Chapter 16

Be gone, intruder!

Leaf didn't know if the haze was close behind. She didn't dare look back to check. She just kept running and running, down the stairs, past the circle of women who were still engrossed in their ritual, past the receptionist whose mind was god knows where, out of the Pokemon Tower, out of Lavender Town. She finally stopped when she reached the beginning of Route 8. Leaf bent down, panting, sweat trickling down the sides of her face.

What the hell happened back there? The only explanation that came to her was that the Pokemon Tower was indeed haunted. By a real ghost, not a ghost-type Pokemon. Ghost-type Pokemon were not known to communicate telepathically. Leaf shuddered as she recalled the icy voice and glowing eyes. She'd never seen such pure loathing before. It made her feel as if she'd done something truly unforgivable, even though she knew she hadn't.

Well, there was one thing Leaf was certain about: she did not want to get involved. She had already tangled herself in criminal activity. Supernatural activity didn't need to be thrown in as well. The haunting wasn't really her problem and she was sure it would be resolved eventually anyway. She'd spent much longer than she intended in Lavender Town, too. She needed to refocus. Once Leaf caught her breath, she began to make her way through Route 8.

Route 8, which was east of Lavender Town, was a short road with a few trees and patches of tall grass. It connected Lavender Town to Saffron City and also the Underground Path. To get to Celadon City as soon as possible, Leaf would have to travel through the Underground Path. Walking along Route 8 wasn't difficult, but Leaf soon found she had to stop because her legs were still aching. In fact, there had been a stiffness building up in them since she started her journey. Fleeing the Pokemon Tower had exacerbated it. With a groan, Leaf sat down on the side of the road and furiously rubbed her legs. When her hands grew tired of massaging, she leaned herself against a tree and waited impatiently.

Both Mom and Professor Oak had advised her not to rush. Leaf understood why––she was physically feeling the consequences of traveling fast––but knowing that Red and Blue were probably at Celadon already made it difficult to sit still. Why couldn't she have marathon runner legs? For not the first time, Leaf wished she were some sort of superhuman.

To pass the time, Leaf pulled out her Pokedex and read some of the entries. When her eyes hovered over Vulpix's, Leaf remembered something. She checked Vulpix's moves. The fire fox did indeed know two fire-type moves (Ember and Will-O-Wisp), which should be useful for the Celadon Gym.

Leaf sent out Vulpix. Immediately, the fox snuggled up against her. Vulpix was not only soft, but extremely warm. Heat radiated off her body like a flame. If it was winter, Leaf would be more than happy to cuddle with Vulpix. But since it was the middle of summer, Leaf gently picked her up and moved her away.

"I sent you out for a special training session," Leaf said. Vulpix cocked her head to the side. She looked so cute with her wide brown eyes that Leaf smiled. "There's a strong trainer I'll be challenging soon. I think you would do well against her, so I'd like to see what you got."

Vulpix responded by standing on her hind legs, placing her forepaws on Leaf's chest for support, tails wagging. She licked Leaf's cheek.

"Alright then, wanna show me your Ember?"

Instead of launching an Ember, Vulpix barked and licked Leaf's cheek again.

Leaf pointed ahead. "Show me how far your Ember goes."

Vulpix fell onto her back, exposing her stomach. Her paws batted at the air. She wanted to play, Leaf realized. Leaf wasn't sure how a fox was supposed to act, but Vulpix's behavior reminded her of an excited puppy.

"We'll play after we finish training, OK? I promise it'll be quick."

Vulpix rolled over and got on all fours. Her tails were still wagging, but she seemed slightly calmer.

"Show me your Ember."

Vulpix turned away from Leaf and spat out small flames. They softly landed less than ten feet ahead. Leaf thought of the Growlithe she battled on the S.S. Anne, the ferocity of its Flamethrower. She'd been hoping Ember would be a similar move; it seemed to be a much weaker version of it. She felt a stab of disappointment, but shook it off. It was fine. She could work with it.

"How about your Will-O-Wisp?"

This time, Vulpix spat out a bluish-white flame. It circled around in the air for a moment before fading. Leaf didn't know what to make of it. Was it supposed to be like Ember? Vulpix seemed to believe she'd done an excellent job because she rolled onto her back again, clearly expecting belly rubs. Leaf smiled and granted her wish. She would have to think of a good strategy for Vulpix. Maybe she needed to see Vulpix in battle first. It was at least good to know that the fox listened to her.

