Chapter 9: The Third Gym Part 2
It seemed to take forever for either side to make a move. Trace and Surge stared each other down for a full minute, trying to figure one another out and pick the right move to make. Who dared to call the first attack? June could imagine what either side was thinking: any wrong move would spell disaster so they had to tread carefully. Eventually, Trace broke the silence.
"Let's make this quick! Use Drill Run!" he commanded.
Nidoking launched himself towards Raichu with his whole body spinning around in a giant purple twister. Raichu stood its ground and waited for Nidoking to come close. Then at the last second, it dodged out of the way. Nidoking struck the floor, leaving a huge dent in it and he dug a bit of the floor up as his horn churned through it. He stopped spinning and turned to see Raichu standing nearby. Trace could tell what Raichu's tactics were. Its Electric attacks were useless against Nidoking so it was going to rely on speed to dodge his Drill Runs and wear him down. Then once Nidoking was too tired to continue, Raichu would use whatever attacks it knew to finish the job.
"It's the Gym Leader's ace so this was never gonna be easy." Trace acknowledged, "But we can win this for sure! Another Drill Run!"
Nidoking launched himself at Raichu again but once again, the electric mouse Pokémon dodged the attack.
"Ya shouldn't keep tryin' da same thing over and over kid! Dat just makes ya predictable!" Lt. Surge crowed, "And since Raichu knows what Nidoking can do, he'll always be prepared for yer Drill Runs! As for you, here's a move ya ain't prepared for! Raichu, use Surf!"
"WHAT?!" Trace gasped in alarm.
"No way, Raichu can use Surf?!" June exclaimed.
"Talk about having a back-up plan for Ground types!" Ray exclaimed.
All eyes were on Raichu as he raised his stubby arms and conjured up a wave of water out of nowhere. It was like magic as the wave just suddenly appeared and swept towards Nidoking. The Poison/Ground Pokémon was washed away by the wave of water and he sprawled across the floor. He was completely soaked and looking as if he wouldn't be able to carry on much longer. Trace was worried. He didn't want to lose Nidoking at this stage as he was his best weapon against Raichu. He had to win it with Nidoking or else he'd struggle! Nidoking picked himself up and shook off the water. It was clear that a bit of water wouldn't stop him so easily. Lt. Surge cackled coolly.
"Over time, I got so fed up of people just comin' at me with Ground-types dat I knew my Electric Pokémon needed a back-up plan to overcome their inability ta use their Electric attacks!" he explained, "Ya saw already with Electabuzz knowing Ice Punch but Raichu knowing Surf is my ace-in-da-hole! Challengers are so thrown by dat sudden move dat dey soon end up folding to Raichu's superior power!"
"I'll admit, I didn't see that coming." Trace murmured, "But I shouldn't have been surprised. Pikachu and Raichu are able to learn Surf and it's basically their best weapon against the Ground-types they struggle against. I should've been ready for that!"
In the stands, Ray absorbed this information with great interest. He didn't know his species could learn Surf. It would be handy to have a Water-type move to shoo off Ground-types like so!
When Trace and June are done here, I should try learning Surf… he murmured in his thoughts.
He liked the idea of surprising his opponents by suddenly throwing water at them, especially Ground-types that thought they'd be safe and he wouldn't be able to do any damage to them. He looked back to Trace as he and Nidoking made their next move. Trace was tempted to order another Drill Run but he decided against it. No, Surge would expect that move! He had to be unpredictable! So what could he do instead? He thought for a minute and then looked over to the dent in the floor Nidoking had made after missing Raichu earlier. Maybe he could dig under the floor using Drill Run? That would surprise Raichu!
"This might not work, but here goes. Use Drill Run and dig under the floor!" Trace commanded.
The army lieutenant recoiled incredulously. He'd never heard anyone call a command like that before! Nidoking jumped into the air, aimed down at the floor face first and then drilled down into it, burrowing under the floor like a giant purple mole. Raichu gulped, feeling nervous now he had no idea where Nidoking would come up. June was impressed. She'd never seen Drill Run used that way before. Trace was proving to be an inventive trainer when backed into a corner! Nidoking stayed under the floor for a couple of minutes. Surge imagined he was being deliberate in buying his time. He wanted to lower his guard so he and Raichu wouldn't be prepared for his attack.
"Keep a good listen out Raichu! Dat Nidoking could pop up any time!" Surge barked.
The moment he finished talking, the ground started to shake under Raichu's feet. Because Raichu had been listening to Surge's command at the time, he didn't have time to listen out for Nidoking so he was too slow to react. The dinosaur-like Pokémon erupted from under the floor, throwing Raichu up into the air and making him cry out helplessly. He flailed around as he plummeted down to earth. Nidoking was already standing there waiting for him. Trace commanded his Pokémon to use Double Kick before Raichu could hit the floor. Nidoking jumped up and lashed out with both feet, kicking Raichu one foot at a time just before he could crash down. Raichu hurled back across the arena and into the wall behind Surge. Raichu collapsed onto the floor in a heap. He winced in pain and forced himself back onto his feet. Surge continued to feel impressed with Trace's battle prowess. For a newcomer, he sure was a strong trainer! If he was this good, how good was his friend? He looked to June, who smiled queasily back at him. He was sure this girl was going to be just as tough as Trace was when her turn came. Surge looked to Raichu. Despite Nidoking's best efforts, the orange Pokémon looked as if he was still able to fight.
