Part 4

As the two approached the city before them, Mary felt the sun high above her, the sun that had been blocked out by the archways of trees and branches covered with leaves, walls between her and the sky, shine in her eyes, scorching her gentle pupils with blinding luminous light. She shielded herself from the rays, only for Rapha, her companion, to chuckle in amusement. As he shook his head, he muttered, in amusement, "You are an interesting one, Mary."

Mary glanced over at her companion, a bashful smile on her face as blush ran through her cheeks. He was a such a shabby guy, that strange jacket sparkling in the sunlight as he took a few more steps forward, throwing his arm out as though to beckon her through the threshold to the city behind her. "Princess, your chariot awaits. Welcome to Pewter."

Mary had never been to Pewter City before. She had been to Viridian and Celadon, both cities with rather modern architecture, with beautiful stores filled to the brim with merchandize for her to buy, the streets beautifully crafted with stone patterns. She had assumed that all the cities in the world were like that, but she had been dead wrong. Pewter City was constructed almost entirely out of concrete and cement. The buildings were made of cement, the streets made of concrete, and even the sign post had been constructed by stone and rope. Mary shook her head, running a hand through her hair as she realized that she had to remain in this ridiculous city that looked as though it had emerged straight out of the stone ages in order to beat a stupid gym leader. If a bone-headed idiot was willing to have a gym in this stupid location, he deserved to be beaten!

"This is Pewter City?" Mary asked, double checking with Rapha in case the sign post that read "Welcome to Pewter City" was lying to her.

"Last I checked it was," Rapha replied, "The gym leader here is Brock, so I recommend you use water Pokemon against him. You have a Squirtle, right? You should be fine. Well, I'll just be—"

"Hold it!" Mary grabbed Rapha by the sleeve as he turned to go. This beautiful man was too useful for him to just leave her now. She needed him, needed his help. She knew that, past Pewter was Mt. Moon. She needed to find a shortcut through that. If she were to just navigate through that treacherous landscape, she would end up dead, lost, scraped up from head to toe. However, if Rapha were to use his Venasaur again to just blast a hole in the wall, she'd be out in no time at all.

Rapha regarded Mary with a rather irate expression, his eyes narrowed, before he sighed, running his other hand through his silvery locks. "Look, I'd love to help you, Mary, but I need to fight Blue right now. If I beat him quickly, I'll come back to help you out, but you must understand that right now isn't the best time for me to be helping out young trainers."

"I'll pay you money. Listen, my family's loaded. I'm sure I'll be able to give you enough money to buy yourself the best Pokemon to take Blue on."

"It doesn't work like that," Rapha replied, "You can't just buy your way to power."

"Why not?" Mary asked, curiously, changing her position, her expression, to make herself look curious, bewildered. For some reason, idealists loved to lecture people about the values of love and respect, and it did their hearts good to think that they've converted someone to their way of thinking. If Rapha felt that way, maybe, just maybe, he'd be more willing to help Mary out. Predictably, Rapha began to babble about treating Pokemon like fellow human beings, like comrades, in order to form a bond of trust, blah, blah, blah. The same old speech, but Mary nodded, occasionally commenting with awed expressions such as "I didn't even think of that," or "My God, I can't believe what I've been doing all this time."

At the end of his self-indulgent monologue, Rapha smiled, placing his hand on Mary's head, ruffling her blue locks of hair as he stared down into her gentle eyes. "Look, I'll meet you in Cerulean in a few days. I just need to face Blue, and then, rest assured, I'll be ready to help you along the way."

"But how will I know you'll come back?" Mary stammered, her eyes fearful. She needed something, anything, to hold as collateral. Something to ensure he'd return to her. If she had something valuable of his, maybe, just maybe, he'd come back to her as quickly as possible. And, if he lent her a Pokemon, then maybe she'd be able to overcome Brock once and for all!

Frowning, Rapha replied, "I'll lend you one of my weaker Pokemon. Consider it a gift; I won't be needing it. I have a dozen of them, anyway."

