Back to A Brock Prologue

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Part VII


 

            The morning has arrived, outside the Takeshi’s house; Brock sits on top of the roof with Caterpie in his lap, admiring the beautiful sunrise over the Pewter city countryside.  Something he has been enjoying lately, like the old saying goes, if there’s one thing you can count on… It is the sun rising in the morning. 

His brief moment of solitude before having to face the real world again, is disrupted by the shouting of Julie below, “Hey Brockoli, lets get in some early training, I want to be prepared as much as possible for today’s matches”.

“I’ll be right down”, Brock sighed, “So you ready for today”.

“Ehh…”

“What’s the matter”?

“Oh I’m still kind of surprised we made it this far into the competition, then again someone has to be in our positions, so it might as well be us”, her tone picked up a bit on the last statement.

Throughout the whole competition, Brock and Julie have always stressed the importance of evasiveness, quickness, and agility in winning battles.  Both of them knowing that their Caterpies doesn’t have much of an advantage in the defensive, nor the offensive side… They would have to rely on utilizing those three skills to the best that they can.  Continuing their training all the way through the morning to the afternoon, where they wait nervously for the fourth day to begun with the sixth round.

The competition is beginning, Julie’s parents, Brock’s mom, and brothers and sisters are all sitting in the stadium seats cheering for them.  Since this is the last day of the competition, all the remaining trainers from the advance, intermediate, and novice class was acknowledged together in the main field before the packed arena of Poké fans.

As always, the Novice class matches went first, then the Intermediate, and Advance.  Julie’s match started first this time, against a spiky blue-haired trainer, with a mean looking Spearow perched on top of his right forearm.

“Who ever wins this match will be the victor of the Blue division for the Novice class, and go on to face the victor of the Red division to decide the overall champion of the Novice Class.  Let the match begin”, the Referee announced.

Seeing Julie release her Caterpie, “Humph, a bug.  This should be an easy match for you Spear”, the blue-haired trainer said.

“Spearooooow”, the Spearow screeched, and flies over to meet Julie’s Caterpie.

“Spearow dive at it”, it’s trainer commanded, The Spearow dived talon first at Julies Caterpie, Caterpie evading the attack, sent the Spearow crashing to the ground.  Taking the opportunity, Caterpie gets in a tackle, but the Spearow drives Caterpie away with wing and peck attacks, and retreats back into the air.  “Try another dive attack”, it’s trainer said again, this time the Spearow was successful, grabbing Caterpie into the air and squeezing him with its sharp talons.

“Get out of there”, Julie yelled.  Not being able to wiggle itself out of this one, Caterpie bit down hardest it could on the Spearows leg to escape, but only to hit the ground hard!  The Spearow, licking the bite wound on its leg, let Caterpie recover from its wounds as well.

“Hurry up, finish the Caterpie off with a Fury attack”, it’s trainer ordered. 

As the Spearow dived again, “Caterpie, counter with String-shot”, Julie yelled out.  The Spearow got covered all over with String-shot, disabling its flight, and once again sending it crashing to the ground.  With a hard tackle from Caterpie, the helpless Spearow was finally defeated. 

Elated with joy, Julie ran and picked up her battered Caterpie and hugged him, “You did it Caterpie, now just one more match, before we win this thing”.

“Cat cat caterpieeee”, it smiled back.

Julie went over to Brock before his match begins, “I’m sorry Brock, I can’t stay and watch your match, my Caterpie is too injured and it needs to be healed right away at the Stadiums Pokécenter”

“That’s ok Julie, I hope your Caterpie does well”, Brock replied.

“Thanks and good-luck on your match”, she said running towards the Pokécenter.

“Thanks, I’m going to need it”, Brock whispered to himself.  There he stands, Caterpie in hand, Brock waits for his opponent to come out and face him, on the battling field.  A familiar trainer comes out of the tunnel from the other side, he knows this trainer, and instantly his face becomes very bitter,  “Robert”, he scolded.  

Robert came out, with an Ekans wrapped around him, when he reached his trainers platform, the Ekans quietly slithered off, while keeping its beady eyes directly on Brock’s Caterpie the whole time.  Making Caterpie, nervous, first it had to face a fire type, now a poison type; both types it’s weak against.  Brock can sense his Caterpie’s nervousness, and gives her a reassuring look to restore her confidence.

