Jen continued to fume about her draw with Stephanie the rest of the way along Route 8. James tried in vain to get her to calm down, but every time he showed signs of interrupting, she would give him a glare and continue grumbling. Eventually, James lost patience.

  “Will you give it a rest already?” he asked, an edge to his voice. “I get it, all right? You don't like Stephanie, you're annoyed that you didn't beat her. You don't hear me grousing about losing to Chelsea, do you?” Jen groaned.

  “I don't know why I can't get this out of my head. Maybe it's because I know I'm better than her...”

  “Maybe you are, but these things happen.” James responded. “You know her lineup now, so you can adjust for the next time. Think of it like a baseball game.” Jen rolled her eyes, but James persisted. “Seriously. When I pitch, I have the best results against guys the first time through the lineup, and it's even better if they've never faced me before. Once somebody knows where I like to throw the ball...”

  “Usually at them,” Jen interrupted, and James blinked before laughing a little.

  “Okay, I don't try to hit them. It's hard to aim when you're throwing as fast as...anyway. Once a hitter knows where and how I like to throw the ball, they can change their swing, where they stand, all that. Then it's my turn to change things up, to throw something they're not expecting, and then the whole thing starts all over again.” Jen still looked annoyed, but slightly calmer. “When we left Vermilion City, Chelsea basically said the same thing. And you helped me figure that out when I was stuck on the Cianwood Gym.”

  “How?” Jen asked. “That was when you kept throwing Typhlosion in against Poliwrath.” James nodded.

  “Exactly. I kept throwing the same pitch, right down the middle. And until I changed my tactics, I was getting smoked. You yelling at me kind of helped break me out of that funk, too,” he added with another laugh. Jen stared, then her face relaxed.

  “I guess you're right. Sorry I've been wearing on you with this.” James shrugged.

  “It's fine. Who else have you got to vent to?” Jen laughed, and they moved on towards the approaching Underground station.

  One Underground ride and fast trek down Route 7 later, the two youngsters found themselves in Celadon City in the mid-afternoon. Even on the outskirts, the streets were packed with tourists and shoppers, eager to avail themselves of the many storefronts and attractions that lined the area. Mercifully, the Pokémon Centre in the northeast part of town was relatively calm, and James and Jen stopped there to rest before they looked around the city. Jen checked a brochure, and two main landmarks stood out: the Game Corner and the Department Store.

  “I'd stay well clear of the Game Corner,” James said uncertainly as he flipped through the brochure. “If it's anything like the one in Goldenrod City, you can get wrapped up in playing the games and before long, you've been there six hours and burned through most of your money.” He checked a small piece of advertising copy. “Something about...under new ownership?”

  “Same as the old, I'm afraid.” Nurse Joy had passed by, carrying a tray of Pokéballs. “Sorry, kids, couldn't help overhearing. That place was called the Rocket Game Corner, once upon a time. They used it as a way of distributing the Pokémon they stole, while making money off the poor fools they lured in. After the Rockets were broken up, their leader maintained ownership, but took the Rocket branding off it. It may fool tourists, but us locals know better.” She sniffed once, then realized what she was doing and walked towards the counter. Jen turned to James.

  “Okay, looks like you were right. No Game Corner for us. So I guess we'll look in the Department Store...if we can get through the crowd, that is.”

  “It's four o'clock in the middle of the week. How bad can the crowd be?”

  “Why do you have to ask questions like that?” Jen asked half an hour later as she and James wended their way through the bustling crowd towards the department store's floor guide. They'd left Typhlosion at the Centre, since his bulk would make it even more difficult to navigate the area. James looked over at her and shrugged.

  “It could be worse, right?” Jen stared incredulously at him.

  “How could it be worse? This is the most crowded place I've ever seen, and the Silver Conference was pretty crowded from what I remember.” James shrugged again, and she groaned. “We're never going to be able to move through this place and still stay together.”

  “Can we not?” James asked, looking around as they finally reached the floor guide. Jen considered.