"A dozen of what?" Mary asked, in awe, as Rapha reached into a pocket of his coat. Mary glanced into the slip in his jacket to see, to her awe, dozens upon dozens of miniature Pokeballs, all shrunken down to their itty bittiest size, all like jelly beans in a jar at a candy store. Rapha withdrew a single tiny ball, and handed it to Mary, his eyes concentrated.

"Use this against Brock, and rest assured, you'll beat him. Just make sure you use him wisely." Rapha reached into his pocket, and withdrew a single ball. It expanded within his hand, only to explode in a flash of light. To Mary's amazement, a massive fiery yellow bird-like entity appeared before him, its wings alight with great flames, a mane of fire running down the span of its neck. As it screeched loudly, the supersonic sound of its voice piercing the air, Mary realized just what entity stood before them both, what beast of legend Rapha had tamed inside of a mere ball.

"That's a Moltres, isn't it?" Mary stammered.

"That's correct," Rapha replied, hopping onto the bird's back, the flames enveloping him, yet not scorching his flesh, "They say this creature's legendary. It isn't; just EXTREMELY rare. And I happened to find one." Mary stared up at Rapha as the Moltres rose into the air, gently beating its wings against the air, the ground beneath it beginning to be lit aflame. "I'll be back for you, so don't worry. Farewell, Mary! See ya in a bit!" There was a flash of flame and fire as the Moltres rocketed into the air, disappearing against the star in the sky.

Rapha had tamed a Moltres? One of the Three Legendary Birds of Legend? One of the entities that she had been told of as a kid, an entity some believed to be a God? That was something she would have never believed. She never thought she would even see one in real life. She didn't even believe they existed at all. As reality began to return to her, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one had seen them. Of course, the foolish citizens of this primitive town seemed more interested in cement as opposed to the fire burning the little grass of this town to cinders.

She walked into the nearest Pokemon Center as she handed her Pokeballs to the pink haired nurse who looked identical to the one in Viridian. Maybe this one was a little slimmer, or maybe she wore her make-up slightly differently, but the two women could have been identical twins. "Excuse me, but are you any way related to that nurse in Viridian?"

"Oh, I'm her cousin," she replied, a smile on her lips as she placed each of Mary's Pokeballs on the stove-like machine that magically recharged her Pokemon.

"Oh, because you look a lot alike," Mary replied, frowning slightly.

"Yes, we get that a lot," the nurse laughed, "Actually, our entire family looks alike."

As Mary received the Pokemon fresh off the oven-recovery thingy, she considered her options. She weighed the Pokeball Rapha gave her against the bugs she had captured. Sure, the Caterpies and Weedles were formidable, but Rapha was a terrific trainer! Surely, if he could train a Moltres, then surely even his weak Pokemon were superior. All she'd need was to use this one Pokemon against Brock, and it would all turn out for the best.

"Excuse me, but where's the Gym here?" Mary asked, a smile on her lips as the Nurse bowed respectably before her.

"You mean Brock's gym? Oh, you're the second trainer today to ask me that. It's right between—"

"Wait, second?!" Surely that idiot Yumi couldn't have arrived in Pewter before her! Rapha had blown a hole through the forest, an opening for her to walk through. A massive pathway out. Surely Yumi, even with all of her camping trips she had with her brother years ago, couldn't have navigated through the Viridian Forest THAT easily! Maybe it was someone else, another trainer from another town. Maybe she was just being paranoid, that was it. She needed to just take a breather, a glass of water, calm herself down. After all, the idea that Yumi, a chubby little girl who had annoyed Mary for years, was here, in Pewter, fighting Brock before her, was ridiculous!

"She was this girl from Pallet town, a little chunky in the middle, but otherwise really sweet and kind," the nurse replied, smiling, "Why? Do you know her?"

So it was Yumi! Yumi was here, ahead of her! At the gym! She gathered her Pokeballs, dumped them into her bag hastily, and darted out of the center, replying over her shoulder, "Thanks for telling me!"

"Not a problem. Don't stumble on the way to the gym."

