Pokémon ABC - Episode 7

Episode 7: Moonshadow, and the Ocean Gym I

By 'Whisper Shadowhunter'/ Kitty Ocean
© Nintendo (their characters) and Kitty Ocean (my characters)

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"You've got to be kidding me!" Gary said astounded.

Chris took of her scuba set and handed it over to Gary. "We'd better spare the air." She said.

"You can breath underwater?" He yelled.

"Quiet!" She hushed. "Or else the Gyarados can hear us. Yes, I can. You see this necklace? It's a chip from a moonstone. I found it at Mount Moon 4 years ago. You know it has a special influence at Pokémon, don't you? But Wartortle found out when he was just a Squirtle, I can breath underwater with it. You would find out sooner or later, just like the rest."

"It's magic…." Was the only thing her nephew could say for a minute. "What do you mean?" He asked. "The rest?"

Chris sighed a bit. "Haven't you figured it out yet? I'm the chosen one of Moonshadow. It's my task to guide the trainers and see if they are worthy. But all the other trainers didn't had a Gyarados; they used too much air and didn't check it, so they suddenly became without air. You don't know how much arrogant buds I had to save."

Gary looked at his niece. So that's why she lied, he thought. He felt relieved, thinking he knew everything. "But what about the Gyarados?" He asked later. Chris swam to the entrance of the cave. The Gyarados was still there.

"I'll lure it away." She said.

"Are you crazy?" Gary yelled. Chris nodded. She whistled. The Gyarados heard it and became storming to the entrance. Gary and Chris ducked away. "Now you've done it!" He said angry.

Chris didn't react and looked around her. She was quiet for several seconds. "Ah, there you are." Gary looked around, seeing nothing but the cave, the angry Pokémon and water. Chris seemed to pat something in the water. "I need your help." She said, and suddenly, the Vaporeon became visible.

"You are really sticking to your plan, don't you?" Gary asked a bit afraid.

"Don't worry, Vaporeon is fast enough." She said. "You just spare your air. When the coast is clear I'll pick you up."

Chris whistled again and Gary saw some of the Pokémon revealing itself. What was she planning to do, he asked himself.

Seel was the first one who moved.

"Seel, Seel!" It said.

The Gyarados reacted instantly. It roared immediately to the little Pokémon, who didn't seem to be afraid.

"Seel!"

While the Seel swam away, the Gyarados followed. This is my chance, Chris thought, and ordered Vaporeon to swim. She left Gary behind and looked determent. A Gyarados in this area was destructive for the island. No ferry could go to Raindrop Island without being attacked. She took a deep breath.

"Vaporeon, make your self invisible…." She whispered. The Vaporeon reacted instantly and became invisible. Now it seemed Chris was alone. She gathered all her courage and that said: "Yo, Gyarados! This is my territory, not yours!"

What did she mean with that, Gary thought. But the Gyarados turned around, looking furious at this little intruder. He was the owner of this area, and not she! He dived angry to his little opponent.

"Go Vaporeon!"

Chris dove away, holding tightly to the little invisible creature. The Vaporeon was very fast. The Gyarados couldn't get the intruder. Chris ordered Vaporeon to wait before the cliff.

"Now we will get him." She said.



"Seadra, what are you doing here?" Gary asked. The little Pokémon pushed his trainer. "What are you doing?" But the Seadra continued pushing Gary out of the cave. Gary saw his Blastoise waiting outside the cave.

"Blastoise!" It said with a deep voice.

"Blastoise, we've got to help Chris!" He climbed at his Blastoise's back. But instead of swimming to Chris, it swam away in the other direction. "Blastoise, turn around! We have to help Chris!" But the Blastoise didn't listen and swam with Gary to a cliff where Krabby was waiting.

"You've got to be kidding me…." He said astounded.



The Gyarados dove to Chris.

"Now Vaporeon!" She yelled and the Pokémon dove away from the cliff. But the Gyarados reacted instantly and turned around. "Why does it always work in movies?" She asked annoyed to herself.

