Journey to Fallarbor Gym!
Author's Note: Well, after months and months... and months, here is the continuation of the story! I've become a little better in the writing department, and I hope you all enjoy! Feel free to make any comments/suggestions!
Chapter Eight: A Rival Appears!
After a rather shaky experience in the Petalburg woods, our friends are well on their way towards the first step in becoming Pokemon Champions: Battling a Gym leader!
Of course, practice does make perfect?
?Come on, Cyndaquil!? Alex cheered. ?You can do it! Ember attack!?
'Qui! Quiiiiiil!' Cyndaquil squeaked. The small fire-mouse Pokemon reared up on its hind legs as its spotted back erupted with crackling red and orange flames. From its mouth shot several glowing embers, which sizzled as they flew at Treeko.
?Treeko! Go right in there with a Quick Attack!? Brian cut in. Faster than anyone could see, Treeko zipped away from the embers, missing them by several inches, and shot towards Cyndaquil. As Treecko advanced, Cyndaquil whirled around, its back flaming. Treecko?s legs twisted around, causing it to trip over itself in distraction.
?Cyndaquil! Give it an Ember!? Alex called. Cyndaquil shook itself and fired more bullets of fire.
?Treecko!? Brian cried out. This battle wasn?t going the way he?d hoped.
?Maybe I should?ve used Lotad like May said?? he thought to himself. Alex?s voice snapped him back into reality.
?What are you waiting for? Make a move! You can?t sit there like that when you?re battling a Gym Leader!? Alex screamed.
Brian looked at his Treecko, panting heavily and kneeling on the ground, slightly scorched.
?If not for me to win the match, then for Treecko to get stronger.?
?Treecko! We can win this! Use Leer!? Brian called out loud. Treecko shakily stood and fixed its eerie gaze towards Cyndaquil. Its eyes illuminated, casting a strange golden glow that stopped Cyndaquil in its tracks.
?No!? Alex yelled. ?Snap out of it!?
Brian felt a surge of energy as Treecko charged at Cyndaquil, while shimmering in a green aura. ?Absorb, now!? Cyndaquil squealed as Treecko grabbed it around its middle and enveloped them both in its emerald aura. Seconds later, it dropped Cyndaquil and stood over it triumphantly.
?Unbelievable!? Alex cried out. ?Cyndaquil should have roasted your Treecko!? He grabbed a Pokeball from his belt and aimed it at the now fainted Fire mouse Pokemon. A red beam shot from the center of the ball and dematerialized Cyndaquil, sucking it inside.
?Brian?s Treecko fought an evolved fire Pokemon called Combusken a while back, so it must be at a high level,? May said knowingly.
Alex stared at Brian in awe. ?Seriously??
?Well? the guy was a poor trainer?? Brian smiled sheepishly.
?If that really did happen?it sucks for the next person that battles you!? Alex laughed.
Treecko hopped on Brian?s shoulder as the group resumed their journey. The warm afternoon sun bathed them in its light, and both Treecko and Brian sighed happily.
?Where exactly are we going?? Alex asked after several minutes of comfortable silence. May produced a Map from her pack and scanned it for several seconds.
?Rustboro City is only a few miles away from here?? She said slowly. ?That?s where the first Gym is.?
?Gym! That?s exactly what we want!? Alex exclaimed. ?Let?s go!? He suddenly broke out into a run down the path, backpack thumping wildly with each step.
?Wait!? shouted May and Brian together. Treecko latched on to Brian?s shoulder for dear life as they followed Alex.
Alex?s strides were becoming longer and faster as they ran, making it more difficult to keep up. As he disappeared around a bend, Brian and May heard him yelp out in pain. As they neared the bend, the sound of growling could be heard.
When they reached the spot where the commotion was coming from, Brian and May gasped. Alex was surrounded by a pack of wild Poochyena! Their fur bristled and their fangs gleamed menacingly as they slowly closed in on Alex. His shirt and shorts were torn, and his pack was out of his reach. ?I can?t reach my Pokeballs or they?ll bite me!? Alex cried.
?Hold on! We?ll help!? Brian called out. Just as he reached for a Pokeball, he noticed a figure racing towards them. It was a girl; she was dressed in a pink shirt and a green skirt that came to her shins. On her skirt was a pattern of pink flowers, and her brown hair flowed past her shoulders. As she caught up with the two, Brian noticed that she smelled? nice?
