It's been almost a year since I sent the last chapter of this story. If
you've forgotten what came before, you can find the previous chapters at
www.rose-hulman.edu/~katinamp/ThePortal.html



    Not much time left... it's starting to get dark again. I don't want
to leave without finishing my last message to my friends... it's odd to
think of them as my friends, really, after I spent so much of my life
tormenting them. Oh well. At least I was able to make peace with them,
if only for a little while...

POKEMON: The Portal - Chapter 12

    Just as I had given up all hope of ever being able to rescue Equinox
from the insidious clutches of the Sandwyrm, a pair of hands grabbed her
arms to assist me. "If you're staying with her, I'm staying too,"
insisted Ash.
    "Get the hell out of here," I growled. "I'm already sacrificing two
lives to my stupidity. I'm not going to sacrifice a third!"
    "You're not," Ash assured me. "I'm staying because I want to."
    "You have Misty to think about! Are you really going to leave her in
Triesha's clutches so you can be eaten by a Sandwyrm?" My head dropped,
and I felt my grip loosening. "I have Equinox to think about, and you
have Misty. At least one of us has a chance."
    Solstice stepped behind Ash and pulled his hands away. "Ash, let's
go. Gary has made his decision, and there's nothing we can do about it."
She was trying to be strong, but the tears in her eyes showed that she
was just as hurt as I was by the loss of her sister - probably more so,
since the two of them had been together since birth, while my feelings
for Equinox had developed over only one afternoon. "Just let Gary try
until the hole closes. Once that happens, Equinox will be gone forever.
Even if you dig down a thousand miles, you'd never find her body."
    How could I have been so stupid! All this time, I'd been relying on
my own strength, when the entire reason I'd come was the power that this
dimension didn't have! Fortunately, Solstice's words had sparked an
idea. I could only hope that it had come soon enough. My hand went to my
Pokebelt. "Sandslash, come out! Dig down and fight the Sandwyrm!"
    "Slash!" Sandslash saluted only briefly before diving into the
ground. I turned my attention back to Equinox, reaching for her free
hand, but only the arm I was still holding was visible. While I had let
go of her hand, the Sandwyrm had pulled her free arm down, letting the
ground form an airtight seal around her upraised arm. Knowing that time
was critical, although she would be eaten long before she could
suffocate, I grabbed her remaining arm in both hands and held on
doggedly as she was pulled deeper and deeper into the earth.
    "Sandslash..." I groaned. "Hurry up!" But even as I said it, I knew
I was too late. My hands were now touching the ground, and the Sandwyrm
was pulling harder than ever, sensing that its meal was nearly finished.
Equinox's fingers began to slide out of mine. "No! I'm not going to let
you die this way! Sandslash just needs more time!" I tightened my grip,
determined to hang on to Equinox no matter what happened.
    The seconds went by, and still no sign of Sandslash. I still wasn't
ready to lose hope, but I just didn't have the strength... until I felt
Solstice's power coursing through my body. As eager to see her sister
safely rescued as I was, Solstice was using her magic to enhance my
strength, and I squeezed Equinox's hand as hard as I could, feeling a
welcoming pressure in return. Equinox was still alive down there,
barely, and I was her sole link to this world.
    With Solstice's spell in place, my strength was incredible. My grip
never failed; it was the ground that gave way first. Sensing that it
couldn't separate me from Equinox, the Sandwyrm opened the gap wide
enough to admit my hands as well. I nearly let go in shock, and that
would have been the end of Equinox, but my faith in Sandslash's
abilities was unshakeable. I let the Sandwyrm pull my hands into itself
and felt the ground close around my wrists. My course was set; if I was
wrong, I was as good as dead.
    Fortunately, my trust was vindicated mere seconds later. The ground
stopped buckling, and the force drawing me into the earth terminated.
"All right!" I cheered. "Sandslash did it!" Unfortunately, the victory
was short-lived, as I realized that Equinox was still buried under
several inches of solid rock, and my hands were stuck just as fast as
when the Sandwyrm had been alive.
    Equinox's fingers wiggled slightly in my grip, and the ground
liquefied around my hands. I quickly pulled her up through the now
yielding ground, and our heads collided as I overestimated the necessary
force; Solstice's strength spell was still in full effect. As soon as
her head had broken the surface, Equinox threw her arms around me and
squeezed for all she was worth. I stood up, pulling her out of the pit,
and returned her embrace enthusiastically. We both nearly stumbled as
Solstice plowed into her sister from behind with a hug, while Ash was
content to stand nearby and watch.
