Pokémon AU, with a some small twists of my own to the Pokémon world.

Summary: Santana always wanted to be the strongest trainer and she's finally set out to prove that she is. Six years is a lot of lost time but they always did work better together.

Rating: T

Genre: Adventure / Friendship / Romance

Pairings: Quinntana / Unholy Trinity Friendship

Region: Johto


Professor Elm looked up from his computer as the sound of shuffling feet came from behind him, he waved off his assistant and turned to give his guests a wide smile.

"Hello girls, thank you for coming by."

He hit a few more keys on his computer before rising from his seat, "As you all well know... I have tons of research projects going... One of which, is a study on how traveling with a Pokémon can affect how close they get to a trainer."

The girls shifted on their feet, eyes glancing around the lab at the beeping monitors and other equipment.

The man cleared his throat again and gave a small chuckle. "Anyway... The point of the study is to see if it would affect the Pokémon if they were in their balls or if you were traveling with them by your side."

The shortest of the three put her hands on her hips, "And? What's your point?"

A taller brunette elbowed her in the ribs, she glared between the Professor and her friend.

"I would like to offer the three of you your own Pokémon so that you can assist me in my research." Elm responded, smiling wider as he noticed the excitement following the recognition of what he had just said.

"Wait, to keep?!" The shorter brunette squeaked, her dark eyes wide in shocked excitement.

"Yes, to keep, Santana." The Professor confirmed, extending his hand toward the table off to his left. There were three Poké Balls set out, a small elemental emblem embellished on each.

Santana immediately rushed over, followed by her blonde friend, Brittany.

"I want this one!" The smaller girl said, snatching up the Poké Ball with the flame design just above the release trigger on the ball.

The blonde stuck her tongue out, debating between the two remaining Poké Balls. "I'll take this one! Here Lucy, this is yours!"

The third girl, Lucy, stopped in her tracks. Her hazel eyes darting down toward the Poké Ball the blonde was holding out to her. She frowned at the small leaf emblem but accepted it anyway. "Thank you, Brittany..." She said softly, knowing that it was the choice her father would have wanted her to make anyway.

The taller girl nodded and hugged her own Poké Balls to her chest, "I can't wait, this is going to be so much fun you guys!"

Elm gave a full and throaty laugh, "I'm glad you're so excited! Why don't you let them out and meet them?" He asked, watching as the girls did as he suggested.

A quick flash of light shot from the balls as their triggers were tripped, two of the three starter Pokémon forming at the end of the of the streams of light.

"They're so cute!" Brittany squealed, bouncing on the balls of her feet before picking up her Pokémon. "Hi there, I'm your trainer!" She said, nuzzling against the Totodile affectionately.

The small reptile stiffened at first but finally gave into her tight grip and affectionate behavior. She giggled happily when it nuzzled her back, "I think I'm gonna call you Bubbles!"

Santana rolled her eyes and knelt down next to her Cyndaquil, "Hey there, we're going to kick some ass when we're old enough, aren't we?" She said, smirking as she scooped the small black and tan Pokémon into her arms. Its flames weren't burning on its back so she didn't have to be quite as careful while handling it.

Santana smiled at the Pokémon in her arms before glancing toward the other brunette, "Hey Lucy, why don't you let yours out?" She asked, quirking a brow.

The girl blinked, looking up from the ball in her hands. She shrugged, sending out her Pokémon before staring at it listlessly.

The small, green Pokémon stared up at her. The leaf on its head bobbing up and down as it bounced excitedly, Brittany cooed off to her right.

"Aww! Its so cute! What are you going to call it?" The blonde asked, leaning in closer to the other girl.

Lucy shook her head, "Nothing."

"Huh? That's not a good name, come on! I'll help you think of something-"

"No, I mean... I'm not giving it a nickname. Maybe I will when its older and has evolved..." The girl said quietly, staring down at the wide red eyes watching her.

"What's wrong?" Santana asked, stepping closer to the other brunette. "You aren't acting like you were given a Pokémon, its like you were forced or something."

The girl scuffed her feet on the tiled floor, "This is the Pokémon dad would have picked for me... I just, I don't know... I don't want a grass Pokémon."

Santana scrunched up her nose, ignoring the small sound of disappointment from Brittany. "What? Come on, all Fabray's raise grass types. Your family crest is a Venasaur for crying out loud."

Lucy looked up, meeting the darker eyes sheepishly. "I don't want to..."

Elm frowned and watched the exchange in silence, her father had indeed hoped that Lucy would pick Chikorita. And currently he had no other Pokémon in his lab to offer the child.

Lucy shook her head, shooting a glance over her shoulder toward her Pokémon as she turned to leave. "Come."

The Chikorita didn't hesitate to follow at her command, bouncing happily at her ankles.

"Wait!" Santana called, catching up to the heavier girl. "Want to battle? I mean... We just got these guys, we might as well see what they can do."

