Special 01: Who's the best?
By 'Whisper Shadowhunter'/ Kitty Ocean
© Nintendo (their characters) and Kitty Ocean (my characters)
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After they had waved Misty, Ash and Tracy goodbye, Aemilia, Blade and Chris walked through the streets of Hydron Town. Chris felt a bit depressed because she had to say goodbye to Togepi, and Blade felt sad because he never got the chance to hold Pikachu.
Chris thought deeply. "I wonder if Ash could have beaten me if we would have fought." She said.
"Of course." Blade said. "He got to the Pokémon League and ended with the 16 best trainers.
Chris smiled. "Dream on." She replied. "If Aemilia would have fought for me he could never win."
They walked into the Pokémon Centre where they would spend the night. Blade laughed. "Even I can beat you."
"Yeah right!" Chris giggled. "I had my own gym and was undefeated."
"But you never fought against me!"
"You're telling me that you think you can defeat me?" Chris exclaimed. "I've got 8 League badges and you've got none!"
Blade smiled vainglorious. "They probably gave you those."
Chris turned as red as her hair. "I fought really hard for those badges!"
Suddenly, Nurse Joy bumped in. "Why don't you take the Exam? Then you know who is better."
"An exam?" Aemilia asked. "What kind of an exam?"
"It's the Pokémon League Exam." Nurse Joy explained. "Their building is not far away from here. If you pass that exam, you can go to the Pokémon League without travelling."
Chris thought. "Like the Pokémon Tec?"
"Yes, but it takes less time." Nurse Joy continued. "My sister-in-law took it and passed."
Blade smiled. "As the best Pokémon Observer I'll beat you with my eyes closed."
"As the Ocean Gym leader and holder of 8 badges I'll kick your butt!"
Aemilia stepped forward. "Let me be the smart one and ask where it is, okay, so we can go tomorrow."
The next day they stood up early in the morning. Waving Nurse Joy and Chansey goodbye, they walked in the direction Nurse Joy had told them to go. Chris thought the Exam must be really easy, if a Nurse Joy had passed it.
Blade thought the same. I'll prove her I'm good, he also thought. Aemilia was the only one who thought: what a waste of our time. She already has 8 League badges and 4 Orange League badges and she had never done anything with those. If she passes, she'll gets another badge to enter the League. Woepie.
In the dew of the morning, a large building showed himself. Impressed by the size of this building, they walked to the doors. When they slowly opened, they saw a huge crowd at the reception.
When they were finally helped, the man asked their names. Both giving them, they man handed Blade number 27 over. "Don't you have number 13 for me? I love number 13." Chris asked.
"Of course." The man answered. "You're the first one who asks for it. Nobody likes that number; they think it will only cause bad luck." He took 2 little cases. "Please give me your Poké Balls."
"Why?" Aemilia asked.
The man smiled. "We hear that very often. You aren't allowed to use your own Pokémon in any way."
"May I look after them, then?" Aemilia asked. "It's not that we don't trust you, but we don't trust some other people who are always following us. They may be here."
The man friendly nodded. "Ha, I'll beat you Chris!" Blade said confident and proudly.
" You just wait!" Chris smiled. "I'll be the best of the class!"
"I think we have 2 people here who'll really do their best." The man said. "We need those people here. Your first exam will be in the D-wing. It's a theory round, just like the second exam."
Chris swallowed 2 times. "Theory? I stink in theory!"
"Don't you worry." The man answered. "I think you will do just fine. Anyway, the third exam is fighting and counts as hard as the first 2 exams together. I'm taking that exam, so why don't you walk along?"
Chris and Blade nodded and Aemilia decided to sit in the visitor's lodge and watch. She crossed her fingers for Chris as well as Blade. She hoped both would pass it.
Blade and Chris followed the teacher to the class. When they arrived, the teacher told them to take place behind a computer. Chris sat down and looked at the screen. 'Please fill in your number', the screen said.
Blade typed his number and a new screen popped up. Next to his picture, he saw his name. The screen asked if it was correctly and Blade typed 'yes'. The next screen was the welcome screen of the Exam.
"Welcome at the Pokémon League Examinations." The teacher started. "The first exam is telling if the statement your computer tells you is true."
Blade smiled. He knew a lot about Pokémon, and he knew Chris didn't. She may be a great fighter, but she doesn't know a thing about Pokémon.
'Gyarados is a flying type' was the first question.
That's easy, Chris thought, of course not! He's a water type Pokémon. If the rest of the test is like this, it will be so easy.
Tricky, Blade thought, Gyarados is a flying type also. Everybody thinks he's a water Pokémon, but he's also a flying Pokémon.
