Vermilion I – This Is War

Slate did not allow Chansey to heal his injured ear.

He allowed her to help him clean and wrap it but he didn't want to risk her Heal Pulse wiping away the potential scar. Slate told his Pokémon that he would wear it like all his other scars, as a reminder of a lesson to be learned, and all of his Pokémon except Chansey seemed to approve. She rolled her eyes at him but acquiesced.

Slate wasn't sure what lesson he should learn from his scar. That humans weren't to be trusted? That close friends could misunderstand or even betray you? For the first time in a long time Slate felt lonely and it was the companionable closeness of his Pokémon that he sought. Fortunately, they gave it eagerly.

The Route between Saffron and Vermilion wove through hills and forests, past rivers and the odd home. Slate shied away from the latter, as he didn't seek to be near any humans right now, and instead chose to make camp near the rivers so he and his Pokémon could feed themselves. His Pokémon even joined in, using their powers and physical abilities to assist.

Although Slate had to stop Mareep from electrocuting an entire river of Pokémon to death. That would be too much to eat and a waste.

Throughout it all Slate worked with his Pokémon, refining their moves and having them practice with mock battles with one another. After two weeks of walking and training, they finally entered Vermilion and checked into a Pokémon Center located near the sea. Slate registered for the Vermilion City Gym eagerly and began his challenge two days later optimistically.

Unfortunately hope has no place in war. And every battle with Lt. Surge was a war.

The man fought in the last war and treated his Gym as an extension of that experience. For normal Trainers they had to dig around in the trash for “resources” flicking randomized switches while Electric-type Pokémon shot Thunder Shocks in the air over them. Lt. Surge claimed it was to get the youngsters experienced in the desperation of survival. Slate thought it was because the man was a sadist.

This belief only continued with the challenge Slate issued. As a two Challenger Badge Trainer, Lt. Surge felt that Slate should be made of sterner stuff and had him fight five of his Gym Trainers, each with teams of three Pokémon.

Slate was mentally drained. His Pokémon were physically exhausted and Scyther and Vulpix were knocked out, leaving Slate with few options. And he still had to face Lt. Surge.

“Begin!” the referee shouted.

“Show it a real fighter, Electabuzz!” Lt. Surge barked.

“You got this, Machop!” Slate shouted.

Machop pistoned her fists as Electabuzz did the same, both Pokémon rushing forward. Machop threw a Poison Jab at Electabuzz, landing it in its guts but her foe ignored the strike. Its fists sparked with electricity and it smashed them into Machop’s face without hesitation.

Slate’s jaw tightened but he knew Machop should have the advantage. “Close Combat!” Slate shouted. Machop obeyed and the small Fighting-type grabbed Electabuzz's arm, pulling them closer so that the Electric-type couldn’t escape.

Lt. Surge grin savagely. “Thunderbolt,” he ordered calmly.

Slate was blinded as the world lit up. He belatedly covered his eyes with his arm but he knew Machop needed to act quickly lest they lose the battle. “Revenge!” he shouted, hoping that Machop still had a hand on Electabuzz.

Slate's vision cleared just in time to see Electabuzz thrown harshly to the ground before it rolled to its feet. Machop, heavily injured and smoking slightly, glared at it. They needed to end this fast or else Lt. Surge would run Slate's whole team into the ground.

“Rest!” Slate ordered. Machop sank to the floor, her eyes closing as she instantly fell into a recovery state.

“War’s no place to take a nap!” Lt. Surge barked. He gave Slate a savage grin. “Wake it up with a Shock Wave!”

A wave of Electric-type energy built up around Electabuzz for a moment and Slate seized the moment. “Snore!”

“What?” Lt. Surge shouted.

Machop snored, long and loud, and Slate’s ear throbbed in pain. But as bad as it was for him it was worse for Electabuzz as it staggered to the side before collapsing, holding its head as the Shock Wave dissipated.

“Thunder,” Lt. Surge said, his voice hard and cold.

A burst of light exploded from Electabuzz and slammed into Machop, sending the Fighting-type through the air to slam into the Psychic Barrier in front of Slate, rippling at the sheer force of it. He grit his teeth as Machop fell to the floor, knocked out.

