Pokémon Ultra: Spark yellow

Hey, it’s Sam again! Hope Blue didn’t annoy you too much last chapter, heh... Well, urgh, where do I even begin? It’s been a while. In fact, it’s been at least a few weeks since that incident at the Splash Festival... And ever since that moment, I’ve been training nonstop on my own since I also separated from Leaf. Today, I decided to make my way down to Fuschia City, going down this nice cycling path to get here. This city’s actually pretty nice, it’s next to the ocean, and has a Safari Zone and a gym. The Safari Zone does sound fun, but I can’t afford to take breaks right now. Gotta focus on my training... So today, I’ve decided to actually fight the gym instead. Figured this would be a good way to know if I’m really ready to fight Team Rocket again, and besides, it’s been a while since I’ve earned another gym badge. Actually, I’ve been doing a lot during my training, and not just with my main team. I’ve actually caught and evolved a few Pokémon lately. Let’s see... I caught a Rattata on the Cycling path, and evolved it into a Raticate. Caught a Pidgey on another route, evolved it into a Pidgeotto... Also caught a Spearow, and evolved it into a Fearow... I was also training more with some of my older Pokémon, too. I evolved my Zubat into a Golbat, evolved Metapod into a Butterfree, and my Kakuna into a Beedrill... I know it sounds like a lot, but I didn’t train most of them that much beyond their evolutions... To be honest, as much as I try to train them, I can’t get them to become as strong as my main team. Pikachu, Nidoking, Wigglytuff, Ivysaur, Charizard, Blastoise... I’ve spent so much time with them, I just can’t handle ever switching any of them off my team. At this point, they’re all not just my team... They’re my friends. So I’ve been spending most of my training time with them, honing all their skills, giving them new and improved movesets... Their training has been going pretty well lately, so I know I’ll be ready to finally get my 5th gym badge today.

...Well, anyways, enough of my ranting. I finally made my way over to the gym, promptly getting escorted to the battlefield, where I saw the gym leader, Koga, waiting on the other side.

“Ah, there you are, challenger... Your name is Sam, correct?” Koga asks, as I nod in response. “Yeah... That’s me.”

“Heh... A mere child like you, wanting to challenge a ninja master like me? Very well... Now, I shall show you the wrath and despair of poison type Pokémon!”

“Then let the battle between gym leader Koga, and the challenger Sam... BEGIN!!”

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Sam: “I choose you, Nidoking!”

Koga: “Let’s go, Koffing! Use Smokescreen!”

Sam: “Nidoking, find Koffing through the smoke, and use Strength!”

Nidoking completely ignored me, trying to charge through the smoke with Horn Drill instead. Ugh, I don’t know why I sent out Nidoking, he still barely listens to my commands half the time anymore. This isn’t starting out well...

Koga: “Dodge Nidoking, then use Tackle!”

Sam: “Nidoking, please listen this time! Use Strength!”

But once again, Nidoking didn’t listen, trying to use Horn Drill again and missing. That move is hard to hit with already, especially with all this smoke on the battlefield.

Koga: “Keep using Tackle, Koffing!”

Sam: “Try and dodge it, Nidoking!”

Nidoking still disobeyed me, getting hit by tackle multiple times... Until Koffing eventually landed a critical hit, fainting Nidoking.

Koga: “Hmm. How odd that you’d bring a Pokémon into a gym fight that refuses to obey you...”

Sam: “Urgh... I’ll show you, Koga. I’m only just getting started! GO, WIGGLYTUFF!!”

You wanna play this accuracy game, Koga? I’ll show you...

Sam: “Use Flash, Wigglytuff!”

Koga: “Use Poison Gas, Koffing!”

Koffing tried to attack, but missed.

Sam: “Now, Wigglytuff, use psychic!”

Wigglytuff’s attack did a ton of damage, slamming Koffing to the wall as he quickly fainted. Man, that was powerful! I remember grabbing the TM for Psychic back in Saffron City, from some psychic master or something... Now I’m extra glad I taught it to Wigglytuff.

Koga: “Go, Muk! Quickly, use Toxic!”

Urgh, now Wigglytuff was poisoned. This wasn’t good...

Sam: “Wigglytuff, use Psychic again!”

Koga: “Dodge it, Muk! And use Sludge!”

Sam: “Try it again, Wigglytuff! Use Psychic!”

Koga: “Use Minimize, Muk!”

Urgh, I can’t stand all these accuracy attacks. Wigglytuff missed both her psychics, and I can tell the poisons really getting to her...

Sam: “Hang in there, Wigglytuff... Use Mega Punch!!”

Koga: “One last Sludge attack, Muk!”

Luckily this time Wigglytuff landed her attack, but it wasn’t enough... As the poison, and the attack knocked her out.

Sam: “Alright... Let’s go, Blastoise! Use Surf!!”

Koga: “Quickly Muk, use Toxic!”

Muk’s Toxic landed, poisoning Blastoise before the Surf attack quickly knocked em out.

Koga: “Go, Koffing! Use Smokescreen!”

Another Koffing?! And more smoke?! Man, I am seriously getting sick of these stupid accuracy strategies!!

Sam: “Use Surf, Blastoise!”

Koga: “Use Sludge, Koffing!”

Sam: “Now, use Skull Bash!!”

Koga: “Use Tackle, Koffing!”

Blastoise’s attack needs to charge up a bit, but it’ll be worth it...

Koga: “Sludge attack again, Koffing!”

Both Pokémon attacked at once, both their attacks doing a ton of damage... Both knocking each other out at once. Alright, Koga’s only got one more Pokémon left. This should be easy... Hey, wait a minute... Ivysaur’s part poison type, isn’t she? She can’t be poisoned then...

