Pokemon Virus Version Chapter 48: My Name Is Yumi
Yumi's POV
My name is Yumi, and against my idol Marina, my own legacy begins now.
"Snivy, use Leech Seed!" To start things off, I was planning for Leech Seed to give me a massive advantage since time was such a major factor in this match, but what I didn't count on was-
"Jiggly!" Waiting for Leech Seed to close in on it, Pink swiftly danced her way out of Leech Seed's path.
"What?!" Snivy and I both didn't see THAT coming.
"We all know of Pink's exceptional ability to avoid attack while dancing. And just like that, Marina has already taken an early lead as the first of Yumi's point are gone!" Lilian announced.
"You've seen Pink on television before, right?" Marina asked. "Then you should know about Pink's battle style. Attacking head on will only make this battle much more difficult for Snivy and yourself."
Staring at Marina, I groaned and kept the words on my mind to myself.
"It's time for Gyro Ball!" Marina ordered as Pink quickly shifted from dancing to twirling in a graceful manner, and was heading straight for Snivy.
"Quick, get out of the way!" I called for Snivy to take evasive action.
Snivy was able to avoid Pink, but Pink then shifted her dancing back toward Snivy. Both Snivy and I were caught completely off guard with Pink's movements and couldn't react in time to avoid Gyro Ball for a second time. Snivy was struck and sent to the ground.
"Well it seems the two time Champion has already gained control of this match as Jigglypuff's unique scheme of dancing has Yumi falling behind in points fast." Lillian said.
"What's wrong, Yumi?" Marina asked. "Is the reality of facing your idol overwhelming you? Do you really not stand a chance against me? You better make some adjustments quickly before this turns out to be an easy win for me."
Come on...I've got to keep calm. I can't let losing get to me like in Marion City. I need to think of a way to combat Pink's movements.
"Snivy..." I called as Snivy slowly rose to his feet. "Let's see how Vine Whip works."
"Vy!" Snivy utilized his vines and attempted a quick attack, to no avail though.
"Pink, you know what to do." Marina smiled as the Jigglypuff started spinning once more. Each time it appeared Vine Whip was closing in, Pink would twirl around each and every attack before slamming into Snivy with another Gyro Ball.
"Snivy, no!"
"Yumi's points have practically been cut in half, almost!" Lillian started. "With Jigglypuff avoiding the many Vine Whips, and Snivy getting struck by Gyro Ball once again, it appears the end is nearing for Yumi as Marina still has ALL her points!"
"Hmm..." Gyro Ball...Vine Whip..."Yes! I've got an idea!"
"Alright Pink, let's use one more Gyro Ball!" Marina called as Pink started toward Snivy.
All I need is perfect timing...
"Jiggly!" Jigglypuff was beginning to close in.
"Quick, use Wrap!"
Upon my command, Snivy started started another set of vine toward an incoming Jigglypuff.
"Jiggly?!" Jigglypuff caught sight of the vines and ended up losing it's focus on Gyro Ball in the process.
"Pinky, keep focus!" Marina called.
But it was no use as Jigglypuff had gained too much momentum closing in on Snivy. Without enough reaction time to even dance it;s way through the vines, Jigglypuff was enclosed within Snivy's Wrap.
"Pinky!"
"It seems Yumi has finally some momentum on her side!" Lillian started. "Jigglypuff is trapped and Marina will continue to lose points as long as her pokemon is being held down."
"Er..." A little annoyance on Marina's part started to surface. She appeared to be trying to think of a way to free Pnik as she looked on at the situation at hand. "I won't last if I can't think of something fast..."
"Snivy, remember our practice earlier?" Now THAT was the signal for Snivy to execute a very familiar strategy on Jigglypuff as he launched a Leech Seed at the pokemon that was still bound by Wrap.
"Gly?" Pink and Marina could only watch as Leech Seed was on it's way to serve as a major momentum shift. As soon as Pink was hit with Leech Seed, it's health started decreasing even further, while Marina's point began to disappear at an even faster pace.
