Chapter 26; re-igniting the flame
Sonic left Pewter town with Raichu after spending the night at the pokemon center there. He proceeded to Viridian forest with heavy steps.
It had been three days since lashing out on Ash about the latter's gifting of the marsh badge from Sabrina. The road had led them back to mount moon but to their dismay, they discovered the main path was still blocked by the rocks Moltres had brought down when they met it there. Having to find another way, Sonic had discovered through his map that the diglett tunnel could lead to Pewter from Vermillion and would in fact be a faster way to get to their destination.
Going back south, they slowly walked the way to Vermillion, training a lot along the way. Sonic also had picked up dodging attacks from his pokemon extremely well. He did everything he could to avoid thinking. To keep his mind busy and the pain away.
Finally reaching Vermillion and restocking on resources, they travelled through the tunnel while being stalked by digletts and some dugtrios. The dugtrios reminded Sonic of Mike's dugtrio. And immediately after that Jolty engulfed his thoughts.
Finally managing to traverse the tunnel they stopped for the night at Pewter. And back in the present they were going back down through Viridian forest. Sonic looked around, remembering the beginning of his journey. How everything was so new and hopeful. How he was finally beginning to feel like himself again after Amy's rejection and his consequent withdrawal from his friends and brother. Now they were going through it again much stronger that then. But carrying a heavy burden too.
Midway through the forest they ran into the pikachus Sonic's raichu had originated from. Sonic let them have their moment while he tried to cope with all his emotions. Even after so many days the pain didn't let off instead getting stronger and heavier. Witnessing raichu happily reunite with the other pikachus despite their disapproval of it evolving, he wondered why he couldn't feel some of that joy. He had managed to feel it back in Sabrina's gym so why not now?
After about an hour sitting there Sonic and raichu bid farewell to the pikachus and continued their way towards pallet. Passing through Viridian Sonic took one look at the Viridian gym knowing that would be his final destination before the tournament.
Midway through the route connecting Viridian and Pallet however raichu walked a few steps forward before hearing a thud behind it. Turning around in surprise and concern it found it trainer lying on the ground looking at the sky with a sad and broken look, tears flooding his eyes.
"It's pointless raichu. I can't go any further anymore".
"Rai?"
"No. I'm not tired. I'm beaten. I can't take this pain anymore. We failed" he said as he reached for the sky.
"After all we went through… we couldn't stop them without casualties. And the fact… the fact that everyone thinks of us as heroes…" he said remembering started being recognized and called the hero of Kanto. The police had revealed his identity and role in team rocket's retreat and everyone hailed him. But the hails and the recognition only made the burden heavier. They had no idea what the cost of him and Mike playing heroes really was.
His friends and brother also learned of that. All 3 contacted him and tried to cheer him up but were unsuccessful. So they were quietly supporting him and ready to hear him out if he needed someone to talk to.
Amy of course too remembered him again after her outrage a while back. She had sent him a "good morning hero" the morning they had left pewter. A part of Sonic wondered why she even bothered to talk to him if she was dating Shadow but the rest of him just ignored the message and proceeded forward. But now his entire being had reached his breaking point.
Raichu cuddled against him to try and cheer him up. Sonic scratched it but remained there.
"What's the point of continuing?" he wondered.
He didn't know how long he had spent lying in the middle of the path looking at the sky when he heard a voice.
"Well that's not something you see every day".
Sonic looked to the direction of the voice. It was an old woman with a purple dress and a walking stuff. Ignoring her he got back to looking at the sky.
"What seems to be the problem young man?" she said approaching him. Sonic silently observed her face and found it strangely familiar.
"Nothing that should concern you ma'am".
"Oh my" she said after observing his face as well "I didn't expect I would meet the hero of Kanto at this day and certainly not like this".
Sonic felt nauseous at her words.
"Please don't call me a hero. I am no hero".
The old lay remained silent. Seeing as Sonic was looking at the sky she looked at it as well.