'A Ninetales can be turned into a Vulpix with a fire-stone.'
Of course not, Chris thought, a Vulpix turns into a Ninetales. Blade thought the same.
'Voltorb evolves into Electrode.'
Chris doubted. She always was confused about them. That's false, she guessed. She looked at Blade. He quickly pushed 'True'. He didn't doubt; damn, I've got it wrong.
'A Pinsir is a bug Pokémon.'
Chris closed her eyes and pushed a button. When she looked again, she saw she had hid the 'Wrong' button. Never mind, how terrible can it be if I've got 2 questions wrong?
Blade looked at Chris and saw she quickly looked back at her screen. She's having a hard time, he thought. Never mind, she'll pass it, only I'll pass it very easily.
'A Fearow is the evolved form from Spearow.'
Chris pushed the 'True' button. Finally, she thought, something I did know. Please, let the rest of the test be like this. She crossed her fingers and waited for the next screen
'Poliwrath is a fighting type.'
Chris sighed. Thank God, she thought, I know this one. She pushed the 'True' button again.
Blade sat back on his chair and pushed 'True' and 'Wrong' without hesitating. This is so easy. Of course a Vaporeon is a water type and a Jolteon isn't a fire type. Jeez, who made up these questions?
'A Slowbro is not a water type.'
Blade pushed 'Wrong' again. A Slowbro is as well as a psychic as a water type. He looked at Chris again and saw she was pushing 'Wrong' also. Ha, that was an easy one, he thought, if you had that one wrong you can forget it.
Sighing because she finally had answered the final question, she looked at Blade. This exam wasn't easy. Would Blade think the same? She looked then at Aemilia and saw she was waving. Waving a bit back, she listened to the teacher.
The next exam was identifying Pokémon. Chris hoped with all her hart that it would be a lot easier. The first screen that appeared was a black ball.
Why does it remind me of a Jigglypuff, Chris thought, it can't be one. She looked to her screen and filled in Voltorb. She turned to Blade. What would he fill in?
Blade sighed. There were 2 Pokémon as round as a ball; Voltorb and Electrode. He closed his eyes and thought deeply. I'll choose an Electrode.
"I've got all your answers." The teacher said and pushed a button. A new screen appeared and showed a Jigglypuff from above!
Chris cursed herself. Next time, she thought, I'll follow my feelings. She looked at the next screen. She gazed at it. It was a huge curl. It reminded her of the looks of her defeated opponents in the Ocean Gym, and she smiled. But what Pokémon could it be? Poliwag, Poliwhirl or Poliwrath? She thought deeply.
Blade typed his answer: Poliwhirl. He waited a few minutes, but then asked himself why the teacher didn't give the answer.
"Number 13." The teacher started. "Are you planning to answer today?"
"I'm thinking!" Chris yelled. She tried to remember her Pokémon. Okay, she started, Poliwag's curl spins the other way. And Poliwrath's curl is a bit different. But it might be a Poliwrath that is taken from another angle. She thought deeply, and then answered Poliwhirl.
"Thank you number 13." The teacher replied. "It's a Poliwhirl!"
"All right!" Chris cheered. All students looked at her. "Sorry." She mumbled embarrassed.
A flame filled the next screen. Blade hesitated. He had 3 options: Ponyta, Charmender and Charmeleon. With a huge sigh, he chose for a Charmender.
But this time Chris didn't hesitated. She immediately chose for Ponyta. Since Ponyta was constantly around them, she would be really stupid if she wouldn't recognise its tale.
The picture of Ponyta confirmed Chris' thoughts. She smiled. Would Blade have known this one? From the 3 questions she had 2 of them right!
Blade saw Chris was getting confident. We've only had 3 questions yet, he thought, and the easy ones always come first. He looked at the next screen. He saw something purple. What could that be? It could be a baby Kangaskhan.
Chris for Tentacruel, because she liked it. She really didn't know what it could be. She wasn't shocked at all when she saw the answer: an Aerodactyl.
But Blade disagreed. "Hey, that's not fair!" He yelled. "Aerodactyl is extinct, how could we ever know that and what's the use of identifying a dead Pokémon?"
"Number 27, some people claim they have seen an Aerodactyl and someone even managed to take his picture. It seems to me he's not extinct."
Blade sat down. "Oh, in that case, never mind." Chris giggled. "Shut up." Blade whispered through his teeth.
After the second exam, they had a little break. All could see what their results were. Blade smiled vainglorious when he saw he was with the best 10 students.
Chris looked disappointed. She hoped she would have done better when she saw she belonged to the last 20. Thank God I'm not the worst, she sighed. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. When she turned around, she saw Aemilia.