The Gyarados was getting tired of the chase and exceeded a bit. But Vaporeon was a bit faster than the huge creature. Though Chris couldn't see him, she felt her friend was getting tired.

"Hold on, Vaporeon, I'll get us out of here…."

She directed to Pokémon to go to the reef. The Gyarados was too big for it, but it continued trying to get Chris. It slammed the reef until it started to break.

"He!" Chris shouted at the Gyarados. "Stop it! You know how long it takes to build such a reef? Ages!"

But the Gyarados didn't care about the reef; he just wanted to catch Chris. All right, she thought, than we are playing tough. She patted the Vaporeon.

"Just one more time. Hold on."

The Vaporeon started to swim again. And as expected, the Gyarados followed. It was angrier than ever. Now I'll get you, Chris thought, ordering the Vaporeon to swim to the Magikarptunnel.

"Swim Vaporeon!" Chris yelled, noticing her Pokémon was slowing down. She helped swimming. If she only reached the cave…. Just a few meters….

The tired Vaporeon swam into the little tunnel. Chris hoped the Gyarados was angry enough to follow. This was more than enough, she thought angry. She stood still, while the Gyarados attacked with a huge speed.

Angry, the Gyarados roared. Though Chris stood about one meter of him, he couldn't grab her. He got stuck with his great body.

"You should remembered that a Gyarados can't come very far here. The Magikarptunnel is just too small." She wondered if she should capture it in a Poké Ball. If she did, she had a new Pokémon to train and it would cause less trouble. The Vaporeon became visible again.

"You were great." She said to the tired Pokémon and patted it. "Come rest in your Poké Ball." The Vaporeon agreed with his trainer and returned in his Poké Ball.

Starmie came swimming into the cave, seeing his trainer with the Gyarados. "What do you think?" Chris asked to him. "Should I capture it?" But the Starmie pushed against Chris. "Already?" She asked and grabbed the creature. She let it pull her out of the cave, taking another exit, leaving the Gyarados behind.



Gary took his scuba equipment off. Wow, he thought, this must be the Ocean Gym. He stood in a large glass complex. Gary looked outside the Gym, seeing lots of water.

"I hope it's safe." He said to his three companions. "But it's already great you found it." He started walking. "You three better stay at your Poké Balls." He returned his Pokémon and looked around again. "I wonder where Moonshadow is." He said softly.



"He just couldn't wait." Chris said annoyed. "He had to find it, didn't he?"

She let the Starmie go. She looked around and counted all her Pokémon. They were all there and Chris returned them in their Poké Balls. After that, she opened a hatch and walked inside the Gym. She smelled the air and the Moonstone began to glow less. It has been too long, she thought, but where is that inpatient nephew of mine?



"That's just my luck." Mayla said, looking at the sky. Dark clouds started packing themselves above her. She took a Poké Ball and released a Poliwag. "Poliwag." She ordered. "Go and look for Chris and Gary. Tell me if they found the Gym yet. I can't stay much longer."

The Poliwag dove under, hurrying to the bottom of the ocean. Please, Mayla thought, please tell me they are already inside the gym. I can't stay here when it storms….


"Moonshadow?" Gary yelled inside the gym. But no answer came. Gary walked on. He opened a glass door. "This had to cost a fortune." He said, looking at all the glass.

Gary walked trough a long hall and opened another door. "You've got to be kidding me…." He said again. "A glass maze?" He looked upon a glass maze. Gary knew that if he wanted to find the gym leader, he had to cross it. He started to walk.

Gary touched it face. This will take a while, he thought. He hadn't seen the glass wall that prevented him from going on. He looked aside. Gary felt if there wasn't a glass wall there too. There wasn't. He decided to go that way. He started to wonder where Chris was. Was she already here? Had the Gyarados grabbed her? He walked on, continuing feeling if there wasn't a glass wall again he could bump into.