Koga: “Let’s go, Weezing!”

Sam: “You’ve got this, Ivysaur! Use Body Slam!”

Koga: “Use Smokescreen, Weezing!”

Ugh, of course. Why am I not surprised at this point...

Sam: “Body Slam again, Ivysaur!”

Koga: “Use Sludge!”

Sam: “Keep using Body Slam!”

Koga: Weezing, keep using Sludge!”

Both keep going back and forth with their attacks, but with all the smoke in the air, most of Ivysaur’s attacks were missing, Ivysaur now weak as she struggled to stand up...

Sam: “Oh no... Ivysaur, get up! I know you can do this!!”

Ivysaur slowly stood up, her legs shaking as she growled. Ivysaur suddenly then let out a powerful roar, her body shining with the light of evolution...

...As she evolved. Into a Venusaur!

Sam: “Woah, amazing... Venusaur, use Body Slam again!”

Koga: “Use Sludge, Weezing!”

Sam: “Dodge it, Venusaur! Then use Body Slam once more! Full power!!”

Venusaur landed the attack, doing a lot of damage... As it fainted Weezing.

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“YES, WE DID IT!! Venusaur, that was amazing!” Me and Pikachu ran up to Venusaur, giving her a tight hug.

“Hm... It seems that you’ve proven your worth... Good job, Sam.” Koga nods, walking up to me as he hands me a badge and a TM. “Here, take the Soul badge. And this is a TM for the move Toxic.”

“Whoa, awesome... Thanks, Koga.”

Sometime later...

After leaving the gym, I immediately made my way over to the Pokémon center, healing up my team and leaving promptly, sending out all my Pokémon for a short little meeting of some sort.

“Hey, you guys...” I smiled at my team, kneeling down to their level. “I just wanna say, thank you all so much for helping us win yet another gym badge! So far, everyone’s training has been going so well, and you all did so well in that gym fight... Especially you, Venusaur! It’s so nice to see you evolve...” Most of my team happily congratulated Venusaur, patting her on the back and what not, and I couldn’t help but admire my team... Man, my team looked... Perfect. Besides Pikachu, everyone was now fully evolved, and so much stronger then ever before... I know, whatever’s gonna come at us next... We’ll be ready for it.

While I was congratulating my team though, I suddenly noticed Nidoking slowly backing away from us, with a pretty upset looking expression... As he suddenly sprinted off into another direction.

“Whoa... Nidoking, wait! Come back! Oh no...” I quickly returned everyone but Pikachu back to their balls, quickly chasing after Nidoking. “Nidoking, what’s wrong with you?! Stop running away!” Nidoking wasn’t that fast, so me and Pikachu were able to catch up to him quickly, cornering him against a wall. 

“Nidoking, please stop running...” I whimpered. “I... I just really wanna understand you. I hate seeing us apart like this, and all I wanna do is help you. Please...”

Nidoking looked down at the ground, looking like he was about to cry...

WHAM!! “PIKAA!!” Then suddenly out of nowhere, something tackles Pikachu, roughly slamming him into the ground. “Pikachu! Are you alright?!” I turned around, seeing who tackled him...

...It was a group of wild Dodrio, who were all circled around us, looking pretty angry.

“Ugh, just leave us alone already!!” I shouted, not caring if I annoyed them. I really wasn’t in the mood for this right now... 

This only made the Dodrio’s more angry, all growling as they slowly approached us...

“DODRIIII!!” All the Dodrio’s suddenly roared, one of them attacking Pikachu again, and another charging at Nidoking...

“HEY!! LEAVE MY POKÉMON ALONE!! AGHH!!” I quickly jumped in front of Nidoking, getting attacked by the Dodrio and getting knocked to the ground, feeling pain welling up in my arm. “Pika?! PIKACHUU!!” Pikachu quickly unleashes a Thunderbolt attack on the Dodrio that attacked me, quickly knocking it out.

“Nidoking, you should... Get back in your... Pokeball...” I held up Nidoking’s Pokeball, trying to return him... But Nidoking dodged the Pokeball, suddenly using Horn Drill and knocking out another Dodrio that I didn’t even realize was about to attack me. 

“PIKAA!!” Pikachu blasted out another Thunderbolt at another Dodrio, Nidoking helping him out by using Strength, knocking em out. Now there was only one Dodrio left, who now looked pretty terrified, quickly running away before Pikachu and Nidoking could do anything.

“Pika?!” “Nido?!” Pikachu and Nidoking worriedly ran up to me, looking at my arm. 

“Ow, ugh...” I grumbled in pain, lifting up my sleeve, where I could see my injury. It did sting a bit, but it didn’t look that bad, since it was mostly just a small bruise and a cut. “Don’t worry about me you two, I’m fine...” I say, giving a weak smile, looking up at Nidoking. “Hey, Nidoking? Do you remember when we first met?” I asked. “You were just a little baby Nidoran, so scared of everything. You were the first Pokémon I caught, on the first day of my adventure... We’ve spent so much time training together, growing closer and closer...” I started feeling a few tears trickling down my cheeks. “I... I really don’t want all that friendship to be thrown away. Nidoking, please... Can you stop being mad at me, and let us get along again?”

Nidoking had tears streaming down his face, suddenly hugging me tightly. “Thank you, Nidoking. Thank you...” I mumbled, hugging Nidoking back, Pikachu joining in on the hug as well. After a bit we let go of the hug, as I opened up my badge case, looking over my badges. “Hmm, let’s see... 5 badges, 3 more to go...”

I did remember seeing a gym in Saffron City, where the Team Rocket HQ just so happens to be as well, so...

...I think it’s obvious where we’re headed next.