"Don't worry, you'll do the 3rd exam better." She comforted.
Blade smiled and put his arm around Chris. "I told you I would do better." He said beaming with geniality. "I'm no longer a Pokémon Observer, I'm a Pokémon Expert!"
"We'll see." They heard. They saw the teacher standing behind them. "The third exam is outside. You have to battle with me."
Chris smiled. "Ha!" She said. "This will be a lot easier for me!" She followed the teacher to a stand. He showed them some belts with 3 Poké Balls. "Eh, what's this?"
"You have to choose a belt." The teacher explained. "Even I don't know what's inside. But this way, you can prove you can fight with every Pokémon."
Chris and Blade nodded and took a belt. Blade was the first who would begin. Chris sat on the side and waited for her turn. She wondered if Blade was so good as he claimed to be.
"Poké Ball, go!" Blade yelled and released a Pokémon.
"Grimer!"
Aemilia giggled. "Look Chris, Blade released a Pokémon that looks just like him!"
Blade didn't laugh along and gazed at the Pokémon his opponent released. This Pikachu looked very tough. He sighed, why hadn't he chose for that belt? He knew everything about Pikachu and nothing about Grimer!
"Pikachu, Thunder Shock!"
"Grimer… euh… do something!"
But the Grimer didn't move. I've got to order him something. He closed his eyes while the Pikachu released a Thunder Shock. The Grimer was very affected, but not finished already.
"Grimer, Poison Gas!"
Proud because he knew an attack of Grimer, he looked at the Grimer who tried to fill the air with his poisonous gas. But the Pikachu was ordered to use his Thunder Wave and when the gas was gone, Blade had to return Grimer. He took another Poké Ball and threw it to the field.
"Geodude…."
Blade almost cried. "Why don't I have Pokémon I can handle?" He cried.
Poor Blade, Chris thought, I just hope the teacher doesn't have a water type.
"Kingler!"
Chris slapped herself upside her head. "Blade can forget it." She sighed and Aemilia agreed.
"Kingler, Bubble!"
"Geodude, counter attack!" Blade yelled and saw how Geodude tried to avoid the bubbles.
The teacher smiled. "Okay Kingler, Crab Hammer!"
"Geodude, earthquake!"
Chris and Aemilia were surprised, as well as the teacher, when he saw that Geodude knocked Kingler unconscious with an Earthquake attack.
"How did you knew Geodude was at such a high level and didn't evolve?" The teacher wondered.
Blade smiled. "That's easy for a Pokémon Observer."
"Mm, I'll give you 2 bonus-points for that." The teacher said. He returned his Pokémon and took his third Poké Ball.
While the teacher released a Venusaur, Blade released a Charizard. Blade smiled inside. Fire Pokémon are stronger than grass Pokémon.
Chris sighed. I guess he'll win this, she thought. Maybe he IS better than I am. She looked at Aemilia. A bit afraid she thought about her coming match. She only trained the Pokémon she could use in a match and she fought so often with Aemilia….
"Charizard, flame thrower!" Blade yelled.
But the teacher wasn't impressed. "Okay Venusaur, Solar beam!"
"Charizard, counter attack!"
He's yelling things, Chris thought, he doesn't have a real strategy. He's just repeating me.
All gazed at the Charizard who lay on the ground, unconscious. Blade couldn't believe it, how could a fire Pokémon lose from a grass Pokémon?
"You lost number 27." The teacher said. "Better luck next time." He took another belt of Poké Balls. "Okay, number 13 is next."
With led in her shoes, Chris walked to the field. Aemilia had wished her luck and Chris felt she really needed that. She looked at the Rhydon her teacher had released. A rock type, she thought, great. I want my Wartortle. She took her Poké Ball.
Suddenly, she took it back. Not knowing why, she felt she needed the middle one. "Poké Ball, go for it!"
"Golduck!"
Chris' eyes began to glow! A water type and it was a Golduck too! She never had a Golduck, but she knew its attacks! She wished she could take him along after the match.
"Rhydon, Take Down!"
Chris thought shortly, but then yelled at her Golduck: "Golduck, Fury Swipes!"
The Golduck leaped the Rhydon, but the Rhydon could avoid the attack. Not to worry, Chris thought, that wasn't its strongest attack yet.
"Rhydon, Tackle him!" The teacher yelled.
What attack shall I use, Chris thought. "Okay Golduck, Confusion!"
The Golduck reacted instantly and its eyes began to glow. The attack affected the Rhydon really, but wasn't defeated yet. Chris felt enthusiasm burning inside her when she yelled: "Golduck, Hydro Beam!"
"Golduck!"
