Setting:
•Violet City, Johto•
•Late February, Present Day•
•Amber (Wolfe Alias) POV•
Chapter Twenty-Six
Old Friends, New Wings
As Gold and I walked back towards Violet City, I told him everything that had happened since he last saw the "tree" take me and Chika away. He was pretty surprised that the trees were actually a swarm of wild Pokémon, but Gold, I guessed being Professor Elm's assistant, heard about Sudowoodo, stating that seeing such a large multitude of them in one place truly was a rare sight.
From there, he phoned Professor Elm and tipped him off on that bit of information while I just listened while we walked. Chika was riding on my shoulder again since she loved being out of her pokeball, and Lizardus, my new baby Charmander, was happily walking on my side not occupied by Gold. By the time we made it back to Violet, it was about thirty minutes past noon.
As Gold hung up, I asked him if he wanted to grab a bite to eat before I headed to the gym. Agreeing that he was getting a bit hungry, we stopped at some cheap restaurant near the Sprout Tower and sat. I could tell Gold was still worried about Hino as he gazed down at the form inside of the pokeball.
"Sorry we couldn't make it to Goldenrod," I apologized gazing straight at Gold.
I could relate to feeling helpless about not being able to help out your own Pokémon. I remembered all too well when Charry and I took on Misty, the gym leader back in Cerulean during my Kanto adventure, and being a hot-headed Charmeleon back then, she evolved in a rage and, with very poor flying skills, landed inside the gym's pool and nearly drowned. It took a lot of hard effort to nurse her back to health.
Gold looked back up at me and sighed. "It's okay. It's not like you could help it. I just wish I could do something to help the little guy out. He must be lonely stuck in that ball."
Listening to Gold, I remembered that Mudflaps was in a very similar situation. "Crap!"
Gold looked at me like I was insane. "What's wrong?"
"I forgot. When Chika and I were busy being stuck with the Sudowoodo, they had my bag. I'm guessing they broke Mudflaps' ball." I extracted his ball from my bag. The form inside looked up at me hopefully. The ball itself appeared fine, but the center button was firmly stuck.
"Let me see it," Gold replied.
I shrugged and handed him the ball. He eyed it over before tinkering with the center button. "Looks more like it's jammed than broken. I bet if I had a knife or something, I could unstick it for you."
"Really?" I asked hopefully.
"Yeah. Let's see what I can do," Gold unwrapped his silverware, grabbed the knife included, and jammed it behind the button. Trying his best to gently pry it unstuck, the ball eventually gave a resolute "click" and he handed me back my ball. "I think I fixed it."
"Wow, thanks!" I took the ball and happily pressed the center button, which allowed the ball's lid to unhinge, allowing Mudflaps' freedom.
"Stomp!" Replied my mudfish happily.
"Glad to see you're okay too, buddy," I replied as the Pokémon jumped up to hug me. "Thank Gold for helping you. He's the one who fixed your ball, after all."
"Marshtomp," replied my Pokémon smiling, before he went over to Gold and gave him a hug as well.
Gold, a bit shaken by being hugged by a Marshtomp, which after all, was a somewhat slimy Pokémon, grinned back. "No problem."
From there, I decided it was as good of a time as any to check out his new Pokedex information while Gold ordered our food. I pulled my 'Dex out and pointed it at Mudflaps, who in the meanwhile made acquaintances with Lizardus.
Species: Marshtomp the Mud Fish Pokémon
Type: Water and Ground
Ability: Torrent
Number: 259
Height: 2' 04"
Weight: 41.7 lbs.
Color: Blue
Egg Group: Monster and Water 1
Level requirement for evolution not yet achieved.
Stats:
Endurance: 15/20
Attack: 14/20
Defense: 16/20
Special Attack: 15/20
Special Defense: 15/20
Speed: 16/20
Moves Known:
Tackle: Power: 15/30–Physical—Normal Type
The user charges in with a full-body tackle.
Water Pulse 25/60–Special—Water Type
The user uses a pulse of strong water to attack the foe and possibly cause confusion. There are many variations of this attack depending on the user's battle style.
Bide 10/20 –Physical—Normal Type
The user endures a volley of attacks so as to strike back with double the force.
Mud Slap 20/20 – Special – Ground Type
The user sprays mud onto the foe, causing damage and lowering accuracy.