Leaf's legs were feeling much better, so she got up and resumed her journey. She didn't return Vulpix to her PokeBall. Vulpix seemed perfectly happy walking by her side. Every now and then, she would stop to sniff at some grass.

At some point, they saw three girls sitting on a red checkered picnic blanket at the side of the road. Three Pokemon played nearby. Two of them were a Jigglypuff and Clefairy. The third was a cream-colored cat with dark ears and a gold coin embedded on its forehead. This cat was called Meowth. Leaf had seen a few stray ones roaming around Viridian City before.

Leaf was going to just walk past the group––she didn't know if these girls battled and regardless, they looked busy––but Vulpix had other plans. The fox bounded towards the Pokemon, tails flying behind her. They squealed and rushed to their trainers, clinging onto their arms. The girls blinked in surprise.

"Vulpix, get back here!" Leaf called, cheeks reddening. To her relief, Vulpix immediately returned to her side. "Sorry about that," she said to the girls.

The Meowth's trainer, a brunette who wore a yellow summer dress and looked to be around Leaf's age, giggled. "It's alright. What a cute Pokemon you have!"

Leaf smiled sheepishly. "Thanks. She's a Vulpix."

"Can we pet her?" The other two girls asked in unison. They were several years younger, and both had short, auburn hair and wore blue dresses. When Leaf nodded, they excitedly ran their hands along Vulpix's back. Vulpix half-closed her eyes in pleasure.

"I'm Andrea, by the way," the older girl said. "Those two are my twin younger sisters, Eli and Anne. What's your name?"

"Leaf."

"Are you a trainer?"

"I'm on my way to challenge the Celadon Gym."

"The Celadon Gym? You must be really strong then!"

"My team and I are pretty tough."

Andrea tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Are you in a rush? I've never battled a trainer with more than one Gym badge. I'd love to see firsthand what sort of trainer can beat Lieutenant Surge!"

This was the perfect opportunity to test Vulpix's moves. Leaf nodded and called Vulpix over to her while Andrea called over her Meowth. The two of them stepped onto the dirt road.

"You guys are going to battle?" Eli or Anne asked. "Can we battle you too afterwards?"

"Sure, we can battle." Leaf looked over at Andrea. She wasn't sure how experienced Andrea was. Probably not much if she'd never battled a trainer with more than one badge. "You can have the first move."

Andrea's face twisted in determination. "Meowth, use Scratch!"

As the Meowth charged at Vulpix, Leaf said, "Use Ember!"

Vulpix spat out small flames. The Meowth leaped to the side, but not quick enough. The Ember grazed its flank, causing the cat to yowl.

Andrea winced but quickly regained her composure. "Meowth, use Pay Day!"

The coin on the Meowth's forehead shimmered. A rush of gold pelted Vulpix, who staggered back. The gold broke into several pieces and fell onto the ground. Leaf nearly gasped when she realized the pieces were coins.

"It's real money," Andrea said. "The winner gets to pick them up."

Leaf didn't need more money, but the idea of collecting these gold cat coins as a prize lit up her competitiveness. I am so easily baited.

"Use Will-O-Wisp!"

The blue flames vanished as soon as they hit the Meowth's shoulder. The Meowth didn't seem to be bothered like it was with the Ember. At least, Leaf didn't think so until the shoulder began to turn red and the Meowth screeched.

"Meowth's burned!" Eli or Anne exclaimed from the sidelines.

"Vulpix, keep using Ember!"

"Meowth, use Pay Day!"

Flames and gold coins were scattered everywhere as the two Pokemon parried each other. Every now and then, the Pay Day would hit Vulpix, but she didn't seem as affected by it as the first one. Leaf wondered if the Meowth's burn, which did appear to genuinely bother it since it kept angling its shoulder away, weakened the attack.

Eventually, the Meowth took too many Embers and fainted, shoulder still red. Andrea returned her Pokemon and said, "Wow, you are tough! I wasn't sure what to have Meowth do the entire time. Thanks for battling me. Like I said, all the coins are yours!"