Chris untied her hair. She shook her head and some water drops splashed against the wall. She unlocked the door to the main computer.

"Well." She said. "Here we are again."

She flipped a switch and some lights turned on. She put on the computer and typed some commands. Suddenly, a screen with lots of televisions went on, showing her every part of the gym. She looked at them one by one, not seeing her nephew yet.

"Come on…." She said.

Suddenly, she saw him, bumping again at a glass wall. He's already in the maze, she thought, how long has he been here? She pushed a button.



"What the…?"

Gary looked at his feet and saw the floor is filling itself with water. He became afraid, until he noticed the water didn't came very far. He looked to the water. What was the use of it? But he suddenly knew it. Somebody must be helping him! Chris was here! Now he could see the walls a bit. No more sore noses!

Gary started running. He had to find the exit. He turned left. He saw it! He saw the exit. He followed the corridor, but noticed at the end it turned right instead of left. Damn, he thought.



"Poliwag? Are they okay?" Mayla tried to yell above the howling wind. The Poliwag hopped on board and nodded. Mayla hold her hat and returned the Poliwag in his Poké Ball. She ran to the rudder and started the engine. Okay, she thought, lets get the hell out off here. I'll come back tomorrow. I just hope the walls will hold.



At 30 meters depth, nobody noticed it was storming at the surface. Chris locked careless the door and started walking. It had been a long time ago since she was here the last time. She hoped she still remembered the way. She walked to the door.



"Damn, damn, damn!" Gary kicked the glass wall, seeing he got only further from the exit.

"He!" He heard. "Stop kicking! There is no need to break it!"

Gary looked around; hoping it was Moonshadow.

"Oh, it's just you." He said disappointed, while he looked at his niece.

"Thanks a lot!" She said sarcastically. "I'm just helping your bud you know! You really know how let somebody feel welcome."

Gary apologised. "How did you came here?"

Chris walked to him. "I came here very often. I'm 'the guide'."

"Than you have to know the way out of here!" He said, but Chris shook her head.

"I only once found the exit and that's when it was just build."

"But how do you ever get out of this?"

"I cheat." She said smiling. Gary looked surprised. His niece cheated? He saw her walking to the wall. Suddenly she climbed on the wall. "Now prove your balance is better on a wall than on a surfboard."

Gary tried to climb, but it didn't work. He walked a few steps back and made some speed. When he reached the wall, he jumped and climbed on it. Catching his breath, he sat on the wall.

"Your all right?" She asked concerned. Gary nodded.

"Show me the way." He said.

Chris started to walk and Gary followed her. All the time, he had to look where he stepped, because the wall wasn't very good to see. Though Chris walked with no problems, Gary almost lost his balance a few times. Suddenly, his niece holds still, looking outside the gym.

"Something wrong?" Gary asked.

Suddenly, Chris started to jump from one wall to another. "Where are you going?" Gary yelled.

"Stopping Team Rocket!" She yelled and ran out of the maze. The only thing Gary could do was looking at her and taking the long way to the exit. His niece vanished within the glass building.



"To protect mankind from devastation."
"To unite everybody within our nation."
"To denounce the evil of friendship and love."

"To extend our reach to the moon above..."

"Shana!"
"And Shane!"
"Team Rocket! Blast off with the brightness of light!"

"We are the best, that's right!"

Shane opened the door of the submarine and swam together with Shana to the Ocean Gym. They opened the door. Inside the building, they took off there scuba equipment.

"What is this place?" Shana asked.

"I don't know." Shane said. "But it must have cost a fortune. Look at all that glass."

Shana nodded and looked at herself in the reflecting glass. "It's just like a big mirror!" She said and looked again.

"We'd better start looking." Shane decided, but Shana continued looking at herself.

"I'm just so beautiful." She said sighing.

Shane pulled her away from the glass. "Come on! You can look at yourself after we caught those kids." He threw his Poké Ball at the ground.