    Equinox's ribcage rose and fell against my chest as she breathed in
the air that she'd been cut off from for so long, but she wasn't showing
any weakness from her ordeal. She reached up to wipe as much of the mud
from her face as she could and kissed me full in the lips. Her heavy
breaths warmed my cheek and upper lip, a sensation that I found
strangely titillating. It felt like my arms were full of pure life... a
life that I had saved. It wasn't until that moment that I realized she
was crying.
    I broke our kiss and held her tighter, moving my mouth next to her
ear. "What's wrong?" I whispered.
    "I don't know," she replied. "This has never happened to me before.
But I think... I'm happy."
    "You should be. You're alive!"
    "But I've been nearly killed many times before. Why do I feel this
way now?"
    "You're in love, dear," said Solstice. "Stop fighting it and enjoy
it while it lasts."
    "I can't help it. This feeling is so beautiful... I'm scared I may
lose it forever."
    "I'll never let that happen," I promised her, foolishly. "I'll never
leave you."
    Ash tapped me on the shoulder. "Gary, I really hate to interrupt
you, but aren't you concerned about your Sandslash?"
    Solstice stared at the ground. "That's right... it hasn't come up
yet! I hope nothing's happened to it!"
    My breath caught in my throat. "I totally forgot!" I disengaged
myself from Equinox's embrace and cupped my hands around my mouth.
"Sandslash! Where are you?"
    "You don't think it's dead, do you?" asked Ash.
    "Of course not," replied Equinox. "If it was dead, the Sandwyrm
would be sucking us all down by now. They're still fighting down there."
    "Sandslash will come out on top," I said confidently. "I trained it
well."
    The ground buckled under my feet, and I quickly leapt aside, pulling
Equinox with me. The path exploded, spitting a round ball of sand into
the sky. Immediately following it came a giant earthworm with a round
hole on top of it. The ball opened up into my Sandslash, which
immediately began to descend toward the gaping mouth of the Sandwyrm.
    "Sandslash, return!" I shouted, quickly recalling Sandslash from the
action.
    "Don't let the Sandwyrm get back underground!" shouted Equinox.
"It'll try to eat us again!"
    "Ivysaur, use your Vine Whip to hold it up!" commanded Ash. I was
startled to see the Ivysaur emerge from his Pokeball; I'd heard a rumor,
which I had fully believed, that just like his Pikachu, his Bulbasaur
had decided not to evolve. I made a mental note to ask him about it
later, but now that I think about it, I never got around to asking. Oh
well. I can't approach him to ask him now, or I'll lose my nerve, and I
definitely can't afford that.
    The vines restrained the Sandwyrm as it tried to dive back under the
ground, but it began to descend slowly despite Ivysaur's best efforts.
"Wartortle, attack the Sandwyrm with Hydro Pump!" shouted Ash, throwing
the Pokeball. His unconscious Wartortle fell out onto the ground. "Oh,
yeah. I forgot that Wartortle fainted fighting the Hellhound." He
recalled the Wartortle. "Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!"
    Ivysaur's leaf attack pounded the Sandwyrm from head to - well, to
the ground, and the Sandwyrm reared up in pain and writhed about, trying
to escape the sharp leaves. Ivysaur's vine held it firmly, however, and
the Sandwyrm couldn't prevent the leaves from slicing it all over its
body.
    Suddenly, the Sandwyrm reeled as if it had been struck, and
Ivysaur's vines lost their purchase. "What was that?" asked Ash.
    "I guess the Clairion didn't like the Sandwyrm having its head up so
high," said Equinox.
    "Catch it, before it goes back underground!" warned Solstice.
However, the Sandwyrm didn't appear to have any intention of returning
to the earth. Its "head" darted from side to side, searching for its
foe. It reeled again as the Clairion attacked it, then swung its entire
body in response, sending wisps of Clairion in all directions as it
scored a direct hit.
    "They're battling!" I realized aloud.
    "Well, stubbornness is a quality associated with the element Earth,
just as possessiveness is a trait of Air," said Equinox. "I think
they'll be fighting for a while."
