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Unwilling Service: Jimmy's Quest	By : Economy Category: Pokemon > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 1692 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any of the characters due to appear in this ficseries. No profit is intended by posting this.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
Chapter 3: Trial of the Sages
(by Michael Cook)
Friday, March 1, 1996
While Violet City did resemble Cherrygrove, it failed to match the colorful vista because of its ancient roots. The city was a bland blend of greys and browns, the houses made of grey stone blocks topped with simple wooden plank roofs, not a single one adorned with paint. The only color came from the PokeMart and PokeCenter, their usually bright and lustrous blue and red roofs painted an unusual dull purple.
Jimmy strolled into the town, looking around in confusion. This was certainly not what he had been expecting. He shrugged, a paint scheme was nothing to worry about and he had stuff he needed to do. Shouldering his bag, he started into the town proper, aiming straight for the PokeCenter.
As his steps brought him closer and closer to the familiar building, his ears picked out a trader's cry, strong tones carrying on the air.
"Shard de berry. Shard de berry!"
A few more steps brought the owner of the voice into view. A large, strong jawed, thick shouldered man with a head of bright blue spiked hair dressed in a long blue cape that showed some signs of wear at the edges. His hands flicked round again as he juggled an assortment of berries.
"Shard de berry, shard de berry!" he called again in his strong baritone.
"Shard de berry?" Jimmy thought aloud before his brain could catch up to his mouth. "You mean..." he trailed off, swinging his backpack off. He knelt digging around in its contents. "In here somewhere…" he muttered before standing triumphantly, holding a certain green artifact before him. "You mean this?"
The man quickly spun around a few times, snatching the various whirling berries out of the air with practiced ease. His eyes widened a little as he looked down at what Jimmy was holding before him.
"Yah, yah, I'll trade three berries for it!" He answered, a smile splitting his face as he proffered handfuls of berries before him.
Jimmy nodded his acceptance and the man snatched up the proffered artifact. It joined the berries in his hands which started to rapidly whirl in the air as he began to juggle again. He grinned at Jimmy, his hand flashing out three times, tossing three of the whirling berries to him.
Mesprit beat him to them, though, spinning in the air as her paw and tail whipped around, catching them out of the air with casual ease.
"Thanks," Jimmy muttered to the hovering Pokemon, the berries having moved too quickly for him to see.
"Yah, yah," said the juggler, not seeing the purple Pokemon that hovered only a few feet from him. "If you bring me more, I'll give you some more berries, yah!"
He didn't wait for Jimmy to answer, launching straight back into his chant, the berries whirling round. Jimmy shrugged, smiling to himself as he headed inside the unusually colored PokeCenter.
-----
Once Jimmy's Pokemon had been healed up by the familiar nurse Joy, he took a seat in one of the quieter corners of the waiting room to examine the berries he'd just traded for. The first one appeared to be a blue strawberry with large green leaves; the second was green and round, with creases running down its surface at 90 degrees angles from one another; the remaining one was green with traces of yellow, conical, and had a curly tip and a rounded base.
Come to think of it, it had been a while since Jimmy had given anything to his Pokemon. Maybe one of these would be good for them. He dug his PokeDex out of his pocket, angling it at each berry in turn. The familiar mechanical voice chimed up.
"Rawst berry. May be used or held by a Pokemon to recover from a burn. If the leaves grow longer and curlier than average, this Berry will have a somewhat-bitter taste.
"Lum berry. May be used or held by a Pokemon to recover from various ailments. This Berry's gradual process of storing nutrients beneficial to Pokémon health causes it to mature slowly.
"Aguav berry. May be used or held by a Pokemon to recover energy during battle. This Berry turns bitter toward the stem. The dainty flower it grows from doesn't absorb much sunlight."
"I guess I've got some experimenting to do," thought Jimmy aloud, pocketing the Pokedex and storing away the berries before leaving the PokeCenter.
Jimmy moved away from the building, finding a quiet spot off to one side. "Okay, come on out, everyone!" he said, looking expectantly at the empty area in front of him. His pocket glowed red briefly as his Pokemon materialized before him. "I've got stuff for all of you, but don't eat them just yet. They're for battle, okay?"
His Pokemon all nodded their agreement before he gave each of them a random berry from his bag. He paused when it came to Totodile, who still had her second Oran berry from yesterday.
"Totodile," he said while kneeling down to her, laying his remaining berries down. "You're still holding a berry, aren't you? Would you like a different one?"
