The End came so quickly and swiftly I'm surprised I even saw it. According to my Psychic advisor, the End is nothing but the begging and nothing ends until something else begins (she's a bit off her rocker) but I knew that nothing else would ever match up to the End. The End like at the End of a trilogy, where everyone loses their lives, or minds or memories, The End like when your life is no longer in your hands, The End, the End like when you have to make a choise�A choise that could affect you, your family and your friends. Well it was this very choise that haunts me to this day, and it happened so many years ago. I cannot tell you exactly how this happened, so I will tell you simply how I remember it. The Tale is true, and its one of those stories where the truth is stranger than fiction. Who would ever know the End was truly the Begging of another crusade?
Chapter One 'SeaArareSerpent' code-named from birth, I was never all I was cracked up to be. I lived in a deep pond with only the blazing sun and an occasional Horsea or Seadra for company, my life was definitely not like the other Dragons. I only could hope that I would find any sort of friend before my death, which I thought wouldn't be to long away. I was weak and finding food was becoming not unlike a daily torture as it drained me of so much energy.
Now I couldn't exactly go for help, because when I was just little, I said that I didn't need any family or friends. I didn't know what I was saying. Being the son of the Queen Dragon, they thought that I meant it so they found me this nice big pond. When I was little my Mother came around all the time with food and friends, and I was having the time of my life. But only a few months after my Mother died. I was not told why but no one came to visit anymore. And now, Nine years later, my life is just horrible.
It was not until that very day that the simplest action changed my life. I was circling around my small pond, which is normally what I do because it's kind of all I can do, when something hit me. I mean hit me, really hard on the head. I mouthed 'Ow' and I did a flip to see what had hit me. It was a rock, but where had it come from. With a swish of my tail I rocketed upwards and stuck my head out of my pond.
There was brownish grass all around me and I saw a small Jigglypuff grazing nearby. But what had hit me? I looked up and saw a�A? A Pokemon? Couldn't be! It had four limbs, and it stood on its back ones. Its face was pale and it was holding a ball in its hand. It was wearing something on its back, and it was carrying and sack of rocks and bait. A fish feeder, perhaps. But a Vaporeon was standing beside it. 'This is a Human' He whispered.
'A what?' 'Look out, he's aiming to capture you�' The Human looked at me with a grin starting to cover his young face. 'A Dratini, what I've always wanted. Go Vaporeon!' The Vaporeon looked at me Tragically 'I must obey,' He sighed. 'Use and Ice beam!' It was a battle. Naturally I attacked as well, with a thunder-wave which caused the nice Vaporeon to become paralyzed. 'Fine' Said the Human. 'Go Dewgong!' Fine? No it wasn't fine. I managed to get Dewgong into a perfect position for my wrap, however, and it lay down and fainted. 'OK! Jynx go!' I used my water gun, but Jynx lifted a hand and sent it back at me. I dove into my pond to avoid it. I jumped out holding a sharp stick in my mouth. I advanced on the human and I started to poke him with the stick. 'Ow. Stop�OW!' Maddened, it kicked me. I rolled over and dove strait into a pond. But I hadn't chosen wisely�
Chapter Two The pond I landed in was shining with a strange yellow light, coming from bulbs on the wall. The light flickered. The chill in the pond seemed to go beyond bone-deep. I looked down, my stomach feeling although it was tied in a knot. The lights continued down as far as I could see, but the bottom of the pond was invisible, as the water was darkening. With a final glance at the surface of the pond, I faced down and began to swim in the direction of the bottom.
I was right, the water was getting darker, because I was only a few feet deep and I swear I was using ultrasound to find my way. My tail twitched uncomfortably. There was something wrong. I spun around. The surface was a little dot of bluish light, but there was nothing in sight. I looked down again, and remarked the lights where now draped with red scarves, and the water smelt strongly of perfume. With bated breath I continued downwards, turning back all the time because of the strange feeling that I was being watched.
Now don't get me wrong, I love adventures, as I hadn't had one in years. But when they're scary or gory, they aren't so enjoyable. Continuing downwards, I was repeating 'Adventure Ahead, nothing to worry about' In my head, but the prickling on the back of my neck was almost unbearable. Being a Dratini meant I had no arms, or legs and that made grabbing onto the torch bracket next to me a chore. I had to do a weird sort of pirouette to grab it, and I managed to hit my head pretty hard on the wall. But with the torch bracket in my tail I felt a lot safer, and I knew that nothing would hurt me. How very wrong I was.
