Lisa the Legend: Chapter 82 - Last Night on Earth now up! (24th June 2013)

[Gavin Luper]

Here 'tis!

Lisa the Legend

Table of Contents


Lisa the Legend I: Legendaries. (Book 1 Synopsis)

Chapter 1 - Adventure in the Burned Tower.
Chapter 2 - Lisa's Quest Begins.
Chapter 3 - The Contest.
Chapter 4 - Friends and Rivals.
Chapter 5 - Inside the Radio Tower.
Chapter 6 - Recovery.
Chapter 7 - Journey for Cianwood.
Chapter 8 - Suicune's Return.
Chapter 9 - Battle on the Coral Reef.
Chapter 10 - Fighting the Ocean.
Chapter 11 - The Ungrateful Sailor.
Chapter 12 - Psychics.
Chapter 13 - The Colosseum.
Chapter 14 - The Water Washout.
Chapter 15 - Watered-Down Revenge.
Chapter 16 - Whirlpool Champion - Part I.
Chapter 17 - Whirlpool Champion - Part II.
Chapter 18 - Legendaries.
Chapter 19 - Sacred Suicune.
Chapter 20 - Animal Magnetism.

Lisa the Legend II: Night Falls. (Book 2 Synopsis - Part I ; Part II)

Chapter 21 - Diverse Destinies.
Chapter 22 - Ultimate Confrontation.
Chapter 23 - Repercussions.
Chapter 24 - Homeward Bound.
Chapter 25 - A Ghost of a Chance.
Chapter 26 - The Engagement.
Chapter 27 - Aquatics.
Chapter 28 - The Meetings and the Mystery. [EBTV Crossover I - Part 1.]
Chapter 29 - Showdown in Port Valeo. [EBTV Crossover I - Part 2.]
Chapter 30 - Juxtaposition.
Chapter 31 - Friends.
Chapter 32 - Tin Tower Terror.
Chapter 33 - Icy Inferno.
Chapter 34 - The Flight of the Phoenix.
Chapter 35 - Welcome to Mt. Silver.
Chapter 36 - The League Final.
Chapter 37 - More than a Battle.
Chapter 38 - Tyler versus Hiro versus Kristal.
Chapter 39 - Christmas Crush.
Chapter 40 - Missing.
Chapter 41 - Waterfalls and Warnings.
Chapter 42 - Invasion from the Inside.
Chapter 43 - Return to Port Valeo. [EBTV Crossover II - Part 1.]
Chapter 44 - Gavin's Tale.
Chapter 45 - The Court Case. [EBTV Crossover II - Part 2.]
Chapter 46 - Intuition.
Chapter 47 - Night Falls.
Chapter 48 - The Union.
Chapter 49 - Golden Horizons.
Chapter 50 - The Informant.
Chapter 51 - The Dream.
Chapter 52 - Mount Fairfax.
Chapter 53 - The Defector.
Chapter 54 - The Professor's Tale.
Chapter 55 - The Deceiver.
Chapter 56 - The First Battle.
Chapter 57 - The Beginning.
Chapter 58 - Behind the Glass.
Chapter 59 - Burnt Sunset.

Lisa the Legend III: Rogue. (Book 3 Synopsis)

Chapter 60 - Letters.
Chapter 61 - The Promise.
Chapter 62 - Union Supremacy.
Chapter 63 - Submission.
Chapter 64 - Heart of Ice.
Chapter 65 - Rogue.
Chapter 66 - Parity.
Chapter 67 - No Such Thing.
Chapter 68 - The Colosseum by Night.
Chapter 69 - The Awakening.
Chapter 70 - Island of Lost Souls.
Chapter 71 - Scars.
Chapter 72 - Lotus Lake.
Chapter 73 - The Sepulchre of Suicune.
Chapter 74 - The Diary.
Chapter 75 - Destiny Fulfilled.
Chapter 76 - Run Like Hell.
Chapter 77 - Council of War.
Chapter 78 - Underneath.
Chapter 79 - The Gathering.
Chapter 80 - The Midnight Armada.
Chapter 81 - Lance Hudson versus Joseph Sterling.

Lisa the Legend I: Legendaries.

Chapter 1 - Adventure in the Burned Tower.

"And a 12 year old boy reported sighting the mysterious pokémon Suicune today. The boy and his friend were training pokémon outside the Burned Tower. They are the third this week to report seeing the legendary pokémon. Police in Ecruteak are treating the reporting as possible but have declined any confirmation. In other news a man has pleaded not guilty to mistreating a Magmar at the ..."

Sitting at the bar stool at the kitchen bench, Lisa Walters craned her neck to the side to see the large television set in the carpeted lounge room. She munched on her cereal as she watched, interested. And at the same time, she murmured quietly to herself, "Could the legendary pokémon ... be so near?"

Tom, Lisa's older brother, entered the cramped kitchen, a scuffed grey backpack slung over his broad shoulders. Tom was meant to be babysitting Lisa and her younger siblings, Wesley and Jean, while their parents travelled around Kanto for two months, studying Omanyte fossils or something like that. Lisa didn't see the sense of it, but all the same, it brought in good money for the family. Lisa's parents had already got enough money from the job they began not three weeks ago that they had bought Lisa an Aipom - her very own pokémon!

"You kids are alright for today," Tom stated casually, casting an eye over the kitchen. "I'm going to the gym for some training."

Tom was a gym trainer at the Ecruteak Gym. Now that he was eighteen, he no longer lived at home; for several weeks, he had been sharing an apartment with his girlfriend Miki, on the other side of town. Since the children's parents left for Kanto, however, Tom had been staying at home until his younger siblings became accustomed to living without their parents, then he was required to check on them twice a day.

Lisa sighed as she finished her cereal and drained her glass of orange juice. Finally she turned to Tom and said, in a rather bitter voice, "OK then, have fun."

Her bitterness was as could be expected from a young, budding trainer who had a poor way of accepting defeat. Lisa had attempted to fight the gym trainers many times, but her Aipom was unable to leave even a scratch on the Ghost-type pokémon in the gym, no matter what attacks she used.

So why didn't she catch more pokémon? Lisa's parents were quite strict, and no matter how much Lisa pleaded, they were not going to let their fourteen-year-old daughter roam the cities and fields of Johto, a wide and vastly unexplored county. Although she greatly wished she could, her moral restraints drilled into her from birth seems to tug her back each time her mind wandered. But she often longed to roam the fields, forests and oceans of the country.

"Lisa, are you listening to me?" Tom broke into Lisa's thoughts.

"Sorry, Tom. Go on," Lisa said, standing up and clattering her bowl and glass into the sink, and absent-mindedly turning the taps on heavily. She rolled up her sleeves, brushed a tendril of shiny ebony hair from her eyes and plunged her hands into the warm water.

"I said could you take care of the kids today?" Tom said, impatiently. He was obviously itching to battle trainers at the Gym. "After you wash the dishes, of course."

"Sure," replied Lisa, vaguely at first before realising what she had just agreed to. "I'll look after 'em for you."

"Thanks, Leese," Tom said in a rushed voice. "Seeya at lunch time."

Tom raced through the kitchen, to the entrance in a blur. The front door slammed shut. The second Lisa heard Tom's car pull out of the drive, a thought fluttered into her mind. By the time she had washed two plates, an excited smile had spread across her face.

Drying her hands on a clean handtowel, Lisa tied her favourite red bandana onto her head and ran upstairs to her room, forgetting about the dishes. Her bedroom was a large, airy room, the source of light being a sliding door which led onto a balcony. Lisa ignored the beauty of her room, as her mind rejected the thought of babysitting her younger siblings.

"Wes! Jean!" Lisa bellowed, slipping her sneakers onto her feet. She took her pokégear from atop her unusually tidy desk and hung it around her neck, like a necklace. It was a substitute for a necklace she had lost a few days ago, and because it was so large and cumbersome, she had yet to use it. But now, for the first time, she both wanted and needed to.

Lisa had a plan.

*

Wesley, a cheeky, twelve-year-old boy, and Jean, an even cheekier ten-year-old girl stormed into Lisa’s bedroom.

“Yeah, what is it?” snapped Wesley in his husky, pre-adolescent voice. “Hurry up Lisa, an elite four battle is on TV now.”

Lisa ignored him. “Nanna’s coming to look after you today.”

“That old bat?” Jean laughed, picturing her ancient, wrinkly grandmother who lived in a elderly home on Tower Street. “Since when has she been looking after us?”

“Since now,” Lisa said firmly. “I’m going for a - walk.”

“Where to?” Wesley asked. “Come on, Leese, Koga could be on his last Pokemon by now!”

“ OK, OK,” Lisa said. “I’m going to the Burned Tower to do a little training with Aipo-”

“Ah-ma!” Jean called in a childish voice, her pale brown eyes alight at the thought that she would be able to get her older sister into trouble - one of her favourite pastimes. “I’m telling!”

“Who are you gonna tell?” Lisa demanded, feeling her temper rise slightly as she always did when Jean gave her grief, but she tried to look as smug as possible on the outside. She was sure her plan was watertight. “Nanna won’t mind at all, she'd love an excuse to come and visit you two. And Tom's busy at the gym until lunch time - he'd be more angry at you than me if you tried to call him at work to dob."

Jean paused for a moment. “I’ll ring Mum and Dad,” she answered finally, her eyes still bright.

Wesley nodded in agreement, then strained his ears to hear any noise from the Elite Four battle on the downstairs TV.

“One step ahead of ya,” Lisa said, once again making sure her chin was jutting forward confidently. “Right now they’re in Mt Moon: no mobile phone coverage. They’re probably knee deep in Omanyte by now, anyway.”

Jean's eyes lost their fiendish glow. She knew she was beaten, and it seemed that she had little support from Wesley - it did not seem that he much cared who watched over him, as long as his anticipated television viewing wasn't interrupted.

"It's not fair!" Jean spat childishly, and she tramped very loudly to her bedroom, whining under her breath about how much she hated listening to her grandmother's boring war stories. Wesley, meanwhile, made a hasty retreat to the lounge room to watch his programme.

Lisa watched them leave her room before turning to survey the view of Ecruteak City through the glass doors that led onto the balcony. In the distance, on a slight crest above the red roofs and fawn-barked trees that defined the city's western suburbs, nestled among a thicket of shadowy foliage, stood the dark ruins of the Burned Tower. The place had sprung into Lisa's mind quite unexpectedly as she washed the dishes - but where better to go for a day's training than at the place where, according to the news, there might be a chance of glimpsing the legendary pokémon Suicune?

Excitement flooded through Lisa at the thought. Most of her training sessions with Aipom had been mundane to say the least, merely half-hour visits to the nearby park, where they were occasionally lucky enough to battle a low-level Rattata or Caterpie. Lisa usually spent the time conversing with her Aipom, wondering if he could actually understand what she said or not. But the prospect of training at the Burned Tower was infinitely more exciting than anything she had done before. It offered, at the very least, encounters with different kinds of pokémon, and quite possibly a battle with an actual trainer. And, at best, it could result in Lisa seeing that notoriously elusive beast, Suicune.

"Alright!" she thought, excited by her prospects. "Nothing stands in my way now, except maybe getting Nanna to come …"

*

One hour later, Lisa was strolling up the windy gravel road that led to the Burned Tower. That tower has a really odd past, Lisa thought, as she threw Aipom’s pokéball up and down in her hands.

Almost 750 years ago, two towers had been built in Ecruteak City, to signify the importance of the bond between humans and pokémon in Johto. One tower was in the west, The Brass Tower, and one in the East, the Tin Tower. Two majestic, flying pokémon lived at the top of the towers. They were rarely ever seen by humans, and one was rumoured to be a glittery phoenix pokémon known only as “ Ho-oh”. Six centuries after the construction of the towers, the Brass Tower was caught in a blaze of fire that burned the tower and reduced it to almost rubble. The pokémon at the top had flown away, never seen again.

Lisa brought her mind back to the present day. She had finally reached the end of the road: behind her, Ecruteak City was spread out, an enormous patchwork of green parklands, red house roofs, straight, well-trafficked grey roads and, in the centre, a cluster of white and grey office buildings.

Lisa turned back to the structure before her: the Burned Tower. She was standing in the shadow of the building, and the day seemed suddenly colder than it had a moment ago. Lisa glanced down at the red-and-white pokéball in her hand.

“Alright, Aipom! Come out!”

She opened the ball in a flash of light. Aipom, a small, purple and cream-furred monkey, appeared in mid-air with an enthusiastic cry of "Ai!". He landed on the gravel quite clumsily, scraping his foot, but he confidently shook the injury off and climbed up Lisa's leg, establishing a perch on her right shoulder.

“That's better,” Lisa said quietly. “It was almost scary standing next to this tower alone."

Lisa glanced up the height of tower. Even though most of its levels had been destroyed by the inferno decades ago, it was still an imposing edifice. Even an Onix would probably be dwarfed by the tower, Lisa estimated. She felt like some form of bug in comparison. The bushes around the sides of the tower rustled suddenly. Lisa shivered. Her initial excitement at training here was beginning to wear off.

“Ai!” Aipom said impatiently, tugging at her hair and pointing toward the entrance.

Lisa steeled herself. “You’re right," she said, making her own interpretation as to Aipom's words. “Let’s just go in.”

The girl placed her hand on the splintered wooden door gingerly; it creaked open, revealing the insides of the tower. It looked extremely dark and dreary within.

“Um ... maybe we should go back out,” Lisa said slowly.

“Ai!” Aipom shook his head firmly.

Lisa regarded her companion curiously. He had a certain bravado and determination that she had often envied in her friends at school. Perhaps this would be a good time to learn a lesson from her pokémon.

“Alright,” Lisa said in her strongest voice. “ Let’s keep going.”

She pushed the door open fully, and they entered into the gloom within. After a minute or two of fossicking around, Lisa's fears ebbed. After all, there was nothing scary about the piles of debris, wooden planks, pieces of tarp and cloth and general litter that covered the floor of the Burned Tower.

“I hope we find a pokémon soon," Lisa said eagerly, as she negotiated her way past a collection of rotten planks. "Maybe we’ll see Suicune, the legendary pokémon ..." she added quietly. She knew it was a bit childish, but she couldn't help but hope to stumble across the water-type legendary while she was here.

Aipom scurrying behind her, Lisa finally made her way past the rotten boards and found herself behind a flimsy, ancient wall - she had entered an annexe of the tower's main chamber. And, just a few metres ahead, a bright light was apparently suspended in mid-air.

“Suicune?” Lisa said, without thinking; the annexe had an air of mystery about it.

There was a derisive chuckle somewhere ahead. “Nope,” a male voice said loudly. "Unless you think I’m legendary, too.”

A bald, portly man stepped out of the gloom. He had an unfortunately egg-shaped head, and his ugly red T-shirt did nothing to hide his enormous gut. “I’m a fire breather,” he said. “Name’s Ray.”

"Um - I'm Lisa,” Lisa said after a long pause, shaking hands with the man. She had imagined any trainer she might meet to be perhaps her age, maybe even someone she might make friends with, but she supposed she couldn't be too picky about who she battled. “Do you train Pokemon?”

“Sure do,” Ray boomed, producing two Great Balls from the pocket of his slacks. “I have a Charmeleon and a Koffing.”

“Cool," said Lisa, feeling it was probably proper battling etiquette in this kind of random encounter to offer some kind of initial compliment. "Would you like to battle me and Aipom with them, then? We came here to train.”

“Alrighty then,” Ray said, and without further ado he set down the torch he had been carrying on the blackened floorboards and threw one of the Great Balls to the ground. “I choose Koffing.”

“Go Aipom!” Lisa cried, quickly pointing out at the wood-panelled floor before her.

“Ai po!” Aipom leapt out to face Ray’s Koffing, which had appeared in a flash before them, a foul-looking, gormless thing, hovering in mid-air.

“Koffing – Tackle attack.”

“How pathetic,” Lisa said, without even thinking. “Oops … did I say that aloud?”

“Uh huh,” said Ray, with an annoyed look. “Um … you’d better tell your Aipom to do something, kid.”

“Huh?” Lisa said, turning her attention to the battle. Koffing, for all its weak looks, had slammed its entire mass against Aipom, and was recoiling to have a second shot.

“Aaah!” Lisa cried, annoyed at the loss of battle time. “Aipom, Doubleslap attack.”

“ Ai!” Aipom squealed.

Koffing, displaying a relentless battling ethic, had just launched into a third tackle when Aipom's tail swung around before him. Aipom cried out enthusiastically as he first blocked the offensive with his odd, hand-shaped tail, and then slapped Koffing into a spin.

“Now Swift!” Lisa cried, feeling the excitement of a new, unknown battle coursing through her.

“Pom!” Aipom cried, launching dozens of luminescent stars at Koffing, who fell onto the wooden floor with a thud, instantly defeated.

“Aah! Koffing!” Ray yelled, his belly wobbling as he jumped up and down in frustration. “Return!”

As Koffing was snuffled up into it’s pokeball, Lisa shot a broad grin at Aipom. “Great job!” she called to him, her voice ringing with the hitherto unexperienced feeling of victory. “We finally won a round!”

“ Ai pom!” echoed Aipom, dusting himself off nearby. His smile was even wider than usual.

“You’ve won the round, but you haven’t won the battle yet!” Ray called to Lisa. “Koffing was my weakest Pokemon – so now here’s my strongest. Go Charmeleon!”

Lisa cringed, her joy somewhat diminished, as the crimson lizard-like pokemon jumped onto the wooden floor and leered overbearingly at the comparatively small Aipom.

“Come on Aipom – use your Agility.”

“Pom!” Aipom cried, running swiftly in circles around Charmeleon, who quickly became confused.

“Charmeleon, close your eyes. Don’t try to watch it!” Ray ordered sharply. He suddenly seemed determined to win; perhaps he had taken Lisa for an easy win at first. If he had, he was now regretting it.

“Char!” Charmeleon said in a deep voice. The fire lizard closed its eyelids and soon got its sense back.

“Aipom, stop with the agility, and try Swift!” Lisa ordered, keen to maintain her lead.

“Pom!” Aipom skidded to a halt and launched another series of stars, which slammed into the unsuspecting Charmeleon.

“Mee!” Charmeleon cried in pain.

“Charmeleon, Flamethrower!” Ray cried. “Full power!”

“Char!” Charmeleon roared, opening its mouth and absorbing fire from the inner parts of its body. A huge fireball began to form within its jaws.

“Aipom – Quick attack!” Lisa commanded, flustered. If the flamethrower hit Aipom, the battle would probably be over.

Aipom sprinted on all fours at the powerful Charmeleon, slamming with considerable force into its weak belly just before the flames were launched. However, as Charmeleon tumbled over, it opened its mouth and the flamethrower poured out in a gush, bowling Aipom over, before an explosion of ash and smoke obscured the battle from the trainers’ view.

“Aipom!” Lisa cried. Aipom had been so good. Lisa couldn’t stand losing in anything, especially not a battle.

“Charmeleon!” Ray cried.

The smoke cleared, revealing a fainted Charmeleon, and – miraculously – a weak, but conscious, Aipom.

“Aipom - you're alright!" Lisa cried, relieved. Then a greater rush of elation shot through her. "Aipom - we won! We won a battle!”

“Ai!” Aipom cried, running up to Lisa and hugging her.

Ray recalled his Charmeleon and picked his torch up from the ground.

“You’re not a bad trainer,” he said slowly, as though struggling to congratulate her. “I hope you two win a lot more battles.”

His tone was unenthused at best, but Lisa appreciated his sportsmanship nonetheless. “Thanks Ray, good luck to you, too,” she called after the man as he walked out of the tower.

“Ta,” Ray called back, his sizeable stomach giving him some difficulty as he squeezed through the narrow gap between the annexe and the rest of the chamber. There was a temporary burst of light from outside that lit the tower up for a second, before the ancient door closed again and they were plunged into darkness again.

Lisa looked around and knew there was nothing more to be gained by training in here. “Well, Aipom, I don’t think there are any more pokémon or trainers in here,” she said, taking a few steps toward where the door was; something creaked beneath her foot. “Let’s go … oh!”

The section of floor beneath Lisa and Aipom suddenly gave way and disappeared beneath them. Lisa didn't have time to do anything; before she knew it, she was plummeting downward, pieces of rotten wood beside her and Aipom in their sudden descent. She screamed all the way down until, with a painful thud, they landed in what appeared to be the basement.

“Oww,” Lisa moaned, checking herself for injuries, but she had landed on her backside, and she was thankfully not in very much pain. She had not even begun to think of a way back upstairs, however, when something utterly astonishing caught her eye.

“Oh my God ... Aipom, look!”

Aipom and Lisa fixed their eyes on a mysterious glow coming from a platform only a few metres away. There were what appeared to be three strange pokémon there. One was yellow, one red and one blue; all three were staring at the source of this sudden intrusion. Lisa immediately recognised the blue pokémon from the news report earlier that morning, and she gasped in shock, surprise and awe.

“Suicune!” Lisa gasped. “It’s the three legendary pokémon!”

The three creatures stared at Lisa, giving her such an odd look that Lisa felt like her feet were rooted to the spot. Suddenly, the yellow creature dashed away to the left, and the red one to the right. Suicune looked right at Lisa for a moment, right into her golden-brown eyes, and then appeared to prepare himself to run away.

“No, Suicune!” Lisa called. The excitement and rarity of seeing the legendary pokémon had dawned on her, and she realised that this could be her only chance to ever do so. “ I can’t let you get away!"

Lisa stood up and leapt at Suicune, as Aipom ran slightly ahead of her. She managed to grab hold of Suicune's glowing aurora fur. “Aipom, come on!” Lisa yelled, pulling her feet off the ground and leaping onto Suicune’s back. A second later she noticed that Aipom had already joined her on the legendary pokémon's back ... And then, with speed Lisa had never witnessed before, Suicune bounded upward, through the hole in the floor, charging through the ancient wooden door of the Burned Tower and south – out of Ecruteak.

[Gavin Luper]

Chapter 2 - Lisa's Quest Begins.


“ Aipom, hang on!” Lisa yelled, as the wind blew her bandana off and released her long black hair into her face, obscuring her eyes.

“ Ai!” Aipom called back, it’s tense tail holding onto Suicune for dear life.

Suicune was faster than any car on the Ecruteak Expressway. Lisa was sure that it never became tired at all, and it hadn’t stopped once in the whole hour Lisa had been on the mysterious creature’s back.

“ We must be half way to Azalea by now.” Lisa thought to herself. “ Well, at least I can say I’ve seen Suicune. This is pretty exciting I spose.”

Suicune raced along through the forest, not actually wanting to shake off his passengers. He needed them … he just needed to see what to do about them. His mouth was drying up after the hour-long pelt, and he veered away from the dense growth, and leapt into a nearby murky lake, and screeched to a halt. Lisa felt her body lurch forwards as she tumbled into the muck.

“ Ew!” she cried, wiping mud off of her clothes. “ This is gross.”

“ Ai.” Aipom nodded.

Suicune was at the shallower part of the lake, drinking extremely fast. All of a sudden, the brown water glowed and shimmered, and became crystal clear, and pure.

“ What.. was that?” Lisa wondered as her jaw dropped in awe.

“ Pom?” Aipom asked, watching as the water bubbled around him, turning from a deep, green-brown, to a pure, clear-blue hue.

“ This is really amazing.” Lisa said, slowly. “ Suicune has the ability to… cleanse water.” The 14 year old girl cupped her hands, let them slowly fill with the clear water, and drank gratefully. Aipom swam around playfully.

A few feet away from Lisa, where the water was still frothing, a tiny Pokemon appeared. It was a shiny blue colour and had no arms visible. Short grey spikes pointed from the sides of it’s oval head.

“ Woop?” It said in a squeaky voice.

“ Hey, that’s a Wooper.” Lisa told Aipom, who was glaring suspiciously at the newcomer.

Suicune was still drinking rapidly at the shore. Suddenly it looked up, and in the same instant Wooper used Water Gun, spraying the legendary; not damaging it in any way, if anything it was revitalising Suicune’s strength, but Suicune was still annoyed at an invader of it’s territory.

The Suicune opened it’s mouth and a silver orb appeared.

“ Uh oh.” Lisa said, wading over to Wooper and Aipom. “ It’s Ice Beam!”

“ Woop!”

Aipom was peering from behind Lisa’s shoulder, but Wooper was a very territorial Pokemon. It paddled over a few metres away from Suicune and let out another Water Gun. Suicune was even madder, and released a huge beam of Ice which engulfed Wooper in seconds. The tiny pokemon gave a frightened squeal, and sank into the lake.

“ Wooper!” Lisa yelled. “ Suicune! What were you thinking?”

Suicune was now in no mood to be told off. It glared up at Lisa before firing an Ice Beam that narrowly missed Lisa’s head. Then it began firing Ice beams every few seconds. One hit Wooper and knocked it out. Then, after one extremely inaccurate beam, Suicune leapt up into the air.

“ No, Suicune, don’t go!” Lisa yelled. In a last, desperate attempt to keep Suicune with her, Lisa threw a Pokeball at the legendary aurora Pokemon. The water type shrugged it off, and the pokeball fell down onto tiny Wooper, who turned red and dematerialised into the ball.

“ Hey…” Lisa said slowly, as the ball wobbled to and fro, and finally came to a halt, and rolled onto it’s inverse.

“ Ai?” Aipom said.

“ I … caught Wooper.” Lisa said, in a shaky voice that sounded nothing like her usual one. “ I caught another Pokemon!”

Lisa and Aipom jumped up and down, as Suicune’s aurora form glowed one last time, than dissolved into the lake.

“ Alright! What an easy catch!” Lisa said, reaching to pick up the pokeball, which was floating in the crystal lake. Lisa clipped the ball to her belt, made sure Aipom was on her shoulder, and began wading back to the shoreline. Then she turned back to where she last sighted Suicune, and realised he was gone. “ I’ll see you again, Suicune.” Lisa muttered to herself, barely conscious of what she was vowing. “ I didn’t know much about you before, and I still don’t. But I want to – I, I vow to find the secret of the you, and one day I WILL catch you, Suicune.”

“ Pom?” Aipom looked at Lisa strangely, and then began to laugh.

“ Quiet Aipom.” Lisa sighed, flicking playfully at it. “ You just ruined my dramatic moment.”

The two friends soon came to the shore.

“ We’d better go heal you guys at a Pokemon centre.” Lisa said, gleeful at having two Pokemon and vaguely reminding herself of a young male TV actor who once starred in a series ‘To Be a Master.’

Lisa flipped out her Pokegear and watched as the tiny screen said ‘Connecting to satellite’. Then a map appeared and Lisa discovered that she and Aipom were in fact only a few miles east of Goldenrod City: there would be a Pokemon Centre there. Equally importantly, from Goldenrod City she would be able to make contact with her brother, Tom, and let him know that she was no longer in Ecruteak City. She knew he would want her to come home - it was their parents' wish that she not train too far from home - but deep down she hoped that, somehow, she would be allowed to continue on her next journey. It was new and exciting: a real adventure.

“ Alright, Aipom!” Lisa cried enthusiastically. “ We’re off to Goldenrod!”

*

“ Aipom, Doubleslap!”

“ Ai! Ai! Ai!” Aipom yelled, using it’s tail to slap the opposing trainer’s Psyduck.

“ Psyduck – Water Gun.” Anna, the trainer of Psyduck, cried. “ Don’t relent.”

“ Aipom, block it with Swift.” Lisa called.

Psyduck prepared for a Water Gun, but as the Pokemon’s speed was pretty pathetic, Aipom’s attack got in first, and knocked Psyduck of it’s feet. The Psychic Pokemon slowly recovered, and spurted a blast of Water at Aipom, who swiftly dodged.

“ Now finish this with Tackle.” Lisa ordered.

“ Aipom!” Aipom cried, throwing it’s body straight at Psyduck and fainting it, winning Lisa’s second battle.

“ Lisa, you’re really strong for a new trainer.” Anna said as she recalled Psyduck.

“ Thanks, Anna.” Lisa replied. “ Aipom and I used to train with wild Pokemon near Ecruteak.”

“ Ecruteak? You’ve come a long way.” Anna said, brushing burgundy hair from her eyes. “ How many badges do you have?”

“ None.” Lisa said. “ I’m not really on that sort of quest.. I’m actually more of a…. um…. Legendary pokemon Researcher.”

At this, Anna laughed. “ Legendary Pokemon aren’t real.” She said in a rather snobbish voice.

“ Sure they are.” Lisa said. “ I’ve seen three.”

