Pokémon: Generation By Generation

CHAPTER 13: [Battle for the Cascade Badge!]

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[Swimmer LIAM has challenged you to a POKÉMON BATTLE!]

Tossing out my Pokéball, it flew in an arc before exploding into a burst of light, revealing Bolt, who gave out a cry. Similarly, Swimmer Louis threw his own Pokéball and brought out a Horsea as his first Pokémon.

"Pika, pika!"

"Rgh...!"

[Pokémon Trainer JOSEPH sends out PIKACHU!]

---------------- Team Battle Information ----------------

[Nickname: Bolt]

[Species: Pikachu]

[Level: 28]

[EXP: 35%]

---------------- Team Battle Information ----------------

[Camper LIAM sends out HORSEA!]

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

[Species: Horsea]

[Level: 20]

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

"Horsea, Bubble Beam!"

Louis gave his command as the blue, horse-like sea creature started firing a rapid stream of bubbles from its mouth at Bolt, but she easily dodged it with no command needed.

"Thunderbolt!"

Weaving through the stream of bubbles, electricity crackling around her red cheek patches, she fired a surge of electricity with a cry, arcing straight toward Horsea.

"Dodge it, Horsea!"

With surprising agility, the little Sea Dragon Pokémon flew to the side, the Thunderbolt barely missing as Louis continued.

"Perfect posture, Horsea! Focus Energy!"

Hovering backward, Horsea gained some distance, its eyes narrowing in concentration. Wisps of orange energy began swirling around its small frame, circling faster and faster before being absorbed into its body.

The pressure in the air thickened as the Horsea was preparing to unleash a critical hit move.

But I wasn’t shaken. If Horsea was setting up for a higher critical hit chance, then I’d just set up my own preparations to make it miss!

"Bolt, Double Team before using Thunderwave!"

Bolt’s figure blurred as afterimages spread out around her, surrounding Horsea from all sides. And in every afterimage, they all fired a wave of electricity that blanketed the whole arena stage.

"Twister around you to hit all of them!"

"Ruuhh!"

Horsea growled, its eyes flashing with a gleam as a vortex of Dragon-type energy erupted from its small body, bursting outward in a spiraling storm. The cyclone of purple energy expanded, lashing out in every direction.

Bolt’s clones faded upon being sliced by the sharp purple vortex, and the wave of thunder dissipated into nothing, but the real body was nowhere to be seen unless...

Louis looked up in a panic.

"Horsea, above you!"

"Go! Thunderbolt!"

From high above the battlefield, Bolt came diving down with lightning across her fur. Just moments ago, in the chaos of the Twister, Bolt reacted to the Area-Of-Effect move instantly as she leaped high into the air to dodge it.

Now in the air, aiming at a stationary target, her Thunderbolt tore downward with a loud boom, striking true as it electrocuted the Sea Dragon Pokémon.

It proved to be Super Effective as the Horsea groaned, thousands of volts surging through its body. Landing onto the ground, Bolt recovered quickly as she stood guard, waiting for the Horsea to respond with an attack.

Instead, the Horsea swayed before falling onto the ground unconscious with its eyes swirling in a daze.

[Opponent HORSEA has fainted!]

I pumped my fist in excitement as the Battle Judge raised his hand and announced the result. Bolt responded with a quick spin and a happy squeal, celebrating her first victory of the day.

Across the field, Swimmer Louis knelt down, gently recalling his fallen partner into its Pokéball.

“You did great, Horsea. Rest well.

He murmured with a small smile before rising to his feet again.

"Yeesh, your Pikachu’s strong. Horsea usually shrugs off a few of those."

"Thanks for the compliment."

The Battle Judge then called for the switch with a raised flag. Louis didn’t hesitate. He plucked another Pokéball from his belt and threw it with practiced ease.

"Take the gold medal, Shellder!"

A flash of white light burst onto the field, revealing a small, violet shell with a wide, pink tongue sticking out. The Shellder gave an eager cry, its eyes narrowing with determination.

"Shellderrrr~"

[Swimmer LOUIS sends out Shellder!]

