Chapter 6; growing past your fears
Pikachu's ears jolted up as he heard a tap on the window of the room. It was a spearow looking at the sleeping abra. Pikachu jumped at the perch blocking the view and scaring spearow off. It then saw Sonic stretching outside the pokemon center, as if he was just finishing working out. He noticed Pikachu and motioned it to come down. Pikachu awoke the other 2 pokemon and abra teleported them outside impressing Sonic.
"Wow that was so cool abra" he said.
Abra hummed in satisfaction.
"Alright team let's get to work. We have a lot of training before being truly ready for the second gym battle" Sonic said as his pokemon agreed crying out in unison.
They made their way to the outskirts of the town so they could find wild pokemon to fight but close enough to town so abra would feel safe. As Sonic was about to give instructions to the team on which moves to practice he immediately stumbled upon a problem.
"I totally forgot" he said in deep thought looking at abra" you don't know any aggressive moves nor do you learn any before you evolve".
Abra hummed.
"Hm… I guess the only way to train for the time being is by observing Pikachu and Wartortle. I'll think of something to get you to start getting stronger. Wartortle I want you practice withdrawing and using water gun as before. I suspect you will not be able to propel yourself anymore cause of your increased weight due to evolving. If that's the case we will need to find a new strategy. Pikachu practice your thunder shock and try to increase the voltage. Hopefully that will turn thunder shock into thunderbolt. And take care of Abra ok? Let him observe but don't let it fight for now".
His pokemon all cried out in agreement and got to work as Sonic sat on a rock nearby and observed as they practiced their moves and challenged any wild pokemon passing. As Pikachu was practicing thunder shock with Abra observing in curiosity, Sonic's theory came true. Wartortle was now too heavy to propel itself with water gun. Maybe the strategy could later be replicated another way but for now they would need to improvise again.
"Alright let me think for a moment" Sonic said as he revised Wartortle's moveset consisting of withdraw, rock tomb, water gun and bite. Now that 4 moves had been successfully achieved they would have to continuously adjust their battle plan as by learning new moves they would have to forget old ones.
"Hm… ok. Try using water gun in combination with rapid spin".
Wartortle immediately attempted it but the moves were not perfectly combined causing water gun to go off after the rapid spin ended.
"Hm…" he grunted as he thought "even if we achieve this combo it will not have the same effect. Wonder when wartortles usually learn water pulse" Sonic wondered.
At that moment his phone started ringing and once again someone was face-timing him. Curious as it was an unknown number he answered the call. It was professor Oak.
"Good morning Sonic my boy".
"P-professor? How? Where did you get my number?"
"From your father of course. I called to thank him for the file and he told me you already have earned a gym badge. I am rather impressed".
"Hey gramps I'm here" a voice was heard from the background.
"Be right there Gary just a moment. As I was saying congratulations for the badge. And if I'm not mistaken by what I see behind you, you're already in cerulean city.
"Yeah".
"If you get a chance you should visit Bill. He is a pokemon researcher and his incredible work in pokemon knowledge almost rivals my work if I do say so myself. Anyway got to go. Kids are here to get their first pokemon, my grandson included. Hey maybe you two will meet in during your journeys. Take care" he said as he hang up.
Sonic looked again at his Wartortle getting a bit better at using rapid spin and water gun in unison but all this achieved was just firing water at feet level.
"Researcher bill" Sonic said to himself "maybe he could know something" he got up from the rock.
"Alright guys wrap it up!" he shouted calling his pokemon to him.
"Good progress Wartortle. We will soon figure something out. Pikachu next time we should try making some static electricity to try and empower your thunder shock. Abra hope you watched carefully your time will come soon I'm sure" he said encouraging his pokemon. They all smiled crying out their names and abra humming in a joyful way.
"Alright. Let's go have a good breakfast" he said as he recalled wartortle and abra and Pikachu climbed on his head.
They enjoyed a good breakfast consisting of mostly sandwiches again with Sonic thinking he should learn to cook something so they could eat healthy as much as possible.
"Maybe I should also try to collect some berries on the way to the third gym when that time comes" he thought while chewing as he aimlessly observed the magikarps splashing in the river.
After breakfast they asked the sandwich stand owner if he knew where bill lived and was instructed to cross the bridge to the woods and make for a cliff in the cape north of the city. Bill's house was close to the end of the cliff overlooking the sea.
As they crossed the bridge Sonic suddenly got a bad feeling. As if they were being watched.
At the end of the bridge was a stranger with a fishing rod. Once Sonic came into his optical view he pulled the rod and got up.
"Heading into the woods?"
"Yeah" Sonic answered.
"You know it's not safe right?"
"Not safe?"
"A powerful pokemon has been causing havoc lately. Someone said it was a magneton, but with more than 3 eyes".
"Really now?" Sonic asked pretending to be curious but knowing something was up. His father was a big pokemon lover and had showed many pokemon to him and Jet growing up. He knew a magneton consisting of more than 3 magnemites was a huge improbability.
"Thankfully I have a way you can get past it. A small magnet that emits a magnetic force opposite to that of magneton. If you help me by fishing me a magikarp I will give you the magnet for free. What do you say?"
Sonic now was fully suspicious but decided to play along to see what was the deal, confident that if things went south they could easily escape.
"Alright" he said as he took the rod and cast the line.
Minutes went by silently as no magikarp was caught. Sonic kept waiting but noticed with the side of his eyes the supposed fisherman answering his phone and talking silently. At one moment the camera was turned to Sonic. Fully suspicious that he had had a photo taken he tried to get up but something took the bait. Sonic pulled up with all his strength bringing up a big magikarp. The fisherman was ecstatic.
"Oh thank you! As I promised the magnet" he said giving it to Sonic.
