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After two weeks of traveling, our heroes Ashley, Misty, and Brock have finally reached Vermillion City.
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"Hip! Hip! Hooray!" The gang cheered after finally reaching their long-awaited destination.
"Finally we're here! These two weeks were the longest of my life." An exhausted Ashley expressed her stress while stretching her body.
"I'll say. If it wasn't for those Dino Caps of yours Ash, it would have been forever since I've taken a bubble bath." Misty said with utter relief.
"Thank goodness that motorhome also had a built-in washing machine or we would be covered in filth." Brock expressed his thankfulness.
Deciding to rest before Ashley's next Gym Battle, our heroes walked their way to a nearby Pokemon Center to relax and enjoy a nice meal.
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At the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy promises that she would take good care of Elektra and the other Pokemon.
"Thank you very much, Nurse Joy. By the way...?"
"I know why you're surprised. I look like all the other Nurse Joys, don't I? My first cousin works in Pewter City, and my second cousin works in Viridian City." Nurse Joy explains about her family while claiming that she's the prettiest one and Brock quickly agrees.
Suddenly, the doors open up, and Chansey along with a Pokémon trainer run inside. And on the rolling table is a very injured Rattata.
"That Ratatta's in rough shape, I wonder what happened?" Brock says out loud.
"Oh, it's the fifteenth one brought in this month," Nurse Joy says with worry.
"What?!"
Together with Nurse Joy, they go into a room with many hurt Pokémon. Pokémon such as Caterpie, Oddish, Sandshrew, and the Rattata are seen there.
"This is terrible," Brock says with distress.
"They all lost to Lieutenant Surge, the Vermilion Gym Leader." Nurse Joy further explained how these Pokémon became injured in the first place.
Wanting entail about Lieutenant Surge, Ashley decided to ask the trainers about their against the Vermilion Gym Leader.
"He's powerful and his Raichu is no joke either." Ratatta's trainer began.
"What attacks did Raichu use?" Ashley asked.
"Well, there's Thunderbolt and Body Slam.." Oddish's trainer answered.
"Then it's Mega Kick & Mega Punch." Sandshrew's trainer continued.
"Huh?" Misty and the rest of the group were surprised.
"But didn't Raichu use any speed moves, like Quick Attack or Agility?" Brock asked, still mystified.
Caterpie's trainer answered negatively, "Not once ever."
After the questioning was concluded a beeping was heard. Informing Nurse Joy that Ashley's Pokémon have recovered. Walking back into the lobby, our heroes see Elektra happily munching away on an apple.
"Elly, are you up for a gym battle?" Ashley asked her Pokémon, not wanting to force her friend into a Pokémon fight.
("Of course!") Elly was sparkling with electricity from excitement.
"Wait a moment, please! If you're truly going Lt. Surge, then you'll need this." Nurse Joy stopped our heroes as she offered Ashley a stone.
"A Thunder Stone!?"
"It'll help your Pikachu to evolve and be on equal terms against Surge's Raichu. Regardless, you have to think hard before using the Thunder Stone."
"If you make Elly evolve, Ash, you can't change her back."
"Elektra would never be the same."
Nurse Joy was practically offering up the evolution stone to Ashley on a silver platter. However...
"Sorry, but no," our dear girl refused.
"What!?" Everyone in the hospital was utterly surprised.
"As much as I would like to win that badge if I make Elektra evolve only just to fight... I would never forgive myself. Elly already decided long ago that she wanted to win battles as a Pikachu for the respect of Pikachu everywhere and wanted to defend our honor. Regardless of what anyone says about our decision. Besides, I'm happy with Elektra staying the way she is now."
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On their way to the Vermilion Gym, our heroes reached the said building that looks to be a dull color with large yellow lightning bolts. Possibly due to the fact that it's a place used for electric Pokémon. Upon entering the dark interior of the gym, Ash and her friends came across two figures of a woman and a man as soon as the sunlight hit them.
"My name is Ashley Ketchum! And I'd 'come to challenge the gym leader and earn a Thunder Badge!" Ash announced her battle against Lt. Surge to the two adults.
"Hey, boss, another victim for the emergency room."
"Wah! He's huge!" Brock said as he and the others were surprised at how big he was compared to how small they were.
"Welcome to the Vermilion Gym!" Surge announced with a happy attitude as he surprisingly had his arms wrapped around Ashley in a hug.
"Oh, my next challenge is a cute one. Don't think I'll go easy on you."
