Sephia smelled the scent of chlorine as she walked through an empty hall. It seemed that the gym was completely empty. Finally, she reached a big door with pictures of water Pok�mon on it. She pushed it open and gasped. The biggest swimming-pool she had ever seen was in front of her. White blocks swam on it, maybe for the Pok�mon who were unable to swim. Like Moltres....
"Hello?", Sephia asked.
"Yeah, I'm coming!", a female voice shouted from above. Sephia looked up and saw how a girl with orange hair jumped from a diving-board into the pool. She swam to the surface and climbed out of the water.
"Hello, my name is Misty. I'm the leader of this gym."
"Hi, my name is Sephia. I want to challenge you."
Misty smiled. "As you wish. All my Pok�mon are water Pok�mon. We may use three Pok�mon. But in a special way. Just one battle for every Pok�mon. The third Pok�mon will just battle if we both have won one of the earlier fights. Ok?"
Sephia nodded and walked to the other side of the pool. Her hand slid to the Pok�balls. Maybe she shouldn't start with Moltres. Articuno seemed to be a good choice. She took out the ball.
"Ready?", Misty asked. Sephia nodded again. Misty threw her Pok�ball. It revealed...a Starmie. Sephia smiled. This was something Articuno could handle.
"Here we go!", she shouted and released the ice Pok�mon. Articuno spread his wings and shining snow fell down from his wings. Misty stared at the beautiful bird who rose up higher.
'I am the first one?', he asked.
"Yes. I think it shouldn't be too difficult." Sephia turned to Misty. "Can we start?"
Misty slowly nodded.
"Ok, Arti, use Peck!", Sephia shouted and Articuno dived down.
"Starmie, dive into the water!", Misty commanded. The star jumped into the pool and Articuno stopped as he reached the surface.
"Starmie, Tackle!", Misty yelled.
"Articuno, FLY UP!", Sephia shouted, but it was too late. Starmie jumped high in the air, rotating, and tackled Articuno from behind before it dived into the pool again. Articuno tottered a few seconds, but was able to stay in the air. Misty smiled.
"Starmie will only come out if Articuno flies near the surface. This will get you nowhere. It's a shame to hurt such a beautiful Pok�mon, but that's the way of fighting. You'll lose!"
Sephia was thinking. Articuno could swim, but not dive....but......he was an ice Pok�mon!
"Articuno, fly down and do nothing until I tell you something!"
The bird followed the instructions and flew near the surface, looking for the Starmie.
"Starmie, Tackle!", Misty shouted. This time, Sephia saw it.
"Behind you, Arti! Just evade....", Sephia said calmly.
The Starmie jumped up again, but this time, Articuno evaded the attack.
"Arti, freeze the water where it'll dive down again! Ice Beam, NOW!", Sephia shouted.
Articuno used the attack just in time. The water froze and the still rotating Starmie hit the ice. But the ice was thick enough, it became stuck.
"Oh no, Starmie! Free yourself!", Misty shouted.
"Articuno, Peck attack!", Sephia said and the ice bird hit the water Pok�mon. The ice broke, but the Starmie fell down, the jewel in the middle was flashing. Misty called her Pok�mon back.
"Ok, you've won this round. But you won't beat my next Pok�mon! Here we go, Poliwhirl!"
The Poliwhirl came out of its Pok�ball. Sephia nodded.
"Great job, Arti!" She called him back. Now it was time for Moltres. If he would lose, Zapdos could manage the third battle with his thunder. She took a deep breathe and threw the ball. Moltres came out of it and little flames fell from his wings into the water. Misty shook her head in disbelieve.
"This is...the legendary Moltres - a fire Pok�mon! Don't you know the weakness of fire Pok�mon?", she asked. Sephia looked at Moltres. His flames were still not as high as usual.
"I know that fire Pok�mon can barely stand water Pok�mon. But this is no ordinary fire Pok�mon!", she said. Moltres nodded.
'Thank you for giving me a chance', he said. Sephia smiled.
"Do your best. Arti has won the first battle and I can still use another Pok�mon. Don't overdo it, ok?", Sephia asked concerned. Moltres nodded and rose up.
"That's it! Poliwhirl, Water Gun!", Misty shouted.
"Moltres, evade and try the Fire Spin!", Sephia said.
Moltres was able to avoid the well-aimed Water Gun, but when he tried the Fire Spin it was erased when it hit the water in the pool.
