Episode 25:
Clan Caterpie and the Rainbow Badge

Author(s): IcyPikachu, InsaneLlama, and RandomTask

They entered the Celadon City Gym. A girl at the counter greeted them. “Welcome to the Celadon City Pokémon Gym! Are you here to challenge our gym leader, Erika?”

“Yes, we are,” Icy answered. The girl was startled. She looked down at the talking Pikachu.

“Did that thing just talk?”

“Of course I just talked. You talk. Well, so do I. My name is Icy. Now, where’s Erika?” Icy was very anxious to earn another badge. Winning was much better than losing.

“Now I’ve seen everything. That or I’m wearing a bit too much perfume today. The main gym is just down the hall to your left. Good luck!” She returned to the desk. Some other young trainers came in. Clan Caterpie headed for the main gym.

“Erika uses grass type pokémon, right?” Icy asked. He didn’t want to get caught using the wrong pokémon in a gym match.

“Yeah. Fire and ice pokémon will have a real advantage over her grass types,” Insane replied.

“Hmmm... I don’t have any fire or ice pokémon. What am I going to use?” Icy didn’t have too many options.

“How about Abra? Abra can nail them with its psychic attacks. Or maybe Porygon,” Random said.

“Hey. That might work! I’ll have that Rainbow Badge in no time!”

They entered the main gym. There were trees and plants all over the place. “Hello. I am Erika, the gym leader. Are you here to earn a Rainbow Badge?”

“Yes! I’m ready!” Icy stepped up to the challenger’s box. Erika watched in disbelief as the small Pikachu approached.

“Ahehehe... That’s very cute. So who’s my challenger?”

“I AM!!!” Icy yelled.

“What. You can talk? Pokémon don’t compete for badges, humans do.”

“Errr. Not this again. Insane, would you kindly educate to daft gym leader?”

“Why not...” Insanellama spent the next few minutes explaining to Erika about the experiment mishap that transformed Icy into a Pikachu. She was still confused, but agreed to battle Icy.

“See, if they’d cut back on the perfume, they’d understand things a lot better. That stuff goes right to your head,” Icy whispered to Insane. He laughed and the match began.

“It will be a three on three battle. GO, Tangela!” She threw her pokéball into the field. A small vine-like pokémon popped out.

“I choose, Abra! GO, Abra!” Icy swung Abra’s pokéball from his tail into the field. Abra came out, ready for battle. “Abra, use psybeam!” Abra prepared to attack.

“Tangela, try to distract it with vine whip!” Tangela shot its vines at Abra, but Icy was ready for it.

“Abra, use Psychic to repel the vines!” Abra reacted quickly and the vines missed their target. “Now, switch attack to Confusion!” Before Tangela could bring its vines back in, Abra fired its confusion attack. Before long, Tangela was tangled in its own vines. “Hehehe. That was easy.” Icy laughed.

“The joke’s on you! Tangela, use constrict to put yourself back together, then hit Abra with stun spore!” Icy gasped. Tangela fired spores directly at Abra.

“Abra, teleport!” Abra teleported just before the spores could hit him. “Now, psybeam!” Tangela was knocked out in one hit from Abra’s psybeam. Abra was starting to learn how to channel more energy into its attacks. But without evolving, it would never reach its full potential.

“Tangela return! Very impressive, but you’ll have to do better to beat, Victreebel! GO, Victreebel!” A large bell shaped pokémon came out. “Razor leaf now!” Sharp leaves emerged from inside its bell. They quickly converged on Abra.

“Teleport Abra!” It was too late. Abra was hit by each of the razor sharp leaves. “No, Abra! Return!” Icy thought to himself what to use next. He remembered Random suggesting Porygon. “Go, Porygon!” The polygonal pokémon came out. Icy quickly looked up Porygon’s attacks on his pokédex.

“Victreebel, use vine whip to restrain that Porygon!” Icy was worried. He couldn’t lose another round.

“Porygon, double team!” Porygon immediately split into three identical Porygons. Victreebel was confused. It couldn’t figure out which was the real Porygon. All the Porygons struck at it at once. Victreebel was too beat up to continue battling and fainted. Erika recalled it.

“You’re pretty good. But you’ll never beat, Vileplume!” A large plant emerged from the pokéball. It had very large pedals on its top. “Vileplume, stun spore!” Two of the Porygons got hit by the spores and disappeared. The real Porygon charged again for Vileplume.

