--- Gym Battle in Saffron City (by Michael Keens/ Exodus) --- As of now, I was travelling with Tetsubo and lucky for me, he didn’t have Green with him. Still, he was cut up inside about something and it was likely that she had done something to him... Troublesome girl. I had scorned company before because I had none, no one knew me and hardly anyone wanted to know me, Tetsubo was different and though I’ve never told him, I’m very thankful for his friendliness, I didn’t know how rewarding friendship could be and perhaps I could express my gratitude to him someday. Tetsubo’s a little withdrawn at times, almost like me, but he constantly goes out of his way to help people, I kind of respect him for that, perhaps even admire him. I heard this sort of thing is called a ‘crush’ but I’m not really sure, so I probably shouldn’t say anything. As long as I get to be alone with him without Green popping up, then maybe he’ll start to like my company. We had been through a lot yesterday, a clown, a Hypno, and many many Rockets. Tetsubo had gone ahead to win his Gym Battle after beating that strange man, and then told me that he’d be participating in the Fighting Championship. I rushed to the Gym as soon as I could so as not to miss a minute of his tournament. “Its funny.” I thought, “I never thought I’d be going out of my way to be there for someone, but still, I never thought I’d have friends, and I was wrong about that.” This feeling of care and helpfulness for others felt nice, and that was an emotion that I didn’t know much of since recently, I don’t see how I got by without a little care from others. Inside the strangely shaped Gym were many corridors, I was stopped suddenly by a man wearing a white cloth over his mouth. “Vot do you vant?” “I’m here for a Gym Badge.” I replied simply. “Vell I, Boris, von’t let you, our Mistress Sabrina vill not be insulted and- Agh!!!” He gripped his head in pain as an unseen force hit him hard. “Ah, AGH!!! I’m sorry Mistress, I’ll let her pass! I’m sorry!” He ran away, pain still engulfing him. I peeped around the corner and saw a large hall leading towards a huge set of double doors. I pushed them open with a lot of effort. “Good help is so hard to find.” said a dark female figure sitting on the throne, she had a penetrating stare, much like myself. “I agree.” I said smiling a little, it was obvious she saw the whole event and directly remedied the difficult fanatic. “As you have no doubt figured, I am the Gym Leader of Saffron City, my name is Sabrina and yours is... That’s strange, I can’t see very far into your mind.” said Sabrina confidently yet calmly. “I haven’t much inside for you to find. But I’d like to think my real name is Abby.” I replied. “Very well, we shall have a two-on-two battle. Go, Kadabra.” “Nightmare...” “Ku-dabra!” “Hypno.” “Kadabra, start the match with your Confusion.” said Sabrina. “Counter it with your own and follow up with Hypnosis.” I added. The two’s power collided and subsided and Nightmare immediately followed up with his attack. “Ku... Dab...” “Shake it off, Psybeam.” said Sabrina. “Hyp?” The Kadabra shook itself off and blasted Nightmare into the wall with a shimmering beam. “Hyiiieeep!!!” He fell face flat on the floor. “Nightmare, you have to hang in there. Poison Gas.” I pleaded calmly. “Confusion.” said Sabrina darkly. “And Pound it.” I added. A blue ripple disintegrated the Poison attack but Nightmare charged through straight afterwards and pounded on the Kadabra. “Head Butt.” “Psychic.” Nightmare leaped forward, and into solid matter, not the Kadabra but the Psychic spell that surrounded Nightmare and crushed him. “Hyp... Nnnnooo...” I stayed silent, unsure of what to do, Sabrina seemed to smile confidently, then I struck out the next move. “Disable.” I said loudly, and Nightmare shot his eyes open and they glowed, the Kadabra, shocked by the sudden attack, was soon frozen. “Quickly, Meditate.” I ordered, and Nightmare rose his hands into the air with clenched fists, and lowered them in a state of concentration. The freezing state collapsed with a shattering sound and the Kadabra raised a hand holding a spoon threateningly. “Hypnosis.” I quickly shouted and Nightmare started swinging its pendulum, causing the Kadabra to go into a dizzy state before drifting to sleep. “Now the Dream Eater.” I said confidently. “Wake up Kadabra.” pleaded Sabrina calmly. It seemed strange to order that when he couldn’t do much to prevent it. Nightmare absorbed many purple globules into himself but the Kadabra woke up suddenly halfway through the transfusion and used Confusion on Nightmare. He fell back but landed on his feet, before getting hit by another Confusion, this one not sweeping him off his feet. “Finish it Nightmare, use your Meditate from before to deliver a great big Head Butt.” He flew forward, the Confusion having no real effect on him now, he pushed himself through them and delivered a massive blow, colliding its head with the Kadabra’s. It frowned at Nightmare, who returned the glance before the Kadabra collapsed to the ground. “Round one goes to me.” I put simply. “Apparently so, but do not get confident just yet, you’re very skilled with that Hypno, but