This chapter’s discussion has to deal with the Trivia Question contest that you’ve undoubtedly have seen if you’ve made throughout at least one-half of any of the first three chapters. I’m now here to explain the details in full. This contest involves what you already know and what you can predict from current events in the series. It’s a trivia question. Fifteen questions, predicted to be given out over the course of this season, roughly, in this mini-series and the next one, a four-parter starring Gary and his cheerleaders. The questions range in difficulty. The first five (three have already been given out) questions are rather easy, and you can pick out the answers just by going back and reading some of the Season 1 stories. The second five questions are a little tougher, and although you can use those old fanfics, they may require you to guess a little. Finally, to weed out the competition, the final set of five questions are purely prediction questions. You only get one chance at them, but once again you may use any available fanfic chapters to guess what happens next. Answers to the questions are announced three chapters after they are posted. You have that long to respond to them. For example, since this is Chapter 4, you can no longer answer the first trivia question, given in Chapter 1. Now, what about scoring? The first three to turn in correct answers (e-mailed to me only) for each question gets points. Three points for the first, two for the second, and one for the third. Whomever has accumulated the most points after all fifteen questions have been answered is the winner. Oh, wait a second. I almost forgot to mention what you are competing for! Well, for those of you who don’t know already, it’s quite simple. The grand prize winner will be able to submit an author created character (either currently existing or not) to me to use as a special guest star in a future fanfic of mine. It’s quite an honor, and I think it would be beneficial to both me and the winner. For the rest of you who compete, it not only gives you a chance to catch up with Season 1, especially for those of you who are too lazy to read all of the previous episodes, but hopefully I’ll be able to keep you as regular readers of the series. I could always use more of those, you know. That’s everything! It’s not too late to start! You can join the contest at any time, but I’d recommend joining now if you’d want a chance to win. Of course, you could answer the questions for fun; there’s no problem with that. If you have any questions about the questions or would like to submit an answer for a question, then e-mail me at jgg121@yahoo.com. Now... on with Chapter 4, and this is where things get more interesting! Disclaimer: Sorry, don’t own them! Back Episode Reminder: http://www.fanfiction.net - If you haven’t read Episodes 1 - 36 yet, I suggest you do so before moving on. *** Sunday, August 21st, Indigo University Cafeteria After a very exciting week of preliminaries, the Pokémon League prepares to announce the thirty-two trainers who will move on in the tournament. That’s tonight, though. Right now, it’s around eleven o’clock in the morning, and our heroes are gathered in the cafeteria, eating brunch. The food on their plates vary, from pancakes and waffles, to eggs, either scrambled or sunnyside up, and even sausage patties. Sitting at the table, starting at the left end and going clockwise, are Daisy, Brock, Ash (with Pikachu on his lap), Misty, Violet, Joe, Giselle, and Samantha. At this point in time, Joe is telling the group about his battle with Erika for the Rainbow Badge. Joe: ... and then it was her Vileplume versus my Bellsprout. What a battle it was! It seemed that Vileplume’s solar beam would have done Bellsprout in. But my Bellsprout managed to put her to sleep, and then finished the job by thrashing it. Giselle: That’s very impressive. Misty: I’m amazed that you were able to do that. Samantha: (crossing her legs) You’re telling me that you two believe that crazy story? Violet: What’s not to believe? He got a Rainbow Badge, didn’t he? (looking at Samantha) Say, what are you doing here, anyway? Why don’t you go bother someone else? Samantha: Actually, I don’t have anyone else to hang around with. I came to the tournament alone. Violet sits silently, unable to respond. She continued to glare at Samantha, though. Ash: (sweatdrops) Um, why don’t we change the subject. Everyone Else: (quickly) Agreed. Giselle: Well, I won all seven of my preliminary matches. (proudly, glancing over at Misty) I’m advancing to the next round for sure! Samantha: (jumping in) That makes two of us! Violet: How did you manage... Misty: (interrupting her sister, but sounding a little disappointed) I only won six out of seven, (brightening up and smirking at Giselle) but I probably still made it anyway! Joe: (with his head down) I only won four matches. I don’t think I’m getting in. Giselle: (patting him on the back) That’s okay. You did your best. Ash: You know what they say. Better luck next year! Giselle: (glaring at Ash) And what is that supposed to mean? Ash: (sweatdrops) Well... Misty: (her mind in another place) I wonder where Duplica is right now... she vanished into thin air yesterday. A back shot shows Jeanette in her nurses’ uniform walking in from behind Misty. Ash, who was looking over his shoulder, had seen her come up, though... and as a result, he almost chokes on his breakfast. Jeanette: Allow me to explain... Not realizing that someone was behind her, Misty almost falls out of her seat. Ash and Misty: (together) Who are you? Jeanette: My name is Jeanette Fisher. (looks at Ash) Hi Ash, it’s been a long