly still, glaring at Brandon and Chloe while a small white cotton ball Pokemon with small black wings and a small heart shaped nose emerges and begins to flap around excitedly. Brandon pulls out his pokedex to scan them.
"Greedent, the Greedy Pokemon. Normal type. Common throughout the Galar region, this Pokémon has strong teeth and can chew through the toughest of berry shells."
"Woobat, the Bat Pokemon. While inside a cave, if you look up and see lots of heart-shaped marks lining the walls, it's evidence that Woobat live there. "
"Lovely Pokemon," Brandon mutters, re pocketing his dex. He draws a Pokeball. "Alright Joltik. This is your battle debut. Let's make it count!"
"Pidgey, I need your help!" Chloe shouts, summoning her partner.
Joltik lands on the ground, staring at his opponents. He seems to be calm and collected, something that surprises Brandon. He files that away with working at the Power Plant. Pidgey emerges in the air, flapping his wings, staying above Joltik.
"Joltik, use string shot on Pidgey as a rope and climb onto his back!" Brandon shouts out.
"Pidgey, once Joltik is on your back, come in low and tackle on Greedent!" Chloe shouts.
Joltik fires a string shot towards Pidgey, which lands on Pidgey's talon and proceeds to climb onto his back. Pidgey, once he feels Joltik's tiny claws on his back, opens his wings and glides in low along the round, aiming for Greedent.
"Woobat, use attract on Pidgey!" Roger counters, not knowing if this move would work.
"Greedent, use belly drum!" Kyle commands.
Woobat flies towards Pidgey and does a barrel roll before sending a wink towards Pidgey. Pidgey falls for the wink, staring lovely at Woobat, momentarily dropping Pidgey to the ground. Meanwhile, Joltik drops from Pidgey's back, ready to battle. Meanwhile, Greedent begins to hit his stomach.
"Joltik, use electroweb on Woobat!" Brandon shouts, pointing towards Woobat, who is flying overhead.
"Pidgey, snap out of it and use tackle on Woobat!" Chloe shouts.
"Woobat, confusion on Pidgey!" Roger counters again.
"Greedent, body slam on Joltik!" Kyle commands.
Woobat flaps its wings and releases a quick purple attack, aimed at Pidgey, who has heart eyes for Woobat, and gets hit by it. Joltik manages to fire off an electric net-looking move, hitting Woobat directly, causing damage. It manages to singe one of the wings, slowing it down. Joltik, however, failed to notice the shadow coming at it, as Greedent comes flying in and smashes into Joltik, dealing massive amount of damage. Joltik goes down, though he struggles to stand up, not willing to give up.
"We need to take care of that Greedent," Chloe tells Brandon.
"Think Pidgey can handle it for now?" Brandon asks, watching Joltik struggling to get up. "Not sure how much more Joltik can take."
"Leave Greedent to us," Chloe promises. "Pidgey, use gust on Greedent!"
"Joltik, you can do this buddy," Brandon says encouragingly. "Use electroweb again on Woobat!"
"Roger, focus on Joltik," Kyle orders his partner. "Greedent, ignore the Pidgey and use another body slam on Joltik!"
"Woobat, use gust on Joltik!" Roger calls out, following Kyle's lead.
Pidgey begins to flap his wings, causing a small whirlwind and fires it off towards Greedent. Joltik, barely standing up, releases another electroweb at Woobat, scoring another direct hit and causing it to fall to the ground, stopping its attack. Greedent rushes at Joltik, jumping into the air and coming down with force before getting hit by the gust. The gust does some damage but not enough to cause Greedent to smash into Joltik, causing Joltik to collapse on the ground. With a satisfied smile, Greedent, watches Joltik yet that smile falters, as Joltik, very slowly, lifts himself up on shaky legs, still ready to battle despite his condition.
"I'm impressed," Kyle shouts from his side. "Your Joltik has guts."
Brandon watches for a second before looking at Chloe and pulling out Joltik's ball. "Sorry Chloe but return Joltik. You battled hard. Thank you. I forfeit."
"Will you look at that folks? Brandon forfeits, leaving Pidgey to handle both Woobat and Greedent by himself. How will Chloe fare?" Johnny shouts above the crowd.
"I understand," Chloe says. She thinks for a moment before pulling out her ball and returning Pidgey as well. "I also forfeit. Return Pidgey. I'm proud of you."