He commanded Raichu back into the battle. Nidoking tried to finish him off with one last Drill Run but Raichu sprang back by using Surf once again. A curtain of water rose up from the floor and swept over Nidoking. He tried to churn through it but the resulting weight of the whooshing wave slowed him down enough to stop the attack. Nidoking was washed away and he crashed into the metal plating on one of the walls. He hit it so hard that the metal buckled from the impact. A huge dent was left from where Nidoking had hit. The Poison/Ground Pokémon lay unconscious on the floor, unable to battle again. It had taken Surge two of his three Pokémon but at last, he'd managed to take out one of Trace's! June watched sadly as her friend returned Nidoking to his Pokéball.
"Aww, that's too bad. Nidoking was doing so well." June said solemnly.
"He fought hard." Ray agreed, "But Raichu's Surf really changed everything. Still, he's got four Pokémon left and Surge is on his last one so Trace, theoretically, should be able to just win on endurance."
"True that and he has two Pokémon that know Dig so that'll help him." June said optimistically.
Trace thanked Nidoking for his hard work and put his Pokéball away. He brought out his next Pokémon. While he still hard Charmeleon left, it would be suicide to send it out when it was still paralyzed and also weak to Water attacks like Surf. His Pidgeotto and Squirtle would also be bad choices so he only had his Eevee and Ivysaur left that would be of any use.
"I'd hoped Nidoking would carry me the rest of the way but no, gotta adapt my strategy in this case." Trace murmured, "Ivysaur, let's go!"
His Grass/Poison Pokémon materialized onto the field. June nodded in agreement. Ivysaur was a good voice as Grass-types were resistant to Electric attacks and Surf wouldn't do much damage either. Raichu would have a hard time trying to fight this Pokémon!
"A Grass-type huh? Yer full of surprises little man." Lt. Surge acknowledged, "Dis'll give me quite a work out!"
"That's the idea." Trace declared, "Electric attacks aren't very effective on Ivysaur, and neither are Water attacks, so Ivysaur's my best shot here!"
"We'll soon see!" Surge said, his voice radiating confidence and enthusiasm, "Raichu, give it a Thunderbolt!"
Raichu tensed up his body and blasted Ivysaur with the most powerful jolt of electricity it could muster up. But as expected, Ivysaur grimaced from the hit but was otherwise barely even fazed by it. It was as if Raichu hadn't even attacked it for the little amount of damage it had done!
"Use Poison Powder and then follow-up with Razor Leaf!" Trace commanded.
Ivysaur lowered its front legs and the leaves on its back rose up. A purple powder shot out from the bulb on its back and it sprinkled down all over Raichu. Raichu coughed and winced as he was instantly poisoned by the powder. With that done, Raichu would suffer a little damage over time that would give Ivysaur more of an edge in this match. Satisfied, the Grass/Poison Pokémon followed up with Razor Leaf as instructed. A shower of sharp leaves boomeranged through the air towards Raichu and they sliced into him. Each one felt as if he was being cut up by a bunch of knives. June and Ray watched excitedly as Raichu staggered backwards from the onslaught of leaves. This match was easily Trace's! He couldn't possibly lose now! Raichu was weakened from Nidoking's attacks earlier and was now poisoned by Ivysaur. Surge would need a miracle to win this battle! The Electric Gym Leader could see his back was truly against the wall now.
"Yer relentless in battle! I love it!" he praised, "It shows yer a real gutsy trainer who has the skills necessary to take da opponent down by any means necessary!"
"I sure hope so!" Trace replied, "Because I need those skills if I'm going to save my family from Team Rocket!"
"Ah, so you ARE fighting for something more than just a Gym Badge!" Surge said with a knowing smile on his face, "I thought I had ya figured out. I could see it from yer determination to win no matter what."
"You figured me out alright." Trace confirmed, "My mother's Pokémon was stolen by Team Rocket and she's quite literally sick with grief about it! And I just learned the other day that my sister is part of their team, presumably forced into it against her will! So I have to be strong and I have to win at any cost if it means I have the power to take those criminals down once and for all!"
"Now dat's some determination! Yer a man after my own heart, kid! Now allow me ta continue helping you grow stronger so ya can save yer family!" the Lightning Unovan cried hotly, "Raichu, Thunder Wave!"
