Kanto Gets Loud

Chapter 39 Electric Shock Showdown (Part 2)

Back with Lincoln,

"Well, here we are. Ain't she a beaut?" Surge asked, as he presented the Vermillion Gym's battlefield, which, to Lincoln, was just a standard dirt battlefield, "This is where you'll be trying for your third badge. What do you think?"

Lincoln pondered for a moment if Surge was really serious or if he was joking before finally replying, "Uh, it's nice and all, but…"

"But?" Surge said curiously.

"I was… kind of expecting some kind of a gimmick that emphasizes that this is an Electric Type Gym, like, I don't know, power pylons or some kind of electric fence," Lincoln replied.

"Hmm, I guess you do have some kind of a point. If you want a gimmick like that, then I suppose I can get Mairi to set up an electric fence," Surge replied, looking over to his wife.

"Just say the word, and I'll get the fence all juiced up for you," Mairi said. Lincoln blanched at the thought of something so dangerous. It was then that both Surge and the other gym trainers laughed.

"We're just messing with you, kid. Anyhow, before we begin, I'm going to give you and your Pokemon a chance to back out," Surge said, as he went to take his place on the other side of the battlefield.

"Not a chance! I'm not going to back out now," Lincoln said, taking his place on his side of the battlefield, just as his friends had made their way into the stands.

"Looks like we're just in time," Rito commented, as they all took their seats. Vincent then took his spot in the referee box.

"Alright, the official Gym Battle between Lieutenant Surge, the Vermillion City Gym Leader, and Lincoln Loud, the challenger will now commence! Both trainers may use no more that three Pokemon. The battle will be decided when all of either side's Pokemon are rendered unable to battle. Furthermore, substitutions may not be made by either side during the match. If both trainers are ready, please select your first Pokemon!" Vincent explained.

"Alright, here's my first choice!" Surge said, as he threw his Pokeball, which released a little grey orb Pokemon with magnets on either side, three bolts, and a single eye in the center. There was also a pink stone attached to the top bolt. Lincoln then took the opportunity to scan the Pokemon.

"Magnemite, the Magnet Pokemon, an Electric and Steel Type. The magnets on it's sides generate electromagnetic waves that keep it airborne. It feeds on electricity," Dexter explained.

"Is that really a Pokemon? It looks more like a machine," Ren commented.

"Magnemite are inorganic Pokemon, so I suppose saying it's a mechanical Pokemon isn't entirely out of the question," Brock replied.

"Alright, just as I planned. As for my first choice, Inferna!" Lincoln said, as he sent out Inferna.

"Oh wow, Lincoln has a Charmeleon of his own," Leaf commented, impressed at what she was seeing.

"A Charmeleon, huh? Good to see that you've got some power on your team," Surge commented.

"Alright, the first round Magnemite VS Charmeleon, battle begin!" Vincent declared.

"Alright Inferna, lets start off strong! Use Ember!" Lincoln instructed.

"With pleasure," Inferna replied, as she began to fire off bullets of fire at Magnemite.

"Magnemite, use Light Screen!" Surge instructed. A barrier formed in front of Magnemite, which seemed to soften the impact from Ember. Lincoln noticed that it did less damage than he expected.

"What's going on? That should've been super effective!" Lincoln commented.

"Then allow me to explain. Magnemite's ability is called Sturdy, which prevents it from being taken out with one hit. Next, there's Magnemite's Nature. Sure, it makes it a big slower, but it's great for raising Special Defense. Thirdly, Light Screen is a move that weakens the power of Special Attacks, like Ember. Finally, I gave my Magnemite an Eviolite, which boosts it's defense power even further since it isn't fully evolved," Surge explained.

"In other words, it's like trying to fight a tank with nothing more than a handgun," Miss Mikado commented.

"Which doesn't bode well," Saki commented.

"Alright, if that's the case, then we'll just have to make that Special Defense useless then, won't we? Inferna, use Fire Fang!" Lincoln instructed. Inferna then charged at Magnemite, fangs ignited.

"Magnemite, show these two a REAL attack! Use Spark!" Surge instructed. Magnemite then became enveloped in electricity, as it charged at Inferna, skillfully evading Fire Fang before slamming into the Lizard Pokemon, sending her rolling across the battlefield in front of her trainer.

"Inferna, are you alright?" Lincoln asked.

"I've been better, but we're going to need a new plan to take this thing down. Got any thoughts?" Inferna asked.

"Not at the moment, but maybe we can slow down Magnemite's movements. Use Smokescreen!" Lincoln instructed. Inferna then began belching out a thick cloud of black smoke, which covered the entire battlefield, "Good, now we strike while their guard is down. Use Ember!" Inferna then fired another barrage of bullets, but rather than hitting Magnemite, the bullets seemed to be igniting the smoke.

"Oh jeez, TAKE COVER!" Surge bellowed out, as he, and the Gym Trainers ducked out of the way. In the stands, Lincoln's friends all ducked behind a wall.

"'Take cover'? From what?" Lincoln asked, only for Mairi to pull him away from the battlefield and to safety, just as a huge burst of flames erupted from the battlefield.

One Minute Earlier, outside,

Jessie, James, and Meowth were watching the battle between Lincoln and Surge unfold from a nearby window, "Looks like 'dat Magnemite's giving 'dat Charmeleon a run for it's money, huh?" Meowth commented.

"Who really cares? All we need to be concerned about is how well he battles," James replied, frowning as Inferna began belching Smokescreen.

"First he uses Smokescreen, then into Ember. Looks like he might be trying out that strategy you cooked up a while back, James," Jessie said with a smirk.

"WHAT?! How dare that little brat use the same strategy I came up with without permission!" James whined, pointing at Lincoln accusingly.

"James, quiet down! You'll give us away!" Jessie hissed, as they ducked out of sight, just as Kotegawa turned towards the window. Kotegawa simply shrugged and continued to watch the battle unfold, "And besides, think of it this way; If the brat is using your strategy, he must think there's some value to using it."

"Jessie's right. You oughta feel flattered dat he's copying you," Meowth stated, before thinking of something, "Speaking of which, have you managed to find a way around dat weakness?"

"You mean the never-miss moves? Unfortunately, I haven't found a suitable way around them. It's all that brat's fault! I spent weeks coming up with that strategy, then he finds the one flaw in it during our first battle. And now he's using the same strategy for himself! It's insulting!" James growled.

"Oh for the love of Arceus, will you quit being such a baby?! Rather than complain, take this as an opportunity to see how you can implement Smokescreen into our plots," Jess suggested.

"Well, alright, but I still don't…" James didn't get a chance to finish, as an explosion rocked the entire gym.

"What the hell was dat?! We were just talking one minute, and the next – BOOM! An explosion!" Meowth yelled.

"I don't know, but it could have something to do with that combo the brat's Charmeleon used," James theorized, turning to see Jessie shakily getting back on her feet, "How are you feeling?"

"Apart from the ringing in my ears, I'll live. What even happened?" Jessie asked.

"James thinks that explosion had something to do with that Smokescreen / Ember combo. Care to elaborate?" Meowth asked.

"From what I know about Smokescreen, it's not actual smoke that's released, but rather a mixture of gases from inside the user's body," James explained, holding up Koffing's Pokeball, "That's how it works for Koffing, and based on what we just witnessed, Fire Pokemon's Smokescreens work the same way."

"I get it. So the smoke cloud is made up of flammable substances?" Meowth asked.

"Basically, yes. Which means we need to exercise caution if the brat uses it against us," James replied.

"Or, we can use that for ourselves," Jessie suggested, eying the battlefield, still covered in thick cloud of smoke.

