Part 11: In the Shadows

We sat silently in the waiting area of the Pokemon Centre, outside the operating room as we waited for Mia. None of us had uttered a word to each other, still reflecting on what happened earlier that day. I had battled Emmett, the Saffron City Gym Leader and his Gengar and lost, but it was not the defeat that worried me.

 During our battle, Gengar used its powers to show us Emmett’s past, a series of memories that would always haunt me.

His fiance, Sabrina had perished in a fire, but I had seen this all before in a horrible nightmare. As if reliving this hellish vision was not painful enough, our bodies were rendered helpless by Emmett’s mystic power and were within an inch of death’s grasp. We were lucky to escape with our lives.

Aly sighed and broke the silence, ‘So... what now?’, she gazed up at me. Her eyes were red from crying. She was scared. I could see it in her expression. She did not want to be here in this tragic city. I had dragged her and Salvadore through hell as a result of my own stupidity.

I had to right my wrongs and move on.

After a moment of consideration I cleared my throat and answered her in a low tone, ‘You mentioned some place called Cel-Cela?’

‘Celadon?’, she said softly in a whisper.

‘Yeah, Celadon. We’ll go to Celadon City as soon as I know that Mia is okay... If that’s alright with you guys?’, I suggested. I wanted it to be their decision as much as mine.

‘Celadon’s a nice city’, Aly smiled weakly, starting to perk up. ‘I remember all the nice fragrance and clothes shops from when I visited there with my parents. And Erika is a really nice woman as well as a talented gym leader’.

‘I agree; said Salvadore still staring down at the egg in his arms. ‘Celadon City is beautiful, as is Erika. But I think we should rest here another night before leaving’.

‘You’re joking, right?’, snapped Aly, horrified at his suggestion.

‘I know you want to leave here as soon as possible’, Salvadore said calmly, ‘Believe me, so do I! But it’s getting late and it will be dark in a couple of hours. I think we’re best off to eat and rest up here. We can leave first thing in the morning and I can make lunch on Route 7?’

I was desperate to leave Saffron but what Salvadore said had made sense. With a lot of hesitation both Aly and I slowly nodded in agreement. We would leave for Celadon in the morning!

        Suddenly, the doors of the operating room opened and Nurse Joy and her assisting Chansey came through, both smiling. The pretty nurse had a pokeball cupped in her hands.

        ‘I’m please to tell you that your Meowth is back to good health and with a bit of rest she will be fighting fit in no time’, Nurse Joy said with a smile.

        ‘Thank you so much’, I said sincerely taking my pokeball. I was relieved Mia was ok. She had me worried after taking that powerful attack from Gengar.

        We all decided to get some food before getting another early night. It had been a long and stressful day and the sooner we went to sleep the sooner we would wake up and finally leave Saffron!

        It did not take me long before I fell asleep. In fact it was almost instant once my head hit the pillow. After everything that had happened today my body needed the rest. I closed my eyes and drifted off, off into a deep sleep...

        ‘Robin!’

        My eyes shot open at the sound of the familiar voice. I jolted upright on my bed, now wide awake. It was pitch dark and took my eyes a moment to adjust to the lack of light. Everyone else in the dorm was still fast asleep. How come none of the others heard it? Was it all in my head? Just another nightmare...

‘Robin!’

I glanced to the left in a panic. A thin shadowy figure stood at the doorway. I could not make out who it was but something deep down inside me told me that it was her. Suddenly, the figure turned around and silently made her way out the door.

My body was trembling in fear. I wanted to wake up from this nightmare, but there was something beckoning me to follow her. My mind was telling me to turn over and go back to sleep but my heart was enshrouded by curiosity. Unsure of what I was really doing I slowly rose from my bed and hurriedly slipped on my jeans. Going against all logic I followed the shadow woman.

‘Robin!’

The voice echoed through the corridor, calling me. I continued to walk through the Pokemon Centre and eventually out the entrance. The night sky was covered by an eerie fog. I could hardly see my own hands in front of me but I had to continue, driven by a curious inkling. I carefully edged out into the cool night, unbeknownst to where I was walking to. My bare feet were numb with the cold, unable to feel the uneven surface on which I walked.

I followed the echoing voice through the fog until I could finally make out a shadowy figure in the distance. I took a deep breath and cautiously approached the woman. Her body figure and face become more clear and prominent the closer I got.