  “Well, okay, maybe we can. How d'you want to do this? Start at the top floor and work down, or some other way?” James thought for a moment as Jen watched the mass of shoppers.

  “The first one sounds best.” He checked the floor guide. “Highest floor not counting the roof...Drug Store...could be useful. Then after that, fourth floor, Wise Man Gifts...perfume, fine china...elemental stones?” As James looked at Jen in confusion, Jen suddenly fought to suppress a giggle.

  “Of course. All the essentials in one place.” James just shook his head, and they worked their way through the crowd to an elevator to the fifth floor. The Drug Store was lined with display cases full of vitamin bottles and odd-looking items that appeared to contain variously-coloured pills. Jen looked at a case of blue-lidded Carbos bottles and shook her head.

  “Almost ten thousand credits for that little bottle? What is it, made of gold?” She turned back to where James was examining a dispenser of yellow Dire Hit pills. “I'm not sure about those.” James gave her a quizzical look as he put the dispenser back on the shelf.

  “Huh? Why not?” He looked at a sign near the display case. “Let's see...'only one dose per battle is recommended. Not intended for use outside of battle. Not for human usage.—well, that makes sense—'excessive usage known to cause dependence.'” He looked back at Jen. “Sounds like these are pretty risky to use, you think?”

  “Yeah, I feel like these are for more advanced trainers. I don't think we should be messing around with them.” They turned away from the Dire Hit display and moved to the stairwell that led down to the fourth floor. As soon as they left the stairwell, they noticed that half the floor seemed dedicated to the various elemental stones. There were faceted blue Water Stones with what looked like small bubbles embedded in their crystalline depths; Fire Stones that shone gold, red and orange; long, green and yellow Thunder Stones; Leaf Stones that almost looked like fossils, and many more besides. James examined a particularly elaborately cut Water Stone and his eyes widened.

  “Fifteen thousand credits?” he asked, a little louder than was necessary. “Who has that much to spend on a one-use item like that? It's a wonder there are any fully evolved Pokémon that needed to use them.” Jen nodded.

  “I hope Kimmie's got a nice, big trust fund. She'll need it to afford even part of her Leaf Stone.” As she spoke, an assistant passed by, checking the display and making notes on a pad that she was holding in her left arm.

  “Hello, there. Help you kids find something?” James shook his head.

  “No, thanks, we're just looking. No way could we afford any of these.” The assistant grinned.

  “You know, you're looking at the display-grade ones. They're more like fine jewelry than anything a trainer might be using. The kind of thing that collectors and fancy people buy to put in their trophy case instead of actually using them. You guys should be looking at the competition-grade stones, over that way.” She pointed to a separate section to the left, where the stones were much less elaborately cut and polished, and many more shoppers were browsing. Jen smiled as James looked astounded, and she nodded to the assistant.

  “Thanks. We'll look over there instead.” The price tags on the competition-grade stones were a lot more reasonable than the display ones. A banner above the main stones read BIG SALE! COMPETITION-GRADE ELEMENTAL STONES UP TO 60% OFF!. There were several tables with segmented bins, each holding a different stone. The mainline stones looked to cost around 2100 credits, which wasn't so bad, but still fairly steep. Neither James nor Jen had a Pokémon that needed one anyway, so they left the display and moved to the next area of the floor.

  Two minutes after entering the perfume department, James grimaced.

  “What's wrong?” Jen asked, noticing her friend's discomfort. James shook his head.

  “The scent's just a little strong, is all.” He considered for a moment. “Listen, I'm gonna move through to the next department. You're more their target market than me, anyway.” Jen looked at him warily, then nodded. James walked past the various counters where people were looking at different-coloured bottles of fragrance, and Jen moved slowly along after she saw him disappear. The various displays didn't particularly interest her, but a rustic-looking counter display caught her eye. A young woman in a green kimono sat behind a sign reading Celadon Gym Natural Perfumes and Fragrances. Jen walked over and looked at the different scents on offer.

  “Hello, there,” she counter said. “Care to sample any of our fragrances?”