Slate could see Electabuzz staggering to its feet. As Slate returned Machop he felt his heart thudding in his chest.

“You could always give up,” Lt. Surge said smugly. The cold voice had vanished leaving an insufferable prick behind. “I doubt anything a kid like you has will be able to stop my team!”

Slate grabbed Aron’s Poké Ball. “Let's find out. Aron, use Rock Polish!”

Aron appeared in a flash of red and immediately rolled across the floor, glowing with Rock-type Pokéenergy. He became a blur for a moment before coming to a halt, staring up at the Electabuzz that looked down at him with a dismissive frown.

Without the Gym Leader's order, Electabuzz raised one leg, aiming to kick Aron away. Even though Slate couldn’t see Aron’s face, he knew it would have the same satisfied gleam in his eye that Slate now had. Electabuzz’s foot met Aron’s shell as he used Iron Defense.

The clang echoed throughout the Gym as Electabuzz broke its foot on Aron’s armor. It howled in agony and hopped on one leg while Lt. Surge shouted at it to get a grip. Aron didn’t wait for Slate’s command.

Draconic fire covered Aron’s body, moreso on his feet and head than anywhere else. Aron charged forward with Dragon Rush, Rock Polish boosting his speed turning him into a fiery cannonball. Aron lept from the ground toward Electabuzz.

Aron thunked into the Psychic Barrier, having missed Electabuzz by a wide margin. He fell to the ground with a heavier thunk, slowly wobbling to his feet a moment later. Slate sighed.

“That aim, huh?” Lt. Surge asked. His Electabuzz was still hopping around to the side.

“He’s young,” Slate said with a shrug. “He’ll get there.”

Lt. Surge scoffed. “Unless he dies first, kid. Let's see how your cannonball does against some real power. I withdraw Electabuzz.” He withdrew his Electabuzz while Aron staggered over to Slate’s side of the field.

The Gym Leader tossed out another Poké Ball, revealing an Electrode. It grinned menacingly at Aron. The Gym was tense as the two Trainers and their Pokémon stared each other down.

“Rollout!” Lt. Surge suddenly shouted. Electrode began to move toward Aron.

“Iron Defense!” Slate ordered.

The two Pokémon collided head on, metal against metal screeching as they bounced off one another. While Aron took a small amount of damage Slate had learned his lesson in allowing enemy Pokémon to build up Rollout. A little bit of pain now would be better than massive amounts later.

“Rock Polish!” Slate ordered. He knew Aron needed more speed if they were to win this.

Aron immediately began to spin once more, boosting his speed even more. Electrode rolled back to face Aron.

“Charge Beam!” Lt. Surge ordered. His Pokémon sent out a small blast of electricity toward Aron who barely dodged it with his enhanced speed. “Again!”

“Dodge!”

Aron continued to dodge the Charge Beam attacks, each so close that Slate could see how sparks danced over Aron’s armor. For a moment it looked as though Aron would be able to escape unscathed. But Lt. Surge wasn't going to allow that.

“Carpet Bomb!” Lt. Surge shouted.

Electrode's speed seemed to pick up, launching Charge Beams faster than Slate could blink. They struck everywhere as Electrode ceased to aim them entirely but accuracy was no longer the name of Lt. Surge's game.

Complete and total destruction was.

Aron was hit several times, thrown about the field by violent blasts of electricity. Dust filled the air as the Gym floor was blasted apart by the repeated blasts, each sounding like a thunderblast, echoing in Slate’s ears. The visibility in the Gym vanished, leaving Slate to peer into the dust clouds that were illuminated by a constant barrage of electricity. It only continued for a few more seconds before stopping, allowing the dust to fade.

Slate's Aron stood, trembling under a Protect it managed to produce. His armor was scorched and blackened in places, and Slate could see sparks dancing over Aron’s limbs, a sure sign of Paralysis.

Lt. Surge opened his mouth to say something but then closed it thoughtfully. He nodded. “End it with Self-Destruct.”

Electrode began to glow, almost like an evolution, but Slate had heard enough horror stories of this move. He returned Aron just in time, saving him from the dangerous explosion.

