Pokemon: Childhood Dreams

Since I won the battle I had the option of staying on the stage and getting another match, re-entering the queue so we could take a break, or exiting from the matchmaking services. I chose to stay on the stage using the touch screen before quickly running to hug Hellen.

“You did great, girl.”

“Saur.” She replied happily.

Then I got up and went to shake Jack’s hand as was customary for pokemon battles.

“That’s a huge bulbasaur you have there.” Jack said wistfully, “They really pack a punch.”

“Thanks. Nidorina was really agile and graveler took a lot more damage to put down than expected.” I replied.

After that, Jack left back to the viewing stands and I returned to my trainer box with Hellen. The rock throw barely hurt her, but she was feeling fatigued and couldn’t use many more razor leaves. I gave her many pets and scratches as I told her how proud I was.

In a few minutes, the touch screen was updated with a new opponent. Michelle Pearce, with a team of ponyta and pidgeotto. Both pokemon would have a type advantage against Hellen.

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” I ask. “I could send in Drak-”

“SAUR! Bulba.” She was adamant about getting more experience.

“Alright, that’s the spirit!” I say recalling her to her pokeball as Michelle approached the stage. We agreed to the minimum bet and got ready for the battle.

Our first pokemon were released, Hellen on my side and pidgeotto on the other. I knew this would be a hard battle, but I had prepared an anti-air strategy against flyers.

“...3, 2, 1. BUZZ.”

Pidgeotto took to the air as the battle started, speeding toward Hellen. Hellen kept her vines on the ground, ready to dodge, while building up an attack. Her razor leaves would be easily dodged, so we didn’t bother. Pidgeotto abruptly stopped, using her momentum to release a strong gust. Hellen jumped to the left and used her vines to evade. Once landed, she released a burst of seeds towards the pidgeotto who dived down to dodge. A couple of seeds hit the pidgeotto in the back causing minor damage.

Now that pidgeotto was closer, Hellen attempted to whip them with her vines. But pidgeotto deftly avoided them and got back out of range. Pidgeotto then built up speed while circling Hellen, moving too fast to target. The bird was starting to create a twister.

Hellen was not idle and launched herself upwards with her vines and sprayed a concentrated stream of poison powder in the path of pidgeotto. Though some of the stream was diverted due to the rising winds, pidgeotto flew through the concentrated powder and began to fly erratically while coughing.

As Hellen fell back to the ground, pidgeotto began to recover and pushed past their pain to release a gust. Hellen was struck head on and tumbled to the ground, landing hard.

Now that the pidgeotto was poisoned, it was a matter of time until it fainted. Hellen had quite potent poison due to having cultivated it during her time in the sewer with the muk and grimer.

Hellen got back to her feet, bruised but not too heavily injured. My big bulbasaur could take a hit. Pidgeotto was looking sickly and attempted to create a twister again. But before it could build up speed Hellen shot some bullet seeds, causing pidgeotto to dodge and lose speed. This was only possible because pidgeotto was accelerating slower than the start of the match due to the poison and fatigue.

Pidgeotto tried to send a few gusts, but Hellen was playing defensively and was able to dodge. After some time, pidgeotto became too sickly to maneuver properly in the air and Hellen shot at them with some razor leaves. Before they could impact, pidgeotto was recalled.

In the bird’s place came a ponyta. This horse-like creature had well defined muscles and a healthy flame running down their back. Ponyta looked like they were nearing their evolution due to their size. I could tell that this was the starter of the opposing trainer, Michelle.

Hellen was looking tired and a little beat up, but she was raring to battle as she stared down the fire type. Soon, the countdown played and at the buzz ponyta blitzed across the field.

We knew that most of Hellen’s moves would be ineffective against ponyta, so we elected to use wine whip to try to trip up ponyta. When ponyta came in range she whipped out her vines, hoping to catch ponyta the same way she caught the nidoran. But the ponyta jumped over the first vine and initiated a flame charge to dodge the second, rushing straight towards Hellen.

Hellen quickly sprayed a stream of sleep powder towards ponyta’s face, but ponyta issued a flamethrower that burnt up the majority of the powder. With the rest burnt up by the flame charge. Determined to get in some damage, Hellen met ponyta’s charge with a tackle.

Hellen was overpowered and tumbled backwards, where the ponyta engulfed her in a gout of flame.

I recalled her, rather than let her suffer in the flames. She could probably get back up and do some damage, but she was outsped and would soon be defeated.

“You did great, girl. No need to push too hard.” I whispered to the ball and smiled. “It’s time to introduce Drako to the world.”