Lucy glanced nervously toward Elm who frowned but nodded. "If you'd like to you can, your Pokémon don't have too powerful of moves yet." He said with a nod.

The taller brunette's teeth worried her lip but she finally nodded, "Okay. If that's what you want, Santana."

"Yes!" The girl said excitedly, placing her Cyndaquil back on the floor. She had known that Brittany would adamantly refuse, the blonde hated violence. Lucy on the other hand was easy to convince and manipulate.

"Alright, let's do this!" Santana said, "Scratch!"

Lucy flinched as the fire Pokémon landed a solid blow to her grass type, the Chikorita crying out in pain.

"Lu, you've got to tell it to respond or it won't!" Brittany cried out, her blue eyes worried over the well being of both Pokémon. Although she didn't like battling, she didn't want Lucy's sweet Chikorita being injured more than it needed to because it's trainer wasn't giving it a fair chance.

"Uhm, t-tackle!" Lucy said, her Pokémon rushing forward to complete the attack. It landed a blow but the attack was about as powerful as its trainer's voice had been giving the command.

Santana smirked, knowing that if it kept on like this she would easily win her first battle.

And win she did, after several minutes of the two trainer's volleying back shouts of Scratch and Tackle.

Lucy knelt down next to her unconscious Chikorita, her eyes glassy. "I'm sorry..." She whispered, cradling the small creature's body to her own.

"Bring your Pokémon over here, girls." Professor Elm said kindly, "Place them in these slots and the machine will heal them, its a smaller version of what is used in the Pokémon Centers throughout Johto."

The girl's obeyed quickly, Santana gloating as she did.

Elm narrowed his eyes at the child, "Santana, winners are supposed to be kind and humble... Not put down their competition."

She frowned but nodded, "Yes sir."

After their Pokémon were healed, Elm watched sadly as Quinn fled the lab. The other two, lingered a little longer. Giggling softly as they inspected their new companions.

xxx

"Hey Lu, where are you going?" Santana asked, sitting up in her lounge chair when she saw her friend emerging from her small home.

Brittany was off with her family for the day and Santana had been intending on just lounging around out in the sun to get her tan on but if Lucy was free her plans had room to change.

The taller brunette chewed on her lip before making her way over to the low fence that divided their yards. "Daddy is coming home, he's taking me to see the ruins!"

"Wait, you get to go to the ruins of Alph?! Damn... Lucky. I heard there are rare Pokémon hidden in there!" Santana said, frowning deeply as jealousy began to bubble in her stomach.

"That's just a legend." Lucy said with a sniff, pushing her glasses up higher on her nose. "The ruins are empty, no Pokémon go in there. But there are plenty of statues and runes. There are even stone puzzles from thousands of years ago."

Santana scrunched up her nose and laid back down, "Ehh... Never mind then, that sounds totally lame. Make sure to look around the grass around the ruins though, I bet there are different Pokémon there than there are here."

Lucy glanced down, fingers picking at the loose paint on the fence before her. "But San, we can't catch Pokémon yet... We're not allowed."

The shorter girl glanced over her sunglasses, "Your dad can. He gives you whatever he wants, right? Just tell him you want a new Pokémon, you didn't want your Chikorita anyway. I'll take her."

Lucy huffed, folding her arms over her chest. "I do too want her, she just wouldn't have been my first pick."

Santana's eyebrows darted up on her forehead, shocked by the other girl's tone. "Okay, jeez. I was just saying."

Lucy nodded after a moment before leaning over the fence slightly to try to catch a glimpse of Santana's Cyndaquil. The tiny fire Pokémon was curled up in a ball, laying in the shade underneath his trainer's chair.

"Come say hi to Lucy." Santana said, poking the little ball to rouse him. The Pokémon let out a small squeak as it stretched before jumping onto her lap.

"How's he been? Mine always wants to play." Lucy said, smiling as the Cyndaquil curled up in his owners lap to go back to sleep.

"This is pretty much the usual, lazy bastard." Santana glanced back toward her friend, quirking a brow at the frown she found waiting for her. "What?"

"You swear too much."

"I'm ten, you're eleven. You swear too little." The darker girl huffed, crossing her arms behind her head.

"Daddy would never-"

"Daddy this, Daddy that... No wonder you feel like you never get to make your own decisions, you let everyone make them for you." Santana said, rolling her eyes behind her sunglasses.

Lucy's frown deepened but she turned as she heard a loud flapping noise, "Daddy!"

Santana sat up slightly again, her body propped up by her forearms. She watched as Russell Fabray landed on the back of his Tropius.

The man's work had him traveling between regions, giving him access to many different types of Pokémon. Some of which were not inhabitants of the Johto region.

"Hello Lucy, I'll be out in a moment. I just need to say hello to your mother." Russell said, ruffling his daughter's hair before disappearing inside.