Leaf smiled politely. Of course Andrea thought she was strong. She'd never battled a somewhat experienced trainer before.

Leaf looked down on the ground. She couldn't count how many coins there were. "I don't need this much." She extended her arm. "You can take that side and I'll take the other."

Vulpix trotted over to Leaf as she bent down to pick up her coins. There was a look of self-satisfaction on the fox's face. Leaf petted her head. "That was a great first battle! Are you ready for the next?" Vulpix licked her hand.

Once Leaf tucked her coins away, Eli and Anne rushed forward. "Our turn!" They yelled, again in unison. They were truly twins.

It was going to be a double battle. After a moment of thinking, Leaf decided to send out Psyduck. She wasn't sure how the duck would work with Vulpix to face two Pokemon. Single battles were already challenging for him. But he needed the experience. As she expected, Psyduck looked around in confusion. He cocked his head to the side and grabbed it when he saw Eli and Anne's Clefairy and Jigglypuff.

The twins giggled. "He's so funny looking!"

"You two can have the first move."

Immediately, their expressions grew more serious. They really were Andrea's sisters. Their features twisted in the same way.

"Jigglypuff, use Sing!"

"Stay back, Vulpix and Psyduck!"

Vulpix obeyed, jumping back as the Jigglypuff began to sing. Psyduck, unfortunately, did not. His hands slid off his head before he collapsed.

"Clefairy, use Metronome!"

The Clefairy lifted up a hand and waggled a finger. A light shone from the tip of it. The Clefairy pointed at Psyduck and a giant orange beam suddenly exploded from its finger. The force of it made Leaf jump. It slammed into Psyduck, who must've woken up because Leaf saw a flash of blue in the midst of the blindingly bright orange. The beam faded as the Clefairy was thrown back by the Confusion.

To Leaf's utter amazement, Psyduck stood. He looked battered, but it was a miracle to Leaf that he survived that insane attack.

"Vulpix, use Ember on the Jigglypuff! Psyduck, use Confusion on the Clefairy!"

Vulpix charged and successfully hit the Jigglypuff with the small flames. Leaf noticed a throbbing patch of red on the Jigglypuff's side where the Ember landed. So Ember can leave burns, too?

Psyduck, meanwhile, was struggling to conjure up another Confusion. Luckily, the Clefairy was apparently unable to attack as well. Eli––Leaf decided she was the Clefairy's trainer––was shouting for Clefairy to use Metronome, but the pink Pokemon stood motionless.

Leaf was going to take advantage of that. "Psyduck, use Water Gun on the Clefairy!"

Psyduck launched his Water Gun. The Clefairy made no attempt to dodge, taking the full force of the hit. When Psyduck stopped, the Clefairy had already fainted.

"Oh no!" Eli cried and ran to her Pokemon. Leaf couldn't help but feel a little bit bad.

"Jigglypuff, use Sing!" Anne yelled.

"Vulpix, Ember!"

"Quick, Disable!

Vulpix fired her Ember as the Jigglypuff began to sing. Upon hearing Anne's second command, the Jigglypuff shut its mouth, dodged, and looked at Vulpix with shining eyes. Vulpix made a choking sound as she tried and failed to use Ember again. She stepped back, bewildered.

"Now use Double Slap!"

"Psyduck, use Water Gun!"

The Water Gun cut between Vulpix and the Jigglypuff, preventing the latter from getting closer. Psyduck tried to aim at the Jigglypuff, but the pink ball was surprisingly quick on its stubby feet, leaping out of the way. Leaf could see, though, the strain on its face. Avoiding the Water Gun demanded its full attention. It would be vulnerable to a second attack.

Vulpix's Ember was disabled for who knows how long, but the fox knew other moves.

"Vulpix, use Quick Attack!"

Vulpix grit her teeth and ran forward so fast, Leaf could only see a flash of red. The Jigglypuff noticed Vulpix––its eyes widened momentarily––but it was too slow. Vulpix rammed into it mid-air and as it tumbled onto the ground, Psyduck's Water Gun landed.

"Jigglypuff!" Anne cried. When her Pokemon didn't move, she sulkily returned it.

"Great teamwork at the end," Leaf said to Vulpix and Psyduck. Vulpix proudly raised her head, warming Leaf's heart. It was good to see that Vulpix liked battling.

