《Gym Leader Number 9》


 Chapter 1

    Tommy was Miss Roxanne¡¯s number one student, so when she asked around with her gym students for a bit of help grading homework Tommy stepped up straight away!


    It wasn¡¯t normal for her. Roxanne worked really hard but she¡¯d only ever asked for a bit of help like this once or twice. Tommy was happy to help anyway. It was kind of fun looking at the homework from boys and girls a few years below him, kind of nostalgic really.


    Apparently some guy had asked to meet her about important gym stuff so she had less time after school hours to get things finished. Nobody had been able to get her to tell what the meeting was about though.


    Tommy finished another pile of maths homework and brought it over to his teacher.


    ¡°Thank you Tommy,¡± Roxanne said, offering him a friendly smile as she put the pile to the side.


    ¡°You got any more for me?¡± Tommy asked. Although he really was a bit bored of marking homework now. He¡¯d been all for helping before, but that was before he¡¯d realised how boring marking homework was. Tommy had no idea how she did it all the time. Roxanne glanced down to the work she was marking, which probably included Tommy¡¯s classwork, now he thought of it. Then Roxanne sighed.


    ¡°That is very kind of you Tommy but that¡¯s alright. I¡¯d wanted to try and get everything done before this meeting but it looks like I¡¯ll have to put it off until later. Why don¡¯t you go out and play with your friends?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Tommy said, secretly glad that she was letting him go. He knew Roxanne was a bit nervous about the meeting, whatever it was about. That wasn¡¯t really his problem though. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow Miss Roxanne!¡± Tommy shouted as he hurried out of the door.


    He was more than ready now to go out and unwind and Tommy pulled out his pokeball from his pocket. Hopefully once he arrived someone would be brave enough to battle him and Geodude.


    Tommy raced down the street, being extra careful to look for cars and stuff and then he arrived at the playground, only to find it had a far different atmosphere than usual.


    Little Sally Gettsbrook was sat in a corner, cradling her new Teddiursa she¡¯d been super excited about all week. Tommy had been just a bit jealous too and he¡¯d been looking forward to seeing it. Now the Teddiursa was unconscious, its head in the girl¡¯s lap as she cried for him to wake up.


    Sally was a bit too young to understand how Pokemon worked. It took a lot to properly hurt a Pokemon. Tommy was glad to know that with a potion and a bit of rest the Teddiursa would be okay. But it wasn¡¯t just Sally and her Teddiursa.


    Some of the other kids he knew were here, looking dejected and they¡¯d probably also had their Pokemon beaten by the sole newcomer. Some looked kind of ill, a bit pale or dizzy which was what sometimes happened after you lost a battle.


    He was a tall guy, probably the same age as Roxanne or maybe even older. He had a mohawk and a sleeveless leather jacket and there were a bunch of spikes coming out of the shoulders.


    Georgia was facing off against him in a Pokemon battle, her Geodude glowering at the other man¡¯s pokemon and Tommy definitely remembers this one! It was a Krokorok, one of the coolest Pokemon evolutions around with the final evolution being the super awesome Krookodile.


    ¡°Alright I¡¯ll show you!¡± Georgia shouted, clearly absolutely livid as her skirt fluttered in the wind and she pointed forwards imposingly. ¡°Geodude, use Rollout!¡±


    ¡°Woah,¡± Tommy muttered. Georgia was usually pretty quiet, or at least she wasn¡¯t easy to rile up. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what had got her so upset though.


    ¡°Yeah get him Georgia!¡± Shouted Jon off to the side, one of Tommy¡¯s classmates who wasn¡¯t allowed to have Pokemon anymore after the permanent marker incident. A few other kids were cheering her on, but they didn¡¯t look too confident.


    ¡°Tommy, you¡¯re here!¡± Shouted Rachel from off to the side.


    Tommy had never been hit by a Geodude¡¯s Rollout, or ever had anything except a bite from a Zigzagoon once when he was little, but after seeing Roxanne¡¯s Geodude break a steel girder once he¡¯d learnt the most important lesson of being a Pokemon Trainer. To stay out of the line of fire.


    Tommy went over to stand by Rachel, giving the ongoing battle a wide birth as the Krokorok jumped over the rolling Geodude, cackling as Georgina¡¯s Geodude turned around.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He asked.


    ¡°That guy came and started challenging everyone to a battle,¡± Rachel said, gesturing towards the guy dressed like a punk. She glowered. ¡°He¡¯s super strong too and he¡¯s been taking everyone¡¯s pocket money as winnings.¡±


    ¡°What!? That¡¯s totally unfair,¡± Tommy declared. That guy had a Krokorok and they were super tough! Especially against baby pokemon like most of Tommy¡¯s friends were allowed to have.


    Off to the side there was one of the kindergartners, Josh¡¯s sister, Tommy thought. Tommy remembered she had a Happiny and now little girl was sat on her bottom, crying her eyes out after probably being made to battle that guy. Next to her was her big brother Josh, who was trying to put on a brave face. Josh had a pair of Geodudes too, but they were bought by his parents. They weren¡¯t as strong as Tommy¡¯s Pokemon, none of the other kids could stand up to his Geodude, but it was obvious by how tired the other boy looked that he¡¯d lost to this guy too. Whiting out was supposed to be horrible but Josh was holding himself together. That¡¯s why he only had the one Pokemon, he was too young for more than one.


    ¡°Go on Georgia!¡± Tommy shouted, absolutely infuriated. ¡°You show that guy who¡¯s boss!¡±


    Georgia couldn¡¯t really do much right now except watch though as her Geodude kept building up speed. This had to be the fastest Tommy had ever seen it go. Usually by this point the battle would be over, even Tommy had lost against her once when her Geodude picked up speed.


    That might¡¯ve been just because his Geodude had a crush on hers though which was just super icky. Tommy and his Geodude¡¯s friendship had been heavily challenged that evening until they¡¯d become friends again.


    Still the Krokorok was dodging and jumping over her Geodude like it was a game and the Pokemon¡¯s trainer didn¡¯t look so serious either.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± the grownup said. ¡°Go on Krokorok, let¡¯s finish this one up, there¡¯s another kid here we can Crunch!¡±


    Obeying its trainers instructions the Krokorok stopped playing around. It reached out with one hand and Tommy¡¯s eyes went wide as Georgia¡¯s Geodude rolled right into it. Even with how fast the Geodude had been rolling the Krokorok didn¡¯t break a sweat stopping it, the Geodude¡¯s momentum rapidly burning off as it scraped the playground, leaving a furrow in the ground.


    The Krokorok chortled before leaning down and biting onto Georgia¡¯s Geodude, the wispy smoke of a Dark-type move around its teeth.


    The Krokorok lifted its head up with the Geodude still in it before flinging its head forwards, letting go of Geodude and sending it flying back across the playground. Georgia¡¯s Geodude rolled to a stop, unconscious.


    ¡°There goes another one,¡± the bully said stepping towards Georgia with his Krokorok smirking beside him. ¡°Come on kid, fork over your money.¡±


    Georgia scowled as she pulled out some Pokedollars from her pocket.


    ¡°Jerk,¡± she muttered, eyes welling up a bit.


    Tommy¡¯s lips became set in a line. If Georgia couldn¡¯t beat this guy then there was only one person left who could!The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Hey butthole!¡± Tommy shouted as he came over. ¡°Try battling someone your own size!¡±


    Well, Tommy wasn¡¯t as tall as that guy either, actually Georgia was a bit taller than him too, but it was the principle of the thing! You were supposed to say something like that when you confronted bullies.


    The bully smirked as Tommy approached him and that Krokorok¡¯s lips pulled back to reveal lots of big teeth like it was ready ot gobble him up.


    Tommy swallowed but didn¡¯t let the Pokemon intimidate him.


    ¡°Another one,¡± the punkish bully chortled. ¡°C¡¯mon kid, how much you got to bet?¡±


    Tommy tightened his fist and was about to respond when something caught his eye.


    It was another grownup coming onto the playground. He was a guy with square glasses over his brown hair and he was wearing a jacket over a sky blue shirt and pants. He kind of looked like a teacher or something with the leather satchel strung over one shoulder but Tommy¡¯d definitely recognise him if he was.


    What stood out most though was the Gardevoir standing just behind his other shoulder.


    ¡°Hi, sorry,¡± the guy said. He grimaced bashfully. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose any of you guys could point me to the Trainer School could you? I¡¯m late for a meeting.¡±


    This must be the guy Roxanne was meeting! Tommy realised. She¡¯d be super upset by now if this guy was already late. He¡¯d better help this guy out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you,¡± he said. ¡°But first I¡¯ve gotta win back all my friends¡¯ pocket money!¡±


    The bully snorted. ¡°What? It¡¯s just pocket money, get a grip.¡±


    Then he stopped, seeing the unimpressed look on the other grownup¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been picking on children for their pocket money?¡± The new guy asked, slightly incredulously as he looked the bully up and down.


    ¡°Yeah, so what?¡± The bully asked. ¡°It¡¯s all fun and games innit? What, gonna try and battle me with your eye candy, four eyes? Does that Gardevoir even battle?¡± He asked snidely, looking the slender Pokemon up and down. ¡°Or do you use it for other things?¡±


    The Gardevoir at the man¡¯s side blushed and turned to press her head into her trainer¡¯s shoulder. The man patted its head absent mindedly, eyes not leaving the bully.


    ¡°I try not to use her for battles,¡± the nerdy looking guy said flatly. There was a kind of resignation about his tone that Tommy didn¡¯t understand but he didn¡¯t have any time to think about it right now. The guy pushed up his glasses as his expression turned into a frown.


    ¡°But I do have a Pokemon that could stretch his legs a bit. How about a one on one battle? If you win I¡¯ll double whatever you won off these kids. If you lose you give back all the money you took and never come back here.¡±


    Alright! Tommy had wanted to battle that guy but even though his Geodude was definitely the strongest amongst all his friends he really hadn¡¯t liked his chances. Whoever this guy was he must¡¯ve been a strong trainer if Roxanne was meeting him. He even had a Gardevoir and they were a final evolution too!


    The bully obviously didn¡¯t know what was going on but it looked like he sensed something was off. Then he scoffed, smirk coming back.


    ¡°I want triple,¡± he said.


    ¡°Done,¡± the other man replied easily, waving his hand as if it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be referee,¡± Tommy said immediately. He wanted a front row seat to what was about to happen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t need no referees,¡± the punk said, turning stride across the playground to where he¡¯d been standing before. His Krokorok went to stand in front of him, leaning forward slightly with arms spread wide in an aggressive stance. The other man went to stand opposite him, the Pokeball in his hand expanded to normal size, held at the ready. The Gardevoir wandered off to the side, going to kneel down by Sally and her Teddiursa.


    Tommy took his own position to the side. He did a bit of refereeing and he¡¯d had practice with some of Roxanne¡¯s gym battles. He couldn¡¯t wait to see what this guy was going to bring out.


    The man didn¡¯t throw the Pokeball or anything, opening it from his palm to summon the Pokemon he¡¯d be battling that Krokorok with.


    The energy took on the form of the pokemon, fading quickly to reveal¡­


    ¡°Marill!¡± Declared the small blue mouse as it jumped up to bounce on the ball on the end of its tail. The Pokemon¡¯s mouth was set in a big smile as it looked around the playground cheerfully.


    ¡°What the fu-, I mean heck?¡± Tommy asked incredulously, remembering there were younger kids here.


    Also he shouldn¡¯t be swearing either. Georgia would definitely tattle on him to Roxanne if she heard him swear.


    Everybody else watching seemed equally as surprised.


    ¡°I thought you might actually be a challenge. This is gonna be a slaughter!¡± The punk on the other side of the playground stated confidently, and Tommy couldn¡¯t help but agree.


    ¡°Err, mister,¡± Tommy asked, remembering training with Roxanne about warning people when it looked like a battle might be unfair. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s the Pokemon you meant to send out?¡± The man with the glasses looked back at him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, nodding and apparently not understanding what Tommy was trying to say. He gestured towards the Krokorok. ¡°I have a type advantage,¡± he pointed out.


    Well yeah. A Krokorok was ground typed and a Marill was a water type so on paper it made sense.


    But that was a Marill. That Krokorok was like three times bigger than it!


    This guy was just one of those grownups with a few Pokemon, but the kind that didn¡¯t really know how to battle, wasn¡¯t he? Tommy sighed. He¡¯d been really hoping this guy would be strong like Roxanne.


    The Marill bounced up and down cheerfully, smiling and waving with its eyes closed, the utmost impression of cheerfulness. It seemed completely oblivious to its surroundings or the big scary Pokemon across the improvised arena.


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready to start us off,¡± the man said, reminding Tommy that he had a job to do.


    Tommy grimaced. But the battle was basically ready to start now.


    ¡°O-okay this is a one on one battle and the winner will be decided by knockout,¡± Tommy said with as much authority as he could muster.


    He raised his hand and then chopped down the way he¡¯d been taught.


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    ¡°Use Bite and end this!¡± The bully shouted gleefully. ¡°After this I¡¯m gonna be able to get a new tattoo!¡±


    On the other side of the field the Marill immediately stopped bouncing. Leaning forward its eyes were open and teeth bared as its entire demeanour suddenly changed from friendly and jolly to something downright vicious that made Tommy take an instinctive step back.


    ¡°Aqua Tail.¡±


    The Marill charged forward immediately, its eyes wide and mad in a way Tommy had never seen before. From around its tail a vortex of water appeared, growing larger by the moment as the two Pokemon closed the distance.


    ¡°Wh-what!¡± the bully shouted as the attack grew even larger, taller than the playground¡¯s wire net fencing! ¡°Krookodile, dodge it!¡±


    ¡°Mar-illll!¡± The Pokemon shouted, jumping and spinning, dragging the immensely large attack around with its tail to slam into the Krokorok¡¯s forward pointing head. It had no opportunity to react before it was sent flying.


    The crocodile Pokemon went through the wire netting, stopping part way through with its butt sticking up comically and dust billowing around from the collision.


    It had been knocked out in one hit.


    Tommy¡¯s mouth hung open for a few seconds until he remembered again that he was supposed to be being referee.


    ¡°Marill wins,¡± Tommy declared. As if that was the moment they¡¯d been waiting for, the other girls and boys suddenly cheered.


    ¡°Hey wait a minute, that don¡¯t make sense!¡± The bully shouted. He scowled as he pulled out a pokeball and withdrew his Pokemon. ¡°There¡¯s no way tha-¡±


    ¡°Marill!¡± the Marill declared brightly from the man¡¯s feet. The small blue mouse had moved right in front of the guy while nobody was looking and was now bouncing up and down on its tail again with a cheerful demeanour. It was looking up at him with a jolly smile that completely belied the vicious glee with which it had beaten the Krokorok a few moments ago.


    Whatever complaints the punk was about to make died in his throat.


    ¡°O-okay!¡± He said, stepping back and away in a hurry. He thrust his hands into his pocket and pulled out loads of money in change and notes. He threw it on the ground and then raced away and out of the playground like a pack of Houndoom were on his tail.


    ¡°Good job,¡± the stranger said. ¡°Return.¡±


    The Marill didn¡¯t stop bouncing even as the energy beam of the Pokeball reached it and managed to call out its name one more time before disappearing back into its Pokeball.


    Tommy looked back at the unknown man and it was then that he remembered the Gardevoir was there. It was leaning down over one of the other kid¡¯s Pokemon and it was using some move to help heal them. Sally was already hugging her confused looking Teddiursa that looked tired but otherwise perfectly fine again and they were both looking up at the green and white Pokemon with awe.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave Gardevoir here to finish healing everyone¡¯s Pokemon,¡± the man said, approaching Tommy. ¡°D¡¯you mind showing me the way to the Trainer School now? I¡¯d rather not keep Roxanne waiting any longer than I have to.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh yeah sure,¡± Tommy agreed quickly. ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯ll show you the way.¡±


    He shouted and waved goodbye to everyone and then quickly started to lead the man towards the school.


    ¡°Thank you for your help,¡± the man said with relief as they walked through the streets. ¡°Seriously I can¡¯t figure out where I¡¯m going in this city, it¡¯s an absolute maze.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± Tommy said, not really getting what he meant. Tommy¡¯d never had any trouble getting around Rustboro.


    Then his curiosity returned.


    ¡°So¡­ why are you meeting Roxanne?¡± Tommy asked.


    ¡°Oh nothing special really. I just wanted to ask her advice about a few things,¡± the man said before elaborating and dropping another surprise on the boy.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try and become Hoenn¡¯s next Gym Leader.¡±

 Chapter 2

    After being shown the way by the boy who revealed he was a Gym trainer here in Rustboro, I entered the Trainer School. It was just like any regular school really, only that it included teaching about how to be a Pokemon Trainer on top of the regular stuff. Roxanne was Rustboro¡¯s Gym Leader and probably the youngest one active right now. She¡¯d inherited the position from the last Rusboro gym Leader and taken it upon herself to teach the basics of battling to all her challengers.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I said to a receptionist at a desk near the front door. ¡°My name¡¯s Harry Hemming, I¡¯m supposed to be meeting Roxanne, right now actually,¡± I finished apologetically.


    ¡°Yeah we were wondering where you were, the receptionist replied. ¡°Head through those doors and her classroom¡¯s the third on the right. She should be there.¡±


    I nodded in thanks and then, quickly head off in the way they¡¯d shown me.


    Heading through the building I found Roxanne sat behind a teacher¡¯s desk. She was hunched over some papers with a red pen and she was undoubtedly doing some grading.


    I sympathised. I¡¯d almost wanted to become a teacher once and quickly been disabused of the idea after doing some shadowing.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I said, knocking on the open door frame. I must¡¯ve been walking quietly because Roxanne jumped in surprise.


    She was dressed in a grey dress that fit over a white shirt and she had startlingly bright red tights on and a big red bow holding her hair together in a pair of buns and pigtails.


    ¡°Oh, you surprised me!¡± she said, putting her hand to her chest as if to calm her beating heart. ¡°Are you Mr Hemming?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I replied, stepping forward and offering her my hand to shake.


    ¡°You kept me waiting,¡± Roxanne said, sounding very much like the teacher she was. Despite being only seventeen she definitely had that air about her.


    ¡°I got lost and then had to scare off a hooligan bullying some kids,¡± I replied by way of explanation. ¡°It was lucky really, one of your students was there and he brought me here, Tommy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you met Tommy,¡± Roxanne said. ¡°Well seeing as you helped my students then I¡¯ll forgive you for being late,¡± Roxanne said after a moment, frowning for a different reason as she now had to think about how to respond to whatever had happened. ¡°Please, have a seat,¡± she said, gesturing to the desks in front of her.


    They were a bit too small for me, sized for children rather than adults like us. I decided to sit on one of the little tables and Roxanne grimaced, perhaps realising the mistake.


    ¡°Anyway, so,¡± she said, going to sit back down at her desk. ¡°You want to become a Gym Leader. I have to say I¡¯d not expected we¡¯d ever have to go through this process.¡±


    ¡°The League person I spoke to told me it wasn¡¯t something they were allowed to do,¡± I said. ¡°Apparently it¡¯s down to all the other Gyms whether I can start one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The position of Gym Leader wasn¡¯t always called that,¡± Roxanne revealed. ¡°Years ago the Gym Leaders were regional leaders and protectors of their territory as the strongest battlers. This was before they even called it Pokemon training, you should understand.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of any of this before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a surprise,¡± Roxanne said. ¡°Most people aren¡¯t really interested in ancient history like that. Anyway, what matters is that the Gym Leaders still maintain their old authority in lots of ways, including on how new members are accepted. So as you were told by the League it¡¯s our permission you need to ask for if you want to become a Gym Leader. The only other way is to inherit the position from the previous Gym Leader like I did.¡±


    I nodded, offering the Rustboro Gym Leader a smile.


    ¡°So I need all your permissions then,¡± I stated. I¡¯d suspected there would be some sort of vote but it seemed this process was going to be a bit more in depth. ¡°How do I go about doing that?¡±


    ¡°You will need six out of eight of us to agree. Otherwise there aren¡¯t any real rules about what we need to do,¡± Roxanne replied. ¡°In theory we could all just say yes and then that would be it but obviously that isn¡¯t what¡¯s going to happen because we all understand how important our roles are. You¡¯ll be tested by all of us, in one way or another,¡± the fairly stern looking girl said as she eyed me.


    I was getting the sense that I was about to find out what Roxanne wanted from me.


    ¡°So what can I do for you, Roxanne?¡± I asked, leaning forward and looking into her eyes so she knew I was being serious about this. ¡°I¡¯ve set myself on becoming a Gym Leader and I¡¯m determined to do whatever it takes.¡±


    Roxanne averted her eyes from mine, looking slightly embarrassed and I couldn¡¯t help but worry I¡¯d come across as a bit too serious about it. I wasn¡¯t great with people so I knew I sometimes came across as a bit awkward. Hopefully I wasn¡¯t leaving a bad impression on her.


    ¡°W-well this is a very serious matter, becoming a Gym Leader,¡± she told me. ¡°There¡¯s lots of responsibilities and things you¡¯ll need to be able to do like battle trainers at different badge levels and train new trainers. There¡¯s lots of things a modern Gym Leader has to do and you¡¯ll need to convince me you know everything you need to do to properly manage a Gym before you¡¯ll have my agreement.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well there can¡¯t be too much I¡¯ll need to learn, can there?¡± I asked, slightly nervously and bracing myself for¡­


    Roxanne reached under her desk and pulled out a thick binder of documents that made her desk shake as she dropped it onto the surface in front of her.


    Yeah, there it was, I thought as my shoulders slumped.


    ¡°I prepared this in advance,¡± she told me. ¡°First are copies of all the regulations a Gym building needs to meet both for battling, storage of Pokemon, their upkeep and welfare and consideration for Gym trainers. There¡¯s also copies of the certificates for fire safety, electricity, drainage and environmental friendliness an-¡±


    Maybe it wasn¡¯t too late to change my mind about this¡­ I thought as Roxane started to list everything I was going to have to put together at some point and explained there would be a test I would need to pass on it all.


    But what else was I expecting from a schoolteacher? I thought despondently. I¡¯d definitely had enough of exams and essays across two lives already but it seemed I¡¯d never escape them no matter how old I got.


    A faint resonating sound of a Teleport rang out somewhere next to me and a moment later a familiar pair of arms circled around me while Roxanne gasped in surprise at the intruder.


    ¡°Gaaard,¡± Leah greeted me, having arrived at the perfect moment to distract me from the daunting task the first of eight Gym Leaders was putting in front of me.


    ¡°Hey Leah,¡± I said back, looping an arm around her waist.


    ¡°You have a Gardevoir?¡± Roxanne asked, surprised and maybe just a tiny bit critically for some reason.


    ¡°Yeah, she was my first Pokemon,¡± I said as my best friend leaned against me comfortably, squeezing me affectionately. Leah was pretty touchy feely and had been ever since she was a Ralts.


    ¡°Well that might make things¡­ awkward,¡± Roxanne told me.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± I asked with interest. Roxanne looked at me with mild bemusement while Leah waved at her cheerfully in greeting. I couldn¡¯t help but get the impression I was missing something.


    ¡°Err, you do know we already have a Psychic Gym don¡¯t you? We can¡¯t have two of the same type,¡± she told me awkwardly.


    ¡°Ohhh,¡± I said nodding in understanding, feeling a bit silly for not having explained it before. Having a Pokemon out that was usually thought of as a Psychic type would definitely give the wrong impression. I wasn¡¯t here to try and take over the Mossdeep Gym or something like that. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a Psychic trainer,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯ll be starting a Fairy type Gym, Gardevoir¡¯s other type.¡±


    That definitely caught the schoolteacher by surprise, then her eyes widened in realisation.


    ¡°Oh of course, I remember now. The Gardevoir line is one of the species that are being classed as dual-typed now. But Fairy types have only just been discovered haven¡¯t they? You¡¯ll need at least a main team of six if you want to be taken seriously as a type specialist.¡±


    That was a fair statement. I wasn¡¯t about to tell anyone about my status as a reincarnator from another universe entirely. That would only lead to trouble of one form or another and I¡¯d kept that very close to my chest.


    ¡°While the Pokemon Professors were hemming and hawing over whether Moonblast was Psychic or Fairy typed I went out and found Fairy types,¡± I told her wryly. ¡°There¡¯s not many out there, but there¡¯s a bit of variety if you know where to look and I have a full team of six.¡±


    Not many of them were native to Hoenn, unfortunately. In an ideal world I¡¯d have been reborn in Galar or Alola where you could find more of them but Hoenn was where I¡¯d wound up. Only two species originated in Hoenn with a few others like Jigglypuff also being found around the region in out of the way places that didn¡¯t see a lot of visitors. Being a Hoenn national I¡¯d had to come home to settle down if I wanted to be a Gym Leader so the decision had been out of my hands.


    Fairy types were in keeping with their otherworldly counterparts in that they were hard to locate, spread out among different environments and regions and quite a mixed bag of personalities and attitudes on top of that. It was probably part of the reason it had taken so long for people to identify them as a unique type, especially when the typing was particularly subtle like with many members of my team. Usually the other typing was what stood out most and that had led to those Pokemon getting mono-type categorisations until more recently.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m hardly an expert on Fairy types obviously, but I look forward to finding out what your team is like,¡± Roxanne stated. ¡°Some of the other Gym Leaders will probably challenge you about your battling skills so be prepared to throw down with one or two them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I was already expecting that,¡± I told her. ¡°To tell the truth I was thinking I¡¯d probably have to battle each of you first if I wanted to become a Gym Leader.¡±


    ¡°Well this isn¡¯t all just about being able to battle, as you can see,¡± Roxanne gestured to the binder. ¡°But plenty of the other Leaders will want to battle you and they won¡¯t be holding back either. You¡¯ll need to be strong enough to hold your own and help keep peace both with the people and the local Pokemon if you want to be a Gym Leader.¡±


    I nodded at her serious tone.


    ¡°I appreciate the advice,¡± I said sincerely. I¡¯d need to find a way to pay her back for all this help once I had my own Gym. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else I¡¯m sure you¡¯re busy so I¡¯ll take this and start studying.¡±


    ¡°Send me an email and we¡¯ll arrange for you to come sit the test,¡± she said brightly. ¡°I¡¯ll speak to the other Gym Leaders too so they all know you¡¯ll be coming to see them at some point in the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be very kind of you,¡± I said, offering the first of the Hoenn Gym Leaders a polite smile. ¡°I suppose the next one I¡¯ll visit is Dewford if you want to let Brawly know.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Roxanne said, standing up to shake my hand goodbye.


    I stood up and shook her hand firmly before picking up the folder.


    It was kind of heavy and I forced back the depressed expression that was trying to force itself onto my face at the prospect of all this work reading I¡¯d be having to do. It was definitely going to cut into the recreational reading I¡¯d usually spend my evenings doing. It¡¯d probably interrupt my writing too. I¡¯d done a bit of writing and published a couple of books that¡¯d just about paid for my travels around the world. Nothing exciting but it was easy to fall out of the habit and I didn¡¯t want to do that.


    Actually it¡¯d be pretty important too. I knew money was going to be a problem at some point soon so I¡¯d probably have to start a new project and get it out soon.


    Leah tugged on my arm gently, reminding me where I was. I smiled bashfully, realising I¡¯d gotten lost in my head again. I said goodbye to the Gym leader before quickly leaving her to her actual work grading papers.


    I hefted the binder in my arms. It was too big to fit in my satchel so I¡¯d have to carry it back to the hotel.


    I could only hope the other Gym Leaders would ask simpler tasks of me.


    ***


    After Mr Hemming had left Roxanne quickly finished off the last of her marking before heading home to the Rustboro Gym. It was past eight already but she was sure a few of the other Gym Leaders would be online.


    ¡°Roxy, hey what¡¯s up?!¡± Flannery said as the videoscreen turned on.


    ¡°Hi Flannery,¡± Roxanne said as the screen split to show Wattson and then a tired looking Norman. ¡°Is your grandfather there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go find him,¡± Flannery said. ¡°Gimme five minutes.¡±


    She walked off the screen, leaving it turned on and Wattson chuckled good naturedly.


    ¡°It¡¯ll probably take longer than five minutes,¡± he chortled. The tired Norman chuckled softly in tired agreement. ¡°So while we¡¯re waiting, what¡¯s all this about, Roxanne? Any trouble?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Roxanne said, shaking her head. ¡°I just wanted to give everyone a heads up. I didn¡¯t get any warning from the League so I was surprised when I got a message from someone asking to meet me about becoming a new Gym Leader.¡±


    That caught the two men by surprise and it was then that Winona spoke up.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about a new Gym Leader?¡± She asked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re giving up already?¡± The Flying type trainer asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Norman said. ¡°She means a new Gym Leader as in another one.¡±


    ¡°He just messaged me out of the blue,¡± Roxanne stated. ¡°Wanting to know what he needed to do about applying and the League only told him it was our responsibility and nothing else.¡±


    ¡°So you told him he needs us to agree to let him start a gym then?¡± Winona asked and Roxanne nodded, quickly explaining that she¡¯d told Harry he¡¯d only have her agreement once he passed the test she was going to give him and showed he knew how to handle the management side of things.


    Winona sighed, nodding. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be willing to accept a ninth Gym leader. I don¡¯t think we need one, do we?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t have to even give him a chance if we don¡¯t want to,¡± Wattson said firmly. ¡°But that¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t give this lad a chance to impress us anyway. What did you think of him, Roxanne?¡±


    Brawly chose that moment to arrive in the call.


    ¡°Heya all. What¡¯s happening?¡± he said brightly, wiping his forehead that was covered in sweat. It looked like he¡¯d just finished a workout.


    ¡°A new prospective Gym trainer, a ninth one,¡± Winona said to the fighting specialist. ¡°What did you say his name was?¡±


    ¡°Harry Hemming,¡± Roxanne reported.


    ¡°Oh cool. Can¡¯t wait to meet him then,¡± Brawly said cheerfully. ¡°Hope he¡¯s up to snuff.¡±


    ¡°He was¡­ a bit odd, but polite,¡± Roxanne said in response to Wattson¡¯s question, thinking back to their conversation. ¡°He helped stop someone bullying some children on his way to meet me so it seems like he has the right attitude for a Gym Leader.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good start,¡± Wattson mused, stroking his chin. ¡°Hopefully this one isn¡¯t another attempt at installing a League plant like last time, but we can leave that for the kids to find out for us,¡± he said, referring to Tate and Liza and their prodigious Psychic talent. ¡°In the meantime the next thing to make sure of is that he¡¯s a good enough battler and that¡¯ll be easy enough. What type is he planning on using?¡±


    ¡°Fairy,¡± Roxanne reported, to everyone¡¯s surprise.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve encountered a Fairy type specialist before,¡± Norman mused. ¡°How about any of you?¡±


    There were shaking heads from those around the call with a few mutters about Ghost and Dark types, but nobody had ever encountered a proper Fairy type trainer before. Obviously it was hard to pin one down, given that the type itself hadn¡¯t been acknowledged until recently.


    ¡°Well now we¡¯ll get the chance,¡± Brawly said confidently. ¡°We¡¯ve got the occasional Mawile in the caves around here in Dewford, but they¡¯re usually pretty weak to my team on account of their Steel type. I¡¯ll be interested to see how a Fairy type trainer battles,¡± he said eagerly.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get your chance,¡± Roxanne said. ¡°He should be coming to see you next. I told him I¡¯d let you know. I don¡¯t know when though.¡±


    ¡°Awesome,¡± Brawly declared. ¡°We¡¯ll be ready. Hopefully he¡¯ll give me and Hariyama a good challenge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let us know how it goes,¡± Norman said with interest. ¡°I¡¯ve got a couple of Jigglypuff that are apparently Fairy type now, so hopefully this guy will be able to help me with that. I¡¯ll be able to see how much of an expert he is with his chosen type.¡±


    ¡°Good idea!¡± Wattson said grandly. ¡°So Roxanne¡¯ll make sure he knows all the ins and outs of the regs, Brawly¡¯ll check out his battling skills and Norman can make sure he¡¯s actually an expert and not just another run of the mill type specialist. I¡¯ll send him on a few errands around the city, see how he works with people. How about you, Winona? Any ideas?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure,¡± the Flying type trainer mused. ¡°I suppose I want to make sure he is in tune with his type like I am with mine, but obviously I don¡¯t know much of anything about Fairy types¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe you could just battle him and find out about his connection with his Pokemon that way,¡± Norman suggested.


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to,¡± Winona agreed. ¡°But Moore will definitely be planning on battling him. You know what he¡¯s like.¡±


    Roxanne nodded along with the other Gym Leaders. Moore was definitely the type to challenge the new trainer to a battle instead of anything else. Roxanne didn¡¯t really see how that should be a problem for Winona though.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Wallace anyway?¡± Brawly asked. ¡°Would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d be here by now.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s hosting a Pokemon Contest tonight in Slateport,¡± Norman said. ¡°My wife likes watching them,¡± he quickly explained with a faint blush.


    The conversation continued from there, deviating into other less important things and Roxanne quickly excused herself, leaving it to the other Gym Leaders to update those who hadn¡¯t been able to join the conversation. It was already getting late and she needed to get up early tomorrow for Gym duties.


    Hopefully Harry Hemming knew what he was getting into because running a Gym was definitely no walk in the park.

 Chapter 3

    This last journey around Hoenn would probably be the last one I would ever have to make and I was going to do it in the right order.


    Rustboro, Dewford, Mauville, Lavaridge, Petalburgh, Fortree, Mossdeep and finally Sootopolis. Disregarding the games, it was also the route trainers typically did the Gyms these days. That was according to the fledgling internet that wasn¡¯t quite as entrenched in society as it had been in mine but still was pretty useful.


    It was a lot of travelling, but then I¡¯d had practice at finding my way through the wilderness and there were areas that were connected enough via other means that I wouldn¡¯t feel the need to travel by foot. I probably would where I could, if only for the enjoyment of it, but there were advantages to settling down somewhere properly.


    A proper home. Somewhere I could sit down in a quiet room on a comfy chair with either a laptop to write in or something good to read and I''d be happy. Don¡¯t get me wrong, travelling had been interesting but I¡¯d always had a yearning for somewhere to call mine. I wanted to settle down and I was finally giving in to that urge.


    Dewford obviously wouldn¡¯t be it. For one they already had a Gym and otherwise I could already tell that the environment didn¡¯t agree with me.


    I watched over the railing as the ship carrying myself and the rest of its cargo of passengers came to rest in the port. This was my second destination on my journey to be recognised and accepted by the Gym Leaders, to getting that home I wanted.


    Dewford was a very sunny, semi-tropical island and I grimaced again at the intense sunshine, shielding my eyes as I walked down the ramp into the little island. The boat had been hot inside without much air conditioning and outside hadn¡¯t been much better. A breeze ran past, doing little to cool me down. I spotted a sand devil spinning around on one corner of the pier.


    I didn¡¯t like sand, to be honest. It was coarse and itchy and really did get everywhere if you let it, especially shoes. I preferred lush forests, open fields and the more urban areas to the intense heat of this sun beating down on me. It was why I¡¯d avoided visiting Dewford before.


    I should¡¯ve really thought about putting on more weather suitable clothes but most of the rest of Hoenn was pretty temperate, or just wet, north of Slateport. Instead I had my usual smart pants, a jacket and shirt with no tie and leather boots suitable for travelling and I knew that whatever I did they were going to be full of sand by the time I was done here.


    Gardevoir skipped ahead of me, spinning on her feet and looking around the place with a cheerfully interested trill of noise.


    Dewford was a fairly small little island settlement. There were some paved streets leading from the docks into the town proper. Dewford was also a holiday destination and I spotted people who had to be from other regions based on their appearances, holiday goers here for the sun and surf who probably found Slateport a bit too commercial and busy.


    I wasn¡¯t here for either the saltwater or the sand, but I knew Brawly was a surfer. So I anticipated I might find him if I found a beach somewhere. I could head straight to the Gym of course but to be truthful I just wanted to get some shade and a cold drink. I didn¡¯t fancy trying to be social or impress anyone right now and it wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t choose to take my time.


    Sensing my intent, Leah rejoined me, holding onto my arm as she tended to do and looking around at the sights. There were plenty of touristy spots and just like in my last lifetime Galarians liked the taste of home when on holiday too. The Blue Pyroar offered plenty of Galarian fare, including the shade and cold, fizzy drink that I had been craving.


    Leah wasn¡¯t going to just let me go hide in a dark corner in the back where it was cooler though, she was too social for that and liked people watching. So we wound up compromising by sitting outside under an umbrella, a good spot to look over at the path running between the beach and the fronts of the restaurants, cafes and little shops that overlooked the ocean.


    I decided to pull out my laptop. Now was as good a time as any to try and plot out whatever I was going to write next. Maybe a sequel to something?


    Well I had ideas for another sequel to Trainers Colliding and that was what made me most of my money. But I really wanted to write something actually worth thinking about. Something with a bit of gravitas to it.


    Poke-Gone had been the working title of a concept I''d had for a long time and I''d fleshed it out a bit here over the last few years but never taken the time to start it.


    Drawing on my last life, I''d decided to write a reversal of some of the fanfiction stories I once remembered. Those had been a what-if, where Pokemon appeared in the real world and people had to survive and I''d started writing one of those myself once upon a time. Poke-Gone would be the reverse. What if all the Pokemon disappeared to be replaced with regular wild animals?


    It was going to be a great work of fiction, I was sure of it. I could make some real commentary on the importance of Pokemon to this world and the natural ecosystems. Nothing groundbreaking in terms of themes but it''d definitely be a new take on the ideas I''d be talking about.


    Currently the plot was planned to be three trainers in the wild, who have to find their way back to civilization when the Pokemon disappear, replaced by regular wild animals. The wild animals obviously didn¡¯t have any Pokemon attacks or anything, but they were wild and dangerous in their own ways and the trainers wouldn¡¯t have their teams to protect them in a suddenly harsher world.


    I went through some notes about environments and natural disasters like earthquakes, landslides or tidal waves. Shamouti Island could be a good setting too. As without the local Legendary Pokemon there was a good chance the region would undergo some fairly calamitous weather, but I didn''t necessarily want people calling to ask uncomfortable questions if or when that prophecy came true. It hadn¡¯t happened yet and I wasn¡¯t ruling it out.


    I¡¯d checked for the events I knew from the anime and manga and hadn¡¯t had any luck. So I knew either I had arrived pre-canon or I¡¯d arrived in a Pokemon World devoid of protagonists.  Professor Oak existed of course, but it was quite a bit harder to find publicly available records of say May Maple, Norman Maple¡¯s daughter, and I didn¡¯t necessarily want the attention from doing so either.


    I made a few notes on the first few chapters of the original idea I¡¯d had for Poke-Gone. It was annoying but as usual I was struggling to get past the first few chapters. I kept having ideas for changes and never got around to the later parts. I knew I just needed to settle for a plot, but I¡¯d never managed to do so yet. The need to make it perfect was holding me back from progressing.


    Absent-mindedly I took a swig of the deliciously cold drink that must have been put beside me when I wasn¡¯t paying attention. I¡¯d been running myself around in circles over this story for literal years at this point. It was probably best to think about something else.


    I had plenty of other ideas and plenty of stories from my past life to shamelessly borrow notes from. A Game of Thrones take with Pokemon was something I¡¯d contemplated. Have different regions with different elemental affinities like some sort of pseudo Gyms, or maybe like what Roxanne had been describing to me the other day. Warlord kings or queens of their respective domains, perhaps beholden to a Dragon type King. It fit if nothing else and I could see some use for the types of respective Pokemon in terms of foreshadowing, etcetera.


    I started a new tab and started writing things down before I forgot them. I didn¡¯t have to follow Game of Thrones in its entirety, or even follow the same plot, but it was a good starting point for a new fantasy setting.


    ¡°Sir?¡± someone said, making me jump and I turned to look at the waitress who¡¯d spoken to me.


    ¡°Oh, you surprised me,¡± I said apologetically. She was holding a plate of food, probably for me. I pushed my laptop away and she set down the food before leaving myself and Leah to our food.


    I hadn¡¯t ordered food before, just the drinks, but Leah must have gone ahead and done so for us when I wasn¡¯t looking. I offered her a smile which was returned by my partner before she started eating some salady looking thing she¡¯d ordered for herself. Honestly I¡¯d probably forget to eat if it wasn¡¯t for my Gardevoir making sure I did.


    We didn¡¯t see any surfers or anything so after our bite to eat we headed over to book a hotel for the night and once that was sorted we could make our way to the Gym. At that point it was getting dark, but it wasn¡¯t too late. I got directions from the hotel and then we started to make our way there. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The air was cooler now, bordering on chilly but my outfit was better suited for this kind of weather. I was also kept warm by the steady buildup of anticipation that was running through my veins.


    I could sense it, a thrill of danger on the horizon. When I met Brawly we were going to battle, I was certain of it.


    The Dewford Gym was built near the edge of a cliff, overlooking the ocean. The lights were still on and the doors opened automatically as I entered.


    There was the faint smell of chlorine, or some other cleaning product which partially covered up the odour of sweat and exertion. I spotted  a desk with a guy in a martial arts outfit sat behind it.


    ¡°Hi!¡± The guy said. ¡°You here to register? Exercise or battling?¡±


    ¡°Probably battling,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m Harry Hemming. I¡¯m supposed to meet Brawly but I don¡¯t have an appointment or anything. He should have been told I was on my way,¡± I said politely. I was effectively in someone else¡¯s house, after all.


    ¡°Oh great!¡± The Martial Artist said enthusiastically. ¡° I''m Hideki, the Bossman''s told us to keep an eye out for you.¡± He quickly typed something on his computer then stood up.


    ¡°Come on, he said to take you to the stadium.¡±


    I and Leah followed after the man, who set a brisk pace through the building. Along the way we passed a couple of other rooms with people in martial arts or exercise gear and it looked like they were either practising martial arts or doing exercise lessons.


    ¡°Gotta say I haven''t seen Brawly this excited since he battled for the eighth badge last year. It was a good battle, let me tell ya,¡± Hideki told me.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± I asked, feeling myself tense as we continued through the building. ¡°Do you not get many challengers at that level?¡±


    ¡°Generally, no,¡± was the answer. ¡°Even sixth tier is hard enough to reach for most trainers at the best of times. Usually it''s second through fourth we get in Dewford. I don''t know how many Sootopolis or Mossdeep get though. They probably get more high badge challenges, being the later Gyms in the usual circuit.¡±


    ¡°That''s a pity,¡± I said. ¡°It might be better if it was spread out a bit more evenly amongst the Gyms.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I guess,¡± Hideki replied, but then his expression turned to amusement. ¡°But it¡¯s kinda funny to see people get stomped when they assume Brawly''s only as strong a second badge trainer and he pulls out one of his tougher teams.¡±


    I could picture it easily. Someone having thought they were going to steamroll a badge challenge after managing other Gyms that were supposed to be tougher. Then only to wind up short after underestimating the Gym Leader. I chuckled at the satisfying mental image and couldn''t help but imagine what it might be like to be the Gym Leader in that scenario.


    Maybe soon, I thought to myself. I was going to have to prove myself once I had my Gym and I would probably find some cockier people trying their luck against me.


    Something to look forward to.


    We came to some broad double doors.


    ¡°He¡¯s through there,¡± Hideki said. ¡°Good luck man. I dunno what about you¡¯s got Brawly so excited but make it a good one for him, yeah? Like I said he doesn¡¯t often get a challenger on his level.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll certainly try my best,¡± I replied.


    The doors opened in front of me and I strode forward confidently. It was time to prove myself to the second of my future fellow Gym Leaders.


    ***


    At first when he¡¯d heard the news he¡¯d been chilled out, relaxed. He¡¯d gone to bed like normal. But then Brawly had woken up this morning and things had felt different. He¡¯d gone through his usual routine with a bit of cardio to wake up, a healthy breakfast and then he¡¯d done some paperwork before going to see his team with an odd feeling of anticipation ever so slowly building.


    By lunchtime that anticipation had become something a bit more. To Brawly it kind of felt like there was a big wave somewhere in the distance, daring him to try and tackle it.


    Any other day he¡¯d probably have made time for a bit of surfing, something to chill him out and maybe unwind a bit with some of his team. Brawly hadn¡¯t wanted to leave the Gym though. He felt a need to be there at his Gym when Harry Hemming finally arrived.


    To cope with the excess energy he¡¯d instead burnt off some extra steam in the gym. Machamp had been happy to spot him for a bit and working out had helped him cool off for a little while before he¡¯d elected to do some light training with his team. Brawly wanted to be at his best so he didn¡¯t want any of his squad to be overworked but a warmup was always good.


    At first he¡¯d just been excited for something a bit different to the usual challengers. He¡¯d planned on a 1v1 battle just to get an impression of Harry Hemming¡¯s strength and honestly that was all he felt he needed to do  at this point. After he¡¯d finished with his team he¡¯d felt a lot more relaxed and returned to his office. Paperwork was there but half an hour later he was distracted again by the returning anticipation. Brawly was now thinking of a 2v2, barely holding himself back on making it a 3v3 battle.


    Then a little notification came up on his computer.


    The Gym challenger was here.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Brawly declared. He snatched up the Pokeballs of his team and quickly headed over to the stadium.


    The stadium was dark, just the way he liked it, all dramatic. The entrance doors opened to allow what had to be this Hemming dude in and then closed behind him. Brawly quickly pressed a button on his podium, activating the lights and bathing the relatively small stadium in light.


    ¡°Welcome challenger!¡± Brawly declared and it was then that he got a look at his opponent.


    He looked a bit awkward, stiff, like someone who spent too much time in an office but he held himself up straight at least. Hemming was dressed kind of smartly and wore glasses and the Gardevoir Brawly had been told about was on the new trainer¡¯s arm and looking around with just as much interest as its trainer.


    ¡°Hello!¡± Shouted back Herry Hemming, walking forward onto the grounds of the stadium and Brawly copied him. Both men met at the centre. ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you, Brawly,¡± he offered his hand.


    ¡°Same to you!¡± Brawly said, eagerly clasping his hand with the other guy¡¯s. Hemming didn¡¯t look particularly strong physically, but he had a decently firm grip. Brawly saw his eyes were a deep dark blue behind his glasses as their eyes met for just a moment before Hemming looked away. Now they were closer Brawly could see there was a slight awkwardness about him, something slightly off. Not that it mattered to him or anything.


    ¡°I have to say I like your setup,¡± Hemming complimented. ¡°The location of the gym too is pretty scenic.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Brawly said. ¡°It¡¯s always been here since before I took over. I think back in the day it was so they could keep an eye on things around town and the water, but the views are pretty awesome come sundown.¡±


    ¡°I should''ve come earlier,¡± Harry replied. ¡°Maybe another time after all this Gym business is done.¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Brawly agreed, nodding.


    The time for hellos was over.


    ¡°So!¡± you gotta get most of us to agree before we¡¯ll let you go and build a new Gym,¡± Brawly said. ¡°I think you can guess what I want from you.¡±


    ¡°A battle,¡± Harry replied. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not making this an official match or anything, we¡¯ll keep it as just a friendly two on two,¡± Brawly told him, resisting the urge to make it a 3v3 at the last moment. ¡°Two separate battles to knockout. No switching, each of us use a different Pokemon for each battle. I don¡¯t care how it ends, I just wanna see if you¡¯ve got the skills to ride the wave with the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Harry said.


