"He's finally coming around," I heard someone say, but I couldn't see her! I panicked, and realized that I was in a dream...then, I realized, I couldn't see anything!!!! Adrenalin pumped through my body and suddenly I realized that I simply hd my eyes screwed shut as tight as I could. Opening them, I was that I was in a white hospital room and Carl Slate was sitting in a chair by my bed. He looked me over carefully, and when I turned my head, my head suddenly hurt, but not very much, just like a minor headache.

I groaned and put my hand to my head. "Oh man, How many mistakes did I do in attacking Mew? Psybane and Choppy are in bad shape I bet, especially Choppy." I said, sighing and leaning back into the pillows and staring at the wall in front of me.

Suddenly a “Mach,” and a “Beedrill” startled me. I jerked my head to see what was going on and my head reeled with pain, and my vision clouded. When it cleared, I saw Choppy with bandaged hands, and Psybane looking really hurt with wrinkled wings and bent antennae. But they were both there, waiting for me to wake up. No...that couldn't be Choppy, could it? What was a Machoke doing there?

I looked over at Professor Slate, more carefully this time, and asked, "Where's Choppy?"

I must have looked as confused as I felt, because the Professor chuckled and said, "You were just looking at him. After he defeated Mew he evolved into Machoke."

My head was spinning and I saw my vision swimming, "Whoa! CHOPPY defeated Mew??? But, but, but Choppy is a fighter and Mew is a psychic!" I glanced over at the Machoke, who came over and sat down next to the bed, but its head was still level with mine. I shook my head, and my vision returned to normal, Its face certainly LOOKED like Choppy...but...was it possible? Except right now, Choppy looked a little pissed off at my doubting him.

the graying old man laughed softly, "Yes, he defeated Mew...It was hard to see by the replays exactly how. By all rights he should have fainted long before he did. He actually fainted a few seconds after some Blisseys started helping you, actually, he fainted about thirty seconds after Mew fainted."

I smiled, stroking Choppy, when suddenly I felt a presence getting closer, and closer, it was Mew, and with each step that it took towards me, the pain in my head increased, until it was too much and my vision went black and I heard myself crying out even as I went unconscious.

I awoke to Erin looking at me anxiously, with Choppy and Psybane behind her, also looking at me anxiously. I groaned and stretched as much as I could in the confines of the bed. "Oh man, how long are they gonna keep me in here? I can't wait to get my next Pokemon...How long have I been in here anyway?" I asked her.

She looked at me solemnly and said, "Well, you were unconscious for two days after the gym fight, then you were in a coma for a week and a half after you suddenly went unconscious again. The doctor's given you a clean bill of health though, so we can go get a Pokemon for you."

"Now you're talking!" I said, rolling the covers back and jumping out of the hospital bed. I noticed that the IV that I had had in my hand when I had woken up before had been removed, and that They hadn't changed me out of my clothes that I was wearing in the gym fight. "Let's go!" I said, but suddenly my vision swam a little and I staggered but managed to catch myself, shook my head and my vision was fine.

In the breeeding Center, I didn't even consider going anywhere else and went immediately to the Rock-type Pokemon room and selected an Onix. Erin asked, "So...which gym are you planning on visiting now?"

I shrugged and said, "Well, this little guy has to train a little before he can be ready for a fight." The last four gyms were the fire, Water, Grass, and Electric types. I had chosen Onix planning on taking on the Electric gym, then the Fire gym. After I had beaten all of the four gyms here, then I would be ready to face the Legendary birds. But I changed my mind, "Actually, how about we pop by the grass gym? Get good old Psybane here some experience." I stroked Psybane underneath the chin, and she seemed to like that.

The first thing that I noticed when I was outside the gym building was the different decorations on the outside wall that I had never really noticed before. the Fire gym had torches and a drawing of one of Cinnabar Volcano's more spectacular eruptions. The grass gym had vines, flower boxes, and lush vegetation growing all over it. The psychic gym had 3-D pictures; the water gym had a water fountain and a pond with Magikarp swimming around in it; and the Electric gym Power lines, electrical generators out front, and illustrations of thunderstorms, plus you could almost feel electricity thrumming in the air; you could sure hear it, especially with the generators.

I smiled and pushed open the door to the Grass gym. inside was the same lush forest as outside, and there were two Venasaurs to greet us inside. They merely looked at us uninterestedly as we walked in, and then one bellowed at a region that was deeper inside the gym. As I waited there, I noticed that it was humid, very humid, and thought that a water type might have had quite a bit of luck in here. Erin walked in behind me and sat in a corner to watch the fight, unbeknownst to me.

The bushes parted...and the gym leader stepped out. I sighed, why did the last two gym leaders that I had seen been girls? With my luck the rest would be girls too. And I wasn't sure if there were gyms up above as well. I don't like beating up a girl's Pokemon, but sometimes I have no choice. She was small, and could be said by many as cute, but I never had much use for girls really. She had green eyes, and had probably had died her hair to that hideous green color, and wore camouflage pants along with a camo jacket.