"Really, Jess? You want to use something that kid came up with?" Meowth asked.

"Just think of all the destruction we could wreak with force like that," Jessie replied.

"A fair point, but I don't really like the thought of copying what HE came up with, especially when it's based on one of OUR plans," James replied.

"We're not copying it, James, we're stealing the idea. Besides, this is a case of 'an eye for an eye', yes? He's copying your strategy, so why can't we steal his strategy?" Jessie asked.

"Fair point," James relented, before realizing something, "Wait, we'll need to catch a Fire Type Pokemon of our own for it to work."

"Well, we can always try to either catch one or get one from a Wonder Trade," Jessie replied, as they resumed watching the battle.

Back on the battlefield,

After the blast had dissipated from over hers and Lincoln's heads, Mairi muttered, "Talk about close shaves. A split second later, and we would've been broiled alive. You ok kid?" she asked Lincoln, just as the gym sprinkler system activated.

"Yeah, just a little shaken up. I was not expecting THAT to happen. Thanks for pulling me to safety," Lincoln replied, before turning to Inferna, who was trying to keep her tail flame away from the sprinkler system, "Inferna, are you alright?"

"A little hurt from the explosion, but I can keep going," Inferna replied, just as the sprinkler system shut off.

"That's good to hear. How about you, Lieutenant? Are you and Magnemite still in one piece?" Lincoln called out.

"Yeah, we've been through worse. How about the rest of you?" Surge asked.

"Apart from some singes to my suit, I'm alright," Tucker called out.

"I got some ringing in my ears, but I'll live," Vincent added.

"Same here," Mairi added.

"And the three of us are ok too," Vasquez said, as she, Tony, and Steve came out from hiding, before taking in the sight before her, "Wow… just… wow."

"What are you…" Lincoln trailed off when he saw the destruction that his improvised combo had wrought. The entire battlefield was covered in soot and heavy burn marks, "Whoa."

"I gotta say, I was not expecting something like that, kid. Was that a combo you just came up with or was it a trick you had up your sleeve?" Surge asked.

"A complete and total accident, Lieutenant. I wasn't expecting this kind of an outcome either," Lincoln replied.

"Is that so? Well, it was effective, kind of like the explosives I used back in my time during the war," Surge commented.

"I hope you aren't too mad about this," Lincoln replied.

"Ah don't worry about it. I have a guy who's cleaned up messes much bigger than this one," Surge replied, before turning to Magnemite, "You still good to go Magnemite?"

"Fortunately, my stacked defensive power kept me from feeling the full force of that improvised attack, sir. I can still go on," Magnemite replied.

"Your Magnemite said it can keep going," Lincoln called out.

"Thanks for the translation kid. Shall we resume the battle?" Surge asked.

"Yes, lets," Lincoln replied, as he and Surge once again took their places on the battlefield, "Alright, I would rather not try that combo again unless we need to, so we need to change up our tactics," he commented.

"Magnemite's Special Defenses are heightened due to that combo, but what about sticking to attacking it's physical defense?" Inferna asked.

"Great idea, Inferna! Charge in and use Fire Fang!" Lincoln instructed. Inferna then ignited her fangs, and charged straight at Magnemite.

"A full, frontal assault, huh? Clever, but it's all for naught! Magnemite, stop that advance with Shock Wave!" Surge instructed. Magnemite then began to charge up electricity by spinning it's two magnets around. When it felt it had charged up enough, Magnemite fired off a fast-moving bolt of electricity that seemed to be taking on a wave form.

"Dodge it, quick Inferna!" Lincoln called out. Inferna attempted to dodge, but the wave motion came too fast for her to dodge, as she got blasted with the electric attack.

"What was that about?" Run asked.

"Shock Wave; It's an Electric Type move that never misses it's mark," Brock replied.

"A never miss Electric Type attack? I gotta learn that one," Pikachu commented.

"Maybe later, Pikachu," Lincoln replied, as he went to check on Inferna, "Inferna, are you alright?"

"Yeah, but that Magnemite's becoming a real pain in the ass! If we don't do something to shut it down, then I'm going to lose this match!" Inferna replied.

"I know, but with all that stacked defensive power, we can't use Ember. Shock Wave will make Smokescreen pointless, and Metal Claw and Thunder Punch won't do much either," Lincoln replied, trying to think of a new strategy.

"If I may make a suggestion?" Dexter asked, catching the white-haired boy's attention, "Inferna has access to the move, Dragon Rage."

"'Dragon Rage'?" Lincoln parroted, before remembering when he was studying at Professor Oak's lab, "That's a move that does a set amount of damage, right?"

"Correct. Using this move will allow Inferna to bypass the tank like defenses Magnemite has," Dexter explained.

"Now that's a sound plan! You got that, Inferna?"

"Just give me the word, and I'll go to town on that hunk of junk!" Inferna responded.

"Alright, now use Dragon Rage!" Lincoln instructed. Inferna opened her mouth, and a ball of purple energy was fired at Magnemite.

"Your efforts are futile! Have you forgotten how high I've been raising my…" Magnemite got cut off when it got blasted with Dragon Rage.

"Don't tell me you forgotten what happened earlier, runt! None of your attacks will do…" Surge cut himself off when the smoke from Dragon Rage vanished, and Magnemite looked to be damaged, "Anything?"

"Oh yeah, it worked!" Lincoln snapped his fingers.

"Explain. What attack was that?" Magnemite asked, attempting to ignore the pain running through its body.

"Dragon Rage! Thanks to how it works, I can get around that stupid Light Screen of yours," Inferna replied.

"Insolence! I will not allow you to accomplish such a feat! Sir, permission to fire Charge Beam?" Magnemite then turned to Surge, who looked like he had a good idea on what Magnemite was saying.

"Go for it, Magnemite!" Surge replied. Magnemite then began to focus electric energy into one part of its body, before firing at Inferna.

"Quick, dodge that!" Inferna didn't need to be told twice, as she rolled out of the way, as Charge Beam blasted where she was standing, "Alright, get in close, and get ready to use Dragon Rage once more!"

"I don't think so! Magnemite, use Gyro Ball, and cut it off!" Surge ordered. Magnemite then began to spin around at a high velocity with a silver-colored aura around it.

"Just let get a little closer, then use Dragon Rage at the last second!" Lincoln instructed. Inferna then allowed Magnemite to get a little closer, before blasting it away with Dragon Rage. Magnemite then fell to the ground with a loud, metallic sounding thud.

"Systems failing," was all it could say before loosing consciousness.

"Magnemite is unable to battle, the first round goes to Lincoln Loud and Inferna!" Vincent declared, after inspecting Magnemite.

"Alright! Now Lincoln's up by one!" Raigo exclaimed.

"But remember, Inferna took a lot of damage in that round," Brock replied.

"In other words, Lincoln has to be careful in the next round?" Mikan asked.

"Pretty much," Brock replied.

"Not a bad play, kiddo. But now, lets see you deal with this!" Surge said, as he sent out his second Pokemon. Oddly enough, it looked just like a Pokeball, but with two fierce looking eyes.

"A Pokeball inside of a Pokeball?!" Mio exclaimed.

"Not quite. That's a Voltorb," Leaf replied. Lincoln then took out his Pokedex to scan it.

"Voltorb, the Ball Pokemon, an Electric Type. It moves by rolling around, and is usually found in Power Plants. Any sort of outside stimulation could cause it to explode," Dexter explained.

"Yeesh, talk about an explosive personality. Ok, we have to make sure not to get too close," Lincoln commented.

"Alright, let's set up the battlefield! Voltorb, use Magnet Rise!" Voltorb then released a wave of electricity that seemed to cause chunks of the battlefield to lift up. Voltorb was also floating.