‘I knew it was you!’, I gasped in horror.

Before me stood the person I saw dying in my dream... Emmett’s fiance.... Sabrina! ‘But how...’

‘Do not be afraid. I have humbly come seeking your help’, she said calmly.

‘Help? But, wait! How are you talking to me? You’re-’, I couldn’t finish my sentence. A lump developed in my throat as I tried to comprehend what was happening.

‘Dead? Yes. I am Sabrina’s spirit.’

My body froze at her words. I could not believe it. I was actually talking to a ghost!

‘Please, don’t be frightened. I beg you, please just listen to me!’

My tensed muscles eased at her words. Despite her foreboding aura she seemed desperate. I took a deep breath. ‘What do you want with me?’

‘I need you to help my dear Emmett!’ , she begged.

I took a step backwards, shocked at what she was asking. ‘He tried to kill me!’, I screamed at her furiously, ‘How can you expect me to help him?’.

‘He’s troubled! He needs your help! He blames himself for my death’. Her voice was pleading, yet soft.

‘Why me? Why not some other trainer that he didn’t try to kill? Or why not you!?’. I was angry but also somewhat curious.

‘Emmett saw me perish in the fire and therefore believes that I am truly gone. But I have been watching you since you came to Saffron. You are a young, determined trainer. But you also possess something which few others do. Something which I haven’t seen in many years. You listen to your heart more than your head and sometimes it may lead you down a rough path, but it’s a gift that few can understand. You would not have followed me here without it. Please cherish it and help me. My soul cannot find rest until Emmett is at peace with my passing’.

I stared down at the misty ground carefully considering to what the ghost beauty had just said. I was still displeased with Emmett’s cold hearted appearance but I did feel somewhat sorry for the guy and of course, Sabrina. Stuck in the haunted memories of this city while her fiance continued to linger on what was not his fault. I had to help her! Or at least give it a try...

‘Ok, what do I have to do?’, I looked up at her with a wry smile. A part of me was anxious in what I was about to agree to. But I knew I was doing the right thing. My heart told me that.

‘Thank you so much! As you saw, Emmett’s Gengar is a powerful pokemon’.

I nodded sourly. That Gengar was undeniably strong.

‘Gengar used to be my pokemon. Given to me as a Haunter by a very special trainer, just like you. Haunter helped me overcome my own troubles. A few months before the fire I traded Haunter to Emmett and he evolved into a Gengar instantly. Ever since my passing, Emmett and Gengar consoled themselves in each other. They developed a special bond through their own powers and are now almost like one mourning spirit. In order to get through to Emmett you must defeat Gengar!’

‘But how? That thing is too strong!’. I bowed my head ashamed. I usually wasn’t one for giving up too easily but I had seen Gengar’s power and knew deep down that none of my pokemon could match that skill.

‘Strength is not the only way of achieving victory’

‘Huh?’

Sabrina smiled at my reaction. ‘As you have seen, Emmett battles with emotion, driven by guilt of my passing. This emotion is also fed to Gengar, which in turn causes him to be such a strong pokemon. But if you could break through Gengar’s emotions then perhaps you could reach Emmett?’

‘Oh, I get it now! But how on earth do I get through to Gengar? I’m just a trainer!’

‘Trainers have ways of understanding pokemon that are sometimes incomprehensible. But I do believe that a pokemon can release Gengar’s emotions’

‘A pokemon?’. I thought to myself about my own pokemon and how they do seem to understand one another, but I was certain none of them could awaken the ghoulish fiend from his emotions.

‘Yes, a pokemon. Another, like Gengar. To the west of here is a prospering place called Lavender Town. Before the town started to developed there once was a tower where ghost pokemon used to live, including Emmett’s Gengar. Unfortunately the tower was knocked down and replaced by a radio station. The remaining ghost pokemon were made to flee their home and in turn, take up residency in an abandoned house on the outskirts of the town’

‘Like a haunted house?’, I asked in a whisper.

‘I like to think of it as their home’, she smiled, ‘I think the only way to beat Gengar is by capturing one of those ghosts and try to bring back some of his happy memories.’

‘You want me to catch a ghost pokemon? That’s crazy! I don’t even know how to communicate with one, never mind catch one!’. I stiffened at the thought of it.