So I was still swimming downwards, when the jewel on my head flashed gold. I didn't do that, something had definitely gone by. I spun around and hit the wall with the bracket. I managed not to yell when the bottom of the dark cavern was suddenly illuminated by thousands of glaring lights, millions of candles in protective cases and even a Chandelier floated bellow me. I saw two Gyarados' bellow me, biting at each other. How hadn't they noticed the lights? I thought of turning back, but looking up I noticed I couldn't see the surface. I looked down at the serpents. They both had aimed hyperbeams at one and another, but they both missed and hit the wall. I only hoped they hadn't noticed me, but I thought too soon. The great beasts turned up at me and the four eyes narrowed.
'What are you doing here?' Asked one. His voice echoed around the walls. 'I shall leave' I said, unable to keep the fear out of my voice. The other Gyarados shook his great head. He hit the wall and above me I saw bars close from either side. I was trapped.
'Why are you here?' The Gyarados said, snapping its jaws. 'I don't want to be here, but I really needed to. I will leave, but�' The beast didn't want to hear explanations. He roared and hit me with his tail. I felt my jewel begin to glow red. 'That wasn't nice.' I gasped, and I wrapped around his head. He only lost a few hit points, but when my jewel began to glow gold, they both jumped back. 'Who are you?' Stammered one of the Gyarados. I glared. 'I have no name and my code name is confidential!' I yelled. Then something caught my eye. It was a coffin, and on it was a picture of a Dragonair.
Chapter Three 'A Dragonair�' I said under my breath. 'Than that must be what's inside�but�' I knew it sounded strange and I knew the chances where one in a kabillion, but I thought that this coffin held my mother. I wrapped my entire body around one Gyarados' neck and I squeezed. The Pokemon gagged. I thunder-waved it and it fell downwards. I hadn't won but he was paralyzed, therefore he couldn't do much. 'Who's in the coffin?' I said loudly to the remaining Gyarados.
'The queen, of course�' Said the serpent. 'I am her guard. Her son hasn't ever seen her as a Dragonair.
Nobody has seen him for years.' 'Did the queen leave anything for her son? SeaArareSerpent?' 'Yes, a letter which I hold in this case. If you know where he is�' 'I do, but first give me the letter.' 'No! By the means of the queen, I am no entitled to kill you! For theft!' 'I didn't take anything�I swear! What did I do?' 'GGRAAAAH!' The Gyarados looked at me with his eyes narrowed. He shot a Hyper Beam at me. I dove underneath it and paralyzed him also. 'Give me the letter' I growled. 'Or I'll take it.' The jewel on my forehead was burning. I knew it had changed colour again. The guard looked at me apprehensively.
'Take It' He gasped. So I did. I swooped underneath him and grabbed the letter. 'I will return this after her son has got it' I promised. 'Please, listen, do not try and find him. He will leave soon-Leave his pond, leave this park, leave this city, and do not follow, as he will be defending himself skillfully. I promise I'll be back' I said. I flicked the switch and zoomed out of the pond, upwards, upwards, and I allowed myself to jump out of the water and enjoy the fresh air, which was hitting my face, and, as I breathed in, I realized how wonderful my pond really was. I landed on the ground softly and pulled the satchel off from my side. I pulled out several heavy rocks. Each had an inscription. I saw that the first thin rock was a drawing of a Dratini. I laid the rocks out and read:
'Mum...' I whispered. 'Mum, this doesn't make the least bit of sense. A dragonair's horn? Courage?' I wondered, how would this help me. The last page was of a large city, and in the corner was a Dragonair with a crown. It had an N above its forehead. Full of courage I nodded, even though I knew she wasn't there, and I said, 'Mother, I will, and I will do it with pride!' And with that, I set of for the most exciting, dangerous and important crusade of my life.