"What the…?! What's going on?!" Lincoln asked.

"We're an Electric Type Gym, kid, so lots of trainers come at us with Ground Type Pokemon. In response, we train our Pokemon to use Magnet Rise, which allows them to levitate with electromagnetism," Vasquez explained. Lala then looked through a pair of odd binoculars down at the battlefield.

"She's right! There are electromagnetic waves all over," she commented.

"Alright Voltorb, time to go on the offensive! Use Tackle!" Surge ordered. Voltorb then rocketed at Inferna, slamming into her, before bouncing back, slamming into the wall, then bouncing from one piece of the battlefield to the next.

"So that's where those dents came from!" Ren commented, as Voltorb continued it's omnidirectional attack.

"Inferna, use Smokescreen! We can at least keep it from attacking wildly!" Lincoln instructed. Inferna once again began spreading Smokescreen across the battlefield, only to get blindsided by Voltorb, who landed on her back.

"Alright, now use Rollout!" Surge instructed. While on Inferna's back, Voltorb began rolling at high speeds, before Inferna was thrown back towards Lincoln's side of the battlefield, completely wiped from the battle.

"Inferna is unable to battle, the round goes to Lt. Surge and Voltorb!" Vincent declared.

"You did great, Inferna. We can take things from here, so get a good rest," Lincoln said, recalling Inferna, "Alright, Voltorb is able to move really fast in between those rocks, so we need to home in on it. And for that, we've got Andrea and her Swift. Go!" Lincoln then sent out Andrea.

"A Sandshrew? Most trainers come at us with Diglett from the Diglett Cave on Route 11. Is she any good at battling?" Surge asked.

"She's good enough to kick that Voltorb's sorry butt, and still have enough for your last Pokemon," Lincoln replied.

"Ooh, big words. Let's see if you can back it up! Voltorb, use Tackle, once again!" once again, Voltorb began bouncing and bounding off of the rocks and walls, while striking Andrea from all angles.

"Andrea, use Swift!" Lincoln instructed.

"On it!" Andrea replied, as she fired off Swift, which was able to home in on Voltorb, striking the Ball Pokemon, and knocking it out of it's maneuver.

"Great! Now, use Fury Cutter!" Andrea's claws then began to glow red, as she charged at Voltorb, slashing at it.

"Alright Voltorb, use Rollout once again!" Surge instructed. Voltorb once again rolled straight at Andrea.

"Andrea, knock it back with Fury Cutter!" Lincoln instructed. Andrea once again used Fury Cutter, but not before getting hit by Rollout.

"Now Voltorb, use Sonic Boom!" Voltorb then fired off a sonic blast that was able to strike Andrea as she was recovering from Rollout.

"We have to end this now! Even if Rock Type moves aren't very effective against Andrea, the damage will still add up. Andrea, use Poison Sting!" Lincoln instructed.

"Got it!" Andrea then fired off Poison Sting, which was flying right at Voltorb.

"Voltorb, use the last of Magnet Rise's effect and dodge!" Surge ordered. Voltorb once again began to bounce off of the rocks, evading Poison Sting, "Alright, now use Tackle!"

"Quick Andrea, use Fury Cutter, once again!" Lincoln instructed. Andrea readied herself, and when Voltorb was right on top of her, she slashed away at it.

"Alright, that should…" Andrea got cut off when Voltorb blew up, sending Andrea down to the ground, unconscious. Voltorb fell to the ground, also unconscious.

"Both Andrea and Voltorb are unable to battle!" Vincent declared.

"Wait, was that a move?" Sarenji asked.

"No, it was Voltorb's Ability, Aftermath. When a Pokemon with Aftermath is defeated with a Physical Attack, it blows up, and damages the Pokemon that dealt the final blow," Brock explained, as both Surge and Lincoln recalled their Pokemon.

"Heh, looks like we're both down to our last Pokemon, kid. Let's make this last bout a good one!" Surge said, holding up his third and final Pokeball, "Now, here's my three badge team's ace Pokemon!" he said, throwing his Pokeball. From it emerged a large, orange mouse Pokemon with a long, wire like tail with a thunderbolt tip.

"That Pokemon looks just like Pikachu!" Lincoln commented, pointing his Pokedex at the new Pokemon.

"Raichu, the Mouse Pokemon, an Electric Type, and the evolved form of Pikachu. Its electric charges can reach levels of 100,000 volts. Careless contact can cause even an Indian elephant to faint. To keep itself safe from it's own electric charges, it uses it's tail as a ground," Dexter explained.

"Did that thing say it can knock out an elephant?!" Risa exclaimed.

"Hell yeah it can. And it can do a lot more to the runt's last Pokemon," Surge replied.

"Alright Lincoln, I'm ready to go!" Pikachu exclaimed, only to look up to his trainer, who had a thousand-yard stare in his eyes, "Lincoln?"

'Just one more win, and I'll have won my third badge, then I can call home. But should I call home? I don't know if I'm ready for this. What if it ends up like in Cerulean City?' he thought, only to shook by Pikachu, "Hmm? Something Pikachu?"

"Yeah, we're about to start the final round! Are you alright? You were kind of spacing out."

"Y-Yeah, just thinking about calling my family. But we need to focus on this battle for now. You ready?" Lincoln asked.

"Whenever you are," Pikachu said, as he rushed onto the field.

"Wait, didn't that Pokedex thing say that Raichu evolves from Pikachu?" Momo asked.

"It did. That means Lincoln's at a disadvantage," Misty replied.

"Hey kid, you sure you want to send that little squirt out to battle my Raichu?" Surge asked.

"Yeah, a shrimp like that ain't even worth my time," Raichu agreed, brushing off Pikachu like a joke.

"If you want your little pet to stand a chance against my Raichu, you should've made it evolve as soon as you got it. That's what I did, and my Raichu is able to use all kinds of powerful moves that Pikachu can't learn. And based on what I saw from your Cerulean City Gym Battle, your Pikachu would make one hell of a Raichu if it got stronger," Surge taunted.

"There's a lot more to Pokemon than just forcing them evolve. I'm not going to force Pikachu to change just so I can win a few battles," Lincoln declared.

"Man, talk about whimpy trainer! Not even wanting to play it smart and evolve his little pet! Maybe you oughta grow out your hair and wear some frilly dresses. That's be more flattering towards you, seeing how you aren't much of a man," Raichu taunted.

"Ok, trash talking me, I can deal with, but don't even think you can get away with insulting my trainer!" Pikachu said, cheeks sparking.

"Bring it on, pipsqueak," Raichu said, daring Pikachu to attack.

"Let's go for a speedy win, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Lincoln called out.

As Pikachu sped at Raichu, Surge only scoffed, "A weak attack like that won't do a thing, runt! Raichu, use Mega Punch!"

"With pleasure," Raichu said, as it threw a power packed punch against Pikachu's face, sending the smaller Mouse Pokemon back a few feet, "Y'know, I've faced Slowpoke that are a lot faster than you, shrimp."

"Alright, then how about this? Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Lincoln instructed. Pikachu then formed Electro Ball, before hurling it at Raichu.

"Ok, this is just sad," Raichu said, throwing another Mega Punch, destroying Electro Ball, "Why does a trainer like him keep a weak runt like you around anyway?"

"Hey, screw you!" Pikachu snapped, before charging at Raichu again, with his tail coated in the metallic aura of Iron Tail.

"No, Pikachu, wait! He's just trying to goad you into attacking blindly!" Lincoln's warning fell on deaf ears, as Pikachu continued racing towards Raichu.

