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And now, Jellic continues his quest...
Jellic�s Hateful Quest
Chapter 2: Put Your Money Where Your Meowth Is...
As they made their way to Sage City, Ashley and Jellic tried to
avoid an excess of conversation. Ashley didn�t want to appear too
talkative for fear of jeopardizing their friendship, and she certainly
didn�t want to run out of conversation topics this early on what she
knew would be a long and fun-filled Pokemon journey. Jellic simply didn�
t feel like talking to a little girl. His plan to leave her behind in
the city and continue his quest alone was beginning to take shape, and
he certainly didn�t want to betray his intentions to her. He could just
imagine confronting the Ultimate Evil of this dimension with a little
girl at his side. �What a revolting thought,� he said aloud without
realizing it.
�What did you say?� asked Ashley, eager for any conversation to
break the monotony.
�I said �What was that you caught?� again? I forgot.�
�It was a Vulpix, a fiery fox Pokemon. Want me to tell you more
about it?�
�No,� said Jellic, ending the conversation as abruptly as it had
started.
�You�ll probably want to buy some supplies in town,� Ashley reminded
him, refusing to let him have his silent way. �Do you have any money?�
�I might. Do any of these look like your currency?� he asked,
reaching into his satchel for his money supplies. To his dismay, he
realized that the money, as well as his weapons, had failed to make the
transition into this dimension. �It�s gone! It�s all gone!�
�It�s okay. I can lend you a little until you�ve found a way to earn
some. There are odd jobs you could do in town, and once you�ve caught
some Pokemon, you might win a prize in a tournament.�
�No!� he shouted. �I refuse to have anything more to do with those
creatures! I�m only holding this Machop because it saved my life, and I
owe it this one favor.�
�Of course,� continued Ashley, �if you had a Meowth, you could make
a lot of money using its Pay Day attack.� Jellic mumbled something under
his breath that Ashley didn�t quite hear, but she decided she was
probably better off not hearing it. �Fortunately, every town has a
Pokemon center that will heal your Pokemon free of charge. Otherwise,
Pokemon training would be twice as expensive!�
�Are you really sure you�re up to going on a dangerous quest?� asked
Jellic, hoping to dissuade Ashley from trying to accompany him beyond
the city walls. �I�m sure this world is full of hazards that could kill
you if you�re not careful.�
�Of course there are hazards,� said Ashley. �That�s why I rely on my
Pokemon to protect me.� Jellic snorted. �I�d like to see how you would
have handled that Vulpix if your Machop hadn�t jumped in to save you.�
�All right,� Jellic admitted, throwing his hands in the air. �I�ll
keep it with me, just in case I need a fighting partner. It can draw
enemy fire.�
Ashley stopped short, peering into the tall grass near the road. �I
think I see another Pokemon!� she shouted. Jellic squinted, and managed
to make out the shape of a large colorful butterfly floating barely
above the grass, flapping its wings at irregular intervals. �It�s a
Butterfree!� Ashley announced. �And it�s trying to escape from something
in the grass! But I think its wing is hurt, and it�s having trouble
flying!�
�Then let whatever�s in the grass have it, and meanwhile we can
escape before it decides to turn on us.�
�How cruel!� Ashley shouted, beginning to feel that she was
endlessly repeating herself. �Can�t you just admit that all Pokemon aren
�t necessarily evil, and that maybe that Butterfree could use our help?�
�Then help it if you want,� said Jellic. �I�ll stay right here and
watch.�
Ashley tossed out a Pokeball. �Go Weepinbell!� The ball opened,
releasing what appeared to be a giant bell-shaped flower on a stick
figure�s body of a stem. The stem distinctly featured arms and legs, and
a pair of eyes peeked out from above the bell. �Razor Leaf attack -- cut
away the grass!� The Weepinbell spat forth a torrent of leaves from its
bell-shaped mouth, slicing the blades of grass in half. As the grass
blades were shortened, Jellic could see a long tail poking up out of the
grass right below the hovering butterfly Pokemon.
�Weepinbell, use a Vine Whip!� The Weepinbell�s �arms� extended to
ten times their length, striking the air above the tail with violent
lashes. The tail below twitched as the vines struck it, while the
Butterfree dodged the attacks as best it could.
