Chapter 8
At the end of the Gym was a raised platform that resembled a diving block. A giant blue 1 had been painted on the front of it. This block was where Misty stood, grinning at Leaf who was on the other side of the pool. All the other trainers in the Gym sat on the bleachers, making bets with each other on who would emerge victorious.
Unlike the Pewter Gym, the battle against the Cerulean Gym Leader had some structure. There was a referee, who asked for Leaf's full name and hometown, to ensure everyone battled fairly. The battle was also timed, though that was more for fun. Currently, Red held the record for the fastest victory, with a time of less than two minutes.
The referee stood to the left side of the pool. "Send out your first Pokemon."
Misty's first Pokemon was a Staryu, a golden-brown two-foot tall starfish. At its core was a red gem with gold metal casing around it. Leaf had scanned this Pokemon, along with Misty's other one, in her Pokedex during Red's challenge.
Leaf sent out Spearow. She had solely used Ivysaur against Brock. Although she was certain Ivysaur could handle both of Misty's Pokemon, she wanted Spearow to have experience battling a Gym Leader. She'd also briefly considered sending out Psyduck and decided it wasn't a good idea for Psyduck's first battle to be against a Gym Leader.
For a moment, no one moved. Leaf and Misty, whose expression had grown more serious, looked at each other in silence. Then, there was an aggressive beep, the same one used to start swim races, and the battle officially commenced.
"Spearow, use Fury Attack!"
"Staryu, use Rapid Spin!"
It was hard to believe that Leaf's opponent was a water Pokemon. The Staryu's whole body spun so rapidly that it soared through the air. The two Pokemon collided into each other over and over again. They were so fast that Leaf had trouble following.
Spearow and the Staryu crashed into each other again. This time, they did not recover so quickly and began to fall.
"Spearow, wake up!" Leaf shouted. Spearow was headed straight towards the water, fast. Assuming the impact didn't knock her out, Spearow would be defenseless in the water. Leaf doubted Spearow even knew how to float.
"Spearow!"
At the last second, Spearow's eyes snapped open. She spread her wings and took off, settling on the step closest to Leaf. The Staryu had woken to Misty's yelling as well. Instead of landing flat on the pool's surface, it dived gracefully under and swam back to its trainer.
"Staryu, use Water Gun!" A stream of water burst out of the Staryu's core towards Spearow.
"Dodge and use Fury Attack!" Spearow flew up. The Water Gun hit the pool's wall, splashing water on Leaf. The Staryu tried redirecting its attack, moving around like a sprinkler, but Spearow continued to dodge and advance towards it.
Just as Spearow was about to reach the Staryu, Misty commanded, "Use Confuse Ray!"
The stream of water was immediately replaced by a ray of light that shone directly in Spearow's face. Spearow squawked and flapped away, shutting her eyes. She teetered in the air and when her eyes opened, Leaf noticed them rolling around.
Nervousness crept under Leaf's skin. "Spearow, use Fury Attack!"
As she feared, Spearow didn't seem to understand her. She continued to fly around shakily. Leaf winced when Spearow's head bumped onto a step hard.
Spearow was confused. Leaf had seen this condition appear in several battles. An opponent would use a move that mentally disabled the other Pokemon. Unsure of their surroundings, the Pokemon might not be able to attack and could even accidentally hurt themselves. This condition eventually wore off on its own...if the Pokemon wasn't knocked out first. As far as Leaf was concerned, all she could do now was pray that Spearow would soon snap out of it.
"Staryu, use Water Gun!"
"Dodge, Spearow!"
Spearow didn't understand Leaf, but she was still able to avoid the Staryu's attack. The Staryu redirected the Water Gun, but Spearow's shaky flight made her a surprisingly uneasy target. The Staryu kept missing and the only damage Spearow took was the occasional collision against a step. Though Leaf was relieved that the Staryu couldn't touch Spearow, she was still anxious about Spearow's confusion. At this rate, Spearow was going to knock herself out.
"Spearow! Snap out of it!"
"Staryu, use Rapid Spin!"
The Staryu spun and flew into the air. The attack landed and Spearow spiraled down towards the water.
"Spearow!" Leaf yelled at the top of her lungs.
It happened so fast that Leaf nearly missed it. The mindless expression in Spearow's eyes was replaced with her usual sharpness. With a caw, Spearow launched herself towards the Staryu and began to furiously jab at it.
