Chapter 24:  Gang Turf (Part B) by Michael Keens/ Exodus  

The Gym was designed to look like a flower with huge Gloom-like petals serving 
as a roof.  
I was about to step in when I heard a beeping sound, it was my Pokédex.  

“Pokédex Link-Up:  Cancelled.”  

Oh, like I needed this now, Emily had cancelled our Pokédex link and right when 
I was starting to feel better about myself after the situation.  
I put it away and stormed into the Gym.  
When I stepped inside, I was greeted by a lot of ladies all in the same beige 
uniform.  
“Hello, what may I do for you?” asked a girl at the front desk.  
“I’m looking to battle the Gym Leader.” I said simply, trying to hide my 
sadness.  
“Well sure you can.  I’ll take you straight to Trainer Erika.” said the girl 
with green hair and large pigtails.  

She led me through the halls, some full of vibrant plants.  
I felt better after helping the gang leader out but I still felt some 
resentment to the world in general for the recent events.  
“Young man, do you like ladies with perfume scents?”  
An odd question.  
“I suppose so...  But I’m a little too depressed to look at another woman.”  
“Girlfriend dump you?”  
“Sort of...”  
“That’s too bad, still you seem like a nice guy and-”  
“I can see where this is going, and I’m afraid I’m not interested.”  
“Oh, okay, you’re not one of the usual guys, it seems.”  
“Huh?”  
“A usual guy would jump at the chance to go out with me, even if they had 
broken up for only five minutes or so.  She must be very special.”  
“She was...  But I don’t think she’ll be coming back.”  
“Trainer Erika?”  
“Yes Stacey?”  
We were in the arena, I looked over at Erika, she was quite an elegant lady, a 
green dress with some white stripes, and short blue hair with a... red 
hairband...  Just like... Emily...  
I shook my head and erased all those thoughts, I couldn’t let my break up 
affect my Pokémon Training.  
I had to win the badge.  
“Hello young man, who are you?” asked Erika.  
“Tetsubo Capture from Fuchsia City.” I replied.  
“Shall we begin?”  
I looked around, a fair few female workers in the beige outfits were watching 
the battle.  
“Let’s make this good.” I muttered.  
I knew for sure that this was a Grass Gym and I had the right Pokémon for the 
job.  
“This will be a three-on-three battle, I choose Tangela!”  
“Gela!”  
“I choose Whirlwind!”  
“Pidgggeeeoooo!!!”  
“Tangela! Constrict...”  
“Whirlwind, use your Wing Attack!”  
He dived down but the vines stretched out and entangled him.  
“Now Tangela, use your Slam attack.”  
The Tangela threw him down to the floor.  
“Pidgeo...”  
“Peck, Whirlwind!”  
“Pidge!”  
It broke out of Tangela’s grip and flung itself forward before its beak 
connected with the Grass-type.  
“Tangela, Poison Powder.”  
“Ge-la!”  
The purple dust quickly caught up with Whirlwind.  
“Whirlwind! You...” I shouted before covering my mouth and stopping.  
I had to stop blaming my Pokémon, I would not stoop to Bryan’s level, I 
wouldn’t!  
“Whirlwind, try your best.  Sand Attack!”  
He fell to the floor.  
“Tangela, wrap it up with Bind attack.”  
“Whirlwind...”  
The vines came out to the sides and were looking to tie up Whirlwind from 
behind, but Whirlwind quickly blasted sand into the Tangela through the gap in 
the centre.  
“Whirlwind! Sky Attack! While its blinded.” I shouted.  
He smiled at me before charging his energy and then charged right through the 
Tangela, a flaming phoenix followed and set it alight.  
“Gelaaaaa!!!”  
“Tangela, Return...  You’re quite okay, but do you have a stable relationship 
with all of your Pokémon?” Erika asked me, “I choose Vileplume.”  
“Vile!”  
“Return Whirlwind, Go for it, Psychot.”  
“Ku-dabra!”  
“Vileplume, Stun Spore.”  
“Teleport close to it and use Psybeam.”  
“Ku-Dabra!”  
It vanished as the dust blew by and struck down the Vileplume from behind.  
“Petal Dance, Vileplume!”  
“Kinesis, now!”  
The attack shunted the Vileplume back and it lost its concentration, but it 
spun back and crashed into him, Psychot fell back hurt.  
The Vileplume fell down with spirals in its eyes.  
“Please, try to get up Vileplume, I’ll heal you up straight after this match.” 
said Erika kindly to her Pokémon.  
Whatever she had done, had worked, as the Vileplume shook off its confusion.  
“Use Disable, Psychot.”  
“Poison Powder!”  
There was a flash followed by some purple haze, and both Pokémon were 
affected.  
The Vileplume was frozen but Psychot was poisoned, he did well not to let it 
affect him but it was coursing through his system and would undoubtedly consume 
him soon.  
“Use your Acid attack, Vileplume, followed by you know what!”  
“Psybeam!” I intercepted.  
He used his strength to dissipate the acid blast before any of it collided with 
him.  
“Vile...”  
Solar energy was already being drawn into it.  
“Psychot! Quick! Use Psybeam!”  
“Kudabra!!!”  
“Plume!!!”  
Both attacks coincided, Psychot slid back while the Vileplume lay down 
defeated.  
“Psychot, you’re-”  
His eyes were looking tiresome and he could barely stand.  
“Vileplume, Return, I choose you Victreebel.”  
“Viiii!!!”  
Even though I hadn’t recorded this one, I didn’t think to, I was still full of 