"I wouldn't have it any other way, haha," Ashley said with a strained laugh and a sweatdrop on her forehead.
("And we won't hold back either!")
"A Pikachu? It seems that Baby here brought along a baby Pokemon." Surge said as he and his two assistants laughed at his joke.
"Enough! What's up with the 'Baby' comment anyway?"
"Heh! I call everyone who loses to me, 'Baby'. And besides, look here!" Surge says as he shows off his Raichu—Pikachu's evolved form.
"If you want to become a Pokémon Master you should make your Pokémon evolve as soon as you catch it."
'Then does that mean he-?'
"There's more to raising a Pokémon than forcing it to evolve! Elektra's fine just the way she is!
"Wrong Baby! Electric Pokémon are only useful once they've learned all their different electrical attacks. You keep it puny like that, it's no more than a little pet."
("Enough talk, let's battle!") Elly had enough of this guy's big talk as the female electric mouse had a fire in her eyes as she was also sparking with electricity.
The Pokémon battle will now begin. Only one Pokémon may be used. The gym leader, Lieutenant Surge, has chosen Raichu. The challenger, Ashley Ketchum, has chosen Pikachu. No time limit! Let the battle begin!
"Raichu, ThunderShock!"
"Dodge it!"
Elektra effectively dodged all of Raichu's electric attacks. To compensate, Surge ordered Raichu to use Body Slam, but the former is way too fast for it. With the use of Agility, a psychic-type move that increases the Pokemon's speed.
~A/N; To be honest I've always wondered why exactly speed moves are defined as psychic-type moves. I never understood that.~
"What the-?"
'I knew it!'
"I've been curious about something after talking to your previous challengers, along with what you said earlier about evolving a Pokémon as soon as you catch it. And this battle proves it! You immediately evolved Raichu without it learning any speed-type attacks while it was still a Pikachu. Your Raichu's way to slow Surge, that it's weakness!"
"So now when speed should be its advantage, it's now Raichu's disadvantage?" Misty asked Brock.
"Yep. Raichu evolved too fast. So it never learned the speed attacks it can only learn in a Pikachu's stage!"
"Okay, Raichu! Shut this pest down with a Thunderbolt!" And what a shock attack it was! Raichu's Thunderbolt was so powerful that the ground became split, jagged, and shook like an extremely violent earthquake, and shattered all the windows in the Gym. It seemed like the battle was over from that final attack. However, as the smoke cleared Elektra was standing with not a scratch on her! This is thanks to Lightning Rod; an ability used by some Pokémon that can absorb any Electric-type move and nullify the damage. It also increases the Pokémon's special attack.
"But how-!?"
"Elly here knows the move Lightning Rod. So Raichu's attacks were nothing more than a slight tickle."
Even though Raichu was panting heavily, its trainer wasn't gonna give up. Once more Surge ordered Raichu to use another Thunderbolt attack. Even so...
"It's no use," Misty stated the outcome of the Pokémon's attack.
"Raichu ran out of electricity!" Brock announced what was happening.
"You got that right. And while Raichu was constantly unleashing his electric attacks everywhere, Elly here hasn't run out of juice. So now my darling girl, let's show everyone the power of a Pikachu with your Thunder Attack at full power!"
And it was a spectacular showcase of Elektra's power that led Ash to victory.
As it was a lesson learned where evolving a Pokémon doesn't always prove to be the right tactic for becoming stronger.
Everyone congratulates Ashley and Elektra, even Raichu, who shows respect for its pre-evolved form.
You and your Pikachu really fought well together. As proof of your victory, a Thunder Badge!"
"Thank you very much. And thank you to Elly. This was your victory." Ashley thanked her starter Pokémon as the two hugged one another.
"Those two really are quite a team."
"Yes, indeed."
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Ashley and Elly won a Thunder Badge in an impressive performance, but they still have a long way to go to reach their goal. And so, the adventure continues on and on!
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Ashley's Pokemon:
Elektra (female Pikachu)
Aoi (Female Lucario)
Poliwhirl (Male)
Shelly (Female Cubone)
Butterfree (Male)
Pidgeotto (Female)
Suzumebachi (Female Beedrill)
Sandshrew (Male)
Juliet (Female Nidoran)
Romeo (Male Nidoran)
Kori (Female Eevee)
Mizu (Male Eevee)
Bulbasaur (Male)
Charmander (Male)
Squirtle (Male)
Krabby (Male)