‘Robin, you’re my last chance, my last hope! Besides, you’re talking to a ghost right now’.

I looked at the pleading spirit, the soul of Sabrina, realising that I had just had a full conversation with an actual ghost. I was not sure whether I should feel privileged or VERY afraid. I cleared my throat and smiled, ‘Ok. I’ll do it! I’ll go to Lavender and capture a ghost pokemon! Or... at least I’ll try...’, I didn’t sound very sure of myself, mainly because I was not. But I had to give it a try!

‘Thank you!’, Sabrina said gratefully, ‘Giving it your best shot is all I can ask from you! Just remember, if you are ever in doubt just follow your heart. Good luck, Robin. I’m counting on you!’. And with those words the spirit turned a walked away, fading into the night fog. As she disappeared glimmer of gold sparkled from where she once stood and fell to the floor, making a small jingling sound.

‘Wait! Where are you going? Sabrina! Hang on! You for-’, I let my sentence trail as the fog began to clear, revealing a small golden ring where the ghost once stood. I slowly made my way over and picked up the jeweled ring with the greatest care. I stared at it for a moment but then started to feel weak. I slipped the ring into my pocket and sat down for a moment, overcome by tiredness. Maybe I could just lie down for a little while. Just to...

‘Robin’.

‘Hmm...’, I stirred at the voice. It was familiar female voice but not Sabrina’s. There was no pleading or eeriness to it, just a hint of curiosity. I slowly etched my eyes open until they fully adjusted. It was certainly a lot brighter now.

Aly was hunched over me.

I was in my bed again, back in the sleeping dorm of the Pokemon Centre. I was bright outside. A warm morning sun was beaming through the window.

‘Wait! What happened? Where’s Sabrina?’, I asked hoarsely.

Aly’s face stiffened at the mention of her name. She immediately became concerned, ‘What do you mean? Don’t tell me you had another nightmare again! C’mon, we need to get out of this place. It’s messing with you’, there was a soft fragility to her voice. She was afraid.

‘But, I saw her! She was-’

‘It was a dream, Robin! Just a dream! You have to get over this and move on. Now c’mon! Salvadore said he would make lunch on the way to Celadon. The sooner-’

‘We’re not going to Celadon!’, I quickly interjected. Aly’s face began to stiffen with anger. She wanted out and rightly so. But I knew what I saw wasn’t a dream. It was real!

‘Robin! We are leaving this stupid city and-’

‘Going to Lavender Town!’, I interjected her fit of anger once again. I spoke calmly as I stared deeply into her frustrated eyes. ‘What happened to me last night was not a dream. You have to trust me! Here, look at this!’. I suddenly remembered the ring that Sabrina had dropped and frantically searched my pockets. I felt a cold circular item and took it out hastily. I held it up to the light as Aly gazed at the ring in awe.

‘What is...? Where did you...?’, she trailed off, speechless. It was like she was almost hypnotised by the sparkling ring. I quickly snapped the ring into my clenched fist and stuck it back into my trouser pocket.

I looked up at Aly with an oddly satisfied smile, ‘I just need a few minutes to get dressed. Grab Salvadore, wherever he is, and meet me outside the Pokemon Centre in ten minutes. I’ll tell you everything on the way to Lavender Town!’

Aly stood there for a moment with a puzzled look. She then nodded hesitantly and left the room. I quickly got dressed with a strange feeling of excitement at the new quest I had just been given.

I met my two friends outside the Pokemon Centre entrance who were waiting patiently, anxious to know what had happened to me and where we were going. I first told Salvadore that we were going to Lavender Town as he was our main navigator. He looked at me, and then to Aly, before glancing back at me and nodding indifferently.

We began to walk westwards through the dilapidated city. There was a noticeable decline in clustered housing as we approached the suburban areas of the city. We walked briskly, but also in silence. There was an air of relief as we exited the city and advanced onto Route 8. A mile or so after we cleared the city I began to talk.

I explained the apparition to the anxious Aly and Salvadore. I told them everything. They deserved to know everything! I gave a detailed account of Sabrina’s request for me to help Emmett and how I had to capture a ghost pokemon in order to accomplish this.

Aly shuddered as I explained that a ghost pokemon was my best shot at getting through to Gengar, and in turn, Emmett.

