Chapter 8: - A.J. and the Pokémon School
The gang was now walking down the road toward Vermilion City. Suddenly, a Pokémon appeared out of a bush, startling the group. It was a small, blue, canine-like Pokémon with black legs and a black torso, a blue tail, and a yellow collar. It had rounded bumps on the backs of its forepaws and a black "mask" over its red eyes. It stood on its toes instead of its entire foot.
"Rio," it said, looking around.
"Hey Ly, what Pokémon is that?" Misty asked.
"It's a Riolu! They're rare in these regions. I'm going to catch it!" Lyra answered excitedly. Brock and Misty shook their heads, knowing Lyra wouldn't be able to resist.
Riolu looked at Lyra and tilted its head, wondering if what it was sensing was her Aura. After a few minutes, Riolu smiled and ran toward her, jumping onto her and making Lyra lose her balance.
"Wahhh!" Lyra shouted as she fell backward. "Ouch."
"Lyra, are you okay?" Misty and Brock asked.
"Pichu!" "Pika!" (Lyra!) Pichu and Pikachu exclaimed, worrying for their trainer.
"I'm fine, but..." She trailed off, looking at the jackal-like Pokémon hugging her. "Why did you do that?" Lyra asked.
"Sorry, it's just that I'm excited to see a human who has such a strong Aura inside of them," Riolu said telepathically.
"Oh... WHAT!?" Lyra, Brock, and Misty shouted in unison.
"You can use telepathy!?" Lyra exclaimed.
"Yes, I can, because of my Aura. Anyway, can I please go with you!?" Riolu begged. Lyra looked at her friends, and they nodded.
"Of course! I was about to catch you, but you jumped on me first. So, welcome aboard, Riolu," Lyra said, smiling. Riolu jumped up and down excitedly. "Right, but first, I have to send one Pokémon back to Professor Oak so you can stay with me." She rolled up her sleeve to reveal her Xtransceiver.
"Hello, Professor Oak here," the old man's voice said.
"Hello, Professor Oak! How are you?"
"Mew, my dear girl! I'm good, and how are you?"
"I'm fine, Professor. I'm wondering if I could send one of my Pokémon back to you through the X-Dex."
"Of course! I've been itching to study your rare and unusual Pokémon," he said excitedly.
"That's great. I'll send Pidgeotto back to you."
"That's fine. I've wanted to study Pidgeotto's size. Now, just let the X-Dex do its work..." Lyra held out Pidgeotto's Poké Ball, and it was teleported to the lab. "You're all done. Thanks, my dear girl. Don't forget to take care!"
"Bye now," Lyra said as the screen went black. She held out a Poké Ball, and Riolu tapped it to go inside. "Alright! I caught a Riolu!"
"Pichu!" "Pika!" the electric duo cheered.
"That's great, Lyra, but what kind of Pokémon is it exactly?" Misty asked.
Lyra pushed a button, and the information popped up for the gang to see.
Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon.
When sad or scared, Riolu's Aura becomes stronger as a way of signaling its allies. Riolu also has the power to understand emotions like happiness and anger through Aura waves.
Type: Fighting | Gender: Female
Moves: Quick Attack, Foresight, Endure, Counter, Double Team, Feint, Force Palm, Copycat, Screech, Dig, Strength, Rock Smash, Brick Break, Focus Blast, Shadow Claw, Low Kick, High Jump Kick, Agility, Protect, and Aura Sphere.
Egg Move: Blaze Kick
Ability: Inner Focus
Riolu is normally found in the Sinnoh Region.
"Awesome. Those are some high-level moves," Lyra said.
"Yeah, they are," Brock agreed. "We should get going, shouldn't we?" They continued along the path. 'Aura?' Lyra thought, remembering what Riolu said. She started searching for information about Aura in humans and Pokémon.
As they walked, Lyra thought about her next match. 'Since Vermilion Gym uses Electric-types, I'll use Sandshrew.' She ended up battling five trainers along the way, and Clefable enjoyed every chance to fight. Currently, Lyra was facing a trainer's Rattata. "Clefable, use Mega Punch!" she commanded. The attack knocked the Rattata out in a second.
"Wow, you're good," the trainer complimented. "You should battle A.J."
He explained that A.J. was a savage trainer who owned his own gym down the path. They found the gym shortly after. "Wow, nice gym," Lyra exclaimed.
"Yeah, and it's not even official," Brock noted.
"Who goes there?" a voice called out. It was a boy with dark green hair and a Sandshrew behind him.
"Um, are you A.J.?" Lyra asked.
"Yes, that's me," said A.J. "Are you here to challenge me?"
"Yes, I am."
"Great! This will be my 100th win," A.J. said, pointing to a sign that showed "99." He brought Lyra to the battlefield for a one-on-one match. "Go, Sandshrew!"
"Riolu, I choose you!" Lyra called. Riolu emerged and dropped into a battle stance.
