ADVENTURE ROAD #4

BEGINNER’S BATTLES

The morning of his fourth day on his Pokemon adventure, Nick Samuels awoke in his motel room with pleasant memories from the evening of the third.

Yesterday he had made two new friends, one a girl named Faith whose life he had saved from attacking Beedrill, and another a boy named Toby whom he had challenged to a match and won.

After the battle he had supper with the girl and boy, and they greatly enjoyed each other’s company. Faith talked quite a bit, telling Toby how she and Nick were going to travel together on the road, about their adventure with the Beedrill, and anything else that was on her mind, which was practically anything at all.

But Toby seemed to greatly enjoy himself, and after dinner the three went to the local mall together to see what they could find, what could interest them and above all just to be with each other and chat more.

It was a very pleasant evening for all, but Nick was so tired after it was all over that he was grateful for the warm comforting bed that awaited him when he returned to the Stone Star, his motel, where also Toby and Faith were staying.

It was eight-thirty in the morning, and a golden sun was creeping over the hills surrounding the small city of Margoda, when Nick was forced out of pleasant dreams by a hard rapping on his door. He opened his fuzzy eyes and saw his loyal Pokemon Pichu sleeping beside him, apparently unaware that the commotion was going on.

The little mouse Pokemon looked cute when it was sleeping, especially with its big ears tucked behind its head. But Nick hardly felt like getting up at all. Still the racket continued, so with a displeased groan he got up and wrapped his blanket around him, walking slowly to the door.

He opened it and it practically flew open as Faith forced her way in. She looked especially bright and chipper this morning, wearing a blue shirt and some old jeans and sandals. Her cheeks were a soft pink, and her bright eyes were full of life.

Nick on the other hand looked as though he had gone three rounds with a Hitmonlee. His brown hair was strewn in all directions about his head, and his eyes were still hung down with weariness.

"Good morning, Nicky!" Faith said very merrily. "Catch you not completely awake?"

Nick rubbed his eyes. "You caught me crawling out of my tomb. Yeah, I was still sleeping."

"Well, that’s no good," she said, making herself at home and plopping down on his other unused bed. "You need to rise with the sun and set with it. That’s only natural. Makes you less grumpy too."

Nick yawned. "I’d like to see the sun have to stay up late for extra homework assignments. Anyway, what’s up for today?"

"I don’t know," Faith said shrugging. "I invited Toby over later when we had breakfast to discuss that. I know you want to go to the Margoda gym and challenge their leader for your first League badge, but it won’t be open until at least noon so that leaves us some time to have a little fun or maybe get in some practice before hand. Sound like a winner?"

Before Nick could even respond Faith just kept stealing air. "Oh! That reminds me. You’ve got to make reservations if you want to get in right away. Did you do that yet?"

"Yep," Nick said, putting on his clothes beneath his blanket. "I called the gym last night and they said there was a slot open at one, so that’s when we do it."

"Cool!" Faith exclaimed with excitement. "That’ll give us even more time to have fun! Doesn’t that sound great Pichu?"

Pichu was still resting on Nick’s pillow and didn’t respond to her question. Instead it yawned with a squeak and pulled the blankets over its little yellow body.

Faith raised her eyebrow. "You know Nick, that little guy is just as lazy as you are. Like trainer like Pokemon I guess."

Nick sighed and replied, "There’s nothing wrong with a sleeper-inner. They just take a little more motivation and desire than others to get up."

"Nick," Faith said humorously, "I’ve seen a Snorlax get moving faster than you two."

Nick smiled as he finished dressing. "At least I don’t eat like one, unlike some girls I know."

Faith looked shocked. "What?! How dare you suggest I’m a binger!" Nick laughed and said, "Oh, come on, you saw yourself at supper last night. You scarfed three plates before Toby and I were through with our appetizers. I thought the look on his face should have been captured for the ages in picture form. It was hilarious."

Looking a little sheepish Faith admitted, "So I have a good appetite. Big deal. Hey, how else do you think I maintain my high energy and beautiful physique?"

If there was one thing Nick liked about Faith it was her wonderful sense of humor. He had always been a little too stiff and serious. But since meeting her and getting mixed in with her lovably childish personality…well, maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that she was coming along with them after all. A good friend on the road to the Pokemon League could prove to be a good thing to have for many reasons, not the least of which being for company, and Nick felt that Faith would do a good job of balancing out his lack of persona.

A while later Toby came from his room to join them. He brought some doughnuts and the three teens enjoyed a quiet breakfast together in Nick’s room.

Toby had been a terrific sport after he had lost to Nick in a Pokemon battle, and their eventual friendship showed one of the many attractive things of the sport. It could either bring people together, or tear them apart, as all competitive sports do.

In this case, because of their character and friendliness they became allies instead of rivals.

As they ate and talked, Nick had the TV on in the background. He was busy talking to Toby, and Faith jumped in whenever she could, so Pichu sat at the edge of the bed chewing on a little bit of doughnut, when suddenly it saw something on the screen that caused it to be very surprised.

The little creature went beside its master and began pulling on the side of his shirt, crying, "Pichupi! Pichu Pichu!"

Nick looked down a little annoyed, not understanding what it was getting at, and also not liking being interrupted while talking. "What Pichu? What’s the matter?"

Pichu pointed to the TV screen and continued chattering, so Nick looked at the screen and suddenly gasped at what he saw.

There was a still shot on a news report of a streak of lightning, colored a deep purple. Nick and Pichu had seen that exact phenomenon on the second day of their journey just two days ago. Nick had just caught a glimpse of the strange colored energy as it flickered from far away, but it had mystified him because he had never seen anything like it before.

He then turned up the TV’s volume, and he caught the tail end of the report.

"…which can only be explained by our own meteorologists as the result of strange atmospheric conditions that gave the lightning this particular hue. The appearance of this peculiar lightning has been the talk of many people in the Endell area especially, near where this took place.

"Seemingly centered around Pokenra Mountain, this brief storm remains a true mystery, but an interesting study for any weather watcher. Whether or not it will happen again, even the best storm predictors say is a remote chance, though impossible to foresee."

Nick turned down the volume then, as a new report came up, and Toby looked a little confused.

"What was that all about?"

"I’m not sure," Nick said a little mysteriously. "A couple days ago I saw that purple lightning from a distance as Pichu and I were getting ready to enter the Entorrin forest, and we couldn’t believe our eyes. I just think its interesting that it’s raised some eyebrows now. But it’s not important. What were you saying Toby?"

They went back to chatting, but Nick couldn’t forget the news report for some reason. It just stuck in the back of his head.

Meanwhile, outside their window, completely unknown to the three of them and Pichu, a pair of glowing blue eyes were watching them from inside a bush. Whatever the thing was, it did not move for a very long time, but stayed concealed and waited, watching the activities of the three friends.

It may have stayed there long indeed, but another motel inhabitant came walking by then, and out of either fear or protection the creature vanished completely, leaving the area without even coming out of the bush. There was a brief flash of light, and it was gone.

There was still a long morning before Nick’s scheduled gym battle, so the three friends (not to mention little Pichu ) went to the edge of Margoda where a small river ran through it. There they laughed, continued discussing anything that came up on their minds, and generally enjoying themselves.