Blizzard 30/120 – Special – Ice Type
The user summons the concentrated fury of a full-blown snowstorm to attack the opponent. In experienced users, hail may also pelt the opponent during the attack. It also may freeze the opponent.
Note: This Pokémon is capable of upgrading Mud Slap to Mud Shot! Would you like instructions?
I pressed the button to accept, and in a quick one page-guide, Mudflaps and I learned about the move Mud Shot. Afterward, Mudflaps seemed to have learned the basics of the move. And so, I scanned his move set again.
Mud Shot 20/50 – Special – Ground Type
The user sprays the foe with clumps of mud, which may lower the opponent's speed as well as inflict damage.
Pokedex Information:
Living on muddy ground that provides poor footing has made its legs sturdy. Marshtomp is much faster at traveling through mud than it is at swimming. This Pokémon's hindquarters exhibit obvious development, giving it the ability to walk on just its hind legs.
Afterward, I recalled Mudflaps, Chika, and Lizardus, and Gold and I had lunch since our food had just arrived. After we finished eating, we each paid our own bills, and I left a tip for the waitress. Content now that I was full, I stretched, got up, and we left the restaurant.
"So, where to now? The gym?" Gold asked.
"Sure! I'm ready to get my first badge," I replied.
When we approached the gym, which in itself was a colossal building, I read the sign on the automatic doors: "Leader: Falkner, the Elegant Master of Flying Pokémon."
"Well, that confirms I'll be fighting flying types," I stated. The automatic doors sprung open as I stepped onto the welcome mat, Gold following in my wake. "Hello? Anyone here?" I asked.
The inside of the gym was pretty massive and airy. I noticed that the ceiling, which was dome-shaped, was actually not a ceiling at all but the sky itself.
Hmm, that's fancy.
"Ah, if it isn't that girl from yesterday. Got your TM?" A strong male voice made me jerk my head to my left, where I saw the guy from yesterday walking towards me.
"Yup, got it right here." I fished the TM out of my TM case from my bag and held it up to the guy, who inspected the white disc.
"Nice. Very well, then. Welcome to the Violet City Gym. My name is Falkner, and I'm the gym leader here," he stated.
I had to admit, his tone reminded me a lot of the old Silver's voice. It was strong and commanding, though it still sounded a bit young.
"My name's Wolfe," I replied, "and this here is my friend, Gold." I nodded towards Gold, who was standing a little behind me.
"Does he have his TM as well?" Falkner asked.
"Actually, I'm just a spectator," Gold shyly replied.
"Oh. Well that's cool, then." Falkner then focused on me again. "Sorry if I seemed a bit rude yesterday. It's hard being a new leader and all. People think my gym is a joke since I took over for my dad. I made up the Sprout Tower challenge so I'd only get serious challengers."
I smiled back at Falkner, who seemed to ease up now that the introductions were over. He definitely looked around my age. I could tell he hadn't been a leader for too long, though he did seem on appearance at least to look like a capable trainer.
He had semi-long bluish black hair, with bangs that covered his right eye. He had sky blue eyes, which I found fitting enough since his Pokémon were flyers, after all. He stood a little taller than me—maybe barely reaching six feet tall.
Today he was wearing a deep blue short-sleeve T-shirt with a light jacket that matched over it. On his forearms were wristbands, black in color with red trimming. He wore knee-length blue shorts with white leggings underneath. His shoes were slip on, but they fastened securely around his shins, as to make certain they wouldn't fall off.
Taking in his appearance, I could definitely tell this guy liked to fly around with his Pokémon—and often. Being familiar with flying on a Pokémon's back thanks to Charry and Aero, my Aerodactyl, I could tell his outfit was certain to keep him comfortable. The jacket would keep him warm; the leggings helped, too, and the straps on the shoes would definitely keep them from falling off. I knew just how aggravating it was to search for a lost shoe courtesy of flying around.
"Oh, its okay," I replied. "Nice gym," I added, impressed with the appearance of this guy's gym. It was definitely suitable for flying Pokémon.
"Thanks. My dad built it, himself. He left me some of his prized bird Pokémon, too. I had the dome roof redone about a month ago. It actually goes down more than it is already, allowing my birds to fly freely in battle."
"That's pretty cool," I commented, noting the handiwork in the gym's retractable roof.