    At unspoken agreement they both turned to head towards their respective sides of the stadium. There was a small podium for each battler, overlooking the arena.


    Brawly fingered the ball for his Hitmonchan, who he intended to use first. But if Harry pulled out that Gardevoir then a Hitmonchan would probably have a bad time. Psychic types that could learn Teleport were killer on Pokemon that relied on getting in close.


    On the other side of the field the Gardevoir had disappeared from Hemming¡¯s side. Brawly quickly spotted it in the stands, having sat down to watch. Harry had another ball in his hand too so he definitely wasn¡¯t planning on using the Gardevoir.


    ¡°Alright then, that¡¯s less of a problem,¡± Brawly muttered, More loudly he shouted over to Harry.


    ¡°On three let''s release our Pokemon!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Harry shouted back.


    ¡°One, two, three!¡±


    Brawly threw the ball forward, intending to get Hitmonchan as close to the centre of the arena as he could. You weren¡¯t supposed to call out a Pokemon into the opponent''s side, it was bad manners even if it wasn¡¯t against the official battle rules set out by the League.


    Hitmonchan materialised, knocking his gloves together and on the other end of the arena, much closer to its trainer there appeared a¡­


    ¡°Mawile!¡± The small yellow and black Pokemon declared itself, spotting her opponent.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve expected you to pull out one of those!¡± Brawly said with a laugh, recognising the Pokemon immediately.


    The Mawile took stock of Hitmonchan, looking him up and down.


    ¡°Mawile, Maa wile,¡± she said, cocking her hip to the side.


    ¡°Hit hitmon mon,¡± Hitmonchan replied firmly, but with his cheeks beginning to go slightly red.


    There was a bit more back and forth between the two Pokemon before Hitmonchan knocked his gloves together and the Mawile pouted, tossing her jaw around and back behind her like it was actual hair.


    There were Mawile in the caves, but they were fairly uncommon and not many people used them in battles on account of their steel typing. Mawile were reported to cause a bit of trouble for weaker lone trainers but were a bit further down the list of dangers in comparison to the more prevalent Aron population and their aggressively territorial evolved forms. Brawly was used to seeing and battling both species, but he¡¯d never battled a Mawile beyond a third badge tier before.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start us off!¡± Brawly shouted eagerly, feeling like a little kid as he pointed forwards towards their opponent. ¡°Hitmonchan use Mach Punch!¡±


    Brawly¡¯s Hitmonchan burst forward towards the Mawile, just as eager as his trainer.


    The battle was on.

 Chapter 4

    Oh sure Brawly¡¯s Hitmonchan danced like a Butterfree and stung like a Beedrill but if he had to run around after an opponent then he was doing something wrong. To make sure that didn''t happen anyone who knew what they were doing made sure early on that their Hitmonchan learnt one of two moves that would be used throughout their entire battling career.


    Mach Punch, or Bullet Punch if you were feeling adventurous, were great gap closers for a Pokemon that typically wasn¡¯t that fast on its feet. Those moves gave them temporary speed to square off against an opponent up close where a Hitmonchan¡¯s fists could deal some damage.


    Hitmonchan sped forward under its own power towards the Mawile, ready to kick things off.


    ¡°Iron Head,¡± Harry called out from the other side, just late enough that Hitmonchan would be too late to abort.


    Steel type tracks like Iron Head or Iron Tail had a peculiar effect, essentially acting as a very powerful defensive move in the locations where it was activated. Most other type interactions were fairly straightforward but for those moves in particular it meant that despite the type advantage, Hitmonchan might as well have been trying to punch a block of reinforced concrete.


    Hitmonchan¡¯s fist struck home on the impenetrable steel as the Mawile swung its large maw forward, the two attacks colliding. Brawly grimaced. Brawly¡¯s Hitmonchan was strong and experienced enough to avoid injuring himself but Brawly knew from experience that it could¡¯ve been a close thing.


    Even though his first attack had been blocked, it didn¡¯t matter because Hitmonchan was now in range and he was already winding up his next attack.


    Power-Up Punch helped increase his attack power, it just needed to land and that¡¯s why they¡¯d trained for this classic one-two combo, starting with Mach Punch to close the distance.


    Only it seemed the Mawile knew what to do next too, leaping up and past the surprised Hitmonchan¡¯s extended fist to deliver a punch with her own stubby arms. Sucker Punch.


    It was a Dark type attack so it shouldn¡¯t have done too much damage and Hitmonchan didn¡¯t respond more than turning its face to minimise the blow, but the attack still came as a surprise and the Mawile used its momentum to leap past him towards the centre of the arena.


    ¡°Misty Terrain Ielle!¡± Shouted Harry.


    That must¡¯ve been the Mawile¡¯s nickname, Brawly thought. Not a lot of people bothered doing that for their Pokemon, he didn¡¯t, but it was kind of interesting that Harry had.


    The Mawile¡¯s larger mouth, the one that was partially disguised as a ponytail lifted up and opened as it pointed towards the sky. Then a ball of pink energy was shot up.


    ¡°What attack is that?¡± Brawly questioned out loud. It was obviously a field move of some kind but not one Brawly had ever heard of. ¡°Close the distance Hitmonchan!¡± Even if he as curious, there was no need to just give his opponent an opening.


    Hitmonchan recovered and spun around to reinitiate a Mach Punch but one of the weaknesses of the attack was that it only really went in a straight line so it took vital moments to turn and then move, at which point the glowing pink sphere had aalready reached the apex of its ascent and exploded.


    Pink mist scattered all around, falling down to the ground and covering the hard surface of the arena, including the \Mawile.


    Hitmonchan shot forward at the same time, but the Mawile was already being covered by the pink fog as it fell down and he skid to a stop in the place the Mawile had been. The movement of the air behind him momentarily parted the mist to reveal the Mawile indeed had disappeared before the mist leisurely flowed back into place and it was now completely covering the arena.


    Now Brawly was no stranger to field tactics. He¡¯d battled people using Blizzards or Sandstorms to cover their Pokemon for sneak attacks before but this was definitely a new one. The Misty Terrain settled around the arena somewhere between one and two feet high, tall enough that the short figure of the Mawile was completely hidden from view.


    The perfect strategy for an ambush predator.


    ¡°Clever!¡± Brawly called out across to his opponent.


    ¡°Why thank you,¡± the other trainer graciously replied, lips pulled up in a smirk. ¡°But we haven¡¯t won yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Mon hitmon hit!¡± Hitmonchan growled as he looked around him warily. There was a giggling reply from somewhere in the mist.


    ¡°Use Vaccum Wave to part the mist,¡± Brawly ordered. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it would work but he wanted to test if the attack would actually affect the terrain or not now it¡¯d settled.


    The blast of air that came from Hitmonchan¡¯s fist did indeed part the Misty terrain for a few moments but it was clear that it was only a temporary thing, the fog quickly recovering the ground it had lost. Perhaps if he kept at it or used a broader ranging effect then he might be able to disperse it, but that sort of move wasn¡¯t in Hitmonchan¡¯s repertoire. Hariyama knew Whirlwind, which might do the job. But Hariyama wasn¡¯t out right now, Hitmonchan was.


    If this were a normal battle where substitutions were allowed then Brawly would have probably chosen to swap Hitmonchan out at this point, but these were the rules he¡¯d set out and there was still something they could do.


    There was a shifting of the fog from the side and Hitmonchan spun around to deliver another Vacuum Wave only for Mawile once again not to be revealed. Hitmonchan was being careful but as he thrust out a few more Vaccuum Waves the Pokemon found himself frustrated as Mawile remained hidden from view, taunting him in Pokespeech.


    ¡°Iron head!¡± Harry suddenly shouted.


    ¡°Detect!¡± Brawly countered.


    The Mawile shot up from Hitmonchan¡¯s side, her larger jaws turning to steel as she whipped it around at the Fighting type.


    Detect gave him preternatural awareness and Hitmonchan swayed out of the way as Ielle continued past, falling back into the fog without a sound like she was a freaking Sharpedo instead of a land-bound part Steel type. Then she bounced back a moment later, repeating the attack from another angle.


    Hitmonchan swayed out of the way again, this time delivering a light punch to the other Pokemon as she sailed past but one Brawly knew would have only done minor damage.


    ¡°Clever strategy Mr Hemming, but it¡¯ll take more than that to stop my Hitmonchan!¡± Brawly said confidently. ¡°He¡¯s trained to dodge hits with some of the best fighting types around!¡±


    ¡°You had a good counter,¡± Harry Hemming replied as his Mawile giggled, sailing past with another swipe at Hitmonchan. ¡°But how long do you think your Hitmonchan can keep that Detect running?¡±


    Brawly grit his teeth. They both knew Hitmonchan couldn¡¯t keep it up forever. Detect and other moves like Protect required a lot of energy to perform. Not too much, but they were definitely more intensive than regular attacks and the longer a Pokemon tried to keep one up, the harder it would get.


    Until the move failed.


    ¡°Chan!¡± Hitmonchan grunted as he took a strike to his raised arms, skidding back as the Mawile fell back into the Mist.


    He didn¡¯t block the next attack, coming from the side and that time he stumbled.


    ¡°Alright Play Rough Ielle!¡± Harry shouted. That didn¡¯t sound like a move Brawly had ever heard of but it definitely was one, but it also sounded like a close contact attack. Now was their chance!


    ¡°Drain Punch!¡± Brawly ordered as the Mawile lunged out of the mist, eyes mean as it glowed with a pink aura.


    Whatever attack that was, as long as Hitmonchan managed to deliver the return blow he¡¯d survive.


    Ielle was indeed hit but her jaws swung around, grabbing onto Hitmonchan¡¯s second punch and she swung herself forward at the Fighting type¡¯s face!


    ¡°Hiiit!¡± Hitmonchan bellowed as the not so cute Fairy type pummelled him, unable to do more than reach out to yank her away and off him.


    The Mawile sailed back into the mist as Brawly¡¯s Pokemon stumbled, clearly dizzy and on his last legs after whatever the hell that last attack had been. Another hit would end it.


    ¡°Come on Hitmonchan!¡± Brawly shouted, but knowing that this was probably it. The Misty Terrain was still up, there was no way that Mawile wasn¡¯t going to be able to land a final hit with the initiative all going to her. ¡°Ready up one more Drain Punch, you can do it!¡±


    Hitmonchan steadied himself, pulling back a fist it began to glow with the telltale energy of his best attack. He¡¯d managed a hit on the Mawile before and despite the part Steel typing Mawile weren¡¯t incredibly durable. One or two more hits like that could definitely turn things around in their favour. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Fairy Wind!¡± Harry Hemming shouted.


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Brawly muttered to himself as a ranged attack not unlike a simple Gust sped forth from somewhere in front of Hitmonchan. The Misty Terrain was scattered forward, revealing the Mawile several feet away and Hitmonchan saw his opportunity and charged forward with his remaining strength.


    But it wasn¡¯t enough. The pink tinged winds buffeted him, making the Fighting type stumble. His raised fist stopped glowing and then Brawly¡¯s first Pokemon fell to his knees and then onto the ground face first.


    He had fainted.


    ¡°Good battle,¡± he complimented, feeling his heart pound in his chest as he raised Hitmonchan¡¯s Pokeball. The draining feeling of having a Pokemon knocked out struck him but Brawly was obviously tough enough to handle it and it only set his adrenaline running higher.


    This guy was the real thing.


    He¡¯d counted five different attacks, Brawly thought as he withdrew his Pokemon. Misty Terrain, Iron Head, Sucker Punch, Play Rough and then Fairy Wind made five. That was one tough Mawile to know more than four attacks, only the strongest or most dedicated of Pokemon could remember more than four moves at a time.


    That wasn¡¯t entirely true. Some specialist Pokemon like his own Hitmonchan could learn a big variety of certain types of moves at one time with little difficulty. In Hitmonchan¡¯s case it was a bunch of punching attacks like the three elemental punches on top of Drain Punch and Mach Punch and then he¡¯d held onto a couple other moves like Detect too. Still, Mawile probably didn¡¯t count for that exception to the rule. It was definitely worthy of being called a seventh or eighth Badge tier Pokemon.


    The Misty Terrain was finally fading away and the Mawile was looking back towards her trainer, looking kind of smug.


    ¡°Good job Ielle,¡± Harry Hemming said warmly as he withdrew the Pokemon. Off to the side their only audience, which was the other guy¡¯s Gardevoir, was clapping and cheering for her teammate.


    ¡°You did great too,¡± Brawly whispered to his own Pokemon but he already knew that wouldn¡¯t be the end of it. Hitmonchan was going to feel pretty down after losing to a Mawile of all things. Brawly knew the rest of the team were going to make fun of him over the loss to a Pokemon that the rest of them, including him, usually considered to be pretty weak.


    Well that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. You should never judge a book by its cover, a lesson Brawly would have to keep in mind. Harry Hemming looked like a pretty straight-laced office worker, but there was more to him than met the eye too.


    Brawly had seen enough. Harry Hemming was on the level. He had Brawly¡¯s vote if he wanted to be a Gym Leader.


    But that didn¡¯t mean they were finished yet!


    ¡°Ready for one more?!¡± He asked, reaching for another Pokeball. He¡¯d specified two battles after all.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Harry replied across the arena, putting away his Mawile¡¯s ball and withdrawing another one.


    ¡°Come on out, Medicham!¡±


    ¡°Go Happy!¡±


    Brawly¡¯s Medicham took to the field and across from it another small Pokemon appeared.


    This wasn¡¯t another Mawile of course. Instead the small form of a Marill appeared and true to its nickname it looked pretty darn happy.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Brawly said as the Pokemon bounced up and down excitedly. Whatever he¡¯d expected Harry to pull out now, it hadn¡¯t been this.


    Like Mawile, Marill weren¡¯t exactly considered to be strong Pokemon either. They were usually pet Pokemon for kids or they were occasionally used by people who enjoyed camping who liked a Pokemon that could be one part cuddle buddy and the other part water source. Brawly had seen trainers with an Azumarill once or twice in Gym matches, but usually an aspiring trainer who was going to train up a Water type went for something with either a bit more of a reputation as a battler or on the more practical side something that was bigger and better suited to carrying passengers on its back. A Walrein, a Tentacruel or for the bravest of trainers a Gyarados was what people often used in higher tier battles like these.


    He grinned. After that last battle, Brawly couldn¡¯t wait to see what this Marill was made of.


    He had wanted to send out Hariyama, but Brawly¡¯s opponent clearly wasn¡¯t using his ace, which he assumed must be the Gardevoir so Brawly respectfully wouldn¡¯t do the same either. Instead he had decided to go with his second strongest Pokemon. Medicham was a powerhouse in his own right and he¡¯d been with Brawly the second longest out of his current team.


    ¡°Alright you caught me by surprise before,¡± Brawly told the other trainer. ¡°But me and Medicham are ready for any tricks this time.¡±


    ¡°Marill!¡± the Marill replied for its trainer. ¡°Marill mar!¡±


    ¡°Cham!¡± Medicham replied, nodding stoically to his opponent and shifting into a battle stance with one leg raised. Medicham was smart enough to know not to let the deceptively weak form of the Marill lull him into a false sense of security. Brawly wouldn¡¯t be using him if he didn¡¯t think the opponent was worthy of Medicham¡¯s time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start us off!¡± Harry declared, gesturing forward and it was clear that he was enjoying their battle as much as Brawly had been. ¡°Marill, use Aqua tail!¡±


    Brawly was surprised when the Marill¡¯s disposition suddenly changed completely and it charged forward on four legs, tail raised and with an impressive Aqua tail forming from the blue orb at the end of the rapidly approaching mouse Pokemon¡¯s tail.


    Usually Aqua Tail came out as a sort of whip, more rarely it wound up looking like a whirlpool like this. Already it was a sign that this Pokemon was no run of the mill Marill.


    ¡°Get in there with a Force Palm!¡± Brawly ordered. That size of attack wasn¡¯t going to be easily dodged. Medicham would have to either weather the hit or slip past it somehow and to do that he¡¯d have to get close to the Marill first. Getting close would at least help to minimise any damage Medicham did take.


    Medicham charged forward in kind, palm glowing and ready to thrust forward as the Marill jumped up, swinging his tail around in a clearly practised motion to strike the Fighting/Psychic type on the side.


    Medicham was fast enough to land the blow against Happy but not fast enough to avoid being hit by the Aqua Tail in return. The Marill was sent flying back while Medicham had to brace himself, sliding sideways along the ground to bleed off the momentum of the hit.


    Happy spun around in the air, landing on his feet back on his own side of the battleground.


    Geeze, no Pokemon that cute should be going around with that kind of expression, especially after taking a point blank hit like that, Brawly thought to himself. Did normal Marill have teeth that sharp?


    ¡°Aqua Ring, Happy,¡± was Harry¡¯s order to his Pokemon as Medicham shook himself and waited for orders.


    An orbiting ring of water formed around the Marill and Brawly knew it would slowly heal the water mouse over time.


    ¡°Use Confusion,¡± Brawly ordered. Medicham wasn¡¯t as great with the Psychic side of his type as one that had been trained by an actual Psychic type trainer, but he could still use some Psychic attacks.


    Medicham put his hands to his head, focusing and a blur of psychic energy appeared around Marill, dealing some damage and making the Pokemon wince and teeter slightly.


    Sometimes a Confusion could disorient a Pokemon but not this time. Happy the Marill shook himself and growled before charging forwards again.


    ¡°Iron tail this time, Happy!¡± Harry ordered.


    ¡°Force Palm again!¡±


    The Marill leapt forward again, spinning around with his tail raised. This time Medicham didn¡¯t manage to land a direct blow in return, choosing to attack the other Pokemon¡¯s tail directly and the two attacks collided, stalemating for a moment before Happy spun around in midair for another swipe.  Medicham responded with multiple Force Palms, initiating a deadly trade of deflections for several seconds before Marill bounced back.


    Both Pokemon eyed each other, breathing heavily. Brawly figured Medicham had come out of the exchange for the better but that Aqua Ring was going to cause problems if he let this drag out. Already he could see scuff marks from the hits Marill had already taken disappearing on the blue mouse Pokemon¡¯s fur.


    Marill was a Fairy type now, which was all well and good, but it was still a water type!


    ¡°Use Thunder Punch!¡±


    Medicham was surprised by the order, it wasn¡¯t his best trained attack and Brawly¡¯s Pokemon usually stuck to Fighting or Psychic type moves. He¡¯d still picked up the attack from training with Hitmonchan though.


    ¡°Bounce into Hydro Pump!¡± Harry ordered.


    The Marill leapt into the air and almost completely dodged Medicham¡¯s attack, taking a glancing blow as it soared out of reach. Then, inhaling deeply it prepared to use the most powerful of the traditional Water type attacks.


    ¡°Detect!¡± Brawly shouted in a panic.


    Medicham was barely able to activate the move, dodging the powerful spray of water as the Marill soared overhead, producing more momentum on account of the powerful spray of water.


    But it couldn¡¯t last forever. Harry Hemming¡¯s Marill was strong but it couldn¡¯t keep a Hydro Pump up indefinitely and the attack tapered off as it touched the ground.


    ¡°Dual Force Palm! finish it!¡± Brawly ordered, seeing the Marill was absolutely exhausted at this point. Aqua Ring wouldn¡¯t stop you feeling tired.


    Medicham sped forward again, ready to finish the battle but the Marill wasn¡¯t unconscious yet.


    ¡°Come on Happy, use Aqua Tail one last time,¡± Harry ordered.


    Marill regained its composure, creating another Aqua Tail as it readied itself for Medicham to approach. This wasn¡¯t like the first one, the attack much weaker and taking on the regular form of a whip. That Marill had to be on its last legs.


    Medicham thrust both palms forward, disregarding personal safety as Happy swung his tail around.


    Both Pokemon collided, an explosion of dust coming from the point of contact.


    Brawly leaned forward, desperate to see the result of their final clash.


    The dust parted, revealing an unconscious Marill and a stumbling, panting Medicham. Brawly¡¯s second strongest Pokemon looked like a stiff breeze would see him joining the other Pokemon in unconsciousness.


    It was Brawly¡¯s victory, by the slimmest of margins.


    If anyone had told him yesterday that a Marill on its own could do that to his Medicham then he¡¯d have laughed in their face and then demanded a battle to prove otherwise. The Fighting type specialist let out a bark of laughter as he and his opponent withdrew their Pokemon. Today had been just full of surprises.


    ¡°Well you¡¯ve got my vote!¡± Brawly declared, striding forward across the arena towards the other trainer. ¡°As long as we can do that again!¡±


    Not only that, but it¡¯d just be good to have another guy around his own age about running a Gym too, Brawly thought to himself privately.


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± Harry Hemming said, giving a promise to have them both battle again one day as their hands clasped together. Brawly beamed at him.


    ¡°C¡¯mon I¡¯ve got a healing station you can use,¡± Brawly offered and started to lead his new friend back out of the stadium.


    Things were getting too relaxed around Hoenn anyway. Then Harry Hemming had come in like a tidal wave and washed away his expectations and Brawly couldn¡¯t wait to see what happened next.

 Chapter 5

    ¡°Now I should warn you,¡± Brawly said. ¡°Nobody else knows about you trying for Gym Leader so if anyone shows up then you¡¯re just someone I met over in Johto when I learnt under Chuck.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°I went to Johto briefly, it¡¯s where I met Happy. Why the secrecy though?¡±


    ¡°It was Wattson and Winona¡¯s idea,¡± Brawly said. ¡°They don¡¯t want anyone making a fuss over things.¡±


    That caught me by surprise. ¡°What do you mean by fuss?¡± I asked. It wasn¡¯t like I was bothering anyone or anything. With the exception of the Gym Leaders, I supposed. Was there more political stuff at play I didn¡¯t know about?


    ¡°They think if people find out someone¡¯s trying to become a Gym Leader then Slateport and Lilycove will start bothering you and us about it. Plus there¡¯ll be a media circus with reporters bothering all of us and trying to get a piece of you too and none of us really want that.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said, realising now what he meant and putting the mention of Lilycove and Slateport to the side to think about later. I knew it was probably going to be a big deal once it was announced there was a ninth Gym, but that was no reason to draw attention to it early and I completely understood Brawly¡¯s desire to avoid being hounded by the press. ¡°I haven¡¯t spoken to anyone else about it except one of Roxanne¡¯s Gym trainers, and I suppose the person I spoke to at the League when I started things.¡±


    ¡°Great, shouldn''t be a problem then,¡± Brawly said cheerfully as we passed through some automatic doors to the healing room, which was empty at this time of evening.


    There were four rows of six ball slots for quick and easy Pokemon healing and some benches next to them, plus a couple of vending machines too for people who were waiting. Anything truly serious would require a Nurse Joy but for standard battle related damage this was far faster and cheaper for people coming to the Dewford Gym. Brawly slotted his Pokemon in a couple of the spots and I put mine in beside his.


    ¡°Gotta say though we were all a bit surprised,¡± Brawly said as he turned the machine on. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know that was a thing we could do, make a new Gym.¡±


    ¡°They have more than eight in Kanto,¡± I pointed out.


    Kanto had more Gyms than the normal eight that most people would have heard of. I¡¯d done some checking and some of the gyms I vaguely remembered from the anime existed in this timeline I¡¯d found myself in. Brawly grimaced.


    ¡°Yeah but those other Gyms aren¡¯t worth talking about,¡± Brawly said dismissively. ¡°I guess it makes sense why it¡¯s us Gym Leaders that get to decide instead of the League.¡±


    The machine lit up, little symbols for our Pokemon appearing on the screen above.


    ¡°Give it five minutes,¡± Brawly gestured at the healing station. He went and sat down on one of the benches. I went to sit opposite him.


    ¡°So you know I¡¯ve gotta ask,¡± he said. ¡°Why¡¯d you decide to become a Gym Leader. I mean you¡¯re strong, don¡¯t get me wrong, but you don¡¯t have any badges. At least no Hoenn ones.¡±


    He¡¯d probably checked, I thought.


    ¡°I guess it was just something I felt I had to do,¡± I replied. ¡°I did a bit of travelling overseas and I did battle a couple of Gyms in some of the other regions, but I knew one day I¡¯d have to settle down and I didn¡¯t want to give up my team or stop battling. Being a Gym Leader just seemed like the natural continuation of things.¡±


    It¡¯d always been something on the back of my mind, I thought. The idea of having a Gym, staking a claim like that just appealed to me ever since I¡¯d been little.


    ¡°How about you?¡± I asked. ¡°Why¡¯d you decide to be a Gym Leader?¡±


    Brawly shrugged.


    ¡°I just sort of fell into it. Chuck and my dad went back a bit and dad used to be a Gym trainer here, so he got me a place there training instead of being cooped up in Dewford. Then I met Bruno and he bullied Chuck into letting him take me out to train for a few months. Apparently he liked me enough to put in a word with Fang, the last Gym Leader here and after a battle together Fang decided I was gonna be the one after him. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m disappointed.¡±


    ¡°I bet not,¡± I said, looking around the room and thinking about the rest of the building. ¡°Did it cost a lot to get this place like this?¡±


    ¡°A lot of it was already here,¡± Brawly admitted. ¡°I got a big loan and spruced things up when I took over, but the regular Gym membership stuff pretty much pays for all that on its own.¡±


    ¡°Something I¡¯ll need to think about,¡± I mused. I had a decent income and my team weren¡¯t exactly expensive to keep happy and healthy but building work was very expensive. A lot of Gyms doubled up as something else, providing some kind of service whether it was exercise here, offering schooling like Rustboro, Saffron and Mossdeep or something like running public shows like in Cerulean.


    Writing wasn¡¯t exactly something I could provide as a service, maybe teaching writing? But I wasn¡¯t that good a writer, more of an amateur that stumbled on something that worked enough to make money.


    Leah patted my knee affectionately, reminding me that I wouldn¡¯t be going through all this alone and I offered her a smile in gratitude.


    ¡°Anyway I guess you¡¯re gonna visit Wattson next? Doing the normal Gym route?¡± Brawly asked, glancing between myself and the Gardevoir beside me. I nodded.


    ¡°It seemed appropriate to travel and meet everyone. I suppose I could¡¯ve just tried speaking to you all over videocalls, but that¡¯d have been a bit rude I think.¡±


    ¡°Yeah Moore and Winona definitely wouldn¡¯t have liked that,¡± Brawly said humorously. ¡°Word to the wise, Winona is probably gonna be your toughest sell, she¡¯s kind of¡­ rigid I guess. Doesn¡¯t change her mind easily once it¡¯s made up.¡±


    The healing station beeped several times, indicating our Pokemon were healed.


    ¡°Hopefully she has the time to warm up to the idea,¡± I said as I retrieved my two Pokemon and returned their balls to their place on the side of my belt, out of sight underneath my jacket.


    ¡°Well there¡¯s a first time for everything,¡± Brawly joked. ¡°Anyway enough about that, you got any other plans while you¡¯re here? Maybe check out the caves. You probably know we have some Mawile running about in there. Your Mawile could go say hello.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not from around here but I¡¯ll see if she¡¯d like to,¡± I replied. Mawile were fairly solitary creatures and they didn¡¯t generally get on with the rest of their own kind. Ielle was pretty social with my team and other Pokemon we encountered, but I didn¡¯t expect her to want to check out Dewford¡¯s caves.


    Brawly showed me around a bit more before I managed to say my goodbyes with a promise to come see him again for another battle at some point. The Gym Leaders met up a couple of times a year, at both the end and beginning of the yearly circuit so with only a month or so before the end of the current circuit I would hopefully be meeting him again sooner rather than later.


    Now we¡¯d visited Dewford Leah would also be able to teleport us here too as long as we were in the region. If I wasn¡¯t travelling as much I¡¯d probably need to start thinking about my fitness as well. Maybe I¡¯d get a gym membership. I could do far worse than coming here once or twice a week.


    ***


    We returned to the hotel to spend the night before heading off towards our next destination. The hotel room was cool and quiet and large enough to bring out a few of my Pokemon. The hotel had specified a three Pokemon limit depending on size and so I decided to bring out the members of my team who¡¯d performed today.


    Happy and Ielle materialised before me as I sat on the edge of the bed.


    Ielle was looking pretty smug after her victory. Happy despite not winning his battle hadn¡¯t lost his usual cheerfulness.


    ¡°Brawly says we have his vote,¡± I told them both. ¡°Good job both of you, you were brilliant.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Ielle cheered alongside Happy who didn¡¯t look much happier, but that was because his usual state of being was like that.


    ¡°Marill!¡± Happy said. He turned towards Ielle and began speaking to her.


    I ignored the byplay and reached for Happy, the small blue mouse didn¡¯t resist as I pulled him into my lap and began feeling around for injuries. A healing station was good, but I would be a poor trainer if I let myself rely on it after Happy¡¯s battle. Brawly would undoubtedly be giving his Pokemon a look over too.


    ¡°Mar marrrill,¡± Marill said, ignoring what I was doing and gesticulating towards Ielle as the other Pokemon listened. I only paid half attention. I could generally understand the tone of what my team were saying which was generally enough when I had context too.


    Happy was clearly talking about the battle and how much he had enjoyed it. My little water mouse was a bit of a battle junky, it had to be said. Win or lose he came away with a jolly disposition and I wouldn¡¯t change him for the world.


    Running my fingers through his fur showed no signs of injury. That was good, he¡¯d taken a good beating from that Medicham which if they had access to their ability could be amongst the strongest of physical attackers. If it had used something like a Thunder Punch or a harder hitting Fighting type move, then Happy would probably have lost more convincingly. They could learn High Jump Kick, but Brawly hadn¡¯t used it which was interesting. I might ask him eventually why he hadn¡¯t used that specific attack against my Marill.


    All finished I taped him on his back and Happy clambered out of my lap to sit on the bed next to me, still babbling in Leah¡¯s direction who listened politely to his recounting of the battle but was rummaging through my bag for the compression capsule that contained some of my things.


    ¡°Mawile!¡±


    Looking down I saw Ielle. The yellow Pokemon held her arms out, eyes wide and trembling as she begged for attention like a little kid.


    ¡°You know that doesn¡¯t work on me,¡± I said dryly but I acquiesced to her request and reached down to pick her up anyway.


    Ielle was a lot more durable than Happy was and she¡¯d taken far less of a beating too. But a bit of pampering wouldn¡¯t go amiss. It¡¯d been mostly due to being a lucky matchup on our part but she¡¯d done splendidly in her battle against that Hitmonchan.


    I set her in my lap and did some brief checks for any lingering signs of injury. She hadn¡¯t taken many hits so I really wasn¡¯t expecting anything and like Happy she was perfectly fine.


    I moved my fingers to the juncture between her jaws and head. The thinner part was sensitive and Mawile relaxed almost immediately as I rubbed the base where it met her skull. Ielle¡¯s large black jaws lifted up almost immediately to rub my cheek. It was like the reaction you got when you tried rubbing the base of a cat¡¯s tail and Ielle slumped contentedly in my lap. If she could purr then I was sure she¡¯d have started doing so.


    I had two hands though and I reached to the side to rub behind Happy¡¯s ears, which I knew the Mouse Pokemon enjoyed. It interrupted whatever he was saying to Leah as he cuddled my side. Leah meanwhile had been going through my travel stuff, helpfully pulling out clothes for me to wear in the morning that she set to the side neatly. Finished, she came and sat on the other side of Happy, hugging my side and the four of us just sat like that comfortably for a bit.


    ¡°There¡¯s caves around here and Brawly suggested you might want to go explore them and maybe meet some other Mawile. Do you?¡± I asked my Mawile.


    Ielle looked up at me and looked for a moment like she was considering it, but then she shook her head and leaned back against me comfortably. She was happy here.


    I nodded. That had been the reaction I¡¯d expected. I squeezed her to show I understood.


    ¡°Gaaardevoir,¡± my starter suddenly said, gesturing to the clock. It really was getting late and realising the time was enough to make me suddenly yawn.


    ¡°Time for bed,¡± I agreed. ¡°Busy day tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Aaawiiile,¡± Ielle complained, pressing her face into my belly and shaking it as if to say she didn¡¯t want to move. Then she gave off a little yelp as she was suddenly lifted in the air. She pouted across at my Gardevoir as she was set down on the bed next to Happy.


    I chuckled as I headed into the bathroom to get changed and brush my teeth.


    That was one Gym I¡¯d got to agree to make this thing happen. Roxanne¡¯s test was still looming on the horizon and I was kind of dreading it, but that was in the future. Next up was Wattson and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he¡¯d want from me.


    ***


    He grabbed a beer from the fridge and then headed over to his den for his call with Moore. You didn¡¯t get a body like this without putting in the work. Wattson patted his belly and chuckled to himself.


    This time the other man had had enough notice to be ready for the call so when Wattson activated the call Moore was already waiting for him.


    ¡°Wattson,¡± he greeted. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Good enough,¡± the Electric type expert replied. ¡°And you?¡±


    Moore sighed. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Flannery,¡± he admitted. ¡°Do you think I should try hanging on for another year or two, make sure she¡¯s ready to take over from me?¡±


    Wattson honestly didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure whatever you decide will be the right thing,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s a good girl and a good battler but whatever happens as long as you support her she¡¯ll manage in the end.¡± She took too much after her own grandfather to not cause problems for herself, but Wattson knew she¡¯d pull through with the same fire that had seen Moore join the ranks of the Elite Four.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Moore said. ¡°I think I might hang on for one more year, then let her take over properly then.¡±


    Wattson shrugged. Moore was going to do whatever he had been thinking of doing anyway. This was just him trying to get Wattson to validate his own opinion.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± the Electric type trainer said, getting to business. ¡°Now it¡¯s just the two of us, any thoughts about this new fellow?¡±


    ¡°Harry Hemming,¡± Moore nodded, understanding what he was meaning. ¡°I have to say it¡¯s well timed, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Wattson agreed. ¡°They certainly wouldn¡¯t have risked a repeat of last time.¡±


    He took a sip of his drink. It was less than six months after the previous Mossdeep Gym Leader had passed away, comfortably in her sleep. Liza, the older Liza, for whom her granddaughter had been named, had unofficially been the strongest amongst the Gym Leaders before her retirement and subsequent death and Hoenn was worse off for her loss.


    Shortly after she¡¯d sent that girl packing there had been a number of scandals that came to light and a number of other supposed accidents in the League and some linked organisation, all around the same time. There hadn¡¯t been anything to connect the events together of course, but it was known amongst the right circles who had been responsible.


    The older Liza had indeed been a stunning, terrifying woman and Wattson wouldn¡¯t lie and say he hadn¡¯t once carried a bit of a spark for her, even though he¡¯d been still a kid really.


    So had Moore and Fang for that matter, but unfortunately for all of them Liza had been a Psychic and those types were very particular about who they let marry into their family lines. Actually being psychic was the first requirement. Moore, who¡¯d been a bit of a hothead back then, hadn¡¯t taken that lying down. There had been a few comic moments over the years as Liza shut him down in increasingly dramatic ways during their occasional meetings.


    Of course Moore had grown up and moved on eventually, they all had. It¡¯d taken a few tries and two failed marriages but Wattson had found his own partner in the end. Elaine was everything he¡¯d ever wanted in a woman. She was smart, confident, a good battler and best of all liked traps just as much as he did! The fact she was almost twenty years younger than him and an absolute stunner only made it better as Wattson got to watch other men seethe in jealousy.


    ¡°The twins will be able to figure out whether this Hemming boy¡¯s just got good timing or if he¡¯s another stooge,¡± Wattson continued, repeating his comment to the other Gym Leaders the other day. ¡°Between us both we can almost veto him on our own but the twins would potentially make three and Wallace will side with us too. Juan is old enough to remember last time and Wallace listens to him. So our positions are safe, if it comes to that.¡±


    They had enough to shut it down, even if Hemming did inexplicably make good friends with most of the other Gym Leaders. Six of eight was required between them for a new Gym Leader to be agreed so three would block it. That might need changing if they indeed added a ninth, or maybe not. They would all have to sit down and discuss things whether or not Hemming got the spot.


    There ought to be a way to formally start the process, Wattson thought idly. Perhaps have it by invitation or a specific recommendation. More things to think about on another day.


    Moore sighed and nodded tiredly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss battling like I used to but I certainly won¡¯t miss all the worrying over this sort of thing,¡± he said wistfully. ¡°With many youngsters coming in. I¡¯m glad they¡¯ve got you to keep an eye on things if something unexpected happens,¡± he said, although it was more like a question really.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I certainly won¡¯t be going anywhere for a while yet,¡± Wattson confirmed jovially. ¡°But you¡¯re right we¡¯ve got quite a few younger Gym Leaders now. I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re looked after, but I¡¯ll leave Flannery for you to handle of course.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Moore said graciously but his expression betrayed relief.


    He chatted with Moore for a bit about some of the older days before they both said goodbye. Moore was an old man, older than Wattson by ten years and those extra years hadn¡¯t exactly been kind to him. Wattson ended the call and then relaxed into his chair.


    It was funny, he used to be the youngest of the Gym Leaders. The new kid pushing for progress and innovation, whether it was the smart thing to do or not¡­ But once Moore was gone, Wattson was going to be the old man of the group. At least he¡¯d look the part! He thought humorously as he brought his drink up to take another sip.


    Then Wattson was suddenly startled as Plusle jumped onto his lap.


    ¡°Well hello there,¡± he said, spotting Minun coming in through the now partially open door after her partner. ¡°Does Elaine want me?¡±


    The Plusle nodded, looking cheerful rather than worried.


    So he wasn¡¯t in trouble then, that was good.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Wattson grunted, pushing himself up off his chair to follow after the two Pokemon.


    Harry Hemming should be on his way to meet him soon, which would be interesting. Wattson wondered if he liked traps.

 Chapter 6

    Isabel couldn¡¯t help but reminisce about the day she¡¯d come out to this very Route they were on right now with a pair of ¡°borrowed¡± pokeballs to hopefully catch her very first Pokemon. It had been the day she¡¯d met Kaleb, purely by chance and they¡¯d got on well at first. Both of them were there to catch the same Pokemon and they¡¯d spoken enthusiastically about what they agreed were the cutest Pokemon that could be found anywhere around Slateport, Plusle and Minun. They¡¯d chatted about the paired Electric type rabbits together for what felt like hours.


    It had been all fine until they did spot said Pokemon. In hindsight it had been a very silly thing to do going out into the wild area without any Pokemon to protect them, but the Plusle and Minun pair she and Kaleb had encountered had been very friendly and after befriending them the two teenagers had asked if they would like to go home with either of them and the Pokemon had miraculously agreed. It had been quite an argument they¡¯d had about who got to catch them before they had figured out the two Pokemon wanted to come with one of each of them respectively.


    And obviously both Pokemon couldn¡¯t be kept apart for long. They were a matched pair of Plusle and Minun after all! So Isabel and Kaleb had agreed to meet up regularly so their Pokemon could see each other and the rest as they say, was history.


    That was¡­ a few more years ago than Isabel really wanted to admit but still, Route 110 held a lot of fond memories for them both. The forecast for today had said it would be a wonderful sunny day outside Slateport and because it was a weekend Isabel had decided she and Kaleb would bring the kids out for a picnic. He hadn¡¯t taken any convincing.


    Any excuse to come out and enjoy a bit of nature with their Pokemon was practically a tradition these days and there was a reason she¡¯d married the man. Their love of Pokemon had brought them together and like a pair of Plusle and Minun they¡¯d been inseparable ever since they¡¯d caught those first pair of electric types.


    Back to the present, they had left at nine o¡¯clock on the dot and made good time to the start of Route 110. Kevin carried little Kyle on his chest, the same baby carrier they¡¯d used for Timmy when he was a baby. Their adorable little boy only looked more adorably in his cute Pikachu onesie as he looked around their environment with wide eyes. Isabel was the one carrying their picnic basket.


    ¡°Can I let Elektrike out?¡± Timmy whined as they set off through the electric doors of the checkpoint.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Isabel hemmed, looking towards Kaleb as she did so. She already knew the answer of course, but it was better that someone played the bad cop once in a while. Isabel knew full well that Kaleb certainly couldn¡¯t manage it. The kids had their father more or less wrapped around their fingers and Isabel was torn between disappointment that she¡¯d yet to have a daughter and relief that she didn¡¯t. Because there was no way Kaleb would be able to say no to her if they did have a little girl one day.


    ¡°It can¡¯t hurt,¡± Kaleb said, shrugging with a slightly cheeky look on his face as he knew exactly what Isabel was doing. She was the boring mum and he was the cool dad. The sun shone on his face and it made her heart flutter just a tiny bit.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Isabel said as if she hadn¡¯t planned for them to let their Pokemon out. ¡°Let¡¯s let them all out then.¡±


    ¡°Go Elektrike!¡± Timmy shouted enthusiastically, less than a moment later, throwing the Pokeball a bit harder than he really needed to. Isabel made a mental note to mention taking care of pokeballs properly to him later.


    ¡°Come on out everyone,¡± Isabel said, releasing her own Pokemon. Plusle and Minun appeared beside the green Elektrike which barked cheerfully in greeting and then he jumped up at his young trainer. Timmy laughed as the electric dog tried to lick his face. It¡¯d only been half an hour since they¡¯d left home.


    ¡°Haha, gerroff!¡± Timmy complained, managing to push the dog down who ran in a circle around him, little tail wagging furiously while Kaleb released his own pair of Plusle and Minun to join Isabel¡¯s.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Isabel said. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far, make sure I can see you both,¡± she warned her son and his Pokemon.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Timmy said. ¡°Race you Elektrike!¡±


    Obviously the speedy electric type was faster than his trainer but that didn¡¯t stop Timmy from trying.


    The two parents set off together with their own four Pokemon frolicking around.


    ***


    The boat to Slateport was much better than the one between Rustboro and Dewford, it had air conditioning for one. I got some time to sit down with some of the materials Roxanne had left me, which was kind of headache inducing but if I needed to know this stuff then I needed to know it. Just being a Gym Leader didn¡¯t give me carte blanche and things like Building Regulations were still something I had to keep in mind, even if they were a lot more relaxed than in my first life.


    Exactly how teleporting pads, electric forcefields, icy floors and other things I recalled didn¡¯t constitute breaches in proper safety I didn¡¯t know, but this universe had Pokemon which made things a lot different than a simple, mundane world. Pokemon that could heal most injuries easily probably made people a lot more relaxed about that sort of thing.


    Roxanne had been pretty comprehensive about all the stuff she wound up dealing with as a Gym Leader and I appreciated what she had given me because trying to sort this all out on my own would¡¯ve been a nightmare. This binder with everything in it would be my bible once it came to the point I was building my own place. I just wish there wasn¡¯t going to be a test on it.


    The sun was shining and it was hot, but not quite as unbearably hot as Dewford had been as we came off the boat onto the mainland.


    Slateport looked like any other resort city I¡¯d encountered. In the distance from the pier we came in on there was a great big beach stretching out towards the skyline and tall buildings dominating the land alongside it. Slateport had been built up tremendously and was one of the biggest settlements in Hoenn, giving me vibes like it was Miami or something like it. In the distance through a window I could see beachgoers and Pokemon with them. They were too small to really see but it looked very busy.


    But we weren¡¯t here to visit Slateport, just passing through. After making land I departed the boat and we got a taxi up to the northern end of town and from there it was time to make a decision.


    Did I rent a bike and try to use the modern bridge over towards Mauville, or did I take the long grass and just walk it along the land trail.


    The fast approach would be using the bike, but after spending the last few days around populated areas I had a bit of a hankering for nature, peace of quiet and a bit of fresh air too.


    I set off north along the path of Route 110, leading north and to the nature trail that would eventually lead to Mauville. It was only a few miles and I figured we¡¯d get there well before it was time for dinner.


    The air was fresh, the scent of nature pervading the environment only dampened slightly by the giant cycle bridge overhead. It cast a shadow over everything but it didn¡¯t do much to obstruct the natural flow of things.


    I also decided as myself and Leah set off to pull out a couple of Pokeballs to bring out some of my other Pokemon. It wouldn¡¯t be fair if it was just me that got to stretch their legs.


    ***


    There were two paths they could take, either west towards Petalburg which was more forested and really a bit nicer or they could go east and towards the trail leading towards the other city. Mauville was nice, not as nice a place to live as Slateport for obvious reasons.


    ¡°Can we go on the path mum, pleeeaaase?¡± Timmy asked, his Elektrike helping with his best Lillipup eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a walk, but we could always rent some bikes for the way home,¡± Kaleb suggested, already warming to the idea. She knew he really just wanted to see some wild Pokemon.


    Isabel considered it for a few moments then nodded her head. They had their picnic prepared so they could have lunch part way across. It would be a bit late by the time they got home for dinner, although maybe they could order a takeaway. If they did walk all the way to Mauville and cycled back they¡¯d, she¡¯d, have burnt off enough calories to justify having something less healthy. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The exercise really couldn¡¯t hurt either. If she could get back into that bikini before July¡­


    ¡°Alright, but you better promise to get your homework done straight away tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°I promise!¡± Timmy said. ¡°Thanks mum!¡±


    Isabel rolled her eyes but felt a smile creeping onto her face as they turned east towards the Mauville path.


    A few minutes later they were surrounded on both sides by the placid waters either side of the path. There were railings to stop people falling in, but the water Pokemon around here were generally friendly so even if someone did fall in they wouldn¡¯t be in danger. They passed a fisherman lounging on a foldout chair who waved but didn¡¯t say hello. Isabel and Kaleb¡¯s attention was focused on either their son and his Elektrike playing or the Pokemon around them.


    There were Wingull and a couple of Pelliper flying through the sky. Isabel even spotted a few Wailmer bobbing up out of the water adjoining the path and quickly pointed it out to Kaleb. Kyle pointed his little hands forward, making happy noises as he reached for the wild Pokemon.


    ¡°Oh you like the flying types little man?¡± Kaleb asked. ¡°Maybe we have a flying type trainer on our hands¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit early to be pidgeyholing him, dear,¡± Isabel said humorously and her husband chuckled. But still as they continued walking she couldn¡¯t help but admit their younger child seemed interested in the flying Pokemon more than others.


    They eventually stopped for lunch along a grassy patch along the path. It was wide enough that they weren¡¯t blocking the way so they weren¡¯t worried about any other passersby being held up. It was a good spot for Pokewatching. They should¡¯ve brought some binoculars, Isabel thought as she saw what might have been a Wailord in the distance.


    ¡°Oh thanks, I¡¯m starving!¡± Timmy said before biting into the sandwich he was given. He liked Pecha berry jam and Isabel had made sure to make one for him.


    They were probably six or so miles along the path by now. Not much further to Mauville and the family were quite happy under the warm midday sunshine. Their Pokemon were having a good time playing together and a couple of Wingull even came and perched on the railing which Kyle liked very much.


    ¡°See, he is a Flying type trainer!¡± Kaleb said as their little boy crawled a bit closer to the Pokemon. Kaleb was keeping an eye on their little boy so he wasn¡¯t in danger, but Isabel still felt a little bit uncomfortable with him being so close to the water.


    ¡°Wing win win,¡± one of the Pokemon said, strutting along the railing and making her baby laugh. It was probably trying to get them to offer it some food, Wingull were like that.


