Eight and Beyond!

[Stella]

Claire took the field yet again, watching as Brock sent out his Onyx. "You might as well forfeit now, Brock. This match is going to be over quickly."

"A gym leader never gives up."

"Then prepare to get beat up. Gyarados, take the stage!" The Gyarados took the field and roared. "You go first."

"Onyx, use Screech!" The Pokemon let out an ear-piercing sound. Claire covered her ears, unable to call out an attack. The Gyarados started to act strangely to the noise. "Now, Onyx, use Bind!" The Gyarados was caught tightly by the Onyx and squeezed.

"Gyarados, use Surf!" A pool of water nearby began to twist and turn until it finally flowed to the arena. The Onyx released quickly. Gyarados then slashed its tail down and sailed along in the sudden rush of water, tackling the Onyx. Onyx then fainted. "Game, set, match, Brock. You're up, JayJay!"

 

[JayJay]

JayJay looked amazed at the Gyrados, then figured he wasn't the only one with some late night training. JayJay walked up, Quilava by his side. He tossed up his last Pokeball

"Arcanine, it's our turn!" JayJay exclaimed as the Pokeball released a beam of light that materialized into a majestic and royal looking Pokemon. JayJay's Arcanine roared and, breathing fire and leaping into the air

"That's a good looking Pokemon, JayJay, but it's time to battle. Go, Rhyperior!" Brock shouted and tossed his last Pokeball up, releasing a massive Ryperior onto the field

The two Pokemon stared into each other's eye as the two trainers gave their first commands. Arcanine out-speed Ryperior and had him beat in physical strength, but couldn't seem to wear him down. Arcanine's moves caused recoil and it began to show as Arcanine seemed exhausted and Ryhperior seemed to have taken almost no damage

"Alright, Arcanine, We're out of time, use Close Combat!" JayJay called out

"Rhyperior, Rock Wrecker!" Brock retorted as his Pokemon took a giant chunk of earth and hurled it Arcannie who disappeared in the blink of an eye, reappearing behind Rhyperior and slamming into him, then disappearing and reappearing at his side before smashing him with his hind legs. Rhyperior collapsed, KO'd

 

[Stella]

Claire smiled and then walked next to JayJay. "Great job," she said. Brock then took out some things from his pocket.

"You two battled wonderfully and have now made yourself trainers. I present you both your badges and your official trainer cards. These cards will mark yourselves as trainers and will be needed to present yourself to the Elite Four upon taking on the Indigo Plateau. I look forward to watching you two battle it out in the competition." Brock shook both their hands and handed them the shiny new badges and cards. "Keep training like that and you'll reach the top in no time."

 

[JayJay]

JayJay smiled as he shook Brock's hand. The then turned to Claire and gave her a warm hug

"We did it!" He said as he let her go, exhausted, bags under his eyes, but a grin on his face. His regale Arcanine and proud Quilava stood tall with cheerful grins

JayJay swayed a bit, from sleep deprivation, but put his badge on his card

 

[Stella]

Claire smiled from the hug and then put an arm around JayJay. "Come on, kiddo. You're about to collapse from lack of sleep." Claire put her Pokeball back in her bag. "I need to get you back to the Pokemon Center to rest. We can make our way to Cerulean tomorrow."

 

[JayJay]

JayJay sighed, then recalled his two Pokemon and allowed Claire to guide him to the Pokemon Center. Once inside, the two left their Pokeballs with Nurse Joy and headed to the back room for a surprise, JayJay's Duffle bag had come to life! It was rolling and jumping around the room! JayJay left Claire's grip to try and get a handle on his possessed bag

"What the heck?" JayJay stated wirily as he tried and failed to grab his bag

 

[Stella]

Claire tried to grab the wiggling bag but failed. The bag made its way outside of the room, crossing paths with Nurse Joy.

"Well, now. It seems someones egg has hatched." She picked up the bag and handed it back to JayJay.

Claire laughed a bit. "Seems like the little one got away from us. Thanks, Nurse Joy."