"I don't believe it! A combination of Wrap and Leech Seed has Yumi in complete control as Marina's points are drastically plummeting. We may be witnessing one of the biggest upsets in 'recent' contest history, folks!" Lillian exclaimed.
To be honest, I couldn't believe what I was seeing either. I mean, my first victory was within my reach. But not just my FIRST win, it would be an upset victory over the two time champion, my idol, Marina. That was until-
"-Come on! I've got to think clutch!" Marina seemed to be thinking hard before giving me a look that had 'a light bulb just popped up' written all over her face. "Pinky, take a deep breath!"
"A deep breath?" Not only did Lillian question that call, but the judges and audience let out a bunch of 'huh's' and 'what's' as well.
"What is Marina talking about?"
Once Jigglypuff started inhaling air, it seemed to be inflating as if it were a balloon. Not only that, but it started to hover off the ground, even with Snivy's Wrap weighing it down.
"What the?"
"It appears Pink has inflated itself in order to levitate it's body," Lillian said.
"Now, Gyro Ball!" Marina smiled as if she knew exactly what the end result would be.
"Oh no..." Pink started to rotate rapidly, and Snivy was violently dragged around stage like the Ragdoll Effect in the process.
"Well it seems Jigglypuff has regained the momentum Snivy stole from it as Snivy;s own strategy is being used against him." Lillian started. "Both Yumi and Marina are down to their last points and their gauges won't stop decreasing due to Leech Seed, Wrap, AND Gyro Ball!"
"Snivy! Hurry! Release Jigglypuff!" I yelled.
"Sni..." Snivy just needed time to gain his focus before releasing the dancing, floating Jigglypuff. But as soon as Jigglypuff was freed, she headed straight for Snivy with another Gyro Ball.
"Move out of the way, Snivy!"
Pink was just a fingertip away from striking Snivy had Snivy not cleverly spun out of the way, costing Jigglypuff points for the failed attack.
"Spinning around...That's it!" A plan for downing Pink and all of her dances had just surfaced. I just had to give my opponent a taste of her own medicine. "Snivy!"
Snivy and I looked at each other and smiled as we waited for Marina's next 'predictable' command.
"Alright Pinky, time for a full impact Gyro Ball!" Marina commanded.
"And Marina trying to Wrap this up with one shot as Leech Seed has an extra clock expiring on her!" Lillian said.
"Glii..." Pink inflated herself once more, going up in the air before lunging at a grounded Snivy with a full power Gyro Ball. "Jglii!"
"Snivy, it's time to fight fire with fire!" Snivy nodded in agreement. "Intercept by spinning and using Vine Whip!"
"What the?" Marina couldn't believe what she just heard.
"Snivy!" Snivy launched himself at a descending Jigglypuff. Him and his vines were spinning to make a bit of a 'green vortex' effect.
"When will you learn?" Marina thought that Jigglypuff would just dance it's way around Snivy's attempted assault again. But this time, Pink's dodging did nothing as she was struck by the constantly dancing vines. "Now way...The Vine Whip, is dancing?"
"Yumi's dancing Vine Whip, a 'Dancing Leaf' is beating Pink's dances? Even Lillian didn't expect Snivy and I to be a serious opponent.
"Now grab Jigglypuff!" While still spinning, Snivy's dancing vines wrapped around a stunned Jigglypuff. A spinning Snivy was trying to send a dancing Pink spiraling down it to the ground.
"Pink, get out of there!" There was nothing Marina could say to change the outcome of this situation. 'Pinky's' fate was sealed, and the 'Dancing Leaf' was about to win me my first ribbon.
Crashing down, a cloud of dust covered where Snivy and Jigglypuff landed. Marina and I...Lillian, the judges, and the entire audience watched on the edge of their seats, speechless as they stared at the last pokemon standing once the dust cleared. Getting a glimpse at the downed pokemon-
"It can't move...Jigglypuff can't move..." Lillian's eyes were glued to the sight of 'Underdog Snivy' standing tall over that 'crowd favorite' Pink.
"Snivy?" Snivy turned around and stared at me. To think this spoiled snob used to not listen to a word I said... "We did it." I gave him a very warm smile as Snivy just crossed his arms and gave me his usual snobby, haughty smile.