"What does this offer you?"
"What?" Sonic asked having not heard due to zoning out.
"What does sitting there and looking at the sky offer you?"
Sonic didn't answer.
"I know the pain you're going through all too well" she began saying.
"I don't want to hear it" Sonic cut her off rather rudely "I can imagine you having seen pokemon die either by natural causes or having their lives taken throughout your life. But can you really say that the blood of a pokemon is on your hands?"
"…No".
Sonic thinking that was the end of it got back to observing the clouds.
Suddenly the sound of a pokemon coming out of a pokeball was heard. The next moment a gengar came out of nowhere and blocked his view.
"Hey get out of the way" he said annoyed.
Gengar started making funny faces and annoying sounds teasing him. Sonic felt his patience running thin.
"Ma'am is this your gengar?"
"Why yes it is".
"Then would you please get it out of the way?"
"Make me".
"Excuse me?"
"Make me recall it".
Sonic couldn't believe his ears. This old lady was challenging him.
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into lady".
"I think I do know".
"Fine" Sonic said getting up.
Gengar flew behind the old lady as she took out another pokeball.
"Time for you to relearn the first lesson young man. Come on out Arbok!"
An Arbok appeared. Sonic seeing it reminded him of team rocket who used a lot of Ekans and Arboks.
"This thing" he said quietly but in anger "I will break it! Go pinsir!"
Pinsir emerged.
"Pinsir use rock slide!"
Pinsir looked at Sonic and merely walked away.
"Are you kidding me?!" he yelled in frustration "we worked so well together during the raid and now you won't listen?!"
"Looks like your pinsir needs more warming up" the old woman said "you may bring another pokemon out".
Sonic wasted no time.
"Go nidoking!"
Nidoking emerged sparkling.
"That is one good looking pokemon. I've heard pokemon like it are very rare".
"Earthquake!"
Nidoking used earthquake. The ground started tremoring but the old lady had a plan to dodge the waves of power travelling through the ground.
"Iron tail" she said calmly with a smile.
Arbok used its tail to propel itself above the ground dodging the power waves of earthquake. Sonic and nidoking were caught off guard and the attack landed perfectly. Thankfully due to Arbok being more of a defensive pokemon, the attack did not do all that much damage.
"Leer!" Sonic ordered nidoking.
Arbok's defense was lowered.
"You shouldn't count your chickens before they hatch young man. Arbok wrap!"
Arbok wrapped its body around nidoking causing it great pain through the pressure. Sonic hadn't seen that move in so long he forgot about it and racked his brain as to how to break free from it.
"Think Sonic think there has to be a way".
Arbok kept squeezing as Nidoking growled in pain.
"Damnit how can I cause it to break free?!' Sonic yelled in frustration "nidoking protect!"
Nidoking raised its shield but with arbok being already on the inside, the shield was pointless. With one more tight squeeze nidoking fainted. As Arbok unwrapped its body from nidoking, Sonic dropped to his knees as pinsir looked on from the sidelines.
"Too weak again" he said in sadness feeling useless.
"Why didn't you instruct your nidoking to use earthquake on the ground under it to lose its balance and therefore shake off my arbok?" the old woman asked smiling.
"What?" Sonic asked in shock that he didn't think of it.
"You spent so much time thinking. You don't have to think in battles. Using a strategy is important young man but using your heart and gut is even more important".
"I have no heart to use anymore!" Sonic retaliated not wanting to hear it as he recalled nidoking "Go alakazam!"
Alakazam emerged.
"Psychic!"
"Dig"
Arbok dug its way underground dodging the psychic.
"Where will it come out?" Sonic thought "wait exactly under… Alakazam use reflect under you!"
Alakazam obeyed but Arbok pushed the reflect up with Alakazam sending it crashing to the ground.
"Psychic again!"
"Dig again!"
The chain of events was repeated but this time Sonic had a plan.
"Shadow ball!"