    Maybe they could get some Wingull toys for Kyle later. There were all sorts of plushies and such you could get in the markets and Wingull were very common in Hoenn, Isabel was sure she¡¯d seen one or two before somewhere even if that Pokemon hadn¡¯t ever been one she¡¯d particularly liked the look of. Wingul weren¡¯t exactly cute like her wonderful Plusle and Minun.


    ¡°Hey, who¡¯s that Pokemon?¡± Timmy asked, pointing the other way suddenly.


    Isabel turned around to look where her son was pointing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything,¡± she said.


    ¡°It flew behind the cycle bridge,¡± Timmy said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly and pouting.


    ¡°What did it look like?¡± Isabel asked with interest.


    ¡°Err, brown and white,¡± Timmy said. ¡°It was kind of far away and I only saw it for a second. It was flying in the air¡±


    ¡°That narrows it down a bit¡­¡± Kaleb said. ¡°Maybe you should scroll through the Fandex and see if you can find it.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Timmy said, accepting his dad¡¯s Pokenav. It was one of the newer models with online access even out here. Timmy knew how to work the device better than his father and he was quickly scrolling through the official online PokeFan encyclopaedia, commonly referred to as the Fandex. It wasn¡¯t a Pokedex, the scientific devices owned by powerful trainers and Pokemon researchers, but it had lots of information on Pokemon and there were forums for PokeFans to talk about specific Pokemon. Not a lot of people were really online with the internet only having just been set up a couple of years ago but the PokeFan community had got themselves a website pretty quickly so they could share their passion with even more people around the world.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s one of these,¡± Timmy said. He held up the PokeNav to his mother and Isabel took a look.


    He¡¯d used the filters for colour and found two possible matches. Shiftry weren¡¯t the cutest of Pokemon and that was understating it. They had coarse, bark-like skin, a mane of unkempt white hair and generally carried a pretty unkind expression on their faces. You could sometimes see Seedott which were pretty adorable Pokemon around the Petalburgh area so it wouldn¡¯t necessarily be out of the blue to see a Shiftry even this far East.


    The other possibility was a Whimsicott, a very rare Grass type Pokemon that some people thought might have a part Flying type, at least according to the information she saw scrolling down over its entry. There was some information on how to care for them and a bunch of pictures of an adorable little pokemon with a massive head of fluffy hair that resembled Mareep wool. Apparently Whimsicott liked to fly around in the air and were the evolved form of Cottonee, a fluffy Grass type Pokemon that could be found in the Petalburg woods.


    ¡°It must be a Whimsicott,¡± Isabel said, holding out the PokeNav to her husband who looked at the article with interest.


    ¡°Wow Timmy, that was a really great spot!¡± Kaleb cheered, bouncing Kyle on his lap. He looked around where their son had been pointing but it appeared the Pokemon was long gone. ¡°Would¡¯ve been nice to see it in person,¡± he said. ¡°Those pictures here are really cute.¡±


    They all crowded around the PokeNav as Timmy scrolled through the handful of photos that had been uploaded of the Pokemon. Isobel felt a tiny twinge of excitement. Maybe if they headed off straight away they could catch another glimpse of it.


    Isabel was so caught up in her own thoughts that she almost missed someone walking past. She hadn¡¯t heard anyone approaching and in her defence the man wasn¡¯t particularly exciting to look at. He was young, in his early twenties at most but probably younger than that. He wore glasses, an outfit indicating he was an office worker or a teacher maybe. It was instead the two Pokemon with him that caught Isabel¡¯s eye.


    There was a Gardevoir, tall and svelte. It held onto the man¡¯s arm, looking quite content as it practically drifted through the air, its dress flowing behind it elegantly.


    Seeing a Gardevoir alone would¡¯ve been enough to make Isabel¡¯s day because they were very rare and rarer still to belong to a trainer, but she was rendered speechless by the second Pokemon walking on the man¡¯s other side.


    It had white and pink fur and what looked like ribbons coming off around its collar and ears and it even had a little bow on the front of its neck. The ribbons ended with sky blue coloured tips, several of which were wrapped around the man¡¯s arm and torso. Isabel was completely transfixed as the man continued past.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the unknown man said politely, looking in their direction for a moment and nodding before setting his eyes forward again and continuing on.


    ¡°Sylv!¡± The Pokemon said hello with a brightly cheerful wave of one of its ribbons towards the stunned family of Pokemon fans. It smiled at them and Isabel fancied for a moment that its teeth practically sparkled before the Pokemon continued walking past them. The trio of trainer and Pokemon continued on their way completely unaware of the reaction they¡¯d brought out in both Isabel and the rest of her family.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that Pokemon?¡± Isabel asked softly, almost whispering as she watched its retreating form of the most amazing Pokemon she¡¯d ever laid her eyes on. She silently applauded Timmy showing initiative in quickly activating the camera on the PokeNav to snap some photos of the retreating Pokemon and she finally managed to break her gaze to look at her family, hoping one of them might have the answer.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± Kaleb replied, looking as dumbfounded as she felt. ¡°Timmy, do you recognise it?¡±


    Timmy shook his head, but his eyes were on the photos he¡¯d just taken.


    ¡°It should be on here somewhere,¡± he said smartly, turning back onto the FanDex website.


    Isabel looked back up to take another look at the Pokemon and was about to get up to her feet to give chase but then¡­ they weren¡¯t there.


    ¡°Where¡¯d they go?¡± She asked. There was no way they¡¯d have been able to walk out of view already, the path was pretty clear too.


    ¡°Could they have teleported?¡± Kaleb suggested, equally as surprised.


    ¡°Okay I¡¯ve got the search page back up,¡± Timmy said, recapturing his parents¡¯ attention.


    Both the mother and father leaned over, baby Kyle not quite understanding what was going on but joining in anyway and Timmy quickly put in a search for the colour white, then pink, then even blue and each time as they scrolled through the FanDex list of Pokemon they didn¡¯t find anything that matched the image of what they¡¯d just seen. Half an hour later they realised that going through the whole unfiltered list of Pokemon that the FanDex had didn¡¯t show up anything either.


    ¡°It¡¯s not on the FanDex,¡± Kaleb said what they were all thinking. Those surprising words hung in the air for several long seconds because there was no way that a Pokemon that looked like that couldn¡¯t have a FanDex entry.


    ¡°Get those photos uploaded. Someone has to know what Pokemon that is!¡± Isabel said quickly. There was an incredibly adorable Pokemon out there nobody knew about and everyone needed to know!


    Timmy obeyed, just as excited as his mother and the family quickly packed up to hopefully follow after the stranger and the unknown Pokemon.


    Despite hurrying onwards they didn¡¯t find the man or his mysterious Pokemon and got all the way to Mauville before giving up the search.


    Later when they got home the forum post was full of speculation about the mysterious pink and white Pokemon. Nobody knew what it was, but with every PokeFan in Hoenn now on alert for the mystery Pokemon, Isabel knew that it wouldn¡¯t remain hidden for long.

 Chapter 7

    The first thing to be spotted as you walk into Mauville was the evolved form of a gambling den, a casino. It stood out prominently in the sky near the southern edge of the city, daring anyone to enter and try their luck. It was like a slice of Vegas had been dropped down here and I chuckled as we passed it. Gambling wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d done a lot of and it always struck me as a bit of an odd thing for them to have included in the otherwise child friendly Pokemon games. This world wasn¡¯t a game though. Adults still needed their entertainment, even some kinds that didn¡¯t directly involve Pokemon.


    The town itself was an industrial center, providing electricity for the majority of Hoenn, but it was also very central, making it a bit of a transport hub with routes heading in all four cardinal directions. The centre of town had four roads heading off in those four directions, a crossroads. It appealed to me for some reason, the multiple routes on offer for travel and exploration, the promise of new people coming and going.


    Of course there wasn¡¯t a road leading east, but I knew full well that a traveller could manage to ride a Pokemon across the water and then hike their way north towards Fortree. South was Slateport, west was Verdanturf town and north led to the desert that I wouldn¡¯t be risking trying to travel through but also the cave route leading towards Fallarbor town which I would be going up soon. For the moment though, my destination was in the city, the Mauville Gym.


    It was a great big yellow building with the front door dominated overhead by the Gym¡¯s logo, a bunch of suitably obnoxious lightning bolts coming off a circular symbol. The central circle depicted the Dynamo Badge.


    There was a thought. What would my badge look like? I¡¯d always had the idea of something pink, it was Fairy typed after all, but beyond that I wasn¡¯t committed to anything.


    I pushed open the front door and let it swing shut behind me as I entered. Like Brawly¡¯s Gym, Wattson¡¯s had a reception area with a few chairs to wait in and there was someone at a desk at the front. It was a woman in her twenties who looked very bored, playing around on her phone. She spotted me and startled slightly.


    ¡°Oh hi!¡± She said, eyes glancing towards Leah beside me for a moment and then back to me. ¡°Are you here to register for the Gym challenge?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I replied. ¡°Wattson should be expecting me. I¡¯m Harry Hemming.¡±


    ¡°Okaaaay,¡± the woman replied, tapping away at her computer screen. She nodded.


    ¡°Oh yes he mentioned for us to keep an eye out for you. Unfortunately he¡¯s in a meeting in the city centre right now and he probably won¡¯t be back for an hour or two. You can wait here if you like.¡±


    ¡°Okay no problem,¡± I replied. I wasn¡¯t exactly in a hurry. There was plenty of time before we¡¯d need to find a place to stay for the night.


    At her direction I went to sit down on one of the chairs to wait. I had my laptop on hand so I figured I could use the time and get some work done.


    Tapping away at the keyboard it wasn¡¯t hard to get in the swing of things. The best places to sit down and write were quiet and comfortable with minimal distractions and this was good enough for me.


    The secretary went back to not doing any work. Brawly had mentioned it was nearing the end of the season and the earlier Gyms weren¡¯t getting many challengers right now. So I didn¡¯t blame her slacking off. It seemed like there wasn¡¯t much for her to do except man the desk.


    I was just getting around to finishing a new chapter of something when the doors swung open. A boy in a yellow T-shirt and blue shorts strode in.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for my Gym battle!¡± He declared grandly.


    Youngster used Dramatic Entrance.


    But nothing happened¡­


    I barely withheld a snort of amusement as the silence echoed around the room and his expression as the boy floundered.


    ¡°Wattson¡¯s not here right now so you¡¯ll have to make an appointment or wait if you want to battle him,¡± the secretary said from behind her desk.


    ¡°But I¡¯m here for a battle right now!¡± Ben said, aghast. ¡°The Gym Leader¡¯s supposed to accept any challenger!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not here,¡± the woman repeated herself. The boy pouted, looking very rebellious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go find him and make him battle me!¡±


    He turned towards the doors leading further into the Gym.


    ¡°If you try to go in without an appointment then the security traps will activate,¡± the secretary said with the tone of someone who¡¯d dealt with this sort of thing too many times already.


    The boy froze in his tracks, torn by indecision over whether to continue on anyway. But this was clearly an obstinate one and the boy carried on to the doors. They opened for him and almost as soon as he tried to step through the door the sound of electricity crackling had him backpedaling with wide eyes.


    ¡°Wh-what gives!?¡± He demanded.


    ¡°That would be the first trap,¡± the secretary said. ¡°When Wattson isn¡¯t in they stay on one of the higher settings.¡±


    High setting hopefully didn¡¯t mean lethal, probably just close to it, I thought. It was probably meant to stop stronger trainers than this youngster from breaching into the Gym without permission.


    This was actually pretty informative, I thought to myself. It was good to know I could get away with this sort of thing myself as a Gym Leader. Maybe Wattson wouldn¡¯t mind lending me some advice on how to nearly kill people I didn¡¯t want to deal with.


    The boy returned to the secretary¡¯s desk appropriately cowed.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to register to battle Wattson, err, please.¡±


    ¡°You need to register an appointment,¡± the secretary said. ¡°I¡¯ll need your name, ID and number of badges.¡± She sat up and began typing at her keyboard.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Ben and¡­ I don¡¯t have any badges yet,¡± he admitted.


    The secretary didn¡¯t look surprised and didn¡¯t even stop whatever she was doing.


    ¡°A first badge challenge then,¡± she said, like she hadn¡¯t figured that out herself already. ¡°Do you have your Trainer ID?¡±


    After a moment of panic, Ben rattled off the series of numbers and letters that everyone with a Pokemon had to know. It was a basic record system that the Pokemon Leagues used to record Trainers status, their right to own Pokemon and a few other details.


    She pointed at the chairs where I was sitting. ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    The boy came over and sat on one of the seats a few spaces to the side and opposite me.


    I did my best to keep working, but with the silent interest of the boy on both myself and Leah, I could tell I wasn¡¯t going to get much done.


    It didn¡¯t take long for his patience to break.


    ¡°Are you a trainer?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I am,¡± I replied.


    ¡°How many badges do you have?¡±


    ¡°I never did the Hoenn Gym circuit, so none,¡± I admitted, although it was a lie by omission. I did have a few badges, just not local ones.


    ¡°Then that means you¡¯re at the same level as me!¡± Ben exclaimed in pleased surprise. ¡°How¡¯d you get so old without getting any badges?¡± he asked incredulously. ¡°My mum had four and she was only eighteen when she had me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not old, I¡¯m only nineteen,¡± I replied slightly defensively and I was about to disabuse him of his misconception about our respective strength levels as trainers when he kept going.


    ¡°What Pokemon is that, anyway?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a Gardevoir,¡± I told him, resigning myself to the conversation. Ben¡¯s expression turned confused.


    ¡°My mum says they¡¯re a bad Pokemon,¡± he said, like it was gospel truth. Coming from his mother it probably might as well have been. That didn¡¯t mean I liked him badmouthing my friend.


    ¡°There aren''t any bad Pokemon,¡± I denied with certainty. ¡°Only bad trainers.¡±


    Well, for a given understanding of the word bad anyway. Lots of Pokemon species veered in the direction of being malicious in some way. Ghost, Dark and Psychic types in particular often had associations with serious amounts of cruelty or unkind behaviour by human standards. Fairy types too could be pretty alien in terms of their attitudes and behaviour.


    My words of advice made the youngster frown briefly before his expression became more serious and he jumped out of his seat. That boundless confidence he¡¯d entered the building with coming back in force.


    ¡°Battle me! If you know so much about Pokemon, mister no badges, then prove it!¡±


    I offered him a flat look.


    ¡°No,¡± I answered and Ben¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock.


    ¡°But you have to battle me, our eyes met and everything!¡± He said it like it was some actual rule.


    It was a traditional thing, a romanticising of how two trainers would come together and battle with their Pokemon and it was even a trope that I¡¯d used in some of my writing, but it wasn¡¯t a rule.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    I heard a giggle from beside me, Leah was enjoying herself. That made one of us.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to battle you,¡± I said. ¡°Anyway don¡¯t you want to be fresh for when you battle Wattson?¡± I pointed out.


    Ben¡¯s lips pursed in sudden indecision, but only for a moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s been ages already! I¡¯ve come all this way so if I can¡¯t battle him then I¡¯ll battle you instead!¡±


    ¡°You''ve been waiting for barely five minutes,¡± I replied. Then I sensed the eyes of the secretary on me from across the room and I stopped myself from saying anything more.


    Was this some sort of test?


    I was supposed to be becoming a Gym Leader, I reminded myself. Interacting with overconfident and battle hungry kids that wouldn¡¯t accept the word no like this boy was probably part of the job. I had no way of knowing if this was a coincidence or not so I¡¯d assume for the moment it was. I couldn¡¯t entirely discount the idea that Wattson wanted to see how I¡¯d do against this kid and had set this up, but Ben¡¯s behaviour and reaction to the electric trap seemed genuine so far.


    This was something I was going to have to get used to anyway, I supposed. I might as well get some practice in battling lower level trainers.


    ¡°Okay, I will battle you,¡± I said, closing my laptop and putting it away in my bag. I wasn¡¯t going to get anything more done right now anyway. I could use the opportunity to impart some knowledge and maybe teach this kid something.


    ¡°Is there somewhere we can use?¡± I asked next, looking in the secretary¡¯s direction hopefully. She¡¯d been paying attention and nodded.


    ¡°Yeah alright,¡± she said, looking kind of amused. ¡°You can use the small arena. I¡¯ll turn off the security system. Just don¡¯t make a mess.¡±


    She then gave us some directions and I thanked her politely.


    ¡°Come on then,¡± I said to the boy.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Ben said, pumping his fist enthusiastically.


    I grimaced.


    We¡¯d be seeing if he remained that eager after our battle.


    ***


    The small arena was roughly a bit more than a third of the size of a regular arena. Which made sense if it was meant for weaker, lower level Pokemon. It was large enough for a pair of smaller Pokemon to stretch their legs in but not so big that some younger or just naturally smaller Pokemon would be completely dwarfed by the space.


    ¡°Have you done any battling before?¡± I asked the boy casually, just to get an idea of what I was working with.


    ¡°Yeah lots!¡± Ben replied. ¡°I¡¯m the strongest out of all my friends at school,¡± he bragged.


    Some experience had to be better than no experience but that didn¡¯t really tell me much either.


    We¡¯d have to be gentle, I decided and that meant there were only a couple of Pokemon I could trust to pull their punches enough to avoid really hurting Ben¡¯s if it came to that. I pulled out a Pokeball, conscious suddenly that this was something I was going to have to think about fixing soon. I¡¯d had just my own team for a long time, I¡¯d need to acquire new weaker Pokemon for the lower tier battles.


    ¡°Seeing as you came wanting to battle Wattson, I¡¯ll treat this like it¡¯s an official battle,¡± I said. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± Ben exclaimed, holding a Pokeball in one hand. ¡°Go Zigzagoon!¡±


    The Zigzagoon appeared on the arena, a very fluffy brown and cream coloured Pokemon and it called out its name eagerly, looking around for an opponent.


    ¡°Normally two battlers are supposed to release their first Pokemon at the same time which is why I asked Leah to start us off,¡± I told the boy frankly and just a bit critically. ¡°Now if I wanted to, I could pick a Pokemon to counter your own pick.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ben replied, looking surprised and a bit sheepish at the light rebuke.


    I ignored the awkwardness and lifted the pokeball I was holding up to my lips.


    ¡°This kid¡¯s not a strong trainer so we need to go really easy on him, okay?¡± I asked quietly, covering my lips with the ball so Ben couldn¡¯t see. Then I threw it forward.


    ¡°Come on out, Robin,¡± I said.


    The Ribombee appeared. It was a small yellow and white insect Pokemon with little black arms and legs, transparent wings and he also appeared to have a brown scarf wrapped around his neck.


    The Ribombee spun around in the air, waving hello to the Zigzagoon.


    ¡°Wow, I''ve never seen a Robin before,¡± Ben said.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s his nickname,¡± I corrected. ¡°Robin is a Pokemon called Ribombee.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Ben replied. ¡°Why¡¯d you call him Robin then?¡±


    ¡°I just do,¡± I replied. ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re the challenger I¡¯ll let you have the first move.¡±


    Robin turned to look back at me. I could see he could tell that this Zigzagoon wasn¡¯t anywhere near our level. It looked decently looked after, but it was probably on the chubbier side than the fitter, more leaner form I would expect of a well trained member of its species. I grimaced and nodded. ¡°Keep your attacks on the soft side,¡± I warned my Ribombee again. I really wasn¡¯t feeling comfortable about this. Robin nodded and then turned back to our opponent, who hadn¡¯t heard what I¡¯d said to my Pokemon. Instead he was ordering the first attack.


    ¡°Use Headbutt!¡± Ben shouted enthusiastically.


    ¡°Zigzagoooon!¡± called out the Zigzagoon as it boisterously raced forward.


    The tiny Racoon Pokemon leapt forward, a slight corona of energy around its head as it flew on a collision course with the small Bug/Fairy type.


    Then¡­ Robin flitted to the side, moving rapidly like a hummingbird.


    The Zigzagoon sailed forward and without an opponent to hit it wound up, catching itself on the soft rubbery terrain. It was like a children¡¯s play area, meant to reduce fall damage and injuries. I fancied that when it was called the small arena that this was really meant for lower strength Pokemon like that Zigzagoon.


    ¡°Just because you get the first move doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll let you land a hit,¡± I warned the boy. I decided not to use an attacking move initially. ¡°Use Stun Spore.¡±


    Having the aerial advantage meant that the Zigzagoon wasn¡¯t in a position to do much but try and run away from the pollen as it fluttered down from above. The Zigzagoon couldn¡¯t outrun it and was left shuddering and tensing up as the spores were absorbed into its fur and lungs.


    ¡°Come on Zigzagoon!¡± Ben shouted. ¡°Try another Headbutt!¡±


    ¡°Robin use Silver Wind, gently.¡±


    Robin spun around, a gust of silvery energy appearing around him and spreading outwards in all directions. It buffeted the Zigzagoon who was knocked backwards, rolling over and it had to brace itself on the floor against the attack as it passed over the Zigzagoon¡¯s body. Once it was done I was dismayed to see the Zigzagoon¡¯s legs buckle as it tried to get back onto its feet. It wouldn¡¯t survive another hit like that. It might not actually survive another hit like that.


    I winced. I¡¯d asked Robin to be gentle and he genuinely had been. I knew he could produce an attack much stronger than that. Silver Wind was the weakest attack he knew and even not trying too hard he¡¯d still almost put that Zigzagoon out of commission. The difference between us was simply too great for this to be anything but a stomp.


    ¡°Oh no, Zigzagoon!¡± Ben shouted, recoiling himself like he¡¯d been the one struck. ¡°I thought you said you had no badges, how¡¯re you so strong!?¡±


    This was why Gym Leaders used weaker Pokemon. It was pretty difficult to gauge my opponent¡¯s skill level like this.


    ¡°I said I had no badges in Hoenn,¡± I replied, feeling annoyed at myself for not choosing to explain that. ¡°But badges aren¡¯t necessarily a show of how strong you are either. Something I was about to explain to you until you changed the subject. Now, what are you going to try next?¡±


    Ben pursed his lips as I gave him another opportunity to decide what he was doing while the Zigzagoon struggled to stand. I didn¡¯t have to do this, mind you. The taking turns thing of the games wasn¡¯t really how it played out in practice and I could¡¯ve chosen to just have Robin finish it. A simple physical punch probably would¡¯ve done enough at this point. I was pleasantly surprised by what the youngster decided on.


    ¡°Zigzagoon, return,¡± Ben said, raising his Pokeball and withdrawing his Pokemon, silently admitting defeat.


    It left a bitter taste in my mouth as I watched the boy¡¯s expression. I had known I¡¯d win the battle but not quite so convincingly as this. I definitely needed some weaker Pokemon to hand in case I came across a weaker trainer another time and I¡¯d definitely need some when I got my Gym going.


    Ben took a step forward, but I realised after a second that it looked difficult for him. Zigzagoon hadn¡¯t fainted but it¡¯d been awfully close to it and Ben was struggling now from the backlash, his skin becoming pale as I watched.


    I quickly stepped forward onto the arena towards the youngster, Robin coming to hover worriedly somewhere next to my head. I could sense that the Ribombee was just as worried as I was at the sight before us because I recognised what was happening.


    ¡°G-good battle,¡± Ben said, holding out his hand but looking at the ground. I reached out and shook it. I was impressed that this young boy had the dignity and determination to be a good loser, even if the situation had been so one-sided against him. I was also impressed that he was still standing.


    Whiting out was a horrible sensation to go through and usually affected younger trainers after their Pokemon team were knocked out. The more Pokemon the worse the effect could be but this time it¡¯d come on quite suddenly on account of the difference in our Pokemon¡¯s strengths. There wasn¡¯t enough time to get Zigzagoon to a healing unit before Ben actually did pass out, but I had an idea.


    ¡°Ben, can you bring Zigzagoon back out please?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± the boy asked, having not been paying proper attention, swaying slightly, but he nodded a few moments later and fumbled weakly for the Pokeball.


    The Zigzagoon appeared, looking decidedly worse for wear.


    I could¡¯ve asked Leah to use a Heal Pulse, but I figured Robin would prefer to be the one to help make this all better.


    ¡°Robin, can you make a pollen puff for Zigzagoon?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Ribo,¡± he said, holding his hands out and rubbing them together, forming a small edible puff of pollen. They were often used as an actual attack but when made properly, pollen puffs could act as a healing agent too. It was a bit like an Oran or Sitrus berry, only much stronger.


    I accepted the small edible bit of pollen onto my hand and then squatted down to the Zigzagoon.


    ¡°Come on, eat up. This¡¯ll help,¡± I advised the tired looking Pokemon.


    The Zigzagoon sniffed the puff before opening its mouth and allowing me to place it on his tongue. The pollen puff dissolved almost immediately onto its tongue and the subsequent reaction was almost as quick.


    ¡°Z-zig zagoo¡­¡± The Zigzagoon got back onto his feet, looking a bit confused but far healthier.


    ¡°Zigzagoon, you¡¯re okay,¡± Ben said, recovering now himself now that the Zigzagoon has aptly recovered. He hugged the Pokemon, receiving a couple of weak licks in return.


    ¡°Come on,¡± I said, still feeling guilty. ¡°Zigzagoon still needs proper healing. There should be a healing station somewhere, we can ask that secretary.¡±


    Ben didn¡¯t object as I gently steered him away and back towards the reception.


    ***


    The enthusiastic message from Brawly this morning had been enough to let Wattson know the new trainer was at a top tier battling level. Now sat in a car on his way back to the Gym, Wattson watched through the cameras connected to his specially modified PokeNav as Harry Hemming escorted the kid trainer to the healing station. The young man didn¡¯t exactly look happy with himself, the battle had also been far too one sided. Truthfully Wattson was a bit annoyed to see Harry using his gym to have a battle in without permission. He¡¯d be speaking to Jenna about letting them do that later.


    Harry had gone out of his way to make his Pokemon take it easy on the boy and that still hadn¡¯t been enough to stop the whole thing being uncomfortably one sided. This was the reason people needed a way to judge their relative strengths with badges or terrible things could happen and it was a lesson their candidate had now learnt the hard way.


    But Harry was doing a good job of looking after the boy, making sure he was okay and recovering after that near miss. His speedy intervention to stop the boy whiting out was a good idea too. Having a Pokemon on hand that could heal wasn¡¯t a terrible idea in general. Maybe he¡¯d get a Chansey for the Gym, but they were pretty expensive to buy. The Joys controlled the supply of the healing Pokemon and weren¡¯t often keen on trainers having personal access to the healing Pokemon outside of Pokemon Centers. A Gardevoir would work, but if he got one of them then Elaine would probably stop cooking his dinners¡­


    Anyway Harry was talking to the boy right now, hopefully imparting some advice and Wattson made a note to add some speakers into his camera system. Whatever they were saying though the boy was taking it well and listening, something kids that age often struggled to do.


    Wattson honestly couldn¡¯t have hoped for a better accounting of Harry¡¯s attitude. There was no need to do anything else now he¡¯d gotten the man¡¯s measure and Wattson decided then and there that he¡¯d accept Harry Hemming¡¯s application to become a Gym Leader.


    But that boy... He had a spark to him too and Wattson was impressed by how he handled himself there against a far superior opponent. Perhaps this was one worth spending a bit of time on.

 Chapter 8

    Ben had recovered gradually over the last several minutes now that his Zigzagoon had been healed up with the Gym¡¯s healing station, the colour having returned to his cheeks. That didn¡¯t stop him looking uncomfortable though. I¡¯d still given him a shock and the boy had been fairly quiet since then.


    I didn¡¯t really know what to do about it. If Ben felt uncomfortable then the best I could do was try to put him in an environment where he didn¡¯t feel that way and that probably meant not here and not around me, the likely cause of any distress he might be feeling.


    We reentered the reception room, but it wasn¡¯t just the secretary there this time. Wattson was in the room too and he was speaking to the woman who looked like she¡¯d just tasted something sour. A Manetric was sat down beside him, watching the conversation.


    Upon hearing the automatic doors opening, both Wattson and his Pokemon turned around. His expression turning cheerful quickly, but not quick enough for me to miss the stern expression he¡¯d had just before.


    ¡°Harry Hemming!¡± The Electric type Gym Leader said. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you.¡±


    ¡°Likewise,¡± I said to this city¡¯s Gym Leader and we shook hands. Ben next to me watched the byplay with interest.


    ¡°Do you guys know each other?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve not met but I was expecting Harry here to drop by to meet up for a chat,¡± Wattson said. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to come around today though. Thought you¡¯d stop around Slateport for a day or two first. Did you teleport?¡± He glanced towards Leah who had been following behind us.


    ¡°No, we walked,¡± I said. ¡°As for Slateport, I just didn¡¯t fancy it,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°So I figured we¡¯d walk the trail up to Mauville and that didn¡¯t take too long. Sorry if I caught you by surprise.¡±


    Slateport seemed a bit too busy for me, too commercial. There would be reasons to visit in the future, the bigger cities would have access to things I would need that smaller settlements probably wouldn¡¯t, but that was for the future. Wattson raised his eyebrows and then he chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. You managed the hike up faster than I could have though!¡± Wattson shook his head. ¡°Anyway, young man,¡± he addressed Ben. ¡°I was told you came to try my Gym challenge. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah I did, but¡­ I think I probably need to train more with Zigzagoon first.¡±


    I grimaced, the guilt returning. I didn¡¯t want to turn the boy away from battling completely but it looked like I had struck his confidence a bit too hard.


    ¡°I understand, losing like that can be a big eye opener when you¡¯re just starting out,¡± Wattson said commiseratingly. He glanced in my direction. ¡°I saw your battle on the cameras on my way here,¡± he explained.


    Oh, that made sense. I nodded, not entirely surprised there were hidden cameras scattered about the building. Wattson clearly enjoyed his security features and security cameras would likely be the simplest part of the electronics included in this building.


    ¡°Anyway what¡¯s your name?¡± Wattson asked and the boy replied quickly. ¡°Well then Ben¡­ Why don¡¯t you come back tomorrow and I¡¯ll help give you a few pointers on how to train your Zigzagoon. How does that sound?¡±


    Ben¡¯s expression turned from confusion to surprise and then eagerness.


    ¡°Th-that¡¯d be awesome!¡± The boy enthused, allowing himself to be gently guided towards the door.


    ¡°Great,¡± Wattson said. ¡°You run home now and maybe pop by the Pokemon Centre too on the way and get your Zigzagoon checked out by Nurse Joy. I¡¯ll expect you back here at half past ten tomorrow, on the dot!¡±


    Ben was enthusiastically nodding and left with a smile on his face, probably off to go tell his friends what¡¯d happened today.


    Wattson sighed in satisfaction and then turned back to me.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s have a chat,¡± the Gym Leader said. ¡°Jenna¡­ I¡¯ll see you on Monday.¡±


    The secretary, who had moved away from her desk, nodded. She looked relieved and quickly vacated the building with a few muttered words I didn¡¯t catch. Wattson led me to the doorway Ben had tried passing through the first time, the one with the traps. He pulled out a keycard and swiped it by the door.


    ¡°The traps are disabled now,¡± he explained.


    Wattson led me through the building. There was a lot of metal which didn¡¯t appeal to me, but this was an Electric Gym. We didn¡¯t go through to an arena or anything. Wattson led me to a large office, dominated by a number of screens on what I assumed must be his personal work desk and there were a pair of couches in one corner of the room.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± the Gym Leader said casually, falling into one of the seats himself.


    I sat comfortably opposite him, our Pokemon each sitting beside us. Leah was by my side and Wattson¡¯s Manetric by his feet.


    It was an impressive specimen. I could see the Manectric was well cared for and large for its species but the Pokemon still showed signs of its age with a couple of light scars here or there. To have scars like that it¡¯d likely seen combat that had dealt it serious injuries modern healing couldn¡¯t fully fix or there had simply not been easy access to healing at the time. This was a Pokemon that had seen some serious battles and perhaps not just traditional trainer battles either.


    ¡°Usually a Gym should only ever host battles with the Gym Leader¡¯s permission or one of the Gym Trainers present. It¡¯s my building after all,¡± Wattson said. I grimaced and was about to respond but he put up his hand.


    ¡°No it¡¯s alright, Jenna gave you permission and you weren¡¯t necessarily to know. It¡¯s not like this comes up very often but with the season being almost over my Gym Trainers are on tour and there was nobody else about to handle things. Jenna made a¡­ mistake, shall we say.¡±


    ¡°Still I apologise,¡± I said. ¡°We could¡¯ve gone out of the Gym and found somewhere if I¡¯d really thought about it. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Wattson nodded.


    ¡°I think you learnt your lesson anyway after that scare with the Zigzagoon,¡± he said more kindly. ¡°But seeing as you were the one who battled him, what did you think of Ben?¡±


    I thought about my answer for a moment.


    ¡°He¡¯s a kid, obviously. A bit too eager, didn¡¯t want to take no for an answer,¡± I said. ¡°But he clearly cared about his Pokemon. I¡­ didn¡¯t really see if he had any skills at battling, or how strong he is though.¡±


    Wattson nodded again.


    ¡°I agree, there simply wasn¡¯t enough of an opportunity for you to gauge his strength. Hopefully Ben will return tomorrow and I¡¯ll give him a battle more to his speed. We don''t really expect much from the first couple of badge tiers as you probably know. Understanding type advantages or having a strong Pokemon is more or less all they should need to win. Later on it becomes more about the Pokemon¡¯s strength and strategy, but you¡¯ll get the hang of the level of strength a challenger should be showing with a bit of practice.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I replied, trying to commit Wattson¡¯s words to memory. ¡°I¡¯m starting to realise there¡¯s plenty more to having a Gym than I¡¯d initially expected. Roxanne gave me this folder with a bunch of things I need to know or do for legal reasons, but there¡¯s a bunch of other less obvious things I¡¯ll need to think about too.¡±


    ¡°There certainly are,¡± Wattson agreed. ¡°We all have our own individual challenges too. Mine is managing the local Electric types and making sure the city doesn¡¯t get overloaded or drained of power. Tate and Liza have to wrangle the local Psychics and their Pokemon and Roxanne of course has her trainer school that came about due to the number of inexperienced kids that go around challenging her. The job suits her though, I have to admit.¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± I said, remembering my conversation with her. ¡°For a few moments I felt like I was back in school,¡± I admitted ruefully.


    ¡°Ha! Roxanne does have that air about her. I¡¯m not surprised she wants you to sit a test either, it¡¯s what she¡¯s used to doing.¡± Wattson chuckled again and I found myself chuckling with him. Roxanne really was built for being a teacher. She had to be around my age and she still gave off those no-nonsense vibes.


    ¡°Do you want a drink?¡± Wattson asked suddenly.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed, hoping this meant I was endearing myself to the man. Wattson got up and went to an unassuming part of the wall which opened at a touch to reveal a minifridge. He pulled out a couple of bottles. Popping them open, he returned and offered me one and I thanked him before he returned to his seat.


    It was some sort of ginger ale and I withheld my reaction to the taste. it wasn¡¯t a drink I particularly enjoyed, ginger was only for biscuits as far as I was concerned. I was at least glad it wasn¡¯t alcoholic.


    ¡°When I heard you were coming to Mauville I¡¯d planned on having you run a few errands for me, but now I¡¯m not so sure what I¡¯m going to do,¡± the Gym Leader admitted.


    ¡°Yes, I guess it¡¯s a bit out of the blue for you all,¡± I admitted. I¡¯d only really started this whole thing off a few days ago and already I was speaking to the third of the Gym Leaders.


    Was I doing this all too fast? I needed to get going as soon as possible if I wanted to be even partly ready before the next season started.


    ¡°No, don''t worry. Sometimes things sneak up on us,¡± Wattson said, brushing off my concern. ¡°Truthfully you chose the right time with the season coming to a close. The rush of trainers is more or less over and the higher badge challenges will be less frequent so Wallace and the twins shouldn¡¯t be too busy for a chat either.¡±


    ¡°So what do you want to do?¡± I asked. ¡°I could always come back later if you like.¡± Leah knew how to teleport over longer distances so it wouldn¡¯t be trouble to make a return trip now she¡¯d visited Mauville.


    Wattson brought up a hand to his chin, fiddling with his beard hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to promise you anything,¡± he finally said. ¡°But there is something I¡¯d like you to do. Come around tomorrow and see how I handle Ben. It¡¯ll be a good lesson on how to handle kids and a demonstration of what low level battles should look like.¡±


    ¡°That would be great,¡± I said honestly. It was less of an obligation and more of an opportunity to learn as far as I was concerned. Simply beating lower level Pokemon and occasionally trainers was one thing, but how to battle them properly at their own level was something I¡¯d need to learn how to do.


    Shortly after I said my goodbyes and went to find somewhere to stay the night.


    ***


    Yesterday Ben had learnt a very valuable lesson about judging a book by its cover.


    That little Pokemon the man had pulled out just looked cute but it¡¯d been super strong. Mr Hemming¡¯s Pokemon had beaten Zigzagoon in just two hits and one of those didn¡¯t really count. He¡¯d never really thought about whiting out before, but now Ben understood what all the fuss was about and he definitely didn¡¯t want to experience that again.


    Now he was stood outside the tall yellow walls of the Gym again, and Ben wasn¡¯t so sure this was a good idea.


    He swallowed audibly. It was a good thing he¡¯d come on his own. Ben didn¡¯t want anyone to think he was a scaredy Meowth or something if he changed his mind at the last second. The memory of Zigzagoon only being able to brace against that Silver Wind attack shot past his eyes and Ben couldn¡¯t help but imagine what might have happened if that Ribombee had hit him any harder. Ben had been a bit upset when he¡¯d overheard Mr Hemming tell his Pokemon to be gentle but he wasn¡¯t upset anymore, just grateful he¡¯d thought to do that.


    ¡°Hmmmmm,¡± He fidgeted, resisting the urge to turn around. Ben didn¡¯t want to see his Pokemon get hurt again or to feel that powerless against a much stronger foe like Wattson definitely was. It would be so easy to just turn around and walk away. He could try again another day, couldn¡¯t he?


    But if he left now, then Ben wasn¡¯t so sure he¡¯d be coming back.


    He almost did turn around anyway, but the weight of Zigzagoon¡¯s shrunken Pokeball shifting in his pocket made him stop. This wasn¡¯t just about him, he knew. Ben had promised Zigzagoon they¡¯d work to become strong together and Ben couldn¡¯t let his friend down.


    The doors opened and Ben took a deep breath before he strode in. Ben didn¡¯t shout or anything like last time, he¡¯d¡¯ felt a bit silly after the reaction when he¡¯d done it yesterday. He¡¯d wanted to make a grand entrance, like some of the big trainers on Tv, but the only people who¡¯d seen it were that secretary lady and Harry Hemming and Ben had probably looked like a big goof in front of someone strong like him.


    In Ben¡¯s defence he¡¯d thought the man didn¡¯t have any badges and like his mum had said, it was the badges that mattered most for telling how strong someone was. Having four or five badges was really good. You had to be super strong to get six or more badges, hardly anyone was that strong.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Inside the secretary wasn¡¯t there. Instead Wattson was stood there chatting with none other than Harry Hemming.


    Next to them was the Gardevoir that belonged to Mr Hemming and also a really big, tough looking Manetric! It had to belong to Wattson.


    Ben really wanted a Manetric one day, they were super cool Pokemon and his dad used to have one too before it got sick when he was little and Ben just barely remembered playing with it sometimes. Zigzagoon was still great and Ben loved him to bits. But he still sort of wished he could find an Elektrike.


    ¡°Still trying to convince him to use something other than a Voltorb,¡± Wattson said with exasperation, continuing whatever conversation they¡¯d been having. ¡°I mean they¡¯re decent battlers, don¡¯t get me wrong, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Self Destruct is a strategy, I suppose,¡± Harry Hemming said commiseratingly and with maybe a hint of amusement. Wattson huffed.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be something for you to look forward to seeing a lot of, by the way,¡± he said with a chuckle. Mr Hemming grimaced.


    Neither of them had noticed him immediately so Ben stepped forward, ready to say hello. Then suddenly the memory of yesterday came back again and threatened to make him turn around and back out of it, but instead of doing that Ben somehow managed to square his shoulders and he bravely strode up to the two men.


    ¡°I¡¯m here like you told me, Mr Wattson,¡± he said, trying to not squirm as the gazes of both men landed on him.


    Wattson¡¯s lips pulled up into a friendly smile. Ben couldn¡¯t tell what Mr Hemming was thinking.


    ¡°Ben!¡± Wattson said. ¡°I¡¯m glad you came.¡±


    The Electric Gym Leader really reminded Ben of his grandad as he smiled warmly at him.


    ¡°I did promise I was gonna come,¡± he said, ignoring the rebellious thought reminding him that he almost hadn¡¯t. Wattson nodded, still smiling grandly and not aware of the inner embarrassment Ben was feeling.


    ¡°Well now you¡¯re here we can get started. I promised I¡¯d show you a thing or two. Come on.¡±


    He started heading in the direction Ben remembered led towards the small arena where Ben had battled Mr Hemming before.


    Mr Hemming came with them and for a moment Ben was worried he¡¯d have to battle the other man again.


    Zigzagoon¡¯s legs buckled, body going flat on the ground as a small tornado of silver tinted wind battered at him.


    But that didn¡¯t make sense. Despite a slight rising panic, Ben was sure that Wattson wouldn¡¯t expect him to battle Mr Hemming again.


    Right?


    The other man didn¡¯t say anything as they followed the Gym Leader and Ben was proven right about his suspicions when they arrived in the small battle arena from before.


    Was Mr Wattson really going to make Ben battle Mr Hemming again?


    No! Ben wasn¡¯t going to let himself be intimidated, not now he¡¯s got here. If he was going to get better as a trainer then he needed Mr Wattson¡¯s help.


    ¡°After yesterday I thought you might like another chance to show what you¡¯re made of,¡± the Gym Leader said, turning around. ¡°Do you and your Zigzagoon feel ready for a battle against me?¡±


    Oh, so he wasn¡¯t going to battle Mr Hemming, but Wattson wanted to battle him instead!


    He kind of wanted to say no¡­


    ¡°A-are you sure I¡¯m ready?¡± Ben asked. ¡°I mean¡­ you said you¡¯d give me some advice.¡±


    ¡°Oh I will,¡± Wattson said. ¡°But I¡¯ll need to know how strong you are already if I¡¯m going to do that. So first we¡¯ll need to have a little battle.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be like yesterday,¡± Mr Hemming piped in. ¡°Wattson¡¯s going to use Pokemon strong enough for a first badge challenge, not Pokemon strong enough for seventh or eighth badge battles like I did.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ben said, feeling incredibly relieved. If that Ribombee had really been that strong then maybe a battle against a weaker Pokemon would be okay. ¡°Okay then, yeah.¡±


    Mr Hemming seemed pleased he¡¯d said yes and maybe a bit relieved before heading to the side. There was a small set of stands either side of the arena where people could sit and watch the battle. Ben approached his spot on one end of the arena while Wattson took the other.


    Maybe one day it¡¯d be his parents sitting there and watching him, Ben thought and not for the first time. He¡¯d imagined that yesterday too before he¡¯d lost so badly against Mr Hemming. Now there was someone actually sitting there it became a bit more real to have an audience.


    The Gardevoir also went and sat down next to Mr Hemming and she waved with a kind smile on her face. Ben really didn¡¯t get why his mum had said they were a bad Pokemon. This Gardevoir seemed really nice.


    ¡°Righty ho!¡± Wattson said, recapturing Ben¡¯s attention. ¡°Now I did some checking and you only have one Pokemon is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ben nodded. Did he need to have more? Wattson¡¯s expression didn¡¯t reveal anything but he nodded as his Manetric sat on his hindquarters by his feet.


    ¡°Right then in that case this¡¯ll just be a one on one battle to see how you do,¡± Wattson said. ¡°Go Elektrike!¡±


    Ben was about to ask if they shouldn¡¯t summon their Pokemon at the same time like Mr Hemming had said yesterday, but then suddenly a Pokeball was being thrown forwards and Ben stumbled between hurrying to withdraw his own Pokemon while also looking at the Pokemon he¡¯d always wanted.


    ¡°Triiiike!¡± howled the small dog-like Pokemon. It barked again before turning to look back at Wattson for a second before running around in a circle, chasing it''s stubby tail in excitement.


    Ben shook his head, realising he¡¯d been staring.


    ¡°Go Zigzagoon!¡± Ben said.


    Zigzagoon appeared on the battlefield. He looked around, seeing himself in the same place as he¡¯d battled before but he didn¡¯t seem worried like Ben still kind of felt.


    ¡°This¡¯ll just be a friendly one on one battle,¡± Wattson said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about winning or losing, I just want to see what you can do. We can start whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes,¡± Ben said, nodding. ¡°Alright¡­ Zigzagoon, use Headbutt!¡±


    It was the move he¡¯d tried yesterday to absolutely no success but it was also Zigzagoon¡¯s strongest move. Ben had beaten a couple of other trainers using Headbutt and Zigzagoon had practiced it a lot on his own too.


    ¡°Use Quick Attack, Elektrike,¡± Wattson ordered.


    The Elektrike ran forward, faster than Zigzagoon was going and leaving a trail of white behind him. Ben braced himself as the two Pokemon collided.


    Bam! Their heads bashed together, both Pokemon not giving an inch but it only lasted a moment before they fell away. Zigzagoon¡¯s attack had won out against the Quick Attack and knocked Elektrike back. The green and yellow striped Pokemon rolled as it landed on the floor but quickly got back on his feet.


    ¡°Zigzagoon!¡± Zigzagoon shouted confidently and Ben felt his fist clench.


    This wasn¡¯t like yesterday. They could do this!


    ¡°Do it again Zigzagoon, I believe in you!¡± Ben shouted.


    ¡°Gooooon!¡± Zigzagoon cried, going to charge forward again.


    ¡°Not so fast!¡± Wattson said. ¡°Elektrike, try a Thunder Wave!¡±


    The Elektrike braced himself, leaning down on his paws before shooting out a spark of lightning from his tail.


    ¡°Dodge it Zigzagoon!¡± Ben cried out, but it was too late. Zigzagoon was too close and going too fast to avoid the hit. He stumbled, the corona of energy around his head faltering for a moment before he righted himself and kept on going!


    Bam! The Elektrike was knocked back again, almost all the way back towards Wattson¡¯s side of the arena.


    ¡°Okay Elektrike you¡¯ve taken a few hits but he¡¯ll be slower now. Circle around him and get ready for another Quick Attack.¡±


    Elektrike barked an affirmative and raced around to the side, Zigzagoon braced himself and turned to face it warily. Ben could see the little sparks running through Zigzagoon¡¯s fur, slowing him down.


    ¡°Get ready Zigzagoon!¡± Ben shouted. They couldn¡¯t go on the attack now. They would have to react to the Elektrike¡¯s next attack.


    ¡°Use Quick attack again!¡± Wattson suddenly ordered.


    ¡°U-use sand attack!¡± Ben said, thinking on his feet.


    Zigzagoon was barely able to kick up the dust in time, flecks of sand being shot up from the ground despite it being a solid floor and into Elektrike¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Ele!¡± The Pokemon shouted, almost missing his mark on account of the sand. He landed a glancing blow on Zigzagoon and then backed away. Shaking its head, the Elektrike stopped moving and reached up with a paw to try and rub the sand out of his eyes.


    This was their chance!


    ¡°Quick, use Headbut again!¡± Ben shouted.