Lt. Surge frowned at him. “You can't always retreat,” he said, meaning coloring his words. Slate shook his head.

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“I withdraw him voluntarily. There's no need to inflict unnecessary damage on him.”

The Gym was quiet as the two men stared at one another. A grin cracked across Surge's face.

“Heh. I can respect that. You'd be surprised how many good men and Pokémon are sacrificed in war. Glad to see you have some common sense.”

Then Lt. Surge clapped his hands together. “Well this is it. Our last Pokémon. And just because you've managed to impress me I'm going to use one of my best. Show me what you got, kid!”

A Raichu appeared on the field of battle, sparks buzzing from its cheeks threatening. Slate looked at the beefy Pokémon thoughtfully. At least with Slate’s last Pokémon, Surge's Raichu wouldn't have a type advantage.

Mareep appeared and for the first time didn't charge forward recklessly. Unfortunately, Lt. Surge wasn't so restrained.

It started off as quiet chuckles before it developed into a full blown laugh. Lt. Surge laughed and laughed, and even his own Raichu looked back at him in concern. It went on so long that the tall man doubled over, clutching his sides desperately to catch his breath.

“Oh, Mew,” Lt. Surge gasped. “Here I thought you'd actually give me a challenge. I can't believe you threw out a bloody Mareep!”

Lt. Surge laughed again but it seemed only Slate noticed that his Mareep was glaring hatefully at the tall man. The Gym Leader kept talking.

“I've seen some weak Electric-types before but I've never met anyone who had the balls to send one like this against me. I can't believe this.”

Mareep's body was almost trembling in rage now and its little legs were flexing restlessly.

“I mean, maybe you brought it here so I could barbecue it. Thanks for bringing me lunch, kid. I'd love to eat something freshly killed.”

For the third time that day Slate was blinded by light, only this time it was not from an attack. Mareep's body glowed with the light of evolution and everyone turned to watch Mareep evolve into a Flaaffy. The squat creature shifted to its hind legs and the wool that covered its body shifted until it only covered its head and neck. The light faded and a Flaaffy stood before them all.

And then it promptly tackled Raichu and began to punch it in the face.

Evolution had done nothing to calm it down and all the buttons that Lt. Surge had pushed the Pokémon past its new found but limited patience. It used its new arms to great effect, smashing its nub like hands into Raichu's face, sitting on its foe so it couldn't escape. And it kept punching, on and on and on, never stopping for a moment.

Belatedly Slate remembered the previous night where Flaaffy, then a Mareep, had been watching Machop practice a few punches over and over again. It was now putting those memories to good use by pounding Raichu's face in.

Raichu did not take the attacks sitting down but it didn't have many options. It tried to shock Flaaffy off of it but Flaaffy's new skin was quite similar in texture and properties to rubber, allowing it to ignore the attacks with ease. Raichu tried to attack back with punches of its own but its position and the repeated attacks on its face prevented it from doing any real damage to the furious Flaaffy above.

The Gym was silent except for the repeated strikes on Raichu's face. Lt. Surge was staring at the brawling Pokémon utterly dumbfounded. His Gym Trainers, standing around the room, were likewise staring as they had never seen their Gym Leader's Pokémon handled in such a manner. And Slate?

Slate was grinning.

Raichu must have passed out at some point as Flaaffy rose from its position on Raichu's chest and stood directly in front of Lt. Surge. Its wool began to rustle and everyone stared as sparks began to fly from it. The bulb on Flaafy's tail glowed and instinctively Slate closed his eyes.

The sound of thunder and smell of ozone alerted Slate that Flaafy unleashed a truly powerful attack on the Psychic Barrier in front of Surge. The Gym was silent as the Gym Leader stared at Flaaffy for the longest time. And then Lt. Surge laughed.

“Well done!” he said, returning his Raichu. “I've never seen that before. A hell of a thing too, Raichu's gonna be kicking himself for weeks for that loss.”

Lt. Surge shook his head, stepping fearlessly onto the field. He knelt next to Flaaffy, staring it directly in the eyes and Slate readied his Poké Ball in case he needed to be recalled before it could attack the Gym Leader.