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

[Species: Onix]

[Level: 19]

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

Bolt crouched slightly, her cheeks beginning to spark again, already sizing up her next opponent. Shellders have high Defense but lack Special Defense, so the strategy was the same.

"Good old reliable Thunderbolt!"

"Pika... CHU!"

Bolt cried, unleashing another powerful surge of electricity aimed straight at Shellder.

"Supersonic, Shellder!"

"Shell~!"

With its tongue out, the shell-covered Pokémon released a wave of high-pitched, oscillating sound towards Bolt in barely visible rings.

Both moves shot forward at the same time, with the Thunderbolt missing its target due to Supersonic manipulating the thunderbolt upwards. However, the Supersonic continued pulsing through Bolt's electric move as it slammed into her.

She staggered mid-stance, her eyes wide for a moment as Bolt swayed slightly, blinking rapidly with cartoonish ducks spinning above her head.

[PIKACHU is confused!]

Damn!

"Bolt, listen to my voice and snap out of it!"

"Alright, Shellder! Use Icicle Spear!"

The Shellder shook off its injuries as it regained focus. Its shell creaked open, and with a cry, it fired a barrage of razor-sharp icicles towards Bolt.

"Dodge it!"

She tried her best, managing to dodge the first few shards with a shaky leap to the side, but the confusion still lingered as she didn't manage to dodge the rest, which pelted her small frame and sent her skidding backward across the battlefield.

Shellder eventually stopped its Icicle Spear barrage, its tongue drooping slightly as it panted from the effort.

I quickly looked at Bolt with concern, but my Pikachu stood back up with her fur ruffled and dusted with frost.

She didn't seem to take much damage, thankfully due to the level difference and Shellder's own offensive stats being low.

In fact, she looked totally fine. The pain from the barrages seemed to have snapped her out of the confusion!

"It's tired! Go!"

Letting out another cry, Bolt released another Thunderbolt that streaked through the air and slammed into the Shellder.

Its eyes widened in surprise, then scrunched shut as its shell vibrated violently from the electric move. With a weak cry, its shell clamped shut before it toppled over, smoking slightly with swirly eyes.

[Opponent SHELLDER has fainted!]

[Swimmer LOUIS has no remaining POKÉMON left!]

[Trainer JOSEPH wins the POKÉMON BATTLE!]

Another victory under our belt! That was a little closer than most fights, honestly. Mental note to give my Pokémon berries and held items to counteract potential status conditions in the next Gym.

"Thanks, Shellder. Well done, Trainer Joseph! You and your Pikachu deserved praise."

Shaking his hand, Louis handed me my reward for winning the Battle, 460 Pokédollars, before stepping back from the arena.

Taking a Potion out, I twisted the knob that prevents spillage before gesturing for Bolt to come over. She hopped over, signaling that her injuries weren't that bad, but taking precautions wouldn't hurt anyone.

Crouching, I carefully located the areas that had been wounded before I sprayed purple mist from the bottle onto her wounds, using the full bottle. Then, I watched as the small patches of bruises slowly faded, leaving nothing but soft, yellow fur behind.

"Pi! Pika, pika! [ (ᵔᗜᵔ).ᐟ ]"

Giving a cheerful cry, she rubbed her cheek affectionately against my neck before stepping forward in front of me, her eyes eyeing the Gym Leader herself, who started clapping after my victory.

"A great display of skill! I see why Brock gives such high hopes."

"Thank you. And for the wait."

She waved it off.

"It's nothing; I understand. Your Pokémon's condition is far more important than anything, after all. Now then..."

Without missing a beat, Misty moved from her location toward the edge of the arena. A Gym Trainer was already there, stepping up swiftly and handing her a belt attached with Pokéballs. Misty took it in one smooth motion, slinging it across her hips and snapping it in place with a satisfying click.

Doing some quick stretches, the Gym Leader of Cerulean City unclipped a Pokéball from her belt before brandishing it with a smile.

"Now... Are you ready, Trainer Joseph?"

I looked over at Bolt, who nodded with determination in her eyes as sparks flickered on her red cheek patches. Taking a deep breath with closed eyes, I prepared myself before I opened my eyes, filling with spirit.

"... Yes. Let's do this!"