"Here runt, let me show you what I was talking about before. Raichu, give it a Giga Impact!" Surge ordered. Raichu then became enveloped in a thick orange and purple aura, before charging at Pikachu. Both attacks clashed head on, but it was Giga Impact that proved too powerful, and was able to send Pikachu flying back into the wall, unconscious.

"Pikachu is unable to battle, the winner of this Gym Battle is Lieutenant Surge, the Gym Leader!" Vincent declared.

"Pikachu!" Lincoln exclaimed, rushing to his partner's aid.

"Not to criticize you, sir, but don't you think Giga Impact was a bit much?" Tucker asked.

"A trainer's got to learn to adapt and change. It's an important lesson," Surge replied. Just then, Vasquez came up to him.

"Lieutenant, we just got a call," she said.

"Oh? What might that be?" Surge asked. Meanwhile, Lincoln's friends had gathered beside him.

"Tough break, Lincoln," Rito commented.

"Is Pikachu alright?" Sarenji asked, kneeling down to see.

"I think so, but I need to get him to the Pokemon Center now," Lincoln replied.

"You put up a good fight, kid. You even came close to earning the Thunder Badge, but close doesn't cut it," Surge said, approaching the white haired boy.

"Thanks, but I guess this means I won't get another chance to battle you again?" Lincoln asked. To his surprise, Surge shook his head.

"Not at all. Win or lose, you can always take something from a battle. Besides, you saw the battle through to the end, just like I said before. I tell you what, Vasquez and I got called in by the Pokemon League Association for an emergency meeting of the Elite Four and all of Kanto's Gym Leaders. This means the gym's going to be closed for about, oh, three days. Spend that time training up, and you can come challenge me again. And this time, we can make it a one-on-one against my Raichu," Surge replied. His Raichu nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. You can bet that I'll be back to challenge you again," Lincoln replied.

"That's good to hear. But for now, get your Pokemon to the Pokemon Center," Surge said.

"Yes sir. I look forward to having that rematch," Lincoln said, as he and his friends turned to exit the gym.

"Hold on there, kid, I have one more thing I want to talk to you about," Surge said, catching Lincoln's attention, "Before the final round, I noticed you weren't all there, like you had something on your mind. What was eating you?"

"Well, I was thinking about calling my family after the Gym Battle, but, after the last time I called, I'm… kind of hesitant," Lincoln replied. Raigo, Leaf, and his friends from Sainan looked concerned.

"Ah, family troubles, huh? Reminds me of when I first started out. I had my family on my mind all the time. When was the last time you called them?" Surge asked.

"I'd say maybe a week or so ago?" Lincoln replied.

"Hmm. Well, take my advice; While your Pokemon are getting patched up, take some time to give them a call. Not only will it pass the time for Nurse Joy to heal your Pokemon, but it could help set your mind at ease. After all, if I'm going to kick your ass, I want you to be all there," Surge advised.

"I'll take that into consideration," Lincoln replied.

"That a boy! Now, dismissed!" Surge declared in his militaristic tone. Once more, Lincoln and friends went to leave the gym, "And don't forget what I said about evolving your Pikachu!"

Later, at the Pokemon Center,

Lincoln was sitting on a couch in the lobby, waiting anxiously, while looking towards the double doors, leading to the back of the Pokemon Center. Immediately after leaving Surge's gym, Lincoln wasted no time in making his way over to the Pokemon Center to get his Pokemon healed up, "C'mon, c'mon, I need to know how they're all doing," he said, fidgeting in his seat.

Nearby, Brock, Misty, and the rest of his friends looked on at the white haired boy, equally worried, "Are all gym battles like that?" Nana asked.

"Not especially. Surge in particular is hard on all the challengers that come to face him," Brock replied.

"It's true. Even though Skipper had a type advantage, Surge made me work for my Thunder Badge," Raigo added.

"The same goes for me too," Leaf added.

"But to lose that badly, it must've hit Lincoln hard," Sarenji commented.

"Most Gym Battles do that, and challengers have the option of trying again after some training, or going off to find another gym," Misty replied.

"So, what do you think Lincoln will do?" Mikan asked.

"Hard to say. After all, we're going to be staying in Vermillion City long enough to see the St. Anne," Misty replied.

"If that's the case, then maybe Lincoln could train up one of his other Pokemon to give another go against Surge," Risa said.

"That is true, but it'll all boil down to what Pikachu would want to do," Brock replied.

"What are you saying?" Aya asked.

"I'm saying that Lincoln may choose to go with Pikachu again. After all, it wasn't just it's body that got hurt. A loss that hard must've severely damaged it's pride and spirit," Brock explained.

"But isn't going against an evolved Pokemon with it's previous stage a bad move?" Leaf asked. Suddenly, Lincoln joined in the conversation.

"A win against an evolved Pokemon may be difficult, but it's not impossible!" he declared. Just then, the bell went off, signaling the healing process was finished. Nurse Joy then emerged from the back, "Nurse Joy, how are Pikachu and the others?"

"They took quite a beating, but they just need a good night's sleep, and they'll be just fine in the morning," Nurse Joy replied.

"That's good to hear. Would it be alright if I went to see them?" Lincoln asked.

"They're still sleeping from the sedatives we had to administer, but once they're awake, then by all means. But before you do," Nurse Joy said, as she dug something out of her apron pocket, and handed it to Lincoln. It was a green colored stone with a lightning bolt shaped pattern on it, "One of Surge's subordinates dropped by earlier, and asked me to give it to you. He said something about helping you to 'even things out for the rematch'."

Lincoln took a moment to process what Nurse Joy had said, "'Evening things out'?"

"That's a Thunderstone, Lincoln. If you use on Pikachu, it'll evolve into Raichu," Raigo explained.

"But you should think carefully when using it. Once you've evolved a Pokemon, it's impossible for it to go back to how it was before," Misty warned.

"Misty's right. Pikachu may never be the same," Brock added.

"That's why Pikachu should have the final say in it. I'm going to go talk to him. But for now, I have something to do," Lincoln said, as he made his way over to the Videophones.

"So, what do you think will happen?" Saruyama asked.

"Don't know. But we shouldn't pressure him into making such a big choice, especially if it's against Pikachu's wishes," Nana replied.

Meanwhile, at the Loud House,

While most members of the family were fast asleep, there were a few who were still wide awake, either needing to use the bathroom, had some things to ponder on, or were just plain restless. Among them was Luna, who was downstairs with Lucy and their mother. All three of them were having a bout of restlessness, while in Luna's case, she was just staring off into space. She's been going over what she was going to say to Lincoln if and when he does call, emphasis on "if". Just then, her thoughts were cut off with a buzzing from her wristwatch. Rita and Lucy looked at theirs. All of them said "Vermillion City".

"Didn't Professor Oak say something about Lincoln trying for the badge from that gym?" Lucy asked.

"I do believe he did. It must be him!" Rita said, as the three of them made their way upstairs. Along the way, then met up with Leni, who had just stepped out of the bathroom.

"You got the message too?" Luna asked.

"Yep. I've been looking forward to talking to Linkey again," Leni replied, as they made their way to Lisa and Lily's bedroom. There, they saw Lisa at the Videophone.

"You're all just in time," Lisa said. As soon as they were all in, Leni closed the door. Lisa then activated the electric current in the doorknob.

"Luna, could you wait off screen? We don't want to risk Lincoln hanging up on us," Rita asked.

"Sure thing," Luna replied. She really didn't want to, but this was the one and only chance she had of mending fences with her brother, and she couldn't afford to let it go to waste. With that, Lisa answered the call. The screen then displayed Lincoln's face.

