Chapter 7

Red left Cerulean after Leaf got her Pokemon back. She could tell he felt bad about it, but it was pointless for him to delay his travels for her. Besides, Leaf wanted to be alone now. She needed to think about what happened this morning.

Leaf had lost her first battle.

It'd been naive of her to think she could win forever. She knew that. But she'd been getting so used to winning battles that the possibility of losing seemed so distant. Her Pokemon had never even fainted before. That was the hardest part about losing: her Pokemon suffering as a result of her incompetence. When Ivysaur and Spearow had been returned to her, she'd apologized to them profusely and promised to do better. Of course, they'd shown no sign of anger and instead, snuggled against her. That only made Leaf feel more guilty.

Leaf now found herself obsessively replaying the battle in her mind, deeply analyzing each moment. Spearow's loss against the Pidgeotto should've been expected, she told herself. The Pidgeotto, being an evolved Pokemon, was bigger, faster, and stronger. But didn't Spearow defeat that wild Beedrill, who was the same size as the Pidgeotto? Then again, Spearow had the type advantage and the Beedrill didn't have anyone to guide it.

She wouldn't be a good trainer if she relied on having the advantage, anyway. She needed to be able to win when the cards weren't in her favor, like when Ivysaur faced the Pidgeotto. Like how Blue handled his Wartortle's disadvantage against Ivysaur.

You'll be fine. I've battled him three times so far and won every time. Red didn't seem to consider Blue a tough opponent. If Leaf lost to Blue, what did that say about her? What must Red think of her?

Leaf shoved these thoughts away. It wouldn't do her any good to have them. She needed to stay focused and do something. Leaf looked down at Ivysaur and Spearow, still lying by her side. All three of them had been through a lot the past few days. She'd promised herself a foot massage and a real break for her Pokemon. She wasn't going to go back on her word.

"Come on," Leaf said. "Let's go explore Cerulean."

Her day-off had been near perfect. After eating lunch in a cafe, she found an affordable spa and got a massage for herself and her Pokemon. Leaf hadn't realized until then how sore her body was and decided that nothing in the world felt nicer than a good massage. Once her spa trip was done, Leaf strolled around Cerulean City. Cerulean City wasn't as urban as Pewter or even Viridian. It was mostly a residential area, with houses that had a more suburban feel to them, like the ones in Pallet Town. Other than Nugget Bridge and Miracle Cycle, a high-end bicycle shop, there weren't any real attractions. What drew people to the otherwise unimpressive city was the scenery around it. There was something in any direction: Mount Moon to the west, the river and Cerulean Cape up north, more mountains to the east, and a grassy plain down south. All the restaurants, as a result, offered outdoor seating. Leaf was now eating dinner at a seafood restaurant near Nugget Bridge. The river gently flowed beside her. In the distance, Leaf could see the large cave, which she learned was simply called Cerulean Cave. Apparently, powerful wild Pokemon resided in the cave, so only trainers who collected all eight Gym Badges were allowed inside.

Leaf offered a piece of her tuna to Spearow and a cherry tomato to Ivysaur. They happily accepted the treats. They were sitting on the restaurant's wooden patio, eating the fancy Pokemon food Leaf ordered for them. Leaf wondered what Pokemon food was made out of. All she knew was that Spearow's was meat-based while Ivysaur's was plant-based.

Leaf stretched and leaned back into her seat. Her dish was bigger than she had anticipated. She needed to give her stomach a break.

Red and Blue think you're a joke.

Leaf winced and like a dog shaking water off its body, shook her head to remove the unwelcome thought. It was that stupid insecure voice in her head that prevented her day-off from being completely perfect. This was the second time she heard it today. The first was in Miracle Cycle. The store had a small TV hanging on the wall, turned on to the news channel.

"There has been much speculation that the grandson of the renowned Pokemon researcher, Professor Samuel Oak, has started his Pokemon journey. Rumors began floating around nearly two weeks ago, when the Pewter Gym Leader, Brock Harrison, was defeated by a trainer named Blue Oak. Just now, we received confirmation that Blue Oak is indeed Professor Oak's grandson and that he is on his way to win his third Gym Badge."

"Brenda, I think this is the most exciting thing that's happened to this region in a few years."