    Zigzagoon was on the other Pokemon in a moment and landed a direct hit on Elektrike¡¯s side. The other Pokemon went flying and didn¡¯t roll to regather itself this time. It remained still, fainted.


    ¡°I won!¡± Ben exclaimed and a moment later Zigzagoon was jumping into his arms.


    He laughed, hugging the Pokemon back as Zigagoon¡¯s big tongue licked at his face.


    ¡°That was very impressive,¡± Wattson said, coming over. ¡°Your Zigzagoon is strong, you¡¯ve trained him well.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Ben said, spotting Mr Hemming now coming in from the stands with his own Pokemon trailing behind him.


    ¡°Want Leah to heal that Elektrike?¡± He offered. ¡°She can do the same for your Zigzagoon too,¡± he offered to Ben.¡±


    ¡°Yes please,¡± Ben said quickly. He definitely wouldn¡¯t turn down a chance to make sure Zigzagoon was completely fine after the battle.


    ¡°Hmm yes, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Wattson said as well. He brought out the Elektrike again and the green and yellow dog Pokemon flopped down almost immediately, giving off a little whine of discomfort after the battle. The Gym Leader¡¯s Manetric approached and gave the Elektrike a long lick from head to tail.


    Now they were up close to compare, it was a lot bigger than the Elektrike, Ben thought. That was a scary Pokemon Wattson had.


    The Gardevoir knelt down beside the Elektrike and Ben watched, kind of amazed as a pink light came from the Pokemon¡¯s hands. It landed on the Elektrike who shuddered, but Ben could see already that the healing was working and in less than a minute the Elektrike was back on its feet. It was even better than that Pollen Puff the Ribombee had given Zigzagoon yesterday.


    The Pokemon barked excitedly towards the Gardevoir and the Manetric said something else too, its voice a lot deeper and older sounding than the smaller green Pokemon. The Gardevoir nodded her head, replying with a smile on her face.


    Zigzagoon squirmed in Ben¡¯s arms and he let his Pokemon down where it approached the Elektrike. They said something to each other. Ben obviously couldn¡¯t tell what they were saying but as the Gardevoir commented something in response that had the two Pokemon replying happily, it seemed like there weren¡¯t any hard feelings between any of them. She began healing Zigzagoon too.


    ¡°What did you think of our battle, Harry?¡± Wattson asked.


    ¡°I think Ben did a good job,¡± Harry replied thoughtfully, looking back at the other Gym Leader. ¡°Wattson¡¯s right your Zigzagoon¡¯s strong for your level, but if you want to get a Badge then either you and Zigzagoon are going to have to train a lot harder or you¡¯ll need more Pokemon.¡±


    Ben nodded seriously. There weren¡¯t any famous Pokemon trainers who just had one Pokemon, you needed a team if you were going to make it big. Off to the side the Zigzagoon and Elektrike were running circles around the giggling Gardevoir.


    ¡°That is more or less what I was thinking,¡± Wattson said, nodding. ¡°Usually a first badge challenge involves battling two or sometimes three Pokemon and I don¡¯t think your Zigzagoon would¡¯ve been ready to take on my Magnemite after facing Elektrike.¡±


    For a moment Ben wanted to argue that maybe he could, but with Mr Hemming silently nodding in agreement he decided that maybe the Gym Leader was right.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need a full team eventually, something of a different type would be best, keep you rounded out as a trainer. Unless you plan to specialise in Normal types,¡± Mr Hemming suggested.


    ¡°I-I could get another Pokemon,¡± Ben said thoughtfully, thinking hard about how he could do that. He didn¡¯t want to specialise in Normal type Pokemon, there were tons of cool Pokemon out there and he didn¡¯t want to limit himself.


    The biggest problem was his parents had told him he could only have Zigzagoon, but maybe he could hide another Pokemon somewhere and spend his pocket money to make sure it stayed fed. He¡¯d need to catch one first. There was a family of Gulpin near his school the teachers didn¡¯t know about and they sometimes went and played with them. Maybe Ben could go and catch one of them.


    ¡°Now that is an idea,¡± Wattson said in reply to Mr Hemming. ¡°I saw the way you looked at Manetric and Elektrike before. Ben. How would you like to take Elektrike on as your second Pokemon?¡±


    Ben¡¯s mouth dropped open and he looked between the Elektrike currently playing with his Zigzagoon and back to Wattson. Mr Hemming¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°D-d¡¯you really mean that?¡± Ben asked. Wattson nodded.


    ¡°There¡¯s just one thing I¡¯d like in return,¡± the Electric type trainer replied and Ben braced himself for whatever the other man was going to ask of him. There was no way he could refuse no matter what it was.


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to become one of my sponsored Gym trainers,¡± Wattson said. ¡°Now, you¡¯ll have to train hard and come and hel-¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ben almost shouted, practically stumbling over himself to accept because that was something he definitely wanted. ¡°I¡¯ll work super hard I swear!¡±


    Wattson laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that young man. Elektrike, come here please.¡±


    Elektrike approached and sat on his haunches, looking up between Ben and Wattson.


    ¡°Elektrike, would you be happy going with Ben here and being his Pokemon from now on?¡±


    Elektrike looked thoughtful for a few seconds and Zigzagoon came and sat next to it. It looked at Zigzagoon who looked just as excited as Ben felt and then it looked back to Ben.


    There was a tense moment where Ben thought Elektrike might say no but then the Elektrike nodded, barking happily in the affirmative and Ben couldn¡¯t contain himself.


    ¡°Yes! Welcome to the team Elektrike!¡± He cheered, reaching down to hug the other Pokemon, ignoring the slight sting of static electricity on his skin because he was just so excited.


    Elektrike barked happily into his ear and then Ben was bowled over as Zigzagoon jumped in to join them.


    It was a couple of minutes before Ben managed to push the two happy Pokemon off of him. He stood up, wiping slobber off his face and saw the two adults talking off to the side, Mr Hemming was nodding to Wattson with a pleased smile on his face. They both shook hands.


    Ben approached with his two Pokemon in tow.


    Two Pokemon!


    ¡°Okay Harry I¡¯ll look forward to seeing you again in a couple of weeks,¡± Wattson said. ¡°Come on Ben, let¡¯s escort Harry out and then I suppose we need to go speak to your parents about you becoming one of my sponsored trainers.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­¡± Ben said, rubbing the back of his head.


    This was going to be awkward. They didn¡¯t know he was here or anything about what¡¯d happened yesterday.


    But Ben was sure his parents would say yes, even if he probably would be grounded for going off on his own and challenging the Gym and stuff without telling them.


    Because you didn¡¯t turn down an offer of sponsorship from a Pokemon Gym. It was the best way to get your career as a trainer properly started and his mum would definitely want him to try. She¡¯d even been talking about enrolling him in a trainer school before it turned out they were too expensive. Now Ben was going to get loads of help with training and learning how to look after Pokemon and everything and it wouldn¡¯t even cost any money!


    And he now had two Pokemon on top of all that! That would be great for now, Ben thought, but Mr Hemming¡¯s comments about needing more Pokemon came to mind as the man waved goodbye and the door and headed off to wherever he was going next.


    ¡°Man I should totally get a Gardevoir, they¡¯re kinda awesome,¡± Ben muttered, watching the green and white Pokemon walking off beside the other trainer. A Pokemon that could do healing seemed like a really good idea to have. Plus they were Psych-


    Wattson suddenly choked and began coughing.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± he said, trying to recover and holding up a hand to ward off any offer of help.


    ¡°Just, whatever you do,¡± he said, continuing to cough and wheeze a little bit as he spoke. ¡°Please don¡¯t say that to your parents.¡±

 Chapter 9

    After finishing with Mauville we headed out north straight away. The fourth Gym was Lavaridge which was run by Flannery in the games but currently under the control of Moore, her grandfather. He was a former Elite Four member and undoubtedly was a strong trainer with lots of experience. Wattson had said he wanted to battle me, so I had that to look forward to.


    There were other ways to reach Lavaridge, but once again I had chosen to take the route prescribed by the games I remembered. Which meant I needed to head up the cable car to the top of Mt Chimney and then I would hike down the mountain and reach Lavaridge that way. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d manage it all today. We would probably stop and spend the night somewhere up near the mountain.


    The tall industrialised buildings of Mauville became more sparse, shrinking down as we left northwards. Flora claimed more and more of the environment the further we walked and the paved road became a dirt path with more trees and the pleasing sounds of nature returning. Instead of the sound of cars and city streets I started to hear bird Pokemon twittering and the rustle of leaves in the trees. A Tailow flew overhead, inspecting us before continuing on its way and as we continued, a couple of grass Pokemon lazily sunned themselves near a lake and I saw a small house  just off in the distance. Someone who probably wanted their privacy but wasn¡¯t willing to completely forego the benefits of being within easy travelling distance of civilization.


    But nature wasn¡¯t entirely free of human progress.


    The sounds of machinery and workmen were loud and we followed the noise to see what was going on. It was a building currently under construction, a tower of some sort and it was tall and sleek with lots of metal and glass. It was being partly built into the mountainside which surprised me as that seemed more difficult than simply building it somewhere else but it wasn¡¯t like I knew whether that was actually the case. Curious, I approached to get a better look.


    As we came near Leah gestured to the side and I saw that I wasn¡¯t the only person interested in whatever building this was.


    There was a woman and a man. The woman dressed in stylish short white pants that hugged her legs and a loose blue top while the man was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. The significant difference in their outfits made sense as he didn¡¯t need to be in front of the camera he was pointing at the woman, who with her microphone was clearly a reporter of some kind. Something felt vaguely familiar about them, but I couldn¡¯t place it. I decided to keep my distance, not wanting to disturb whatever report they were doing.


    There were a lot of people working with machinery or by hand. I spotted a few Fighting types who were assisting the workmen, carrying heavy loads and mixing cement alongside their human partners. Despite the help of Pokemon to make some of the work easier it wasn¡¯t doing much to reduce the amount of noise being produced.


    There was a woman wearing a hard hat and an orange high-vis jacket who was also holding a clipboard and seemed to be issuing instructions. She spotted me in the distance, stopped what she was doing and approached us.


    ¡°Woah there!¡± she shouted over the sound of machinery. She approached, holding up two hands and waving them as if to ward me off. I stopped, figuring that was what she wanted, but it wasn¡¯t like I was anywhere close to the building work.


    I didn¡¯t know terribly much about construction. I¡¯d never really done much manual labour in this life, or the one before for that matter. But still, I hadn¡¯t exactly approached too close and I was behind the boundary line they had set up with tape which I figured was to stop people, or at least to mark dangerous zones.


    The woman arrived in front of me, close enough to speak more clearly. She was a tall, mature woman somewhere in her forties or fifties.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be here fella,¡± she said, looking between myself and Leah. She had an accent that sounded vaguely Welsh for some reason. ¡°This isn¡¯t a place for a battle, move along.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to battle,¡± I replied quickly, surprised that that was what the woman thought I was doing. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you get trainers trying to battle you guys out here?¡±


    With a look of relief on her face that I wasn¡¯t going to cause any problems, the woman nodded.


    ¡°All the bloody time,¡± she said. ¡°Kids and even a few adults who won¡¯t take no for an answer I tell you. We put up signs, but I¡¯m not convinced half of them can even read. That¡¯s before I get into the wild Rock Pokemon coming in when we¡¯re not looking and trying to drink the concrete while it¡¯s still setting.¡±


    Indeed, as she pointed behind herself I finally noticed there was a sign saying ¡°NO POKEMON BATTLES,¡± which I hadn¡¯t managed to see either, apparently, which was to my slight embarrassment. But even in my past life if I had come upon this situation as a tween I¡¯d like to think I would have still had more sense than to enter an ongoing construction site to try and force a Pokemon battle like this site manager was describing.


    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± I replied, thinking back to my encounter at the Mauville Gym. ¡°What is this place going to be anyway?¡± I gestured to the half finished building.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a big battle center, multiple floors and all sorts,¡± the builder replied easily. ¡°A guy out of Johto wants to build somewhere to host battle tournaments and other sorts of contests. This was where he wanted it, not sure why.¡± She shrugged.


    ¡°Sounds like a big project,¡± I replied. The building itself was already several stories high as it stuck out of the mountain and I couldn¡¯t guess how tall it was going to be once it was finished. ¡°Do you get a lot of projects like this? Places for Pokemon battles, that is.¡±


    ¡°Nothing this big before,¡± the builder admitted. ¡°But I¡¯ve done one or two stadiums and the Contest Halls are pretty much the same thing. Listen, anyway, thanks for not causing any problems but I¡¯ve gotta get back to work.¡± I nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Do you have a card maybe?¡± I asked, making the builder turn back to me. ¡°I might have some work for your company soon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I do,¡± she replied, sounding intrigued and a bit more friendly at the prospect of getting more work. ¡°Wait there, I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡±


    She went back and shouted some orders to her crew that I couldn¡¯t hear over the sound of the machinery at work and then came back a few minutes later with a plaster covered card in hand.


    The woman offered me her hand to shake. ¡°Call me Phil.¡±


    Phil had a firm grip and large hands that seemed to dwarf mine as I greeted her properly. They felt coarse against my softer hands, showing a bit of the difference in our respective professions. Pokemon battling did require a bit of labour here and there, but truthfully the majority of the work was done on the Pokemon¡¯s parts.


    ¡°Pleasure,¡± I replied. I stepped back, ready to leave Philippa to get back to what she was doing. ¡°Any idea when you¡¯ll be finished here to start on something new?¡±


    Phil shook her head side to side, working over the answer.


    ¡°Give it a couple of months before we can start construction on something else,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be finished here by then, but if you speak to our offices then they can start on the architectural side of things before then.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound too bad. I¡¯d probably prefer to be set up before the next season started but that might be wishful thinking. Construction projects tended to be bogged down in delays and unforeseen expenses exponentially proportional to their size. I doubted my own Gym would be ready in time even if I got things going right away today.


    I¡¯d struck lucky. might¡¯ve found someone to build my own Pokemon Gym when the time came. I mentally chastised myself in the next moment. I should¡¯ve asked Wattson before for any advice about this, Of all the Gym Leaders he would know more about construction, having been involved in building New Mauville.


    I thanked Phil for her time and then said farewell.


    ¡°Keep an eye out for Graveller!¡± Phil shouted after me. I turned and waved, nodding in thanks before continuing on my way.


    Heading back onto the path north towards Lavaridge I couldn¡¯t help but feel quite satisfied that I¡¯d lucked out on finding a builder who seemed competent.


    Also this battle tower, whatever it was, seemed interesting. Maybe once I was established as a Gym Leader we could come back and check this place out.


    Wild Pokemon were often pretty territorial. There were plenty of examples of how interfering with the local environment could cause problems and people had mostly learnt their lesson about human encroachment. But with that big building being built I wasn¡¯t surprised that they had gotten worked up a bit regardless of whatever efforts Phil¡¯s people had done to minimise their impact.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    So after the warning from Phil I took it to heart and decided to bring out some more members of my team. Robin was now out hovering higher up in the air and looking for trouble. Happy was out too, his Water typing might prove fortuitous if we encountered particularly strong Graveller or Golem which is what I anticipated but I remembered the small army of Diglett from the old anime that had protested the dam that was being built so I wanted to be ready just incase. Happy took a lookout spot standing on my shoulder, one of the benefits of being as small as he was.


    It seemed my preparations were worthwhile because Robin floated down, gesturing to the side and telling us that there were some dangerous Pokemon approaching. A moment later a pair of Graveler suddenly burst out from behind a hill, only fifty yards or so away, apparently annoyed at our proximity.


    Up for a fight, the two Rock/Ground types were already rolling towards us at speed with a Rollout attack.


    ¡°Robin, slow them down with Silver Wind,¡± I ordered. I didn¡¯t want to hurt them too much. Silver Wind was Bug typed so the Graveller would hopefully not be hurt too badly if they happened to be too weak, regardless of how unfair it was for them to be attacking random strangers like this.


    ¡°Ribuu,¡± my Ribombee said, hovering in front of us and frowning at the two Graveler as they came closer. He crossed his arms, not intimidated by their approach. He was far too fast for them to hit him, but that wasn¡¯t going to be an issue.


    Halfway to us, the two Graveler bounced up on a rocky outcropping, doubtlessly intending to sail through the air and collide with us directly.


    Robin spun around in a circle several times, building up the power of the attack before flinging a small tornado of Silver Wind towards the oncoming Pokemon.


    The Graveler were heavy and they had momentum on their side which was why the Silver Wind didn¡¯t stop them entirely. They hit the ground far short of their destination and with their Rollout attacks interrupted the way ti had been that was enough. Their weight and remaining momentum from rolling dug them partially into the ground, forcing both Pokemon to have to stop theri attack and dig themselves out of the earth.


    ¡°Grav!¡± Shouted the one on the right threateningly, looking to its companion which likewise looked very angry. Robin hovered in the air in front of me, arms crossed and a stern look upon his face as he told the belligerent Pokemon off, or at least that¡¯s what I assumed was happening.


    It seemed like Robin¡¯s attack and subsequent warning wasn¡¯t enough to entirely put them off their aggression. More words were exchanged, the Graveler gesturing towards us, no me as they spoke and I felt Leah suddenly stiffen from her position holding my arm.


    ¡°Gard?¡± She asked, letting go of me and gliding forwards serenely, tilting her head as she beheld the two Rock types. ¡°Garde voir voooir?¡±


    A hazy sheen formed around her as she prepared an attack, Fairy energy building between her hands.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t kill them,¡± I ordered quickly. Leah could sometimes get overzealous if she thought i was being threatened and I could still sense the energy building.


    Suddenly, Happy leapt from my shoulder.


    The small blue mouse Pokemon sailed through the air over the Gardevoir who hesitated at seeing the Marill overhead. Happy appeared between the two Graveler, his tail already shining with the telltale sheen of an Iron Tail. In midair he spun around, dealing a harsh blow to each Graveller¡¯s side, the sound of metal on rock and that rock breaking as the bulb on Happy¡¯s tail struck true.


    Both Graveler were sent flying several yards away, their weight not letting them travel far before they dug a pair of furrows in the terrain. Both were rendered unconscious.


    The danger averted I approached and upon inspection they were injured, but alive. Rock types like these would be fine after eating some actual rocks, which made up part of their biology.


    Hopefully these two had learnt their lesson about attacking random passersby. Meanwhile Happy had landed on his feet and then began to bounce up and down with a familiar delighted expression.


    ¡°Marill!¡± Happy called cheerfully. ¡°Ma mari rill marill!¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief as Leah¡¯s stiff posture relaxed, the tension in the moment dissipating along with the attack she had been preparing.


    ¡°Garde devoir,¡± Leah said, sounding slightly put out as she spoke to Happy.


    ¡°Marill!¡± Was Happy¡¯s response. He bounced over and Leah was forced to catch him in her arms. The Gardevoir turned back towards me, she was pouting while holding the smaller Pokemon up against her belly, just under her chest horn. It was hard to be upset with Happy, he was just too cheerful.


    ¡°Good Job Happy,¡± I said, making ready to quickly vacate the area and keep moving before something else happened. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    But I had spoken too soon.


    ¡°That, was, amazing! Did you get all of that?!¡±


    We turned as one to behold the reporter and her cameraman from before.


    ¡°Sure did,¡± the cameraman replied to the reporter¡¯s obvious excitement.


    ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Gabby and this is Ty from PokeNews,¡± the reporter said, coming a bit closer. ¡°Your Marill isn''t just strong, he¡¯s adorable too!¡± Gabby said as she came to a stop a polite distance away.


    ¡°Marill!¡± Happy said cheerfully, wiggling in place, still held close by Leah.


    ¡°Thank¡­you?¡± I replied, a bit nonplussed at the sudden attention. I hadn¡¯t noticed the reporters at all and it seemed neither had my Pokemon. Apparently my words were all the permission Gabby needed to step forward and shove her microphone at me.


    ¡°Can I get a few words about that battle we just saw? How did it make you feel?¡± Gabby asked.


    Ah, suddenly I remembered. These were the duo that you found on Route 111 in the games. They jumped around the map a bit and you could battle them several times in the games. After battling them you could see a little report on your battle with them on any in-game Tv later on.


    It looked like I wasn¡¯t going to be keeping as low a profile as I¡¯d hoped¡­ I thought to myself, mentally apologising to the Gym Leaders. Hopefully they would understand this wasn¡¯t deliberate on my part, but it looked like I was going to be on Tv.


    ***


    It had been a long day of sorting out the Gym Pokemon. So many Slugma¡­ They just kept breeding lately. Slugma were a staple Pokemon that Lavaridge gave out to the few kids that were good enough to get a beginner sponsorship from the Gym. Slugma and Magcargo were the hottest Pokemon they had in the Gym and they required very high temperatures to remain comfortable, beyond even Flannery¡¯s comfort level after a while. But lately the numbers had increased a bit too much and she¡¯d had to spend a good few hours in their caves making sure they were all fed and comfortable. Flannery was sure at this rate that her grandpa was going to send her up Mt Chimney to release a bunch of them into the wild. It wasn¡¯t something they usually did, but it was necessary to keep the Gym running smoothly.


    It wasn¡¯t like Flannery was against a bit of heat, she was well used to it given her specialty typing but it had gotten to be a bit too much by the end. So as soon as the day was over she¡¯d grabbed a cold shower and then thrown on her PJs before flopping down on the couch to relax a bit before going to bed.


    ¡°Coal,¡± Torkoal greeted her. She was sat waiting for her alongside a dozing Arcanine and Houndoom. Arcanine had his head lying on top of Torkoal¡¯s warm shell while Houndoom was curled up next to them both, leaning against Arcanine¡¯s furry side. A small puff of smoke came out of Torkoal¡¯s nostrils before dissipating into the air and then she went to rest her head back against the floor. The smoke could¡¯ve been a problem but Flannery had had air filters installed. They were expensive but they made it so she could have her starter out in the house. Torkoal, Houndoom and Arcanine were her only Pokemon that didn¡¯t constantly pose a risk of setting fire to the house and were small enough to fit inside. No matter how flame retardant everything was or how careful they were, her Rapidash and Magcargo simply couldn¡¯t help themselves. Camerupt was unfortunately just too big, to her embarrassment the first time after evolving when she¡¯d tried to get into the house.


    Anyway, her grandpa was over at his poetry club so she had the house to herself. It meant she could watch what she liked for once.


    The Tv turned on and it had been left on PokeNews, a news channel that was half journalistic news reporting, half just interesting Pokemon stories. Flannery probably would¡¯ve just changed the channel but then she saw the current feature.


    A Marill fell from above and in an impressive display of agility knocked out a pair of Graveller in one hit each. Flannery raised her eyebrows. She¡¯d seen the excited messages from Brawly about Harry Hemming¡¯s Marill and when the camera cut to the interview with the trainer of the Marill on the screen Flannery was sure almost immediately that this was the guy. He fit the description to a tee which was office clothes, glasses and brown hair. The Gardevoir she spotted in the background holding the Marill in her hands was just extra confirmation.


    ¡°- a nuisance. Wild Pokemon don¡¯t often differentiate between different groups of humans and I suspect they were aggravated by the building works a mile or so back. I¡¯m glad I encountered them before someone with less experience of wild areas did, otherwise they might¡¯ve been taken by surprise and seriously hurt.¡±


    ¡°You sound like you¡¯ve got experience with wild Pokemon like this,¡± the excited reporter replied. ¡°Are you a travelling trainer? Perhaps on the Gym circuit?¡±


    Flannery leaned forwards with interest. Hopefully Harry wasn¡¯t about to give the game away.


    ¡°Just travelling,¡± Harry said, before shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m a writer so I¡¯ve done a bit of travelling around the regions looking for inspiration.¡±


    Of course the next question after that was obvious. If Harry was a writer then what had he written? Harry paused for a few moments in indecision before apparently deciding to answer.


    ¡°Trainers Colliding,¡± he said and after a moment of surprise, Flannery¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    Trainers Colliding was written by Hermione Hemsworth. At least that¡¯s what the title on the books said. Apparently Harry Hemming hadn¡¯t tried very hard at his pseudonym¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± Flannery said as the reporter immediately pounced on the revelation because apparently she knew that series too. Flannery would never have guessed that the new Gym Leader guy would be the one who wrote her favourite book series, that he¡¯d be the guy who¡¯d decided what happened¡­


    She suddenly jumped up to her feet.


    ¡°Come on guys, we''re gonna get some training done!¡± Flannery declared with determination her Pokemon roused at her outburst and looked at her in confusion.


    Her grandpa might want to battle him but he could just sit down and wait for his turn darnit! Flannery would never forgive Harry Hemming for killing off her favourite character!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Claudia, I will avenge you!¡± Flannery shouted, leading her bemused Pokemon out towards the training yard.

 Chapter 10

    It took a while to finally get away from Gabby and Ty. She had had plenty of questions for me, some of which I had answered and others I had avoided. One or two had come awfully close to hinting that I was on the journey to become a new Gym Leader, if I¡¯d answered them correctly. She had been more interested in the brief battle against the Graveler and Happy had cheerfully taken up the majority of the cameraman¡¯s attention.


    Interviewing wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d ever done before. But if I was going to become a Gym Leader then I was going to have to have a public profile now. Gym Leaders were major entities in their local sphere, technically a government institution, and I couldn¡¯t just hide from the less palatable obligations that came with the job.


    Having to change a part of what had been my lifestyle up until now wasn¡¯t enough to put me off though, I had known this would happen, just not so soon. I¡­ also knew that introversion wasn¡¯t exactly good for me, it was too easy to get stuck in my own head sometimes. people. My team were family, but a bit more human interaction would probably be good for me.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m rushing this? I mean about the Gym Leader thing,¡± I asked my Pokemon.


    Leah, Robin and Happy were still out, Robin insisting on staying out to keep an eye out for any other surprises and Happy just because he wanted to stay out and keep us company. He liked being with us and I enjoyed his weight on my shoulder.


    My sudden question elicited a bit of surprise from them. Leah was the first to respond with a shake of her head and a murmured noise of encouragement. Happy replied in his own tongue, something that I felt meant he agreed with Leah while Robin thought on the question for a bit longer.


    ¡°Ribbo,¡± he said, shaking his head slowly. He had always been the more thoughtful member of the team so his agreement with the other two Pokemon meant a lot.


    It was at that point that a couple of Marill appeared out of the tall grass. Upon seeing us the two small Pokemon froze.


    ¡°Marilll!¡± Happy called from my shoulder, waving his hand. ¡°Marill Mar!¡±


    That was odd. I didn¡¯t think you could find Marill out this far north. Maybe if we¡¯d stayed a bit closer to the lake we had passed before, but not all the way out here where there were only a few streams and brooks to provide moisture for Water types.


    The two Marill unfroze a second after Happy¡¯s greeting. They turned and approached and Happy jumped down to say hello. But it was clear in the following exchanges that the wild Marill were left confused and then uncomfortable by my Pokemon and not long after we¡¯d met them they fled back into the grass as if they¡¯d never been there at all.


    Happy slumped slightly in response to the rejection. I slowly approached and picked him up before setting him back on my shoulder.


    ¡°Hey don¡¯t worry about it buddy,¡± I told him as he settled back in place. ¡°Once we have the Gym set up I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll make lots of friends with the local Pokemon.¡±


    Marill were usually very docile and not eager to battle unless they had a trainer behind them. I knew it didn¡¯t need to be said that Happy was definitely an outlier in terms of strength.


    Innate abilities like Overgrow or Blaze were difficult to pin down the cause of, whether they were quirks of biology or effects akin to the attacks and other feats Pokemon could perform. Happy as best I could tell definitely held the True Power ability, or whatever its name was. My memory wasn¡¯t exactly perfect unfortunately. Not that the actual name mattered. I wouldn¡¯t have known the likely cause of Happy¡¯s strength unless I¡¯d spent some time trolling through build calculators and such back in my previous life. Regardless that it made him strong, it was that ability that I felt had left him something of an outcast amongst his own kind.


    Happy cuddled my head in response to my reassuring words but was still uncharacteristically solemn for a while as we approached Mt Chimney. No doubt that encounter had brought back some unwanted memories. I originally found him alone out in the wilds in Johto, battling random trainers. After befriending him, I¡¯d learnt he¡¯d left his old home, or been forced to leave. Regardless that Happy¡¯s supposedly unnatural strength had made him an outcast amongst his own kind, he was part of our family now and that wouldn¡¯t be changing as far as I was concerned.


    The grassy terrain gave way to harsher rock and gravel and the air became a bit more warm and dry. This was not just a mountain, it was a volcano, one with real laval at its peak. At least as far as I was aware. I remembered the big pool of lava you get to see in the games and I knew that Mt Chimney regularly chucks up a load of volcanic ash into the atmosphere on the regular.


    ¡°And there¡¯s the cable car,¡± I said, spotting the coloured cars making their way up the mountain slowly.


    There was also supposed to be a cave somewhere, with Machop and a few fire types but I didn¡¯t see any signs indicating an entrance or anything. I might¡¯ve chosen to go and take a look but we were kind of on a timetable and after a relaxing stroll so far today we needed to get a bit of a move on. It wasn¡¯t like there would be anything particularly interesting there anyway.


    There weren¡¯t many people beyond the staff when I entered, which meant that we could all hop into a cable car on our own. It travelled slowly up the mountain, wobbling a bit but not so much as to be uncomfortable and going a bit higher above the ground, over the sparse trees that dotted the side of the volcano and we reached the point where I started to feel a pit of discomfort in my belly.


    It was the height that was the issue. It gave me vertigo, something I¡¯d never been able to shake off even after being reincarnated in this life. Intellectually knowing it was safe didn¡¯t help, the swaying of the cable car made me instinctively tense up at the idea of finding ourselves falling, regardless of the fact that even if we did, that Leah would be abel to safely teleport us away in seconds.


    My Pokemon were obviously made of much sterner stuff than I was and didn''t show any signs of discomfort. I felt Leah¡¯s hand on my shoulder, offering silent support. I offered her a weak smile in return, partly embarrassed and also annoyed at myself. I just wanted to force myself past this. The memory of once being stuck in a sodding tree, only a few metres above the ground coming back to me. I¡¯d been seventeen at the time, at some group activity thing with my college and I¡¯d had an audience for that particular fiasco.


    I took a deep breath and forced myself to ignore the vertigo as best I could  and forced myself to instead of dwelling on what was directly beneath me to look out across the landscape, which for whatever stupid reason didn¡¯t have the same effect.


    It was indeed an impressive view and my Pokemon all leaned up against the glass in front of me to get their first real view of the Hoenn landscape.


    From our elevation we could see much of the southern and eastern landmass that belonged to Hoenn. There was the desert to the east and further on lush forests and waterways leading to Fortree. To the south were the more flat plains leading to the ocean and the metals and greys of the human occupied cities stuck out clearly from the otherwise natural landscape. Despite that, it was clear that Hoenn, like much of the rest of the world, was predominantly unoccupied by humanity. This was a Pokemon world, we just happened to live in it too.


    It was eventually time to get off and I felt myself relax now I was back on solid ground. The cable car had come to a stop somewhere near the top of the volcano and we vacated our arrival point and began the trek down the mountain towards Lavaridge.


    There were more trees here on the southern side. I knew Falarbor town did a lot of planting of trees and Lavaridge probably did too, which I imagined was meant as a means of stopping potential landslides.


    We began the fairly slow hike down. Maybe if we had hurried we could have reached the town before nightfall but we weren¡¯t really in a hurry. It wasn¡¯t even raining ash from the volcano right now. So we found ourselves a nice little patch of flatter earth surrounded by the sparse trees which helped reduce some of the wind coming our way. Then it was time to set up the tent.


    ¡°Come on out everyone,¡± I said, releasing my other three Pokemon to help set up the camp.


    My Marill, Gardevoir and Ribombee were soon joined by the other three. Ielle looked around with interest at our new environment while Kira¡¯s eyes lit up upon seeing me and the Sylveon¡¯s ribbons immediately began to wrap around my limbs and torso. It was something I was well used to right now. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The sixth member of the team bounced up in the air, looking around excitedly.


    ¡°Whim!¡± called out Bud, my Whimsicott. She jumped up into the air, her incredibly light weight and the big bob of cotton on her head allowing her to take to the air currents easily when she wanted to. I¡¯d found that it was less her always being lightweight and more something she chose to do. Whimsicott had some innate ability to decide that gravity didn¡¯t apply to them when it didn¡¯t suit.


    Bud floated up, looking around the new environment and quickly spotted Robin who was being responsible and scouting the area for potential trouble.


    ¡°Ribbo!¡± Robin said to the other Pokemon, flying away from her quickly as Bud approached with a big smile on her face. Robin was the one who handled Bud¡¯s antics the least well out of all of us. My Whimsicott was a prankster and Robin had never quite figured out that she probably wouldn¡¯t bother him as much if he stopped reacting to her.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s set up the tent,¡± I reminded everyone else why we were here.


    My tent wasn¡¯t too big, enough for four people to lie comfortably, or one person and several small to medium sized Pokemon. If it weren¡¯t for the more exciting technology of this world I wouldn¡¯t have been able to carry it with us the way I did. I¡¯d have needed to dress for travelling properly, with a backpack and everything else.


    The tent and most of my other camping gear was easily stored in fancy capsules that acted as storage containers, or perhaps they would be better described as being like the capsules from Dragonball but either way I knew it was some adaptation of Pokeball technology that made it work.


    The tent popped into position in a burst of light not unlike a Pokemon being released from thor Pokeball. Ielle¡¯s Iron Head worked like a hammer to put the pegs deep into the ground and guarantee we wouldn¡¯t be blowing away and that was pretty much it.


    The tent set up, it was time to start thinking about food. Fairy types liked sweet things, or at least strong tasting things as long as there was an element of sweetness to them. Each of my Pokemon had a meal plan tailored for them and their species, all of them having a secondary typing that required specific nutrients. Because of all that it was often fairly simpler to prepare one larger meal that was predominantly sweet tasting to cater to their Fairy typing and then make a few smaller changes to each individual meal.


    Leah and Ielle began helping me, Leah because she was genuinely a helpful and sweet Pokemon, Ielle because it meant she could sneak a few nibbles of extra food when she thought nobody was looking.


    Kira was a lazy bones and contented himself by rubbing up against my side, ribbons continuing to wrap around me affectionately. Happy meanwhile was bouncing up and down, cheering as he watched the impromptu aerial game of tag going on above us.


    ¡°Whiiim si cooot!¡± Bud shouted excitedly, chasing after Robin who looked increasingly annoyed as he tried to scope out our surroundings, not that I fancied there would be many Pokemon willing to bother a group as large as ours or one this high up on the mountain.


    Then Robin¡¯s patience apparently wore thin and my Pokemon shot out a controlled Silver Wind attack at the Whimsicott.


    Bud¡¯s eyes widened in sudden surprise as she was pushed away, but not just that. The Silver Wind pushed her up and over the treeline and once she was out of that protection the natural wind coming around the mountain was strong enough to carry her away.


    ¡°Whiiiiiim!¡± Bud shouted in sudden panic. I sighed, this was why I tried not to have both of them out together. This sort of thing just kept happening¡­ Bud wouldn¡¯t leave Robin alone, Robin¡¯s temper would inevitably wear out and Bud was a drama queen.


    I was about to intervene and remind Bud that she could summon an actual hurricane if needs be to push herself back down to us, but the crisis was averted for me when the faint shimmer of Psychic energy surrounded the Pokemon and it was Leah who pulled Bud back down to earth. Bud wailed dramatically, putting on crocodile tears as she hugged my Gardevoir. She seemed to be making it out like Leah had just saved her life, instead of helping her avoid having to save herself from a predicament that was really of her own making and one that wasn¡¯t actually that serious given the circumstances.


    Leah stopped helping me with the food preparation to wrap her arms into the Whimsicott¡¯s soft hair, patting her head affectionately. Leah mildly chastised the contrite looking Robin and I tactfully ignored the stink eye which I spotted Bud shoot Robin from her position in my starter¡¯s arms. It was all harmless antics and I knew Leah wasn¡¯t so blind as she pretended, she¡¯d scold either of them if they were really getting at each other. So I concentrated on finishing the meal preparations instead.


    ¡°Who¡¯s hungry?¡± I asked, capturing the attention of six pairs of eyes. Bulk storage tech made it fairly easy to prepare lots of food in advance and even keep it mostly warm, meaning it was pretty quick to get our meals ready.


    Not too long later and with six voracious appetites sated, alongside my own less voracious need for food, we stopped to relax as the sun moved closer and closer to the horizon. I spent a little while reading through Roxanne¡¯s notes on Gym management and legalese, but the setting sun left it too dark after a while and I abandoned the task for the time being to sit and relax properly with my team, who were already gathered pretty close.


    With six Pokemon, one who was particularly fluffy, the bits of wind that snuck through the trees didn¡¯t bother me at all as the seven of us gravitated together.


    I wasn¡¯t necessarily going to miss every part of travelling around the way we had been. But moments like this I was going to miss. The peaceful quiet of being sat here in my own little bubble with nobody to bother me, just my Pokemon for company. Being able to lie here and enjoy the night sky above us for a little while before heading inside the warmer confines of the tent and going to sleep. That I certainly would miss.


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s him! Mum, look!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to shout. Your mother¡¯s right here,¡± Kaleb reminded his son but he too looked excited as they beheld Mr Harry Hemming, the man with the mysterious pink and white Pokemon they had encountered a few days ago. ¡°Go get the PokeNav, it¡¯s on my bedside table.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Timmy replied, jumping up and racing through the house, something he shouldn¡¯t be doing, but Kaleb would let this one go under the circumstances.


    ¡°So not only does he have a special Pokemon but he¡¯s a writer too and of all things Trainers Colliding,¡± Isabel said thoughtfully, bouncing baby Kyle on her knee.


    ¡°Do you know it?¡± Kaleb asked. He vaguely recalled the name but it wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d read.


    ¡°Sandra recommended it to me but I never tried it,¡± Isabel admitted. ¡°Lola and Chandler¡¯s mother,¡± she said, apparently realising that Kaleb didn¡¯t know who she was referring to.


    They must have been some of Timmy¡¯s classmates but Kaleb honestly couldn¡¯t recall them either.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I remember,¡± he lied. Kaleb had been married long enough to know there was no reason to reveal even more ignorance about something he should know. otherwise it would only annoy his wife. But in his defence all the other mothers sort of blended into one another after a while, especially when you only ever saw most of them just once or twice a year.


    Timmy hurried back in, carrying the PokeNav which he offered to Kaleb and Kaleb took it from him, quickly unlocking it and opening the webpage with the FanDex.


    ¡°Okay I¡¯ve updated the forums,¡± he said a few minutes later. ¡°If he¡¯s on Route 111 then he must be on his way to Falarbor or Lavaridge and that ought to be just under a week of travelling by foot. Hopefully someone there will see this and spot him.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh!¡± Isabel squeed, hugging Kyle up against her bosom while her Plusle and Minun watched with a tiny bit of jealousy in their expressions. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to find out about that Pokemon!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡± Timmy said. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s strong?¡±


    Their son¡¯s Elektrike barked in excited agreement with his trainer¡¯s question.


    ¡°Who knows,¡± Kaleb replied. ¡°But remember it¡¯s not just about how strong or cute a Pokemon is. We should love all Pokemon regardless of either of those things.¡±


    Timmy nodded, not replying verbally and Kaleb knew his son wasn¡¯t really listening to the advice. It was the sort of thing you say to children younger than him now and it was a bit of a holdover from back when he was little. Timmy was old enough now to form his own opinions about what he personally liked in a Pokemon, it¡¯s why they¡¯d let him get an Elektrike of all things even though they were supposed to be quite the handful to look after on account of being so energetic. Elektrike needed exercise at least two times a day.


    ¡°But his Marill is very strong considering what species it is, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if this mystery Pokemon is strong either way,¡± Kaleb admitted as Isabel replayed the recording of the battle again, having rewound it on their Tv. That was really one strong Marill. The strongest Marill he¡¯d ever seen had been in one of the local contests and despite a type advantage it¡¯d still been knocked out by a Combusken in the finals. Losing a contest battle by knockout didn¡¯t often happen, which is why it¡¯d stuck in Kaleb¡¯s mind.


    His Plusle jumped into his lap and Kaleb distractedly scratched him behind the ears as they watched the Marill on the Tv knock out both of those wild Graveler again. It was something which had Timmy watching with interest. Cuter Pokemon weren¡¯t often considered strong. It was the big scarier types that were mainly seen in the battling scene.


    And it wouldn¡¯t be top long now until Timmy became a teenager, Kaleb thought wistfully as they rewatched the interview with Harry Hemming on the Tv. Then Timmy would probably decide he was too cool to play games with his dad anymore and everything else that went along with puberty. He¡¯d probably also want to go on a Pokemon journey too. It was both an exciting and worrying thought. Kaleb had never gone on a Pokemon journey, not everyone did, but Timmy definitely would want to.


    Well as long as he was safe, Kaleb thought to himself. If Timmy did go out on a journey he¡¯d also be able to go out and meet a bunch of interesting and cute Pokemon too, so there was that a least.


    By the end of the evening there hadn¡¯t been any response on the forums, but Kaleb knew that now they had identified its trainer, they were now one step closer to figuring out what the mystery Pokemon was!

 Chapter 11

    I woke up, coughing suddenly and I quickly spat out the end of the ribbon that had just slipped into my open mouth.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± I groaned, stretching as best I could while being held down at various points, mainly on half of me. Kira completely held down my right side. Facing away from me, he was pushing his head up under mine and some of his ribbons were mostly wrapped around my torso and my arm, holding it against his chest. As usual, it meant I¡¯d have to unwrap myself if I wanted to get up. However, experience told me that it would be a losing battle without waking up the Sylveon first as if I did manage to undo one of the ribbons it would only rewind itself while I was busy with one of the others.


    As for the other Pokemon, they would be far less of a problem but between them they still made it challenging. Bud was snoring into my left leg, having slipped in between myself and Leah, who was cuddling my left arm. I could just about sense Robin somewhere above my head, a small hand holding onto a bit of my hair and I could feel Ielle holding onto my right calf.


    I slowly pushed myself up, which made Kira¡¯s ribbons constrict a bit too tightly for a few moments before relaxing. The last of my Pokemon, Happy, was shoring away and producing a fairly large spit bubble as he did so. This was all despite being held in another Pokemon¡¯s maw. Ielle¡¯s jaws tended to have a life of their own when she was sleeping and it semed they had found the Marill who hadn¡¯t been disturbed in the slightest. Being a water Pokemon, Ielle¡¯s saliva probably didn¡¯t feel so uncomfortable for him but ti was still an odd sight.


    I gave Kira a poke, making him murmur in his sleep and after a few more attempts, he opened his eyes.


    ¡°Kira, I need you to let go,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Syyylveon,¡± the Pokemon complained, slowly twisting in place to stand up and retracting his ribbons as he did so. Mostly, he still kept a bit around my wrist. That was okay though, as long as it didn¡¯t affect my ability to move around too much.


    One by one the rest of the team were woken up and we tried to begin the day with breakfast. Unfortunately the volcano had begun spewing ash again when I stuck my head out of the tent, leaving it and the surrounding area covered in a freshly laid blanket of brownish grey muck. It meant we couldn¡¯t all go outside and I couldn¡¯t cook anything either.


    Fortunately I was prepared for this and we ate some dry food in the warm confines of the tent. Then it was time to brave the elements. I withdrew most of the team and quickly packed up the tent. Then with just Leah to keep me company we headed down the mountain to finish our trek down the rest of the way.


    As we began the walk, I was surprised I wasn¡¯t seeing any Grimer around here, given the polluted environment. The ash and smog produced from the volcano surely counted enough to help those Pokemon thrive. But then again, Grimer and Muk were supposedly the product of human pollution which was probably a far different thing in comparison to the toxins and such coming from Mt Chimney.


    The route down the mountain we took was as quickly as I felt comfortable with. People generally think about walking uphill being challenging, but I knew from experience that downhill could be just as strenuous, acting on different muscles and also your joints as they were forced to halt your momentum with every step. This was in order to stop someone finding themselves moving down a slope uncontrollably and then accelerating until they inevitably fall and hurt themselves.


    The Ash in the air left me coughing slightly but it wasn¡¯t going to kill me, even if I did feel like I was standing beside a smoker.


    Along the way we saw a few Pokemon but didn¡¯t stop to say hello. There some Spoink bouncing their way down and up a series of ledges for fun as best as I could tell and a solitary Machop was practicing martial arts against a large, ash covered tree. It spotted us, but upon seeing us not approaching for a battle, the Pokemon continued on with its exercise.


    As we went further down the ash in the air cleared up steadily until I struggled to spot it. Brushing some of it off my shoulders for the last time felt satisfying, but my clothes were definitely stained now. I should¡¯ve brought an umbrella, but that wouldn¡¯t have helped.


    ¡°I must look a right state,¡± I said to my Pokemon as I took off my glasses to try polishing them on the inside of my shirt. Only then I realised I was just spreading ash more over my clothes. Leah looked me up and down before covering her mouth and giggling.


    ¡°Haha. Not everyone gets to clean themselves psychically you know.¡±


    That was a quirk of the Gardevoir line and some other Pokemon too. A Gardevoir¡¯s dress was physically connected to them, the same as it was for a Jynx¡¯s dress or a Sawk¡¯s gi, but they had some self cleaning and repair quality to them that meant the Pokemon never needed to bother with laundry or something like that. It didn¡¯t transfer over to other items of clothing they might start wearing, like the ribbon I¡¯d got Leah when I was a kid which had eventually gotten too old and tatty to keep wearing.


    The slightly smug look my Pokemon had as she twirled around to show off her pristine white dress was one I did not find endearing in the slightest.


    ***


    Lavaridge town felt warm, which I attributed to the many hot springs it was supposed to have. With a bit of passive geothermal energy about it was bound to be a bit warmer just naturally. The settlement also gave off old vibes with traditional Japanese architecture being the dominant style on display. It was clear as we continued into town that that Lavaridge was one of Hoenn¡¯s oldest surviving settlements.


    Of course it wasn¡¯t all old buildings and traditional architecture. The bright red roof of a Pokemon Centre stood out above some of the older, smaller buildings and I started heading in that direction.


    Lavaridge was also kind of small, at least compared to Slateport, Rustboro or Mauville and we reached the building fairly quickly. I was conscious though that we were drawing eyes from passersby. It wasn¡¯t scary or anything, but it was slightly unnerving. We entered the Pokemon Center and approached the desk.


    ¡°Hello and welcome to the Pokemon Center,¡± said the Nurse Joy. ¡°Do your Pokemon need healing?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied. ¡°But I¡¯d like to rent a room if that¡¯s possible.¡±


    Pokemon Centers did provide accommodation, but it was only free until you turned fifteen. After that point you were expected to pay for some services but if you¡¯d been travelling, or preparing to travel as a Pokemon trainer and leaving at a later date than the ten to twelve most people did, then you ought to be able to afford it at that point anyway.


    The Nurse Joy nodded professionally and I got a room key. It was just a small hotel room really, but obviously better than sleeping in a tent.


    The room was organised and I went to dump our things, grab a shower and a change of clothes. Then we headed back down and got directions to the Gym from the Nurse.


    The Lavaridge Gym was a large, traditional looking building with white walls and a bright red tiled roof and it was set against the side of Mt Chimney. I approached the entrance with Leah trailing behind me.


