Summer and Weldon began their journey to Mauville City on Route 110. They passed by the Trick House, who was holding its annual escape room event. The pair teamed up with Summer's old babysitter and current junior research assistant, Jade, and they won not only the challenges but also a year's worth of Pokéblocks. The two Trainers then proceeded preparations for Summer's upcoming Gym battle. Our heroine decides to step the training up for both Olive and Lightning. What are her plans for the Treecko and Raichu?
Chapter 20- A Grassy Bundle
"Olive, use Mega Drain!"
The Treecko focused all of her energy into her tail and aimed it at Rocky. He winced as his energy sapped from his body and transferred into his training partner.
"Great work, Olive!" I praised, beaming. "You've been really practicing."
She smiled. "Th-Thanks, Summer. I've been trying."
I wiped my brow. We've been training underneath the Cycling Road for the last few days, and everyone looks good. Though…
"Something on your mind, Summer?" Weldon asked as he walked over with a bottle of cold water.
I heaved a sigh before drinking. "Yeah. I'm still figuring out the team for the next Gym."
"I see. If I recall correctly, it's an Electric type Gym, right?"
Olive flinched. "I-It is?"
I replied, "I'm afraid so, Olive. I'd like you to participate to get more experience, but I know you're still not used to being around electricity."
"But you are making progress, Olive," Rocky said. "After all, you're getting used to being around Lightning more."
"I-I know… But still…"
I patted her head. "You don't have to make that decision now. I'll check in with you before I register. Is that okay?"
"S-Sure…"
"You and Rocky can take a break now." I pointed to a large pine tree where the rest of our Pokémon were. "You can tell Errol and Lightning to come over for their training session."
The Steelix nodded, and he carried his friend over to the shade.
When they were out of earshot, Weldon said, "I think Olive will benefit from this experience. Not only did she learn Mega Drain, but she also has Screech and Quick Attack now."
"That's true, but I still don't want to push her if she's not ready. After all, she's been struck by lightning on purpose. That's not an easy thing to overcome, especially in a battle scenario."
He crossed his arms. "How about the main team?"
"Well, Rocky for sure. And maybe Blaze."
"What about the third choice? The Gym Leader uses three Pokémon."
"That part…is a little tricky. Lighting is the best option compared to Aurora and Errol. But she won't have any effective moves besides Quick Attack. I was thinking about having her learn a new move, but I don't know which one."
My coach adjusted his hat. "That's not a bad idea. My opinion is that the move should be a coverage move. Iron Tail is great against Rock types, but doesn't help against Ground types."
"So a Water or Grass type?"
"Well, Raichu can't learn any Water type moves, unless it involves a surfboard. I was thinking of Grass Knot."
"What's this about Grass Knot?" Lightning asked as she and Errol got closer.
"Oh, Lightning! Weldon and I were talking about a potential new move for you, if you want to learn one, of course."
She grinned. "I'm game!"
Errol, on the other hand, was upset. "But what about me, Ms. Summer? What about my new move?"
"Well, I still haven't decided yet. But when I do, I'm sure you'll enjoy using it."
"I see. Then I shall continue to be patient. For as long as I can."
We laughed.
Lightning scratched her head. "What does Grass Knot entail?"
"I'm not exactly sure." I turned to Weldon. "That move is one of those weight based attacks, right?"
"That's right. The user basically creates a knot or a trap made of grass, and it affects heavier Pokémon more. It's easier to learn in areas where there's grass, but after that, it can be done anywhere."
"Good thing we're on the grassy path then." I stretched my arms. "All right then, Lightning. Let's see if you can at least do something to the grass around us."
"Right." Weldon knelt down and tied two tips of some of the taller blades into a knot. "This is what a basic Grass Knot should look like."
Lightning examined his handiwork. "I see." Then she closed her eyes and clenched the grass with her paws.
The blades around her shuddered, despite the air being calm. But as she tried to make the knot, she released her grip and panted.
"You okay, Lightning?" I asked.
"Y-Yeah. It's just...a new experience."
"Don't worry, Lightning," Weldon reassured. "Coverage moves that aren't part of your physical body are harder to learn. Just controlling the grass around you is a good sign that you have the potential to learn the move."
"I see. Let me try again!"
She made the same motion and focused on the grass in front of her. Her eyes flashed green, and the blades began to curl inward. But suddenly, they split apart and we heard someone yelling from above.
We looked up and were shocked to see a biker in red and blue workout clothes falling.