Santana made her way over to the Fabray's yard quickly, eager to meet the exotic Pokémon.

"Woah, it's so tall." She gasped as she got closer to it, the Tropius bent down its neck to sniff at her. Eying its master's daughter for any signs that the newcomer was not a friend.

She patted the Pokémon, smiling broadly as Chikorita rubbed against Santana's leg.

"This is one of my favorites of Daddy's Pokémon, he's a gentle giant."

"Well, I can see the giant part... Can I touch him?" The shorter girl asked, eyes wide.

Lucy nodded, "He likes his neck scratched, like this."

Santana mimicked Lucy's movements, smiling as the Pokémon let out a pleased groan.

"Hello, Santana."

The girls turned as Russell approached them, his lips drawn into a tight line. Out of the friends his daughter liked to hang out with, Santana was his least favorite.

"Hello, Mr Fabray. I just had to come over and see your Pokémon, I've never seen anything like him before." She said, flashing the man a nervous grin.

"That's alright. Tropius is a good, strong Pokémon. It doesn't evolve but its ability to fly as a grass type is definitely an advantage. You should make it a point to catch one if you ever happen upon one in the wild." He said, stopping beside his daughter.

"Oh... I doubt I'll ever see one, sir. They aren't from this region, are they?" She asked, locking her hands behind her back.

"Correct, they're from the Hoenn region. I'm sure you'll make it out there one day. You are planning on becoming a trainer, aren't you?" He asked, watching as she puffed out her small chest at the question.

"Yes sir, I am going to give your other daughter a run for her money!" She said excitedly, the man chuckled.

"You can try. Lucy hasn't told you the news, has she?" He said, looking down toward his now fidgeting younger daughter.

"No, what?" Santana asked, looking between the two Fabrays.

"Frannie just became a new member of the Elite Four, one of the old members is retiring."

"What?!" Santana gaped, "Who?"

"Koga, his daughter was supposed to fill in for him but he's decided that her training is not complete. She may take Frannie's place if her trial period doesn't go over well, its not final yet." Russell said, squeezing Lucy's shoulder.

"Oh... Wow. Congratulations, that's amazing." The girl said, shock coloring her features.

"I hate to cut this conversation short... But Lucy and I have to be off, it was nice seeing you, Santana."

"You too, Mr. Fabray. I hope you two have a good day!" The shorter brunette said as she backed toward her own yard. She moved back to her chair, settling in before watching Tropius take off back into the sky. Lucy tucked safely in her father's arms as they flew over New Bark Town.

xxx

"Santana!"

The small brunette let out a loud groan, burying deeper into her pillow.

"You're all red."

"Huh?"

"You're burnt, you must have fallen asleep while you were tanning..."

"Uhn... Shit, you're right." Santana grumbled, hissing as she sat up in the lounge chair. "What time is it?"

"Almost nine o'clock, your mom is going to kill you." Lucy said, chewing the inside of her cheek.

"And why does that make you grin?" The darker girl asked, blinking sleepily.

"Oh, it doesn't." She said, grinning wider as she fished something out of her side bag. "This does."

Santana's eyes widened slightly as she slipped off her sunglasses, "You're shitting me, you actually got a second Pokémon? Already? Lucky bitch!"

"Shh! My Daddy said I had to keep it quiet... We aren't actually supposed to be training until we're sixteen!"

"Pfft. They only have that in place so people don't drop out of school, those classes are pointless unless you're going into some spiffy business anyway... What did you get, let me see!" The shorter girl said, jumping to her feet excitedly.

Chikorita moved out from behind Lucy to greet her and Santana quickly scooped the grass Pokémon up in her arms.

Lucy sent out her second Pokémon and Santana let out a small squeal of excitement. "Is that a Mareep?! Holy shit!"

She knelt down next to the little sheep, "Hi there, cutie."

The Pokémon eyed her warily before moving passed her and toward its owner.

"Sorry, she's a bit shy..." Lucy said, bending down to pick the Mareep up.

"I can see that. Well congrats, you now have a big advantage for the first Pokémon gym."

Lucy remained silent, once again chewing on the inside of her cheek. "Wait, you are taking the gym challenges, right?"

The taller girl sighed, "I guess... It will just be hard to fill Frannie's shoes."

Santana snorted, "Why fill her shoes? You have your own to kick ass with. Come on, you can come with me and Britts. Brittany won't battle, I need someone to back me up when I go take on the gym leaders."

Lucy held Mareep closer, her teeth worrying her lip.

"Please, Lu?"

The girl sighed, giving a small nod before looking up. "Okay." She said, smiling weakly. "Now you get inside and get some Aloe on... Your mom can't see you like this." She said, glancing up toward the night sky.

