*************

Pokemon: (-AD-)

Chapter VIII

Saga III-Infernobadge

Chapter I-This Pokemon's on Fire!!!!

***************

"Say Porygon, how much do you know about Ketchum?" Tom asked Porygon after 
hours of silent travelling, "Rumor has it that the next city was named after 
him."

"I w-as n-ot pr-o-gr-a-mm-ed wi-th a Po-ke-m-on ma-st-er ref-er-en-ce," 
Porygon replied.

"In other words?"

"Do I l-oo-k li-ke a fu-ck-ing en-cy-cl-o-pe-d-ia to y-ou?"

Tom grunted and muttered under his breath at Porygon's response. The sudden 
sight of a small, mole-like Pokemon digging at the side of the road made 
Tom's mind switch tracks instantly. Tom pulled out his Pokedex.

"Cyndaquil, the Fire Mouse Pokemon. Not much is known about it. Using its 
burning tail, it can spin in circles, aiming red-hot Ember at an opponent," 
Tom's Pokedex said.

"I'll bet it's pretty strong," Tom plotted as he reached for a vacant 
Pokeball. "Hey, Cyndaquil!" Tom called put, catching the Pokemon's 
attention. The Cyndaquil turned around only to see the red and white sphere 
hurled at her, and within moments, she was zapped inside the Pokeball. The 
Pokeball rocked back and forth with Cyndaquil inside, trying her best to 
escape. The next few seconds seemed like minutes for Tom, who was hoping 
with bated breath that the Pokeball would hold together. Suddenly, after a 
few tossings, the capture indicator light clicked off. Tom grinned as he 
stooped down and quickly picked up Cyndaquil's Pokeball. "Welcome to the 
team, Cyndaquil."

Just then, a familiar voice called out, "Hey, Tom!" Tom shivered, and turned 
around.

"What do you want, Jen?" Tom asked, annoyed as Jennifer came running towards 
him from further down the path.

"You know what I want," said Jennifer, finally catching up to Tom, "a 
match!"

"Ready to be humiliated again?" Tom asked, rolling his eyes.

"See? That's why you're a loser. You're unfriendly."

"You want unfriendly? Look in the mirror."

Jen stammered briefly before snapping, "Nevermind! Send out your best, Tom!"

"You want the fight, you send yours out first," Tom challenged his rival. 
"How about that one of yours that seems so strong?" Tom suggested.

Porygon was surprised. "T-om, y-ou su-re th-a-t-'s a g-oo-d i-de-a?" Porygon 
asked, questioning Tom's actions.

"If it's as strong as she says it is, it'll be good for the experience 
factor," Tom reasoned quetly to Porygon.

"I st-i-ll d-on-'t li-ke it," muttered Porygon.

Jen cleared her throat. "Ahem, are you two done now, or can we start?" she 
asked impatiently.

"Bitchy pest," Tom muttered under his breath.

"Go, Exeggcute!" Jen called, as she opened up a Pokeball.

The Pokemon that came from the red beam was in the shape of six eggs with 
faces on them, all glaring blankly at Tom.

"Exeggcute," they all said in unison. Tom pulled out his Pokedex.

"Exeggcute, the Egg Pokemon," Pokedex said when Tom flashed it at the 
creature. "There are six eggs in an Exeggcute. Sometimes when attacking, 
they will swarm around an opponent and batter it with their egg bodies, 
their Barrage attack. Also, as well as a Grass Pokemon, Exeggcute is also a 
Psychic Pokemon. It can use Psychic attacks like Psywave, Psychic, and 
Hypnosis, as well as Grass moves, like Solar Beam, and Sleep Powder."

Tom looked at the tiny Pokemon. It didn't look very menacing to him. "You 
know what, Tom?" Jen grinned, "I'll let this be a two-on-one. My Exeggcute 
versus any two of yours. This one is my strongest, besides Clefairy."

"Sure. Whatever you want," said Tom, "Go, Machop!"

Tom let Machop out his Pokeball, and the grayish-blue Pokemon cried out, 
"Machop!"

"Machop, Karate Chop attack, now!" Tom commanded.

"Exeggcute, Hypnosis!" Jen commanded.

Machop dove at Exeggcute at full speed, readying his hand for a Karate Chop, 
when Exeggcute closed his eyes and softly chanted. Suddenly, Exeggcute let 
out a blast of psychic energy, rushing past Machop like a vicious gale. As 
soon as Machop managed to stopp reeling, he suddenly started losing 
consciousness. Soon, Machop was snoring away, lying flat on his back and 
fast asleep.

"Machop!" Tom yelped, urging Machop to wake up, but to no avail. Machop 
continued to doze listlessly.

"Exeggcute, Barrage attack!" Jen ordered. Exeggcute's eggs began to tumble 
over one another, eventualyl rolling beside Machop's head. With a quick 
spin, five of the Exeggcute heads spun around the sixth as an axis, whacking 
Machop's head in a flurry of strikes. Machop was battered awake by the 
sudden attack, and passed out again soon after. Tom zapped Machop back in 
his Pokeball and muttered bitterly.

"Only one Pokemon left, Tom! Who's it gonna' be?" Jen taunted.

"Dammit," Tom thought, "I can't send out Pinsir, I promised her I'd let her 
rest till we get to Ash." Tom glanced at Porygon quickly, and Porygon looked 
back at him, eyeing him questioningly as if expecting something from him. 
Suddenly, Tom caught an idea. Reaching to his waist, Tom grabbed his 
recently-filled Pokeball. "Come out, Cyndaquil!"

"Oh no," Jen gasped, knowing of her Exeggcute's weakness as Cyndaquil 
appeared in front of Tom. Out of pure desperation, Jen ordered, "Exeggcute, 
hypnosis!"

Exeggcute began to hum and beamed waves of psychic energy at Cyndaquil, but 
Cyndaquil nimbly avoided them as fast as they approached. Exeggcute was 
breaking a sweat on all of all six his eggs, shooting wave after wave of 
energy at Cybdaquil, with each time missing by a matter of meters. When he 
had waited long enough, Tom ordered, "Cyndaquil! Ember!"

Cyndaquil suddenly came to a skidding halt, spinning herself in a full 
circle, spraying a barrage of red-hot ash through the air. The embers flew 
into Exeggcute's faces, driving an agonized screech from the eggs. Seconds 
later, Exeggcute was brutally bashed sensless by Cyndaquil's Take Down 
attack. Exeggcute's eggs tumbled over one another and they all passed out in 
unison at Jen's feet.

"Exeggcute!" Jen gasped as she kneeled by her Pokemon's side. Jen zapped 
Exeggcute back in his Pokeball and glared at Tom angrily. "I'll beat you one 
of these days, Tom!" Jen snarled.

Tom shrugged. "Yeah, whatever," Tom mumbled, quietly breathing a sigh of 
relief under his breath, "Where have I heard that before?" The only reply 
that Jen gave Tom was her middle finger and a frustrated snarl before she 
stormed by them.

"Tha-t was-'nt ver-y ni-ce," Porygon muttered as it and Tom headed back on 
their way.

-End

*********