Chapter 12
Leaf woke the next morning feeling like she'd had a crazy dream. She sat upright in her bed, gradually remembering bits and pieces of it. She was in Diglett's Cave. Two Team Rocket members were there, too. They were searching for Diglett. Just as she was about to battle them, a herd of Diglett burst through the wall and scared them off.
Leaf snorted. The things her mind came up with sometimes.
It was when she was eating breakfast that she suddenly remembered with a jolt that the encounter wasn't a dream. It was real. It happened just last night.
At first, Leaf was enraged at the thought that Team Rocket had set out to hurt more Pokemon. Then, she was confused. What did Team Rocket need a bunch of Diglett for? We just want to be strong. You're a trainer, right? You should understand. But Leaf didn't understand and she felt offended that Team Rocket dared to compare their motivation to hers.
Finally, Leaf found herself frustrated. Frustrated that only she and Red seemed to have to deal with them. What was the point of having a police force if they weren't going to do the one thing they were responsible for? Leaf wanted to go to the police right now and tell them everything. But tell them what? That the Diglett abudctor's name was Doug? That there seemed to be an entire criminal organization running around Kanto, but only two random teenagers knew about them? Leaf didn't even have any evidence of their existence.
Leaf slumped in her chair. No, the police would never believe her. For now, it seemed, she would just need to stop Team Rocket whenever she could.
And in order to do that, she needed to be strong.
Leaf clenched her fists and stood. There was a reason she was in Vermilion. She'd held off challenging Lieutenant Surge out of fear that she wasn't good enough, that she would be told she wasn't meant to be a Pokemon trainer. But now, she was ready. She would battle the Gym Leader and win. She had to.
To call the Vermilion Gym a gym wasn't entirely accurate. It should've been called the Vermilion Boot Camp. In addition to basic exercise equipment like weights and yoga mats, there were obstacle courses for both Pokemon and their trainers, from climbing over walls to crawling under wires. It was easy to tell which trainers were long-time visitors of this Gym and which weren't. For some trainers, conquering the courses seemed to come as naturally to them as breathing. For others, even getting halfway through was impossible. One poor trainer got stuck so badly in the wires that other people needed to come and help untangle him.
At the center of everything was a dirt battlefield, but Leaf's eyes only registered it for a second. What really caught her attention was up ahead, where Lieutenant Surge was stationed. Separating the Gym Leader from everyone else was an electric fence. Blue electricity crackled so brightly that Leaf couldn't see the Gym Leader clearly. He seemed to be lifting weights.
Leaf turned to the registrant, an older man with a scar on his eye. "I'm here to challenge Lieutenant Surge."
The registrant regarded Leaf with amusement. "Sure, young lady. Show me that you've actually won the Boulder and Cascade Badge."
There was something about his tone that didn't sit right with Leaf, but she tried not to show it. She opened up her satchel, showing the two badges pinned to the inside of the flap.
The registrant's eyes widened for a moment before he smiled at her. "Congrats on making it this far. Let me explain the rules because challenging this Gym isn't as straightforward as the previous two. Each section of this Gym is overseen by a Gym Trainer. There's Dwayne at exercise, Bailey at obstacles, and Tucker at the battlefield. It's not required that you defeat all of them."
Leaf was surprised to hear this. Out of the Gyms she'd challenged so far, Vermilion was the one she would expect least to not require battling Gym Trainers.
"Around the Gym are fifteen trash cans. They're not normal trash cans, though. Two have switches in them. You need to find both in order to shut down the electric fence and meet Lieutenant Surge. If a Gym Trainer catches you searching, you have to battle him. They're tough and you're not allowed to heal up your Pokemon, so it's highly recommended you try being sneaky. Any questions?"
Leaf shook her head. The only thing she was confused about was why Lieutenant Surge created this game in the first place.
"Great. Now, what's your name and where are you from?"
"Leaf Green. Pallet Town."
The registrant wrote down her information. "Well, Leaf Green of Pallet Town, good luck."
Leaf stepped past him and surveyed the Gym. As the registrant said, there were gray trash cans scattered around, against the wall or right next to equipment. Leaf went to the exercise area. The Gym Trainer, Dwayne, was a large and muscular man in uniform. He was watching a trainer bench pressing with his Machop.