When they got to the river, Faith looked like she had fallen in love. "Oh, what a pretty river! I wish I had my swimsuit with me. The sun is warm, the water’s clean…it’s just perfect for a little swim, even if it is only a river and not the beach."

"I don’t think you’d want to be swimming in this river girlfriend," Toby said, seating himself on the grass beside the water.

Faith looked a little disappointed. "And why not?"

"Well for starters," Toby explained, "this river has Magikarp and Remoraid and other fish Pokemon that swim through, and they sometimes can mistake that little toe of yours for a thick worm. I know. It happened to me. Big fat old Magikarp came along while I was wading and took a bite out of my big man on my right foot. It took both my parents and my uncle Greg to pull that thing off. Ever since then I ain't been much of a fish lover."

Faith rolled her eyes. "One little incident and you go hating a whole species of Pokemon."

Suddenly feeling compelled to test Faith on her statement, Nick pointed over the river and said in fake alarm, "Look Faith, Beedrills!"

She looked like her shoes had been set on fire. Faith cried out and ran for the nearest tree, whimpering, "Where? Where?!"

Nick felt a little bad about that, though he couldn’t help but laugh. "I’m kidding, just kidding."

Faith then looked furious, and Toby couldn’t help but laugh his head off too. He had been fully informed of their whole Beedrill episode.

"One little incident, huh?" he said between laughter. "Well, I see I’m not the ONLY bias one around here!"

He continued rolling over with laughter, which didn’t prepare him for what Faith did next. She rushed up to him and pushed him hard. Since Toby was right next to the edge of the grass he fell right into the river, and was completely soaked as he splashed frantically in five foot high water.

Faith laughed this time. "Ha! Look at you! Looks like some of us don’t need our swimming suits to take a dip."

Toby quickly pulled himself out again, breathing heavily and dripping wet. He collapsed on the ground and clutched his heart. "Dang, don’t EVER do that to me again! Okay, sorry about the laughing thing. Let’s just pretend we have no fear of Pokemon and be done with it."

Faith looked at Nick then, who for the life of him was trying not to laugh, fearing that he would be next. But it was futile anyway. Faith already had that look in her eye that told him he was her next target.

Nick slowly began backing away from the river, hands in front of him. "Oh, no you don’t. Uh-uh. No way no how. Faith, there is SO no way you are getting me soaked before my match. Don’t give me that evil look…"

She was coming closer, a sinister glare on her otherwise pretty face. Figuring he had nothing to lose, Toby stood next to her and grinned as he prepared to join in the treacherous act.

Seeing he was doomed, Nick looked at Pichu on the ground and said, "Don’t let them get me Pichu! I don’t care what you do; a thundershock, biting their legs, anything to keep them off of me!"

Pichu looked confused. It didn’t think that it had to attack anything other than Pokemon, and it didn’t see why it should attack his new friends, not getting the joke and all.

Before any other action could be taken though Faith yelled, "Jump him!" and she and Toby tackled Nick, and all three of them went down into the sparkling water. With a tremendous SPLOOSH! they all went in together, and now they were all wet.

Nick couldn’t believe it. He never had friends who had been so impulsive, but in the spur of the moment he figured it would be fun to enact some revenge, so he cupped his hands and splashed water into Faith’s face. She gasped and then laughed as she kicked water at Nick in return.

Meanwhile Pichu stood on the grass, quite surprised by the humans’ strange behavior, but at the same time finding it quite entertaining.

They continued this for a few more moments, until suddenly Nick cried out in pain and in panic jumped out of the river and pulled himself back onto dry ground.

They all looked and saw that a Pokemon had bitten into his leg and was firmly clamped on. It was a fish, silver colored, with a few decorative fins and large white eyes. It had four fangs in its mouth, which it used to keep attached to Nick’s leg.

With a good kick Nick sent it flying off and it landed in the grass, flopping around helplessly.

"Wow!" Toby cried. "Nick, that’s a Remoraid! Those things are hard to catch! Get it man!"

Rubbing his sore leg, Nick looked at Pichu and said, "Thundershock that thing especially good for me, would you, Pichu?"

Pichu nodded and hopped over to the frailing fish, and with a loud, "PiiiiCHUUUUUUU!!!" shot off a stream of electric power that zapped the squealing Remoraid into paralysis. Being a water-type, Remoraid was especially susceptible to electric attacks, so with one hit it was unconscious and helpless.

At that point Nick grabbed an empty Pokeball from his belt and threw it at the fish, and without a struggle the creature was turned into energy and stored inside the ball.

It was a surprise capture, but for better or worse Nick now had a new member on his team. He belted the Pokeball and fell on his back in exhaustion.

"Well," Faith said, "that was different. I’ve never heard of anyone catching a Pokemon that way before. Way to go Nick. But I suppose I deserve the credit. After all, if I hadn’t pushed you in it would never have bitten you."

Nick looked at her funny and said, "I should STRANGLE you for that!"

Toby believed that he was the one who should be thanked, because after all he had given Faith the idea to push people in the river in the first place.

At any rate, they were all soaked, tired, and amused. It had been a different sort of an outing, but at the least it had been profitable for Nick. They all went back into town to dry off and clean up before Nick’s gym battle.

His anxiety was building over it. He had fought some wild Pokemon and two other Pokemon trainers in battles, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready for a gym leader. They were a tough breed, and had to be to claim their title.

But Nick really wanted his first badge to qualify for the League, and if he didn’t make a move for it now he couldn’t find the courage.

The morning still passed very slowly.

Later the trio was having their lunch outside at a salad bar. Nick and Pichu shared some chicken strips, Toby went full boar on the buffet, and Faith had a small meal of a hamburger and a salad. It was a nice meal, but Nick hardly felt like eating. He fingered his food, looking into space while in thought.

Faith noticed this and asked, "What’s the matter? The chicken still talking?"

Nick’s pattern of pointless thought was broken and he admitted, "Oh, just wondering what the gym leader’s going to be like. Do you know anything about him Toby?"

Toby swallowed some cottage cheese and a few Buffalo wings and answered with a mouth full of un-swallowed chews, "Yeah, his name’s Bereen. He’s got plant and bug type Pokemon, since those are the most common ones around these parts. I heard he’s pretty tough, but he’s not the strongest trainer in the league."

That still wasn’t much to ease Nick’s nerves, and he said gloomily, "Well, I guess all I can do is try my best and all that. I wish I’d had more time to train my Pokemon though. I’m guessing one tough Pichu, Nidoran and a freshly caught Remoraid aren’t going to guarantee victory."

"You never know," Faith said with a smile. She looked at Pichu and scratched behind one of its big ears. "Sometimes these little guys can surprise you."

Pichu squeaked pleasantly. It liked getting scratched.

After they had eaten and gotten ready, Nick and company made their way to the Pokemon gym of Margoda city. It was like any other sort of sports or fitness building on the outside, and would probably be the same on the interior as well.

Nick looked upon the front gate with anxiety making his heart pump faster and faster with every step closer that they came. But he was determined that even if he got swamped, he was not going to go out feeling sorry for himself or complaining. Bad sportsmanship was not a part of his make-up.