"Uh… hey guys. Long time no see," Lincoln greeted, followed by a brief moment of silence. Ultimately, it was Lisa who broke the silence.

"Ahem, it has certainly been a while since we last spoke, Lincoln, especially given what happened last time," she said.

"Yeah… That's not… going to happen again, is it?" Lincoln asked.

"Fret not, brother. After your last call, I took the liberty of installing measures to my door to keep any unwanted intruders out," Lisa replied.

"Well, that's good to hear," Lincoln replied.

"We've really missed you, Linkey," Leni said.

"As have I, Leni," Lincoln replied.

"So, how've you been, Lincoln?" Rita asked.

"Uh, pretty good actually. After we left Cerulean City for the first time to head to the Cerulean Cape, I was able to catch all three of the Kanto Starters, as well as evolve two of my Pokemon," Lincoln replied.

"Good to hear. We heard about the circumstances about how you were able to catch all three Kanto Starters, but what all happened after that?" Lucy asked.

"Well, I ran into the Joy and Jenny in the town I caught my Squirtle in, and we all had a little night on the town," Lincoln replied. His sisters all smiled mischievously at what their brother had said.

"Girls, control yourselves," Rita demanded.

"Anyhow, after that, the two of them joined us in our trip to the Cape, where we made some more friends, and where I learned something rather interesting about Pokemon," Lincoln continued.

"What's that then?" Rita asked.

"Well, I encountered two Meowth who were harassing the new group of friends I made, but they were different from the one Team Rocket had. According to the Pokedex, they were 'Regional Variants', meaning they had a different appearance and typing than Meowth have in Kanto. In this case, I was able to catch a Dark Type Alolan Meowth, and a Steel Type Galarian Meowth. I'll transmit the Pokedex data before we close out," Lincoln explained.

"Sounds much like how certain species of animals adapt to different environments," Lisa mused.

"Quite right. And after we had our fun on the beach, we went to visit our friend, Bill, at his lighthouse. After having a nice dinner, he explained that there are, and I am not joking around here, over 900 different species of Pokemon in the world," Lincoln explained.

"900?!" the Louds quickly covered their mouths, remembering Lily was sleeping in her crib.

"That was our reaction too. And that's including what he calls 'Extinct Evolutions'," Lincoln explained.

"'Extinct evolutions'? What does that mean?" Lucy asked.

"It refers to regional forms and evolutions that some Pokemon used to have that their modern day descendants can no longer undertake. Apparently, the Sinnoh Region, or rather, the Hisui Region, as it used to be called, was home to these kinds of Pokemon," Lincoln explained.

"So, like, a Pokemon from that time could evolve, but in the present, they can no longer do?" Lisa asked.

"Pretty much. Continuing on, Bill invited us to catch a glimpse of a unique Dragonite. And by unique, I mean it was huge, like, the lighthouse looked like a dollhouse in comparison," Lincoln explained.

"It was really that big?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah. I have pictures from the trip. I'll send them over with the data. And the meeting with the giant Dragonite would've been perfect, if it weren't for the fact that Team Rocket showed up with the intent to catch it," Lincoln grumbled.

"This Team Rocket seems to pop up wherever you seem to go," Lucy commented.

"Not necessarily. True, I did encounter the Rockets I met in Viridian City when I caught my Bulbasaur, but it always seems like we don't encounter them every time. Maybe every other time," Lincoln replied.

"Still, I don't like how much trouble they cause, and I'd rather you avoid them," Rita replied.

"I try to, Mom, I really do. Anyways, after we said goodbye to Bill, and dropping Joy and Jenny off in the town I caught Squirtle in, we backtracked all the way back to Cerulean City, and continued south to Vermillion City. Along the way, we met up with Samurai, the Bug Type Trainer I met in Viridian Forest. We had ourselves a battle, kind of continuing where we left off the last time we met, which ended in a victory for me. Afterwards, he told us about another trainer by the name of 'AJ', who runs an unofficial Pokemon Gym," Lincoln continued.

"An unofficial Gym? What does that mean?" Lisa asked.

"It means it's not an official Pokemon League Gym, so even if I did win against him, he wouldn't have given me a badge. As for AJ himself, he was one of the strongest trainers I had faced so far, having a winning streak of 98 wins in a row," Lincoln explained.

"Wow, that guy must be good. So, were you able to break that streak?" Rita asked.

"No, he was able to knock out all six of my Pokemon with just his one Sandshrew," Lincoln replied. Rita and her daughters winced at that bit of information, "But to be fair, he does train up his Pokemon in a most efficient way, all be it a little controversial with his whip."

"Yikes, is something like that legal?" Leni asked.

"The fact he hasn't been busted for it yet shows that it must not be. But he only uses it when giving his Pokemon commands during the intense training sessions he puts them through. And he uses something called a 'Macho Brace' to help with training. Basically, it restricts a Pokemon's movements to help increase their strength. On top of that, he also has his own unique recipes for Pokemon Food to help keep their nourishment up to snuff," Lincoln explained.

"I see. So, did anything else happen while you were there?" Lisa asked.

"Well, there was a Kantonian Meowth that was causing trouble for AJ and his Pokemon, even managing to steal some of AJ's stuff. At the same time, another trainer I met one my first day as a trainer, Red, showed up to issue a challenge to AJ. It was then I volunteered to track down the Meowth and get AJ's stuff back while he took on Red. It took most of the day, but we were able to find the thieving Meowth, and I was able to add her to my team," Lincoln replied.

"Well, that was very nice of you to do that for AJ. So, what about his battle with this Red character?" Rita asked.

"Well, when we got back, let just say that AJ had to change the 'Undefeated' sign on his Gym," Lincoln replied.

"Whoa, this Red is really that good?" Luna asked, realizing she slipped up.

"Oh dear. We were hoping to do this a little later in the call, but I suppose now's a good a time as any. Now, Lincoln, sweetie, just try to hear her out on what she has to say," Rita requested, as Luna stepped into view.

"L-Luna," Lincoln said, tensing up.

"Uh, hey Lincoln… you look good," Luna greeted.

"We uh, can leave if you two want," Rita offered.

"No, it's fine. Everyone can stay," Lincoln replied.

"Alright, if you're sure," Rita replied, as she, and the others stood off to the side.

"So, it's been a while since we last spoke," Luna said.

"Indeed. I assume you're not here just to say 'hi', right?" Lincoln asked.

"Yeah, you're right. Before I say what I have to, I need to know something. When you came clean about pretending to be bad luck, you were telling the truth, weren't you?" Luna asked.

"Yeah. Under normal circumstances, I would've just been honest, but, well, you know what happened when I tried to decline Lynn's invite to her softball game," Lincoln replied.

"Well, you could've told me that you didn't want to come to my concert. I would've understood," Luna replied.

"The thought had crossed my mind, but, like the rest of our sisters, you do have something of an... aggressive side. Remember when you and Luan got into a fight involving your fog machine and Mr. Coconuts?" Lincoln asked.

"Uh, yeah, that time I was… dealing with some things. But look, what I want to say is sorry, for everything I had a hand in putting you through. The bad luck incident, for threatening you from time to time, and also for hold you back," Luna ultimately spat out. Lincoln looked very surprised, and a little confused.

"'Holding me back'? Luna, what are you talking about?" Lincoln asked, as tears began to cascade down Luna's cheeks.

"I'm talking about you, Lincoln! Here you are, having to put up with us dragging you into our fights, putting undue blame onto you every time something bad happens, and putting ourselves before you and your feelings. Hell, you couldn't even get a goddamn cereal box because of us, even though you earned it!" Luna yelled.