Santana nodded and ran a hand through her unkempt hair, "Yeah, she will be home soon... Thanks for waking me, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Maybe, my Daddy is still in town tomorrow... We might be hanging out as a family."

"Oh, okay. Well, if not. You know where to find me." Santana offered with a shrug, "Come on Cyndaquil. Lets go get cleaned up!"

The small Pokémon blew out a ball of smoke before moving away from where it had been sniffing and playing with Chikorita.

xxx

"Hey San, what are you looking at?" Brittany asked, flopping down on the couch next to the brunette.

"They've been out there since this morning..." Santana mumbled, her chin leaning on her arms as she looked out the window.

"Oh." Brittany said, sitting behind the shorter girl and craning her neck to get a better view. "Well, her dad isn't home much. She probably missed him- Is that a new Pokémon?!"

"Yeah, he caught it for her yesterday while they were at the ruins."

"Oh, that's so cool!" Brittany chirped, tugging a pillow to her chest excitedly. Her Totodile let out a deep grunt of disapproval at the loud sound. Blinking grumpily at his trainer before tucking his head back under his tail.

The two girls watched with rapt attention as Lucy practice battled her father with her new Pokémon, "I wish I had someone to train against." Santana whined, Brittany nodded.

"Why are our parents always so busy?"

"Or better yet, why can't they trust us to get our Junior Trainer licenses."

Brittany puffed up her cheeks before releasing the breath, "Mom says I can't go anywhere until I graduate. Didn't your mom say the same?"

Santana rolled her eyes, "Yeah, mami thinks I'm gonna be some hot shot business woman like her. I keep telling her it isn't going to happen but you know how well she listens..."

Brittany's lips tugged into a grin, "As well as you?"

"Shut up, blondie." Santana said, smacking the blonde with a pillow. The taller girl giggled and hit her back, causing an all out pillow fight. Cyndaquil and Totodile looked up sleepily from their spots on the floor, confused by their trainers antics.

xxx Two Weeks Later xxx

"Hey Professor, you called?"

"Ah, yes. Hello girls, thank you for stopping by." Professor Elm said, adjusting his glasses as he turned to address them. "I have something here for you."

"Another present?" Brittany asked excitedly, her Totodile chirping at her feet.

"Yes but first... Let me see how your Pokémon are doing." He said, getting up so that he could approach them.

Santana chewed on her lip, her eyes periodically flitting to the door as she waited for Lucy to make an appearance.

"Your Pokémon both seem to be doing well and bonding to you quickly. Are you training them at all?"

Santana blinked, "No, not really... We're not supposed to train with each other unless we have supervision and our parents don't really battle or anything."

"I see. Well, a colleague of mine asked if I had anyone who could help him. You girls were the first ones to come to mind." He said, digging a medium sized box out from under a stack of paperwork and files.

Brittany stood on her tippy toes in an attempt to catch a glimpse of what was in the box before the man pulled it out.

He finally turned, one red rectangular object clutched in each hand. "I'm sure you've heard about Professor Oak in your classes, maybe you've heard something about his famous Pokédex?" He asked, his lips quirking upward at the excited squeals from the two girls.

"He wants us to use his Pokédex? I've heard they're super expensive..." Brittany said, her eyes wide.

"Yes, they are. These are newer models, offering more options than the previous versions. Given your space to roam is limited, there will be a lock placed on them for now. If the trial run goes over well, perhaps I can tinker around with it to get it unlocked." He said with a wink as he handed the girl's their Pokédexes.

"Woah, thank you so much, sir." Santana said, flipping open the device and powering it up.

Elm nodded, "Point it at your Pokémon to get started, to catalog it as a captured Pokémon... You will need to scan the trigger on its Poké Ball and eventually program your Trainer I.D. in. For now..." He said, digging around on his desk again until he found what it is he was looking for. "You will use these temporary I.D's, they will grant you full range of motion between here and Cherry Grove City... Until you're sixteen and you can get your full Trainer I.D." He said with a wink, the girls gaped at him.

"Seriously?" Santana asked, snatching the card from him to inspect it closely.

"Yes, seriously. There aren't normally any trainers that hang out on route 29 but if you run into any, show them those I.D's and they should leave you alone. The wild Pokémon out there shouldn't be too much of a problem but you can also train your own for now. Without having to battle each other." He said with a smile, the three looked up when someone cleared their throat.

"Ah, hello Russell. Its good to see you!" Professor Elm said, stepping passed the girl's to shake the other man's hand. "You said over the phone that you had something for me?" He asked, plucking his glasses off of his nose to clean them.

The older man nodded and dug a large container out of his pack, "I do. Mr. Pokémon says hello." He said, handing the container to the now wide eyed Professor.

"Is this the egg he was talking about? Its definitely a new look, I don't think I've ever seen one like it... That man and his eggs... Where did he find this one?"