[Gym Leader MISTY has challenged you to a GYM BATTLE!]

"Come on out, Staryu!"

[Gym Leader Brock sends out STARYU!]

With a toss, Misty sent out her first Pokémon of the battle. With a bright shine, a star-shaped Pokémon with five appendages landed upright as it gave a battle cry.

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

[Species: Staryu]

[Level: 22]

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

[Trainer JOSEPH sends out PIKACHU!]

---------------- Team Battle Information ----------------

[Nickname: Bolt]

[Species: Pikachu]

[Level: 28]

[EXP: 39%]

---------------- Team Battle Information ----------------

My eyes almost boggled when I saw the battle information of Misty's Staryu. 22? That's absurdly high for the second gym! And if this Staryu was already at level 22, then what about her ace?

"Give them a taste of your Water Gun!"

Obeying its Trainer's command, the red gem at the center of Staryu's body shone with a cool blue glow. The next instance, a jet of compressed water blasted forth, rushing straight toward us with high speed.

"Dodge with Quick Attack, then Double Team!"

Even before I finished the command, Bolt had already vanished in a blur of white. As the Water Gun missed its target, the Staryu immediately raised its guard as it saw four Pikachus running towards it.

"Harden, then get in close to Rapid Spin! The far back one!"

Misty relayed as the shell of the Staryu flashed silver before throwing itself towards the furthest Pikachu, whirling like a razor-edged shuriken. It weaved through the first Pikachu and sliced through two afterimages without pause, making a direct line toward the furthest Bolt.

Misty was right in choosing the furthest Pikachu, since she's a ranged-Special Attacker that usually plays from a distance...

Just a few inches away from hitting its intended target, I had to hold back the grin that was blooming on my face as the Staryu passed through her body... Revealing that the Staryu's target was an afterimage!

"?!"

Too bad, because my Bolt was at the very front from the start! The first one that Staryu dodged was actually the real one!

"Thunderbolt!"

"Chuuuuuuu—!"

A thunderbolt streaked through the arena before slamming into the water-type Pokémon, catching it off guard as it got electrocuted with super-effective multipliers worth of damage!

Water-type or not, Staryu wasn’t built to take hits. And with the super effective multiplier, Misty's first Pokémon dropped onto the ground unconscious in just one hit, its center gem swirling as the universal symbol of a Pokémon fainting.

[Opponent STARYU has fainted!]

Nice! Now all that's left was the killer of the early game that transitioned the game into the mid game once overcome...

"Get ready. This is going to be a tough one."

"Pika, pi."

Bolt nodded, cheeks sparking gently.

Misty recalled her Staryu without a word. Her eyes locked onto Bolt.

"One hit? Your Pikachu is very strong; its Thunderbolt rivals Lt. Surge's Gym-trained Pikachu."

Then, she reached for her final Pokéball. She plucked it from her belt, tossed it lightly into the air, and caught it again, fingers curling tight around it.

"Trainer Joseph, you are strong. So, I'm going all out. Let's go, Starmie!"

She flung her Pokéball. In an instant, the purple evolved version of Staryu appeared in the arena, floating as it rotated slowly in place. People back then called this Pokémon the seven-star demon, known for its extremely fast Speed stat and high defenses, both physical and special, while also possessing high Special Attack.

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

[Species: Starmie]

[Level: 29]

---------------- Opponent Battle Information ----------------

Holy shit! What the—Level 29! The Starmie was one whole level above Bolt's!

"Bolt, Double Team!"

I had to start the fight off with a move that increased her evasion.

She exploded into motion, running at blinding speeds as she left behind flickering afterimages. However, a single move command from Misty made me slap my face at my forgetfulness.

"Fan out a Swift!"

The Starmie did so without hesitation; the gem at the center of its body glowed bright yellow. A moment later, a hailstorm of glowing, cartoonish stars erupted outward, firing in all directions like guided bullets.

Bolt darted and weaved, doing her best to outpace the onslaught of stars, but every time a star missed, it stopped midair and then recalibrated its aim. Like heat-seeking missiles, they pivoted midair and launched again, zeroing in on the real Bolt.