�So now who�s cruel?� asked Jellic. �You�re hurting the Pokemon you
were supposed to be trying to save.�
�It�s a Flying Pokemon, so the Grass type attacks won�t hurt it very
much,� answered Ashley. �That�s why I chose Weepinbell. Unfortunately,
it is a very powerful member of its species. Weepinbell, return!� The
ball�s red beam drew the plant into its Pokeball. �Hopefully, we got the
attention of the attacking Pokemon. Now I can see what type it is and
choose my Pokemon accordingly.�
�So I understand that Water Pokemon are powerful against Fire types,
but why are Grass types weak against Flying types?� asked Jellic, very
confused.
�Every type has its strengths and weaknesses. You just have to
remember which types are which.�
�How many different types are there?�
�Fifteen that we know about. Those fifteen cover over one hundred
fifty Pokemon. But there are always new Pokemon being discovered, and
nobody knows whether or not we�ll ever find one that doesn�t fit one of
the types.�
�Fifteen types, you say?� Jellic rubbed his chin thoughtfully. �That
�s a lot of opposition. Are there any types that don�t have any
weaknesses?�
�No,� answered Ashley. �They�re mostly pretty balanced. Psychic
types are pretty powerful, and their only weaknesses are to attacks that
are pretty weak anyway. And Dragon types are only weak against Ice, but
there are only three Dragon Pokemon, and they�re all in one family.� She
paused. �You seem really interested in Pokemon for someone who wants
nothing to do with them.�
�Where I come from we have a saying. �Know thy opponent as thyself.�
If there are dragons around here, there may yet be some action in this
dimension. I�ve slain dragons before.�
A loud noise from the grass interrupted him. �MEOWTH!� yowled the
Pokemon that was poking its head out from the tall grass. Jellic
recognized the animal that it resembled. It looked exactly like a cat.
�A Meowth!� exclaimed Ashley. �It�s a Normal type Pokemon, so a
Ghost type will be very effective. I�ll use my Gengar.� As she grabbed
one of her Pokeballs, Jellic grabbed her arm.
�Didn�t you say that a Meowth could make me a lot of money?� he
asked.
�That�s right. But maybe you�d better let me catch it for you --�
�No,� said Jellic abruptly. �I�m going to catch it myself. Give me a
magic orb.�
She handed him an empty Pokeball. �But the only Pokemon you have is
Machop, and it�s badly injured.�
Jellic held out his Pokeball. �Machop, get out of there!� The Machop
emerged from the Pokeball, appearing next to Jellic. It was covered in
soot and its posture reminded Ashley of a wilted flower. �When I was
learning to be a warrior, there was one lesson they stressed above all
else. No matter how good you think you are, evil is always stronger. It�
s your duty to bring evil down to your level. So the more it hurts, the
harder you have to fight until you win. Now, you may be tired, but are
you going to let that stop you?�
�Ma, CHOP!� shouted Machop, straightening into its fighting stance.
�Go get it!� shouted Jellic. The Meowth and the Machop stared at
each other, sizing up their opponents. �I said fight! What�s wrong with
you?�
�Call out a move by name!� advised Ashley. �It recognizes the names
of its moves and executes them.�
�What are the names of its moves?� asked Jellic, as the Meowth
pounced, slicing at Machop�s chest with its claws.
�By now it should have learned Karate Chop and Low Kick,� she
returned.
�Karate Chop?� asked Jellic. Machop, hearing this, mistook it for a
command and swung its hand into the Meowth�s head. The devastating move
knocked the Meowth back, giving Machop a chance to breathe. �Go for it,
Machop! Karate Chop away!� Machop charged at the Meowth, swinging its
hands, but the Meowth was agile enough to dodge them. �Now fake it out!
Low Kick!�
Machop�s foot found its mark in the Meowth�s face, sending the cat
flying once again. Jellic threw the Pokeball at the fallen Meowth,
trapping it. The ball wriggled around for a few seconds before --
�What?� Jellic wondered aloud as the ball popped open and an angry
Meowth emerged.
�The Meowth wasn�t weak enough for the Pokeball to hold it,�
explained Ashley. �You need to weaken it more, but don�t knock it
unconscious. Then the Pokeball won�t work at all.�
Jellic slowly advanced on the pair as the Meowth swiped at Machop
once again with its claws. As Machop felt the sharp tips, coins fell
from Meowth�s paws and lay on the ground in a pile. �Machop, don�t just
sit there! Low Kick!� As the Meowth opened its mouth to take a bite out
of Machop, it received a mouthful of foot. It sat still, stunned by the
blow. �Now finish it with a Karate Chop!� Machop�s hand came down on the
kitty�s head, knocking the Meowth to the ground. It didn�t get up.