    Unlike the other Gyms I had visited as we entered there wasn¡¯t anyone waiting for us. Actually the building seemed deserted. There was a desk, but it was unmanned.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I called.


    After a few seconds there was no answer.


    ¡°Really ought to call ahead next time,¡± I muttered. Even if the Gym Leaders were supposed to know I was coming, it was pretty presumptuous the way I¡¯d done things so far.


    Petalburgh would be next after Lavaridge.


    ¡°Remind me to call the Petalburg Gym tonight,¡± I instructed my starter. I wasn¡¯t going do this a fifth time.


    Leah nodded in understanding and it was as I was deciding whether it would be better to leave and come back later that I heard footsteps.


    An elderly man dressed in traditional clothes and wearing a small pair of glasses approached me.


    ¡°Are you¡­ Harry Hemming?¡± He asked, looking me up and down shrewdly.


    ¡°I am,¡± I replied immediately. ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you, sir,¡± I offered my hand for him to shake. Moore, the current Gym leader of the Lavaridge Gym smiled at me as his warm hand clasped around mine.


    Despite the formalities having been met there was still a tension between us when our hands parted and we stood there silently for several seconds. I was worried I might have missed something. This was a traditional looking building, a lot less modern than the other Gyms I had visited. Was I doing something wrong? Perhaps I needed to do something else?


    ¡°It¡¯s been a good while since someone tried to make another Gym in Hoenn,¡± Moore began thoughtfully. ¡°You¡¯re much more polite about it though,¡± he said more humorously. Then his expression turned challenging as he beheld me.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°But if you think you¡¯ll get my support without showing me what you¡¯re made of then think again!¡±


    Oh, I must¡¯ve been just overthinking things again, I realised with relief. Of course he just was just leading up to saying he wanted a Pokemon battle.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready for a battle,¡± I told him seriously, feeling my heart rate rise as our eyes met. Moore¡¯s teeth gleamed as he grinned at me.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no time to waste,¡± he said. ¡°Come on.¡±


    I followed the man through the building.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking,¡± I said. ¡°But there isn¡¯t anyone else about. Is it just you here?¡±


    ¡°My granddaughter¡¯s somewhere,¡± Moore replied. ¡°But I gave the rest of my staff the week off. Too many of them don¡¯t know how to keep a secret, like what¡¯s going on with you. You understand?¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I responded. None of the other Gym Leaders had gone to these measures.


    ¡°That¡¯s their choice,¡± Moore said when I voiced the question. He waved his hand airily. ¡°We all have our own ways of doing things. I know the value of operational security. Or maybe I¡¯m just going senile in my old age, you decide!¡±


    I chuckled politely, not particularly finding the idea of going senile particularly funny.


    We came out into a courtyard. Surrounded by the white walls of the complex there was an arena for us to battle in.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make this a six on six battle,¡± Moore told me, to my surprise. ¡°I want to see all you¡¯ve got, Harry Hemming. If you want to be a Gym Leader then you¡¯ve got to hold your own with the rest of us. Beat four of my team before I knock yours out and you¡¯ll have my vote for becoming a Gym Leader.¡±


    My eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Who says you¡¯ll beat me?¡± I asked.


    Moore¡¯s eyes narrowed in turn. Then his lips twitched and he let out a bark of laughter.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s the right attitude!¡± he told me. He withdrew an old, battered Pokeball from within his robes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this thing started.¡±


    ¡°Waiiiiit!¡±


    We both paused as from another doorway a red haired young woman burst out, heading in our direction.


    I immediately recognised her as Flannery, wearing her traditional in game outfit of jeans and a black t-shirt. She slid to a stop before us, breathing heavily.


    Moore was the current Gym Leader but I still recalled plenty of things from the anime and games. Mr Moore was the current leader but he would be retiring soon and Flannery would be taking over as Gym Leader. I had no way of knowing how soon that would be, but I knew that I¡¯d likely be spending more time interacting with Flannery in the long term than her grandfather.


    Flannery managed to catch her breath enough to speak.


    ¡°Harry Hemming, I challenge you to a battle!¡±  Flannery shouted, pointed at me with one hand and with a furious expression on her face. Or that might have been that it was still pretty red from the exertion of having ran here.


    I looked back to Moore, entirely taken off guard, but it looked like Flannery¡¯s actions had taken him by surprise too.


    ¡°Flannery, where¡¯s this come from?¡± Moore asked curiously. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything about wanting to battle Harry before.¡±


    ¡°Things have changed!¡± Flannery argued. ¡°I wanna battle him, grandpa. Please, I need to do this!¡±


    Moore glanced my way, apparently as dumbfounded as I was that the younger Fire type trainer was so desperate to battle me. He bit his lip in indecision but then nodded his head.


    ¡°Well who am I to say no to that kind of fire?!¡± He declared. ¡°Alright Harry, you¡¯ll battle my granddaughter instead!¡±


    ***


    I didn¡¯t get a chance to question what the hell was going on as Moore eagerly stepped aside for his granddaughter to take him place across from me. Now I found myself stood opposite the red haired young woman and I really wasn''t sure what I¡¯d done to offend her. If looks could kill then hers would¡¯ve seen me dead already.


    ¡°This will be a six on six battle with no substitutions,¡± Moore declared, having taken on the role of referee for this match. ¡°Release your Pokemon!¡±


    ¡°Go Arcy!¡± Flannery immediately shouted, betraying her eagerness to battle by throwing her Pokeball and summoning an impressive looking Arcanine to the field.


    The Arcanine appeared from the multicoloured light of the Pokeball sat down, panting like an eager puppy. He looked around and then barked a hello at us before standing up and assuming a battle ready position.


    Okay weirdness aside, I knew what to do here. I didn¡¯t have much of a plan, but I knew how I¡¯d intended to start the battle.


    ¡°Come on out Robin!¡±


    Robin appeared on the field. Up against a Fire type, this was far from an ideal matchup with Robin¡¯s Bug typing but all of my opponent¡¯s Pokemon would be a Fire type. What made this worse form e was that I had two other Pokemon whose secondary typing would make them vulnerable to Fire types and Fairy type attacks were weak against Fire types. If this was going to be a full six on six battle then I wanted to be careful with how I used Happy, Kira and Leah in kind and Robin would just have to manage as long as he could, as much as it pained me to say it.


    Robin spun around in a circle, taking in the new environment before focusing on the Arcanine.


    Moore chopped down with his hand and declared for us to begin!


    ¡°Use Flamethrower!¡± shouted Flannery immediately.


    ¡°Dodge it Robin and use Silver Tornado!¡±


    The intense fire that burst forth from the Arcanine surprised me but it wasn¡¯t close enough to hit my Ribombee before he flew out of its path. A moment after the flames spluttered out he began to twirl, rapidly building up a powerful Silver Wind around himself.


    It was a sneaky tactic, applying Silver Wind this way. In the games it was an attack that could deal damage and occasionally improve all the user¡¯s stats but in reality buffing moves were less static than that. They were gradual things which started to wear down the moment you  received them. After training with Robin we¡¯d modified it to stay around him instead of firing off like a Gust. The effect meant he got a lot more of a buff from the attack at the expense of it not travelling very far and it¡¯d deal a bit more damage when an opponent did get close too.


    ¡°Grr¡­ Use Extremespeed!¡± Flannery ordered next. ¡°And then grab it with Fire Fang!¡±


    ¡°Dazzling Gleam! Make it so he can¡¯t see you!¡± I decided quickly, taken aback at the aggression on display.


    But my response was already too late. Perhaps if Robin had had more time to get buffed with Silver Storm then he could¡¯ve had the ability to dodge or react in time, but Extremespeed was considered a powerful move for a reason. As quick as a flash the Arcanine was upon him, knocking Robin up and then the Arcanine caught the Bug type in his burning jaws.


    The remaining Silver Winds that had built up burst from around him as Robin lost control and endured the attack. They battered the Arcanine, forcing him to let go of my Pokemon who flew back a safer distance, wings beating weakly after only a few seconds of the powerful attack.


    My Ribombee needed to be faster than his opponents or have the ability to dodge their attacks to be effective. I should¡¯ve remembered that Arcanine could know that move. If I¡¯d had Robin use Double Team first and then worked up to Silver Tornado we might¡¯ve made a better start.


    It wasn¡¯t my Pokemon. I wasn¡¯t prepared, and it was already starting to show.


    ¡°Why the hell are you so desperate to battle me anyway!?¡± I demanded to know. That last attack was far too aggressive for a casual battle, even if it was a perfectly reasonable attack, I hadn¡¯t really anticipated this battle would get so serious so quickly.


    ¡°You know what you did!¡± Flannery shouted back in reply to my question.


    ¡°The fuck I do,¡± I replied. ¡°Robin, do you think you can manage?¡±


    Robin nodded, not taking his eyes off his opponent.


    ¡°Then go Double Team and then Pollen Puff to heal yourself up!¡±


    ¡°Oh crap, use Flamethrower Arcy!¡±


    The Arcanine¡¯s Flamethrower was strong and widespread but it didn¡¯t catch my Ribombee who had created dozens of copies around the arena in moments. Each one brought their little hands together and created a Pollen Puff and then he ate it.


    Instantly my Pokemon started looking better, but only the original had changed. The doppelgangers remained looking just as beaten up as he had before. He was still unfortunately very far from working order. Another hit would end it.


    ¡°Behind you on the left!¡± Flannery shouted, spotting the real Robin quickly.


    ¡°Dazzling Gleam!¡± I shouted next. That strategy had mixed things up enough to give us the opportunity to go on the counterattack.


    The Arcanine turned, jaws leaking flames as he prepared to use another Flamethrower, but it was him that was too slow this time and he took a face full of pink light for his trouble. The two Fire type trainers were completely unprepared for the attack too and were blinded by the aftereffects of the Fairy type attack.


    Arcy¡¯s attack spluttered out and he had to turn his head to avoid the light. He took a glancing blow and was sent skidding back, blinking rapidly and at least for the moment unable to see or attack.


    Finally we were making some progress!


    ¡°Extremespeed, use your nose to find it!¡± Flannery shouted in panic, rubbing her eyes furiously to recover her vision.


    ¡°Aroo!¡± the Arcanine called out and did just what his trainer ordered. Just like last time both I and my Pokemon were too slow to react to the fastest attack in the world and Robin took another powerful blow from the much larger and bulkier Pokemon.


    With his prior injuries only partially healed, I was frustrated to see that the Extremespeed was still enough to take him down. Robin fell to the ground with swirls in his eyes.


    ¡°Harry is down one Pokemon!¡± Moore shouted, calling the loss out as if we actually had an audience. ¡°Bring out your next Pokemon whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Good job Robin,¡± I said. My Ribombee had tried his hardest but in the end that matchup was always going to be an uphill battle for him. Of course the Arcanine would have an obscenely accurate sense of smell too, they were well liked by the Officer Jennys for a reason.


    That Arcanine seemed like it had taken a decent chunk of damage, but it was far from out of the battle. Flannery didn¡¯t look like she would be returning it anytime soon either. It had an advantage because of it¡¯s Fire typing, but it was the ability to use Extremespeed that made it a real threat. Robin might have done far better against a Magcargo for example, something I was sure Flannery would have.


    I considered my options for several seconds. I wanted to send out Happy, but with his Water typing he would be far better suited to handling the Magcargo and Camerupt I was sure Flannery had. Bud would likely fare just as poorly as Robin and Ielle wouldn¡¯t be able to hide from that Arcanine¡¯s nose with her usual battle strategy. That left me with either sending out my Gardevoir or Silveon.


    Truthfully there was only one choice I was comfortable with.


    ¡°Leah, take the field.¡±

 Chapter 12

    He hadn¡¯t been terribly impressed by Harry¡¯s first Pokemon, but Flannery¡¯s Arcanine was a strong one, the grandchild of his own Arcanine and Arcy¡¯s speed had made the obvious Bug type at a disadvantage with what Moore assumed to be a reliance on speed and maneuverability as its main defensive strategy. Against one of Flannery¡¯s less mobile Pokemon it would probably have done a lot better.


    The Gardevoir that had followed him into the Gym though, Moore could tell that it was strong. He¡¯d been flung, thrown and tossed around enough times by Psychic types to know what he was looking at.


    The Gardevoir seemed to float past her trainer with her dress trailing behind her and a stern expression on her face that was at odds with what you¡¯d normally see on one of that species. Moore watched with interest.


    The Arcanine, as dopey as his grandmother, barked a greeting at the other Pokemon, who nodded back in reply. Arcy had received a bit of damage before but he still had plenty left in the tank. They were both ready for battle.


    ¡°Begin!¡± Moore called out.


    ¡°Use Flamethrower!¡± Flannery ordered immediately.


    Harry didn¡¯t give an order as the fire approached his Pokemon. Moore wasn¡¯t terribly surprised when with a hum of sound and a dim flash of light the Gardevoir disappeared.


    Not many Psychic types could learn Teleport and it was notoriously difficult for a non-Psychic type to learn it, even if it had been proven to be possible with Wattson¡¯s Electrode. Using it as a battle technique though was what made it impressive here. Moore felt a moment of nostalgia for Liza¡¯s old Alakazam. He had used the same move in much the same way against Moore once or twice. This would be a good obstacle for his granddaughter to try and overcome.


    ¡°Psychic!¡± Was Harry¡¯s order, right at the same time as his granddaughter cursed softly. She hadn¡¯t anticipated the teleportation, which indicated she needed to study up a bit more on what moves certain Pokemon could learn.


    The Gardevoir raised her hands, forming a triangle shape with her forearms and fingers not quite touching just beneath her chin. The Pokemon¡¯s chest horn started to glow.


    The Arcanine hadn¡¯t been able to see the Gardevoir disappearing with its flamethrower blocking his vision and had barely cut off his attack when he found himself picked up, glowing pink and purple energy covering his form. The Pokemon yelped in surprise and immediately began flailing, trying to disperse the Psychic energy.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Moore admitted to himself. Psychic as an attack was primarily about the psychic damage it dealt on the mind of the opponent, an extension of the move Confusion which did the same albeit on a lesser scale.


    Depending on the intent of the user, Psychic could also allow the Pokemon to levitate their opponent off the ground telekinetically. Sometimes it was a passive effect of using the move and other times it was deliberate.


    Telekinesis in general was harder and harder the heavier or larger the object being lifted was and trying to combine it with the psychic assault just made it harder. That wasn¡¯t to say it was useless, but the real damage that could be dealt was always through the mental component of the attack. So many trainers focused solely on that psychic component of the attack, disregarding the benefits of partially disabling their opponent through telekinesis like now.


    So dividing her attention between telekinesis and the damaging psychic effect was again impressive and spoke of good training, assuming this was all deliberate on the Gardevoir¡¯s part.


    While Moore had been thinking about the attack, Arcy kept trying to struggle free, even as he whined in pain at the mental assault.


    ¡°Come on Arcy! use Flamethrower again!¡± Shouted Flannery in a panic. Moore felt a bit of sympathy for her. The previous matchup had been strongly in her favour, but Arcy just wasn¡¯t prepared for a strong Psychic. If he had chosen to allow substitutions then Flannery might have been able to recall her Pokemon, but then Harry would have substituted out his own Pokemon too.


    The Arcanine kept struggling though and managed to twirl himself around a bit, resisting the Gardevoir¡¯s hold, who seemed to be struggling slightly to keep the Arcanine in the air. Arcy¡¯s bulk and personal strength was definitely working in his favour here, factors which made it harder to use Psychic abilities on an opponent.


    Was it going to be able to break free? Moore wondered as the Arcanine managed to flail himself around enough to be able to look at the Gardevoir. Her strength and control were not enough to keep him perfectly in place. If she could have managed that against what had to be at least a near peer opponent, then Moore would have been incredibly surprised.


    It might not matter, because the Arcanine immediately released a burst of fire from his mouth, heading right for the Gardevoir!


    Only, it teleported again, once more appearing behind the Arcanine as he fell to the floor in a tumble as the Psychic attack cut off.


    ¡°Leah, use Dazzling Gleam!¡± Called out Harry, and the Gardevoir immediately began to form the attack between her hands.


    ¡°Use Extremespeed Arcy!¡± Flannery shouted back.


    The Arcanine, looking much worse for wear, managed to get back on his feet just in time to dodge the attack with Extremespeed. The Gardevoir was taken by surprise, her attack having missed and she was body checked by the bulky Arcanine a moment later. It was a solid hit, so Moore was very surprised to see the Pokemon disappear through another Teleport before she hit the ground.


    ¡°Keep it up Arcy, catch it with Extremespeed!¡± Flannery called out.


    ¡°Teleport to evade and get ready for another attack!¡± Harry ordered.


    The two Pokemon then engaged in a cat and mouse. The impossibly fast Arcanine trying to catch up with the Gardevoir who could teleport anywhere in the arena in moments.


    This was highly impressive, maybe better than Liza¡¯s Alakazam could achieve. Moore watched in awe until finally the Arcanine¡¯s injuries caught up with him. He had to stop to catch his breath and it was then that without needing an order the Gardevoir shot a Dazzling Gleam and the Arcanine went down.


    ¡°Arcy is down! Flannery prepare your next Pokemon.¡±


    ¡°Grrr,¡± Flannery grumbled, recalling her Pokemon with one hand and bringing forth another Pokeball with the other. ¡°Go Honey!¡±


    Her Houndoom took the field. It was a Dark type, a very useful Pokemon to have when up against a Psychic and the Pokemon Moore would have used in this situation too.


    The Houndoom found her opponent and her hackles immediately rose. Moore knew Houndoom had strong noses. She must have figured out her partner, the Arcanine, had just been beaten.


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    ¡°Alright this¡¯ll put your Gardevoir down!¡± Flannery shouted. ¡°Use Dark Pulse!¡±


    The Houndoom braced herself near the ground before releasing the attack. Dark purple energy burst out in a ring around herself. It was the perfect move for this situation, one that dispersed Dark type energy around the arena and it would disrupt the Gardevoir¡¯s teleporting using the Psychic move. At least until the energy dissipated enough for the Pokemon to be able to break through.


    Okay this was good. It was what Moore would have done in the same situation with Flannery¡¯s Pokemon at his disposal. Spreading Dark type energy through Pokemon moves was the only real counter to this Teleporting strategy that didn¡¯t rely on luck or incredible skill. Maybe Flannery actually had been doing some studying when he wasn¡¯t looking or perhaps she¡¯d simply figured it out entirely on her own.


    The old trainer¡¯s heart swelled with pride. This next generation was going to surpass the ones before it. Well, at least his granddaughter would!¡±


    ¡°Use Dazzling Gleam and cut through it!¡± Harry ordered.


    The expanding ring of Dark type energy shattered as the beam of light shot forward. Moore¡¯s eyes widened as the Houndoom wasn¡¯t quick enough to react and was sent tumbling back, the Dark wave having been broken apart by the more concentrated pink beam of light.


    That didn¡¯t matter though. Honey¡¯s attack had done its job in spreading Dark energy around the arena elsewhere and now the Houndoom could do what it¡¯d no doubt been raring to do from the start.


    ¡°Again!¡± Harry ordered quickly.


    ¡°Dodge it Honey! Get in close with Crunch!¡±


    The Houndoom¡¯s jaws became encased in Dark type energy and she ran around, not entirely dodging the Dazzling Gleam but also not being slowed too much either.


    But the closer it got, the harder it was to dodge the attack. The Houndoom dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the next Dazzling Gleam and leapt with jaws wide and ready to catch the Psychic/Fairy type.


    Then the Gardevoir used Teleport, reappearing on the other side of the arena.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°What?¡± Moore asked with surprise, rearing back in confusion. There was no way that Pokemon had been able to use Teleport so easily with all the Dark energy about.


    Flannery was just as surprised.


    ¡°What gives!¡± She shouted as her Houndoom landed in the Gardevoir¡¯s previous position. ¡°Dark Pulse should¡¯ve stopped you teleporting!¡±


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll give the secret away,¡± Harry replied. ¡°Dazzling Gleam does exactly what you think it should. The Fairy type energy disperses the Dark energy and lets Leah stop that countering strategy cold. You¡¯ll have to try harder if you want to catch her!¡±


    Fairy type energy dispersed Dark type energy?


    Before, the only types that affected Dark type energy were Bug and Fighting type and they weren¡¯t one of the spiritual types. They weren¡¯t types that could easily be dispersed in the environment through field moves or other effects. But as had just been demonstrated, Fairy types were. Moore had obviously read the new type interactions that were being verified across the world, but he¡¯d not thought about this specific interaction whatsoever.


    It didn¡¯t make a big difference to the battling scene, but for those who were near the top this would definitely lead to a lot of experimentation with Fairy types.


    But the real difference would be the criminal community, Moore thought as Flannery bit her lip, trying to figure out what to do. Criminals might now have an easy way to bypass or break through Dark emitters and other security measures for Psychic types.


    ¡°Honey, keep using Dark Pulse and try and get closer!¡±


    The Houndoom started running, releasing bursts of Dark Pulse as she did so. Harry immediately ordered his Gardevoir to start bombarding it with Dazzling Gleam.


    The Houndoom was agile, jumping and twisting, doing her best to dodge the smaller bursts of the Fairy type attack. A few still dealt glancing blows however and using Dark Pulse repeatedly like that had to be tiring. But constantly keeping up the attack was all Flannery could do to ensure the Gardevoir couldn¡¯t use Teleport easily and Moore couldn¡¯t think of a better idea either. Moore could tell that if the Houndoom didn¡¯t close in quickly then she would be left unconscious just like the Arcanine.


    ¡°Come on Honey, you can do it!¡± Flannery shouted earnestly.


    Harry only crossed his arms, watching the battle with a serious expression but it was clear that he was worried the Houndoom would make it.


    The Houndoom managed to close the distance, taking a great deal of damage as she did so. She was close enough to make one final leap and without needing the order from her trainer Honey¡¯s jaws opened, Dark energy coalescing into a Crunch attack.


    Instinctively, Leah raised an arm to ward off the attack and the Houndoom¡¯s maw closed around her arm.


    Harry shouted out in concern for his Pokemon but he needn¡¯t have worried overmuch. The Crunch attack had landed but a split second later the Gardevoir¡¯s other hand came up with the glowing pink energy of Dazzling Gleam which released and struck the Houndoom point blank!


    Moore could see the moment the energy of the Crunch attack dispersed, the attack failing the same moment the Houndoom was knocked out. Honey fell limply to the floor at the Gardevoir¡¯s feet, leaving Leah breathing heavily, cradling her injured arm but most importantly still standing.


    ¡°Honey is unable to battle!¡± Moore announced.


    ¡°Good job Honey,¡± Flannery said, although her heart clearly wasn¡¯t in it. She¡¯d clearly hoped to beat the Gardevoir with her Houndoom¡¯s Dark typing disrupting the Psychic attacks.


    After seeing Harry¡¯s own counter strategy to using Dark type energy, Moore thought her optimism had been a bit too high if she¡¯d thought that her Houndoom would be able to win on its own. Regardless, she¡¯d come up with a strategy to stop the Gardevoir being able to teleport and dealt a strong blow. Now Moore¡¯s Granddaughter would need to figure out her next Pokemon and Moore honestly didn¡¯t think there were any good choices here. She didn¡¯t take long coming to a decision.


    ¡°Go Melly!¡± Flannery called out, summoning her Camerupt.


    A Camerupt would be much harder to affect with Psychic, at least telekinetically on account of its size. So Flannery wouldn¡¯t be having the same problem as she had with her Arcanine. But it wouldn''t stop the Gardevoir from using the attack outright either and Flannery¡¯s Camerupt didn¡¯t know any Dark type moves. Moore wasn¡¯t sure they even could learn Dark types attacks.


    ¡°Alright before we start again, what¡¯s your beef with me? Why¡¯d you insist on battling me?¡± Harry asked Flannery.


    Moore looked towards his granddaughter, just as interested in the answer as the other trainer. When both Leah the Gardevoir and Melly the Camerupt turned to look at the trainer Flannery realised she was entirely the centre of attention and a blush came to her cheeks as she looked away uncomfortably. Then she seemed to regain her confidence and with fury in her eyes she pointed at the other trainer.


    ¡°You killed Claudia!¡± She shouted and the seriousness and sincerity of the accusation caught Moore by surprise again.


    He did what?! Moore turned to look at the man opposite Flannery. Harry had killed some girl called Claudia? It wasn¡¯t a name Moore recognised, but it wasn''t like he knew everyone his granddaughter was friends with. Moore hadn¡¯t thought the man would be the type to have committed murder of all things but his granddaughter wouldn¡¯t lie about such a thing either.


    Looking at him, Harry¡¯s expression was one of confusion at hearing the accusation, which turned to surprise and realisation and then the man palmed his face as he looked between Flannery and Moore.


    ¡°Claudia is a fictional character,¡± he explained to Moore. ¡°She died trying to save Alex, one of the protagonists of Trainers Colliding, the series I¡¯m writing.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t have to die!¡± Flannery shouted indignantly. ¡°You could have let her live. She and Alex were made for each other!¡±


    It was Moore¡¯s turn to palm his face this time as he figured out what his grandaughter and the young man were on about. Those books she sometimes read weren¡¯t something he¡¯d paid much attention to. Moore was interested in poetry, not fiction.


    ¡°I always planned for her to die,¡± Harry replied, which clearly only made Flannery more upset with him. ¡°It was part of his character arc.¡±


    Meanwhile between the two trainers their Pokemon were speaking quietly. Flannery¡¯s Camerupt shook her head and shrugged in response to whatever the Gardevoir had just asked, clearly having been unaware of her trainer¡¯s motivations for this battle.


    ¡°Flannery, you¡¯ve got to be careful about making those kinds of accusations,¡± Moore chided weakly, to his granddaughter¡¯s chagrin. Moore was impressed with her spirit at least, but really?


    ¡°This is one of the reasons why I chose to use a pseudonym,¡± Harry said. ¡°Well, not quite because of this specifically¡­¡±


    Moore felt a burst of humour erupt and he barked out a laugh.


    ¡°Okay,¡± the older man said. ¡°Let¡¯s just continue. Are you both ready to continue battling?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Flannery replied and Harry gave a gentle nod, mirrored by his Pokemon and the Gardevoir and Camerupt took positions in front of their trainers.


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    ¡°Use Earthquake!¡±


    ¡°Brace for it Leah and use Psychic!¡± Harry ordered.


    The earth trembled and Moore had to brace himself to stop falling over. It was good that Flannery¡¯s Pokemon was trained enough to limit the area of effect. The building was built to resist Pokemon moves but not entirely. A lot of the structure was built to resist fire specifically and otherwise so that it would be cheap to repair if there was any damage.


    The Gardevoir wasn¡¯t knocked down and she still managed to retaliate by initiating the Psychic attack. The Camerupt wasn¡¯t lifted up off the ground this time, but she did have to brace against the mental assault.


    The Camerupt wasn¡¯t exactly quick. Flannery had a tendency to favour either high defence or high speed with her Pokemon. Melly the Camerupt was trained to handle receiving a lot of hits and dishing out more damage in return and by using Earthquake Flannery made sure that the Gardevoir wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge and attack at the same time with Psychic. Teleporting into the air might be a strategy but ti would be a tiring one and would provide plenty of opportunities to put the Gardevoir on the back foot. But while this was a sound strategy here and now that would work in an arena, it wouldn¡¯t be as effective in a real world scenario, as Moore knew personally.


    Harry didn¡¯t seem to have an answer for it either and the two Pokemon traded their attacks back and forth. Neither of them had a better attack to use.


    This had to be enough, Moore thought. Surely the Gardevoir wasn¡¯t going to be able to outlast the Camerupt after already taking damage before.


    But hold on it did.


    ¡°Come on Leah, you can do it,¡± Harry encouraged passionately.


    His words had an effect, making the Gardevoir steel herself. Her legs wobbled through the Earthquake and she brought her hands to her head, concentrating hard as she retaliated against Flannery¡¯s Pokemon. Moore was once again impressed. Harry¡¯s Gardevoir was strong, strong enough to last against three of Flannery¡¯s Pokemon, two of whom had been fresh and it seemed like she was winning against the Camerupt too.


    Despite Flannery¡¯s encouragement, the Earthquake attack faltered and the Gardevoir had beaten another of Flannery¡¯s Pokemon.


    ¡°Flannery¡¯s Camerupt is out of the battle,¡± Moore announced as the Gardevoir wobbled on her feet, clearly still off balance and really Moore was sure that a stiff breeze would probably knock her over after her battle of endurance against the Camerupt.


    ¡°I¡¯m choosing to withdraw Leah,¡± Harry spoke up as Flannery withdrew her Camerupt.


    Leah turned around and looked to be about to respond when Harry shook his head at her.


    ¡°No, he denied her. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough. Come on back, Leah,¡±


    The Gardevoir looked slightly Mudbrayish about it but acquiesced to her trainer¡¯s orders. Harry pulled her into a hug and muttered something to her which seemed to mollify the Gardevoir who leaned against her trainer¡¯s side.


    Harry hadn¡¯t withdrawn her into a Pokeball, which was a mild surprise. Moore knew there were plenty of Pokemon that preferred to be outside their Pokeballs even if they were in the minority.


    ¡°Harry has chosen to retire his Gardevoir. Both of you get ready to release your next Pokemon,¡± Moore declared and both trainers obeyed, holding out a fresh Pokeball.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Harry said. ¡°Come on out Kira!¡±


    A Pokemon Moore had never seen before appeared before them. It was quadrupedal with pink and white fur and a number of prehensile ribbons came out from around its collar. There was also an adorable bow around its throat.


    Then it turned around and leapt at its trainer. A moment later some of those ribbons were reaching out to wind their way around the trainer but Harry began to bat them away.


    ¡°Kira, this is a battle. We can cuddle later.¡±


    Pouting, the Pokemon Harry had called Kira turned away from it¡¯s exasperated trainer and faced in the direction it was supposed to be facing. Moore chuckled quietly. Seeing overly affectionate Pokemon never stopped being entertaining.


    It was also interesting. Moore had lived a long time and travelled to a few places around the world and he had never encountered one of these Pokemon before. So this would be an interesting experience. He still had full confidence that his granddaughter¡¯s Torkoal could handle whatever the unknown Pokemon might throw her way. Shelly was both Flannery¡¯s starter and her strongest Pokemon.


    ¡°Well you¡¯ve shown me your starter so now I¡¯ll show you mine!¡± Flannery declared. ¡°Go Shelly!¡±


    Her Torkoal took the field opposite the other Pokemon and heat was already radiating from the Torkoal¡¯s shell. Shelly let out a puff of white smoke from her nostrils as Kira took a battle position opposite it.


    Seeing both trainers were ready, Moore brought his hand up and chopped down once again.


    ¡°Begin!¡±

 Chapter 13

    I didn¡¯t normally tend to use Leah in battles. It was mainly because she was just too strong and could injure weaker opponents, something it was very hard to judge without a number hovering above a Pokemon¡¯s head like in the games. But against Flannery I was confident that she¡¯d have Pokemon that were on Leah¡¯s level.


    My starter had done nicely against two and a bit of Flannery¡¯s team, despite the Fire typing putting her on the back edge with some of the moves she would¡¯ve otherwise used. One or two techniques we might have benefited from it had been obvious would be unusable against a Fire based team.


    Now my next concern was if the difference in power between Flannery¡¯s ace and the rest of my team was the same or better as it had been between my ace and hers. If it was then the lead I¡¯d acquired could easily go back the other way in short order.


    My Sylveon squared off against the Torkoal. This was going to be a tough battle. Kira didn¡¯t really like battling, although he was decently strong. Pixilate, which it had taken a decent bit of experimentation to discover my evolved Pokemon had, might work against us here considering that Fairy type moves were weak to Fire.


    I could feel the grin on my face right now and as I looked at her, Flannery returned the expression back at me.


    The original reasons for us battling were completely forgotten right now. This was just two powerful trainers competing to see who was stronger. It was Pokemon battling in its purest form.


    ¡°Begin!¡± Moore called out again.


    ¡°Use Flamethrower!¡± Flannery called out.


    ¡°Dodge it and use Swift!¡± I ordered.


    Swift was a homing move, it meant that Kira wouldn¡¯t have to try particularly hard to aim the attack while dodging the very impressive Flamethrower from Flannery¡¯s Pokemon.


    Kira did as I ordered, but Shelly the Torkoal was definitely powerful and the flame was too quick for my Eeveelution to dodge the attack in its entirety.


    Kira ran around, white fur singed by the attack, releasing a plethora of pink tinged stars which sailed around in the air. Several of them were caught up in the Flamethrower and burnt away but others came around without my Pokemon¡¯s input and they pelted the Torkoal¡¯s shell.


    Shelly didn¡¯t seem to acknowledge the attacks, only turning to keep her maw pointing in my Pokemon¡¯s direction as Kira ran to the side.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get behind you, use Flame Wheel!¡±


    ¡°Crap,¡± I cursed. The Torkoal, which had seemed fairly slow before jumped up for a moment before retracting all its exposed limbs and landing on her underside. Then fire began to emit from the openings on the Torkoal¡¯s shell and it began to spin.


    I got a brief flashback to Ash Ketchum¡¯s Squirtle using Hydro Pump in the anime. Thankfully the Torkoal didn¡¯t have quite enough power behind her attacks to take off, but when the Pokemon began to rapidly spin and chase after my suddenly panicking Pokemon I felt just as much panic as Kira did.


    ¡°Sylv!¡± my Sylveon shouted out in pain as the Flaming Torkoal caught up with him and sent him flying. My Pokemon landed back on his feet but that hit had done some decent damage.


    He was still releasing Swift stars as he moved, something I had trained him to do almost constantly. But only a few of the attacks were getting past the Torkoal¡¯s fire. If we kept up with this then we would lose the battle of attrition.


    But I had a solution already in mind.


    ¡°Use Dig!¡± I called out before the fast Torkoal came back around and she still almost caught up with my Pokemon before Kira had managed to dig her way rapidly into the soft terrain of the arena.


    Shelly bumped over the empty hole and came to a stop, withdrawing from her shell after sensing her quarry was no longer within reach.


    ¡°Koal?¡± She asked, looking towards her trainer.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d do that!¡± Flannery crowed. ¡°Use Earthquake!¡±


    ¡°Shit, Kira come out of there!¡± I shouted.


    I¡¯d taken a stupid gamble in assuming the Torkoal didn¡¯t know that attack and it was coming back to bite me.


    The Torkoal stamped her foot and immediately the ground began to tremble again. Only this time it was even more powerful than the attack from the Camerupt.


    It was a painful few moments and I could practically feel as Kira was dealt a powerful blow by the Torkoal. But my Pokemon wasn¡¯t completely out of it. Shelly brought her foot up to slam it down again but my Sylveon burst out of the ground beneath her and the Torkoal¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she was knocked over.


    My Pokemon landed on shaky feet looking much worse for wear. He was covered in dirt and grime and everywhere else showed the signs of injury.


    ¡°Kira are you okay?¡± I called out as he shook himself.


    ¡°Sylveon!¡± my Pokemon called out, nodding resolutely. He was determined to keep battling, but I knew despite the bravado that he wouldn¡¯t manage much longer.


    We couldn¡¯t use Dig again, that much was for sure and the rest of Kira¡¯s known moves wouldn¡¯t be much help just now, but we did have one trick up our sleeves.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s see how they like it! Use Copycat!¡±


    My Sylveon bared his teeth and reared up on his hind legs. Then my Pokemon slammed them down to emulate the attack that had just been used against us.


    Flannery had reeled back in shock at the surprise counter, but recovered quickly.


    ¡°Protect!¡± She shouted just in time and I cursed again as Kira¡¯s feet came back down and a third Earthquake rocked the stadium.


    ¡°Toooor!¡± The Torkoal called out. A dome made of glowing hexagons formed around her, completely nullifying the super effective Ground type attack, what would have been the first super effective hit we¡¯d landed this match.


    I didn¡¯t need to know what Flannery¡¯s next order would be. Copycat was a tiring move to use, perhaps just as if not more than Protect and Kira was too worn down to do anything to stop the Flamethrower that came his way.


    I was already activating the return feature on his Pokeball before the attack even landed. I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d saved Kira from being knocked out, but he didn¡¯t have to wait at all to be returned to the comfort of his Pokeball.


    ¡°Good work,¡± I said to the Pokeball before returning it to the confines of my jacket. The Torkoal was clearly strong, and durable. The Fire Spin attack made up a bit for the species¡¯ lack of mobility but it was the Pokemon¡¯s sheer power that had truly made the difference. Kira had still done a small chunk of damage to it but definitely less than I¡¯d hoped for. Now it was just a matter of what Pokemon I should use next.


    I warred with indecision for a few seconds, ignoring Moore¡¯s commentary as the judge.


    Reason said that Happy would be the right choice. A type advantage right now might just be enough to clinch it, but if Happy was too worn out by the Torkoal then I didn¡¯t like our chances against Flannery¡¯s remaining Pokemon. She¡¯d have a Magcargo I was sure, which Happy would be able to beat fairly easily unless it had any special tricks. I wasn¡¯t sure what the last Pokemon would be but it would be a Fire type, obviously. There weren¡¯t many Fire types with a second typing that countered Water moves.


    ¡°Go Bud!¡± I called, finally summoning my Whimsicott.


    Bud appeared on the arena and looked around excitedly. Spotting her opponent, she immediately pulled her eyelid down and made a funny face at her.


    Shelly the Torkoal seemed a bit put out by whatever my Pokemon had said, but that was par for the course for my Whimsicott. She¡¯d never taken something seriously in her entire life and wasn¡¯t about to start now.


    With Moore calling out for us to start again I decided to start things off safely.


    ¡°Use Fairy Wind and jump up!¡±


    My Whimsicott immediately obeyed my instructions, buffeting herself up into the air on pink tinged wind, narrowly avoiding the Flamethrower from the Torkoal. Flannery pouted as my Whimsicott soared up high enough to avoid any chance of the Torkoal landing a hit.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to come down if you want to finish this anytime soon!¡± Flannery complained as Shelly bent her neck to look up at the Whimsicott who was making a slightly ruder gesture than she knew she was allowed to be.


    Feeling slightly cheeky myself I shrugged silently. Flannery was about to say something else but I did agree with her. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Hurricane Seed!¡±


    ¡°Whimsicoooooott!¡± My Whimsicott shouted, spreading her arms wide and summoning not a Hurricane, but a Fairy Wind from behind herself.


    ¡°Use Protect, Shelly!¡± Flannery called, having fallen for the trick entirely.


    I smirked. I¡¯d baited her into using the tiring Protect move once more while in reality I didn¡¯t plan for Bud to land a direct hit at all right now.


    Along with the Fairy Wind, from my Whimsicott¡¯s puffy cotton mane came a plethora of small seeds too. Nothing breached the Protect itself, but that wasn¡¯t a problem for the moment. The Fairy Wind died down, having done its job to disperse the real attack.


    Flannery was shouting something about the Whimsicott not using a Hurricane attack like she¡¯d thought, so she wasn¡¯t paying attention to what was going on on the ground.


    The multiple Leech Seeds dispersed by Bud¡¯s Fairy Wind pierced the softened ground and after a few moments they sprouted all over the battle arena.


    Yes! I pumped my fist as I watched the surprise on my opponent¡¯s faces. The Protect had deactivated as soon as the Fairy Wind had ended. So it didn¡¯t stop the Leech Seed tendrils from reaching out and beginning to wrap around the Torkoal¡¯s limbs and neck.


    ¡°Hurricane!¡± I declared, and this time my Whimsicott obeyed the instruction and Flannery panicked.


    ¡°Use Protect!¡± She shouted and the Torkoal tried to use the move. But Protect wasn¡¯t just tiring to use, it was also finicky. It left behind energy after dissipating that made it harder to use consecutive times.


    ¡°Use Fire Spin!¡± She shouted next in desperation as one of the strongest Flying type attacks was sent her Pokemon¡¯s way.


    Shelly was quick to follow her trainers order and she tried to withdraw back into her shell which would¡¯ve probably helped defensively, but the Leech Seed that was wrapped around her limbs held her tight. Shelly struggled to break free but wasn¡¯t fast enough and then the real Hurricane landed.


    It was like a miniature tornado of wind and the Torkoal reared back in pain as the attack hit home. Bud adjusted her weight and started to float back down a bit, to avoid being blown away by her own attack. That was one weakness of the Whimsicott line. They could fly, but they were at the mercy of any wind around them and didn¡¯t have the same kind of maneuverability as real Flying types.


    As soon as she landed the Leech seed took effect, having started to drain the Torkoal¡¯s energy and now it was feeding it to my Pokemon. It looked like Bud might actually win this for me.


    Then Flannery, completely done with things, shouted a command to upend my hopes.


    ¡°Overheat!¡± She ordered. ¡°Burn away all those vines and that Whimsicott!¡±


    ¡°Toooorkoooooooaaaaal!¡± Shelly rumbled out. She braced herself and started to glow with heat as her shell almost ignited.


    It was nothing like the heat of the Flamethrowers and other attacks they had used before. I had to cover my face as my skin started to burn from the passively radiated energy.


    This was Fire type power being used with no restraints.


    ¡°Get up and out of there Bud!¡± I shouted.


    My Whimsicott obeyed, quickly pushing herself off the ground as the Leech Seeds ignited all over.


    ¡°Heat rises!¡± Flannery shouted. ¡°You can do it, Shelly!¡±


    It was then that the Torkoal actually released her attack.


    It was less like a Flamethrower and more like a Hyper Beam that shot out of the Torkoal¡¯s mouth and Bud wasn¡¯t quick enough to evade it.


    After several long seconds the attack died down. My Whimsicott fell to the floor, knocked out in just one hit.


    ¡°Harry¡¯s Whimsicott is knocked out. Harry, prepare your next Pokemon!¡±


    The Torkoal was breathing heavily now. I grimaced as I withdrew Bud but I felt she¡¯d done enough.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this, Happy!¡±


    Happy was already raring to go as he appeared and Flannery grimaced upon seeing him.


    ¡°Brawly told us all about your Marill,¡± she admitted. ¡°Guy wouldn¡¯t stop talking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad he left a good impression,¡± I said while the Marill in question cheered at hearing he¡¯d impressed someone.


    ¡°Are you both ready to begin?¡± Moore asked, looking at my Marill with an odd expression. It was like he didn¡¯t quite understand what he was looking at.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, followed shortly by Flannery.


    Moore seemed to be ruling this battle fairly and he didn¡¯t give the Torkoal any more of a chance to rest before starting things back off.


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    ¡°Use Aqua Tail!¡± I ordered immediately. The Torkoal was still steaming from the intense heat she¡¯d just released and I could sense that another hit would end this.


    ¡°Just one more Flamethrower Shelly!¡± Flannery called out.


    Shelly managed to produce a weak stream of flames, but she was too tired and unable to catch my fast moving Marill who closed the distance and struck down with a powerful Aqua Tail. Shelly was knocked out, leaving my Marill uninjured, only warmed up and ready for his next opponent.


    Happy bounded back to our side of the arena and Leah, who had recovered a bit after her battle clapped for my Marill who responded brightly back before turning back and retaking his position.


    We were now four for four and I was suddenly conscious of my breathing.


    I was sweating too, mainly due to the heat, but also due to the exhaustion that was starting to run through me. I felt like I¡¯d been running a marathon and Flannery likewise didn¡¯t look much better. Battles took something out of trainers too and right now we were both feeling it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go Pony!¡± Flannery called out, revealing that she was continuing the fairly simple naming convention all her Pokemon had followed so far as her Rapidash took to the arena.


    Obviously it¡¯d been called Pony as a Ponyta. Not the most forward thinking name¡­ but it was kind of cute.


    The Rapidash wasn¡¯t cute though. It was as large as any war horse, clearly built for power and speed and was far taller than my Marill. It was definitely the kind of horse you¡¯d deck out in armour to charge an enemy army, if only that armour didn¡¯t melt first.


    But it wasn¡¯t going to last against Happy, I thought confidently as I looked across at the other trainer. Flannery looked serious and ready for the next battle, but this was the first time I had had an actual type advantage.


    It¡¯s funny, Marill, the Pokemon were usually pretty weak. Happy was the only real exception to the rule I had ever encountered and I was certain that he had the hidden ability that in the games doubled his strength. The thought had come back to me now because I remember in the games that the special ability was actually enough to turn a Marill, whose Attack stat was normally quite pitiful, into something that was just barely short of a Rapidash¡¯s Attack stat.


    Moore signalled for us to begin for what I hoped would only be the second to last time and Flannery was the one to start us off by ordering her Rapidash to use Flame Charge.


    ¡°Use Bounce!¡± I ordered.


    Happy obeyed the instruction and the Rapidash, for all that it was quick wasn¡¯t fast enough to catch my water mouse. It still tried, leaping up with it¡¯s pointed horn ready to strike Happy. But Happy was far too experienced against larger foes using the same tactics. He spun in the air, adjusting his momentum to avoid the hit entirely. It was still a good attempt on Pony¡¯s part, but it had failed and in the process left Flannery¡¯s Pokemon wide open.


    ¡°And then use Aqua Tail!¡± I ordered, just as the two Pokemon passed each other.


    Happy¡¯s vicious grin grew wider as he spun in midair. The Aqua Tail formed quickly as Happy¡¯s tail came swinging around to hit the Rapidash.


    The Fire Horse Pokemon, even though it should really have been classified as a unicorn, was completely unable to dodge and its eyes widened in surprise before it took the heavy blow. Pony the Rapidash was sent tumbling and it landed hard on the ground, unable to recover its balance.


    Happy landed perfectly on his feet, ready to react in a split second to my next command.


    Pony did try to get up, but the Rapidash stumbled as it did so, its hooves struggling to find purchase on the soft ground that had been loosened by the battle thus far.


    I was looking forward to seeing what Flannery would try next. I¡¯d not actually battled many horse type Pokemon before but I was feeling confident that whatever strategies she might try wouldn¡¯t be effective against my Marill¡¯s agile movements. Flannery would need to be able to catch him if she wanted to end this.


    The Rapidash burst into red light as it was recalled, taking me entirely by surprise.


    ¡°I concede,¡± Flannery said.


    I had to shake myself slightly, taken aback by the sudden end to the battle. Happy seemed a bit put out too, falling back onto his tail with a pout. He¡¯d barely got to take part in the battle, which I knew would leave him pent up. Hopefully one of the team wouldn¡¯t mind a practice battle with him later.


    ¡°Harry wins!¡± Moore declared, which meant it was officially over now, I¡¯d won.


    Moore approached me with a smile on his face and Happy came up to me too and jumped up into my arms. He wiggled around to face forwards as the Gym Leader came to a stop before me.


    ¡°That was very impressive,¡± Moore said. ¡°I think I can say right now that Brawly is right, you have what it takes to be a Gym Leader.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied as Flannery joined us, having approached at a more sedate pace. Her expression was a bit glum and her shoulders were slumped.


    ¡°I really thought I had you there, but seeing that first hit from your Marill¡­ I wasn¡¯t going to be able to beat you with the Pokemon I had left.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°You have a Magcargo right?¡±


    She nodded and I nodded in understanding too. A dual vulnerability was killer to have on certain Pokemon. Magcargo being Rock/Fire wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against a Water typed, peer level opponent, at least without some sort of significant advantage to level the playing field. If my Marill was going to be able to handle the Rapidash with minimal damage taken then it¡¯d be foolish to continue the battle after that point.