“Porygon, sharpen, then tackle!” Porygon became razor sharp and as it hit Vileplume, Porygon cut its side. Vileplume was hurt badly and began crying. Icy was very sad that Porygon’s attack was so strong. “Oh my. Erika, I’m sorry.” Icy ran over to Insane’s backpack and found a potion spray. He then gave it to Erika. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know Porygon would be that sharp. I hope this heals your Vileplume.” She applied the potion to Vileplume. It recovered quickly.

“Thanks, Icy. Well, I guess you win. I’d be a little more careful with that Porygon of yours. Here’s your Rainbow Badge!” Icy took the badge from Erika and ran back to the group. “OK, who wants to go next?” The other members of Clan Caterpie tried to decide who would battle Erika next.

Insanellama decided he would go next. “It’ll be a two on two,” said Erika.

“That’s right up my alley mam,” said Insanellama.

“GO TANGELA”

“GO PONYTA!”

“TANGELA CONSTRICT NOW!”

“PONYTA FIRESPIN NOW!” Ponyta’s firespin connected, but Tangela managed to reach through the fire and choke Ponyta. When the smoke cleared, both pokémon were down.

“VICTREEBEL GO!”

“Now you’ll face the other half of my fiery duo, RAPIDASH GO! RAPIDASH STOMP NOW!”

“VICTREEBEL VINE WHIP!”

Rapidash was faster, and took a running leap over the vines, and came crashing down on Victreebel.

“VICTREEBEL STUN SPORE NOW!” Without warning Rapidash reared up on its front legs and mule kicked Victreebel. The spores connected, but Victreebel was out cold.

“What tha? I didn’t give that command,” said Insanellama. Erika tossed him a Rainbow badge. Insanellama went over to his two fiery horses, and healed and hugged them. The next matches were one on one. X’s Abra defeated Erika’s Weepinbell. Lonewolf’s Vulpix defeated Erika’s Weepinbell.

“Hey.” Random smiled coolly at Erika.

“What?” Erika snorted.

Random looked around, “Sup?”

“You want a match too?” Erika grabbed her pokéballs.

“Sure.”

Everyone looked at Random. He was acting pretty weird. Random tossed Growlithe onto the floor. Erika tossed Weepinbell out.

“Growlithe, do something.”

“Weepinbell, use Razor Leaf!”

The leaves singed as Growlithe launched flames across the plant Pokémon. Random smiled cheerfully, yet a bit dazed.

“w00t.” Random sighed. “Go, Jigglypuff.” Growlithe returned to his Pokéball as Jigglypuff was released. Erika responded by firing out Victreebel.

“Jigglypuff, sing.”

“Petal Dance now!”

Jigglypuff got the first shot in somehow, rendering Victreebel asleep.

“Pound ‘em!” Random spoke with little passion.

Jigglypuff began hopping high into the air and body slamming her foe with vigor. The enemy Pokémon was soon fainted. Jigglypuff hopped behind Random and wiped her sweat from her brow.

“Yeah... that was nice.” Random breathed deep.

Erika looked at Random curiously. “Here is your badge.” She cheerfully handed the Rainbow emblem over.

“Yeah... thanks a lot.” Random gingerly gripped the badge.

Random sat down and passed out. Ivan grabbed Random with his vine and dragged him outside.

Dev looked at X, “must be the perfume.” X responded, “Must be.”

Jigglypuff remained where Random sat down. She began glowing....

“WIGGLY!!!” The great voice bellowed.

“WIGGLY..... tuff?” The freakish balloon bounced around the building, taking bites out of Erika’s plants and harassing Icy.

“WIGGLYWIGGLYWIGGLYWIGGLYWIGGLY!!!” She hopped outside to greet her master. Ivan scampered off back into the Gym.

Wigglytuff sat atop her master and fell asleep with him.

“ACK!” Random squirmed to a safe distance.

“WIGGLY - -TUFF!!!” The homely Pokémon roared. The Twisted Pokédex announced, *Wigglytuff - an EVIL type Pokémon. Easily the most hated of all Pokémon: Run.*

“Yeah.” Random grabbed a Pokéball and brought the wicked balloon inside. He pulled a small lock and chain from his bottomless pack and fastened it around the ball.

Random inspected the ball, “Good enough.” He stood up and rejoined the clan.