Episode Eleven
In the last episode, our trip checked out the Pokemon Fan Club at the suggestion of their new friend Brittany. Although things went well at the club for the most part, Conrad and Sally managed to gain entry by disguising themselves as club members. But once the meeting had finished, the two of them took away their disguises and used the opportunity to steal Pikachu and Eevee. However, they were thwarted once again, mainly thanks to Jigglypuff's Sing attack, and now we catch up with the trio at the Vermillion City Pokemon Center.
Amanda was on the video phone chatting with Kangaskhan.
"Vermillion City is great so far." She said. "I even got to attend a meeting of the Pokemon Fan Club."
"I don't think I've heard of that." Said Kangaskhan.
"It's a really cool club where Pokemon lovers gather to do all kinds of great activities." Said Amanda. "I even got to battle the director's Rapidash."
"I bet that was exciting." Said Kangaskhan.
"Not really." Amanda said. "Squirtle and I were beaten in practically one hit."
"That's too bad." Said Kangaskhan. "So, what's your plan of attack now?"
"Once my friends and I finish resting up here, we're going to head to the Vermillion gym to I can take on their leader." Said Amanda.
"Best of luck." Said Kangaskhan.
"Thanks, Mama." Said Amanda, and they hung up. The two months that Amanda had been on her journey had been filled with lots of excitement, and she had also met some new friends, including Mark and Michelle, both of whom were now traveling with her. Of course, there had also been the run ins with Conrad and Sally from Team Rocket, but our heroes have managed to beat them every time. Now, Amanda was thinking about how to tackle the gym.
"I wonder who I should use for this one." She said.
"According to the guidebook that Nurse Joy let me have a look at earlier, the gym leader here uses electric type Pokemon." Said Mark.
"What Pokemon do you have right now that would work against him?" asked Michelle.
"Well, I do have Bellsprout." Said Amanda.
"That could possibly work since grass types are strong against electric Pokemon." Said Mark.
"I also have Dratini, but I haven't really used it very much." Said Amanda.
"Then that might not be the best course of action to take." Said Michelle. The three of them continued to discuss possible strategies, and as they were doing so, someone burst in clutching a badly injured Drowsee.
"Nurse Joy, where are you?" the trainer asked. Joy ran right out and gasped when she saw all of the injuries.
"Let's not waste any time." She said. She placed Drowsee on a stretcher and hurried it to the back.
"Something tells me that kid probably came from the gym." Said Michelle.
"I think you might be right." Said Mark. They went up and down the row of beds and saw various Pokemon lying in them all weak and badly hurt.
"Did all of these trainers lose to the gym leader?" Amanda asked.
"I think so." Said Michelle.
"You would think correctly." Said Nurse Joy, who had re-emerged. "The Center's much busier than normal thanks to what's been going on."
"What exactly has been going on?" Mark wondered.
"All of these Pokemon that you see were all beaten by Lieutenant Surge." Said Joy.
"Oh wow." Said Michelle.
"If he's able to beat all of these Pokemon, then he must be tough." Said Mark.
"He is." Said Joy. "He's very tough."
"Well, tough or not, he's no match for us. Right, Pikachu?" asked Amanda.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried happily, which meant 'We'll show him.'
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Said Joy. "If you're not careful when fighting Surge, he'll end up destroying you just like he destroyed all of these other Pokemon."
"Joy has a point, Amanda." Said Michelle. "Maybe we should find another gym and come back when you're a little stronger."
"No." Amanda insisted. "I came here for a badge, and I'm not leaving without one. Let's go." She and Pikachu left the center, with Mark and Michelle following her.
"You know, Amanda, that stubbornness reminds me of another trainer I've heard about." Said Mark. "That's all I'm going to tell you for right now, though." When they arrived at the gym, they saw a huge lightning bolt in the middle of the roof, and two smaller bolts comprising the door handles.
"Well, I guess this is it. No turning back now." Said Amanda. Although she was a bit nervous, the three of them stepped into the gym.
"Looks like it's going to be another victim for the Pokemon Center, sir." Said one of the gym workers.
