Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ TJ, Pokemon Master ❯ Floppy's Big Surprise ( Chapter 2 )

Floppy's Big Surprise

Much to TJ's disappointment, the Cerulean gym leaders weren't interested in battling him. In fact, they weren't interested in battling anyone. All they cared about was swimming (TJ didn't even think they did that very well) and their fans. So after he'd thought for a while, TJ decided to go out and find some more Pokemon. However, just outside the gym, he ran into another trainer.

"Wouldn't battle you either, would they?" the older boy asked.

TJ shook his head. "I really wanted to see if I was good enough for a badge."

The boy ran a hand through his brown hair. "Tell you what, kid. I don't know about a badge, but I'd be glad to battle you if it's a test you're looking for."

"You will?!" TJ cried in disbelief. "Thanks, mister!"

The boy laughed. "I'm not that much older than you, kid. The name's Simon. C'mon, there's a river not too far from here."

TJ followed Simon over to the river, dragging his suitcase behind him. If Simon noticed it, he kept quiet about it.

Once they reached the river, Simon pulled out a pokeball. "Ready?" he asked.

TJ nodded. "How many Pokemon are we using?"

Simon thought for a moment. "Two's enough." He threw his pokeball, grinning as a Wartortle splashed into the river. "Your turn, kid."

TJ pulled out a pokeball. "He looks tough, but I know someone tougher. Razor, go!"

Simon nearly laughed as the Spearow appeared, but quickly focused on the match. "Use your Water Gun, Wartortle!"

Razor easily dodged the powerful jets of water, but he still awaited his trainer's command.

"Razor, Drill Peck!" TJ shouted.

Razor flew across the water's surface and left three large bruises on the water Pokemon's head. However, that only made it mad.

"Skull Bash!" Simon said.

Wartortle rocketed through the air, his dented dome knocking Razor out of the air. The bird probably would've drowned if TJ hadn't recalled it at the last moment. "That's okay, pal. You've earned a rest today, anyway."

"You'll have to do better than that to beat my Wartortle!" Simon laughed.

Since birds obviously weren't the way to go, TJ didn't even think of calling on Pidgey. He only had one other Pokemon. "Floppy, go!" he cried, releasing the Magikarp he'd just caught.

The fish splashed into the water and remained still, its large dull eyes centered on Wartortle.

This time, Simon didn't bother to hide his laughter. "Wartortle, bite that thing in two!"

Wartortle swam forward and sank its sharp teeth into the fish's tail fins.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then Magikarp's pain receptors kicked in, and he began wailing, flopping about wildly.

Simon was on the ground rolling with laughter by now.

TJ only frowned and balled his hands into fists. "C'mon, Floppy. You can beat `em!"

Suddenly, there was a bright flash, and everything disappeared in a white light. When it faded, Wartortle found that his jaws were sunk into the tail fins of a mighty Gyarados. The creature growled and flipped its tail, sending him flying into the air. Wartortle crashed to the ground and didn't get up.

Simon quickly recalled his wounded Pokemon. With a red face, he muttered, "I forfeit the match. There's no way my Eevee could beat that thing. You win, kid." He walked away at a fast pace.

"All right!" TJ cried, hopping up and down. "My first victory!" He jumped into the pond and hugged his new Pokemon. "Gyarados, you're the best! Guess you need a name now, huh?"

The water Pokemon growled softly and seized TJ's shirt in his teeth, dropping the boy on its long back.

"Hey, I know! Since you're blue all over, I'll call you Berry! Get it?"

There was a loud sound that originated deep in Gyarados's throat. At first, TJ thought it might be angry, but he slowly came to realize that the creature was just laughing at the joke (no matter how bad it was). With a smile, he patted the Pokemon's side, and Berry swam out to sea.

* * * * *

"More good news, sir! TJ's new Magikarp has already evolved!"

Giovanni grinned. "Excellent, James. Does he have any badges yet?"

"Well...no."

"Don't sound so sad. I didn't expect the cowards at Cerulean to battle. Once Team Rocket is strong enough, I'll destroy their poor excuse for a gym and build my own in its place. Anything else to report?"

"Yes, actually. TJ battled another trainer's Wartortle and defeated it with Gyarados. The trainer was so scared, he didn't even call out a second Pokemon!"

Giovanni laughed. "My nephew seems to be quite the trainer. Where is he headed now?"

"Hard to say, sir. He's riding Gyarados out to sea. We're right behind them, though."

"Good work, James. I knew I could count on you two."

"There's...one more thing, sir."

"What's that?"

James paused. "Well, the Magikarp sub has sprung a leak...again."

"Use masking tape," Giovanni said coldly.

* * * * *

It was several months before TJ even saw another human. He was in no particular hurry, so he'd instructed Berry to take his time. He passed the time by having Razor and Pidgey train with each other. Both birds were progressing quite well, but while CB was faster, Razor's attacks did more damage.

TJ had been so excited about continuing his Pokemon journey, he'd forgotten about food. Strangely enough, when he opened the suitcase to check his pokeballs, there was a bag of dried fruits inside. While they weren't his favorite, he gladly wolfed them down. Every ten to twelve hours, some new food would appear in the suitcase. They were either dried fruits or sandwiches, occasionally accompanied by juice or mineral water. Though he had plenty of Pokemon food, TJ was happy to share his meals with his Pokemon.

