Kanto Chapter 11 - Sabrina and the Marsh Badge
"We'll I'm here at the Saffron City Gym! Wish me luck"
Amber Ketchum was on the phone to her parents and Pikachu, preparing to take on Sabrina the Saffron City Gym Leader for her second league badge.
"Hey, where's Pichu?" Ash spoke, a small frown appeared on his face. He always loved seeing the pokémon. Sometimes Amber wondered if he came on the video phone to see Pichu more than to see her ...
Pikachu sat on Ash's shoulder, also put his face closer to the monitor looking for his pre-evolved counterpart.
"Pichu? Oh, … he's resting in his pokéball." Amber shifted uncomfortably.
"Oh? That's weird, you usually have him on your shoulder. We like to see him. Are you planning to use him in your match?" Ash enquired.
"I guess … maybe … I'll see what I'm up against with Sabrina's pokémon …"
"You seem a little … unsure?" Ash puzzled. His daughter was acting very cagey. Very unlike her.
Misty pushed her face into the monitor "Are you scared Sabrina is going to turn him into a doll?"
Amber's eyes went wide, a blush appeared across her face. "Nuuu NO! Come on! Of course, I don't think that! I'm not a little kid anymore!"
"Ok, well good luck sweetie, we're routing for you!" Misty smiled and waved.
"You got this Kiddo!" Ash flashed his signature peace sign. "Pikaa chuuuuuuuuu" Pikachu called out and then the call ended.
Amber sighed. Why why why did Dad have to put that stupid haunted doll story into my head.
The teenager took a deep breath and walked up to the automatic doors of the Saffron City Gym. She entered and started to walk down the long main corridor, noting the separate rooms for interns and gym trainers practising their psychic skills. Lots of bended silverware and weird talismans littered the areas.
What a weird gym ...
A translucent purple being suddenly appeared directly in front of the distracted teenager, immediately pulling her from her thoughts.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" Amber tried to protect herself, holding her arms in front of her face, but she was too late to avoid going straight into a very wide mouth.
No wait I didn't go in it … I went through it?
Amber put her arms down and turned round to look behind her. It was a Haunter! A Haunter that was now laughing hard and pointing at her.
Amber's face soured. "That really wasn't very funny."
"Haunter, pranking the new challengers again?" A new voice spoke out. It was smooth and calm with a slight monotone eeriness to it.
Amber spun back quickly to meet the voice coming from behind her. There stood a middle-aged well-defined lady, with sleek straight dark grey hair and deep dark blue intense eyes that almost looked like they were glowing against the contrast of her pale skin tone. Wearing a classy dark red cheongsam style top, figure hugging black jeggings and knee-high matching boots, was Sabrina the Saffron City Gym Leader and Master of psychic type pokémon.
Ambers eyes widened and she involuntarily gulped. It's Sabrina!
Sabrina tilted her head ever so slightly to the right, for a fleeting moment she looked confused at the trainer in front of her then smirked. But almost like the action never happened, Sabrina straightened up and smiled at her new challenger.
"So, you are Ash and Misty's daughter. Amber Ketchum. I'm glad our meeting is finally happening."
"Oh … oh ok?" Amber stumbled over her words. She seems … totally normal?
"Did you know this Haunter is an old friend of your fathers?" Sabrina commented at the ghost pokémon, now bobbing around between the two trainers. Phasing in and out of opacity.
"Oh wow really! This is the Haunter from the first time you battled my dad?" Amber started to feel more at ease as they talked.
"Hau hau hau haunter" Haunter grinned at her.
"Well not our very first battle. But yes. I see your father has told you stories of his journeys."
"Yeah … stories …" Just like that the unease returned. Amber subtly looked the imposing middle-aged lady up and down. There just stories nothing more … the teen repeated in her head.
"Come. Follow me" Sabrina began to walk towards the gym area. Amber followed her, Haunter disappearing and reappearing around them as they walked.
"Given your tenure at the Vermillion City Gym, we shall, on this occasion, skip your inevitable warmup and go straight to our battle. There is no reason for you to battle my underlings."
"Wow! You knew I interned at the Vermillion Gym? Can you see into my mind? Or did you have a psychic vision?" Amber enquired, quite intrigued at Sabrina's keen insight and the extend of her abilities as a psychic leader.
Sabrina, looked the teenager dead in the eye. "Lt Surge told me." She replied flatly.
Amber sweat dropped Oh yeah … Gym Leaders talk to each other.
"I have been expecting you for some time now though. You are different from what I envisioned. In you, I definitely see more …" Sabrina paused and looked at the teenager.
She's going to say it … Amber thought her jaw clenching, picturing her father in her head.
"Than what meets the eye." She finished. They entered the gym arena area.
Amber relaxed her face, a mixture of surprise and relief. Sabrina had her full attention.