“So all I need is to defeat you and your pathetic Caterpie, to face Julie in the finals”, Robert grinned.

“They say, the pokemon a trainer chooses to train, most likely reflects their own personality, and in your case it is a snake”, Brock said harshly.

“As far as I’m concerned you had your chance with Julie, what makes you think she wouldn’t want a stronger trainer like me, over a weak trainer like you”

“Because I’ve known her for years, and she belongs with somebody like me”

“Ha, if she does then why are you still just friends, you’re a pathetic coward, afraid to take chances, me on the other.  If I see something I want, I go after it and take it.”

“Arghh, just let the match begin already”, Brock scowled, under his cringing teeth.

The Referee finally walked onto the field to begin the match, announcing pretty much the same thing he said during Julie’s match.  After the Whistle blew both boys immediately sent their pokemon to battle. 

“Ekans, Wrap attack now”, Robert ordered, amazingly quick, the Ekans wrapped itself around Caterpie, but Caterpie was able to pop out of the hold. 

“Tackle attack”, Brock yelled, Caterpie got a tackle to the Ekans body, but it barely fazed the snake, “No Caterpie aim for the head”, Brock said again.  To fast for Caterpie, the Ekans slithered away, and with an order from Robert, it got ready for a poison sting.  Seeing this, Caterpie sprayed string-shot and covered its head.

“Melt trough that string, with Acid”, the String-shot easily dissolved away from the acid.  The Ekans kept going, and caught the poor Caterpie with its poisonous fangs.  Caterpie, twitching from the poison and squirming in pain, after the Ekans released it from its jaws, left Brock in total shock, “Better get your Caterpie healed, looks like it ran into a little poison ”, Robert calmly said.

“Caterpie no…”, one of Brocks siblings cried out.

“And the winning Trainer from the Red division is Robert Sakato from Verdancy City, he will advance to finals of the Novice class, to face Pewter City’s own, Julie Potter”, the ref announced. 

After the match, Brock glared at Robert for a moment, then rushed his Caterpie to the Pokécenter.  There he ran into Julie just picking up her healed Caterpie at the front desk, “Hi Brock… Oh my, what happened”, Julie changed her tone when she saw the Caterpie’s condition.

“Nurse, my Caterpie is injured badly from my last battle”

“Yes, we heard about your match and we anticipated your arrival, quickly orderlies get a small stretcher for this Caterpie and I’ll meet you in the E.R. for treatment”, the Nurse announced, “Now Mr. Takeshi, if you may, take a seat in the waiting area”.

“Thanks Nurse, I’m… Sorry”

“Brock…”

“Julie”!  Brock said.  He was so occupied with saving his Caterpie he didn’t even notice her standing there.

“What happened”, Julie asked again, in a sincere voice.

“I… I lost my match and Caterpie was hurt and badly poisoned from it”, Brock said, hearing this Julie was even more concerned.

 “Who was the trainer you were up against”?

“Robert”

“Robert?  You mean that guy we just met a couple of days ago”, she asked.

“He had this Ekans with him, too strong for Caterpie to handle…”

“And I’m going to have to face him in the final round”

“Julie”, Brock placed his hands on her shoulders, something he has never done before.

“Yes, Brock”, Julie answered, staring into Brock’s serious eyes.

“You have a chance to defeat him, I know you and your Caterpie can.  I’ve been studying closely on are two Caterpies, and yours is a bit stronger then mine, being a male Caterpie and all… Also you still have the Secret Weapon at your disposal, and Ekans have one of the most sensitive smells of any Pokemon”

“I get it Brock, hit it fast and hit it hard, no mercy until the Ekans is down”, Julie said

“Right, because one poison sting is all it takes… and I don’t want your Caterpie to go through what mine has”, tears started to swell in the boys eyes again.

The day went on, matches that lead to the finals of the Intermediate and Advance classes were going on before each of the final matches were held.  Giving Julie the time to prepare for her match, prepping and even giving a little speech to boost up her Caterpie’s confidence, for what would be it’s hardest match.

“Amazing, Rhydon was able to take down the Nidoking…”, an announcer commented on the last semi-final match of the Advance class.  Needless to say, the final match of Novice class will be held next.  There, on the fields of battle, Julie stands all alone with her Caterpie; this would be the match that decides if she can finally become an officially licensed Pokemon Trainer.  Something she has wanted her whole life, and now its just one match away…

“Win this match for me Caterpie, being a Licensed Pokemon trainer means a whole lot to me.  We can win this thing, right”, Julie exclaimed.