"Well, anyways, since you're here for my badge, I suppose we should get started," Falkner replied, his face turning serious.
"Sure thing," I commented in return.
"Uhh, where do I go?" Gold asked unsure.
Falkner pointed out a bench on the sidelines of the gym's arena. "Feel free to sit over there if you'd like. You can let your Pokémon out to roam, too, if you want; just make sure they stay out of the match.
"Cool, thanks!" Gold replied walking off to the bench.
I walked towards him, making certain he'd be okay with his seating choice. I then decided that since Chika couldn't battle, she could still watch from the sidelines so she wouldn't feel left out. "Come on out, Chika!" I let her out of her ball, and she appeared with a battle cry. I then looked down at her.
"You'll still have to sit this one out, but you can watch with Gold if you'd like," I smiled.
"Chika," she replied sadly, drooping her leaf.
"Don't worry, pal. Like I said earlier, there'll be other battles!" I picked her up and set her down next to Gold, whom I realized was talking to Falkner.
Sitting on Gold's head was none other than his ball-shaped owl, Zuku. I approached the two.
"Very nice sheen on its feathers; it seems a bit smaller than normal, but it's obviously healthy. The way it sits on you, too, I can tell you two are pretty close," Falkner commented.
"Actually, I just caught Zuku the other night, but I've really known about him for a while. Back in New Bark, where I live, we called him the Jokester of New Bark."
"You don't say? I've heard about that Hoothoot. So, I finally get to meet him. It's an honor," Falkner replied, gazing at the bird.
"Hoot!" Replied the Pokémon indignantly, ruffling his feathers.
Both Gold and Falkner laughed. I stood there, tapping my foot slightly, waiting as patiently as I could for my battle to begin already.
Falkner then approached me. "Sorry," he replied. "I kinda get carried away when I see a healthy bird Pokémon. They're my passion, after all. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to fly with them. I grew up with them."
"Some people…they say rude things like you can clip their wings with jolts of electricity. I don't take so kindly to such insults! It's my dream to be the best bird keeper around. If I could prove to those people that these magnificent Pokémon really are the most graceful and tough around, then I think I'd really fill my dad's shoes once and for all."
"I've heard that phrase before about clipping their wings. I agree; people can be so ignorant." I agreed.
My Aerodactyl could take on just about any of your run of the mill electric types, being hardy enough to be impervious to their electric attacks. "I've always been a fan of flyers, myself, actually," I replied.
At that, Falkner smiled. "I think I'm going to enjoy this battle, Wolfe. Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to test out a new Pokémon I got yesterday on you, if that's okay."
"Of course. It's your gym after all," I replied.
"Cool." Falkner walked over to his side of the arena while I took my own.
Somewhere from the back of the gym, another guy, this one appearing to be in his twenties with a bushy black beard, approached the sidelines. I could tell he'd be the referee. "This will be a match between Falkner, Violet City Gym Leader and Pokémon Trainer, Wolfe. Each trainer may use three Pokémon; substitutions are allowed. The first trainer to have no useable Pokémon left will be declared the loser. Let the battle begin!"
"I think I'll start this off with an old friend. Pidgeotto, go!" Falkner tossed his pokeball into the air, releasing his Pidgeotto.
It was a nice-sized bird, being about four feet tall. It had at least a six-foot wingspan. Its red head feathers flowed down its back. Its tawny colored feathers gleamed in the sunlight. The bird eyed me fiercely, giving off a battle shriek.
"Okay then, I'll start this off with you, Umbreon!" I released my Pokémon from his ball, and he appeared with a war cry as well.
"Start this off with your Gust attack!" The bird Pokémon flapped its wings, sending a powerful gust towards Umbreon.
"Stand your ground, buddy!" Umbreon firmly held his ground as the wind bashed against him, trying to push him away. "Now, Quick Attack!" I continued as the wind died down.
"Fly out of the way!" The bird quickly soared out of reach, causing Umbreon to miss. "Tackle it!"
Pidgeotto swooped down from the air, landing a hard tackle on Umbreon.
"Now that it's in range, Bite!" I replied.
Umbreon's quick reflexes allowed him to bounce back from being tackled. Jumping off the ground, he firmly landed a Bite on the bird's left wing, causing it to panic and plummet from the sky.