"Bolt, Thunder Wave all around you to get rid of the Swift!"

She moved quickly, charging the Thunder Wave within her before releasing it in a burst, the wave of lightning covering the whole arena. Both energies, electric and normal, clashed with each other for a moment before Electric won, the cartoonish stars shimmering out of existence as the Thunder Wave continued on.

"Now that your Pikachu is busy... Starmie! Light Screen!"

The center gem of Starmie flickered once more as a pink, semi-opaque wall of glass manifested in front of the evolved Pokémon. The Thunder Wave that Bolt released reached the pink glass wall, and instead of doing damage, the wave of lightning fizzled out as soon as it came in contact with the Light Screen, causing me to gape at the move that the Pokémon definitely should not have at such an early level!

But with the field now cleared, Bolt had all the space she needed to do anything she wanted.

"Thunderbolt! As powerful as you can!"

"Pika, pika! CHUUUUUUUUU—!"

Lightning exploded from her cheeks in a blinding surge, tearing across the arena.

"Starmie, Water Pulse! Full power!"

Starmie's gem glowed, and a spiraling beam of water surged outward.

(BOOOOOM!)

The two moves collided, with thunder and water clashing before both energies condensed and exploded, with a wave of hot mist spreading across the battlefield. The sudden emergence of mist covered the whole arena as I tried to get a visual of the battle from my standpoint.

I saw a figure in the fog, lying on the ground. And when the fog started to clear...

Bolt was on the ground bruised with swirly eyes. Meanwhile, the Light Screen had shattered during their clash, as the shards of what remained slowly dissipated into the wind. And the other Pokémon in the arena wasn't looking good as well. The Starmie had taken slight damage, but the main point was the static that danced around its body.

[Opponent STARMIE is Paralyzed! It can't move!]

I didn't sigh or show any disappointment. She did her best; I knew that. Showing such disrespect is not what I will do. Instead, I raised her Pokéball and returned her for a good rest.

"Thanks for carrying the team until this point, Bolt. I'm going to win this; watch me."

Latching her Pokéball onto my belt, I took a deep breath to calm myself. Unlatching the second Pokéball of my team, I quickly whispered something before tossing the ball high into the air.

"The Starmie's weak! Wreck it, Monkey!"

The ball burst open with a flash, and in that moment my Mankey landed on the ground, its fist punching the ground, sending up bursts of dust and pebbles from the explosion earlier as it gave a loud battle cry.

"Man! Key! MANKEY!"

"Psybeam! Now!"

Seeing her Starmie now facing a Fighting-type, Misty didn't hesitate as she made the only call that made sense. Her Starmie was up against a Fighting type; the choice was to go on the offensive instead of defensive now that she had the type advantage.

Starmie's gem lit up in a pink hue, Psychic energy building at its core.

"Focus Energy."

The angry Monkey suddenly changed as he stopped bouncing from his place, his limbs relaxed, and his eyes slowly closed. In that split second, the only sound that Monkey made was focused breathing.

Finishing its charging, Starmie fired a pink beam that pulsed at a high speed, like a prism cutting through glass.

"Fury Swipes!"

As I yelled out the move, Monkey opened his eyes, burning bright with focus. With a quick duck to dodge the beam of Psychic energy, he darted towards Starmie, who retaliated by charging up another Psybeam.

"Mankey!"

His hands glowed a shimmer of white as he closed the distance between himself and the Starmie just as it fired another Psybeam. But rather than dodging and missing the chance of attacking his target at this range, Monkey decided then to tank the hit.

The beam struck him dead center, going through his body. The damage wasn't physical, but instead the move targeted the insides of a Pokémon's body, causing the organs inside to be rattled slightly, which caused the majority of the damage.

Monkey staggered mid-motion, teeth clenched, but pushed on with a roar as he swiped at the Starmie with both hands in a clawing motion.

Two strikes fired from his hands both landed true as the normal energy that engulfed his hand slashed at the Mysterious Pokémon purple rocky body, sending it flying backwards with a strange cry.

"Now! Assurance!"

While Monkey was still in range for one more attack, I stepped in and called out the perfect move for this moment! Assurance in the games inflicts double damage if the target had already taken damage prior.