"I believe he said the person that brought it to him found it in Ecruteak City but I could be wrong, you'll have to ask him." Russell said, Elm nodded.

"I see, well, thank you for bringing it to me. I have some things here for Lucy in return for the favor!"

Santana perked up at the mentioning of the other girl, "Where is Lucy, anyway?" She asked, side eying Russell.

The man looked at her for a moment before sighing, "I'm sorry girls. Lucy is coming with her mother and I to live in Goldenrod City. I am living there full time for work now and want my family with me." He said, flashing them a sympathetic look before smiling as he accepted the I.D and Pokédex from Elm. "Thank you, I'm sure she will appreciate them greatly. Goodbye girls, I will let Lucy know I saw you."

Santana gaped after him, still struggling to process the information.

xxx

"How could she just leave without saying goodbye!" Santana spat, stalking back and forth outside of Elm's lab.

Brittany frowned and kissed Totodile's head before setting him down on the ground, "I don't know... Maybe she didn't have a choice?" The blonde asked, moving toward the shorter girl.

"Right. Because Lucy never has a choice, more like she never speaks up. I bet she didn't even argue with him. She probably wants to go, so she can be all stuck up and snobby like the rest of her family. I heard Goldenrod is huge, with tons of shops and big prestigious schools." The brunette said bitterly, rolling her eyes.

"Santana... You know she isn't like that."

"Really, do I? Its how the rest of her family is, isn't it? Her sister was totally well prepped for the Gym challenge by the time she was sixteen, its no wonder she's taking over for Koga on the Elite Four."

"What?"

"Yeah, they just found out... Probably want to start grooming little Lucy too... Lucky bitch."

"Santana... She wouldn't abandon us unless she had to... She was our friend."

"Yeah, well... Things change Britt, people change. If she was upset about it, she would have come and said goodbye instead of just leaving. Friends don't do that to each other."

Brittany watched sadly as the brunette ran towards her home, Cyndaquil hot on her heels.

xxx Six Years Later xxx

"Ugh... Can't we just go to the gym Brittany? I've been waiting years for this!" Santana whined, picking at her fries.

The blonde shook her head, chewing her mouthful of Tauros burger.

"Nope! First we are looking around, what is the point in traveling if all you're going to do is battle?" The other girl asked, rinsing her mouth out with a gulp of her fountain drink.

Santana blinked, "You know... With as much as you hate violence, I'm surprised you eat meat."

Brittany waggled her finger, "It shouldn't be that surprising, the Tauros are raised for this. And they use all of their parts for different things... Meat, Poké kibble, glue, buttons, leather..."

"Okay, I get it, I get it! But what about Pokémon that are bred and raised to battle? Some of them enjoy it, its a good way to channel their energy and feral instincts."

Brittany popped a fry into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "I guess that's a good point but not all of them like it... I don't like the idea of Pokémon being forced to fight for their trainer's entertainment." The blonde said with a frown, Santana sighed.

"Well, you agree my Pokémon like to battle, right? Like, it doesn't bother you that this is what I want to do, does it?" The brunette asked, pushing a fry around nervously on her plate.

"Yes, I agree. And it doesn't bother me, you love your Pokémon and treat them right. Not everyone does that, San."

Santana looked up and flashed the girl a relieved smile, "I know, and I'll make sure to put a stop to anyone I meet who treats theirs poorly." She promised, reaching across the table to squeeze her friends hand.

"We can go to the gym..." Brittany started, making Santana perk up in her seat. "After we take a look around Sprout Tower, okay?"

The brunette deflated visibly and sighed, "Okay, fine." She said, once again picking up her own burger so that they could finish their meal.

xxx

"Finally, I can't wait to gets my battle on." Santana said, grinning as she and Brittany made their way toward the Violet City gym.

"Sprout Tower was totally lame by the way, nothing but old men and Bellsprouts." The brunette muttered with a shiver, Brittany laughed.

"Yeah but it was good training for you two." She said, her eyes moving between Santana and her Quilava. The Pokemon made a low sound of agreement and moved closer to his trainer.

"That's true." Santana said, her muscles twitching in excitement as the door to the gym loomed closer.

"So who's the boss here again?"

"The Gym Leader is Artie Abrams, some nerdy kid in a wheel chair... Says his Pokémon give him wings or something like that. Sounds like a bad Red Bull commercial if you ask me..."

"You don't sound too worried." The blonde said, amusement coloring her tone.

"He's a bird Pokémon type of guy, I've got fire, rock and flying so far. What's to be worried about?" Santana asked, grinning as she held the door open for the taller girl.

They blinked and looked around the seemingly empty and small room, it was graced with a large circular design on the floor and a desk against the far wall. A fair haired brunette smiled at them broadly, "Hello, are you here to watch or challenge the Gym Leader?" She asked, her voice high and a little on the nasally side.