"Pidgeotto! Wing Attack!" The bird then began to hit Umbreon in the head with its free wing, but the distance between them and the ground was too little, and both came crashing down, Umbreon landing firmly on top of the bird.
Pinned down, the bird Pokémon couldn't move. Its free wing broke the fall but landed underneath the Pokémon. Umbreon's weight proved too much for it.
"Pidgeotto! No!" The bird Pokémon, startled from the fall, fainted.
"Pidgeotto is unable to battle," the referee called.
"You did a swell job, old friend. Take a deserved rest." Falkner recalled the bird, taking it out from underneath Umbreon, who landed on all fours.
"Nice battling, Wolfe. But we're just getting warmed up. Noctowl, you're up next!"
A really large bird that I had never seen before appeared. It was definitely an owl—a huge one at that. This bird was at least five feet tall, with a wingspan that definitely was larger than I was tall. It had two bushy protrusions from above its beak, reminding me a lot of Hoothoot.
I'm guessing maybe this is Hoothoot's evolved form?
Under the protrusions, the bird had slanted eyes with red irises. The bird was a stately brown in color, the wings being a darker brown. It had dark brown triangular patterns across its breast, and its talons were nice-sized with large claws. It looked like it would be a menace to take down.
The bird tilted its head at me, giving off an indignant hoot.
"Alright, let's keep going, Umbreon!"
"Not so fast! Noctowl, Hypnosis!" Noctowl's red eyes met Umbreon's own red eyes. From there, I could see Umbreon's eyes start to droop.
"Not good. Return!" I recalled the Pokémon right before he could fall off into a slumber.
I'm guessing that since Umbreon's Synchronize didn't work, that Noctowl has Insomnia, so that'd make Espeon kinda useless in this situation. Fine then.
"Good thing I've got an ace in the hole! Mudflaps, go!" I called my mudfish into battle, who gleefully stared at his opponent.
"Smart move. Interesting Pokémon you got there, too. All right, keep it going! Noctowl, Sky Attack!"
"Oh crap!" I said aloud, not realizing it. Sky Attack was a pretty powerful move.
I already saw the Noctowl gain altitude, its body glowing a slight crimson as it did so. "Listen to me carefully, Mudflaps." I made eye contact with my Pokémon, who nodded his head. "Sky Attack is going to take a little while to charge up, so let's use this to our advantage! Water Pulse!"
Mudflaps leapt into action, carefully aiming the attack. He shot a strong pulse of water, which squarely hit Noctowl in the breast.
"Noctowl! Sky Attack now!" The Pokémon gave a hoot as it dove from the sky, body glowing from the immense energy of the attack.
"Let's hope this worked." I crossed my fingers as I saw the bird Pokémon dive for my Pokémon. Seconds before impact, I replied, "Jump out of the way!"
Mudflaps complied just in time, and the Noctowl landed into the ground beak first in a crash landing.
"Noctowl! Get up!" The bird, which wobbly rose to its feet, looked around dazed.
"Noct?" It tilted its head and ruffled its feathers.
"Yes! Water Pulse worked! We confused it," I smiled broadly. "Now, time to finish it! Blizzard!"
"Stomp!" My Pokémon replied, sending the cold gust of Blizzard full force on the owl.
"Fly away! Hurry!" The Pokémon, totally confused, however, flew straight at Mudflaps, getting frozen solid in the process as it neared the origin of the Blizzard. Unable to move, Noctowl landed with a solid thud.
"Noctowl is unable to battle!" The referee called.
"Nice try, Noctowl. You deserve a rest," Falkner soothingly told the frozen bird as he recalled it to its ball.
"Guess I'm down to my last Pokémon. Well done, Wolfe. This battle has been more exciting than any I've had in a while. But now, it's time for you to lose. The wind is finally with us. Time to try out this new guy. Pidgeot, Go!"
What happened next somewhat startled me, though thanks to Silver, at least I saw it coming. My long-lost Pidgeot appeared with a war cry. He was a massive bird, though not quite as large as that Noctowl I previously battled. My Pidgeot, whom I named Pigeon when I caught him as a Pidgey years ago, swooped down and landed at my feet, eyeing me.
I doubted the bird would have recognized me, though I was clearly mistaken since before I knew it, the massive bird waltzed towards me and caressed his feathery face against my cheek. I was certain I looked shocked, though I doubted my facial expression came anywhere near the one on Falkner's face.