In real life though, it functions similarly to it. Instead of the target having to take damage prior to the move, the Dark-type move simply had to be chained with a damaging move to activate its double damage quirk.

Monkey's body flickered with a dark aura, dashing in before Starmie could recover, and gave the Pokémon a hard, disrespectful slap. The impact from the slap was so hard that a shockwave erupted. The double take that Starmie gave prompted Monkey to give another slap to the... face? Gem? Face, I'll go with that.

The Assurance did its job, however, as when the Starmie backed off, it staggered backward, floating unevenly. The center gem dimmed.

And with one last, flickering spin... It dropped to the ground, motionless, energy fully sapped.

[Opponent STARMIE has fainted!]

[Gym Leader MISTY has no remaining POKÉMON left!]

[Trainer JOSEPH wins the GYM BATTLE!]

"ManKEYYYYYYYYY!"

A victory roar echoed as Monkey slammed his feet on the platform in celebration.

"Monkey, you absolute madman!"

I cheered as I ran towards him. The Psybeam had hit him hard; his legs wobbled, his fists trembled, and pain was across his face with every breath he took. But he just stood regardless, with both clenched fists in the air.

Taking out a Potion, I gave him a deserved high-five before slowly healing him, watching him relax as his body slowly recovered. Even if the treatment was surface level, it was still something, but I mentally noted to bring all of my Pokémon to the Pokécenter the moment I'm able to.

Misty herself gave a smile as she recovered Starmie from the arena. Handing her fainted Pokémon in their Pokéballs to a nearby Gym Trainer to let them rest after a hard-fought battle, she walked towards him.

"That was an amazing battle, Joseph. Congrats on your win."

I shook her extended arm.

"Thank you. That Starmie of yours is a monster on its own."

"I can say the same thing with your Pikachu! Oh, Diana, would you please hand me the winner's case for Joseph here?"

She then looked at me with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, I don't usually have these things on me when I swim. Weighs me down."

"No, I understand. Probably gets in the way when you do the more strenuous motions."

Misty chuckled at that, brushing a bit of wet hair behind her ear. Just then, a girl in a swimsuit came jogging over, a sleek case in her hands. Without a word, she opened it to reveal a row of glimmering Gym Badges.

Misty leaned forward and gently plucked one out. The badge was shaped like a delicate teardrop, aqua blue in color with a smooth, glassy surface that shimmered under the arena lights.

She turned back to me, holding it out with a proud smile.

"Here. You’ve earned this."

I carefully examined it as she placed it into my hands before placing it into my Badge Case, letting it rest beside Brock's Boulder Badge.

"And here you go. For beating a Gym Leader, you also receive 2100 Pokédollars and a TM, for all your hard work. The TM I just gave you is for the move Water Pulse. It does high damage while also having a chance to confuse the target, so use it well!"

Thanking her, I received the wad of cash and disk before placing them into my Bag, watching the notifications of gaining the items update from the edge of my vision.

"Your next Gym will be the Thunder Gym in Vermillion City. Go south from here through the tunnel, and continue on straight until you reach the city. Be careful though; Lt. Surge is a rather eccentric person that will test you and your Pokémon to the limit, so prepare properly!"

"Thanks for the warning. I'll do my best!"

I said with my Bag slung on my back, ready to continue on with my journey. With another thank you, I turned and started toward the exit. As I pushed open the Gym doors, Misty’s voice called out behind me one last time.

"I'll see you at the end of the Indigo League, Joseph! Let's have a rematch with my full team, then!"

Nodding, I gave her one final wave before exiting the Gym, returning back to reality.

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A/N:

Honestly, this Gym fight was supposed to let Joseph have a taste of defeat by Starmie, but I thought about it and decided to delay it to a better time. And as for the dialogue that Misty gave at the end, well, keep reading. I have something cooked up after he reaches the Elite Four.

Now that the Gym is cleared, Joseph can finally focus on the more important thing that's going to happen soon. Final exams. Truly a sad existence. And I'll also focus on more world-building, so stay tuned for that.

That's all for now. thanks for reading until this point, and see you guys. [ ;) ]