Step Three

Chuchu let loose an enormous amount of electricity that tore through Gengar's body. Gengar went flying backwards but easily stopped itself before it hit the wall. It then shot itself back at Chuchu faster than Yellow expected as Natsume shouted, "Gengar, Lick!" Gengar opened its mouth and shot its long, pink tongue out at Chuchu.

"Chuchu, dodge that using Quick Attack!" Yellow ordered as Chuchu jumped into the air, dodging the Gengar's tongue, at first. Chuchu then went to charge at Gengar but its tongue circled around and caught Chuchu in its grasp. Gengar then brought Chuchu towards the ground, slamming it onto the field as hard as it could, sending dust and debris all out around them. "Chuchu, no!" Yellow shouted, as she had to hold her arms in front of her to keep from flying away into the air.

When the dust and debris disappeared, Chuchu was defeated, taking serious damage from just one Lick attack. Yellow called Chuchu back to its Pokeball, switching with her next Pokemon instantly. "Damn, you're Gengar is incredibly powerful. You must have raised that Pokemon very well." Yellow said, making her Pokeball grow larger.

"That's right. I got this from a special friend a couple of years ago." Natsume said, as Yellow raised an eyebrow at her. "But anyway, Yellow, enough walking down memory lane. Choose your next Pokemon!"

"I already have!" Yellow shouted, tossing her Pokeball up into the air. "Come out, Dody!" Her Dodrio came out and screeched at Gengar and Natsume. However, it didn't seem like they were even moderately phased by it. "Dody, let's go! It's time to beat down this Gengar and win our friends come Badges!" Dody nodded, waiting for Yellow's command. "Dody, let's get this started! Whirlwind, now!" Dody charged forward, shooting a gigantic blast of wind from its mouth that headed straight for Gengar at an alarming pace.

"Gengar, let's try out that new move we learned!" Natsume shouted as Gengar nodded, forming a ball of black and purple circles. "Dark Pulse, now!" Gengar extended its arm quickly, sending a beam of purple circles at Dody's whirlwind. It was so powerful, it easily knocked through the Whirlwind and made a direct hit onto Dody. Dody went skidding backwards towards Yellow, defeated by just one attack again. "Yellow, things aren't really looking up for you right now. You have to make a comeback or neither you nor your friends will be able to get your Sixth Badge."

"Yeah, whatever!" Yellow shouted, calling back her Dodrio into its Pokeball. "My next Pokemon! Come out, Gravvy!" Yellow's Graveler emerged from its Pokeball, ready to strike Gengar.

"A Graveler?" Natsume asked, moderately interested. "That may help you win. Gengar, Shadow Ball now!" Gengar formed a complete circle of darkness between its palm, forming into a ball shape. It then fired it at Gravvy, throwing it from its left hand.

"Gravvy, Defense Curl!" Yellow shouted as Gravvy's limbs went inside of its shell, like a turtle along with its head, defending it from the incoming attack. Gengar's Shadow Ball smashed against Gravvy's body, not affecting it at all. "Gravvy, Take Down! Go!" Gravvy came out of its shell and charged at Gengar, at an alarming speed.

"Gengar, Hypnosis now!" Natsume shouted, as Gengar sent orange waves of sleep-induced energy at Gravvy. Gravvy was instantly caught in its waves with Yellow knowing this might have happened. Gravvy may be a quick runner, however, it is unable to move from side to side at the sound of a command. "Gengar, finish her Graveler! Dream Eater!" Gengar's eyes glowed red as it sent a shadow-like version of itself out to Gravvy. As soon as it smashed into Gravvy, Gravvy's eyes opened wide, as Gengar sucked out its energy quickly. When the Dream Eater was finished, Gravvy fell onto the ground, defeated by Gengar once more. "Five Pokemon down, Yellow. Your last one is up. What have you got?"

"My best Pokemon." Yellow stated, calling back Gravvy to its Pokeball. "I didn't really want to use this Pokemon in this battle but you've forced my hand!" Yellow threw her Pokeball up into the air, calling out her last Pokemon, "Come out, Zappy!" Zappy, Yellow's Zapdos emerged from its Pokeball, as a flash of lightning surged from its body, showing Natsume that this was Yellow's best yet.

"Impressive, Yellow." Natsume said. "I didn't think anyone could catch a Zapdos. This will definitely be a magnificent battle between two amazing Pokemon Trainers! Gengar, Dark Pulse! Now!"

"I think you may be right about that!" Yellow shouted, watching Gengar send a Dark Pulse as fast as it could at Zappy. "Zappy, fly above it and hit Gengar with your Thunder!" Zappy dodged Gengar's attack almost instantaneously, sending a blast of lightning from its mouth down at Gengar. Gengar was hit by the attack, sending it flying backwards. Gengar landed on its feet, ready to fight for Natsume once more. "Good work, Zappy!"

"Gengar, get back into the game! Hypnosis!" Natsume shouted as Gengar sent the orange waves up at Zappy.

"Zappy, Light Screen!" Yellow shouted as Zappy's body was covered in a shining gold armor that protected it from Gengar's Hypnosis. "Zappy use Discharge! Now!" Zappy, while still covered in its Light Screen, began to glow in a bright yellow color.

"Gengar, this it! The only moment to win! Use your strongest Dark Pulse!" Natsume shouted as Gengar focused its power into one large energy ball made of black and purple circles. The power between the two Pokemon actually made the Gym shake, causing a tremor to fill the town completely.