pent up rage and sadness but I was hiding it away, I only cared about myself.  
“Psychot...”  
“Dabra...”  
“Return.  Go! Inferno!”  
“Victreebel, Razor Leaf.”  
“Flamethrower!”  
“Char!”  
He blew the flame but the leaves blocked the way to the Victreebel.  
“Use Stun Spore!”  
“Dive around it and Slash.”  
It ran forward but the dust carried out further than expected and consumed 
him.  
“Inferno!...  Get up and use your Ember attack!” I shouted.  
“Char...”  
He yawned and sat on the floor, a little cross-looking.  
“Inferno! What are you doing?! This is too important a battle to for you to 
just turn away! That’s a strong Victreebel and I’m relying on your firepower to 
win this one!”  
“Char!”  
He turned his back to me.  
“Inferno!...” I groaned.  
“Looks to me like you don’t have empathy with your Pokémon.” pointed out 
Erika.  
“Who asked you?!” I shouted.  
She looked a little shocked at my answer and then frowned, “Young man, show 
some respect for your Pokémon and your fellow human being.  You’re too tough on 
your Pokémon, and people that act that way won’t get far as a trainer because 
Pokémon don’t like being ordered around by bullies.”  
“Tell that to Bryan!” I replied.  
I turned back to my Charmander.  
I heard a lot of muttering from the audience, perhaps they were planning on 
throwing me out for my rudeness.  
“Inferno, what happened? You used to be reasonable and fight against strong 
opponents, that Victreebel Is strong.  I’m sure of it.”  
“Char...”  
It was another charade game, he acted out a happy face while pointing to me, 
then changed to an angry one.  
It was all my fault, asking him and the others to attack humans with everything 
they had, even at the worse of times, but my recent change and attitude was a 
bigger factor.  
“Inferno...  Its because of earlier with the bike gang.  You wouldn’t harm a 
human being unless it was absolutely necessary.  What I asked you to do was 
selfish and dangerous, and as for the shouting, I’m a real jerk for taking 
things out on you because of what happened between me and Emily...  I’m really 
sorry...”  
“Char!” he said a little happier, slapping my face gently as if all he wanted 
was an apology.  
“I’ve been acting more and more like Bryan since losing Emily.  But I will 
never become like him!”  
Erika smiled a little, and I turned round confidently.  
“I’m ready.”  
“Glad to hear it, Go Victreebel! Use your Acid attack!”  
“Scratch through it Inferno.”  
He tore through and the poison fell to pieces.  
“Vine Whip, Victreebel.”  
“Now use your Ember attack!”  
He tore through the vines and charged forward.  
“Slam attack, Victreebel!”  
Inferno fell back and landed awkwardly.  
“Razor Leaf!”  
Inferno tumbled and struggled on the floor as the leaves hit him and cut across 
his body.  
“Inferno!...  He’s too weak...” I muttered.  
The Stage difference between the two was big and type advantage wasn’t doing 
the job.  
“Inferno!...  Fall back! Its too strong for you!”  
He leaped up and roared as if to disagree.  
“CHARRRR!!!”  
Then he emitted a bright light and grew several inches taller and emerged with 
bigger claws, a longer tail and an evil toothy grin.  
“Charmeeeeeeleon!!!”  
My mouth was hanging in awe.  
“He evolved in order to win this for me.”  
I realised this could be a setback for me in the future, but for now, I didn’t 
care, we stood a chance.  
“Inferno! Use your Flamethrower!”  
“Razor Leaf!”  
The fire burnt right through and continued until they hit the Victreebel.  
Type difference was a factor now, though a powerful Stage 3, Stage 2’s always 
stood a chance when type advantage was involved.  
“Victreebel, use your Wrap attack!”  
“Ember, Inferno.”  
He set the vines on fire but Victreebel wouldn’t pull back and tied up Inferno 
before squeezing hard.  
“Char!!!”  
“Inferno...  Use your flames!”  
“Ch-Ar!” he wailed as some vines were wrapped around his throat.  
He was in total panic as he was unable to breathe.  
I don’t think Erika realised what her Victreebel was truly doing.  
“Inferno, you have to use your claws!”  
“Char!!!” he shouted and I saw that these were bound also.  
“Your tail! Use your tail flame!!!”  
He swung it around and the flames spread along the vines.  
Inferno suffered more as the Victreebel braced the pain until it became 
unbearable.  
“Viiii!!!”  
The vines loosened and Inferno jumped up into the air and struck a fighting 
stance.  
“Slash attack!”  
He tore across the Victreebel, and then gave another slash for good measure and 
vengeance.  
“Finish it off with... Fire Spin!”  
I was confident he could pull it off after remembering my battle with 
Wildfire.  
“Char Char Char Meeee... Leon!!!”  
The flaming whirlwind circled around the Victreebel and widened a little, 
burning the Victreebel inside, and then it compressed and crushed the 
Victreebel in flames.  
When the flames dissipated, the Victreebel was totally burnt, and it 
collapsed.  
“You did it, we won!” I cheered, running forward and hugging Inferno, but 
quickly backed away as he shot flames into the air for victory.  
I quickly returned him to his ball, hoping his evolution wouldn’t cause further 
unruliness.  