?Oh, no! Those nasty Poochyena! Go! Roselia!? she cried as she flung a Pokeball. It spun through the air and snapped open, revealing a short green Pokemon with roses in each of its hands; one blue, and the other pink. ?Roselia, use your Poison Sting!? The girl called out to her Pokemon.
'Rrrro!' it trilled as it darted past Brian, brandishing its roses. It aimed the roses at the snarling pack and fired a volley of glowing pins. The pins struck the Poochyena and they yelped, and then turned their attention to the Roselia.
?No you don?t!? May said. She pulled a Pokeball from her belt and threw it.
'Mudkip! Mud!' her Mudkip called.
?Use Water Gun!? Mudkip inhaled and shot a jet of water at the pack, blasting each one down. Yipping, they turned tail and scattered into the dense underbrush on the side of the road.
Panting, Alex fell flat on his back. ?Are you okay?? May asked. She ran over to Alex and kneeled beside him.
?Is anything broken?? The mysterious girl jogged over to Alex and put a hand on his chest, kneeling as well. Seeing this, Brian felt a huge wave of emotion wash over him. He felt his face redden as he sputtered and struggled to form words.
?I?m fine? they took me by surprise is all?? Alex said. ?One of them knocked me down and another grabbed at my pack.?
?They are very territorial; my family always has trouble with them. Usually they leave you alone if you scare them off with an attack or two,? the girl nodded.
?Thanks for the help. By the way, what?s your name?? May inquired.
?Oh, I?m sorry? My name is Allison, and this is my Roselia,? Allison said, bowing gracefully. Brian?s stomach flipped.
?I?m May, and this is Alex, and that?s Brian?? May introduced.
Allison looked and nodded at each of them. ?It?s nice to meet you all.?
?We were on our way to Rustboro city when I was attacked,? Alex said. ?But now we won?t get there in time??
Allison stood up and smoothed out her skirt. ?You can come spend the night at my family?s shop. It?s not much, but it?s better than camping out in the middle of nowhere.? she suggested.
?That sounds like a great idea!? May exclaimed.
?And we can get you cleaned up, Alex. And maybe change your clothes?and I have something for those cuts and bruises,? Allison said.
?What are we waiting for? Let?s go!? Alex laughed.
The bright afternoon sky quickly turned into dusk as the group reached a building a little ways from the spot where Alex was attacked. It was made of brick, with a shingled roof. On the door was a sign that read:
Pretty Petal Flower Shop:
Spreading Flowers Across the World!
?So this is where you live, eh?? Alex asked out loud.
?Yeah? My parents are in Celadon City in Kanto. They run a huge flower shop there, and they put up some in other places, too.?
?Do you live here all by yourself?? May gasped. Allison laughed.
?No? My older sister runs the shop; I only help her.? She opened on the door and ushered everyone in. There they met Allison?s sister Daisy. She looked like Allison, only a bit older. She smiled and welcomed them to spend the night, which they all agreed to. She then offered them the most delicious vegetable and herb stew, all from the garden out back.
When everyone was full and Allison went to help her sister with the dishes, May looked across the table at Brian. She prodded Alex and together they looked at Brian?s dopey and distant gaze.
?Are you okay Brian?? May asked.
?What?? Brian said, snapping back into reality.
?Yeah man? you barely said two words since Allison showed up,? Alex commented. ?It?s almost as if you?oh??
?What?? Brian said again.
Alex leaned in, smiling widely. ?You like her, don?t you?? he whispered. Brian sat and stared at him for a few seconds before answering.
?Of course not!? Brian exclaimed. He could feel his ears burn as his face began to blush.
?Yes, of course not,? May laughed.
?Why does it matter anyway?? Brian asked.
?Well, while you were daydreaming about your wedding, Allison told us that she wants to be a Pokemon Trainer, too.? Alex commented nonchalantly. ?Not only that? but a Gym Leader too. A Grass Pokemon Gym Leader.?
?It?s the final battle for the Pokemon League World Cup!? a voiced boomed from a megaphone. A large crowd packed a much larger stadium; their voices a babbling array of cheers and shouts as they screamed for their favorite Trainers. In the middle of the stadium, a field was being raised from below. It was a field, with lush grass growing in thick clumps. Soon after the field was raised, two platforms on either side rose above them.