When the other heroes felt the tremor, they all looked at each other knowing what was causing this in the first place. They had just walked out of the Fighting Dojo after facing off the opponents in there. Suffice to say, they beat every challenger, even though it was a great training session for the three of them. Hakel even got a Firestone for his Ponyta and evolved it into a Rapidash. They headed back towards the Gym where they knew something amazing was going on between Yellow and Natsume.

Back at the Gym, Zappy and Gengar were just about ready to attack. Yellow and Natsume called out the names of their Pokemon respectively, giving their Pokemon the signal to attack. Zappy and Gengar released both of their attacks onto one another, but it was evident who was winning.

Gengar didn't stand a chance.

Zappy's Discharge grew so large that it overcame Gengar's Shadow Ball, sending it back at him as the electric attack imploded on itself, destroying the entirety of the Gym, as the electricity went up into the sky, forcing black clouds to surround the region. A relentless downpour came crashing down onto the town, soaking them all in the rain. Debris and dust flew everywhere, blowing to the winds around them. When the debris had cleared, Machine, Hakel, and Kusa ran up to the area, in the rain, soaked to see that Yellow was on top of Zappy, above the sight where the Gym had been destroyed. Natsume and Gengar were lying on the ground, unconscious from the attack.

"Whoa, what the hell happened?" Machine asked as Yellow descended to the ground with Zappy, running over to see if Natsume was alright.

"Natsume!" Yellow shouted as she woke up, shaking her head in a daze. "Are you alright?!"

"Yeah... I'm fine, Yellow..." Natsume said, with a smile on her face. "I'm just glad I had the privilege of giving you and your friends... this..." She opened her hand, showing Yellow and the others their Sixth Badge, the Marsh Badge.

"Are you sure you want to give me that Badge, Natsume?" Yellow asked as she helped Natsume, shortly after she called her Gengar back to her Pokeball. "I mean, I destroyed your Gym after all..."

"No, don't even worry about that." Natsume said, smiling over to Machine. "Machine, you're lucky to have a girl like this. She's a special one, she is. Remember to not let her go."

"Don't worry," Yellow said, confusing Machine a bit. "I plan to marry him one day. Isn't that right, Machine?"

"Oh, I..." Machine said speechless. He looked over to Yellow who had taken his hand. "I mean... Of course. Yes, Natsume. I love Yellow too much to let her go."

"That's the spirit." Natsume said, handing the four of them their Sixth Badge, the Marsh Badge. "Yellow has earned it for you all."

"What do you mean?" Hakel asked. "Don't we have to battle you as well?"

"No." Yellow said to Hakel. "I made a deal with Natsume and if I beat her four Pokemon with my six, then she would give all of us badges."

"That's awesome! And you beat her in such a cool way!" Kusa said, as she hugged Yellow to thank her. "You're awesome, Yellow!"

"Thanks, Kusa!" Yellow said to her, jumping up and down with her in happiness.

Machine, Hakel, and Natsume smiled at them. Natsume then turned to the two boys and asked, "So, where are you four headed off to next?"

"Most likely to the next town with the seventh Gym. Would you happen to where that is and who is the next Gym Leader?" Machine asked.

"Of course." Natsume said. "The next Gym Leader's name is Blaine and he lives on Cinnabar Island... That's where you'll find the next part of your journey and the seventh Gym Badge, the Volcano Badge." These words beat into their heads, as they headed off towards the sea shortly after Kusa caught her sixth Pokemon, Electabuzz. The only way to get there was to fly.

Machine called out his Charizard for himself and Yellow and Hakel called out his Pidgeot for himself and Kusa. The four of them jumped onto their respective carriers and flew off towards Cinnabar Island.

"Cinnabar Island, here we come!" Kusa shouted, over the annoying loud air currents as Pidgeot and Charizard zoomed through the sky.

Meanwhile, on Cinnabar Island, Blaine was having his own troubles there. "Rapidash, keep running!" Blaine shouted as his Pokemon charged through a forest. Three people were behind him, charging him down.

"Blaine, come back here!" Shouted a female voice from behind him. When she came into view, it was Kris Darchart, riding on her very own Articuno. Her Vaporeon and her were flying on its back as fast as they could towards Blaine. "Vaporeon, Articuno, Ice Beam!" Both Pokemon opened their mouths and shot out two waves of ice at Blaine and his Articuno.

"Rapidash, Fire Spin!" Blaine shouted as he turned Rapidash around quickly and made it fire spinning blast of fire at the ice, destroying it instantly. Blaine then dashed into a deep forested area of the island, losing Kris and her Pokemon easily.

"Damn it!" Kris shouted as Rai and Lt. Surge arrived on their very own Pokemon. Rai was riding on Dragonite, as usual and Lt. Surge was now in control of a Moltres.

"What happened, Kris?" Rai asked, jumping off of his Dragonite landing next to Kris.

"Yeah, what happened?! Where the hell did Blaine go?" Lt. Surge asked as Rai's Dragonite and his Moltres descended onto the ground next to them. He got off and walked next to Rai and Kris.

"I let that bastard go! He escaped my clutches and was about to drive him off the cliff!" Kris said, pointing ahead of her to the cliff that was there. Jagged rocks and an untimely death would have met Blaine down there.

"It's not like the boss is here, Kris. So, we still have time to get that traitor." Rai said, trying to comfort her.

"Damn straight." Kris said, hopping back onto her Articuno. "Get on your Pokemon and follow me! We won't let that traitor escape! Not with the Pokemon that we just caught!"

Rai and Lt. Surge hopped back onto their Pokemon, as the three of them flew off into the distance, towards the area that Blaine dashed into with his Rapidash. Blaine had betrayed them and they were going to make him pay for what he did.