“ Whatever.” Anna said. “ Well, take my advice; you should just earn badges. It’s easier and a lot more fun.”

The girl walked off into the forest with her nose in the air.

“ WHAT A SNOB!” Lisa yelled. “ Well, then, I’ll do the opposite of what she said. I’m going to not only find out about Suicune, but about every Legendary Pokemon there is.”

*

Minutes later, Lisa came across a couple of trainers at a fork in the road. A young boy and girl, perhaps a couple of years younger than herself.

“ Excuse me!” the girl called to Lisa. “ Sorry, could you help us? Are we on the right track to Goldenrod?”

Lisa walked over to them. The girl had pale aqua hair, and wore pokegear around her neck, like Lisa. The boy wore black and gold clothing, and a cap to match. He had messy black hair, and also had pokegear around his wrist.

“ Nope.” Lisa said, looking at the way they had been going. “ The right way is the path I’m taking.”

“ Thanks!” the girl replied thankfully. “ Now if some of us knew how to read a simple map … not mentioning any names … HIRO!”

“ Sorry!” the boy said. “ Well, Kris, it’s not my fault the Pokegear’s wrong.”

“ It’s not wrong, you’re wrong!” Kris yelled.

“ Um.. hello?” Lisa said, not keen on witnessing an argument between two strangers.

Hiro and Kris turned to look at her. “ Oh, sorry,” Kris said, blushing slightly. “ We tend to lose our temper with each other sometimes, travelling together and all ..." She sighed. "I’m Kris, anyway, short for Kristal. Me and Hiro here are from New Bark Town.”

“ Lisa.” Lisa shook hands with Hiro and Kris. “ From Ecruteak.”

“ Lisa.” Kris began. “ Um ... would you like to come with us to Goldenrod? We’ll probably get lost again soon …”

“ Gee ... I’d like to,” Lisa began. “ But I’m kinda on my own quest right now … to find legendary Pokemon.”

Kris looked at Lisa, an inquiring look on her face, but she did not ridicule Lisa for her interests the way Anna had. Finally, she said, “ Lisa, I’ll tell ya what. Why don't we battle? If you beat me, then we go our separate ways. If I win, you come with us to Goldenrod - if you want to, of course. Fair or what?”

Lisa looked from Kris’ pleading face to Hiro’s; surely a couple of travelling companions would be a great addition to her quest?

“ Alright,” Lisa said. “ One on one.”

Kris took twenty paces back. Lisa did the same.

“ Let the battle begin!” Hiro called.

“ Chompy, go!” Kris yelled.

“ I choose Aipom.” Lisa yelled.

FLASH! Aipom and Totodile appeared at once. The deep blue Totodile had a berry hanging from it’s neck.

“ Chompy – Rage attack.” Kris called.

“ Aipom – Sand Attack.” Lisa commanded.

Chompy charged at Aipom, kicking up sand from the ground and leaving a small furrow in it’s wake. Just before the Rage attack hit, Aipom kicked up a cloud of dust from the ground. Chompy was unable to see, and the attack missed completely.

“ Good Job, Aipom, Now use Swift.”

“ Counter with Water Gun.”

Aipom shot out a stream of stars, which all slammed into Chompy’s Water Gun. Both Pokemon were hit with their own attack, as they collided and rebounded.

“ Chompy, Whirlpool!”

“ To---to---.” Chompy breathed out a stream of water, which formed into a Whirlpool as soon as it was out of Chompy’s mouth. Aipom was knocked out by the blast, and promptly fainted.

“ Aipom!” Lisa cried, preparing it’s pokeball. She felt torn between two emotions: sympathy for Aipom being knocked out, and disappointment at losing a battle. She always hated losing: for some reason, she always felt embarrassed after a loss, as if she had been shown up in front of people as incapable, as a weakling. “ Well - return.”

Aipom disappeared in a flash of light.

“ You’re really good Kris.” Lisa said, fiddling with her pokegear and not looking directly into Kris’ eyes.

“ Thanks Lisa.” Kris said. “ C’mon, we’re not that bad!" she said cheerfully, apparently taking Lisa's downcast face for lack of enthusiasm at having to join her and Hiro. " We’re off to Goldenrod, and that’s where you were headed anyway, right?"

“ Yeah.” Lisa said gloomily, her annoyance at losing still lingering over her.

“ Well, then, show us the way!” Kris cried, taking Lisa’s hand and speeding off down the road.

[Gavin Luper]

Chapter 3 - The Contest.


“ Cheer up, Lisa,” Kris said, a few minutes later, as Lisa and Hiro followed her along the serene trail which supposedly led to Goldenrod City, “ we’ll still help you find legendary pokemon.”

“ Yeah,” Lisa said, slightly depressed. “ It’s not that I don’t want to travel with you guys … It’s just … well, I hate losing. Anything. Especially Pokemon battles.”

Aipom gnawed on her ear pointlessly.

Kris laughed. “ Lisa, surely you know you can’t always win.”

“ Yeah,” Hiro added. “ You’re just a rookie, and so are me and Kris. Each time you win, you get better. Each time you lose, you learn a little. Losing is a part of Pokemon. If a trainer never lost, they wouldn’t get as close to their Pokemon. And if a battle was never challenging, there would be no fun in Pokemon.”

Lisa blinked as she prised Aipom’s teeth from her poor ear. “ I can’t believe those words just came from your mouth!” she laughed. "You sound all wise and professional."

“ Uh … well, living near Professor Elm all the time we kinda learn this stuff,” Kris replied, answering for Hiro, who looked deflated after giving a knowledgeable speech and being laughed at for it. “ Take Hiro’s advice Lisa, it’s good.”

Lisa nodded: despite laughing at Hiro's short speech, she had a feeling he was right, and she resolved to remember his words of wisdom and take them with her on her quest.

The trio walked onward. As they forged their way along the gravel road through the woods, they all eagerly shared their stories. Hiro and Kris, it transpired, had been friends for most of their childhood, and were now on a journey together, having received their starting pokemon from Professor Elm in New Bark Town just weeks ago. They seemed like very close friends, and even though they tended to argue at the simplest things, they always seemed to make up instantly, and with good humour. Lisa found herself hoping she would find her own friend like this - someone she could travel and share her journey with.

Lisa, meanwhile, told the other two about her past, about how she had grown up in Ecruteak City and had just finished High School a couple of weeks ago. She was still unsure if she would return next year, for advanced studies, or get a job instead: she thought she was too young to decide on her future just yet. She also told Hiro and Kris about her parents and how they had given her Aipom; about her siblings, Tom, Wes and Jean; and about her best friends Tuscany and Charmaine. She had gone to school with Charmaine and the three of them had played basketball on the same team, forging a very strong friendship, especially over the last year. But with the end of the school year, they had not kept in touch quite as well as usual. Both Charmaine and Tuscany had been talking about taking their own separate trips - maybe backpacking over the summer or the following year. Lisa's envy of them being able to travel while her own parents wouldn't allow her to was partly the reason she had not been so inclined to stay in touch.

"But you're travelling, too, now," said Kris, with a grin, as Lisa explained about her old friends' plans. "That's gotta be better than nothing!"

"It is," said Lisa. "But when my parents find out, they'll make me come home ..."

Kris opened her mouth to reply, but before she said anything, Hiro cut her off.

“ C’mon! Goldenrod’s just up ahead, I think,” he cried suddenly, as they crested a low hill. “ Check your pokegear, Lisa.”

Lisa checked the satellite map, while Aipom ran on ahead and began conversing with some tree borne Pidgeys. “ We’re about ten minutes away from the Bug catching contest.” She read off the map.

“ Alright!” Hiro yelled excitedly. “ It’s a Thursday too, which means we can compete!”

Hiro ran up ahead to see more clearly over the hill.

“ What’s with him?” Lisa whispered to Kris.

“ He has a thing for bugs.” She whispered back, rolling her eyes slightly. “ He has two already. One is a Venonat, and his other one ...”

“ Look! There it is!” yelled Hiro excitedly. “ The Bug Catching Contest. And I can definitely see Goldenrod from here!”

At the mention of Goldenrod, the girls sped up, and finally joined Hiro at the hilltop. Below was an absolutely massive plain, although to the three new companions it seemed more like a valley. Their small party had barely infringed upon it’s boundaries. The bug catching contest was close by, a large collection of tents and a couple of buildings near acres and acres of greenery which was the national park.

“ Whoa!” Lisa breathed. “ Goldenrod isn’t really that far away.”

Beyond the Park was a huge, misty mass of buildings and skyscrapers, which stretched for a long way. Beyond it, Lisa could make out a thin, hazy stretch of blue – the ocean.

“ Goldenrod’s just beyond the national park,” added Kris, glancing around. “ And there’s a whole bunch of stalls and stuff near the gatehouse; today must be a special festival.”

Hiro started running again. “ I can’t wait!” he yelled, wind rushing through his hair and excitement surging through his body. “ I can see the crowds, cheering as I hold up my prize bug Pokemon.”

“ What’s so great about bugs?” Lisa asked, rolling her eyes slightly.

Kris sighed and slapped her own face. “ Now you’ve done it, Lisa.” She mouthed behind Hiro’s back.

Hiro stared at Lisa. “ What’s so great about bugs? Everything! They have some of the coolest attacks, and they’re so buggy. They hide in places and they’re small. Some, like my Venonat, can even use a form of Radar to track people down. And as for other bug pokemon…”

Hiro went on and on. Just when Lisa was trying to think of a way to tell him to shut up, without hurting the boy’s feelings about bug pokemon, a man appeared on the road and approached them calmly. Hiro silenced as he approached them, but Lisa could tell almost instantly he wasn’t a threat to them.

“ Will you three be entering the bug catching competition?” he asked, twirling a grey moustache the same colour as his hair.

“ I will!” Hiro yelled instantly.

“ I might as well.” Lisa said, thinking suddenly. “ I’ll be able to get more pokemon!”

“ I guess I’ll join you.” Kristal nodded slowly.

“ Well, meet me inside the east gatehouse of the National Park in ten minutes.” The man said. “ And don’t be even a minute late. We don’t allow any latecomers in once the contest has begun.”

The man walked back to the gatehouse and stalls. The girls, ignoring Hiro’s requests to go straight to the gatehouse in case the contest started early, began to browse the stalls.

“ There’s a pokemon healing centre.” Lisa said. “ We’ll have to go there to heal all our pokemon before the contest.”

“ Hey, look over here.” Kris called to Lisa. “ Pokegear repair shop.”

“ Uh, my Pokegear’s working alright.” Lisa said.

“ Yeah, but mine isn’t,” Kris grinned. “ Come on, let’s take it in. They might be able to fix it before the contest.”

“ Alright.” Lisa said, enjoying the downgraded shopping spree.

“ Wait!” Hiro yelled. “ The contest begins in eight minutes. What if they start eight minutes early?”

Lisa and Kris entered the store, which Lisa thought was an overrated tent.

“ Excuse me?” Kris said in a soft voice, waiting at the counter. The space behind the counter was vacated.

“ Hello?”

The girls waited about five minutes before a woman popped up. Her red hair was very frizzy and seemed to be shaped like a circle around her head.

“ Good morning, kids. Sorry about the wait. How may I help you?”

“ My Pokegear’s not working.” Kris said quickly, fumbling with the catch at the back of her pokegear. “ Ah, there we go.”

Kris pulled her pokegear off and handed it to the lady.

“ Hmm… this is a simple problem.” She said. “ I should be able to fix this in about two sec-”

There was a loud click, and the pokegear turned back on.

“ Just a slight problem with the wires at the back,” the woman said. “ That’ll be three hundred dollars.”

“ Um ... you must mean three dollars, right?” Kris said.

The lady blinked. “ Yes… right…”

Kris placed the money on the counter. “ Thanks for fixing my ‘gear.”

The girls came back onto the path and saw Hiro waiting grumpily on a bench. A Cyndaquil and Venonat were beside him. He was juggling another pokeball. “ I hate shopping.” Hiro fumed. “ You were in there for five minutes … there’s only another minute or two before the contest begins.”

“ It’s alright.” Kris said. “ We’re done. Although, we need to heal our pokemon. Chompy's tired and Aipom's pretty exhausted too.”

As if to emphasise her statement, Aipom dropped to the ground and rolled in the dirt as though it were in pain.

A bell echoed throughout the area. “ Could all competitors in the bug catching contest please make their way to the eastern gatehouse. The contest begins in one minute precisely.”

Hiro stared at Kris and Lisa with a smug look.

“ No time to heal pokemon!” he cried. “ Let’s go.”

“ But Aipom’s got barely any health!” Lisa protested, as the trio rushed into the gatehouse, Hiro in the lead.

A small crowd was gathered around a platform, where the man from outside was standing, a microphone to his mouth. “ Welcome, all trainers.” He boomed. “ As you should all know, today we have our three times consecutive champion here to tutor some bug catchers at the end of the contest. The better pokemon you get, the more likely you are to win a whole day with … Kipp Anderson!”

A tall, teenage boy entered the gatehouse from inside the park. He was fair-haired, good-looking, tanned and was extremely well-built, muscles bulging out of his shirt as he looked out at the small crowd. Lisa looked at him and rolled her eyes at the boy who seemed to love himself.

“ Hello, everybody.” Kipp said in a deep voice. “ Good morning, girls!”

A gathering of girls in the front row all screamed in a pathetic way.

“ He smiled at meeee!” One girl shrieked.

“ Well he WINKED at me.” Another girl cried.

Kipp heard all of this but looked completely unfazed; if anything, Lisa thought, the girl's cries seemed to inflate his ego further. Lisa and Kristal exchanged glances; what was so great about this guy? Hiro, meanwhile, looked downright sickened by Kipp's self-involvement.

“ Alright, now, pokeballs ready?” the Manager cried, reaching over to the doors. “ Please give all your pokeballs to Kipp and I, except the one you wish to use.”

All the trainers did so.

“ Now receive your twenty Park Balls.”

Every trainer received the green, odd pokeballs.

“ Now, let’s begin!”

The Manager opened the glass doors wide, and trainers spilled out into the vast, grassy national park. Hiro ran off immediately, to the path on the left, but Kris and Lisa stood together.

“ I’ll go right then.” Lisa said slowly.

“ That means I get to go straight forward.” Kris said, after a moment’s hesitation.

Suddenly the sound of a pokegear phone ringing penetrated the area.

“ Hello?” Lisa and Kris said in unison, both snatching up the pokegear.

“ It’s me!” Lisa yelled. “ Mine, I mean.”

Kris waved to Lisa silently as she tramped off through the knee-deep grass. “Yeah, hello?” Lisa asked, holding the pokegear close to her face.

“ Lisa, is that you?” Tom asked. He sounded panicky.

“ Of course it’s me, who else would answer my phone?” Lisa said, stopping herself from giggling in a childish way.

“ Lisa, where the hell are you?” Tom’s voice changed promptly from panicky to furious.

“ The National Park,” Lisa replied, struggling to keep her voice calm and steady.

“ LISA!” Tom thundered. “ You should know better. Running away from home, leaving the kids alone …”

“ OY!” Lisa cried. “ I did not run away. I had no choice.” She almost had herself convinced of this - but how could she have simply allowed Suicune to escape?

“ Oh, cut the crap.” Tom retorted. “ You left home and left Wes and Jean by themselves.”

“ I didn't mean to go this far away! Besides, Nanna’s there!” Lisa argued, her face growing hotter.

Tom lowered his voice. “ She doesn’t count. If the kids asked to go to the Burned Tower she’d probably let ‘em.”

Lisa smiled at the thought of her amusing, rather carefree old grandmother. “ What’s so bad about that?” Lisa cried. “ I’m on a pokemon journey, and lots of kids younger than me are, too.”

Tom snorted in disgust, and Lisa could picture his face as though he was standing there before her. “ A Journey? Lisa, you only have one pokemon, that pathetic little Aipom that’s never been able to beat a trainer.”

Lisa felt anger welling up inside her like a ball of hateful fire.

“ DON’T EVER INSULT AIPOM! EVER!”

There was such rage in her voice that it was several seconds before either of them spoke again. After a lengthy, awkward silence, Tom’s voice came through the pokegear.

“ Lisa…. If you really think you didn’t run away, then what did happen?”

Tom’s voice was calm and almost soothing now. Lisa felt the redness drain from her cheeks as she explained the entire tale, from when she first decided to leave the house to when she battled Kris. Tom listened patiently, sounding astonished when Lisa told of Suicune and the other legendary pokemon - but he believed her. As a trainer at Ecruteak's ghost type gym, he was more inclined to believe strange tales involving supernatural and unusual things.

“So … what is your quest.. or journey?” Tom asked, when Lisa had finished.

“ I want to find the secrets behind all the legendary pokemon, but especially Suicune,” Lisa calmly replied.

“ Lisa … I know I shouldn’t really be doing this, but ..." Tom seemed to be suffering some kind of internal stuggle - his voice was strangled.

"But what?" asked Lisa.

" Well - this is amazing, what's happened to you. And I always thought Mum and Dad were being too restrictive, they should've let you go on a pokemon journey like this ages ago ... there's kids a lot younger than you doing it, have been for years ..."

"I know," said Lisa, thinking of Hiro and Kris.

" So I’ll let you go along on your quest … on one condition.”

“ What’s that?” Lisa's heart had leapt up in her chest.

“ That you come back to Ecruteak two days before Mum and Dad are due back. That way you’ll be there to explain everything, and I won’t get the blame.”

Lisa nodded, then remembered that Tom couldn’t see her. “ Yeah, of course Tom, that sounds fair.” It was all she could do not to hug herself with glee.

“ Be careful, Lisa; stay attentive, but also have fun,” Tom said, nearly whispering his final words. “ Ring me tomorrow, and keep in touch, you know, every day or two. Good luck, Leese.”

*

Lisa wandered around the park, oddly silent as she traipsed through the long overgrowth. Aipom ran alongside her, playfully calling out “ Lisa!” - the only English word he could speak.

Lisa suddenly found her path blocked by a Heracross, who had leapt out from the grass. “ It’s quite cute.” Lisa said to herself. “ But it’s not something I’d want.” She kept on walking, but the combination bug/fighting pokemon leapt out in front of her and blocked her way again.

“ Excuse me.” Lisa said, lightly, pushing past the bug.

“ Heracroo!” Heracross yelled.

“ Well, there’s no reason to get angry.” Lisa said, astonished at the Pokemon’s odd behaviour.

“ Ai, Aipom!” yelled Aipom.

A group of Heracross suddenly emerged from the grass, joining up with the first Heracross. Then they all ran to a tree and began headbutting it.

“ What’s their problem?” Lisa wondered aloud, confused.

Suddenly, dozens of Caterpie and Metapod began toppling out of the tree. Lisa realised at last what the Heracross were doing.

“ Stop that right now!” Lisa ordered.

“ AI!” Aipom agreed.

The Heracross ignored Lisa. She felt helpless. The Heracross were pokemon bullies, and they were injuring pathetic pokemon that couldn’t even attempt to stand up to them. They were knocking the littler bugs from their home.

“ Aipom, go!” Lisa yelled, feeling she had to at least try something.

One Heracross turned to fight, but suddenly a collection of Butterfree flew out from the highest boughs in the tree. They had been waiting for a distraction so they could take the Heracross off guard.

“ Alright, Butterfree!” called Lisa.

The Butterfrees all used Whirlwind, injuring the Heracross greatly and almost knocking them out. Then, with a final group Gust, the Heracross blew away; they were knocked out and had learned a lesson.

“ Now, Butterfree is mine.” Lisa said, choosing a huge butterfree. “ Go!”

Lisa tossed a ball at Butterfree, who unfortunately spotted the impending Park Ball, and created a gust that blew the ball backward, onto a sleeping Metapod. The Park Ball zapped open, and the cocoon Pokemon disappeared inside.

“ No!” Lisa cried, picking up Metapod’s Park Ball and opening it. Metapod appeared.

“ Sorry, Metapod, but I’m going to have to release you.” Lisa tossed Metapod up into the tree again, and prepared a new ball. Butterfree had its back to Lisa now. The girl picked up the ball, and tossed it. However, a freak breezy wind set the ball off course, and on course for a Caterpie.

“ Not again!” Lisa cried, as Caterpie was sucked into the ball and it latched closed. Lisa picked the ball up to release the bug, when suddenly a bell sounded.

“ BING, BONG. The Bug catching tournament is now officially over. The service attendants will now take you to the Western Gatehouse.”

Lisa couldn’t see any attendants nearby, so she threw Caterpie’s pokeball to release it. Just before the Park Ball hit the ground, an Abra teleported next to her, and caught it.

“ Thank you.” It gurgled, taking hold of Lisa’s hand. “ Now we will judge your pokemon.”

“ An Abra that can talk?” Lisa cried. “ What the ...”

But the next thing Lisa knew, she was in a gatehouse identical to the Eastern one; the Abra had teleported her back. All the Park Balls were being judged by the manager, who stood up on the platform. Abra released Lisa's hand and handed Caterpie up. Lisa met up with Kris and Hiro.

“ Hiro thinks he might win,” Kris whispered to Lisa.

After a few more minutes, the Manager stepped up to the platform. “ The winner of Thursday the 24th of October Bug Contest is …" He paused suspensefully. " Hiro Ferguson, from New Bark Town, with a Heracross! Runners up were Josh McMahon and Kristal Williams.”

Lisa applauded as her two friends received a Sun Stone and Gold Berry from the manager; she was not particularly fussed about not winning, and besides, with a small Caterpie, she hadn't had much chance.

Hiro and Kris came back; Kris looked elated at the berry for some reason, but Hiro didn’t look very happy.

“ What’s wrong, Hiro?” Lisa asked.

Hiro sighed. “ My prize is the rest of the day with that boring Kipp guy.”

Lisa and Kris couldn’t help but to laugh at him.

[Gavin Luper]

Chapter 4 - Friends and Rivals.


“ Here we are: Goldenrod City Centre.” Lisa said, as she weaved in between the citizens of Goldenrod. Hiro and Kris walked behind her, dodging other people, while trying to take in the breathtaking sights – Goldenrod City was a complete maze of skyscrapers and tall office buildings.

It was the day after the Bug Catching Contest; a Friday Morning. Lisa, Kris and Hiro had survived the lecture filled lesson with Kipp, and were recovering slowly. They slowly made their way to Goldenrod the previous evening and stopped off at an inn owned by a man with a Marill.

Lisa’s Aipom was on her shoulder, calling out playfully to every trainer who walked by, when Kris spoke up.

“ This is the centre.” Kris said, coming to a halt behind Lisa and Hiro. “ Finally we can heal our pokemon.”

They all stood facing a three-story building with a large pokeball atop the roof. The glass doors slid open as the small party of pokemon trainers entered. The Pokemon Centre was very busy, and Lisa was shocked to see two Nurse Joy’s at the counter. Assisting them were two Chanseys and a Blissey. Trainers filled the small building.

“ Whoa! This is so packed!” Lisa remarked, as she and her companions sat down on a chair … three to a seat, after handing their collective pokeballs to one of the Chanseys. They were extremely cramped.

“ What’s the big rush?” Kris asked a young boy next to her.

“ Haven’t you heard? Whitney, the gym leader, made her boyfriend a joint gym leader with her. In celebration, they’re giving away a Technical Machine to any trainer who can beat them.”

“ Everyone’s healing their pokemon to prepare for the fight.” A girl opposite Hiro told them. “ The queue outside the gym stretches all the way to the pokemart.”

Hiro gasped. “ I gotta go battle her.”

“ I think you’d probably win, Hiro.” Kris said slowly but sounded truthful. “ Your Cyndaquil is really strong.”

At that moment, a young trainer entered. He had fiery red hair and his attitude seemed to match from the moment he walked in, with a strong, confident step and a darkened face, and he refused to make eye contact with anybody.

“ I wonder who that guy -” Lisa began to Hiro and Kris, but they were staring at the ground which all of a sudden had become interesting to them.

“ What the prob?” Lisa asked curiously.

“ Quiet, Leese.” Hiro hissed. “ We’ll explain later.”

“ Alrighty then.” Lisa said, puzzled, and staring around the pokemon centre. Lisa shifted uncomfortably in the seat which she shared with both Hiro and Kris.

Nurse Joy walked up to the group at that moment and handed Hiro three pokeballs.

“ Pokemon fully healed.” She remarked, looking frazzled.

“ Thanks.” Hiro said.

“ You girls’ Pokemon will be a while longer.” Joy said. “ The machine just broke down.”

The boy who had just entered, with the red hair, looked up at that moment and saw Hiro’s black and yellow cap.

“ Well, well, well.” He said, in a mean, superior voice. “ Look what we have here. Two junior trainers who don’t have any badges.”

At this remark, Hiro looked up and directly into the boy’s eyes; something which the newcomer did not seem to enjoy. He turned away. Hiro grinned in a childish way.

“ So what are you here for, Tyler?” Hiro asked the redhead. “ Are they running gyms for freaks now?”

“ That’s funny, coming from a freak himself.” Tyler spat.

Kris looked up, and Lisa whispered in her ear.

“ Those two hate each other,” she explained. “ Tyler grew up in New Bark with us, and him and Hiro were like best friends. But then Tyler got a Pokemon from his dad a year before Hiro did, and they began arguing like this, until they finally couldn’t stand each other.”

Lisa nodded thoughtfully, remembering her best friend in Grade 4, Casey, had gradually become her enemy over a few years. “ Hmm … have they ever battled?”

“ Twice.” Kris said. “ Hiro lost both times. Tyler’s pokemon are just too strong.”

Lisa turned back to Tyler and Hiro, who were now having a heated argument.

“ Three Pokemon each.” Hiro spat at Tyler.

“ Sounds good,” Tyler said overconfidently. “ My Pokemon could use a little exercise… although I doubt you can provide much of a challenge.”

“ C’mon then!” Hiro yelled, wrenching a pokeball off his belt.

Nurse Joy came along at that moment. “ Pokemon Centres are NOT for battles!” she said shrilly. “ Outside, you two, now!”

Sullenly, Hiro trailed out of the centre via the side door, and onto the red pavement path where there was a small area of green lawn which looked almost designed to be battled on.

“ I’ll wait here.” Kris said. “ You go watch the battle, Lisa. I’ll wait here for our pokemon. Besides, I’ve seen them fight before. Nothing new there.”

Lisa nodded, and left Kris sighing. It wasn’t until Lisa left that she realised: Kris now had the chair all to herself.

She wandered outside, to see the two ex-friends facing each other on opposite ends of the lawn. Shutting the door behind her, she could no longer hear the hustle and bustle of the pokemon centre.

Hiro was holding a Pokeball. Tyler faced him, glaring at the young trainer.

“ I choose Heracross!” Hiro yelled, throwing the ball at the grass. Lisa perched herself on the wooden bench, prepared to witness a great battle.

“ Go … … Pokeball.” Tyler called, almost in a bored voice.

“ Why don’t you just say the pokemon’s Name?!” Hiro cried. Lisa sighed, and guessed that this was something Tyler did to infuriate Hiro.

Two pokemon materialised on the front lawn. A Heracross – Lisa had seen that in the National Park; and a very odd pokemon, which had flames on it’s back and all over it’s body.

“ What the …?” Hiro wondered, taking out a red electronic device.

“ Save your batteries, wimp.” Tyler sneered. “ My pokemon is a Magmar.”

Hiro slapped himself on the forehead. “ A fire type!” he cried. “ No fair.”

“ Who ever said battles were fair?” Tyler said impatiently.

“ Heracross – Horn Attack!” Hiro yelled in response.

“ Magmar – Smokescreen.” Tyler yawned.

Heracross charged at the flame pokemon, kicking up tiny bugs from the lawn as it ran, it’s horn, which was divided at the tip, protruding toward Magmar. At the last moment Magmar breathed out a stream of smoke that clouded up Heracross’ eyes and stopped it in it’s tracks.

Lisa could scarcely see through the black smog, but slowly it cleared, and the battle continued.

“ Heracross – recover and use Leer!” Hiro yelled.

“ Magmar – Ember.” Tyler called.

Before Heracross reacted to Hiro’s calls, Magmar had blasted it with a stream of boiling scarlet fire. The bug type was fell down immediately, it’s normally greenish body now charred black.

“ Return, Heracross.” Hiro growled. “ That was just pure luck, Tyler.”

“ Whatever Kid.” Tyler laughed. “ C’mon, choose a Pokemon.”