"Oh yes Tom, I quite agree. Professor Oak's grandson is a Pokemon trainer now? And by the sounds of it, he's pretty good."

"We'll be keeping a close eye on him for sure."

As the reporters chatted with each other, three photos of Blue appeared on screen. One was him challenging the Cerulean Gym. Another was him at the party he mentioned to Leaf last night. He was talking to some girl and holding a red solo cup. The third was of Blue and Leaf's battle. The photographer had captured the part when Pidgeotto was tossing Spearow around like a salad. The intense wave of shame Leaf felt had caught her off-guard and it took longer than she hoped to get rid of it.

Leaf suddenly lost all her appetite. She was annoyed at herself, for being so affected by that one loss. She was even more annoyed knowing that she wouldn't have felt this bad if the trainer she lost to hadn't been Blue. That boy could get under her skin without even trying. She hated that he had that sort of influence over her.

Leaf wondered if Blue was aware of his rising fame. If he did, his ego would surely skyrocket to levels Leaf didn't know existed. To add insult to injury, her failure was making a positive contribution to his public image. At least Leaf had been blurred out in the photo. She would simply just die if a random stranger recognized her in the streets as That Trainer Blue Oak Annihilated.

Leaf signed and looked down at Spearow. "We've all been through a lot recently, but you especially needed this break today."

Leaf began to scratch the small bird's head. As Spearow cooed, she noticed a movement in the river. A half-submerged yellow ball with a tuft of black hair was watching them with large vacant eyes. It blinked. Then, it swam up to the patio and climbed onto it, revealing a platypus-like beak and a short, rotund body. It stood on webbed feet, extended its clawed hands forward as if expecting a gift, and opened its mouth wide.

"He wants food." Leaf looked up and saw a waiter cleaning a nearby table. He smiled. "That Pokemon is Psyduck. He's not the brightest bulb around, but that's why people like him. They're always giving him food, so he keeps coming back for more."

Leaf glanced back down at Psyduck, at his silly pose, and laughed. "I'm not hungry anymore. He can have my food."

Leaf picked up her plate and placed it in front of the duck. Psyduck squawked and began shoveling the food into his mouth, while Ivysaur and Spearow watched him with curiosity. Leaf pulled out the Pokedex and scanned him.

Psyduck, the Duck Pokemon. It is constantly wracked by a headache. When the headache turns intense, it begins using mysterious powers.

Psyduck finished his meal and cocked his head to the side, holding it with his hands.

"Do you have a headache now?" Leaf asked, smiling sympathetically. "If I had any medicine, I'd give it to you."

Psyduck blinked and Leaf couldn't help but laugh again. She could see why the waiter said he wasn't the brightest. There was something comically empty about the Pokemon's eyes. There didn't seem to be a single thought behind them.

Leaf put the plate back on the table, along with some money. She returned Ivysaur and Spearow to their PokeBalls and stood. The sun was beginning to set. She decided she would head back to the Pokemon Center, maybe watch some TV in the lounge, and go to bed early.

"Bye, Psyduck!" Leaf said, waving at the duck.

Leaf walked out of the restaurant, gently humming a song she recently heard. She stopped when she passed the Cerulean Gym. Through the window, she could see trainers swimming with their Pokemon. Misty and the Gym Trainers, which Leaf learned was the title for the trainers she had to defeat before challenging the Gym Leader, all specialized in water-type Pokemon. With Ivysaur, Leaf had the advantage. From watching Red battle them, she also had an idea on what their battle style was. In theory, obtaining the Cerulean Gym Badge should be a cinch. But what if they, like Blue, were able to get around type disadvantages? What if Leaf lost again?

Gramps said that since a Pokemon journey is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I should be sure to see as much as I can. That's why I've been spending a few days in each city. Leaf had been in Cerulean for two days and felt like she'd already seen everything there was to see. And if her battle with Blue meant anything, it was that she had some catching up to do. She couldn't afford to treat her journey like a vacation. Tomorrow morning, Leaf decided, she would battle the Gym Trainers. Depending on the outcome of those battles, she would either train on her own or challenge Misty.

Leaf felt something tap the back of her calf. She turned and saw Psyduck, looking up at her with his vacant eyes.

Leaf smiled. "I don't have any more food. Sorry."