Alakazam fired shadow ball upward and just as Arbok emerged from the ground sending it flying again, the shadow ball came crashing down on Arbok, lowering its special defense and giving Sonic a bit of time.
"Psychic!"
The attack struck true and this time there was no dodging. Arbok fainted. The old woman recalled it while clapping her hands with one of them holding onto her stuff.
"Good, very good young Sonic. But this was just one pokemon. Go golbat!"
Golbat emerged. Alakazam raised its spoons ready for its attack.
"Confuse ray"
The confuse ray landed causing Alakazam to become confused.
"Now bite".
"Alakazam use psychic!"
Alakazam hit itself in its confusion as bite also connected sending it down again but not out.
"Sludge bomb" the old lady pressed on the assault.
Alakazam saw the barrage of sludge balls incoming and raised a defensive wall.
"Alakazam why did you use reflect? It can't stop…"
But the defensive wall deflected the sludge balls to Sonic's surprise.
"But… that means… that's not reflect. You learnt light screen!" Sonic said in awe.
"That was unexpected" the old woman said smiling "but that's the true beauty of pokemon. The unpredictability. Can't you see it young Sonic?"
Sonic wanted to say yes but once again the only thing that came to his mind was Jolty's grave.
"Alakazam shadow ball!"
"Sludge bomb"
The attacks collided causing a small explosion and smoke to engulf the field.
"Alakazam stay on your guard" Sonic said knowing golbat had the advantage in such an environment.
Alakazam once again raised its spoons in defense.
"Sludge bomb"
Alakazam raised another light screen but saw the attacks hitting the ground instead. Before it could raise its guard again, golbat was right behind it.
"Bite!"
Golbat bit Alakazam on the neck giving Sonic vampire vibes and creeping him out. Alakazam was knocked out. As Sonic recalled it he couldn't help but feel that battle was actually amazing. The old woman using the collision of their attacks to smokescreen him and knock out Alakazam was genius.
"Who are you lady?" Sonic asked.
"Not now young man. We're in the middle of a battle and you still have standing pokemon".
"Fine!" Sonic said winding up his hand to sent out blastoise before pinsir jumped into action, looking at him with determination.
"Pinsir" he said in surprise.
"Pin" it cried back.
Their gazes met.
"Let's do it! Rock slide!"
Pinsir unleashed its attack at golbat which easily dodged.
"Air cutter!"
Golbat directed wind currents at Pinsir damaging it.
"Submission!" Sonic ordered. He knew the attack wouldn't do that much but if he could get close it was over.
Pinsir jumped towards golbat. Golbat dodged and unleashed another air cutter attack. This time however Pinsir used its pincers to cut the air currents in two limiting their damage and jumping again. It grabbed onto golbat tackling to the ground as they rolled together.
"Don't let go pinsir! Rock slide on yourself!"
The old lady heard the attack order in surprise knowing that by doing that both pokemon would take massive damage.
Rock slide came crashing down on the two pokemon. At the last second pinsir still holding onto golbat rolled and had golbat take the most of the rock slide. The result was what Sonic expected. Pinsir threw golbat back to its trainer knocked out. She recalled it with a smile.
"Rest well my friend" she said warmly as her eyes met Sonic's.
"You have a lot of spirit young Sonic. But above all you have a good heart. You have merely lost the flare".
"The flare?" Sonic said in question.
"Yes. You have lost your reason for battling. Stopping team rocket was indeed a noble goal and you achieved it… but is it what you originally set out to do?"
Sonic allowed his mind to process the question. As that lady said, he had focused all of his efforts in bringing down team rocket. But before he started his journey he had no idea of its existence.
"I started my journey to escape a situation in my hometown" he said feeling trapped once again. He had successfully overcome that situation now.
"And has that situation been resolved?"
"From my point of view yes".
"Then is that it? Do you desire to stop your journey?"
The answer came out immediately. Sonic didn't think. It came from his heart.