“ Venonat, go! Use Leech Life!” Hiro yelled. A Speed Ball flew down onto the turf, and sprang open. Hiro was making an obvious mistake. His battling techniques were falling due to his anger.

Lisa spotted this at once. “ Hiro – think about your attacks!” she called. “ Don’t let anger blind you!”

Hiro looked at her for a moment, and nodded slowly, trying to blot out Tyler’s taunts and jeers from across the lawns. “ Venonat – new plan. Use… Supersonic.”

“ Veno!” Venonat cried. It squinted it’s eyes almost shut, and supersonic waves emitted from it’s antennae. They slammed into Magmar’s head, making it sway around confused.

“ Magmar – Take Down!” cried Tyler.

However, Magmar was too confused to respond. It began to beat itself with it’s arms, until it fell over in a muddled heap of flames.

“ Gaah! Magmar – return..”

Hiro leapt up and down. “ Venonat, you did it! Great!”

Then he turned to Lisa, who was smiling with her friend. “ Thanks, Lisa. I couldn’t have won that round without you.”

“ No worries.” Lisa laughed.

“ Hmpf.” Tyler snapped, glaring at Lisa in annoyance. “ You might’ve had some luck just then, but you’ll need more than that to win. I choose Golbat.”

Hiro sneered. “ A Golbat, eh? Venonat, Tackle attack.”

“ Golbat – Take Down.”

Venonat leapt out, eager to prove how good it was to it’s loving trainer. The bug type slammed into the bat pokemon, and blocked the Take Down attack before it could get started.

“ Alright, Venonat!” Hiro called. “ Gee, Lisa, Venonat’s really getting strong.”

Venonat was extremely happy. It’s trainer was proud of it, and it felt great. Almost too great, actually, as though a bubble of joy was about to explode inside it …

“ Oy, what’s with Venonat?” Hiro wondered aloud. “ It keeps jumping up and… oh!”

Venonat began to shine with a blinding white light which washed over it’s entire being. The pokemon was hardly recognisable, as it’s body began to grow upwards, and change shape, as it’s molecular structure was magically rearranged.

“ Golbat, Bite it while it evolves!” Tyler called, not wanting to lose a moment of the battle time.

Golbat flew headfirst at Venonat. However, the newly evolved creature glowed with a browny-gold orb, and Golbat slammed into the protecting orb, throwing it onto the ground. Hiro grinned, glad that Tyler’s underhanded attack had backfired – in battles, trainers were generally fair enough to wait for a pokemon to finish evolving before attacking.

The new Venomoth took flight into the air, appearing refreshed from the evolution process. This new event was exactly what Hiro needed for another victory.

“ Alright, Venomoth.” Hiro cried, positively delighted at the bug’s evolution. “ Quick Attack!”

“ Moooth!” chimed Venomoth, flying through the air speedily and slamming into Golbat, knocking the poison type out.

“ Yeah!” Hiro cried. “ Alright, Venomoth!”

Lisa laughed along with Hiro as Tyler recalled his Golbat.

“ Last pokemon, Tyler.” Hiro crowed, almost leaping around in joy.

“ Well, you’re about to face my toughest Pokemon yet.” Tyler said with an evil grin. “ So, I choose … Golem!”

A huge rock pokemon appeared. It’s bouldered body was browny grey, and it appeared to be impermeable.

“ TACKLE!” yelled Tyler instantly.

Before Hiro’s Venomoth could react, it was crushed by the megaton pokemon, knocking it out. The bug flapped it’s wings weakly under the sheer mass of Golem, before passing out, after an incredibly profitable battle.

“ Aaah! Return, Venomoth!” Hiro cried. He recovered from the loss quickly as he chose his final pokemon. “ I choose Cyndaquil!”

Cyndaquil popped out of it’s pokeball, and immediately it’s fire on it’s back raised up in a warm heap.

“ Golem – rollout!” Tyler called.

“ Ember Cyndaquil!”

Before Cyndaquil could follow it’s master’s command, Golem curled in it’s battle-scarred limbs, and tucked it’s head in, creating a rocky sphere, before rolling across the dug up lawn. Cyndaquil watched with rising trepidation and shot out a blast of fire – it’s ember. However, the fire barely charred the rocky skin of Golem, and Cyndaquil ducked onto the grass as the greater pokemon squashed it into a defeat.

“ No way!” Hiro cried. “ I was winning … and Venonat evolved … no way.”

Tyler was recalling Golem. “ Bye bye baby … thanks for the exercise – and the fifth victory of mine today.” Tyler departed into the Pokemon Centre abruptly, and neither Lisa nor Hiro heard of him again that day. Hiro began to sulk over his third defeat by his enemy and rival, Tyler.

“ It’s alright, Hiro,” Lisa said kindly. “ Remember what you told me yesterday? Not to worry about losing, because you learn something. That’s true.”

Hiro looked up at her. “ What did I learn just then?”

Lisa pondered over this for a moment. “ That Tyler’s stronger.”

Hiro fell to the ground beside his flattened Cyndaquil, half laughing, half crying.

*

One hour later, Kris, Hiro and Lisa stood outside the Pokemon Centre. All their pokemon were now healed, and they were ready to go on their separate paths.

“ Well, we’re off to challenge Whitney.” Kris said.

Lisa sighed heavily. “ I’m off to the Radio Tower. I hear there’s some people there with knowledge about legendaries, so that’s where I’m headed.”

Each trainer looked into the others eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Then, finally, Lisa said; “ Guys, I know we only met yesterday, but you’re real friends. You helped me, and you taught me.”

Kris nodded slowly. “ Thanks Lisa. Ditto. I hope we’ll all meet up again sometime.”

“ I hope I’ll see you too,” said Lisa, as Hiro nodded at Kris’ suggestion.

There was a rapid exchanging of Pokegear Mobile Phone numbers, before Hiro was itching to move on.

“ G’bye, Lisa!” Kris called.

“ Yeah, maybe we’ll cross paths again soon,” Hiro called.
“ I hope so,” Lisa said sincerely. Finally, she said it: “ Goodbye.”

Lisa left the friends she had made, feeling as though a large part of her was just left behind with her friends. Lisa reached to her shoulder to pat Aipom … then suddenly, she knew what it was.

“ Kris! Wait!” she yelled, chasing after Hiro and Kris along the footpath. “ You have my pokeballs!”

[Gavin Luper]

Chapter 5 - Inside the Radio Tower.


It was Saturday. Lisa had spent the planned to spend the previous day at the Radio Tower, but it was closed. The radios all over town were turned off, also. A few townspeople had been confused by the event.

"It's not normal at all," the Innkeeper with the Marill said to Lisa with a confused frown on Friday night. "The radio tower's closed, radio transmission's stopped ... there's something wrong."

Nevertheless, Lisa had shrugged off the bizarre happening, and spent the day training with Aipom, Wooper and Caterpie, who all had had a very tough battle each, and Lisa was extremely pleased when Caterpie grew a level and learned Smokescreen after a fight with a Drowzee, and had subsequently evolved. Lisa was very proud of her Metapod, weak or not.

Lisa strolled up Goldenrod Avenue and crossed the road on the pedestrian path, finally reaching the Radio Tower, which, black and shining, rose up steadily above all other buildings in the city. The tower was situated on a slight escarpment, and when Lisa looked behind her she could see the Pokemon Centre, and the small bed-and-breakfast she had stayed in overnight.

“ Here we are again.” Lisa said to Aipom, who was swinging on her shoulder. “ The Radio Tower. Hopefully there’s a lot of people in here who know about Legendary Pokemon … especially Suicune.”

Just before Lisa could enter the tower’s sliding glass doors, a man in black appeared from behind a corner building, and pushed her roughly over. She stumbled but recovered, and then turned to face him. He was clothed totally in black, and had a menacing look on his face. “ Oy, kid. Watch out where you’re going.”

“ Me? You ran into me!” Lisa argued quickly, as Aipom spat out at the man. However, the girl was slowly backing towards the doors of the Tower.

The man shrugged angrily. “ Just stop snooping around, kid. We’ve got enough problems without you.” He began to leave, when suddenly, a very odd look crossed his face – something like stunned surprise. But when he turned, Lisa was gone.

She had thought the man’s behaviour was pretty bizarre, so she sidestepped swiftly and sprinted through the electronic glass doors, and entered the busy radio station tower, escaping the shady character before he got any closer or any more annoyed.

“ Welcome to the Radio Tower.” A young woman said abruptly, as Lisa walked past a desk near the entrance.

“ Thanks.” Lisa replied, turning to look around the enormous foyer of the tower. “ Um, could you please tell me where I can find information on the Legendary Pokemon?”

“ Floor Four,” the receptionist said. “ It’s a cluster of bookshelves to your right as soon as you enter.”

“ Thanks again,” Lisa said, rushing off.

Lisa walked up to the fourth floor, and looked to her right. There was a huge collection of shelves immediately there, all of which rose up to the high ceiling which Lisa felt would surely accommodate for a Steelix. Aipom forgot to be hyperactive while they were entering the room, which was crammed full of all kinds of books. Lisa wandered over to one lower shelf and flicked through a thin book … she looked at the cover – Habitats of North South African Snails – and hastily threw it back on the shelf.

She perused the aisle slowly until she found a book about Pokemon habitats … she was on the right type of creature, at least. Suddenly, somebody tapped her shoulder, and she spun around.

“ May I help you?”

A boy about Lisa’s own age stood behind her. Lisa looked him over, and quickly decided he would be very good looking if he wasn’t wearing those clothes. He stood behind her wearing a fake grin, glasses which looked far too big, an officy shirt, a tie which looked as though it were strangling him and too-shiny shoes.

Lisa wrinkled her nose up instinctively and frowned. “ No thanks Eugene," she said bluntly, without even thinking.

The boy snorted suddenly, and began chuckling. “ You think I’m a nerd?”

“ Oh no ... well ...” Lisa muttered, embarrassed that she had not held her tongue.

The boy laughed again and Lisa stared at him as though he was a retarded Mr Mime. He gave out furtive glances up and down the aisle of books, and then suddenly pulled off his glasses and loosened his tie. He wiped the salesman grin off and Lisa noted he now looked human.

“ They make me dress up in 'costume' for work,” he sighed, rolling his eyes, and refitting his uniform. “ Except the glasses – they’re my friend Dave’s – I use them to keep all the dust out of my eyes. Except they give me headaches like all the time. So if I look nerdy then sorr-eee.”

Lisa blinked. “ You work here?”

“ Of course. Why else would I ask if I could help you?”

She blinked again. “ Dunno. Anyway, I’m Lisa. Could you please direct me to the legendary pokemon books?”

“ It’d be a pleasure Lisa. By the way, my name’s Wayne.”

“ Wayne what?”

“ King.”

“ Wayne King, that’s diff – oy!!” Lisa’s jaw dropped as the boy went off into fits of laughter and she realised she had been tricked easily. "That's just juvenile," she said flatly, looking at the boy with distate. It was such an immature joke. Once the boy had stopped laughing at his own weak joke, he lead Lisa into another aisle of towering books.

“ My name’s Gavin. Gavin Luper.”

“ That’s your real one, right?.” Lisa shook his hand slowly, taking a liking to the boy who surely couldn’t be much older than herself. “ My name’s Lisa Walters.”

“ Pleased to meet you," Gavin said politely. " The legendary Pokemon books are this way, I think.” he continued, his brown hair messy as he led Lisa along the aisle towards . “ You see, I’ve only worked here for a week. I’m still getting used to the location of the books.”

“ I wish I had a job.” Lisa said. “ I don’t exactly have much money.” She jingled the pockets of her jeans, and reached inside them to produce barely fifty dollars. She wished she had taken her wallet to the Burned Tower two days ago, but who knew she would be swept away by Suicune?

“ There’s an opening on the fourth floor,” offered Gavin eagerly. “ Er … I think.”

Lisa laughed. “ I’m alright, really. I’m really on kind of a journey.” She paused. " Anyway, you do have any books here about Suicune?"

Gavin opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, and instead reached up to a high shelf and pulled down a fairly thin book. He opened it, and revealed pictures of Suicune, taken from many people over the last few years, including a picture of a Suicune statue in Ecruteak, which Lisa had seen many times before in the Floramenda Square, and an ancient drawing of the legendary beast which dated back 600 years.

“ So what do you need this for?” asked Gavin slowly, as he flipped through the pages. “ Essay for school?”

“ No.” Lisa laughed. “ I’m on a journey, remember? I’m a Legendary Pokemon Researcher.”

“ Really?” Gavin said, apparently interested. “ My Uncle’s a researcher too. Have you ever seen a Legendary?”

“ Yeah, two days ago. In fact, I actually rode one.” Lisa became suddenly quiet, thinking about Suicune and how it had been sighted so often lately in Ecruteak, and had now swept down south with her atop him.

“ Wow!” Gavin said, grinning, the pages of the thin book unturned as the two new acquaintances chatted. Lisa looked at him curiously; he didn't even doubt her. Most people would laugh or say "yeah, right", but Gavin just didn't.

His face turned dark. “ I hate people that don’t believe in Legendaries.”

“ Me too.” Lisa said, recalling Anna back on Route 36. “ They’re real, some have even been caught on TV for documentaries.”

“ Speaking of Documentaries, we have some videos of them in the video vault. I think. But most of out valuable videos have gone missing lately; nobody knows where they are. Someone might have stolen some, I dunno.” Gavin took a deep breath, looking concerned, presumably about the stolen - or missing - videos. “ Anyway, wanna rent one out?”

“ Sounds good,” Lisa agreed. She shoved the Suicune book back among the various other dusty volumes, and the two people set off behind the desk to a narrow door. Aipom perched itself tensely on Lisa’s left shoulder, as Gavin hauled the door open.

A musty stench arose from the flight of stairs behind the door. Lisa guessed the video vault had not been opened in a long while.

“ God – It stinks down here!” Lisa cried, pinching her nose and breathing in short, shallow gasps.

“ Ai!” Aipom agreed.

“ It didn’t smell like this on Wednesday.” Gavin said slowly. “ That’s when I last came here …”

Lisa sighed – her guess had apparently been wrong. “ How far down do these steps go?”

“ A fair way.” Gavin replied, a smirk on his face. “ Come on, you’ll really like this video I found, called ‘Sacred Suicune’.”

Lisa decided to distract herself by changing the subject, as they walked down the grey concrete steps. Aipom dropped from Lisa’s shoulder to the ground, and began sniffing around as he scampered ahead into the gloomy depths of the Video Vault.

“ So, Gavin, what do you do apart from work here? Do you live in Goldenrod?”

“ Yep.” Gavin said, still walking. “ I’ve lived here for about a year. My family live in Ecruteak still, but I came here to stay with my friend Dave – he’s fifteen too.”

“ Really? I’m fourteen!” Lisa cried, excited for no apparent reason. “ But … whoa, your parents must be really lenient to let you move cities when you’re only a year older than me. My parents wouldn’t even let me go training outside of Ecruteak.”

Gavin looked at her, and looked like he was about to open his mouth to talk when he seemed to think better of it. Moments later, he said something different.

“ So how many Pokemon do you have?” he asked, a slight shake to his voice.

“ Three.” Lisa said. “ A Wooper, a Metapod, and of course, Aipom.”

“ I train psychic pokemon.” Gavin told her. “ I’m kind of a weak psychic myself, but my abilities are too weak, because I never really had the time to practice them. I only have a Natu.”

“ Gee… why don’t you travel around to train it up, as well as train yourself?” Lisa was shocked to hear that her new friend was an actual psychic, but oddly enough she found herself believing him like he had believed her– usually people were cynical of psychics – she was too, usually – but she felt she could distinguish already between Gavin’s jokes and his seriousness. And it was proven that some psychics really could harness the power of their minds. " What can you do then? Do you perform telekinesis or what??"

" Just ... you know, uh ... premonitions," Gavin shrugged. “ But I don't really want to travel away. I like Goldenrod, y’know?”

“ Yeah, but travelling’s fun.” Lisa said, while they continued down the spiralling stairway, their steps echoing. Aipom crept around the corner rapidly, and Lisa suddenly lost sight of him. “ Don’t you have a dream Gavin? Like entering the Pokemon League?”

“ Well..” Gavin began. “ I guess I do. My dream is … uh … to be a great Psychic trainer; and have my own gym here in Goldenrod. Or my own really big company. Or a writer. Or even be an actor." He paused, and Lisa grinned - he had a lot of ambitions. " That’d be awesome!” he finished, and there was a broad, genuine smile on his face.

“ Have you ever even battled, though?” Lisa asked curiously. “ Once you do, it’s really fun, you get interested in Pokemon training. I tell you, it’s addictive – I never would've thought I'd be this into them until I got Aipom a month or so ago.”

Gavin shook his head. “ I haven't really done much battling ... Natus aren’t exactly the strongest battlers.”

“ Either are Caterpies, but I manage fine,” Lisa said slowly. “ Listen, I’ll tell you what. When we get into the Video Vault, you find me the video and in return I’ll battle Natu with Metapod for you, just to give it some experience.”

“ I can’t battle in here. I’m at work. I'll get in trouble.”

“ When do you get off?”

“ Five.”

“ It’s a date then," Lisa said in a final tone. " Meet me outside the Pokemon Centre, on the grassed area to the side.”

Gavin gave another genuine smile, apparently chuffed that he had made a friend so quickly. He opened his mouth to say something, when there was a sudden clatter from below. As as they rounded the stairway, Lisa and Gavin emerged into a vast, low-roofed room, stacked with Videos. Gavin explained that the video vault was kept on the ground floor, because they were actually too heavy to be kept on the weak fourth floor’s floor. Lisa was about to point out the floor managed to hold up with all the books, but suddenly she shivered, as there was another clatter. “ Hey, there’s someone in here.”

“ Yeah, us,” Gavin said.

“ No, I mean … someone else. In the Video Vault.”

The room was smelly and damp, not to mention gloomy. Lisa brushed Spinarak webs away from her face as Gavin led the way along the dark corridor. Aipom was standing still at the foot of the stairs still, not making any movement, except for sniffing the air with a sense of danger.

“ I don’t see any ...” Gavin began.

Suddenly an ear-piercing screech filled the corridor an echoed around the entire chamber.

“ Ow!” Lisa yelled, clasping her hands over her ears. The chilling screech echoed and rebounded within Lisa’s head, and she screamed too.

“ Lisa?” Gavin asked. Then he looked over her head, and leapt out swiftly in front of her, thrusting her down onto the concrete floor before leaping down himself.

There was a blast of green light which whooshed past Lisa’s head; it only missed because Gavin had pushed her head down two seconds before. There was a sudden silence. Gavin was on top of Lisa, who was now laying on the ground, mouth open and jaw dropped down.

“ You … risked yourself...” she muttered. She found her body shaking with fear and panic. “ You risked your own life ... Oh my God, What WAS that?”

Gavin blushed a deep red, and opened his mouth to say something when he, yet again, thought better of it, and shut his mouth. Then he said something different again.

“ Y’know – there’s a pokemon in here. That was a Pokemon.”

Lisa thought about it. “ You mean – it’s still here? But… I can’t see anything.”

“ WE can’t.” Gavin told her, his voice very strong and definite. “ But I know who can.”

“ Who?”

“ Natu, go.” Gavin called, throwing a Moon Ball into the air. “ Natu – Radar Eye now. See if you can pick up any form of other Pokemon in this room.”

“ Tu!” Natu called, zapping out of the odd pokeball in a flash of radiant light and opening it’s small eyes as wide as possible. Suddenly, it leapt up and down on Gavin’s shoulder.

“ Natu – show us where the pokemon is!” Gavin cried urgently. There was a strange look on his face, as if he were staring off into another world.

“ Tu!” Natu flapped it’s tiny wings while Lisa thought Natu should hardly be classified as a flying type pokemon; it could barely get five feet up off the ground.

After what seemed like an eternity, Natu came to a rest ten feet up in the air.

“ What’s Natu sitting on?” Lisa cried, confused.

“ A Pokemon!” Gavin cried, his face breaking out into a grin. “ And now I know where it is ... I can catch it!”

Gavin threw another pokeball; this one had a large “U” engraved into it. It headed for the mysterious invisible Pokemon, when suddenly there was a whoosh, Natu fell out of the air, and the Ultra Ball landed on the ground and shattered into a hundred, splintery pieces.

“ What the hell was ..?” Gavin began, panicking.

Suddenly, on the other side of the video vault, a shelf of videos toppled over. And then, beneath Natu, a huge, black pokemon appeared out of nowhere; it was at least 10 feet tall – yet it was similar to the legendary beasts; it had four legs and was growling. It had a head which looked too big in proportion with it’s body, and an enormous orb of green light was forming within it’s sharp jaws, growing rapidly, aimed for Lisa and Gavin, who stood there, unprotected and vulnerable.

“ Holy CRAP!” Lisa screeched, more as a conscious reaction than a reflex of fear. Then she figured, in an abrupt moment of realisation; this was a legendary Pokemon …

[Blastiose007]

its good being back on the old UBB and as before great job with lisa the legend

[Gavin Luper]

Blastoise007: Thanks to one of my most loyal readers! I hope you keep reading in future! I'll get the other chapters up later!

[Blastiose007]

i will keep reading as long as you keep writing chapters to lisa the legend and the crystal league

[Gavin Luper]

Blastoise007: Thanks. The only time I'll stop posting LTL is when it is completely finished. So it's always going to be around, at least until the start of next year. And TCL will be up again soon (ie tomorrow). Cheers!

[Blastiose007]

back on the UBB and Gavin's fanfics what a happy day and i contiue reading the crystal league as well

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

Ah, yes, it feels good to be back at the real TPM.
So, Gavin, you're here too? Well, I'm ready to reread what I've read on Lisa the Legend.

It's weird, they had EVERYTHING i had before. I wonder if it has all my posts. It said I'm a Senior Member. Heh, I feel old.

And my old sig. Wow, i have to add all those WHO AM I? things...

well, Gavin, let's have the next chapter!

EDIT: Fixed my sig, 1528 posts (YES!!!) Advanced Trainer, now I just need to make my avatar smaller to fit, add some catchy thing with the gender and age, and SuperSonicMewtwo will have truly returned!!!!!

*thunder and lightning flashes around as evil laughter fills everyones ears*

[Master Kirby]

I'm glad to be back on the old UBB. Yea! No pop-ups!

I wonder what trainers Lisa will meet in the semi-finals? They must be more powerful than any she has gone against yet.

[Gavin Luper]

Blastoise007: Heh heh ... i feel honoured!

SSM: Hello hello hello! You don't have to reread the old chapters you know, they're just for any new readers! Of course, I'm not stopping you, you can if you want to! But Chapter 16 will be up today! Woohoo!

Master Kirby: Yeah! No popups! It's so much more relaxed and relieving!! The semi-final trainer will be tougher than Anna, and Alicia (for Gavin) but I'm debating whether to write the battle or just have Lisa recount it mentally.

Chapter 6 up in a few minutes guys!

[Last Exile]

Hey hey! Good to see this up again Gavin! Hope all's well! Rock on, my friend!

[Gavin Luper]

HEY CCC! Ello!

Nice to have you back. Thanks for returning to read this! I'll put chapter 6 up soon, eh?

Cheers mate!

[Andrew]

Hey Gavin! Looks like you're going great guns already!

I guess you'll continue re-vamping as such and I guess we'll get to the crossover again soon! But well this Pokemon fic (Can I call it trainer?) is way better than mine when I started out!

Good work mate!

[Gavin Luper]

Oz: Ah, I was wondering when the guilt would take over you and you'd be forced to come crawling back here.

JK!

Yeah, the later chapters still need to be renovated and have their titles changed. No title is safe! You can call this a trainer if you REALLY must, but otherwise, no.

And besides, this has been edited once or twice, so of course it's better than the original version of it. And as for EBTV, it's better than LTL!

Seeya mate!

As promised!

------------------------------

Chapter 6 - Recovery.


Lisa’s heart was in her throat, thumping loudly and seemingly trying to move right up into her mouth. She turned to Gavin; sweat was pouring down his face in long channels. Lisa knew how he felt, although she had only met him barely fifteen minutes ago.

The black beast was still absorbing energy, and Lisa was almost certain it was a new, undiscovered type of pokemon. She also knew there was no form of escape. The black Beast had circled around then, and was now standing next to the steep flight of stone steps which was the only exit.

Lisa reached for her pokegear. She began fiddling with it, not knowing what to do to save herself. Natu fluttered to Gavin’s shoulder again. Lisa saw the whole scene in slow motion, and her eyes seemed very hazy. The green orb of light was almost blinding her now, and the beast was growling ferociously. Gavin suddenly clasped both hands onto his head, and screamed.

“ Gavin?” Lisa asked, as Natu glowed purple, along with Gavin. “ Gavin, what’s wrong?!”

Gavin screamed again, and suddenly a huge blast of purple light emitted from his head; at that same moment, the beast’s green energy launched at them, and collided with the purple blast. Lisa was absolutely dumbfounded, but she had no time to think. There was suddenly a huge explosion, and Lisa felt as though everything was wiped from her mind in one swift blast. The walls of the Radio tower were no match for the attacks combined; they snapped, crushed and splintered as easily as walls of flimsy wood.

Lisa watched in horror as the ceiling gave way and the upper floors began to collapse down on top of them. Desks from the above offices crashed down onto Lisa, as she shielded Aipom with her arms. Natu, seemingly unaware of the disaster and looking very calm and relaxed, turned blue and suddenly began to vanish. Lisa watched in surprise as her body disappeared, and Aipom and Gavin’s. The last thing Lisa saw was a huge bookshelf falling down to crush her to death.

*

Lisa opened her eyes slowly and carefully. Her whole body was aching, as though she had just been crushed by a Snorlax. A soft wind blew through the trees; she was outside. What had just happened? Lisa scanned her mind but could find nothing; no trace of any recent happenings. Lisa lay still for a long time, staring up, hypnotised, at the cloud-covered sky. Where was she? Lisa again attempted to recall the recent happenings, but her mind couldn’t draw any events from the depths of her memory.

Someone laying on the ground near Lisa groaned, and Lisa suddenly recalled something. A blast of green light; an explosion. Everything came flooding back, the Radio Tower, Gavin, The Video Vault; and the legendary Pokemon. What WAS that thing? But Lisa still could not remember what had happened exactly. The last thing she recalled was the black dog pokemon absorbing energy, and then a great deal of pain.

Lisa pulled her body up to a sitting position, and her back cracked loudly in several different positions. However, she shrugged the slight pain off, and crawled over to Gavin, who was laying a few feet away. He had landed on a hard area of flat dirt, and when Lisa looked back behind her, she realised she had landed on a fluffy-looking patch of deep green clover, which had cushioned her fall.

Gavin was still out cold. Lisa had no idea what to do; what could she do with a knocked out boy? The girl brushed her hair with her fingers and sighed. She still had no bandana; it had blown off during that sprint with Suicune. She’d have to buy a new one from Goldenrod – but where was she now?

“ Ai?” Aipom’s voice sliced through the silent air. Lisa twirled around to see a battered and beaten up Aipom on the dirt, taking small, dizzy steps every few seconds.
“ Aipom!” Lisa called, hearing her voice for the first time in what seemed like an age. “ Are you alright?”
In response, Aipom breathed out, and collapsed in a muddled, fainted heap on the sandy ground.

Lisa held out Aipom’s pokeball, tears welling up in her eyes as she recalled it. Where was she? What should she do with Gavin and Aipom? And how did she get here? A bird pokemon screeched loudly in the background, but Lisa shrugged it off. She had to remember everything else, like what happened

*

Officer Jenny came roaring down Route 34 on her shiny motorbike; there had been a reporting of trainers in distress – a short phone call with little information whatsoever. Jenny rode on, hoping not to run into any of the roadblocks that had been set up –seemingly in vain – to stop the mystery Pokemon that had destroyed the Radio Tower, killing 20 people.

The young female officer screeched to a halt at the end of a small country road which led to the sea. There she saw two trainers laying down on the dirt, along with a tiny flying pokemon – Jenny squinted her eyes to make out what Pokemon it was, but failed.

“ Wake Up!” Jenny yelled frantically, as she dismounted her motorbike and raced down towards the people; off the gravel road and onto the flat, dry plain.

Lisa’s eyes flickered open, and then she sat up, seemingly wide awake.
“ Officer.” She gasped. “ I’m lost.”

Officer Jenny looked at her with an inquisitive stare, and then her face showed some form of recognition.
“ Oh.. no.” she said, holding her head in her hands. “ You were in the Radio Tower when it collapsed.”
“ That’s right.” Lisa said. “ And so was Gavin.”

