Chapter 7; following the flow of battle
Sonic observed the sea of the northeast shore of Kanto, taking deep breaths and feeling the sea air. Nearby Pikachu and Wartortle were playing while Kadabra was sitting in a meditating stance, eyes closed. Sonic looked at them proud.
"We've achieved so much in such a short amount of time" he thought as his gaze turned towards the house close to the top of the cliff "and so much more await".
"Alright guys let's go" he said as he recalled kadabra and wartortle as Pikachu climbed on his head.
"You sure have found your spot" Sonic joked as they went on their way.
"Piiika" Pikachu was heard in a relaxed tone, enjoying the sea air itself.
After a short walk they made it to the house and knocked on the door. There was no response. He knocked again.
"Hm. Guess he's not here" Sonic thought.
But turning to leave he heard the sound of a computer coming from inside the house. Realizing something was wrong Sonic entered the house and looked around seeing no one inside apart from a clefairy. The next things he noticed was a huge machine consisting of 2 big cylinder tubes connected by a pipe. He also noticed the computer screen bearing a message.
"Program end".
"Who leaves his computer open?" he wondered aloud.
"Someone who's home maybe" another voice was heard causing Sonic to jump in surprise as Pikachu was ejected from his head and fell to the floor unpleasantly.
"Who said that?" Sonic said looking around confused.
"I did" the voice spoke again.
"Where are you? Are you a ghost?"
"Down here you dummy".
Sonic looked down and only saw the clefairy.
"Yes that's right it's me".
Sonic's face froze in shock while his right eye started twitching.
"Yup that's it" he thought to himself "I'm going insane. First the talking meowth and now this".
"Calm down. You came here looking for Bill right?"
"Y-Yeah…"
"You found him then. I am Bill".
Sonic felt the urge to go dive from the cliff.
"You're.. a clefairy?"
"Of course not. I was just making an experiment and didn't prepare well enough to reverse the effects. And if you believe it your timing is just perfect. Could you help me?"
"Uh sure".
"Good go to the computer, click on the screen to exit the program end window, then select on the menu the p2h option and press go".
"O-ok" Sonic said doing exactly what the clefairy asked. The clefairy then walked into the left tube and when Sonic pressed go the chamber inside which the clefairy was started emitting a strong light. The light then made its way through the pipe connecting the 2 chambers and once it entered the 2nd chamber it stopped. The door of the chamber opened and smoke came outside. Sonic gulped wondering what he had done. But to his surprise and relief a man walked out of the chamber.
"Ah much better" he said stretching. Sonic couldn't believe his eyes.
"You're… you're really bill?"
"Yes".
"What the… you turned yourself into a clefairy?"
"Yeah. Researching pokemon includes finding out how it feels to be a pokemon. So I developed a machine to do just that".
Sonic wished he could snap his fingers next to his ear to make sure he was hearing right but refrained as he knew it would be impolite.
"Wow" he said "that actually sounds cool".
"Why thank you. But what about you? Who are you?"
"Oh right. Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog".
"Nice to meet you Sonic. What brings you here?"
"I was wondering if you could help me with my battle strategies. My Wartortle evolved recently and our strategy of propelling itself with water gun while being withdrawn in its shell no longer works due to its weight".
"Propel itself? While withdrawn? I've never heard that strategy before" Bill said impressed "unfortunately though Sonic, I can't help you much. I research mostly Pokemon species, biology and behavior".
"Oh damn I see. Thanks anyway. I should be going then. Come Pikachu" Sonic said heading for the door.
"Wait" Bill stopped him "why don't you show me what moves you have so far? Maybe I will notice something you could change or an area you can better at".
"Sure. Let's go outside" Sonic said eager to see if there was something to learn.
They went outside and Sonic sent out his pokemon and had them use their moves. So far the one with the most strategy made before battle was wartortle as kadabra had just evolved and only knew one offensive move so its battle plan was pretty straightforward and Pikachu had immense speed which allowed for a powerful style of improvised attacks.
"So essentially what you seek is a way to compensate for wartortle's mobility reduction".
"Yeah".
"Hm… I think you need to look at battling from another angle. You've been using mostly agility so far but sometimes you will not have fast pokemon and will need to adjust to that".
"Adjust to the circumstances" Sonic repeated in deep thought.
"And also you will need to really think about using a single move in multiple ways. Not all moves can combine".
"More than one use huh? Ok I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for the help".
"I should be thanking you. If you didn't come along I would be stuck on the floor of my cottage trying to climb to the computer to turn myself back to normal".
"Haha that would be funny, no offense. Anyway I should go now. See you around" Sonic said as he they waved each other and he started walking down the cliff.