"Staryu, use Rapid Spin!"
But just like Diana's Goldeen, the Staryu was in a position where it couldn't react properly. Spearow jabbed it again, this time right at the Staryu's core. The Staryu plummeted from at least thirty feet in the air and splashed into the pool. When it floated up, the gem at its core no longer shone bright red.
Leaf squealed as the referee declared Staryu unable to battle and Spearow returned to her. "You did so well, Spearow! I'm so proud of you!" Spearow puffed out her chest.
"The Gym Leader will now send out her second and final Pokemon," the referee said. "Challenger, will you keep using Spearow, or do you wish to switch?"
Spearow looked pretty beaten up, so Leaf answered, "I'll switch."
Leaf reached for Ivysaur's PokeBall. She had planned from the start for Ivysaur to face Misty's next Pokemon. After all, it was Misty's strongest.
Leaf raised Ivysaur's PokeBall. Right before she could throw it, she saw a burst of light from the corner of her eye.
Leaf froze in horror as Psyduck materialized beside her. He blinked, and then realizing he was somewhere new, looked around. Whatever Psyduck saw must've overwhelmed him because he clutched his head and screeched.
"Is this the Pokemon you're using?" The referee asked, clearly confused.
Leaf was sure her face was redder than a tomato. "N-No, sorry. I don't know why he just came out." She returned Psyduck to his PokeBall, cheeks burning even hotter when she heard some of the other trainers snickering.
Leaf sent out Ivysaur, relieved to see him standing tall and confident. She could always count on Ivysaur to look impressive. On the opposite side of the pool, Misty smirked and sent out her Pokemon, a violet starfish with double the amount of appendages as the Staryu. At its core was gold metal casing around a precious red stone. This Pokemon was Starmie, the evolution of Staryu, and was a psychic-type in addition to being water-type.
"Starmie, use Water Pulse!" The Starmie unleashed a pulsing blast of water.
"Ivysaur, Razor Leaf!" The leaf blades cut through the water but were weakened enough that when they hit the Starmie, they didn't do significant damage.
"Rapid Spin!"
The Starmie jumped from the water and spun towards Ivysaur. On Leaf's command, Ivysaur sent another Razor Leaf at the starfish, but it dodged the attack. Ivysaur yelped as the Starmie slammed into him. He fell into the water.
"Starmie, use Psybeam!"
The Starmie's core glowed before firing a blinding pink ray at Ivysaur. The ray knocked Ivysaur against the wall, pinning him. His sharp cry of pain made Leaf feel as if the Psybeam pierced her heart.
"Ivysaur, Vine Whip!"
"Dodge, Starmie!"
The Starmie stopped using Psybeam and dived into the water. Ivysaur retracted his vines and feebly climbed onto a nearby step. Leaf bit her lip. This was bad. The Psybeam had dealt a lot of damage to Ivysaur and with the Starmie underwater, it would be difficult to attack it.
"Starmie, use Psybeam!"
The Starmie leaped up from the water. As its core began to glow, a very risky idea popped in Leaf's head, but she didn't have the time to weigh the pros and cons.
"Ivysaur, get under the water!"
Confusion briefly flashed in Ivysaur's eyes, but he jumped into the water, avoiding the Psybeam. Why Ivysaur trusted her so much, Leaf didn't know, but she was incredibly grateful for it. If the Starmie used Psybeam again, the impact with the water might weaken it enough to not take Ivysaur out. Misty seemed to realize this, for her look of puzzlement faded and she yelled, "Rapid Spin!"
The Starmie spun into the water. As it jetted towards Ivysaur, who was slowly sinking, Leaf shouted, "Grab the Starmie!"
The Starmie slammed into Ivysaur, pushing him to the wall. Leaf couldn't quite tell through the ripples if Ivysaur had securely gotten hold of the starfish. To her, the two Pokemon had become one dark shadow.
"Leech Seed!"
The shadow rolled around underwater. Before long, there was a soft green glow and Leaf nearly cried with joy.
The Starmie leaped out of the water, screeching, with Ivysaur on its back. Ivysaur let go of the starfish and landed on a step, breathing in large gulps of air. Leaf was relieved to see him looking stronger and healthier from the Leech Seed.
Across the pool, Misty was screaming commands, but the Starmie was so distressed by the Leech Seed that it didn't seem to hear her. It swam wildly around, trying to rid itself of the energy-sucking sprout.