Raichu held out his paws and hit Ivysaur with a funnel of electric waves that swept over the frog-like Pokémon and instantly paralyzed it. Trace gritted his teeth anxiously. That was the downside to not having any more Ground-types to use! His other Pokémon were free for Raichu to paralyze all he liked! He wasn't going to let that stop Ivysaur! He retaliated by ordering his Pokémon to use Wine Whip. Ivysaur grew a pair of vines out from the flower on its back and they extended towards Raichu, aiming to seize him and whip him around. But Raichu dodged by using Quick Attack. He sprinted quickly towards Ivysaur and ploughed straight into it. Ivysaur was knocked backwards and it coughed from the blow. Shaking its head, Ivysaur tried once more with Vine Whip. But Raichu was too fast for it. Paralysis had slowed Ivysaur's reaction time down and Raichu's Quick Attack allowed him to dodge with ease. Raichu avoided the vines again and slammed head first into Ivysaur, knocking it down onto its side. He grinned triumphantly, only to grimace as poison sapped away more of his health. Trace knew that Ivysaur still had a chance to win. Raichu may be staging a comeback, but it was still anyone's game at this point.
I have to win! I WILL win! Trace declared in his thoughts, For mom. For Tricia. For all who have had their lives ruined by Team Rocket!
Just as Trace thought about Team Rocket, the two Rocket grunts that he and June had helped Officer Jenny catch had been brought into the interrogation room for questioning. The two had been held in the Vermilion City Police Station the whole time Trace and Surge had been battling. They were sat down at a table with their hands cuffed behind them so they couldn't try attacking Officer Jenny or any other officers. They were annoyed with themselves for getting caught and were sure that if their boss knew about this, he'd be chomping at the bit to make them suffer for their failures. They were also bored out of their minds. They'd been stuck in a cell ever since their paralysis wore off and now they were being forced to wait in this bare empty room with nothing in it but a table and chairs.
"Hey, if you're gonna keep us sitting around her doing nothing, can you at least make us a sandwich or something? I'm starved!" complained one grunt.
"Do I look like it's my job to cater for prisoners?" Officer Jenny sneered, "You two will wait as long as I deem necessary. You're gonna get some VERY important visitors who would like a word with you both."
"Oh yeah? And what makes you think we'll tell these "important visitors" anything?" the second grunt snorted, "Team Rocket doesn't share secrets with anyone outside the organization!"
"Oh I think you two will, especially when you meet this guest…" the policewoman purred.
Fifteen minutes later, the very special guests finally arrived and were shown into the interrogation room. The grunts balked as they found themselves face-to-face with Ruby & Hop Silverlock and Ash Ketchum themselves. As the silver-haired woman strode into the room, her large coat flapping around her legs with her movements, the grunts felt as if death had walked into the room and was coming to take them away. Ruby sat down with Hop and Ash standing behind her. She looked as if she was some kind of celebrity being flanked by her bodyguards. Ruby tented her fingers together and flashed a cool smile to the captured Rocket grunts. Her beautiful face did little to make the grunts feel any better about their situation. They knew they were in the worst trouble imaginable. No Rocket grunt ever wanted to be face-to-face with a reigning Champion, no matter what region they came from!
"Hello boys." Ruby purred, her voice as hard as steel, "I do hope Officer Jenny has made your stay…comfortable so far."
"Y-y-you're Ruby Silverlock! Th-the Champion of G-Galar, right?!" cried one grunt.
"Yes. And you're a pair of Team Rocket grunts. Got any other obvious facts to state around here?" Ruby muttered sarcastically.
"I was hoping we wouldn't face you! Joe and Simon are still in the infirmary recovering from their encounter with you earlier this week!" shrieked the other, "Even our medic doubts they'll ever walk again!"
"Too bad." Ruby said dismissively, "I'm NOT sympathetic to criminals. You try to rob and assault me, you get your balls broken. That's what you get with me. Now then, let's cut to the chase: tell me where Team Rocket's hideout is. And don't even think about lying to me, or else you'll end up like Joe and Simon." she warned, her voice colder than Regice's body.
"You'd be wise to cooperate." Hop warned, "My wife gets pretty mean if you make her mad. And you'll have me to answer to as well if you dare mistreat her in anyway."
Ash shuddered. He'd never seen this side of Ruby and Hop before. He was glad he wasn't a criminal otherwise he could have those two making those same threats to him! The Rocket grunts didn't want to tell Ruby anything but they also didn't want to end up being unable to walk again. They'd seen the results of when Joe and Simon had been taken down by Ruby!
"You don't have to hurt us! Honest! We'll play nice!" Grunt 1 squeaked.
"Our headquarters is under the Game Corner in Celadon City." Grunt 2 confirmed, "Honest to Arceus, that's the truth!"
"That's lovely boys. Now tell me that again, and this time I'll make doubly sure you're not lying." Ruby purred.
She whipped out a Pokéball and tossed it over her shoulder. The ball opened up and brought out Houdini the Noctowl. Houdini was Ruby's go-to-Pokémon for forcing the truth out of people and he'd never failed to get a criminal to spill his or her secrets. The Rocket Grunts were confused at this. Houdini perched himself on the table and gave the pair a hard, fearsome glare with his huge eyes. Then using his psychic abilities, he began to hypnotise the two grunts. Ash watched in amazement as Houdini completely cast his spell over the two grunts. Their eyes grew distant and their faces became blank. They were no longer their old selves. They were Houdini's to do with as he pleased.