Jenny sighed deeply, and looked at Lisa with watery eyes.
“ 20 people were killed in the tragedy.” Jenny explained. “ You were the last person to enter the building.. according to the Security cameras.. and everyone presumed that you were..”
“ Killed?” Lisa said. “ Oh.. no. I’m alright, but I feel so confused.”
“ You look confused.” Jenny admitted. “ And extremely tired. Why don’t you take a rest in Goldenrod.”

Lisa sighed. “ If we can take Gavin…”
“ Of course!” Officer Jenny cried. “ I’ll call the Hospital right away.”

*

Four hours later, Lisa found herself laying in a soft, comfortable bed in the Goldenrod District Hospital. She and Gavin were in the same room, and Gavin had been awake for a short while. They had spoken few words to each other, but they were both feeling better; Lisa’s back was, anyway.

Doctor Roberts entered the room, ducking a bit to avoid hitting her head on the door frame, which was poorly painted and gave Lisa splinters when she attempted to close the door. Dr. Roberts had a thick mess of flaming orange hair on her small head, and she had a problem when she said the letter ‘p’; she sprayed spit everywhere which really annoyed the recovering Lisa.

“ Good morning, Lisa.” She said. “ Oh, hello … er …” Dr. Roberts looked at her clipboard and grinned. “ Hello, Gavin. We have some people here to see you.”

Gavin sat up against his high, white pillow. “ Who? What? When? Whe-”

His question was answered without any words. A man walked in at that moment. He had brown hair and wore a funny looking purple cape. His eyebrows curved inwards mysteriously, and he had an odd look on his face; Lisa couldn’t decide if it was a look of disappointment or intrigue.

The man walked over to Gavin.

“ Uncle Eusine.” Gavin said, in surprise. “ What are you doing all the way over here, in Goldenrod?”

“ I came here as soon as I heard about the Radio tower collapse on two days ago.”

Lisa shook her head. Did he say TWO days ago? Surely she and Gavin hadn’t been laying on the dirt on Route 34 for two days? Gavin was thinking the same thing. Lisa could tell by his expression, but he didn’t say it. “ Uncle, why did you come?”

“ To see the legendary Pokemon, of course. It left within seconds. In fact, in just disappeared into thin air. Nobody has ever seen a Pokemon like it before.”

“ But how did you know I was here?”

“ It’s all over the news. You two are the only survivors of the disaster.”

Gavin still had many questions to ask. “ So why aren’t my parents here?”
“ In one word, roadblocks.” Eusine answered, his face looking rather grim. “ In my opinion they’re pointless. That Pokemon would be long gone by now. Everyone saw it running out of the city.”

“ So nobody’s allowed into the city?” Gavin asked, sighing heavily and looking disappointed. “ How long are the roadblocks up for?”

“ Don’t know.” Eusine said, looking out of the open window. “ But I do know that the Black Beast is a long, long way away by now.”

Lisa, who had been listening intently to hear any info on the legendary pokemon, sighed. She began to fiddle with Aipom’s pokeball on her neck, feeling strangely depressed. Doctor Roberts smiled at her, and left the room, promising to return with a cup of tea.

As soon as Dr. Roberts had left the wide, airy room, Eusine lowered his voice and began to talk to Gavin in a harsh whisper. Lisa strained to overhear, but she couldn’t make out any words at all. In the end, she reached out of her bed and pushed her plastic cup and plate off the table, and they clattered to the ground making Eusine and Gavin look up in surprise.

“ Oh, sorry Lisa.” Gavin said, guessing at once what Lisa was getting at. “ This is my Uncle Eusine, who I told you about. He’s kinda like an expert on Suicune, and knows a fair bit about other legendaries, too.”

“ Pleased to meet you.” Lisa shook hands with the man, who had a strong handshake, and looked at Lisa oddly.

“ Are you a Pokemon trainer?” he asked, sternly. Lisa had no idea why he was speaking so harshly, but she managed to reply with a timid “ Yes”.

“ Ah, good.” Eusine said, sitting down on Lisa’s clean white bedsheets with a smile. “ Um.. could you maybe do me a favour?”

Lisa nodded, then shook her head also. It wasn’t every day a stranger asked you abruptly to do a favour for them. “ I suppose; but tell me the favour before I promise.”

Eusine laughed. “ Oh, it’s quite a simple delivery job.” The man pulled out two pokeballs from behind Lisa’s ear.

“ Hey, where’d they come..” Lisa began, snatching the pokeballs from Eusine’s hand in surprise.

Gavin laughed. “ Lisa, he’s a magician too. I should have mentioned that.”

“ Oh, right.” Lisa said, blushing stupidly. “ So what do I do with the pokeballs?”

“ You have to deliver them to my friend Jack Criddle in Cianwood Town on the island.” Eusine said, placing the pokeballs on the bedside table. “ That is, if you will do it for me. I’m too busy with my research. The Black Beast’s appearance has made my office increasingly busy.”

Lisa nodded again. “ Alright, so I take them to Jack. Got it.”

“ He’ll be in the house at the top part of the town.” Eusine said, then he shook his head. “ No, actually, I’ll phone him and tell him to meet you at the Pokemon Centre. Will you be there soon? It may take a while – a week?”

“ Sounds good. You can count on me, I’ll get those pokeballs delivered before you can say ‘Aipom’!”

“ Aipom!” cried Gavin, stupidly. Eusine slapped his head, then, seeing Dr. Roberts arrive back with a metal tray which looked very flimsy, loaded with a teapot, two tea cups and cakes, he winked at them and left.

“ Wonder why he didn’t give them to me?” Gavin wondered.

“ Maybe he didn’t know you HAD pokemon.” Lisa said, taking the cup from Dr. Roberts with a smile and pulled the rickety wooden table in front of her. She placed the saucer and a cake next to the two Pokeballs Eusine had left her when suddenly Gavin yelled out.

“ My Pokemon!” he yelled. “ Natu!”

“ What is it?” Lisa cried, spilling hot tea all down her shirt.
Gavin breathed in slowly. “ Natu… it’s not here. I didn’t notice before … oh no ... it’s still in the Radio Tower.”

Lisa gasped. Her mind flashed back to the scene when she had first awoke on Route 34. Natu was there – she had heard him for sure! Suddenly a few things fitted into place, like a puzzle.

“ Natu teleported us to Route 34.” she said slowly, as more information slotted into place. “ I remember it screeching.”

“ Really?” Gavin asked. “ But where is it now?”

“ I guess it’s still there. We must have left it behind when we were taken here.”

Gavin breathed deeply, but when he spoke again his voice still shook. “ If it’s safe, that’s alright. But if someone catches it…”

Lisa continued slowly, ignoring Gavin’s mumbling. “ I remember what happened now.”

“ What?” Gavin said. “ Oh, yeah. I don’t remember much … an explosion, green light …”

“ Gavin, you saved us.” Lisa said. “ I don’t know what happened, but you screamed, and you fired like a Hyper Beam or something, from your head.”

Gavin stared at her with a quizzical look. “ Pull the other one.”

Lisa let her mouth hang open as she gaped. “ What, you don’t believe me?”

“ Lisa, I may be psychic, but the most I ever did was predict a Pokemon would evolve, ok? If you seriously think I’m a great Psychic, fine, but I’m not. Don’t pressure me, either, I get enough of that from my family.” Gavin turned his back to her and looked out the window. Lisa felt sad that he wouldn’t believe her.

“ It’s true.” Lisa said. “ I saw it. Your beam countered the beasts’ and saved both of our lives.”

“ Lisa I said not to say that. Look, I could try now.”

“ Go on, then, really focus.” Lisa told him.

Gavin turned and simply stared at her with an icy look; the stare was so penetrating Lisa had to turn away.

“ Gavin, why are you so touchy on this subje-”

“ LISA, look, I don’t want to talk about this stuff to you yet, I hardly know you. Maybe when we become closer I can tell you, but seriously not now. Don’t push it.”

“ Get closer? What?! Gavin -” Lisa, for once, just didn’t know when to stop.

Gavin finally cracked, his voice also jumping up and down as emotion crept stealthily into his tone of voice.
“ LISA! SHUT UP OK? YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT, AND I DO. JUST LEAVE ME ALONE AND MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! SERIOUSLY. IF WHAT YOU SAY IS TRUE, THEN SOMETHING TERR – LOOK, THE POINT IS … JUST … GO AWAY!!”

Lisa could feel the tension and emotion from the other side of the room; the air was so thick with feeling Lisa felt she could take out a knife and slice through it. “ Gavin – Sorry.” Lisa said, as the boy turned back to the window angrily, his face bright scarlet.

Lisa slipped under her sheets and sighed. Gavin really was touchy about the whole Psychic thing. She silently decided to ‘forget’ he was Psychic, and take a good long sleep.

“ Goodnight, Gavin.” Lisa whispered to herself, before drifting off to a deep sleep once again.

[AquaBabe727]

Wow, you two are great! ^_^ I have to say, you can't really compare the two fics. They have completely different themes and feel to them. I like both. This is a really great fic, Gavin. Just letting you know i'm standing by. What about the Crystal League? You gots to post both! ^_^ Peace!

[Gavin Luper]

Aquababe727: OK, i'll accept a draw for the best then!

I suppose both fics are really different, aren't they? EBTV is very ... much better. OK, OK, very differently written - for one, it's in first person. Anyway, thanks!

Stand by Aquababe, more IS on the way. And the Crystal League will be up in a second!

Cheers!

[Blastiose007]

very well written gavin and glad crystal league is going to be up

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

That was always the weird chapter.
So, hurry up with the old ones! I'd like to read something new!

[Gavin Luper]

Blastoise007: Thanks, as usual. TCL is back up as you can see!

SSM: New chapters coming before next weekend, the forums change has set the chapters back slightly. Expect 7 + 8 tomorrow!\

Cheers!

[Andrew]

Hey Gavin, only two more exams and its all over! You know, some people might be kinda disterbed by the whole crashing building Sept 11 and all...

But well I think Lisa negotiated her way to Quaggie better this time, I was able to sympathise with the big blue thingie...

But well I like Gavin's Natu and Giraferig *Cannot spell that God forsaken name for the life of me *

But could perhaps you could explain how exactly would a Gym Badge help control her Pokemon? *Is clueless ^^; *

Good work Gav!

[Last Exile]

Good stuff, Gavin! I'm currently watching a 9/11 doco, so Chapter 6 gave me the chills. Chapter 7 was a good one. Loved how Aipom smacked up that reporter! Quagsire's temporary departure in 8 was touching. Lisa didn't mean to leave it on the beach, but seeing it from Quagsire's point, of course it makes sense why it left her.

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

Oh no, how sad!
So, hurry up! BOREDOM IS EVIL!

[Gavin Luper]

Blastoise007: One of my most loyal readers ever! Thanks!

Oz Andrew: Two more exams? Woohoo! Oh, freedom is just so close! Cool! And yeah, i thought the whole sept 11, crashy building thing could be a bit controversial at first, but it was something i really couldn't edit out.

I'm gonna give Natu and Girafarig a bit more attention this time I think. Maybe not straight away, but soon I will give them more coverage. We'll see them battle, I think. And one of them might be ... special?

CCC: Hey! Yeah, like I said to Oz, the whole Radio Tower thing was a bit dodgy I thought, especially at this point in time. But hey, what could I do? And Aipom just has that effect on peopel i spose. heh heh! I wonder what'll happen to Quaggie? Chapter 9 shortly!

SSM: Eeep! OK, OK. I know, boredom is really evil. I'll get the next chapter up soon!

[Gavin Luper]

Chapter 9 - Battle on the Coral Reef.


Lisa stared out at the still, clear ocean. Not a ripple disturbed it’s calm surface. Tears welled up in her eyes, and one gradually spilled over, trickling down her cheek. Quagsire had abandoned her; that was virtually unheard of in Pokemon Training.

Lisa waded slowly back to shore from the knee deep water she had been standing in, her soaking shoes picking up large amounts of mud on the way. She straightened her face and made it into a would-be-determined expression, but inside she was burning with shame. Gavin stood, dumbfounded, as Lisa walked straight past him.

“ Lisa, go find it,” he murmured, half-hoping his friend wouldn’t hear him. Lisa looked up, and, although she was trying to put up a rather brave face considering the circumstances, Gavin could see in her eyes that she was deeply hurt by Quagsire’s quick getaway.

“ How?” Lisa inquired, saying the word slowly as though it hurt her to speak. Gavin pointed to his Staryu, swimming leisurely around in a rocky pool twenty metres up the beach. “ Take Staryu. Surf on it, and try to find Quagsire.”

Lisa’s sadness and shame vanished, and the space it left within her was replaced instantly with determination and hope; as though she had just been given a new lease on Pokemon Training. “ Thank you, Gavin.”

“ You’re welcome,” Gavin winked. “ Go on, get going. But don’t sit on his gem, it’s still a little fragile.”

Gavin and Lisa raced up the beach together, as the cool morning sea breeze blew on their faces, cooling the two friends down from their run when they finally reached Staryu.

“ Staryu.” Gavin panted. “ Go … with Lisa … obey her.”

“ Hi yaah!?” Staryu cried, ‘looking’ at the newcomer trainer to whom it was unfamiliar with.

“ Obey her, Staryu.” Gavin repeated firmly to Staryu. The water Pokemon agreed; it was either that or return to the pokeball … and Staryu detested it’s pokeball!

Staryu wobbled over to Lisa, looking very unbalanced as it used two legs to walk and the other three flailed around, more of a hindrance than a help to Staryu. Finally, it staggered to it’s position in the shallow water behind Lisa.

“ Alright, Lisa. I’ll wait here for ya,” Gavin called, as Lisa clasped her hands around one of Staryu’s points. “ Good Luck with your Quagsire Search! And be quick, it’s cold out here.”

“ Thanks, Gavin.” Lisa called back. Aipom leapt up onto her shoulder once again, and Lisa was ready to go. “ Alright, Staryu, full speed ahead, out to sea!”

Staryu pushed it’s body off the bottom of the shallow water, and surfed out to the clear sea. Lisa looked over her shoulder back at the beach, watching as Gavin shrank to a small speck. Then she turned to the front, and felt the cool seaspray blow in her face.

“ Ai! Pom!” Aipom laughed, thoroughly enjoying the ride. Staryu pelted on, slicing through the sea like a Pidgeot sliced through the air. After a good half hour, when Lisa was rapidly becoming bored, a small island came into sight.

“ Slow down, Staryu.” Lisa ordered her temporary Pokemon. The trainer and two pokemon approached the island sluggishly, and a closer inspection revealed that the island was in fact not an Island, but a surfaced reef. Staryu stopped a couple of metres away from the reef, and Lisa dismounted the pokemon and paddled awkwardly to shore, avoiding sharp pieces of coral on the way.

The reef was quite sharp and fairly small; it was about 5 metres long and 2 metres wide. Lisa scanned the island in a few seconds, seeing no Quagsire anywhere. Lisa sighed, disappointed, and began to walk back to Staryu, when suddenly she heard an odd squeak behind her.

“ What was that?” Lisa said aloud.

“ AI Aipom?” Aipom called out, swivelling around on Lisa’s shoulder. Lisa copied her Pokemon’s actions, making Aipom face the opposite way again. After some confusion, both Aipom and Lisa found themselves facing a tiny pink pokemon, standing next to a shallow and empty rock pool.

“ Ooh!” Lisa breathed, taking cautious steps toward the pokemon. “ A Corsola!”

“ Cree!” Corsola squeaked shrilly, grinning mischievously. It’s pink, coral-like body shone in the sunlight and it was quite large for a Corsola.

“ Alright, this thing is mine.” Lisa said, moving her hand down to her belt. “ Butterfree, go!”

Butterfree popped out of the ball, flapping it’s wide, regal wings hard to stay in the air. Corsola looked mildly amused, as though it knew nothing could happen to it. “ Sleep Powder.” Lisa ordered, despite the looks from Corsola. Butterfree flapped it’s wings again, and this time a fine blue powder drifted down upon Corsola, who, as soon as it felt the sleep powder taking effect, jumped into the rock pool and washed it off.

“ Dammit,” Lisa cursed, infuriated that her attempts had not worked. “ Butterfree, try Gusting it!”
“ Free! Reee!” Butterfree flapped it’s wings yet again, the wind blowing Corsola out of the pool and back onto the reef. Lisa hoped this had done some damage, however Corsola looked only mildly injured.

“ Pokeball, go.” Lisa threw a pokeball, hoping that she could catch a new Pokemon; she hadn’t really had one since Girafarig, and that was with Gavin now. The ball flew towards Corsola, but one second before it hit Corsola, a blast of water knocked the ball into the rock pool and out of the way.

“ What?!” Lisa cried, looking up in the direction of the blast. Standing there was a young girl of about 12 years old. She had a bright aqua shirt on, along with pink and orange shorts. Lisa thought she looked very vibrant, especially since she had purple hair. She was quite tall for her age, and her eyes were so blue they looked fake. But very soon, Lisa didn’t care what the girl looked like; she had noticed the girl’s pokemon.

“ Quagsire?” Lisa asked, sighting the large, upright, cerulean-blue water pokemon standing just behind the girl’s left leg. “ Hey, when did you get that Quagsire?”

“ Caught it today.” The girl said. “ Oh, my name’s Irene. I’m a water Pokemon trainer.”

“ Lisa.” Lisa began, but she couldn’t help not to ask questions … “ Where’d you get the Quagsire?”

“ It swam up to me and my Lapras while we were surfing. I spose near the Shellder Beach …”

Lisa had heard all she needed to. “ That Quagsire is mine!” she cried. “ I know it!”

Irene glared at her. “ Don’t be stupid.” She said. “ This Quagsire is MINE.”

Lisa gaped, the situation seemed so unreal.

Irene gasped. “ Look, kid, I caught this Quagsire in the wild. It’s mine, OK?”

“ It’s mine, I tell ya.” Lisa said. “ I can just tell by it’s smile, and it’s shiny coat…”

“ Lots of Quagsire have shiny coats!” argued Irene.

“ Well, mine was REALLY shiny.” Lisa cried.

Before either girl could say anything again, both received a sharp, stinging slap to the face. They both shut up at once, and began rubbing their faces. “ What was that for, Aipom?” Lisa moaned, massaging her cheek.

“ AI Aipom!” Aipom called. “ Pom!” Aipom gestured along with it’s speech, punching wildly at the air.

“ Translation please?” Irene asked impatiently.

“ Aipom says we should have a battle to see who should keep it.” Lisa said truthfully.

Irene snorted. “ You expect me to believe that?”

“ Well, if you’re too weak to accept..” Lisa said, putting on a superior voice.

The two-year-younger Irene fell for the trap immediately. “ I’m not too weak! I accept your challenge!”

“ One on one then.” Lisa set the rules. “ I choose Aipom!”

“ Well I choose Quagsire!” Irene said smugly.

Quagsire waddled out onto the reefy field, and Aipom leapt off Lisa’s shoulder to face it. Both Pokemon tensed their muscles. Aipom stared at Quagsire; it knew this Quagsire was Lisa’s, but the Quagsire was showing no recognition of Aipom or Lisa.

“ Begin!” Lisa called. “ Aipom, start off with your Swift attack.”

“ Quagsire, dodge it, then go in for an Ice Beam.” Irene said.

Lisa laughed. “ You’ll find it hard to dodge a Swift attack.”

Lisa was proved to be correct. Aipom curled up in a small, purple and white ball, and launched an array of bright, stinging stars directly at Quagsire’s wobbly body. Quagsire sat patiently as possible until the last moment, when the stars were nearly upon it. Quagsire jumped up into the air to avoid the attack, but Swift was the most accurate attack known to man. The stars averted course, curving upwards and stinging Quagsire’s large, floppy feet, knocking it down to the ground.

“ Take that.” Lisa called, although actually feeling slightly sorry for Quagsire.

“ Quagsire, get up now! Use Ice Beam.” Irene ordered sternly.

“ Aipom, try Agility.”

After issuing the commands, Lisa and Irene stood back to overview the outcomes of their orders. Quagsire absorbed energy in it’s mouth, while Aipom stood poised on the ground, ready to spring away at any moment. ‘ It won’t really attack ME, will it?’ Aipom thought to itself. ‘ I’m it’s friend…’

*

Lock the bug catcher sat quietly, his chubby frame hidden securely behind a thick bush. His wary, sly-looking eyes scanned around over the spiky leaves of the bush, onto the route to Shellder Beach. The Weedle he had been stalking for so long was waddling around, apparently unaware of Lock. The boy prepared the pokeball for it, and stealthily crept around the bush and peered out onto the gravel road, approaching his target with confidence, until …

A black shape shot out of a tree branch high above, dropping down with a whoosh onto Weedle. There was a flash of light as Weedle disappeared and Lock leapt out, enraged, at the person who had captured his Weedle.

“ That’s mine!” Lock demanded furiously, running at the man who stood there, clothed in black. He sent out Growlithe immediately, but the man held out a hand and produced a Great Ball, and threw it with a placid air onto the road. Opposing Growlithe was an evil-eyed Rhyhorn, it’s grey rocky horn pointed at the fire dog with ease. Lock recoiled as he realised Growlithe stood no chance, and recalled him angrily.

“ Excuse me!” Lock was still annoyed, and spat at the man, whose Rhyhorn was plodding menacingly towards Lock. “ What was that for?!”

The man grinned fiendishly, and ignored him. “ I believe you can help me with something … I’m sure I might be able to offer you something in return for a favour …” he held out Weedle’s pokeball to Lock, and the boy knew what he wanted.

After a few hasty minutes of talking between each other, Lock pointed a chubby finger down the road to Shellder Beach. “ She went THAT way!”

*

Quagsire wasted no time in idling – it fired the cerulean beam, catching Aipom off guard as it whispered to itself. Aipom was flung back toward Lisa, and landed on the hard, rocky reef, knocked out. Aipom had lost.

“ Alright, Quagsire.” Irene rejoiced. “ Looks like you lose, Lisa.”

“ Yeah, I guess.” Lisa said, trying to swallow a lump that was swelling up in her throat. Her first loss since fighting Kris, and this came with worse sideaffects. ‘ That Quagsire was mine, I know it.’ She thought angrily to herself.

Irene jumped on Quagsire’s back, even though they were both about the same size, and sped off. “ Sorry, Lisa.” Sounding completely like she didn’t mean it one little bit.

Lisa sat on the reef, dejected, all alone with her knocked out Aipom. All alone? “ Wait a sec!” Lisa yelled out. “ Staryu, where are you?” Lisa combed the entire reef, and finally sighted Staryu, floating in the sea, fainted. Lisa could not believe her eyes.

“ Staryu, what happened?” she cried, as she pulled the starshape Pokemon onto the shore. However, asking an unconscious Staryu a question is one of the dumbest things to do … so Lisa sat down with Staryu and Aipom and sighed deeply. She suddenly felt an urge of stubbornness within, and knew she wanted … she needed … to find Quagsire and Irene again, but how?

“ Now how am I meant to get away from here?” Lisa muttered, voicing her thoughts. “ I’m stuck on this tiny reef and I can’t get off!”

“ Tini!”

“ What was that?”

Lisa peered over the low, coral ridge which bordered the reef island. Behind it, in the clear saltwater of the Cianwood Sea, splashed a tiny blue Pokemon; which Lisa recognised as a Dratini.

“ Hey, maybe that Dratini can help me out.”

Lisa crawled slowly up over the edge of the ridge, and landed with a splash, scaring the Dratini away. Her clothes were saturated straight away, and the cold water froze her body. However, Lisa managed to tread water long enough to see Dratini slowly edging back toward her.

“ Hey, little Dratini.” Lisa said in a sickly sweet voice. Her voice charmed the dragon pokemon, and Dratini swam up so close that Lisa could touch it. Lisa stroked the smooth, silky body of Dratini before turning it’s face to hers.
“ Dratini, I have a problem …” Lisa began.

*

Five minutes later, Lisa was clinging to Dratini’s back, riding the cool waves and enjoying the sea breeze to it’s full extent. They were following the scent of Quagsire; Aipom was now awake and could sniff out it’s Pokemon friend for miles across the sea.

“ Land ahead!” Lisa cried, more to herself than to Aipom or Dratini. She sighed; finally she would see Quagsire again, and hopefully he would return to her. Lisa’s belt was feeling empty without Quagsire, even though she currently had six pokemon on the belt – she had recalled Staryu for Gavin and kept it with her – however, Quagsire was the first pokemon she actually CAUGHT, and she was sad without it.

Dratini finally arrived at a flat reef again, but this one was at least twice the size of the previous one. Lisa felt the last of the powerful wind whipping her hair back and then quickly brushed her hair through with her fingers. Dratini came to a complete halt, and Lisa dismounted the dragon. “ Thanks, Dratini.” She said, “ Wait here for me … I think Irene is here with my Quagsire.”

Dratini looked sadly at Lisa, it felt lonely all over again. Having been rejected from most of the other Dratini in its Deep Sea Colony for many months, it had learned to keep to itself. But now a human had opened up to it, and treated it with kindness, even told it to wait. However, Dratini wasn’t wanting to be left behind for even a moment … how could it stay with the human the whole time?

“ Tini! Dra ti neee!” Dratini called after Lisa, trying to jump out of the water at her. Lisa, who was walking slowly away, turned around at once . Aipom was confused by Dratini … it apparently wanted something, from what Aipom had heard.

“ Ai?”

“ Tini!!!”

“ What’s up, Aipom?” Lisa asked, curious about the conversation going on between the two Pokemon.

Aipom ignored Lisa, which was nothing new to the trainer. Instead, the Monkey like Pokemon reached down to Lisa’s belt with it’s arm-like tail, and pulled off an empty Pokeball. “ Hey, Aipom, that’s mine!” Lisa protested. Aipom continued to ignore her, as he threw the ball at Dratini, who called out a final, happy “ Dra!” and smiled as the ball hit it on the head, and snuffled it up in a swift movement. Lisa was stunned.

“ Did you just catch Dratini for me, Aipom?” Lisa questioned her Pokemon.

“ Pom!” Aipom nodded. “ AI ai pom!”

Lisa reached down to the water and picked up the ball. “ Dratini, I hope you like being on my Pokemon team. And Aipom …” She reached down to the purple monkey and picked him up, hugging him tightly. “ Thank you very much.”

Aipom clambered back onto it’s owner’s shoulder, suddenly feeling satisfied by the praise from Lisa, and the two friends continued along the reef, where on the far side they spotted Irene and Quagsire, eating some pizza. Lisa briefly wondered where they got the pizza, but she put that thought out of her mind. Sneaking up on them, Lisa called to Quagsire “ Oy, Quagsire.”

Quagsire turned around instantly, and saw Lisa. It almost ran up to her, then recalled that it had abandoned her. Quagsire glared at Lisa again, as Irene turned around.

“ Back again?”

“ Sure am.” Lisa said. “ I’m back for a rematch … 3 on 3.”

“ Let me see … alright,” Irene said. “ Winner keeps Quagsire.”

Irene took two paces back, and Lisa mirrored her foe’s actions. “ First up, I choose Poliwhirl.”

“ Whirl.” Poliwhirl gurgled, popping out of the pokeball that Irene threw. The large, purply froglike Pokemon had a large, swirling circle on it’s belly.

“ Go, Aipom.” Lisa called, sending out her best pokemon. Aipom jumped onto the flat reef, and growled at Poliwhirl.

“ Poliwhirl – start with Water gun.”

“ Aipom, begin with Sand Attack.”

Poliwhirl fired off a blast of water from his swirl, which Aipom just managed to dodge. Then the monkey-like creature turned it’s back on Poliwhirl and started trying to kick up sand. However, Lisa had made a critical error; there was no sand on the reef! Aipom kept trying, and ended up burning it’s feet on the warm, dry coral. Poliwhirl took advantage of the situation, and aimed a Water gun at Aipom’s back, knocking it over. Lisa, determined not to miss this time, ordered a Swift attack, while Irene called for a … Hyper Beam!?

Poliwhirl powered up for a Hyper Beam, slowly absorbing energy. It began to spin around very slowly at first, then more and more rapidly until it was barely distinguishable as a Poliwhirl. Aipom fired off the beam of stars, and as usual they hit right on target. Unfortunately, Poliwhirl was spinning too fast for the attack to damage it. Lisa was shocked. “ Aipom, agility! Jump into the air just before Poliwhirl fires the beam!”