    "Then let's get to the Tower while they're distracted!" suggested
Ash. We quickly slipped past the battling monsters and ran as quickly as
we could to distance ourselves from them. It wasn't long before the
trees parted before us, and we found ourselves gazing upon a small
clearing with a small wooden cottage in the center. "What is this?"
asked Ash.
    "The Tower," replied Equinox.
    Ash shook his head. "That is not the Tower! The Tower is huge! And
black! It takes up the whole sky, and it's everywhere you look! It's..."
    "It's whatever Triesha wants it to be," said Solstice. "Remember,
her illusion magic is powerful."
    "I don't get it!" said Ash. "Why would she disguise the Tower as
this little pile of sticks?"
    "To confuse us?" I suggested.
    "I can answer that question," said a woman's voice from behind us.
We all whirled to face her. I'd never seen the tall, dark-haired woman
before, but Ash seemed to recognize her, and the twins gritted their
teeth in concentration at the sight of her.
    "Pikachu, Thundershock!" shouted Ash, momentarily forgetting about
his Pikachu's evolution in his panic. Raikachu responded, leaping off of
Ash's shoulder and charging up with electricity.
    Triesha flicked her finger at the air, and Raikachu flew into the
sky as if she had been struck. "Thank you for the warm welcome, Ash
Ketchum. Shall I return it in kind?" She held her hand out, and a ball
of lightning appeared in the air above her palm.
    Solstice and Equinox stepped forward and raised their arms. A
transparent shield appeared in front of Ash. Triesha laughed. "Do you
really think you can match my power? I thought you were smarter than
that!" She let the lightning fade. "However, I am not going to attack
you now." Her eyes fell to Ash's waist. "I see that you have your magic
belt with you this time. Give it to me, and I will let you go unharmed."
    "And what if I don't?" asked Ash.
    "Turn around and see," invited Triesha. Despite our mistrust of her,
we all turned back to the log cabin. The door opened, and Misty and
Brock stepped out, followed by a young man I'd never seen before, but
who I assumed was the Dominic who had been the original cause of our
rescue efforts.
    "Dominic!" shouted Solstice, confirming my guess. She started to
take a step forward, but stopped as she apparently remembered something.
    Ash was the first to turn back to Triesha. "Let them go!"
    "You wouldn't trust me if I did," replied Triesha. "I used that
trick on you before, and you're not naive enough to believe that I
wouldn't try it again."
    "Then you'll never get my Pokebelt!" shouted Ash.
    Triesha shrugged. "I have no need to bargain with you. My trickery
failed last time, so this time I will defeat you with force. Your
friends' force."
    "You wouldn't dare!" shouted Solstice.
    "Wouldn't I?" responded Triesha. "I know that you won't hurt your
friends. They, however, are under my complete control. They will have no
such compunctions."
    "You're forgetting one thing, Triesha," began Ash.
    "Don't tell her what it is!" I snapped abruptly. "If you've got an
advantage, keep it to yourself!"
    "You're quite wise," Triesha noted. "But whatever advantage you may
have does not matter to me. You wanted to know why my Tower appeared as
a log cabin. I'll tell you why: because I have seen your power, and I am
well aware of its limitations. You may have many familiars, but they are
too weak to survive against the magic of this world. Therefore, I have
no need to demonstrate my power further with a grand show. I can devote
all of that power to controlling my new servants."
    Solstice clenched her fist and growled angrily. "Don't rise to her,"
advised Equinox. "We have to keep a clear head if we're to win this
battle. If we can beat her, the others will be freed."
    "I'm afraid that is out of the question," said Triesha. "You will
not be fighting me." She waved her arms and vanished.
    "Come back here and fight us!" shouted Solstice.
    "You'll have to defeat us before our mistress will grace you with a
battle," said Dominic.
    "We can't fight you!" replied Solstice.
    "Then you'll die," returned Dominic. He raised his hand and pointed
at Solstice, launching a spear-shaped shaft of light straight at
Solstice's heart. Equinox pulled her out of the way just in time.
    "What are you thinking?" demanded Equinox. "We have to fight him!"
    "But I love Dominic... I could never hurt him!"
    "Then use your power to defend us," commanded Equinox. A huge ice
crystal appeared in her hand, and she launched it at Dominic. The ice
melted before it could reach him. "My offensive power isn't going to be
enough! I'm used to using defensive magic!"
