Here's Chapter 2.

Chapter 2: Violet City

Stepping out of Cherrygrove for the third time that day, Gold headed north. She had just acquired a small amount of Pokéballs from the Pokémart, and she was dying to try them out.

I want to try them out, but there's nothing worth catching. It was true: all of the Pokémon on Route 30 were weak. Gold shrugged and sighed. Perhaps there will be stronger Pokémon on my journey.

Another Pidgey flew at her. Firestorm took care of it quickly. Defeating these incessant wild Pokémon was a workout, but Gold thought that they needed larger weights. These are becoming too easy.

Gold eyed the map on her Pokégear. It said that Route 30 led to Violet City, but when Gold had come this way before… two trainers were blocking the way. Coming upon the same place, she saw that the trainers had stopped fighting, and were now standing around. She walked past one, and the youngster grabbed her arm.

He grinned, making her feel uncomfortable. Calm down. He thinks you're a boy.

He turned her towards him and pulled out a Pokéball. "You look weak! Come on man, let's battle!"

She sat there bewildered as he sent out a Rattata. "I'm Joey! I'm awesome!"

She gave him a look of consternation, and then turned to Firestorm. "Hey buddy, this is the same guy who pushed us away earlier. We don't like rudeness, do we?"

Firestorm charged forwards and sat on the boy's Rattata. Youngster Joey blinked. "Oh. I'm out of Pokémon that can fight…"

Gold nodded. "Yes. You are."

Joey pointed at her Pokégear. "Can I get your number? I'll ring you up to battle."

Gold gave him a look. "No thank you. I don't want you to have my number."

Joey seemed desperate. "But I'll tell you all about my Rattata! He's in the top percentage of all Rattata!"

"That's like being the largest grain of sand on the beach. You can still get crushed by rocks like me."

Joey whimpered and ran down the road towards Cherrygrove.

The other trainer walked to her. "That was rather impressive. But he was a loser. Can you take me on? I'm a winner!"

He sent out a Pidgey. "I'm Mikey!"

Firestorm squashed the Tiny Bird Pokémon before Mikey could even move. "Hey, that's no fair! Go, Rattata!"

Another one? How many Rattata do these guys have? "Firestorm, Leer!"

The Rattata didn't seem that affected by the gaze and jumped at the Cyndaquil. "Firestorm!"

Firestorm grinned, sidestepping out of the way and letting the Rattata run into a tree, where it fainted.

Mikey didn't seem to know what to make of it. "I… I won before!"

Gold ignored him and strode past him.

There was one more trainer in her way. "You! Yeah, you! You fight me now! I'm the strongest kid on the Route!"

She assessed him. He was very seedy looking. He was also carrying a Butterfree net. "I'm Don! I'm a bug catcher!"

Do they have to introduce themselves? I don't care who they are! They're all in my way! Don sent out a Caterpie. "Firestorm, just defeat it so we can move on."

Firestorm's back flared up. Gold was shocked. That's new. Firestorm blew embers over the Caterpie, instantly fainting it.

Don jumped away and threw some cash on the ground. "There! Take it! Just take it and leave me alone!"

Gold cocked her head to the side. "Why would I take your money?"

Don hesitated. "You mean, you're not?"

Gold picked up the money and handed it back to him. "I'm not a thug. Maybe you should keep training and get stronger."

Don nodded. "You're… you're a nice guy! Thanks!" He ran towards Cherrygrove, heading for the Pokémon Center.

Gold walked along the Route extension, a.k.a. Route 31. She looked at Firestorm's back. "A new move, huh? Those flames aren't just for good looks?"

The Cyndaquil giggled. Gold grinned suddenly. "That was totally badass, you know. But maybe we can work it up to a solid flame? That'd be so cool."

To pass the time, she examined her Pokédex. "Oh! Pokémon have these things called 'types.' A Caterpie is bug type, and bugs are weak to fire. Well, good to know. I should really memorize this type chart. It'll come in handy."

She walked past a guy who was muttering angrily. "Stupid jerks knocked out all the lighting."

Nearby was the entrance to a cave. A sign said 'Dark Cave.' Gold laughed. "They couldn't figure out a more creative name? How about 'Rock Cave?' Or maybe 'Underground Cave?' Perhaps just 'Cave?'"