The reptile strode over, leaning down to sniff at the proffered berries. After a moment's indecision, she swapped her Oran berry out for a Cheri berry, shuffling away to examine her acquisition.
"Alright, that one's yours, then. Don't eat it until you feel numb in battle, okay?"
-----
Violet City Gym dominated the Violet City skyline. The large purple tower, had a staircase spiraling upward along the outside and was visible from pretty much anywhere within the city. Given his career goal, Jimmy was raring to take it on and his confidence was high.
The gym specialized in Air-type Pokemon, something Jimmy was looking forwards to testing himself against, especially as Totodile had learnt Water Gun the previous day.
"Just a simple matter of knocking them out of the air. Right?" Jimmy thought to himself, his confidence riding high.
Jimmy strode into the gym like he owned the place, ready to claim his badge and move on. Before he could even get to the gym leader, though, he'd have to go through the junior members. Jimmy couldn't have been more pleased when the first Junior Trainer he was facing sent out a Spearow. Time to test his theory.
"Totodile. Let's do this." He called, summoning his own Pokemon.
The Spearow circled once before diving quickly, pecking Totodile hard before she had the chance to react. Totodile lashed out wildly, managing the barest of scratches on the Spearow as it climbed back into the sky.
"Totodile. Water Gun." Jimmy called from the sideline.
A jet of water flashed into the air, blasting wide of the circling bird type Pokemon. As Tototdile drew in the breath for another shot the Spearow dived again, claws flashing. Another bright gash appearing on Totodile. Totodile fired again, the shot going wide once more. Before she could draw another breath the Spearow was upon her, another final diving peck knocking Totodile to the ground, the will to fight gone.
Jimmy briefly considered calling one of his other Pokemon to fight while drawing Totodile back to the safety of her Pokeball. He grimaced, knowing that all his other Pokemon lacked the experience that Totodile had. If she'd been picked off that easily, then what chance would they have?
Jimmy waved his hand in surrender, and the Junior Trainer called back his Spearow.
-----
It was a painful and humbling walk back to the Pokemon Centre as Jimmy contemplated his loss. Totodile had been defenseless against the superior Spearow and if that had been the Junior Trainer, just what would the Gym Leader's Pokemon be like? One thing was certain, he needed more time, he needed to train before facing the gym again.
But where he could go to properly train his Pokemon for a rematch? The thought circled in his head as he handed over Totodile for healing. There had to be somewhere around here. Jimmy's idle pacing took him to a magazine rack filled with brochures of the area, each one pointing towards something a visitor should go and see. One in particular caught his eye: The Sprout Tower, apparently, was some sort of ancient landmark. And to Jimmy, that meant one thing and one thing only: Pokemon.
-----
Inside the entrance to the pagoda known as Sprout Tower stood two large carved stone Bellsprout statues and a large, swaying beam of wood in the center. Rattata scurried about in the dark corners, their low chittering forming a background noise. At night, the place was infested with purple, gaseous, fanged Pokemon known as Gastly. The Monks who lived there were bothered by neither, having long since come to accept their presence.
Conscious that Totodile would be feeling a little fragile after her defeat and wanting in some way to make it up to him, Jimmy called her free from the pokeball, allowing her to explore the tower on foot with him. So far he hadn't spotted anything he considered worthy of using for training, so he continued his determined exploration of the tower until he eventually met a Buddhist monk.
The sage's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Jimmy, though he quickly realized he wasn't looking at him, but just over his left shoulder.
"You must have an important destiny ahead of you," said the sage, his eyes locked on Mesprit. "And one with such a destiny must become strong." He looked at Jimmy, seemingly reluctant to pull his gaze from Mesprit. "As such, I believe a test of your strength may be in order."
"Awesome!" Jimmy exclaimed, finally finding the challenge he'd been looking for: Something to build his strength for the gym. "Just what I need!"
"Very well, then." The Monk held his hand out, holding a PokeBall upward. "Bellsprout, go."
The lid flipped open in a brief burst of red light, the familiar plant Pokemon appearing before the sage. "Sprout," it chirped, standing patiently.
"Not exactly surprised to see that here," said Jimmy, drawing out a Pokemon of his own. "It's a Grass-type, so I choose... Pidgey!" He threw the ball forward, Jimmy's Pidgey appearing in midair, the Lum Berry from the odd looking juggler clutched in its claws. "Tackle it!"
"Vine Whip!" commanded the sage.
The bird thrust itself at the plant, trying to knock it off-balance to open its defense for a follow-up attack. The vines cracked out, narrowly missing the diving form of Pidgey, the bird's hard skull cracking into the small plant Pokemon.