He looked totally dumbfounded, as did Gold, since I snuck a look at him as well. That certainly left me with a very hard decision, though. If I were to reveal I once owned Pidgeot, I would totally risk blowing my cover, and let's face it, my boss, Darrius, would be furious.
Still, I couldn't just reject my old friend; I wasn't like Silver, at least. Pigeon was the first Pokémon I had ever captured. He was with me for my entire Kanto gym run, defeating Team Rocket, and winning the Indigo League. Deciding to take the more risky of the two routes, I stretched my hand out to scratch the bird's soft, feathery neck.
To those who had no clue what a Pidgeot looks like, it was basically a rather large Pidgeotto with a more powerful beak and sharper talons. My Pidgeot was special, though. All Pidgeot normally had red and beige head feathers, which draped down their backs. Mine had blue feathers instead. His tail also alternated between two different shades of dark blue, instead of just red feathers. When I originally captured him, he had a bluish plumage as a Pidgey, which turned into those blue head feathers upon evolution.
Pidgeot chirped in reply, content in having his old itchy spot scratched.
Falkner looked incredulously at us. "What the?" He asked.
"Guess I might as well just say it now. Pidgeot and I are old friends, right pal?" I continued to caress the bird.
"Well, that explains some of it at least. I could tell by the way you talked you had experience with bird Pokémon. Are you that Pidgeot's trainer?"
"Truthfully, I used to be. I loaned him to a friend, and I found out recently that he released him to the wild, which I wasn't too thrilled about. I had him since he was a Pidgey, back when I was a kid. He's a good Pokémon—really fast. I used to fly around on him often." I smiled.
"Hmm, I see," replied Falkner thoughtfully. I could tell I put him in a tough spot.
"Hey, Falkner," I caught his attention. "Don't worry about it. Pidgeot is yours now. You caught him, and really, I'm glad to see he's a gym leader's Pokémon. I know he's in good hands, especially since you love birds so much."
I smiled warmly, knowing I was doing the right thing. I could've taken Pidgeot back, true, but Silver, as well as any Team Rocket member who knew me as Amber, would find it all too suspicious if I used one of my old Pokémon. Besides, it was true; Falkner would take great care of my old friend, and being a gym leader's Pokémon was fitting for that old battler.
"You… You're sure?" Falkner replied a bit uneasily. "I mean, I don't want to separate friends and all."
"Yeah, I'm positive! After all, just looking at Pidgeot, I could tell he already likes you." I grinned.
"Well, thanks Wolfe. Really, I mean it. I'll take great care of Pidgeot."
"I'm certain you will," I replied.
"So, let's continue our match?"
"Certainly. Ready to battle, Pidgeot?" I asked my former Pokémon.
My bird shrieked in agreement, soaring gracefully into the air.
"No holding back now, alright?" I told Pidgeot, who nodded.
"Alright, let's do this! Pidgeot, start with your Aerial Ace!"
I already knew this battle would be tough; Pidgeot helped me win gym battles, after all. "Don't let your guard down, Mudflaps! Aerial Ace never misses, so let's go ahead and do what we can! Water Pulse!"
"Dodge it!" With blinding speed, Pidgeot easily dodged the pulse of water approaching him and swooped in for a powerful Aerial Ace, which knocked Mudflaps off his feet.
"You okay?" I asked as my Pokémon rose to his feet.
"Stomp!" Replied the Pokémon eagerly.
"Water Pulse!"
"Get away!" Pidgeot swiftly rose in the air, but luckily, Mudflaps aimed a wider-ranged pulse this time, and it hit Pidgeot as he started to fly away, causing his flying to falter a little.
"Now, Blizzard!" I said taking advantage of Pidgeot already being hit once.
Blizzard struck its mark for a few seconds at least before Pidgeot got out of range. I could tell Pidgeot wasn't too thrilled about the cold, though.
"Okay, Quick Attack!" Falkner replied.
Pidgeot swooped down once more, aiming straight for Mudflaps using his beak.
"Dodge it!" Unfortunately, Pidgeot was way too fast, and he struck Mudflaps dead on, knocking out my Pokémon.
"Marshtomp is unable to battle!"