‘Are you sure this is the only way?’, she asked. There was a dominant presence of fear in her voice. Emmett’s threat had truly left a mark on her.

I answered sternly, ‘Sabrina said that a ghost pokemon would be my best chance against Emmett... and her last chance to finally be at peace’.

Aly sighed resignedly.

‘If you were anyone else I’d say you were mad’, said Salvadore, ‘But as far fetched as it seems. I trust you! I just hope you know what you’re doing!’, he smiled warmly.

‘Haven’t a clue’, I winked back at him.

‘Hey, what’s that?’, Aly interrupted us, staring curiously ahead.

I looked ahead to see a trainer battling what looked like a wild pokemon. As we approached the ongoing battle, Aly’s faced stiffened at the sight of the trainer’s pokemon. It was a Charmeleon! They were battling a small plump pokemon that had become severely weakened. I checked my Dex on it:

Munchlax, the big eater pokemon. Munchlax consumes its own weight in food every day. It sometimes saves leftovers in its thick fur, later forgetting that they are there.

The boy, seemingly around my own age, gave a quick glance at us and then hurriedly turned his concentration back to the wild Munchlax. With a confident look he threw a pokeball, ‘Munchlax, you’re mine!’. There was real conviction in his voice as the pokeball soared through the air and sucked the wild pokemon inside.

The pokeball fell heavily on the ground and twitched three times before a loud beep noise rang out across the wilderness. ‘Sweet! Not bad, Charmeleon!’, he exclaimed as he collected his new capture. Charmeleon gave a quiet grunt in acknowledgement. The sight of a tame tempered Charmeleon seemed strange yet oddly relieving.

One thing which puzzled me was that the red light on the trainer’s pokeball was still glowing red. I had always thought that the red light went off once the wild pokemon was captured successfully? Was it some how not properly captured?

‘Can I help you?’, the boy raised his eyebrows towards my puzzling stare. I suddenly snapped back to reality.

‘Hi, my name’s Robin. I’m from Viridian City and I want to become a pokemon master! By the way, cool pokemon you’ve got there!’, I said with a smile.

‘Thanks. We try our best’, he said modestly, looking back at his Charmeleon, ‘My name’s Gary by the way. I’m from Pallet Town and also want to become a pokemon master’. He extended his hand with a confident look and we shook firmly. He then looked over at Salvadore and let out a slight gasp. ‘Wait a second. What are you doing around here!?’

‘Hmm... I thought you seemed familiar’, said Salvadore, ‘Nice to see that your Charmander evolved. You must have been training hard. As for me, I’m traveling with Robin and Aly in order to learn more about pokemon breeding’.

For a moment I stood there with a puzzled look. Then I remembered that Salvadore was a gym leader before he joined the group and had probably battled Gary.

‘Pokemon breeder, eh? Interesting...’, Gary pondered for a moment and then glanced warmingly at Aly, ‘Aly, I presume? A pleasure to meet you!’, he offered his hand at which she shyly accepted.

Gary then turned his attention back to me, still looking somewhat puzzled. ‘Is there something wrong?’, he asked with a strange look.

‘Oh? Umm... not really’, I said embarrassed, ‘I was just wondering why your pokeball is still glowing red?’

‘Oh... that? Well that’s because- Wait a second! How many pokemon do you have?’. He seemed surprised.

‘Um... five. Why?’

‘Five pokemon? Seriously?’, he smirked.

‘Yeah...’, I looked stared at him curiously.

‘You have five pokemon? And you’re trying to become a pokemon master? I don’t want to sound mean or anything but that’s kind of pathetic’, his tone of voice was mocking and amused.

I scowled at his attitude. Who was he to judge?

‘My five pokemon are all I need!’, I exclaimed furiously. It was a lie but I was not going to let this guy insult me and my pokemon! ‘We’ve trained hard together and won two badges!’

‘Hm! Not bad... I guess? But if you want to become a real pokemon master you’re going to have to catch ‘em all! Munchlax here, is my thirtieth pokemon. I don’t want to boast or anything but I think that’s pretty good considering I only started less than a month ago’, Gary sounded more confident the more he spoke.

Then, a sudden dawn of realisation fell over me. ‘Wait a second! I only started my journey around the same time. Does that mean...?’. I blushed with embarrassment, almost ashamed.