can you beat a high level Pokémon that matches its skills?...” With that she threw another ball and soon appeared... “Hypno...” She was matching me Pokémon for Pokémon, except she probably had more experience. “Don’t worry Nightmare, charge up with Meditate and use your Head Butt, I know that most Psychic Pokémon can be defeated by physical attacks.” “And the same goes for you Abby, Hypnosis.” It was too late to switch and Nightmare drifted to sleep mid-way through the meditation. “Now while its asleep, Head Butt.” Nightmare was hit hard, fell to the floor, and slept right through it. “Dream Eater.” “Nightmare...” His strength was absorbed and Sabrina’s Hypno increased its already high health. “Now finish it off with Pound.” “Head Butt.” Nightmare had awakened and leaped up ramming its head upwards to connect with the Hypno’s jaw, it flew up but came back down faster than Nightmare, and brought both fists clenched together on Nightmare’s head. He flew down and skidded along the floor. “Hy... p...” “Return.” I said firmly. This Hypno was tough, Sabrina had much more experience than me with Psychic Pokémon. My strategy was right, Nightmare just didn’t have the strength without the meditation. One Pokémon had it all at his fingertips, well, more like its feet. “RRRHHHYYY!!!” screamed Armour. “Tail Whip.” I said and he charged forward and stopped, swinging its tail forward to collide with the Hypno, it couldn’t prevent itself from getting flung into the wall. “Disable.” said Sabrina, and Armour stopped stiff. “Try your Head Butt while its frozen.” The Hypno charged forward and threw itself head first into Armour, it bounced off rather pathetically. “Its stronger than it looks.” commented Sabrina, “Use your Confusion instead.” Armour was released but immediately confined to a different attack and was flung into the wall, but he somehow shifted his weight and fell feet first on the ground escaping any more telekinesis. “Stomp.” I ordered and he did so, the tremors making the Hypno slip onto the floor. “Now Fury Attack.” He charged forward but Sabrina extended an arm. “Psychic.” Armour rose into the air while the Hypno extended one hand, he then clenched it and Armour screamed out as the blue light around him seemed to crush him. “Armour, please don’t quit.” I pleaded, though not with any normal expressions. He looked back at me and pushed against the confined space. I couldn’t fail, Tetsubo had asked me if I could watch him and I didn’t want to disappoint him, nor lose his respect, I think he was on the rebound from Green and needed a friend to be there for him. I had to win this, see him battle and depart this city with him, but I needed the badge to get one step closer to entering the League with Tetsubo. “Please...” “RRRHHHYYY!!!” he screamed, I asked a lot of him but only because he was capable of it, he shunted forward and his horn appeared out of the range of the blue light. My mouth opened wide, and almost formed a smile. “Horn Attack.” “RHY!!!” He shot off some excess horns which collided with the Hypno once, twice, three, four and five times, a big hit. The Hypno was distracted and fell down as did Armour but he landed on his feet. “Earthquake.” He shook the floor but this arena seemed more secure than most and it only shook him up. “Finish it, Take Down.” “RRRHHHYYY!!!” he shouted and charged forward. The Hypno upon recovering looked very frightened, Armour lifted him up and its head hit the floor as per the usual side effects of the attack. The Hypno landed several metres behind Armour with a hard sound. “No...” it groaned. Sabrina smiled and walked down the steps and towards me. “You beat me, something only great trainers can achieve. Here is your sixth badge, the Marsh Badge.” I took the coin-shaped badge and saw she could only be reading my recent thoughts, before the accident. She recalled her Hypno as I did soon after with my Rhyhorn, she looked at it, tired but still strong and I could have sworn her eyes widened as if discovering something. “You’re a tough one...” she said before stopping and thinking for a second, “Minds can be fickle things, I’m sure your past will come together.” “How can you tell?” I asked, openly expressing my concern. “All I can say, is that Tetsubo will show you the way. Go to him.” “Tetsubo?... “ I questioned in thought and then smiled a little, “Thank you Sabrina.” I left the Gym but again felt as if she was reading my mind, and not liking something. I arrived in time to see Tetsubo battle, he did well and fought valiantly but went out in the semi-finals and that idiot I saw in Pewter City won the tournament and a Hitmonlee, thanks to Tetsubo’s efforts to stop a trio of cheaters. I wasn’t sure about Sabrina’s words, Tetsubo would show me the way apparently, either way, I was planning to stay with him for some time, but how would he know about my past?... Unless he was a part of it. In light of these revelations, I wanted to get closer to Tetsubo for my sake and now to unravel this clue, unfortunately that loudmouthed fool was an old friend of his and would be travelling with us for a while. Scott's Sixth Gym Battle Emily's Fifth Gym Battle Back to the Side Stories Back to the Pokézone