time. ************************************************************************ Adventures Series, Episode 37: “Misty’s Going for Gold,” Chapter Four: “To the First Round!” Story Written by Freedom Fighter, Pre-read by Matt Lenz ************************************************************************ (Flashback - Yesterday Morning) The rest of preliminaries week went by without much of a hitch. Most of the trainers are preparing for their last match or two before the League announces the field of thirty-two, who will advance to the first round. The Pokémon Centers are extremely busy, especially the one on the south side of town, where Jeanette and her mom have been assigned for this tournament. Jeanette is nowhere in sight, though, as her mom, Nurse Joy of Crimson City, struggles to handle all of the incoming orders. Male Trainer # 1: I need my Pokémon healed for a match in half an hour! Male Trainer # 2: My Snorlax has come down with a cold! Male Trainer # 3: My Pokémon were supposed to be ready ten minutes ago! Female Trainer # 1: I can’t find my Porygon! Female Trainer # 2: Has anyone seen my crystal Poliwag statue? Joy: (waving her hands around in the air) Everybody calm down! I’m working as fast as I can to get your Pokémon healed in time for your matches. (to herself) Jeanette, where are you? I told her to get out here on the double! (spinning her head towards the nearest Chansey so fast that her hair rings flap) You! Go see what’s taking Jeanette so long to get dressed! Chansey: (saluting Joy) Chansey! Jeanette is currently in her room, combing her hair. She’s already dressed in her nurse’s outfit, with the exception of her cap. As she fixes her long, purple hair to match her mom’s (they have to keep it that way in order to make sure that their hair doesn’t get in the way), she’s watching the morning news on television. Female News Anchor: Repeating this morning’s top story... United Indigo Airlines, Flight 360, has crashed... (Jeanette freezes like a statue) ...somewhere in the Tippecanoe Mountains just west of Indigo Plateau National Airport, where the plane was scheduled to land about an hour ago. Police and medical crews are at the scene, but so far have been unable to locate any survivors. Jeanette gasps in shock. She continues to watch the TV with unblinking eyes as the anchor continues the report. Female News Anchor: An estimated one hundred and seventy-eight people were on board. A radio transmission from the pilot, sent just seconds before the plane disappeared from the airport’s radar stated that the left engine was out and that they were going to an attempt an emergency landing at a local airport on the other side of the mountains. The transmission ended with something that sounded like an explosion and then a sudden banging on the control panel. Once again, no survivors have been found so far, and police think that it’s unlikely that they’ll find any, since the plane all but shattered upon impact into the mountain side. Jeanette: That can’t be! Oh my... Duplica isn’t going to like this! She finishes fixing her hair in a hurry, then runs out the door, leaving the TV on. She runs past the Chansey looking for her without even noticing the pink Pokémon, and then into the lobby and out the front door, past her mom and the dozens of angry patrons. Joy: Jeanette! Where are you going? Jeanette! Jeanette runs toward Indigo Stadium, where Duplica is in the middle of a match. Or at least, she’s supposed to be. She spots a guy walking out of the stadium, and Jeanette decides to stop him. Jeanette: Excuse me. Do you happen to know if Duplica Imite’s match is over yet? Guy: You mean that small green haired girl that forfeited the match? Jeanette: (in a very soft tone) Forfeited? Guy: Yeah, I couldn’t believe it. I had been cheering for her all week, and then she goes and leaves the match right in the middle of it, full of tears. I don’t see what the big deal was. She was winning the match... Jeanette: Do you know where she went? Guy: (angry) What do I look like, a taxi driver? Jeanette runs off and begins to search for the missing Duplica. She has absolutely no idea where to start looking. Jeanette: Duplica! Duplica! (End flashback) Jeanette: And that’s basically the gist of it all. Duplica disappeared. She must have already heard about the plane crash. That’s the only explanation I can give. How, though, is another mystery. Oh, and to answer your question, Ash, we met at the novice tournament nine months ago, and Duplica told me that how much you recall from then is less than perfect. Ash only sits there digesting what he’s heard. Misty: I did find her in our room packing about fifteen minutes later, but she left before I could ask her what was wrong. Jeanette: Duplica and I were talking a few nights ago, and she said that her brother was coming into town to watch her compete. Ash: That’s strange... Misty and I always thought that Duplica was an only child. Jeanette: Are you sure? Misty: Positive. Brock: It’s got to be something else. Giselle: Maybe it’s her boyfriend that she told me about the night before last. She kept talking about how she couldn’t wait to see him again. He was coming to watch her. Joe: (raises his eyebrows in curiosity) Duplica has a boyfriend? Misty: (confused) Duplica has a boyfriend? Ash: (surprised) That’s news to me. Misty: Why would she lie about something like that? Daisy: (interrupting them) Look guys, I know Duplica may be going through hard times right now, but you don’t have time to focus on her. The first round begins tomorrow, and you all have to be prepared to fight the toughest contenders for the Pokémon League. Misty: That’s right! If I’m in, then I’d better go practice. Giselle: Me too. Who knows what type of