Chapter Four I didn't know how I managed to get all the way across the grassy plane without being seen. The amount of 'Humans' in the park was enough to fill my mothers burial pond, and they all seemed to look at me But it did happen; I slicked out of the Zone with my head held high. I slithered around the sleeping guard and I even tapped another Human on the leg (it had long blue hair and it had a nametag that said Officer J on it) from behind. I didn't know how long later it was but I was extremely hungry and tired. I hadn't been in a pond or any sort of water for a while and my stomach was doing the same routine it had when I was in my mother's tomb. I then saw something that made my stomach plummet. It was the same Vaporeon I had seen earlier, but it looked very weak and tired. Its Human looked at it sadly. 'It was that Dratini. It was only level 20 and it hurt you so bad!' Said the Human. Vaporeon looked up at it with its eyes full of tears. 'Vapor!' It said, pawing the ground. 'Dratini! Dratini!' I cooed. I hit myself on the head. Why had I shown myself?
Well this is the end, I thought. I'm going to be captured, I thought. But I remembered the letter. 'Fate is what you decide to do next' So I jumped behind the tree next to me and curled around the bottom. I span, and I was almost at the top of the trunk when the Vaporeon jumped onto the branch next to me. 'Hi?' It said. It staggered. 'Yo�' I said. I held my breath. 'I can't be taken. Please don't let your Human take me' I begged. 'My trainer? Oh! Fine. But, you could be great with Lan�' 'No time! Goodbye!' I began to climb again. When I was at the top of the tree I repeated the word 'Fate' in my head. I jumped onto the rooftop of a large building with a P on it, wrapped my tail around the chimney and hung there for what seemed like days. I felt drowsy and hungry. I thought of letting go and falling, but the letter stopped me. If I could get inside this building and hide out for the night everything would be okay. So forever I waited. 'Eternity is not an amount of time, it is only a measurement of your strength' I was told when I was little, but I still say that I waited for an Eternity. When the Humans (or Trainers as the Vaporeon called them) had all cleared, I hoisted myself up. I curled around the top of the chimney and peered down.
There was a Chansey and a human there. They both where leaning on a wall, looked tired. Well, it was worth a try, I thought, so I jumped headfirst into the chimney and fell. I let out a Strangled Cry. I had landed in some very hot ashes, which burnt my sides and, well, filled my throat. I coughed.
The human gasped and ran over to me. Another Chansey and the one I had seen earlier came to my side. 'I need a stretcher for a long water Pokemon as soon as possible!' The Human said (a nametag read Nurse Joy) Two Chanseys ran off and came back pushing what, I guess, was a stretcher. The room around me was dissolving, and my eye site was blurry. I remember a lot of wires and stuff, and then, I fainted.
Chapter Five 'Good Morning' Said Nurse Joy, opening some Curtains. 'I'm extremely glad to say you have made a full recovery.' She added, now rearranging my sheets. 'My Chanseys did an outstanding job on your burn, don't you think?' She continued. I nodded. Nurse Joy laughed. 'Great. Well, do you have a trainer?' I whined. I shook my head and I jumped out of bed. 'I'm sorry, but you'll have to stay here for a while. I need some tests done. It'll only take a second
'Chansey!' 2 Chanseys came in and starting poking and prodding me with absurd, spiky shapes. They both nodded and Joy smiled. 'Fine. You can leave, but do be careful. There are extraordinarily strong Pokemon out there' She said. Much of my precious time had been wasted. I scurried out of the door as fast as I could and pulled the map out of my satchel. According to it I was in the center of 'Fussia City' and that I had half a mile to go to get out. I smoothed my tail over the Dragonair in the corner. 'Here I go' I said, and I pushed myself onwards.
Ten Minutes, at least, however, later, I was sweating like a Hitmonchan. What was going on? Was Dehydrating or something? No. I couldn't be. I barely had time to wonder, however because at that exact second a Human popped up infront of me. 'Sweetness, a Dratini! Go Growlithe, attack with a bite!' So I battled. After I won that one, I ran into another Trainer and then another Trainer. This was just impossible. I thought maybe that they had planned seeing me because with every step another trainer would pop out of nowhere and would just attack me. I was nearly at the fainting point. I was gasping for air and I swear every movement was burning my stomach. Then another Trainer popped out.
This one had yellow-blond hair and blue eyes. She smiled at me. 'I really don't want to finish you off' She sighed. 'But I must or my parents will be after my blood. Is it okay if I take you? Just for a while?' She asked. I didn't know what to do. I hung my head. 'I'm sorry' She said. She threw a ball at me. It hit my side and I felt as if a very powerful vacuum had been pasted to my side. I was being pulled into the ball. I felt the sides of the ball close in on me. I struggled and attacked the sides of the ball but it was useless. I had been captured inside the ball.