Confidence restored, Leaf pointed at the Starmie and said, "Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!"
Ivysaur unleashed a storm of sharp leaves at the Starmie. The Starmie was knocked against the wall and when Ivysaur finished, the red stone at its core dulled.
The referee raised a hand in Leaf's direction. "Starmie is unable to battle. The winner is Leaf Green of Pallet Town!"
Leaf's gaze shifted between the bleachers where the other trainers were cheering, the referee who announced her time was six minutes and twenty-three seconds, and Misty, walking over to her with a smile on her face. The Gym Leader held up a hand when she reached Leaf. Sitting on her palm was a badge, shaped like a light blue raindrop.
"That was a good battle! Here's the Cascade Badge to show that you beat me."
Leaf's mind finally processed her victory. Beaming, Leaf accepted the badge and knelt down to show it to Ivysaur, who had climbed out of the pool.
"Look, Ivysaur! We won!" Leaf excitedly sent out Spearow and showed her the badge as well. Spearow flew in happy circles while Ivysaur raised his head up high.
The other trainers, including Luis and Diana, came to congratulate her. As Leaf thanked them, she thought about how just this morning, she'd been filled with so much self-doubt. It seemed so silly now, how much she beat herself up over losing one battle.
Leaf returned her Pokemon and made her way out the Gym. The moment she stepped outside, she heard the angry blare of sirens, followed shortly by a few police cars whizzing past her.
Sometimes, Leaf was too curious for her own good. Crime was virtually non-existent in Pallet Town and Leaf knew from the number of police cars that whatever happened was not insignificant. Leaf jogged in the direction the police went, slowing down as she arrived at the scene. The cars were parked in front of a house. A few officers stood diligently by them, surveying the area and jotting down notes. Civilians crowded around. Some of them tried to move closer to the house, but stopped when they were noticed and reprimanded.
Leaf slid to the edge of the crowd furthest away from the police. Once they were distracted by another person's failed attempt to advance, Leaf ran.
"Hey, get back!" An officer barked. Leaf ignored him and made it to the open door. She wasn't there long before that same officer pulled her away, but she saw enough.
It was utter chaos. Broken furniture lay scattered on the hardwood floor, which was severely scratched and stained with dark footprints that didn't follow a particular path. At the back of the house was a giant, gaping hole, as if a wrecking ball had blasted through it. There were officers examining the wreckage, with some striped dog Pokemon, Growlithe, sniffing around. One of the officers stood to the side, speaking with a middle-aged couple. The husband held his crying wife, who begged the officer to save their precious Diglett.
Leaf was so shocked at the scene that she made no attempt to resist the officer who grabbed her. The officer scolded her for not listening to his orders. Leaf barely heard him. It was bad enough that someone had broken into this poor couple's house and demolished it. Now it seemed that the culprit had also stolen their Pokemon. Anger flared up inside Leaf as she thought about any of her Pokemon being taken from her. How could someone do something so horrible? Whoever did this deserved to be locked up for life.
It was crazy to her, too, that this happened in Cerulean City. Kanto as a whole had fairly low crime rates, but Cerulean was considered to be a particularly safe city.
Be careful, Leaf. Even here, I saw one of them. This guy named Frank. I battled him at Nugget Bridge earlier today. Leaf nearly jolted when she remembered Red telling her that Team Rocket was in Cerulean. Could Team Rocket really be responsible for this? They definitely weren't above stealing Pokemon, considering how they tried to abduct all those Clefairy from Mount Moon. But were they bold enough to break into someone's house and leave such a mess in broad daylight? From her and Red's experience, Team Rocket seemed to prefer operating more covertly.
A lot more people had gathered around. It felt like everyone in Cerulean was here to see what happened. Even Misty and her Gym Trainers had come to talk with the police. No doubt, they were being asked to help apprehend whoever did it. Leaf scanned the area for anyone suspicious. She learned from the true crime shows Mom was addicted to that some criminals didn't immediately leave the scene. The culprit likely wasn't in the crowd, in case the couple came out and recognized them. They would have to be a little further away.
Across the wide street was a row of houses. The sun was sitting in their direction, blanketing them in shadows. At the beginning of the row was a tall oak tree. A dark figure instantly moved behind the tree once Leaf's gaze landed on it.