Leaf began to walk away, realizing after a few steps that Psyduck was waddling behind her. She stopped. Psyduck stopped. She took a step forward. Psyduck took a step forward.

"You're following me? Why?"

Psyduck responded by clutching its head and cocking it to the side. Leaf tapped her chin thoughtfully. She had a feeling Psyduck wouldn't be turned away so easily. And why should she turn him away? She liked Psyduck. Besides, how many trainers had wild Pokemon willingly go with them?

Leaf pulled out a PokeBall and held it in front of Psyduck's face. She doubted this Pokemon had never seen one before. His reaction to it would confirm if he wanted to be with her or not.

Leaf expected Psyduck to either do nothing or leave. What he did instead was tap the PokeBall with his beak. It sucked him in and clicked.

Leaf ran the rest of the way back to the Pokemon Center, elated. She sat down in the center's lounge and let out her Pokemon. Ivysaur and Spearow appeared surprised to see Psyduck, who clutched his head.

"Ivysaur and Spearow," Leaf said. "Meet Psyduck! He's the newest member of our team."

Leaf went straight to the Cerulean Gym after breakfast. The Cerulean Gym brought out a specific memory from Leaf's childhood. For a few months when she was five years old, Leaf's parents brought her to Viridian High School every Saturday morning for swim lessons. Having seen the ocean near Pallet Town, the indoor pool seemed so unnatural, with its teal color and the heavy scent of chlorine filling the facility. Leaf didn't like it, except for the times when her teacher brought out his goldfish Pokemon, Goldeen. Leaf found herself swimming faster, able to hold her breath underwater longer with the Goldeen nearby. Years later, when she was in middle school, she happened to pass by her old teacher while hanging around Viridian City with Red. For some reason, she spoke to him even though it was unlikely he remembered her. Somehow he did, and when she told him how she swam better whenever his Goldeen was there, he laughed and replied, "So many trainers are focused on how they can make their Pokemon stronger, without ever thinking about how their Pokemon can make them stronger. All the best trainers know that battling isn't simply telling your Pokemon what to do. You need to be fighting with them."

At the time, Leaf didn't quite understand what her old teacher meant. Watching Red conquer the Cerulean Gym as if he and his Pokemon were one entity explained it to her. How could you be a great trainer if you didn't understand what your Pokemon went through in every battle? She didn't know how Red did it, but she was going to reach that level no matter what.

The Cerulean Gym had two Gym Trainers, Luis and Diana. Leaf found Luis first. He was climbing out of the pool, wearing a swim cap, goggles, and briefs. His body was so toned and he wore so little that Leaf felt slightly awkward talking to him.

"Sure, let's battle!" Luis said amicably. He walked to the other side of the pool.

Luis' first Pokemon was a Horsea, a light blue seahorse with red eyes and a tubular mouth. He released it in the water. There were stone steps scattered around the pool for land Pokemon to stand on. Leaf sent out Ivysaur to the step nearest to her.

"Horsea, use Bubble!" Horsea shot out countless bubbles that jetted towards Ivysaur.

"Ivysaur, use Vine Whip!" Ivysaur's vines easily sliced through the bubbles and whipped the Horsea.

"Horsea, use Smoke Screen!" A cloud of black smoke billowed out of the Horsea's mouth. It covered a large portion of the pool, making it impossible to see where the seahorse was.

"Ivysaur, use your vines to clear the smoke away!" Ivysaur obeyed and there was a sudden shriek as he did so. When the smoke cleared, Leaf saw that Ivysaur had unintentionally hit the Horsea and knocked it out.

The next and last Pokemon was a Shellder, a violet shell with a black face, large white eyes, and lolling tongue poking out. Shellder was also in the water.

"Shellder, use Ice Shard!"

The Shellder flash froze a bit of the water and hurled chunks of ice at Ivysaur. It happened so fast that Ivysaur wasn't able to react. He hissed in pain. Grass Pokemon were not affected by water-type moves, but they were weak against ice-type moves. As a result, many water Pokemon learned ice-type moves to counter their weakness.

"Ivysaur, use Vine Whip!"

"Shellder, use Ice Shard!"