"Here to challenge the Gym Leader," Santana said, moving right up to the desk and leaning on it casually. "She's here to watch me win."

"I see, well, good luck. Please write your name here and then stand on the platform. You will exit when you get up to the second floor-" She said, looking pointedly at Santana. "And you will exit on the third floor, miss." She said, flashing Brittany a wide smile.

"Thank you!" The two girls said, making their way to the circular marking. Brittany squeaked and clutched her Totodile closer as the platform began to lift, Santana merely chuckled affectionately.

She bid Brittany a quick farewell and stepped out onto the second floor when the lift temporarily came to a stop. She could hear people cheering from the third floor where a row of stands were set up. The paper she had signed had also needed to know how many Pokémon she had for the battle and their respective levels.

The Gym Battles might have been new but the concept itself was not. The gyms had several lackey trainers that the prospective challengers had to face off against first. Once they cleared these trainers, they had the opportunity to fight against the Gym Leaders themselves.

The gym had various levels of their distinct types of Pokemon available so that different "ranks" of trainers could challenge them at all times with Pokemon of all levels.

She moved closer to the small crowd lining the outside of the ring, knowing that these were all people still waiting for their chances to battle. Most of them looked weak, barely something she would bat an eye over.

She watched the current battle with little to no interest, hoping some of the other fights would be able to hold her attention until she had her chance.

The first two trainers since she had made her way up to the second floor barely made their way through the Lackeys. Their teams were now badly injured and would require the use of a potion or revive to stand any chance against Artie.

'Novices, I can't wait to show all of you up...' She thought, smirking as her excitement once again sent her heart racing.

She stood straighter, trying to catch a glimpse of the next person to battle.

"Quinn Fabray." A loud voice boomed over the loudspeaker.

Santana narrowed her eyes, "Fabray?"

She rolled up onto the balls of her feet, trying to get a better look. A flash of blonde and a slim figure was all she got as the woman made her way up the steps to her half of the arena.

Growing frustrated by her poor visibility she shouldered her way closer to the front, until she was stopped by a railing of sorts.

"Ma'am, you're going to need to return your Pokémon to its ball."

She shot a glare toward one of the staff but did as she was told, Quilava let a low growl of disapproval escape before she managed to get him inside his ball.

"Thank you." The security guard said, she waved him off before moving her eyes back to where the battle was about to start.

The first Gym Lackey sent out a Spearow and in return, the mysterious Quinn sent out a Vulpix.

"Of course, you would have one of those." Santana mumbled, whipping out her Pokédex. Before she and Brittany had left New Bark Town, Professor Elm had unlocked their devices so that they could record more Pokémon than before. Telling them to get info on as many as possible to help out Professor Oak. The blonde had also been gifted the egg that Mr. Pokémon had given to Elm, it had been offered to Santana but she hadn't wanted to bother with a baby Pokémon.

She loaded the Vulpix's info, looking up just in time to see the small fox Pokémon shoot a flame from its mouth. The fire licked hungrily at the Spearow's wings, successfully keeping it from going airborne.

Santana scrunched up her brow in confusion, the image on her Pokédex wasn't the same as the Pokémon out in the battle. The normally reddish orange Pokémon was golden in color and occasionally let off what appeared to be a flash of sparkles.

"Woah, she has a shiny Vulpix." Someone cried out off to her left, Santana blinked. She had heard the term before but she had never seen one of the rare Pokémon in person.

The battle was over by the time she looked back, the first Lackey stepping down so that the second could make his way up to his spot.

Santana watched Quinn closely, waiting to see if she would withdraw her Vulpix. The blonde surprised the onlooking trainers by not swapping the tiny Pokémon out, trusting it against whatever her opponent had to throw at her.

The fire Pokémon easily made its way through the second trainer's Pidgeys, taking them down without sustaining much damage.

Santana watched the blonde exit down the steps on the other side of the raised platform she had been standing on, she would need to watch out for this girl. She could feel it already.

xxx

Santana had watched three other trainers try their hand at taking down the gym's Lackeys before she got her shot. She easily made her way through, crushing the competition with her loyal Geodude.

Only three of them had made it to the chance to battle Artie, two of the others that made it through hadn't brought items and left rather than embarrassing themselves further.

Santana side eyed Quinn as they waited for the first battle to begin, "So you're a Fabray, huh?"

The girl's eyes darted to meet her own, they were cold and sharp. A bright hazel, much like she expected. The Fabray's had a very specific shade of hazel, it was a light brown, almost amber at times. Flecks of green and grey swimming amidst the other shades.

"Yes and your point?" The girl bit back, her voice low and raspy.

"I knew a Fabray once."

A slender brow arching high on the girl's forehead was the only response, Santana would have said more but the battle had started. Both girls turned their attention back to the arena, eyes moving toward Artie.