‘Hold on! So you’re the trainer that showed up late to get his starter pokemon from Prof. Oak?’, his eyes widened in amusement, ‘Haha. I guess that explains a lot’, he laughed heartily to himself.

‘Hey! What’s that suppose to mean!?’, I spat back at him, clenching my fist in anger. Aly gripped my shoulder gently.

‘Robin, take it easy’, she said calmly.

‘I’d listen to your pretty friend if I were you’, said Gary composing himself, ‘Then again, if I were you I’d probably quit while I was ahead’.

‘Oh yeah!?’

‘Yeah...’

‘How about you both stop bickering with each other and settle this with a battle!’, Salvadore suggested impatiently. We both looked at him and then glared back at each other. ‘If you both can actually agree on something then how about a five on five battle? It will be interesting to see how both of you have progressed since you both won my badge.’

We both nodded eagerly, refusing to break eye contact.

‘Fine!’

‘Fine!’

‘Good! I’ll referee this match’, Salvadore declared and handed the pokemon egg to Aly. He stood between us and we slowly backed a few metres back, creating our own battlefield.

‘This battle is between Robin of Viridian City and Gary of Pallet Town. This will be a five against five pokemon battle. Both trainers are allowed to recall and switch pokemon at any stage during the battle. Good luck to you both. Let the battle begin!’, Salvadore yelled.

Both Gary and I reached to our belts and took out a pokeball.

‘You can have the first move. You’ll need it!’, jeered Gary.

‘Fine! Let’s show him how it’s done, Hope!’, I yelled with conviction and threw the pokeball. Hope came out with a fluttering twirl.

‘Ugh!’, Gary lurched and covered his mouth, ‘I HATE bug pokemon! Hoothoot, get rid of this thing!’, he commanded and threw his pokeball. Hoothoot was summoned with a curious gaze. I checked my Dex:

Hoothoot, the owl pokemon. Hoothoot stands on one foot, even when in battle. Its powers allow it to identify the unforeseen and ghost pokemon.

‘Hmm! Be careful Hope. Use Confusion!’, I commanded.

My butterfree fluttered her wings and emitted purple waves of psychic energy.

‘Hoothoot. Dodge it!’

Hoothoot flew at an amazing pace, avoiding the attack and charged at Hope.

‘Good! Now use hypnosis!’

Hoothoot’s eyes glowed a faint purple and sent out hypnotic waves. It was a direct hit and Hope flopped in a heap on the ground in a deep sleep.

‘Hope please wake up!’, I screamed but the Butterfree did not stir.

Gary smirked, ‘Hoothoot, use peck!’

The Hoothoot soared head first at the resting target and dug its sharp beak into Hope’s side. The Butterfree’s body squirmed in pain from the super effective attack but she still did not wake up.

‘Hope! You’ve got to wake up!’, I begged my pokemon but it still didn’t move.

‘Sorry, Robin but it’s time we put an end to this. Hoothoot, one more peck should do the trick!’

Hoothoot circled above Hope and then began to make its descent rapidly.

I gritted my teeth. ‘Hope! Get up! HOPE!!!’

Hope’s eyes shot open and she used her delicate wings to propel herself off the ground, narrowly avoiding Hoothoot’s attack. However, Hoothoot could not pull back its attack and darted straight into the the compact soil.

Gary gasped in disbelief.

Hope fluttered and shook off the last of her tiredness. ‘Alright! Hope, use confusion!’, I commanded excitedly.

Hope began beat her wings like before but this time there was something different. Her glistening eyes turned from her normal deep red colour to a more ominous pink-purple glow. I referred to my Dex:

Psybeam, a psychic attack where the opponent is hit by a peculiar ray of psychic energy. This move may also confuse the target.

Awesome!

‘Hoothoot! Get out of there’, Gary yelled at his pokemon who wriggled desperately in an attempt to free its beak from the soil.

Hope continued to flap her silky wings, projecting strong waves of psychic aura towards the helpless bird pokemon. Hoothoot lifted its head just in time to take a direct hit from the psybeam, sending it tumbling backwards.

‘Hoothoot is unable to battle. Hope wins this round!’, declared Salvadore with an interested smile.

I punched the air in victory. ‘Hope, that was amazing! So, what do ya think of bug pokemon now?’, I asked jeeringly to my opponent.

