Trainer to Be

Chapter 5

Turns out Pokémon battles are longer in real life then they are in the games. Finally, the five of us are stood in front of Gym Leader Hannah, Pokéballs in hands. "Alright." She says, looking at each of us in turn. "Which one of you is going to battle me first?"

Brooke and Nora both point at me. "Oh come on guys." I mutter, rolling my eyes.

"Ok Leoni. Step into the arena." I follow Hannah into the battle arena. "Face my fish fury!" She yells. "Go Magikarp!"

"Go Pikachu!" I release Pikachu from the Pokéball. I bend down and whisper in his ear. "Pikachu, I need you to co operate."

"Why?"

"Come on Pikachu it's a gym battle." I say frustrated. Why did I have to get stuck with this one?

"So?" Pikachu folds his arms and turns his head away from me. "You can't make me. I'm not your slave."

"I said Go Pikachu!" I yell through gritted teeth. I push him forward until he's face to face with Hannah's Pokémon. It's just a Magikarp, surely he can't loose to that. Pikachu circles around the Magikarp with little jumps, using thundershock every time he hits the ground. The Magikarp faints, they're just as hopeless as they are in the games. "Well done Pikachu!" I snatch him up in my arms and hug him.

Pikachu pushes me away. "You're darn right well done. This is all my doing, you didn't help at all." He jumps straight back into his fighting stance ready for her next Pokémon.

"Good try Magikarp." Hannah brings Magikarp back into it's Pokéball. She takes another one out of her bag. She releases the Pokémon inside and shouts. "Go Goldeen!" The white and gold fish flops into the arena. "Goldeen! Use horn attack!" It jabs Pikachu with the horn on top of it's head. Pikachu stumbles back in a failed attempt to dodge. The attack hits him square in the stomach. He curses stomps his foot.

"Pikachu! Use thunder shock!" I point to the Goldeen telling Pikachu that it's his target, even though he probably already knows that. Pikachu charges up as if he's going to use the move but Goldeen hits him with another horn attack. He charges forward and starts throwing punches. "Pikachu!" I grab his arms and hold them behind his back. "What are you doing?" I scream, dragging him away from Goldeen. I look up at Hannah who's checking to see if her Goldeen is ok. "I'm so sorry!" I blurt out. "Pikachu isn't very well trained and..."

"I don't want to hear it!" Hannah snaps, interrupting me halfway through my explanation. "There are strict rules in the Pokémon League Leoni and if you want you want to stay a part of it I recommend you stick to it! Now, all three of you, get out of my gym! Get out of my fish store! Go back to where you came from! I don't want to see any of your faces here until Leoni learns to control that Pikachu of hers!"

"Thanks a bunch Leoni." Nora whispers with a menacing tone. What have I done?