She nodded at me, "Hello, my name is Patricia Hadridnofel. But you better not call me Miss Haridnofel, and I better not hear you say my last name anywhere, or I'll come personally and give you a black eye! Standard rules. all versus all. Ready?"

I released all of my Pokemon and set Onix and Choppy back to watch the fight. Then, with Psybane beside me, I shrugged and said, "Sure, why wouldn't I be? I've been ready for quite a while now. GO ROCKY!" I shouted the last two words.

She grinned and as the Onix slithered forward to get ready for a fight. She eyed him with disdain and called out a Bellossom. She grinned up at me and said, "Bell, use Razor Leaf!"

"Return Rocky! Go! Tyco!" Rocky returned to his place behind me and I strode forward and dove to the right to avoid the leaves that sped towards me. Pat, well she just eyed me, sort of like she was hungry, why it was, I have no idea. and said, "Return, Bellossom, Go Pat!"

She strode forward and took off her camo jacket. Well, I have to admit that I must have gotten really red right then, because my face felt really hot, until I realized that she had a T-shirt on underneath. She started with an uppercut and a kick designed to swipe my legs out from under me. I moved with the blow and went backwards, but her leg tripped me up and I went sprawling to the ground. I grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it into her eyes and then charged her. Well, I didn't feel right headbutting a woman, or a girl, in the stomach, or especially the chest, so I stopped and punched her on the side of the head. She must have been either been able to get some of the dirt out of her eyes, or sense where the punch was coming from, or both, since she responded with a kick to where the legs meet. I jumped up with it, trying to take some of the blow away by going in the same direction, grabbed her leg and performed a somersault over her body and doing a spinning back kick. For some reason, it seemed like she was enjoying this more than having our Pokemon battle. Until the kick hit her in the back of the head and she staggered forward, so I came in, and let loose a jab and just grazed the side of her ear as she stepped away, anticipating the attack. I took my leg and tripped her this time, and then rolled away, waiting for her to get up. She glared at me, coughing, and getting the last of the dirt out of her eyes then said, "Pat, return...go VENASUAR!" I stood there, like an idiot, waiting for it to come out of its Pokeball, but it never came. Suddenly Rocky roared and I dove to the left, just barely missing a Sunbeam attack.

I rolled to face one of the two Venasaurs that had guarded the door as I came in and mentally kick myself. I should have figured that they were more than mere door guards. It used a Razor Leaf, and I caught one on my left arm, a glancing leaf on my forehead, and another on my right leg, but that was it, as I had jumped up and crouched in the air when it was almost to me.

I decided to take the offensive, and decided that the best way to do that was to withdraw myself, "RETURN TYCO! GO PSYBANE!!! TRINEEDLE!!!" the Venasaur let loose with another Razor Leaf just as I said this and tried to switch the aim to Psybane, but it went between us and just barely missed Pat, who looked really mad.

"VENASAUR!!! BACK KICK!!" Pat shouted out, and I glanced at her, startled. The Venasaur roared as it recieved the Trineedle, then shook off Psybane and stood up on its forelegs and gave Psybane a good solid kick with both legs. The kick hit Psybane on the wings, as the body was too small a target, so I shouted out, "TAIL WHIP B, FOLLOWED BY TRINEEDLE, THEN TAIL WHIP B!"

It worked perfectly, and her Venasaur was out like a light. "Psybane, return, go Choppy!" I said, and she looked up at me. She had probably expected me to use everyone in my team, and Choppy's fame had grown. But she did not look the least bit nervous, "Exxegcutor, GO!" she said, and it was my turn to be nervous.

The part plant, part psychic Exxegcutor is the evolved form of Exxegcute. Those two combinations made it very deadly, and I almost regretted sending Choppy out against Exxegcutor. Almost. I tossed Choppy an X-Speed, and Choppy caught it and used Agility, our patented (well, not quite) opening to a battle, and we turned to face the Exxegcutor. She had probably guessed that I would send out Choppy, so she would have taught it Psychic, and maybe Psybeam, but I doubted she would have taught it Confusion. It would probably also know Razor Leaf and Leech Life. I had no idea if there would be any other moves that it knew.

"Eggy, use Psychic, followed by Psybeam." She said, looking directly at me. I just smiled and started whistling, and she looked at me, confused. While her attention was directed at me, Choppy caught the tune, however, and followed my instructions to dodge the Psychic. "Eggy" was also confused and looked at its master, inadvertatly sending the Psybeam right at Pat. She clawed at her face as the Psybeam entered her body, and I winced in sympathetic pain. Erin burst out of the bushes behind me as we both decided the battle would go on hold and we checked her injuries.

Pat groaned and shoved us away from her. "Get off of me...okay? I'm fine...EGGY PSYCHIC!" The egg Pokemon looked startled and snapped off a quick shot at Choppy, who quickly danced out of the way, and landed a Karate Chop on the Pokemon's head, rendering it unconscious.