 

[JayJay]

JayJay accepted the rustling bag from Nurse Joy and unzipped it, only to be smacked in the face by two vines. Just then, a large Bulbasaur leaped out of the bag and bit JayJay's cheek, draining the energy out of him. As JayJay fell to the ground with a large thud, it became apparent the difference in this Bulbasaur from regular Bulbasaur. He was almost twice the size of a regular Bulbasaur and of a slightly darker color. JayJay sat up once the Bulbasaur let go of his face and nuzzled into Claire's shins

 

[Stella]

Claire nudged the Bulbasaur aside long enough to help JayJay up. "Take it easy, JayJay. You're exhausted enough and you're gonna need your energy for tomorrow." Claire winked. "Your Bulbasaur is a cutie, though." She rubbed it gently on the head. "He's a bit different, though. Can't say that's a bad thing, however. In this Pokemon world, there's no telling what we'll ever run across."

 

[JayJay]

JayJay seemed totally out of it and after a few moments just passed out. Bulbasaur ran around him worried his vines all up in the air. Bulbasaur let out a cry and then started dragging JayJay to Nurse Joy, little Bulbasuar tears in his eyes

 

[Stella]

Claire caught up with the Bulbasaur. "Hey, little one. Don't worry. JayJay's just tired. I can take care of him." Claire picked up JayJay and put him on one of the beds. She picked up a cloth from her bag and filled it with a little bit of water, then placed it on his forehead. "He's just tired. Using too much energy on little rest can be pretty bad on your body. However, with some rest, he'll be back up to speed in no time."

 

[JayJay]

Bulbasaur seemed happy to hear this and found an empty Pokeball in JayJay's bag for himself, so when JayJay woke back up, he could put him inside it. JayJay was out like a light and had his usual nightmares.

A few minutes later, Nurse Joy came to the back room with the two trainers Pokemon fully healed and inside their Pokeballs. She gave all four Pokeballs to Claire, seeing as JayJay was out cold

Bulbasaur rested near JayJay, still a little worried. JayJay awoke after about fifteen minutes of rest. His heart was pounding in his ears and his brow was damp. He realized he was in the back room, but how he got there was a mystery. He petted his new Bulbasaur, a gift from his brother and put him in the new Bulbasaur had gotten out Pokeball. He unzipped his vest and stood up and stretched, cracking most of his upper body in the process

 

[Stella]

"Well, Sleeping Beauty. Your Prince Charming got a bit worried. Have a nice nap?" Claire teased. "When you blacked out, Bulbasaur got a bit scared. I reassured him, however, that you'd be fine. Though, you look like you've had a bit of a nightmare. Everything okay, JayJay?" Claire sat down in a chair and straightened her hair a bit.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay smiled, then took a deep breath. He sat back down, then looked at Claire. Without her, he wasn't sure if he could have won his first Badge, but her help made sure he was ready. He smiled warmly and nodded to her

"Yeah, I'm okay. Thank you . . . For everything. We make a really great team, don't you think? I'm glad I met you Claire" JayJay said, still drowsy, but able to be awake

 

[Stella]

"I'm glad I met you too. But, listen, you need some rest. You used a lot of your energy, and you need to match that with rest. You can offer your Pokemon a lot, but little sleep isn't going to give you much to support with." Claire yawned. Even she was a little tired. "I didn't get much sleep either, but I'm sure it was more than you did. You weren't here by the time I got back, and it was pretty late before I finished up my own business."

 

[JayJay]

JayJay nodded. He placed his Pokeballs on the night stand and took of his vest, then crawled into bed and quickly feel asleep. His nightmares didn't come to him, yet. He felt secure and was too tired to dream anyway. He slept like a rock, his breathing heavy. He shifted a few times, something like tossing and turning, but rather quiet and calm. He was resting well

 

[Stella]

Claire smiled gently. As JayJay fell asleep, she placed a warm cloth on his forehead. Putting her hand on his chest, she hoped he slept with ease. "Sleep well, JayJay. For once, without nightmares." Claire was aware that JayJay's nightmares were frequent. He didn't have to tell her for her to know. Something always troubled him, it seemed. Claire then decided to walk outside for as it was nearing the time of twilight.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay slept well, no dreams or nightmares. He almost seemed to know that it was nighttime, but he didn't do anything about it, he was so exhausted. he rolled onto his side and relaxed in his sleep.

 

[Stella]

(OOC: Fast-forwarding to the following morning...)

Claire, who had fallen asleep outside the previous night, awakened in soft grass that morning. The sun shone brightly, nearly blinding her, as she woke up. She stretched out, feeling fully relaxed from her sleep, and stood up. Claire walked back into the Pokemon Center and was greeted by Nurse Joy.