"Ok, Moltres, let's try Agility, then Peck!"
"Poliwhirl, dive down and evade!", Misty said calmly.
Moltres used Agility and aimed a quick Peck attack, but was too slow. Poliwhirl jumped on one of the blocks behind Motres.
"You can't evade the water forever! Poliwhirl, Rain Dance!", Misty said. Sephia stared at her in horror when the Poliwhirl stared to dance. Suddenly, big clouds covered the ceiling of the big hall and it started to rain. The raindrops hit Moltres, but they were too small for really hurting him. However, the rain was getting more and more intense.
"Moltres, can you handle this?", Sephia asked.
'Sure I can!', he answered, but he started tottering.
"Let's put an end to this, Poliwhirl. Hydro Pump!", Misty said smiling.
Poliwhirl raised its arms and the water from the pool started rasing in the air, creating an big tidal wave. Sephia stared at it.
"Moltres, I'm sorry, but this is too big for you!", she shouted and took out the ball. Moltres shook his head.
'No, please let me try. I am just as good as the others, I can win as well.'
"I know that you are as good as them, but you don't have full power yet. Please come back into the ball. I don't want you to get hurt again."
'Sephia.....'
"Moltres, please..." She was crying.
'Sephia.....no, I will win, for you, for me and for the others. Please trust me, my friend.' And he started flying towards the wave. Sephia could just stare at the scene, unable to move. Her friend was going to get crushed! But what could she do..... if she could communicate with him as she did with Zapdos.....but how had she done it? What was the secret? She tried to think of Moltres, but she was far too nervous to concentrate. Meanwhile, Moltres had nearly reached the wave. Sephia realised that there was nothing she could do. At least, she was just a little, stupid girl, she ever was and would always be.
She closed her eyes. Moltres...no....
"MOLTRES, NO!", she shouted. But it was too late. The was about to crash down. And then, she felt the power as she had done in the fight with Brock. She knew what Moltres was about to do, what he thought, what would happen. They were a unit. And then, she gave him all the strength she had.
"Moltres, use Fire Spin!", she shouted. But Moltres knew already what she wanted him to do. She hadn't even spoken the words when he aimed the fire at the wave, his flames burning as high as ever. The fire hit the water, smoke filled the whole hall when the wave crumbled. But it never hit Moltres, the fire split the water and it smashed down to his left and right, but he was unharmed. Misty could just stare in shock as Sephia raised her hand and Moltres flew up, even if he couldn't see her. Then, she pointed at the Poliwhirl and Moltres released a Flamethrower, hitting the Poliwhirl with full power. White smoke like fog made Misty unable to see something, but when it slowly disappeared, she saw that her unconscious Poliwhirl was swimming on the water in the now half-empty pool, next to a small, black thing which had been the block where it had been standing at. She looked to Sephia.
Sephia was stroking Moltres, feeling a little dizzy. She wasn't understanding what had happened - or maybe she was? Even if the strange connection between Moltres and her was broken again, she could still feel a special sort of understanding between them.
"Alliance...", she whispered. He nodded. Then, suddenly, he spread his wings and the fire was burning as high as never before. Finally, Sephia woke up from her trance.
"Moltres..?", she whispered. Then, the Pok�dex in her pocket was humming. She took it out.
"Sometimes, after a battle, a Pok�mon gains a level and it gets stronger", the mechanical voice said. Sephia looked at Moltres.
"A level?", she asked.
'Yes, I think so. I feel stronger.'
"I see...."
"Ah....sorry..?", Misty asked and walked to them slowly, still a little bit afraid.
"Oh, Misty. I think I've won", Sephia smiled. Misty nodded and gave her a small piece of metal. Sephia looked at it.
"This is the Cascade badge", Misty explained and Sephia nodded.
"Thank you, Misty. Please, tell no one that I have legendary Pok�mon or I'll be surrounded by the press forever."
Misty nodded and gave her a small bag. "1000 Pok�dollar for your victory."
Sephia took the bag. "Thanks a lot, Misty. Goodbye!"
"Bye! If you ever meet a Suicune, write me a postcard! I want one!"
'Suicune lives two Pok�balls to the left of mine', Moltres said.
"Quiet, Moltres", Sephia whispered and turned to Misty. "Ok, I'll do it, see you soon!"
Then, they left the gym. Sephia petted Moltres once more, then she called him back into his ball. It was time to phone Professor Oak.
To be continued....
******
Please review!!!!!
[email protected]