"Luna, language and volume!" Rita scolded, only to go ignored by the rocker teen.

"And now look at you! Becoming a Pokemon Trainer and exploring Kanto, you're doing way better there than you ever have here in Royal Woods. The battles you won, the badges you've earned, not to mention all the Pokemon you've caught, you've finally found the one thing you're good at, and it's all because we aren't there weighing you down!" Luna yelled, clutching the Videophone like her life depended on it, "I know none of us can force you to come back home to us, and that you can find yourself a new place there in Kanto, but I beg of you, don't abandon us! I know we don't show it as much as we should, but we do love you, and I doubt any of us can bear the thought of living life without you."

Lincoln was taken aback by Luna's outburst, but he then composed himself, "Luna, I want to tell you something, alright?"

"Ok?"

"None of you are going to spend the rest of your lives without me. While it is true that our family does have more than it's share of blackspots, with this bad luck mess being one of them, but there are also good times, like when you and the others helped me out when my family diorama broke," Lincoln explained. The sisters all remembered that time, "And while it is true that my newfound career as a Trainer is a successful one, it won't stop me from coming home. And it won't change the fact that, despite how many times you girls make me want to rip out my hair, I do love you all. Am I making myself clear?"

"As crystal," Luna sniffed.

"Good. Now, as for the whole 'holding me back', while it is true that you girls to tend to get in the way of my goals, I know you never intentionally do it. If it happened, it happened," Lincoln then crossed his arms, "But don't think for a minute that the thought of holding me back holds any sort of weight in discussion. If anything, coming to Kanto has actually helped propel me forward. If it didn't, then I'd still be back home, struggling to find what I wanted to do with my life."

"Maybe so, but it doesn't feel right that you're doing so well without us. After all, you were there to support us when we had our events but none of us could be bothered to lift a finger to support you," Luna replied.

"Well, just because you aren't supporting me in person doesn't mean you can't do so in spirit. Just ask Mom."

"It's true, Luna. As much as I want to root for your brother in person, nothing can stop me from doing so in spirit," Rita said.

"I suppose you have a point there," Luna said, wiping a tear away, "So, are we cool, bro?"

"As I said to the others, if something like this EVER happens again, then don't even bother trying to contact me again. But yeah, I'll forgive you," Lincoln replied. Luna couldn't feel happier.

"Thanks bro. You have no idea how much this means to me! And don't worry, I won't ever let this happen again!" she said. Lincoln smiled upon hearing that, but his expression then took on one of confusion, when he saw some sort of sinister black aura emerging from Luna.

'What was that?' he wondered, taking a moment to rub his eyes. When he looked back up, he saw the aura was completely gone, 'Hmm, must've just been a trick of the eyes.'

"So, how've things been after you got that AJ guy's stuff back?" Lucy asked.

"Ah yes. Well, earlier this morning, we had made it to Vermillion City, where I was going to challenge the Gym Leader, Lieutenant Surge for a chance to earn a Thunder Badge," Lincoln replied.

"Ah, that's good to hear. So, I assume you were able to win?" Lisa asked.

"Actually, I got beat pretty badly," Lincoln replied.

"You actually lost a Gym Battle?"

"Yeah. Thanks to Inferna, my Charmeleon, and Andrea, my Sandshrew, I was able to win the first two matches, but when it came down to my last Pokemon, Pikachu, we got stomped flat by Surge and his Raichu, Pikachu's evolved form" Lincoln replied.

"I see. How did you approach the battle?" Lisa asked.

"I tried a direct approach with speed. It didn't really matter, since Raichu just knocked away everything we threw at it. I won't get another chance to battle Surge again for maybe three days. He got called to some sort of Pokemon League Meeting with all the other Gym Leaders of the Kanto Region, as well as the Elite 4. With that time, I plan to do some training with Pikachu so we can try again," Lincoln explained.

"So you're planning to train and rethink your strategy. Good thinking. By the way, what do you know about this Surge character's Raichu?" Lisa asked.

"From what he said, he evolved it as soon as he caught it," Lincoln replied.

"Hmm, that might actually be a double-edged sword scenario," Lisa mused.

"I thought it was a battle," Leni commented.

"No, Leni. What I mean is that while Surge's Raichu did get stronger, it might've came at a price," Lisa explained. Lincoln then realized Lisa was on to something.

"Hey, you're right. In most video games with a gimmick like Pokemon Training, your first instinct, when you get a certain creature, is to make it stronger and evolve it right away. Doing so does indeed make them stronger, but there are certain moves or techniques that particular creature can only learn in an earlier stage," Lincoln said.

"Quite right. Perhaps Surge evolved his Raichu before teaching it any speed-based attacks," Lisa replied.

"That does sound about right. So I should work on raising Pikachu's Speed so we can outpace Raichu. Thanks for that bit of advice, Lisa," Lincoln declared.

"Anytime. And it is good to hear from you again, Lincoln," Lisa replied.

"Likewise. Anyhow, before I let you guys off, I'll send over the data and photos," Lincoln said, inserting his Pokedex.

"Data Trasmitting / Receiving," the computerized voice said, as the transfer was completed.

"I'm going to hold off on sending any more Pokemon until after I earn my Thunder Badge. Is that alright?" Lincoln asked.

"Perfectly understandable," Lisa replied, looking at the date her brother had just sent, "Besides, this should be able to hold us over until then."

"Very well. By the way, has anything major happened over there since the last time I called?" Lincoln asked.

"Well, believe it or not, we've been getting hit hard with actual, for real bad luck," Luna replied.

"Really? Care to elaborate?" Lincoln asked. His mother and sisters all began explaining the strange occurrences that had been plaguing the Loud House since the Cerulean City called, "Yeesh, talk about an ironic turn of events," he winced.

"We know. And the strangest thing is that our luck turned really bad the day AFTER the Cerulean City Phone Call," Luna replied.

"That was when Lynn said all those nasty things to Lincoln, right?" Leni asked.

"Correct. More than likely her actions that day was the catalyst for things to turn sour for the others," Lisa replied.

"More than likely. But has any OTHER stuff happened?" Lincoln asked.

"Well, I had just perfected a portable version of the translator I used while the first six Pokemon were here," Lisa replied.

"Wow, that's great!" Lincoln commented.

"Indeed. If your friends get permission from their families to go to a Pokemon Region, I plan to give them each a translator. It works the same way as a Bluetooth earpiece," Lisa replied, holding one of her translator's up.

"Well, that's sure to help them out," Lincoln replied, before noticing the time, "It must be late over there, so I'm going to let you guys off now. I'll call again as soon as I win the match," Lincoln said.

"Please do. We like hearing from you, sweetie," Rita replied.

"Will do. See you in a few days," Lincoln said, before he hung up.

"Well, that was reassuring. I hope you feel better now, Luna," Rita said.

"Much better. I feel like a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders," Luna replied, sounding more relaxed and cheerful, "I'm not kidding. I literally feel like a huge weight's been lifted off of my shoulders."

"Well, that's good to hear. At least now your worries about the whole 'holding Lincoln back' have been put to rest," Leni commented.

"Speaking of rest, we should go and try to get some. It is rather late," Rita said. With that, they exited the room, while Lisa crawled into bed, drifting off to sleep.

In the Vermillion City Pokemon Center Lobby,

Lincoln felt great after talking to his family again, especially now that he had mended fences with Luna. Though he couldn't help but wonder about the black aura that was surrounding Luna, 'It couldn't have just been a trick of the lens. I probably better not dwell on it too much,' Lincoln thought, as he regrouped with his friends.

"So, how'd things go with your call?" Misty asked.

"Pretty good, actually. I even managed to patch things up with Luna," Lincoln replied.