Gary sighed and withdrew his fainted pokemon. ‘Thanks Hoothoot. You did well for your first battle. Take a long deserved rest. You’re up, Elekid!’

Gary quickly regained his composure and confident look and summoned his second pokemon.

Elekid, the electric pokemon. Elekid generates a weak electrical current between its horns and a stronger electrical current by spinning its arms.

-Elekid-

The Elekid tensed its arms in preparation for battle and a crackle of electricity passed between its horns.

‘Ok, Hope. Be careful, especially with those electrical attacks’, I warned her. The Butterfree nodded understandingly. ‘Hope, use stun spore!’

Hope fluttered her wings and emitted a wave a yellow powder.

‘Elekid, dodge it and use quick attack’, Gary spoke commandingly, yet calm and focused.

Elekid moved at a blistering speed, easily avoiding the shower of spores and barged full force into Hope. My Butterfree went bundling through the air and crashed into the rugged ground.

‘Hope! Are you ok? Try to fly into the air!’, I said, still astounded at Elekid’s speed. It was certainly a rival for Peeks.

The Butterfree feebly flapped her wings and was just about able to hover over the ground.

‘Elekid, finish this!’

Elekid snarled and spun his arms in widdershins. Before I could even utter a command it sent out a wave of electricity and Hope dropped immediately on contact.

‘Hope is unable to battle. Elekid wins this round!’, declared Salvadore.

I exhaled disappointingly and returned Hope to her pokeball. ‘Thank you. You did great! Mia, you’re up!’. I threw my pokeball and summoned my feline in her signature boots.

‘Hmm... A Meowth in boots? Quite fascinating...’, admired Gary at the unusual appearance of Mia, briefly checking his own pokedex. ‘But can it battle? Elekid, use quick attack again!’

‘Mia! Focus and try to block it with faint attack!’

Mia prowled on all fours, bracing itself from the impact of Elekid’s quick attack. Elekid approached Mia at lightning speed but my Meowth was ready and pounced towards the attacking Elekid. Both pokemon collided and steadied themselves against one another. Their paws wrestled one another as they tried to shove the other on their back. Neither one was giving up without a fight.

-El-Le-

-Meeeow-

They snarled at each other, refusing to break eye contact.

Charmeleon who had taken its position beside Gary was growling and swiping its paws through the air, presumably spurring its teammate on.

As I watched the testing of strength, I noticed a crackle of electricity over Mia’s fur. The feline flinched and Elekid took full advantage of the situation, tossing Mia backwards. Mia slowly rose to her feet but flinched again as another charge of electricity ran through her body. I could see it in her eyes. She was in obvious pain.

‘Mia, what’s wrong?’, I asked panicked.

‘You’re Meowth is suffering from the effects of static?’, Gary answered upon seeing my anxious stare.

‘Static?’

‘Really? You don’t know what static is? Oh dear... Static is my Elekid’s ability. Pokemon who make contact with Elekid have a chance of become paralysed!’, he said with a smirk.

I gasped. Mia was a sitting target for Elekid.

‘Elekid, finish this off with low kick!’

Elekid sprinted towards Mia and swung a low leveled kick, causing the paralysed Mia to buckle over, fainted.

‘Mia!’, I cried out in disbelief.

‘Mia is unable to battle. Elekid wins this round!’, stated Salvadore definitively.

I credited Mia on her battle and returned her to her pokeball.

‘Robin, here’s a tip for you, use a ground type or else you’re only kidding yourself’, said Gary sincerely with a slight taunt in his voice.

I scowled and grabbed my next pokemon, ‘I may not have a ground type pokemon but you have a few things to learn yourself if you think I’m giving up that easily! Go! Beri!’

I threw my pokeball and summoned my small bulbasaur.

‘Hmm.. A bulbasaur. I’m guessing you didn’t get that one from the Prof. considering it’s only a young one!?’, Gary ridiculed my pokemon.

‘I only caught Beri recently but she can put up a fight! Let’s show ‘em Beri! Use razor leaf!’

-Bulba!-

Beri shot several razer leaves towards Elekid but the electric pokemon avoided every single one of them. I couldn’t believe it! That thing had taken out two of my pokemon and was still as speedy as ever! I thought hard and fast. I knew that making physical contact with Elekid could result in Beri becoming paralysed but I had to do something, and do it fast!