Pokémon these new trainers will have. Samantha: Mind if I join you? I’m not going to survive without any help. Violet: (under her breath) In your case, that’s a good thing. Samantha: (looking at Violet) Did you say something? Violet: (with puppy dog eyes) Me? You’ve got to be kidding! Daisy: Don’t you two start up again! That night, at the honorary advancement ceremony (at the university’s auditorium), our heroes are gathered, waiting to find out who they will be facing in the first round. The gang from before, plus Marina, who sat with them as per Misty’s request, and minus Jeanette, who had to stay at the Pokémon Center and help her mom, are there. Ash also spots Richie at another table nearby, talking with some other trainers. Here’s the matches in the first round that concern our heroes: Monday, 12 Noon - Raymond Bates of South Africa vs. Samantha Hutchinson of Celadon City Monday, 2 p.m. - Giselle Gravelpot of Vermillion City vs. Gabriella Greenbanks of Valencia Island Monday, 5 p.m. - Terry McEnroe of London vs. Misty Waterflower of Cerulean City Tuesday, 10 a.m. - Richie Sparky of Limerick Town vs. Mary Stevens of Limerick Town Tuesday, 1 p.m. - Gretchen Bluemacher of Germany vs. Marina Lake of Tangerine Island Everyone gets up and heads out of the auditorium, either to get some sleep, to get their Pokémon healed, or to get some extra practice in. The first round begins tomorrow, and everyone is under pressure to win... since the loser drops out of the tournament. Joe remains in the room as it empties. Giselle, who had unnoticably stayed behind as well, watches him from behind, as he sits as still as a statue. Finally, he gets up and falls into Giselle’s arms, crying. Not even realizing what she’s doing, she comforts him. Monday, August 22nd, Indigo Stadium Narrator: The first day of the first round is already underway. Two matches have already taken place so far, both with interesting endings. The match-up between Raymond Bates and Samantha Hutchinson is next, so let’s see what’s up... The stadium is filled to capacity, as the two trainers shake hands prior to the match. Raymond: Good luck. Samantha: Good luck to you too. Raymond, a dark skinned sixteen year old male from South Africa, dressed in a black shirt, a Kente print jacket, black jeans, and black shoes, with a kuffi hat made of Kente cloth and black leather, walks over to the red podium. Samantha, who looks like she’s ready to cheerlead instead of battle (because she’s wearing her old high school cheerleading uniform, light green with white skirt), heads for the green podium. The crowd cheers as the podiums raise to their appropriate heights, and the official signals the competitors to select their first Pokémon. Raymond: Lickitung, go! Samantha: Ninetales, go! The two Pokémon give each other a cold stare, as the official starts the match. Flag Official: (raises both flags) Let the battle begin! Raymond: Lickitung, disable! Samantha: Ninetales, confusion ray! Lickitung uses disable and prevents Ninetales’ ray from connecting. Raymond: Lickitung, stomp! Lickitung misses as Ninetales easily dodges out of the way. Samantha: Ninetales, skull bash! Ninetales hits Lickitung right in the stomach, sending the long-tongued Pokémon reeling. Raymond: Lickitung! Are you okay? Lickitung responds by coming back to his senses. Raymond: Lickitung, cut! Samantha: Ninetales! Watch out! Lickitung cuts Ninetales right on the nose. Ninetales falls to the ground, howling in pain over the big red mark that now lies across her face. Samantha: No! (pulls out a Pokéball) Ninetales, return! Flag Official: (raising a red flag) Ninetales has been withdrawn from the battle. Lickitung is the winner! The first light goes out under Samantha’s picture on the scoreboard. She wastes no time in deciding on her next Pokémon. Samantha: (throws it) Snorlax, go! Snorlax: Lax! Raymond: A Snorlax, huh? Lickitung, wrap! Lickitung uses his tongue to wrap around Snorlax. Snorlax just sits there, and takes the blows easily. Samantha: That’s it, Snorlax! Hang in there! Raymond: Lickitung, cut it down to size! Lickitung’s attack connects... but Snorlax looks unharmed! Raymond: That’s not cool... Samantha: Snorlax, body slam! Snorlax gets up, jumps into the air higher than most people would think was physically possible, and then comes down, landing right on top of a panicking Lickitung. Snorlax, after scratching himself behind his ears, gets up, and walks back towards his trainer. Lickitung then appears lying on the ground, flat as a pancake, groaning. Lickitung: Tunnnnnnnnng! Flag Official: (checking on Lickitung before raising the green flag) Lickitung has been deemed unable to continue. Victory goes to Snorlax! With the battle evened up, Raymond chose his next Pokémon. Raymond: (throwing a Pokéball) Weezing, go! Samantha: A Weezing? Piece of cake. Raymond: We will see. Weezing, smoke screen attack! Smoke begins to cover the field. Since Samantha can’t see Weezing any more, she decides to have Snorlax go on the defensive. Samantha: Snorlax, harden! Raymond: (who did not hear Samantha) Weezing, sludge! The sludge hits Snorlax right in his stomach, but then it slides right off. Naturally, Raymond is surprised that Snorlax isn’t poisoned when the smoke clears. Raymond: That Snorlax is supposed to be confused! Samantha: Snorlax, hyper beam! The beam hits Weezing right between the eyes. Weezing is rammed into Raymond’s podium, causing him to hold on to the rail to keep from falling off. Weezing hits the ground and promptly faints. Raymond wastes no time in recalling his fallen Pokémon. Raymond: Weezing, return! (yells at Samantha) There’s no way that you’ll beat my number one Pokémon! (throws a