"Ready to go in Pichu?" he asked.

Pichu looked at its trainer with a strong glare of determination. "Pichu Pichu!" it declared.

Nick smiled. He liked Pichu’s attitude. "Alright then. Let’s do it." They began walking for the gate, when from behind the bushes surrounding it they all heard a voice say, "What’s the hurry? It’s not quite one yet."

Nick didn’t have to wait for the figure to come out for him to know who it was. The voice was unmistakable. Jack Devlin stepped out from the bushes with a cocky grin on his thin face and he fingered the toothpick in his mouth. His dark bangs fell into his eyes, and his other hand was toying with a Pokeball on his belt.

He grinned slyly and asked, "Who are your friends? Did you find more pathetic beginners like you who wouldn’t know how to battle even if they took night-school?"

Needless to say Toby and frowned and immediately came to the conclusion that he did not like this boy. Faith on the other hand look mortified and gasped out, "YOU!!! You’re that stuck up punk who beat me in the forest a few days ago!"

Jack looked more closely at the girl and then smirked. "Oh yeah, I remember you. You’re that girl with the weakling Igglybuff. Nice to see you again." Faith snarled like an angry cat, and Nick almost thought he could see the hairs rise on her neck.

"Nick, who is this charming gentleman?" Toby asked with sarcasm.

"This," he answered with a sigh, "would be Jack Devlin. He’s from my hometown. He and I went out on our journeys the same day and have only battled once. A battle which I won, incidentally, unless you have a short memory Jack."

The reminder of his loss did not seem to phase the boy. "You cheated and you know it Samuels. You won’t be so fortunate this time, because we’re not in the small confined space of Professor Pine’s lab, so my Totodile and my new Pokemon should have no trouble smashing your battery-charged rat."

Pichu clenched its teeth. It REALLY did not like this boy, much less being called a rat. It was a mouse!

Faith snarled and whispered into Toby’s ear, "What a jerk! I think Nick should show him what a real smashing looks like."

"Yeah man," Toby said aloud to Nick. "You gonna let this loser talk to your little yellow friend like that and get away with it?"

Nick looked at Jack with a sudden smile and said in a confident voice, "Is that a challenge, Jackie?"

The opponent unclipped a Pokeball from his belt and held it close to his face. "Let’s do this. You’re going down this time Samuels."

"Sweet!" Toby cried happily. "We get a show before the gym match! Oh, I am SO glad I hooked up with you guys!"

Standing off to the side Toby and Faith made room for the Trainers as they prepared for their battle in front of the gym. The two teens stood ten feet apart facing one another, the space between them the battlefield for the Pokemon to engage on.

"Two Pokemon, no substitutions!" Jack called, setting the game rules.

"Fine by me," Nick said.

"I’ll choose first!" Jack threw the ball in his hand.

"I figured you would," Nick sighed.

The Pokeball hit the ground, a flash of light appeared and the Pokemon within materialized in a stream of red energy. When a shape finally formed and the energy dissipated, it revealed Jack’s new Pokemon teammate to be a…a…

Nick could barely believe his eyes. The figure that appeared before him was a two foot collection of brown fur, with tiny arms and legs ending in little claws, big black eyes that reflected all the light around them, little rounded ears and a face with a crescent moon on its forehead.

The tiny Pokemon stretched as though it had just awoken from its afternoon nap and smiled at Nick cutely, verbalizing afterward, "Teddi!"

Nick could honestly not believe it. The new Pokemon on Jacks’ team was Teddiursa, the Teddybear Pokemon.

Pichu stared in surprise, not quite sure what to make of this new creature. Nick just stared in shock. Toby was sniggering and trying to hide it. Faith took one look at the fluffy little mammal and instantly fell in love.

"Oh, it’s so cute! It’s totally adorable! But I don’t get it, why does Jack have such a sweet little thing on his team? It just doesn’t seem like the kind of Pokemon I would imagine a ‘macho’ guy having."

"Easy," Toby filled her in. "If he trains that thing it’ll eventually transformed into an Ursaring, which is basically the toughest most macho Pokemon there is. At this point it’s no better than to cuddle with, but soon enough it’ll be pretty vicious."

"Oh," Faith answered dumbly, unable to conceal that she was ignorant of such things.

"So," Jack challenged with a smug grin, "you gonna send that rat of yours to battle my Teddiursa, or do you possibly have a stronger one to use? I doubt it myself."

Strangely enough Nick smiled, and he unclipped a Pokeball of his own to toss into the ring. "I’ll have to surprise you then." He tossed the ball and it opened up to reveal his second capture, the male Nidoran.

"Ni Ni!" it cutely squeaked, trying to look tough. It kicked up dust with its hind legs to give the appearance of some charging bull, making itself look as powerful as only a foot tall creature could.

Jack chuckled at the sight and put his hand over his forehead. "That thing is supposed to save your sorry little butt? Please. Watch this and learn Nicky-Boy. Teddisursa, Scratch Attack!"

In a flash the little bear switched from looking cute and adorable to mean and nasty, its mouth turned down in a frown and its claws braced in front of it. Then with a leap it jumped towards Nidoran and cried out, "Ursa!"

There was no time for Nidoran to get clear before the attack was made, for surprisingly the furry Pokemon had remarkable speed for its size and level. It shot at Nidoran and made a sweeping slashing motion with its right arm, and the little claws struck Nidoran on top of its head, leaving minor scratches in its wake.

Nidoran was hurt, but it was not a severe hit and the little horned creature was ready now to strike back. It waited for Nick to order him into action.

Nick considered his options, quickly thought out a course of action, and then ordered his Pokemon, "Nidoran, Leer Attack."

The little pink colored Pokemon looked surprised by the order to the point where if he could have spoken he might have objected. But he trusted his Trainer and stared at Teddisursa, and his eyes glowed red for a moment as they locked with the bear’s and initiated the attack.

When the energy died away the attack was over, and seemingly no harm had been done to Teddiursa. It didn’t even look weakened.

"I don’t get it," Faith voiced concern. "What was the point of that attack? It didn’t do anything."

But Toby was smiling, as if in on a secret that she did not know. "Oh, you’ll see. It’s actually a very good move."

Faith was confused. Granted she had not been a Pokemon trainer for long, but it seemed foolish to her to use a move that didn’t even do anything.

Jack seemed triumphant. "Hah! You just sealed the game right there. Teddiursa, pound it!"

Once again the bear jumped into action. Nidoran tried to evade the hit, but Teddiursa was simply too fast. With a loud THWUMP! the Pound Attack connected with his middle section and sent him down to the ground.

"Hurry Nidoran!" Nick encouraged his Pokemon. "Use another Leer!"

At this point the Pokemon and saw no reason why it should considering what little good it seemed to do, and he looked at his trainer with an unspoken expression of frustration. As he did though the Teddiursa tried to take advantage of the distraction from the match and charged the fallen Nidoran.

"Do it now!" Nick cried desperately.

Turning back to the battle at hand Nidoran saw that it was in a fix and decided it had nothing to lose in following its orders. It stared at the bear again and caught its eyes in another Leer.