"By the way how would be interested in joining team rocket?"
"What?!" Sonic said in shock.
"You obviously have a talent at catching pokemon. Come on this is opportunity knocking".
"Me join team rocket?!" Sonic said angry as he felt blood rushing to his face.
"Hard to get huh? Ok I will make you an offer you can't deny! Go zubat!"
"Pikachu you're up!" Sonic shouted as Pikachu lept of its head into battle.
"I don't think I like this matchup! Zubat use whirlwind!"
Zubat flapped its wings really fast causing Pikachu to lose its balance and be pulled up by the whirlwind being sent back to its ball. Out of the ball then came abra.
"Damn it not you!" Sonic said in fear it would get hurt.
"Wait a minute!" the rocket grunt said in realization "I recognize that little guy! He got away from us a month ago!"
"You are the one who put that collar around its neck?!"
"Yeah! How else could I keep tabs on it? But the little nuisance got away! But not this time!" he yelled as he recalled zubat and took out a remote pressing the button on it. Instantly the magnet transformed into another collar leaving Sonic's hand and attaching itself onto abra's neck.
"Abra return!" Sonic shouted trying to recall it but instead abra was zapped by the collar. The abra hummed in horror and started teleporting however because of the collar it could teleport less far and the destination was outside its control causing it to teleport deep into the forest.
The grunt attempted to run after it only to be tackled to the ground by Sonic.
"You dare hurt my friend again!" he said in anger punching the grunt hard.
"You dare torture innocent pokemon!" he said punching him again in anger as Pikachu looked worried.
"You dare separate a baby from its mother!" Sonic screamed as he punched a third time. The grunt laughed instead.
"What's a few feelings in the face of money?"
Sonic was about to punch him again but decided he deserved more.
"Pikachu zap him!"
Pikachu looked at him hesitating.
"Do it!"
Pikachu obeyed zapping the grunt with thunder shock as he screamed in pain for 5 seconds.
"Again!" Sonic screamed in rage.
Pikachu looked at it with its eyes tearing up obviously not wanting to.
"I said again!"
Pikachu obeyed again causing the grunt more pain.
"Again!" Sonic screamed again.
Pikachu then turned to Sonic and cried out in sadness. Wartortle also emerged from its ball and grabbed Sonic's leg.
"War. war. wartortle".
Sonic looked at the eyes of his two partners and his anger left him. He knelt down in shame.
"What have I done?" he said as he looked at the unconscious grunt. His chest was thankfully moving so he was alive.
"Sorry Pikachu. I… I'm so ashamed. Let's make things right. Let's go find our friend".
Pikachu and wartortle cried out agreeing. Sonic recalled wartortle and rushed into the woods as Pikachu climbed on his shoulder.
"Abra?! Abra where are you?!" he shouted.
Pikachu's ears started twitching.
"Pika pika!" it cried out as it lept off Sonic's shoulder and started running towards a fallen log in the distance. Sonic followed.
Once they reached the log they looked inside and saw the abra for the first time not in its usual ankles crossed form but instead tucked in a ball trembling. Sonic teared up.
"Abra?" he said softly "it's us".
Abra looked at the direction the voice came from afraid and came out running hugging Sonic's face as best as it could.
"I'm sorry about this little buddy. Let me get this off you" he said reaching to pick up a rock to break the collar.
At that moment he felt a net constricting him and throwing him away from the log. Before he could process it same with Pikachu.
"Blasting me with electricity was your last mistake kid!" the grunt said in anger "now I will give you a taste of your own medicine first before bringing you before the boss!" he said sinisterly as he sent out an ekans whoch started slithering towards Sonic, fangs out.
"Damnit!" Sonic thought as he tried to free himself.
"Don't bother kid you're stuck. Now you will feel…" but before he could finish his sentence he saw abra coming out of the log and humming in anger.
"You too will be taught a lesson! Zubat!" he said sending it out "leech its life!"
Zubat charged flying, fangs out to bite abra but right before its fangs sank into abra it got stopped for a moment then flew off, crashing into a tree and fainting. Sonic and the grunt observed the spectacle in shock as they heard the humming starting to make sense.
"UUUUUmbra… uuabra… abra… kadabra!" the humming slowly turned into a cry as abra was immersed in a blue glow.
"No way. You too?!" Sonic whispered from inside the net.
The glow continued as abra's form changed and the collar broke and fell off as its neck grew bigger. Eventually the glow stopped and its new form was revealed.
"Kadabra!" it cried out in anger.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu cried out in excitement.
"No! Not now! Ekans bite!"
Ekans lunged at kadabra but it was again stopped mid-air. This time though after taking some damage the ekans was softly left on the ground and looked around confused for a moment before lunging itself at the grunt.
"What?! No, not me, him! No!" he screamed as he made a run for it with ekans in hot pursuit. Sonic and Pikachu burst out laughing despite still being entrapped. Kadabra then made its way to them and used its psychic to untangle the nets freeing its trainer and its pokemon friend.
"Thank you kadabra. I'm so proud of you" Sonic said pulling it into a hug which unexpectedly kadabra took a moment before hugging back. Sonic then laid back for a moment to take a deep breath.
"Huh?" he said looking up and seeing berries on the trees.
"Hungry?" he asked his 2 pokemon.
They both cried out in agreeing.
"Guess the sandwich and the battle whet your appetite. Ok then. Pikachu slam the tree".
Pikachu slammed the tree as hard as it could causing several berries to drop as well as a beedrill which wasn't very pleased. Kadabra once again showed off its new move by damaging the beedrill and causing it to flee while flying into trees from confusion. Sonic and all 3 of his team members laughed as the pokemon ate. After the victory feast they continued towards Bill's house.