Pretending to be checking out the different equipment, Leaf strolled around, using the corner of her eye to look into the trash cans she passed. At the fifth can, she noticed a black switch.
Leaf's gaze snapped towards Dwayne. His attention was now on a woman doing squats. Leaf wanted to roll her eyes when she saw where his gaze was aimed at exactly. Heart racing, she quickly stuck her hand into the trash can and flicked the switch. She glanced over at the electric fence and saw the bottom half silently shut down.
Relief flooded in Leaf. This wasn't so bad after all. She just needed to find that second switch and she'll be able to finally face Lieutenant Surge. With more confidence, she walked around the Gym and checked each garbage can. At one point, she sent out Ivysaur to walk with her and even do some stretches to appear less suspicious.
Leaf peered inside the last trash can. No switch. Confused, Leaf scanned the Gym. Had she missed any? No, it didn't seem like she had. Where was that last switch then?
Around the Gym are fifteen trash cans. Leaf counted all the ones she saw: thirteen. Leaf counted again and still got only thirteen. Panic began to seep into Leaf. Where were the remaining two? Leaf squinted and her heart sank when she noticed a trash can half-buried under the wire course.
Leaf returned Ivysaur. She didn't want the bud on his back to snag on the wires. Taking a deep breath, she headed towards the course and got down on her stomach. She glanced at the Gym Trainer, Bailey, who had a stocky build. Bailey was tending to a trainer who had cut their hand on the wires.
Leaf took her hat off and inched under the wires, keeping her head as low as possible. As she wriggled her way through, she kept her gaze on the trash can, which was at the halfway point. More than once, she had to pause because she thought she felt a tug in her hair.
Finally, she reached the trash can. Leaf held her breath and peeked inside. No switch. Leaf bit her tongue to keep the curse words from coming out.
Something did end up slipping out though, because at that moment she heard a "Hey, you!" which caused her to jolt and get her arm scratched by a wire. She looked up and saw Bailey peering down at her, arms crossed.
Bailey smirked. "Looking for a switch? Too bad, it's not there. Get out."
Leaf groaned and wriggled out. When she stood, she wiped some of the dirt off her. All that effort to find a switch that didn't exist. And now, she was going to have to battle. Leaf hoped it would be quick.
They moved to the side. The battlefield was currently in use. Bailey sent out something Leaf had seen on a TV special called World's Strangest Pokemon. It was a Magnemite and it truly was different from many other Pokemon. It wasn't animal-like in the least. It was a floating metal sphere with blue-and-red tipped horseshoe magnets on each side. There were three screws on its body, one of which sat on top like an antenna. At the center of the sphere was a single eye. The Magnemite beeped as Leaf scanned it with the Pokedex.
Leaf released Psyduck. The Pokedex said Magnemite was part steel-type, which Leaf imagined to be similar to rock-type. She considered using Ivysaur but decided it would be best to save him for Lieutenant Surge.
"Magnemite, use Thunder Shock!"
"Psyduck, dodge and use Water Gun!"
Leaf was pleased to see Psyduck leap out of the Thunder Shock's way and fire his Water Gun at the Magnemite. The training session had been helpful indeed.
"Hold your Water Gun!"
The Magnemite screeched as the Water Gun slammed it into the wall. As ordered, Psyduck held the attack, pinning the magnet Pokemon.
"Magnemite, use Thunder Shock!"
Leaf winced as a wave of electricity shot through the water and zapped Psyduck, who screeched in pain. She'd forgotten that water amplified the strength of electrical currents. Thankfully, Psyduck was still standing, though the hair on his head was burnt.
"Thunder Shock, again!"
"Dodge and try to get close to the Magnemite!"
Psyduck scrambled away from the Thunder Shock and headed towards Magnemite. The Magnemite wasn't particularly fast, so Psyduck was able to dodge more of its attacks.
Just when the Magnemite finished firing another Thunder Shock, Leaf shouted, "Water Gun!"