‘Beri, use vine whip to catch Elekid! And aim for the arms’, I ordered.

Beri nodded and two small vines flew out from behind her seed. Elekid managed to sidestep the first one but the second vine swung around and caught a firm grip of its arm.

Gary gritted his teeth which gave me some sort of satisfaction.

Beri’s other vine swung around Elekid’s second arm. Now, Elekid would not be able to generate as powerful electricity without the mobility of its arms.

‘Elekid, send a thundershock down that Bulbasaur’s vines!’, Gary commanded.

The Elekid snarled and a standard pulse of electricity descended down Beri’s vines, eventually striking Beri’s body.

My little Bulbasaur screamed in pain.

‘Beri! You’ve gotta hold in there!’, I urged. I remembered my battle against Tammie and had a crazy idea. Acting on instinct I yelled out, ‘Beri, use Solarbeam!’

Salvadore and Aly’s faces dropped in shock.

Gary laughed and shook his head, ‘Man, you are desparate! Commanding your Bulbasaur to do a move when it can’t possibly learn it at such a low level!’

Beri glanced back at me, squinting in pain from the relentless thundershock attack. She then turned to the Elekid held captured in her vines and let out a battle cry.

-Bulba!-Bulba!-Bulba!-Bulba!-

Everyone looked on in disbelief as the Bulbasaur started absorbing sunlight, forming a ball of light above its seed.

‘No way!’, shrieked Gary who took a step back, ‘Elekid, keep up the thundershock! Give it everything you have and don’t let it use that solarbeam!’

        -Ele-KID!-

Elekid zapped Beri with an intensified thundershock... but Beri’s solarbeam continued to grow. I urged her to continue. I could not believe it myself.

        -Bulba!-Bulba!-Bulba!-

        Beri was in severe pain but began to draw the captive Elekid closer and closer as her solarbeam consistently grew larger.

        -Ele-KIIID!!!-

        -BULBA!!-BULBA!!-

Both pokemon were now face to face with one another, almost touching. Neither was backing down. Beri tilted her seed towards Elekid while the Elekid sent a final burst of electricity through the Bulbasaur’s body.

-ELE-KIIIIID!!!!!-

-BULBA-SAAAUUUUUR!!!!!-

        A gigantic light formed in the centre of the battle field and-

        KABOOOOOM!!!!!

        Everyone shielded their eyes from the catastrophic explosion as waves of energy burst in all directions. Aly huddled tightly over the pokemon egg. It took me a few seconds to look at the result.

        Beri lay on her side before my feet, fainted.

        Elekid lay alongside Gary, fainted.

        ‘Both Beri and Elekid are unable to battle. This round is a draw’, stated Salvadore, amazed.

        I knelt down and cradled Beri. She was so brave and proved us all wrong, even myself. I never knew she was capable of using solar beam. It was another lucky break, I guessed. Thanking our pokemon we recalled them to their pokeballs.

        ‘Ok Toto, you’re up!’, I said while catching my breath.

        Toto jumped out of his pokeball and danced happily on the spot. Charmeleon glared at the little Totodile.

‘How the heck did you manage to catch a Totodile!?’, asked Gary puzzled while checking his Dex.

‘I didn’t. Toto is my starter pokemon given to me by Prof. Elm’, I said with a hint cockyness in my voice, ‘And we’re gonna show you why we’re the best team there is!’

‘Hmm.. interesting...’, Gary pondered for a moment, most likely thinking of what pokemon he would use next. His thoughts were quickly interrupted by a snarling roar.

-CHAR!-

Charmeleon leaped in front of Gary and blew a tremendous blast of fire into the air. ‘Charmeleon! What are you- Oh! I get it! You want to prove you’re the better starter pokemon’, Gary realised with a grin. ‘Ok then! If you’re sure? Charmeleon, I chose you!’

There I stood, face to face with my new rival, Gary!

Toto was the second last pokemon I could call on for this battle, while Gary had two others to use after Charmeleon. But I wasn’t thinking after this battle. I was focusing on the now! I certainly had the type advantage but the Charmeleon looked incredibly strong. We glared at each other. This was it!

Robin versus Gary

Toto versus Charmeleon

Let the real battle begin!

To be continued...