Episode 71!

Disclaimer: Of course I own pokemon! How dare you suggest that I don’t – hey! Put those tranquilizers away!
Scientist: Please do not listen to our patient. She is suffering from a delusion. At least it is relatively harmless. Anyways, Nintendo owns pokemon, and so do Game FREAK, 4Kids, Shogakukan comics, etc.

Notes: <> indicates psychic communication, ** indicates thoughts, italics indicates translated pokémon language…

Episode 73: A heated match! Battle on the field of lava!

“Hello. Welcome to the Cosmos League.” The receptionist said. “How may I help you?”

“I would like to enter the league championships.” Ash said. Pika-chan was hiding in his backpack.

“Very well. Let me see your badges, please.” The lady said. “My! You have both the Uranus and Neptune badges?”

“Yes, why?”

“That’s great! In that case, you can skip the first level of challengers and just enter at the second level.”

“How cool is that!” Teresa said ecstatically.

Ash grinned. * Wow! This is cool! *

“There are five levels.” Charlotte said, holding out a rulebook. “The first level is on the rock field. The second is the lava field, the third is the steel field, the fourth is the ice field, and the last one is the nova field.”

“Nova?” Ash asked.

“Simulated outer space.”
“That sounds really hard.” Teresa said.

“It is really hard.” Charlotte said. “That’s why nobody has defeated the League Champion for four years.”

“Well, I get to skip the rock field.” Ash said. * Wait a second! A lava field? How do I fight on that? *

“Most people use fire type or rock-type pokemon for the lava field. Either that or they use flying-types that can stay out of the range of lava.”

“Smart.” Ash said. “But I don’t have any fire type pokemon besides Flareon…”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. < Ash, need I remind you that you’re a card master now? >

< Oh yeah! >

Crunching sounds came from Ash’s backpack.

“Where did Vulpix-chan go?”

Ash looked worried and opened his backpack. Inside, he saw the two guardians, munching on walnut wafer cookies.

“You guys! Those were for me!”

“But it’s polite to bring a guest food!” Pika-chan protested.

“Pika-chan, that is my backpack, NOT a restaurant!”

Pika-chan shrugged.

“I can’t believe it.” Ash said, three hours later. The guardians were still eating, this time out of the fruit basket.

“You’d better believe it.” Charlotte said offhandedly. “Guess you’re using Flareon for the lava field, right?”

“Yep.”

“Good luck! I’ll be cheering for you. Speaking of which, Teresa made me a cheerleading outfit…”

“No way!”

“Yes way.” Charlotte said. She turned around and was changed in five seconds. “Your match is in two minutes, Ash. You’d better hurry!”

Ash nodded and walked out into the sunlight. * Wow, Teresa didn’t make me a costume this time. LUCKY! *

“Today’s match is between the red trainer Ash and the green trainer Patrick!” The announcer blared.

“Flareon, I choose you!” Ash said.

“Magmar, I choose you!” Patrick shouted.

Both fire-types materialized on the lava field. It wasn’t solely lava, since there was a small platform in it, and several boulders jutting out of the smoking arena that the combatants could land on.

“Go Ash!” Charlotte and Pika-chan yelled.

Ash gave them a small wave.

“Magmar, use Smog!” A layer of poisonous gas streamed towards Flareon.

“Flareon, counter it with your own Smog!” The gases hit each other and exploded in a layer of diaphanous smoke, which set most everyone to coughing.

“Flareon, Bite!” Flareon nodded and clamped its teeth down on one of Magmar’s legs. It toppled into the lava.

“Magmar, get up!” Patrick yelled.

“It’s not going to work.” Ash said. * Flareon’s Bite attack hurt it pretty badly… I’m sorry, Magmar, but I need to win this match… *

“Yay!” Pika-chan cheered.

Angel was taking bets for Ash and Patrick. He figured that if he had to watch a match that was pretty pointless, he should at least get paid for it… as of right now most people were betting that Patrick would win.

“Magmar, return!” Patrick said, furious that this chump from nowhere could just take out his pokemon with no problem. “Try this for size! Donphan, I choose you!”

Ash winced. Another pokemon with no pokédex data…

< Donphan is a ground type. >

< Great. Fire is weak to ground. > Ash thought. < Should I keep Flareon out there? No, I should switch too… >

“Flareon, return! Might as well use my advantage… Skymew, I choose you!”

Sabrina smiled as she was let out. < I normally don’t enjoy battling that much, but this person seems like a jerk. I’ll just let Skymew handle it. >

Skymew did a few little cartwheels. < Yay! I get to battle! Why didn’t you use me against Michelle? >

Ash blinked. < Oops. Sorry. >

< It’s okay, since I like resting. > Skymew said. < I’ll use – Bubblebeam! > The water attack slammed into Donphan, sending it flying into the lava.

“Not again!” Patrick said. “Get up, Donphan! And then use Rollout!”

Donphan rammed into Skymew, who jumped out of the way. < Fine then! I’ll use SURF! > This attack nearly drowned Donphan with the sheer volume of water.

Donphan went swirly-eyed.

“Donphan, quick! Use Body Slam!” Donphan rushed at Skymew and slammed into it.

Skymew’s Teleport attack saved her from the lava. < That’s it! I’ve had enough! HYPER BEAM! >

“I didn’t know Skymew knew Hyper Beam.” Pika-chan commented. “Must be Sabrina’s influence showing itself.”

Charlotte shrugged. “Ash’s chances seem to have improved.”

“Donphan is unable to battle!”

“Fine!” Patrick said. He was really angry by now. “Glimskunk, I choose you!” What looked like a black-and-gold skunk materialized? “Use Thunder!”

Skymew brought up her bubble shield as protection.

< Skymew, I think it will be safer if you return. > Ash sent. Skymew nodded and went back into its poke ball.

“Who else can take the lava? Oh well, I don’t have much of a choice here… Graveler, go!” Ash said, changing the pokemon card. Nobody noticed the brief flash of white light as the card changed.

< Our magic dampeners work. > Pikachu said.

< So do the illusions. > Charlotte replied. < That’s good. >

“Glimskunk, use Thunderwave!”

Ash blinked. “Graveler, use Rock Throw!” Graveler nodded and buried Glimskunk in some rocks.

“Glimskunk, use Headbutt to break out of it!”

Glimskunk tried, but its head wasn’t too strong. It couldn’t escape from its stone prison.

“Glimskunk is unable to battle! This match goes to Ash!”

The stadium rang with cheers.

“Yay!” Pika-chan and Charlotte gave each other high-fives. “You did great, Ash!”

“I’m so proud of you!” Pika-chan sniffled, in a motherly way.

Ash smiled as the confetti drifted down. * Wow! I made it through the first round! Maybe this won’t be so bad after all! *

Angel smiled and collected his bets. * Wow, I made $6700 today! *

Bob scowled and closed his mirror. “I’m still not strong enough. I’ll have to use my avatar, then…”

“You mean the girl.”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t she your last card to play?”

“Good point. Hmm…” Bob looked at his stack of cards. “Aha! Dark pokemon can operate on their own… how about, Dark Alakazam?”

The pokemon card bowed and vanished.

End Episode 73! Reviews are exceedingly welcome! My pet Squirtle will douse any flames. *Smiles*