Okay, so that leaves me with Espeon or Charmander; and Umbreon, who wants to take a nap. Charmander just hatched today; he's way too low level to go up against my Pidgeot. Guess that just leaves me with Espeon, then. Too bad psychics are known for having poor defense.
"Espeon, let's go!"
"Espe!" The pink cat-like Pokémon cried.
"Okay, Pidgeot, Aerial Ace again!" The Pokémon began gaining altitude.
"Not good. Wish!" The red gem on Espeon's head glowed red.
I could see Pidgeot start to swoop down for Aerial Ace. "Yawn!" I replied, as the bird got closer.
The good thing was that Yawn struck, the pink bubble popping soundly on Pidgeot's beak, which caused his eyes to droop. The bad thing, unfortunately, was Espeon didn't survive the Aerial Ace and was firmly knocked out.
"Thanks, Espeon. You did well." I said as I recalled her.
"Espeon is unable to battle!"
Guess now it's a battle to see who can stay awake the longest.
"Umbreon, back out! Just hang in there a little longer, please!"
"Umbre," the Pokémon weakly cried, trying his best to keep his eyes open. He stumbled a bit before sitting down on his haunches.
"Let's finish this up quick before you fall asleep! Pidgeot, Steel Wing!"
Pidgeot, who regained some altitude, flew low with his massive wings spread out. The wings glowed a brilliant white as they struck Umbreon in the chest, causing him to fly backwards.
Too tired to right himself, Umbreon landed on his side. "Come on, Umbreon! You can do it!" I coaxed.
I could use Wish right about now…
On the other end of the arena, I could see Falkner having trouble as well. "Come on Pidgeot, one more attack should finish it off!"
"Pidg," cooed the Pokémon sleepily.
"Let's go! Use Heat Wave!" The bird flapped up an extremely hot wind, which knocked down Umbreon as he tried to get up.
Just then, to my own relief, I noted Wish taking effect, at least allowing Umbreon to get to his feet a little easier even though he looked totally out of it.
"Come on, Umbreon! Just hang in there!" I continued to coax.
The excessive flapping of his wings while trying to stay aloft was proving harder for the sleepy bird, and soon enough, the wing beats slowed, stopping the Heat Wave. "Come on Pidgeot! You've got to stay awake!"
The bird, who looked just about as out of it as Umbreon, landed, yawned, and stuck his head firmly underneath his wing.
"Come on, Umbreon! After this, you can sleep as much as you want! Bite!"
Umbreon, really exhausted, walked over to Pidgeot woozily before biting the bird's foot. "Now, trip it!"
Using as much strength as he could possibly muster, the small black Pokémon brought down the sleeping bird, who landed with a thud. Umbreon climbed on top of the bird afterward, struggling to keep his eyes open.
Pidgeot, who must've hit his head in the fall, was luckily knocked out.
"Pidgeot is unable to battle. Gym Leader Falkner is out of useable Pokémon; the win goes to the challenger, Wolfe!" The referee called.
"Yes! Great job, Umbreon!" I could tell my Pokémon had just fallen asleep, so I recalled him to his ball. Falkner recalled Pidgeot as well after thanking him for a well-fought battle.
Falkner and I then approached each other. "Well fought, Wolfe. On behalf of Violet City, I confer to you the Zephyr Badge. You've earned it."
He handed me an upside-down U-shaped metal badge, which somewhat looked like wings of a bird on a downbeat. "With the Zephyr Badge, Pokémon may use the Hidden Machine, Rock Smash, in the field with greater attack. The badge itself also boosts your Pokémon's physical attack power. Also, since I really enjoyed our match, and I really thank you for letting me keep Pidgeot, I want to give you this TM."
He handed me a sky blue disc. "It contains the instructions for teaching a bird how to use the healing move, Roost. I hope it'll come in handy sometime," Falkner smiled.
"Thanks, Falkner," I replied grinning. I was pretty damn happy to have won my first Johto badge.
"No problem. Thanks for giving me a really great battle!"
"No prob there," I replied.
Falkner and I then both walked toward Gold, Zuku, and Chika. Chika was doing a victory dance, jumping up and down while Zuku hooted at her. Gold, on the other hand, looked at me with a very puzzled expression.
Oh yeah… He thinks Chika was my first Pokémon. Oops. And now the REAL fun begins…