The Water Gun made contact. As soon as the Magnemite began charging up for the next Thunder Shock, Leaf had Psyduck stop. They went back-and-forth like this a few times, with Psyduck only attacking when the Magnemite didn't have a Thunder Shock ready. Leaf was feeling good about this plan, though it was surprising to see how many Water Guns the Magnemite was taking. Looks like steel-type isn't quite like rock-type after all.
Psyduck avoided another Thunder Shock and used Water Gun. Just as it was about to hit the Magnemite, Bailey ordered, "Quick, Thunder Shock!"
Before Leaf could yell at Psyduck to cease fire, the Magnemite lit up. The Water Gun slammed into it and simultaneously, Psyduck cried out. The two Pokemon fell to the ground. Bailey gave Leaf $1008.
"Sorry Psyduck, I'll take you to the Pokemon Center as soon as I win the badge," Leaf murmured to Psyduck's PokeBall as she went to search for that last trash can. It felt a bit strange carrying around an unconscious Pokemon, but the registrant had said she was forbidden from healing up during the challenge.
There wasn't a trash can at the wall, rope climbing, or tire obstacle. Leaf moved on to the final course, where trainers had to walk on a balance beam to cross a mud patch. Sure enough, there was a trash can in the mud, completely submerged except for the opening.
Leaf looked around. The Gym Trainer at the battlefield––what was his name? Tucker? He was staring in Leaf's direction. Leaf swallowed. She'd already lost one Pokemon. She didn't want to risk losing another.
Leaf stepped onto the beam. Her heart skipped a beat when she swayed a bit. Stretching her arms out, Leaf slowly made her way across the beam. She could feel Tucker's eyes on her and it was beginning to make her legs weak. The feeling grew worse as she neared the trash can. How was she supposed to subtly flick the switch? It would be too obvious for her to crouch down.
Then, it hit her. Leaf took a deep breath and set her foot down on the edge of the beam. Though she did it on purpose, her heart lurched as she slipped off. As she splattered onto the mud, she dipped her hand into the trash can and hit the switch.
Leaf scrambled out of the mud. Wincing, she wiped her face and then her clothes. She was very much looking forward to showering after this.
Her disgust vanished instantly, however, when she saw the top half of the electric fence disappear.
Lieutenant Surge put down his weights and stood straight. "Who's here to challenge me?" His voice boomed through the Gym.
Leaf's stomach twisted. She moved so that she was in his line of vision. "M-Me," she replied, her voice a little more high-pitched than she would've liked.
Some of the other trainers snickered. If Lieutenant Surge cared that his opponent was a teenage girl, he didn't show it. He walked towards Leaf and she nearly gasped.
Lieutenant Surge was, to put it bluntly, a terrifying man. He was at least a foot taller than Leaf and his green tank clearly showed his large muscles. When he crossed his arms, Leaf saw veins pop out.
"Are you sure you want to challenge me, kid?" The Gym Leader asked. "You don't look like you'd live long in combat. I tell you, my electric Pokemon saved me during the War. They destroyed my enemies, the same as they'll destroy you!"
Lieutenant Surge's threat would have intimidated anyone else, but Leaf was too distracted to fully register it. Her mind had latched onto his mention of the War and suddenly, the world around her seemed to fade away.
It had happened years ago, starting when Leaf was eight and ending when she was ten. She'd been too young back then to understand what the War was about. Even today, she didn't know all of the details because it was almost taboo to bring it up. No one in Pallet Town liked to be reminded of it and discussion on TV was minimal.
What she did know was that it was initially a dispute between Kanto and Johto over the Sevii Islands, an archipelago equidistant to both regions. The conflict escalated to the point where there was a terrorist attack on Kanto. In response, President Ken sent troops into Johto, officially starting the Kanto-Johto War. Kanto ended up winning, and it didn't just claim the Sevii Islands: it annexed Johto as well. Future history textbooks would probably describe the War as a huge success for Kanto, but Leaf knew that many Kanto lives had been lost during it.
Including Blue's parents.
Blue's parents hadn't done anything Pokemon-related for their careers. The both of them were surgeons and were called up to treat the army. They were stationed somewhere in Johto. The day before they were supposed to return home, someone planted a bomb at their base.