"Which sister is that again?" Brock asked.

"She's a punk rocker. Wears a mostly purple outfit. I plan to call again after I try the gym battle again, so we can do formal introductions then," Lincoln replied.

"Well, alright then. So, what do you plan to do in preparation for your rematch?" Brock asked.

"Well, Lisa gave me the idea of using Pikachu's smaller body as an advantage against Raichu. Remember what Surge said, about how he evolved his Pikachu the moment he got it?" Lincoln asked.

"Ah, that's right! Raichu might be able to learn more powerful attacks it can't learn as a Pikachu, but there are speed moves that it can only learn as a Pikachu," Misty said.

"But it won't just be Pikachu that I'll train for the next few days. I plan to do some special training with as many as my other Pokemon as well, to try and beef them up a bit," Lincoln replied.

"Nothing wrong with wanting to strengthen the rest of your Pokemon. But what about Pikachu and that Thunderstone?" Raigo asked.

"I'm going to head back there as soon as I'm clear to go. That's when I'll talk to him about evolving," Lincoln replied. Just then, the Pokemon Center's Chansey walked up to him, and tugged slightly on his sleeve, catching his attention.

"Are you the trainer of the Pikachu, Sandshrew, and Charmeleon that were brought in today?" she asked.

"Yes, that's right," Lincoln replied.

"Well, all three of them have just woken up, and your Pikachu was asking to speak with you," Chansey replied.

"Perfect timing," Lincoln said, as Chansey led him and his friends to the back.

In the recovery room,

All three of Lincoln's Pokemon were on beds, each one covered in bandages, but Pikachu had the most bandages. They were all feeling pretty glum, thinking they had let their trainer down. Inferna was able to get them the first win, but fell short when battling Voltorb. Andrea was able to pull out a victory from Voltorb, and would've been able to continue had it not been for Aftermath. Then there was the final round between Pikachu and Raichu. Despite having the fastest first attack, Raichu was able to overpower the smaller Mouse Pokemon. Now Pikachu was burning for a chance to get back at that Raichu. Just then, Lincoln and company walked into the room, "Hey guys, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like crap," Andrea replied.

"We're sorry Lincoln. We didn't mean to let you down like that," Inferna added.

"Hey, don't worry about it, guys. You didn't let me down. We just got caught off guard is all," Lincoln replied.

"Wait, so you're not upset with us?" Pikachu asked.

"With you guys, no. With the fact that we lost the battle, a little bit, but that's nothing a little training and retooling our strategy can't fix. That being said, Pikachu, I have something I want to talk to you about, and it's a big topic," Lincoln replied, pulling out the Thunderstone he received from Nurse Joy.

"Is that a Thunderstone? Where did you get it?" Pikachu asked.

"From Nurse Joy. She said she got it from one of Surge's underlings. Apparently, it's to 'even things out' for our rematch against Raichu. Which brings me to the point; do you want to evolve so you can stand an easier chance of beating Surge's Raichu?" Lincoln asked.

"To be honest, I'd much rather stay the way I am. And not just for the fact that I like being a Pikachu. You remember what that Raichu said during our battle, right?" Pikachu asked.

"Yeah. So, you're wanting to prove Raichu wrong, am I right?" Lincoln asked.

"You're damn right I do! I want to kick his orange ass as a Pikachu," Pikachu replied.

"Well, that's good to hear. Of course, we have three days to do some heavy-duty training. Surge is out of town for some Pokemon League meeting. During that time, we can work on improving your speed and use that to our advantage,"Lincoln asked.

"What do you mean?" Inferna asked.

"A little bit ago, I called my family again, and they suggested that we use Pikachu's smaller size to outpace Raichu. They pointed out that Surge evolved his Pikachu too quickly, and it was never able to learn any Speed Based attacks that it can only learn as a Pikachu," Lincoln replied.

"And what about the rest of us? Will we get in on the training too?" Andrea asked.

"That is my plan. And it's not just you guys. I want to raise the levels of all of the Pokemon I have back at Professor Oak's lab as much as I can," Lincoln replied.

"Well, that's good to hear. So, is this going to be another three-on-three match?" Inferna asked.

"No. Surge suggested that since I already won against Voltorb and Magnemite, our rematch can be between his Raichu and any Pokemon I have. And I've already got my candidate in mind," Lincoln replied, looking at Pikachu.

"Thanks for giving me another shot, Lincoln," Pikachu said.

"Anytime, but for now, you three need to rest. We'll begin training tomorrow," Lincoln replied.

"Sounds good," Pikachu replied, as he, Andrea and Inferna went back to sleep. Smiling, Lincoln left them to their rest.

"So, you're really going with Pikachu for your rematch?" Leaf asked.

"That's what he wants. And he wants to do it as a Pikachu," Lincoln replied.

"Well, I suppose to each their own. So, what exactly are you going to do as far as training?" Brock asked.

"For starters, we need to improve on using Pikachu's speed and maneuverability to make him harder to hit," Lincoln replied.

"Sounds like a good time to learn some new defensive moves," Raigo commented.

"My thoughts exactly. But what moves can I teach Pikachu that can help out in our rematch?" Lincoln wondered.

"There's Double Team, for starters, and I think Pikachu can also learn Dig, which is a Ground Type Move," Misty replied.

"Well, I can have Kirlia try to teach Pikachu Double Team, but how can I teach Pikachu how to use that other move, Dig?" Lincoln asked.

"You can always check the Pokemart. They're bound to have some TMs or even TRs that you can teach your Pokemon," Brock pointed out.

"Great! I'll check out the Pokemart first, then I can start planning our strategy," Lincoln replied.

"But before you do start planning, why don't we go and check out what Vermillion City has to offer? At the very least, you can scope out stuff you can do with Pikachu once you've won," Misty suggested.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to do a little sightseeing," Lincoln replied.

"Great! There's this cute boutique I'm wanting to hit, as well as a sweets shop," Misty said, looking at a brochure.

"Oh, I know those two places! They've got top quality goods at very reasonable prices! But before you do that, you guys might want to go to the harbor and snag yourselves some complimentary passes to the St. Anne," Leaf said.

"Wait, they're giving out tickets to the St. Anne for free?!" Misty exclaimed. Both Leaf and Raigo pulled out their own cruise liner tickets marked for the St. Anne.

"Yeah, apparently, it's some sort of promotion in which Pokemon Trainers can get in for free," Raigo replied.

"Change of plans! We're going to get ourselves some tickets!" Misty said, pulling on both Lincoln and Brock's arms, dragging them away.

"I didn't think she was that into checking out a cruise ship," Raigo replied.

"You'd understand it if you saw it from a girl's point of view," Leaf replied, as the followed after them.

Ok guys, so for next few chapters, Lincoln will be rotating and training up his team in preparation for his rematch with Lt. Surge. I've already settled on a Level Range in which Lincoln will be attempting to train his Pokemon up to. The range will be Level 23 to 32. Furthermore, some of the Pokemon he trains up will evolve during the training sessions. Of course, some of them, like Zubat and Riolu, won't fully evolve until much later on in the story (in the case of Zubat, it'll still evolve in Golbat). Misty, Brock, Jessie, and James' Pokemon will also evolve accordingly to their levels (or in Budew's case, Friendship).

Anyhow, the next few chapters will include the Pokemon Tech chapter, as well as a chapter involving the Diglett and the Dam from that particular episode. Might also throw in the Battle Chateau, which, like the Battle Club, is also being internationalized. Let me know what you think in the comments.

