Short Stories

8. Cascade Badge

"Three," Daisy said, her lemon yellow hair cascading down her back.

Sunlight shone through the window panes high up in the ceiling of the Cerulean Gym, soft white rays reflecting off the surface of the water and playing on the Gym leader's features.

Sam swallowed. A single bead of sweat untangled itself from his chocolate locks and trickled down his temple, into his collar. 

"Three," he agreed.

Daisy considered the challenger for another minute. I'll be on time for Alex, after all.

She walked up to the elevation by the pool and motioned for Sam to stand on the opposite side of the pool, on the Challengers' Soapbox.

"I am afraid, Sam, that our refree is not free right now. You don't mind, do you?"

The young boy shook his head, stiffly.

Good. I can't make Lily park her butt in the Gym to refree when she has a date too.

"Thank you, Sam. I appreciate it. Now then," Daisy flicked her hair back over her shoulder, "let's get started, shall we?"

She didn't wait for him to answer. "Alright, then. I'll send my pokemon first."

In one swift motion, her first pokeball was up in the air. It opened high up in the air and, following a brief flash, a snowy pokemon landed with a splash in the pool.

"I choose Seel."

She watched as Sam hurriedly pulled out his PokeDex and recorded her pokemon in it. Daisy held back an annoyed sigh with difficulty.

Then, with his speed slower than a lethargic Slowpoke, Sam decided which pokemon to send for the match.

Holy Moltres! Does he even know the gym type?

Apparantly, he did. He sent a tiny pichu.

A tinier than tiny pichu.

"Bring it, then," Sam called. His voice shook slightly, which made Daisy wonder if it was his first Gym battle.

I'll bring it, then. Daisy smiled at the thought, This really isn't going to take long.

"Seel," Daisy called, "Headbutt the pichu out of the match!"

Loyally, Seel surged forward and, in a flash, it's shiny skull rammed on the tiny pichu and sent the yellow pokemon flying. She fell with a thud on the wet floor and slid back some more distance.

"Leccy," Sam cried, "are you alright?"

Of course she isn't. Daisy rolled her eyes when Sam turned his back to her to encourage his Pichu.

Leccy only nodded. Her brows were furrowed, and blue sparks were flying off her electric pouches.

Sam let out a small sigh of relief.

The squirtle beside him, however, wasn't content yet. He pulled at the hem of his trainer's jacket. Sam bent down, and for a second it almost seemed like the squirtle was telling Sam something. The boy nodded curtly.

"Alright then, Leccy, " Sam said, looking somewhat more comfortable, now that his pokemon had assured him, " Quick attack, now!"

A thunder type attack would have been better, Daisy mused.

Leccy darted forward. At the edge of the pool, she jumped off the diving board attached there, straight at Seel.

"In the water, Seel," Daisy ordered, and Seel obeyed.

Leccy dived after Seel—and soon bobbed up.

This is so easy, it's annoying.

"Seel, Bodyslam," Daisy drawled.

Seel jumped out of the water with a happy whoop and (cheerfully) fell on Leccy. Seel loved bodyslamming. It was his equivalant for hugs.

SPLASH!

"Leccy!" Sam cried out.

Bubbles popped in the water, as an answer to Sam's call.

Does this guy know anything other than yelling himself hoarse for no reason? All he does is scream names.

When he grows up, Daisy decided, whoever is going to become his girlfriend will enjoy her nights with him.

"Come on, Leccy, come out," Sam yelled.

Maybe not.

More bubbles burst.

He seemed to be at his wit's end, and was tugging at his hair in confusion. His squirtle was sulking behind him.

Daisy stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. I am going to be before time for Alex. Maybe I can catch a nap before going. She smiled at the thought. Beauty sleep never hurt.

Her smile faded when she saw Sam's eyes gleam.

"Leccy, thundershock!"he roared.

Nothing happened.

And then it happened. Her Seel floated to the top, faint.

Darn it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The thing with water pokemon, which can fight only in water, like Seel, Seaking and Goldeen, was that if the opponent was a thunder type which could use moves like thundershock, the odds of winning were...low, to put it lightly.

And it was precisely this reason why, half an hour later, Daisy was handing over the Cascade badge to a ten year old idiot. An idiot who beat her with a single, tiny pokemon.

Guess I am the idiot now, Daisy thought sadly, as she forced a smile on her face and dumped the badge in his hands. Sam had a happy smile glued on his face, his squirtle had a smug one, and his pichu had an insulting one.

The defeat was one of the few reasons why, a few weeks later, Cerulean city Gym was handing over Cascade badges in exchange for doing odd jobs in the gym.

As for her date? Daisy stood Alex up. He wasn't worth it anyway.

~*~*~*~*~*~07 November 2021~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: I wrote this in one sitting yesterday and edited it today, but still, if you see any mistakes, grammatical, spelling error, etc. please do inform me.

~Anony Mous

CHAPTER RE-EDITED ON: 19 February 2022