Cinnabar Island

- So why did you bring me here?

Doing you a favour, Misty was right behind you. She gave me a call and said she was on her bike and she’ll catch you at my gym.

- Thanks, Radlac.

I’m called Blue now. Long story short I had to change my name after the mess you got me in after our last battle.

- Well, if you’re a gym leader now, how about a battle for a badge?

Well I do have some of Giovanni’s badges left over but I can’t battle you, not here. It has to be done in a gym where the battle can be recorded and registered with the Pokemon League. Being a gym leader comes with more rules and responsibilities than you’d ever care to know about, it can be a real pain.

- We can’t just go back to Viridian, Misty’s sure to be waiting there. And the gym here is destroyed.

Blaine moved to the Seafoam Islands, go there and get your badge from him. I’ll go back and try to divert Misty. I know she can be a real pain but she’ll eventually move onto someone else, believe me I know…

Seafoam Islands

The sign in front of the cave entrance has had a new message crudely scorched onto it.

“BLAINEZ GYM BACK IN BIZNEZZ”

- Looks like we’re in the right place.

Nippy II pops out of her pokeball and stares at the entrance. With a determined look on her face she raises her claws.

What’s gotten into her?

- Nippy died in battle against Blaine, remember? Do you think Nippy II knew and wants revenge for her mother?

Nippy II scuttles ahead into the gym. I run to catch up.

Hello and welcome to my new gym! You’re Caldar, aren’t you? I’m glad to see you’re OK, when I saw you last you were hallucinating outside my gym. Must have been the volcanic gasses.

- Right, um… you don’t know why I’m here? The other gym leaders didn’t tell you?

Hm? Nope, there’s no signal down here. So why the visit?

- I kinda sorta lost my badges and I’m trying to get them back, I already know I have to battle you again for another one. So how about it?

How did you lose your badges? Nevermind, I don’t want to know. Let’s get this started then.

Nippy II jumps into the arena and scowls at Blaine.

Go Magcargo!

- Um.. right… go Nippy?

Before I can call for an attack Nippy lunges forwards and slams magcargo in the face with a crabhammer attack. The impact knocks magcargo into it’s shell, sends it flying out the arena and lodges it into the cave wall.

- Err… crabhammer?

That kingler is fast to act! Go Magmar!

Nippy II seems to be doing her own thing so I just try to guess what she’ll do.

- Crabhammer!

Sunny day!

Magmar throws a ball of flame upwards and it hovers over the arena making it very bright in the cave. Nippy scuttles sideways on to magmar and swings another crabhammer into magmar’s gut. Magmar is thrown from the arena and lands out of bounds, winded and out cold.

That kingler is on a mission! Go Rapidash!

- Crabhammer?

Bounce!

Nippy tries to smash rapidash with a crabhammer but rapidash leaps high above the arena, higher than the hovering fireball. Nippy misses and lodges her claw in the arena floor.

- Come back N-

Nippy glares at me as I reach for her pokeball and I stop.

- I mean crabhammer!

As Nippy strains to dislodge herself rapidash lands on Nippy’s head. Nippy dislodges her claw and uppercuts rapidash with a crabhammer in the process. Rapidash tumbles backwards across the floor and then unsteadily stands back up.

- Crabhammer!

Overheat!

Rapidash channels all it’s strength into a fireball and spits it at Nippy. Nippy is engulfed in a massive explosion, so bright it hurts my eyes. When my vision returns I see Nippy, blackened and smouldering. She leaps up and smashes rapidash’s head to the ground with a final crabhammer. The ground cracks under the sheer force of the impact. Nippy collapses to the ground but still manages to raise her other claw in triumph.

That’s one fierce pokemon you have there. Congratulations, you’ve earned the Volcano Badge… again.

- Thanks, I guess I’ll head back to Viridian City.

Let’s hope “Blue” diverted Misty somewhere far, far away.

Blaine’s phone rings, he answers the call.

Hello? Oh, so good to hear from you!

I never did thank you for the warning about the volcano. How you knew so far in advance I’ll never understand-

Oh? Yes, yes it’s done.

He said he was heading back to Viridian.

Thanks again, professor.