And finally, some trivia questions. Each one will have their own unique rewards. The first question will be to decide what nicknames Lincoln should give Clefairy, Beedrill, Kirlia, and Goomy. The second one will be to determine what Pokemon Brock and Misty will get from their next bouts of Wonder Trading. Without further ado, here are the questions:

List all Pokemon that evolve based on Gender

What Pokemon can evolve using a Dawn Stone?

Lincoln:

Pikachu

Level: 26

Gender: Male

Ability: Static

Nature: Mild

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Thundershock, Quick Attack, Electro Ball, Protect, Thunder Punch, Iron Tail, Volt Tail (Hybrid Move), Thunder Wave

Charmeleon

Nickname: Inferna

Level: 19

Gender: Female

Ability: Blaze

Nature: Naïve

Pokeball: Level Ball

Moves: Ember, Metal Claw (Egg Move), Smokescreen, Growl, Protect, Thunder Punch

Kirlia (Shiny)

Level: 24

Gender: Female

Ability: Synchronize

Nature: Timid

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Growl, Teleport, Confusion, Disarming Voice, Double Team, Misty Terrain (Egg Move), Protect, Thunder Punch, Psybeam

Poliwag

Level: 20

Gender: Male

Ability: Water Absorb

Nature: Jolly

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Water Gun, Water Sport, Hypnosis, Protect, Water Pulse

Sandshrew: (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Nickname: Andrea

Level: 23

Gender: Female

Ability: Sand Veil

Nature: Calm

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Poison Sting, Defense Curl, Rapid Spin, Fury Cutter, Magnitude, Metal Claw (Egg Move)

Riolu

Level: 20

Gender: Male

Ability: Inner Focus

Nature: Quirky

Pokeball: Luxury Ball

Moves: Quick Attack, Counter, Metal Claw, Endure, Vacuum Wave (Egg Move), Protect, Thunder Punch

Bulbasaur (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 19

Nickname: Aizami

Gender: Male

Ability: Overgrow

Nature: Serious

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Tackle, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder, Vine Whip, Protect

Squirtle (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Nickname: Raphael

Level: 15

Gender: Male

Ability: Rain Dish

Nature: Rash

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Rapid Spin, Bite, Water Gun, Aqua Jet (Egg Move)

Pidgeotto (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 24

Gender: Female

Ability: Tangled Feet

Nature: Rash

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Gust, Whirlwind, Quick Attack, Sand Attack, Tackle, Steel Wing, Twister, Protect

Goomy (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 26

Gender: Female

Ability: Hydration

Nature: Calm

Pokeball: Nest Ball

Moves: Tackle, Bubble, Absorb, Bide, Protect, Poison Tail (Egg Move)

Fearow (At Professor Oak's)

Level: 25

Gender: Female

Ability: Sniper

Nature: Calm

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Arieal Ace, Pursuit, Mirror Move, Leer, Fury Attack, Steel Wing

Beedriil (Shiny) (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 20

Gender: Male

Ability: Shield Dust

Nature: Lax

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot, Bug Bite, Harden, U-Turn, Protect

Zubat (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 21

Gender: Male

Ability: Inner Focus

Nature: Quirky

Pokeball: Friend Ball

Moves: Absorb, Bite, Wing Attack, Astonish, Supersonic, Giga Drain (Egg Move), Protect

Cleffa (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 12

Gender: Male

Ability: Cute Charm

Nature: Jolly

Pokeball: Moon Ball

Moves: Metronome (Egg Move), Pound, Sing Encore, Charm

Clefairy (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 17

Gender: Female

Ability: Magic Guard

Nature: Calm

Pokeball: Moon Ball

Moves: Metronome, Double Slap, Defense Curl, Sing, Encore, Disarming Voice

Clefable (Shiny)(At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 25

Gender: Female

Ability: Magic Guard

Nature: Graceful

Pokeball: Moon Ball

Moves: (Known so far): Metronome, Double Slap, Follow Me, Minimize, Disarming Voice

Steenee (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Nickname: Queeny

Level: 23

Gender: Female

Ability: Leaf Guard

Nature: Calm

Pokeball: Friend Ball

Moves: Sweet Scent, Razor Leaf, Rapid Spin, Splash, Play Nice, Grass Whistle (Egg Move)

Trapinch (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Nickname: Spirit

Level: 27

Gender: Male

Ability: Arena Trap

Nature: Lax

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Bite, Bide, Mud Slap, Dig, Sand Tomb, Rock Slide, Focus Energy (Egg Move)

Meowth (Galar Form) (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 24

Gender: Male

Ability: Tough Claws

Nature: Wild

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Scratch, Hone Claws, Pay Day, Metal Claw, Taunt, Night Slash (Egg Move)

Meowth (Alola Form)(At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 18

Gender: Male

Ability: Pickup

Nature: Bold

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Scratch, Fury Swipes, Screech, Bite, Fake Out, Hypnosis (Egg Move)

Meowth (At Professor Oak's Lab)

Level: 22

Gender: Female

Ability: Pickup

Nature: Naughty

Pokeball: Great Ball

Moves: Taunt, Fake Out, Fury Swipes, Feint Attack, Fling(?), Theif, Covet (Egg Move)

Misty

Starmie

Level: 21

Gender: None

Ability: Natural Cure

Nature: Careful

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves (currently known): Water Gun, Rapid Spin, Water Pulse

Poliwhirl

Level: 28

Gender: Male

Ability: Damp

Nature: Bold

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Water Pulse, Mega Punch, Water Gun,

Gyarados (At the Cerulean Gym)

Level: 22

Gender: Male

Ability: Intimidate

Nature: Rash

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Dragon Dance, Twister, Ice Fang, Aqua Tail

Buizel

Level: 22

Gender: Male

Ability: Swift Swim

Nature: Careful

Pokeball: Net Ball

Moves: Water Pulse, Water Gun, Quick Attack, Water Sport, Growl, Sonic Boom

Skrelp

Level: 24

Gender: Female

Ability: Poison Point

Nature: Hardy

Pokeball: Lure Ball

Moves: Water Pulse, Bubble, Acid, Camouflage, Smokescreen, Tail Whip, Toxic Spikes (Egg Move)

Dewpider

Level: 23

Gender Male

Ability: Water Absorb (Hidden Ability)

Nature: Lazy

Pokeball: Dive Ball

Moves: Icy Wind, Bubblebeam, Protect Bug Bite, Spider Web, Water Sport

Squirtle

Level: 18

Gender: Male

Ability: Torrent

Nature: Bold

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Bite, Rapid Spin, Water Gun, Mirror Coat (Egg Move)

Krabby (At Cerulean Gym)

Level: 16

Gender: Male

Ability: Hyper Cutter

Nature: Lax

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Water Gun, Leer, Harden, Metal Claw, Mud Shot, Protect, Ancient Power (Egg Move)

Brock:

Main Party:

Geodude

Level: 19

Gender: Male

Ability: Sturdy

Nature: Hardy

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Defense Curl, Rollout, Tackle, Rock Polish, Rock Tomb

Onix:

Level: 22

Gender: Male

Ability: Rock Head

Nature: Graceful

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Bind, Tackle, Rock Tomb, Dragon Breath, Stealth Rock, Head Smash (Egg Move)

Bronzor

Gender: N/A

Level: 27

Ability: Heatproof

Nature: Hardy

Pokeball: Dusk Ball

Moves: Tackle, Confusion, Psywave, Iron Defense, Hypnosis, Feint Attack

Budew

Gender: Female

Level: 22

Ability: Natural Cure

Nature: Docile

Pokeball: Pokeball

Moves: Absorb, Growth, Worry Seed, Water Sport, Mega Drain, Stun Spore, Extrasensory (Egg Move)