Episode 57:
Icy’s Meltdown

“Who’s the next trainer you battle?”

“Bruno. He uses fighting types. I’m going to have Buttercup and Hocus do most of this match.” The bell rang. “Well, it’s time for the match. I have to get in position.”

“Ok. I hope you win Icy. I’ll be routing for you!” She gave Icy a kiss and went back to the fan section.

“Oh, now it’s ok?” Icy shouted. Sara giggled as she made her way to the box.

“Now, the battle continues folks. Earlier, Icy of Saffron City, defeated Lorelei. But does he have the strength to beat Bruno. Let’s find out. Round two begins NOW!” The bell rang again. The sun was beginning to set over the Grand Stadium. Bruno came through the tunnel.

“Hahaha. You’re Icy? HA! This is going to be too easy. Let’s just get this over with quick, ok?”

“Are you all that mean? Don’t you ever get embarrassed after saying that whole thing then losing?”

“Oh, a hot shot, huh? You’re going down. HARD! Onix, GO!” The rock serpent roared standing so high it blocked the sun.

“Just like Brock,” Icy thought. “Ready to fight, come in sight! Icy calls, Leafy!” His Gloom came out completely healed. “Alright Leafy, petal dance now!” She started swaying around as small flower petals formed around her.

“Bind it Onix. Crush that little weed.” Before Onix could grab Leafy, she sent the petals at Onix. They did some damage but Onix was still ok. It grabbed Leafy and began to squeeze her.

“No! Leafy, mega drain now!” Onix roared in pain as Leafy drained its power adding it to hers. Onix finally let go.

“This isn’t over.” Bruno used a potion on Onix. “Ha, it’s perrrrrfectly legal to heal your pokémon during a match.”

From somewhere in the stands, someone cried out, “*cough* rip-off!!!” Bruno sneered in the person’s direction and suddenly a Wigglytuff missile found its way to the man’s seat. He was covered in a warm, pinkish goo. “It’s still a rip-off!” Two Officer Jenny’s arrested the man and led him out of the stadium.

“Hmph. All that over a lousy voice imitation. Shheeeshh… Where were we. Oh yeah. Now, Onix, slam!” It hurtled towards the fearful Gloom. (Yes, Glooms can express fear. Picture it with a sad face, drool going everywhere, and shaking. Yes, that’s it, a fearful Gloom.)

“This is going to take forever. Sleep powder now!” She sprayed Onix with the blue dust just before being slammed into Icy. Onix fell asleep while Icy shook his head. Small cartoon birds tweeted as they flew around Icy in circles. Out of nowhere, a Meowth jumped onto the field and ate one of the birds. It purred, pleased with its small snack. “Owwww… return Leafy…”

“Return Onix… Maybe you are good. But you won’t beat the kicking fiend. Go Hitmonlee!”

“Ready to fight, come in sight! Icy calls, Buttercup!” His green Butterfree fluttered around. “Buttercup, use your confusion attack.” She emitted confusion waves at Hitmonlee.”

“Stay sharp. Focus energy, then give that flying pest a high jump kick”

“Don’t call my Butterfree a pest! Grrrrrr… Buttercup, psybeam now!” Icy shouted. As the kicking fiend rushed towards her, Buttercup blasted it with a psybeam twice her size. Hitmonlee went flying back and fainted. Buttercup was still fluttering about, but she had very little energy left. “Here Buttercup, take this.” Icy gave her an elixir that Sara had bought for him to restore Buttercup’s energy. She immediately began to beat her wings with vigor. “Great, you’re all pumped up and ready for the next battle!”

“Onix go!” Bruno’s second Onix appeared. “Onix, rage!”

“Buttercup, supersonic now!” Onix became confused and for some reason, became enraged by its tail. As Onix chased it’s stone tail round and round, Icy and Buttercup laughed hysterically.

“Onix, what’s wrong with you. Attack the Butterfree, not your tail.”

“I’d love to continue watching this all day, but our 5 minute story slot just isn’t long enough to fit that. Buttercup, psybeam, full power!” Buttercup began to glow bright green. The sun had set and stadium lights were now on. Buttercup was glowing so bright, so lights weren’t even necessary.