    "We've got to help them," said Ash.
    "We've got our own battle to worry about," I reminded him, pointing
at Misty and Brock.
    "What have you got left?" asked Ash.
    Surprisingly, it took me a couple of seconds to realize that he was
referring to my Pokemon. "Arcanine and Nidoking are weak," I said, "and
I don't know about Sandslash. Alakazam should be in good shape, and
Golem and Jolteon haven't been out of their Pokeballs since we got
here."
    Ash nodded. "You don't have anything that will work well against
Ground types, so you'd better battle Misty. Jolteon should make short
work of her Water types, and that's all she has."
    "That's exactly what I was thinking," I replied, pulling out
Jolteon's Pokeball.
    "I know what you're going to do," said Misty. "And I'm well prepared
for it." She threw her first Pokeball. "Go, Golduck!"
    I hesitated to throw the Pokeball, remembering some stories I'd
heard about Misty's Golduck. As a Psyduck, it had been nearly worthless
to her despite its incredible power, but with its evolution had come
enough intelligence to make it one of the most powerful Pokemon ever
seen, able to defeat even opponents with overwhelming type advantages.
If I called out Jolteon first, and it was knocked out, I'd be at Misty's
mercy. As powerful a trainer as Ash was, I doubted that he could beat
both Misty and Brock together. Smiling, I replaced Jolteon in my belt
and grabbed a different Pokeball. "Alakazam, go!"
    Shock crossed Misty's face, followed by... relief? I couldn't tell
from her expression, but her words gave away her emotions. "So, you're
not making the obvious choice... I suppose that's a good thing for me.
Golduck, Confusion!"
    "Alakazam, Teleport away!" I shouted. Alakazam vanished as Golduck's
attack radiated outward. Golduck quickly broke its attack, searching for
Alakazam, but Alakazam had hidden itself well in the thick canopy of the
trees surrounding the clearing. I could feel where it was, via the
special link that all trainers have with their Psychic Pokemon, but
neither Misty nor her Golduck could find it.
    It was my chance for a follow-up attack. "Hit it with Psychic!" I
commanded.
    "Golduck, use Disable!" Misty ordered. Golduck raised its arms and
focused on the treeline, but without a clear target, its attack was
ineffective. It reeled from the force of the Psychic attack and re-aimed
its Disable, but Alakazam had already Teleported elsewhere. I heaved a
sigh of relief. This battle wouldn't be as hard as I'd expected.
    Misty, however, had never been an easy opponent in our own world,
and she quickly showed her adaptability in a way that I hadn't expected.
She pointed directly at me as she shouted, "Golduck, Confusion!" I
realized what she was doing just a second too late, as her Golduck took
aim and assaulted me with its psychic waves.
    It felt like my brain was on fire and trying to expand enough to
burst my skull. I wish I had the literary skills to describe the torture
better than that, but I'm no linguist. Suffice to say, I've been
attacked by Pokemon before, but usually only by wild Pokemon that hadn't
had the benefit of human training. This Golduck had been trained by one
of the greatest trainers ever, who specialized in Water Pokemon. Imagine
the greatest pain you've ever felt from a Pokemon's attack and multiply
that by about ten, then drag it out over what feels like a few hours. It
still hurts to think about it... or maybe that's the poison.
    It was probably only a few seconds before the assault ended,
although it felt like much longer. The next thing I knew, Alakazam was
in front of me, blocking the psychic waves with its own body. I can't
remember much of what happened next... it's all a haze of the ebbing
pain from Golduck's attack and some flames somewhere off to my right.
Then Alakazam collapsed, and I managed to focus enough to recall it, but
my head was still spinning. I grabbed the first Pokeball my hand hit,
and threw it. Out popped Sandslash, still weary from its battle with the
Sandwyrm. Definitely not a good choice, but the merciless Misty ordered
her Golduck to Scratch it before I could gather myself enough to recall
it.
    I hurriedly gave up trying to recall Sandslash and grabbed at
another Pokeball before Misty could turn Golduck's power against me
again. This time, it was Arcanine who came to my rescue. Bad to worse...
Arcanine managed to dodge Golduck's Hydro Pump attack, but it was
already almost out of energy after having helped us defeat the Aquibole.