"Now then, tell me again." Ruby commanded, "Where are Team Rocket's headquarters?"
"Our hideout is under the Game Corner in Celadon City." Grunt 1 replied.
"Is it your only hideout?" Ruby asked, "Do you have any other hideouts I should know about?"
"No. We used to have one in Johto but that one's since been raided and shut down." Grunt 2 confirmed, "Our hideout in Celadon is the only hideout we have left."
"Are you sure? There's definitely nowhere else?" Ruby asked.
"Positive." Grunt 2 droned.
"Are there any traps in the hideout?" Ruby asked.
Soon all the information she needed to know about Team Rocket headquarters was her's and the Rocket Grunts had unwillingly told her everything she asked them to. Hop and Ash had watched the whole thing in silence, not daring to interrupt the Champion's work. Ruby smiled coolly at the grunts.
"Thank you so much for your time." she sneered, "Now then, you seem a bit tired. I think you should sleep on this…"
Right on cue, Houdini used his hypnosis to put the grunts to sleep. The two men's heads flopped down to their chests and their eyes closed. They instantly began to snore. Officer Jenny and another officer came in to take the grunts back to their cells. They undid their handcuffs and carried them out of their chairs.
"That was amazing Ruby!" Officer Jenny exclaimed, "You're a natural at this!"
"I've had plenty of practice." Ruby replied dryly, "You best call the Celadon City police force. Me and the boys will need them to arrest all the grunts once we've raided their hideout."
She got up from her chair and turned to Hop and Ash while Officer Jenny and another officer carried the grunts out of the room.
"Time we paid Team Rocket a little visit." she said smoothly.
"Heh, they won't know what hit them babe." Hop agreed.
"I have to say Ruby, I had no idea you could be so ruthless." Ash said, still in amazement over what he'd seen, "I hope you don't mind me saying but, you kinda scared me with how cold you were towards those two! I've never known you to act like this!"
"Don't worry Ash. I only act that way towards bad people." Ruby said reassuringly, "When dealing with criminals, you have to be a little ruthless at times. It's not ideal, yes, but it gets results and that's all I care about. Now let's bring Team Rocket down once and for all…"
She strode out of the room with Hop and Ash following after her. With Team Rocket's hideout no longer hidden, the team were in for a very nasty surprise once the trio arrived on their doorstep…
Raichu was thrown backwards as Ivysaur's Vine Whip ensnared it and tossed it across the arena. June and Ray winced as they watched Raichu crash down onto his side and skidded to a painful stop. Even from their seats, they could feel the impact of Raichu's crash and June even felt an instinctive need to rub her own side despite not even being in the battle. Ivysaur panted heavily, feeling fatigued from the constant battling, paralysis and throwing Raichu around with its Vine Whip. Trace could see that Ivysaur was looking tired. He couldn't draw this out any longer. He had to finish the battle now.
"Looks like we've got a clean shot!" Trace said confidently, "Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf now!"
Ivysaur conjured up another bunch of sharp leaves and aimed at Raichu. The leaves boomeranged their way towards their target, slicing through the air like shuriken spiralling towards a fleeing enemy. It looked as if it would be the end for Raichu but Lt. Surge had a clever way to stop Trace's attack.
"Shield yerself with Surf!" he bellowed.
Raichu stood up straight and held up his paws. All at once, a curtain of water rose up in front of him and the spinning leaves were instantly whisked away by the water. It was like watching leaves from a tree getting caught up in a raging river after they'd fallen from the branches. Trace gritted his teeth irritably. He wished he'd thought that Surge could use Surf in a defensive capacity like this so he could've prepared for it. He ordered Ivysaur to try another attack but as Ivysaur prepared to strike, electricity danced around its body and its muscles locked up as paralysis kicked in again. It was unable to move, leaving Raichu open for a counter attack. Smiling confidently, Surge commanded his electric companion to use Quick Attack first. Raichu charged straight into Ivysaur at the speed of a bullet and the Grass/Poison Pokémon winced as its opponent slammed headfirst into it. Ivysaur skidded backwards across the arena floor and just as it came to a halt, Raichu followed up by using Thunderbolt. He tensed his body up and blasted Ivysaur with the biggest jolt of electricity he could muster up. Ivysaur cried out from the attack and stumbled to the floor. Even if it resisted Electric attacks, it was exhausted and weak from the battle so even a Thunderbolt was enough to bring it down.
Trace was still confident he could win the battle but he knew that he couldn't win it with Ivysaur. He wasn't going to keep pushing his Pokémon like this as that wouldn't achieve anything. Raichu was fatigued as well but he was clearly going to last longer thanks to his superior speed and experience. So if he was going to win, he was better off using a fresh Pokémon to take down the poisoned and battle-worn Raichu.