In another part of the stands, a young boy opened his brand new pokédex and aimed it at Icy’s Butterfree. “Butterfree,” the new computer voice dictated. “This particular specimen, although smaller than most of its type, is extremely powerful with psychic attacks. Its only drawback is that it lacks the full energy potential of a normal Butterfree. However, this Butterfree can is currently generating an attack with an energy level of 10,000 psys and rising.” The boy closed his pokédex and squinted as he looked at Buttercup. “Wow… This is going to be good.”

The green aura that was around Buttercup was now bright white. She shimmered with multiple colors as she continued to build up energy. “Ready Buttercup. FIRE!!!” Time seemed to stand still as Buttercup stopped generating energy and focused it on her target. Her body glowed as the energy sphere rushed out from her.

“FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!” she cried, sending the massive psybeam barreling down towards Onix. The crowd had to cover their eyes because the beam was so intense. After the smoke had cleared, Onix was totally wiped out. Buttercup was barely able to flutter more than a foot off the ground.

“Buttercup, come back. Great job.”

“D***! How? D*** psychic. Grrr. Strength and might will still prevail! Go Hitmonchan!” The punchy pokémon appeared.

“Ha. This will be simple. Go Hocus!”

“No, not another psychic…” Hocus materialized. “S***, a Kadabra.”

“Hmm… Where… Oh… Me…”

“Hocus, enough games, we’ve got a battle to win. Use a psybeam to take him out!” Hitmonchan dodged the attack and immediately lunged for Hocus. Icy’s eyes glowed blue and Hocus teleported. “Ha. Missed! Hocus psychic attack. You can play a bit.”

“Thank you master.” Hocus glowed and so did Hitmonchan.

“Hey, no fair.”

“Legal move, sorry. But you haven’t even seen the best part yet.”

“That’s right master. Time for some fun. Dance please.” Hitmonchan began dancing.

“See mommy, he’s fine. He’s just doing a little dance for everyone,” said a kid in the stands.

“Hmm, Ash in training up there,” Icy thought. Hocus now had Hitmonchan doing the can-can dance. “Ok Hocus, finish him off! Your call.”

“I love it when he says that. Well Mr. Chan, I’m afraid we must cut this dance short. Goodnight…” Hocus teleported a safe distance away. The star on his head glowed red.

“Fire Hocus!” Hocus blasted Hitmonchan with a well-aimed psybeam. It fainted.

“This is not turning out the way I planned. Oh well, return Hitmonchan.”

-= Scene Switch =-

Lance watched the battle from his suite. “At least he’s not going too hard on him.”

“Lance, you’re an a** you know.”

“Look here. I’m the boss.”

“Well, boss, judging by his performance so far, you’re going to lose to him too. He’s good.”

“Shut up.”

-= Scene Switch =-

“Go Machamp!” Hocus stared at it and remembered his earlier encounter with the holo-Machamp.

“He’s not gonna beat me!” Hocus began to fire psybeams everywhere.

“Whoa. Hocus control yourself. Ahh!” He ducked, narrowly missing a psybeam by Hocus. Finally, a few hit Machamp. He was sent flying back. “Hocus stop, you got him.”

“What? Oh… I see… Sorry master…”

“Crap! How did it do that? This Machamp almost never loses.”

“Psychic pokés have a big advantage.”

“The winner! Icy, of the Viridian Forest Bug Gym! He’s now just one more match away from Lance. We will continue this great battle in 10 minutes time. Remember, you can get…” he continued his advertisement.

“You did it!” Sara ran out to hug Icy.

“I did. We won! We won! That’s two!” They looked like the two happiest people in the world. “Hocus come here and get healed. Oh, and never do that again.”

“I’m so sorry master.”

“It’s ok. You just scared me there.” Icy treated his pokémon.

Agatha was warming up. “Don’t forget, make this short, got it.”

“Piss off Lance. If he can beat me, he’s all yours, otherwise, you’ll have to hope he tries again.”

“Icy, who’s next?”

“Agatha. She uses ghost types. That means I’m in trouble.”

“Why?”

“Ghosts are extremely powerful. I’m not sure I can beat her.”