"Raticate!"

"Raticate." Shane ordered. "Find those brats! We'll finish them off once and for all!"

"Raticate!"

The Raticate started sniffling. Shana looked at herself again. Shane followed his Raticate and pulled Shana along.



Gary walked out of the maze. He wondered where his cousin could be. He started to walk in the direction he had seen her go. He yelled a few times her name, but the only thing that responded, was the echo. He turned left.

Suddenly, a hard sound sounded and Gary ran back. The way to the maze had been shut off! There was no way back, just the way that was lying before him. He decided to walk again. It didn't matter the maze was shut off, he thought, this whole gym is a large maze! He climbed some stairs, ending up before a pair of large glass doors. In the doors were 2 large moons engraved. Behind the doors there was another corridor, but Gary didn't matter. What the…, he thought, looking at the 2 moons.



"Shane?" Shana asked. "How did you planned going through this?"

They looked upon the maze. Shane didn't answer, but his Raticate went hyper again.

"Raticate, Raticate!" It shouted to his trainer.

Shane reacted finally and started to walk into the maze.

"You were not planning to…?" Shana asked.

"Do you have another idea?"

Suddenly, the door behind Shana closed. "It seems we don't have a choice." Shana said sad. She walked to her partner. She looked to the glass. This glass didn't reflect her image. She became sadder. She had to walk through cold water, through a maze and she couldn't see herself.

"Look, there!" Shane suddenly shouted, pointing at Chris, who stood above the maze.

"You never leave us alone, don't you?" Chris asked angry. "Go away while you can. You underestimate the power of this place."

Shana didn't seemed to be impressed and tossed her Poké Ball away. "Geodude! Go!" She yelled. The Geodude reacted instantly and raced to Chris.

"Geo…"

"I already told you underestimated this place." Chris said smiling, while she looked at the momentarily unconscious Pokémon. But the Geodude stood up again and banged with all his power to the glass wall, so it broke.

With the speed the Geodude had, it cleared the way by braking the all the glass walls, including the one Chris was standing on. Shards went everywhere and Chris fell between them. Though it cut her skin open, she didn't care.

"You thought you had me, didn't you?" She took a Poké Ball and threw it away. "Lapras! Help me!"

The Lapras came out and landed between the shards, but didn't get cut.

"I know you don't like to fight Lapras, but please use your ice-beam!"

The Lapras did what Chris him asked and used its ice-beam. It froze the Geodude.

"Good job Lapras!" Chris yelled.

But Lapras wasn't finished and used its ice-beam also at the other members of Team Rocket. After they were frozen, Chris stood up; looking at the damage Team Rocket had caused to the gym. She took a remote control and pushed a button. The roof went open a bit and the water started to flow inside the gym.

"Don't worry." Chris smiled. "Lapras will bring you to the surface." She turned around. She opened a door walked away. She waved to Lapras who swam to the frozen images.

The Lapras used her ice-beam again and lifted Team Rocket. The ice continued to grow and lifted Team Rocket to the opening in the roof. After they were out of the gym, they started to float to the surface if they were ice-cubes.

"L-looks… l-l-like… T-T-Team…." Shana started, but she was to frozen to continue. Though the ice-cube started to melt slowly because of the warm water, they safely reached the surface.



Chris closed the hatch and returned Lapras in her Poké Ball. She turned around and was frightened. "Gary, you scared the hell out of me! Never sneak up on me again! Come on, let's look for your Moonshadow." Chris started to walk away, but Gary didn't follow. "Well?" She asked. "What are you waiting for? An invitation?"

Gary smiled with his old arrogant look. What is he thinking, Chris thought. He started to laugh.

"Is there something funny I've missed?" She asked.

"My dear, dear Chrissy. I already found Moonshadow."

"Oh yeah?" She asked surprised.

"Yes." Gary said arrogant. "I'm looking at him right now. You are Moonshadow!"


To be continued…