  “Um, no thanks,” Jen replied. “Just looking.” She examined a rounded bottle full of violet liquid. The saleswoman saw Jen looking and smiled.

  “Ah, our Lavender Sweet Scent blend. Quite the popular one these days.”

  “It is?” Jen asked as she looked up from the bottle. The saleswoman kept smiling and picked up the bottle.

  “Here, hold out your arm,” she said, and Jen did so. The saleswoman spritzed a bit of the perfume onto Jen's left wrist, and the younger girl sniffed the spot.

  “Hey, that's not too bad,” she said, taking another sniff.

  “We use the distilled vapour from the move Sweet Scent to make our perfumes,” the saleswoman explained as she put the bottle back down. “Different Pokémon provide different scents, you know, and we combine those scents with various herbs and natural oils.”

  “Sounds like fun,” Jen said. The saleswoman smiled again.

  “It is. We're based out of the Celadon City Gym, which of course specializes in Grass-type Pokémon. The Gym Leader took over the perfume business from her mother as a side project, and it just exploded from there. She may be a bit...well, spacey sometimes, but she's got a real flair for business.” Jen smiled herself.

  “She sounds like a real character. I'll look forward to challenging her.” The saleswoman looked a little surprised.

  “Oh, you're a trainer? Good luck to you, then. Our Leader is no pushover, believe that.”

  “I'm not either,” Jen answered. “I'll be looking to have that badge this time tomorrow.”

  The next morning, Jen was up before James was, so instead of waiting around for him to wake up, she headed for the Pokémon Centre canteen and let Pichu out before starting to plan a strategy.

  “You're not gonna have to fight today, Pichu,” she said as the Electric-type munched on some of her toast. “You and Elekid don't match up well against Grass-types.” Pichu squeaked happily, and Jen patted her head. “Don't worry, I'll need you soon enough. You did great against Misty, after all.” As Pichu returned to the toast, James appeared, yawning and holding a glass of orange juice as he slumped into the chair opposite Jen. She giggled. “Well, don't you look active today?”

  “I couldn't sleep,” James mumbled, draining the whole glass in one go. “I think my pillow decided I was resting too much.”

  “Make sure to knock some sense into it later,” Jen responded, struggling to hold back even more laughter. James' hair was standing on end again, and he looked ready to pass out right in front of her. “C'mon, you're not challenging the gym today. I'm still working on a plan for this one.” James looked up and gave her a quizzical look.

  “Thought you'd have knocked it out already. We're both pretty well equipped to hande Grass Pokémon, right?”

  “That's the thing, though,” Jen said, taking a bite of toast. “I was really hoping to have Kakuna evolved into a Beedrill by this point. From what I know, Grass-types don't match up well against bugs like him.” When James didn't respond, she sighed. “I guess it takes a lot of work, but I thought we'd have a bigger advantage with a Beedrill in the mix.”

  “Don't get too worked up,” James answered. “Magmar and Golbat have more than enough firepower to make up the difference, and Togetic has been pretty good too.”

  “Togetic doesn't have any real way of hitting Grass-types, though,” Jen said, sipping some water. “I'll have to get creative in how I use her today.” She checked her PokéGear. “Alright, it's almost nine. We should head over.”

  The Celadon City Gym was similar to Azalea Town's back in Johto. It looked for all the world like a gigantic greenhouse, with a flat glass roof and floral motifs plastered across the front. As Jen entered the building with James and Typhlosion in tow, a familiar figure waved from the reception desk.

  “Hello there!” Jen looked over, and saw the young woman from the department store's perfume counter sitting at the desk. She smiled as the group came nearer. “Here for a Gym match?” Jen nodded.

  “I'm ready to go.” The receptionist pointed to a door to their right.

  “The battlefield's right through here.” She looked at James and Typhlosion warily. “Normally I'd insist on your Fire-type being confined, but...”

  “Typhlosion doesn't like staying in his ball,” James answered without thinking. Typhlosion nodded and growled, and the receptionist nodded back.