?It?s sure to be an intense battle!? the voice boomed again. ?Brian Woods from Littleroot Town and Allison Green of Celadon City will battle it out to see who?s going to be this year?s Pokemon League Champion!?
The crowd exploded as the two Trainers appeared from either side of the Stadium and waited for the elevators to their platforms. Once they were both situated, a referee calmly strode out to the center of the field. The crowd?s cheers died down to a murmur, and the referee raised two flags? one red, and the other green, to match the platforms.
?This is the final battle of the Pokemon League!? he yelled. ?The match will be in two parts? the first part is a double battle, where each Trainer selects two Pokemon to battle against the opponent. The second part includes an elimination round, where each Trainer is then allowed four Pokemon. The first to eliminate the other?s Pokemon is the winner! Let the final match of the Pokemon League commence!?
Brian looked at Allison and they both nodded. ?I?m not going easy on you,? he said.
?I don?t want you to,? she laughed. ?Let?s do this!?
?GO!? they both yelled.
Brian felt a sharp prod in his right side. He winced and sat up suddenly, blinking in the dimness of the room.
"Where am I?" He thought to himself. He looked to his right and saw that Alex was standing over him, pulling on a red vest over a black shirt.
?Hey,? Alex greeted. ?It?s time to get up.? Brian blinked sleepily and was about to lay back down when he noticed that Treecko had moved onto his pillow.
?Treecko?? it breathed in its sleep.
Brian groaned and rose from the sleeping bag that lay on the floor of one of the guest rooms. After pushing Treecko off the pillow and rolling up his sleeping bag, he went to the adjoining bathroom and washed up. When he returned to the room, fully dressed, he saw that Alex opened the curtains, letting warm sunlight flood into the room.
?Would you look at that?? Alex said. Brian moved over to the window and let out a surprised breath. The window faced a huge garden, with a vegetable patch out to the left and a dazzling blue lake in the center. To the right, shrubs and trees and plants of various colors and heights grew strongly.
The thing that really caught Brian?s eye was the number of Pokemon in the garden: Vileplume with vibrant red petals, Sunflora with shimmering golden faces, countless Oddish, and even a Breloom! A knock from the door interrupted the two Trainers.
?Who is it?? Alex called.
?It?s me? open up!? May answered. Alex opened the door and greeted May and Allison? who was standing beside May. Brian felt his insides turn into mush.
?Morning!? Allison said cheerfully. ?I trust you both had a good rest??
?Wonderful, it was the best sleep I?ve had in a long time!? Alex laughed.
As they talked, Brian stood by the window and gazed out, drinking in the wonderful sights of the garden. He had almost drifted back to sleep when he heard Allison?s voice.
?So, Brian? I heard that you want to be a Gym Leader. Is this true??
Brian turned around slowly to find Allison standing right in front of him. ?Yeah?? was all he could manage to say.
?I guess that makes us rivals, then!? Allison exclaimed.
?Rivals?? Brian asked. His mind reeled. ?Do you mean??
?Brian, I challenge you to a Pokemon Battle!?
At the word ?rivals?, Brian felt a new feeling. It was weak at first, but grew every second. It was the feeling of competition. He snapped back into focus and stared hard into Allison?s sparkling green eyes. ?You?re on,? he said.
Several minutes later, the two found themselves standing beside the lake, Pokeballs in hand. Alex and May stood off to the side, dancing anxiously. Daisy stood near them, ready to referee.
?This will be a one-on-one Pokemon match! The Trainer whose Pokemon is standing is the winner of the match! Go!? she said.
?Let?s go Chikorita!? called Allison, throwing a Pokeball. It opened and spilled out a white light. It materialized into a small green Pokemon with a leaf on its head.
'Chika!' it sang, brandishing the leaf.
?What is that?? Brian asked. He held out his Pokedex.
<Chikorita. The Leaf Pokemon. A normally gentle and sweet Pokemon, it will rather use the becalming fragrance on the leaf on its head to calm down foes rather than battle. However, it will use the sharp leaf as a weapon if needed.>
?All right, then? Bulbasaur, go!? Brian said, throwing Bulbasaur?s Pokeball. Bulbasaur appeared in a flash of light, growling and pawing the dirt with its feet.