Jellic grabbed the Pokeball from the ground where it had fallen and
tossed it at the Meowth. This time, it barely struggled before falling
still. �Hooray!� shouted Ashley. �You caught a Meowth!�
Jellic kneeled in front of Machop, who was on the verge of
collapsing from its fatigue as well as the burns. �Machop, you�re a
great fighter. You hung in there through the pain and came out a winner.
I�m proud of you. When the time comes to battle evil, I�ll be glad to
have you fighting on the side of good.�
�Machop,� squeaked the exhausted Machop before it fell to the
ground. Jellic recalled it to its Pokeball.
�That was really cruel,� said Ashley. �But maybe now you�re
beginning to understand the concept of Pokemon training.�
�I can have nothing but respect for any fighter who can win such an
unfair match.�
�Well, Machop is a Fighting type Pokemon, and that gave it a natural
advantage over a Normal type, but it was pretty weak going into that
battle. You�re not a bad trainer, once you give your Pokemon a chance to
show you what they can do.�
�I�m keeping Machop as a fighting companion, not as a proxy,� said
Jellic. �I got the Meowth because I need the money. Sometimes, even a
brave warrior like me has to resort to making certain arrangements with
the enemy that work to mutual benefit.� He picked up the loose coins
from the ground and counted them. �Twenty three. Is that very much?�
�No,� Ashley admitted. �You won�t get a lot of money fighting with a
Meowth. It will add up after a while, but you�re better off finding a
better way.�
�What better way is there?� asked Jellic.
�You could become an official Pokemon Trainer!� she answered
suddenly. �I just remembered that registering as a trainer earns you
your very own Pokebelt and supply of Pokeballs, a Pokedex -- that�s like
a Pokemon encyclopedia, but it�s electronic -- and you get a bit of cash
to get you started.�
�Pokemon Trainer? You want me to side with the enemy?�
Ashley shook her head. �You�re right. It may not be your style. As a
Pokemon trainer, your mission is to travel across the country, capturing
as many Pokemon as you can. Then you battle your Pokemon against the Gym
Leaders to earn badges.�
�Badges?�
�They�re a symbol of how good a trainer you are. Pokemon and other
trainers will respect you more if you have badges. Once you have all
eight badges, you can join the Pokemon League and become a Gym Leader
yourself. And eventually, you may even be one of the eight trainers who
hold the badges.�
�So in this dimension, Pokemon are a symbol of status as well as the
means of settling battles?�
�Exactly. Everyone looks up to a good trainer.�
�So, to be a hero in this dimension, I�ll have to collect and train
these Pokemon?�
�That�s right,� said Ashley, positively drinking in Jellic�s dismay.
Jellic groaned. �I�ve never had a more hateful mission. Never.�
�Well, the sooner you start building up a party of Pokemon, the
sooner you can start flushing the evil out of this dimension,� noted
Ashley, hoping to cheer up her companion. Jellic refused to speak. �Look
at it this way. You�ve fought evil in many ways before, right?�
�I�ve used swords, axes, magic, guns, guardian spirits, poison...�
�Those are all nothing more than tools that you used to conquer
evil. The skill was always in you; you just manipulated your tools in
the right way. Well, here, the Pokemon are your tools, and it�s up to
you to use your skill to train the Pokemon and claim victory over evil.�
Jellic paused to consider this. �Using evil�s own tools against
it... that�s something I�ve done before. Very well then!� He stood up
straight and pointed down the road to Sage City. �Let us be off to turn
these Pokemon against their evil masters and bring to this land the
glory of peace through violent means!�
Ashley shrugged her shoulders. At least he was willing to become a
Pokemon trainer now, even if he still thought all Pokemon were evil.
�Right! On to Sage City, and then to further adventures!�
------------------------------------------------------------------
MOM: I'm getting rid of this TV before the mindless garbage rots your
brain!
JOHNNY: Mindless garbage not rot brain!
(SHAMPOO: Mindless Johnny not got brain to rot!)
"There's a billion places like home. But only one of them's where you
live." - Granny Weatherwax, "Witches Abroad" by Terry Pratchett
ED: My eyes are stuck! I can't open them!
EDDY: Open your eyes, Ed.
ED: (opens eyes) Thanks, Eddy.
My webpage: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~katinamp