  “Just keep an eye on him. Stands are through the door to the left.” James motioned to his starter, and they settled in seats close to the field as Jen entered her technical area. Across the roughly-cut grass field, a young woman wearing a red and yellow kimono stood in the opposite box. Her dark hair was tied with a red headband, and she looked to be...

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  “Um, miss?” Jen asked quietly, her voice failing to carry, and the woman kept on dozing. “Are you okay?” Another kimono-clad gym attendant entered the battlefield through another door and bowed before hurrying over to the Gym Leader.

  “Sorry about that!” she shouted as she reached the opposite technical area. “Leader Erika? There's a challenger.” The woman called Erika started as her eyes opened, revealing dark green irises.

  “Challenger? What...how long was I...?” She shook her head to clear it as the attendant hurried to the midfield line, and then focused on Jen. “I must apologize, young friend. I seem to have dozed off. Welcome to the Celadon Gym. I am Erika, the Gym Leader, specializing in Grass-types. Victory in my gym will earn you the Indigo Conference Rainbow Badge. Our battles are standard League rules: three against three, and only you are permitted to substitute. Are you ready to begin?” Jen nodded with a smile.

  “Let's roll.”

  Jen Richards    Erika

  A: ★★      A: ★★★

  D: ★★      D: ★★

  S: ★★      S: ★

  “Gloom, it's time to battle!” A dark blue plant Pokémon with orange-red petals on its head emerged, its eyes closed as though it were asleep too. Its mouth hung slightly open, with a trail of sticky drool hanging from its lower lip. Jen nearly pinched her nose when the creature's stench became apparent—the sickening odour of meat left out in the sun all day—but she held firm.

  “All right, then. Golbat, go!” The blue chiropteran appeared and chittered in excitement, sizing up his opponent. Erika looked from Gloom to Golbat, then held out a deferential hand to Jen.

  “You have the first move, challenger. Make it a strong one.”

  “You bet!” Jen responded, turning to Golbat. “Air Slash!” Golbat flew a little closer to Gloom, generated a ball of wind, and pushed it at the Grass-type with his wings. Gloom barely moved, even as the super effective attack tore at its body. Erika remained serene through the whole exchange.

  “Gloom, fortify with Ingrain and Lucky Chant.” Gloom's feet glowed brightly for a moment, then it began waving its petals to a smooth, legato beat, generating a shimmering field around its body. Jen grinned.

  “Don't know what that does, but I'm gonna hit hard. Golbat, Wing Attack!” Golbat slapped Gloom's face with an outstretched wing, but the Grass-type didn't even react. “It must have felt that...Air Cutter!” The bladed air current sliced into Gloom's body, and its eyelids seemed to tighten a little. “It sure felt that one.” Erika remained calm, gazing almost dreamily at her Pokémon.

  “Sweet Scent!” A pinkish vapour gushed from Gloom's petals and spread across the field. Golbat's efforts to stay elusive died down, but where it might have been sweet to the bat, it smelled awful to Jen. She really did pinch her nose this time, as Gloom continued to stand in place.

  “She calls that sweet?” Jen muttered to herself, as Golbat flitted close to her, waiting for orders. “Get after it. Wing Attack!” Golbat flew headlong at Gloom, which simply stood its ground. “All right, Air Cutter!” Erika watched Golbat unleash one attack after the next, then smiled.

  “Mimic.” As the air tore at Gloom again, its eyes sprang open and glowed bright green. Golbat flitted up and away, readying his next move as Jen watched and nodded.

  “There's no way it can stand up to much more. Time to finish this off. Golbat, one more Wing Attack!” As Golbat raced in, Erika's calm smile became more of a knowing smirk.

  “Gloom, an Air Cutter, if you please.” Gloom shook its petals, and Golbat was knocked off course by a countering current of air. As the bat recovered and chittered his frustration, the glow from Gloom's feet briefly rose up its body, and it looked refreshed.