Sabrina continued "I see you Amber Ketchum. Lost in the seemingly endless shadows of your famous lineage. Through our pokémon battle, I will help you will discover your true self. As he did me." Sabrina looked out across the battle floor.
Haunter floated around the psychic trainer. "Haunterr haunterr". Sabrina smiled at her old friend in return, who then fully disappeared. Sabrina turned back to face the bemused red head. "Let us see who you really are."
Sabrina glided over to the other side of the arena to Amber. She turned and faced the battle area. "This is your second ever official gym challenge, I am correct?"
Amber's eyes widened "How did you know that?! You must be psych … oh ha … yeah …" Amber chuckled and grinned at her soon to be opponent.
Sabrina merely smirked in response. She found the progeny of Ash Ketchum and Misty Waterflower amusingly charming.
"This will be a 3 on 3 battle." Sabrina commanded, taking position.
…. "And?" There was a long uncomfortable pause. The weird conversation she had with her parents was still lodged firmly to the front of Ambers mind.
"And what?" The gym trainer replied, unsure of the question.
"No other … terms?" Amber replied, her guard fully up. Unsure what to say without sounding stupid or juvenile.
The tension in the air became thick, Sabrina's intense stare locked into the uneasy teenager.
….
"No time limit." Sabrina finally said. The psychic gym leaders' eyes glowed and her face and voice became completely devoid of emotional expression. "Ready?"
Amber inwardly lightly berated herself, she really had to stop letting people get inside her head. Now ready to battle, she was in her element, and the unease started to fade. "Ready."
A pokéball floated onto the arena and out popped a Mime Jr.
"Then I choose Magnemite!" Amber threw out a pokéball and out emerged the little magnet pokémon.
"Magggnemite" The little pokémon seemed unnerved in this new environment.
Sabrina stared hard at the Magnemite. The pokémon sweat dropped in response to the intimidating gym leader before it. It's timid.
"You've got this Magnemite!" Amber shouted out encouraging her pokémon. "Mime Jr is part Fairy type, you have the advantage!" The small pokémon turned and looked at it's trainer, then turned back to face it's opponent, still unsure.
Sabrina's eyes glowed. Confusion.
Mime Jr let out a beam of energy heading towards Magnemite.
"Magnemite counter it with Supersonic!"
Magnemite let out a wave a sound, it clashed with Mime Jr's attack but was not strong enough to counter it completely. Both pokémon came off a little confused, Magnemite taking a small amount of damage.
"Encore"
Oh no … Amber's Magnemite continued to let off sound waves.
Psybeam attack.
Mime Jr tried to fire off the psychic beam attack but was too confused by the sound waves bouncing.
"Good! This is our chance! Magnemite, Thundershock!"
"Magnemiteeee" it launched a wave of electricity at Mime Jr. It was a direct hit but not quite enough to take it out.
Psybeam attack. Sabrina's eyes lit up.
"Magnemite counter it with your Thundershock!"
"Mimeeeeeee"
"Maggggggg"
Mime Jr let off the psychic attack and Magnemite instantly flopped to the ground, leaving Mime Jr hovering in victory.
"Magnemite return" Amber recalled her pokémon. "Thank you Magnemite, we've got this now. You rest." She pulled out another pokéball "Eevee it's your turn! Go!"
A red beam soon moulded into the form of the little fox pokémon. "Eeeeee"
This will not be as easy. Sabrina communicated to her pokémon telepathically.
"Eevee use Quick Attack!"
Eevee bashed into the little Mime Jr, instantly causing the baby pokémon to feint.
Sabrina sent out a pokéball, using her mind to recall her Mime Jr. A new ball floated onto the arena opening to reveal Abra.
"Eevee let's go again! Quick Attack!"
Teleport
Abra teleported around the arena dodging Eevee's attacks.
"Eevee use your Swift Attack! On my mark!" Amber studied the arena and saw a small flash. "There Eevee, your 2 'oclock! Use Swift Attack!"
It was a direct hit, Abra was hurting but still in the fight.
"So, you figured out Abra's teleportation. Impressive." Still Sabrina was un-phased. Recover.
The visible damage from Eevee's attack vanished from the psychic pokémon.
Amber gritted her teeth. "Eevee Swift again!"
Abra took the hit but again healed.
This isn't working, Eevee just doesn't have the strength yet to cause enough damage to take down that Abra. She's just going to tire out at this rate... guess it's all down to my last choice. "Eevee return! Now Chinchou you've got this!"
The fox pokémon disappeared in a beam of red light, soon replaced by the form of a blue and yellow football fish.
Calm Mind.
A warm aura engulfed the psychic type.
"Chinchou use Signal Beam! Take Abra out!"