This had the effect of stopping Teddiursa’s attack cold, and halfway to its target the fur-ball stopped in its tracks and did not move as the attack was initiated.

Frustrated now and wanting a quick victory, Jack ordered his baby Pokemon, "Teddiursa, just give it a Quick Attack!"

The creature complied, and with a flash of speed it shot towards Nidoran and slammed into it. The attack was meant more for speed than for damage to the opponent however, so suffering only a little hurt Nidoran was thrown back and he got himself up on his feet, ready for the next move.

"He’d better make a different move this time," Faith said obviously. "That Teddiursa still hasn’t been hurt at all."

"I think Nick knows what he’s doing," Toby grinned with his arms folded. Faith didn’t get it. What was Toby so sure of that Nick would do? As far as he was concerned Nick had already won this contest.

Her question was answered then as Nick ordered Nidoran, "Horn Attack…now."

With a smile on its face telling how happy it was to finally be making an offensive attack, Nidoran charged the teddybear with its little horn front and center. Unable to clear away before Nidoran came, Teddiursa was plowed into and sent flying practically into Jack’s arms. Its eyes were closed, and it was limp from total exhaustion.

"NO!" Jack yelled angrily. "You knocked it out!"

"Whoa," Faith gasped. "How did Nidoran take out Teddiursa with only one hit? That horn attack isn’t that strong."

"That’s what the Leer is for," Toby explained. "It weakens a Pokemon every time it’s used, making it possible for a weak attack to be very effective. That’s why I use it all the time. It may take time, but it really helps you out."

Faith grinned and looked at Nick as he congratulated Nidoran. He had used his head and thought out his game plan before hand, and it had turned out well for him. She admired that.

Now hot and sour from that first loss Jack grabbed his second and last Pokeball and threw it upon the ground. "You won’t be so lucky this time Nick. I can guarantee that."

There was a flash, a sparkling of energy and then Jack’s vicious little Totodile was revealed, its yellow eyes glaring with spite and its blue eyebrows furrowed.

"Toto!" it cried in challenge.

"Cool!" Toby exclaimed. "He’s got a Totodile! I ain’t much of a water Pokemon expert, but I think those are cool."

"That one looks nasty," Faith expressed. "Just like its trainer."

This was a no brainer for Nick. He knew exactly who he was going to choose. "Hey Pichu, how about another chance at whooping this little blue reptile?"

The yellow mouse looked enthusiastic and nodded. It stood in front of its trainer and faced its foe directly, a small fire burning within its eyes.

"You’re going to discover that my Totodile is a load tougher since our first fight," Jack boasted. "There’s no hope for that rat now."

The sound of that word again made Pichu furious, and without waiting for its trainer it cried out, " PiiiiiCHUUUUUUUUUU!!!" and fired a high charged Thundershock.. The stream struck the blue Pokemon full on and it recoiled from the pain of it. The electricity coursed through its water body, and it almost looked as though one hit would take care of it. Unfortunately for Pichu its charge cut off after a few seconds and as weak as it was Totodile was still standing with a mean snarl.

"Uh-oh," Nick gulped. Jack took his opportunity and commanded Totodile to use its, "Tackle Attack!" The frog-like Pokemon backed up on its legs, and then lunged forward for a full head-on tackle.

Very swiftly and thinking calmly Nick ordered Pichu, "Pichu, jump over Totodile!"

Had another microsecond passed the plan would not have worked, but as it was Pichu understood and thrust itself off the ground just as Totodile was closing in. The mouse flew over Totodile’s head and landing on its feet behind the lizard.

Totodile’s attack was broken, and as Pichu turned around Nick didn’t waste a moment. "Thundershock again!"

The command was followed through, and immediately Pichu zapped Totodile again with a channel of pure electrical power. This time Totodile would not be able to resist it. When the energy had taken its toll on it, the blue Pokemon collapsed to the ground, completely spent.

Pichu took a moment to realize that they had won again and then grinned from one big ear to the other. "Pichupi!" it cried as it jumped into Nick’s awaiting arms. The trainer laughed and praised the little creature for its excellent job. He took equal time as well to thank Nidoran who was standing nearby, and the three celebrated their victory.

Faith and Toby looked at each other. "That was awesome!" Faith exclaimed. "Gosh, Nick’s probably the best trainer I’ve ever met! I don’t think he’ll have any trouble getting through the League."

Her talk was interrupted as an infuriated Jack recalled Totodile and stomped over to confront Nick face to face. Nick looked up in concern as the teen charged at him and burned his eyes into his own.

"You won’t have this beginner’s luck forever Samuels! I swear this to you, and mark my words; the next time we meet I will be especially ready for you, because now I’m not just training my Pokemon to get me badges, but now I’m going to build them up with the express purpose of defeating YOU!"

He turned around and stomped away, kicking up dust underfoot as he went. Nick stood and watched him go, his face stern and collected. He knew that Jack’s fire was really stoked now, and if he wanted to stay on top he was going to have to be just as diligent in his own training. Looking down at Pichu in his arms, Nick smiled and said, "We’ll be ready for him next time, won’t we Pichu?"

"Pichu Pichu!" it agreed heartily.

"That was great!" Faith cried out happily. "I mean, this is only the second time I’ve seen you battle, but you still totally killed! And you said you were scared of the Margoda Gym!"

"I can beat trainers like Jack without much effort because he’s reckless and inexperienced," Nick stated seriously. "I can defeat trainers like Toby if I concentrate and think hard. But the gym leader is going to be a totally different matter. These people are very experienced with battling. They have special strategies, strong Pokemon and confidence."

He cast his gaze on the front door of the gym, it suddenly seeming dark and threatening like it would never release him if he entered.

"Aw, you can do it man," Toby encouraged him. "I mean seriously, how hard can it be? You got a good team, and you knew way more about battle strategies than Jack the Dipper there did. I say you got a good chance."

Nick blushed a little and hung his head. He had a hard time accepting praise. It just made him feel silly. Faith saw this and smiled. She reached out and touched his arm, forcing him to look up into her face.

"You’ll get that badge," she winked as she said it.

Nick was quite touched. They barely knew him and already they seemed to have a great deal of faith and confidence in him. He smiled sheepishly and said, "Thanks, but don’t you think we should give the Pokemon a moment or two to rest up before we go headfirst into a gym?"

"Yeah, you don’t want pooped Pokemon before a gym match," Toby agreed. "We still have time before the clock hits one. We can make it to the Pokemon Center and back before then."

The three teens and the worn out Pokemon left the gate of the gym and headed back to the center of town where they had come from towards the Pokemon Center. Before they were out of sight of it Nick looked behind him and gazed at the building again.

He felt more frightened than he cared to admit over the upcoming match with Bereen, and as he walked Nick felt like there were a pair of eyes on that gym that were glaring at him as they left.

This will be my first real test, he thought. My metal as a trainer will be proven good or bad today…

* * * *

As the hour slowly wore on, Nick and Company were eating a brief snack at the Pokemon Center Diner. His Pokemon (with the exception of Remoraid) were gathered at the foot of the table munching on some chow of their own, now fully healed from their battle weariness.