  “What the...?” Jen shouted, watching the plant Pokémon carefully. “How did it do that?!”

  “It's quite simple, really.” Erika's smirk had faded to a more pleasant expression. “This Gloom had learned Mimic before I captured it years ago; Mimic allows it to copy moves that it's targeted with. Gloom doesn't necessarily have the power to sustain these unfamiliar moves—tradeoffs are par for the course in this game—but until the move wears out, we now have a reliable way of striking back against your attackers. Not only that, but with Ingrain, Gloom will gradually regain its energy, and Lucky Chant will block its weak points.” Jen's eyes were wide as she listened to Erika's explanation.

  “No way. Golbat, we've got to put that thing away fast. Use your Wing Attack and get clear right away!” Golbat rushed in and struck Gloom with an outstretched wing once more, but the Grass-type stayed upright. Erika's expression became a smirk again.

  “Throw a Stun Spore on it, Gloom.” As Gloom shook its petals again, a yellowish powder spread around the field, and some of it fell on Golbat, whose movements immediately slowed. “Now, another Air Cutter, please.” The next attack slashed at Golbat and nearly knocked him out of the air. Jen groaned.

  “Hold on! Try your own Air Cutter!” Golbat tried to whip up another attack, but his body seized up and he failed to move. “No way! Paralysis at this time?” Erika nodded serenely.

  “It's quite the useful countermeasure against opponents like your Golbat.” She turned to Gloom. “Mimic's charge is nearly worn out. One more Air Cutter, and make it count.” Golbat tried to evade, but couldn't stand up to the renewed current, and he crashed face-first onto the gym floor. The attendant waited a moment, then called out.

  “Golbat is unable to continue. Gloom wins the first round!”

  Jen looked at Golbat lying on the floor, her eyes wide.

  “I thought for sure he'd be a lot more effective than this,” she said quietly. “Guess I didn't fully learn my lesson from the Mahogany Gym.” She thought through her options. “You know what, I'm going to use James' strategy...or is it lack of strategy? Oh, who cares?” Jen tossed her second Pokéball out, and Magmar stood facing Gloom, spitting a puff of flame into the air. “Be careful, Magmar! It might copy one of your moves, but you'll be able to stand up to them.” Erika smiled.

  “Another direct approach? Interesting. Gloom, use PoisonPowder!” This time, Gloom's petals sent violet powder into the air, and sparks flew across Magmar's body. “Now your Magmar is on a timer, challenger. Use your remaining time wisely.” Jen frowned at the taunt.

  “You bet I will. Magmar, Fire Punch!” Magmar reached Gloom in three strides as flames erupted around her right fist, and she slugged the flower right in the face. The attack should have sent Gloom flying across the field, but Ingrain still appeared to be active, and a straining sound was audible as the impact registered. Gloom's eyes snapped open in shock from the blow, while Erika's calm face flickered briefly as she gave the flower new orders.

  “Soak it in Acid, Gloom!” Gloom inhaled hard, and then spat a mouthful of a foul-smelling greenish fluid at Magmar. The Fire-type stepped back from the attack, but a little of the fluid splashed onto her arm and she winced.

  “Hang on, Magmar! Let's make some barbecue cabbage with Flamethrower!” As Magmar recovered, she took a deep breath and blew a heavy stream of fire right into Gloom's face. When the fire dissipated, Gloom's eyes were now open and glazed, and its entire body looked charred and ragged. As the attendant counted Gloom out, Erika looked at her burnt-out team member, then recalled it with a sigh.

  “Well fought, Gloom. You did everything you were asked and more. Have some rest.” She turned to Jen. “I was not jesting about that timer, young friend. Your Magmar may have an overwhelming advantage, but it will have to win quickly. Of course, my next team member will be just as difficult to take out.” She pulled another Pokéball and tossed it out. “Time for battle, Victreebel!” Erika's next choice had a yellow body dotted with several dark marks. Two large leaves grew from either side of its body, with another leaf masking a pink-rimmed mouth above its narrow eyes. Small white growths that resembled teeth sat on the pink rim. This creature's scent was different from Gloom's; still sickening, but sweetly so. Magmar simply glared at the new opponent, and looked back at Jen in surprise when she raised her Pokéball.