Pokéball) Magneton, go! Samantha: A Magneton? I’ve never fought one of those before. Raymond: Magneton, thundershock! Samantha: Snorlax, head butt! The two Pokémon trade hits. Both of them look ready for more. Raymond: Magneton, swift! Samantha: Snorlax, double-edge! Once again, the two of them trade hits. Both start to show signs of weakness. Raymond: Magneton, thunder! Magneton charges up and fires a huge bolt right at Snorlax. It hits its target, causing Snorlax to faint. Samantha: Snorlax! Raymond: Good job, Magneton! Samantha: (silently) I’ve got one Pokémon left, but I’ve got to act quickly if I want to win. (throws out her last Pokéball) Parasect, go! Raymond: A Parasect? That’s all you have left? Samantha: This Parasect is a lot tougher than he looks. My Parasect knows enough to beat the tin out of your Magneton! Raymond: (smiles) We’ll see. Flag Official: (raises both flags) Go! Raymond: Magneton, sonic boom! Samantha: Parasect, stun spore! Magneton’s sonic boom attack temporarily dazes Parasect, while the stun spore effectively paralyzes Magneton. Samantha: Parasect, slash! Already weak from its battle with Snorlax, the slash across Magneton’s hard steel shell proves to be the attack that knocks it out. Samantha rejoices with glee as the final light goes out under Raymond’s name. Raymond, on the other hand, isn’t too happy with himself... A little while later, Giselle takes the field for her first round match. Joe and Brock are the only ones that wanted to attend the match, both for obvious reasons, as you may guess. She takes a good look at her opponent, already perched on the green podium. The girl had black hair, tied up in a ponytail with the help of two yellow bows. She is wearing a white blouse and a dark blue short skirt, which was a sign that she attended some type of prep school. To Giselle, that was evident with the first words that the girl spoke... Girl: So you’re the infamous Pokémon Tech graduate? Funny, I thought that you’d be more refined than your reputation suggests. Giselle: And what exactly is that supposed to be? Girl: Don’t you know that the first rule about being pretty and rich is to never, ever allow a boy to fall in love with you unless they’re rich themselves? Oh, you mean you didn’t know that? Giselle: (hearing her own personalized remark causes sparks to fly around her body) Don’t you go talking about my boyfriend! Joe is a kind and caring individual who respects me for who I am. We’ve known each other for several years, and I’ve never met another guy since then just like him. Girl: Actually, I didn’t know you had a boyfriend until you mentioned his name. (Giselle’s mouth falls open as she realizes her mistake) Joe? Is that his name? (yawns) That names sounds so common, just like it’s common that Pokémon Tech graduates end up making the worst of all Pokémon League trainers! Giselle: (getting angry) Just who do you think you are? Girl: (pointing to herself) Oh, you mean pretty ol’ little me? I’m Gabriella Greenbanks, valedictorian of Valencia Pokémon Prep. My Pokémon have gone under extensive training to make sure that they’re unbeatable. And as you can see by my seven very impressive victories that I’m not here to play around. Giselle: (smiling and ignoring Gabriella at the same time) Guess what? I’m Giselle Gravelpot from Pokémon Tech, and the only thing I care about is embarrassing you right in front of this huge crowd! Gabriella: (beckoning for the fight to start) Bring it on, Giselle! Bring it on! Giselle: (determined to get started as well) You bet I will! Joe: (from the stands) Come on, Giselle! I know you can beat her! Brock: (blushing from the sight of both Giselle and Gabriella) They look so pretty when they battle with their Pokémon. (snapping out of it, begins to whisper to Joe) What is this, the tournament of the clones? First Ash tells me about this trainer that looks just like him, and now this girl who acts exactly like Giselle shows up! Even their names are similar! I’m still waiting for a girl that looks like Misty to show up, even if that new friend of hers, Marina, counts. Joe: I guess the world’s a strange place. The two females continue to glare at each other, both oblivious to the whistles that are coming from the crowd. Right now, they don’t care about all of the guys that are admiring them... all they care about is winning and advancing to the second round. ************************************************************************ Adventures Series Trivia Question # 4: What is the name of the guy that fell in love with Duplica the last time that she was at the Indigo Plateau (first and last name required)? ************************************************************************ Adventures Series Trivia Question # 1: How many gym badges did Misty have when she and Duplica were last together? Answer: Six. Misty and Scott were in the Safari Zone, searching for new Pokémon, when they ran into Duplica, who had secretly snuck in Ditto to do some training. ************************************************************************ After twenty long minutes of battling, Giselle and Gabriella were going back and forth, using several rarely seen tactics to take an advantage over the other. By this time, they were both down to their last Pokémon. Giselle’s recent acquisition, Farfetch’d, seemed to be holding his own pretty good, after taking down Gabriella’s Spearow. Gabriella had just called out her Tangela, who had to suffer a few strong hits before finding her niche. This battle seemed to be one of strategy, rather than power, as both of them had been using small Pokémon throughout the match. Giselle’s Marowak easily disposed of Gabriella’s Squirtle, and then Gabriella