"No. I don't want this to end yet".
"And why not?"
"Because" he said looking at his raichu "because I love pokemon".
"Good" the old lady smiled "and has that changed because of the tragic result of your battle with team rocket?"
"No. Not in the least" he said in determination for the first time in days.
"Then come at me with everything you've got. After all you're now facing my life-long partner! Go get him Gengar!"
Gengar flew back inside the field making a teasing look at Sonic. Instead of getting annoyed by it, he smiled.
"Let's do it Pinsir! Rock slide!"
Pinsir unleashed its rock barrage.
"Protect".
Gengar shielded itself from the rocks. Sonic went to use another move but realized his pinsir had a major flaw.
"Oh no!" he said in shock "Pinsir's remaining moves are all fighting!"
"I'm afraid that's checkmate then. Gengar shadow ball!"
Gengar unleashed its attack with immense speed before Sonic could react. Pinsir took it head on. Despite its greater level compared to the rest of Sonic's team the combined damage from the air cutters as well as the shadow ball proved too much for it as it fainted. Sonic recalled it.
"You were amazing Pinsir. I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you. We will make a new moveset for you soon" he promised as he winded up his hand with blastoise's pokeball.
"You're strong lady. I admit I was rude earlier and I apologize. But I'm not planning to lose! Go blastoise!"
Blastoise emerged strong and immovable. Sonic looked at it and remembered the small squirtle he had started with.
"We've come such a long way" he thought to himself "and in a way by returning to Pallet even if we have a long way to go… we are coming full circle. Blastoise" he thought smiling "let's do this! Surf!"
Blastoise's surf came out stronger than ever before. Gengar was hit by it not expecting it to be this strong but remained standing regardless.
"Gengar sludge bomb".
"Blastoise protect!"
Blastoise shielded itself from the sludge balls.
"Protect strategies are useless against my gengar young Sonic. Gengar use taunt!"
Gengar started taunting Blastoise who got mad after a while and stopped shielding itself.
"Damnit. There goes protect" Sonic thought.
"Shadow ball".
The shadow ball was launched.
"Counter with surf then ice beam!"
Blastoise obeyed though surf instead of coming out of the lower half of its body came out of its water cannons. The shadow ball was canceled out but the lack of focus of the surf cause ice beam to miss.
"Why did it miss?" Sonic thought "that surf was weird. Unless. No. Blastoise couldn't possibly learn it yet".
"Gengar use shadow punch!"
"Ice beam!"
The shadow punch being impossible to dodge or block, broke through the ice beam and struck blastoise head on. Gengar started charging shadow ball to finish it off.
"Gotcha!" Sonic said deciding to bet everything on it "ready blastoise? Aim. FIRE!"
High pressure water came out of blastoise's water cannons blasting gengar in the face. Gengar was launched back but stopped itself from crashing to the ground. The old lady however was unfazed.
"So it learnt hydro pump too. Rare for a blastoise to learn it and use it successfully at this point in its life. But that's only to be expected when it is with someone like you" the old woman complimented Sonic "however it will take a lot more to stop gengar. Shadow punch!"
"Rapid spin!"
Rapid spin however didn't work as Sonic intended. Apart from damaging gengar when it landed the shadow punch, gengar actually sent blastoise rolling like a spinning top towards Sonic. Sonic dived out of the way with relative ease having trained a lot with his pokemon to dodge their attacks but was taken aback by the lack of impact rapid spin usually had.
"Hydro pump!"
"Shadow ball!"
Shadow ball countered the hydro pump, deflecting it and crashing into blastoise. It tried to remain sturdy but toppled and fainted. Sonic was at a loss for words at Gengar's power. But he still had his final ace up his sleeve.
"Raichu" he said turning to it "it's all up to you".
"Rai!" Raichu cried out and stood opposite gengar that made the come at me hand gesture.
"Only two of our moves work. But that doesn't mean the other two are useless" Sonic thought with a smile "Quick attack!"