Firestorm snorted.

Gold walked into Violet City. It was evening, and the trees seemed oppressive. The few people who were milling about cast scared looks around. A few men were laughing boisterously at a bar, grabbing the rear ends of women who walked past. Gold repressed the urge to burn the bar down.

All of the buildings were painted with dark, somber colors, even the Pokémon Center. She walked past a guy who was flashing off what appeared to be glass. "Shard de berry! Shard de berry! One berry for one shard! One shard for three berries, yah!"

She looked at a house, and its owner pulled the curtains shut quickly. Not exactly the friendliest place.

She walked past a large building called 'Earl's School.' Large sections of it were run down, and Gold glimpsed several children in drab clothes running around, playing games in the dark halls. This is truly a horrible place. I should defeat Falkner right away.

She walked to a large building and read the sign. "The Elegant Master of Flying Pokémon." She turned to her companion. "We should probably get stronger before we do this, right?"

The Cyndaquil nodded, and Gold spotted a tower in the distance. "What's that?"

She ran to it and read its sign. "Bellsprout Tower, home of the Bellsprout Masters. A holy order."

She opened the door and walked inside.

A shaking pillar stood in the middle. A few monks sat at a table. "Hello, I'm Gold. May I ask about this place?"

One priest looked up. "This is Bellsprout Tower, a place where only the best may reach the top. We train day and night to beat all. If you think you can defeat us, you may go upstairs. Be warned, though, we put our hearts and souls into our Pokémon. If you have no spirit, then you are no match for us."

Gold shrugged. A place for training? That sounded good for her.

Silver glared at the old fool. The Elder nodded. "You are indeed powerful. Take this TM… but I think you should care more about your Pokémon. You're rather harsh, like many trainers I've seen. Pokémon shouldn't be tools of war…"

Silver turned away from him. "Ha! You call yourself 'Elder?' You were not even close to my strength! Those who lecture about being 'nice…' can't be strong in the slightest! They try too hard to be nice and become weak! The only Pokémon that matter… are the ones that always win. The rest mean nothing."

Gold watched him say these words and use another flight of stairs to reach the basement. When he gave that speech, her heart jumped. She felt really sad and pitied the redhead.

However, she didn't climb those ladders and defeat all those sages for nothing. "Elder? Are your Pokémon ready?"

The old one smiled. "Ah, yes. They're ready. It's good of you to come here. This tower is a place where people can test their bonds with Pokémon. I am, shall we say, the final test. This city might be dark, but my spirit burns bright!"

The Elder sent out a Bellsprout.

Gold laughed. "Why am I not surprised?" The last six sages had only Bellsprout as well. "Firestorm, give those weak grass types a taste of flame!"

Firestorm spat embers at the Bellsprout, who fell down. The Elder seemed surprised. Gold wasn't. "My flames burn brighter than your spirit."

The Elder sent out a Hoothoot, and Gold nodded, appreciating something new. "Firestorm, Quick Attack!"

This was an attack that Firestorm had learned downstairs. The Cyndaquil charged the Hoothoot, knocking it out the window of the tower. Gold's eyes widened. "Oops! I'm sorry!"

The Elder sighed. "It's alright, young one. I have one more." He sent out another Bellsprout, which Firestorm promptly lit up.

The Elder smiled. "Ah, excellent. I do say, is your Pokémon evolving?"

Gold frowned. "What? Evolving?" She turned to Firestorm, who started glowing, shifting, expanding.

Gold sat through the entire process, mortified. When it was over, Firestorm loped over to her. Now his head and back were covered in fire. "Quilava."

Gold twitched. "What was that? What happened to Firestorm?"

The Elder sat down tiredly. "Evolution. Not all Pokémon do it, but among those who do… it's sort of like maturity for Pokémon. Once they reach a certain point in age or strength, they transform into a different form. Some evolve once, some twice. It's either instant change to adulthood, or becoming a teenager first."

Gold grasped what he was saying. "So you're a teenager, Firestorm?"

Firestorm grinned and Gold laughed. "Same old Firestorm."