#

A single light burst to life above the arena composed entirely of stone. Columns of granite supported an emerald ceiling. Stalactites and stalagmites jetted out of the ceiling and floor, giving the gym the appearance of a cave, a natural setting for rock Pokemon. A single light burst to light on each end of the arena, equaling three lights in total, two of which illuminated human beings, standing with a determined glint in their eyes as they stared at the other.

"So, you know the rules, right? You can only use six of your Pokemon against me in battle, understand? The first one to run out of useable Pokemon loses. If you emerge victorious, I'll give you the Boulder Badge as a sign of your victory. Do you agree to these terms?"

Yumi's lip curled into a triumphant grin as she nodded. "I agree. I knew what I was getting into long before I started this battle, you know."

The man before her grinned. He was not much older than she was, maybe four yeas her senior. As a child, Yumi had been made fun of her eyes being different from the others. They had asked how she could see where she was going with the way the skin around her eyes had developed. Still, she was glad to see that Brock, the dark haired tan gym leader before her, had eyes even smaller and more squinty than her own! As he withdrew two Pokeballs from his belt, he glanced over at Yumi, or at least she assumed he did because she really had trouble making eye contact with the guy. "Are you ready, Yumi?"

"Born ready," she replied, withdrawing a single ball from her waist, the orb expanding in her fist as she felt her heart slam against the interior of her breast, adrenaline enveloping her, invigorating her. She unlocked the Pokemon within, unleashing a flash of light through the air, which faded away to reveal a lone Pikachu, her eyes determined as she glared up at Brock, sparks flying.

"You must be joking," Brock sighed, tossing one of his balls into the arena. From the depths of the Pokeball emerged a boulder-like entity, a levitating stone with two rock-like arms jetting out of its sides. It flexed its muscles as it roared into the air.

"Geodude!"

"An electric mouse has no chance of beating my rock Pokemon," sighed Brock, "I've only seen one trainer do something this crazy, and even then it was a very rare incident. You best summon a different Pokemon. Maybe you'll endure the assault."

"I only have two Pokemon, and Pikachu is one of them," Yumi replied, grinning.

"You intend on beating me with that little?" Brock chuckled, "You either must have something up your sleeve, or haven't been training for very long. I'll give you a chance to walk away, train, and come back in a week or so."

"Nope, I'm staying!" Yumi snapped, clenching her fists. She couldn't surrender, not before the fight even began. She'd rather fight until her Pokemon were on the ground bleeding than actually give up before the match even started. She wouldn't let Mary have the upper hand. She owed it to her brother to triumph over all else. She needed to crush Brock in order to meet Blue. Three different motivations driving her forward like the currents of a river. She couldn't just surrender now!

"Fine, but don't expect any mercy! Rock Throw!"

The Geodude slammed his fist into the ground sending a dozen stone fragments into the air, which he caught with his other hand. "Evade the attack, Pikachu! Quick attack!" The Pikachu evaded the stones as the Geodude pitched them at him, the arena splintering apart as the stones collided against the floor. With a determined glint in its eyes, the Pikachu dove against Brock's Geodude, throwing it against the floor, cracking it beneath them.

"Nice try, but not good enough. Bind!"

The Geodude wrapped its arms along the Pikachu's body, squeezing the air out of it. The rodent shrieked in pain, sparks uselessly flying out of its cheeks. The bolts enveloped the Geodude, but to no avail. The hard skin of the creature was unaffected by the electric current, but this was to be expected. Yumi clenched her fists as she shrieked, evading a stray bolt, "Bite it!"

"Bite?"

The Pikachu dug its teeth into the hard surface of the Geodude, chipping the rocky surface of the creature, but to little avail. Brock shook his head as his Geodude squeezed harder against the creature. The Pikachu shrieked again, releasing its hold on the rock. "You truly are a novice. Why don't you call your Pikachu back and bring him back for later?"

Yumi clenched her fists into her palm. She felt her own blood begin to ooze between her nails as she trembled in rage. She couldn't lose ground, couldn't surrender. She was starting to sound like that idiot Tony, wasn't she? Hot headed and fool hearty? Well, maybe not. Brock expected her to call her Pikachu back, but she had another plan for this fight. She knew what to do. She just needed Pikachu to hang in there long enough for Brock to let his guard lower.