“ AI!” Aipom sprinted around the small island, picking up speed and getting ready to jump. Poliwhirl had a large circle of bright white light around it now, and was ready to fire. “NOW!” cried Lisa. Aipom jumped up, and Poliwhirl fired. The beam was right on target, and somehow managed to hit Aipom in the air, knocking him directly. He fell into the surrounding ocean, knocked out, and slowly sank down into the icy, deep, swirly ocean currents …

[Master Kirby]

AIPOM! NOOOOOOOO!

Keep Posting. We're reading!

[Master Kirby]

Where is everyone? Am I the only one still reading this story?

[AquaBabe727]

No, i'm just waiting for it to catch up where it left off. Where are ya, Gavin?

[SuperSonicMewtwo]

[sarcasm]Oh no, what is going to happen?[/sarcasm]

...

ooh, Lisa now has a Dratini.
I want some REAL new chapters, not these old ones! HURRY UP, YA FOO'!

[Gavin Luper]

Seriously sorry everyone. I've been inundated with homework for a couple of weeks so time on the net has been limited. For your patience, i'll repost as much as i can in one go (hopefully, to chapter16)

-------------------
Chapter 10 - Fighting the Ocean.


“ Aipom!” Lisa yelled, racing to the reef’s edge and throwing herself in the water after Aipom, ignorant of Irene’s smug face. Irene didn’t care if her opponent’s pokemon was cruelly drowned … she just wanted to win. Usually speaking, pokemon battles never resulted in death, but battling on a water-based field with a non-water type pokemon was really an accident waiting to happen.

Lisa forced air out of her mouth in order to sink down deeper. Trying to recall the swimming lessons she had taken in the Ecru Lake back home earlier in her life, Lisa used Breastroke to slowly catch up to Aipom. Being unconscious already, Aipom was sinking and drowning at the same time – unable to save himself from he cruel fate which Irene and Poliwhirl had bestowed upon him. Lisa strained her lungs, swimming deeper into the murky depths of the ocean … reaching desperately for Aipom’s tail.

She grasped her left hand around Aipom’s tail, and breathed … or bubbled … a sigh of relief. Placing Aipom underneath her arm, Lisa used her right arm to slowly swim upwards, towards the surface. She had been underwater for quite a long time now, and her lungs were bursting, begging for air … Lisa looked up to see the water lightening and the surface glimmering only a few feet away …

Lisa’s head broke through the surface, as she gulped down oxygen at last. Aipom, however, was seriously injured. He had swallowed a lot of water, and was hardly breathing. “ Aipom!” Lisa cried, clambering onto the shore and dragging her Pokemon onto the reef, trying to block out Irene’s “ Hah! Your pokemon can’t even swim!”, and concentrating on the matter at hand; reviving Aipom.

Quagsire, behind Irene, looked steadily on as his former friend was suffering. ‘ If it wasn’t for me, this wouldn’t have happened.’ Quagsire felt a tear of sorrow spill out of his eye and onto his cheek. ‘ After all, I caused Aipom to…’ Quagsire couldn’t bring himself to say, or even think, the word. There might still be hope … but only if he hurried. Would he be able to revive his friend?

“ Quag!” Quagsire called, running over to Lisa and Aipom on all fours. His buttocks wobbled slightly as he ran, and it slowed him down, but the Water type Pokemon dismissed the minor hindrance and ran on. He had to save his friend! Lisa glanced up from Aipom and suddenly saw Quagsire leaping onto Aipom’s middle section, forcing Aipom’s mouth to open and a small blast of water to escape. Lisa watched as Quagsire slowly drained all the fluid out of Aipom’s lungs, and after a short silence, the monkey opened it’s eyes.

“ Aipom, you’re alright!” Lisa rejoiced, scooping Aipom back into her arms and smiling. “ Thank god you’re OK.”
Quagsire smiled too, it had saved Aipom. Even though abandoning Lisa had eventually caused this to happen, Quagsire had fixed the conflict … although there was one more problem to be settled.

“ Oy, Lisa!” Irene called, Poliwhirl still standing patiently before her. “ Are you gonna finish this battle or what?”

Lisa was infuriated by the question; was Irene for real? Lisa’s first pokemon had nearly been killed by an attack from Poliwhirl, and Irene hadn’t even given Lisa to recover physically or emotionally. Just as Lisa went to yell out “No Way” Quagsire jumped in front of her. “ Quag!”

“ Quagsire … a-a-are you going t-to battle … for m-me?” Lisa stuttered, partly due to pleasant surprise and partly due to her teeth chattering; the ocean had been surprisingly cold for a warm day. Quagsire was ready to fight for it’s true trainer again … even if she had abandoned him, Lisa had been willing to fight for him – twice! The Loyal Quagsire was ready to fight for Lisa in return.

“ What are you doing, fighting for HER?” Irene spat at Quagsire. “ You’re MY pokemon, remember?”

“ I think Quagsire has returned to ME.” Lisa smiled a sickly sweet smile. “ Sorry, Irene.”

“ Traitor.” Irene was in no mood to end a battle half way through. Spoilt as a child, everything had always gone her way. Having a pathetic novice trainer – even if she was older - order her around infuriated her beyond Lisa’s perspectives. “ We’ll finish this battle NOW.”

“ But I already won back Quagsire.” Lisa gloated, still overjoyed that she had regained Quagsire.

Irene had to think of a new scheme – and she had the perfect one ready. “ Alright, we’ll finish this battle off, using only one Pokemon each. But if you win – you get a badge.” Irene pulled out a pink badge from nowhere and showed it to her new enemy.

“ No way – what? A badge?” Lisa asked, suddenly wondering whether she should have been so hasty about cancelling the fight. “ What are you on about? Does that mean you’re a Gym Leader?”

“ Yeah,” yawned Irene, seeing that her trick had worked. It was true, she was a gym leader, for the Whirlpool Cup. But she was sure she could beat anything this novice threw out.

“ So what’s the catch?” Lisa asked her opponent, unsure whether or not to believe her Gym leader story.

“ Well, if you win you earn a Coral Reef badge, if I win, I get to keep Quagsire.” Irene’s eyes flashed evilly.
Lisa sighed. A badge would prove to her pokemon that she was a worthy trainer, and may persuade them to obey her. But the risk of losing Quagsire was too great – Poliwhirl had already beaten Aipom without much effort.

“ Sorry,” Lisa said firmly. “ No badge is worth losing Quagsire again. Besides, I don’t need a badge to make my pokemon obey me … they judge me myself, not my level of experience.”

“ You’re been watching too much Sleepless in Saffron,” Irene’s eyes flashed again. She had felt sure Lisa would be foolish enough to accept. “ Why don’t you battle? Afraid of losing?”

“ Reverse Psychology won’t work on me. I’m a bit too old for that,” Lisa chuckled. “ C’mon Quagsire, let’s go.”

Quagsire held it’s ground, not moving an inch. “ Quagsire, c’mon.” Lisa said. “ You came back to me, remember. You can’t go back to that cow.”

“ Quag! Quag si!” Quagsire resisted the pull of Lisa’s hand on his arm. He shrugged her off.

“ Quagsire … you want revenge, don’t you?” Lisa muttered to her friend, interpreting his outburst. “ You want to finish the fight for Aipom.”

“ Quag.” Quagsire nodded, glad that Lisa was catching on.

“ Well, if that’s really what you want …” Lisa said, rather reluctantly. Then she raised her voice and turned back to Irene. “ I accept the challenge. What Pokemon will you use?”

Irene grinned. “ I’ll stick with my Poliwhirl.”

“ Well, I’m using Quagsire.” Lisa said, as Quagsire wobbled over to face Poliwhirl, who only minutes ago had been it’s battle partner was now it’s adversary.

“ Tackle it, Quagsire.” Lisa called, to begin with.

“ Poliwhirl, use technique C.” Irene called.

Lisa and Quagsire alike were puzzled by this command. Technique C? “ What does that mean?” Lisa cried angrily.

“ Gym Leader’s secret strategy.” Irene put on a smug face. “ Top secret.”

“ Well, in that case, Quagsire, dive into the water.” Lisa called.

Irene laughed to herself, and said under her breath, so that Lisa couldn’t hear. “ Well, that’ll just save us the trouble of having to get you in there ourselves.”

Quagsire jumped swiftly off the reef and into the icy water. Water was Quagsire’s home ground. It was safer and more adept at it’s attacks in the water than on land. Poliwhirl, who had begun to charge at Quagsire on land, now averted course and jumped right in to face Quagsire. Poliwhirl swam a few quick strokes of breastroke before diving underwater and away from where Quagsire could keep track of it. Lisa shuddered. Now Poliwhirl had an advantage; it could see Quagsire, but Quagsire could not see it.

“ Quagsire – just wait there.” Lisa cried, deciding none of Quagsire’s attacks would be able to find or damage Poliwhirl where it currently was hiding. Lisa and Quagsire both waited in a nervous silence, waiting for Poliwhirl to make a move. Just when Lisa’s nervousness was beginning to turn to boredom, a blast of light from deep below began to soar up towards the surface. Lisa spotted it at once. “ Quagsire – um … DOUBLE TEAM!”

Quagsire wondered why Lisa was ordering an attack when they had been awaiting Poliwhirl’s move, but it had just regained it’s trust for her; it had to obey. With shocking speed, Quagsire created a dozen holograms; shadowy images of itself, then switched into one of those clones, kind of teleporting into another’s position. The light from below barrelled on, closer and closer. The light was of rainbow colours, and Lisa recognised it as an Aurora Beam, seconds before it broke through the surface and shattered one of Quagsire’s doubles.

“ Great going Quagsire.” Lisa called to her Pokemon, as he realised he had just moved in time. Thank god he was listening to Lisa now. Poliwhirl broke through the surface a few seconds later, looking for a fainted Quagsire, but instead seeing a ring of Quagsire, strong and healthy, and viciously glaring at the opponent.

“ Poliwhirl – Hyper Beam.” Irene called, seeing her strategies failing. Poliwhirl began to spin around, powering up for the devastating beam, which would be fired out while Poliwhirl spun - Lisa realised that all the Quagsire, including her real one, would be hit. She had to act fast.

Lisa thought quickly about the details. Any physical attack would be useless; Quagsire would take more damage than Poliwhirl. Any elemental attack would do little – from the side. Lisa looked up – maybe Quagsire could attack from the top of Poliwhirl – it was much less defensive on it’s head. Lisa wondered how until the answer came to her.

“ Quagsire – listen carefully - Water Gun the ocean! Make it really a high pressure blast!” Lisa called.

Quagsire’s doubles disappeared, and Quagsire himself breathed in deeply, filling his lungs and hydrogen chamber with oxygen. The hydrogen and oxygen mixed strangely, and when Quagsire exhaled, a jet of water blasted into the surrounding sea, propelling Quagsire into the air, where he floated above Poliwhirl. “ Ice Beam!” Lisa called. Quagsire prepared it’s quickest ever ball of energy, and fired it within seconds, aimed right for Poliwhirl’s head. The attack hit home right as Quagsire landed back in the water. Poliwhirl froze over, into a solid block of ice, just as the Hyper Beam was fired. A large chunk of ice exploded from the block, and landed on Quagsire’s head, delivering the damage of a Tackle.

Irene and Lisa both surveyed the scene. A frozen Poliwhirl, a headachy but hardly damaged Quagsire. The winner was obvious. “ We won, Quagsire!” Lisa rejoiced, diving back into the water and hugging her pokemon, regardless of the temperature. “ You did it!”

“ Quag!” Quagsire called, happy to win a fight.

Lisa expected Irene to ‘chuck a psyche’, however, she took the whole thing rather calmly. “ Dammit Lisa. You beat me.”

Lisa smiled as she clambered onto the reef again, as Quagsire grinned. “ You put up a really tough fight, if that’s any consolation. Your Poliwhirl is trained very well. I can’t believe you only had to say two words to order an entire strategy.”

Irene enjoyed the words of praise, but she was still unable to be happy about her defeat. “ Here Lisa. The Coral Reef badge. It makes Pokemon below level 25 obey you.” She paused. “ But you’re right. Badges are just there to show a pokemon who’s boss. If you have a real connection with your pokemon, a badge isn’t needed.

“ It’s also one of the badges required to get into the Whirlpool Cup.”

Lisa took the Pink badge which slightly resembled a Corsola. “ The Whirlpool Cup? I thought it was for Johto? The Whirlpool Cup – what’s that?”

“ It’s a mini-pokemon league held in the Whirl Archipelago.” Irene explained, returning Poliwhirl.

“ Go on …” Lisa said, placing the badge carefully in her pocket. It would be safe there.

“ The Whirlpool Cup is held very soon – the first round is in a week or so … Wednesday the 6th ,” Irene told her. “ Water Pokemon only are allowed. You can sign up at Red Rock Island.”

Lisa thought about it. She was on the way to Cianwood Island anyway, so why not compete? The Whirl Islands were close by, and might have some rare legendary Pokemon there. “ I might check this Whirlpool Cup out.” Lisa said.

“ Thanks for telling me, Irene. And thanks for giving Quagsire back.”

“ Pleasure.” snapped Irene, not sounding at all as though it WAS a pleasure. Lisa waved to the young gym leader, as she walked across the reef and threw a pokeball.

“ Dratini – I choose you!”

*

Lisa cruised along on Dratini, the late afternoon breeze blowing her hair back over her face continually. Gavin, five feet away, was cruising along on his Staryu, sitting on one of Staryu’s strong and sturdy arms, and grasping tightly onto it’s top point, still not totally trusting his pokemon not to accidentally throw him off into the ocean.

It was a warm Saturday afternoon. Lisa and Gavin were on their way to Cianwood Island, now only an hour away from their destination after two days of almost constant surfing, stopping nightly on occasional reefs. Lisa fumbled with Granbull and Mankey’s pokeballs as Dratini progressed through the water. She had six pokemon already, but now she could give Granbull and Mankey to their Sailor trainer, Jack, somewhere on Cianwood. It seemed like a long time ago that Lisa had received the two Pokemon from Gavin’s Uncle Eusine, but in reality it was only a mere 5 days. Lisa sighed, contented. Although she had nearly lost Quagsire to Irene, and Aipom had nearly drowned, it would all be worth it when she handed Jack Criddle his pokeballs and he thanked her. Maybe even a reward would be given, since Lisa had gone out of her way to deliver pokemon to a stranger?

After that, Lisa and Gavin would finally be on a new adventure. To the Whirlpool Cup. Gavin was going to compete with his Staryu, hopefully he could get far enough for Staryu to evolve into Starmie. Lisa knew Quagsire had already reached it’s final form, unless it could evolve again somehow, but maybe Dratini could evolve if she used it instead.

“ Ai ai pom!” Aipom called, tugging at Lisa’s wavy black hair.

“ Yeah, this is fun.” Lisa agreed.

“ AI POM!!” Aipom screamed, seemingly frantic.

Lisa guessed she was misinterpreting Aipom’s words. “ Tell me Aipom, what’s wrong?!”

“ Ai … Ai Pom. Po a ai pom!” Aipom said, obviously straining to stop itself screaming.

Lisa tried to translate what Aipom was saying. “ Coming up … what’s coming up?”

“ Um.. Lisa?” Gavin called, from her left.

“ Hang on, I’m trying to understand Aipom.” Lisa said impatiently and ignorantly, as Aipom repeated itself. “ Let’s see… something’s coming up on my right…no, my left. What’s that, Aipom? Whirlpool? No, you can’t compete in the Whirlpool Cup, it’s only for water…”

“ THERE’S A WHIRLPOOL TO YOUR LEFT!” Gavin yelled at Lisa. Finally, she turned towards Gavin where she watched him and Staryu become pulled into the swirling fury of the whirlpool, which was very deep but not too large. Lisa began to panic as Gavin was swept away into the swirling water, not knowing how to save him. Gavin was gradually being pulled in further, and finally Lisa realised what had to be done.

“ Dratini – use your Whirlpool attack!” Lisa cried, nearing the whirlpool as close as possible without being pulled in. Dratini had to be very close to the Whirlpool for the technique to be pulled off. Once they were close enough, Dratini turned it’s neck, opened it’s mouth and let out a stream of powerful water, rushing against the flow of the whirlpool. Gavin, meanwhile, was trying to keep calm while his Staryu also attempted to conquer the currents with a Whirlpool attack.

But the two pokemon were not enough. Even after Lisa released her Quagsire into the sea to battle the whirlpool, the pool still raged on, sucking Gavin and Staryu in further by the second. Just when the trainers and their pokemon were ready to give up and give in, three creatures popped their heads up out of the water and began spurting water out from their mouths. The creatures were in fact three Lanturns, but there was something odd about them. They, instead of being yellow and blue, were yellow and green. Floating next to each other, their whirlpool attacks were strong enough to combat the force of water, and drive it backwards into itself, until the whirlpool all of a sudden ceased to exist.

Lisa blinked, and when she again opened her eyes, the ocean was flat once again. Gavin and Staryu were floating, cheering weakly, a few metres away, drenched but glad to be saved from one of the whirlpools which frequently occurred in the Cianwood Sea. Quagsire was panting, as was Dratini. But the Green Lanturns were grinning – as though they had enjoyed the experience. “ Thank you!” Lisa called to the Lanturns, but Gavin seemed much more interested.

“ Oy, you Lanturns, come over here!” Gavin called, drifting towards them on Staryu’s aching right arm. Two of the Lanturn flinched, and began to swim away, but one Lanturn stretched out one of it’s antennae and shook Gavin’s hand in a sign of peace.

“ Lanturn, would you like you come in here?” Gavin pulled out a pokeball.

Lanturn shook it’s head mischievously, then it’s antenna crackled with sparks seconds before in thundershocked Gavin. The electricity shocked Staryu, and weakened it. Suddenly, Gavin became extremely angry. “ Oy, don’t do that to my Staryu!” he cried indignantly.

The Green Lanturn grinned cheekily, and shocked Gavin again. Gavin cried out, and threw an Ultra Ball, which appeared in his hand as if from nowhere. The ball flew at Lanturn, snuffling it up in a swift movement and catching it, the ball flying through the air to Gavin. Lisa stared, stunned.

*

It was late Saturday night, or early Sunday morning - about 3am, when Lisa and Gavin finally arrived on Cianwood Island. Lisa’s Quagsire and Dratini were both exhausted, so Lisa swam through the pitch black water of the ocean for about 100 metres before arriving at the shore, so as to give both of them, who had taken turns in carrying Lisa, a good rest. As for Gavin, his Staryu was pooped, and Lanturn was of no use for surfing. Apart from the fact that it was a bit undersized small, it was very disobedient. Gavin had tried to ride the Pokemon twice during the journey – both times Gavin and Staryu had ended up fried from a Thundershock.

Lisa recalled Quagsire and Dratini, and Gavin recalled Staryu as the duo trudged slowly up towards the beach in the dark. Lisa was finding it hard to see, but the pale moonlight which reflected off the ankle-deep water gave her some vague direction. Finally, Lisa half walked, half-dragged herself and Gavin’s cold, dripping forms up onto the sandy beach. Gavin let out a weak groan as he flopped down on the damp sand, and Lisa reached to her belt for a Pokeball to return him with when she remembered; Gavin wasn’t a Pokemon. Lisa slapped herself on the forehead, clipped the ball back on her belt, and shook Gavin awake.

“ C’mon, we have to go now,” Lisa whispered softly in Gavin’s ear. “ I think we’re both ready for a good night’s sleep at the Pokemon Centre.” Gavin mumbled something and heaved his dripping body up. He threw an arm over Lisa’s shoulder, Aipom barely dodging the limb as it scampered over to Lisa’s other shoulder. Lisa hauled her friend up to a standing position and dragged him along the beach, Aipom attempting to pull Gavin’s arm off Lisa’s shoulder but not succeeding. “ Leave him there, Aipom,” Lisa said, approaching the Town of Cianwood slowly, where a few weak lights indicated the small port town. “ Just help me drag this idiot to the Pokemon Centre.”

“ Ai ai pom?”

[Gavin Luper]

Chapter 11 - The Ungrateful Sailor.


Sunlight streamed through the open window of the pokemon Centre. Lisa stirred slightly on the uncomfortable futon. The sofa was too small for a bed, and it was torn. The material a had irritated her skin overnight. Then, a gnawing on her ear made her sit bolt upright. Laying upon her pillow was Aipom, chomping on Lisa’s ear playfully. Lisa pulled her Pokemon off, and surveyed her surroundings. The Cianwood Pokemon Centre – Trainer’s Lounge. It was very light an airy – sunlight pouring though a large raised window. Lisa pulled herself up, feeling well rested. She dared a quick glance at her pokegear clock; 6am. Lisa wondered why she felt so alive and awake after such a short sleep, then she checked the date and her eyes popped out of her head.

Monday the 5th of November! She and Gavin had arrived on a Saturday Night!

Nurse Joy walked into the room. “ Lisa?”

Lisa vaguely remembered giving Nurse Joy her and Gavin’s names as they struggled into the Pokemon centre at about 4am. “ Yes?”

“ There’s somebody here to see you,” Nurse Joy told Lisa impatiently as though it was obvious.

“ What day is it?” Lisa asked, unsure whether to believe her Pokegear.

“ Monday, of course. Gosh, what do I look like, a question answerer?”

“ What?” Lisa burst into giggles – Nurse Joy seemed very crabby and not making any sense at all – her attempted sarcasm just seemed lame. However, after laughing Lisa returned to her groggy, confused state. “ What happened to Sunday?”

“ It died,” Nurse Joy replied in a sarcastic tone. Lisa thought that this was the crabbiest Nurse Joy she had ever seen, and decided she hadn’t got enough sleep. Just at that moment, a young man, about twenty years of age, strode into the small trainer’s lounge. He looked Lisa up and down slowly, before deciding to talk to her.

“ Excuse me? Lisa Walters?” the man asked. He towered over Lisa; she guessed he must be around 1.8 metres tall. Lisa appeared a midget to him. The man’s breath was fresh; his teeth were white and shiny. He had fair, dusty golden hair, and a muscular body. After Lisa nodded, almost shyly, he began chatting like a friend.

“ Jack - Jack Criddle.” The man shook Lisa’s hand in his, his grip so powerful that Lisa felt her whole body move around at his will.

“ Oh, I know what you want.” Lisa said, suddenly. She reached down to her magnetic Pokeball belt, and pulled off two shiny pokeballs. “ Are these your Pokemon?”

Jack opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly a thump sounded out from nearby. Lisa looked over to her left and laughed; Gavin had rolled off a nearby sofa. He looked puzzled. “ Um … g’morning.” He muttered vaguely before closing his eyes and pretending to sleep on the light blue carpet.

Lisa laughed again, then turned back to the burly sailor Jack, who had already taken his pokeballs back, and plunged them into his hip pocket. Lisa waited for something; a reward or at least a word of thanks. Jack didn’t seem to care, and began to stride out of the room after nodding to Lisa.

“ HOW RUDE!” Lisa grunted behind his back, her face turning bright red.

“ Looks like somebody woke up on the wrong side of the futon.” chuckled Gavin, rubbing his eyes and narrowly avoiding a slap delivered to his mouth.

“ He didn’t even thank me,” Lisa said. “ I came all the way to Cianwood, almost losing Quagsire and getting Aipom drowned to death, to deliver two Pokeballs to a guy I don’t even know, and he can’t even say thanks.”

“ AI AI POM!” Aipom screamed, hating to relive the awful battle with Irene, and the drowning incident.

Gavin was about to remark about smoke pouring out from Lisa’s ears, but stopped his quick tongue just in time. “ Well, go after him and MAKE him say thanks.”

Lisa’s eyes flashed dangerously, a hint of revenge glimmering in the deep brown. “ I’ll do more than that.” She growled, and stalked off to find Jack the Sailor. Gavin shrugged, and started walking along the corridor behind his companion, shouldering his and her backpacks, both growing heavier each second as he followed.

“ Jack! Jack Criddle!! Come here!” Lisa bellowed, calling down the dingy hallway which led to the main foyer of the pokemon Centre. “ Come here right now!” Jack was nowhere in sight, when Lisa arrived at the front desk. Apparently he didn’t wish to deal with Lisa in her current temperament, and had abandoned the centre while he still could. However, Lisa was in no mood to give in – she had almost lost her two most precious Pokemon thanks to him, and she wasn’t going to let him get away without a thanks. Her temper had well and truly flared up, and when she became angry, she became stubborn and obstinate.

Gavin raced out into the foyer after Lisa and Aipom, just in time to sight them storming out, past the clear glass doors and into the peaceful town of Cianwood. She was going to find Jack. “ Lisa wait!” he cried, dragging her pack on the ground, and struggling to stand upright. “ Why are you being so stub …” There was a slight thump as Gavin slammed into the transparent sliding doors. “ born?” he finished, slumping to the ground.

Lisa raced out to the right of the Pokemon Centre. Towards the sea … if Jack was a sailor he’d surely head for the ocean. After running along the footpath which ran alongside a seaward street, Lisa weaved in and out of the early morning fishermen, and finally arrived at the misty-aired jetty. The jetty was wooden, splintered and ancient. However, Lisa wasn’t taking in any details at that time – all she cared about was catching Jack – wherever he was. Lisa scanned the busy Cianwood Port with difficulty – already there were many fishermen and boats around; where could Jack have gone? Lisa suddenly spied, out of the corner of her eye, Jack climbing onto a small pleasure boat. A Sailor on a pleasure boat? Lisa didn’t care how strange that was – but she wanted thanks.

Gavin wobbled after Lisa, approaching the shoreline at the pace of a slow Caterpie. He now had obtained a large red mark on his forehead, but was determined to keep Lisa in sight – or at least know roughly where she was. The teen sighted his friend leaping angrily onto a small, rusty (Gavin could see the rust from a distance) pleasure boat. The boy sped up to Squirtle Speed – he had to catch up – but why was Lisa so damn stubborn about manners? Sure, she almost had Aipom killed, but wasn’t that in the past? Apparently not. Gavin’s feet began to ache as he raced down the jetty where the boat containing an angry Lisa and petrified Jack was departing – and jumped onto the pleasure boat at the last second, landing with a loud thump on the floor.

“ Ow.”

Lisa stared down at the heavy-breathing lump at her feet. What an idiot … Lisa ignored the boy, and looked around the boat, until finally her gaze fell upon Jack the Sailor glaring at her, almost scared of her vicious temper. He didn’t glance twice at the teenage boy on the deck - not actually recognising Gavin as a fellow human. The boat suddenly took off, and slowly set sail. The captain wasn’t Jack, but somebody else that neither Lisa nor Gavin could see currently.

“ Um … excuse me Jack.” Lisa muttered, all her confidence dissolving into thin air as her anger left her. “ Um … back when I gave you Granbull and Mankey … you didn’t …” Lisa suddenly realised how pointless her cause was, but she had come this far; it wouldn’t be any good to just jump off back onto the jetty and confuse Jack even more; she had to finish what she had so stupidly started. “… say thank you to me.”

Jack laughed, a hearty, deep stomach laugh that many men seemed to have. “ Sorry, little girly. Thank you.”

Lisa felt like throwing herself overboard. “ Just Thankyou?” she groaned, as Gavin slowly began to raise himself back up into a sitting position. “ Just to inform you, one of my pokemon nearly died because I agreed to help you out, even though I had never met you.”

Jack blinked.

“ Another of my Pokemon abandoned me because I had set out into the sea to deliver two pokeballs.” Lisa fumed, glad to at last get it all out of her system. Jack blinked again. “ And you couldn’t even manage a thank you until I demanded it? Well, that’s gratitude!” Lisa cried.

“ Er … sorry.” Jack said, clenching his fists and not acting at all like he meant it.

“ That’s it!” Lisa cried, beyond any apology or explanation. “ I challenge you to a battle! And I’ll win!”

Jack looked mildly amused. “ Kid, if it’s what you really want …”

“ I choose Butterfree.” Lisa cried, throwing a pokeball down at the deck with great force. It zapped open, revealing Butterfree, as well as a slight dent in the deck.

“ Is one on one alright with you?” Jack asked.

“ Yeah, yeah, just send out a pokemon.”

“ Go Poliwrath.” snapped Jack, opening a heavy ball, and showing off a large, purple-blue Poliwrath.

“ Butterfree – start off with Gust attack.” Lisa called. “ Then go in for a Quick Attack, and Fly up.”

“ Free!” Butterfree called obediently.

“ Poliwrath – try an Ice Beam, followed up by a Water Gun. Then go in for Tidal Wave attack.”