Bellsprout staggered back, its vines waving defensively before it. Pidgey wasted no time however, swooping in again and again. Two more rapid hits to the backpedaling Bellsprout. Another tackle and the Bellsprout collapsed to the ground.
"Return." The sage called, a beam of red light recalling his downed Bellsprout. He selected a new PokeBall, tossing it out between them. The red and white orb opened to reveal another Bellsprout!
"Using the same Pokemon, huh?" said Jimmy. "In that case, I guess we could spice things up a bit. Pidgey, return!" He extended his arm to recall the triumphant bird type. "Totodile, all yours! Let's finish this quickly!" The Pokemon nodded in return. "Use Water Gun!"
"Vine Whip!" called the sage.
Before Bellsprout could react to the command, Totodile opened up, and a deep intake of breath was exhaled in a blast of super-pressurized water, the shot slamming straight into the surprised Bellsprout. The water pushed the Bellsprout back a few paces before it managed to spin away from the blast. It retaliated with its vines, cracking them against Totodile from a distance.
Totodile started to back away, dodging the incoming vines as the Bellsprout advanced with a flurry of blows. Jimmy watched, waiting, trying to spot an opening in the snapping attacks.
"Now! Scratch!" called Jimmy.
Totodile leapt forwards towards Bellsprout, its claws flashing out to rake across the front of the surprised Bellsprout. The two exchanged a sudden flurry of blows, Totodile scratching at the Bellsprout whilst it lashed him with its Vine Whip.
The Bellsprout fainted, leaving a worse-for-wear-looking Totodile standing over it.
"Bellsprout, return," called the sage, before sending out one more.
"Totodile, come back!" Jimmy drew his own Pokemon into her ball, before selecting another Pokemon. "Let's match!"
He threw the ball, summoning his own Bellsprout, a Persim berry coiled in its leaf like leg.
"Vine Whip!" both Trainers commanded.
The two Pokemon began to trade blows, neither willing to give ground as their vines lashed at each other, the space filled with the sounds of cracking whips, the smack of vines hitting flesh and the grunts of effort of both Pokemon.
The sage's Bellsprout lashed wildly, missing Jimmy's by the barest of margins. Jimmy's Pokemon took the chance, its vines swinging round hard to send the opposing Bellsprout tumbling.
"Yes!" Jimmy called in triumph, leaping up to punch the air as his Bellsprout staggered back towards him. "Well done all of you," he congratulated the Pokemon, handing a potion to Totodile before spraying a second onto Bellsprout.
The sage approached, bowing to Jimmy once.
"Thank you for the battle," he said. "I fought hard, but I am too weak. I will continue to train, to strengthen myself and my Pokemon. Do not underestimate the others; I am simply the first."
"Don't worry, I won't."
"Very good. Now, go." The sage answered with a smile, motioning to a set of stairs off to one side.
The next floor up, another sage greeted him with yet another Bellsprout.
"Your turn, Ledyba!" Jimmy called, not wanting to waste any time. The ladybug Pokemon appeared, holding an Oran berry. "Tackle!"
The ladybug charged forwards, its attack landing true, as the opponents vine whip cracked harmlessly overhead. Three more successful tackles and the Bellsprout was down, having barely even been in the fight. The sage summoned another Bellsprout to take its place, and so Jimmy sent Totodile forward in Ledyba's place.
This time the water Pokemon was quick enough to blast her opponent twice before finding herself in close quarters, a series of scratches finishing off the dripping wet Pokemon. Down this sprout went. For the second time today Jimmy would end the match with his own Bellsprout against this last one.
The fight went much the same as before, a slapfest of blows where neither gave ground. Jimmy's proved to be the stronger of the two, weathering the blows better than the smaller opposing Bellsprout. When that fight ended, he moved forwards to tend to his Pokemon.
Reaching into his bag he dug around for the potions, staring in horror as he realized he was down to his last one. "Dammit. I forgot to go to the Pokemart before leaving!" He muttered aloud, pouring the sole potion into the injured Bellsprouts mouth.
He glanced back at Totodile, who was barely injured. "Sorry. You're going to have to do without until I can find some more. Think you can manage?"
The Pokemon bobbed her head in response, her mood looking to have significantly improved with a few wins under her belt.
"That's my girl." Jimmy said, affectionately scratching the top of her head as Bellsprout retreated to the safety of its ball. "Oh wait, here ya go," Jimmy said fishing out his last remaining Oran berry, "this will have to do."