"Geodude, release her," Brock finally called. The Geodude, heeding its master, released the Pikachu, letting it fall to the ground, gasping for air. "This is getting ridiculous. You clearly don't have what it takes to beat me yet. Come back later when you understand how to fight rock Pokemon."

Yumi lowered her head, allowing her long strands of hair to fall over her face. A moment passed, her Pikachu huffing and puffing as it pushed itself to her feet, glaring angrily at the Geodude, but remaining still all the same, its eyes out of focus. And then, as the seconds passed, a sound escaped Yumi's lips. Brock and his Geodude glanced up first, in astonishment, as Yumi fell victim to a violent seizure of laughter, her head thrown up as she cracked up, holding her belly as she nearly doubled over.

"I can't believe it! I can't believe it!" laughed Yumi, "This is going to be too easy."

"You really need to leave now. I don't see—"

"Pikachu! Quick Attack! You know where to hit him!" At the sound of her Master's voice, Pikachu darted forward, slamming its body against Geodude's side, throwing it backward into a stalactite. As the stone crumbled apart, dust flying in all directions, the Geodude fell to the ground, a large crack running down the scale of its hide, stone from the stalactite embedded in its flesh.

"What? How did his skin crack?" Brock stammered.

Yumi calmed herself down, clenching her fist in triumph. "The bite attack pierced its hide ever so slightly, and that bind attack of yours flexed your own Pokemon's muscles. That shifted the way the skin laid on the muscle. It was like bending your finger after you've cut it: the small little cut begins to tear a little more. When Pikachu landed its quick attack against you, it broke the cut a little more, making it easy for the crap from that stalactite to get inside and really do damage."

Brock smiled, in astonishment. "I see. Your plan was a little crazy, though. What if I had knocked out your Pikachu before you could complete it?"

"I would have used my Charmander to send hot embers into the gash, and then your Geodude would have been in a lot more pain," Yumi explained with a shrug.

"I see. So it was a win-win situation for your regardless," Brock replied, suddenly growing tense, "But you still haven't knocked Geodude out."

"Alright, Pikachu, use thunder shock!" snarled Yumi.

"Foolish."

The bolt of lightning soared through the air, slamming straight into the open gash along the side of Geodude's body. As Brock shook his head, Yumi grinned in amusement. Brock was so foolish. For a guy who specialized in rock Pokemon, he really was oblivious to the way certain rocks worked, like stalactites. Stalactites and stalagmites only formed in moist caves since they were both essentially formed due to dripping water. Water was conducted by electricity. By shattering into the stalactite, the moisture within it had entered Geodude's body. It didn't matter how thick its skin was: if water had gotten in deep inside the Geodude's body, when shocked, it would do some critical damage!

As expected, the Geodude convulsed wildly, its eyes wide as it snarled in pain, before falling to the ground, its eyes spiraling in their sockets.

"But how? It's not possible!" Brock stammered, "Tell me, just how did you train that Pikachu?"

"It has nothing to do with the Pikachu. It has everything to do with using your surroundings, though," Yumi replied, grinning.

"I see. So you aren't just an ordinary foolish trainer. I strongly recommend, though, that you call your Pikachu back. There is no way you can beat Onix with an electric mouse."

This was very true. Now that Brock had seen Yumi's strategy, he seriously doubted that he'd let her have a second chance to break Onix's hide. She recalled the Pikachu into its ball as Brock summoned a great serpentine rock Pokemon. The creature was massive. It coiled around the room, filling it as it roared. The creature looked as though it were a group of rocks that had been bound together by a cord running from rock to rock. As it loomed over Yumi, she felt fear for the first time. It was so big, so massive. How was it possible to beat this damn thing? Well, the way she rationalized it, the creature must move awkwardly due to its size. Something small could probably exploit the links between its body with ease. Something about one tenth of its size, like Charmander!

The dragon-like creature emerged from its Pokeball, an eager expression on its face. However, after laying eyes on the great Onix, it shrieked in fear, darted behind Yumi's leg, and cowered before it. "Aw, Charmander, don't be scared! Listen, I'm sure you can beat it! Don't worry!" Yumi cooed, bending down to stroke Charmander's head with her soft hand, her eyes soft. The little dragon, after a few moments of consoling, nodded his head, and returned to the arena, his eyes determined once more, despite its knees trembling.