"Let's see who it is." Said Surge in a tough guy voice. The trio were practically shaking.
"This guy's already making me a bit nervous." Said Mark. Soon enough, Surge stood on the opposite side of them. He was so big that he practically towered over the three friends.
"Not only is he big, but he's intimidating too." Said Michelle.
"Eevee." Eevee squealed, which meant 'He's creeping me out, Michelle.'
"Don't worry, we're not the ones battling him." Said Michelle.
"If she isn't, then who is?" Surge demanded.
"I am." Said Amanda.
"Well, looks like the baby brought some baby friends and a baby Pokemon." Said Surge, and he burst out laughing. This got Amanda furious.
"I am not a baby!" she yelled. "My name's Amanda Reed from Fuchsia City, and I'm here to challenge you for your gym badge!"
"Is that so?" said Surge.
"Very much so." Said Amanda.
"I accept your challenge, but I have to warn you, things are really going to start ramping up here." Said Surge.
"What is he talking about?" asked Mark. Surge grabbed a ball off of the jacket pocket that was holding it.
"Maybe this'll answer your question." He said, and he threw the ball. Out of the blaze of white light, a Raichu appeared. It towered over Pikachu with an intimidating look, making him feel nervous.
"Woah." Said Michelle. Amanda took out her Pokedex for more information.
"Raichu, a mouse Pokemon and the evolved form of Pikachu. Raichu uses its tail to gather electricity from the atmosphere. It can store over one hundred thousand volts of electricity, enough to knock out any Pokemon it comes across."
"With that many volts, no wonder Raichu is so powerful." Said Mark.
"Pikachu and I have got this." Said Amanda. Pikachu hopped into the arena and gave Raichu an intimidating glare.
"That's the way, Pikachu. Intimidating the opponent before the match even starts." Said Amanda.
"You can intimidate us all you want, but that's not going to help you win this match." Said Surge. The gym's referee stepped into the arena, and Michelle and Mark took their seats in the spectator area.
"This gym battle between Vermillion City gym leader Lieutenant Surge and trainer Amanda Reed of Fuchsia City will now commence. Both trainers are only permitted to use one Pokemon each, with no substitutions and no time limit. Let the battle begin!" The bell went off to signify the start of the battle.
"Go, Pikachu! Start with a Thunderbolt attack!" Amanda cried. Pikachu released a line of yellow energy from his body, but it didn't appear to have too much of an effect on Raichu.
"Such a weak attack." Said Surge. "Come on, Raichu, show this girl what a real Thunderbolt looks like!" Raichu let out a huge bolt of energy, which struck Pikachu head on. The little rodent screamed very loudly.
"Pikachu!" cried Amanda.
"That's not looking too good." Said Mark. To make matters worse, every time Pikachu tried to get up, Raichu's tail kept knocking it back down. Conrad and Sally were watching the match outside through the window.
"Wow, that twerpette's Pikachu is really getting a beating." Said Sally.
"If this keeps up, then maybe that Pikachu might not be worth stealing after all." Said Conrad.
"Come on, Pikachu, don't give up." Sally whispered. Back inside the gym, things weren't looking up at all.
"Hang in there, Pikachu!" Amanda called. "Try a Quick Attack!" Pikachu ran full speed at Raichu, only to bounce off its big body and go backwards.
"Go for the Body Slam, Raichu!" Surge ordered. Raichu leaned forward and used its whole body to cover up Pikachu, trapping it. When it got off, Pikachu was completely knocked out.
"Pikachu is unable to continue the battle. Victory goes to Raichu. The winner of the match is Lieutenant Surge." Said the referee. Amanda immediately ran over to Pikachu to check on him.
"Are you all right, buddy?" she asked.
"Pikachu." Pikachu said weakly, which meant 'No. I need to get to the Pokemon Center.' Michelle and Mark ran down from the seats.
"Man, that was a tough battle." Said Mark.
"A good fight, kid, but I told you that Raichu's strong." Said Surge. "You're certainly not the first trainer to lose to me on their first attempt either. Get your Pikachu rested up and then come back to try again." Surge and his comrade walked away, while Amanda scooped up Pikachu in her arms.