“Yes you will.” Sara tried to put some confidence into her friend.

“Alright. I will! I’m gonna give it my all!” Icy’s pokémon agreed. The match was about to start.

“Welcome back everyone! Icy has now defeated the first two elite trainers, but can he defeat Agatha’s ghostly group.

Agatha walked out slowly with her cane. “Well, you must be a talented trainer Icy. You’ve gone much farther than most other trainers.”

“Really? Guess not all of you are insulting.”

“Oh no. See, talented as you may be, there’s nothing that can prepare you for me. Go Gengar!”

“Whoa… Ready to fight, come in sight! Icy calls, Cyber!”

“No sweat. Gengar, lick it!” Gengar teleported over to the porygon and licked it. Cyber shivered in pain.

“Cyber! Are you ok?” Cyber didn’t look too good. “Double team. Psybeam now!”

“No you don’t! Gengar, confuse ray now!” Gengar’s confusion ray caused all three Porygons to smash into each other. Cyber fainted. “Well, that was too easy,” Agatha said slyly. “Give up, young one?”

“Never! Return Cyber! Static, you’re on!”

“Say good-night pikapest! Gengar, hypnosis!” Gengar used its hypnosis attack to put Static to sleep. “Awww… pleasant dreams little pikachu… Gengar, dream eater!” Gengar ate all of Static’s dreams. Static woke immediately and began screaming.

“PIIIIIIIIIIKKKKKAAAAAAAAA!!!!!” Static suddenly became enraged and sent everything he had at Gengar. The electricity had a good effect on Gengar and Static began tackling him. “Piikaaa… chupi! [Try to eat my dreams will you…]” After several rounds of pounding, Static was able to defeat Gengar.

“So. I still have 4 more pokémon, and my next will be Golbat.”

“No prob. Static, thunderbolt!” Golbat was fried and fainted.

“Oh… hmm… that really worked. Go Haunter!” Haunter came out. “Lick!” Haunter licked Static, paralyzing him.

“Return Static. Go Buttercup!”

“Lick Haunter!” Buttercup suffered the same fate as Static. “Well, who’s better now? Ready to concede?”

“No. You aren’t through with me yet! Go Hyper! Agility!” Hyper avoided Haunter’s deadly tongue and fired a hyper beam at him. Haunter faded out just before the beam would hit him. While Hyper searched franticly for his opponent, Haunter sneaked up in back of him and licked him. Icy recalled his Dratini.

“Hmm… you now have just two left.”

“Go Leafy!”

“Bad move. Haunter, night shade.” Leafy couldn’t see while Haunter snuck up on her. LICK! Icy’s Gloom was helpless just like him other pokémon.

“Darn it. Return Leafy. Hocus, I choose you!”

“I’ll handle him.” Haunter moved in. “Hello ghost. Eat this!” Hocus grabbed Haunter’s hand a sent a psyshock through him.

“Hmm. Nice move,” Agatha said returning her Haunter. “But this will fix you. Gengar, go! Confusion ray now!” Gengar’s level was way too high for Icy’s Kadabra to withstand. “Now take it out. Body slam!” Gengar smashed Hocus to the ground. The match was over. Agatha recalled her Gengar and left the field.

Icy dropped to his knees. A tear drop formed in his eye. “Noo…” he whimpered. The tear dropped a few feet before it hit the ground. “I… lost…”

“Icy, are you alright?”

“What… oh… I think… C’mon, let’s go heal my pokémon.”

“Awww, don’t take it so hard. She’s really good. But guess what I found out. Bugs have an advantage over Ghost pokémon. Next time, bring Wiggler to battle that Gengar.”

“Hmm…” They slowly exited the stadium while another trainer began her battle verses the Elite 4. They went to the diner, then went home.

“You still did great Icy. Those trainers were really hard, but you still beat two of them on your first try.”

“Yah… But I’m never gonna become a pokémon master.”

“Don’t say that. You just need to pick some different pokémon next time.”

“Perhaps… Let’s get some sleep…”

“Good idea… Good-night…” Icy tried to sleep, but the elite 4 was the only thing on his mind. “Ohhhh…” he sighed. He fell asleep.