Jimmy didn't know how many more sages awaited him, but he did recognize this as some sort of endurance test. Stopping to go back to town to buy more potions was out of the question, especially as he would no doubt have to start all over again. He still had the energy powder from the Noisy Forest, but that was a last resort. Caterpie and Weedle weren't well suited to fighting here, they were too small in their current stages and would be easy pickings for the insectivorous Bellsprout.
And so, up Jimmy went to fight the next sage, trying to figure out a way to make it through with no healing potions for his Pokemon. By the time he reached the top of the stairs he'd decided the best way forwards would be to try and let each Pokemon battle as long as possible. He'd just have to revive them when he was back in town.
Another sage. Another Bellsprout. He smiled.
"It's up to you Ledbya. Let's show them what we are made of!"
The battle turned out to be surprisingly one-sided. Having already faced a Bellsprout, Ledyba was more prepared, doing its best to dodge the Vine Whip strikes until it could find an opening to retaliate with a tackle. Three Tackles later and the first Bellsprout was down, having only landed a single blow on the elusive Ledyba before it was recalled.
A series of unexpected disorienting supersonic waves, fired at the second Bellsprout from a distance left it open to attack, another series of tackles finishing it off. Ledyba finished the third surprised Bellsprout in a similar fashion, ending the fight having only taken a glancing blow.
More stairs, another waiting opponent and another Bellsprout. This one was different to those before it though, significantly larger, it's vines thicker, its petals brighter. Jimmy selected Pidgey, calling him to fight in the hopes of a rapid victory. Whereas the one Pidgey had previously fought was unable to counter the airborne Pokemon, this Bellsprout appeared to know what to expect.
It matched Pidgey move for move, ducking tackles as it lashed out with its vines. Both Pokemon giving and receiving heavy blows. It was after the fourth such blow that Jimmy was forced to recall Pidgey, not wanting it hurt any further. The Pokemon was barely awake and didn't resist as the red beam summoned it back to safety.
The Bellsprout didn't look much healthier and the sage appeared to have only the one. Jimmy was preparing to send out Ledyba to finish off the ailing Bellsprout when the sage raised his hand. He smiled, bowed and pointed towards the stairs as he recalled the Pokemon. With Pidgey quite badly hurt he had no choice but to feed her an Aguav Berry he'd received from the juggler, which she didn't like at all.
As he started towards the stairs Jimmy spotted a blue capsule resting on the floor. Wondering if it could help him in some way as he aimed his Poekdex at it.
"X Defend. Temporarily raises a Pokemon's endurance." The device recited.
"Alright! I could totally use something like that! Ledyba, come out!" Jimmy tugged off the rubber cap, feeding the contents to the ladybug like Pokemon.
Another flight of stairs, another sage and another lone Bellsprout. Like the one before, it was larger than normal, clearly a Pokemon who had seen its fair share of battles. Summoning Ledyba, Jimmy returned to the tactic that had fared so well in the previous fights, hitting the Bellsprout from a distance with Supersonic to soften it up for Tackling.
This Bellsprout wasn't going to be caught off guard so easily, it's plant like limbs coming up to block the burst of noise waves, though each effort clearly costed the Pokemon. Jimmy frowned, trying to figure out a way to end the fight. He couldn't afford to let it drag on, knowing he needed his Pokemon as fresh as possible for the remaining battles.
"Ledyba, enough. Hit it with Tackle!" The Pokemon reacted, diving towards the unfurling Bellsprout.
"Bellsprout, Vine Whip!" The sage called out in retaliation.
Ledyba took two solid hits across its back as it continued its dive, crashing in to the Bellsprout. Its momentum took it past the Pokemon, a further Vine Whip flying high and wide.
"Again. Hit it again!" Jimmy called from the side, craning forwards as far as possible to try and check on Ledyba.
Another exchange followed, a crunching Tackle exchanged for a single lashing strike from the whip like limbs of the Bellsprout, which was now swaying back and forth. Jimmy's fists clenched at his side as his gaze moved to his own Pokemon, noticing the lash marks on Ledyba. It wouldn't last much longer either, but he couldn't afford to call it back.
"Ledyba, eat the berry!" He called, knowing the Oran berry would at least help a little. A brief flash of colour wrapped around the Pokemon, the lash marks fading from an angry red to a dull pink. "Now, Supersonic!"
"Vine Whip!" The sage called, assuming that Jimmy would go for the quick finish with another tackle.