Working on a chocolate malt, Faith discovered that Nick wore a very nervous face on him. It was like he were five years old going onstage or something else as equally frightening. She put down her malt and asked in concern, "You okay?"

It took Nick a moment to realize that she was addressing him, having been lost in his own little world of thought, but he snapped back to attention. "Yeah, I guess…maybe…" he sighed in defeat. "No, not at all. I’m just afraid that I’m going to get creamed today. I’ve seen gym battles on TV. These people usually tend to be VERY good. I think I’m doing this too fast. I should train longer and get better prepared for it before I go making a big mistake of jumping in before we’re ready."

"Dude!" Toby exclaimed, mouth full of onion rings, "You should have seen yourself fighting that Devil kid."

"It’s Devlin," Nick corrected him.

"Whatever. I’m just saying man, if you could wipe the floor with him and me, I’d say your chances are pretty good to defeat Bereen. The guy is a pushover I hear. He’s too full of himself. Just keep your cool, think out your strategies and you'll do just fine."

But Nick was still unsure. "I don’t know…" He ran his fingers through his hair and bowed his head low. He could not remember the last time he had felt so nervous about something. He didn’t want to fail. He didn’t want to look like a weak inexperienced trainer in front of his new friends, or to a gym leader.

But as he had his head lowered, the necklace that Faith had given him suddenly slipped out of his shirt and dangled in the air. Nick took hold of it and looked at it; the glint of the golden surface, the sparkle of the green gem at the center of the carved Pokeball. As he gazed into it and saw the millions of little reflective facets, he suddenly felt a strange determination rise within him.

Why be so afraid of failure? Failure did not have the power to break one’s spirit. Only the person could do that to themselves. He looked up again, at Faith, thought of how much confidence she had in him, and how supportive Toby was being, and then to the two victories he had achieved. Why be so frightened?

Faith could see what he was thinking from the light of his sapphire eyes. She smiled and said softly, "If you want my advice, I say go for it and let whatever happens happen. We’ll be there for ya either way."

"Right on man," Toby gave a thumbs-up. Nick nodded and grinned. His mind was made up now. He would face Bereen as planned, and if he had the skill and fortune, he would win.

* * * * * * * *

The massive gates of the gym opened, revealing a dark interior. There were no lights on. As Nick and his friends walked in, all they could tell of the inside of the building was that it was wide and empty. For their footsteps echoed loudly in the blackness.

Finally as if on cue a row of lights flashed on in uniform rows above their heads, illuminating the Margoda gym in all its glory. Nick had never been in a place like this before in his life. The walls looked like they were made of jade, green and soft, and there was greenery strung up and arranged all around. Fountains sunk into the floor but did not rise above floor level. These were surrounded by flowers, and some of the most beautiful flowers that ever grew in the PokeWorld.

There was a row of bleachers for an audience to watch the battle from, and finally a dais rose up at the far end of the room where the gym leader awaited the newest challenger.

There was no audience today, and the room seemed quite deserted. Nick knew he was scheduled, but this greenhouse of a gym looked as though it was closed for business.

"Uh, yo man," Toby inquired, "You were supposed to meet in this gym today, right? I mean, they didn’t like mix you up with the Margoda flower shop or nothin’ did they? This place looks like those sappy corsage stores."

"It makes me feel like we just went back into the woods," Faith said, investigating some of the plant life. "I’ve been in a couple gyms before, but nothing like this. I didn’t think the gym leaders ever bothered to really decorate."

"Well, that’s where I tend to be a different gym leader," a voice came from behind some flowers. The friends looked to see a young man, best guess around eighteen, walk out in the open. He had long stringy hair and had thin cheeks. He wore dirty jeans and a torn green shirt. However he had the insignia of a Gym Leader on the shirt, so Nick knew without doubt that this was his adversary, Bereen.

He extended his hand, which Nick noticed was soiled with dry dirt, and he said, "Welcome to the Margoda gym. I’m Bereen. Which of you is going to have the honor of being smushed by me?"

Pichu did not like his attitude, and with a frown it growled, "Piiiiiiiichu!" Little pint-sized sparks flew from its cheeks. If it had been trying to make himself look tough it had failed, for Bereen only laughed.

"That’s a cute little Pichu you’ve got there," he smiled, looking Nick in the eye. " It’s going to be a shame to have to clobber it. I’m assuming you’re the challenger?"

Nick still had not taken his hand, and he did not intend to. Clearing his throat he replied, "Yeah, yeah that’s me. Nick Samuels. Nice to meet you."

Bereen chuckled and turned around, walking back to his dais. "You probably won’t think that when we’re through. I’m guessing you’re a new trainer, so listen up. I train grass and bug Pokemon, mainly because I think they have the most to offer you in terms of battle strategy. They can do just about anything that is necessary, and they can frustrate the heck out of you with the right attacks."

Toby’s interest had been piqued. Considering his love for Bug Pokemon, he wondered if he could get some pointers from this guy after the match.

"My gym was specially designed to appeal to the tastes of those two types," Bereen continued. "That makes them feel more comfortable, and that makes them fight better. You always do the best in the place you like the most, that’s what I think. The woods are home to bugs and grass, so I say keep them home, and keep them happy. How many Pokemon do you have, Samuels?"

Nick had to clear his throat again. That often happened when he was nervous. "I have three," he said in a low voice.

"Fine then," Bereen said. "I have four, so I’ll bench one of mine for this match. It will be a mixed fight. Either of us may substitute at any time or any reason, but the rounds will be set at two minutes each. Whoever has the weaker Pokemon at any time the round is up must recall that Pokemon and they can no longer battle. The match is over when all of one person’s team is defeated. Are the rules understood?"

"Perfectly," Nick said, stepping up to the battlefield lines marked on the floor. Pichu leapt off of his shoulder and prepared for battle beside him. The lights above turned red, casting an eerie glow over the field. There was a moment of silence until a referee came out and prepared to start the competition.

Faith and Toby stood on the sidelines and watched on. "Dang I wish I had some popcorn or something," Toby said only half-joking. He had quite an appetite. Faith ignored him, keeping her eyes all the time on Nick. He stood calm, controlled, ready for action, and he was not letting one thing break his concentration. He didn’t even look back at his friends as they were beginning. Faith didn’t want to get in his way, so she quietly released Igglybuff from its Pokeball and held the pinkish balloon in her arms.

"We’re going to root for Nick in his battle, okay Iggly?" Faith said to her favorite Pokemon. The big-eyed little thing squealed enthusiastically, "Iggly!" Faith smiled and looked back to Nick. She really wanted him to win. She was surprised to find that it meant as much to her that he win as it did probably to himself.

"Go get ‘em," she whispered, hugging Igglybuff closely.

The ref raised a flag, brought it down and cried, "Begin!" Bereen unclipped a Pokeball from his belt and threw it into the center of the battlefield. It thudded on the ground, snapped open, and released its captive Pokemon. When the energy stream materialized it revealed a Bulbasaur, pudgy and short, with the sharpest red eyes. The creature had a shapely green bulb on its back that rather looked like a head of cabbage, and its reptile like body was covered in dark aqua spots.