fought back with Eevee. Eevee proved to be super fast, which quickly put Marowak at a disadvantage that he could not overcome. Giselle next chose Mankey, who proved to be way too powerful for Eevee. That’s when Spearow came in and pecked away, so to speak, at Mankey’s energy, draining the fighting monkey until it fainted. Farfetch’d helped draw a few more gasps of surprise about Giselle’s fighting techniques, as Farfetch’d used his leek to bat away at Spearow at every opportunity he got. Spearow eventually tires out, allowing Farfetch’d to use a carefully planned fury attack to finish up. Let’s rejoin the battle, as Giselle’s Farfetch’d and Gabriella’s Tangela continue to duke it out as the battle edges ever closer to the half-hour time constraint. Giselle: Farfetch’d, blind Tangela with your sand attack! Quickly gathering up a small pile of sand, Farfetch’d kicks it towards Tangela, blinding her. Gabriella: Tangela, use sleep powder to quiet that Farfetch’d! Tangela runs up to Farfetch’d and begins to shake, releasing the sleep powder. Farfetch’d succumbs to the powder and dozes off. This, of course, really ticks Giselle off. Giselle: Farfetch’d, get up! This is no time to be sleeping! Gabriella: Tangela, vine whip! Tangela uses her vines to slap Farfetch’d silly. Farfetch’d wakes up after the beating, and although he looks a little tired, he doesn’t seem to want to give up just yet. Giselle: Okay Farfetch’d... agility! Gabriella: Tangela, bind Farfetch’d! Farfetch’d increases his speed, and then moves out of the way to avoid Tangela’s vines. Gabriella continues to order Tangela to bind Farfetch’d, as the duck continues to dodge every single attempt, edging ever closer to his target. As if on cue, Giselle makes the most surprising call of all... Giselle: Farfetch’d, plan fourteen A <1>! Gabriella: What? Giselle and Gabriella, as well as the entire crowd, watches as Farfetch’d twirls his leek like an acrobat, leaps high into the air, and comes back down, leek positioned as if it were a sword, about to slice its opponent in half. Tangela, not expecting the attack, is frozen on the spot. By the time Tangela decides to move, it’s too late. The leek smacks Tangela right between the eyes. Several seconds later, after the Pokémon both stand motionless, Tangela’s eyes begin to swirl. She eventually spins around and then drops, fainting in front of Farfetch’d. The crowd rejoices as the match comes to an exciting end, less than a minute before the match would have been called for time. Joe: Wow! Where did she come up with that move? Brock: I’m amazed at how good she trained that Farfetch’d. She’s only had it about a week, right? Joe: Right. That’s why I love her. Brock: Huh? Joe: (realizing what he just said, tries to cover it up) I mean, that’s why I like her fighting style. There seems to be no one here that can beat her. Announcer: And Giselle wins another match in fashion, pulling off a secret move that still has her opponent stunned. Looks like Gabriella spent too much time bragging, and not enough time fighting the battle. Gabriella: You got lucky, Giselle! Next time, you won’t be! Giselle: What do you mean next time? Gabriella’s podium reaches the ground first. She runs over to Giselle’s podium, and meets her as she gets down. Giselle is still puzzled over why Gabriella would want another match. Gabriella: Simply put, next time I’m going to prove to you that your win was luck. I have to admit, you surprised me with that little move of yours. Giselle: There’s a lot about me that you don’t know. Gabriella: It seems that I shouldn’t underestimate Pokémon Tech students any more, huh? Giselle: You weren’t too bad yourself, and that’s a compliment you should accept... especially since you’re from Valencia Pokémon Prep. Gabriella makes a very low snort of contempt as the two shake hands, which draws cheers from the relieved crowd. As Gabriella turns around to walk out of the stadium, Giselle stops her. Gabriella: You know, just because we just shook hands doesn’t mean we’re friends. Giselle: Exactly. (smiles) Just name the time and the place, and you’ll get your rematch! Gabriella: (smiling back) Just make sure you’re ready to give it your all next time. Giselle: And don’t you dare go and disappoint me by fighting like a geek! Gabriella: (walking off) Takes a geek to know a geek, honey. And trust me, we’re the prettiest geeks on the planet... (laughs like a lunatic) Giselle: (yelling sarcastically) If I wasn’t so interested in getting such a good rival, I would have retorted at that remark! Gabriella picks up Tangela and walks out of the stadium. Giselle waves to the now boisterous crowd as her Farfetch’d walks over and hugs her leg. Giselle: You did well, Farfetch’d. You did very, very well. Farfetch’d: Fetch’d far far! The crowd rejoices once more as Giselle begins to spin Farfetch’d around in the air while holding both of his wings. Around five o’clock, the audience members at Indigo Stadium were relieved that the final match of the day was just minutes away from starting. Fourteen first-round competitors have come and gone under the watchful crowd of twenty thousand. Seven have left with smiles and elation, the other seven with frowns of disappointment and anxiety. The eighth and last match of day one of round one features two very tough competitors, each both looking to end their day on a high note. Down in the locker room, Misty is sitting quietly by herself on a bench, thinking of nothing else but the task at hand. Her six Pokéballs are lying right beside her. After a few seconds, she gets up, places the Pokéballs on her belt, which she had just bought in town, and starts to walk out. Her sister, Daisy, stops her at