"Ivysaur, return now!" the Kanto teen ordered.
Ivysaur was brought back to its Pokéball and Trace looked down at it with a smile of gratitude.
"You were amazing out there. Your hard work will be our key to victory, I promise you." he said kindly.
Lt. Surge nodded with approval.
"A wise move there." he complimented, "You could clearly see yer Pokémon was getting too tired ta battle so yer switching out. Dis sort of thing reminds me of my army days where I once ordered my men to retreat because I could see dey were getting worn out and if we kept on fighting, all I'd have done was lose valuable men senselessly and recklessly. Looks like you're avoiding that with yer Pokémon!"
"Thanks sir." Trace said graciously, "For me, my Pokémon are not just things I win battles with. They're my friends and companions and I value the hard work they put into their battles, every one of them! And I'm not gonna push them harder than I need to just to get a win! Because to me, that's a hollow victory and I would never want to win that way."
June beamed with pride. Trace was such a great person! He had the right mindset and philosophy for being a Pokémon trainer! He clearly understood what being a trainer was all about. He was going to get very far with these kinds of beliefs. Trace pocketed Ivysaur's Pokéball and brought out his next one.
"Your Raichu's running on low thanks to Nidoking and Ivysaur's efforts." he acknowledged, "So I think I'll only need this one to finish what they started. Eevee, it's all up to you now!"
He threw his Pokéball and it released his first ever Pokémon onto the field. As soon as Eevee appeared out of its ball, it suddenly jumped into Trace's arms and licked his face affectionately. June and Ray giggled. Typical Eevee, always with a lot of love to give!
"Ha, ha! OK Eevee, you can slobber on me later, we've got a battle to win first!" Trace giggled.
Eevee jumped back out of his arms and faced Raichu. Raichu just regarded Eevee with a look of exhaustion. He couldn't even muster up the energy to grin confidently or scowl threatening at his opponent. The poison had brought him down to low health. June even wondered if it was worth continuing the battle. It was so obvious Eevee was going to win with how worn out Raichu was! But she imagined Surge would rather go out in a blaze of glory than undermine both his and Trace's fighting efforts with a forfeit. As a Gym Leader, he owed it to his challengers to give them the best he could offer.
"An Eevee, huh? Didn't expect that." the military man murmured, "It's clear dis match is yours from how Raichu's looking, but why go out on a whimper when we can end dis with a massive bang?! Raichu, give it a Thunderbolt!"
Despite how tired he looked, Raichu clearly had a lot of energy left in him to spare for he was able to fire a powerful Thunderbolt at Eevee and score a direct hit with no issue. Eevee didn't even have time to react as the fox-like Pokémon was stricken by the electric attack. Eevee cringed in pain and staggered backwards. Having experienced a Pikachu's electric attacks, it was no surprise that an electric attack from its evolved form felt even worse! Eevee shook itself and retaliated by using Tackle. The Normal-type Pokémon scampered quickly towards Raichu like a fox about to pounce on a rabbit. Raichu dodged by using Quick Attack but Eevee kept up the chase. It wasn't able to keep up with Raichu in terms of speed, but its stamina helped to close the gap for Eevee had more energy left than Raichu did, so Raichu soon tired out and was unable to dodge the Tackle attack any longer. Eevee ploughed into Raichu and knocked him off his feet. Raichu landed flat on his stomach and grunted from the impact as the wind was knocked out of him. Eevee then jumped into the air and sailed towards Raichu with Double Kick. Raichu stood up again and swiped at Eevee with his tail. He whacked his opponent away and Eevee crashed down onto its side with a painful thud.
Raichu then held out his paws and hit Eevee with Thunder Wave. Trace grimaced as his starter Pokémon was paralyzed by the electric waves. Even if Raichu was close to passing out, Surge was pulling all the stops he could just to ensure he didn't go down easy! Trace commanded Eevee to use Tackle again but his Pokémon couldn't move thanks to paralysis. It was left a sitting Psyduck as Raichu used Thunderbolt yet again on it. Eevee was electrocuted and it collapsed down onto its side, feeling as if most of its energy had been sapped away by the attack. Trace could see this match wasn't going to be quite the walkover it seemed. One more Thunderbolt would likely finish Eevee off. Raichu winced as poison drained away more of his health. At this rate, the match would end in a draw and Trace would win by default since he still had Pokémon left. But Trace didn't want it to end in a draw. He didn't want Eevee to feel disappointed that it couldn't actually win and the best it could manage was a tie. Eevee stood back up, trying to fight off the pain in its body as the electricity from paralysis crackled around it. Trace smiled confidently. He could do it! Eevee could finish this battle!
"Let's show Surge our secret weapon…" he said cryptically, "Use Dig!"