    ¡°Even though you lost, you did great too, Flannery,¡± Moore said warmly. ¡°That was definitely the showing I would expect of the future Lavaridge Gym Leader.¡±


    That seemed to perk the young woman up a bit but she still sighed again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I butted in on your battle, Grandpa,¡± Flannery said. ¡°I just got a bit over excited I guess.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Moore replied, putting an arm around his granddaughter¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You should see what I was like back in the day...¡± He shook his head with a chuckle.


    ¡°A-and I¡¯m sorry too, about what I said. I shouldn¡¯t have let my feelings about Trainers Colliding affect me like that,¡± Flannery continued, speaking to me. ¡°I really do wish you¡¯d let Claudia live though¡­¡± She told me, pouting.


    I shrugged weakly, not entirely sure how to reply. I really hoped this wasn¡¯t going to become a thing with people who¡¯d read my books.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I managed to say. ¡°I figure you¡¯ll not be the only one that was ever disappointed in the way one of my books went.¡± I offered my hand to shake and Flannery accepted it.


    Her hand was warm, hot really. I could feel a few small calluses as we shook that were doubtlessly born from hard work as a Fire type trainer. I hoped that we¡¯d be able to be friends, despite the confrontational first meeting.


    ¡°Anyway, Harry Hemming,¡± the Gym Leader looked back at me. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all head over to the Pokemon Centre and get both of your Pokemon healed. We can talk more on the way.¡±


    The elderly trainer led both myself and Flannery out of the Gym and back into Lavaridge town.


    ¡°So, about Trainers Colliding¡­¡± Flannery began and thus began a long conversation about the series I was writing.

 Chapter 14

    The walk back to the Pokemon Center didn¡¯t take too long. After the adrenaline from the battle started to wear out I felt myself flagging just a little bit. It wasn¡¯t every day I had a full on battle, even if it hadn¡¯t gone the whole way in the end. It felt like I''d just done a mild workout.


    I and Flannery gave our Pokemon to Nurse Joy for healing and it was quiet with no other trainers hanging about. So the three of us went to find a little booth to sit down in and chat.


    ¡°So do you have any plans for where you want to set up your Gym?¡± Moore asked me.


    ¡°A few,¡± I replied. ¡°Verdanturf Town always seemed to make the most sense.¡±


    ¡°Verdanturf is nice,¡± Flannery said. ¡°Super fresh air, unlike here,¡± she joked dryly.


    ¡°Yes the ash doesn¡¯t get that far down south,¡± Moore agreed. ¡°They¡¯re a bit of a quiet little town, the only thing of note that¡¯s happened there in recent memory was the Contest Hall.¡±


    ¡°My second thought was Petalburg,¡± I revealed. ¡°But they obviously already have a Gym.¡±


    ¡°Other nations do that, don''t they?¡± Flannery asked. ¡°Have multiple Gyms in one place.¡±


    ¡°They do¡­¡± Moore agreed uncomfortably. ¡°But usually that¡¯s nations like Kanto with their extra eight Gyms. You shouldn¡¯t do that young man. It¡¯ll only make things difficult between you and Norman,¡± he advised.


    ¡°I thought the same thing so I wasn¡¯t planning on it,¡± I said, nodding in thanks for the advice, even if I didn¡¯t need it. ¡°I grew up in Petalburg actually.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Flannery asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Petalburg before. What¡¯s it like?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ nice,¡± I said, not entirely sure what sort of word to use. ¡°Normal,¡± I said humorously, making Moore and Flannery chuckle.


    Truthfully I didn¡¯t really have much to say about Petalburg. To be fair I was still a kid back then and I¡¯d been more interested in reading the local fiction and interacting with my Pokemon friends than anything else. Leah and Bud had found me pretty early on and they¡¯d kept me company for several years of the self-imposed relative isolation I¡¯d more or less put myself in. It was kind of hard to relate to little kids when you have the memories of being an adult human knocking about inside your head and hard to relate to adults when you¡¯re still a little kid, no matter how mature. I¡¯d been the odd one out and it had been painfully obvious ever since the carers at the orphanage had commented on how well spoken I was.


    ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of for people to challenge other Gym Leaders for their position,¡± the Gym Leader said. ¡°Although you¡¯d have to get the Gym Leader to agree to the stakes first and Norman wouldn¡¯t go for it. I think Juan had a battle like that with someone from Johto, or maybe Kanto. He earnt a lot of money from winning it, I recall.¡±


    ¡°My original thinking was that there¡¯s a few Fairy types that have habitats around Petalburg,¡± I told them.


    ¡°Your¡­ Gardevoir and Whimsicott?¡± Moore stated and I nodded.


    ¡°There¡¯s Whimsicott and Cottonee in the woods, even if Cottonee aren¡¯t Fairy type themselves. And there¡¯s a few enclaves of the Ralts line hidden away here or there around Route 102.¡±


    ¡°It would definitely help you to surround yourself with Pokemon habitats that match your specialty, like we do for Mt Chimney. If it''s the Fairy types you¡¯re looking for then I don¡¯t know many places¡­¡± Moore mused.


    ¡°Marill are pretty much everywhere with fresh water. I''ve been told there are Clefairy in Meteor Falls but I never spotted one myself. Truthfully I¡¯m not sure what other Pokemon have been reclassified as Fairy type. I need to sit down and read more of these reports that are coming out of Littleroot.¡±


    I was surprised by his mentioning Clefairy.


    ¡°I thought Clefairy were only found in Kanto. Maybe I should go check out the caves there.¡±


    I never recalled finding any Clefairy in the Hoenn regions in the games I once played. I¡¯d played through Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald and Alpha Sapphire and several of those to the endgame and I didn¡¯t remember seeing any Clefairy in any of those games whatsoever.


    ¡°Some Pokemon species are pretty hard to find,¡± Flannery piped in. ¡°What about Littleroot town? They¡¯re pretty small but they do have the Pokemon Lab there.¡±


    Moore shook his head.


    ¡°Best to stay clear of the Pokemon Researchers,¡± he advised sagely. ¡°They¡¯ll never leave you alone if you¡¯re nearby and you¡¯ll always be going around fixing their messes.¡±


    It sounded like Moore had had some bad experiences with Pokemon scientists, but the advice certainly made sense.


    ¡°There¡¯s Dragons in Meteor Falls too,¡± Moore continued on from before. ¡°I¡¯ve seen them. But they¡¯re well hidden away from most trainers.¡±


    ¡°Well Dragon types aren¡¯t a problem,¡± I said confidently, thinking that I should make a visit to Meteor Falls soon and see if I could find these Clefairy. At the surprised looks both Fire type trainers gave me I decided to elaborate.


    ¡°Fairy types are strong against Dragons,¡± I told them both.


    ¡°What, really?¡± Flannery said. ¡°Man that¡¯s gonna be a big deal. Dragon trainers are gonna hate going to your Gym almost as much as going to Sootopolis!¡±


    Moore likewise chuckled.


    ¡°Oh I¡¯ll have to come and see your battle against the first Dragon trainer that comes your way,¡± he said enthusiastically. ¡°It¡¯ll be fun to watch them up against a total Type weakness.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to let you know,¡± I told them both, which seemed to please them both greatly.


    Fire was weak against Dragon types even if Dragon types were not Super Effective in return. So that type matchup was probably just as difficult for Moore and Flannery as my match had been against Flannery earlier. I could maybe see where the frustration came in for them, especially with Dragon types often being particularly strong in comparison to other Pokemon species.


    ¡°Do you get a lot of Dragon trainers on the circuit?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°Not many, no,¡± Moore admitted. ¡°Training multiple Dragon types is challenging and expensive, just ask Drake. There¡¯s a settlement somewhere where the Draconids live but they don¡¯t often leave their area.¡±


    ¡°Drake¡¯s in the Elite Four isn¡¯t he?¡± I asked. I remembered the Draconids. There was a girl in the remake games who was from there who predicted the attack by¡­ and now I¡¯d forgotten that Pokemon¡¯s name too. Rayquaza was needed to fight it off. I hoped I wouldn¡¯t have to be involved with that.


    ¡°Yeah, Drake is number four just under Steven,¡± Flannery said.


    ¡°The more I think about it, you could do far worse than going to Falarbor Town,¡± Moore said seriously. ¡°It¡¯s still a growing settlement and they¡¯re a bit out of the way. They could use a Gym Leader to help with the local Pokemon.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. Although I was still going to try Verdanturf Town first. I remembered it was where Gardevoirite could be found in the games and it was my first thought as a Gym location because of that. Although I couldn¡¯t remember where exactly the Gardevoirite was located either¡­ A couple of decades to forget everything hadn¡¯t helped my recollection of things in the slightest.


    ¡°Wattson said something about Slateport and Lilycove,¡± I commented, remembering that we didn¡¯t want my becoming a Gym leader to become public knowledge so those towns wouldn¡¯t find out.


    ¡°Yes they will both offer you a lot of benefits to go to them, I imagine,¡± Moore said. ¡°I never liked Slateport, far too many tourists.¡±


    ¡°Come on Grampa, foreign trainers aren¡¯t that bad¡­¡± Flannery said humorously. The old man huffed but didn¡¯t respond to the teasing.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be heading to Petalburg next,¡± Moore said, blatantly changing the subject as we reached the Pokemon Center. ¡°Looking forward to going back to where you grew up?¡±


    I thought about it for a moment, but truthfully I didn¡¯t hold many strong memories of Petalburg. There was no family or anything I had to go back to or friends waiting for me. It was a nice enough place but I¡¯d not left any attachments there. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°To tell the truth I don¡¯t have a lot of strong memories of Petalburg,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I¡¯m definitely looking forward to meeting Norman and Bud and Leah are from around there too.¡±


    ¡°Norman¡¯s a good chap,¡± Moore said. ¡°Family man, hard working. I¡¯ll spoil the surprise for you now. He wants your help handling some Jigglypuff he¡¯s been trying to get settled at his Gym. They¡¯re a handful apparently.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised,¡± I said. Jigglypuff were a particularly difficult species of Pokemon to deal with, not the least because of their collective obsession with singing and putting people to sleep in the process. Hopefully I could lend a hand.


    The Nurse Joy came to us, carrying the balls for mine and Flannery¡¯s Pokemon. Leah was still out of her ball and she slipped in to sit next to me opposite the other two trainers while I and Falnnery returned our Pokeballs to their correct places on our person.


    We chatted for a bit more. Flannery bugged me a bit about the next book I was writing, which was an entirely new experience. I hadn¡¯t had anyone else to really talk to about my writing before beyond some critiques from my publishers. It was an interesting change of pace.


    Moore invited me around to have dinner with him and Flannery later but I respectfully declined. I still had to sit down and read up for this test Roxanne was going to set for me. With any luck I figured we could head over to Rustboro after Petalburg and get that finished so it wasn¡¯t hanging over my head. But I knew it was only a partial truth. Social interaction was pretty tiring for me and I was looking forward to finding my room at the Pokemon Centre, sitting down and decompressing a bit for the rest of the day.


    Moore promised to let Norman know to expect me tomorrow and Flannery extracted a promise that I¡¯d come around and sign some of her books once I was officially a Gym Leader.


    With that they left me be and I spent the rest of the day in the Pokemon Center. I had plenty of things I wanted to get done before we left to Petalburg. Not the least of which was read up on this stuff for Roxanne...


    ***


    Teleport as a move required concentration and effort to travel long distances and familiarity with a location. That familiarity could fade over time if you didn¡¯t make repeat visits, but there were some places you would always keep fond in your mind.


    I didn¡¯t have many strong memories that would work for this, but fortunately it wasn¡¯t just me that needed to have strong memories of Petalburg. It was my Gardevoir that had the connection to bring us there and there was one place in particular that she would always feel a connection to.


    We appeared on the edge of a forest clearing. The sun had risen and came in past the green leaves and bathed the clearing in light.


    Leah tightened her hold on my hand as we beheld what was inside the clearing.


    Inside there were a small number of Ralts, Kirlia and Gardevoir playing or relaxing together. A pair of Gallade were off to one side, exchanging blows with the blades that extended past their elbows. Three Kirlia were bouncing and twirling like ballerinas together.


    It was a peaceful sight, one I had only seen a few times during my second childhood. I had been guided here by the friendly Ralts I had met on the edge of Petalburg.


    We hadn¡¯t done much to interrupt the tranquility but it didn¡¯t take long for someone to notice us.


    First it was one of the Kirlia, who stopped its dancing suddenly and that drew the attention of more of the Pokemon one by one until their collective attention was on us.


    ¡°Garde,¡± Leah said, somewhat weakly as she gave a little wave.


    That seemed to break the silence and the Pokemon approached, crowding around us slightly, although it was mostly Leah who seemed to be drawing the attention.


    One of the Gardevoir passed through the crowd which parted on its own to let her through.


    She was taller than Leah, although not by much and there were a few wrinkles that were hard to spot on her white skin. But there was a bearing to this Pokemon that truly gave away her age. This was the leader of this little community, a Gardevoir I recognised.


    ¡°I brought her back,¡± I said to the matriarch, gesturing at Leah.


    Back then she¡¯d been still a Ralts, just on the cusp of evolving to a Kirlia. My Gardevoir had grown a great deal since those days, evolving and growing stronger until she¡¯d reached her peak. I¡¯d promised back then that one day Leah would come back to see everyone here. It hadn¡¯t been possible to teleport such vast distances between regions but now we were here in Hoenn it was not only possible, but convenient to come back now.


    The aged Gardevoir looked me up and down consideringly. Then she smiled, nodding her head slowly and then her eyes went to Leah.


    ¡°Garrrdevoirrr,¡± the Gardevoir said and my Gardevoir averted her gaze with a slightly bashful expression on her face, although she looked pleased by whatever the matriarch had said.


    Seeming amused, the older Pokemon approached and pulled Leah into a hug which my Pokemon returned eagerly.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t just here to visit. I¡¯m going to visit the Petalburg Gym in the human settlement¡­¡± I looked around at the gathered Pokemon.


    ¡°Leah, while we¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you stay here for a while and catch up with everybody?¡±


    There were noises of agreement and eager nods from the other Pokemon present. Leah shook her head, gesturing towards me and looking slightly betrayed by what I had said.


    The matriarch chuckled in response to whatever protest Leah had made, which made my Pokemon blush adorably and I could only find the whole thing amusing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry,¡± I said, sensing Leah¡¯s concern. ¡°I have everyone else with me to keep me safe too, don¡¯t I? In fact, tell you what. Come on out Kira.¡±


    Kira¡¯s Pokeball burst open, revealing my Sylveon who looked around the new location with interest. His big blue eyes took in the sight of the Pokemon around us with excitement.


    ¡°Sylveon!¡± He called out, saying hello to everyone while a pair of his ribbons immediately came and found my arm, wrapping around it affectionately.


    There were a few murmurs from the Psychic/Fairy types present as they beheld the Eeveelution and I caught a slightly stern look from one of the Gallade the pair of whom had stayed off to the side so far. I was worried I might have done something inappropriate by revealing another Pokemon in this private space but my worries were assuaged when one of the Kirlia approached, eyes wide and looking at the Sylveon¡¯s remaining ribbons which waved freely in the air.


    ¡°Kirl lia,¡± it said, gesturing at the ribbons with interest. The Sylveon reached out with a ribbon to the Kirlia who took it in it¡¯s hand and almost immediately it gasped in surprise.


    It¡¯s bearing gave me the impression that this was female Kirlia and the Pokemon said something to the surrounding Pokemon as it looked between both myself and Kira, some kind of awe in her eyes. It asked a question and Kira responded with a nod and a few words before rubbing up against my side.


    I was sure they could sense how strong he was, not that we were going to be a danger to anyone here. But the Kirlia must have been able to sense Kira¡¯s natural empathic ability, I realised. Sylveon could sense and even emit emotions through their ribbons. It was unsurprising that the Kirlia had been able to sense it once she touched the ribbon currently in her hand.


    ¡°Kira, Leah¡¯s staying here to catch up with everyone,¡± I told him. ¡°You¡¯re going to be out with me to make sure I stay safe while we¡¯re in Petalburg, okay?¡±


    We weren¡¯t going to be in any danger, or at least I doubted there would be anything my other Pokemon couldn¡¯t handle between them. But Leah seemed at least partly mollified at seeing Kira out of his ball with me.


    ¡°Sylv!¡± My Pokemon replied in the affirmative.


    The matriarch Gardevoir spoke up then, her tone sounding teasing and my Gardevoir blushed, responding quickly with some sort of denial, sounding slightly indignant about whatever she was saying.


    Whatever Leah had said, it made the matriarch chuckle into her hand alongside some of the other older Pokemon present. Leah pouted adorably.


    ¡°It¡¯s been great seeing you all again,¡± I told the little community of Fairy/Psychics as I prepared to leave. ¡°Leah, you can come and find me whenever you¡¯re ready, okay?¡±


    That seemed to be the sign for the conversation to end. Tugging hands from one of the Gardevoir began to pull a slightly reluctant Leah gently away. The wide eyes of the Ralts peaked out from under their bowl-cut hair as they followed after them.


    Leah was guided away and made to sit down on a tree stump from which point the smaller Pokemon sat around her and then evidently began to ask her questions about her time away from their home.


    Leah looked slightly overwhelmed, but I could also see she was happy to see everyone again. I was glad to give her a moment like this after so long away.


    I waved silently goodbye and nodded to the Matriarch as I turned to head off. But before I and Kira could leave I was stopped by a tugging on my jacket.


    It was the Kirlia from before. She began gesturing to myself and Kira and then looked to the matriarch. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what she wanted. It was hoping the matriarch would let her come with us.


    ¡°You want to come into the city with me?¡± I asked. The Kirlia considered my question for a few moments and then nodded, looking away shyly. I chuckled. Leah had behaved the same way when she was smaller too.


    I didn¡¯t really want the added responsibility of keeping an eye on a wild Kirlia in the middle of Petalburg, especially at the Gym which would probably have other trainers about that might try to catch her. She¡¯d probably encounter lots of people if she came with me, lots of trainers too.


    I looked back at the matriarch with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Are you entirely sure about this?¡± I asked. This was a surprisingly big thing she was asking of me.


    I was hoping the matriarch would say no, but when after a few seconds of thought the Gardevoir nodded, shooting me a slightly amused look as she did so. She knew I knew what was being left unsaid here. I also knew I didn¡¯t have it in me to deny the excited Pokemon the opportunity to come with me.


    ¡°There¡¯ll probably be a lot of Pokemon trainers who¡¯d like to catch a Kirlia like you,¡± I told her seriously. ¡°Are you sure you want to come with me and take that risk?¡±


    The Kirlia didn¡¯t stop to think much before she nodded again, and that confirmed my thoughts on the matter. I sighed.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep you safe,¡± I said to the Kirlia, but I was also confirming that to the Matriarch. I wasn¡¯t going to let anyone catch the Kirlia without permission. ¡°But if you¡¯re coming with me then you had better be on your best behaviour and do what I tell you to do, okay?¡± I wasn¡¯t going to let her get herself, or myself into trouble.


    The Kirlia nodded enthusiastically, happy to agree to anything if it meant she was allowed to come with us. I sighed again.


    ¡°Come on then,¡± I said. I was about to take the Kirlia¡¯s hand in mine while we walked but then I decided that she was small enough to carry.


    The Kirlia gasped in surprise and she yelped as I reached down and picked her up before setting her down on my shoulder. Having her there meant she wouldn¡¯t be disappearing off somewhere if I stopped paying attention. Up here she wasn¡¯t going to get caught by some random passerby without my noticing. It¡¯d stop the wrong sort from trying to catch her if Kirlia wasn¡¯t interested.


    With our new friend in tow, I waved goodbye again. Leah was quite happily speaking to the other Pokemon now, telling them about her adventures outside this little haven they had made for themselves.


    The three of us turned to leave.


    It was time to visit the Petalburg Gym and find out what it would take for Norman to agree to let me start my own Gym.

 Chapter 15

    The most exciting thing about this world I had found myself in was of course the Pokemon.


    But in the end they were still potentially very dangerous creatures. Kids of my current age wouldn¡¯t really be allowed near many Pokemon until we were a bit older and smart enough to not irritate one too much.


    Pulling on a Pikachu¡¯s tail for instance would probably lead to some unpleasant outcomes. So I¡¯d resigned myself to waiting to meet Pokemon for a few years.


    In the meantime it was back to school, and oh how frustrating that was.


    The children were¡­ loud. Loud was definitely the word. There were other words that came to mind too, but ¡°fucking annoying¡± wasn¡¯t a kind thing to say about small children, even if you were one.


    I tried to play the part of a normal child but it was damn hard. Today I had lost patience a bit earlier than usual. So I grabbed the book I had been eyeing and quietly headed towards the door and then out towards the playground. The teachers who were supposed to be looking after us didn¡¯t notice my leaving. They had more annoying kids to worry about.


    It was far more peaceful out here. The rain from the morning had stopped and the sun had started to peek out through the clouds. I toddled over to one of the swings, the benches were wooden and a bit too damp to sit on comfortably but I wiped the plastic swing down which was enough.


    ¡°Much better,¡± I said to myself as I sat down and opened the book. I probably had half an hour or so before they came looking for me or someone spotted me out of the window.


    It wasn¡¯t some great piece of literature, there wasn¡¯t much of that available in a building meant for kids under ten, but this book was probably five or six years ahead of my current age range and quite frankly I¡¯d take what I could get.


    I¡¯d only had a few minutes before I spotted movement out of the corner of my eye. The white stuck out against the greens and browns of the treeline over the wire mesh fence and as I focused my vision I quickly recognised what I was looking at.


    Excitement burst up within me and I had to stop myself from reacting too quickly in case I startled it. Instead I took a slow, deep breath and figured out what to do.


    Wild Pokemon tended to avoid the human settlements and particularly crowds of humans, for obvious reasons. Sure they might hang around here or there but they would keep their distance. But right now it was just me out here. I was far less scary than a crowd of excited little kids playing their games.


    Carefully, eager not to startle the Pokemon I closed my book, stood up and walked slowly towards the fence. Then I sat down gently, cross legged on a dryish patch of ground and then I waited.


    My patience was rewarded when after half a minute or so, I caught sight of it again.


    A head of green hair and a red, rounded off horn coming from its forehead peeked out from behind a tree. The Pokemon had a head that was verging on being comically too large for it¡¯s slight body, but it made it work.


    I waited, not making any sounds and not looking directly at it and my patience was rewarded again when the Ralts carefully made it¡¯s way out from the trees and towards me.


    ¡°Ralts?¡± The Pokemon said, looking at me curiously. Although I couldn¡¯t understand what it was saying, I didn¡¯t feel threatened in the slightest.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said softly. ¡°My name¡¯s Harry. Would you like to be my friend?¡±


    ***


    It felt a little bit like I was minding someone else¡¯s child, but to my relief Kirlia was well behaved as we walked through town. She didn¡¯t try to move off my shoulder, instead looking around in awe at everything she saw. Sometimes she pointed at things and I explained what they were to her.


    Leah had been one of those Ralts that just¡­ wandered off sometimes. I wasn¡¯t sure of the specifics, but I knew people had to encounter Ralts or their evolutions in the wild somehow.


    Maybe it was a right of passage to explore the world outside their home sometimes, or maybe it was like with myself as a little boy in this life. The adults only had so much attention to spread around and sometimes one or two of their charges slipped the net in a moment of inattention. Or maybe there was something more going on that I couldn¡¯t tell.


    But Kirlia was here with me and with permission from the matriarch Gardevoir back in the forests. I¡¯d give her what she was looking for by escorting her around Petalburg.


    I stopped to ask for some directions from a passerby, who directed us the right way to the Gym, fortunately we weren¡¯t too far.


    Kirlia was fairly interested by everything she was seeing but she seemed more interested in the people. It didn¡¯t stop her shouting in surprise when a car zoomed past. I chuckled and explained what she was seeing. It wasn¡¯t too much further before we were stood outside its doors.


    The Petalburg Gym looked pretty traditional, with a similar style to the Lavaridge Gym. Although while Lavaridge had clearly kept to its traditions, Norman¡¯s Gym showed signs that it was only respecting the old way of things. There were plenty of signs around that showed Norman¡¯s Gym was becoming modernised, not the least of which was the ginormous dome of segmented glass that stuck out through the surrounding treeline. It reflected the sunlight around it, standing out as an impressive monument to human engineering.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± I said. ¡°I might need to put you down once we¡¯re inside but stay near me or Kira, okay? I don¡¯t want anyone catching you who you wouldn¡¯t want to go with.¡±


    ¡°Irllia,¡± Kirlia said, listening to my instructions and nodding seriously. I felt amusement creep into my expression and patted her head.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± I said as she preened.


    I pushed open the doors and inside there was a desk with a green-haired Ace Trainer manning it. She looked up as I entered and I approached the desk with Kira and Kirlia alongside me. Brawly had had his Gym trainers man the desk in turns which is what I figured Norman was doing here too. Something else to think about once I got started.


    ¡°Hi I¡¯m Harry Hemming. Norman should be expecting me,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Oh yeah Norman said to watch out for you,¡± the woman said, glancing from my face to the Kirlia on my shoulder and then she spotted Kira, who immediately caught her curiosity.


    ¡°He¡¯s just in a battle right now but he should be finishing soon,¡± she gestured behind me where I saw there was a TV with a battle underway. ¡°He¡¯ll probably come out here once it¡¯s all over.¡±


    On the screen I recognised Norman immediately. He was standing with arms crossed opposite an older looking woman in a long dress. She had a Magneton out which was looking worse for wear.


    Norman had a Tauros out and the Pokemon braced itself, leaning down and catching the Electric attack the Magneton sent its way. I could only guess that the Tauros was grounding itself somehow, which was a difficult trick only certain species of Pokemon could manage.


    ¡°What  level of badge is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Fifth tier,¡± the woman told me. ¡°That lady¡¯s on the local Council. She comes around once every few months and challenges Norman to a match. She¡¯s done better this time, but she¡¯s down two Pokemon of her four now and Norman¡¯s only lost one of his five.¡±


    On the screen the Tauros charged, lightning wreathing its form in what I assumed was a Wild Charge attack. It¡¯d probably used the electricity from the Magneton¡¯s own attack to charge himself up, making the attack less tiring for it. It was a smart move.


    The Magneton it seemed was on its last legs and the attack knocked it out. There wasn¡¯t any audio but I saw as the woman said something to Norman while withdrawing her Pokemon. He replied, nodding as he did so and the woman chuckled good naturedly.


    Her next Pokemon was a Granbull and I instinctively stepped forward with interest to see how this would go. Granbull and their lower evolution Snubbull were Fairy type, although until recently they had been thought to be just a Normal type.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably her weakest Pokemon,¡± the Gym trainer informed me. ¡°Y¡¯know, a pet rather than a battler.¡±


    I shrugged and looked back, not surprised. Snubbul and its evolution tended to look a bit threatening, but appearances could be deceiving, especially with Fairy types and in my opinion they weren¡¯t actually very strong Pokemon. In fact they were actually quite timid.


    Having a Snubbul or a Granbull was usually the domain of the richer classes and in my opinion, it was a bit like having an expensive dog breed back in my previous life.


    There was a referee standing off to the side of the arena and at her signal the battle started again.


    The Granbull charged forward at its trainer¡¯s order. Its mouth was open with the dark purple energy of a Dark type attack, meaning it was either going to try using Bite or Crunch.


    The Tauros then used what I assumed was Thunderbolt, shooting out electricity from its horns that struck the Granbull on the way. The Granbull powered through and managed to use Bite against the other Pokemon, but it took a great deal of damage in the process.


    I grimaced while watching. The woman was trying, but she wasn¡¯t really using any strategies to leverage her Pokemon¡¯s strengths, relying on the Granbull to muscle through the Tauros¡¯ attacks to counter them. Maybe the Granbull could take the hits, but I couldn¡¯t see it lasting long like this.


    To be fair, Granbull weren¡¯t particularly impressive specimens of Pokemon in terms of moves. They didn¡¯t have a breadth of non-attacking moves which left them limited to having to brute force things.


    The Granbull managed to land a few blows but the Tauros was quick and physically capable in its own right. The Granbull went down, beaten by another Thunderbolt from the Tauros that had clearly been trained for Electric type moves. I was sure that Norman probably had a variety of Tauros, each with their own particular skillsets.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    That was the biggest strength of Normal type Pokemon. Only Fighting type moves were Super Effective against them, leaving many Pokemon out of luck, but Normal types could learn a breadth of moves of different types and this often gave them a counter to their opponent¡¯s typing.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be long now,¡± the Gym Trainer said. ¡°Anyway, what Pokemon is that?¡± She asked, pointing at Kira.


    ¡°He¡¯s a Sylveon,¡± I told her. ¡°An evolution of Eevee.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± The trainer replied quickly. She pulled out a Pokeball and from out of it appeared the Pokemon in question.


    ¡°Vee!¡± Her Eevee said excitedly, greeting the evolved Pokemon.


    ¡°Sylv!¡± Kira said, going to stand in front of the Eevee, although he still kept a bit of ribbon wrapped around my wrist. He wasn¡¯t going to let me get away that easily¡­


    The Eevee looked at the evolved form, sniffing at the air. Then the Eevee barked happily and began to jump up and around. Kira began playing with the Eevee, holding up one of his ribbons which the Eevee batted at playfully.


    Kirlia giggled, watching the two Pokemon playing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an Eevee evolution like that before,¡± said the Gym Trainer. ¡°I¡¯m Alexia, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, realising I hadn¡¯t been polite and asked for her name. ¡°Nice to meet you, Alexia.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure,¡± she said, brushing aside my apology. ¡°But what type is it, what¡¯d you say it called?¡±


    ¡°Kira is a Sylveon,¡± I told her. ¡°He¡¯s the Fairy type evolution.¡±


    ¡°From the new typing!?¡± Alexia asked. ¡°Oh yeah, the Jigglypuff. Norman¡¯s been having trouble with these new ones we got in. That¡¯s why you¡¯re here isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied, lying by omission by not divulging my real reason for being here. ¡°Apparently they aren¡¯t settling very well, are you guys having many problems?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly the singing,¡± Alexia said. ¡°They¡¯re going around and putting all the other Pokemon to sleep all the time.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± I asked, not finding Jigglypuff going around and singing particularly surprising.  Where did you get them from?¡± I asked with curiosity.


    ¡°Some asshole figured because there were only a few kinds of Pokemon out there that it¡¯d be okay if he tried building some sort of holiday lodge out north of Rustboro without permission,¡± Alexia told me. ¡°It got stopped, obviously, but not before he damaged a big chunk of the local habitat. After the Jennies got done with him Norman took the Jigglypuff in, seeing as there was nowhere else they could really go and he is the Normal type expert.¡±


    ¡°I get you,¡± I said, letting Kirlia down to go and play with the Eevee. ¡°So they were completely wild until recently?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Alexia replied. ¡°Norman¡¯s worried but I think it¡¯s just these Jigglypuff are struggling to adapt to their new location. I mean we try to make it as natural as possible for them but it¡¯s still an enclosure and a new area with new Pokemon. I have my own Wigglytuff but they don¡¯t like her either.¡±


    Kirlia began to dance around the ribbons, joined in by the Eevee jumping up to bat at them with its paws.


    ¡°Adorable,¡± Alexia said as she beheld the sight of the Pokemon playing and I couldn¡¯t help but agree.


    ¡°Well maybe I¡¯ll see something you guys haven¡¯t that will help with these Jigglypuff,¡± I said sincerely, but I had no idea what might be wrong based on what I¡¯d heard. Hopefully the problem would be more obvious once I got to see what was actually going on.


    Some doors opened automatically admitting both Norman and the woman from the Petalburg Council. Upon seeing the Pokemon out in the lobby area both of them stopped.


    ¡°Oh my it¡¯s that Pokemon!¡± The woman asked, enthralled immediately by Kira.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Norman asked.


    ¡°Tha- Oh I suppose you probably wouldn¡¯t know. I¡¯m in the local Pokemon Fanclub and one of our members brought in a photo online of a Pokemon that looks just like that. Everyone¡¯s been looking up and down the country for it, I can¡¯t believe I found it first.¡±


    ¡°This is my Sylveon, Kira,¡± I told the new arrivals as I quickly tried to come to terms with the fact there were apparently people out there looking for me and my Pokemon. ¡°He¡¯s the Fairy type evolution of Eevee.¡±


    ¡°He looks wonderful,¡± the woman said. ¡°Is he for trade?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied immediately, trying to withhold my tone to something more polite. But I wasn¡¯t entirely sure I¡¯d managed it based on the woman¡¯s reaction to my words.


    ¡°Harry?¡± Norman asked politely, cutting in and coming to offer me his hand to shake.


    ¡°Norman, hello,¡± I said.


    ¡°Harry¡¯s a Fairy type expert, here to help me with some Pokemon I took in recently,¡± Norman told the woman.


    ¡°I see,¡± she replied. ¡°Well it¡¯s nice to meet you, young man,¡± she said, offering me her hand.


    ¡°My name is Franceen Marlberry. I¡­ apologise but seeing such a wonderful specimen of a Pokemon had me forgetting my manners.¡±


    Her gaze still drifted back to my Sylveon eve as we shook hands. I couldn¡¯t exactly blame her for wanting a Pokemon as adorable and friendly as mine, but the immediate offer of trade had still rubbed me the wrong way.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I replied. I could tell my tone still wasn¡¯t exactly good, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to change it.


    ¡°I really should go and get things sorted now I have Harry here with me,¡± Norman said. ¡°It¡¯s been nice to see you today, Franceen. I expect I¡¯ll see you in a month or so?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± the woman replied more cheerfully. ¡°We¡¯ll give you a run for your money next time Norman, just you wait!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll expect an email from your secretary,¡± Norman replied as outside a fancy looking car rolled up. He gestured and politely guided the Council member towards the exit.


    He opened the car door for her and smiled charmingly as Franceen entered and then he shut it for her. The Gym Leader waved her off as the car drove away before coming back inside.


    ¡°Phew!¡± He said, sharing a look with Alexia and they chuckled together at some private joke. ¡°It¡¯s always hands on deck when Franceen comes around,¡± Norman explained to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I snapped there,¡± I said to them contritely, forcing myself to calm down. ¡°Is she a big deal around Petalburg?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a Council member and has been for just under three decades at this point,¡± Norman told me, which made me wince.


    ¡°Plus she¡¯s a good five to ten percent of the Gym¡¯s income!¡± Alexia interrupted.


    ¡°We¡¯re technically a tax writeoff for her,¡± Norman admitted, glancing to his Gym Trainer. ¡°Battle income and losses are tax exempt or deductible respectively, so it¡¯s basically free for her to come and battle me or one of my trainers regularly like this. But don¡¯t worry, I imagine she¡¯s more embarrassed that she said what she did than anything else.¡±


    I nodded, feeling relieved that I hadn¡¯t made things too difficult through my behaviour but I¡¯d clearly not made a great first impression.


    But I could read between the lines. This was sort of political on Norman¡¯s part. Schmoozing with the local Council. Not something I was looking forward to but I understood the need for it.


    ¡°Dealing with people like Franceen is something every Gym Leader needs to know about,¡± Norman said sagely, like he was reading my thoughts. Alexia didn¡¯t seem to catch it, but I knew he was meaning that as advice as well as an off-hand comment. Then he changed the subject.


    ¡°So that¡¯s your Sylveon huh? Moore commented on it. I didn¡¯t think they were ever going to discover another Eeveelution.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kira¡¯s very important to me,¡± I said honestly, which made my Pokemon turn to face me with stars in his eyes. A moment later I was stepping back to stop myself being bowled over by the Pokemon, who licked my face affectionately.


    ¡°Get off, you!¡± I grumbled good naturedly as I pushed him down and then wiped my face. It seemed the damage was done and the other two trainers in the room were barely withholding their amusement.


    ¡°And¡­ aren¡¯t you supposed to have a Gardevoir?¡± Norman asked, confused as his attention turned to the Kirlia. I nodded.


    ¡°Kirlia is from the same enclave my Gardevoir is from,¡± I told them. ¡°She asked me to take her with me today and I agreed. Is it okay if she comes with me through the Gym?¡±


    Alexia seemed surprised at the revelation that the Kirlia was wild but Norman had already recovered from the surprise and his expression turned to one that was more serious.


    ¡°She¡¯s from one of the local enclaves?¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Norman stated carefully. ¡°But I can¡¯t accept any responsibility if she gets hurt or anything while she¡¯s here. You understand that, right?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, we won¡¯t hold you or anyone else responsible if something happens will we Kirlia?¡± I asked and received a nod of agreement. ¡°Wonderful, thank you,¡± I said gratefully.


    ¡°Err, is there something I don¡¯t know about?¡± Alexia asked, clearly confused about the seriousness of what we were saying.


    ¡°The Ralts through to Gardevoir population and their communities aren¡¯t something we try to advertise. They¡¯re a very¡­ private bunch of Pokemon that don¡¯t cause any trouble for well meaning folk and we try to leave them alone,¡± Norman told her.


    ¡°What, even the Gym trainers?¡± Alexia asked, slightly put out, seeing as she was apparently one of those trainers.


    ¡°It¡¯s something we tell people after they¡¯ve been here a few months and we¡¯ve had a chance to get to know you properly,¡± Norman revealed.


    While Alexia came to terms with the fact she hadn¡¯t been told any of this yet, Norman¡¯s eyes met mine and we nodded in understanding. He¡¯d only been a Gym Leader for a few years but I¡¯d have been very surprised if he hadn¡¯t been made aware of the enclave, or maybe enclaves, as the local Gym Leader. Even if he didn¡¯t necessarily know where it was, it was important for him to be aware of their existence.


    I could attest to the fact that Gardevoir were a wonderful, strong Pokemon to have on your team and on top of that they were fiercely protective of those they cared about which was always a good trait to have in a Pokemon.


    It was fine, that is, up until someone posed a threat to those people or Pokemon.


    Advertising the enclave¡¯s location would only attract poachers and trainers who wouldn¡¯t necessarily have the right degree of respect for those Pokemon. Keeping the information mostly secret probably helped avoid a rush of people causing trouble that otherwise might have been avoided.


    ¡°Come on. Let me show you the Pokemon habitat,¡± Norman said, moving on from the subject. He gestured for us to head towards the doorway leading further into the building. ¡°Alexia, there¡¯s no more appointments today, can you close up please, and then you come with us if you like.¡±


    Still slightly perturbed, Alexia nodded and quickly headed back to the desk while Norman led me out of the room.


    ¡°Franceen took a liking to your Sylveon and my advice to her after our battle before was for her to get another Pokemon. So I¡¯ll probably have her asking me questions about how to evolve an Eevee into one now. You wouldn¡¯t mind divulging your secrets would you?¡± Norman asked.


    ¡°It was sort of luck on my part,¡± I admitted. Kira had fallen into our laps and evolving him hadn¡¯t been something I¡¯d planned for. I thought I knew how it had happened though.


    ¡°You need lots of Fairy type energy,¡± I told him. ¡°All my Pokemon are Fairy types which I think helped, but learning Fairy type moves and using them a lot should make it possible too if the Eevee is determined to evolve themselves into a Sylveon. Otherwise it¡¯ll be a bit random, like the Umbreon and Espeon evolutions.¡±


    Which had been documented to work during either day or night periods according to the respective type, but there wasn¡¯t any obvious stimulus. ¡°Friendship¡± was a strange thing to be able to measure and nobody had figured that that was the trigger for those particular evolutions.


    Norman seemed very interested in my explanation.


    ¡°Eevee learn Baby-Doll Eyes naturally, but it isn¡¯t a move most people bother with much, and by the time they¡¯re strong enough to learn Charm they should be strong enough they¡¯d have evolved already,¡± the Gym Leader said with realisation. ¡°No wonder nobody figured it out before... The Pokemon researchers will want to see that in action, I imagine.¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°Well I won¡¯t mind helping out in a study or two.¡± I would want to be rewarded for that help in some way though. ¡°So while we were waiting, Alexia told me a bit about your Jigglypuff problem. Can you describe it for me too?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Norman began. ¡°So, here¡¯s what¡¯s happening.¡±

 Chapter 16

    The Ralts sat beside me as I continued telling her the story.


    ¡°All the other knights were arguing, getting louder and louder and none of them were paying attention to him. So Arthur decided to step up to the sword and he reached out and took a hold of its handle. Still, nobody was paying attention to come and tell him off, so Arthur tried giving the sword a strong tug. Unlike with everyone else, the sword slid out of the stone immediately and Arthur fell back, completely taken by surprise!¡±


    There wasn¡¯t anything quite like the King Arthur myth in this world, but this Ralts certainly seemed to appreciate it.


    Her eyes grew wider as I told her the climax to that part of the story.


    ¡°Arthur stared at the sword in shock and as he did so the people around him saw him and realised what must have happened. One by one, all the other knights in attendance stopped arguing and shouting and then when the whole area was silent they knelt down at the same time and shouted: All hail King Arthur!¡±


    Her eyes grew wider as I told her the climax to that part of the mythical king¡¯s story. Ralts seemed completely caught up in the tale and it took her a few moments to seem to come back to the real world and she clapped happily.


    ¡°Raaalts!¡± She cheered, making me smile in return.


    It made me wonder if there were any other stories I could remember from my last life that hadn¡¯t found their own version being told here. There were some clear examples I had found already. Brer Rabbit for instance had become a story about a Pikachu facing off and outwitting a Zangoose and a Seviper. Little Miss Muffett and the Spinarak was an odd one, especially given the rhyme had chosen to swap the spider sitting beside her to the Spinarak deciding to attack her.


    I sighed and leaned back against the tree behind me.


    It had been a couple of months since I¡¯d met the skittish Ralts on the edge of the playground for the first time. Nobody had figured out what I was doing. Or at least nobody had come to bother me about it when I snuck out again to come and find her.


    She came by most days to wait for me now. I was concerned someone might spot her, but again we¡¯d been okay, so I wasn¡¯t so worried anymore.


    It was nice to have a friend I could be honest with and tell about my otherworldly origins. I¡¯d been dropped off seemingly without warning with nothing to tell where I¡¯d come from. The adults had, as best I could guess, figured I was an unwanted baby that had been left by its parents. I wouldn¡¯t be telling them the truth, obviously.


    The Pokemon world was a kind one, but it had its darker underbelly. The gangs, or teams, depending on what you wanted to call them. It was scary that eco terrorists like Team Aqua or Magma might be making their appearance in the future, scarier still to think that some of the more outlandish myths that were barely touched on in the wider materials that I remembered might be true too.


    Myths like the idea that a Charmander dies if its tail goes out, or an Alakazam having a measurable IQ of 5,000 I would take with a grain of salt. Those ones seemed more like urban legends and old wives tales. In the opposite direction, the more mythical side of the snippets I remembered had an uncomfortable ring of truth to them.


    Jirachi was straight up magic, no pretense about that. It was a Steel/Psychic type, although given its domains it sounded like it would be better classified as a Fairy type too.


    The creation trio would undoubtedly actually exist in this world, or at least had powers associated with creation and that obviously brought up a number of major religious concerns.


    Going back down to earth, a Ninetails for example was a Pokemon I would do my best to avoid. There was a myth that touching their tails could lead to someone being cursed and I had no reason to suspect that they couldn¡¯t, given what I remembered of Pokemon in my past life. There was supposedly a 1,000 year old Ninetails somewhere in Kanto that had spent the last several centuries lamenting its dead trainer. The anime episode hadn¡¯t done much to dissuade the idea that it¡¯s abilities weren¡¯t steeped in mythology and magic rather than anything else.


    I was distracted from my thoughts when the Ralts nudged me. She¡¯d come over and sat against my side when I wasn''t paying attention. She¡¯d never done that before, this was the first time either of us had actually touched each other deliberately.


    She was small, even for a kid like me she could only be a bit over a foot high. She slotted under my arm easily, only her too large head making it slightly awkward. Still, she snuggled up against my side, eyes covered by her bob of hair and getting herself comfortable.


    The only myth about a Gardevoir I knew was that they cared for their trainers to a great degree. It was certainly one of the less scary things a Pokemon could be associated with.


    I wrapped my arm around her and hugged the little Pokemon back and she responded by nuzzling my side again before settling with a sigh and seemingly dropping off to sleep immediately. Truly a skill to be envied.


    It was getting a bit late actually, I realised. But I wasn¡¯t particularly concerned. It was Summer and I felt pretty comfortable.


    I suddenly yawned and realised how tired I had gotten.


    It wouldn¡¯t hurt to spend one night outside.


    ***


    As we walked through the Gym we passed by a few Gym trainers, sometimes with their Pokemon and sometimes on their own. We also passed by one of what I assumed were multiple battle arenas and saw a pair of Gym trainers having a practice battle against each other.


    Kirlia was fascinated, especially at seeing the Pokemon battle. I chuckled at seeing her blatant interest. I doubted many of the Ralts and Kirlia in the enclave did a lot of battling, it was probably handled by the stronger Pokemon.


    ¡°There¡¯ll be time to see more of that later,¡± I told her as she craned her neck.


    We headed out of the first building and out of the back of the Gym. There were lots of trees and nature around here. I quite liked it.


    There was a paved path leading out towards more buildings, some streetlights framing the way although they were obviously unlit right now.


    Kirlia, once more on my shoulder, was less interested in our surroundings now they were more familiar to her. But Alexia¡¯s Eevee and Kira were chatting together as they walked and kept her attention.


    ¡°So to give you the full rundown,¡± Norman began. ¡°We got the Jigglypuff in just under three weeks ago. Things were alright at first, they found a few spaces to sleep in our habitat building and they were eating fine, not getting into many fights with the other Pokemon. Then they suddenly started singing all the time.¡±


    ¡°Which is what Jigglypuff are known for, to be fair,¡± Alexia said humorously. Norman nodded.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything at first,¡± the Gym Leader told me. ¡°Jigglypuff do do a lot of singing and there are a few papers that say they sing to assert dominance over each other in the wild, but they haven¡¯t settled down at all since coming here.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said as we approached the habitat. ¡°And it¡¯s probably causing problems for the other Pokemon too.¡± Norman nodded.


    ¡°The Vigoroth need a lot of regular exercise and the chance to battle each other to assert dominance, which they can¡¯t do without being interrupted. The other Normal types aren¡¯t happy being put to sleep all the time either.¡±


    ¡°At this rate all the Eevee are gonna get super fat,¡± Alexia said, clearly joking but sounding a bit worried for the Pokemon in question.


    ¡°You have a population of Eevee here?¡± I asked, surprised. Eevee were found in the wild here and there but the majority of their population, at least the ones you saw in the hands of trainers, were from breeding farms. Eevee were considered one of the number one pet Pokemon on top of having good battling potential and the ability to evolve to suit almost any trainer¡¯s type needs. They had registered pedigrees and everything that were tracked meticulously like they were racing horses.


    ¡°Eevee, Zigagoon, Meowth, Lickitung, to name a few. They¡¯ve been living in relative harmony here for a long time with no problems but now they¡¯re constantly being put to sleep which is interrupting their normal day to day activities. When they are awake they¡¯re restless and confrontational because of it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve also got a few Kecleon too, but nobody can find the blasted things,¡± Alexia commented.