It let out a Fire Blast without me having to order it to - I trained it
well, the poor thing - but Golduck shrugged off the flames and followed
with Fury Swipes, finishing off Arcanine.
    An involuntary smile crossed my face. True, Misty had just torn
through three of my Pokemon with only one of her own, but they had been
my weakest. Even if I couldn't find the Pokeball I wanted, every fainted
Pokemon was one less choice separating me from my equalizer. The delay
had also given me time to recover my senses a bit, enough to remember
that the farthest Pokeball from the end was Golem's, which would be
useless to me at this point. I grabbed the one on the opposite end of my
useable lineup and threw it, doing my best to focus now that I was sure
I had a chance at success.
    This time, much to my relief, I ended up with the better option of
the two that remained. Jolteon emerged from its Pokeball, fresh from the
recovery machine and more than ready to fight. "JOLT!" it shouted,
turning to look at the prone forms of my other Pokemon. It growled
menacingly at Golduck.
    "Jolteon!" I commanded. "Use your -" I couldn't remember! What was
the name I was looking for? "That attack that's really powerful... the
electric one!" Electri-something? Lightning?
    "Jolt?" Jolteon barked questioningly.
    I gave up. "Just fight it!" I ordered. So much for strategy... but
at least Jolteon had been my first Pokemon, and knew the way my mind
worked - when it was working properly, that is. Now that its trainer was
useless, Jolteon reverted to its natural fighting instincts. It took a
step backward, charging up a Thunder attack.
    Misty smiled. "Finally, a worthy opponent. Golduck, Fury Swipes!"
    Bad... had to protect Jolteon... "Dodge it!" I shouted. A word
suddenly came to mind. "Agility!"
    Jolteon retreated at my words, dancing from side to side to avoid
the Golduck's claws. Its spines began to crackle with electricity as its
attack reached full power.
    Misty covered her face with her arm as the electricity crackled,
sending out random sparks. "Golduck, get away from it!"
    "Too late!" I shouted triumphantly. "Jolteon, Thunder attack!"
    "JOOOOOOOOOOOOLT!" screamed Jolteon as it pumped Golduck full of
lightning.
    After the attack ended, Golduck was still staggering from the blast,
barely able to stand. "Golduck, get it together!" demanded Misty. "Use
Confusion!"
    "Tackle it!" I commanded Jolteon. Jolteon charged forward and
headbutted Golduck while the fowl was still reeling from the Thunder
attack. Golduck flew into the air and landed on its head, crumpling to
the ground in a heap.
    Misty growled in rage as she recalled her Golduck. "Useless thing!"
She smiled and grabbed another Pokeball from her belt. "But that was
only my first Pokemon. You only have three left, and they can't all be
as useful as Jolteon." A dark shadow fell over us as she spoke,
accompanied by a low thunder-like rumble. It wasn't a mere ominous
effect, however... the massive form of Brock's Onix loomed in the sky,
casting most of the clearing into shade.
    "Just call out your next Pokemon," I challenged her, regaining my
confidence now that the fog in my head was dissipating. "And no more
cheating!"
    "Of course," agreed Misty, with a cruel expression that gave me no
assurance at all of her honesty. "Starmie, attack!" She threw the
Pokeball, and Starmie appeared in front of Jolteon. "Start with Water
Gun!"
    Even with its Agility, I knew Jolteon wouldn't be able to dodge the
surprise attack in time. "Jolteon, stand firm!" I directed it as the
stream of water hit it in the face. "Get ready to counterattack!"
    Jolteon crouched in the dirt, digging its paws into the ground to
hold its position against the pressure of the water. Water... "Jolteon,
charge up your Thunder attack!" I shouted. Jolteon's spines sparked
again, sending an electric current up the still-running stream of water
from Starmie.
    "Starmie, break the attack!" commanded Misty, before her Starmie
could be electrocuted. "Tackle attack now!"
    "Jolteon, dodge!" I countered. Jolteon leapt aside as the spinning
Starmie whirled through the space where it had been standing. "All
right!" I cheered. "Now use Thunder!"
    "Starmie, use Light Screen!" ordered Misty. Starmie's jewel glowed,
and Jolteon's Thunder attack arced around Starmie without touching it.
Misty laughed aloud. "Your Electric attacks won't affect my Starmie
while it's protected by a Light Screen!"