Eevee bent down and tunnelled its way into the floor like an excited puppy looking for bones. Lt. Surge didn't react. He was sure that Eevee had learned Dig as well having watched Trace's team in action throughout the battle. Raichu panted heavily, the fatigue from the battle getting to him so much that he barely even registered that Eevee had gone. He didn't even bother to listen out for Eevee and try dodging the attack. It was too exhausted to even attempt a dodge so it stood where it was and accepted its fate. Eevee came back up from under Raichu's feet and sent him skyrocketing up into the air. Raichu went straight up like a rocket and then came straight back down towards the floor. Eevee then finished off by using Double Kick on Raichu, its powerful hind legs slamming hard enough into Raichu to send him hurling across the stadium and into the wall behind Surge. He collapsed in a heap onto the floor and lay still. He didn't get back up again. The military man just closed his eyes, silently accepting defeat. He was used to losing and he knew that there was no point in getting upset about it.
"And dat's da match!" he barked, opening his eyes again, "I gave it my all, but in da end, it was you who emerged victorious! Congratulations kid, you've earned yerself a Thunder Badge!"
"ALRIGHT! We aced it! Wahoo!" Trace hollered in delight, "That was an epic battle and I'm so glad we won!"
Eevee jumped into his arms and licked his face again in celebration. Trace cuddled his partner close and laughed as Eevee licked him. June and Ray cheered for their friends.
"That was fantastic! What a thrilling match!" June cheered, "Well done to you both!"
"Oh yeah! You both earned that badge!" Ray congratulated.
The two watched as Lt. Surge approached Trace and handed out the Thunder Badge. Curiously enough, despite its name, it didn't look particularly electrifying for it just looked like an eight pointed star with an orange octagon in the centre. It made it look as if Surge had handed a small flower to Trace. Trace admired the badge he now held in the palm of his hand. He had three Gym Badges out of eight! If Tricia was watching, he knew she would've been very proud of him. He held the badge up high to let the whole stadium see what he'd achieved.
"Look at that world, I now have the Thunder Badge!" Trace cried excitedly.
"Eevee, vee, vee!" Eevee cheered alongside its trainer.
"Ya sure have kid." Surge said proudly, "Ya fought an incredible match and I enjoyed getting ta see dat fighting spirit of yours. I sure hope it takes you much further on yer journey and ya end up saving yer family. I'm behind ya all da way in yer mission ya stop Team Rocket once and for all."
"Thanks so much Lt. Surge." Trace said appreciatively, "I'll definitely be using the skills I've learned from this battle to take them down, save my sister and hopefully even get my mom's Pokémon back. Once Team Rocket are gone, nobody will have their lives ruined by their operations again!"
"Believe me, everyone in dis region wants nothing more den for them ta be shut down for good!" Surge agreed, "Ya best get yer Pokémon all rested up or else dey ain't gonna be of much help in yer mission if they're still banged up from our battle."
"Of course sir." Trace concurred.
He looked up to June and waved to her.
"I'll be right back to watch your battle once I've dropped my Pokémon off!" he promised, "Don't wait for me!"
He returned Eevee to its Pokéball and left the Gym to find the Pokémon Centre. June still had to wait for her turn anyway as Surge's Pokémon needed time to rest before he could battle her. Two hours later, Surge was back on the field with June standing opposite him. The Galarian girl felt a little intimidated with this huge giant of a man about to battle her but she knew she could win this battle.
"After seeing how fired up yer friend was, I'm excited ta see how you battle little girl!" the lieutenant boomed, "And I'm especially feeling energized knowing that I'm up against the daughter of Galar's reigning champ!"
"Y-you know who I am?" June cried in astonishment.
"I'd been hearing from da other Gym Leaders dat Ruby's kid was taking up the Gym Challenge. Da silver hair made it easy for me to tell dat you're da one they're referring to." Surge explained, "I actually battled yer mother once. She absolutely DESTROYED me! Let's see if you'll do da same…"
"I don't expect to as I know I'm not as strong as my mum, and I likely never will be, but I'll give it my all regardless!" June declared, "And with my current team behind me, I can't possibly lose!"
She proved herself right in the end. With at least two Ground-types and a Pikachu who could use Dig, it could barely even be considered a fair fight in this regard. June started off the battle with Victoria while Surge sent out Electabuzz first. Naturally, June had started off by ordering Victoria to use Toxic Spikes. As with Trace's Nidoking, Electabuzz was stuck only being able to use Ice Punch for Victoria's half-Ground typing made its electric moves useless. Electabuzz fought hard but Victoria's high defences made her too strong for Electabuzz's Ice Punches to take her down. Victoria was able to win by using Drill Run and striking Electabuzz several times over until it fainted. Even Reflect barely slowed Victoria down. Surge then sent out Raichu next, which June had counted on because Raichu's Surf would make short work of Victoria. She ended up returning Victoria and sent Ray out next. Ray tried to beat Raichu with Dig but Raichu proved to be too strong for him in the end and was eventually defeated. But Ray's efforts had weakened Raichu to the point Victoria was able to come in and carry on the battle, though Raichu had managed to use one last Surf which ended up knocking her out after she'd hit him with Drill Run, ending the match in a draw. Magneton was the only Pokémon Surge had left and it was made very short work of by Behemoth the Onix who only needed to use a single Dig to exploit its double-Ground weakness.