“ Wrath.” Gurgled Poliwrath, just as eager to battle as Butterfree.

The battle began. Butterfree flew right up high, up further than Poliwrath could reach. Then it flapped it’s wings, pushing down the air currents and blowing Poliwrath around, until the frog-like Pokemon finally toppled over onto the deck with a thump. Butterfree took it’s chance and flew speedily at the upset Poliwrath, aiming for it’s swirl. Butterfree slammed hard into Poliwrath, taking advantage of it’s momentary confusion and slow speed to deliver maximum damage. Poliwrath pulled itself up; the battle had only just begun!

Poliwrath held it’s gloved fists together and formed a large, glowing orb between them. Then he stared up to Butterfree, who was tensing her body, ready to avoid the Ice Beam. Poliwrath shot out a beam of azure light, which blasted Butterfree to the ground. Butterfree wasn’t as agile as it thought. While Lisa called out instructions for Butterfree, Poliwrath blasted it repeatedly with Water Gun. Just when it looked like Butterfree was trapped, the butterfly like Pokemon flapped it’s large Wings and lifted off into the sky, as high as easily possible.

Lisa flinched. Now Jack had ordered a Tidal Wave attack from Poliwrath – she had never heard of it before. Lisa guessed she’d have to do her best. “ Butterfree – Sleep Powder, then Swift!” Lisa called, not having any strategy to her battle techniques. Butterfree flapped her wings lightly and released a light blue, shimmery powder. Just as the powder descended upon Poliwrath, Poliwrath’s eyes glowed blue. The sea surrounding the boat, rose and swished around, until a huge wave rose out of the sea and crashed down onto the old boat, taking Butterfree down with it. The boat rocked, and Lisa felt her stomach lurch.

The water washed away, revealing a soggy Butterfree and a sleeping Poliwrath. Lisa wondered why the water hadn’t washed the powder off, but then she guessed the powder had taken effect before the Tidal Wave hit. Now, although Butterfree was more injured, Lisa had a great advantage. Poliwrath was asleep – meaning it couldn’t counter or intercept any incoming attacks.

“ Butterfree – get up!” Lisa cried, hoping she could win the fight.

“ Free!” Butterfree struggled to raise itself up into the air much more than about four feet. It’s efforts failed, but Lisa didn’t mind – it was high enough. “ Now attack!” Lisa called, while Jack the Sailor desperately tried to awaken Poliwrath. Butterfree launched an array of shining stars from nowhere, and shot them at Poliwrath. They all slammed into Poliwrath’s back, which injured it very little.

“ Butterfree – try to use Razor Wind!” Lisa yelled, hoping to finish the fight.
“ Poliwrath – wake up and use Surf!” cried Jack.

Butterfree, originally puzzled over the new move, guessed how to perform it, and flapped it’s wings shortly and sharply. The wind was so quick and sharp that it injured Poliwrath twice as much as a regular Gust. Butterfree continued the attack, unmercifully, not even letting Poliwrath move. Finally, Butterfree needed a small rest, and Poliwrath chose that time to awaken. It’s eyes glowed azure once more, and another, slightly smaller, wave rose out from the ocean and onto the boat. Poliwrath, this time, seemed able to direct the wave, and sent it in Butterfree’s direction. Butterfree was drenched again, but it was still an able fighter, hardly even half damaged yet.

“ Butterfree, use your Giga Drain.” Lisa cried.
“Water Gun, followed up by a Dynamic punch to finish it off.”

Lisa was furious that Jack had ordered two attack in a row, but she felt Butterfree could handle the punch easily. Poliwrath spun around, emitting a spray of high pressure water directly at Butterfree, who easily evaded the attack, and swept down to the purple pokemon, trying to suck it’s energy but the attempt proved pointless; Poliwrath wouldn’t stay still for long enough. Poliwrath’s fist suddenly glowed white, powering up for the Dynamic Punch.

“ Butterfree – fly up high again!” yelled Lisa.

“ Free!” Butterfree flew up microseconds before Poliwrath’s devastating attack hit. Poliwrath’s gaze moved slowly up, following Butterfree’s movements with it’s eyes exactly. Then Butterfree swooped down, before the slow Poliwrath could respond, and flew directly into it, finally knocking it out and rendering it unconscious, ending the LONG one on one battle.

Jack, stunned, recalled his strong Poliwrath. “ Lisa … I’m speechless. You beat me with a … Butterfree.” He shuddered at being defeated by a girly pokemon. Lisa was glad. The battle had not only been good for Butterfree, but had calmed her down.

“ Thanks Jack.” Lisa said. “ Um … I’m sorry about going psycho.”

“ No, I’m sorry.” Jack said. “ I didn’t thank you, and I also underestimated you. Here Lisa, I have something for you.”

Jack fished around in his pocket, until finally he produced a pokeball. “ Lisa - take this.” He said.

“ But I just delivered that to you …?” began Lisa, confused.

“ It’s a different one. Just open it.” Jack said abruptly. “ It has a pokemon that’s a bit weak for a sailor like me – you might like it though.”

Lisa was about to remark that she was actually stronger than Jack at battling, but suddenly the boat gave a lurch, and the captain yelled out from somewhere on the boat. “ Jack, c’mere.”

“ Hang on!” Jack called.

“ No seriously!!” the Old Captain cried, frantic. “ We’re … in this HUGE Whirlpool.”

Lisa looked over the edge of the boat to see an enormous whirlpool, at least twice as large as the one she and Gavin had battled before, swirling next to the boat, rapidly pulling it in, never slowing down …

[Gavin Luper]

Chapter 12 - Psychics.


Lisa watched, her stomach swirling along like the whirlpool. Lisa had underestimated it’s size earlier … now that the boat was further in, the treacherous spinning water looked somehow magnified. The whirlpool was easily as large as a house … and at least as deep as the Radio Tower, back in Goldenrod city, it seemed.

Lisa’s Dratini and Quagsire were swimming alongside the boat but in the opposite direction, combatting the water with their Whirlpool attacks. Gavin’s Staryu and Jack’s Poliwrath were in there too, but the four Pokemon didn’t have enough strength. Gavin had suggested releasing Lanturn, but Lisa quickly blocked him. Releasing Lanturn would be like swimming in a thunderstorm – they would all end up electrified.

Lisa looked up in desperation, clasping the rusty steel side rail while Gavin and the other two men raced around, accomplishing nothing at all. The whirlpool had such a great force pulling it that Lisa thought even if they had twenty or more pokemon whirlpooling it still would be no use. Aipom suddenly raced up to Lisa from the cabin and pulled a pokeball off her waist. Lisa looked at it, and then at Aipom. It wasn’t Butterfree’s pokeball. It wasn’t Aipom empty Pokeball either. It was the Pokemon that Jack had given Lisa just moments ago. Maybe it could fight the whirlpool?

Lisa wound up her arm; this was her only shot. The pokeball had to land right near Quagsire and the other water types. Any further and it would disappear into the murky depths – any closer and the pokeball would hit the port side of the boat –and probably shatter. Lisa had to aim exactly. She threw the ball finally, and it flew right on target for Quagsire until a freak gust of wind blew it over, deeper into the ocean. Lisa cried out – the ball finally landed across the Whirlpool – that was a VERY strong wind.

Quagsire spotted the ball, and stopped it’s ongoing blast of water for a moment. Lisa took notice, and looked at Quagsire. Their eyes locked for a moment, until Quagsire finally made a move. The large, wobbly water pokemon took a deep breath, and dived down through the whirlpool’s many levels. Lisa gasped, but couldn’t speak – either because of shock or because the salty air was drying out her throat.

Gavin walked over beside her, leaving Jack and the captain to fuss around pointlessly, and surveyed the catastrophe unfolding before him in the water. “ What a way to go …” he sighed jokingly, trying to quickly dodge a slap to the head from Lisa – but not fast enough. The slap hit him square on the forehead, and knocked him temporarily off balance. Taking a step behind himself to stay standing, Gavin trod on Lisa’s backpack, tripping him and finally toppling him over. Gavin landed hard, hitting his head against the steel rail, and slumped out of consciousness.

Lisa sighed, but then turned back to the tragedy at hand – Gavin’s injuries could wait.

Quagsire had succeeded, by now, in getting himself caught up in a lot of trouble. He had miraculously managed to splash over to the Pokeball but now had no strength remaining to swim back against the flow of the water. His only chance was to use his own Whirlpool attack – but even in a group with three others he had been unable to even effect the currents – how was he meant to succeed on his own?

The water pokemon was in trouble, and both he and his trainer knew it. Lisa, fretting for her Pokemon’s safety, whipped out his pokeball and pressed the button. The boat lurched moments before a crimson beam shot across the pool, with a diametre of incredible measures. The light was just a few metres off course; Quagsire was still floating helplessly in the water. Lisa tried and tried, but to no avail. The boat was too wobbly for Lisa to aim an accurate beam – it was hopeless. Lisa sighed, and called out to Quagsire.

“ Swim with the whirlpool’s flow!” she cried. “ Save your energy.” Quagsire didn’t see how doing what it’s master ordered would help it get to safety, but it obeyed. The water pokemon swam with the whirlpool’s currents, pulling itself down faster but conserving it’s energy. Lisa, content that Quagsire had a long way to go before the matter of reaching the bottom was a problem, looked up and saw that the boat was almost half way down the whirlpool. The inside of the pool was dull, and elongated shadows enveloped the miniscule pleasure craft and it’s occupants.

Lisa stepped back from the rail – it was beginning to creak and she felt it might break off if she leaned on it with her full body weight. Lisa felt her foot come across something bumpy as she stepped back, and she looked down to see Gavin – now awakened. The teenage boy suddenly screamed with pain, and Lisa took a step back towards the rail.

Quagsire, now able to see the bottom of the watery trap, had given up hope now. He grabbed the shiny, slippery pokeball between his hands, and tried to hold it firm, when suddenly an odd azure aura surrounded his entire being. The heavy Pokemon’s body was lifted into the thick, damp air, and suddenly flew at the boat’s deck with astonishing speed and force. All the pokemon in the water; Dratini, Staryu and Poliwrath, who still hadn’t given up on fighting the water’s currents, suddenly lifted up into the air, with the same azure light surrounding them. The three water pokemon slammed down upon the deck, next to Quagsire, and Gavin. Lisa suddenly realised that Gavin, too, had a strong blue tinge to his natural colourings. It didn’t take Lisa very long to guess what was going on – Gavin was Psychic. This was the second time in a week or so that Lisa had seen him use his powers – and they were amazing.

“ Gavin – do you have any ide..?” Lisa began, but she was cut off by yet another mysterious event. The entire boat, now almost at the bottom of the whirlpool, lifted up slowly, and rose up, higher and higher until the minute pleasure boat splashed up, out of the whirlpool and into pure daylight; Lisa, Jack and the Captain had to shield their eyes with curved hands for a moment until their eyes adjusted. Finally, they became used to the conditions, and removed their sweaty palms – and all three let out a cry of confused joy, thanks and relief.

*

Aipom sat on the rusty railing – his mischievous tail entwined around it, squeezing out all traces of moisture, wringing out all traces of the recent whirlpool. The captain was down in the cabin; Lisa hadn’t heard from him since they had set course for Red-Rock Island, the island in the Whirlpool Archipelago where the league would be held. Jack had found a comfortable position on the upper deck, and had parked there, sipping from a can of icy lemonade. Gavin was resting down below, the psychic blast had left him extremely weak. Lisa lay on the lower deck, stroking the new pokeball she had been given and daring herself to open it, unsure whether to open it immediately or leave it for a while. She was unsure.

However, soon Lisa didn’t have any choice. Before she could make a final decision, Jack called out from above “ Red Rock Island, dead ahead!” Lisa had only ever heard the words used before on TV shows, so it was exciting for her to actually be there. Climbing up onto the upper deck, Lisa felt the cool sea breeze blowing through her hair. Jack laughed and pointed to a tiny, red spot on the horizon. It was gradually becoming dark; night was falling.

“ Thank you for letting us come with you on this cruise.” Lisa thanked the man, as the captain sailed the tiny boat closer towards the island. They were approaching at a steady speed, and even in the few minutes Lisa had been standing up there the island looked closer already – only about fifteen minutes away.

“ You’re welcome.” Jack said. “ Although I didn’t really have much choice, the way you charged up here.”

Lisa laughed, embarrassed at remembering her actions earlier that day. “ I got a little carried away.”

They sat in silence for some minutes, then Jack started a new conversation. “ Did you open the pokeball I gave you?”

“ No, not yet.” Lisa told him, actually almost regretfully. She now really wanted to see what the pokemon was, and suddenly couldn’t understand her previous idling. The teenage girl wrenched the ball off her belt and held it up. “ Maybe I will now.”

“ Go ahead.” Jack urged. “ I wanna see what ya think of it. It’s not much, mind, but still … just open it.”

Lisa held the ball out, and pushed the button upon it’s centre, enlarging it. The pokeball shone in the daylight as Lisa prolonged the moment she would discover her new Pokemon, she almost felt she didn’t want to know but inside she really did. The ebony-haired girl took a breath, and opened the ball out on it’s hinge, holding it firmly in her hands as it opened. The pokeball zapped open, literally. Sparks flew everywhere, crackling around as a small golden pokemon formed. The low, stubby pokemon had tiny electric conductors upon it’s head, where sparks still crackled every few moments. Thick, black stripes covered the Pokemon’s body on an angle.

“ Ooh! An Elekid!” Lisa squealed, in a voice that was extremely unlike her usual one. Jack stared at her with a puzzled expression, and Lisa mumbled. “ Heh heh … um, it’s cool. I like Elekid.”

“ Great!” Jack nodded, with a look of content.

“ Thanks very much,” said Lisa to Jack, then she turned to her new Pokemon. “ Come inside your ball, little Elekid. Ooh you’re so cute.”

Lisa shot out a jet of crimson light from the ball and Elekid disappeared in a flash. Jack climbed down to the lower deck, and Lisa clattered down after him. Aipom jumped down, and landed with a small, mischievous “Ai!”. Jack called out to the Captain. “ Frank, how long ‘til we dock?”

“ About twenty minutes.” The Captain croaked his reply. Lisa brightened up. Twenty minutes until she got to Red Rock Island. Twenty minutes until she finally got to sign up for the Whirlpool Cup. At last, she could begin the tournament.

“ Yeah, me an’ Frank might jus’ stay at the Pokemon Centre t’night.” Jack told Lisa. “ Is that where you’re stayin’?”

“ Um, probably.” Lisa said, remembering that she’d have to wait until tomorrow to sign up, the sky had already turned from umber to deep royal blue, with no sign of the crescent moon. “ Me and Gavin, that is.”

“ Oh yeah, him …” Jack said. “ Hey, what’s with his psychic thing again?”

Lisa sighed heavily. “ Jack, I told you before - forget it. He doesn’t believe he’s psychic.”

“ But the … the thing with the floatin’ …”

“ Forget it.” Lisa tried to add a tone of finality in her voice this time, just to make Jack shut up. Jack finally got the message, and shrugged. Lisa strode back to the other side of the boat, where Gavin sat now awake, rubbing his head rapidly. The legendary-loving girl pulled at her hair rapidly as she began to speak to him. “ Gavin, listen to me …”

The black-haired boy looked up at her. “ It’s real … Lisa you’re right … my telekinesis …”

Lisa was a little more than surprised to hear Gavin admit his abilities, but she tried to stay calm. “ Why didn’t you believe me before? Surely you knew it, Gavin, I mean, we could both remember the Radio Tower incident clearly.”

“ I know …” Gavin stuttered slowly. “ I just … well, look Lisa, I’ll tell you the truth, but in the end you’ll just think I’m a cuckoo with a cuckoo family.”

“ I promise I won’t,” assured Lisa. “ Go on.”

“ Lisa, my whole family is Psychic. Every single member of my family has developed their powers a little – most of them just deal with clairvoyancy and stuff. Only a couple of them – my cousin Sabrina, for instance, and my Uncle Will, have ever really concentrated their abilities. The Luper family goes through generations of Psychics. And they all have great lives – but short ones.”

“ What?!” Lisa demanded.

“ It’s an ancient curse that was placed on my great-great-great-great-infinitygreat-grandfather by a really strong Giant Gengar. It basically said that all psychics who stem from his family would be strong psychics – but sooner or later be tested by a GREAT PSYCHIC LEGEND when they neared their peak. As in, they would have to battle with a Psychic legendary pokemon.

"My mum told me about the curse when I was twelve," he muttered, bitterly.

Lisa didn’t reply, unsure whether or not to believe Gavin, as he was prone to making stupid jokes, but his face was serious, and as she had promised not to think of him disrespectfully, she nodded along. “ I see …”

“ Lisa, my Dad died when I was three years old,” Gavin replied. “ You might have noticed I’ve never even mentioned my family – my Mum died just over a year ago, but I had already … seen it coming.”

Her heart beating rapidly, rising in her chest, Lisa beckoned Gavin to continue his bizarre story.

“ She went out one night to behind the Tin Tower, to collect some herbs – she was the secondary supplier of potions to the Ecruteak Pokemart at the time. That’s the last I ever saw of her.”

Gavin’s face was miserable, but his voice remained steady. “ So I moved to Goldenrod to start fresh – nobody came after me. My Uncle Eusine is only twenty five, he’s still alive and kicking, but I know his time is close. And then – my powers were released, and the thought occurred to me that – well – my time might be up. And now …”

Lisa didn’t want to hear any more. She raised a shaking finger to her lips, and Gavin nodded silently, and went off into a pensive staring session. Lisa walked dazedly to where Aipom swung from the rails and stood there for some minutes as the boat entered the Red Rock Harbour, recovering from the bizarre conversation with Gavin, but strangely believed him.

A few seconds later, all travellers felt a light bump, and Lisa looked over the side of the craft. They were at a small port; docked next to a tiny wooden jetty. Lisa cheered weakly; finally! Then she looked up to the sky, and caught sight of the moon, surrounded by a golden white aura. I’m going to win the Whirlpool Cup. I have to.

[Gavin Luper]

Chapter 13 - The Colosseum.


Lisa’s eyes slowly fluttered open. First, she wondered where she was, pale green walls surrounded her four ways – wallpaper was peeling off them irregularly. The girl sat up, slowly taking in more of the room. She had fallen asleep on the wooden-panelled floor, which explained the stabbing pain in the crook of her back. In the corner of the almost empty chamber lay messed up sheets and rugs – someone had awoken before her. Lisa patted around the area beside her and found no moving, playful bump – where was Aipom?

Standing up, Lisa strolled over to the door and pushed it open as it creaked. Feeling almost afraid of the dark, unknown place, she found herself in a dingy hallway, but from somewhere she could make out distinct voices; familiar ones at that. Lisa walked past various other splintering doors until finally she came to a large, airy room. At a table there sat Gavin, Jack, Aipom, Frank the captain and a middle-aged man Lisa had never seen before. Lisa vaguely recalled the house from the night before – she had wearily traipsed in with Jack and the others after finding that the Pokemon Centre was temporarily closed.

“ Ah, G’mornin’ Leese.” Jack called, as Lisa pulled up a deck chair and sat down next to the captain, relaxing herself at once. “ Care for some toast?” Jack pushed a grubby china plate onto the table before Lisa, and the girl wrinkled her nose up at the stench wafting up from the blackened, burnt toast that sat there. “ No thanks – not hungry.” Lisa managed to say between clenched teeth, trying not to even breath in the air that emitted from the toast. Gavin, across the table from her, grinned stupidly and showed her a half-eaten slice of toast – he had eaten it himself.

“ Aw, sorry Leese.” Jack muttered, leaning back in his chair. “ Yeh prob’ly dunno where we are. We’re at me good mate Jake’s place.” The middle-aged man Lisa had seen before stood up slowly, and shook hands with the girl, who cringed as she felt the man’s sweat cover her hands. Gavin snorted, and tried to cover it with a ridiculous coughing fit. Idiot, Lisa thought.

Lisa patted Aipom’s tail, as he scarfed down the last of the toast Jack had offered around. At least he was enjoying his breakfast, unlike Lisa herself, whose stomach felt like an awful, empty abyss. She hadn’t eaten anything since the night before, and before that she had spent almost two days sleeping. Lisa checked her pokegear and found that it was Tuesday the 6th … only another month or so until she returned home again, to Tom. But first came the Whirlpool Cup, the medley of water pokemon battles …

“ Oh no.” Lisa muttered, unable to think of anything else to say. She checked her watch – 10am already! The Whirlpool Cup! She had to sign up before it began – otherwise she’d miss out! The girl stood up abruptly, thanked Jake for his hospitality, thanked Frank for his boating, thanked Jack for Elekid, pulled Aipom onto her shoulder, wrenched Gavin out of his chair and sped out the front door, dragging behind Gavin.

“ Kids,” muttered Jack.

*

“ Lisa, what’s the prob?” Gavin called, as Lisa barrelled down a narrow street, dragging Gavin behind unmercifully. Her shining brown eyes glinted, as she let go of Gavin, who managed to find his feet quickly and race up alongside her. Aipom was clinging on for dear life, as the two teens raced towards the huge colosseum, which Lisa was confident was the location of the tournaments.

“ The Whirlpool Cup!” Lisa shot back, keeping up perfectly with Gavin, who didn’t seem to even be breaking a sweat yet. Suddenly Gavin sped up. He, too, was hoping to compete. Missing the Tournament would be awful – his Staryu and Lanturn would do great, if only the Green Lanturn would obey him. Running like a single character, the two quickly exchanged all the information they had.

“ When does it begin?” Gavin panted, racing along with his utmost ability, straining to keep going with each step. He had to make it.

“ Today.” Lisa called, as they rounded a corner, coming one step closer to the colosseum. However, the building itself was still a LONG way away, all the way over the other side of the island. “ Dunno when exactly, but definitely today sometime. Irene didn’t tell me much. Oh, and I only have one badge … dammit!”

Gavin slowed – if she didn’t know exactly, and if badges were needed, then what was the point? But slowing down didn’t benefit the boy – Lisa raced on, oblivious to the local shoppers, carrying paper bags of groceries. Gavin felt awful about knocking over one frail lady’s flower stand, but there was no time for sympathy. He HAD to make it …

Lisa rounded yet another corner, as Aipom cautiously crept down, and zapped into it’s pokeball. Lisa laughed, but sweat began trickling in the corners of her mouth, so she quickly shut her mouth up tightly, and continued running, drowned in sweat. Gavin, meanwhile, was having trouble dodging everyone. Eventually, smothered in his own sweat, the boy tripped on a small pebble on the road, causing him to flip over and slam his head hard against the cement.

Lisa stopped, and ran back. “ Gavin! You OK?”

Gavin slowly pulled himself up, and crawled to the roadside. “ Um..yeah I think s … NO!” Gavin clasped his head and winced with utter pain – it truly hurt, almost like that splitting headache he had experienced back in the radio tower … aha! Gavin suddenly realised his true inner power – psychic power, the power of his soul, and how he could harness it. The first time he had really used psychic power, pain had struck him, with the headache back in the radio tower. Being to close to the brain, the blast had been phenomenal. Second time; Lisa had stood on his head … and Gavin had saved the boat and the pokemon from a whirlpool. Third time … well, he would just have to try this time. Gavin knew he was going to use up a lot of Psychic Fuel at any moment, so he might as well try something he had attempted futilely a few days back, and focused all his thoughts on one thing; arriving at the colosseum. He and Lisa standing outside … teleporting …

“ GAVIN, listen!” Lisa cried, distraught. “ Are you alright?!”

Gavin opened his eyes, his head still throbbing unbearably, but he had to focus. He could no longer see out of his eyes – was the pain blinding him, or was it the mental energy that was blocking off his vision? Either way, the boy screamed once, and suddenly blackness washed over him.

*

Lisa and Gavin opened their eyes. Lisa was laying on the cool, plain cement outside the front entrance to the Water Colosseum. A wide veranda propped up on ivory marble columns spread shade over the weary duo. Lisa shook Gavin, until the boy opened his eyes, and stood up beside her. Together, they faced the enormous doorway. Lisa spoke slowly, as though it hurt to say each word. “ Gavin – you know you just teleported us here, right?”

“ Course I did,” Gavin winked at her, raised a shaking finger to his lips and ended the possibly lengthy discussion with a single move. “ C’mon, let’s go register.”

Lisa nodded blankly, and the duo entered the high-ceilinged structure. It was all very ancient roman looking, but somehow had a new, modern feel to it. At a small desk sat a bespectacled woman, who had red hair sticking out at completely odd angles. “ Good morning.” She greeted, very clear and properly spoken. “ Are you, perchance, here to register in the Whirlpool Cup?”

“ Yeah, we are,” Lisa nodded, brushing her hair away from her eyes. “ Are we here in time?”

“ Oh, very much so.” The woman laughed, her forehead creasing up in a look of interest at Gavin, who had been wearing the same clothes since that Saturday night on Cianwood Beach, and looked absolutely awful to say the least (Lisa had been wearing her clothes since then too, but the absence of mud and dirt made her look a little more presentable). The woman glared at him suddenly. “ Is this … er … thing … also participating?”

Lisa smirked, but forced herself not to laugh just yet. “ Um, you had better ask it yourself.” She replied, inwardly laughing her head off. Gavin mouthed ‘very funny’ in a sarcastic manner, before quickly saying “ Yeah, I’m entering.”

The woman typed for a few moments on her keyboard, and quickly dealt with the two friends. “ Alright, the qualifying rounds begin in one hour precisely. I suggest you prepare your Pokemon, and have a shower.” She screwed her nose up at Gavin, but went on suddenly. “ Do either of you have badges?”

Gavin shook his head, but Lisa spoke up. “ Yeah, I have one –” The girl fished around in her jeans pockets before promptly producing a small ruby-coloured badge, which had spikes sticking out of it at odd angles, possibly to look like a Corsola, or a reef, or maybe even both. “ - but I need to ask something. What are the badges for exactly, if their not actually required to enter?”

Lisa handed the badge to the receptionist, who quickly scanned it with a machine similar to those used in department stores, and handed it back to Lisa. “ One badge pulls you through to the second round of the tournament.” The woman said quickly, angrily changing her schedules on the computer. Lisa’s heart leapt. One less battle was good – in a way. Quagsire wouldn’t get as much experience, but it would give Lisa more free time to train. “ Now then, off you go.” The crabby woman waved them on. “ There are some public showers to your left as you pass the gate, by the way.” She added, with a stern glance at Gavin, who laughed abruptly.

*

It was eleven o’clock. Gavin’s first battle began in only five minutes. Lisa had forced the boy to have a thorough shower, leaving him clean and looking smart for his battle. Lisa attempted to brush his messy hair, and succeeded until the boy quickly ruffled it up again to it’s usual, lopsided state. Gavin wore new clothes that Lisa had never seen before; jeans as usual, and a green shirt that Gavin hated, but was his only clean shirt. Lisa fussed about the boy, and he soon became annoyed.

“ OK, now you go out there and knock ‘em down!” Lisa called, feeling almost like a mother sending out her child to be a Pokemon trainer – only a child who was two inches taller than her.

“ Yes, Mummy.” Gavin groaned, putting Lisa’s thoughts into real life. She laughed suddenly, and leaned over, patting the boy on the head like a real mother. Gavin walked out into the battlefield in a daze, now nervous about battling before hundreds of spectators. He entered and accidentally walked in the opposite direction to the competitor’s platform. Lisa laughed at him, and then sighed. Boys … what idiots. Women were so definitely the smarter sex, she thought.

*

Lisa sat in the grandstand, looking down upon the battle about to unfold. Gavin stood there, in the left trainer box, opposing a girl called Alicia. She had green hair, which contrasted awfully with Gavin’s clothing. Lisa looked from trainer to trainer, trying to ignore the oversize woman next to her, who kept yelling out “ Go, Alicia! Hey look, George, there’s Alicia – can you see her there …” … and so it went on like that. The woman continually elbowed Lisa’s rib cage, which not only hurt but annoyed Lisa.

A large pool separated Alicia and Gavin, full of sparkling clear water which contained a vague azure hue. The battle was ready to begin – Lisa looked up to the referee, and then back at Gavin, realising she had never seen him battle or even use his pokemon before, except for when they first met in the Radio Tower. The bell rang, and the fight began.
Gavin sent out Staryu, his only real choice, since the Green Lanturn was still refusing to obey. Alicia released a Mantine into the water; the heavy, stingray-like pokemon delving into the deepest water the pool had to offer. Staryu ‘looked’ around nervously – it’s first ever battle, apart from on a couple of wild Sentret Gavin had trained it upon back on the Johto Mainland. The star pokemon floated perfectly still, until it’s master called out the command “ Light Screen, then Rapid Spin.”