  “Sorry, Magmar,” Jen said as she recalled the Fire-type. “That poison is going to cause trouble down the line.” She tossed out her third pick for the match, and Togetic squealed happily, then cough hard as Victreebel's scent reached her. “Togetic, I need you to hold out as long as you can. Try your best to beat this thing, because Magmar's fading. Can you handle this?” Togetic nodded and put on her most determined face, only to break down giggling a second later.

  “Your Togetic looks like she's having a good time,” Erika remarked from the other side. “But don't underestimate Victreebel. He's not one to wilt under pressure.” Jen grinned.

  “Let's test that. Togetic, up, then Extrasensory!” Togetic flitted up out of Victreebel's reach, then clapped her hands together to generate an iridescent beam of light. The light surrounded the living plant and burst, causing it to wince. “All right! Hit it with another one!” Erika waved a casual arm to her team member.

  “Victreebel, Razor Leaf!” Victreebel shook its body and sent a volley of spinning leaves scything towards Togetic. Togetic stopped her attack and started darting back and forth, evading the attack, but her movements seemed to be taking her closer to her opponent. Erika watched intently as Togetic moved this way and that.

  “Togetic! Try to get some space and try Magical Leaf!” Jen sighed. “It won't do much, but it might put Victreebel off enough to get her out of reach.” Togetic tried to generate the attack, but Victreebel kept firing sharp leaves at her and she couldn't focus. As the Happiness Pokémon dropped in the air, Erika's eyes lit up.

  “Catch it with Wrap, Victreebel!” Without warning, the leaf above Victreebel's eyes shot up towards Togetic and wrapped around her, almost like a hand grabbing a fly from midair. Togetic struggled hard, but she couldn't stop herself from being drawn inexorably towards the plant's open mouth. Jen looked at her team member and started to panic.

  “Keep fighting, Togetic!” It was no use; Victreebel pulled Togetic down towards its mouth, and stopped just short of dropping her in. Erika's expression had turned back into a smirk.

  “Wring Out!” Togetic wailed in pain as the leaf holding her constricted, squeezing her hard. “Now, soak it in Acid!” Greenish fluid erupted from Victreebel's mouth and splashed onto Togetic's body; steaming red patches erupted where the acid had burned her. “Toss it on the floor.” As Togetic fell to the ground on her back, Jen's breath quickened.

  “Get out of there!” Togetic fought to escape, but her wings were pinned beneath her body and she couldn't muster the strength to get up. Erika's smirk faded, but her eyes still looked excited.

  “End this round, Victreebel. Leaf Storm!” Jen watched helplessly as Victreebel generated a cloud of glowing green leaves, then funneled them right at Togetic. The attack lifted Togetic off the ground and back towards Jen, who adjusted her body to catch the Flying-type. Togetic squeaked feebly, her eyes glazed. Victreebel let out an unnatural shriek as if celebrating victory.

  “That doesn't help,” Jen murmured to herself as she recalled Togetic. She looked at the ball in her hand. “Thanks for the effort, Togetic. You did all you could.” Jen breathed hard, then looked out at Victreebel. “Magmar's got enough power to burn that thing to its roots, but she's gonna have to do it quickly. We've got no other option.” She tossed out Magmar's Pokéball, and the Spitfire Pokémon turned to look at Jen with a determined look. “Get after it, girl. Flamethrower!”

  “Sludge Bomb!” Victreebel flipped its body so that its mouth faced directly at Magmar like a cannon, and contracted its lower bulb, firing several clods of dark mud towards her. The clods burst as the fire hit them, and blunted the super effective attack's impact as Victreebel took it. “Okay, now Razor Leaf!” Jen looked from Victreebel to Magmar, and shook her head as she saw violet sparks shoot across her body.