‘Bulbaaaaaa!" It cried out in a little gruff voice. It braced itself on its chubby hind legs and glared toughly at Nick and Pichu. Obviously this Bulbasaur meant business.

Briefly Nick considered his options. Either he used Pichu, and Electric type, Nidoran, a Poison type, or his newly caught Remoraid, a water type. One thing he prided himself on was his knowledge of type comparisons and how one kind of Pokemon did against another. Many beginners usually didn’t have any advance knowledge of that. So considering his options, Nick decided the best bet he could make would be to use Nidoran. Poison types were generally very strong against plants, although plants weren’t exactly weak to poison either.

Taking Nidoran’s Pokeball he released the little creature and felt his nerves begin to shiver. Here goes nothing, he thought uncomfortably, and hoped that this match would indeed not come to nothing.

Nidoran appeared and growled, staring at Bulbasaur and knowing instinctively that it was to fight the plant lizard. Despite the rapid beating of his heart Nick remained calm and instructed Nidoran to use its Leer attack. It was a tried and true strategy, so Nick just hoped that it would work this time.

But as Nidoran began staring Bulbasaur down, Bereen made his first move. "Bulbasaur, Sunny Day."

Bulbasaur concentrated for a moment, and then a bright light too powerful to look at flashed from the top of its bulb. Nick was admittedly nervous. He had never heard of the Sunny Day attack, and therefore had no clue what it was capable of. But after a moment when he saw that no damage had been done to Nidoran, he immediately ordered the Pokemon on.

"Horn attack it now!" There was urgency in his voice. Nick was beginning to feel the stress of his first gym battle come to him, but he was determined not to lose focus.

In compliance Nidoran charged Bulbasaur and thrust itself forward, too fast for the opposing Pokemon to do anything or dodge before the horn tip met its torso. Bulbasaur was lung back, spinning on the ground and kicking up a little dust. But it was stout, and tough, and half a second later it was back on all of its feet.

"Not good enough to take you out," Bereen encouraged his Pokemon. "Now, Vine whip!"

Bulbasaur extended two long vines from within its bulb, and like thin serpents they lashed out for Nidoran. With a smart THWACK! they connected, and Nidoran was flung backwards, almost into Nick’s arms. The attack shocked Nick. It should not have been as powerful as it was, or as effective as it was against Nidoran, but somehow it had more energy behind it.

The blow had almost knocked Nidoran out. One more hit like that and the little pink Pokemon would be out of the first round.

"You okay Nidoran?" Nick asked in concern. He didn’t want to push the creature if it really didn’t want to continue. But the creature nodded at him and leapt back into fight mode. Now all Nick needed was a plan to take out that green houseplant.

Having nothing better he could think of, Nick decided to try and buy some time. "Nidoran, Sand Attack." Nidoran turned about so its back was to Bulbasaur, and then it began kicking up clouds of dust at its foe. Bulbasaur was soon lost in a thick shroud of dust, and when it settles the trainers could see that quite a bit of it had gotten into the creature’s eyes.

Bereen growled. He obviously did not like that attack, and with good reason. When Pokemon lost their visual accuracy they sometimes would miss an attack entirely, wasting their efforts and allowing the opposing Pokemon to pound them all the harder.

"Bulbasaur, try and use your Tackle Attack!"

It tried, really it did, but Bulbasaur’s tackle missed by a foot, and then it was Nidoran’s turn again.

"Finish it with a Scratch attack Nidoran," Nick said calmly, now much more confident and not so nervous. The Pokemon did as told, and raising its left front arm it slashed Bulbasaur across the face with its tiny little claws. Bulbasaur was thrown back, and then it collapsed on the floor. Defeated.

"Bulbasaur is unable to proceed," the referee announced. "Round one to Nidoran."

Nidoran looked very happy with itself, and it ran back to Nick and rubbed its head against his leg. Nick smiled and bent down to give the pink thing a little hug. "You kicked out there! I’m proud of you Nidoran." The Pokemon smiled and cooed, "Ni, Nido!"

Faith and Toby were enthusiastic. "Yeah man!" Toby called out from their spectator positions. "You got off to a good start man, now just keep it going! No pressure! Smooth and calm, that’s the way to go. Think win, not lose, think---"

"Alright, shut up!" Faith sighed "You’re only going to make him mess up if you babble!"

"I don’t babble yo," Toby stated. "I’m a cheerleader and an assistant coach all rolled into one."

In the meantime Bereen had called back Bulbasaur and fingered the next ball on his belt. "You did good in that round. I can’t deny that. But I’m afraid that it’s going to take a lot more than beginner’s luck to save you from the next Pokemon in my lineup. Prepare to meet it, and just hope that your weakling Pokemon has what it takes to last another round. GO!" He tossed the next ball, and this one was yellow colored on the top. An Ultra Ball, if Nick was not mistaken. When the ball’s content materialized, Nick found himself wishing that it hadn’t.

The Pokemon revealed was a Heracross. It stood four feet tall, and its exoskeleton body was a navy blue. It had long clawed arms and a prominent star-shaped horn atop its head.

"Cross!" it cried in a raspy whisper of a voice. Briefly it exposed its wings, fluttering in a blur behind it.

Ouch, thought Nick. This one is going to be anything if not difficult. I don’t think Nidoran should have to fight again so soon, but can Pichu handle something like this?

"Dude!" Toby cried when he saw the bug Pokemon. "That is the most cruddy cool bug Pokemon ever! I gotta ask him where he caught the thing when this is all over."

Faith did not share his sentiments. "Yuck. I hate bug Pokemon like the plague. I’d rather have a Muk than a bug type."

Toby frowned at her, gave her the evil eye. "Bug hater," he accused her. "You don’t like bugs, you got no heart."

She ignored him and focused back on Nick, who seemed ready to make his move. Surely he was, and with a hasty determination he said, "Pichu, you’re going in. Nidoran needs to rest up." He didn’t know if it was a smart idea, but it was the only thing he could think of doing. There was no way he was going to use Remoraid unless it was absolutely necessary.

Pleased that it was getting into the action, Pichi jumped into the center of the battlefield as Nidoran was called back. It looked quite ridiculous; the four foot tall bug against the midget one foot Pichu, but such as it was Nick felt he had no choice, and that aside he had full trust in Pichu’s abilities.

Bereen chuckled. "Aw, isn’t that cute. It’s been a while since I whooped a baby like that, but I’ll be glad to do it. I can’t be nice because they just got out of diapers."

Pichu gritted its teeth, insulted by Bereen’s mockery. It was no baby! It would show this stuck up trainer. Unfortunately it did not wait for Nick to give it an order, and it shot off a thundershock.

"Hey, Pichu wait---!" Nick tried to stop it, but the attack was started and he couldn’t stop it now. The energy arched for Heracross, but the beefy bug was faster than it looked. It jumped out of the way and awaited its trainer’s instruction.

"Screech Attack," Bereen said simply. Heracross took a breath, and then made a long monstrous noise of anger. "Crrrrrrrrrrroooooooooooooooosssssssss!:

Pichu recoiled at the sound, hid its eyes with its floppy ears. The attack was lowering its defensive ability, and that would make any of Heracross’ physical attacks more effective. Nick knew this, and desperately he cried out, "Pichu, use Quick Attack!"