Staryu quickly projected a glass-like screen to shield itself from Mantine’s attack, which Alicia had ordered be a Bubblebeam. Mantine surfaced moments after Staryu created the screen, and shot out a lengthy jet of cerulean bubbles, which hit the light screen and caused no damage to Staryu. The brown pokemon then began to spin rapidly sideways on it’s axis, creating a small whirlpool, which caught Mantine off-guard and hit him square in the head, as well as shattering the screen into many glass pieces.

“ Mantine – use your Wing Attack!” Alicia called, her curly blonde hair jumping on her shoulders.

“ Staryu – try a Psybeam.” Gavin called in his deep voice.

Lisa gasped. A Psybeam? Surely Gavin hadn’t trained it up that well? Then Lisa found the meaning behind Gavin’s words – he said TRY a Psybeam. Evidently, he hadn’t taught Staryu yet, but was hoping he could work it out. Staryu didn’t know exactly what a Psybeam was, but it improvised, concentrating all it’s mental energy in one point – it’s circular gem. The normally ruby-coloured gem slowly filled with mauve energy, and suddenly blasted out from within. Mantine, meanwhile, was swimming slowly towards Staryu, waiting for the perfect moment to speed up and attack. However, for Mantine, that moment didn’t come. The blast hit him directly in the head, as he came up for a brief peek on Staryu’s progress. Mantine barely survived the blast, and just as Alicia ordered another bubblebeam, he began furiously slapping himself with his wings – confusion!

Alicia fell down to her knees suddenly – confusion was NOT good in a battle, especially an important one. She decided to keep fighting, hoping to still pull off a victory.

“ Mantine, Water Gun!”

Gavin had expected Alicia to react by withdrawing her Mantine, but he quickly improvised. “ Staryu – Double-Edge and Tackle!”

As Mantine ceased berating itself with it’s own wings, it listened to Alicia and prepared to obey. Staryu, the swifter of the two, got in first, and slammed sideways into the stingray pokemon. It breathed in for a Water Gun, but Staryu was relentless, and slammed it’s body into Mantine with Tackle, the ultimate finishing move.

Alicia looked sad, however, as a good Pokemon trainer, she stood up, and took the bad news bravely, pulling out a pokeball and recalling her pokemon.

The crowd went wild, Lisa among them. Ignorant of the woman beside her’s “ Look, George, see her there? That’s our Alicia, she tried very hard!”, she cheered loudly, watching as Gavin patted his Staryu’s top point with a look of satisfaction. The boy then looked up, scanned the rows of cheering people, and found Lisa’s familiar face. He mouthed two words, “ Too Easy.” and Lisa chuckled to herself.

Lisa felt great for Gavin – he had been taken through to the next round now, and soon Lisa would join him in battling for the Whirlpool Cup Trophy, as well as a couple of other prizes she had heard about. Lisa smiled – her battle was tomorrow – she would have to be prepared. Time for some Quagsire training …

[Gavin Luper]

Chapter 14 - The Water Washout.


“ Quagsire, try to use Aurora Beam!” Lisa cried to her Pokemon, as it jumped around at all kinds of angles, dodging the small flames coming from the opposing wild Vulpix, which had strayed from it’s inland home to the beach for a bath. Quagsire stopped dodging small ember shots, and landed on a flat, vermilion rock situated in the shallow water. He opened his mouth, and let loose a huge jet of rainbow light, which washed over Vulpix in a flash. The fire dog pokemon struggled under the intense radiance of the attack, and finally, unable to withstand the light any longer, closed it eyes and floated limply in the water.

“ Alright, Quagsire!” Lisa rejoiced, splashing into the knee-deep water to congratulate her water pokemon. Quagsire jumped into the water just as Lisa arrived, soaking the girl from head to foot. Lisa laughed, but inside she was actually quite annoyed – it was a fairly cold evening, she didn’t want to get sick or anything. Putting her feelings aside for a moment, Lisa hugged Quagsire. “ Your Aurora Beam is really strengthening.”

“ Quag.” Quagsire agreed, and Lisa thought back to only five hours ago, when she and Quagsire first began training on the beach for the whirlpool cup. Quagsire’s Aurora Beam hadn’t even knocked out a Pidgey, but now it could faint a higher levelled Vulpix with only two strikes.

Lisa stared at the floating Vulpix, and decided that she really couldn’t leave it floating there – it could be severely injured. It would be irresponsible to do anything else, she thought, preparing the pokeball to catch the creature with. The pokeball lightly landed and snuffled Vulpix to safety. Lisa rejoiced at catching her fifth pokemon, before realising how chilly it now was. “ C’mon, Quagsire.” Lisa muttered abruptly, shivering in the cool breeze. Her wet clothing emphasised the crisp air, freezing Lisa down to her bones. The girl waded back to shore, and took out Quagsire’s pokeball, recalling him quickly. Trudging slowly up the dunes, Lisa scanned the row of Norfolk island pines lining the carpark. No sign of Gavin yet … where was he? It was cold, and frankly she couldn’t stand another minute out in the cold. Her sigh carried on the bleak, now quite fast-paced, wind. Further down the beach, a large blast of yellow caught Lisa’s attention. Turning, she squinted and managed to make out a trainer on the beach, as well as a pokemon swimming in the water. Lisa quickly guessed; Gavin, Staryu and Lanturn. “ Oy, Gavin!” Lisa called, raising her voice as loud as she could. “ C’mon, you idiot it’s FREEZING!”

Gavin slowly approached, recalling his pokemon and sprinting up the beach. Lisa watched as he turned from a tiny speck on the beach to a tall teenage boy, looking down on her as he arrived underneath the pine tree. Lisa placed her hands on his shoulders, before delivering a swift, stinging slap to his jaw.

“ C’mon, you idiot!” she called, yanking his arm and pulling him along as a loud clap of thunder roared and lightning split the sky. Then the heavens opened, and rain poured down, drenching both friends. Lisa pulled Gavin along as they both raced for shelter under the wooden beach house.

Lisa wrenched the creaking door open, and leapt into the beach house, solely built for trainers without accommodation. Gavin jumped in behind her, and slammed the door, leaving the two in silence for a moment. Then thunder roared again, and Lisa jumped.

“ What was that?” Gavin asked in a daze, shaking his head. “ All I remember is a lot of water – oh yeah, and someone SLAPPING ME FOR NO REASON!” Lisa could hear him over the thunder, and sighed heavily. She was still freezing cold. “ Well, I was cold out there.”

Gavin shrugged it off, shivering uncontrollably himself. Lanturn had been particularly disobedient today – it hadn’t even partially listened. It even refused at first to return to it’s pokeball. Gavin sat, dripping wet, on the wooden floorboards of the hut, listening to the soft melody of the evening rain, as it mellowed from a raging torrent to a gentle sprinkle. Lisa, tired out from a long day of cheering and training, yawned loudly, her mouth becoming abnormally large, and curled up into a ball. As soon as he was sure she was asleep, Gavin yanked Green Lanturn’s pokeball off his belt and stared determinedly out of the window.

*

During midnight’s pitch-dark rule, across the Cianwood Sea, a young girl awoke with a start. Her hut rattled with the violent outside winds, though above the racket she could still hear the persistent snores of her sisters. All three sisters lived together in a small beach hut south of Goldenrod, on a cape to the south west of Shellder Beach. There were many of these huts, all very similar, situated across the Whirl Islands and their surrounds, for any trainers who were passing by during the night.

Irene was struggling to return to her sleep among the stormy winds, battering at the wooden walls and and shaking the frames of the specked windows, when the sound of the wind suddenly increased in volume, and there was a large slam somewhere beyond the three sisters’ shared room. Irene sat up in shock from her uncomfortable position in her sleeping bag on the floor, as a chilly breeze swept through the bedroom, bringing rain in with it. She stood up and stifled a scream, guessing the door had been blown open. The twelve-year-old sighed and rolled her eyes – she knew staying overnight in the ‘shack’ after a long day’s battling was stupid, but Kate, her sister, had insisted, along with Laura.

She crept to the doorframe of the bedroom, deciding not to wake her sisters as they were all incredibly crabby after awakening. Her slippers padded softly on the wooden panelling as she entered the other room of the hut, which contained only an ancient stove and oven, and a door which led to the bathroom. But once in the main room, she saw the problem. The door was blown right off it’s hinges, and it had landed on the ground. Rain was belting inside, making the floor slippery. Irene hesitated at the sight of the forbidding blackness beyond the doorway and into the seaside night.

To her shock, there was a sudden shuffling sound from the bathroom. Before she knew what had happened, a person clothed solely in black had darted from the toilet door across to her, and had grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back. She gasped in pain and tried to yell out to her sisters – and if possible, their pokemon, to help her, but the cold blade of steel touched her neck, and she was silenced. Irene’s heart was racing as she waited silently and patiently while her attacker spoke.

“ You have heard of Lisa Walters?” he asked the holidaying gym leader in a raspy voice. Irene could feel his foul breath on her ear and he hissed venomously into them.

It was a moment before her mind registered. Then it ticked into action. “ Lisa … I battled a girl called Lisa a week or so ago.”

“ Tell me … where is she?” The man was getting straight down to the bare questions.

“ She was … going to the Whirlpool Cup.” Irene breathed hastily, eager to keep her own life at all costs.

Without a sound, without recognition that he had even heard her, the man shoved her roughly down onto the slippery floor, and sprinted out, half-sliding, through the door and into the dark, rainy night. Irene slowly pulled herself back up, heart racing and mind throbbing with numbness, and sprinted into her bedroom, screaming to awaken her sisters with accelerated panic.

*

Trainers chatted endlessly among Lisa and Gavin as they entered the modern, airy room at the Whirlpool Colosseum the next morning. The two trainers walked around pointlessly, not really having any aim, listening into other’s conversation every so often. Aipom was overjoyed to be out of his pokeball again – although he didn’t mind being held inside the ball he truly enjoyed being out in the open. There were 16 trainers overall remaining, of all different sizes, ages and sexes, to compete in the competition. Lisa was gradually becoming nervous – she was yet to battle in a big competition, and the very idea of having a crowd staring down and judging her pokemon was almost too much to bear.

However, after slowly watching the others dwindle away for their battles, watching them live on the Plasma screen TV in the trainer’s lounge, and then seeing four come back victorious (not to mention four very depressed losers), Lisa realised it was her turn. Gavin wished her good luck as she entered the stadium, which looked twice as large as it did up it the grandstands or on TV. Lisa approached the trainer’s box, merely a slightly raised, painted rectangle opposing another trainer in her trainer box across the pool, glimmering in the sunlight.

Platforms lay idle in the pool, straddled out in an irregular pattern, providing the battling pokemon with a few places to stand upon. Lisa tensed unwillingly, nervous to her very core. Somewhere in the colosseum, a bell rang out, and Lisa pulled off a pokeball for the one – on – one pokemon battle. Her opponent looked somewhat familiar, and when a Psyduck appeared, Lisa suddenly found her brain click back into motion, and recalled something from her very first day of her Quest.

----------
“ Psyduck – Water Gun.” Anna, the trainer of Psyduck, cried. “ Don’t relent.”
“ Aipom, block it with Swift.” Lisa called.

Psyduck prepared for a Water Gun, but as the Pokemon’s speed was pretty pathetic, Aipom’s attack got in first, and knocked Psyduck of it’s feet. The Psychic Pokemon slowly recovered, and spurted a blast of Water at Aipom, who swiftly dodged.

“ Now finish this with Tackle.” Lisa ordered.
“ Aipom!” Aipom cried, throwing it’s body straight at Psyduck and fainting it, winning Lisa’s second battle.

“ Lisa, you’re really strong for a new trainer,” Anna said as she recalled Psyduck.
“ Thanks, Anna.” Lisa replied. “ Aipom and I used to train with wild Pokemon near Ecruteak.”
“ Ecruteak? You’ve come a loooong way.” Anna said, brushing burgundy hair from her eyes. “ How many badges do you have?”
“ None.” Lisa said. “ I’m not really on that sort of quest.. I’m actually more of a…. um…. Legendary pokemon Researcher.”

At this, Anna laughed and her face became smug. “ Legendary Pokemon aren’t REAL.” She said in a rather snobbish voice.
----------

“ Anna!?” Lisa cried, suddenly recognising the burgundy-haired teen. Anna looked up from her trainers box, and laughed. “ Well well, Ms. Legendary.”

Lisa was slightly amused by her pathetic attempt at a joke, but then reminded herself that Anna was a rival: she didn’t believe in legendary Pokemon. “ Very funny, but this time I’m gonna flog you.”

“ Whatever kid.” Anna snapped, tossing her lengthy hair behind her shoulders. “ Let’s find out who’s better this time.”

Lisa tossed the pokeball into the arena and it zapped open. Lisa had chosen her elegant Dratini for the match against Anna – Quagsire, although strong, was slow, and would probably fall victim quickly to Psyduck’s Confusion attack, whereas the nimble Dratini could possibly set up a Whirlpool fast enough, or even a Twister, blocking off the psychic energy. Dratini zapped out into the water, ignoring the platforms, as it didn’t need them, and swam in and out of the water, trying to unnerve the stupid Psyduck.

The bell rang again, signifying the start of the attacks.

“ Dratini – start off with Thunderwave, and then Water Gun.” Lisa chose two ranged attacks – psychic pokemon were fairly dangerous, and since Dratini had never really fought before, apart from a few wild pokemon - it was best to keep him at a safe distance.

“ Psyduck – Defense Curl attack, then go in for an Ice Beam.” Anna snapped so fiercely she reminded Lisa of the vicious Irene.

The fight was on. Lisa glimpsed up at the cheering mass of people in the grandstand, and after a few moments discovered Jack the sailor, cheering for her. Lisa grinned, full of renewed spirit, and turned her attention back to the showdown. Dratini had swam around in a circle swiftly, building up kinetic energy, which he then transformed into electric energy. Leaping up into the air and splattering Psyduck with water, Dratini’s entire body glowed cobalt before firing off a critical thunderwave. Psyduck watched the blast zoom towards him, and began to curl into a ball when the electrical blast hit him full on, shocking his system. “ Too slow!” Lisa laughed, as Psyduck slowly recovered and curled into a sphere – a bit too late.

Next round. Dratini opened it’s mouth, breathing in sharply and then firing out a few quick jets of water directly at Psyduck – hitting the stupid duck just as it emerged from the Defense Curl. Enraged, the Psyduck seemed to gain some intelligence, and formed an orb of azure light within it’s mouth. Dratini readied itself, not idling in any sense. Preparing to dodge the threatening blast, Dratini flitted around in the pool, sparkling in the warm sunlight. Psyduck opened it’s mouth as wide as possible, and fired the beam, which could potentially knock out Dratini.

However, the dragon pokemon had been well-chosen. It nimbly dodged the blast, which rocketed into the pool and froze a small radius. Dratini had easily evaded the attack. Anna gasped, as though in pain. “ Psyduck – get in there and use Tidal Wave!”

Lisa knew the outcomes of this attack, thanks to her battle with Jack earlier on that week. Dratini would easily be able to avoid it – if it knew how to move strategically. “ Dratini – swim over to Psyduck!”

Anna looked remotely disturbed, but Lisa guessed she had just foiled her most powerful technique. Dratini swam over to Psyduck, on the floating platform, in a few seconds, and circled the platform, waiting for Tidal Wave to come into effect. Psyduck’s eyes glowed bright cerulean, and Lisa watched, as the wave she had predicted rose out among the pool, rising above both pokemon. Soon, Psyduck’s mental energy kicked in, and the wave took a vicious turn towards Psyduck, Dratini and Anna. Lisa waited, her entire body tensed, until moments before the strike, suddenly calling out; “ Dive!!”

Dratini swiftly took to the water, swimming directly underneath the incoming wave, which slammed down on Psyduck at once, causing the duck to fall back off the platform. Lisa scanned the vast pool urgently for a few moments, before Dratini’s blue head popped out of the clear waters. Lisa gasped with relief, then winked at Dratini.

Meanwhile, the water had flowed back into the pool, revealing a bare platform. Psyduck was drifting around a few metres away, critically injured, but somehow still in fine condition for completing the battle. The duck flapped over to the platform, pulled itself back up, and turned to face the gleeful Dratini, with a glint of determinedness in it’s eyes.

“ Ice Beam!” Anna cried.
“ Ice Beam!” Lisa shot back.

Dratini and Psyduck both quickly prepared a radiant sphere of cobalt light – Psyduck within it’s hands and Dratini in his mouth, opened wide, ready to shoot the blast out at a moment’s notice. Soon, the orbs had built up so much energy they were threatening to merge – Dratini’s, although far brighter, was visibly smaller, and and soon Psyduck appeared to have the advantage. “ Now!” Lisa cried. Dratini wailed, and shot out the beam towards Psyduck, readying it’s own beam. [I]This’ll be over now,[I] Lisa thought.

However, in a quick display of Psychic Power, Psyduck suddenly showed Lisa a lesson in battling – Dratini’s beam of ice energy had literally slammed into Psyduck’s ball of azure, merging the two together, and threatening to spin out of control. However, Psyduck’s eyes quickly glowed, and the orb returned before Psyduck, shocking Lisa to her core. An attack was now wasted, and she had actually provided the enemy with ammo!

“ Now Psyduck!” Anna cried, and the yellow duck let go of the energy, seemingly glad to unburden it’s mind of the pulsating globe. The titanic ball rolled along the pool’s surface, heading for Dratini. In a swift movement, Dratini ducked underwater again, and rapidly appeared on the opposing side. However, it’s psychic opponent was still well in the game. In another impressive show of psychic, Psyduck took control of the still pulsating sphere, turned it around, and managed to lift the entire orb up with it’s psychic energy, until it floated 50 metres above the stadium. At a single command, Psyduck could drop the ball, and freeze Dratini in the pool – even the nimble Dratini would never find a way to escape the boulder of intense light.

“ Drop it.” The words hissed from Anna’s cherry lips.

Lisa watched in horror, her mouth frozen in position, her entire being taken over by a feeling commonly experienced in dreams – complete helplessness. Dratini itself seemed struck by awe, and in fact even Anna seemed shocked, as the massive globe plummeted into the pool, slamming Dratini down at once. The entire crowd went silent…not even the commentator dared to even attempt describing the philosophical magnitude of the attack.

Lisa finally felt her brain churn back into action, and she rapidly regained consciousness of her body. However, any commands to Dratini would be, at that moment, utterly wasted, as the poor creature was buried somewhere within the depths of the pool. Lisa deeply wanted to dive in and save her Dratini, but from somewhere she found a restraint. Dratini can save itself.

However, the voice was suddenly proved wrong as the glowing of the submerged orb ceased, and proceeded to freeze over the water, icing up Dratini’s only way out. Small, rippling waves gradually evolved into large ones, as suddenly Psyduck’s platform rocked so much, the yellow duck, incredibly weakened by the sheer power of it’s final attack, toppled into the wavy pool, knocking the pokemon out for the match. Then things turned from bad to worse for Anna, as the water Psyduck had sank into promptly froze over entirely – shutting both Dratini and Psyduck inside an icy, airless chamber, with no escape …

[Gavin Luper]

Chapter 15 - Watered-Down Revenge.


Lisa and Anna stared on, dumbfounded and horrified at the indirect result of two simple Ice Beams. The crowd collectively held their breath, not daring to cheer for either side. Lisa glimpsed, from the corner of her eye, Jack the sailor, actually biting his nails like a petite school girl, acting the complete reverse of what his physical appearance suggested – big, tan man, bulging muscles, tall and broad shouldered – and he was biting his nails. Lisa would have found the trivial humour funny, if one of her few pokemon hadn’t been in a dire predicament. She turned back to the desperate situation at hand.

“ No … this just … it can’t have even happened …” murmured Lisa, unable to accept what she saw. The entire pool had been turned into a massive chunk of ice. Every drop of water had been frozen as it was when the ice-ball took effect – there were waves, still made from Psyduck’s splashdown, but they were solid, curved icicles.

On the barren, icy landscape before her, Lisa watched as the referee cautiously stepped out onto the rough, uneven freeze. The waves at the time of freezing had created a very hard to enter environment - the referee constantly was tripping over undetected ripples or heaving himself over larger waves. Lisa, tired of the slow pace, quickly formulated a plan and a strategy – quickly glancing around the glacier-ridden field, she discovered a virtually clear route into the centre of the pool, where both pokemon had roughly been at the time of freezing.

“ Go!” Lisa tossed out a pokeball onto the ice, which hit the slippery substance and zapped open, when slowly a Quagsire materialised. The crowd finally breathed out at once, and the commentator suddenly swung back into action, acting as though nothing had happened, and treating the absurd situation as an average battle.

“ The blue trainer, Lisa Walters, sends out her magnificent Quagsire out of it’s pokeball for the first time in this colosseum. Quagsire, the mud pokemon, has strange arms, which could determine the reasoning behind Lisa’s plan. From what I can make out, Lisa’s plan is to use Quagsire’s clumsy flippers to her advantage – sliding along the ice. But as of yet I am not sure why …”

“ Alright, keep sliding, Quagsire!” Lisa urged to her pokemon, as Quagsire propelled itself along the glazed, icy surface, approaching the centre very slowly. Lisa clung to Quagsire as he barrelled past a tall, pointy glacier.

“ Careful, Quag.” Lisa breathed, as they skidded to a halt near the pool’s centre, where Dratini was buried. “ Now go … Elekid! Go, Butterfree! You too, Vulpix!”

Lisa tossed out three more pokeballs, and in blasts of ivory, petite but fiesty Elekid, sweet, gentle Butterfree and loving but determined Vulpix appeared. The crowd exhaled as one over the new pokemon, and the commentator was speechless, puzzled over Lisa’s plan. “ Elekid, please use thunder wave to chip through the ice. Vulpix – you’ll be my best bet, so please use your Ember attack! Butterfree – Psybeam the ice NOW!” Lisa knew she would have to be more polite to Elekid and Vulpix, as they had never fought for her before.

“ Bi bi!”
“ Vul! Pix!”
“ Freeeh!”

Elekid glowed with fiery eyes and a transparent yellow hue, then the electricity was absorbed up through his ‘thunder conductors’. The gold/black striped pokemon made slow but constant progress, chipping a small hole after about a minute. Butterfree, however, was faring better, although it depended what aspect Lisa was judging on. The psybeams were far more effective, in terms of depth, but they were gradually wearing Butterfree down, as were very stop-start, stop-start, rather than the consistent attacks from Elekid. As for Vulpix, she was making excellent work, embering the ice and burning away large areas at a time. Quagsire was making short-lived Water Guns at the ice, sizzling them in a sense, but not making very much more progress than Elekid and Butterfree. Aipom leapt from Lisa’s shoulder and began furiously digging. Lisa looked on, feebly kicking the ice every so often in a fruitless attempt to help. Dratini and Psyduck were probably not going to live – if they did they’d probably get frostbite, of hypothermia. Lisa wasn’t exactly sure if that could happen to pokemon, but the fact remained that they could get seriously hurt in there. Lisa didn’t want to see them … dead.

Anna, still standing on her platform at the edge of which the ice reared up at stared at the scene. She looked from Elekid, to Butterfree, to Vulpix, to Aipom, and then to Lisa, who had now let go of her stiff feelings about Dratini and was kneeling down over the ice, scraping at it in a futile attempt to regain her pokemon. Her hands were rapidly becoming raw. Anna struggled inside herself. Psyduck … her first and strongest pokemon … she couldn’t simply stand by and watch as he was trapped – and maybe killed even.

As Lisa and her pokemon continued to dig through the ice, now having succeeded in making an oval crater about 20 feet wide and 3 feet deep, a pokeball popped open in the crater. Lisa looked up and saw Anna there, a Scizor next to her. Lisa grinned, and Anna reflected her smile. Their eyes twinkling, each girl somehow knew – they were no longer bitter enemies, but they were allies.

Scizor made a remarkable help to the team. Butterfree had been utterly exhausted now, and even Elekid was getting run-down. Aipom, Lisa realised, wasn’t in the crater. Standing up, she saw Aipom outside the crater on the surface – digging a tiny hole of his own. “ Idiot.” Lisa scoffed, picking Aipom up by his tail, and fighting down the urge to grin, despite her Dratini’s bleak horizon. She became serious for a moment. Turning back, she saw another figure sliding across the icy surface, from the trainer’s box many metres away. “ Gavin?!” Lisa cried, as the tall boy flipped over on the ice, and skidded to a halt at the edge of the crater.

“ Present.” Gavin muttered, stupidly.

Lisa hauled him up. “ Why are you here?”

“ We were watching the battle in the trainer’s room.” Gavin replied, his voice shaking slightly. “ When I saw, I came. It took a LONG time to get past the ref, though, he didn’t want to let me in.”

“ So … you’re here to help?”

“ Does THIS answer your question?” Gavin asked, waving his hand to his left, when Girafarig, Staryu, Lanturn and Natu were perched, ready for action.

“ GO!”

Now with 8 pokemon and 3 people on the scene, the hole was enlarging at a rapid pace. Seeing a fellow Psychic pokemon, Butterfree was filled with renewed spirit, and began fluttering into the air, Psybeaming all the way, next to Girafarig. Lanturn, however, seemed the only being not helping the situation. It flopped on the ice, sliding every so often, but utterly refusing to give a hand. “ Just help, dammit.” Gavin spat at Lanturn, whose green and yellow appearance was making some of the audience ‘oooh’ and ‘aaah’. This somehow seemed to annoy Lanturn, and Lisa actually felt agitated too - those idiots were looking at a Pokemon’s appearance when two Pokemon’s lives were at risk.

But now, the two pokemon had been trapped for at least fifteen minutes, and Lisa was sure that they were going to die.

Suddenly, a cry rang out from the stands, and a dozen or so people pushed past the patrolling security guards and slid onto the icy grounds. Lisa, Gavin and Anna were all amazed, although still afraid of the entrapment’s outcome, until it sank in; these people were defying the law to help them! It took a couple of minutes until the small party of people arrived and quintupled the group. With many shouts, they assembled around the tiny crater, and each sent out one or two or even six pokemon, who all began scraping at the ice furiously. Lisa had tears in her eyes as a couple of girls comforted her and Anna, saying that they would all find the trapped pokemon and save their lives. And Lisa was nodding, saying yes; they WOULD find her Dratini, and Anna was agreeing.

It was so heartwarming to think that these people cared.

Lisa looked at the crater – it was massive now, and she thought for half a moment that she could see Dratini’s tail. It DID turn out to be a Dratini – belonging to a volunteer trainer. There were many pokemon excavating now – many water ones in particular, but she also spotted a Granbull and a Mankey, and …

“ You alright, Leese?” Jack Criddle asked her, while his Granbull chomped through the solid water and Mankey swiped at it.

Lisa nodded at her old enemy-turned-friend, a huge lump swelling in her throat. For her pokemon had now been stuck underneath the ice, with no air, for almost twenty five minutes. If there was still some water down below, there was some hope, because Dratini could stay underwater for long periods of time. The commentator was still speaking, but Lisa happened to catch the words ‘Ambulance’ amongst his rantings.

It was definitely some peace for Lisa’s troubled and anxious mind, as well as Anna’s, to have so many helping hands. However, their effect was felt more emotionally than physically, because barely ten minutes after they entered, their efforts were halted. It happened when every singled pokemon was helping to dig.

Except Lanturn.

“ C’mon, you lump o’ blubber, help us,” Gavin persisted with the stubborn Lanturn, trying to drag it along the ice next to Elekid, who had an apprehensive look on his face, and another trainer’s Arbok. “ Dammit, help us, just use your thunder -” The next thing Gavin knew, his entire body was vibrating with electricity, making his jaw freeze and his entire movements cease. Lanturn’s antennae were shaking with the sheer voltage, but persisted in giving it’s master a full-on attack. Lisa watched in horror. Lanturn was worse than ever – it was relentlessly attacking it’s trainer. Gavin was going to be knocked out soon, surely, It couldn’t be healthy to be shocked for so long. Almost everyone looked towards Gavin, but luckily, for the future events might have been catastrophic, the trainers and pokemon prevented the crowd, expect those very high up, from seeing this happen.