the door. Misty: Daisy? Daisy: Before you go out there, I’d like to give you something. Misty: Why? It’s not my birthday again, is it? Daisy smiles and produces a small black box out of nowhere. Misty looks at her sister strangely as she opens the box... and produces a pin which is a replica of the Cascade Badge, with an exception. The letters ‘GL,’ in gold, are centered in the middle of it. Misty then sighs in relief, but is still perplexed over why her older sister bought her a gift. Misty: Isn’t that the Cascade Badge? Daisy: (taking it out of the box) Sort of. Daisy takes her younger sister’s left hand, opens it up, and places the pin in it. Daisy: Doesn’t it look familiar now? Misty: No way! This is the gym leader’s badge... the same one that you, Violet, and Lily wear when you’re conducting official League business! Daisy: That’s right. Me and the girls have been talking about it for a while, and we’ve felt that we haven’t treated you as the smart and caring little sister that you really are. Misty: (raises an eyebrow) This isn’t a trick, is it? Daisy: (clasping her hands over Misty’s) No trick. We’ve been doubting your abilities from the start. We never thought that you’d make it this far. Boy, did you prove us wrong! (Misty’s eyes begin to water) Dearest little sister, in some ways we believed that someday you’d end up being a much better trainer than the three of us combined. Whether or not that’s true, we might as well encourage you all the way. (she sheds a tear) That’s why as of today, you’re now an honorary gym leader of Cerulean City, and a part of the Sensational Sisters! Misty, elated with joy, breaks out in tears of happiness. Daisy, with arms wide open, begins to console her youngest sibling, and shedding a tear or two herself. The two share a sisterly hug, and let go. They both try to wipe the tears from their eyes. Misty: Thank you, Daisy. But why? Why tell me now? Daisy: We wanted to pick the best opportunity to tell you. We felt that today was that opportunity. If this doesn’t inspire you to go for the gold, well, like, then what will? Misty: (hugs Daisy again) Thanks. Daisy: You’re welcome. You’re welcome. Of course, there’s one other thing that I have to add. Misty: What? (putting her hands on her hips) I have to give it back? Daisy: Nope. Since you’re now a gym leader, I’d recommend that after the tournament that you put your traveling aside for three months in order to learn the ropes. Misty: (sadly) You mean leave Ash and Brock? Daisy: Now, wait a sec. We decided that we shouldn’t force you into anything, so you’re welcome to make whatever decision is best for you. Misty stands there for a moment, deep in thought. Daisy, realizing how long she’s been down there, is forced to snap her sister out of her trance. Daisy: Sorry to interrupt, but you’ll forfeit your match if you don’t get out there right now. You wouldn’t want to do that, right? Misty: (in a determined tone) Right. Daisy: Right now, focus on your match. You can worry about this later. Misty: (giggling happily) Okay, sis! She pins the badge on her shirt, over her left breast, hugs her sister one more time, and then runs out of the locker room, towards the field. As Daisy watches her sister disappear, Violet walks up from behind, with Pokédex in hand, and Lily’s picture on it. Lily: (via Poké-Com from Cerulean City) Do you, like, think we did the right thing? Violet: Yes. Yes we did. Daisy: (not paying any attention to her sisters, speaking silently to herself) Whatever you do, Misty, don’t let us down. Just don’t let us down. Out on the field, the crowd rejoices as Misty finally makes her way to the green podium. Her opponent, Terry McEnroe, stands impatiently on the red podium, poised to battle. He’s wearing an orange short sleeve shirt with the words ‘Big Ben League Champion’ on it, as well as plaid pants and black dress shoes. Terry: What took you so long, lass? Afraid to lose to an Englishman? Misty: Champion of the Big Ben League of England, huh? (smirks) We’ll see how you deal with a member of the Cerulean City gym leader family! Announcer: And what a match this will be! Two trainers with Pokémon Master written in their blood, and only one of them will get a chance to enter the Pokémon League! Let the eighth battle of the day begin! Ash, Brock, and Pikachu are among those in the stands cheering Misty on. In fact, it seems that most of the crowd is on Misty’s side. Only a small section of the audience is cheering for Terry, due to the fact that he’s a foreigner. Ash: Come on, Misty! Brock: You can do it! Pikachu: Pika! Terry: (throws the Pokéball with all his might) Rhydon, go! Misty: (throwing one in her traditional pose) Misty calls Starmie! The two Pokémon approach the center of the stadium, and take their position right in front of the flag official. The official looks at both Pokémon, one at a time, and then raises the flags, starting the match. Terry: Rhydon, take down! Rhydon charges at Starmie, and dives at the star-shaped Pokémon. Starmie jumps out of the way. Misty: Starmie, hydro pump! The hydro pump completely drowns Rhydon, knocking it out in one hit! Announcer: Wow! Misty Waterflower comes out strong, as her Starmie has made quick work of Rhydon. Terry: Rhydon, return! (throwing another Pokéball) Go, Vileplume! Vileplume comes out, and gets ready to go to work against Starmie. The official raises the flags, and the battle resumes. Misty: Starmie, swift! Starmie fires stars at Vileplume, causing a little bit of damage. Terry: Vileplume, petal dance! Vileplume creates a bunch of pink petals and sends them flying at Starmie. Starmie isn’t dazed by the first bunch, but then gets into trouble as Vileplume sends three