"Alright, bind." The Onix lunged forward, curling its body around the Charmander. However, just as the snake contracted around the lizard, it leapt out of the way, landing on the surface of one of its backs. The stones scraped against each other, worthlessly, as Onix glanced over at Charmander, its eyes glaring up at Onix. "Tackle it!" Onix lunged toward Charmander, only for the little critter to leap into the air, allowing the Pokemon's head to collide painfully against its own body. Charmander landed on its head, clinging to the sail on Onix's skull for dear life.

"Good job! Now, burn it! Use Ember!" Charmander opened its jaws, releasing an array of glowing cinders into the surface of Onix's skull. The red hot ashes exploded upon contact, cracking the surface of his skull, knocking the Onix's head into the ground. Charmander remained on the sail, clinging for life, as the Onix's tail rose into the air. Charmander evaded the whack of its tail only for the Onix to, once again, injure itself.

"Astounding," Brock commented, his arms folded, "You certainly know how to fight, but will it be enough?"

"What the hell do you mean?" snapped Yumi as she watched Charmander catch its breath as Onix rose into the air, its eyes narrowed.

"Pretty soon your Pokemon'll tire. It'll start making mistakes. My Onix has endurance unlike any other. Its rock hard hide cannot be penetrated by something as insignificant as a Charmander. In the end, the only thing you'll have to look forward to is falling victime to Bind!" At the sound of "Bind," the Onix lunged to life, wrapping hastily around Charmander, squeezing it against its own stones. It shrieked in pain, its eyes wide as the air was constricted out of it.

"Return, Charmander!" At the sound of Yumi's command, Charmander disappeared in a flash of light, returning to the ball from whence he came. Onix glanced down at Yumi as she summoned Pikachu, a little mouse who stared up, horrified, at the Onix above her.

"You must take this battle more seriously!" Brock snapped, "Or are you using another of your strategies? I don't know whether to stop you now or just see where this goes."

"Why don't you try attacking?" Yumi asked, a confident grin on her lips.

Brock grinned just the same. "No, I'd rather let you have the first move."

Yumi swore silently to herself. Brock was on to her. He knew just as well as she did that, if Onix struck first, Pikachu would be able to evade, and then try to do damage as Onix sluggishly returned to its original position. A clever bastard Brock was, but he wasn't good enough to top her. No, Yumi was determined. She needed, no, would win. But how would she defeat Onix? How would she if Brock was unwilling to attack first?

"Yumi?"

At the sound of her name, she glanced over her shoulder, as did Brock. There, standing on the sidelines, her eyes narrowed, was Mary. Yumi couldn't help but grin. Here she was, her rival, about to witness just why she, Yumi, was far superior to her, in every respect of the word. "Oh, hello Mary. Long time no see. I'm surprised you even survived the Viridian Forest."

"Oh, goes to show you! How the hell did you get out before I did? I mean, I had a hole blasted through the forest to get out. How did you find your way out before I could? It doesn't make sense!"

"I know my way around," laughed Yumi.

"You know your way around Krispy Kreme!"

"I actually hate donuts!" Yumi snapped.

"This is an official Pokemon battle, not an arena so you two can make fun of each other," Brock sighed, running a hand over his face, "Can we finish the fight, then you two can argue?"

"Fine!" Mary laughed, "I'd love to see you lose, Yumi."

"You'll be disappointed!" Yumi snapped, "Pikachu, use Flash!"

From Pikachu's body exploded a beautiful array of light! Yumi covered her eyes as she reached into her belt, withdrawing Charmander's Pokeball as she hastily, and silently, recalled Pikachu. As Onix staggered backwards, Charmander emerged, silently darting forward, hopping up along the stones leading to Onix's skull. The moment he reached the top, Onix began to thrash, wildly, still blinded by the light. Charmander clung to the sail on Onix's head for dear life as he slammed his own tail again and again against the cracked surface of Onix's skull. With each collision, the surface cracked more and more, opening up for Charmander's final blow.