Slate needn't have bothered as Lt. Surge gave Flaaffy an approving pat on the head before walking across the field to Slate. Slate returned his Pokémon a moment before the Gym Leader arrived.

“Well, kid, you've managed to impress me. Where did you get that Pokémon?” Lt. Surge asked.

Slate saw no harm in answering that. “From a ranch between Celadon and Saffron.”

“You're kidding?” Lt. Surge asked disbelievingly. Slate shook his head, smiling a little.

“Nope. That's where I got him from. Honest truth.”

“A hell of a thing. Well you've earned the Thunder Badge and in a rather spectacular manner too. I stopped getting Challenger Tier challenges ages ago so getting to show off my Gym properly was fun. You going to challenge my Gym on the Champion Tier too?”

Slate nodded. He was going to challenge all of the Gym Leaders properly but first he had to prove himself ready for that level of combat.

Lt. Surge nodded. “You're decent kid but you need more power. The League is strict about which Pokémon us Gym Leaders can use so we don't ruin their precious Gym Circuit. It's all tied to the Badges you earn and it's boring nonsense but rarely do we get challenged on the Champion level. And do you know why?”

“Because it's your personal teams that you've worked and trained with for years,” Slate answered. Lt. Surge nodded approvingly.

“I'm partial to Raichus. My starter was a pain in the ass Pikachu but we went through hell together. That's a special kind of bond. It's why I make sure every Badge challenge has one of my Raichu's offspring fighting, to help train them up. And TM's are part of that.”

Lt. Surge handed Slate a TM. “That's Thunderbolt. It'll give your Pokémon a bit more power but if you want to challenge the other Gyms, especially at the Champion level, you'll need stronger Pokémon. Because what you've faced so far is nothing compared to what they have available.”

The Gym Leader gained a contemplative look on his face. “I could trade you an Electabuzz. And not the one you faced earlier, I'd trade you a strong one, one I use for my Eight Badge challenges. He's a real powerhouse and he'd help give you the boost in power you need if you want to fight against the big boys.”

This sounded too good to be true. “What's the catch?” Slate asked. Surge put his hands up in mock defense.

“No catch. I'll trade him for that Flaaffy of yours. Trade you a weak Electric-type for a strong one.”

Slate didn't even need to think about it. “No,” he said, rather more harshly than he intended.

Lt. Surge raised an eyebrow. “Easy, easy. No need to get testy. I just think I could do a lot with that Flaaffy. I've never seen a Pokémon so vicious and I fought in the war.”

“My answer is still no,” Slate said clearly. Surge chuckled.

“Guess I'll have to make a trip to the farm to see if there are any others like him then. Oh well. Well you got your Badge and your prize, so get out of my Gym,” Surge said.

“Gladly.”

----------------------------------------

A few minutes later Slate was in a Pokémon Center handing his Pokémon over to a Nurse Joy. She took them with a smile and Slate returned it, before collapsing into a nearby couch to relax. Unfortunately it wasn't to last.

“Well, well, well. If it isn't Slate the thief,” an unwelcome voice said. Slate turned to see the unwelcome visage of Lincoln staring back at him. The Pokémon Center lobby was empty except for them.

“If it isn't the nuisance, Larry,” Slate said. Lincoln's face reddened with rage.

“It's Lincoln! And I want what's mine!”

“I'm not interested in listening to your delusions today, Linus. Let me rest in peace,” Slate said, closing his eyes. He felt a hand grip his shirt. “You might want to rethink your actions.”

“Or what?” Lincoln asked. Slate didn't need his eyes open to know Lincoln was smiling. “You'll go running to mommy and daddy?”

“Nope. I'll do this.”

Slate lashed out with his foot, slamming it into Lincoln's thigh. The hand clutching Slate's shirt left it as its owner lost his balance and smashed into the floor in front of Slate. Slate opened his eyes and stared down at Lincoln in contempt.

He kicked Lincoln again, this time in the diaphragm, knocking the wind from his lungs. Nurse Joy, drawn by the noise, entered the room just in time to see Slate standing up.

“What's going on out here?” she asked suspiciously. Slate gave her an easy smile.