more waves. Each wave turns out to be more powerful than the last. Vileplume finally stops attacking. Misty: Starmie, recover! Terry: Not so fast, lass! Vileplume, solar beam! Starmie recovers some of her energy before getting hit by Vileplume’s solar beam. It’s not enough, as Starmie falls to the ground. Misty: Starmie, return! After recalling Starmie, she stands silently for a few seconds, pondering who to send out. She notes that Terry gets impatient real quickly. Terry: Hey, come on! (a la ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ style) I’m waiting! Misty: (throwing out a Pokéball) Misty calls Jigglypuff! In the stands, our heroes begin to ponder Misty’s choice. Ash: Jigglypuff? Does she think she can beat Vileplume. Brock: If she can put Vileplume to sleep before she fully recharges, than Misty stands a chance. The official raises the flags again, and once again the two Pokémon go at it. Terry: Vileplume, charge up the solar beam so we can take that Jigglypuff out in one shot! Misty: Jigglypuff, sing! Jigglypuff: (singing) Jig-gly-puff, jig-gly-puff! Misty smiles as Jigglypuff continues to sing. She looks over at Terry... only to see him smiling. Misty begins to look around the field in order to find Vileplume. She spots the plant... ten feet behind Jigglypuff! Misty: Jigglypuff, behind you! Terry: Vileplume, solar beam! True to Terry’s word, the solar beam easily defeats Jigglypuff. Misty sadly returns Jigglypuff, but then quickly regains her composure as she selects her third and final Pokémon. Misty: Misty calls Poliwrath! Terry: (smiles) This one’s in the bag. Vileplume, let’s finish it! Sensing the tension between the combatants, the official immediately resumes the match. Terry: Vileplume, stun spore! Misty: Poliwrath, double slap! Vileplume succeeds in paralyzing Poliwrath, but lowers her defense just enough for Poliwrath to get in his attack. Terry: Vileplume, acid! Vileplume fires a ball of acid at Poliwrath. It misses its target. Misty: Poliwrath, amnesia! Poliwrath pumps up his special rating. He prepares to defend against Vileplume’s next attack. Terry: Third time’s the charm! Vileplume, solar beam! The solar beam is fired, and connects... but afterwards Poliwrath is still standing. Misty takes advantage of Terry’s miscalculation. Misty: Poliwrath, body slam! Poliwrath picks up Vileplume and throws her to the ground hard. Vileplume attempts to get up, but she eventually gives up. Terry reluctantly calls her back. Announcer: We’re down to the last Pokémon for each side. Now we’ll see if Terry can pick the right Pokémon, or if Misty can complete this phenomenal comeback. Terry: (throwing out his last Pokéball) Go, Slowbro! Slowbro comes out, and stands poised... well, as poised as a Slowbro can be... to battle Poliwrath. Misty realizes the disadvantage that she is at, but doesn’t show any signs of worrying... at least to the crowd. The signal is given, and the battle starts again for the final time. Terry: Slowbro, confusion! The blast of confusion heavily damages Poliwrath. Misty: Poliwrath, body slam! Poliwrath body slams Slowbro, but he doesn’t succeed in knocking him out. Terry: Slowbro, psychic! Slowbro stands there, getting ready to fire a psychic blast at Poliwrath. He stands there... and stands there... and stands there... and stands there. Gee, how long does it take to fire a psychic blast, anyway? Terry: Slowbro, what’s wrong with you? Why hasn’t that Poliwrath fainted yet? Misty: Poliwrath, double slap! Poliwrath slaps Slowbro silly. Terry, obviously angry at Slowbro, tries to finish off Poliwrath again. Terry: Slowbro, psychic! Psychic! What’s wrong with you, you stupid Pokémon! Misty: Poliwrath, hydro pump! The hydro pump hits Slowbro right in the stomach. Slowbro remains standing, though. Terry: Come on! Psychic! Misty: Hydro pump again! The two Pokémon repeat their last move. The crowd gasps as the battle reaches its climax. It seems that time stops for a split second as Slowbro’s eyes blink and Poliwrath fires the hydro pump. As time seems to resume, both Pokémon hit the ground hard as a result of the attacks. Both trainers urge their Pokémon to get up. Terry: Slowbro, get up! Get up! Misty: Come on, Poliwrath! Don’t let me down! (slowly and sadly) Please, don’t let me down. As the crowd gets into the routine, cheering on their favorite to win, two shadowy figures stand at the top of the bleachers, watching silently, but voicing their choices in their minds. One buries her face in her hands, refusing to watch the conclusion, and forcing herself to wait for the crowd to applaud the result, while the other watches on with unblinking eyes, continuously repeating the phrase she stated as her little sister went on the field. Whatever you do, Misty, don’t let us down. Just don’t let us down. As if he had heard those very words, Poliwrath slowly begins to get up. Inch by inch, the water-fighting hybrid attempts to stand firmly on his two feet. The crowd continues to scream and shout, either urging Poliwrath on, or firmly putting him down. Finally, Poliwrath, weakened from battle, completes his task. Spotting Poliwrath, the flag official runs over to Slowbro to check on his status. After raising his paw three times and confirming that it falls to the ground each time, the official’s assumptions are now conclusive. Flag Official: Slowbro has fainted. (raises the green flag triumphantly) The victory goes to Poliwrath and trainer Misty Waterflower! Terry: No! It can’t be! Misty: (jumping up and down on her podium) Yahoo! The crowd rejoices, as the announcer confirms Misty’s victory and her passage to the second round of the tournament. Up in the stands, Ash, Brock, and Pikachu are