"Ember!"

As Onix's sight returned to him, an array of red hot ashes exploded from Charmander's throat, slamming into the cracks on Onix's head. The rock Pokemon screamed in pain as fire enveloped the interior of his skull. After a few minutes of strained cries, Onix fell to the ground, shattering the stage under his weight, silent, still, unconscious. As Charmander cheered for joy, Brock smiled in amusement. "A brilliant strategist. I didn't even think you knew how to use Flash."

"Well, I was lucky," Yumi replied, shrugging, "When I captured this Pikachu, I used the HM05 my Brother gave me a couple years ago. It helps to know someone who's been around."

"A brother? Did he ever do battle with me?"

"I believe he did. He won."

"I see. Well, it would appear his sister inherited his skill. Never have I seen anyone other than Red himself use a Pikachu successfully in a battle against me. Here, take the Boulder Badge as proof of your victory."

The moment where Yumi approached Brock and accepted the badge was one she'd never forget. There she was, a smile on her face, her dimples as deep as the fissure running down Onix's skull. There Mary was, her eyes wide as the realization that her rival, a "fat little bitch" like Yumi, had beaten her to the punch, that she was well on her way to success. And there the badge was in her hand, shinning against the dim light of the three overhead lamps. As she placed the badge on the inside of her wallet, she asked herself, silently, whether or not anything could overshadow this moment, her first Gym victory, and bring her even greater happiness.

#

"Almost out! There's the light!" Tony laughed as he left the cave, a broad smile on his face. As he left the smelly, dank depths of the cave, his Mr. Mime at his side radiating light like a living lamp, he felt the salty sea air slam against his face, enveloping him with the scents of the beach.

Wait, beach?

Wasn't he supposed to be going to Pewter City?

Tony felt his heart slam against his chest ash he adjusted to the surroundings. Tall grass surrounded the area, the ocean out in the distance, a cruise ship leaving port at that moment, as he recalled Mr. Mime to his ball. He approached the grassy field before him, glancing left and right. There, to his right, were the gates to a beautiful city, a city by the bay, albeit a rather high tech one with power generators and power lines running throughout. The welcoming sign before the gateway read: Welcome to Vermillion City.

"This is where Lt. Surge is," Tony recalled from memory, a grin on his face, "I may not be the strongest yet, but maybe I can win. All I need is a Rock Pokemon." Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as he thought it might be. All he'd need is a Pokemon who could endure electricity. Bulbasaur was worn out from fighting, as was Pidgey. The only Pokemon that wasn't unusable was Mr. Mime, and—

That was it. An invisible barrier! He could block out all of Lt. Surge's attacks using that barrier. He grinned at the prospect of his victory, of his emergence into glory. Surely now, more than ever, he would be able to overshadow the others. If he could take Lt. Surge down here and now, surely, SURELY, he'd be above them all. He darted into town, finding the first Pokemon Center he could find. Running to the counter to find a rather cute pink haired woman, slender frame, rather curvy breasts, he handed his three Pokemon, Bulbasaur, Pidgey, and Mr. Mime, to her. "Heal them up, please! I'm in a hurry."

"Okay there. Off to face Lt. Surge, are we?" the nurse laughed gaily, placing his Pokeballs on the stove machine she used.

"Of course I am! Just who the hell do you think I am, anyway?" Tony laughed.

"No need to use course language in this facility!" the nurse replied, reproachfully, "We do have children here."

"Oh, I'm sure they hear it all the time," Tony replied, waving off a six year old holding his bloody Pidgey in his arms, tears in his eyes.

"Oh my," the nurse stammered, noting the boy behind Tony holding his wounded Pokemon, "What happened there?"

"Lt. Surge," the boy cried, placing the bird gravely on the counter, "I wanted to face him, and he beat me so badly. Please tell me Pit is going to be okay! I don't want it to die!"

"It should be fine," the nurse mumbled, anxiously as her Chansey took the fallen Pidgey away, placing it on a stretcher as they brought it into the emergency ward.