  “We'll get nowhere from range, so get in there and use Fire Punch!” Magmar grinned and rushed in at Victreebel, flames erupting as she clenched a fist.

  “Slam, Victreebel! Keep it away!” Victreebel tried to strike Magmar with its outstretched vine, but she ducked underneath and swung a hard uppercut into the space between its mouth and eyes. The plant was lifted off the ground and landed with a dull splurt noise. For the first time during the match, Erika looked unnerved. “No! Try to...” Jen grinned as she cut the Gym Leader off.

  “Full power Flamethrower, Magmar! Turn that thing into well-grilled salad!” Magmar's grin widened as she drew her head back to inhale, then blew an even hotter stream of fire onto Victreebel. The plant twitched as the fire torched its body, then lay still and smoking. The attendant counted it out, and Erika recalled it with her serene look back in place.

  “Well battled, Victreebel. Rest up.” She turned back to Jen. “You've impressed me, challenger. Victreebel doesn't normally go down that easily, even against a Fire-type. But your Magmar is still on a timer, and she won't last long against my final selection.” She took out a final Pokéball and threw it to the field. “Exeggutor, it's time for battle!” The ball released a tall Pokémon that looked like a palm tree with two short legs. Three cream-coloured growths, each with a different expression on its face, hung beneath its green fronds, and they chattered in high-pitched voices. Jen took out her Pokédex to scan the creature, unsure of its power.

  “Exeggutor, the Coconut Pokémon,” the device announced. “This Pokémon relies on its potent psychic abilities during battle, and is most effective in the brightest sunlight.”

  “I've never seen one of these before,” Jen mused as she looked at Magmar. The Fire-type looked a little winded, but determined all the same. “We've got to be quick and decisive here, girl. Erika's gonna look to stall us out.” She looked back down at the still-open Pokédex display. “Although if she does what I think she will, that might be harder than she thinks...” Jen grinned. “Open up with Flamethrower!” The fire stream blasted Exeggutor right in the midsection, but it remained upright. Erika's smirk returned.

  “Time to fortify. Layer Reflect and Light Screen!” A pink, spherical energy field materialized around Exeggutor, and Light Screen's familiar yellow box appeared at the same time. “And now, Sunny Day!” A fiery ball of light shot straight upwards from the fronds on Exeggutor's head, and hung in the air, bathing the whole field in sunlight. Jen's grin faded.

  “Gotta hammer it right away! Flamethrower!” Even though Light Screen blunted the effect, the stream of fire that Magmar released was intensified by the sunlight. Exeggutor took the hit with no ill effects. “Now SmokeScreen!” Thick, black fumes covered the battlefield, hiding Magmar from view. More violet sparks played across her body.

  “Track it, and hit it with Seed Bomb!” Bright green spheres dropped from the air, bursting as they hit the ground. Jen didn't hear Magmar react, so she hoped the attack hadn't damaged her.

  “Sneak up on it and use Fire Punch!” Magmar tried to be stealthy, but one of Exeggutor's heads saw her and yelled a warning.

  “Psychic!” A blue glow appeared to Exeggutor's left, outlining Magmar's body, and she was thrown backward. The SmokeScreen was blown away by the impact, and more sparks crossed her body. Magmar looked tired as she got up.

  “C'mon, Magmar!” Jen cried as Exeggutor turned to face her. “Don't let that poison take you down! You've fought too hard to go down now!” Magmar spat out a few embers, then turned to Jen and gave her a tired smile. Jen grinned in response. “That's the way. Get after it and use Fire Punch!”

  “Barrage!” Erika instructed, and small coconuts started flying at Magmar as she charged. She batted most of them away with one hand, clenching the other into a burning fist, and winced periodically as a projectile struck her. “If you think that's gonna put Magmar off, you don't know her that well!”