The Elder relaxed. "The way you battle is quite elegant. You should be able to stand up to Falkner."

Gold gasped. "How did you know?"

The Elder shrugged. "All trainers fight him at some point. I hope you defeat him. We sages are too weak to do much… so we have had to pay first his grandfather, then his father, and finally Falkner himself a sum of cash every month to keep them from burning down this place. As you noticed, we don't like fire that much."

Gold nodded. "What was that thing you gave Silver? A CD of some sort?"

The Elder held out another disk. "A Technical Machine. They're used to instantly teach moves to Pokémon, but they break afterwards. This one is the one we sages guard, Flash. It lights up even the darkest of nights and caverns."

Gold took it. "Thank you, Elder."

The Elder shook his head. "No, thank you. It's not often a courteous young man such as yourself comes through here. I'm blessed to see one with such spirit."

Gold turned. She hoped that trainers credited her with her strength just from being her, rather than with being a boy. Of course, the entire point of being a boy was to seem stronger in the first place and ward off those with malicious intent…

After healing at the Pokémon Center, Gold stood in front of the Gym. I wonder what the home of a crime lord looks like. She walked towards the doors, which opened automatically. Automatic doors? When the city is so poor? What a waste…

She turned to her partner. "Ready, buddy?"

Firestorm's fire raged. He looked very eager. "Alright! Let's go!"

Inside, there were two statues and an odd colored spot on the floor in front of her. Guessing what it meant, she walked over to it.

It rose out of the floor, causing Gold to fall on her face. "Oof!" Looking down, she saw that she was at least three stories up. Falkner was standing across a narrow bridge looking almost bored, playing with a stack of coins.

Two bodyguards stepped forwards. Gold didn't know what to do. "Um… I'm here to fight Falkner?"

They nodded, leading her across the narrow beam. Gold had to bite her tongue to keep from panicking. The floor was very far down. One guard gestured. "This place has been the home of the Bird Masters for three generations. This city has paid this family for 'protection' ever since Falkner's grandfather was around. Do you think you can beat someone with that lineage?"

Gold shrugged; it seemed as good an answer as any. She was led to Falkner, who didn't look up. "What is it?"

The second guard stepped forwards. "A challenger, Master."

Falkner turned from the coins. "Another guy. Why can't challengers be pretty girls?"

Chuckling inwardly at the irony, Gold stepped away from the two lumbering guards. "Sorry to disappoint you."

Falkner stood up. "Okay then, introductions. I'm Falkner Aerias the Third, the Violet City Gym Leader. I have inherited this position from my father, who disappeared one night. I believe that it was Morty's gang, but I can't prove it. People say birds are weak… I won't allow such insults to bird Pokémon! I'll show you their true power!"

He raised his arms, tossing out a Pidgey, who flew up high. Morty grinned. "There's a reason this place is so large. Pidgey has enough space to dodge anything!"

Gold nodded. "Okay, then, I'll make my attacks sort of general." She turned to her Quilava. "Firestorm, shoot embers through the whole room!" The Pidgey got hit by some, but survived.

"Pidgey, Sand Attack!" The Pidgey flew down and kicked some sand into Firestorm's face.

So that's what the sand is for. "Mix embers in!" Firestorm blew the bright specks through the sand, and Pidgey became stuck. The sand had turned to glass around its feet. One tackle and it was done for.

Falkner returned the Pidgey to a ball and sent out a large bird Pokémon. "This was my father's Pidgeotto! His spirit lives on in this magnificent creature! The wind is with us, father. Blow that bastard away!"

Pidgeotto used its wings to launch wind at Firestorm, who was turned over. Rolling back on his feet, the Quilava pushed off the ground, leering at the Bird Pokémon. While it paused, frightened, Firestorm's momentum carried him to it. The Pidgeotto responded with a quick swipe of its claws, but it couldn't stop from being pushed into a wall with a dull thunk.

Falkner glared. "Pidgeotto, Gust!"

Gold pointed at the walls. "Quick Attack! Bounce to it!"

Firestorm jumped off a wall and clawed the Pidgeotto as he flew past, but the winds blew the Quilava to the floor.

