Ninjas and Witches

Upon entering the arena, David noticed a training camp for teenagers under the supervision of Lieutenant Surge. Youngsters in sports gear were running in circles on a dusty track, their faces focused. The scent of dry earth mixed with sweat lingered in the hot air. Surge, a stern expression on his face, watched them closely, his cold and cutting voice barking orders.

Suddenly, David heard a burst of laughter break the tense atmosphere. "Vazquez! What don't you understand about running silently?" roared Surge, startling all the teenagers. A breathless teenager stopped dead in her tracks, trying to justify herself: "I... uh... Uncle..."

"Silence, it's Lieutenant and only Lieutenant!" barked Surge. "To honor Vazquez, you'll all do four additional laps around the field, immediately!" Arms crossed, he scrutinized the teenagers with a critical eye.

Hearing this, the other teenagers gave Vazquez a resentful look, their faces betraying their frustration. Nevertheless, they shouted in unison, "Yes, Lieutenant! At your orders, Lieutenant!" and resumed their run, determination written on their faces.

Surge looked up and spotted David. Signaling the teenagers to stop and line up on the side, he advanced towards him, his boots thudding heavily on the ground. The Lieutenant examined the newcomer, his piercing gaze assessing every detail of David.

"Are you from Alola, kid?" asked Surge, judging by David's skin tone and typical attire from that region.

David tensed slightly, instinctively adjusting his collar. "No, but maybe my ancestors were."

Surge nodded, his eyes glinting with a cold spark. "So, you're here for the Thunder Badge, huh?" His tone was icy, each word laden with overwhelming authority.

David remained impassive. "Yes."

The Lieutenant squinted, his massive arms crossing over his chest like a barricade. "You know, kid, many have tried before you and few have withstood the trial." His voice rumbled like thunder, shaking the air around them.

David felt his pulse quicken but locked eyes with the Lieutenant without flinching. "I'm ready."

"How many badges do you already have?" barked Surge, his gaze scanning every nuance of David's reaction.

David held up his hand, displaying zero badges with his fingers. Surge gave a stern smile, but a challenge sparkled in his eyes. "Alright, let's see if you can withstand a real storm."

He picked up his walkie-talkie. "Dan, activate the arena system."

Instructor Dan, at attention, promptly responded, "Yes, Lieutenant!" before turning to the controls. Within moments, the training field transformed. A metallic clanking sounded, followed by the unsettling buzz of generators. Pylons bristling with electric discharges emerged from the ground, their arcs of electricity crackling with palpable intensity. David felt a subtle vibration under his feet, and the air was charged with the scent of ozone, implicated by the discharges.

David felt tension rise within him as the arena transformed around him. The electric pylons exuded an aura of power and danger. The teenagers, still lined up, watched in silence, respect, and curiosity shining in their eyes.

Lieutenant Surge turned his gaze to David, a smile on his lips. "Alright, I'll use two Pokémon for this match. Let's see what you've got, kid."

David nodded.

Instructor Dan stepped forward, taking a position at the center of the arena. "The match will pit David against Lieutenant Surge."

Surge grabbed his first Poké Ball and tossed it into the air. "Go, Voltorb!"

The small electric orb appeared in a flash of light, its sparks crackling around it. David raised his voice. "Chaplin, it's your turn!"

Chaplin, agilely, descended from David's shoulder and landed gracefully on the field, ready for battle. Instructor Dan raised his hand. "Begin!"

David's heart pounded as Surge gave his first order. "Spark!" ordered Surge.

Voltorb emitted a strong electric charge towards Chaplin. "Dodge with your psychic levitation!" shouted David, feeling a rush of adrenaline.

Chaplin lifted slightly off the ground, surrounded by a bluish aura, and elegantly evaded the attack.

"Now, Pound!" ordered David.

Chaplin leaped forward, striking Voltorb with all its might. The two Pokémon collided, releasing a shockwave that pushed both back.

"SonicBoom!" commanded Surge.

Voltorb emitted a concentrated shockwave towards Chaplin. "Use Confusion to deflect the attack!" ordered David, allowing himself a confident smile.

Chaplin's psychic wave clashed with SonicBoom, canceling both attacks in a blinding flash of light.

"Self-D..." began Surge with a smug smile.

"Encore!" quickly reacted David before Surge could finish his sentence, a cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

Encore forced Voltorb to repeat SonicBoom. Voltorb attempted to launch SonicBoom again, but David was ready.

"Now, Confusion to finish the job!" ordered David, his voice resonating with determination.

Chaplin used his psychic powers to unleash a powerful telekinetic wave towards Voltorb, sending the electric orb flying backward. Voltorb collapsed, unable to continue the battle.

Instructor Dan raised his arm. "Voltorb is unable to battle. Mime Jr. wins this round."

David felt a mixture of euphoria and nervousness wash over him. His gaze turned to Lieutenant Surge, searching for clues about what was next.

Surge recalled Voltorb to its Poké Ball, his expression remaining impassive. "Well done, kid. But the real challenge starts now." He grabbed a second Poké Ball. "Pikachu, it's your turn!"

Pikachu appeared, electricity crackling around its cheeks. Chaplin, though tired from the first round, stood tall, ready to face this new opponent.

Dan raised his hand again. "Begin!"

"Quick Attack!" commanded Surge.

Pikachu moved so quickly it was almost invisible, striking Chaplin with blinding speed. Chaplin staggered but remained standing, its eyes locked on its opponent.

"Confusion!" ordered David.

The psychic wave struck Pikachu hard. Pikachu stumbled under the impact but quickly got back up, its cheeks crackling with determination.