'Right on, I got Dratini!' Said the Human. (I was informed that it was a Girl) 'I send out my new Pokemon!' She called. I was sucked out of the ball. The Girl kneeled down aside me. 'My name is Miranda,' She said, smiling. 'I captured you in a Pokeball. I know we're going to be good friends!'
She said. She beamed at me with a furious kind of pride in her face. She gathered up the Pokeball and bellowed 'Come back, my friend!' And so I did. The same vacuum affect, the same strains in the ball. It was days and days before I emerged from my spherical enclosure, for we had been traveling through a detour. Miranda was always whispering talking to herself. After a little while I began to learn a lot. Miranda was very kind to me, but that didn't halt me from being enraged, for I needed to find the Dragon Squad and I didn't know how to do just that when trapped within a prison-or a pokeball.
When she called me out, I swear it was like being reborn. The sun seemed to heat every part of me and it seemed to be weeks since I had breathed in any of nature's air. The Pokeball was warm, but humid and extremely stuffy. I held my breath for a while inside it, but it made the Pokeball seem worse. I only hoped that fate would allow me out soon�
I began to think of fate a lot, and how I wasn't in control of it. My fate had nothing to do with this girl. She would never get me to the Dragon Squad's Lair, and she would never ever let me leave her. Fate is what I decide to do, indeed. I was out of my Pokeball, and I was released into a swamp, which, although was covered in strange green slime, was extremely relaxing. I hadn't been in water for quite a while. A thought struck me. If I dove down into the water than Miranda would never find me. She couldn't call me back! I turned around and began to swim, but my stomach twisted again. My heartbeat was nearly ten times the usual speed. I was doing something wrong, according to my soul, but my brain was urging me on�.
Chapter Six As if someone had lit a fire beneath me, I sprung out of the pond whining. I jumped around the surface, deliriously confused. Miranda came up to me. 'What?' She stuck her hand in the water and shivered. 'It is cold. You're right. We better find somewhere else.' She said, shivering. So guess where she put me? Yes. In the Pokeball. After sixteen minutes and forty-two seconds (I had been counting), however, a hand clamped over my Pokeball and tossed it strait up. I came out in midair, and, not having wings, I fell.
Miranda had released me infront of an Arcanine, who had the longest teeth I have ever seen. It was up to Miranda's waist, but with every movement of its claws it seemed to get a bit bigger. 'Now, Dratini, wrap!' I looked at her. Wrap an Arcanine? Is she crazy? 'Yes, wrap. Now!' She said, pointing a finger at the dog. I stared at her. Why should I battle him? I began to loathe around. 'Now!' Miranda said. I glared at her and I felt my jewel become hot. Instead, I used a thunder-wave.
'Come on!' She pleaded. I turned away. 'NOW!' She screamed. So it went on. Arcanine didn't attack because its Human was laughing so hard. I, amazingly, was called back into my Pokeball, and I stayed there for over a week. Miranda must have lost her temper with me, as I was weak and hungry but she didn't seem to care. The next time, which was that day, I was called out onto a grassy field infront of a Lapras. I was told to use my sand attack. I ignored orders. Well Miranda was enraged. When we got into a center with yet another Joy, she was absolutely fuming. She glared at Joy as she handed me over, and I had to pretend I had fainted so Miranda wouldn't kill me. I woke up one day in a lovely little Diglett hole, where I guess I had been put. Miranda's Growlithe was snoozing near the hole where I could get out.
I snuck out with my tail in the air. Miranda was sleeping in a sleeping bag. When I went by she woke up. 'You�' She said. 'You realize what you have done? I lost two gym battles because of you! Gym battles! I would leave you but I'm not that kind of person. I will lower your rations, however, if you don't attack that rock right now!' She panted. 'Dratini!' I screamed, advancing on her. I hit her hard with my tail, enraged. Growlithe ran to my side. Miranda flipped opens an encyclopedia with POKEDEX written on the front. It said 'Dratini says that it will not be commanded.' 'I'm your trainer' Miranda said through gritted teeth. 'Dratini says that you aren't a friend, so what good is It being a Trainer?'