Quickly, I commanded, "Errol, Psychic!"
His eyes glowed magenta, and he was able to stop the person and his red bike from falling into the bay. The Noctowl then moved them next to us and released his control.
"That was close. Thanks, Errol."
"It was my pleasure, Ms. Summer."
The Raichu panicked. "I'm so sorry, Summer! I didn't think the Grass Knot would appear somewhere else!"
"You didn't mean to do it, Lightning. Don't worry, I'll take full responsibility."
"L-Lightning?" the biker muttered as he stood up. "That does sound like Summer's Raichu."
He knows us? Then, when he showed his face, I gasped. "Ty?"
He smiled as he took off his blue helmet, revealing the familiar brown hair and blue headband. "It is you. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Yeah. It's good to see you again." I motioned to Weldon. "This is Weldon, my coach and training partner."
Ty's surprised face turned to excitement. "Oh my gosh. I can't believe I'm face-to-face with THE Weldon Leland! I'm such a big fan!"
To my surprise and relief, Weldon shook the athlete's hand without any animosity. "Thanks, though I'm not competing right now."
"I know, but still, it's such an honor."
"How do you two know each other, Summer?"
"Oh, Ty invited me to compete in a triathlon back in the Orange Islands."
The athlete chuckled. "That was such a fun race. And Summer actually made it into the Top 5."
"Really?" Weldon said with a hint of disbelief. "I never took you for an athlete, Summer."
"Ugh...don't remind me… I was so sore after that triathlon!"
Ty laughed. "It happens to everyone, especially to those who haven't trained properly before."
I changed the subject. "So, Ty. Are you training for a race?"
"Yup! There's a bike race happening on the Seaside Cycling Road in a few months, so I've been practicing with this Mach Bike."
I looked at his bike. "I've heard about them. They're one of the fastest models available, right?"
"Right. It's my first time using it, so I'm trying to work out the kinks. Though, I thought I hit the wall too hard when I flew off the bridge. I never imagined it was a stray Grass Knot."
"I'm really sorry about that, Ty. Lightning's trying to learn it, and she feels really bad about what happened."
"Hey, don't feel bad. I'm just glad you were there to catch me. Besides, I've been hit with a few Grass Knots before, so I instantly recognized it.
Weldon cocked his head. "Wait, you know the move?"
"Of course! My Furret knows it. I've been training her for underground races; they're very popular in the Sinnoh Region." He took out a Poké Ball. "Actually...as a thanks for saving me, why don't I help Lightning learn Grass Knot?"
I rubbed the back of my head. "Well, I think the saving you part makes up for you falling in the first place."
"To be honest, this is also to repay you for Sprint back then. That Dodrio's been such a great partner, and I have you to thank for him joining my team. Now then, come on out, Tunnel!"
A cream-colored Pokémon appeared in front of her Trainer, rubbing her face with her brown-tipped paws. She had thick brown rings along her body and tail, brown whisker markings on her face, and large dark eyes.
[Furret, the Long Body Pokémon and the evolved form of Sentret. A Furret has a very slim build. When under attack, it can squirm through narrow spaces and get away. In spite of its short limbs, it is very nimble and fleet.]
After Lightning and Tunnel exchanged friendly waves, Ty said, "Tunnel, let's show Lightning how to use Grass Knot."
"Right away, boss!" she answered in a soft voice.
Her eyes glowed green, and she pounded her front paws into the grass. The vegetation rustled towards the end of the dark green patch, and two blades created the signature loop.
The amazed Electric type clapped her paws. "Wow...that was so cool!"
Tunnel beamed. "Thanks, Lightning!"
I clapped as well. "How did you get Tunnel to learn the move, Ty?"
He stroked his chin. "Actually, it wasn't too hard. She just made a lot of grass knots, grass crowns, and flower crowns with her paws."
Weldon was intrigued. "Interesting. So you're basically learning the move by having her physically make the knots herself."
"Exactly. Non-Grass types take longer to pick it up 'cause they're not as connected to the grass. So by getting used to the feel, shape, and size, it makes it easier to visualize how to make the knot."
The Kantonian crossed his arms. "I see. I should make a note of that. Thanks for the advice, Ty."
"You're welcome. Wow, I never thought I was able to help you, Weldon."
The boys laughed, and I was proud of my traveling partner.
I looked at both Pokémon. "Lightning, why don't you practice making knots with Tunnel?"