    Norman shot the woman a slightly annoyed look and Alexia made a zipping motion over her lips.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t the other Pokemon tried battling them and forcing them to stop?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A few have, but the Jigglypuff are decently strong and either run away, gang up on their attackers or start singing and put an end to their attempts that way. The Slaking are usually the ones to keep the overall peace around here and a few of them could manage it because I teach them all Sleep Talk. But most of them are just lazy to begin with and all the Jigglypuff are doing is putting them to sleep, which they want to do anyway so they really don¡¯t care,¡± Norman told me. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    It was clear that the man was frustrated by the whole situation. Having his personal specialty Pokemon not willing to help out had to sting a bit too.


    ¡°And your other Pokemon?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re obviously strong enough they wouldn¡¯t be able to stop you putting your foot down yourself.¡±


    ¡°I could force things, yes,¡± Norman agreed. ¡°But we aren¡¯t allowed to battle them, that was one of the League¡¯s requirements on letting us take them. The whole point of this habitat is that we try to minimise our involvement in what goes on here so we¡¯re not supposed to involve ourselves directly. At least unless it would result in Pokemon coming to permanent harm but that¡¯s not happening here. We get research grants because of what we do here so it¡¯s a big deal that we stay as hands off as possible.¡±


    ¡°And obviously they aren¡¯t willing to stop singing because you just ask them to,¡± I continued, trying to put together everything I could.


    ¡°We did try talking to them at first, but they kept brushing us off or ignoring us,¡± Norman revealed.


    We had reached the entrance to the habitat building.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been using these to go around the habitat without the Jigglypuff affecting us,¡± Norman told me as we reached the entrance door. He gestured to a small table with a bunch of slightly battered looking headphones.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I have another idea,¡± I immediately suggested and pulled out another Pokeball.


    ¡°Come on out Robin,¡± I said, releasing my Ribombee.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Ribombee before,¡± Alexia said with interest while Robin said hello to the other Pokemon present. He saw Kirlia though and looked confused for a moment.


    Speaking to Kira, my Sylveon must have explained Kirlia¡¯s presence on my shoulder as Robin relaxed and greeted the middle stage Ralts evolution. Kirlia in seemed very excited to meet Robin.


    ¡°They¡¯re a Bug/Fairy type usually found in places like Galar or Unova,¡± I told the two trainers. ¡°It took a bit of practice, but my Ribombee can use a special ability called Sweet Veil to stop people falling asleep, including us.¡±


    ¡°Ribbom?¡± Robin asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s Jigglypuff in this building that¡¯ll try putting us to sleep with their singing,¡± I told him. ¡°Do you think you can you cover all of us with Sweet Veil so they can¡¯t affect us?¡±


    Robin looked around at all of us present. I knew he found that ability difficult to use. It was one he¡¯d had to be taught that took some effort. Many of the abilities on the games I remembered weren¡¯t just there, they needed to be trained or actively used by the Pokemon in question. Coming to a decision, Robin nodded to indicate he could manage to do us all.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting ability,¡± Norman said, finally putting the headphones he was holding away. ¡°If that¡¯ll work then let¡¯s do it. We¡¯ll be able to properly speak to each other while we¡¯re inside, which will help me explain everything properly.¡±


    ¡°Go on then, Robin,¡± I instructed.


    Robin floated up above us and beating his wings rapidly, released sweet smelling dust like he was using Stun Spore. The powder fell all over us, becoming more and more powerful as it built up. My nose began to itch with the powerful scent and I deliberately chose to start breathing through my mouth. It was almost like having a smellingsalt pressed up my nose.


    ¡°Achoo!¡± Alexia¡¯s Eevee sneezed, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. It covered it¡¯s head with its paws, looking embarrassed.


    ¡°Oh you poor thing. Let¡¯s put you away for now,¡± Alexia said apologetically and she withdrew her Pokemon before the feeling could get any worse for it.


    ¡°Done?¡± I asked Robin, who looked us all over before nodding his head in the affirmative.


    Myself, two other Pokemon trainers and three Pokemon entered the Petalburg Pokemon habitat.


    It was lush, with lots of tall trees and felt just a bit warmer and humid than the air outside.


    ¡°This place is really impressive,¡± I said to the Gym Leader.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Norman said, clearly proud of his work. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s walk around and I¡¯ll show you a bit of what¡¯s going on.¡±


    There were a few winding paths leading around the habitat and as Norman guided us through. I was treated to the sight of a bunch of different Pokemon.


    Although Norman¡¯s description proved to be accurate. Most of the Pokemon I saw were either asleep or looking very grumpy, either moving about restlessly with some confusion, or actually battling each other.


    Things became more interesting as we came upon one scene.


    A pair of Meowth had been circling each other and it seemed they''d reached the end of their patience. They both leapt at each other and began biting and scratching at each other, mewls and growls coming out of the dust cloud they were producing as the cats fought. But that stopped when from out of the bushes a new figure strode.


    She was large for her species and I could see a few signs of scars here and there. The Kangaskhan towered over the two Meowth and they were too busy flailing at each other to notice her before they were both picked up by the scruff of their necks.


    This had to be Norman¡¯s personal Kangaskhan, on his main team. There was no way this Pokemon could be anything else.


    Kirlia¡¯s arms suddenly wrapped around my head, I could feel her tremble slightly in fear at the admittedly quite scary Pokemon.


    It took a couple of seconds of wild swinging claws on both Pokemon¡¯s part before they realised what had happened and froze in surprise.


    ¡°Khaaan,¡± the Kangaskhan said, or more like growled with a tone that sounded equal parts exasperation and condemnation at the Meowth and it left them both looking equal parts afraid and contrite.


    ¡°Kangaskhan doesn¡¯t struggle to stay awake like some of my other Pokemon,¡± Norman told us softly as his Pokemon gave the two smaller Pokemon what was clearly a dressing down. ¡°She¡¯s also one of my most level headed Pokemon so she¡¯s always good at keeping the peace when things like this crop up.¡±


    ¡°She looks strong,¡± I complimented. Although there was something about the scene that seemed odd. I couldn¡¯t place it though.


    The Kangaskhan put the two Meowth down, who said something apologetic to her and then each other under the stern Pokemon¡¯s gaze. Then they started to walk away, heading in opposite directions with tails raised high. Two cats that were both trying to present the image of nonchalance, and failing.


    Her work done, the Kangaskhan looked up and spotted us.


    ¡°Kang?¡± The Kangaskhan asked as she approached, looking over myself and my Pokemon with interest.


    ¡°Veon!¡± my Sylveon said cheerfully. Kirlia didn¡¯t respond from her position on my shoulder. By the way her other hand still clung to my hair I could tell she felt a bit intimidated after what she¡¯d seen.


    Robin said hello too, giving a bow in midair as he spoke. The Kangaskhan took on a coy expression, batting her hand in the Ribombee¡¯s direction.


    It was then that I noticed what it was that had left me confused at first. This particular Kangaskhan did not have a baby in her pouch.


    I was left to consider what the absence of a child probably meant for the Pokemon most famous for it¡¯s attitude towards its offspring while Norman introduced us. The Kangaskhan looked confused that we weren¡¯t wearing hearing protection. She mimed putting something on her head, referring to the headphones from outside.


    ¡°These guys are here to help out with the Jigglypuff problem,¡± Norman told her as Kira and then Robin said hello. ¡°Harry¡¯s Ribombee has an ability that makes it so we won¡¯t fall asleep.¡±


    That elicited a noise that sounded an awful lot like an impressed ¡°oh,¡± from the Kangaskhan. She said something to Robin who nodded, looking a bit pleased at the Kangaskhan¡¯s words.


    ¡°Kangaskhan, we¡¯re looking for some of the Jigglypuff so Harry can get a look at them and hopefully give me some advice about how to stop them bothering the other Pokemon. Do you know where any of them are?¡±


    ¡°Kang!¡± The Kangaskhan nodded, growling slightly at being reminded of the Jigglypuff and making Kirlia tense up again on my shoulder. I reached up and patted her leg and in response the Kirlia grabbed my hand tightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, she¡¯s not going to hurt anyone,¡± I said softly to the Pokemon. Apparently feeling my concern, Kira came around to my other side and reached up with a ribbon to wrap around the nervous Pokemon.


    The Kangaskhan did know where we needed to go and she led us through the habitat. It didn¡¯t take long before we found ourselves in a clearing, but we were already hearing the sound of singing before then.


    ¡°-ggly puuuuff, jigglyyyy puuuuuf¡­¡±


    The sound washed over us and it was definitely Sing the move, rather than simply the Pokemon singing. Robin¡¯s Sweet Veil protected us, but the sound still caused me to tense up. An attack like that in the wild could obviously put someone in a great deal of danger if the victim was in the wrong location, or if it was simply used at the wrong moment.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± Norman said to his Kangaskhan, who nodded. I set Kirlia down beside Kira and then me and Norman approached closer, peeking out through the bushes.


    It was just one Jigglypuff singing, surrounded by a small group of Zigzagoon and Linoone.


    As I watched, the last of the awake Pokemon, a Linoone was put to sleep, unable to resist the Jigglypuff¡¯s singing, despite having been lethargically trying to approach it and probably fight back.


    Seeing the final Pokemon put to rest, the Jigglypuff looked around at them and pouted.


    For a moment I expected it to pull out a permanent marker from somewhere like the infamous Jigglypuff in the anime, but instead the Jigglypuff just left. I realised quickly that it wasn¡¯t even into the Pokemon¡¯s now undefended nest and it left. It just walked away, looking only a bit annoyed.


    ¡°As best we can tell they want an audience that will listen to them,¡± Norman said. ¡°But obviously you know the problem with that.¡±


    Over the next half an hour or so we found two more groups of asleep Pokemon and one more example of a Jigglypuff using Sing against the locals. Like before as soon as the other Pokemon were gone, the Jigglypuff seemed annoyed but left without doing anything else. Honestly I was surprised because I knew Jigglypuff could be pretty prideful about their singing. I¡¯d have expected them to at least pull a prank on the Pokemon or maybe steal something in retaliation.


    ¡°Do they have a nest?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They do,¡± Norman said and he led us towards that part of the enclosure.


    It was when we reached the nest that I got my next clue to indicate what might be happening.


    I, Norman and Alexia were sneakily watching them from afar on top of a big boulder.


    There were five Jigglypuff here right now and their leader seemed to be a single Wigglytuff.


    ¡°Wig, tuff wiggly,¡± the Wigglytuff said. It gestured to one of the Jigglypuff, who had been speaking and the Jigglypuff puffed itself up with pride. I couldn¡¯t be entirely sure but it looked like this was the first Jigglypuff we¡¯d seen before and I figured it was probably being praised.


    ¡°This is all of them?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s all of them,¡± Norman said, nodding.


    I was privately impressed that a handful of Pokemon like this had caused such a nuisance for the Gym. I watched them silently for another minute or two. The Wigglytuff said something to the other Pokemon and after that the Jigglypuff all left, leading out in separate directions. They looked tired, in my opinion. Which was somewhat ironic to be sure.


    ¡°Weird,¡± I muttered. They were all heading out again to go find more Pokemon straight away without even taking much of a break. Jigglypuff were obsessive about singing, but this seemed to be too much even for them.


    I had seen enough though. Now I needed to put the pieces together and see if I couldn¡¯t figure out exactly what was happening.

 Chapter 17

    I had been on my way outside when I¡¯d been partially surrounded by a handful of other kids. Then what had been an attempt at bullying went wrong.


    Maybe I was supposed to be above all of this, but when the little shits wouldn¡¯t just leave me the hell alone, I¡¯d gone and lashed out. Cathartic it might have been, but now I was having to deal with the aftermath and poor Mrs Wooly with all her experience of small children just wasn¡¯t equipped for a little boy who could actually string a proper sentence together.


    I was more annoyed than anything else because I¡¯d been planning on going out and seeing if the Ralts was about. A baby Pokemon she might have been and she might have been incapable of talking back too, but she was a lot better company than the little girls and boys I was finding myself growing up alongside.


    ¡°Harry¡­¡± Mrs Wooly said. ¡°You can¡¯t just go around hurting the other children¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I can¡¯t,¡± I replied dryly. ¡°I defended myself, after several other kids ganged up on me. Let¡¯s be grateful that you¡¯re dealing with a split lip instead of dealing with¡­ what was it you said you were gonna do? Feed me to some wild Poochyena for being a weirdo? That¡¯s what you said, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s lying!¡± little Darren what¡¯s-his-name defended, and so did a couple of the other kids but the expressions on the rest of their faces betrayed the truth.


    I simply levelled a flat look at the teacher, daring her not to make a deal out of this. Fortunately adults aren¡¯t always incompetent, that¡¯s usually reserved for fiction where the kid protagonist needs to solve their own goddamned problems instead of sensible adults doing it for them.


    Mrs Wally grimaced at the mental image I¡¯d given her and seeing the slightly nervous responses from the kids led her attention turning back onto my would be bullies.


    Five minutes later I was walking out of the door, bully free. I didn¡¯t doubt there was going to be more trouble from them later down the line, but at this point there was going to be trouble regardless of what had happened. Bullies didn¡¯t just let you go, they¡¯d keep trying because they didn¡¯t know anything better. For right now at least, I was free to spend the rest of my day in relative peace and quiet.


    It was getting a bit windy as we went into the end of summer, the tree branches swayed and rustled as I headed out of the city. Ralts was waiting for me not too far past the treeline.


    ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t come out straight away. There were some bullies I had to get away from,¡± I apologised.


    The Ralts¡¯ expression was one of confusion and she tilted her head adorably.


    ¡°Ralts?¡± She asked.


    I wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with having to explain some human things to her at this point so I could tell she was asking for me to explain what I meant by the term ¡°bully¡±.


    ¡°A bully is someone who tries to hurt someone either emotionally or physically because it makes them feel good for some reason,¡± I explained simply. There was probably a more elaborate explanation but hopefully that would be enough for the little Pokemon. Either way, it seemed my explanation had been enough.


    ¡°Raaaalts!¡± the Ralts called out in seeming distress. She ran towards me, barely managing not to trip on her dress and hugged my middle, shaking her head as if in denial. I was glad that horn was rounded off or she might¡¯ve impaled me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry they aren¡¯t going to do anything to me. I¡¯m fine, see,¡± I told her, patting the adorable Pokemon¡¯s head. I hadn¡¯t expected such a reaction from her, but maybe there was a bit of a clash in cultures here. Had Ralts never encountered the idea of bullying before? Somehow I didn¡¯t think I would find myself surprised if that were the case.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go explore the trees and find somewhere to chill out for a bit?¡± I suggested. As long as we didn''t stray too far we would be perfectly fine. Ralts had found her way to me plenty of times already and I was pretty sure all she knew how to do was Growl right now.


    My words seemed to light a sudden fire in the Pokemon and she looked up at me from under her bowl-cut hair with a serious expression on her face. It only made her look cuter in my opinion. She took hold of my hand and started pulling me through the forest.


    ***


    ¡°Shall we head back to the Gym for now?¡± I suggested. ¡°I can explain my thoughts there.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Norman said. ¡°I figure your Ribombee¡¯s Sweet Veil can¡¯t last much longer anyway.¡±


    Kira reached up to grab me with his ribbons, lowering me to the ground while Norman and Alexia were helped down by the Kangaskhan who had been sat patiently waiting for us.


    We set off back towards the entrance and from there we headed back into the Gym proper. Norman offered us something to eat and I happily agreed.


    Norman¡¯s Gym had a small lounge and kitchen that was used by him and his Gym trainers, although it was mostly empty right now. Myself, Norman, Alexia and our Pokemon sat together.


    Kirlia seemed very interested in the Pokechow that was brought out for her and seeing the other Pokemon digging in decided to risk taking a bite. The confused expression on her face as she chewed on it was adorable. She¡¯d probably only ever eaten berries and other naturally grown food before.


    But I was still thinking about what I¡¯d seen in the habitat.


    ¡°Have you ever seen Jigglypuff in the wild before?¡± I asked, mostly to just voice my thoughts and where they were running over the issue.


    ¡°Not¡­ really no,¡± Norman admitted. ¡°I¡¯m from Olivine originally. The closest Jigglypuff were over in Kanto, Route 3, and they weren¡¯t a Pokemon that ever appealed to me personally. It sounds like you¡¯re suggesting this isn¡¯t normal behaviour though?¡± Norman asked, concerned.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said thoughtfully. ¡°This isn''t like what I¡¯ve seen Jigglypuff do before. Sure like you say, they go out and Sing at people. That¡¯s what they¡¯re famous for. But I¡¯ve never seen them coming and going constantly like this before either. They still have to eat.¡± I gestured at the food. ¡°What do they do for food in the habitat?¡±


    ¡°We provide food that would be normal to them in the wild,¡± Alexia said. ¡°Not Pokechow. Berries and fruit mainly.¡±


    That was what I expected more or less and I nodded.


    I felt like I was putting together the pieces.


    ¡°Fairy types¡­ Are often pretty solitary,¡± I told them both. ¡°Either staying alone or at least keeping to their communities. But what I would say the next biggest characteristic I¡¯ve identified is their tendency to demonstrate obsessive behaviours of some kind.¡±


    ¡°Like the singing,¡± Alexia said while Norman nodded. He was concentrating, putting together the pieces of what I was saying.


    ¡°Yeah Jigglypuff are a classic example, but that¡¯s the surface level of things. They¡¯ll often approach a problem through things they¡¯re familiar with, we¡¯ve all seen that with a bunch of different Pokemon species and humans can be guilty of it too, albeit on a lesser scale.¡±


    Both Norman and Alexia nodded in agreement. Pokemon with a particular theme or activity associated with their species tended to be pretty obsessed about it in one way or another.


    ¡°In the case of Fairy types it can be the same, just more so. Whatever the problem is, the Jigglypuff are using singing as their solution to whatever they think their issue is, regardless of if it¡¯s the best way to go about it or not or sometimes even if it¡¯ll work at all.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± Norman said with interest, sensing I was getting to the point.


    ¡°I think¡­¡± I began, ¡°that the Jigglypuff aren¡¯t following their routine of singing to impress people like we¡¯d usually expect to see, or a defensive measure against a dangerous Pokemon. I think instead they¡¯re using it as a weapon to force the other Pokemon away.¡±


    ¡°Force them away?¡± Alexia asked with confusion in her expression. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t do anything. The Pokemon couldn¡¯t leave the habitat without our permission regardless. And why would they need that? They¡¯ve got their own nest spot already and none of the other Pokemon were really bothering them before this all started.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Maybe in the wild it¡¯d work, as the Pokemon would be forced to leave to other areas. But the situation¡¯s different and like I said, they aren¡¯t thinking everything through. I think it¡¯s all stemming from where they came from.¡±


    ¡°Route 115?¡± Norman asked. ¡°There¡¯s nothing special out there, it¡¯s just another wild area.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°But you said it before. There aren¡¯t many wild Pokemon out there. That guy tried to set up his hotel, or whatever it was there because there weren¡¯t many Pokemon and he thought he could get away with it. Out there the only Pokemon you¡¯re going to find are flying types, and Jigglypuff.¡±


    The revelation caught both Norman and Alexia by surprise.


    ¡°They¡¯ve barely had to deal with other Pokemon and now we¡¯ve thrown them together with a lot of other Pokemon in the same space,¡± Norman said before huffing, expressing his surprise. I nodded.


    ¡°Most wild Pokemon are used to interacting with other species but these ones aren¡¯t. If all they¡¯re used to is other Jigglypuff and Wigglytuff then it''s no surprise they¡¯re scared of the other Pokemon, especially with strong Pokemon around like the Slakoth line. But they aren¡¯t going to ask for special treatment either, they¡¯re probably too proud to admit it too. So they¡¯ve fallen back on old methods which probably worked on the occasional Pokemon that appeared in the wild, but obviously won¡¯t work in their new environment here.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°It seems almost¡­ silly,¡± Alexia said. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they just tell us they were uncomfortable?¡±


    I huffed in amusement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t expect it to make sense, at least by human logic. The first thing you should know about Fairy types is that they¡¯ll fall into one or two categories. Either they¡¯re either very upfront about their feelings and what they want to do, or they¡¯ll simply never give you a straight answer and be happy to go to great lengths to avoid doing so.¡±


    I was speaking from experience there, and I even had another good example right now. I glanced in Kirlia¡¯s direction, where she was happily talking with Alexia¡¯s Eevee and Kira.


    She¡¯d not given me any indication of it and had been perfectly happy to let me form my own idea of what she was doing wanting to come out here. But I¡¯d already sussed out that coming to Petalburg with me wasn¡¯t really about just seeing the city and what it was like.


    What Kirlia was really here for, was to see what it might be like to live amongst other humans and if possible, find herself a trainer.


    Norman huffed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not entirely a surprise, we would¡¯ve probably figured it out on our own eventually but you¡¯ve saved us a lot of headache with this, so thanks,¡± Norman said.


    I didn¡¯t have anything else to suggest about the Jigglypuff situation, but Norman seemed happy with my advice. We talked a bit about Eevees and my Sylveon, which Alexia and Norman were just as interested in. It was during the conversation that we heard a banging noise accompanied by shouting.


    The three of us stood up immediately and our Pokemon went onto alert. Kira was by my side in an instant as we turned towards the doorway we had heard the noise through.


    ¡°No, stop damnit!¡± Shouted a man¡¯s voice. ¡°Use Take Down!¡±


    There was another crash and a shout of ¡°stop!¡± before the doors opened and through them stepped Leah.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said quickly. ¡°That¡¯s my Gardevoir.¡±


    Leah saw me and her eyes lit up. My starter floated across the room towards me and she put an arm around my waist, hugging me gently while the other trainers watched with slight amounts of incredulity in their expressions.


    ¡°Leah was staying behind to catch up with her family,¡± I reminded the two other trainers, making them relax a bit more. Although Norman seemed a bit perturbed as he looked my Pokemon up and down. ¡°Why¡¯d you come through the Gym instead of teleporting right to me?¡± I asked her.


    Through the door a man staggered through. He had a red jumpsuit on and spiky green hair. He was breathing heavily and had a Pokeball in his hand.


    ¡°Leader! This Pokemon just came and forced her way through the building. W-we couldn¡¯t stop her!¡±


    Leah put a hand against her cheek and tilted her head before chuckling. I raised an eyebrow at her which only made her turn her head to look away. There was only amusement in her expression. She¡¯d clearly had a bit of fun with Norman¡¯s Gym trainers as she cut a path through them to get back to me.


    Norman sighed.


    ¡°We have Dark emitters to stop unpermitted teleportation,¡± he told me.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry then. I thought she¡¯d be out there longer. Normally when we¡¯re separated Leah will teleport to my side once she¡¯s finished. I¡¯ll of course pay for any damages she might have caused,¡± I finished, looking at my Pokemon as I said that.


    I could feel my Pokemon withholding another chuckle. Well we¡¯d see how funny she thought it was when she didn¡¯t get any tasty snacks from in town later.


    Norman sighed again.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Berke. You go and get your Pokemon checked out. I¡¯ll come and see everything in a bit.¡±


    The other trainer nodded, shooting a nervous glance towards Leah before obeying his boss and leaving the room.


    I decided it was best to make a speedy retreat at that point. Norman pointedly escorted me to the door and I got to see the mild devastation my Pokemon had dealt on her way through the Gym to my location. There wasn¡¯t much damage, but there was one wall where a large Pokemon had been thrown through.


    Norman didn¡¯t seem too upset, maybe slightly exasperated but thankfully not angry as we quickly said goodbye and left, but I wasn¡¯t daring enough to ask if I would still get his endorsement as a Gym Leader.


    Still, that was another task more or less completed, I thought to myself as I headed off to find a place to stay for the rest of the day. Next I needed to figure out if I wanted to go visit Winona next or maybe try and take Roxanne¡¯s test.


    But there was still one thing left to do before we moved on too.


    I looked down at Kirlia, who had stayed with us.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time you went home little one,¡± I told her kindly.


    The Kirlia pouted and looked slightly sullen, but she allowed herself to be teleported home by Leah.


    Of course I suspected she also already knew Teleport herself. So now she¡¯d been shown the way here, Kirlia was probably going to be able to find her way back to the Petalburg Gym and probably try to find herself the trainer she¡¯d been looking for.


    Well if she wanted to find herself a trainer then that was entirely her choice. I knew already there was very little point in arguing with a teleporting Pokemon. I already knew from experience that they went where they damn well pleased.


    ***


    I trusted her and let the Ralts lead me eagerly through the forest. Along the way I snagged some of my clothes on a branch here or there, but I wasn¡¯t too worse for wear. I¡¯d seen far worse after some of the kids took a tumble after playing outside and they hadn¡¯t got in trouble for it.


    I was also lost. Worrryingly lost. Ralts could apparently move fast when she tried and she was more familiar with the forests on the outskirts of Petalburg than I was. I hoped she wouldn¡¯t mind showing me the way back home after she¡¯d finished with whatever she wanted to show me.


    We did eventually reach our destination.


    The trees seemed to part, revealing a little grove. Bright green grass covered the floor and the sunlight came down through the open canopy. Flowers bloomed here and there, little spots of colour sticking out through the sea of green grass.


    But what caught my eye immediately was the Pokemon.


    A trio of Ralts were sat together in a circle, playing some game like patty cake. Two Kirlia were being spoken to by a Gardevoir and there was also a Gallade, which I found slightly surprising was kneeling on the ground on his own, eyes closed in meditation. No, there was a second Gardevoir sat down on a tree stump and she was looking right at me.


    She looked older than the other Gardevoir, giving off an air of maturity and experience and something told me she also had a lot of power too.


    Ralts pulled me into the clearing before I could stop her and the motion led almost immediately to several more pairs of eyes turning towards us. They saw me and their expressions quickly became both surprised and wary.


    I found my mouth going dry.


    I suddenly had the feeling like I might not be welcome here, that I was intruding on something I wasn¡¯t supposed to be seeing. This was a Pokemon nest, but I knew that the best word to describe what I¡¯d found myself intruding on was home.


    This was a special place, a secret place. Humans like me weren¡¯t supposed to be here.


    But the Ralts I knew personally didn¡¯t let any of that stop her, whether or not she was aware of it. The Pokemon continued to pull me along with a strong grip on my hand.


    ¡°Ral ralts ralts!¡± She called as she led me forward to the Gardevoir her words sounding slightly desperate as she spoke quickly towards the younger Gardevoir who had been speaking to the Kirlia before. She gestured at me, clearly worried as she explained herself.


    Looking confused, the Gardevoir looked at me, clearly surprised and uncomfortable with my presence.


    ¡°Gard,¡± the younger Gardevoir began. She was speaking slowly, her gaze moving from Ralts to myself and back to her. ¡°Garrrde gardevoir?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know I shouldn¡¯t be here. I-I¡¯ll leave,¡± I said quickly, drawing attention back to myself. I went to turn around, but a hand on my shoulder made me stop in my tracks.


    The Gallade was standing behind me. A stern expression on his face had me freeze in my tracks and I turned to look where the Pokemon had been before. There was no Gallade there now. This was the same one.


    How the hell had he moved that quickly? Had he used Teleport? Didn¡¯t that move make a noise when you used it?!


    I licked my lips and swallowed.


    All the other Pokemon were looking at me with expressions that varied between worry for me and worry about me.


    How The Gallade had got behind me didn¡¯t matter. I knew then that I wasn¡¯t simply going to be allowed to just leave right now.


    The Gardevoir was speaking to Ralts, sounding parentally concerned as she admonished the younger Pokemon gently, but my friend wasn¡¯t having it. She waved her hands, arguing with the older Pokemon, who I assumed had to be her mother.


    The Gardevoir replied more gently, gesturing in my direction and then the small Pokemon looked at me with concern. Whatever the Gardevoir was saying wasn¡¯t getting through to her.


    Ralts was clearly worried for me. I wasn¡¯t sure why she¡¯d brought me here to her home, but I could at least do my best to assuage what seemed to be the likely cause of her concerns.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me Ralts, I¡¯m not going to let the bullies hurt me, I promise.¡±


    The Ralts pursed her lips and looked back to her mother before turning and running at me. I found myself with an armful of Pokemon again with the rest of her family looking on.


    ¡°Gall gallade,¡± the Gallade said from behind me. He was speaking to the Gardevoir, the older one, who had stood up and was approaching us.


    I and Ralts looked up at the Pokemon.


    I didn¡¯t know what he was saying, but I figured he was likely talking about me.


    The older Gardevoir came and knelt down slowly in front of us.


    ¡°Ralts?¡± my friend asked, sounding a bit more awkward now that the crisis had ended.


    The Gardevoir smiled at us both, but her eyes met mine and stayed there.


    ¡°Voooiiir. Garde gard,¡± she said, her voice taking me by surprise at an odd melodious tone that underlaid it. She then reached out and put a hand on my shoulder.


    I gasped as I felt something envelop me and my perspective was suddenly different.


    Looking around, I could see buildings through the treeline and hear a couple of vehicles in the distance. We were outside Petalburg again.


    It looked like I was being sent home.


    I gave her a big squeeze before I let go and stepped back and away from Ralts, who likewise seemed to have realised what was happening. She seemed a bit worried still. So I smiled at her to show that there wasn¡¯t anything to be afraid of.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come and see you tomorrow,¡± I promised. One way or another.


    I glanced at the older Gardevoir, who nodded, smiling at me.


    ¡°Gardevooir,¡± she said in that melodious tone again.


    With the other hand, she reached out and touched the top of Ralts¡¯ head.


    The Gardevoir spoke again, to the Ralts this time and then both of the Pokemon waved at me.


    A moment later they disappeared in a burst of pink light.


    I dusted myself off, looking at where the two Pokemon had disappeared.


    ¡°Fantastic,¡± I said to myself. A bit of giddiness erupting within me that nothing bad had happened just now. I¡¯d gotten away with entering the home of Ralts and her family with everything in one piece.


    Next time I¡¯d have to get permission if I wanted to go back to that picturesque little clearing, but that was perfectly fair, I decided.


    My surprise adventure over, I headed back towards civilization. Now I had another thing to think about.


    After meeting my friend¡¯s family, which included a bunch of other Ralts, Kirlia and Gardevoir I knew I couldn¡¯t just think of her as simply ¡°Ralts¡± anymore.


    I was going to have to think of some names for her to pick between.

 Chapter 18

    Maybe it was a bit cowardly of me, avoiding the test, but instead of going back to Roxanne I decided it would be better to go visit Winona first.


    There was no need to bother Wattson again either. So when we teleported into Mauville we headed straight off to the east end of town and further out towards the water.


    East of Mauville there was a large river that cut off the city from the rest of the country. It collected into a large estuary here as it reached the ocean, the river itself extended a long way up into the mountains to the north. There was no easy way to cross except from here.


    Surf was the classic move in the games, letting you travel across the water barrier after beating Norman. I had a Marill, but I obviously couldn¡¯t exactly ride him across without getting wet myself. Fortunately for me I had a safer, dryer alternative to the crossing.


    Leah gripped my hand tightly, focusing on her view of the other side of the water and in a moment we were on the other side.


    ¡°Cleon!¡± shouted a Kecleon, which had been hidden on the small beach, having been startled into revealing itself by our sudden appearance.


    Upon seeing what had happened, Leah covered her mouth and giggled. I chuckled too, especially when the Pokemon began to complain indignantly. Something about the invisible Pokemon being caught out like that was just funny to me.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said. ¡°We didn¡¯t see you there.¡±


    That only made my Gardevoir giggle again and she pressed her head against my shoulder to stifle herself.


    Apparently our amusement wasn¡¯t welcome because the Kecleon shouted something in Pokespeech. Leah pulled her head away from me and was about to say something when the Kecleon¡¯s tongue suddenly shot out of its mouth.


    My Gardevoir wasn¡¯t quick enough to react to the surprise attack and the tongue struck her face where it went up from the bottom of her chin to the top of her forehead, a lick of green hair was left sticking up comically.


    The Kecleon retracted its tongue, looking smug at what it¡¯d done. It didn¡¯t seem to have done any damage at least. Well, no damage except to my Pokemon¡¯s pride.


    It said something again, sounding pretty haughty, but its words died in its throat as Leah stepped forward and loomed over the Pokemon. She glared down at it.


    ¡°Gardevoirrr?¡± Leah asked, one of her eyes twitching as her rage built.


    ¡°Kecleon!¡± The Kecleon shouted in surprise as it suddenly found itself lifted up off the ground, caught in my Pokemon¡¯s telekinesis. The next moment it was sailing off in the direction of the body of water we¡¯d just crossed, let go by Leah to finish the rest of its journey with only it¡¯s newly found momentum.


    I watched as the Pokemon flew through the air in an arc and wound up landing with a satisfying splash in the mostly calm waters.


    ¡°Voir¡­¡± Leah said with a huff. She reached up to wipe her face and tried to put her hair back in place with a pout on her lips.


    ¡°Garde?¡± She asked after a few seconds, asking me to tell her if she¡¯d fixed her hair.


    ¡°You look good,¡± I said. Her hair was still a bit out of place and slightly damp too, but I wasn¡¯t going to tell her that.  It¡¯d dry on its own anyway.


    With that little bit of excitement over, we headed off towards the next Route. This was one in particular I was excited to see. It wasn¡¯t too long to travel before we found the crossroads. Further east would be where the large berry farm was in the games and I imagined something similar existed here too. It was northwards I was more interested in.


    Route 119 extended all the way north to Fortree and this route in particular I had fond memories of from the games I once played.


    When I was a little boy, some of my friends had set up Secret Bases and we¡¯d exchanged data between our games so they would transfer over. I looked back fondly on those days. In particular I remembered amusement at how my level 67 Sceptile repeatedly oneshot my friend¡¯s Groudon, which was something like level 85, with it¡¯s Solar Beam. It¡¯d only been after he¡¯d deliberately acquired a Shedinja to stop my Sceptile cold that he¡¯d been able to beat the unintelligent computer using my uploaded team.


    Anyway, the fun thing about Secret Bases was that it wasn¡¯t just your linked friend¡¯s that got copied over. The Bases from other people they had shared data with also copied over between cartridges. I¡¯d found, all on my own, a few other bases from people I had never and would never meet in person and a lot of them had been on Route 119. It had been just a little bit magical to a young boy back then who didn¡¯t have many friends.


    I figured something must have been telling in my expression. Because Leah giggled while looking at me.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m just feeling nostalgic.¡±


    Leah chuckled again and looped her arm through mine.


    ¡°Vooooiir,¡± she teased, gesturing forwards at our surroundings humorously with the arm not linked with mine. My lips twitched in amusement, I wasn¡¯t ashamed in the slightest about how I felt.


    We headed off towards the path that would lead to Fortree, a fun little adventure ahead of us.


    Then there was a crackle of thunder in the distance and almost immediately after the rain began to pour down.


    Yes, I remembered Route 119 fondly, but the rain was certainly a lot more pleasant when it was just on the screen.


    ***


    Roxanne split her time between teaching at the Trainer School and her Gym. It was always a bit lopsided, with her spending more time at the Gym at the start of the Trainer season and more time at the school later in the year.


    That was fairly ideal in a way. Because it meant she had more of a chance to teach the kids that would be getting ready to come and face her at the start of the next season.


    But there was that awkward period of quiet. The school year was almost over so there were just a few exams left and the season was almost done so there were barely any challengers.  So now she had to find something more to do with her time.


    But Rozanne was prepared! Right now she was preparing to set up her auditions for next year¡¯s prospective Gym trainers. She didn¡¯t do it like the other Gyms with lots of permanent staff. Instead Roxanne recruited the brightest students from the local schools for the next year, which also gave her the opportunity to teach those more promising trainers on a more one to one basis.


    It wasn¡¯t just kids that Roxanne had working for her though, She also had Marc. He was a stereotypical hiker and strictly speaking he would have to be her deputy by seniority if nothing else, being in his late forties now. He¡¯d been a Gym trainer since before she¡¯d got her current position too, but he wasn¡¯t the type of guy she could rely on for administerial stuff. Instead, Marc did a lot of work in monitoring the surrounding area north and south of Rustboro, so he wasn¡¯t always available at the Gym. He was invaluable for what he did, but Roxanne did sort of wish he¡¯d spend more time at the Gym.


    She put all that out of her mind for a minute and continued typing at her computer. By the time she was finished the first stage of this year¡¯s selection process was finally ready. It was a test on Pokemon, their types and movesets and there was even an essay question to cap it all off.


    Roxanne was actually pretty pleased with this idea. The question was asking about which Pokemon the examinee should prefer to be using in a three way battle scenario and why. The choices were between either a Shroomish, a Wingull or a Zigzagoon, all of which were Pokemon that could be found in the surrounding area. It was deliberately going to be a highly scoring question with no real wrong answers. Roxanne wanted to see the test taker to comment on the strengths and weaknesses of each of the Pokemon in question and it would also give her an idea of their personality and preferences too if they described how they would approach the situation strategically.


    Aaaand, done.


    ¡°Uffff!¡± She huffed, leaning back into her seat and closing her eyes. She was finally finished but regardless of how satisfying it was to have everything prepared, it had still taken up a lot of her time today. She checked the clock and realised suddenly that it was pretty late now. She hadn¡¯t even had dinner yet.


    If someone had told her what it would be like, just how much work went into teaching then she might¡¯ve chosen a different lifestyle. But Roxanne really did enjoy it and she¡¯d  committed herself to it now anyway. Plus, she definitely didn¡¯t want to see another spate of uneducated young trainers barrelling through her door only to be soundly defeated, one after another. That had made her first year of being a Gym Leader unpleasant in the extreme.


    Roxanne quickly pulled up her calendar. All she had was a sixth Badge battle scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, plus she needed to do some work with her Gym Pokemon, making sure their strength levels were recorded accurately.


    If only it were that easy though. People had tried to quantify Pokemon strength for decades and got nowhere with it. Roxanne liked to have the Pokemon run a mini battle tournament and she graded the Pokemon based on their performance and what moves they knew. It wasn¡¯t a perfect system but it worked for her.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Roxanne¡¯s tummy rumbled, protesting loudly in the otherwise silent room. She really ought to grab something to eat. She needed to see to her Pokemon too. That was before getting some sleep.


    She was getting ready to leave the building when her PokeNav dinged. It was a text reminder from Winona about the video call later with the other Gym Leaders which she¡¯d both forgotten to put in on her calendar and then completely forgotten about it.


    ¡°Darnit,¡± Roxanne cursed quietly.


    ¡°Thanks, Winona,¡± she grumbled to herself. Forgetting about the meeting was probably preferable right now¡­


    She set off back to the Gym, which also conveniently doubled up as her home.


    Already she knew she wasn¡¯t going to get enough sleep tonight.


    ***


    The Gym Leaders had got together via video call again. After having visited a bunch of other Gyms now was a good time for them to all have another chat about Harry Hemming.


    Juan was here too, but that was a bit of a special case. Wallace was the official leader, but nobody was under the impression that they didn''t run the Sootopolis Gym together.


    ¡°He¡¯s got a decent bit to learn about the role,¡± Wattson said. ¡°But his heart¡¯s in it. Give him a bit of time to figure things out and I think he¡¯ll be able to handle any trainers needing some help or good advice.¡±


    ¡°What about you Moore?¡± Winona asked curiously. She was the most interested in the man right now. ¡°You said your granddaughter battled him instead of doing it yourself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Moore nodded.


    After some time to think things over, Moore had some minor concerns about their prospective ninth member he wanted to at least mention to the others.


    ¡°He¡¯s a bit rough around the edges in terms of battling and strategy,¡± Moore said carefully. ¡°In his battle with Flannery he made a few critical mistakes. Most apparent was his choice in moves to use. If he¡¯d applied strategies better or thought a bit more carefully about his decisions against Flannery then he might have done even better than he did.¡±


    ¡°Well I didn¡¯t see anything like that when I battled him!¡± Brawly drawled with humour in his tone. ¡°The guy handed me my ass pretty easily. Had some pretty sneaky tactics with that Mawile of his.¡±


    ¡°And he still won both battles too,¡± Wattson pointed out. Moore couldn¡¯t disagree. If Harry had lost then he would be being far more critical about it, but on reflection that was his opinion and he felt it bore mentioning.


    ¡°Flannery is as strong as any Gym Leader should be,¡± he told them. He¡¯d trained his granddaughter well. She had strong Pokemon and a decent eye for tactics and she would make a fine Gym Leader when she took over properly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not disputing that he¡¯s not actually strong enough. But I got the impression overall that he hasn¡¯t engaged in a lot of high level trainer battles, or many battles where he hasn¡¯t been able to just overpower his opponents.  It¡¯s little details that caught me. Like withdrawing his Pokemon rather than let them battle until they were knocked out.¡±


    In short, he was used to not having to push himself and he coddled his Pokemon a bit too. Moore suspected Harry hadn¡¯t been pushed properly in a good while.


    If Harry had kept his Gardevoir on the field to fight the Torkoal then his victory over Flannery might have been more one sided. As it was, it had still been a solid victory in the end. That Marill had almost one-hit her Rapidash and Flannery had been right to surrender the battle at that point. It was a monster, especially given how weak the species usually was.


    Harry clearly had the potential in him to be strong, maybe the strongest of the Gym Leaders with the right tempering and a bit more time. What rankled him in hindsight was that, to Moore, it just felt to him like the young man wasn¡¯t putting his all into things. Harry needed something to drive him to improve as a trainer. Hopefully becoming a Gym Leader would do that.


    ¡°If he¡¯s strong enough now regardless, then that¡¯s not a major concern anyway,¡± Winona said firmly, receiving nods and noises of agreement from the rest of the Gym Leaders.


    ¡°What did your meeting with him go like, Norman?¡± asked Roxanne, moving the subject along. The man grimaced, meanwhile Moore didn¡¯t miss the girl suppressing a yawn.


    ¡°He understands Fairy types as well as you¡¯d expect from an expert and he figured out exactly what was going on with the Jigglypuff,¡± Norman said before shaking his head.


    ¡°We could¡¯ve solved the problem ourselves eventually but Harry definitely helped speed things up. The Jigglypuff were really awkward and uncomfortable in a way they hadn¡¯t been before when I spoke to them and confronted them again with Harry¡¯s theory. They agreed to stop bothering the other Pokemon like they were doing and we¡¯re setting it up so that the other Pokemon don¡¯t bother them anymore. Only time will tell if we need to do anything more drastic but I was already planning on building a new smaller habitat off the main one so if they stay with us any longer then I¡¯ll put them there until their habitat is restored.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another point in his favour then,¡± Wattson said cheerfully. It was clear that Harry had impressed him during their meeting.


    ¡°Really, after everything you¡¯ve told us so far, it sounds like we are dealing with a wild expert,¡± Wallace said airily, referring to trainers who tended to stay away from civilization rather than engage in the battle circuit and typically accepted routes. ¡°We¡¯ve seen them pop up here and there before.¡±


    ¡°But none that wanted to come out of the wilderness and of all things come and join our ranks, or go around writing mediocre drama,¡± Juan pointed out from next to the other Water type trainer. ¡°He sounds like a fascinating fellow.¡±


    Moore withheld a snort of amusement at hearing the stories the Fairy trainer had written being called mediocre. Flannery would probably have a conniption if she were listening in.


    ¡°Where is he now, anyway?¡± Wallace asked. ¡°He¡¯s doing the regular route. So he must be on his way to see Winona now.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get the chance to ask,¡± Norman replied. ¡°He¡¯d left his Gardevoir in the wilds to see her old family. She tried teleporting directly back to him later while he was still at the Gym. Of course she bounced off our Dark emitters so then the Gardevoir decided to fight her way through the Gym, past a bunch of my trainers to reach him.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, was anybody hurt?¡± Winona asked with concern.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t do much damage, no more than we sometimes see when one of the Vigoroth get excited. It was mostly my Gym trainers¡¯ pride that got hurt in the end,¡± Norman groused, lips twitching in amusement. ¡°Harry seemed pretty embarrassed about it and left in a hurry. I guess he should be coming to you next though.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s following the traditional trainer route,¡± Wattson agreed. ¡°But still, he¡¯s going a lot faster than most trainers travel around the country.¡±


    The usual journey around Hoenn took five to six months for young trainers. Obviously that would be far less if you weren¡¯t stopping to train your Pokemon, catch new ones or waiting in one of the settlements for a Gym battle.


    Harry by comparison had visited five Gyms now in just over a week.


    ¡°Well he does have a teleporter, not many trainers have that advantage and he is a Hoenn native,¡± Liza stated confidently.


    ¡°About that,¡± Brawly spoke up. ¡°Say, d¡¯you guys think you could help teach my Medicham Teleport?¡± He asked with interest of the Psychic trainers.


    Being on Dewford with their general lack of easy transportation, Brawly was probably the least able to move around the region in the event he needed to get somewhere. Having access to a teleporter would be very helpful for him.


    ¡°Nope! There are only a few Pokemon that can learn Teleport and none of them are Fighting type,¡± Liza responded authoritatively.


    ¡°No there is. Gallade can learn Teleport,¡± Tate contradicted, sounding a bit more subdued than his sister as he disagreed with her.


    Liza¡¯s cheeks flushed red in embarrassment as she realised her mistake and she pouted at her brother. Tate cringed slightly under his sister¡¯s glare.


    ¡°That¡¯s a tough Pokemon to get a hold of,¡± Brawly mused, ignoring the byplay. ¡°Maybe I should ask Harry for some advice on getting one. Unless you guys might be up for a trade?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any Ralts or Kirlia that are Gym Pokemon,¡± Tate said. ¡°If you go looking for one though, then it has to be a boy, and you¡¯ll need a Dawn stone to evolve it.¡±


    ¡°Or lots of time in the sunshine,¡± Liza piped in. Tate nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Well sunshine we¡¯ve got in spades out here,¡± Brawly laughed. ¡°Thanks you two. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    Tate practically preened while Liza averted her gaze from the screen. Moore withheld a chuckle, seeing similar reactions from the adult Gym Leaders present at seeing the younger kid¡¯s response to the praise from the muscular and no doubt very cool, Gym Leader.


    ¡°Moore,¡± Winona interjected. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what I wanted to do when Mr Hemming visits. Why don¡¯t l ask him for a battle too and see if I can settle your concerns about him. Will that help?¡±


    Moore was surprised at the suggestion but nodded gratefully.


    ¡°It will,¡± he agreed. ¡°In fact I wouldn¡¯t mind coming up and observing, if that¡¯s alright with you?¡± It was always best to get a first hand view on these things and it would be fun to watch another high level battle first hand.


    It was also considered polite to request permission to enter another Gym Leader¡¯s territory, as it were. At least that was how it¡¯d always been amongst the older crowd.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Winona agreed easily. ¡°We can make a day of it if you like. Anyone else want to come?¡±


    The suggestion caught several of the other Gym Leaders by surprise.


    ¡°We¡¯ll come!¡± Liza and Tate said quickly, speaking in unison.


    ¡°I will too,¡± Wattson stated more sedately. ¡°Moore, I¡¯ll pop around with my Electrode and pick you up, if you like.¡±


    ¡°That would be wonderful,¡± Moore said gratefully. His Charizard was a fast enough flyer, but his old bones weren¡¯t quite what they used to be and he¡¯d much prefer to avoid the cold at high altitude.


    Brawly apologised, saying that he didn¡¯t have the time to get away with some issues cropping up with the local Aggron population. Norman bowed out, mentioning his ongoing work with the Jigglypuff situation and Roxanne said she was too busy right now too. Wallace and Juan were both busy preparing for both a new contest exhibition and on top of that they had several Gym battles lined up they needed to be ready for too.