"Well, missy, you seem to have enjoyed a night's rest under the stars." She smiled.

"It's the best way to sleep, Nurse Joy." Claire giggled. She was pleased to be fully refreshed again. Claire then walked back to the guest rooms, checking up on JayJay.

 

[JayJay]

Claire saw JayJay in only a pair of loos gray shorts doing his morning work out, he was halfway through his 200 push-ups and would be doing his 200 sit-ups next. He was a little sweaty, but didn't smell bad. There was an empty gallon of MooMoo Milk on his night stand and a few of the bottles of vitamins were empty and on his bed, indicating he had already fed his team. He noticed Claire walk in and stopped his work out to get up and greet her

"Oh, good morning, Clarie!
I was a little worried when I woke up and you weren't hear, but I figured you'd be back soon enough" JayJay said with a smile

 

[Stella]

Claire greeted JayJay. "Well, I'm here now. So, what's up next? A trip to Cerulean?" Claire smiled. "I'd say climbing over Mount Moon, rather than going through, but we could always catch a flight as well."

 

[JayJay]

JayJay nodded

"I'll get cleaned up and packed" he said, ready to keep traveling. He was thinking about wether or not to get a flight or climb the mountain. Climbing would give the two extra training time, but the flight would be safer

 

[Stella]

Claire got changed in a separate guest room, switching into an orange short-sleeve shirt and blue-jean shorts. Temperatures wouldn't be so bad today and thus she chose to dress for the weather. Claire couldn't necessarily decide which route to take. Climbing over would serve her some physical training but faster exhaustion. However, flying would be faster but less helpful to her training.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay got showered and changed into a pair of loose blue shorts and skin tight black tank top, with a pair of black wristbands. He packed up all his things, storing his Pokeballs on his belt. He got out to the lobby and waited for Claire. he decided that they should go over the mountain, they would need the training to take on the next Gym, but was more than willing to fly if Claire wanted to

 

[Stella]

Claire listened in as a radio from a room over turned on.

"--And in the latest news, Team Rocket has claimed to have set up multiple packs of TNT somewhere in or on Mount Moon. All climbers and trainers are advised to avoid the area until the police investigate further."

"Team Rocket... They're putting dozens of lives at risk with this." Claire went back to the other guest room.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay saw Claire walking by, not noticing he was out waiting for her in the lobby. He called her over and noticed an odd look on her face. He knew instantly that something was wrong, but he couldn't hazard a guess as to what until she was within normal speaking distance

"Hey, what's wrong, Claire. Are you okay?" JayJay asked with genuine concern, placing a hand on her shoulder

 

[Stella]

"Team Rocket is what's wrong. They've rigged up TNT all around Mount Moon. Or, at least, so they claim. Police are trying to figure it all out, but no one is wanting to get near it in fear of there being actual TNT inside. Pokemon and trainers lives are at risk that are inside the caverns." Claire sighed. "We'll have to determine which route would be better for us to take. For safety, we could take a flight. But, at the same time, we could try to save the people and Pokemon from the Rockets."

 

[JayJay]

JayJay suddenly became serious. His eyes became steely, his muscles rippled and his jaw set. He looked at Claire, his eyes speaking volumes. His message got across without him having to say a word. He was heading to MT Moon to take on Team Rocket. His mind swirled with thoughts of what to do. He knew he had to go help those people, but putting Claire in danger was out of the question, she'd have to chose herself which way to go

 

[Stella]

"I guess we'll have to go over. We have no access to any bird Pokemon right now, and going through is out of the question. If we come across Team Rocket, we'll take them on." Claire didn't like the idea, but little choice did they have.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay nodded and held the door open for Claire. He seemed very angry, but this was only a fraction of what he felt.

"Let's go" He said, trying not to sound mean to Claire because of his mood, but he knew he would only last so long. He figured they could ride Arcanine to get over quickly

 

[Stella]

Claire shivered slightly at the feeling of JayJay's anger. She could sense it in the air.

As the two reached the entrance of Mount Moon, she put a pair of finger-less gloves on. "I guess we'll have to start somewhere, right?"