“Leonard tripped over his feet. He's alright, he does this all the time,” Slate explained. Nurse Joy shot the groaning Lincoln a displeased look.

“Well tell your friend to keep it down. We have injured Pokémon being healed here,” she said, before vanishing into another room. Slate grinned down at the protesting Lincoln.

He leaned down and grabbed Lincoln roughly. He picked up and shoved the gasping boy onto the couch, staring down at him angrily.

“You seem to have deluded yourself, Lester, so I'm going to explain this in small words so you understand. You lost. You do not own Vulpix. I won her fair and square and you're going to have to deal with that. If you keep harassing me I will get the police involved, I'm sure an Officer Jenny would love to hear about you attempting to steal another Trainer's legally owned Pokémon.”

Lincoln shoved Slate away as he stood up. “I will get that Pokémon and I'm going to make you suffer for it,” Lincoln hissed.

“I'm petrified,” Slate deadpanned. Lincoln stepped forward, his fists clenched but a voice called out from the Pokémon Center entrance.

“Lincoln! There you are. It's time to go,” a tall man said as he approached them. “Who's this?”

“The thief,” Lincoln growled. The tall man glared at Slate.

“I see. You should do the right thing, young man, before something unpleasant happens. Tragedy often befalls those who do wrongs, after all.”

Slate stared at the man in disbelief. “I agree. Fortunately for me I've done nothing more than win a battle.”

“You didn't win, they refused to let me battle!” Lincoln hissed. Slate shrugged.

“Same thing really. You should remember that the next time you do something illegal.”

Slate wasn't sure what it was about his words that made the unknown man tense slightly before relaxing, but it was noticeable enough to catch his attention. But the mystery would go unsolved as the man placed a firm hand on Lincoln's shoulder.

“We're leaving.”

“But dad!” Lincoln protested.

“Now,” Lincoln's father said, pulling his son from the Pokémon Center. Slate shook his head at the departing pair.

“What a weird family.”

Since Slate's Pokémon were still being healed and checked over, he made his way to the wall of video phones. He quickly called up Maggie and was relieved when she answered on the first ring.

“Slate! I've been hoping you'd call. Jeremy's been a butt all day and I need intelligent conversation,” she said loudly, projecting her voice off to the side.

“Screw you, Maggie!” Jeremy, one of the other nurses at the Mt. Silver Pokémon Center, shouted from off screen. “Slate, don't listen to her, she's a monster!”

Maggie nodded. “Yeah, I am. Already done with your challenge? Surge getting weak in his old age?”

“I won. Mareep evolved into a Flaaffy out of spite and beat up his Raichu. It was surprising but cool,” Slate said. He traced her features with his eyes. “How are you doing, mom?”

It was the worst Slate had ever seen her. Large bruises and cuts covered her exposed flesh and one of her arms was in a cast. Off-screen Slate knew she had a broken leg and foot, forcing her into a wheelchair, although Slate had no idea how she pushed herself around in it.

Maggie waved a dismissive hand. “I’m fine. I wish the effectiveness of Potions wasn’t so much weaker on humans though. I’ll probably be down for another week or so but I wish it’d hurry up.”

“Yes, because healing near-fatal injuries in a week is slow.” Maggie stuck her tongue out at Slate, causing him to grin. “I’m glad you’re doing alright.”

“Me too,” Maggie said, expelling a blast of air from her lungs. “And hey! There is some good news; I’ve got a date!”

“You’ve got a date?” Slate asked, his lips twitching slightly.

“Yup! He’s one of the contractors repairing one of the healing machines. And he has the smallest Magnemite I’ve ever seen! I could wear it as an earring!”

“He’s got a small Pokémon, huh?” Slate had to fight to keep his lips in place.

Maggie didn’t notice Slate’s barely concealed mirth. “Yeah, it’s adorable. The little guy is always letting off little shocks though. Makes me all tingly.”

Slate clenched his jaw to stop himself from laughing. “They do that,” he said, almost choking on his words. Maggie nodded before finally noticing Slate’s face.

“What’s wrong with your face?”

Slate stopped holding back his laughter.