Another chapter!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own pokemon. Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws. For example, I own Professor Beech…
Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks!
Chapter 10
“Hey kid, you want a badge?”
Ashline nodded to Surge.
“Can do, kid. Can do! Raichu, go!”
Ashline flicked a poke ball off her belt, revealing her Arbok. Arbok stretched luxuriously, prepared to do battle.
“Raichu, fry it with a Thunderbolt!”
“Not so fast, Surge. Arbok, Glare!”
Arbok glared at Raichu, and it froze.
“Now, Earthquake!”
Poor Raichu… chunks of gym floor and sand were strewn merrily over the place as Raichu received the full force of the blow.
Arbok hissed pleasantly and went back to Ashline, slithering and coiling herself around her trainer protectively.
“Well, guess you win.” Surge huffed a bit. “Here’s the Thunderbadge.”
“Arigato!”
Three badges down, five to go! She was getting hungry though, so she stopped in Jim’s Café for a BLT and strawberry shake.
The only problems were that although light individually, poke balls were quite heavy in a large supply or quantity, and now that Oak’s lab was in cinders and dust, she would either carry her entire group, or need to find another sponsor.
The nearest would be Professor Beech’s lab in Viridian, but Ashline had heard reports of Pokemon Abuse, and so didn’t want to send him her pokemon.
Elm in Johto and Birch in Houen both possessed high letters of recommendation, but they were far away… plus magnet train fares cost quite a bit… she wouldn’t be able to make more than one or two visits a month…
Her pokemon would get lonely there!
Professor Ivy in the Orange Islands was fairly close, but she was possibly insane… that wasn’t an option.
That left Professor Holly in Lavender Town!
“I’ll go there and apply after Celadon then.” Ashline decided. Finishing the last melted dregs of her shake, she paid her bill and exited the café.
Once in Celadon, Ashline changed her mind and went shopping. Three pairs of jeans and some other clothes later, she headed to the gym.
The junior attendants outside stopped her.
“Halt! Do you like perfume?”
“What do you mean?” Ashline inquired in genuine confusion. * When did perfume have anything to do with battling? *
“Because if not, you can’t enter this gym!”
“I’m allergic…”
Ashline did not get to say more before a giant X was stamped on her face and she was left outside.
“Hey! What’s the big deal?” * I can’t help being allergic! When I’m near perfume, I start sneezing and my eyes water! *
It wasn’t fair!
Ashline frowned, when an idea suddenly presented itself. Why not? She disguised her pokemon by changing them, and so no one could see what they had been once being put in the EX poke ball.
Therefore, the same principle should apply! Nodding, Ashline swallowed two Benadryl tablets, enough to keep her allergies at bay for six hours, and changed her clothes. The vest and jeans were changed into a cute little pink skirt and matching vest, as she put on sunglasses and coiled her black hair into a little bun with chopsticks through it, after having used an entire bottle of hair gel to get the spikes to lay down flat.
Finished, Ashline put on a pair of sunglasses and walked to the gym again. The X mark was carefully hidden by all the cream-colored foundation she had smeared on her face. * I really, really hope this works… *
“Hello.” Ash said in a high-pitched girly voice.
“Are you here to challenge Erika for a badge?” A different junior trainer asked.
Ash nodded.
“Do you like perfume?”
“I love perfume!” Ashline gushed, inwardly choking.
“That’s great! Welcome in!”
Phew! Passed! Ashline congratulated herself inwardly. Go me!
Once inside, she actually enjoyed the stories Erika told about pokemon. However, after three hours had passed, Ash sensed the Benadryl wearing off and decided she’d better challenge Erika for a match before her sneezes gave her away.
“Um… excuse me, Ms. Erika?”
Erika smiled at the girl. “What is it?”
“Can I challenge you to a pokemon battle?”
“Certainly, how about a two on two for the Rainbow Badge?”
“Sounds good to me!”
The two of them headed to the arena, Ashline hoping she wouldn’t have to keep the brainless bimbo act up for too long.
Well, maybe it wasn’t *all* an act…
“I choose you, Weepinbell!”
“Pidgeotto, I choose you!” Ash released her pokemon, grinning. Pidgeotto preened, fluffing up her wings and waiting in anticipation.
“Okay, Weepinbell, use Vine Whip!”
“Pidgeotto, fly up to avoid them!” Pidgeotto narrowly evaded the vine being thrown at her, wondering why it was so long! She had to fly quite far away to avoid being hit… oh well. She’d think about that later. Flapping her wings, she created a Gust attack, sucking the Weepinbell towards her before doing a blow to the head with Wing Attack.
Weepinbell teetered a bit dizzily.
“Weepinbell, Acid!”
Pidgeotto shrieked as some acid landed on her. A Rage attack sent Weepinbell flying away, and that was the match.
Ashline quickly recalled Pidgeotto to her poke ball before the acid could take effect.
“Well, I guess I’ll have to use Gloom now…”
“Okay, Dodrio, I choose you!”
“You specialize in flying-types? Gloom, use Foul Odor!”
One of the Dodrio heads looked sick, but the other two could still attack, and attack they did with Drill Peck, sending the surprised Gloom into the land of the fainted pokemon. Smiling, Erika handed over her Rainbow badge.
“You’re a pretty good trainer. I hope we meet again.”
“Me too!” Ashline waved goodbye and exited the gym.
End Chapter
Completed 11/25/04