"Adjust to my circumstances and try to find more than one use huh?" Sonic thought as they shopped some stuff, Sonic deciding not to eat sandwiches again. He ended up buying a bigger backpack to stash resources in and a small cauldron to try and cook for his pokemon from time to time, asking his mother at the same time via text to send him an easy recipe that would be liked by pokemon. His mother texted him the recipe for a curry made by mostly berries from the woods, which she always liked to collect and make into that very curry to feed random pokemon passing through their backyard in his hometown, as well as wishing him luck in his battle and asking him to take care. As Sonic also bought a cooking spoon and a knife to cut and mix the berries he fondly remembered one occasion when he and Jet found an eevee in their backyard and ended up feeding it that curry. However before he could return to the present his mind drifted to his latest bad memory, the reason he made this journey to escape. Pikachu noticed the change in his attitude.
After buying all the resources they returned to the woods and after Pikachu slammed a few trees to get berries, Sonic who at the same time facetimed his mother to make sure he got the curry right, got to work as his pokemon relaxed, played or in Kadabra's case meditated. After the curry was ready Sonic served the curry to his pokemon and made a sandwich for himself with ingredients bought at the store. Throughout the whole process he kept trying to figure out how wartortle could get faster.
"Maybe if rapid spin could be used as an ice hockey ball… no too heavy for that. What if… argh" he thought in frustration after food while his pokemon were relaxing. Pikachu noticed again his trainer's attitude and approached him.
"Pika pika?"
"Not now Pikachu. I'm thinking".
"Pika pi?"
"I said no".
"Pikachu!"
"Pikachu I told you I'm thinking!"
"Pika?"
"Grrr fine! I'll go think somewhere else! Don't stray off I'll be right back" Sonic burst out needing some time alone.
It was all happening so fast he could barely process it. He walked back to the edge of the cliff and took in the air again trying to calm down.
"Damnit. Unless I find a way for wartortle to be faster there's a good chance it will lose in battle next time" he thought to himself "but how?"
He racked his brain but eventually just brought his hands to his face, grunted in anger and just laid back looking at the sky. He looked at the endless blue and the sporadic clouds finding it chilling despite his frustration.
"How can I possibly prevent the scenario of defeat?" he wondered to himself again.
His mind drifted back to his hometown. How only 2 weeks ago he had asked the girl he liked out only to have him be called the good guy and her choosing his enemy instead. He had spent the next week closed off at home only contacting Tails and his other friend Knuckles through facetiming. His trip here was the first time he had left the house in a while. He remembered Tails' words clearly after that.
"Sonic I know you don't wanna hear it but the only thing you can do is move on when you're ready".
"Move on when I'm ready. Grow when I'm ready" he repeated looking at the sky.
He recalled his enemy again. He couldn't even speak the name. The very same person who dared bully his brother. Sonic got in the way and ever since then the guy had been making fun of him, knowing full well Sonic could be easily triggered.
"And he was damn right. I ordered Pikachu to fry that creep alive earlier" he thought to himself again.
He closed his eyes trying to relax. He had let his feelings of frustration and rage lead him down a dark path. He recalled the incident at mount moon. How those 3 pokemon thiefs paid by team rocket had died horribly at the hands of Moltres.
"How has this possibly not affected me? I feel no sadness for them".
He then remembered the girl again. Amy. How she broke his heart in the most cruel way possible. Choosing his enemy over him all because he, in her words, knew how to assert his dominance.
"Bullying someone is asserting dominance?" he thought in disgust.
All the incidents flooded his mind at the same time and he couldn't help but feel they could have been avoided.
"What could I have done different?" Sonic wondered in sadness.
At that moment he noticed the sky had started becoming slightly darker. His thoughts had actually lasted an hour, maybe more. And at that moment it hit him. He was repeating the mistake that had led to him running away from home. Sitting down, doing nothing trying to figure out what he could have changed if he had the chance and letting his emotions run rampant just like kadabra did when it was abra.
Sonic jumped up and run back to the camp, fearing his pokemon would have strayed off. In all the darkness he felt during these last few days they were the only source of light, apart from his family.
"If I had done anything differently I wouldn't have met them" he thought as he ran as fast as he could.
There was no way to change the past or to control the future. All he could control was the present. And Sonic feared he had just messed it up irreparably.
"Don't tell me they left" he thought in fear.
To his relief however they were all there sitting around the fire, kadabra not meditating this time. Once they saw him they run to him who knelt down in shame.
"I'm so sorry guys. It was so insensitive of me to run. Again" he added though all he achieved was confusing his pokemon.
"But that is in the past now. All we can do is move on. Wartortle" he said looking at it "you might not have your old mobility anymore… but I'm sure there is potential in you. We will find it together as a team all of us".
"tortle!" the wartortle cried out and then looked at kadabra "wartortle".