The Hydro Beam of the Golduck defeated the Rhydon. Chris cheered, danced and hugged the Golduck. "Way to go Golduck!"
"Nice technique." The teacher complimented. "You may be not so good in theory, but your certainly better in fighting."
"I'd better be, or all my life was a big dream." Chris replied and took another Poké Ball.
The teacher released a Flareon and Chris released a Raticate. "Raticate?" Chris sighed, but then she smiled. She had experiences with a Raticate, she only hoped she knew enough to defeat a fire Pokémon.
"Ha." Blade said. "Chris will lose this."
"Flareon, flame-thrower!"
Chris took a deep breath when she shouted: "Raticate, quick attack!"
The Flareon released a ray of fire, but the Raticate could dodge away. Chris sighed. This time, the Raticate was fast enough. The Quick Attack of Raticate hit Flareon and the Flareon got knocked away, but landed on its feet.
"Nice Flareon, now use your fire spin!"
Obeying again, the Flareon hit the Raticate. Chris swallowed, she was losing this! "Raticate." She tried as her last effort, knowing she would lose. "Try your Super fang."
"Raticate!"
Surprised, the Flareon got knocked away. Not only he was surprised, but also Chris was surprised as well as her teacher. "I won?" She gazed. "How could I have won?"
A silence fell over the field. Everybody became silent as they saw the teacher returning Flareon. "You're good." The teacher complimented. "You won from a fire-type with a weakened normal type. That hasn't happened before. You get 5 bonus points."
I've got bonus points, Chris cheered inside, I've got also bonus points and more than Blade has. Confident, she took her last Poké Ball. She had already won her match, but she wanted more points. "Poké Ball, go for it!"
"Poké Ball, now!" The teacher yelled and released a Charmeleon.
Chris released an Ivysaur. She hoped that this fight would go like the others, but her teacher was in advantage this time again.
"Charmeleon, Ember!"
"Ivysaur, counter attack!"
The Charmeleon used his Ember attack, but the Ivysaur managed to avoid it. He's slow, Chris thought, he's not only the wrong type; Ivysaur is also very slow! "Ivysaur, Poison Powder!"
"Come on Chris!" Blade and Aemilia cheered. "We know you can do it!"
Okay, Chris thought, I'm going for the victory: 3 of 3. She looked at the Poison Powder the Ivysaur released, but the Charmeleon just burned it. Chris balled her fists.
"Charmeleon." The teacher started. "Slash him!"
The Charmeleon reacted to fast for Chris to react. She saw how her Pokémon got knocked away. Don't give up, she thought. "Ivysaur, use your Razor Leaf!"
Obeying his temporary trainer, it used his Razor Leaf, but the Charmeleon blew them away with one breath of fire. Confident, it looked at Chris, but he hadn't noticed Chris had already ordered that the Ivysaur should use his Vine Whip again.
The vines hit him hard and weakened him a lot. It tried to defeat the Ivysaur with his Ember attack again, but Chris saw it coming.
"Ivysaur, Razor Leaf again!"
She smiled. She was winning! She saw the Razor Leaves hitting the Charmeleon and it got really injured. Suddenly, she felt if she got hit by the lightning. What in hell had happened to her? "Ivysaur, stop it!"
"Why are you stopping?" The teacher asked. "You were about to win."
Chris returned Ivysaur. "I don't want to do this." She said. "I'm not doing this for me, I'm doing this because I wanted to prove I'm better than Blade. That's unfair against the Pokémon in my opinion. I had already won this match, so why should I hurt Charmeleon more than necessary? All can see it can't fight anymore."
Blade and Aemilia felt proud and embarrassed at once. Blade found that Chris was right. Why were they doing this anyway; what was the use? Why should they care who was the best?
Before they decided to leave, they looked at the Scoreboard, wondering what they both had. Blade looked somewhere at the end, along with Chris. Chris knew she couldn't be at the top 20 because of the failure in the 1st and the 2nd exam. Blade knew he screwed his 3rd exam and that counted as hard as the 1st and 2nd together.
But they didn't found themselves anywhere on the board, until Aemilia tapped on their shoulders. "Look there." She said and pointed at the top of the board. 'Special Students' it said and next to it were the pictures of Blade and Chris.
"But how…?" Chris asked.
"You both learned a lot today." They heard and looked at the teacher. "Both ended on the 13th place, so you passed. Together you would be a perfect team. Blade knew a lot about Pokémon, but noting about Pokémon fighting. And Chris, though you knew little about Pokémon, I was impressed how you managed to win twice with a Pokémon with a disadvantaged element. Well done."
Aemilia smiled. "They are a perfect team eh?" She giggled. "The first step is liking each other and that is already hard enough for them…."
To be continued…
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