“Caterpie”, it nodded.

“Alright then, here Robert comes, and the match will began shortly”

As usual, the boy had a devilish grin on his face, with his Ekans wrapped around him always starring down its opponents before a match.  “Hey Julie, don’t think I’ll go easy on you for this match”

“You just worry about yourself, Ok”, she replied.

Amidst the loud cheering of the fans, and the rather long intro from the referee to kick off the finals.  The match has begun, both Pokemon were called to the field by their trainers and ready to face off.  Julie’s Caterpie advancing, Robert’s Ekans waits for the right time to strike.

“Now Ekans, poison sting”, Robert commanded, the Ekans aimed an attack at the Caterpie but missed.  Giving Julie’s Caterpie an opportunity for a head butt, and a couple of tackles to the body.  Ekans lashed back with a tail whip and Wrap attack, Caterpie escaped with a bite attack and flung itself at the Ekans for a blow to the head.   Ekans being forced back by Caterpie’s attacks, gave distance between the two. 

“Caterpie String-shot now”, Julie orders, but no good, as the Ekans kept melting the string-shot with Acid attacks.  Breaking the draw, Robert orders another poison sting, before the Ekans could respond.  Julie shouts, “Now Caterpie, use the skunk spray”!

“Pieeee”, Caterpie shouted, as it released an incredibly malodorous smell.  The Ekans went wild, from being sprayed directly in the face; it sneezed, coughed, hacked, and wheezed terribly from the attack.  Brushing its face on the ground violently, its body started to tremble, and not to mention the ear deafening screeches it made. 

Caterpie was too scared to approach the Ekans, in its blind rabid behavior, and Robert was shouting to it to try and get it under control.  “Don’t just stand there, use String-shot to hold down the Ekans”, Julie said.  Layers upon layers of string-shot was poured on the Ekans, until Caterpie was just simply out of string.  It was enough to hold down the Ekans though, and finally allowed Robert to return his pokemon.

Being a Gentlemen this time, Robert shook hands with Julie for a well-fought match.  After the match was over the president over the competition came out to reward Julie with her prize, before he did this.  The President gave Robert his consolation prize, a Great Ball, and a year subscription to Pokémon Power Monthly.  Robert, after shaking the Presidents hand and waving before the crowed, left the stadium with the grin wiped off his face.

Julie was next to receive her award, standing in the middle of the field with the nightlights shining off of her, made Brock only admire her more, and further torments his troubled emotions.  Julie received her shiny new Pokedex, already programmed and everything for her, and six complementary pokeballs.  She was so happy, that tears rolled down her face, prompting her mother to shout tears of joy of her own.

The celebration for the Novice class was briefly over, to make way for the intermediate and advance class to begin, which Brock and Julie stuck around and watched.  The intermediate, was decided with a Wartortle defeating a Fearow, and for the advance, a Poliwrath couldn’t hold its own against a Kadabra.

After the day of battling was done, there was a small party at Brocks house to Congratulate Julie on her triumph at the competition.  As the party waned on, and after all of Brock and Julie’s friends left, and Brock’s siblings went to bed.  The party broke up, with the Adult men breaking out a pack of cards, and the Adult woman went to the dining room to gossip.  Julie and Brock went up to Brock’s favorite place to sit on the roof of the house for some peace and quiet, under a bright and beautiful full moon.  Their Caterpie were also out and about and enjoying a little play too.

Before Brock and Julie noticed, both Caterpies found themselves in a deep and hypnotizing stare at the full moon.

“What, what are they doing”, Julie remarked.

“I don’t know, hey Caterpie, buddy, you ok”, Brock asked them.

Not getting an answer, Julie reaches in to pet her Pokemon, when all of a sudden both Caterpie tilted their heads straight up and started t cover themselves up with string-shot, “Now what are they doing”, Julie, a little concerned.

“Hey, I know check your Pokedex, maybe it can tell us”, Brock recommended.  They found out from the Pokedex, that their Caterpies was evolving, “They battled so much during the competition, that they must’ve gained enough experience to finally evolve”, he commented.

After the evolution was complete, a pair of matching Metapods stood motionless, except for their winking eyes.  There couldn’t have been a more perfect evening, as Brock and Julie sat up on the roof admiring their new Metapods, throughout the entire night.