The vines missed widely, the Bellsprout and the sage wrong-footed by the quick change in tactics. The blast connected squarely, the Bellsprout unable to defend itself. It staggered back, shaking its head side to side in confusion.
"Now, Tackle! Let's finish this!" Jimmy yelled, pointing at the ailing Bellsprout.
The Ledyba needed no encouragement, as eager to finish the fight as Jimmy so it could rest. Tucking in its wings it plummeted downwards like a red and black bullet, smashing into the confused Bellsprout, laying it low.
With the fight over Jimmy tossed a Rawst berry up to Ledyba, making sure it caught it. Jimmy paused for a moment to think, if he recalled Ledyba, then the X Defend would wear off, but if he left it out it would be able to fight again at the next level.
"Sorry. But we are going to risk it. Have you got another fight left in you?" Jimmy asked, walking over to stroke the shell of the bug type affectionately. The bug chirped, bobbing its head for yes.
"Well, let's see what awaits us next then." he continued, nodding to the sage, who was attending his Pokemon as they passed.
Keeping Ledyba outside of his PokeBall, Jimmy headed up what another of what seemed like a never ending set of stairs. Surely the tower had to stop soon. He wasn't sure how many fights his Pokemon had left in them, or how much more his own legs could take
Jimmy groaned in frustration as his next opponent summoned yet another Bellsprout. He resisted the urge to slap his forehead, simply motioning Ledyba forwards. This time the battle was swift, the smaller Bellsprout lacking the strength of the previous few. A series of Supersonic strikes, backed up with Tackles, found it being recalled to its Pokeball without landing a single notable hit.
Jimmy watched as the sage tossed out another Pokeball, fully expecting to see another Bellsprout appear. At least it would be an easy win. Jimmy nearly laughed aloud in surprise when a Hoothoot appeared from the red burst.
"Supersonic, Ledyba!" He called pointing at the bird type Pokemon.
The Hoothoot spun in the air, the burst whistling harmlessly past it. Ledyba trying again with similar results. Spinning once more to clear a little distance, the Hoothoot flapped its wings to hover in place, releasing a hypnotic wave. Unable to react quickly enough Ledyba took the full force of the wave, dropping into a deep slumber.
The bug type plummeted to the ground, thumping into the floor, remaining unconscious despite the impact. The Hoothoot dived forwards, its sharp beak stabbing into the prone Ledyba with a violent peck. It arrested its dive, pulling up before diving back in, a second strike landing cleanly.
This one woke the pained Ledyba, which shuffled sideways half dazed. "That's enough!" Jimmy called, quickly recalling the wounded Ledyba before Hoothoot could finish the stunned Pokemon.
The only Pokemon Jimmy had left in good enough shape to fight was Totodile, the one he made a point of not pitting against any more Bellsprout. Against the Hoothoot, he didn't know if Totodile would be quick enough to evade its sleep effect, or indeed strike it from the air. There was Pidgey, but he was in barely any state to fight, having been in the earlier vicious battle with a Bellsprout.
There was still Weedle and Caterpie, but being Bug-types, they would be easy fodder for the flying Hoothoot. Nope. They would definitely have to remain in their balls.
"Well. It's down to you." He said Looking at Totodile. "Think you can manage it?
The Totodile nodded, having seen what had happened to Pidgey. With a toothy grin, she strolled out onto the field.
"That's it. We can do this. Just try not to get hit with that sleep attack and we've got this!" Jimmy called with more confidence than he felt.
The Hoothoot flapped its wings hard, putting distance between it and the Totodile, recognizing that the reptilian Pokemon would be superior at short range. "Don't let it get away! Water Gun!"
Totodile fired a rapid blast, trying to catch the flying Pokemon before it got out of range, its wings flapping rapidly. The Hoothoot's ascent was a little too slow, its dodge not managing to pull it out of the way completely. The blast clipped its wing, arresting its climb and spinning it about awkwardly.
"Again! Hit it again!" Jimmy called, hoping to finish the fight quickly.
Totodile fired again, this blast catching the ailing Pokemon square in the chest. Unfortunately for Jimmy and Totodile, the hit launched the Hoothoot higher into the air, giving it the distance it had been trying to get.
The Hoothoot needed no instruction or encouragement from its Trainer, immediately firing off a hypnotic wave towards Totodile, hoping to put her to sleep. Totodile leapt to the side, dodging the effort of the hovering Hoothoot. Not to be dissuaded, it fired again, Totodile again leaping madly.