I guess Lillian took just as long as the rest of the audience to let the 'upset special' sink in. I had never seen her so out of words, but the first words that came out of her mouth were "I guess we shouldn't call the battle an upset, since Yumi had already puuled away with the lead..." Looking up at the scoreboard, Marina's points were depleted, while I still had a little less than half my points, with 1:07 remaining on the clock. "No matter, pulling off one of the biggest suprise victories I can remember, is Bontiaville's contest winner: the 'ultimate underdog', Yumi of Olivine City!"
"And it was a hard fought battle indeed..." Marina approached me with a saddened face, before bowing her head as she said "Way to go, Yumi!"
"Marina..."
"I'm not the only person who should be congratulating you." Marina and I both face a disappointed crowd that was STILL out of words.
I walked toward the distant crowds, addressing them without saying a words. It was as if I was staring at just one person for hours. When nobody reacted, I simply bowed my head, as did a Snivy who approached me. Exiting my bow, I gave a warm smile to all whom I stood before. Just a single person actually gave a round of applause, and that person was the girl I had just defeated, who was standing right next to me. Slowly but surely, the crowd started to join in with Marina, and before I knew it, I was given a standing ovation as the crowd started cheering for me the same way they were cheering for Marina earlier tonight. Lillian, the judges...everybody was cheering my name.
Marina, Snivy, and I all exchanged smiling faces before giving the audience all of the 'us' they wanted. They all knew of the legacy that would start her tonight: the legacy of Yumi...My name is Yumi...
...
The next moring...
Walking toward the light of dawn as I held my cream-white colored ribbon toward the partial sun, Umbreon, Snivy, and I all departed early, continuing on to Ecruteak City. Snivy was riding on Umbreon, and this was probably the first time I've ever woken before 8:00 AM.
"Goodbye, Bonitaville..." Just passing Bontinaville's city limit, I was leaving behind what I kept in my heart, the start of a legacy.
"Um?"
"Snivy?" Umbreon and Snivy both looked at me with puzzled looks.
"Oh! I was just thinking out loud again." I let out a slight laugh. Umdreon smiled, while Snivy crossed his arms and shook his head with his chin high. I guess that's just who Snivy is...
"Ymui!" A voice was calling my name, "Yumi, wait up!"
Umbreon, Snivy, and I all turned around to see Marina and Vincent trying to catch up to me.
"You guy?" I said confused.
"Everyone is looking ofr you!" Vincent answered while panting.
"Fans, media, everyo-oh..." Marina frowned as she saw me all packed up. "So you decided to leave without saying goodbye?"
"Hmm..."
"Come back with us, Yumi," Vincent started ,"People are wanting to talk to you. Your victory last night is celebrity news spreading around like a virus. You've basically become a celebrity yourself!"
"I-" I was interrupted.
"When we met yesterday, you said that you once wanted to become a celebrity, so what's up?" Marina asked. "This is you big chance."
"It's my friends...Ever since I parted with them, I've been learning about what is really means to never give up on you dreams, or you friends. I worry about what they'll be getting themselves into, and that they'll need all the help they can get for the battle that lies ahead." I replied.
"Huh?" Vincent questioned.
"What battle?" Marina asked.
"Oh, don't even get me started." I couldn't help but smile over how obsessive Seth can be when it comes to Neo Snagem. The guy has 'issues' if you ask me. "It's the battle between us and an up and coming evil organization known as Team Neo Snagem."
Marina and Vincent both gasped as their eyes shot wide open at the mention of Team Neo Snagem. "Ecruteak City...Team Neo Snagem..." Marina gave me a serious look. "Yumi..."
"What?" Marina's face made me quite suspicious. "What is it?"
"It's something we forgot to mention to you when you first said you were heading for Ecruteak City yesterday." Vincent started.
"Yumi, there IS no Ecruteak City anymore. Please don't go there!" Marina begged.
"Wh-what happened?
...
Marina's following explanation tells what has become on Ecruteak since the Pokemon G-Men's conditional surrender of the city to Team Neo Snagem (Chapter 27).