Leaf could've notified the police, pointed the tree out and let them deal with it. But Leaf didn't always think before acting. She dashed towards the tree, picking up her pace when she saw the figure begin to flee.
Leaf eventually caught up enough to see that she was chasing a man, who wasn't wearing Team Rocket's black uniform. They turned onto a few streets, ran between houses, until they entered an alley that was fenced off on the other side. The man halted and whirled around. He had short brown hair and wore a white t-shirt over blue joggers. Had Leaf walked by him on the streets, she would've paid no attention to him. In fact, for a split second, Leaf was unsure if he even was the one.
"Don't take another step closer," the man growled, sticking his hand in his pocket.
"How come?" Leaf asked. "Or else I'll find out you stole that couple's Pokemon?"
"I did no such thing."
"The way you're acting says otherwise."
The man smirked. "Is that so? Well, so what if I did it? What're you gonna do about it? Arrest me?"
His hand shot out of his pocket and there was a flash of white light. A Pokemon materialized between him and Leaf: a gray humanoid thing with red eyes and three brow ridges on its head. It flexed its muscles.
This Pokemon was a fighting-type called Machop. Leaf had seen it and their evolutions at construction sites. Although the Machop was short and slender, it had the strength of a hundred men. Leaf understood now how this mediocre man damaged the couple's house so badly.
Leaf reached for Spearow's PokeBall. Fighting-type Pokemon primarily used hand-to-hand combat. She figured it would be difficult for the Machop to hit a flying target.
As Leaf's hand closed on Spearow's PokeBall, there was another flash and once again, to her horror, Psyduck appeared, this time in front of her. Just like in the Cerulean Gym, he looked around in confusion and clutched his head.
Unlike in the Cerulean Gym, however, her opponent did not care to confirm if Psyduck was her Pokemon of choice. "Machop, use Mega Punch!"
Before Leaf could return Psyduck, the Machop charged and punched Psyduck in the head, hard. And then, something extraordinary happened.
As Psyduck screeched and was thrown from the force of the punch, his eyes glowed a deep blue. Almost instantly after, Psyduck's whole body was surrounded by the blue glow, so bright that Leaf covered her eyes with her arm. The Machop was suddenly and violently tossed several feet in the air, crying with pain. As it landed on the ground with a loud thud, the light faded and Psyduck shook his head, oblivious to what he just did.
Both Leaf and the man had their mouths hanging open. The man stared at his unconscious Machop, then at Leaf, looking like he was about to piss himself. Without returning his Pokemon, the man turned and tried to scramble over the fence. Recovering from her shock, Leaf sent out Ivysaur and had him grab the man with his vines. As Ivysaur held him, Leaf plucked his PokeBall from his pocket and returned the Machop.
Leaf kneeled down so that she was eye-level with Psyduck, who still didn't seem to understand what was going on. She smiled and said, "I knew there was something special about you." Psyduck cocked his head to the side.
Leaf returned Psyduck. She faced the man and said solemnly, "I know you probably won't say much, so I'll only ask this one question: are you a member of Team Rocket?"
The man didn't reply. He didn't need to. The look in his eyes told Leaf everything.
She and Ivysaur dragged the man back to the couple's house. The police were still there. While one of the officers handcuffed the man, another searched him and pulled out a second PokeBall from his pocket. The Pokemon that was inside it was the couple's Diglett, a brown mole that was perpetually buried in dirt. They thanked Leaf profusely and pushed a large sum of money into her hands, despite her protests.
All around her, people were calling Leaf a hero. Some of them snapped photos of her that Leaf knew would appear in the news soon. Although Leaf was happy to have rescued the Diglett, she couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy about the whole situation. The Team Rocket member's words at Mount Moon echoed in her mind. But don't you dare think for a second that this is the end of it. Team Rocket will prevail and you'll be sorry to have ever laid eyes on us.
A more battle-heavy chapter! Leaf beat Misty and, with the help of Psyduck, the burglar. In the games, the Rocket grunt stole the Dig TM, but TMs will not be a thing in this fic. To me, they're one of those game mechanics that don't quite fit in a more "realistic" setting.
A reviewer asked me if mega evolutions will be a thing here. They will not be, since I'm following the FRLG games fairly closely and mega evolution did not exist then.
As always, thanks to everyone who's been following and reviewing! Stay tuned for Chapter 9 :)