"Come on, guys." She said. She, Michelle and Mark all left the gym and headed to the Pokemon Center. Outside, Conrad and Sally couldn't believe what had transpired.
"I can't believe it. Pikachu lost the match." Said Sally.
"Hey, since when did you start rooting for the good guys?" asked Conrad.
"Since putting our latest plan into action at the start of that match." Said Sally. "We need Pikachu to win so that it'll give us more incentive to steal it. But since it lost, we're going to have to wait some more."
"I see what you mean." Said Conrad. "Outside the gym, the trio were heading back to the center.
"Nurse Joy did say what would happen if you weren't careful against Surge." Said Michelle.
"I think part of your problem was that you underestimated the power of his Raichu." Said Mark.
"Actually, I think there might be a weakness that I can exploit." Said Amanda. "The only problem is that I don't know what the weakness is. Maybe Nurse Joy can help out with that." When they got back to the center, they got Pikachu checked in.
"Looks like you were also a victim of Surge too." Said Joy. Amanda nodded.
"I may or may not have realized just how powerful he really is." She said. "Now my Pikachu's hurt really badly as a result."
"We'll do our best to help it get better." Said Joy. She took Pikachu to the back, and the three of them were left to wait.
"I hope Pikachu will be okay." Said Amanda.
"I'm sure he'll be fine." Said Mark. A couple of hours later, Nurse Joy came back out.
"Your Pikachu's just fine. It's resting now in the recovery room." Said Joy. "You can see him if you want." The three friends made their way to the recovery room and saw that Pikachu was asleep.
"I think after it's gotten some rest, it should be fine." Said Michelle.
"How am I going to beat Surge, though?" asked Amanda.
"There's a couple of ways you could do that." Said Michelle. "Do you still have that Thunder Stone from the tournament we were both in?"
"Yes, but I'm worried that if I use it on Pikachu, I'll end up being like Surge." Said Amanda.
"What do you mean?" asked Mark.
"I have a feeling that Surge may have evolved his Pokemon too quickly." Said Amanda.
"That's what I'm thinking too." Said Michelle. "But for the best advice, we need to talk to someone who's faced Surge before."
"I think I know just who we need to talk to." Said Amanda. She went over to the video phone near the bed Pikachu was sleeping in and dialed a number. Over at the Pokemon League, Ash was preparing for his round one match, which was taking place on a Water type field.
"You could use some of my Water Pokemon for this match if you want, Ash." Misty suggested.
"Thanks for the offer, but I think Squirtle and I can handle it." Said Ash.
"Squirtle's fine, but for a match on a water field, you want to have more than just one water type Pokemon." Said Misty.
"She's right, Ash." Said Brock. "You've done well to get to this point, which is great, but these matches are going to be a lot tougher." A voice then came onto the public address system.
"Paging Ash Ketchum." It said. "Please report to the front desk for a phone call."
"I wonder who that is." Said Ash.
"Let's find out." Said Brock. The three of them rushed over to the video phone and answered the call.
"Hi there, guys." Said Amanda.
"Hey, it's Amanda." Said Ash.
"I remember her. We ran into her when we were in Viridian City so you could get your Earth Badge." Said Misty. "What's up?"
"Pikachu and I had a battle against Lieutenant Surge earlier, but we got beaten really badly." Said Amanda.
"That's too bad." Said Brock. Michelle came onto the screen.
"Amanda seems to be under the impression that Surge evolved his Raichu too quickly." She said.
"Excuse me, but I don't recall meeting you before." Said Misty.
"I'm Amanda's friend Michelle. She and I met when we battled each other in Viridian Forest." Said Michelle. Mark then came onto the screen.
"And I'm her newest friend Mark." Said Mark. "We just met not too long ago."
"Well, it's very nice to meet you both." Said Ash.
"Anyway, how do we beat Surge's big guy?" asked Amanda.
"I'm glad you asked." Said Brock. "First off, the three of you are absolutely right about Surge's Raichu."
"We are?" said Mark. Brock nodded.