just as excited as Misty that she pulled that comeback off. And up at the top, well, the two figures (Daisy and Violet, if you haven’t figured out by now) are still in the same positions as they were before. It hasn’t caught on to them... yet. Violet: (finally uncovering her face) Is it over? Daisy: (slowly) I think so. Misty won. Violet: You mean she won? Daisy and Violet: (jumping up and down and basically making a lot of noise) She won! She won! She won! You can’t keep a good Waterflower down! The two podiums lower to the ground. Both trainers walk over to their battle weary Pokémon. After returning Slowbro to his Pokémon, Terry thinks about congratulating Misty for her victory. As he is about to walk over, Misty looks up from checking on Poliwrath. She just simply smiles back at him. Terry, deciding that a smile was a good enough for him, he responds by bowing his head, and then he walks out of the stadium, head held down. Terry: (to himself) She’s one special trainer, that’s for sure. It looks like we’re going to have to do some more training, Slowbro. Sorry for the stupid remark, though. (looking at Misty one more time) Good luck, Misty Waterflower. I hope you win this tournament. With that, Terry departs to find his faithful fans and make the flight back home to London. That night, Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Daisy, and Violet are out on the town, enjoying themselves. They had dinner, played some games on the midway, and watched a parade. It suddenly began to get late, so the trainers prepared to part ways for the night. Ash: I guess we’d better get to bed. Misty: Right. We’ve got to be up early if we want to watch the rest of the first round matches tomorrow. Daisy: Yep. You have to know what you’re up against if you’re going to win. Violet: Besides... (yawns while stretching her arms) I need my beauty sleep. Brock: Guys, it’s only ten thirty! The cute babes don’t hit the street ‘til eleven! Daisy: (putting a hand on Brock’s left shoulder) Trust me, Brock, if a girl wanted to go out with you, she’d be crawling over you right now. Brock: (blushes) You mean like you are now? Daisy: (eyes wide open) Wha? Brock: Come on, Daisy! It’s a perfect night for a date! Daisy: I didn’t mean to, I mean, um... Ash, Misty, and Violet laugh as Daisy tries to convince Brock that her gestures didn’t mean what he thought they meant. Ash then realizes that something’s wrong. Ash: (interrupting the scuffle between Daisy and Brock) Hey, where’s Pikachu? Misty: You mean he isn’t - oh no! The group began to search for Pikachu, Ash on the borderline of insanity. So where was the little yellow mouse? Well, let’s just say something red caught his eye. In a nearby alley, Pikachu is sniffing around for his favorite aroma. Turning a corner, he locates its source... an open ketchup bottle! He runs over to it, and begins to lap the ketchup out of the bottle like a dog. Suddenly, three dark figures jump out of nowhere and place a glass casing around Pikachu. The three figures reveal themselves to be none other than Team Rocket! Pikachu tries to thundershock his way out, but it doesn’t work. Persian quickly lifts the casing slightly to put the rubber base under Pikachu’s feet. He succeeds, but not without getting a jolt in the tail. Persian: Yow! Why you little... Jessie: Calm down, Persian. Remember, we need Pikachu to alive to lure the brats. And then (slides her finger across her neck) it’s curtains for those three! She takes out the handgun, double checks that the ammunition cartridge is in place, cocks the hammer, and aims it at a practice target... Persian. Persian: (beginning to panic) Hey, wait a minute here! Jessie: (withdrawing her aim) I wasn’t going to shoot you! I just wanted to get in the mood. James: Jessie... Jessie: What? James: You know, I was thinking. Maybe we shouldn’t kill the brats right now. Jessie: (aiming the gun at James, very angry now) What? Are you backing out? James: No! It’s just that here in town, you’ve got the potential of many bystanders watching us kill them. There’s no way we’ll be able to get out of here without getting caught if we shoot them now. Persian: For once, James has a point. Jessie: (slowly withdrawing the gun) I guess so. So what do we do now? Persian: If we can’t shoot them here, why not lure them into the countryside? There, we can shoot them and no one will know the difference. Jessie: Agreed. Let’s get Pikachu and move out. James picks up the glass container holding Pikachu and follows Jessie and Persian towards the gang. Just as they step out of the alley, Jessie runs into someone, causing her to drop the handgun. The gun hits the ground, and one shot fires directly at the person in the way. To be continued... Cliffhanger! Wow? Who do you think is on the receiving end of the bullet? Do you think he or she dies? Do you think Team Rocket’s going to get away with it? Do you think Misty can win the tournament? Do you think you have the answer to this chapter’s trivia question? Wait... are you tired of thinking? Then e-mail me at jgg121@yahoo.com and actually answer one of those questions! Author’s Note: <1> Giselle over the past few months has been designing her own ‘special move’ system for her Pokémon. This is the first concrete example of her using it, with her new Farfetch’d. You’ll learn more about this system later on. Copyright Date: 9/9/00 Team Rocket puts their plan on hold temporarily, but succeeds the second time around to lure our heroes out of town! Will they succeed in assassinating our heroes? Can Misty get back in time for her second round match? What’s a wild Doduo doing along Victory Road? The shocking truth... in Episode 38, “Let’s Get Back Pikachu!”