Behemoth roared triumphantly as Magneton collapsed onto the floor, its three eyes becoming swirls as it was unable to battle anymore. Surge was pleased with his efforts despite June's team being stacked against him so he didn't mind if this had been a rather easy win for the challenger. He returned Magneton to its Pokéball.
"You've got yer mother's spirit alright." the Lightning Unovan praised, "You fight with a calculated strategy and make sure yer team is tailored ta deal with the Gym yer up against, just as she does. I think you'll get far in da Gym Challenge!"
"Thanks so much sir! I sure hope I do!" June said optimistically, "I'd love to follow in mum's footsteps and be an all-powerful Champion like she is! At first I wasn't really sure if I had any other reason to become a Champion, but battling against Team Rocket and hearing Trace's story…I now have a reason. I want to protect the people who can't fight for themselves. I want to become braver and stronger so I don't panic when things get rough. And I want to bring down criminals like Team Rocket so they can never hurt anyone again! If I become Champion of Kanto, that'll be my solemn vow to everyone here, that I'll be the hero they need to fight the good fight and save both people and Pokémon from whatever threat they may face!"
"That's so admirable of you! As a proud soldier, I approve of dat!" Surge cried jovially, "You not only have the makings of a stronger trainer, but a true hero as well! Ya keep on fightin' da good fight and make yer mother proud!"
"Oh believe me, she already is proud of me." June said with pleasure.
With her Thunder Badge in hand, June was now also three badges down with five left to go before she could enter the Indigo Plateau. Her heart swelled with pride. She was already so close to reaching the top! Soon she'd be facing the Elite Four to claim her Champion title! She left the Gym and both she and Trace went to the Pokémon Centre together so June's Pokémon could have a rest. Victoria and Ray were the only ones that needed it while Behemoth was perfectly fine. He hadn't even taken any damage from the last battle with Magneton. Trace's Pokémon had fully recovered and back in Trace's possession. As they waited for Ray and Victoria to recover, the two teens sat together in the café for a much needed dinner. Their battles with Surge had left them completely famished. They'd ordered a bottle of soda each to drink while they waited for their food to arrive.
"I have to say June, I agree with Surge on how admirable your goals are." Trace complimented, "You really want to become Champion not just to be like your mother, but to also stand up for those that can't. I can't stress enough how kind that is of you!"
"I'm a Silverlock. Kindness runs in the family." June joked, "Mum and dad always taught me that kindness was the most important trait a person could have and that it can inspire kindness in others. I want to stand true to those morals and everything they've taught me. And it's those moral values I hold dear that makes me want to be like mum and dad. I want to be kind to others and help save and protect lives like they do. It might sound like a daunting task but I'm up for it!"
"That's real swell of you." Trace said approvingly, "If you become Kanto's new Champion, I bet you'll be a great hero that all of us can look up to!"
"Oh please Trace, you're making me blush…" June mumbled shyly, pulling her cap down over her eyes to try and hide her blushing cheeks.
Before anything else could be said, June's phone suddenly rang and she quickly answered it. Trace could tell it was good news for June's eyes lit up with excitement as she listened to what was being said.
"Oh Trace will be so excited to hear!" June squealed happily, "Thanks for telling me! You, dad and Ash be careful out there. I'm confident you'll beat them of course but still. Yeah? OK. Please let us know once you're done. I love you lots! Bye-bye!"
She hung up and turned to Trace.
"Mum and dad have found Team Rocket's hideout!" June shrieked excitedly, "Those grunts we helped arrest earlier today told them everything they wanted to know and they're going over to the Game Corner in Celadon City now!"
"So they're hiding there?" Trace murmured, "Figures. Of course they'd hide under a casino. We should totally go to Celadon and join them!"
"Why bother?" June muttered, "They'll be done by the time we get there. Besides, we'd only get in their way. We best stay out of this one."
"But I want to help take Team Rocket down too!" Trace insisted.
"And you have." June noted, "It's thanks to us they're even going to Celadon to raid their hideout, remember?"
"But that…I…I just wanted to be there and battle those goons myself." Trace sighed, "I wanted to make them pay for everything they've done to my family. But I suppose I shouldn't be ungrateful if your parents end up doing it instead. Maybe they can even rescue mom's Pokémon while they're at it." he suggested hopefully.
"I never thought to ask by the way. What Pokémon does your mother own?" June asked, "I can tell mum and dad to look out for it while they're raiding the hideout."
"Mum owned a Kangaskhan." Trace answered, "She's capable of Mega Evolving. She wears her Key Stone on a bracelet around her right wrist. If Ruby, Hop and Ash find a Pokémon like that, that's mom's Pokémon."
"Excellent! I'll text them right away." June offered.
She sent a text telling Ruby, Hop and Ash to look out for Trace's mother's Kangaskhan. Trace felt a little better knowing that his Pokémon was going to be saved. Team Rocket's hideout would be raided, everyone in the hideout would be arrested and his mother's Pokémon would be back with her trainer! And most importantly, Tricia would be free from Team Rocket's control!