"When we were in Vermillion, the exact same thing happened to Ash, and then we figured out that Surge has evolved his Pokemon too fast." He said.
"What kind of attacks does your Pikachu know, Amanda?" Misty asked.
"He knows Thunderbolt." Said Amanda.
"Now that's a very good attack." Said Ash.
"He can also use Swift, Quick Attack and Agility." Said Amanda.
"Well then, there's your answer." Said Brock. "The speed attacks you just listed are ones that can only be used in the Pikachu stage. Since Surge's Raichu is already fully evolved, it can't use those attacks. My suggestion is to use Pikachu's speed to your advantage when you go back to face him again."
"I will." Said Amanda. "Thanks a lot, Brock."
"No problem." Said Brock. "Well, we have to go. Ash's match is starting soon."
"Good luck, Ash." Said Amanda.
"Thanks, Amanda." Said Ash. They said their goodbyes and hung up.
"Well, that was very helpful advice that Brock just gave." Said Mark.
"It'll definitely come in handy when we go back to the gym tomorrow." Said Amanda. The three of them stayed by Pikachu's bed for the rest of the day and all night long. The next morning, after Pikachu was fully recovered, they left the center feeling a lot more confident.
"What do you think, Pikachu?" asked Amanda. "Do you think this'll be our lucky day?"
"Pika pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed happily, which meant 'I think so.'
"Let's not waste any more time." Said Amanda, and they headed to the gym. Amanda pulled the doors open and shouted in a big voice "I'm back, Surge!" Surge was busy looking out the window at the beautiful sunshine, but when he heard Amanda, he quickly turned around and looked at her.
"Looks like the Pikachu's back." He said. "Don't you realize that you ain't beating me?"
"I don't think that'll happen this time, because we have a new plan." Said Amanda.
"In other words, you've been strategizing a new way for you to be the loser." Said Surge, and he sent his Raichu onto the field.
"We'll just see who the loser is this time." Said Amanda. Outside, Conrad and Sally were watching through the window again.
"Looks like Pikachu's back for round two." Said Sally.
"Can he redeem himself, though?" asked Conrad.
"Only one way to know." Said Sally. The referee stood in the center spot of the arena.
"This Vermillion City gym battle is between challenger Amanda Reed of Fuchsia City and Vermillion City gym leader Lieutenant Surge. Both trainers will only use one Pokemon with no substitutions and no time limit. At stake for the challenger is a Thunder Badge. Trainers, if you're ready, begin." The bell dinged to signal the start of the battle.
"Let's do this, Pikachu!" Amanda cried. Raichu was more than ready, however, and kept sticking its tail in the way every time Pikachu tried to attack it.
"Here we go again." Sighed Mark from the stands. Amanda then got an idea.
"Pikachu, roll over to the side and try to break away from Raichu that way." She said. Pikachu nodded and did as he was told, but Raichu wasn't fooled. The big electric type found Pikachu and gave a big smile, terrifying the small rat.
"Don't let Raichu's big size get to your head, Pikachu." Said Amanda.
"Give it to him, Raichu!" Surge ordered. "Time for a Body Slam!"
"Raichu!" Raichu screamed, which meant 'Yes, sir!' He leaned forward and gave Pikachu the hardest body slam Amanda had ever seen. Michelle and Mark covered their eyes.
"I don't know if I can watch this." Said Mark.
"You're not the only one of us who's thinking that right now." Said Michelle.
"Eevee." Eevee let out a worried squeal, which meant 'Hang in there, Pikachu.'
"Time to finish the job." Said Surge. "Another Body Slam, Raichu, on the double!" Raichu went for the move, causing Amanda, Michelle, Mark, Conrad and Sally to gasp.
"Pikachu!" they all yelled at once.
"Look out!" Amanda cried. Luckily, Pikachu heard its' trainer just in time, and was able to avoid Raichu's attack.
"Hey!" cried Surge, clearly not pleased.
"Chu!" Pikachu exclaimed, which meant 'Yes!'
"There you go, Pikachu." Said Sally.