“And with great pleasure, I award you a Rainbow Badge.” said Erika kindly.  
“Erika, I’m sorry I shouted at you earlier.  Its just that some events have 
affected me deeply, but I’m willing to apologise to you and all of my Pokémon 
for my behaviour.”  
“I can see that you do have empathy for your Pokémon, be sure to keep it up, 
you will be rewarded for your kindness.”  
I smiled and held my badge up high, a flower with petals that were rainbow 
coloured.  
“Alright! A Rainbow Badge!”  

Later, after a great deal of apologising to my Pokémon, they found it in their 
hearts to forgive me, Twinkill being the first, I realised that no matter how 
angry I got, Twinkill stuck with me all the way, it truly was a good friend to 
stand by me during that time.  

There was only one last thing to make up for.  

“Hello, Professor Blossom?...”  
“Tetsubo.  I can’t say I’m impressed with you cutting me off and-”  
“I’m sorry Blossom, and I’m even more sorry for ignoring your wishes.  I missed 
a great deal of Pokémon entries and-”  
“Tetsubo, you’ve already recorded 97 Pokémon, there’s nothing to forgive, but 
as for the way you acted.”  
“I’m very sorry...”  
“I’ll forgive you, but only if you tell me what happened...”  

I spent the remainder of the evening talking with her.  
I managed to set aside my anger and hatred, I was taking it out on the wrong 
people.  
Emily had every right to leave me but I would not be so forgiving with Bryan 
the next time we met.  

End of Chapter 24B  

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