'Well I just am!' Miranda yelled. 'Dratini says He thinks that it would be better on this rock than back in that wretched Pokeball. He also says that Rations don't matter because he doesn't get them anyway.' 'Well I am not to leave you here! No! You will come in this Pokeball!' She screamed dangerously. 'You will like it!' She added, glaring.
'Dratini Says' Said the POKEDEX. 'That he has more important things to do. He has a goal and you will not help him achieve it by boring him with your talk. Goodbye...' 'I DON'T THINK SO!' She yelled, grabbing my tail. I was pulled back. 'DRAAAA!' I cringed a withered with all my might. I kicked and I bit, but she managed to fight me into the Pokeball. My stay with her was going to be so fun.
Chapter Seven The conversation I had had with Miranda was pounding in my head and no matter what I did it echoed louder and clearer. I knew she meant well, but I was absolutely furious. It was easily over a month before her feelings towards me changed the least bit, and after a month in the Pokeball you tend to forget things and become a bit mad. 'Okay. Now this won't work, so I may as well walk away, but go Dratini!' I heard. I had been asleep, but when the hand closed around the spherical shape, showering it with an absurd dark light, I knew that I was going to be called out. 'Dratini!' I gasped, slapping my tail on the pavement. 'Use wrap' Said Miranda hopelessly.
I didn't want to run away. There was a slight edge in Miranda's voice. She seemed to have lost faith in me. Well that was an insult to me, for I stated clearly that I would complete my mission with pride. So I would. I jumped at the opponent, a burly Cloyster, and wrapped around its shell. The Cloyster screamed as I forced the shell to close. The Cloyster gagged but simply opened its shell again and began to wrap me. I suddenly learned agility, though I knew it was too early. I glared at the Cloyster and slipped out of its grasp. Though it began to chases me around, he knew it was hopeless. I thunder-waved it followed by another wrap, and the Cloyster overbalanced and fainted. I jump off, looking at Miranda triumphantly. 'Dratini?' She asked, bending down.
'Dratini, what did you do?' She asked. She was actually smiling. Then she looked at me, absolutely beaming, and grabbed me around the stomach and put me on her shoulders. The trainer of the Cloyster looked at her. 'Fine' She said. 'You can pass. But beware, fire trainers lay ahead! You are done with ice!' She said, and she stepped out of the way. 'Way to go Dratini' Miranda kept repeating. Now somehow, this won battle had really gotten me worked up. Miranda had complete faith in me. She knew-and so did I- that we would help each other through out her mission. She would have to let me accomplish mine.
From then on I was no longer the last Pokemon in her bench. A lot happened because of that slight edge in her voice, for now I was being trained on Flame Pokemon and beating them as easily as if they where level zero. The challenges became harder and harder but I became stronger and stronger. Soon I had learned bite, from a Technical Machine, and I was becoming impossible to beat. Then my true challenge came.
Miranda was in a village called Cinnebar Island a month later, and she was extremely proud of it. She kept leaping in the air whenever she walked around. Her first stop was the Pokemon Center where Me, Growlithe, Cubone, Seel and Nidorino and Nidorina stayed the night.
But we couldn't just very well relax, could we? Of course not. She had to battle in the Cinnebar Gym, but it was locked. She knew where to get the key, so, extremely nervous, we entered a brick building. The inside was entirely charred. There where flame Pokemon everywhere, burning holes in the upholstery and through the walls. A few gas Pokemon where chatting in the corner. I looked at Miranda as if she was mental. The place must be extremely dangerous, I thought. Miranda was looking around with her face set but her hand was shaking hard. I looked back up at her, but this time she returned the stare. For a long time we just starred at each other, and for some reason I felt something rearranging in my stomach.
