EPISODE 8: Scapegoat*

"This match will be a one on one Pokemon Battle! The battle ends when either side has no longer Pokemons to battle with." Mr.Magnus, the referee of the match, declares while looking at me and Chloe. I have a sudden feeling that things aren't going to go well, since again, I'm not an avid Pokemon trainer.

"I'll show you how weak your Onion is, this match will be lighter than a feather!" Chloe boasts with such malicious laughter. Her supporters stayed on the balcony, cheering for their leader. Only Jenny and Pikachu cheers for me.

<Pet! Petilil!>Petilil enrages while glaring at Chloe. She fights for me and herself against all of Chloe's insults. Inside my mind, I am already sensing humiliation. I want to run away but people would only call me a coward and a scapegoat if I do so.

"Please send out your first Pokemon!" Mr. Magnus instructs. Being a girl with Dysphemia, it's hard for me to call out moves, giving my foe an advantage over me and my Lily.

"Let's finish this quickly, Vulpix, my elegant fox... come out now!" Chloe boasts as she tosses her Vulpix's Pokeball flawlessly.

Vulpix is a small, quadruped, fox-like Pokémon. It has a red-brown pelt with a cream-colored underbelly. It has brown eyes, large, pointed ears with dark brown insides, and a triangular dark brown nose. Its paws are slightly darker than the rest of its pelt and have light brown paw pads. On top of its head are three curled locks of orange fur with bangs, and it has orange tails with curled tips. It is most commonly seen with six tails. However, Vulpix is born with only a single whitetail that splits as Vulpix grows.

Petilil knows that I'm not fond of speaking, she automatically leaps into action with determination and passion. If only I feel more confident and optimistic towards myself.

"You can do this Luna!" Jenny shouts and cheers from the balcony. I'm very aware that Vulpix is a fire type Pokemon and Petilil is a grass type, but one thing I've learned from my mother is to not always depend on type disadvantages.

"Let the battle between Chloe and Luna commence!" Mr.Magnus proclaims as he lifts his two hands up to the sky to commence the match.

"Vulpix hit the foe hard with ember!"

"Li... Lily, do-"

"Too late!" Chloe interrupts with malicious and arrogant laughter.

*Vulpix spews a passionate fiery flame towards my Lily. Due to my stuttering voice, I couldn't instruct Petilil right away.*

"Vulpix, now use Quick attack on the foe!"

"Li... Lily-"

"Too late again! I knew that this would be an easy match!" Chloe interrupts once more with malicious and arrogant laughter.

*A beam of light follows Vulpix's tail as she collides with Petilil. Petilil didn't dare to make a single move since I am not able to command her any move yet*

Jenny continues to cheer for me, even if Petilil is in a critical state. She tries to keep my confidence up, but I could not longer bear Chloe's insults and stigmas. There's nothing I could do, she's right, I'm a scapegoat.

"Vulpix, finish Petilil with Ember!"

<Vulp! Vulpix!>Vulpix's high pitch tone grins with determination as she spews a fiery flame towards Petilil again.

Lily confronts my face. Her looks beg upon me to command her a move, but I keep my head looking at the ground while tears drenched slowly across my pale face.

....

"Petilil is no longer able to battle! Which means the winner is Chloe and Vulpix." Mr. Magnus announces to the crowd, and what did I gain? A whole crowd insulting me and my so-called green onion.

"Pfft! I stand corrected, Petilil isn't weak, she's weaker the weakest Pokemon! Is your green-onion a Grass-type Magikarp?!" Chloe insults once more with her supporters cheering and laughing hysterically.

"Chloe! That's too much, you'll be sent to the office if you dare insult the headmaster's daughter again! I know I've asked her to battle you, but teasing people because of their failures is wrong." Mr.Magnus stands up for me against the bratty Chloe.

"Sir, I'm just throwing facts on her face, you should scold her too Mr.Magnus, she can't accept defeat," Chloe mutters sarcastically, lifting the laughters of her hysterical supporters.

"Chloe! I have enough of this gobbledygook! Go to the office right now. Just be glad this isn't a boarding school or I would expel you myself." Mr.Magnus's tone rises to the highest limit just like a Rhyperior using an extremely powerful hyper beam. Chloe doesn't care about Magnus's demands, she even walks flawlessly to the office with her supporters following her.

I kneel down in deep sadness. My enlightenment turns into twilight and my sorrows gently touch Petilil's fainted body. My hands shiver, I don't know whether to become angry or sad, or perhaps have another mixture of both emotions. This is why I wanted a typical life. All I wanted is a sense of belongingness, is that too much to ask for? What makes me different from them aside from the burdens I bear?

"Luna, don't listen to what Chloe said. Your totally the opposite of what she said." Jenny wraps me with solaces as she rubs my shoulder. In the meantime, Mr.Magnus walks out of the room to confront Chloe in the office.

"She's right... I, I am weak." My voice stutters. I could sense the bitter taste of my tears drooling to my mouth. I clench my fists with abrupt anger and aggression.

"Hey, you're not weak. Everybody is born in a unique way. Maybe Pokemon battling is not your thing. I guess I stand corrected when I insisted you to challenge Chloe. My bad." Jenny utters with a soothing voice, trying earnestly to seal off the dam.

I neglected every word uttered upon me. Tears and pain shrouds my body with anger and grief for the second round. I lack the confidence to respond to Jenny's words...

Petilil's body was gravely injured by Chloe's vulpix. A cute but terrible Vulpix. I sympathize Petilil's worn-out body. First my sketch-pad, now my Pokemon. I grab Petilil's body and rush out of the room. She needs medical attention right away. I know I'm not supposed to go outside the orphanage but I have to go to the Pokemon Center located on the other street.

"Luna wait! You can't go out, give Petilil to Ms.Natasha instead!" Jenny yells but I ignore her and gushed out of the room. Natasha's other duty is to deliver all fainted Pokemons to the Pokemon Center to be treated with medical attention.

I have a concern for Petilil. I must do it even if it means risking my integrity. Her face is turning pale and her forehead glows with an orange glitter. My Lily is under a status condition known as "burn." Never thought that a Pokemon could get a status condition after fainting. I guess Vulpix's passion was too much to counter.

Luckily no one is looking. The guards are playing with their TCG and I am given an opportunity to sneak out of the orphanage. "It... It's just... for a mom, moment." I utter to myself. I stayed cautious about the cars passing by. I also have to remember that team Rocket owns this city, grunts are everywhere, especially near the Silph Co. building.