"So you used a Pidgey against which Pokemon exactly?" Tony asked, curiously, to the boy.

"A Raichu."

"What made you think you could win, anyway?"

"That's enough sir!" the nurse shouted, handing Tony his Pokeballs, "Can't you see how painful a subject it is for that child."

"Pokemon is serious business," Tony replied, "But don't worry, kid! I'll make sure to beat that stupid Lt. Surge at his own game, or my name isn't Tony, the Greatest Trainer Ever to Set Foot on God's Green Earth!"

"Quite a long title," the nurse replied, flatly.

"Remember it: it'll be a name you hear throughout the entire country, a name that shall echo throughout every home, building, city, and even universe!"

"Alright, mister, I'm going to have to ask you to leave right now. Good luck with Surge, and may God pray he knocks some humility into you."

"Just point me in the right direction, and I'll go…to Surge!" Tony shouted, punching the air, a broad grin on his lips.

"Take a left three buildings down, then a right four more down, and it'll be the last building on the left. I recommend you set out on a run before he closes the gym."

"Wait, CLOSES!?" Tony darted out of the Center, buckling the Pokeballs against his coat's buttons as he ran down the correct path, almost missing each of his turns and needing to do a double take before he finally arrived at the gym, a rather curvy woman with mahogany hair standing at the doorway, turning the "Open" sign to "Closed."

"Wait a damn second!" Tony shouted, attracting the tan girl's attention. She turned around, her rounded face rather cute if Tony did say so himself. Sure, she was a little bottom heavy with a rather plump rear end, but her slender waist and rather prominent upper half more than made up for that. Tony felt his stomach flutter for a moment as the girl, raising an eyebrow in confusion, ran a hand through her thick yellow locks.

"I'm sorry, but it's 5 at night. Lt. Surge likes to train his Pokemon around this time until night. You're going to need to wait until tomorrow to have your ass handed to you," the girl replied, her lip curled in an amused sneer as Tony collided headlong into the glass doors.

"Wait! I traveled here from the Diglet Cave just to get this? I'm facing Lt. Surge right here and now, so help me God!"

"I'm sorry, but rules are rules, and seeing as how Lt. Surge was once in the army, he's a very regimented sort of man. You're going to need to wait."

"Maybe a beautiful little cutie such as yourself would let me in. I don't know if you know who I am, but I'm Tony, the Greatest—"

"Look, I'll tell you what," the girl replied, a crafty little grin on her lips, "If you beat me in a battle, I'll let you in. Sound fair enough?"

Tony laughed, "Alright. I have no problem with that. So what's the name of the cutie who I'm going to beat?"

"I don't know anyone who fits that description, but my name is Cassidy," the girl replied, a smile on her lips.

"Cassidy, huh? Cute name."

Rather than respond, Cassidy unlocked the ball in her hand, releasing a great monstrous hulking yellow creature, covered in fur from head to toe as it flexed its muscles, roaring at the top of its lungs. "Electabuzz!"

"One on one sound good?" Cassidy replied, amused.

"Of course." Tony tapped the Pokeball containing Mr. Mime and, in a flash of light, the Psychic appeared before him, his hands spread out before him, a grin on his lips.

"Mime!"

"Alright, use Barrier!" laughed Tony. The psychic pokemon spread its fingers out before it, stroking the thin air. As they spoke, an invisible, impenetrable barrier was being created, a wall separating the hulking yellow fiend and the elegant Mime. Tony's lips curled into a sneer as excitement, overwhelming joy, enveloped him. Cassidy and Electabuzz, however, looked less than impressed.

"Oh, you can't be serious," sighed Cassidy, "Thunder Punch." The yellow beast lunged forward, his fist sparkling with yellow, as it slammed its fist through the barrier, into Mr. Mime's face, throwing him into Tony, knocking the two of them over onto the floor. Sparks of electricity surged through the psychic clown and into Tony, enveloping them both, paralyzing the two of them. Cassidy recalled Electabuz as she mumbled, "Come back tomorrow morning, although I doubt you'd be able to do much against Surge if you couldn't even beat me. But please, come. I love watching idiots being beaten."