Raichu charged at gengar. The attack passed through it as it was immune.
"Use your iron tail as boost and then thunder punch!"
The old lady was taken aback by the weird set of moves Sonic had ordered. Raichu used its tail to land then balancing on it pushed against the ground propelling itself towards gengar. Before gengar could react, raichu had landed a perfectly good thunder punch sending it crashing to the ground.
For a moment Sonic thought it was over until Gengar sprang back up.
"That was out strongest move and it's still standing?!" he said in shock.
"Gengar make it rain! Sludge bomb!"
"Make it rain?!" Sonic said in shock. He had only heard this phrase coming from one person, having seen her on TV when he was a kid.
"There's no way I'm fighting… her" he thought in awe at the prospect "Raichu use quick attack to dodge the sludge balls!"
Gengar had used sludge bomb facing upwards creating a rain of sludge balls. Raichu used its quick attack to dodge all but one that damaged it greatly. Gengar also seemed tired. The two pokemon faced its other panting. Sonic felt his heart racing.
"Raichu" he said determined to risk it all "let's fire the last attack! Thunder punch!"
"Then we will respond the same way. Gengar shadow punch!"
The punch moves made contact as the two pokemon put all their remaining energy in that one move, neither giving an inch. The ground started shaking from the output of energy. Sonic took it all in in absolute awe.
"This is incredible" he thought "and you're telling me we're at the finale?"
Raichu shared that sensation as it made a cry towards gengar which answered back while they pushed each other with their punches, as if they were acknowledging each other. It had however reach its limit.
Raichu's energy was completely depleted and despite not wanting to disappoint Sonic, let go of thunder punch receiving the shadow punch head on.
"Raichu!" Sonic exclaimed in shock at seeing his partner fly through the air and crash on the hard ground. Knocked out.
Falling to his knees to check if raichu was ok he found it to be merely exhausted as it opened its eyes and cried out its name in an apologetic way.
"Don't be sorry buddy. You were amazing" Sonic said as their foreheads touched. He felt the electricity course through his body at that moment but it felt rejuvenating. It intrigued him momentarily until he heard gengar being recalled. Standing up he smiled at the old woman.
"Thank you for battle and the wake-up call ma'am. Or should I call you Agatha of the elite four".
Agatha was unfazed as she expected Sonic to identify her.
"Brave, good heart, quick on your feet and perceptive. The perfect combination for a trainer".
"How come you are out here?" Sonic asked in question not expecting an elite four member to be at that place at the time.
"I was just passing by my old friend professor oak's lab".
"You know professor oak?"
"I do. He was a trainer before dedicating his life to his pokemon research. Our battles back then shook the earth. The final collision of our pokemon's moves reminded me of that time. And I can't say that for a lot of my battles".
"I appreciate that. Thank you honestly".
She started walking towards holding her walking stuff firmly, intending to pass by him. When she got to his left, she put her hand on his shoulder.
"Do not ever forget what you remembered here today young Sonic. Never forget it. And your future will always be bright despite the challenges".
"I won't" Sonic said with a determined smile.
She nodded and walked past him. However after a few steps she stopped.
"And one more thing. Whether you like to be called a hero or not, what you did at silph co made you a hero. So did that other kid that was with you. Abolish the title of hero if you so desire. But do it out of humility, not guilt" she said and continued on her way.
Sonic took in her words as he looked at Pallet town in the distance while the wind caressed his face. Closing his eyes he made on decisive thought.
"The hardest thing is not losing a loved one. The hardest thing is living for that loved one. We will live for you Jolty. And for ourselves" he thought finally letting go of his guilt for what had happened.
"We are not heroes" he thought smiling "we merely did what we thought was right".
With their optimism and hope restored the duo of trainer and pokemon continued on their way, heading for the pokemon center first. Next up would be the trip to Cinnabar island. And little did Sonic know, the island had two major surprises waiting for him.