"Sounds good, Summer!"
The two ran to another patch nearby and sat down.
Errol pouted, "What about me, Ms. Summer?"
"Oh, right. Lightning was supposed to be your training partner."
Olive approached us.
I knelt down. "Hey, Olive. What's up?"
"R-Rocky took a nap, and I-I got bored…"
"Ms. Olive!" Errol exclaimed, covering her with his right wing. "You shall be my new training assistant!"
"A-Assistant?"
"Temporary, of course. Do not fear, Ms. Olive! I shall be most careful during our training session!"
"S-Sure…"
I chuckled, then I thought of something. "Hey, Ty. Do you have any non-Electric type Pokémon that know Electric type moves?"
"I do. But why?"
The Treecko grew nervous and hid behind Errol.
I explained, "You see, Olive is scared of electricity. I was hoping to have her get used to it before our upcoming Gym battle. But Lightning and Weldon's Electabuzz are the only Pokémon who know Electric type moves. So, if she's used to a non-Electric type using those kinds of attacks, then she can handle the full force against Electric type Pokémon."
"That makes sense."
He let out a gray pig-like Pokémon with short arms, small black eyes, and a large pink pearl on her head. She bounced up and down using her large coiled tail.
[Spoink, the Bounce Pokémon. A Pokémon that manipulates psychic power at will. It doesn't stop bouncing even when it is asleep. It loves eating mushrooms that grow underground.]
Ty waved to the Psychic type. "This is my newest Pokémon, Spring. She just learned Shock Wave from Tunnel, so it won't be as powerful as a fully mastered one. Olive should be able to easily handle her electricity."
Bending down, I asked, "Do you want to give it a try, Olive?" I turned to Errol. "Will you be able to help redirect the Shock Wave if it's too intense for Olive, Errol?"
He saluted me. "Anything to aid Ms. Olive!"
Thanks to Errol's encouragement, Olive peered out from behind her teammate. She looked at Spring closely and was relieved to see the Psychic type wasn't threatening.
"I-I can give it a try..."
I hugged her. "Thanks, Olive. Don't worry, we'll all be by your side."
She nodded and stepped aside to face Spring.
"Spring, take it easy on Olive, okay?" Ty advised.
"Sure thing, Ty," she replied with a high-pitched, nasally tone.
"All right then. Spring, Shock Wave!"
The Pokémon charged her pearl with blue sparks. Olive braced herself, but I could tell from her eyes she was trembling inside. When Spring unleashed the blue lightning bolt, the Grass type bolted away. But with the move's no-miss accuracy, the Shock Wave chased after her.
I gritted my teeth. I can't let that move hit her now!
I ran towards Olive, despite Weldon shouting at me to stop. I stepped in between them and the attack coursed through me. I bent over in pain, but I did my best to ground the electricity as much as possible. A familiar magenta energy surrounded me and grounded the rest of the sparks. Relieved, I collapsed onto the grass.
"Summer!" Weldon exclaimed as he ran towards me. "Are you okay?"
I looked up and gave a weak smile. "Yeah…"
"What were you thinking?! You could've let Errol redirect it without taking any damage!"
"Yeah...but…" Then I looked at a frightened Olive. "I just wanted to let her know I can handle the pain as well. I've been through this before with Lightning, so I'm not afraid to get shocked."
"S-Summer…" She touched my hand, and a stray spark transferred to her. To my surprise, she didn't flinch.
"I'm glad you didn't get struck, Olive. I'm really sorry I pushed you to do this so quickly."
The Grass type firmly shook her head. "No, you're right, Summer. I needed to experience this sooner or later. I just never thought you'd actually take that attack for me. My old Trainer never did that…"
I chuckled as I scooped her up. "Of course, Olive. I did it the first time we met, and I'll do it again if you need me to."
We exchanged hugs, and I felt her anxiety leave her body. She then jumped out and looked at Spring with determination.
"Let's do it again!" she shouted. "I'm ready this time."
I looked at Ty, and he understood. "All right. Spring, Shock Wave!"
A few hours later…
Olive and Spring panted as the sun began to set.
"Olive, we should call it for a day," I said.
To my surprise, she shook her head. "I-I almost got the sensation down, Summer. One more time?"
"All right. But no more than that."
Olive grew excited and she nodded to her training partner.
"I still can't believe Olive's still wants to continue…" Ty pondered aloud as she felt the last Shock Wave.