"Choppy, return, go ROCKY!" I shouted out, and Choppy ran to the place near the entrance where I had been and waited. Rocky slithered forward, and loked up at me, grinning. Pat sneered and let out a Bulbasaur. I picked up Rocky and threw him towards the Bulbasaur, "BIND!" I shouted out, and Rocky bound up that Bulbasaur up tight. "NOW BITE IT!" I shouted, feeling adrenaline pump through my veins. Rocky obeyed, and the Bulbasaur struggled to get free, "KEEP DOING IT!!! KEEP DOING IT!!!" I was jumping up and down again, rubbing my hands together and acting really hyper, and probably making a fool of myself.

Pat scowled as she watched the Bulbasaur faint. She scowled, "Bulby, return, Go Vine Master!" She gave me a smirk that said, "Now you die."

"Rocky, Return!" I shouted, not wanting any of my Pokemon to faint, "Go Psybane!" Rocky hurried back to its watching place next to the door, and watched Psybane fly from above the Onix and charge the Venasaur. "Tri B!" I shouted, trying to get it to use both Tail Whip B and Trineedle. It didn't work. Well, it didn't work the way I expected it too. You see, Psybane started spinning ridiculously fast, then I tossed it an X-speed, and it just became a blur with an occasional stinger being seen here and there in a blur. Then it sped, still spinning, towards the Venasaur, who was jut standing there, confused. The Tail Whip B hit, and it staggered back because of the sheer speed of the blows, until it was driven back against the wall. Then Psybane used Trineedle, and the Venasaur managed a brief flurry of leaves that stuck into Psybane's body, then Psybane was back on the offensive, used Trineedle, and it was over.

Pat glared at me and sent out her final Pokemon. A rare Tangela. Looking more like a ball of yarn than anything else, the Tangela was a grass type, and I wondered where she got her Tangela. It could probably use Vine Whip and any moves like constrict, bind, etc. Plus, it probably had a few surprises thrown in. This one was bright orange, very unusual, since most were somewhere around turquoise in color. She glared at me with what can only be called something close to fury and shouted out in a clear, strong voice, "Flamethrower!"

I wasn't expecting a fire move like that, and it caught me off guard, but I managed, "Dodge, and attack with Trineedle!"

Psybane dodged the flames, but as it was coming in on its attack run, it was captured in a Vine Whip, then, when it was released and began its atack once more, it was constricted. Psybane struggled, and managed to get one of its stingers into the vines that held it. The Tangela then used Constrict, and shot out vines that covered Psybane completely. Psybane's stingers were straight at its side, and- it looked like it was caught in an Ariados' web. Finally, Psybane was let go, and it hovered, looking tiredly at the Tangela. The Tangela tried to Bind it, but Psybane somehow kept itself above the vines reaching towards it, and used Trineedle. The Tangela caught Psybane in a Bind as it flew off, weaving back and forth, and then, after some time, let it go. Pat was looking triumphantly at me now, but I still had one idea up my sleeve.

Pat shouted, "Tang, constrict!" She smirked as she watched the vines coming out towards Psybane one last time...or so she thought.

"Psybane!" I shouted out, "Tail Whip B!" The plan worked perfectly, and, as the vines were almost to Psybane, she went horizontal and spun laterally, using its stingers to hit the vines reaching out for it. The Tangela cried out in pain and withdrew the vines, and I shouted, "Tail whip B it!"

Pat opened her mouth to shout out an order, but Psybane stuck a stinger into one of the receding vines, and was drawn towards the Tangela. Pat stared in horror and in disbelief as Psybane got even more tangled up, and, as the Tangela and Psybane fought to get free of each other, Psybane was hitting it with her stingers. Psybane finally got free, and it took only a Trineedle to finish off the Tangela. Pat and I both stared at each other, mouths open. I hadn't given the order to Psybane to do that OR use Trineedle that last time.

Pat bowed to me and said, "I have never seen anyone fight like that. Would you go out with..." she trailed off as she looked over my shoulder, then she said, "Um...never mind, I was just kidding."

I turned to see Erin standing there. I glanced back at Pat and said, "We're not a couple, exactly, you see-"

Pat grinned happily, "Great! I'll pick you up at seven!" She returned her Tangela and ran out the door.

I walked over to the wall, and started banging my head against it and finished what I was going to say, "But I don't want to go on a date with anyone anyhow!" I glanced over at Erin, "Is she always like this?"

Erin glared at me for some unknown reason, and said, "Yeah, she's always a whirlwind, and she goes out with trainers that she thinks will be the best." She whirled and stomped through the door.

I glanced over at Rocky, "Lesson number one about human girls. they are strange."

Erin yelled over her shoulder, "I heard that!"

I mumbled, knowing she wouldn't hear me, "Yeah, but wouldn't that also apply to Pat?" I glanced over at Choppy, "Why do I always have bad luck after I beat gyms?"

I sighed, stuffed my hands into my pockets, and trudged out the door, kicking a pebble that happened to be on the concrete outside the doors. I would never understand girls or women as long as I lived.