 

[JayJay]

JayJay nodded and tossed up a Pokeball. Out of this Pokeball came his Arcanine, who roared out, breathing fire and stomping. JayJay held a hand out to Claire

"We can ride Arcanine and get over quicker, and If we see Team Rocket we can just hope off and take 'em out. What do you say?" JayJay asked, his tone betraying his anger, for he didn't want to scare Claire with his emotions

His Arcanine knelt down, ready to let them both get on. His fur was very warm and extremely soft.

 

[Stella]

"I can't really say no to that. Just watch where we go. This place could blow at any time." Claire took JayJay's hand and hopped up onto the Arcanine. "We can't go through, but I think I'd rather go over regardless."

 

[JayJay]

JayJay hopped up onto Arcanine in front of Claire. He nudged Arcanine's sides with his heels and Arcanine stood up without any problem. It was as if the two trainers weren't even there as Arcanine leapt and climbed up the mountain, dashing with Extreme Speed. Within minutes they were at the peak of MT Moon.

"So far, so good" JayJay said in a steady and level tone. His eyes were peeled, almost hoping to see Team Rocket

 

[Stella]

"With Cerulean up next, I don't know if we'll need much training to take on Misty. Both of us took Brock down easily, so we could be pretty far ahead of the game already." Claire looked around, wondering if she'd spot the same mysterious person from a couple nights before on Mount Moon.

 

[JayJay]

JayJay was about to reply when he heard an explosion mere feet behind them. Rocks went flying and Arcanine dodged them all, turning to face the new crater in the mountain side. When the smoke cleared, four individuals were standing in the clearing, all in black uniforms with a red "R" on their shirts. They were laughing at a wounded group rare Larvitar in the carter, one even went so far as to kick one of the small Pokemon. Larvitar were extremely rare in Kanto, but Professor Oak has reported a few cases were he personally saw them, and there were rumors that Team Rocket has been looking for them ever since. JayJay stared in disbelief, then jumped off of Arcanine to face the Grunts

"What Do You Think YOU"RE DOING!!" JayJay roared out, grabing the other two Pokeballs from his belt

 

[Stella]

Claire jumped from the Arcanine and landed with a small flip, standing in an attacking position. "No one hurts a Pokemon on my watch. You idiots, I dare you to land another hand on a Pokemon." She minded her ankle, knowing she was still having to watch her movements. "One more, and I'll be the one to attack you. Not the Pokemon."

 

[JayJay]

The Grunts laughed and called a small army out from their Pokeballs. Three Golbats, four Muks, three Raticates, and two Houndooms. They called out their barrage of attacks and their Pokemon launched forward with great speed, but not even half of what Arcanine did. As JayJay threw his other two Pokeballs up, calling forth his Quilava and Bulbasaur, Arcanine Flare Blitzed into action, knocking into their front line.

"Quilava, Extrasensory! Bulbasaur Giga Drain!" JayJay called out and his other two Pokemon dashed into combat. JayJay charged forward to get to the Larvitar babies and protect them

 

[Stella]

"JayJay, pass over the Pokemon! You've got enough on your hands for now." Claire watched as a nearby grunt attempted to clash into him. "Oh, no you don't." She ran as fast as possible and punched the grunt in the face, knocking him over. "I told you. Don't even think about it." She hit her hands together. "Pikachu, Growlithe, give JayJay a hand!" Claire threw her Pokeballs in the air as both of them were called out.

 

[JayJay]

A second Grunt went to kick Claire and the other two directed the small Pokemon Army. The Golbats and Muks launched Sludge Bombs while the Raticates used Take Down or Hyper Fang to attack. The two Houndoom were double ganging on JayJay's Arcanine, and his Recoil moves were beginning to wear him down, but not before a crushing Close Combat knocked the two Dark-Fire hounds back. Quilava was searing at the Muks as Bulbasaur went to take out the Golbats.

JayJay made it to the baby Larvitars and did his best to shield them from the debris and attacks from the fight. One looked up at him quizzically, but his eyes were closed as a Grunt kicked him in the ribs.

Arcanine roared out in victory as a second Close Combat demolished the Houndoom duo and he dashed to guard Calire. Quilava unleashed a combo of Extrasensory and Flamethrower with his last bit of strength, KO'ing three of the four Muks and all the Golbats. Bulbasaur came to guard Quilava, glowing red and moving slowly but not seeming to take any more damage.