Gold frowned. Firestorm was seriously injured. What was she going to do? Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a Potion. That creepy lab assistant's going to help me out.

She tossed it and it splashed all over Firestorm. The extra strength that came from the liquid gave him enough power to bounce one last time, finally knocking out the opponent.

Falkner froze for a moment, then nodded in acceptance. "I see. I'll bow out gratefully. You were a worthy opponent…" He patted the Pidgeotto, lying on the floor. "Even my father's spirit was not enough. But that is okay. A defeat is a defeat, after all."

Gold crossed her arms. "So… you'll give back all the money you took, right?"

Falkner shrugged. "You're the new boss in town. I wasn't good enough to fulfill my legacy."

Gold nodded. "Do it. I want you to help everyone out and make this city live."

Falkner laughed. "You're rather bossy, boy. I've grown accustomed to having my way. What makes you sure that I won't come back?"

Gold scowled. "If you don't do as I say, I'll defeat you again."

Falkner nodded. "No less than I expected. I am an honorable man. My father taught me much about honor. I will respect your wishes and 'make this city live,' as you say."

Gold's mouth took on the hint of a smile. "You might be the Gym Leader here, but you're not all that bad, are you?"

Falkner shrugged. "If you are without honor, you are no man. You are a disgrace." He pulled out a small piece of metal. "One other thing… this is a badge. Among us Gym Leaders, it is a symbol of strength. Every one of us has one. This one is the Zephyr Badge. I would like to give you it. Perhaps the others will give up when they see it." He grinned. "Not likely, though. I was always the weakest of them. My territory was always smallest."

Gold took the badge and pinned it on her red sweater. "Okay. Thanks."

Falkner sighed. "Not all Gym Leaders are like me. I'm sure you intend to fight the others, so I want you to remember that. Many don't give a Hoothoot about honor or rules. Many couldn't live without stealing or murdering…"

Gold waved the thought away. "I want to see people bright and happy when I come back, okay?"

Falkner placed his hand over his heart. "You have my word. What is your name?"

Gold turned and walked across the narrow wooden beam. "Gold."

Bugsy frowned. "What do you mean he defeated you?"

Falkner's voice was steady over the phone. "Just what I said, Bugsy. Some boy wearing a gold-black hat came in and crushed me."

Bugsy laughed. "It wouldn't change anything, right? Your Pokémon will eventually recover, and then back to business, eh?"

"No. I gave him my word man-to-man that I would… how did he put it? 'Make this city live.' He pretty much gave me control, but I'm going to be benevolent."

Bugsy shook his head. Such nonsense. "Really? You mean, no more extortion?"

Falkner's voice was sharp. "I was never really comfortable with that, anyways. I gave Gold my word, and I am an honorable man."

Bugsy sighed. "Well, I'll give him a warm welcome… by the way, there's some Team Rocket members on my turf."

"Team Rocket? They were disbanded three years ago. I can't say I'm all that interested in a few roving survivors."

Bugsy frowned. "These ones didn't seem lost and without hope. I think they've started up again, but this time in Johto."

"Be careful, okay? Some of the others don't mean a lot to me, but you're my friend."

Bugsy shrugged. "I give you food and machines, you give me cash. It works out. I'm happy that you think so much of me, though."

Falkner's voice was serious. "If Gold beats you, I want you to cooperate with him. He may be just a kid, but his heart is in the right place."

Bugsy was sarcastic. "Yeah, and having your heart in the right place really rolls in the dough."

Gold had just left the Gym when she got a phone call from Professor Elm. "Hello, Professor?"

"Gold! We just had a small breakthrough… the details are complex… but suffice to say, we think it may be beneficial for you to carry that egg!"

Gold made a face. "You want me to go all the way back to New Bark Town?"

"No, that won't be necessary. I sent my assistant to the Pokémart in Violet. He should be there about now."

Gold shuddered. I have to meet that creepy assistant? "Okay, Professor. I'll pick it up."

She hung up, and the phone rang again. This time, it was from her mother. "Hello? Gold?"

"Hi, mom."

"Are you okay? What's happening?"

Gold smiled. "I'm fine, mom. I just beat the Gym Leader of Violet City. Check the news once in a while. I have a feeling I'll be on."