A.J. was shocked; he had never seen a Riolu before.
"Sandshrew, use Dig!" A.J. commanded.
"Riolu, use your Aura to sense where Sandshrew is coming from, then use Shadow Claw!" Lyra ordered. Riolu closed her eyes, sensing the vibrations. She ran toward a specific spot, her palm glowing purple and black as she slammed a Shadow Claw into the emerging Sandshrew.
"What? But how!?" A.J. cried in shock. "Sandshrew, use Tackle!"
"Riolu, Force Palm!" Lyra countered. The moves collided, but Riolu's power was far superior. Sandshrew fainted, giving Lyra the win.
A.J. picked up his Pokémon. "I must say, Lyra, that was amazing. You're a tough trainer."
"Thank you. I'm just sorry this didn't become your 100th win," Lyra said.
"Don't worry about that. I can just battle someone else," A.J. said. He led them to his training tent. Inside, Lyra saw Pokémon using heavy gear and jumping through hoops of fire. A.J. even used a whip to keep them focused.
"Wow, A.J.," Lyra whistled.
"You train them well, though I find the whip a little much."
A.J. was happy to have found a friend in Lyra. Suddenly, Team Rocket appeared and snatched A.J.'s Sandshrew! However, the Sandshrew was so well-trained that it used Scratch to rip the bag open and Tackle to knock Team Rocket back.
"They aren't taking my Pokémon! Sandshrew, let's battle!" A.J. shouted. Team Rocket sent out Ekans and Koffing. Sandshrew rolled into a ball, dodging their attacks easily.
"Use Fissure!" A.J. shouted. Sandshrew slammed the ground, creating a massive tremor that sent Team Rocket running. The sign on A.J.'s gym flipped to 100.
"I hope to battle you again one day, Lyra," A.J. said, blushing slightly as they shook hands. Misty and Brock snickered at the blush, while Pichu and Pikachu glared at the boy. Lyra just looked confused.
Later, the gang found themselves surrounded by a thick mist. They decided to stop for a break. Brock prepared coffee, tea, and prune juice—and a chocolate milk for Lyra.
"I'll fetch the water," Misty offered.
"And I'll get the firewood," Lyra said.
While gathering wood, Lyra spotted two Pokémon.
Nidoran♂/♀, the Poison Pin Pokémon.
The male has a larger horn and powerful toxins; the female's toxins can also be fatal.
Lyra used Pikachu and Pichu to weaken them with Thunderbolt and caught them both. The Poké Balls were teleported to the lab. On her way back, she saw four older boys bullying a younger boy named Joe on a treadmill at a place called Pokémon Tech.
Lyra intervened and invited Joe back to their camp for crepes. Joe explained that Pokémon Tech was a school where you could earn badges through study rather than travel. Misty was offended by this. "A machine is nothing compared to a real battle! As the Cerulean Gym Leader, I challenge you!"
They went to the school, where Misty's Starmie easily defeated Joe's Weepinbell. "How did my Grass-type lose to a Water-type?" Joe gasped.
"Because your Weepinbell lacks experience," a girl named Giselle said.
She was the top student. She challenged Misty and used a Graveler to defeat Starmie, proving that levels and experience mattered more than just type advantages.
Giselle then turned her attention to Lyra. "How many badges do you have?" she asked smugly.
"I have two badges and thirteen Pokémon," Lyra answered. Giselle and the boys laughed, calling her weak.
Lyra's eyes narrowed. "Fine. I challenge you. Pichu, let's go!"
Pichu was furious, sparks dancing in her cheeks. Misty and Brock paled. They remembered a previous trainer who insulted Lyra's Pokémon—Pichu had wiped out his entire team with a single move.
Giselle sent out a Cubone. "Cubone, Bone Club!"
"Pichu, use Iron Tail to hit that club back!" Lyra commanded. Pichu's tail glowed, swatting the bone back into Cubone's head. "Now, Agility into Fire Punch!" Pichu vanished, reappearing instantly to deliver a flaming fist to Cubone's stomach. Cubone fainted instantly.
The students were stunned. Lyra looked at them sternly. "Never underestimate a Pokémon. Ground beats Electric, but Electric-types can learn moves to defeat them. It's about more than just what the textbook says."
Joe decided to leave the school to start a real journey, and Giselle realized she still had a lot to learn. The gang bid them farewell and continued their trek toward Vermilion City.
•~•~•~•~•~••~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Questions for the Readers:
1. The Aura Connection: Now that Riolu has sensed a "strong Aura" inside Lyra, do you think Lyra will eventually learn how to use Aura powers herself?
2. Training Styles: A.J. uses very intense, almost "savage" training, while Pokémon Tech uses computers. Lyra's style is a mix of both. Which style do you think produces the strongest Pokémon?
Thank you for reading this chapter!
See you in the next episode of Pika Ball Z! ⚡