Too late. Bereen ordered Heracross into a Horn Attack, and with a flutter of its wings the bug had launched itself at the mouse Pokemon, horn prominent. Pichu barely saw before Heracross plowed into it, and in its weakened state from the Screech the attack took it out with one hit.

Pichu rolled over before Nick’s feet, the energy drained from it already. Nick scooped up the little mouse caringly and looked at its face in concern. "Pichu? Hey buddy. You okay?"

Pichu wearily raised its lids, gazed into Nick’s face and moaned softly. It was completely spent, and Nick felt terrible for putting it in a position like that. He should have known that it would not have won against an experienced bug like Bereen’s Heracross.

After all, winning wasn’t as important as keeping Pichu safe.

"Sorry Pichu," Nick whispered into its ear. "I…I shouldn’t have made you go out there. I’m really sorry. You gonna be okay?" The yellow creature achieved a weak smile and nodded. Nick smiled too, and gently set the Pokemon down beside him to rest.

Faith saw in Nick’s face the pain and worry he had just expressed. Seeing Pichu hurt…it was like he were seeing his own child in pain, or maybe a little brother. The point was he really cared, and didn’t just treat his Pokemon like tools to win. That was a quality Faith was seeing less and less of among trainers these days, but she wasn’t surprised that Nick cared so deeply for his Pokemon. That was just the way he was, and that was the kind of person she liked. The kind of person who thought of the needs of others and not just their own feelings.

Back in the battle, Nick was faced with a hard choice. Nidoran or Remoraid? Weakened Poison type, or inexperienced Water type? It was not an easy decision, and he definitely knew now that he should have waited longer before facing the gym leader. It would have been easier, but as it was he had to live with his choice and just try his best.

At last Nick’s frantic mind made a choice. This is nuts, but Nidoran might have a slim chance of at least messing Heracross up long enough to weaken it a bit.

He called Nidoran out again, and despite its earlier exercise the big-eared critter looked raring and ready to go again. It was a fighter at heart, and that was definitely what at this point made it Nick’s most powerful weapon.

Bereen chuckled again. He seemed quite cocky. "Getting desperate, are we? Fine. I’ll be glad to add that shrimp to the K.O’d list. Heracross, Tackle that Nidoran! Take it out!"

As Heracross lunged for Nidoran, Nick saw that he only had one attack available to him that would work in time. "Poison Sting!" Nidoran opened its mouth and released a torrent of glowing needles, looking like little fireworks shooting into the air. They sunk into Heracross as the beetle charged, and though it appeared to effect the bug a little it did not break the attack.

Heracross plowed into Nidoran, and that was the end for it. Nidoran tumbled backwards in a small cloud of dirt, all energy spent from its little body. The referee announced the end of the Pokemon’s turn in battle, and sorrowfully Nick recalled the little beast.

"Thanks for trying pal," he said to the ball as he clipped it back on his belt. The Heracross was still in play, but Nick and Bereen could both see that the insect was tired out now. It was panting, it rubbed the sore area on its chest where the stingers had entered its body, and it had already battled hard.

"You can still win man!" Toby called to Nick from his place on the sidelines. "You’ve got your secret weapon!"

Some secret weapon, Nick thought incredulously. Remoraid’s more fitted for the sushi bar than for battle, but it’s the only Pokemon I have left so I’d better use it. He unclipped the fish’s Pokeball and flung it into the ring, closing his eyes as though he was embarrassed to be resorting to this.

The Pokeball opened and out came the gray colored fish Pokemon, flopping on its belly as it tried to swim in a place where there was no water. Bereen covered his mouth to keep from laughing, and Nick just put his hand on his forehead. This was not good. He opened his Pokedex to see what attacks this little beast had that could possibly be of any use to the situation, and Nick’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he saw them. It was impossible! This little fish knew not only Slam attack, but also Water Gun and…good grief, ICE BEAM! It was a bleeding powerhouse of attacks!

Chuckling a little Bereen ordered his Heracross, "Let’s wrap this up. Heracross, Slash that invertebrate. I think it best to put it out of its misery, not to mention its trainer."

The bug raised a claw and prepared to do its trainer’s bidding. But before the hit could connect, Nick grinned and said coolly, " Remoraid, Ice Beam."

The look on Bereen’s face when he heard that attack was priceless. Faith wished she had a camera. She’d make a mental note of that in the future. Taking some shots during the battles Nick had would be fun to put together in a book someday.

Remoraid opened its mouth and squealed louder than a newborn baby, which was followed by a silver white and blue stream of energy coming from behind its sharp teeth. The beam stretched out for Heracross, and the bug was doomed. It was hit by the freezing power and it was literally knocked of its feet, and then fell in defeat.

Bereen’s face was an odd mix between astonishment and anger, but he called back Heracross quickly and grasped his last Pokemon. "You sure surprised me Nick. I didn’t think a young inexperienced trainer such as yourself could have taught those attacks to a Remoraid, but I guess that shows me why I never underestimate my opponents. Still, as good as it may be, your Remoriad has never seen the likes of my next Pokemon…and I dare say, neither have you. Go!"

The ball was released, it hit the floor, the ground lit up…and then Nick saw a Pokemon that he had never before seen, or read of.

 It was like a bipedal toad with two large pale yellow eyes. It had a tail split in spiraling two-tipped ends, with short arms and legs. Its belly was ruby colored and round, and it glared at Remoraid with its big eyes, silent and still, awaiting its master’s orders.

Fascinated by this thing, Nick flipped through his Pokedex to find a file. There was none. Even Professor Pine's Pokedex was useless to tell him what it was, or what its statistics were.

"I’d like you to meet Treecko," Bereen said with a sly grin. "It’s a Pokemon I discovered roaming around the Entorrin Forest a few months ago. It’s never been seen before, and I am the first human to have one. And now you get the honor of being one of the first I cream with it."

From all appearances this Treecko was a plant Pokemon, at least that was what Nick guessed. If that were the case then Remoriad would have a decent chance. Decent was the best word for it. For all its powerful attacks, Remoraid was still inexperienced and newly caught in Nick’s eyes, so it still was at high risk of losing.

"Remoraid, quickly use your Ice Beam," Nick said low voiced, focused and unbreakable in his concentration on the battle at hand. The fish opened its jaw and released another beam, but this one was not destined to meet its target. Without even getting an order from its trainer to do so, Treecko burrowed underground quicker than a mole and vanished from sight. The Ice Beam hit the floor where it had been standing and did nothing more than to create a little patch of slippery ice.

"Great," Nick sighed. He was not very good at this, and he did not know how to counter the effects of a Dig Attack. Thinking fast he told Remoraid to, "Cover the field in Ice Beam! Hurry!"

It took two turns for Treecko to complete its Dig, so that gave Remoraid enough time to cover the small area of the battlefield in a thin layer of ice. But then the ground burst, and Remoraid was sent flying as Treecko came from beneath the earth and plowed its body into that of the fish. Nick groaned, thinking that the end of the match, but much to his amazement he found that Remoraid was still standing, looking like it only took a little hurt from the attack.