"Chinnnnnnnnnnn chouuuuuuuuuuuuu" Chinchou charged up and let off a powerful beam attack, hitting Abra head on, despite the pokémon bracing for a direct attack it was a one hit KO.
"Last pokémon" Sabrina commented. Her face showing no emotion.
A pokéball floated over and recalled the feinted Abra, soon followed by another releasing a Drowzee.
Sabrina wasted no time and went straight on the offensive. Her eyes blazing. Psyshock Attack.
"Drowzeee" The pokémon put up his hands and sent out a powerful psychic blast, hitting Chinchou directly.
"You ok Chinchou?" Amber called out to her friend. The fish pokémon bounced back up, this battle was far from over. "Alright! Time to turn the tide and put us in the advantage. Use Raindance!"
"Chin!" A raincloud appeared above the gym floor and a downpour began.
Disable.
"Drowwwwzeeeeeeee" The pokémon waved his arms around.
A blue glow surrounded Chinchou and she abruptly stopped the raindance, fortunately the arena was wet enough to still be in the duel electric water type's favour.
"Chinchou let's make the most of the water while we can, use Bubblebeam!"
The move hurt Drowzee, slowing the pokémon down in the process as he was hit by the strong wave of bubbles.
Sabrina's eyes narrowed but then started to glow again Lightscreen.
The pokémon closed his eyes and waved his hands creating a barrier of energy to protect him. "Drow Zeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"
"Chinchou finish this with Electroball!"
Sabrina's eyes blazed with warning but Drowzee was too slow to dodge the attack, the electric ball hurtled into the psychic pokémon, dealing a lot of damage. The light screen barrier crackled and faded, not saving him from the brunt of the attack. Drowzee slumped to the floor unable to continue the battle.
"WE DID IT!" Amber bounded over to her Chinchou, lifting her high into the air and dancing around.
"Chin chou, chin chou!" The football fish pokémon cried out with delight, flashing her antennae in response to her trainer's joy.
"You were wonderful Chinchou!" Amber looked down to her belt. "And I couldn't have done it without you guys either Eevee, Magnemite." She placed her pokémon back down on the floor, patting her head with affection.
Sabrina glided over, her previously stoic face now adorned a simple warm smile.
"Well done Amber Ketchum. I knew you would be a strong opponent. You have embraced your own technique and battle style. Now you must develop it and yourself."
"Thank you, Sabrina. It was a tough battle, going down to our last pokémon like that." Amber replied accepting her win with grace.
"No, this was always going to be your win, perhaps not at this junction, but inevitable none the less." Sabrina seemed to look through Amber as she said that sentence. A haunting, certain knowing tone in her voice.
Amber titled her head not understanding at all.
Zoning back in, Sabrina smiled at the teenager "Remember, your destiny is your own and here is something to help you along the way."
The psychic gym leader handed over the Marsh Badge and the TM for Light Screen. "This psychic move is a must have for your battling style." She added.
Amber gratefully accepted both items, showing off the badge to Chinchou before recalling her back into her ball for a well deserved rest.
Sabrina walked Amber to the gym exit, making small talk along the way.
"You know, it's crazy to think a few hours ago I was really apprehensive of meeting you Sabrina." Amber smiled at the gym leader feeling comfortable in her presence.
"Oh?" The gym leader responded, interested in what her former opponent had to say.
"Yeah, it's really stupid." Amber grinned "My Dad used to tell me these silly bedtime stories when I was a little kid. He told me you kept a haunted doll in your arms and that it would turn challenging pokémon trainers into dolls! Can you believe it? Right before I was going to sleep too hahaha. He still tried to scare me with now. What a wind up. I can't believe I almost brought it."
As if on cue, Haunter emerged through a wall, greeting them.
"Hahaha," Sabrina laughed out loud. "Oh Ash, dense as ever. No, I have not had need for that doll for long long time …"
"Uhh" Amber looked at Sabrina, who was still chuckling to herself.
As they reached the final set of doors, Amber went ahead to leave. Sabrina spoke out, "Amber wait." Her voice flat and monotone. The warmth and humanity gone, like it was when they battled.
Amber turned to face the aging psychic trainer, little surprised at the Gym Leaders outburst.
Sabrina's eyes started to glow, her hair flared up slightly. "Would you like to stay and … play?"
Amber paled and her pupils shrank. "Nonononononono! That's ok! Errrrr thank you, but umm I'm in a rush to be somewhere!" The teenager waved her hands wildly in front of her. "Bye Sabrinaaaaaaaaa" Amber's voice fading as she sprinted away from the Saffron City Gym as fast as she could.
Sabrina and Haunter burst out laughing at their little prank. "Looks like I've still got it." The psychic gym leader winked at her ghost friend.
She watched the young teen sprinting away down the road. That girl is going to do big things.
Authors note: Super short, but we're now upto 2 badges!