From: Saint (Saint84_98@yahoo.com) Subject: [PW!] Flower Power Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Date: 2000/06/29 Taron entered the Arena part of the gym devoid of most of the emotions one would expect in this sort of situationn. He wasn't cocky, he wasn't worried. He was simply calm. He had a let what be, be attitude. After all, if he lost this round there was always tommorrow. And, If he won this fight, There was the next town. Erika stood waiting for him, Suik and Procyon were waiting in the stands. Erika held up a pokeball, already set for the battle. Taron grinned as he took out his own pokeball. "So, which one will it be, Erika? Gloom? Tangela? Or how about your Victreebel?" Erika smirked. "I'll tell you after you tell me whether that's your Sandshrew, your Butterfree, or your Spearow." Taron's smirked even more. "Hmm, you study your competition, oh and by the way, I don't have a Spearow, it's a Fearow now." Erika sighed, "I knew I should have talked to Surge after I talked to Misty about you." Taron blinked at her. "About me?" Erika waved a hand at him, "Ah, don't flatter yourself. We were talking about weird battles and she mentioned something about a Butterfree with Solarbeam." Taron grinned at her, "You should have talked to Surge, he might've had a story for you. Brock might've too, though far less interesting." He began to toss and catch the pokeball between hands. "Shall we begin then?" Erika nodded. Taron lobbed the pokeball into the ring, it bounced twice then popped open with a snap. Taron's Seel stood in the ring, awaiting his opponent. "Seel!" It called out. Erika nodded. "She told me to expect the unexpected with you. We'll each use two pokemon." She said throwing out pokeball number one. Taron laughed as Erika's Gloom appeared. "half the time, I don't even know what'll happen." Then his expression turned serious. "Ok Borealis, use a Headbutt." Borealis launched itself, horn first into Gloom. "Okay Gloom, Poison Powder!" Gloom shot a cloud of purple colored pollen towards Borealis, who coughed until the pollen subsided. "Growl!" Taron Called, "Charge up a Solarbeam!" Borealis growled fiercely at the weed pokemon who was gathering flecks and spots of bright sunlight as fuel for the solarbeam next round. "Okay Borealis, quickly use an Aurora Beam" His Seel nodded and launched a brilliantly colored beam of freezing energy. At the exact same moment Gloom launched its Solarbeam. The two beams collided in the center of the arena. The result was a blinding flash of light and a power struggle between the two pokemon. As soon as one pokemon gained an inch the other would force it back. Neither side was winning. "Come on Gloom. You've been in over a hundred battles, beaten countless trainers. You can beat this one too." "Come on Borealis. You're stronger than Gloom, you swam all the way to Vermillion from Seafoam Island against the current you can win." "Come on, it's a water type, you can't lose." That statement was the clincher. Gloom poured more of her strength into her solar powered beam. It shattered th Aurora beam and struck Borealis and sent him flying. He crashed against the wall and passed out. Taron returned it. "Okay, go Talon." He tossed the pokeball out and released the magnificint Fearow named Talon. "Peck attack." Taron called. Talon flapped it's majestic wings and flew high into the air, it immediatly dived beak first into the gloom. It staggered back, it stood up dazed but was ready for more. "Hmm Stronger than I expected." Taron muttered. "But it is a gym pokemon." "Gloom, Sleep Powder." A shower of blue powder shot out of Gloom which put Talon to sleep. Taron reached into his backpack and pulled on the long thin instrument known as a pokeflute. He began to play it. Talon's eyes open and he shook itself awake. "Peck it again Talon!" Talon swooped again and stabbed Gloom with its beak. Gloom staggered and fell, finally defeated. Erika recalled it with a gentle smile. She plucked a green and white pokeball from her pocket. "Go Parasect!" a flash of light nd a large mushroom with insect legs materialized. "Talon, fury attack!" Taron called. Talon did a quadruple straifing run on its opponent. Then followed that up with a Peck attack. Parasect staggered and fell. Erika recalled the parasect. "Well looks like you won." She held out her hand, and in her palm lay a glistening Rainbow Badge. Talon flew over and snatched it out of her hand. it flew back to Taron and dropped it into his hand. Taron pinned it to his shirt. He nodded respectivly to Erika, who returned the gesture. "Thank you for an excelent fight Taron." He smiled and turned to leave the gym. He met Procyon and Suik by the door. "Well, where to next?" He asked. TBC