"Kyle and Roger win this round, so they will advance to the next match," Justin yells into the microphone.
Brandon, Chloe, Kyle, and Roger meet in the middle of battlefield and shake hands. Once done, they exit the field and go their separate ways. Brandon leans against the wall, taking a deep breath. Brandon feels guilty for giving up but the way Joltik looked, he had no choice but to forfeit. Saul taught him that in Pewter City. He feels a presence and looks up to find Chloe standing beside him, with a smile on her face.
"That was fun," Chloe says brightly.
"I'm sorry," Brandon says quietly.
"You have nothing to apologize for," Chloe tells him. "If that would have been Pidgey, I would have done the same thing."
"So you aren't mad?" Brandon asks.
"Why would I be? This was my first time battling in a tournament," Chloe replies, a smile on her face still. "Sure, I would have liked to go further but I had fun. I got to battle alongside you, got to visit with friends, and meet new people. What more can I ask for?"
"I... wow. I never thought of it like that," Brandon says, slowly looking at the bright side.
"I look at it like this," Chloe tells him. "The road to the Pokemon League is long. You will win battles and you will lose battles. I find it best not to dwell on the losses or they will slowly weigh your down."
"Thanks," Brandon says gratefully.
"Anytime," Chloe says, smiling at him. She begins to walk towards the Pokemon Center. "Now, come on. Our friends await."
As soon as they entered the Pokemon Center, Brandon gives Joltik to Nurse Joy to get checked out and sit down. Soon, Joltik is given back to him and Brandon quickly rejoins his friends.
"Tough loss," Saul says sympathetically.
"No sense in dwelling on the loss," Brandon says, with a nod towards Chloe. "Just have to learn from it and move on."
"Good to hear," Ava says. "So now what?"
"As much as I would like to watch the next matches, I want to get a move on and start training," Colin replies, eating a sandwich. "So, as soon as I am done eating, I think I will head out."
"Same with me," Chloe says, eating a bowl of soup. "I'm determined to get as much training as I can."
"Well, I'm off to Vermilion City for a match," Saul tells them, also eating a bowl of soup.
"Well, it looks like we are heading to Vermilion City as well," Brandon says, looking at Ava for confirmation. "Unless if you want to stay and watch."
"I'm good. Let's go," Ava says, finishing her food.
Soon, the five friends are standing at the exit of the Underground Path, ready to take on the next adventure. Before they can take a step, they are stopped.
"You guys already heading out?" Misty asks them.
"Yeah," Chloe tells her. "Think we are all eager to resume our journies. Thank you very much for the hospitality and I look forward to coming back to the Underground Path at some point."
"You guys remind me of someone I once traveled with," Misty chuckles. She pulls out her phone and gives them her number. "If you guys need anything, don't hesitate to call. Best of luck in your future gym battles. It will only get harder from here on out."
"Thank you for everything," Brandon says, bowing slightly before heading onto route 6. Standing there, the five friends says farewell before Colin and Chloe disappear into the distance. Saul, however, stays back and looks at Ava and Brandon.
"It seems like we are traveling in the same direction now right?" Saul asks them.
"I believe so," Brandon replies.
"Would it be alright if I come along with you guys?" Saul asks.
Brandon and Ava look at each other and nod. "The more the merrier. Welcome aboard!"
Team Listings:
Brandon Adams:
Wartortle - Male, Torrent ability. Knows Water Pulse, (Mystery Move), Withdraw, Rapid Spin
Tangela - Male, Leaf Guard ability. Knows Bind, Stun Spore, Mega Drain, Growth
Nidoran – Female – Poison Point ability. Knows Growl, Poison Sting, Double Kick
Joltik – Male, unknown ability. Knows: Shockwave, Electroweb, String Shot
Ava Mcarthur:
Umbreon - Female. Run Away ability. Knows growl , Quick Attack, Double Kick, Snarl
Omanyte - Male. Weak Armor ability. Knows: Withdraw, Constrict
Growlithe – Female. Flash Fire. Knows: Ember, Bite
Saul Raymond
Yungoos – Male. Unknown Ability. Knows Tackle, Sand attack, Leer
Pikipek – Female (Shiny). Knows Peck, Growl
Mantyke – Unknown Ability. Unknown moves