Another two attempts and another two leaps kept Totodile free from its sleepy effects, her claws scraping across the ground with every leap. Every leap took a little more from Totodile, her breathing becoming faster from the efforts. But she wasn't the only one struggling; the Hoothoot was losing height, the strain of its frequent attacks and keeping itself aloft starting to show.
"Tackle!" The sage called, seeing the futility of attempting to maintain the attack.
"Scratch now, Totodile!" Jimmy called, seeing his opportunity.
The reptilian Pokemon lashed out, its claws raking across the wing of Hoothoot as it flashed past, scoring her ribs with its beak. The two came together again in and flurry of beak and claws, trading blows back and forth for a handful of moments before separating.
Hoothoot weaved drunkenly in the air, whilst Totodile swayed uncertainly. Before Jimmy could order another attack, the sage recalled the bird, shaking his head.
"No more. The fight is done." The sage waved towards the stairs. "Go on. The Elder awaits you. He will see your worth."
Jimmy nodded to the sage, climbing up the final flight of stairs, Totodile wobbling along next to him.
"Okay, girl," he said. "We're about to fight the last one, but first, you're gonna need this." He drew out the Energy Powder he'd been saving. "I hate to give you something like this, but it's all I have left to heal you with." He gave Totodile a small apologetic smile as he handed over the bitter substance. Totodile grimaced in distaste, clacking her jaws together, her tongue trying to scrub away the foul taste.
The two climbed the final flight of stairs together, the final battle awaiting them.
Ahead of Jimmy stood someone else, his back to him, conversing with a third unseen party in the room.
"You are indeed skilled as a Trainer," came the voice from the unseen speaker. "But you should treat your Pokemon better. The way you battle is far too harsh. Pokemon are not tools of war. To treat them as such as it show little insight."
The figure with his back to Jimmy scoffed dismissively at the words before turning around.
"You again!" exclaimed Jimmy as Johnathan turned to face him.
"Some Elder," Jonathan sneered. "'Be nice to Pokemon, treat them with respect, they have feelings. Blah blah blah. Honestly, what's it matter how I treat them, so long as they listen to me and kick ass?" Johnathan snapped.
"That Pokemon isn't even yours! Give it back! You're not getting away this time!" Jimmy snapped, moving to block the only exit from the room.
"Wanna bet?" Jonathan laughed, drawing out a Pokeball. "Go, Gastly!" He yelled, pitching the ball.
A dual-fanged, sharp-eyed black orb emanating a purple gas of some sort appeared in the air before Johnathan. Jimmy didn't even bother to reach for his Pokedex to analyze it; knowing Johnathan would only attack whilst he was doing so.
"Gastly, Hypnosis!"
The ghost Pokemon unleashed the same attack as that sage's Hoothoot, catching Totodile completely off guard. The Pokemon staggered back, its eyes dropping swiftly as it dropped into a deep sleep. The ghost Pokemon followed up with it's long, flopping tongue, slapping it against the sleeping Totodile. She awoke at the cold touch of the Pokemons tongue, blinking sleepily as the Gastly came in to lick her again. Recognizing the danger, Totodile fired off a blast of water at point blank range, the powerful attack passing harmlessly through the ghost type, its outline wavering slightly.
"Dammit." Jimmy muttered, quickly summoning Totodile back. Without thinking he snatched the first Pokeball to hand, tossing it ahead of him. He needed to stop Johnathan from escaping again.
In his haste Jimmy hadn't looked at what he'd grabbed, the ball opening to reveal a much weakened, very confused looking Ledyba. The bug's eyes widened at the ghost type before it and before Jimmy could recall it Ledyba fired a golden, spinning star-shaped projectile. Unlike Totodile's attack, this did not pass through the Gastly, but instead impacted upon it. The Gastly staggered backwards, clearly badly hurt. The surprise of the attack registering on Jimmy's face.
The Gastly wavered in the air, its eyes half closed, its tongue barely moving. Any caring and sensible Trainer would have already called it back following Ledyba's Swift; an outright knockout was not something Jimmy considered much of a bonus.
"Lick that bug!" commanded Jonathan, yelling angrily at the Gastly.
The Gastly weaved towards Jimmy's Ledyba, who was backing away, not wanting to get anywhere near it. The ghost type swung its tongue in a lazy ark that had no chance of connecting, its injuries making it sluggish.
"Ledyba, whatever you did. Hit it again before it gets you!" Jimmy's arm hovered, half outstretched, the Pokeball held firmly in his hand. He had no desire to leave Ledyba out, but her attack had done more to it than a direct hit from Totodile.