'C'mon,' She said sadly to me, so I nodded and squirmed along behind her and Growlithe. Growlithe made a stop, with an expression on his face like he had been shot. 'Grooowl!' He yelled, barking like mad. 'Dratini, what's going on?' Stammered Miranda. I shook my head hopelessly. How was I to know? Well the crazy dog continued barking until that ran out of energy, so he started growling with all his might. Well Miranda was giving Growlithe a weird looked and, in spite of my self, I felt a snicker forming in my stomach. But immediately I began to frown. In fact, I think I would have burst into tears if I hadn't been to scared to move. Because infront of us was the biggest birdie I have ever seen�
Chapter Eight I was huge! It had fire coming off its head, its tail and its wings, which where long enough for Miranda to ride on. I spun around and whimpered a bit, facing the wall, when the words that just make me mad soared into my brain� 'Go, Dratini!' Then I knew, she had gone mental. At birth, I suppose she was hit hard on the head. The chances of me actually looking at him and falling where better than me attacking it. Well I flicked my tail nervously, and kind of bit the air then scurried behind her thinking 'there I did my bit' 'Dratini!' She said, so I jumped out into the air and grabbed the birdies tail. It burnt me and I fell down. So I jumped in the air and bit it's stomach, and it burnt me I fell down. I jumped in the air AGAIN and this time grabbed it's neck and starting flinging it around. Then something weird fell from the bird's Hot Wings. A key.
'Wow! Great, Dratini, come back down!' I decided that after she hit her head at birth someone stepped on it. I looked down and thought '9 feet�only 3 yards�' but the bird was cruising upwards and 3 yards doubled, tripled�I was at the ceiling, and I was screaming. Miranda waved her key at me, like it was going to hover in midair, spread into another bird and come and save me. Well, no, but she threw it into the air and hit me on the head. Bad aim. The key fell again and she grabbed it and threw it so it missed me by an inch and hit the Moltres in the eye.
For the pokedex Miranda had called 'MOLTRES! VICIOUS AND PROTECTIVE! DOSEN'T LIKE TO BE DISTURBED' Miranda was still mental in my mind, messing with Moltres, but it let go of me and Miranda caught me in my Pokeball, and for the first time in my life I was glad to see it. Miranda was running with all her might, because my Sphere Prison was bumping against her leg and I was rolling around weirdly.
I was beginning to fall asleep, when guess what happens? I'm called out into a Pokemon center, like I haven't seen enough of those to last me a lifetime. Another Joy just put me onto a conveyer belt and zapped me with some healers, and I was fine. Miranda smiled at me and grabbed me up. I thought maybe she was going to bring me to the beach, but no, she went strait to the Cinnebar Gym.
When she walked in, she dropped me. It was dark and the walls where painted red. There was a scarlet gold carped across the floor, going up a few stairs at the end of the hall into somewhere surrounded by maroon curtains. There are pictures of fire Pokemon everywhere. The top of the gym was arched with a thick band across it. On that band, burning and flickering, illuminating the gym, was�
'Yeah that's fire�' Said Miranda, looking into the eyes of an Arcanine. 'Growl!" Said the dog and I spun around. It hadn't been Growlithe that had spoken. It had been an Arcanine. Growlithe came out from behind Miranda and starting biting Arcanine. And I stood there and watched them, my mouth open a bit, as the two crazy doggies where scratching and nipping at each other�
'Archie' Says a voice, and I know I jumped four feet in the air. The Arcanine growls again and backs off. It heads for the carpet but instead of going in another comes out. They stand on either side of the curtain and pull it back, exposing a red and yellow velvet chair, where a man is sitting stroking a Ninetails, patting a Vulpix, smiling at his arrangement of Ponyta's and Rapidash's, and scratching yet another Arcanine. Several others where playing a while back. 'I've come to challenge you, Blaine. I want to earn a badge and I want to do it today. No delays. Set the rules.' Miranda said firmly.
The man nodded and pulled a switch. The ground moved. It shifted like mad and began to shake. Then a booth sprung out of midair and Miranda and I where balanced on it. The ground below us disappeared exposing a pit of Lava with stones sticking out. Another booth was on the other side, with Blaine in it. 'You will feel the pain of your Pokemon when they get hurt in that booth' Sneered Blaine. 'So will you, I hope, because you will be in so much pain you'll give up raising Pokemon. Dratini go!' 'Charziard, go!'
Chapter Nine Well my wrap wasn't great on buddy here, because Blaine just shivered a bit and the pain disappeared. However, when Charziard used Fire Blast, Miranda yelled and doubled over, whilst I glared at my opponent. I smiled when it's tail whip missed but it smiled back when I nearly fell of a rock when my wrap hit it. 'Charziard, now, twenty five power, one hundred effect, a flame blast!'