Kadabra nodded in silence and used its psychic powers to lift a few rocks and toss them at wartortle. Before Sonic could intervene thinking they had started fighting for no reason, wartortle started using rapid spin causing the rocks to bounce off leaving it unharmed.
"Oh my god!" Sonic yelled in realization "of course! Your species are tanky pokemon! How could I forget? Your defenses grew with your evolution! Rapid spin should now allow you to deflect attacks better!" he explained in realization as he understood both of Bill's advice.
"Adjust to circumstances. Adjust to your new form. Look for more uses. I kept seeing rapid spin as a launching attack. And with the right circumstances it can be. But now it has become a powerful defense too".
His pokemon all cried out in excitement. Sonic feeling peace for the first time in a while decided to be bold.
"Tomorrow morning we will face the gym" he declared leaving his pokemon speechless. Pikachu approached him.
"Pika pi?"
"You think we could lose?" Sonic asked it.
"Pikachu".
Sonic slowly smiled.
"Then… we will just try again later" he said confidently.
Pikachu looked inspired and took a determined smile.
"Pika pika!"
Wartortle and Kadabra also cried out in determination. Sonic smiled feeling confident again.
They all decided to spend the night in the wilderness as they would have to do it again during long travels so they would better get adjusted to it sooner than earlier. Sonic looked at his pokemon as they slept near the campfire with peaceful looks on their faces. Before he knew it he was also asleep.
The next morning after everyone had woken up and after a few berries and an apple for Sonic, they headed to the gym. Once Sonic entered he saw a huge pool inside with an arena in the middle.
"Huh. Guess I won't be able to tell the type I'm fighting before the battle starts he joked knowing full well they stood a good chance at winning.
At that moment 3 girls emerged from under the water.
"What are you doing here?" one of them said catching Sonic off guard.
"I.. I'm looking for the gym leader" he said.
"That would be our little sister" the second of the girls said.
"Ok…" Sonic said "so where is she?"
"Behind you?"
Sonic turned around and saw an orange haired girl enter the gym with a staryu by her side confirming his suspicions.
"You're the gym leader?"
"Yes. I'm misty. I assume you want to battle?"
"Yes".
"Wait a minute" one of misty's sisters said interrupting "shouldn't you first prove you could stand up to her?"
"Like how?" Sonic asked.
"Proving you beat the first gym leader?"
"Gladly. Brock told me to tell you hi by the way" Sonic said as he revealed the boulderbadge.
"Well then guess you can try" misty's sister said as she and the other 2 exited the water.
"I either will win or lose" Sonic declared "there is no try miss…"
"Violet".
Sonic dashed and jumped onto the arena Pikachu hanging onto him. Misty followed suit but instead swam to the arena.
"You aware of the rules?"
"2 pokemon each?" Sonic asked "and I assume if they fall into the water they are disqualified and I have to use the other or lose?"
"Nope that was just brock's rule. Here the pool is part of the arena".
"I see" Sonic said understanding Misty would have a big advantage.
"Send out your pokemon on 3" Violet declared.
Sonic took out Wartortle's pokeball. Misty didn't take out any ball.
"1,2,3!"
"Go Wartortle! Staryu" the two voices echoed in the gym.
"Water type match huh? Amusing" Misty said.
"Begin!" Violet declared.
"Wartortle! Rock tomb!" Sonic went immediately on the offensive.
Staryu got hit by the rock tomb as its speed was reduced.
"Staryu confuse ray!"
Staryu sent out a small ball of light which flew at wartortle and started spinning around it counter-clockwise. Wartortle became transfixed at it following it as it span around until it became confused and started hitting itself trying to use rock tomb again.
"Now staryu minimize!"
Staryu started shrinking in size.
"Oh no" Sonic thought remaining as calm as he could "if it gets to small it will be too hard to hit".
"Wartortle use bite!"
Wartortle however wasn't able to successfully use its move, hurting itself in confusion again.
"Staryu minimize again!"
Staryu shrank again.
"No!" Sonic thought in fear.
"I guess Misty's got this" one of her 2 other sisters said.
Sonic felt for a moment they were right but then remembered what he went through yesterday. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Not yet" he declared in determination "Wartortle" he said as he opened his eyes at the same time as ordering the move" use rapid spin!"
Wartortle managed to perform the move and spinning clockwise allowed it to regain its composure.
"Use rock tomb!"
Wartortle use the move successfully landing it with precision. Staryu being smaller than before took greater damage.
"Wait it's not confused anymore?" Misty said in confusion.
"Nope. Having it spin around the opposite way it did following your confuse ray helped it get over it!"
"That was rather impressive" Misty's third sister said sounding serious"
"Well no matter! I will confuse it again! Staryu use confuse ray!"