“ Cuh ih ow!” Gavin spluttered, trying to talk without moving his tongue or mouth at all. Suddenly, Gavin’s entire body took on a new, enveloping aura. Instead of the intense yellow glare from Lanturn, Gavin was suddenly surrounded by the new azure aura. Lisa guessed at once, and in a nano-second braced herself mentally, as Gavin clutched his hands to his head, and beads of cerulean light appeared from nowhere on his forehead.

BOOM!!!

An immense beam of cerulean light emitted from Gavin’s head, Lanturn flopping about directly in it’s path, and ripped through the pool of ice. The flopping fish was sent flying into the air – the crowd was no longer admiring it – but Gavin’s psychic travelled further. It tunnelled into the solid prism of ice beneath them all, making a fissure in the surface right to the bottom of the pool. It was a few seconds until the beam stopped, and Gavin fell over – into the fissure he had made, amongst panicked screams from the volunteers, who had seen it all and had barely dodged the beam, and the crowd, who had not seen where the beam had come from, but just that it created a chasm and that a human had actually fallen into it!

Natu flapped it’s minute wings, and swiftly flew down after Gavin into the crevice, and Lisa surveyed the scene with a look of heavy sorrow, fighting back tears which welled up in her eyes. Lanturn – flopping helplessly on the point of a glacier, Lisa saw, and also brutally wounded. Dratini and Psyduck – lost within the icy chamber below, possibly forever. Gavin – fallen metres down into a crevice, electrified and injured – dead?

*

“ Morning Gavin.” Lisa murmured, as Gavin’s eyes flickered open. He sat up in shock, unaware of his surroundings, but Lisa rubbed his arm, and pushed him back down.

“ Where am I?” he muttered.

“ Red Rock Island Hospital.” Lisa informed him. “ You were seriously hurt by that last psychic thingy, not to mention the electric shock, and the fall. I’m surprised you were … alright.”

Lisa had been about to say alive, but she really didn’t want to stress Gavin out any more than he was – the teen was very confused. It was Thursday now, the 8th. Gavin had actually been unconscious for a day or so – stable but unconscious - and Lisa had been extremely worried about him – crying and fretting. Jack had been great – he had stopped by to see Gavin – and Anna had also come to check how he was doing.

“ Gavin, you do remember doing that Psybeam, don’t you?”

He nodded, but then became concerned. “ What … happened to the pokemon? Drati -” Gavin asked slowly.

Lisa had been ready for this. “ Dratini and Psyduck were frozen – where your Psybeam hit, actually, but much deeper down. As Natu fluttered to see what happened to you, he saw Psyduck’s tail sticking out. Dratini was there too. They’re still in the Pokemon Centre, though, recovering.”

“ That’s good … what about the battle?”

“ Draw.” Lisa said. “ Me and Anna drew.”

“ So … ?”

“ We have a rematch again – tomorrow. It’s counted as my next fight in sequence – that is, it’s counted as my fight for round three, so there’s going to be an extra person competing in the overall tournament – dunno how that’ll work.”

“ What about … my battle?”

“ Taken care of.” Lisa smiled. “ You’re scheduled for noon on Saturday. You’ll be fine by then.”

“ But the Whirlpool Cup … ”

“ … has been postponed.” Lisa said, calmly. “ You’ll fight on Saturday, and I’ll fight tomorrow – me for round three and you for round two. Then you’ll fight again on Monday for round three, and if we both win the whole way – well, we’ll be in the semi finals. No other battles will take place, except the last four competitors who were supposed to battle after you.”

Gavin grinned slowly, trying to sit again, but Lisa pushed him down, and spoke again in a very serious tone.

“ Gavin – these Psychic things are becoming – worse.”

“ I know.” He said in an almost complaining voice. “ I can’t help it, though.”

“ The ghost gym leader from Ecruteak is coming here to talk to you later on.” Lisa explained, and Gavin’s face creased in worry. “ He says your attacks, from what I told him, are becoming much more frequent, and it could mean something serious. Don’t get too worried, but you should just be careful about getting into pain – especially with Lanturn.”

“ Yeah well – that thing deserves to be released. Dunno why I caught it.”

“ Gavin – he must be a good pokemon in SOME way. You just have to persevere – you only caught him a few days ago.”

“ I know – but I just thought … that he’d obey. Staryu does, Natu does, Girafarig does.”

“ Well, at first Aipom didn’t obey me at all.” Lisa said, a smile creeping up onto her face despite Gavin’s problems and Dratini still being in the Pokemon Centre. “ When I first got him.”

Gavin looked mildly interested. “ When did you catch Aipom?”

“ Well – I didn’t.” Lisa admitted.

“ Oh – you traded?”

“ Not quite.”

“ So – you got GIVEN Aipom?”

“ Yeah – my parents gave him to me.”

“ Explain?” a smile crept onto Gavin’s face too.

“ My parents got a job a few weeks ago – about a month ago, actually.” Lisa began, sitting down on Gavin’s white bedsheets, and suddenly recalling the Black Beast fiasco back in Goldenrod. Shrugging it off, she continued.

“ Mum and Dad got a job with a huge company over east last September. Dad was already interested in Fossils – he studied them all day and night, like a collector – and Mum was employed at the Ecru Lake as a Marine Expert. She knew all there was to know about the contents of the lake, like Salvao weed, and of course, fossils. She taught groups of other fossil experts through a tour of the lake – one particular company, Sterling and Son, or something like that, thought she was good for a job opening in Mt Moon.”

“ And then?” Gavin asked, listening intently as though the story was vital to his existence.

“ Then Mum said she’d only go if Dad went too – he had been looking for a job like that for AGES. It was about a week before the company agreed – and about a week later they left.”

“ To Kanto?”

“ Uh huh.” Lisa replied flatly. “ They left us at home.”

“ Who’s us?”

“ Me and my little brother and sister, and my older brother Tom, who stayed for about a week before he left. Then he just checked on us every morning and night – he trains at the gym.”

“ So where does Aipom come in?”

“ He came in a padded box about a week after Mum and Dad left,” Lisa swallowed her laughter. “ Bouncing off the walls … they sent him over for me. At first he wouldn’t listen to me at all – but after a while he got used to me and I really liked him.”

Gavin nodded, and felt a great surge of tiredness coming on. He yawned heavily, and then turned over. “ G’night – seeya in the morning.”

“ G’night Gavin,” Lisa sighed, then spoke in what was barely a whisper, scarcely a breath. “ I hope that psychic legend is wrong after all – it’d be a shame if you died now. I’m just getting to like you.”

*

Lisa entered the colosseum, the wind blowing back her hair into Aipom’s face, as she tossed Dratini’s pokeball up and down in her hand. The sun shone brightly as always – not a cloud in sight. Lisa was ready now – Dratini had been fully healed now – as had all the others. It was time for the rematch.

The crowd cheered on as Anna entered from the opposite side, stepping into the trainer’s box. Lisa entered hers. The water in the pool had been refilled over the past two days, and it reflected the radiant sunlight. The referee blew on his whistle, and called out “ One on one battle – start … now!”

Somewhere, a bell rang out, and Lisa grinned, arching her arm out to throw Dratini’s pokeball, then in a swift move of deception snatched up Quagsire’s from her belt, and threw it out. Anna dropped Psyduck’s pokeball into the water, and noticed Lisa’s different Pokemon. “ Not against the rules, is it?” Lisa smirked. Anna scowled, but only for a moment – she felt a little differently towards Lisa now. The battle began.

“ Psyduck – full on Aurora Beam.” Anna cried. “ Lisa, this time there’s going to be no ice beams, fair enough?”

“ I don’t see how Aurora Beam is much different,” called Lisa.

“ It’s a dilute version.”

“ Alright. Double Team, Quagsire.” Lisa ordered.

Both battlers took immediate action, Quagsire closed his eyes and squinted – rapidly producing replicas of himself – however, they were only images, not solid beings. Then the mischievous mud pokemon switched itself with one of the copies, in such a fast, obscured move that even Lisa couldn’t pick it. Psyduck, the slower of the two adversaries, was preparing an orb of azure light, forming it between it’s short, stubby arms as it grew larger – although nothing like the enormous proportions of the last one.

When the globe of cerulean brightness had grown to the size of an orange, he shot out the rainbow-coloured aurora from it, quickly releasing it off at Quagsire’s ring of copies – all of them were standing still, their eyes all glinting slightly, and their mouths curved upwards slightly in a child-like grin. The rainbow light raced at the Quagsires, who made no action to save themselves – only one was real, after all. The icy beam shot through two Quagsires and they dissolved immediately. Lisa clenched her fist – as a small sign of triumph.

*

“ Gavin – the ghost expert will see you now.” A nurse popped her head around the door of Gavin’s room. Gavin nodded, and sat up slowly, piling up his pillows to prop him up.

“ Alright then.”

As soon as the nurse vacated, a young man of about 18 years entered. He had light brown hair, cut short, and deep chestnut eyes. Gavin looked at him – he didn’t seem like Morty, the gym leader – although he did seem like the right age. “ You’re not Morty.” Gavin muttered, as the man, dressed in black pants and a blue shirt, sat down in the comfortable seat next to the bed.

“ No – Morty couldn’t leave Ecruteak.” The man said. “ He had some urgent business regarding legendary pokemon –” his voice lowered and he muttered under his breath to himself. “ My sister would like that.” But Gavin’s ears heard and his mind ticked into action. Sister? Legendaries? Gavin shook his head, and kept quiet.

“ So who ARE you?”

“ Hm?” the man said. “ Oh right … I’m a trainer at the gym. My name’s Tom Walters.”

Gavin let his jaw drop freely. “ Walters?” he spluttered. “ As in – Lisa’s … brother?!”

“ Wassat?” His eyes were suddenly sharp and glaring at Gavin as though he had just killed an innocent Cleffa. “ You know Lisa?”

“ She’s like – my best friend!” Gavin cried instantly. “ We travel together.” He added, in case Tom got at all suspicious.

“ Hm … small world … so she’s on the island?” Tom kept his shock fairly well this time.

“ Yeah – we’re both competing in the Whirlpool Cup. She’s battling right now, actually.”

Tom appeared deep in thought. “ I might see her later on today. But for now let’s get on with the reason that I’m here – your psychic – um – problem.”


[continued in next post ...]

[Gavin Luper]

“ Aurora Beam! ”
“ Psyduck – Psybeam.”

The battle in the Water Colosseum was well and truly underway. Lisa and Quagsire seemed to have the advantage – after Quagsire had hit Psyduck with a well-aimed Water Gun, however, that meant Psyduck had discovered the true Quagsire, and the Double Team was, in effect, foiled. Now Lisa had entered a new round of battling – and this time she was hoping for a success.

Quagsire immediately opened his wide mouth and formed a sphere of rainbow light within his jaws, firing it off at once. Lisa inwardly thanked herself for taking five hours a couple of days ago to train Quagsire. The beam hit Psyduck at once, while it was still glowing with ever-changing light. The clumsy-footed duck was not only hit, but fell off the platform and into the water. However, the Psybeam it had begun slowly creating was so overpowering, he slowly rose out of the water and back onto the platform due to his sheer build up of Psychic energy. Then he fired a beam of mauve light from his mouth, and hit Quagsire square in the head. Quagsire began staring dazedly.

Lisa heard the commentator’s voice booming over the colosseum. “ Anna’s Psyduck manages to effectively use it’s Psybeam even when being toppled into the pool and it delivered Lisa’s Quagsire a highly devastating side-effect of confusion which could cost Lisa the battle!”

“ Damn you, Anna. That was a pretty good move though!” Lisa said, but she now realised that the confusion might indeed cost her the match, and her chances of Semi-finals. “ Quagsire – Whirlpool!”

“ Thanks Lisa,” Anna smiled. “ Disable, Psyduck.”

Quagsire’s confusion, Lisa thought, might have helped in forming the whirlpool – he was spinning dizzily anyway, so he might as well put some use into it. It worked. Quagsire spun his confusion away, but soon had formed instead of a below-surface whirlpool, a small waterspout, which rose into the air about 10 feet, twisting wildly and thrashing as though thinking for itself.

Psyduck glowed with a sapphire hue, and concentrated his energy towards Quagsire, in the centre of the waterspout. However, his attack was deflected immediately – even strong psychic energy couldn’t reach through the spinning walls of water. Lisa, again seeing an advantage, called out for a strong, and hopefully final move.

“ Quagsire – win this round for us with … Tidal Wave!”

*

“ So you haven’t had these experiences before you came to Goldenrod?” Tom asked, sitting in the chair beside his client’s bed.

“ Well, once, before actually,” Gavin admitted sheepishly. “ When I was still living at home I did have a … thing … when I broke my arm. But that was when I was like – 13. The next one was that incident at the Radio Tower. And then the Whirlpool thing that I told you about. And then in the town on this island. And then – yesterday.”

Tom nodded thoughtfully. “ They only happen when you’re in pain.”

“ It seems that way.” Gavin said. “ Why is that?”

Tom shrugged. “ I really don’t know. I’ve had only a little experience with stuff like this – some trainers at work get premonitions – but they kinda just premonitionise -” Gavin snorted as Tom said this “ whenever they want to. Your case is different. What was that legend thingy again?”

“ That the great Psychic legend will attack when I reach my full psychic power?” Gavin said, unsure now whether he should have even told Tom that after all. Then he convinced himself he should have – he was Lisa’s family, it wasn’t a total stranger. “ That was just an old legend – a family one, actually. I don’t even know what Pokemon it is – but apparently it’ll attack me for the greater psychic being.”

“ It may have some substance,” Tom muttered. “ I’m gonna ask Morty when I get back to Ecruteak. In the meantime, just keep out of trouble, and don’t use Lanturn AT ALL.”

*

An enormous wave slowly rose out of the pool, and flung down upon Psyduck. Instantly, Psyduck was hit, and Lisa’s face lit up with excitement. She had originally doubted if Quagsire could pull it off – the Tidal Wave attack required SOME psychic ability, but Quagsire had succeeded. The wave missed Quagsire, and washed over Psyduck. When the water had washed away, the mustard-yellow duck was seen, floating in the water, cross-eyes. Lisa felt a leap of hope within her, but at the same time a rush of sorrow for Anna.

The referee blew his whistle. “ The winner is the blue trainer – Lisa Walters – and her Quagsire!” Lisa waved up at the crowd, Jack in particular, as they cheered for her as one being. She grinned – now she was in the semi-finals!

-------------------
*exhaustion* - the chapter was too big, it had to be split up!

New chappie in 30 seconds

[Gavin Luper]

WOOHOO! The 'new' chapter is here! It's new because it wasn't posted on the exboard, but was on the old TPM.

YAY!! This is the last update for the day. with a little cliffhanger!

-------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 16 - Whirlpool Champion - Part I.


“ Staryu – Take Down!” Gavin cried, legs spread slightly as he struggled to stay balanced on the platform. In the pool, Staryu speedily tackled it’s opponent, a rubbery, slippery Azumarill, which was trying to Bubblebeam unsuccessfully.

Azumarill was certainly almost at the end of it’s line. After taking a fierce beating from the opposing Staryu, blasted down by countless beams of rainbow light and forced underwater by a couple of mauve jets of energy, Azumarill was ready to faint. It’s female trainer, however, the young Nurse Joy, daughter of the Joy in the Island’s Pokemon Centre, was not prepared to give up.

“ Azumarill – Water Gun!” she cried breathlessly, and Azumarill slowly mustered it’s strength to pull back to an upright floating position and breathed in, filling it’s hydrogen chambers with oxygen. A large amount of water formed within it, and Azumarill swiftly exhaled out the blast, as Gavin called out “ Mirage!”

Staryu once again came out on top – disappearing in a hazy blue mist, as the water gun shot right through it, and a yell echoed across the water from the crowd – it appeared the attack had actually hit an innocent bystander. Gavin was undisturbed – this battle was HIS, and one more quick move would finish it off. Ordering a Psybeam, Gavin looked on in delight as Staryu formed a mass of lilac energy before firing it off at the bouncy Azumarill, who looked like it had now had all the spring taken out of it. As the lavender light hit home, the rabbit-like pokemon was flung back at Joy, who quickly pulled out a Lure Ball and recalled it.

“ Go, Octillery.”

The ugly saffron pokemon appeared not in the water but on the platform, it’s tentacles moving slowly and oozing out from beneath it as Joy gave it a nudge with her shoe to remind it was in battle. The slow Pokemon flopped with a splash into the pool, and it’s heavy, unbalanced head floated it to the top. Staryu, although having no eyes, Psy-scanned the opponent, and saw a big ugly octopus. Even Staryu shuddered slightly, but Gavin was determined to win this – if he did … the boy shivered with the prospect.

It was Wednesday the 14th November – five days since Gavin had been discharged from the local Hospital. Tom had left shortly after talking with Gavin – he never actually got to talk to Lisa, but had wished them both luck via Gavin. Lisa had easily passed through her semi-final match, although it had been close. She had fought a highly-skilled water trainer, Aqua, but eventually Dratini managed to faint Aqua’s Politoed with a well-placed Ice Beam. Gavin, also, had had great luck – defeating an aged fisherman in his first match after recovering, and then beating a swimmer called Simon, who fought with a couple of Tentacool. Gavin was now playing his semi-final match, but if he won, both he, Lisa and another mystery trainer would fight (due to Lisa and Anna’s draw) – he supposed they would somehow make a mini tournament out of it.

Due to some rotten luck on both their parts, neither Gavin nor Lisa had actually watched each other battle since Gavin’s first match, which Lisa had hardly been able to concentrate on, let alone hear, due to her very high, very distant seat. However, if things kept going Gavin’s way, he and Lisa would be battling in the Grand Final – something he had inwardly been hoping to avoid in one way, but in another way he truly hoped to win the Cup – his brother had always been bringing home trophies and medals when they were alive. But Gavin, being younger by about 2 years, was always smaller and less experienced – and when he left Ecruteak to start a career in Goldenrod, he was working towards a Degree of Experienced Pokemon Research, and had a part time job at the Radio Tower.

Then Lisa came along. His part time job was ruined, and when Lisa left for Cianwood, Gavin had felt suddenly lonely. So he rushed back to Goldenrod, abandoning his University course the next day, and leaving his friend Dave and their apartment …

“ Oy!”

Gavin was stirred from his long memories by a call from the other side of the battlefield. Joy was standing on the platform, tapping her foot impatiently. “ Are you gonna battle or not?”

Apparently Gavin had been thinking for far too long. In the stands, the crowd was looking down, some with puzzled expressions and others calling out and jeering things like ‘we paid to see a battle’ and ‘I want my money back’. Gavin blushed scarlet when he spied Lisa, rushing into the stands with Aipom on her shoulder – apparently she was late as usual. The boy swallowed once, and continued with the battle.

“ Staryu – Psychic attack, followed by a Barrier.”
“ Octillery – Octazooka, then Wrap.”

Staryu quickly charged up a small and rather pitiful globe of rich plum light – the long battle seemed to be wearing it down a fair bit, and reducing it’s usual abilities. Despite it’s slight weakness, Staryu shot out the purple light, hitting Octillery square in the jelly-like head. The orange THING, covered in odd squelchy suckers, was very slow, but made up for it’s speed by it’s excellent health conditions. It was looking shiny and happy too, although Gavin thought it was too hard to tell with such a creature.

It certainly was slow. By the time Staryu was preparing a large wall of reflective transparency, Octillery finally managed to perform the Octazooka – a large blast of what appeared to Gavin as electricity, but what surely must have been light, which barrelled at Staryu. The starshape pokemon was in no mood to give in or show any signs of weakness or mercy. It dodged the blast, which had been very inaccurate anyway, and the octazooka blared off into the barrier, which was now behind Staryu, and effectively useless unless the Star pokemon was behind it.

“ Staryu, get back behind the barrier.” Gavin ordered, and Staryu pushed it’s way through the shimmery cerulean water towards the reflective screen. However, Octillery was now into the full swing of things. It came at Staryu while it had it’s back turned, and coiled it’s heavy, slimy tentacles around Staryu’s limbs. Gavin’s jaw dropped for a moment before he grinned. “ Teleport.”

Staryu easily slipped out of the coils and reappeared a few metres away, now fully aware of Octillery’s power – although fairly slow, it’s tentacles contained great power – Staryu realised that much longer within it’s grasp and his limbs would have had the circulation cut off – Octillery had excellent crushing power.

“ Try Octazooka again.” Joy called.
“ Staryu – finish up with Bubblebeam.”

Staryu fired out a string of bubbles at Octillery. The bubbles looked not at all threatening – in fact, they looked pleasant and peaceful, floating towards Octillery, however Gavin knew that when they popped they stung like crazy – actually he knew from experience due to an accident with a Poliwag a few years back. Octillery, already weakened by the Psychic, was fainted by the bubblebeam – Gavin guessed because of the sheer numbers of bubbles. A few bubbles did sting, but being bombarded by bubbles would have been quite difficult to come through.

A bell clanged, and the crowd roared for Gavin – through to the Grand Final. Joy sadly returned Octillery, as Gavin dived off the side of the platform into the cool water to hug Staryu. They had come through to the Grand Final – against Lisa and another talented water pokemon trainer. Lisa cheered as a soggy Gavin and a tired but rejoicing Staryu swam back to the platform.

*

The kettle whistled away noisily, steam pouring from it’s worn and slightly rusted spout. Gavin looked up from over his newspaper lazily, but it was Lisa who actually took action – she jumped up from her chair and poured boiling water into two mugs of coffee.

“ Why did we have to get the economy unit?” Lisa asked, as she flicked a small water beetle from the edge of the sink. “ It’s so…ugh.”
“ I like it.” Gavin muttered. “ Besides, it was the only accommodation left on the island.”
“ We coulda stayed with Jake.”
“ Lisa – his parents were coming to stay.”
“ We coulda slept in the – uh – kitchen?”
“ Lisa.” Gavin said, with a note of warning. “ He was nice enough to let us stay for a few days.”
“ Whatever.” Lisa sighed, handing Gavin a cup of boiling coffee.

Things between the two had been tense ever since the Grand Final competition was announced. Knowing that they were soon to fight each other they both became very edgy and stand-offish. Although they still trained together since that Wednesday, the previous day, they both felt like they didn’t want to fight each other – even if it was friendly competition.

On Wednesday afternoon, Jack had informed them that Jake’s parents were coming to stay. The elderly couple required a bedroom – and since Jake was already housing Jack, Frank and himself, Lisa and Gavin had been, in a way, kicked out. They had quickly found an ancient little hut near the beach – similar to the empty one Lisa and Gavin had stayed in that rainy night after Gavin’s first fight – except this one was furnished. Consisting of four rooms – a kitchen, living area, bedroom and bathroom, the unit was poorly furnished with a drab, plain sheeted bed in the bedroom, an awful bench coloured with a murky shade of mustard, splintery, wooden planks that meant shoes were a must, and a couple of ancient couches, facing a TV set whose reception was almost as bad as Lanturn’s disobedience.

“ C’mon, we gotta go.” Lisa snapped, drinking down her coffee. “ The match starts in half an hour.”

Gavin sculled as much coffee as he could without spurting it back up, and stood up, reaching for his pack.
“ The referee said we wouldn’t need anything except two pokemon.” Lisa reminded him snappily. Gavin nodded, but as he turned to take his belt from his pack, he scowled. Both Lisa and Gavin were very irritable – the slightest thing could set them off. Gavin would be glad when the match was over…

*********

As usual, the stadium was packed with people of all different sizes and ages. Jack was in the crowds, winking good luck to both of them. But still Lisa and Gavin were clueless to how the Final round would work. The referee hadn’t told them anything – they only knew that two pokemon were to be used. Gavin had reluctantly taken Lanturn’s pokeball from his pack that morning – he would be necessary if Staryu lost, but Gavin hoped it wouldn’t come to that. Another shock might trigger off another psychic blast – and he did not want that. Maybe if Staryu went down, he would simply have to wimp out?

Lisa and Gavin congregated with the referee and another teenage girl whose hair was a bright shade of ultramarine in a corner of the battlefield. There were three floating platforms near the edge and another six floating in no order in the central pool area. “ This match will be a three-way fight.” The referee announced, cramming his black cap onto his head. “ All three pokemon will fight at once, meaning each pokemon will be constantly battling down two other opponents. Once one trainer’s pokemon is down, number two is to be sent in immediately.”

Lisa, Gavin and the other girl gaped – none of them had ever experienced a three-way battle before. It would be VERY challenging – not just for them to keep track of all the attacks and order their fighter around, but for the pokemon themselves. Looking up at the crowd, Lisa noted that they already seemed to be informed of this prior to the match – maybe that was why it was so full of people?

“ Lisa, Marina, Gavin, I wish you all the best of luck.” The ref said. “ Now please move to the trainer positions.”

At this, he strode to the sidelines of the stadium floor, equipping himself with a hands-free microphone. Lisa and Gavin nodded to the other girl, Marina, for good luck, and then did the same with each other. All the tension seemed to have dissolved as they entered the stadium – now it wasn’t like a bitter rivalry at all – they had too much on their minds to even be concerned with such petty matters anyway.

Lisa stepped onto her own floating platform, heart thumping wildly. This was it – she was in the grand final – she had been waiting for this FOREVER.

Then a voice in the back of Lisa’s mind spoke up. “ Not forever.” It reminded her. “ You actually started with a very different goal.” Lisa thought back to her vow to find out all she could about Suicune and the legendaries. That had been short-lived after Eusine’s request, and then Irene’s prompt to enter the Whirlpool Cup League. Lisa suddenly felt ashamed. She had given up on her quest – maybe not GIVEN up, but been majorly sidetracked.
“ After this fight,” she told herself, “ Aipom and I are gonna find out more about legendaries, and we’ll never get distracted again.”

Somehow Lisa managed to do all this soulsearching in the time it took for the ref to turn on his microphone. It occurred to her that if she did lose, it would no longer matter – her true goal was indeed to capture legendary Pokemon.

The ref blew his whistle, and the commentator at once began talking. Lisa tuned out – she had to concentrate on the fight – she needed full attention if she was going to win this thing. Marina sent out a Golduck, a turquoise duck-like pokemon who stood upright. Golduck stood for a moment on the edge of his platform, before diving gracefully in, his smooth body flowing along as though it too was water. Lisa pulled out a pokeball, using her strongest pokemon first. “ Quagsire!”

After a few seconds, a Quagsire, Golduck and Staryu all floated in the water, eyeing each other off. Lisa was unsure how to fight in a three way battle, so she tried treating it as a normal one. “ Quagsire – start off with an Aurora Beam!”

It didn’t work.

Marina ordered a whirlpool from Golduck and Gavin called for a reflect. Not only would the Aurora Beam be unable to hit either opponent, Quagsire was unsure which enemy to aim for. In the end, he got so confused, the attack was just cancelled out.

Meanwhile, Staryu had formed a shimmery forcefield around itself, protecting from most attacks. The star then simply floated while Golduck kicked up a spiralling mass of water into a waterspout, charging for both Staryu and Quagsire, who were relatively close together.

“ Psybeam!”
“ Double Team!”

Staryu fired off a beam of mauve light at the waterspout, which entwined around the greater attack and began spinning as one, if anything now more powerful. Quagsire, on the other hand, swiftly made shadowy reflections of itself and exchanged it’s own body for one of the images. The real Quagsire gave Lisa a wink, showing that he was out of harm’s way. The Waterspout was on course for one of the images. Lisa gave a sigh of relief.

But not for long. Soon, Gavin was enlightened by Staryu’s last failed attack. Still in the path of the water cyclone, Staryu cowered in it’s reflecting shell, however the shell couldn’t hold through something of THAT mass and pressure. Gavin used his only and possibly pointless idea. “ Staryu – Psyspin.”

Staryu was utterly confused by the order. Psyspin? Was there such an attack? He had to give it a go. First up – psy was Psychic, so EASY, use a Psybeam – but spin?

Then Staryu clicked. He fired a mass of lilac energy into the air, just metres away from the whirlpool, but instead of hitting the cyclone straight on, it curved and aimed back at Gavin. But just before hitting Staryu itself, the beam curved again and looped back on itself. Lisa saw the idea, and smirked. After a few moments, an immense psy-cyclone was spinning with destructive fury VERY close to the slow but dangerous waterspout. But the Psyspin proved faster. In a blast which made all three trainers and the ref look to the side, the purple cyclone connected with the water, overpowering it with utter and overwhelming force, suddenly changing course…

…for Quagsire…

[Gavin Luper]

Lisa the Legend just had a major update - chapters 10 to 16 all at once - for all my readers, we're back to where we left off at the ezboard! And it's the 18th September!

http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/s...15&pagenumber=1