The news devastated everyone; Mr. and Mrs. Oak had been well-liked. And the one who took it the hardest was Blue.
Leaf had been there that day. She, Red, and Blue had been playing some game in the Oaks' backyard. Professor Oak suddenly came outside, shoulders slumped as if he was carrying the sky on them. When he shakily revealed what happened, Leaf couldn't believe it. Mr. and Mrs. Oak, who had always welcomed her and Red to their house as if they were their children, gone forever? It was unfathomable to her ten-year-old mind.
Then, Leaf thought, Blue. She turned towards him and the mixture of shock and despair in his amber eyes was so raw, it made Leaf cry.
The words that followed were hazy in Leaf's mind, but she could still remember Blue yelling. When Professor Oak tried to touch him, Blue slapped his hand away and took off. He was found hours later in Route 1, but nothing was the same after. He became distant, even hostile. He pushed Leaf and Red away. It grew increasingly difficult to be his friend, but since Leaf and Red understood that Blue was in pain, they accepted whatever walls he put up, whatever insults he threw at them, and did their best to be supportive.
Then, one spring day, Blue said something horrible to Red. He said Red's dad must've left him because he was ashamed of having a mute robot for a son.
And Red, who was normally so gentle he wouldn't hurt a fly, punched him.
The two boys were rolling on the ground, kicking at each other, when teachers arrived to pull them apart. Blue didn't show up for the rest of the school year and they didn't see him during the summer either. When Blue returned the coming school year, he was the cocky, snarky jerk he was today.
It had disturbed Leaf and Red greatly how much he'd changed. They found themselves mourning not just for Blue's parents, but also the friendly, good-humored boy who would do anything for his friends. Over time, however, Blue's new persona became so ingrained that it was near impossible to see him as anything else. It was so hard for Leaf to believe they'd ever been friends that she sometimes almost forgot.
Red had been more affected by the loss. Leaf believed Blue deserved that punch, but every now and then, Red blamed himself for Blue's transformation. Maybe if I hadn't done that, Blue would've remembered that he has people who care about him. Leaf always assured Red that they did whatever they could, that Blue had made his choice and they were better off without him. If Leaf was being honest, there had been times when she had to assure herself of that too.
"Hey, kid! Are you listening?" Lieutenant Surge's bark brought Leaf back to reality. The Gym Leader's scowl was as sharp as his spiky blonde hair.
"Y-Yes," Leaf stammered, still a bit dazed from the random memory trip.
"Do you still dare to challenge me?"
Her nerves were returning, but she met Lieutenant Surge's hard gaze. "Yes, I do."
Lieutenant Surge smirked and waved a hand. Every other trainer moved to the sides as Leaf and the Gym Leader took their place at the battlefield. Leaf's heart was beating so fast, she thought her chest would break. This was it, the battle that would determine Leaf's path.
Leaf sent out Ivysaur. Lieutenant Surge sent out a Voltorb, a Pokemon that looked like a buttonless PokeBall with eyes. Leaf had also seen this Pokemon on World's Strangest Pokemon. She knew from that special that Voltorb evolved into a Pokemon called Electrode, which she'd once heard some adults say was the bomb that killed Blue's parents.
Leaf squashed the thought. This was not the time to be dwelling on the past.
"Voltorb, use Sonic Boom!"
The Voltorb launched shock waves so fast that Ivysaur couldn't dodge. Ivysaur yelped as the impact threw him backwards.
"Sonic Boom again!"
"Ivysaur, Razor Leaf!"
The collision between the two attacks brought on an explosion. Leaf's concentration slipped again, long enough for the Voltorb to launch another Sonic Boom that hit Ivysaur.
As the Voltorb charged up for another Sonic Boom, Leaf shouted, "Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf and hold it!"
There was another explosion as the Razor Leaf and Sonic Boom made contact. Following her command, Ivysaur continued to fire at the Voltorb. Her starter tensed and suddenly, the leaves were flying out with much greater force. They cut through the Sonic Boom and struck the Voltorb. An image of the broken tree branch flashed through Leaf's mind as Lieutenant Surge returned his Pokemon.