He was a small, scrawny boy. Wheelchair bound and thick rimmed glasses shining over his calculating eyes.

The first trainer to challenge him didn't stand a chance, his Pokémon had been weakened before and the type he had used had left him at a disadvantage.

Quinn shook her head before stepping forward when called, Santana watched as the blonde easily decimated Artie's Pidgey.

The blonde had finally chosen to use a Pokémon other than Vulpix when Artie sent out his Pidgeotto. Santana whipped out her Pokédex, recording Pidgeotto's data before staring wide eyed at Quinn's next Pokémon.

The Bayleef pawed at the ground excitedly, waiting for its trainer's command.

"It couldn't be-" Santana gasped, looking between the Pokémon and its trainer as her Pokédex recorded the data.

The Pidgeotto lurched forward suddenly at Artie's command, landing a strong blow with a Quick Attack.

Quinn narrowed her eyes, "Poison Powder."

The Pidgeotto cried out in pain as it was engulfed in a thick, purple powder. The acidic spores clung to its feathers, eyes and lungs causing immediate damage.

Artie swore under his breath, ordering his Pokémon to use gust. Quinn smirked, withdrawing her Bayleef instantly after the attack landed.

"Go, Meowth!" The girl cried, grinning as Artie swore more at the new development.

The Gym Leader ordered a Quick Attack, which landed but was not a direct hit. Quinn's Meowth retaliated with a Bite that was. The poison quickly finished off Artie's second Pokémon.

He shook his head, sending out his second Pidgey. Quinn and her Meowth made quick work of the boy's third Pokémon, making her the first victorious challenger of the day.

Santana arched a brow, impressed. She hadn't forgotten about her discovery though, the performance wasn't that impressive.

The brunette stepped forward as her name was called, making her way up the steps and onto her platform. She sent out her Geodude, not wanting to prolong the battle any longer than it needed to be.

Artie rolled his eyes, "Really? You bring a rock type into my gym?" He asked, his tone exasperated.

She shrugged, "There's nothing in the rules against it, just means I'm smarter than everyone else." She said, grinning as he sent out a Spearow.

She destroyed his first Pokémon easily with Rock Throw, the type advantage giving her the edge. He slammed his hand down angrily against the arm rest of his wheel chair before sending out another Spearow.

She defeated it just as easily as the first, deciding to withdraw her Pokémon and make it a little fair for the third match up.

Artie grinned, sending out his newly evolved Fearow.

"Shit..." Santana said, eying up the large bird Pokémon before sending out her Quilava. "Fuck it, you got this." She said, smirking as the two Pokémon stared each other down.

Santana managed to squeeze a direct hit in with a Quick Attack before Artie could even belt out his command. Quilava braced himself as the powerful bird's beak slammed against him repeatedly when the Pokémon followed up with a Fury Attack.

Santana hissed, knowing that with it's size and sharp beak the bird could do some serious damage if she continued to let it fly around the arena. "Ember!" She cried, hoping that Quilava would be quick enough to land a good hit.

She grinned, pumping her fist as the flames licked hungrily at the Fearow's feathers. Burning the large creature in the process. The battle was easier to win from there on out, the burns and damaged feathers slowing the higher level Pokémon down considerably.

Artie sighed and the two returned their Pokémon, "Come back out here, Quinn."

The blonde did as she was asked, approaching the two of them with a reserved expression.

"Congratulations, you've both defeated me and my bird Pokémon." He said as he made his way down the ramp toward them, "Here is your prize, the Zephyr Badge. Wear it with pride." He said, extending his hand to them. Two silver badges shining brightly, Santana grinned and snatched hers up first.

"Will do, Wheels. Nice doin' business with you. See ya 'round, Lucy." She sneered, before turning for the exit.

"What did you call me?" Quinn asked, her voice sharp. The blonde snatched up the badge, placing it quickly in a box before placing the box back in her bag.

"You heard me. Some plastic surgery, weight loss and a bad dye job can't hide the truth." Santana bit out, whirling around to face the taller girl.

"...How did you know?"

"Oh, come on! I would recognize your little Chika anywhere, we're buddies. Besides, you always did want a Meowth and you would catch a shiny Vulpix. You're a Fabray, lucky and gifted."

Quinn remained silent, staring down at her feet.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter. You left before, I'm leaving now. So see ya, loser." Santana said, waving her off as she stalked toward the exit.

"Wait!"

"Why should I?" The brunette snapped, wishing the lift wasn't slowly making its way down from the third floor.

"Because, I didn't mean to leave before." The blonde said, truthfully. Her voice holding regret as she stepped up beside the shorter girl.

"Right. Of course not." Santana said, crossing her arms over her chest as Brittany's excited face came into view.

"I'm so happy, you were amazing out there San!" Brittany chirped, wrapping the brunette up into a tight embrace as soon as the lift stopped.

