Slick and the Raichu emerged from Mount Coronet, squinting in the sunlight. The Trainer wore a black jacket, a green shirt, and jeans, a bulging knapsack on his shoulders. On Slick's belt hung six red-and-white capsules, his Poke Balls. There was Slick's Lucario, Swampert, Skarmory, Umbreon, and Leafeon. His Raichu, of course, was the sixth member of Slick's team.

Five years had passed since that fateful day in Viridian City when Slick recieved his first Pokemon... Slick, who was the Elite of Hoenn, and who had almost become Champion of all the Seven Regions. Standing near the cave's entrance, Slick looked towards the city in the valley between the mountains.

"Alright everyone, we're almost to Hearthome City," said the Trainer, returning the Raichu to his Poke Ball with a button. "We'll freshen up, then hit the gym, all right?" Listening to the faint murmurs of approval from the Poke Balls on his belt, Slick and his Pokemon continued along Route 216 and to the city that was known as the "heart of Sinnoh".

From the moment that Slick arrived in Hearthome, he was surrounded by people with Solrocks at their side in celebration of the summer solstice. As Slick passed the fence that marked Hearthome's boundaries, a man immediately ran up to him.

"Hello, I'm visiting from the Hoenn region," said the man, grabbing Slick by the shoulder. "I had been hoping to find the Contest hall, but being new, I lost my way. Fortunately, the locals very kindly led me to my destination. I was impressed by the kindness and generosity to a complete stranger. Now, may I offer you the courtesy of showing you to the Contest Hall?"

Slick was taken aback. "Uh, I'm not going to the Contest Hall," said the Trainer, frowning at the man. "I'm actually looking for this city's gym. I don't suppose you know where that is?"

The man immediately looked apologetic. "Oh, in that case, I'm sorry, I should mind my own buisness," he said quickly, pressing a little box into Slick's hand. "As a welcomign gift, take this music box; I have no more need for it!" Before the Trainer could stop him, he turned and ran off down the street.

Slick stared down at the music box, then put it in his bag. "What's the point of coming to Sinnoh for the Contest Hall if you come from Hoenn?" muttered the Trainer as he continued on. "Stupid unhelpful tour guides..."

Hearthome City's training gym was pitch-black inside. "What's it with people and training in complete darkness?" muttered Slick, squinting into the shadows. It's like Brawly back in Dewford, only even harder to see..."

A voice next to him spoke up. "Hey, trainer, if you want to train here, you've gotta have an inner light like everyone else," said the gym attendant from behind SLick. See, if you wanna challenge someone, you've gotta master the darkness and shine through. Like this!"

"Agh! Don't do that!" protested Slick as the gym attendant whipped out a high-powered flashlight, pointing it straight at his eyes. "Could you aim that... elsewhere-"

Not lowering the flashlight, the person explained, "Well, those are the rules of this gym. This gym specializes in ghost-types, and dark beats ghost, so you must master the darkness in order to succeed, see?"

Slick groaned. "What? If you don't like this gym's rules, take it up with our leader Fantina," said the person, shrugging.

Slick glanced down to Sparktail, then put a hand over the gym attendant's flashlight, his eyes still filled with stars. "And where is she, anyway?" asked the Trainer, glancing around. "Ugh. Maybe I should come back-"

The gym attendant cut him off. "Oh, you're a challenger, are you?" said the man, pressing the flashlight into Slick's hand. "Well, if you want to challenge anyone, you should take this!"

Slick stared at the flashlight, then flicked it off, removed the batteries, and handed it back. "Yeah, I don't need a flashlight," he said without looking back, reaching for his Umbreon's Poke Ball as he moved into the darkness.

He moved through the gym cautiously, one hand on his Umbreon's tail, eyes tracking the subtle glow of the golden rings on his Pokemon's fur. He found the gym's skull-maze irritating; obnoxious, perhaps, but not frightening. There were no wild Pokemon lurking in the shadows, and the Trainers were sparse, too easy to defeat. Had the gyms in Hoenn and Kanto really been like this before the regulation changes? It'd been a while since he'd been back home...

"Congrats, you're one step closer to finding Fantina!" exclaimed another trainer as Slick's Umbreon stood triumphant over the opponent's Gastly. "But you still need to face two more of us to get the location of the skulls with the combination key. And you'll never guess where they are, haha!"

Slick sighed. "I'm not trying to challenge Fantina, I'm just trying to do some training," repeated Slick, growing exapserated. "I told you all already, you don't need to hide away from me, I just want to get some..." He trailed off. "You're not there anymore, are you. I'm talking to myself."

"Surely... you do not think yourself greater than I, no?" called Fantina's voice from the shadows as Slick stumbled into the last room. "Ah, but if that is that and you believe that you believe that... your challenge, I accept."

"I"m not here for a challenge," sighed Slick as he approached the gym leader. "I'm here on behalf of the Hoenn League, actually, and I was supposed to get some new ideas for the gyms, since you guys in SInnoh supposedly have the most advanced gyms, but-" He broke off as Fantina turned to face him, fuming. "Wait. You're a girl?"

Wrong thing to say. At once, she slapped him, sending him reeling. "How dare you!" hissed Fantina, her hair-bunches twirling like a propeller. "Now face me in battle!"

She threw two Poke Balls into the air. "Drifblim and Mismagus! Go!" In two flashes of light, Drifblim and Mismagus appeared.

Slick sighed, then reached for his Raichu's Poke Ball, motioning to his Umbreon with his other hand. "Raichu and Umbreon, you're up" The Umbreon behind him stepped forward as the Raichu flew out from the Poke Ball, stepping forward to engage the waiting opponents.

Fantina commanded, "Mismagus, Shadow Claw! Drifblim, Explosion!"

Slick ordered, "Sparktail, Protect! Umbreon, Payback!"

Mismagus slashed at Umbreon, barely fazing it. As soon as it struck, Umbreon leapt backwards, and then used its hind legs to propel itself back at Mismagus. Mismagus fell to the floor, defeated. "And it didn't even need a Curse," said Slick.

The two trainers stared as Fantina's Mismagius collapsed to the ground. "I lost?!" cried Fantina, throwing her gloved hands up into the air in dismay. "Fine! Come here. This badge, you have earned, non?"

The Raichu blinked as he heard Fantina's accent. "Don't worry, her accent's a fake," assured the Umbreon as Fantina recalled her Pokemon.

The gym leader glared at Slick until he walked up to her and and held out his hand, sighing. "You know, I wasn't actually here for the badge," said the Trainer as she dropped the pin into his hand. "Really, you could take a leaf from Flannery's book and-"

"That's it! You've got the badge," said the woman, silencing him with a stern purple glare. "Now out, out, out of my gym!"