Ledyba reacted as quickly as possible, striking the Gastly with another direct hit from its Swift attack. This time the Gastly stopped dead, its eyes nearly completely shut as it lowered towards the ground, clearly on the verge of unconsciousness.
"Dammit, stupid crappy Pokemon," Johnathan snarled. "Don't think this is over! We're just getting started," yelled Jonathan, withdrawing Gastly and drawing out another Pokemon. "Go, Chikorita!"
Here it was, the Pokemon that Jimmy meant to take back from Johnathan. The Pokemon that he shouldn't possess.
No way was Jimmy going to risk Ledyba suffering any further hurt, withdrawing it as quickly as possible. Trying to give Totodile as long a rest as possible and only needing to slow down the Chikorita, Jimmy snatched up one of the two Pokeballs he had resisted using.
"Caterpie. String shot!" Jimmy called, stabbing a finger in the direction of the Chikorita.
"Razor leaf!" Johnathan responded.
A long, silken string fired from Caterpie as a shuriken like leaf launched itself from the hovering Chikorita. The leaf flung harmlessly past the ducking Caterpie, who kept up the stream as long as possible. The sticky substance impacted upon the Chikorita, wrapping itself round it.
"That's it. Come on." Jimmy muttered.
A second spinning leaf cut cleanly through the string connecting the two, Caterpie rolling backwards. Before Caterpie could right itself Jimmy had recalled it, Weedle taking its place. "String shot!" Jimmy instructed again, amazed it was working.
The Chikorita was thrashing, trying to escape from the confines of the cocoon Caterpie had weaved around it. Restrained in such a fashion it made an easy target, the silken web cocoon growing with each moment. In barely a few moments the Pokemon was covered head to toe in the solid substance.
Jimmy rushed past the Weedle, leaping up towards the falling Chikorita. He caught the Pokemon in his arms, clutching it tightly.
"I've got you, you're safe."
"Ha! Don't you know anything?!" Jonathan raised his arm, the red beam from his Pokeball pulling the Chikorita back from its web shell and into the ball. "You're good, but still not good enough," laughed Jonathan, kicking Jimmy in the chest before he could rise from his seat on the ground. "You want that Pokemon back so badly? Come back when you really know how to play!" He laughed, leaping from the tower window.
Jimmy drew in a pained breath, his chest throbbing from the impact of Jonathan's boot. He pulled himself slowly to his feet, walking over to Weedle. "Well done. I know you must have been scared." Jimmy said, allowing it to return to the safety of its Pokeball.
"The bond between you and your bond Pokemon is strong," the Elder commented, dipping his head slightly to Jimmy.
"I just wish he hadn't got away! He's a thief who stole one of those Pokemon, and knocked me down with it last time I tried to get it back."
"If what you say is true, then I understand your reaction. Still you have come to the tower to face me, not him. Defeat me and you will you receive a holy trinket of ours." The Elder said almost sadly. "The challenge of the tower is to battle to the top. Although your last battle was not sanctioned, it had still taken place in the tower before your journey was complete. As such, I cannot offer any aid to your Pokemon." He looked directly at Jimmy. "Do you wish to continue?"
"Ready when you are!" Jimmy said, affecting an air of confidence. Truth be told he knew his Pokemon were in no real state to fight. The only ones not sporting injuries being Caterpie and Weedle, with Totodile having taken a solid hit from the Gastly.
"Very well, then. Go, Bellsprout!"
"Go! Weedle!" Jimmy called, knowing he had little choice in the matter. No doubt the Elder was saving his stronger Pokemon for later in the fight.
"Bellsprout, Growth!" The plant Pokemon shuddered, swelling slowly as its bulk doubled in size.
"String shot!"
Weedle complied, its shot striking true as it had with the Chikorita. It kept it up, pumping the silk substance against the body of the Bellsprout, starting to confine it.
"Growth." The Elder said again, his voice calm and level.
The Bellsprout grew again, the threads containing him bursting apart in a shower of strands covering the ground around it. The towering Bellsprout shivered, clearing away the last of the dangling threads still clinging to it.
"Weedle, Tackle quickly!"
Weedle hesitated for a moment before flinging itself at the towering Pokemon, its body slamming into the Bellsprout which barely seemed to notice. The Bellsprout flicked out a leaf, pushing the bug aside.
"Vine Whip."
The Bellsprout lashed out, the powerful strike blasting Weedle back across the floor to land in front of Jimmy in a pained heap. Jimmy stared in horror, the blow having had more force behind it than any of the Bellsprouts that had come before it.