One day TJ looked up and saw land in the distance, and quickly asked Berry to stop there. The trip had been fine, but there was much more they could do on land. Besides, even Berry couldn't swim forever. So they stopped on the shoreline, and TJ recalled Berry for a well-deserved rest. As soon as he did this, there was a commotion in the pokeball. Curious, TJ released Berry.

Berry growled unhappily, and it took TJ a few moments to realize he was in pain. They soon found the cause: Venonat had been stuck between the Gyarados's scales the whole trip. Berry hadn't even noticed until he came face-to-face with a Venonat in his pokeball.

After TJ rescued it, Venonat insisted on staying with him, but wouldn't travel inside a pokeball. TJ decided to let him walk the rest of the way to the nearest town, which was Veridian City.

A few seconds after TJ and Venonat left the shore, Team Rocket's Magikarp sub broke the water's surface. James and Jessie quickly climbed out and followed the path to Viridian City.

* * * * *

TJ frowned at the sign on the door of the Viridian City Gym. "Closed for Repairs," it said in large black letters. With a sigh, he walked away from the door. "Puff, how am I supposed to become a good trainer if I never get a chance to earn a badge?"

The Venonat at his feet chirped sadly.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I'd better just stick to catching new Pokemon and training the ones I already have. Which reminds me, it's time to see how fast you can run, Puff." TJ picked up a tiny pebble and threw it. "Catch it!"

Puff shot through the grass, jumped up, and snatched the pebble out of the air.

"Nice grab, buddy!" TJ said with a smile. "Okay, now let's try your hearing. When the pebble lands, you go find it."

Puff nodded and turned away while TJ threw the pebble again. As soon as it landed, Puff zoomed out of sight, and almost instantly returned with the tiny rock.

"Great work, Puff! Now, it's time for your first practice battle." TJ drew out CB's pokeball and released the Pidgey, which was starting to get quite large, thanks in part to its constant training.

"I know this is new to you both," TJ said, "but this is the first battle where you won't get any commands from me. Anything you decide to do will be on your on. I'm only here to name a winner and stop the battle. Ready? Go!"

Puff shot to the right, just avoiding CB's beak as the bird flew past. CB flew up, climbing for a bit, then zoomed back down, barely missing the fur near Puff's antennae. Puff ran for the trees, with CB not too far behind. Puff leaped into the air, bouncing from tree to tree with the aid of his nimble feet.

Finally deciding that Puff was too fast for him, CB paused in mid-air and aimed a Sand Attack at the Venonat. While Puff managed to avoid the worst part of the sand cyclone, a bit of dust got into his eyes, which was the only opening CB needed. The bird dove again, connecting for the first time with a vicious Double-Edge. Puff was knocked into a tree, where he fell to the ground, dazed and confused.

TJ watched intently as CB climbed into the air again, spreading his wings. He was going for the finishing blow now, and it was up to Puff to avoid the attack as best he could. CB hovered for a few more seconds before suddenly rocketing towards Puff, a shrill cry issuing from his beak.

At what might have been that last possible second, Puff leaped straight up, flipped through the air, and delivered a hard stomp to CB's head. The Pidgey spun wildly through the air, barely missing a nearby tree. Puff leaped again, spinning as his Stun Spore wafted through the air. CB tried to retreat to the bushes, but he finally collapsed and laid still.

TJ was just about to congratulate Puff on the victory when two people suddenly jumped over the bush and grabbed him, screaming for help. A huge Arcanine, followed by two Growlithes, crashed through the bushes. The Arcanine roared and bared its teeth before attacking with a Fire Spin. TJ and the two teens backed against each other as the wall of flame started to close in on them. TJ pulled out a pokeball and shouted, "Berry, help us!"

The huge Gyarados touched down with a loud thud outside the flames. Upon seeing its trainer in danger, a great flow of water flew out of its mouth, canceling out the Fire Spin. Then, with an anger TJ had never seen before, Berry used his devastating Hyper Beam. The Arcanine and its puppies were blasted through three trees before Berry finally stopped attacking.

TJ recalled Berry and CB before turning to the two teenagers. "Are you guys okay?"

The young man ran a hand through his purple hair. "Just peachy. Right, Jess?"

"Whatever," the young woman muttered, trying to fix her own red hair. It was then that she noticed TJ was staring at her. "What are you looking at?"

TJ blushed and turned away. "Nothing, ma'am."

"Well, thanks for the save, kid," the young man said, patting TJ's shoulder. "I'm James, and this is Jessie." With that, James ran off in the direction Berry had aimed the Hyper Beam moments before.

"I guess you think you're a pretty good trainer after that show," Jessie commented.

"Oh, n-not r-really," TJ stammered. "I just do the best I can. If I had more Pokemon, I wouldn't have had to use my Gyarados on land, but my Pidgey was already tired, so I couldn't use his Sand Attack to put out the flames."

James returned a few seconds later, a big smile on his face. "What's your name, kid?"

"Oh, I'm TJ. Are you guys Pokemon trainers, too?"

"You could say that," Jessie said.

"Actually, we're recruiting trainers," James added. "I think you're the best we've seen so far, TJ. How would you like to be a Pokemon Master?"

"Really? Me?!" TJ asked.

James nodded. "All you have to do is follow us to the Viridian City Gym, and we'll explain everything there."

TJ's face fell. "I just came from there. It's closed for repairs."

"Only to the general public," Jessie quickly added. "We happen to know the gym leader personally, and he's just dying to meet a worthy trainer. What do you say, kid?"

"I say I'm glad I ran into you guys," TJ replied with a grin. "I'll do it!"