May's Crush

Chapter 17:Crying

The group packed up their items, but had to wait for Corphish to get better before training could resume. Ash placed the tired-but-fed Pokémon back into his ball for resting. Drew thought he could help May practice by giving her a practice battle. Ash and Cyndi sat in the grass on the sidelines with Pikachu sitting in Cyndi's lap. The two coordinators faced off against each other in the clearing.

"Squirtle, take the stage!" May spun and tossed her Pokéball into the air. The ball snapped open, and a spinning shell spun in the air. The head, arms, legs, and tail of Squirtle popped down, the Pokémon landing on his feet.

"Butterfree, go!" Drew shouted, tossing the ball into the air. The Pokémon appeared, but it was one May didn't know Drew had. Her body was in two segments. The top featured her large, red segmented eyes and antennae. The lower and larger portion of her blue body housed her small claws and long feet. Her black and white wings featured a beautiful pattern.

"Free!" the newly reveled Pokémon chirped.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a Butterfree, Drew!" May smiled at him, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out the yellow Pokédex that Professor Oak had given her. She opened it and pointed it at the Pokémon. It whirred for a moment, then clicked.

A picture of Butterfree appeared on the screen, and the recording of data on Butterfree began. "Butterfree," said the Pokédex, "the Butterfly Pokémon. It has a superior ability to search for delicious honey from flowers. It can seek, extract, and carry honey from flowers blooming over six miles away."

"That reminds me of your Butterfree, Ash," Cyndi commented.

"How did you know I used to have a Butterfree?" Ash asked her.

"Misty told the kids at the Gym one day. She's told a lot of stories about you. She told us about the time Butterfree helped fight against a Tentacruel that was attacking Porta Vista in the story of how she got Horsea."

Ash thought about this for a moment. Misty had sung his praises in the past. There's gotta be a way we can get Misty to see that Harley's lying. It's too late to tell her the truth. The battle's already scheduled, so we're gonna have to fight, anyway. I hope I can snap her out of it, Ash thought to himself. He knew he had to wait for Corphish's strength to come back before he could continue, so he decided to watch May and Drew battle so he could pick up some tips.

"Squirtle, use Bubble!" May ordered. Her small Squirtle took in a breath, and then blew a flurry of bubbles in Butterfree's direction.

"Butterfree, Gust!" Drew commanded. Butterfree flapped her wings rapidly, blowing the bubbles away from the battlefield.

May grunted at her failed assult. 'Squirtle, come in close with Rapid Spin!" she told her Water-Type. Squirtle pulled his body into his shell, and began to spin through the air at Butterfree.

Butterfree lurched skyward, causing Squirtle to miss. "Butterfree," Drew commanded, "Psychic attack!"

Butterfree began to glow bright blue, her eyes emitting the most light. Squirtle's shell also took the glow. Butterfree mentally began spinning Squirtle backwards and forced him onto the ground in front of May. The spinning shell dug a small hole in the ground. When Squirtle came out, he looked slightly dazed. The Tinyturtle Pokémon shook it off quickly and awaited May's next command.

"Squirtle, try Ice Beam!" May commanded. Squirtle opened his mouth and began forming a bright, glowing blue ball in front of it. He fired the arcing beam of cold energy at the Butterfly Pokémon overhead.

"Butterfree, Protect!" Drew ordered. The Pokémon created a green force field around herself. The Ice Beam was absorbed by the field, causing Butterfree no damage at all.