Weldon adjusted his hat. "I think it's pretty admirable. Summer's act of self-sacrifice must've motivated her."
I blushed. "I-It was nothing. I'm just happy she's beginning to overcome her fear."
After the Treecko grounded the blue sparks, she shook her hand and returned to us.
I sat down. "How do you feel, Olive?"
She crawled onto my lap. "I-I actually feel fine, Summer. J-Just a little tired, though…"
"Well, we have been training for a few hours now. You should get some rest."
She nodded, and she drifted off to sleep. I gently petted her before returning her into her ball.
I stood up just as Lightning and Tunnel returned with two large stacks of small wreaths made of grass and daisies.
Shocked, I said, "Wow, that's a lot of crowns!"
Lightning rubbed the back of her head. "I think we got a little carried away…"
Tunnel grinned. "Oh, it happens when you really get into the weaving. We did make a lot more than this, but we gave them away to some of the wild Pokémon nearby."
"I'm sure that brightened their day. Do you think you're getting the hang of it, Lightning?"
"Yeah. And the weaving is kind of fun and relaxing to do."
I chuckled as she and Tunnel gave each of us a crown to wear. While I eagerly placed mine on my hair, Weldon hesitated before putting his on. When we looked at each other, my heart skipped a beat, and I shifted my eyes towards Ty.
"S-So, Ty. Are you going to head back to Mauville City?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I set up a training base there. What about you two?"
Weldon cleared his throat. "We have a camp site nearby. So we were planning to stay the night before we head to the city tomorrow."
"That sounds good. Unfortunately, I'm going to be super busy, so I don't think we can meet up again until after the race."
I replied, "I understand, Ty. Thanks for all your help today; Lightning and Olive really appreciated it."
"I'm glad to help! I'm sure Tunnel and Spring feel the same." After he returned his Pokémon, he hopped onto his bike. "It was great seeing you both! Just continue those training methods, and you should definitely be fine, Summer."
"Thanks, Ty. Good luck with the race. We'll see if we can make it."
"Really?"
Weldon smiled. "Definitely."
"I can't tell if I'm nervous or excited… But if you can't make it, that's fine too. I'll text you the exact date and time of the race, Summer. See you around, and good luck!"
We waved goodbye as he zoomed along the grassy patch, leaving a thin trail of flattened grass.
I turned to Lightning, "Why don't you give everyone a crown? I'm sure Blaze will especially appreciate it."
"Summer…" she whined as her face flushed pink. But she headed back to the group without any other complaints.
Weldon stretched. "So, what'd you want for dinner?"
"Hm…a fruit salad sounds nice."
"No pasta tonight?"
I laughed. "We had it yesterday."
"I know, but it tastes so good when you cook it. Though fruit salad does sound refreshing."
Before he left for the tree, I said, "Weldon. Thanks for being nice with Ty."
"Of course. It was nice getting to know him. And…I'm working on being more open with others."
His soft gaze made my heart skip again, but before I could ponder about this more, Weldon sprinted to the tree. "Last one back has to wash the dishes!"
"Hey, no fair! You got a head start!"
I raced to catch up, and we enjoyed the rest of our night. Little did I know, Weldon's self-improvement would work a little too well.
Summer's Pokémon:
Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, Blaze Ability, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut
Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Air Slash
Aurora (Dewgong, female): Calm Nature, Thick Fat Ability, moves: Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Signal Beam
Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch, Grass Knot (learning)
Rocky (Steelix, male): Lonely Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Stone Edge, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail
Olive (Treecko, female): Timid Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Pound, Screech, Mega Drain, Quick Attack
Weldon's Pokémon:
Venusaur (male): Serious Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Solarbeam, Body Slam, Sludge Bomb, Vine Whip
Fearow (male): Adamant Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Drill Peck, Steel Wing, Fury Attack, Aerial Ace
Golem (male): Bold Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Rock Slide, Earthquake, Rollout, Double Edge
Gyarados (male): Sassy Nature, Intimidate Ability, moves: Surf, Ice Fang, Payback, Waterfall
Arcanine (male): Naughty Nature, Flash Fire Ability, moves: Hyper Beam, Extremespeed, Flare Blitz, Fire Blast
Electabuzz (male): Rash Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunder, Mega Kick, Thunder Punch, Shock Wave
Questions for the Chapter:
What did you think of Lightning and Olive's training?
Will Olive overcome her fear of electricity?
What adventures await Summer and Weldon in Mauville City?