Her mom laughed. It was a pleasant sound after the harsh shrieking of bird Pokémon. "I'm glad to hear it. I've been worrying, you know."

"Don't worry, mom. I'm doing perfectly great, and Firestorm is, too."

"Okay. Make sure to eat well and get a good night's sleep."

Her mother hung up, and Gold went in search of the Pokémart.

Word must travel quickly. After only a few minutes of walking, she heard murmurs among the people. A few smiled at her, and a few waved. She waved back, not entirely sure how to feel about this.

When she walked into the store, she found herself face-to-face with Elm's assistant. "Long time no see, Gold. I've been waiting for you." The way he said it made her skin crawl.

"Hi. Professor Elm said you have the egg for me?"

The guy smiled. "Yeah. We'd like you to take care of it." He pulled it out, and Gold took it.

"After you left, Gold, the Professor did some tests. Apparently the egg won't hatch unless it receives warmth and care. I immediately thought of you. You know, because of… motherhood and all that?"

Gold frowned, icked out. A mother? Her? "Okay… so the Professor thought it was a great idea?"

The assistant held his hands out. "He has more important things to think about. He agreed and moved on." The assistant handed her a small bottle. "With your Pokémon stronger, it'll do you good to have stronger medicine than those Potions I gave you."

Gold nodded. "I've used three of the five you gave me. One helped me beat the Gym Leader."

The assistant grinned. "Of course. This is a Super Potion. It's stronger, but I could only get one. Use it wisely…" He left the shop.

Gold carefully placed the egg in her bag. After she was sure it was secure, she walked to the counter. "Can I have… two Potions?"

The shopkeeper smiled warmly. "Boy, you can have anything you want! What you did for us with Falkner… we'll never be able to repay you!" He pulled out the two Potions and handed them to her. "Here. On the house, as they say."

Gold shook her head. "No, I don't want to cheat you. Let me get out some cash…" She pulled out some money and paid him.

The shopkeeper nodded. "Then many thanks to you. I haven't seen a boy like you in quite some time!"

Gold walked out of the door, tired. I better find a hotel. She stopped suddenly. Right in front of her was a girl with a kimono. "Um… hi?"

The girl looked at her bag, with the egg sticking out of the top slightly. "That egg…"

Gold was confused. "What about it?"

The girl walked closer and touched it caressingly. "I see… it was given from Morty of Ecruteak to Mr. Pokémon, and from there, it was sent to Professor Elm, and then he gave it to you."

Gold was frightened by the accuracy. "Y-yes, uh-huh." Is she stalking me?

The girl turned to the left. "Now I get it… that egg is important. Please take care of it for me. Understand?"

Gold shook her head. "No, I don't, but I was going to take care of it anyways."

The kimono girl bowed. "Good. I am counting on you."

She walked south, leaving Gold behind. Gold scratched her head. "What was that all about?"

Deciding that it didn't matter, Gold looked around. I should find that hotel, then. It's getting dark, and it's a long way to Azalea Town. She had decided on this destination after looking at her Pokégear's map. The route would allow her to hit two cities with Gym Leaders.

Walking towards a rather run-down hotel, she was stopped by a man. "Hey. I want to give you something for defeating Falkner."

What is it with this town and giving gifts? "What is it?"

The man looked left and right nervously. "This is an HM, or Hidden Move. There are only a couple of these in existence. They allow your Pokémon to do various things in the field that they wouldn't normally be able to do, and unlike TMs, HMs don't break after using. This one contains Rock Smash, which destroys boulders in your way."

Gold gaped. This was an extremely useful gift. "Uh, thanks!"

The man held up one finger. "One thing to note, though… this move takes up the strength of your Pokémon. They won't be as powerful when they learn HMs."

Gold made a mental note of that. "Okay. Thank you." She tiredly turned around, hoping to get to the hotel without any more distractions.

Okay. I hope the battle was good. I didn't want it to devolve into "Pidgeotto used Gust. Quilava used Ember. Pidgeotto used Gust."

I hated Joey. Every three seconds, it seems: "My Rattata is in the top percentage of all Rattata!" Even when it evolved…