  “Perhaps not. Exeggutor, Wood Hammer!” Exeggutor's whole body glowed blue as it planted its feet and swung its upper body at Magmar. The two moves collided with an earsplitting crunch, and flames erupted along Exeggutor's frame. Both Pokémon were pushed back from each other; the violet sparks on Magmar's body intensified, while bluish ones ran over Exeggutor. “We've nearly got her! Leaf Storm!” Magmar was doubled over by this point, and Jen cried out in panic as the glowing leaves formed a tornado just like Victreebel's had.

  “C'mon, Magmar! Hit it with Flamethrower and let's end this fight!” Magmar pulled her head up, stepped away from the Leaf Storm, and took the biggest breath she could before blasting Exeggutor with the fire stream. Everything seemed to happen at once; the Light Screen briefly appeared before fading, the ball of fire in the air shrank and popped into nothing, and the Flamethrower caught Exeggutor full in one of its faces. The attack knocked Exeggutor off its feet, and it landed hard in front of Erika, its faces all showing glazed eyes. Jen jumped nearly a foot in the air as the attendant counted Exeggutor out.

  “We did it, Magmar!” Jen cried as she ran over to the Fire-type. Magmar was doubled over again, her hands on her knees. “Hey, relax. You were fantastic. Best battle you've ever had, hands down.” As she reached for Magmar's Pokéball, Erika left her technical area and walked over to Jen.

  “Congratulations on a hard-fought victory, challenger,” she said, bowing slightly. “Your Magmar truly is exceptional. She was responsible for all three knockouts. Not unexpected for her species, but still impressive.”

  “Thanks, Erika. Your Pokémon were really tough, too. Victreebel is kind of scary when it gets going.” Erika chuckled.

  “Yes, it does that. I have to rein in its more, ah, predatory behaviours.” She withdrew a hand from the sleeve of her kimono, holding out a sweet-smelling pink berry to Magmar. “Here. This Pecha Berry will help clear up the poisoning.” Magmar took the berry and popped it into her mouth, smiling as the effect took hold. “There, that's better isn't it?” Erika's hand disappeared back up her sleeve for a moment, then re-emerged holding a small badge resembling an eight-petaled flower. Each petal was a different colour, with a small grey centre. “The Rainbow Badge is proof of victory here at the Celadon Gym. You've certainly earned it.”

  “Thanks, Erika,” Jen said, pocketing the badge. “The name's Jennifer, by the way, I don't think I told your attendant that.”

  “Well, Jennifer, it was a pleasure.” Erika motioned towards the door, where James was moving to the exit. “Will your friend be taking the gym on soon?” Jen nodded.

  “He's got an even stronger Fire-type than Magmar, believe that. I wouldn't underestimate him.”

  “Never.” Erika smiled and bowed, then walked back across the field. Jen recalled Magmar, then headed to the foyer where James and Typhlosion were waiting.

  “That was a close one,” James said, looking at Jen. “Magmar had to do most of the work.”

  “Always the optimist,” Jen replied, lightly punching his arm. “So, you've seen Erika in action. Got a plan yet?”

  “I don't do plans, remember?” James said, grinning. Then his face grew serious. “But if I'm going to win, I'm going to have to keep one thing in mind.” Jen gave him a confused look.

  “What's that?” For once in his life, James looked worried.

  “If I could smell her Pokémon from the stands, what's the effect going to be when I'm right across from them?”

  Comments are welcomed.

  Chapter VA cast: Emily Williams as Jen Richards, Sarah Natochenny as James Enfield, Sophia Bush as Erika

  Current sides:

  James: Typhlosion (male, Fire-type, Blaze ability); Electabuzz (male, Electric-type, Static ability); Nidorina aka Blue (female, Poison-type, Rivalry ability); Nidoran♂ (male, Poison-type, Poison Point ability); Doduo (male, Normal/Flying-type, ability TBA)

  Jen: Magmar (female, Fire-type, Flame Body ability); Togetic (female, Normal/Flying-type, ability TBA); Golbat (male, Poison/Flying-type, Inner Focus ability); Pichu (female, Electric-type, Static ability); Elekid (male, Electric-type, Static ability); Kakuna (male, Bug/Poison-type, Shed Skin ability)