The name of Ecruteak: the once proud city who's history and mythology of the past steered it toward discovery, and other answers that waited in the future...Now governed by the organization known as Team Neo Snagem. Dark clouds that now cover it's sky on a daily basis...Every living thing, Pokemon and humans alike, now share a shadowy purple eye color as they no longer live life as humans OR pokemon. Each and every being is now treated as a lower life form, or a puppet.
Every 'puppet' now wheres a Neo Snagem uniform, and every pokemon was surround by a dark aura. Every street, every alley...The whole town now has an added layer of dark mist that serves as an indication that meant 'you are now in Neo Snagem Territory.'
They say that the city that used to be Ecruteak was just the first of many to fall into the hands on Neo Snagem. With Cherrygrove, Violet, and Goldenrod City already targeted at one time or another, it's only a matter of time before they do what every other organization has never thought of: Simply backtracking past visited cities, once people have let their guards down. Even surrounding cities have been targeted, such as Marion, Bloomingvale, Greenfield, and here in Bonitaville. Unlike the Team Rocket of the past, Team Neo Snagem has planned out their each and every move strategically and with practice, taking every possible outcome into consideration, and learning from their mistakes. It's possible that ALL of Johto may soon fall in the hands of Team Neo Snagem, or so the rumors say. But for now, all who think they are entering Ecruteak are actually proceeding into-
The Dominion of Shadows- Where the Fourth Reich begins...
Seth's POV
"Fourth Reich?" Chapel said confused.
"It means 'empire'... The empire of Neo Snagem." Rose answered.
Rose, Chapel, and I have stumbled into enemy territory: The city that used to be Ecruteak, the Dominion of Shadows.
Chikorita was right beside me, as was Mawile.
Looking around the Dominion of Shadows, the streets that were surrounded by a dark mist seemed empty, and lifeless.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing here?"
It was an unfamiliar voice that spoke to us from up ahead.
Rose gasped. "Humans..." She has made it known more than once that she fears unfamiliar 'humans (Chapters 15 & 16), and hid behind me as a reaction.
The dark mist was so thick, we couldn't even identify who addressed us.
"Show yourself!" Chapel said.
"You three are not even in uniform." As he passed the dark mist and neared us, we finally got a look at the blonde haired man.
"Oh?" Chapel seemed to recognize this man, "Morty? Why are you wearing a Neo Snagem uniform?"
"Come," Morty started, "Attending the Dominion's daily assembly to recite Team Neo Snagem's anthem is mandatory." He then started back into the dark mist.
"Wait!" Chapel stepped forward, signaling Morty to stop before he could put too much of a distance between himself and us. "You're the gym leader, right? You have a challenger here for you." Chapel was talking about me.
"There is no gym here anymore..." He replied as he continued walking.
"No gym?" Chapel questioned.
"Forget it..." I said as I started to follow this 'Morty', "At this point, a lowly gym battle is something I could care less about. Besides, I believe there is a certain someone here. A 'someone' I've been wanting to meet for a long time..."
"Chico?"
"Maw?" Both of my pokemon looked at me confused.
"Our brother?" Rose followed me closely, as did Chapel. The two both know of what lies within my heart, so they WOULD know that the whole point of me being on this journey is just for a chance for me to destroy Zero and Atticus...
Just thinking about the two, my remaining memories soon surfaced, as well as Missingno's. Neo Snagem, and what they do...EVERYTHING started to make sense.
To Be Continued...
So it's basically a tale of two chapters in this one.
Now, the next two or three chapters will be spent, putting EVERYTHING together. Why Neo Snagem does what it does, why Zero and Atticus betrayed Seth all the way back in Chapter 1, how Neo Snagem was formed...I'm telling you, Neo Snagem is more complicated that it looks, yet I portray them as thinking strategically enough to take over the whole world. They DO have enough sense not to underestimate a 'child' trainer, or reveal to everybody their purpose, or even rush into a battle that will accomplish nothing. Just you wait, I have plenty more creative ideas for commanders who have not been introduced yet, and you'll just have to keep tuned in to see.