    I snarled. "Jolteon, try a Sand Attack!" Jolteon obediently kicked
up a cloud of sand at Starmie, but Starmie spun like a fan to blow the
sand right back at Jolteon. Jolteon barely avoided the cloud on its
return, but that left it open to a Tackle from Starmie which knocked it
down.
    "Good work, Starmie," Misty congratulated her Pokemon. "Now, use a
Swift attack!" My heart sank. Even Jolteon's Agility wouldn't enable it
to avoid a Swift attack. But Jolteon took a defensive posture before I
could say a word, minimizing the damage it took from the star-shaped
projectiles.
    "Now's your chance!" I encouraged Jolteon. "Get up and use Quick
Attack!"
    "JOLT!" In a flash, Jolteon launched itself at Starmie, knocking the
Swift stars aside as it homed in on its target. Starmie reeled as
Jolteon's skull smacked into its center.
    "Starmie, use Harden before it can try that again," ordered Misty.
Starmie's hard shell took on a new sheen as it complied, hardening its
coat to protect itself from further physical attacks. That gave me and
Jolteon a perfect opportunity to attack, but with what attack? Physical
attacks would do little damage now, and electric attacks were out of the
question. My mind raced as I tried to come up with a solution... and
then it hit me. There was a move that Jolteon could learn naturally that
would penetrate Starmie's defenses and still have enough power to finish
it off. Jolteon had never tried the move before, but it had been
well-trained. Surely it could figure it out in time...
    "This is our last chance, Jolteon!" I shouted. "Try a Pin Missile!"
    Jolteon hunkered down and flexed its muscles. Nothing happened.
    "Ha! What a joke!" taunted Misty. "Starmie, finish it off! Swift
attack!"
    "JOLT!" With one final forceful push, Jolteon sent the tips of its
razor-sharp spines flying from its body toward Starmie. Most of the
spines bounced harmlessly off of its Hardened surface, but a few struck
the crystal in the center, piercing its surface easily. As the crystal
cracked, Starmie folded up and collapsed.
    "It seems you forgot one important thing about Jolteon," I said as
Misty recalled Starmie. "Its Pin Missile is actually a Bug type attack,
which is super effective against Psychic types. If you studied more than
just Water Pokemon, you'd know that."
    Misty gripped her next Pokeball like a baseball. "Water Pokemon are
one of the most varied types! They can do a lot more than use Water
attacks!" She threw the Pokeball over Jolteon's head, releasing her next
Pokemon behind Jolteon. "Poliwrath, use Hypnosis!"
    "Jolteon, don't turn around!" I warned as the Poliwrath emerged from
its Pokeball. But I was too late. Jolteon spun around to face its
opponent, only to get a faceful of the spinning spiral on Poliwrath's
stomach. Already weak from its battle against Starmie, Jolteon had no
chance to resist the hypnotic effect. It collapsed to the ground, fast
asleep.
    "Now, I'll show you why I'm not afraid of Electric types," said
Misty. "Poliwrath, use Earthquake!" Poliwrath pounded the ground with a
giant fist, splitting the Earth with a huge crack that snaked its way
toward Jolteon as it opened. As it reached the sleeping Pokemon, the
ground buckled, throwing Jolteon into the air.
    I took a step back in surprise. "Earthquake? But that's a Ground
type attack! I didn't think Poliwrath could learn it!"
    "Well, that's your problem, isn't it?" asked Misty, as Jolteon
landed hard in front of me. "Maybe all I study is Water Pokemon, but
that's why I know everything there is to know about them!"
    I hated to admit it, but she had a point. As I recalled Jolteon, I
reflected morosely that I had only two Pokemon left, both of which were
weak against her Water types. Still, at least one of them had a move
that might work. "Nidoking, go!" I shouted as I threw the Pokeball. "Use
Thunderbolt before it can attack you!"
    "Not fast enough!" said Misty as Nidoking emerged from its Pokeball,
landing on all fours. "Poliwrath, slow it down with Bubble!" Dazed by
its weakness, Nidoking was slow to respond to my command, giving
Poliwrath plenty of time to spray it with a powerful shower of bubbles.
The bursting bubbles dripped water onto Nidoking's earthen skin,
weakening it even further. Nidoking collapsed to the ground under its
own weight, still conscious but unable to stand up.