The Ice Shard proved to be quicker again. Over and over again, Ivysaur was struck by sharp chunks of ice. He tried swatting them away with his vines, but there were too many. The memory of Blue's Wartortle overpowering Ivysaur flashed through Leaf's mind and she began to panic at the thought of Ivysaur fainting again. Leaf reached for Ivysaur's PokeBall. She hadn't quite decided who she would send out after Ivysaur. Spearow was more experienced in battle, but Psyduck would be more resistant to Shellder's attacks.

Before Leaf could return Ivysaur, several green blades shot from the bud on his back, knocking away each Ice Shard. Leaf quickly pulled out the Pokedex and saw that the new move was called Razor Leaf.

Leaf shouted, "Ivysaur use Razor Leaf!"

Ivysaur sent a flurry of the sharp, swift leaves at the Shellder. The Shellder was unable to dodge them and fainted.

"Whoa!" Luis exclaimed, returning his Pokemon. "That was gnarly."

Luis walked towards the bleachers, opened up a navy duffel bag, and pulled out his wallet. He gave Leaf $64.

Leaf crouched down so that she was eye-level with Ivysaur. "Ivysaur, that was such a cool move!" After Ivysaur rumbled with pride, Leaf sprayed him with a potion.

"Hey." Leaf stood and saw a tall, pretty blonde woman wearing a blue triangle bikini. "I'm Diana. I'm guessing since you beat Luis, you want to challenge me now."

Leaf smiled. "You guessed correctly."

Diana had only one Pokemon and it was a Goldeen. The Goldeen glided gracefully through the water, a flash of white and orange, and dodged Ivysaur's Razor Leaf. It struck Ivysaur with the horn on its head. Ivysaur yelped as he fell into the water.

"Goldeen, keep using Horn Attack!"

With Ivysaur flailing in the water, there was not much he could do to defend himself. Leaf returned him before he could take too much damage and sent out Spearow.

"Spearow, stay in the air!"

The Goldeen tried over and over to leap from the water and attack Spearow, but Spearow had flown too high up. When the Goldeen was in the air again, Leaf exclaimed, "Spearow, use Fury Attack!"

Spearow jabbed at the Goldeen. Without anywhere to go, the Goldeen tried to keep Spearow away with its billowing tail, swaying like a ballroom dress. This did little to deter Spearow and when the Goldeen hit the water, it was unconscious. Diana gave Leaf $380.

Leaf was glad to have won, but she didn't feel the same level of satisfaction as she did with previous wins. She had tried to immerse herself in the battles the way Red did, tried to feel her Pokemon's movements and become a part of them, but she ended up battling the same way she and everyone else always did: telling her Pokemon what to do and hoping for the best. Leaf found herself wondering––and admiring––about Red's technique even more.

"You there." The voice broke Leaf's train of thought. She turned and saw an orange-haired girl wearing a blue scoop bikini that matched the color of her eyes. Although this girl couldn't have been more than a few years older than Leaf, she was the Cerulean Gym Leader, Misty Waterflower.

Misty beamed. "You seem pretty tough. Ready to challenge me for the badge?"

Was Leaf ready? Leaf had disappointedly realized that she was not as strong as she thought she was. Was she truly ready to challenge one of the most well-respected trainers in the region? She remembered when her old swim teacher was teaching them free-style, she struggled to breathe from side-to-side. Some of the other kids laughed whenever water sputtered out of her nostrils. She hated the feeling of water going up her nose, but it was the teasing that really got to her. She worked hard to correct her breathing, swimming more laps than the other kids, even staying in the pool a bit after class ended if her parents allowed it. By the time her lessons were over, she was the best swimmer in her class. It was this perseverance that made her teacher remember her years later. You can overcome any challenge, Leaf. As long as you believe in yourself.

Leaf had lost to the worst possible person, but it didn't matter. That loss was just one bump in the road. As long as she tried her best, she would be fine. She would become the strongest trainer Kanto had ever seen.

Leaf straightened herself, met Misty's bright blue gaze, and said confidently, "I'm ready."

Leaf has a Psyduck now! In the last chap, a reviewer mentioned how Leaf's had 2 Pokemon for a while and should get her 3rd soon. I thought the timing of that review was so perfect cuz I'd planned for Leaf to catch another Pokemon this chap.

Will Leaf beat Misty and win her second badge? We'll find out in Chapter 8!

Thanks again to everyone who's been following and reviewing my story. I appreciate y'all!