"Let's utilize that speed of yours." Said Amanda. "Agility, now!" Pikachu ran towards Raichu very quickly.
"Go for another Body Slam!" Surged ordered.
"Raichu!" Raichu exclaimed, which meant 'On it, sir!' It used the attack repeatedly to try and get Pikachu, but the smaller mouse kept dodging with ease. Mark and Michelle opened their eyes and couldn't believe how quickly the tide had turned.
"Raichu's what's happening with you?" Surge asked.
"It's just like Brock said on the phone yesterday." Said Michelle.
"That's right." Said Mark. "It's just like we all suspected. Surge's Pokemon evolved before it could learn the speed attacks that it could've only learned as a Pikachu."
"Keep going, Pikachu. Use all the Agility you have!" Amanda called.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried, which meant 'Got it.' It ran circles all around Raichu, causing it to get confused.
"That Raichu of yours is too slow, Surge." Surge couldn't believe that Amanda had exploited his Pokemon's biggest weakness.
"Found the weak spot, huh?" he shouted. "No matter. Raichu, end this thing with a Thunderbolt!" Raichu squeezed its cheeks and sent the attack at Pikachu.
"Look out, Pikachu, it's coming right at you!" cried Amanda. Raichu's attack was so powerful that Amanda, Michelle and Mark all had to duck for cover, as did Conrad and Sally. Once the dust had settled, Surge smiled with confidence.
"This match is over." He said.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that just yet." Said Amanda. Surge turned and saw that Pikachu's arms and legs were stretched out. It was standing on its tail and giving Raichu a glare.
"Oh my goodness." Said Michelle.
"Pikachu used its tail as a ground to avoid the attack." Said Mark.
"Great thinking, Pikachu!" Amanda cried.
"Okay Raichu, try Thunderbolt again." Said Surge. Raichu tried to squeeze its cheeks, but no electricity came out.
"Don't just stand there! Try again! Surge yelled. Raichu did try again, only to get the same result.
"I can't believe this." Said Surge.
"Looks like Raichu's batteries just got completely drained." Said Michelle.
"Go for Quick Attack." Amanda commanded.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted, which meant 'Let's do this!'
"Raichu, go for Take Down!" Surge commanded. Both Pokemon got ready to attack the other, but Pikachu landed his blow first, headbutting the bigger and taller Raichu and sending it to the floor knocked out.
"This is unbelievable!" Surge cried. The ref came over and confirmed it.
"Raichu is unable to continue battling. Pikachu wins! The winner of the match is the challenger!" Amanda couldn't believe it.
"We did it, Pikachu, we won!" she cried. She ran over into the arena and gave her Pokemon a big hug. Mark and Michelle came down from the stands and stood beside their friend.
"Congratulations, Amanda." Said Michelle.
"Victory!" Conrad and Sally shouted in unison from outside. Surge and his comrades clapped and congratulated Amanda and Pikachu on their victory.
"Nice job, Amanda and Pikachu." He said. "You two are no babies."
"That's what I was trying to say yesterday." Said Amanda.
"You and Pikachu did a great job in that battle, and to show that you've beaten me, I'm proud to give you this." He said and placed a Thunder Badge in Amanda's hand.
"Thanks a lot, Surge." Said Amanda. "Look at that, Pikachu. A Thunder Badge. And it's all ours."
"You should be proud of your Pokemon." Said Surge.
"I'm very proud." Said Amanda.
"So are we." Said Michelle.
"Thanks, guys." Said Amanda. She wrapped her arms around Michelle and Mark and gave them both a big hug. Later, as the three of them were walking down the street, Amanda held her badge up high.
"Well, that's three badges down." She said.
"Which means only five more to go." Said Michelle. Conrad and Sally were walking down a different street.
"That Pikachu really is something, isn't it?" asked Conrad.
"The way it was dodging attacks like that will make it all worth it when we do steal it." Said Sally. It was at that moment that Conrad realized something.
"You and I just spent this whole chapter rooting for Pikachu, and thus, we never tried to steal it." He said. Both of them ended up facepalming. Better luck next time, you two.
TO BE CONTINUED