Weedle twitched once, trying to rise. Its head lifting an inch or so off of the ground. Jimmy shook his head, pointing the ball at the ailing Weedle.
"That's enough. Come back and rest." He smiled as the Weedle disappeared from view. "Totodile. One for you." He added, summoning the reptilian Pokemon.
"Vine Whip!" commanded the Elder as soon as Jimmy's Pokemon appeared.
"Totodile, get out of the way!"
Totodile leapt to the side dodging the lashing vine by a hairs breadth, the slap of vine hitting the solid floor filling the room. The vine came down again, lashing after the leaping Totodile.
"Water Gun!" He called, hoping that Totodile would be able to knock down the giant Bellsprout.
Totodile responded, rolling aside from another blow, a jet of water issuing from its mouth. The giant Bellsprout made an easy static target and Totodile would have had a harder time missing. The blast smashed into the Bellsprouts face, its vines thrashing wildly as it ineffectively tried to fend off the jet of water.
"That's it. Keep it up. Get close. Hit it with a scratch if you can."
Totodile maintained the blast, though the pressure was clearly starting to drop. Two quick strides took it level with the Bellsprout, her claws lashing out twice, scratching against the fleshy sides of the Bellsprout.
The giant Bellsprout leant back, drawing its vines rearing up in pained readiness for a retaliation strike.
"Water Gun!"
Totodile took a small hop back before unloading again into the Bellsprout at point blank range. At such close distance the water hit with the force of a cannon shot, blasting the giant Bellsprout onto its back. Totodile needed no instruction, leaping up onto it and delivering another scratch attack.
With the Bellsprout prone and unable to fight back the Elder had no option but to recall it, sending out another Bellsprout in its place. This one immediately copied the previous one, starting to grow in size.
"Totodile, don't let it grow. Tackle!"
Totodile ducked its head, leaping forwards to slam its large skull into the centre of the Bellsprout. It wobbled backwards, trying to keep its balance as it continued to grow. Another tackle with slightly less force sent it staggering backwards, its vines pin wheeling rapidly as it tried to maintain some semblance of balance.
"Water Gun!" Jimmy called, looking for a quick finish.
The water slammed into the Bellsprout with more force than the Tackles, the Bellsprout unable to mount any form of defense. It toppled back and onto its side, Totodiles Water Gun pushing the plant type Pokemon across the room, thumping it into the wall.
With due haste, the Elder recalled his Pokemon, sending out the last one he had, a Hoothoot. Jimmy grimaced, remembering the annoyance of the previous battles with the bird type.
"We're up against another Hoothoot, girl," he said to Totodile. "Remember, don't let it put you to sleep, okay?" Totodile nodded her head in acknowledgement, settig her feet and lowering her head in readiness.
"Confusion!" commanded the Elder. Hoothoot's eyes lit up with an ethereal golden glow, staring down at Totodile. The light was soothing and pleasant, warming and comfortable and Totodile began to feel an odd sensation in her brain.
"Water Gun!" commanded Jimmy. In her confusion, Totodile instead glared at Hoothoot, as if to intimidate it.
"Water Gun!" Jimmy called again, trying to snap Totodile out of whatever daze she was in.
"Tackle!" The Elder instructed, patiently folding his arms across his chest as he quietly observed the battle.
Hoothoot charged down at the still confused Totodile, smacking into it without any form of retaliation. The owl pecked the reptile, once, twice, three times. Each time Totodile was unmoving, lost in whatever daze the Hoothoot had put her into.
"Totodile return." Jimmy muttered, frustrated at taking the loss. He still had Caterpie, but that would be a quick one sided fight.
"Hoothoot, return," commanded the Elder, withdrawing his own Pokemon, before walking up to Jimmy. "You may have lost this battle, but such is only inevitable. Such is precisely why Mesprit accompanies you for when it truly matters.
"What matters most is not how many battles you win, but how well you raise your Pokemon. Unlike my previous opponent, you did not push your Pokemon beyond their limits in battle. You took care and prevented them from coming to serious harm. Such is how a proper relationship between Trainer and Pokemon works. Now, tell me your name."
"Jimmy," replied the boy.
"Jimmy, then...well fought. In honor of our battle, please take this."
The Elder handed the Trainer a small cloth packet, and continued.
"In this sack is a holy substance of ours, reserved for those who show their worth in the battles through the tower. My previous opponent was not worthy and as such received no reward." He smiled warmly dipping his head. "May the power of light aid you and your Pokemon on your journey."
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Unwilling Service: Jimmy's Quest