"Not bad," Lieutenant Surge said. "Now, the battle truly begins."
Lieutenant Surge sent out his second and final Pokemon, an orange rodent-like Pokemon with brown bifurcated ears, yellow circles on its cheeks, and a long, thin tail with a lightning bolt-shaped end. The Pokedex told her it was a Raichu, the evolution of Pikachu. Leaf would've found it cute had it not been wearing the same harsh expression as Lieutenant Surge.
"Ivysaur, Razor Leaf!"
"Raichu, Thunder Shock!"
To Leaf's surprise, the Raichu's Thunder Shock obliterated the leaves and zapped Ivysaur. At least Ivysaur's type saved him from taking too much damage. If it was Spearow out there, she would've fainted instantly.
"Ivysaur, Razor Leaf again!" The moment the words came out, Leaf noticed Ivysaur was standing very stiffly. She heard him strain, but he did not, or more accurately, could not, move a muscle.
Lieutenant Surge laughed. "Your grass Pokemon is paralyzed! Do you see the power of electric Pokemon now? This is how I was able to survive the War!"
As Lieutenant Surge ordered Raichu to use Quick Attack, Leaf suddenly remembered how during the funeral, Blue's sister Daisy had sobbed into Professor Oak's shoulder, while Blue stared at the caskets without making a sound.
Ivysaur yelped as the Raichu continuously barrelled into him. Even if he weren't paralyzed, he wouldn't have been able to dodge the speedy Pokemon. Leaf opened her mouth to tell Ivysaur to use Razor Leaf, but for some reason, her voice failed her.
"Strength isn't enough to win," Lieutenant Surge exclaimed. "Speed and strategy are just as important. Since we had all three, our enemies never stood a chance!"
Stop talking about the War! Leaf wanted to scream. She was remembering now how she'd asked her parents after the funeral about it. They didn't answer her questions until Leaf started high school. Whatever Leaf knew about the War, she'd learned from that one conversation.
"Now finish it up with Thunder Shock!"
The Raichu loomed over Ivysaur, the yellow circles on its cheeks lighting up. To get hit with a Thunder Shock at such close range, after taking several other attacks, would surely knock Ivysaur out, and Leaf would lose the battle that sealed every other trainer's fate.
Leaf snapped out of it. "Ivysaur, use Razor––"
Suddenly, a green powder burst out of Ivysaur's bud. It fell onto the Raichu and the light in his cheeks died down. As the Raichu slumped on the ground, eyes shut, Leaf opened up the Pokedex. Ivysaur had learned a new move: Sleep Powder.
With a grin, Leaf said, "Ivysaur, Leech Seed!"
Ivysaur planted the seed onto the Raichu. Lieutenant Surge was yelling for the Raichu to wake up as its energy was sucked out. That Sleep Powder really did work. The Raichu continued to snooze.
Once Ivysaur had regained enough energy, Leaf said, "Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!"
With the same force he used on that tree branch and Voltorb, Ivysaur launched the sharp leaves at the Raichu. The electric rodent was tossed all the way back to Lieutenant Surge. Leaf couldn't tell if it was still asleep or had fainted until Lieutenant Surge returned it.
Lieutenant Surge walked up to Leaf and beamed. "Now that's a shocker! You're the real deal, kid. Take the Thunder Badge."
Leaf's eyes widened as Lieutenant Surge handed her a yellow badge, in the shape of an eight-pointed star, with an orange octagon at the center. As the other trainers applauded, she ran her thumb over the badge, breath taken.
She'd done it. She'd passed the test. She truly was a Pokemon trainer.
Lieutenant Surge clapped a hand on her shoulder. "I would've been more than happy to battle alongside you during the War."
Leaf forced a smile. The excitement she would've felt was dampened by the image of Blue's stricken face on that fateful day.
Well, this chapter was on the darker side. I'm pretty happy with it though. The Kanto-Johto War idea was something I'd thought of for a long time. Got some backstory for Leaf, Red, and Blue as well.
Leaf's won the Thunder Badge! She's a ~real~ trainer now.
As always, I appreciate any feedback. Thanks for reading!