The shape of a star, but on fire, came gliding towards me like a ghost. Did it look like something a Dragon would produce? I jumped of my rock to avoid it, and I landed on a bride in the middle of the lava pit. I swung my tail around and around, hitting Char hard, when he returns my damage doubled with some attack. I jump up and bite him everywhere but his tail, and pretty soon he's fainted, and Miranda is cheering like mad, and Blaine is on his knees with the Pokeball out. So he sent out his Ninetails, who was pretty despite the determined look on his face. It used a rage attack, but Blaine stopped it by yelling "No, Nine, No!" So Nine came back with a flame thrower, which hit my face pretty hard and I was dancing on the spot when Miranda said 'Surf!' I didn't know what she was talking about, but the jewel on my forehead began to glow blue and then it was spraying water out of it.
Ninetails gave a little holler but continued to dance in between the rocks. She hit me on the face with some of her tails, and I struck back with wrapping them together. She bit me. I hit her. She bit me again! I paralyze her and push her into the lava, where she floats. Blaine begins to yell so hard I swore that he's becoming an opera singer. Then Ninetails disappeared into the Pokeball with a flash of red light. 'Okay, Miranda, if that's your name, if Dratini stays out, It'll get flattened. Do you really want that to happen?' Blaine sneered.
"No, so it won't' Said Miranda coolly, as Blaine choose his Arcanine to attack me with its Roar. I laughed. It didn't have any effect, so I came back with another surf, but Arcanine dodged. I growled and changed to a bite, and Arcanine used some attack called howling moon. I didn't know what it did until part of the roof fell down and hit me. I nearly fell of my rock, but quickly I came back by biting Arcanine again. Arcanine was laughing, but I didn't care. It's tail was being beaten up pretty good.
'Archie now, a thunder!' I stared. How did an Arcanine learn thunder? I dove under it and gave myself a little shake, then began to work on gnawing his tail again. Soon Archie noticed his mangled tail and began to cry like the little baby he was. He was busy bawling his eyes out, so I body slammed him into the lava, and Blaine turned of the 'Pokemon Damage hurts you, too' Button on his coat because he couldn't bare it any longer.
I was kind of thinking 'Bring it on, fatty,' when he called out his Rapidash. Its first attack missed me, which was lucky because it was Horn Drill. Next I retorted with a Body Slam, and Rapidash lost its footing and fell down, but it gave a kick of its hind legs and galloped in the air back to earth. So I used another body slam, but this time Rapidash just kept on galloping and soon she was in her agility, which I would rather not confront.
I didn't see her coming back at me from behind, because she hit me and I went flying over to Miranda's booth. She didn't catch me, she jumped and I missed her. I jumped back into the battle and Rapidash used rage, so I began to body slam it as hard as I could. Rapidash just got more and more enraged until at last, it's rage hit me for almost 50 and I felt my tail twitch weakly. I thought of everything that would happen if I lost this battle, So my final body slam was hard enough to knock Rapidash over completely. It hit it's head and blacked out.
'Come back, Red.' Said Blaine mournfully, and Rapidash came back. I thought perhaps the battle was over, because Blaine looked upset and was rummaging his cloak for an award or something, but to my horror, and Miranda's, he found his fifth Pokemon, and from the way he held it, you cold tell it was Too Hot To Handle without Hot Handlers. Miranda shrieked, and I yelled, and Blaine laughed out loud, because his next Pokemon was a Moltres, who was flapping its great wings 4 meters above the battle, laughing along with his trainer.
Chapter Ten If only I hadn't already had a taste of it's power, perhaps I could have defeated it right then. But I was stammering when I called my name out, and I was shaking when the bird used its first attack, a swift, with which he pulled throwing stars out of midair and threw them at me with amazing speed. I got hit pretty bad.
Well Miranda quickly worked out her strategy, and she told me to use a surf down into the lava. Blaine laughed as a bit of steam rose from where I had sprayed. 'Fine, keep it coming until you have the power of a hydro pump!' She ordered, and I started spraying the lava with my water so that it began to froth and bubble madly. Moltres was petrified, because the smoke was so natural for it, it thought that it was still in a volcano. It dived into the lava and I used a few tougher surfs, but Moltres popped back out and began to claw me with long talons.