?Chikorita! Tackle!? Allison ordered. Chikorita charged at Bulbasaur, the distance between the two shrinking with each step it took.
?Bulbasaur, stand your ground!? Brian commanded in response. Chikorita slammed into Bulbasaur, and the two Pokemon strained against each other.
?Looks like they have the same strength,? Alex pointed out.
?Not quite?? Allison chuckled. ?Chikorita! Now!? Chikorita grunted and slipped its leaf under Bulbasaur, attempting to flip it over.
?Not so fast! Bulbasaur, try a Vine Whip!? Brian shot back.
'Bulba' it cried as two vines snaked out from under its bulb and slapped Chikorita in the face.
?Chikorita! Use your Vine Whip, too!? Allison said. Chikorita jumped back from Bulbasaur and fired two vines of its own from the buds on its neck. Chikorita?s vines grabbed Bulbasaur?s vines, stopping them. The two Grass Pokemon began a slap fight, trying to take each other out with a series of blows.
?This isn?t going to get anywhere?? groaned May. ?Brian! Do something!?
?I can handle this on my own May!? Brian yelled back. ?Bulbasaur, try a Magical Leaf!?
Bulbasaur withdrew its vines and released a flurry of multicolored leaves from its bulb.
?Chikorita, Razor Leaf!? Allison called. Chikorita jumped back and swung its leaf, throwing out a bunch of green leaves that ripped through the air. The two attacks collided, slicing each other up. Neither Pokemon was touched.
?Poisonpowder!? The two Trainers yelled at the same time. Bulbasaur and Chikorita blew out a purple cloud of toxic powder. It wafted across the field, and all of the trainers covered their noses. When the cloud cleared, both Pokemon stood, panting. The poison was creeping through their systems, but Chikorita was the most at risk; being a pure Grass type, it wasn?t faring well.
?Use Razor Leaf and follow up with Vine Whip!? The two Trainers cried desperately.
'Chi? ka?' Chikorita sputtered.. It performed the attacks with some difficulty, and they flew at Bulbasaur, who wheezed and did the same. The attacks clashed, and then the two Pokemon stood their ground.
?Stop!? Daisy yelled suddenly. ?The two Pokemon are unable to battle? this match is a draw.?
?What do you mean? They?ve still got some fight in them!? Alex objected.
?No? she?s right? look at Bulbasaur; it?s clearly out of energy.? Brian said. Bulbasaur panted and growled, fighting its own body to stand. Sweat poured from its body in small droplets. Brian pulled out a Pokeball and recalled Bulbasaur. Allison recalled her Pokemon and walked over to Brian.
?You did a great job,? she said, holding out her hand.
Brian looked at her hand for a second before shaking it. ?So did you.?
?Not bad for your first battle?? Daisy said.
?First?? May asked.
?Yeah? I?ve been training with her and teaching her the finer points, but this is her actual first battle. She?s pretty good, isn?t she??
?Wow? looks like you?ve got to watch out, Brian. You might want to train harder!? May laughed.
?Well, if that?s the case? I don?t mind training!? Brian laughed back.
?What now?? Allison asked.
?I think that you should go out and earn some badges, sis.? Daisy winked. ?It?s time that you left. Take Roselia with you; I have a feeling that you?ll do well.?
?Really?!? Allison exclaimed. She jumped up and down holding Daisy?s hands until she remembered something.
?What about you? And the shop? I can?t leave you by yourself??
Daisy shook her head. ?Nah? I?ll be fine. Just help me with a few more things before you go? the other Pokemon will stay and protect me and help out.?
?Does that mean you?re coming with us?? May asked hopefully.
?No? I?ll head out on my own. Besides, we?ll see each other again. And Brian? we will finish this match.? Allison said.
Later that afternoon, Brian, May, and Alex make their way down the path that will lead them to the next city, where they will finally be able to compete for Gym badges! As they leave, they wave goodbye to their new friend and Brian?s new rival? Allison. Looks like there?s going to be more than one goal on Brian?s mind?
<<<<<TO BE CONTINUED>>>>>
Who's That Pokemon!*pokemonelite2000 image removed*
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