As she returned her Pokemon, Andrea and the twins came up to her. Andrea pulled some money out of her pocket. "I'll pay on their behalf."

Leaf shook her head. "Keep it. I already got all of those Meowth coins."

"How did you get so strong?" Eli and Anne asked in awe.

Leaf smiled. "There's no secret to it. Just gotta keep training. By the way, what was that move Clefairy used? Metronome?"

Eli nodded in excitement. "It makes Clefairy use any random move! The move could be anything from just a Tackle to Hyper Beam, which is what she used today."

Leaf was taken aback. She had seen Hyper Beam used in tournaments. It was one of the most powerful attacks a Pokemon could learn. In fact, it required so much strength that the user needed to rest for a bit afterwards. It explained why the Clefairy wasn't moving, but Leaf couldn't believe that with a wave of a finger, the small, cute, pink thing could summon a nuclear weapon.

"Are you planning on challenging the Elite Four?" Andrea asked.

For some reason, Leaf suddenly felt a bit shy. "Y-Yes, I am."

"You'll do great. I can tell." Andrea beamed. "Maybe the first Champion will be a girl."

Leaf smiled back. "Yeah, maybe it will be."

The rest of her trip down Route 8 wasn't as eventful. Leaf encountered a few more trainers, using Vulpix in all the battles. None of the trainers were as likable as Andrea, Eli, and Anne. They were either old gamblers with smoker's breath or men who probably still lived in their mom's basement. She wasn't sure why so many of them were out here. Whatever the reason was, Route 8 did not seem to be the place for Andrea and the twins to be picnicking. Then again, their Pokemon were at least comparable to the other trainers.' They were probably fine after all.

It was good training for Vulpix, though. Leaf confirmed her suspicion that Will-O-Wisp wasn't a direct attack. It left a burn on the target that gradually weakened it. Leaf had seen similar conditions before. She'd seen battles where one Pokemon was paralyzed, even completely frozen. And of course, Ivysaur had put Pokemon to sleep before. Yes, Will-O-Wisp could be useful indeed. Leaf needed to come up with a strategy for it.

Then there was Vulpix's Ember. It wasn't a particularly strong move, but against Pokemon who were weak against fire-types, it was enough. One of the trainers Leaf battled had a Magnemite. The steel Pokemon was taken out by the Ember immediately.

Of course, the Celadon Gym Leader's Pokemon were probably a lot tougher. Was Ember enough to take them on? Leaf supposed she would have to see during her challenge. Besides, if Vulpix was having difficulty, she had Fearow.

Eventually, Leaf arrived at the Underground Path. She could see the gate to Saffron City further ahead. The Saffron Gym, Leaf recalled, was number seven in the circuit. She wouldn't need to go into the capital for some time.

The Underground Path to Celadon was just as sketchy as the one to Vermilion, but Leaf wasn't freaked out like before. Her mind kept wandering in different directions. She thought of her chat with Andrea. Why had she been weird about telling Andrea she was challenging the Elite Four? She was usually more than happy to share the fact with others. She then started thinking about Red and Blue. Where were those boys? Then she remembered Professor Oak's advice to slow down. Yeah, there was no way she could do that knowing Red and Blue had probably conquered the Celadon Gym already. Somehow, this train of thought led to her thinking about Team Rocket. Should she have said something to Professor Oak after all? Has Red seen them again? The last thing she thought of in the Underground Path was the haze at the Pokemon Tower. Remembering the chilling voice and yellow eyes made Leaf painfully aware of how dark and empty the Underground Path was. Mind drawing a blank, Leaf ran the rest of the way down the tunnel.

There was an immense wave of relief when Leaf exited from the other side and saw the tall, glittering buildings of Celadon City, the City of Rainbow Dreams.

Hi everyone! To those who celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope you had a great time this year! I ate a lot of good food and was able to see friends I hadn't seen in a while. I'm grateful for that and also all my readers :)

I mentioned last chapter that I pushed a scene to this one. It was basically the entire Route 8 experience. I originally had a much more condensed version in mind but decided to expand it. I think it was the right decision. Feels more natural.

Will Leaf challenge the Celadon Gym in the next chapter? We'll find out soon!