"Thunderbolt!" commanded Surge.

An electric shock hit Chaplin head-on. Chaplin faltered, visibly weakened.

David felt panic rising within him but pushed it away. "Chaplin, hang in there! Use Ice Punch!" ordered David, taking a risk despite Pikachu's possible Static effect.

Chaplin lunged forward and struck Pikachu with its icy fist. The Static discharge was felt instantly, partially paralyzing Chaplin, but it held strong.

At that moment, Chaplin closed its eyes and reopened them with a crazed look, potentially indicating Hypnosis. Doubt briefly hit David before he refocused. Chaplin plunged Pikachu into a deep sleep.

"Now, Ice Punch again!" ordered David.

Chaplin, though paralyzed, started swinging its fists left and right using his psychic powers to support its movement, mimicking the movements of a devastating Dempsey Roll. It struck Pikachu from one side, then the other, chaining icy blows with surprising precision. Pikachu, asleep and unable to react, was thrown back by the barrage of devastating blows.

When the final blow hit Pikachu, it collapsed to the ground, unable to battle.

"Pikachu is unable to battle. Mime Jr. wins this battle. David is the winner," announced Instructor Dan with conviction.

Lieutenant Surge remained motionless for a second, his stern face slowly softening into a respectful smile. He suddenly burst out laughing, surprised and impressed by David and Chaplin's performance.

"A Dempsey Roll, huh? That's the most badass baby ever!" he announced, approaching David and his exhausted Pokémon.

In response, Chaplin tried to strike a victorious pose, raising a triumphant fist towards the ground before fainting from exhaustion.

David gently picked up his companion, congratulating him with a warm and sincere smile. "Well done, Chaplin. You were incredible."

Lieutenant Surge then extended his hand to David, a shiny badge in his palm. "Well done, kid. You've earned this Thunder Badge. Don't hesitate to come back when you're even stronger," he said with genuine respect in his voice.

David recalled Chaplin to his Poké Ball, thanking him with a look before stowing it away. "Thank you, Lieutenant Surge. We'll be back, don't worry about that," he said, taking the badge. He exited the arena, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.

He took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air. A wide smile spread across his face as he murmured, "A badge, I got a fucking badge."

Heading towards the Pokémon Center to get Chaplin healed, David felt the thrill of his first major victory electrify him. He left Chaplin in the capable hands of Nurse Joy and settled into the waiting room. Pulling out some sandwiches from his bag, he began eating while reflecting on his battles, encounters, and newly acquired skills.

As he enjoyed his sandwich, two karatekas rushed into the Pokémon Center. Visibly exhausted and starving, they hurried toward David, their eyes pleading.

"Excuse me, could you spare a sandwich? We haven't eaten in a while," asked one of the karatekas, a tall guy with bulging muscles.

"Take some" replied David, handing them the sandwiches.

"Thank you very much," said the first karateka, accepting the sandwich gratefully. "We've had a rough time getting here, two days stuck in that infernal forest."

David, curious, invited them to sit down. "So, what happened?"

The brown-haired karateka sighed and began to explain. "We're from Saffron City. We decided to go through the forest for training instead of taking the main roads. We wanted to toughen up our training to face those pests that have been invading our town for far too long."

His companion added, "Saffron City used to be a respected place for martial arts, a real paradise for anyone dedicated to the art of the kick."

"The art of the fist, you mean?"

"The art of the kick, I said. Anyway… A real paradise until those Muk started to invade the city with their spoon-wielding filth. Among them, a despicable family that somehow managed to defeat our esteemed Kimchi, brother of our esteemed leader Koichi, heir of Muru, who himself was the heir of…"

The other karateka interrupted him, "You're going too far, get to the point."

"Basically, we were training with our Pokémon in the forest when an actual army of Weedles surrounded us. They captured us with their secretions and stole all our food."

David burst out laughing at the situation. "You got mugged by Weedles? HAHAHAH."

The second karateka, a muscular girl with a red headband, blushed. "Don't laugh. I'll never underestimate Bug types again. Those Weedles caught us in two seconds when we let our guard down out of fatigue."

The first karateka added, "We managed to get free after two days tied up by pleading with a passing Pidgey. After that, we ran to escape the forest, and that's when we encountered this witch…. Tired or not, it's our duty to battle the daughter of this bunch of cowards. Honestly, Psychic trainers are all cowards."

David sat more comfortably, a smile on his face, "Gangster Weedles and a witch. There's enough material here for a movie! Where is this so-called witch now?"

The karate girl replied, "She should still be camping on Route 6, about twenty minutes from here."

David, with a wide smile, asked, "By the way, you haven't mentioned how the match between you and her went."

They responded with embarrassment, "That's not… important. Uh, by the way, our Pokémon are suffering badly, we need to get them healed as soon as possible. Let's go and thanks again for the sandwiches."

At that moment, Nurse Joy returned with Chaplin, fully healed and in perfect shape. David placed Chaplin on his head and said with a smile, "I thought we'd sleep peacefully here and leave tomorrow, but it seems some crazy stuff is happening up north. All the more reason to head out right away."

Chaplin happily agreed. "Mime, mime!"

David stood up, waved goodbye to the karatekas, and left the Pokémon Center. With Chaplin perched on his head, they headed north, leaving Vermilion City behind.

Somewhere on Route 6, a young girl floated with her Kadabra by her side. She looked indifferently at a dozen knocked-out Weedles before her eyes lit up. "First idiots, and now bugs. I'm tired of this nonsense…"