A little while later, the teens had eaten dinner and June's Pokémon had finished recovering in the Pokémon Centre. With nothing else to stay for, they decided they may as well leave Vermillion City and start heading off towards Saffron City. That city was home to the Psychic Gym. June knew this would be her toughest match yet for Sabrina, the Psychic Gym Leader, was known to be very strong. So strong in fact that few Pokémon Trainers were ever able to defeat her. Even Ash hadn't been able to beat her legitimately, his victory being down to Sabrina breaking down laughing and her Kadabra broke down laughing with her so it couldn't fight anymore. She was sure Sabrina was going to break her winning streak once they battled, but June wouldn't go down without a good battle. She would win her Marsh Badge even if she had to try more than once to win it!
June and Trace were just pedalling out of Vermillion City and entering the route that led to Saffron City until suddenly, they found themselves coming across something very strange. A Magneton was coming towards them! That was unusual. Since when did Magneton live in forests? This was not the natural habitat for a Pokémon like this. The Magneton approached the two, its three eyes laser focused on them as if it knew the two. June and Trace got off their bikes and approached the Magneton.
"Um…h-hello?" June said nervously, "Can we help you?"
The Magneton held out one of its six magnets. As it did so, June's eyes widened as she suddenly realized something unusual about the Magneton. It had a note tied to its magnet. She and Trace didn't see it as it approached them but they could see it now. Trace's heart leapt as an incredible thought crept into his head.
"Hang on, this Magneton seems to know us and it's got a note for us…you're Tricia's Magneton, aren't you?" Trace asked.
The Magneton nodded.
"She must've sent it out secretly to pass a message on for us!" June deduced, "I hope Team Rocket didn't notice…"
She took the note and unfolded it. She and Trace read it. The note said:
June, Trace, if you're reading this, I am out of the infirmary and on my next mission. The boss has taken me and a squadron to Saffron City to subjugate the staff at Silph Co. and seize the plans to the Master Ball project. The boss wants to use it to capture the Legendary Mewtwo. I wanted to call you but Team Rocket would've intercepted the call, so my Magneton had to deliver this written note for you. I hope by the time you read this, you're not too far away and can come to Silph Co. at once! Maybe even call Ruby and Hop to help you for this mission can NOT be allowed to succeed!
Also if I get a chance, I'll finally reveal to you both why I'm with Team Rocket.
Trace, I love you forever and always. Please be safe my darling little brother!
Tricia. XXX
June and Trace stared at each other in shock as they finished reading the note. Of all the bad timing, Ruby and Hop were going to raid Team Rocket's hideout but not every member of the team would be there! The boss and a squadron of goons were now in Saffron City raiding the Silph Co. headquarters! They had to get there now and help Tricia stop their mission so all of Team Rocket would be arrested!
"We gotta step on it! For all we know, they might've already succeeded and they're gone by now!" Trace shrieked.
"Magneton, lead us to Silph Co.!" June cried, "We'll cycle after you as fast as we can!"
Magneton nodded and flew off as June and Trace climbed back onto their backs and cycled off as fast as they could. They sped through the route and off towards Saffron City. They had to get their now before Team Rocket could get the Master Ball project! A Pokéball that could capture any Pokémon without fail would be dangerous in the hands of Team Rocket!
Please let us be there in time! June prayed in her thoughts.
Trace and June have their third Gym Badges and Ruby, Hop and Ash have the location of Team Rocket's hideout. Overall, hooray for our heroes! But Team Rocket are carrying out their next mission. While Ruby, Hop and Ash deal with the ones at their hideout, June and Trace will have to deal with the ones at Silph Co. as they carry out "A Heist in Saffron City"...
Trivia: Surge's Raichu knowing Surf was done deliberately so as not to make his ace Pokémon such a pushover like in the games. Seriously, Lt. Surge has NEVER been challenging in ANY Pokémon game he's been in. His team is so poorly chosen and equipped that a single Onix, Nidoqueen or Nidoking basically makes him a sitting duck! Absolutely no type-coverage whatsoever! Would it have killed GameFreak to at least make it so his Raichu knew Grass Knot or something? So there we are, his Raichu knows Surf so he can put up some kind of fight against Ground-types.
Funny enough, the Pikachu line couldn't actually learn Surf until Gen 8 started where from Sword and Shield onwards, they can learn Surf via TM. Back then, you needed to get some kind of special event Pikachu if you wanted one that could use Surf. Nowadays, we don't need a special event and can teach Pikachu and Raichu Surf willy-nilly. :D If only Ash ever bothered to teach his Pikachu Surf. It sure would've helped him out against Ground-types in his adventures. XD
Ray thinking about learning Surf also makes sense since in Let's Go Pikachu!, the Partner Pikachu CAN learn Surf via Move Tutor. You'll have to see if he's able to learn it in later chapters. ;)