"Wartortle! Bite!"
Wartortle despite becoming again transfixed in the confuse ray used bite eating the ball of light.
"Quick before it moves again! Use rock tomb!"
Rock tomb landed. Staryu was knocked out regaining its original size. Misty was out of words.
"That was cool but let's you deal with this! Go starmie!"
"Starmie?!" Sonic thought in surprise as the purple starfish emerged from underwater.
"The evolved form" he thought "let's see what it does".
"Starmie use confusion!"
Starmie unleashed its attack greatly damaging wartortle who stepped back and fell in the pool.
"After it Starmie!"
Starmie dived in as well and chased after wartortle.
"Use water pulse!"
Starmie fired with all its might which was empowered by the pool and the same type bonus but wartortle managed to withstand it being a water type too.
"Grr" Sonic grunted "this is her arena. Starmie practically lives down there. Maybe if..".
"Starmie use Water pulse again!"
Starmie unleashed its attack again as Wartortle looked at it coming worried waiting for Sonic's order. As the water pulse approached fast…
"Now! Rapid spin!"
Wartortle started spinning causing the pool water to start spinning with it. The attack missed its target as Starmie was caught off guard and by the waves. It was sent to the wall of the pool on which it crashed.
"Now's our chance! Bite!"
Wartortle swam very fast and managed to bite the Starmie. However it was not over yet.
"You're not the only one who can improvise! Starmie rapid spin!"
Starmie with wartortle still hooked on to it thanks to the bite started spinning fast causing wartortle to repeatedly hit the wall of the pool.
"Now water pulse!"
The water pulse hit the wartortle head on causing it to be sent flying out of the pool and fainting. Starmie emerged from the pool as well.
"Wartortle return" Sonic said as he recalled it "you were amazing. Pikachu you ready to finish what wartortle started?"
"Pika pika!" it cried out in determination.
"Go get them!" Sonic said as he pointed his hand forward. Pikachu jumped from it onto the arena.
"An electric type is to be expected here" Misty said "which is why I am prepared. Starmie recover!"
"Recover?!" Sonic said in shock realizing all of wartorle's hard work had just been countered by a single move.
"So we either knock it out in one strike or that's it?" he thought.
"Starmie confusion!"
"Not this time! Pikachu quick attack!"
"Pika!" Pikachu cried out as it dodged the confusion and hit the starmie head on merely causing it to be knocked back a bit.
"Not enough! Starmie water pulse!"
"Pikachu quick attack again!"
"Not this time! Rapid spin!"
Pikachu's attack landed the moment the spinning began sending it flying into the pool.
Sonic observed as he now knew they were in a very questionable position. If starmie entered the pool Pikachu could go off with thunder shock and the current would spread through the whole pool. But would it be damaged as well?
"Think Sonic think" he thought to himself.
"Starmie follow Pikachu!" Misty ordered it.
Starmie dived after Pikachu.
"Rapid spin!"
Starmie started spinning catching Pikachu in the whirlpool.
"Wait a minute" Sonic said remembering Pikachu also had an ability. It had never gone off before and didn't know if it was the one he needed it to have for this scenario but decided it was worth a shot "Pikachu surrender to the flow! Use slam!"
Pikachu let itself be taken by the whirlpool which sooner than expected led it to the center where it slammed into the spinning Starmie. Pikachu was sent out of the pool landing roughly on the arena with Starmie jumping out as well.
"You fought well Sonic but now it's over! Starmie use water pulse!"
Starmie prepared its attack but suddenly static emerged from its body and the attack was left to dissipate.
"Yes! You have static! It worked!"
"He let Pikachu get slammed by Starmie hoping Static would go off".
"Fortune favors the bold" Sonic said knowing it was their chance "and now your Starmie is head to toe… or should I say edge to edge completely soaked! Pikachu! thunder shock!"
"Pika… chuu!" Pikachu cried out as its attack went off hitting Starmie. Starmie let out a cry of pain and the attack stopped. Starmie toppled fainting.
"Yeah!" Sonic screamed in victorious joy as Pikachu followed suit jumping up and down.
Misty recalled her Starmie and jumped in the water to get out of the pool as her sisters pulled the arena closer to the edge of the pool so Sonic could get off. She then approached Sonic holding something small in her arm.
"Congratulations. That was one risky move you pulled just following the flow. Here. The cascade badge is yours".
"Thanks" Sonic said sincerely.
"I assume now you will head to vermillion city for the third badge?"
Sonic looked at Pikachu smiling.
"If the road leads us there straight away".
"Following the flow huh? I see good luck".
"Thanks. See ya" Sonic said exiting the gym as he and pikachu headed to the south exit of the city, ready to follow the path wherever it would take them.