This was unexpected but very fortunate, so Nick took hold of the opportunity before him. Maybe he could win. As Treecko landing back on its feet, it began slipping on the ice, just as Nick had planned on. Its legs slipped and did quite a little number trying to stay standing, but in the end it was hopeless and the lizard went down. Quickly Nick ordered Remoraid to Slam, and with the ice over the floor the fish was capable of building up an even better charge. It powerfully threw all its might into the Slam, and Treecko went spiraling across the icy field,

Bereen was not happy. Gritting his teeth he cried to his Pokemon, "Get up and use your razor leaf! That water Pokemon won’t stand a chance against it!" Treecko got onto its wobbly legs and prepared to fling its tail where the leaves would come from, but it was rather difficult for the creature to concentrate on keeping itself up and engaging in an attack at the same time. Thus it ended up stalling for so long that Remoraid was able to attack again.

"Ice Beam it before its too late, Remoraid," Nick said, his heart beating anxiously as he saw victory within his grasp. Obediently the fish fired one last beam, and it seemed to travel very slowly in Nick's mind. It lit the field with a glow of sky blue, reached out for Treecko, who tried to evade the attack but could not, and struck it dead on. Treecko cried out as the freezing energy drained it of all its remaining power, and it fell to the ground in defeat.

It was a long moment before Nick had really taken in the fact that he had won. It seemed too unbelievable, but it was true. The referee announced him the winner, he heard and felt as Faith and Toby cried out happily and came up from behind him to slap him on the back. He turned around to look at them, and Faith laughed. "You look stunned. You do realize that you won, right?"

"Pi! Pichupi!" the little yellow Pokemon danced happily around Nick’s feet. Finally Nick accepted this as reality, broke a big grin and picked up Pichu to hug him. He smiled like neither Faith or Toby had ever seen him smile. He laughed and spun around and around with Pichu in his arms. He then called Remoraid over to him and the fish propelled itself across the ice to him. Nick bent down and stroked the Pokemon’s head.

"Thanks for putting up such a great fight. You did really well. All of the Pokemon did."

As well as it could the Remoraid smiled, which really was just a slight movement of its mouth opening, but the feelings got across. Nick returned the fish to its ball, and then noticed that Bereen had walked up to him, a look of acknowledged defeat and acceptance on his face.

"That was pretty good," the young man said generously, not wanting to praise Nick too much. "I wouldn’t have expected that kind of performance from a rookie. You’ll do alright." He extended his hand, and Nick took it. It was a difficult matter for Bereen to accept his loss, but since he was Nick felt much more grateful to him. "Thanks," Nick replied. "You were a very cool gym leader to fight for my first time."

A coy smile creased Bereen’s mouth, and he then reached into his pocket and removed a badge, dropping it into Nick’s hand. It was oval shaped with a back-piece of leaves. A Hunter green gem was set in the center of the badge. " This is the Botana badge. It’s your first step to the League, or maybe even becoming a gym leader yourself. Keep at it, because I think you’ll do good. So long."

He turned and walked away without another word or waiting for Nick to respond. He was dignified in his stature as he returned to his gardens. Nick smiled to himself and looked at the badge in his hand. It could have easily been mistaken for the greenery around them with its hue of green. He put it in his pocket, and quietly he turned for the exit. He was quiet and introspective, thinking of the battle and how greatly it had differed from what he thought it would be, while behind him he heard the combined voices of Faith and Toby as they chattered. They went on and on about how cool the match had been, how surprised they were that Remoraid had a few surprises in it (to which Toby took all the credit since he felt he helped Nick capture it) and how good Nick’s decisions and tactics were.

As the three teens left the gym, they failed to notice that hidden in the bleachers was Jack Devlin. The dark hared young man fingered the toothpick in his mouth. He had watched the entire battle with engaged attention. After his failed battle with Nick earlier in the afternoon, he had to see for himself how he would fare against the gym leader. Having seen the end result, he had to confess to himself (but only to himself) that he had underestimated his hometown rival. Whether through luck or genius the kid was winning, and winning good.

It was going to take Jack a new level of determination and strength to beat Samuels, and he thought it would be fun to get to that level. How great it would be to see Nick’s crushed little face when he became more powerful. Yes…that would be the call Jack was meant to answer. He couldn’t wait. It was time to train, and train hard…

The sun was setting slowly, creating beautiful orange and pink hues in the sky. The clouds ringed the great light like the pedals of a gigantic flower. Those were the sights that Nick looked for to lift his soul on dark days, and sometimes they made the happy days even better. Outside of the Stone Star he was zipping up his backpack, getting ready to hit the road again. His first badge in hand, it was time to move on. There was no time to waste.

Beside him Faith and Toby were doing the same. They were both looking forward to the journey ahead. Faith for reasons of her own, Toby because of his burning desire to capture new and awesome Pokemon as well as to be with his new friends, and both because this was the adventure they had been wanting from the start. They all knew they wanted adventure, a challenging road to travel, but now that they were together the three teens felt that they were really ready to begin.

What things lay ahead they couldn’t guess, but they were not afraid to find out. Not anymore.

"So where’s our first destination?" Faith asked, feeling perky with the gym battle over and with an exciting new day ahead of them. She held Igglybuff in her arms and squeezed it like a teddybear. Nick pulled out his map and traced the road with his finger.

"Next we have to pass through the Metal Mountains. That will be about a four-day journey to get through to the next town. So, there we go. Now, our we sure we’re ready for this folks?" He grinned at his new friends. "I remind you two that you are under no obligation to follow me anywhere, and only by your given consent will I try and get us anywhere. In the end you might be better off trusting your own path."

It was a fair warning. Nick did not think he could lead a preschooler through a PokeMart, much less two teenage friends through the wilderness. But Toby and Faith looked at each other, exchanged nods and smiles, and then looked back to their guide.

"We’re with you all the way bro," Toby said loyally. "Just light the way."

"You don’t think I’m going to leave, do you?" Faith chuckled. "Igglybuff would be heart broken. It’s gotten to like you too much, and so have I. So I don’t care if you lead us through a marsh…"she put her hand on Nick’s shoulder…"I’m with you. Besides, I have to see how you do against the other gym leaders. I’ll go nuts wondering how you’re doing if I don’t follow you."

Nick blushed a little. They were both nicer than any other friends he had ever known, which had not been many. He nervously cleared his throat and helped Pichu onto his free shoulder. "Okay then, let’s get going. We’ll camp in two hours, so for now let’s just see how far we can get."

He gripped the shoulder straps of his backpack and began walking for the edge of town, where the next forest awaited them. Far off in the distance the three friends could see the famous Metal Mountains standing gray and cold, lit by the colors of the evening.

Without anymore words they walked out of Margoda, and Nick left the city with warm memories of it in his heart. Here he had achieved his first victory in Pokemon battling, had captured a new Pokemon and made two wonderful new friends.

If these good things kept happening then his journey was destined to be a good one indeed.

And so it goes. Thank you for reading, and thanks to the loyal readers. I want this series to be as original as possible, without drawing too much off the cartoon show. If you want to comment on this book, send your thoughts to SamGamgee1985@yahoo.com. Thank you again, and I promise Book 5 will soon be put together.