    "Good job, Nidoking," I congratulated it, "but you can't fight any
more. It's time for you to rest."
    "Five down, one to go," counted Misty. "Go ahead, Gary. Send out
your last Pokemon!"
    I held out Nidoking's Pokeball, as well as the other two empty ones
on my belt. "Nidoking, Sandslash, Arcanine; return!"
    "You're stalling," Misty said warningly as my fainted Pokemon
vanished into their Pokeballs.
    "Just getting my injured Pokemon out of harm's way," I assured her.
But as I pulled the final Pokeball from my belt, I realized that she was
right. I WAS stalling, searching for any way to avoid having to send my
last Pokemon into the battle. As long as it was in my hand, there was
that potential, however slim, that it might be able to defeat the rest
of Misty's lineup. But once I threw the Pokeball and the fight began,
there was only one way the quantum probabilities could collapse. Only
one possible outcome. Golem was weak against both Water and Fighting,
both of Poliwrath's types. It wouldn't last for a second in such a
lopsided battle, even with my expert training. And yet, if I didn't let
it fight, the battle was over, and I had already lost. I sighed heavily
and clutched the Pokeball tightly.
    "Here's giving it everything we've got!" I shouted, throwing the
Pokeball. "Golem, go!"
    Misty laughed as Golem appeared in front of me. "A Golem? No wonder
you looked like you were about to give up! You don't have a chance!"
    "We'll see about that!" I snarled defiantly. There was no way I was
going to lose now! "Golem, use Rock Throw!" I commanded. Golem tore up
the earth of the clearing, quickly packed it into boulders, and hurled
them at Poliwrath.
    "Poliwrath, Hydro Pump!" ordered Misty. Poliwrath spewed a torrent
of water at Golem, knocking the rocks aside with ease as Golem tried to
use a boulder to prevent the water from touching its skin. The water
quickly eroded the boulder, disintegrating Golem's protection as
Poliwrath let up its first attack to charge up another burst of water.
    "Golem, Defense Curl!" I shouted. Golem obediently rolled into a
ball, using its rocky outer shell to protect its body. I knew it
wouldn't last against Poliwrath's water attacks, but it was all I could
think of.
    Misty smiled. "You've just assured my victory by not attacking when
you had the chance. Poliwrath, finish it with another Hydro Pump!"
Poliwrath drew in a sharp breath and spat again, sending gallons of
water gushing toward Golem in a final flood that would seal my fate. I
wasn't paying attention to that, though, because at that moment, I heard
a woman's scream from off to my right and turned to see what had caused
it. While Solstice looked on in horror, a bright corona surrounded
Equinox for barely a second before completely engulfing her in blinding
light. The light faded almost immediately, leaving her body an immobile
sculpture of stone.
    It had all happened so quickly that I hadn't had a chance to react.
Even after the change was complete, I was frozen in shock, with
Dominic's laughter and Solstice's frantic sobs echoing in my ears, while
Misty ordered her Poliwrath to finish off my Golem. But that didn't
matter to me anymore. For all I cared, Misty could finish off Golem and
take me out with it. Equinox, the girl I had only just met yet still
loved enough to risk my own life for her, was gone, a lifeless statue
all that remained of her. As much as I wanted to remind myself that Ash
still needed my help, that I still had friends to fight for - none of it
mattered to me any more. I still don't know why it hurt so much - and I
never will - but I felt as if I'd lost my oldest and dearest friend. As
the pain tore at my heart, I fell to my knees in the dust and gave up
all will to live. I silently prayed for my life to end at that very
moment... for my body to turn to stone just as hers had, or for one of
Misty's Pokemon to aim another attack at me, or even for Triesha to
blast me with a spell and shatter me to pieces. Anything to avoid having
to live with my failure, my uselessness... my loneliness.
    Of course, I didn't actually die, then... but now, as I reflect on
the events of the past few days, I wish I had. It would have saved
everyone a great deal of trouble...

-----------------------------------------

BLUE: Tell me if this sounds messed up to you. First there's the Pokemon
Gameboy game. Then there's a card game based off the Gameboy game. Now
there's a Gameboy game based off the card game based off the Gameboy
game! Isn't that messed up?
PINK: ...
BLUE: Uh, hello?
PINK: Sorry. I stopped listening after you said Pokemon.

My webpage: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~katinamp

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