    ¡°Sorry everyone but I really need to get some work done, I¡¯ve got a busy day ahead of me tomorrow,¡± Roxanne told them.


    Everyone said their goodbyes before Roxanne left the call.


    ¡°I better leave too,¡± Winona said. ¡°There¡¯s a big storm heading our way and I need to make a run around my territory for any lost trainers.¡±


    ¡°Err, if Harry¡¯s supposed to be coming your way does that mean he¡¯ll be somewhere in that storm?¡± Liza pointed out, making everyone react with surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to keep an eye out for him. But I certainly hope he¡¯s smart enough not to try travelling when the weather picks up,¡± Winona replied.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Norman said seriously, receiving a polite smile from Winona as everyone else said goodbye too and she left the call as well.


    ¡°Is there anything else we should talk about?¡± Norman asked. ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary?¡±


    There were shakes of the head from the other Gym Leaders and the conversation quickly devolved into Wallace and Juan enthusiastically talking about their upcoming contest exhibition. Moore wasn¡¯t particularly interested but he nodded politely and listened as best he could.


    The call ended a little bit later and Moore shut down the videophone, feeling a little bit excited at the opportunity to see Harry battle again.

 Chapter 19

    Winona almost regretted taking up the job in Fortree but she had owed pretty much all her skills back then to her teacher. Winona had been Stratus¡¯ best student and one day she had decided Winona was ready to take over from her. Not taking the position after Stratus was ready to retire had just seemed rude at that point, even if Winona really had wanted to go out travelling on her own.


    But that was the same for all of them.


    She hadn¡¯t realised it at the time, but Stratus had clearly had the same lust to leave that Winona now had to deal with these days. One day Winona would have an apprentice with the skills to take her place and she would pass the gym on to them and go out and explore the world in much the same way.


    Kylee was showing promise, although maybe Winona was just a bit biased because she favoured the same starter as Winona had once had. Until Kylee was ready though, Winona had to sit tight and be the responsible one and that would probably take a few years at minimum.


    It wasn¡¯t much of an imposition really. Winona theoretically had the whole of Hoenn to explore when the opportunity to do so came about. Her work in the surrounding area also came with the necessity to go out flying.


    Like right now.


    There were always problems with the weather around Fortree. Torrential rain and storms were common but it was this time of year that things were the worst. Intensely strong winds, thunderstorms and the river flooding its banks in some parts was particularly common around the start of summer. It was why there was a dedicated Pokemon Ranger presence in the region.


    This year things were starting just a bit sooner. It was Winona¡¯s job to make sure no unlucky traveller had gotten themselves hurt or killed for whatever reason.


    Pelliper was enjoying himself at least. The part Water type loved the rain. If only he was the right shape to easily ride. Then Winona wouldn¡¯t have to be relying on Tropius, who was far less comfortable to ride than Altaria.


    Altaria felt like she was sitting on a cloud when Winona rode on her back. Unfortunately Altaria was also a bit of a diva about getting cleaned and dry after getting her wings messed up and Winona just didn¡¯t want to have to deal with it once the storm had passed. So pulling out her starter was a last resort.


    By contrast to Altaria,Tropius was all waxy leaves or coarse bark and you had to learn to ride him properly to avoid unpleasant chafing on particularly long journeys. Sadly Tropius was also just better suited as a mount when the weather turned really bad like this. His bulk made it harder for the wind to buffet him about and his Grass typing meant that the rain and lightning didn¡¯t bother him too much either.


    She¡¯d been out for an hour now, exploring Route 120 first before heading over to Route 119. Thus far she¡¯d only encountered a ridiculous woman who fancied herself as a Parasol Lady of all things and who had discovered today that a parasol wasn¡¯t a substitute for a brain. She was safely tucked away now and would have to ride out the weather like everyone else.


    Winona hadn¡¯t seen anything else yet. At least no signs of trainers on the usual paths. What she expected to find was someone trying to hole up in a tent and wait the storm out. It worked, as long as you secured the tent properly and didn¡¯t stay in a particularly windy area. But people were dumb, especially in dangerous situations. She¡¯d learnt that from experience running these routes.


    There!


    They¡¯d been hard to spot initially but the red tie had stood out enough to let her spot them. It was someone dressed in the national camper association¡¯s uniform and the tie was bright red specifically to make it easier to spot them for situations just like this. Winona hadn¡¯t been around back when that had been decided but it was a good choice by them to do that.


    The camper was struggling alongside a pair of Marill and a miserable looking Linoone to set up a tent under some trees. On closer inspection it looked to be a boy, and as they flew closer, Winona saw that some of the rustling wasn¡¯t just a result of the wind. There was a girl there too, who¡¯d found herself under the tent somehow.


    It would be funny if the situation weren¡¯t potentially so perilous.


    ¡°Keep looking, Pelliper! Tropius, set down next to them and get ready to act as a wind shield!¡±


    Pelliper wouldn¡¯t have any trouble out here. He¡¯d find her if anything else needed her attention and Winona trusted him to find his way back to the gym on his own if need be. He let out a cry to let her know he understood before flying off to the side to explore elsewhere.


    They descended quickly, Tropius¡¯ bulk meant that he landed on the ground with a firm thump that immediately caught the attention of the campers.


    ¡°W-wha¡¯!?¡± shouted the boy as he spun around and beheld Winona¡¯s impressively large Tropius. He was big for his species, almost three metres tall, the strongest of his kind Winona had ever encountered.


    The boy was in his mid teens by the looks of it and recovered quickly. ¡°L-Linoone, we¡¯ve got company!¡± he shouted over the wind and rain.


    Winona would¡¯ve applauded his quick reactions if he hadn¡¯t also probably put himself in this situation. She leapt off the side of her Pokemon and upon landing found the Linoone now bravely standing in front of it¡¯s trainer. Both the Pokemon and trainer were equally as surprised to see the Fortree Gym Leader seeming to appear in front of them out of thin air, but also incredibly relieved that they wouldn¡¯t have to fight such a strong looking Pokemon in this storm.


    The two Marill were probably the girl¡¯s and she was revealed when the partially set up tent finally gave up and was carried off in the wind. It collided with a tree not too far away but was then carried off by the wind.


    ¡°Leave the tent! you need to get to proper cover!¡± Winona shouted. She spotted some dense brush not too far away. They ought to work for her purposes. ¡°Come with me!¡±


    She hadn¡¯t given the kids the opportunity to argue, which was the best way to handle these sorts of things. Tropius¡¯ immense bulk served to block some of the wind and he brought up his palm leaf-like wings to further protect them. But that would be a losing battle if there ever was one.


    Winona reached for her belt and pulled out another ball.


    ¡°Skarmory!¡± The Armoured Bird Pokemon appeared, calling her name with pride as was her usual attitude.


    She was a steel type but she wasn¡¯t exactly heavy. The Pokemon immediately ducked back down, closing her wings and giving herself a small profile.


    ¡°I need you to use Secret Power on this brush!¡± Winona shouted to her Pokemon.


    The avian nodded immediately and approached the area Winona had directed. The ability didn¡¯t work everywhere, but Winona was experienced enough by now to know when it would.


    Secret Power worked on dense areas with gaps in them. More specifically it required tight enclosed spaces and only one real entrance in a naturally occurring spot which had been there for a long time. Heavy bits of brush, small fissures in rocks, that sort of thing were what usually worked in Winona¡¯s experience.


    Skarmory placed her glowing beak against the brush and a surge of energy went off and onto the flora. The brush shuddered as the move seeped into it and then it parted, creating a small entrance.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Inside!¡± Winona shouted, bracing herself on the doorway as a particularly strong gust of wind threatened to topple her.


    The two kids didn¡¯t need any encouragement and they darted past Winona and into safety. The Linoone and the Marill followed quickly behind them.


    Winona returned her Pokemon for the moment and then followed after them.


    Inside the two campers were sighing in relief.


    ¡°Thanks for saving us, Winona,¡± the girl said. She looked a bit mousey, with a bob of brown hair.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not have had to save you at all,¡± Winona told them firmly. Hopefully this would serve as a lesson to them both.


    ¡°W-we were just camping, ma¡¯am,¡± the boy replied. ¡°The storm, it snuck up on us.¡±


    ¡°Are you both local, from Fortree?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± they both replied nervously, because they knew what she was going to say next.


    ¡°Then you should¡¯ve known to check the forecast before coming out here,¡± Winona told them. There was no excuse when you¡¯d grown up in Fortree to not know the weather could turn out this bad.


    She would be having words with the local Camper Chief about this. Lorenzo would at least be happy for another opportunity to harp on about proper safety in the wild regions.


    The boy was about to reply but Winona fixed him with a stern look. She wasn¡¯t old or anything and she certainly wasn¡¯t old enough to have forgotten what stupid, horny teenagers would do for an opportunity to canoodle.


    Two teenagers, out camping alone? Winona looked between them both. The boy¡¯s next words died in his throat and averted his eyes. The girl looked suitably contrite too. Winona shook her head.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t care what you get up to, it¡¯s not my business. But you should¡¯ve checked the forecasts before deciding to go and get some time to yourselves,¡± Winona told them again. ¡°You can both stay here tonight. Shakrmory won¡¯t dismiss the Secret Base until the day after the storm. So you¡¯d both better be ready to leave by then.¡±


    A Pokemon could only make one Secret Base at a time. Nobody had any idea why that was and frankly, Winona wasn¡¯t interested. What she did know was that it was a rule that actually applied per Pokemon, not per trainer. The rest of her team had been trained to use it too so she could set up six of them if need be around the Route 119 area for other lost or struggling travellers. Tropius¡¯ Secret Base was currently housing the Parasol Lady she¡¯d saved earlier.


    ¡°Wait, our bags!¡± the girl shouted suddenly. Winona looked behind her back to the torrential rain outside. They would need their supplies.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll help you grab them.¡±


    The three of them braved the storm once more and fortunately for the campers neither bag had blown away or been lost in the wind.


    ¡°I need to get back out there and look for anyone else in trouble,¡± Winona said once they were back in the shelter. She withdrew tropius¡¯ Pokeball.


    ¡°Remember what I said. The Secret Base will stay up until the storm has passed so don¡¯t try getting back out there before then.¡±


    The kids both nodded and replied that they understood, offering their thanks which she gratefully accepted. Winona called her Tropius back out, making sure to summon him outside the Secret Base.


    The Pokemon still wasn¡¯t bothered at all by the rain or wind. His long neck let him poke his head inside the base and he took in the sight of the two still soaked campers.


    ¡°Troooh,¡± he said sagely.


    Winona patted the side of his face and neck, squeezing past him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She shouted.


    She leapt up onto her Pokemon¡¯s back and with a burst of power the Tropius took flight again.


    ***


    It was horrible outside.


    The rain had started at heavy and then turned to torrential and with the wind picking up it was basically coming at us sideways with the wind picking up too.


    The mountains either side of us didn¡¯t do much help with the wind coming at us from the front. It was like the path forward was actively trying to stop us from taking a step forwards. Then I saw the fields of very tall grass in front of us and I knew it would be nigh impossible to know which way we were going if we decided to brave it.


    So I¡¯d decided we would do the smart thing and simply not travel any further today. The wind was harsh, but we set up the tent partially inside the ocean of green grass and it acted as an improvised windbreak.


    The rain poured down outside and the tall grass waved and batted at the tent but inside it was dry. I stripped down to my underwear, leaving my clothes to get properly dry. I might have brought out some other members of the team but it was probably going to be more comfortable for them to stay in their balls rather than have another five rambunctious Pokemon bouncing around in here with nothing to do.


    Leah knelt comfortably on her own in one corner of the tent. She seemed like she was sleeping although I knew it was actually some kind of meditation she was doing. Meanwhile I had promised myself to spend an hour reading up for Roxanne¡¯s test before doing something a bit more enjoyable like actually sitting down and doing some writing.


    And for a while everything was peaceful.


    Then I heard shouting.


    ¡°Help! Somebody help!¡±


    I looked up from Roxanne¡¯s folder, seeing Leah¡¯s eyes opening too. Neither of us managed to do anything else before we saw a shadow outside the tent.


    ¡°Hello!?¡± came the anxious voice  of a boy. ¡°Is anyone in there? We need help!¡±


    I jumped up to my feet and opened the tent. There was a boy with red hair sticking out beneath his woven hat. He had a blue top on and shorts. A Bug Catcher.


    When he saw me the boy¡¯s expression quickly turned to one of relief.


    ¡°Mr I need help!¡± The Bug Catcher said. ¡°M-¡±


    ¡°Come inside,¡± I interrupted. I pulled the soaking boy into the tent and zipped it back up to stop anymore rain from getting in. ¡°Okay, take a deep breath. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time!¡± The boy shouted hysterically. ¡°My friend Doug, he¡¯s been poisoned by a Nincada!¡±


    It was then that the boy actually stopped to take in his new surroundings.


    First he looked at me, currently in just my briefs. Then his gaze turned to Leah and his mouth dropped open. He visibly had to regain control of himself, cheeks reddening.


    ¡°Sorry I wasn¡¯t exactly expecting anyone,¡± I told the red-faced boy, who began to stutter out some sort of an apology.


    I ignored whatever he was saying to reach for my only partially dried clothes and get dressed. It wasn¡¯t just him, I felt a bit embarrassed myself at being seen undressed by a kid like this, even if it ultimately wasn¡¯t important right now. There was no point in putting on something fresh and dry if I was going to go back out there.


    Leah was helpfully packing away the other things. We would be out of here in no time.


    ¡°Your friend got bit by something?¡± I asked as I buttoned up my shirt. The boy nodded frantically. ¡°Will you be able to show me where?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!¡± The boy said. ¡°I remember the way back.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I told him.


    I finished dressing quickly, not bothering to tuck my shirt in or anything. I¡¯d always dressed like this and it¡¯d never really been a problem for me before because I was always travelling at my own pace. I figured I really ought to get something more suitable for the wilderness.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Harry. What¡¯s yours?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s Kent, sir,¡± the boy replied. He looked towards the exit of the tent with desperation.


    ¡°Okay Kent, you¡¯ve done a good job coming to find me. Do you think you can show me where your friend is?¡±


    ¡°Yes I think so,¡± the boy replied.


    ¡°Okay then,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re going to go out and pack up my tent quickly. Then you¡¯re going to bring me to him, okay?¡±


    The boy looked relieved more than anything else.


    I shared a glance with Leah. Pokemon healing abilities weren¡¯t as effective on people as they were Pokemon but her Heal Pulse might be needed here. I had some stuff to treat poisons too, somewhere in my storage. Hopefully that would be enough. I¡¯d been poisoned once or twice and it was never a pleasant experience.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go,¡± I said and I quickly unzipped the tent. I held it open for the boy and he and Leah hurried out. The Gardevoir handed me my bag and I slung it over my shoulder. Reaching into the bag I pulled out the tent¡¯s capsule container and in a flash of red light the tent disappeared inside.


    ¡°Wow,¡± the boy said, eyes wide and clearly taken aback by the show of technology.


    ¡°Okay, where¡¯s your friend at?!¡± I shouted over the rain. I pulled out a small torch. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to break through the rain however and I quickly put it back.


    Kent seemed distracted for several seconds, looking at my bag where the capsule container for the tent had gone.


    ¡°Err, yeah,¡± he said. ¡°Come on it¡¯s this way!¡±


    I followed after the boy through the rain.

 Chapter 20

    It was almost impossible to see, but fortunately Kent didn¡¯t stray too far as he led us through the storm. I was almost impressed that he could figure his way back but he did.


    ¡°What exactly happened?¡± I shouted over the storm.


    ¡°A Nincada. It just came out of nowhere!¡± Kent told me. ¡°It bit Doug a-and poisoned him!¡±


    That didn¡¯t tell me anything else. I mentally chastised myself for bothering to ask again. I could field any more questions to the two boys once this crisis was over.


    It didn¡¯t take us long to reach our destination. There was a small clearing in the tall grass and that was where we found Kent¡¯s friend, Doug.


    He was another boy in the typical bug catcher¡¯s outfit, with dark hair and he was curled up into a ball. He was soaked through as he laid on a flattened bit of grass and I hurried up to him.


    ¡°Hello!¡± I shouted. The boy didn¡¯t so much as respond. Whether that was because he couldn¡¯t hear me over the wind or because he was in a bad way I couldn¡¯t tell.


    I pushed aside the worry that things might be worse, that the boy might somehow have died on his own already. Bug types were not usually so immediately lethal.


    Nincada were usually fairly docile too, staying hidden. Were been taught about them briefly in school, it was actually the poisonous Wurmples we''d been told to steer clear of.


    ¡°Doug, can you hear me?!¡± I shouted. ¡°I¡¯m here to help!¡±


    Reaching a hand into my bag, I pulled out a poison heal.


    But most medicines were some sort of spray that you had to put over the original wound. If I tried using it here then I would only wash away. I reached out to shake his shoulder and get the boy¡¯s attention. I needed to know where the injury was to be able to do anything and. Which meant that I needed to-


    Suddenly the boy spun around. I barely caught the flash of sliver and leaned away, falling onto my back as the knife cut a line in front of me.


    I still hadn¡¯t been fast enough. As I fell I felt a weight leave me.


    My bag had fallen down!


    A blast of pink light shot over my chest, stopping my attacker from doing anything else. I scrambled back but then remembered that there was another boy with us.


    ¡°Leah, behind you!¡± I shouted, looking for my Pokemon.


    He was there and off to the side. I saw that the boy also had a Pokeball in his hand.


    Leah was quick to react to my direction and turned to where I was looking and that made the boy¡¯s eyes widen in panic. Instead of reaching for his Pokeball the kid jumped backwards, immersing himself in the long grass around us and disappearing completely from sight.


    For a second there was only the rain and wind around us.


    ¡°What the hell!¡± I cursed as I got to my feet quickly.


    Was this some kind of ambush? My eyes widened.


    No, this was a robbery!


    I turned back to where my bag had fallen, only to find it completely gone, along with the first of my attackers!


    Stunned. I could only stare in shock at the location where my bag had been. The bag with my laptop and all my writing in it!


    ¡°Leah find them!¡± I barked, reaching for the Pokeballs at my belt.


    In this weather Bud and Robin would only get blown away but I had plenty of other Pokemon that would be able to assist in this terrain.


    ¡°Happy, Kira, we¡¯re under attack!¡± I shouted as I summoned them both beside me.


    Both Pokemon immediately took battle positions but after a few more seconds it was apparent that none of our attackers were going to reappear.


    They were running away with all my hard work!


    I looked to Leah, who only shook her head. She couldn¡¯t find them with her psychic abilities. Maybe they had some way to hide from such things.


    We needed to find them in a more manual way and that meant somehow finding them in a storm and through all this extra long grass!


    The storm I couldn¡¯t do anything about, but the grass I immediately had a solution for.


    ¡°Leah and Kira, use Dazzling Gleam and cut this grass down to size!¡± I shouted.


    My two Pokemon immediately responded to the command and two beams of bright pink energy cut through the night.


    They changed the angle of their attacks and wherever they aimed the attack, grass was shredded in the wake of the two attacks. Leah and Kira¡¯s strength allowing their attack to travel very far forwards and almost immediately a swathe of the terrain was suddenly clear.


    I had made a mistake though. The intense light also completely cut out my night vision and I was left blinded.


    ¡°Silveon!¡± Kira shouted. He¡¯d spotted them.


    ¡°Go!¡± I shouted after my Pokemon.


    Kira and Happy raced off in the direction he¡¯d apparently spotted them. Leah came and took my hand while I blinked away the spots behind my eyelids.


    ¡°Voir!¡± She called, leading me forward through the now much shorter grass.


    She didn¡¯t have to wait long for my vision to return. I quickly went to run in the direction the bright pink and white form of Kira had gone off in, still just about visible through the rain.


    That was made more easy when a short burst of Dazzling Gleam lit up the night again.


    It was further away this time and didn¡¯t immediately blind me. For a moment I spotted our quarry, two shadows running through the open field we¡¯d created.


    They had also discarded what I realised now were disguises. The two kids were wearing dark clothes, ninja clothes with actual swords at their backs and a dull coloured red scarf around their necks.


    The Pokeball I¡¯d seen before had been released and a Pokemon was retaliating against us. I couldn¡¯t see what it was as a blur of glowing energy was charging forward at intense speed but i could certainly guess.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    If these were ninjas then they were probably using the fastest Pokemon around, a Ninjask.


    It certainly was fast and with its speed it had the advantage against my chasing Pokemon. The attack forced Kira to stop as it cut past him with what I imagined was probably Fury Swipes or Fury Cutter. It came back around, practically turning on a dime and not seeming to lose any of its speed.


    But to my relief, the second attack didn¡¯t do so well when Happy jumped up and parried the attack with Iron Tail.


    They weren¡¯t trying to attack us though. The Ninjask was trying to help the two human ninjas to escape!


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it distract you!¡± I shouted. ¡°Leah, catch it with Psychic!¡±


    The Ninjask hadn¡¯t been deterred by Happy¡¯s defensive move and maybe it hadn¡¯t heard my order either but that was to our advantage. When it came around again the Pokemon was immediately caught up in the glow of the Psychic attack.


    Being a Bug type was little help against Leah¡¯s attack. The Ninjask struggled in her psychic hold but it was going nowhere.


    ¡°Kira, use Dazzling Gleam and knock it out!¡±


    A powerful burst of pink light struck the Ninjask, knocking it out in one powerful hit and Leah let the now unconscious Pokemon unceremoniously fall to the floor.


    That was all well and good, but in the meanwhile, our attackers were still escaping! They were almost at the edge of the cut grass where they would easily disappear a second time.


    ¡°Happy, Kira, keep going!¡± I shouted. ¡°Leah, Teleport in front of them!¡±


    Seeing the distraction had been removed, my Pokemon were already charging forwards again. I ran ahead, knowing that Leah would be more than able to handle two humans.


    And indeed she had.


    I came to a stop to see the two boys held up in the air, courtesy of my Gardevoir¡¯s Psychic prowess.


    Happy and Kira were also there, both Pokemon looking about as angry as I felt right now.


    Seeing their Pokemon so effortlessly knocked out hopefully helped show how outclassed the two boys had suddenly found themselves now their advantage had been taken away. It was their bad luck that had seen them choose to attack myself instead of someone who wouldn¡¯t have been able to defend themselves.


    The two kids kept struggling but if my Gardevoir could hold a powerful Gym Leader tier Arcanine in her clutches then there was no way two mere children were going to escape without assistance.


    In that moment of calm considered myself to be a fairly relaxed person. It really took a lot to get me angry. But threatening my life and that of my Pokemon certainly qualified to earn my ire. Right now I was furious.


    ¡°So what should I do with you both then?¡± I asked as the wind and rain whipped around me. It was a rhetorical question. What I was going to do with them was send them straight to prison.


    One of them still had my bag clutched in his grip, I noticed. ¡°Kira, grab the bag!¡±


    Suddenly a lot of things happened at once.


    ¡°Now Nincada!¡± Shouted one of the boys.


    A massive thump struck the earth as a huge Pokemon landed on the ground between Leah and the ninjas, breaking her line of sight.


    ¡°Trooooo!¡± Growled the Pokemon in a threatening way.


    It was a Tropius, a sort of part palm tree, part dinosaur Pokemon that I remember had been introduced in generation three and in Route 119. I¡¯d once been pleased to encounter one because to me back then it had seemed kind of cool. Then I had been very disappointed by its mediocre stats and movepool. I knew far better than to let that bias from another lifetime affect me however. This was clearly a powerful example of its species.


    The creature bore down on us slightly, but I had three powerful Pokemon on hand. I certainly wasn¡¯t afraid of it.


    As I was thinking that, suddenly I saw as a pair of Nincada burst out from the ground, taking Happy and Kira by surprise.


    Neither of them were particularly injured, but they did give out cries of surprise as they were knocked over, and it wasn¡¯t just them. Leah had also been struck by the surprise attack.


    With her concentration interrupted, the ninja kids fell to the floor and they both immediately darted away to either side to make their escape. And one of them still had my bag!


    ¡°No! Kira, stop him!¡± I shouted, gesturing at the one that had my things.


    A burst of stars shot out from Kira¡¯s fur. Glowing in the night they made a beeline for the one with my bag. But then we were stopped again as a Pelipper of all things came flying down, the typical hexagonal glow of a Protect blocking the stream of Fairy type Swift stars.


    ¡°Everybody stand down!¡± Shouted a woman''s voice from the giant Pokemon that I recognised now was a Tropius.


    Gym Leader Winona jumped down from the Tropius¡¯ back, an angry expression on her face.


    ¡°Stand down and return your Pokemon!¡± She shouted at me.


    Of course that wasn¡¯t going to happen. Happy took an aggressive stance in front of the trainer and her Tropius, who looked ready to defend it¡¯s trainer.


    ¡°I¡¯m Harry Hemming, the guy coming to visit your Gym. They stole my bag!¡± I shouted back at the Flying type trainer.


    At least she seemed quick on the uptake.


    ¡°Pelliper, chase after those¡­ ninjas!¡± The woman shouted, sounding slightly disbelieving as she did so.


    The Pelliper soared up in the air, heading in the direction the two kids had disappeared off in.


    ¡°Kira, Leah, cut through the rest of this grass!¡± I shouted.


    They couldn¡¯t be allowed to get away with my laptop!


    ¡°No, you might hurt them!¡± Winona shouted. But she was too slow to stop me.


    Twin beams of pink light cut through the grass, clearing another massive swathe of it down.


    But the two ninja kids were nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± I cursed.


    The rain splattered against my cheek, the cold suddenly registering as I clenched my fist. I turned to Winona, ready to vent my anger at her but I stopped myself. I could already guess what had happened.


    She¡¯d thought she had been interrupting some sort of attack, or a Pokemon battle taken too far.


    The woman palmed her face.


    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± she told me, which was a cold comfort. I had about five weeks worth of writing stored on that laptop, plus however much more in notes and other information. It wasn¡¯t anything


    That along with my possessions, including camping supplies, clothes and plenty of other things. All I had now was what had been on my person. My PokeNav, Pokeballs and identification. Those were the most important things I owned and I was just glad I hadn¡¯t lost them.


    In the end it wasn''t the end of the world, but it felt pretty damn close.


    The Pelliper came back, looking slightly disappointed. It hadn¡¯t found the thieves.


    ¡°The Ninjask!¡± I realised.


    Winona and her Pokemon followed after us. It was hard to see in the dark but we found that Pokemon gone too.


    ¡°Damn,¡± I muttered. It must have been able to fake being knocked out or something. Perhaps Endure? If it could use that at just the right moment it would¡¯ve barely survived Kira¡¯s Dazzling Gleam.


    ¡°What are you looking for!?¡± Winona shouted over the still rushing wind.


    ¡°They had a Ninjask!¡± I replied. ¡°But it¡¯s gone now.¡±


    Winona nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Do you need a ride out of here?¡± She asked.


    Did I?


    Well we were heading to Fortree anyway and we weren¡¯t going to manage the trip without any supplies or camping equipment. Leah could probably run me through several Teleport jumps but she couldn¡¯t do that in this weather and she¡¯d be exhausted at the end of things. I also didn¡¯t fancy trying to rough it out in the wilderness either.


    And I couldn¡¯t run the risk those kids might come back for whatever reason. If they had been hoping to pilfer my Pokemon then that was a real possibility that I didn¡¯t want to chance.


    ¡°Okay!¡± I said, against my better judgement.


    ¡°Come on onto my Tropius!¡± Winona said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to return some of your Pokemon though. He can''t¡¯ carry more than two or three¡±


    I watched as Winona clambered onto the Pokemon¡¯s back.


    ¡°Okay, Happy, Kira return. I¡¯ll see you later,¡± I promised them.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Winona shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be out in this any longer than I have to!¡±


    Leah wasn¡¯t going to return to her Pokeball. After I had joined Winona on the back of her Pokemon I felt the comforting hold of the Gardevoir behind me. She barely weighed anything so I knew she wouldn¡¯t pose much more of an imposition to the flying type. Having her close at least helped distract from the vertigo I was soon to feel.


    It wasn¡¯t mature for me to be using my Pokemon as a safety blanket, but I really didn¡¯t care.


    I kept my eyes closed and kept a firm hold on Winona as we took off and set a fast pace northwards and to the safety of civilization.

 Chapter 21

    I had been exhausted after everything that had happened so when I finally fell sleep that night I more or less passed out. When I woke up in the early hours of the morning I jumped up from the bed, panicking as the events of last night came back to me.


    Likewise the three Pokemon sharing the bed with me were roused by the started gasp and my movement. Kira in particular I knew could sense how I felt, the quirk of his particular biology.


    He sent me some soothing feelings across to me through the connection provided by his ribbons. It wasn¡¯t something he normally did. I didn¡¯t enjoy the idea of being affected like that, but I appreciated it at this moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I told them. ¡°Just startled myself.¡±


    I¡¯d done that once or twice, feeling myself falling while sleeping and waking up like this. It had happened  when I had been particularly stressed. It¡¯d been a good while since the last time.


    My words didn¡¯t stop the group hug that ensued. I simply settled in and found comfort from the affection that was being heaped on me. Not for the first time did I consider how lucky I was to have such a close relationship with my Pokemon.


    We had important things to be doing today. Primarily it was about meeting Winona and apparently a bunch of the other Gym Leaders. I wanted to be at my best. I didn¡¯t know much about Wallace, but I could take a good guess and say that I needed to at least be well presented.


    Leah and Kira were still clingy as I got out of bed, which wasn¡¯t much of a change from normal. I showered and dressed and we went down to the Pokemon Centre¡¯s cafeteria for something to eat.


    The Pokemon Centers were lots of things, technically hotels beyond their primary use as hospitals and appropriately the food was only a bit better than you¡¯d expect to get in a hospital. There weren¡¯t many Pokemon that specialised in food after all and those I knew were primarily Fairy types.


    I¡¯d never favoured the food Pokemon. I didn¡¯t mind cooking but it was just another skill in my opinion so I hadn¡¯t ever sought out Pokemon that were related to it. Truth be told, they kind of creeped me out.


    Sure, I knew intellectually that you didn¡¯t eat those Pokemon. At most you took parts from them for cooking which were willingly given or they helped you cook in some way. Of course people actually did eat Pokemon, Magikarp for example, and I wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that Pokemon didn¡¯t predate on and eat each other in the wild. But I didn¡¯t need or want remainders to think about whether my lunch might contain meat from something that used to be sapient.


    As I headed out into Fortree to find somewhere to buy some new clothes and a new travel bag, I considered what I was going to do about my writing, because I would definitely need a new laptop.


    I¡¯d lost a lot of material yesterday. Sure I could remember what I¡¯d written, but it was going to be a lot of work to recreate what had been lost.


    Maybe I could rewrite it, but it wouldn¡¯t be the same. There was no way it would be the same. But now I was faced with it with a clearer head, I found I was almost happy that I¡¯d lost those files.


    I¡¯d been sort of feeling this building up for a good while. Trainers Colliding had taken up a lot of my attention and I had already been starting to feel a bit burnt out on it.


    I wasn¡¯t going to stop writing, but maybe it was time to start a new project.


    ***


    They¡¯d got the message from Winona to come over today, but when they arrived the Gym Leader had given her colleagues some disturbing news.


    ¡°What!? Someone attacked him?¡± Wattson asked incredulously.


    He¡¯d just arrived via teleport, bringing Moore with him and the first thing the tired looking Winona had told them was that Harry had been attacked on his way up through Route 119.


    ¡°He says it was two kids acting like olden style ninjas,¡± Winona told him. ¡°I saw them briefly and they were dressed like that. It sounds crazy but I really did see them myself.¡±


    Wattson¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and he exchanged a worried glance with Moore as Winona described what she¡¯d seen.


    ¡°Did you catch any of them?¡± Moore asked.


    ¡°No¡­ My arriving was the distraction they needed to escape after Harry had just about caught them himself.¡±


    ¡°What Pokemon were they using?¡± He asked next.


    ¡°A Ninjask and a few Nincada,¡± Winona told them both.


    ¡°They¡¯re not Poison types,¡± Moore observed thoughtfully.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s surely too much of a coincidence,¡± Wattson stated, understanding where the other man was coming from.


    ¡°What¡¯s a coincidence?¡± Winona asked.


    ¡°Better we speak in private,¡± Wattson said. ¡°Is anyone else here yet?¡±


    ¡°No, just the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then can we speak in your office?¡± Moore suggested.


    Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Winona didn¡¯t object in the slightest and led both men to her private office. It was fairly spartan with a simple desk and a few filing cabinets. There were some simple metal folding chairs placed opposite the desk. It clearly wasn¡¯t a place that got a lot of use, but then the majority of Winona¡¯s work was practical rather than administrative.


    ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s going on?¡± Winona asked as she sat behind her desk. The two men took chairs in front of her.


    ¡°A few decades ago, someone tried to do what Harry¡¯s doing now,¡± Wattson said. ¡°Violet Iga was a Poison type specialist and¡­ also a ninja.¡±


    ¡°You think this was her doing?¡± Winona asked, a bit startled at the revelation  and somewhat sceptical. Wattson didn¡¯t blame her for it. The events surrounding Violet Iga had occurred before Winona was even born.


    ¡°I honestly thought she was dead, or at least gone from Hoenn,¡± Wattson stated flatly.


    ¡°Never assume,¡± Moore chided tiredly. Wattson levelled the man a flat look. It had literally been decades since they¡¯d seen hide or hair of the woman. Then he said something that really surprised the Electric type trainer.


    ¡°She hung around long enough to take part in the war.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Wattson stated. He didn¡¯t know that. Based on Moore¡¯s expression it wasn¡¯t something he was really meant to talk about either. Wattson could imagine what someone with that kind of training would have been involved with back then and he grimaced in displeasure.


    ¡°Hey, getting back on track,¡± Winona interrupted. ¡°Just who is this lady? Can you please tell me everything that happened back then?¡±


    Wattson smiled apologetically.


    ¡°Okay, so like I said, Violet Iga was a Poison specialist. She went around the rest of us Gym Leaders wanting to make a ninth Gym. We were all a bit surprised, but at the time it seemed like a really good idea to have a new member join our ranks. She went about speaking to us all to get our endorsement like Harry is doing now. You know, a few battles, a couple of favours traded here and there. But when she got to Liza it all fell apart.¡±


    ¡°Liza as in the last Mosdeep Gym Leader?¡± Obviously Winona had met the woman, albeit she had been a much calmer figure in her later years. Tate and Liza had no idea what sort of woman their Grandmother had been once upon a time.


    Or maybe they did. Who knew how things were with psychics behind closed doors.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Wattson said in reply to Winona¡¯s question. Moore then took the opportunity to continue the story.


    ¡°She was a ninja, but she didn¡¯t have any defences against psychics. Liza found out that Violet had been put to the job of joining our ranks by an official in the League. They wanted her to help break our control over the Gyms.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t have any mental protections at all?¡± Winona asked, surprised.


    ¡°This was a long time ago,¡± Wattson said. ¡°Security about these sorts of things was pretty lax back then, psychics were still fairly rare outside their little communities.¡±


    Winona nodded, probably thinking about the training she¡¯d doubtlessly had to go through to be able to detect and try and repel a psychic¡¯s influence. It was common practice these days amongst government officials. Exactly how effective such training had been on any single person was up in the air for the most part. Dark emitters and other Pokemon abilities were used in conjunction to prevent misuse of those particular powers against important individuals or at secure locations.


    Moore leaned forward, recapturing both of their attention.


    ¡°Regardless, she didn¡¯t have any protections back then. So obviously after the truth was revealed things went sideways from that point on. Liza had given her a sound thrashing before sending her away and we were all informed about it ourselves and that was more or less the end of it.¡±


    Wattson remembered his own personal outrage after he¡¯d found out. He¡¯d been a very young Gym Leader then, taking over for his father. He¡¯d been incredibly put out at being confronted with some of the corruption and politicking that affected their positions as Gym Leaders.


    Moore notably hadn¡¯t mentioned what Liza had gone on to do with those in the League who were responsible for the events, Wattson thought to himself. But perhaps it was better not to paint a less kind picture on the deceased. The majority of the people involved would be old and retired or in many cases deceased by now after so long.


    ¡°Damn, this sounds like a mess,¡± Winona said tiredly, leaning back in her seat. ¡°Is there anything else we can do? I might find something more tonight when I head out. The weather shouldn¡¯t be nearly as bad as it was yesterday.¡±


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Maybe. It doesn¡¯t hurt to try and investigate, but I honestly doubt you¡¯ll find anything,¡± Moore said.


    She was being really serious about all of this, in contrast to how many Flying type specialists often behaved. Winona was always a bit of an outlier in Wattson¡¯s experience. She loved to fly of course, all Flying specialists did, but Winona was also surprisingly grounded in her responsibilities. Stratus had taught her student well it seemed, which was for the best. The area surrounding Fortree required regular oversight and was not for the laid back.


    ¡°Nothing for the moment beyond telling him to keep an eye out. Ninja types have good training and they¡¯re clever sorts but they aren¡¯t invisible, regardless of what they might prefer people to believe,¡± Moore said cynically. ¡°If these ones are able to hide from psychic senses then we¡¯ll probably have to wait for them to show themselves again. It¡¯s catching them that¡¯s the trick.¡±


    The old Fire type specialist sighed.


    ¡°Believe me when I say that above all else, the thing Ninjas are best at is running away.¡±


    ***


    I found somewhere that sold a good bag and a couple of storage cubes and then bought a few extra sets of clothes and other necessities. That would do for the time being. I probably wasn¡¯t going to need to camp out for some time yet and I foresaw spending more of my immediate future in populated areas, provided I got permission to become a Gym Leader.


    Then with some fresh clothes, although not ones I was entirely comfortable in, it was time to head to the Fortree Gym.


    We arrived at the Gym and it was an impressive sight.


    The trees in Fortree were tall, tall like those red trees in America. But despite that the Gym was big. It was probably about as tall as some of the trees even, at least twenty metres high. It wasn¡¯t tall enough though, at least in my opinion. This was a Flying type gym. Unless it opened up to the air I doubted that Winona¡¯s Pokemon would have enough air to fly in and be comfortable.


    While I was looking up at the building, the double doors at the front opened for us.


    There was a man waiting for us, a Flying type trainer.


    ¡°Hi,¡± he said casually, glancing towards Leah. ¡°You Harry Hemming?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Jarred. C¡¯mon, Winona¡¯s waiting for you.¡±


    He started to lead me through the gym.


    ¡°Gotta say whatever you¡¯re here for I hope you¡¯re up for it,¡± the Gym trainer told me. ¡°There¡¯s Wattson and Moore here already. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen more than two Gym Leaders in the same room together before.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I was surprised too when she told me last night that they were coming,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Either way good luck, the psychic twins from Mossdeep are supposed to be arriving soon too so look out for them. Gotta say, psychics give me the heeby jeebies.¡±


    I shrugged noncommittally. If I encountered say Sabrina from Kanto, then I¡¯d probably be a bit more worried. But the Gym Leaders from Mossdeep I hadn¡¯t heard anything particularly scary about.


    It was a surprise that they were coming, but I guess of all the Gym Leaders they would have the easiest time coming on short notice with teleporting Pokemon available like the Abra line.


    ¡°They¡¯re just through here,¡± Jarred said, having led me to the door.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I told him.


    I entered through the door to see we were in a small lounge type room. There were some tables and seating and a kitchenette on one wall. It was a bit like what we¡¯d seen at Norman''s Gym.


    There was the Manetric I¡¯d seen before and also an older looking Typhlosion and the Altaria we¡¯d briefly met yesterday all sat together to one side. It seemed that all of their first Pokemon were out in anticipation of my arrival with Leah beside me.


    The other two gym Leaders turned to face me. It was then I noticed the other Pokemon in the room.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I tried to say confidently as I strode up to the group of trainers. Leah silently drifted off to the side where she went to greet the other trainers¡¯ Pokemon.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking a lot better,¡± Winona complimented, looking me up and down. ¡°A lot dryer too.¡±


    ¡°Soaking through isn¡¯t my best look,¡± I replied. I held out my hand to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you properly and thanks for the lift last night.¡±


    Winona grimaced.


    ¡°You probably would have had everything in hand if I didn¡¯t interrupt at the wrong moment,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said, repeating what I¡¯d said last night to the woman who had some deep bags under her eyes. ¡°I really don¡¯t hold anything against you.¡±


    ¡°Mistakes happen, and this one didn¡¯t seem like one you could have avoided¡± Wattson spoke up placatingly.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Moore agreed. ¡°In the heat of the moment things often go wrong. You just have to adapt to the situation. In that environment it¡¯s no surprise they escaped. People often talk about their ability to sneak into spaces but the real skill Ninjas have is their ability to escape once they¡¯re caught.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Winona said, seeming at least a bit cheerier for the supportive words.


    ¡°But anyway,¡± Wattson said. ¡°Enough about that for now. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you battle properly, Harry. I bet the twins will be excited to meet you too.¡±


    ¡°Liza and Tate?¡± I asked for clarification. The Gym Leader nodded.


    ¡°They should be here any minute.¡±


    ***


    The two young Gym Leaders of Mossdeep City had been very excited for an opportunity to go out and visit Fortree and meet the new Gym Leader. Tate and Liza were more than fine with being Gym Leaders, but boy did they need a break. So visiting Fortree was something they¡¯d desperately wanted to do.


    Psychics were often annoying, condescending, rude and a bunch of other things and many of the ones in Mossdeep didn¡¯t think Tate and Liza were good enough to be Gym Leaders at their age.


    Well it sucked to be them, because even on their own Tate and Liza were pretty strong psychics and together, even without all the experience others had, they outclassed almost everyone else they¡¯d ever met.


    The Gym trainers were nice enough at least. They were chosen because they were the smarter, mostly normal ones. Like Fritz who could actually talk without getting super dramatic about every little thing¡­


    But it was unfortunately Tate and Liza¡¯s job to keep all the other psychics from making a big nuisance of themselves and it sure was tiring some days. So this trip away, even if it was just for a few hours, was just what they both needed. An opportunity to get away from it all and meet the other strong trainers that had to do jobs just like theirs.


    ¡°Come on, hurry up!¡± Tate said with exasperation. Choosing to voice the words instead of pushing them along their mental connection. It was something they did for emphasis when they were alone because otherwise they were better able to communicate via their connection.


    They did speak normally, obviously, but that was mainly when it wasn¡¯t just them. It was so those other people didn¡¯t get weirded out by their only speaking psychically.


    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m still finishing my hair!¡± Liza replied irritably.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been working on your hair for an hour¡­¡± Tate reminded her.


    Tate was fully aware she knew how annoyed he was at Liza holding them up, and she knew that he knew that she knew too. He could stop other people reading his feelings but his and Liza¡¯s connection was too strong for that. They¡¯d never been able to completely cut each other off, even when they were both trying at the same time.


    ¡°Yeah well I wouldn¡¯t expect a boy to understand,¡± Liza replied. Like he somehow didn¡¯t, because unfortunately for him, he had a third eye¡¯s view right into her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s basically the same as it always is,¡± Tate muttered, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°Shows what you know.¡±


    He did know, because he was stuck with his annoying bossy sister¡¯s thoughts brushing against his own all the time and she knew that he knew. And he knew that she knew that he knew too!


    ¡°Yeah? Well Brawly isn¡¯t coming anyway, so what do you care?¡±


    Liza¡¯s embarrassment was palpable as it burst across their connection.


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Finish doing your hair!¡±


    Liza scowled at the mirror.


    ¡°This was so much easier when mum was around to help.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Tate agreed and both of them felt each other¡¯s frustration over their absent surviving parent.


    It should¡¯ve been her who took over the Gym, even if they were both the stronger psychics.


    Instead of that, Theresa was over in Unova doing reality TV or something and wouldn¡¯t ever be coming back. She didn¡¯t want to come back¡­


    She didn¡¯t care.


    She didn¡¯t love them.


    She di-


    Liza shook her head, forcefully pushing the negative thoughts away before she and Tate fell into a depressive spiral, feeding off each other¡¯s negative thoughts. Tate took a deep breath, recentring himself.


    Being a pair of psychically connected twins wasn¡¯t all fun and games.


    They decided to concentrate on what they were doing today. It was gonna be great, both of them were sure of it.


    ¡°Alright fine,¡± Liza finally said, giving up on her hair. ¡°Let¡¯s just go then.¡±


    They both grabbed their Pokeballs, because it was always important to have your Pokemon with you. Then they were properly ready.


    On the way through the Gym they left a couple of orders with some of the proper Gym trainers to keep things going and call them if anything went wrong. There shouldn¡¯t have been anything needing their attention in the next few hours, they¡¯d checked, but there was no guaranteeing it. Trying to look into the future was always a spotty mess even for them.


    In one of the teleport rooms there was one of the Gym Pokemon waiting for them, a Kadabra. This Kadabra was an old Pokemon they¡¯d inherited from their grandma, but he was mainly a transport Pokemon, not a big battler. He was only used for trainer battles at the third badge level. What he was really good at was long distance Teleportation and he knew his way all around the country.


    ¡°Okay Kadabra, take us to Fortree!¡± Liza said enthusiastically.


    ¡°Kada!¡± The old Kadabra nodded, smiling in that odd vulpine way of the species.


    The Teleport engulfed them, feeling fuzzy to their senses and a second later they had arrived outside Fortree¡¯s Gym.


    ¡°Alright we¡¯re here!¡± Liza said enthusiastically while Tate was taking in the sight of the super tall trees that Fortree had originally been built amongst and the houses that had been built amongst the branches. The Gym and newer houses were on the ground but the twins could bet that it¡¯d be really cool getting to live in a treehouse all the time.


    They headed towards the electric doors but they opened before the twins could get there.  A man came out dressed in jeans and a red top waiting for them. He also had some sort of brace on his arm.


    ¡°Hi I¡¯m Jarred,¡± the man introduced himself. ¡°Come on in, Winona and the others are waiting for you.¡±


    He seemed friendly enough on the outside but the guy radiated a professional indifference and probably a bit of fear to their passive senses. That was pretty normal. Most people were intimidated by psychics, regardless of how strong they were, but Tate and Liza were known to be strong. Grandma had made sure of that so they wouldn¡¯t have so many troubles after she passed away.


    Tate and Liza followed Jarred through the Gym, coming out into a large lounge room and inside they spotted the people they¡¯d come to see.


    There was Wattson, kind of big and jolly looking with beige pants and a brown fluffy looking jacket on and then there was Mr Moore, the Fire Gym Leader dressed in a traditional kimono. Winona was in her cyan coloured aviation outfit with white leggings and a helmet with some wings on the sides.


    The helmet didn¡¯t look particularly aerodynamic, Liza¡¯s thoughts came out. Although it probably wasn¡¯t that much of a problem if she did choose to wear it, Tate thought.


    Standing with them was the new guy though, Harry Hemming. Unlike the other Gym Leaders he stood out to the psychic twins because his mind wasn¡¯t protected at all.


    In fact it wasn¡¯t just unprotected. It practically invited the two kids to read it. Suddenly as they were considering this strange phenomenon they discovered that it was more than just that. The twins found themselves being sucked into Harry Hemmings mind.


    And that¡¯s when things went really weird.