I growled at it and yelled my name, as I jumped into the air to grab its talons with my tail. And as the Moltres screeched like mad, I used a bit on its bony knee. Then it glared at me with a look of fury in its eyes. They where gleaming dark red and yellow, with little fire balls circling within them. It had used its rage, and I couldn't do a thing because it was flapping a quarter of a mile above the stadium.
Perhaps, yes, it makes me sound wimpy, and yes, pathetic, and yes, weak, but I was ready to faint right then and there, and I was ready to die, right then and there, and I was ready to scream my little face off, in Moltres' own, but what did I do? Bite it. Yes, I bit Moltres' beak, and it was so furious it circled around the top of the arena and flapped higher until my back was almost burnt because of the heat of the ribbon of fire burning above me. So I used surf of the fire, but it just fizzled a bit. I dove down but Moltres caught me again. And before I knew it, my tail was in its talon and we where fighting in midair, trying to knock each other down. We didn't know what we where doing, and we didn't care, but we where ready to fight until the death, and then a voice rang in my ears 'Remember fate�Fate is your choise. If you choose to lose, lose you shall!' And I hit it across the face with my own. I struggled like mad and started biting at the fire and everything. B
But Moltres just cackled and soon enough, it flung me down. Somehow, however, I managed to grab hold of its talons and we continued to wrestle, gradually falling downward underneath one and another's pull, when Blaine yelled like a lady. Why? Because Moltres was closing it's eyes and snapping them back open, because it had been greatly weakened. I nipped at it again, but nothing happened, it just bit me back on the tail and I yelled like Blaine had. Then Miranda yelled, and Blaine yelled, and pretty soon I was yelling, because Moltres and I where wrestling down into the lava pit.
Chapter Eleven 'Dratini�Dratini?' A voice from the distance said. 'Dratini�Dratini�' It repeated, and I felt something tap my face. I opened my eyes and the face of Miranda swam into view. My first thought was of the voice I heard, but it changed to the battle. 'Dr�Dra�Drat�' I muttered, and Miranda seemed to understand. She looked at me and picked me up and squeezed me so hard I felt like my head was going to come off. 'Yes you won. Moltres fainted right before it hit the lava. You didn't until you where inside!' Miranda choked. She seemed to be very distressed. 'Dratini!' I yelled, and Miranda smiled. 'Yeah. We should go. But I'll need to use your surf�' She said. I stared. Did she mean�? 'Drat.' I said. Miranda found this funny. 'Yes. I have to surf on you. C'mon. We have to go, I have an earth badge to earn yet!'
Ten minutes later I was swimming through the ocean, water hitting my side, with Miranda and Growlithe balanced on my back. It was really sensational, but halfway through the trip my trainer told me to stop. She placed us on a raft she found. There was two trainers on it, but they both looked as tired as I felt. 'We're almost in pallet. Thanks for the lift, Dratini, you're a real sweetheart!' She added, giving me one of her grins. Growlithe glared at me.
"Why does she care for you? Why? I have always been loyal to her! I would surf in the water any day to earn her respect. Why does she like you?" He barked at me in Growlithe. "Well I won that last battle for her" I said firmly. I really didn't want to make rivals with Growlithe. "SO?" He growled back at me. I rolled my eyes. "I've won plenty of battles for her!' 'That's nice' I said, dangling my tail in the water. Growlithe gave me a final glare before Miranda shouted over the commotion; "Time to set off, Come on you two!'
She jumped on my back and Growlithe jumped into her arms sending sparks at me. When we where at last at pallet town, Growlithe seemed to have forgiven me. He thought he would fight the next battle. He also thought that I would care if Miranda preferred him to me. I was on a mission to find my kind, and Miranda was more of a bus than a mother.
Miranda went knocking on the gym door which was in the next town, which was called Viridian. After requesting a battle with the leader and signing some papers, she ordered us into a huddle to think up statistics.
'Growlithe, you won't be great in this gym, so I'll use you second and third. Dratini will be okay and his surf will be awesome, so he can be first fourth and fifth. Get it? Great. Now Dratini, just use Body Slam and Surf. Disable the other ones.
Growlithe, use only your growl and bite, disable the other ones�' She was ready to continue when a voice boomed that Giovanni called us in. With bated breath Miranda heaved me onto her shoulders and Growlithe into her arms as we headed into another gym.