Quinn and Santana stepped onto the platform before it began moving again, the shorter blonde shifting nervously.

"You did a really good job too... Er, Quinn right?" Brittany said, flashing her a wide smile.

Quinn nodded but Santana cut in before she could reply, "No, it's Lucy, Britt."

The taller girl blinked, "What?"

Quinn inhaled deeply before releasing the breath through her nose, "She's right, B... It's me, Lucy." The girl said guiltily, her old self rearing her head at the appearance of her two old friends.

She wanted to lie and keep up her façade but the old wounds were open and it wasn't their fault that she had been forced away. Forced to do her father's bidding and move to a new town where she knew no one.

Brittany stared between the two of them, expecting it to be some sort of trick. The girl standing before her looked nothing like the old Lucy, well, maybe her eyes were similar. But Lucy had been a shy brunette who was much heavier than Quinn. Thick glasses and a meek personality that would have never been able to compete the way the blonde just had.

Quinn shuffled forward nervously as the lift pulled to a stop on the first floor, "Are you guys staying at the Inn?" She asked, her teeth worrying her lip.

"Yes but we haven't booked a room yet. Is it nice there?" Brittany asked, trying to ease the tension between her friends.

Quinn nodded, "It is, if you want... I could upgrade to a two bedroom and we could share." She offered, raising her eyes to meet the blue ones watching her.

Brittany smiled, "I'd like that."

Santana rolled her eyes, "Leave it to a Fabray to try and bribe us." She grumbled, fisting her hands into her pockets.

Quinn frowned, "I just want to apologize for what happened before... I didn't want to leave and I would like to catch up now, if you'd let me." She said, "Not to mention... My Meowth finds tons of little treasures for me to sell so I have a bit of extra cash at the moment... So its really not a burden at all."

"Oh, a little extra cash? What, Daddy isn't funding your trip?" Santana sneered, her voice harsh.

"Santana, stop it." Brittany said, missing the hurt that flashed across Quinn's features. The weakness was brief, a stoic mask slipping in before the taller blonde could look back.

"No, he isn't. I haven't spoken to him in a year, Santana." The girl said seriously, her tone cold. "He kicked me out."

"What?" Santana asked, the malice slipping from her voice to be replaced by shock.

"I- There was an accident... Let's just say I disappointed him. I'm not the good little daughter he thought I was." She said bitterly, starting toward the Inn. Regret flashed across the brunette features before she and Brittany moved to follow the other girl.

xxx

Santana stared at the ceiling of their room, her nerves humming as she fought the urge to shift nervously. Brittany was showering in the bathroom nearby, leaving her alone with Quinn. The blonde was perched on the second bed, reading with her Vulpix curled into her side.

The brunette's eyes betrayed her, shifting over lazily to gaze at the other girl's profile. She had always though Lucy was cute, in a adorable way. In the past she had made it a daily goal to see how many times she could get the girl's face to light up in a goofy smile. She had managed to do it almost as much as she had managed to hurt her feelings with her brash comments. Regret twisted briefly at the memory of those moments, knowing that while she had been playing around... The other girl had taken what she said to heart.

The way Lucy was now, as Quinn. She was beautiful.

Her face had shrunken, molding into sharp lines instead of soft curvy cheeks. Her lips were full, pouty and a rosy pink. Her eyes were still the same cool hazel that Santana had almost lost herself in as a child. And her body, Santana didn't even want to think about that. Her mind again betrayed her and wandered in that direction despite her attempts to stop it.

Quinn's body was amazing and that was all she dared to let herself think before she shut her brain down to turn away from that topic.

"You could come with us, you know."

The words were out of her mouth before she knew what was happening, startling herself as well as the blonde.

"What?"

Santana gulped, knowing that the other girl had actually heard her. There was no taking it back now...

"I mean, if you're going to be hitting up all the gyms anyway... We'll be going the same way, you might as well tag along. Brittany still isn't into the whole 'battle scene' so we could take on the gyms together." She said, waving her arm as if it would help explain her train of thought.

Quinn chewed on her lip, on old habit of Lucy's that she had apparently never dropped. Before Santana had found it endearing, now she just found it sexy.

She gulped again, wishing the other girl would speak.

"Okay." She said, simply. Her hand rubbed down the length of her Vulpix's spine, making the small fire Pokémon stretch in her sleep.

Santana fought down the grin that threatened to spring to life on her lips at the response. The bathroom door opened suddenly, breaking the spell and ending the conversation before it could continue.

Santana sat up quickly, snatching up her night clothes before making her way toward the bathroom. Her stomach was twisting in pleased excitement, all over a simple 'okay.'


The end, for now... I kind of want to continue this idea but I don't know if I have the time or attention span to do so for the long haul. There's so much I would want to cover if I actually worked up the nerve to make it a full blown story. Anyway, I hope you liked it. Thoughts? :)