AN: I am proud to present Chapter 4 of Sibling Rivalry! Also I'm pleased to announce that I have written a chapter guide up to Chapter 7 and some of 8 for this! Woo! Just to let you know this is going to be a long one, but I don't think people will complain, right?

Disclaimer: I am not going to college so I can own Pokémon, because no time, money, or education will probably make that happen.

Chapter 4

It didn't take Aki long to make her way back toward Jubilife City. Having already known the way she back tracked quickly. Monferno was resting in his Poké Ball after his long battle against Roark. He also mentioned to Aki he felt odd to be outside his Poké Ball since he was evolved. As a Chimchar he could ride on her shoulder, but now, not so much. Once in a while he agreed to walk alongside her.

Jubilife City was as lively as ever from her first visit. She first went to the Pokémon Center to have Monferno looked over before setting off for Floraroma Town. She said he looked good to go and she was ready to go.

"Help!" a student from the school ran into Aki as she exited the center. He almost ran into her.

"What's wrong?" Aki asked.

"Some guys came in and are making demands of Professor Rowan! They're making threats with Pokémon!" he explained.

"Lead the way!" Aki said as she followed the boy over to the trainer school.

A group of five blue haired grunts stared at the group of people that were corner outside the school on the field. They'd all run out there in hope of escape, but were cornered. Their mission was to take the professor's research on evolution. Apparently when Pokémon evolve they produce an energy and that energy was what they wanted.

"You can end this all now Professor, just give us your research," the lead grunt said.

"I highly doubt that is your intention," Rowan commented.

"He's a smart one," one of grunts said. They were going to let a group of Pokémon go so easily. Being at the school most of them listen to anyone plus ones they were interested in were there.

"And apparently you're not!" a voice said. Professor Rowan looked pasted the grunts to see a familiar face of a girl who shown promise as a trainer despite some of the unfairness she'd gone through. It was Aki.

"Ah, Aki." He said acknowledging she was there.

"Leave them alone!" Aki stated hoping she wouldn't have to battle all of them. Monferno was strong, but she was sure he couldn't handle five at once. She knew these guys wouldn't play fair.

"Hn, and what are you going to do about it? I wouldn't mess with Team Galactic kid," the lead asked this girl who didn't look like much of a threat to him or any of them. Aki just stared with a fierce expression that also conveyed that she didn't care. "Get her!"

"Go Zubat!"

"Go Glameow!"

Go Stunky!"

"Go Croagunk!"

"And Go Houndour!"

Aki looked at her options. She was horribly outnumbered, but she had no choice. It was either fight or flight and flight wasn't an option because of all that was on the line. The school, its students, the professor's research, his outlook on her, and not to mention her pride as a trainer. Professor Rowan gave her a Pokémon and now it was time to return the favor.

"Go Monferno!" Aki called out her starter. Professor Rowan looked at the evolved form of the fire starter he gave this girl not long ago. He was kind of surprised it evolved already and why she hadn't used any other Pokémon as well. "Let's do this."

"Monferno!" he nodded agreeing with her. So what if it was one to five. He'd be ready as he had type advantage over all of them, but one. Unfortunately that one had a type advantage over him. They'd always make it through.

"Monferno Dig!" Aki started the fight. She'd figured she'd start easy and save Zubat for last and try to take one of the others. The others were unable to do anything because he was underground. "Now!"

Monferno came up and struck Croagunk knocking it out right away based on the super-effective move. The grunt roared and returned it.

"Zubat Wing Attack!"

"Glameow Fury Swipes!"

"Houndour Bite!"

"Stunky Fury Swipes!"

"Monferno Dig!" Aki was quick to call out her attack in order to avoid the attacks. The Pokémon all slammed into each then recovered to look around for the opponent.

"Now Monferno Dig into Mach Punch!" Aki said. Monferno came up hitting Glameow before striking with a Mach Punch that fainted it. Two down.

"Now Zubat use Quick Attack!" The Zubat who had been bred into Team Galactic quickly attacked the fire/fighting type before he got a chance to take cover.

"Houndour use Feint Attack!"

"Stunky use Scratch!"

"Ferno!" Monferno cried out as the attacks hit him tossing him back at Aki's feet.

"Monferno, are you okay?"

"Ferno…" he moaned as he got up, but anyone could tell he had taken damage.

"Now, take her out! Zubat Air Cutter!"

"Ember!"

"Swift!"

All the attacks were not only going at Monferno, but Aki as well. Aki shielded her Pokémon and closed her eyes. A part of her couldn't believe this to the end of her journey. I guess she learned the really hard way not to be picky about Pokémon.

"Pipluup!" A Bubble Beam came out behind her and collided with the attacks stopping them all. Aki turned to see a prideful Piplup and his trainer, Draven.

"Aki, are you crazy?!" he yelled at his sister.

"Later!" she yelled back. He nodded and took a place next to her.

"Monferno, you okay?" Aki asked her starter. He nodded and became prepared to battle. "Good, Flame Wheel on Zubat!"

"Piplup use Bubble Beam on Houndour!"

Having two was better than one as the two Pokémon that were attacked quickly went down.

"Stunky Poison Gas!"

"Monferno Dig!"

"Piplup dodge it! Now Peck!"

Piplup hit Stunky back some and before he got a chance to regroup Monferno came out of the ground striking and fainting the skunk Pokémon.

"Return!" they all cried.

"Team Galactic retreat. Next time, you won't be so lucky!" the lead said as they ran off unable to do anything else.

"Great job Monferno," Aki told him.

"Thank you Piplup," Draven said to the water type.

"That was excellent teamwork and I have to thank you both saving us," Professor Rowan said to the siblings.

"Your welcome," they answered before Draven turned to Aki looking angry.

"Why didn't you use more Pokémon?! You know Monferno isn't strong enough to take on all five of them by himself!" he shouted.

"I am curious as well," Rowan commented. Surely she was smart enough to use another one based on the knowledge he saw when they met.

Aki felt panic rising as she was being questioned. She couldn't escape this. There was no way and lying wasn't really an option. One, it was the professor and two, they knew her too well. If she was anything, but herself it could have worked because Draven could never tell if she was lying or not.

"Well?" he asked sternly.

"Monferno!" the playful Pokémon snapped at the human. He didn't like the tone he was taking with Aki.

"Monferno…" she whispered to both calm her Pokémon and start her reply, "is my only Pokémon."

"What? That's not possible, you had a two on two with me and you said you had a Bidoof," Draven speculated from the last time they met oddly in same city in the exact same place.

"I lied…" she murmured.

"You're an idiot!" Draven shouted at Aki. "This is about you not wanting to have the same Pokémon as someone you know! That's petty Aki! You say you're a better trainer than me, but look at you! You're worse because you not only endanger Monferno, but yourself from you're foolishness!"

"Draven…" Rowan growled to calm the boy. He could see Aki didn't like being yelled at especially by her older brother. He was about to go too far where he could say the wrong thing and not be able to take it back. Also the younger looked like she might cry.

"I…" Aki stuttered. She was lost for words. Not in their lifetime had Draven either yelled or got so mad at her like that. Sure, he got mad at her, but never this intense. She didn't know what to do and what he was saying was hitting hard and deep; it hurt. Tears slowly leaked out of her eyes as she turned and ran. Monferno growled and gave Draven a dirty look before he chased after her. Monferno could never forgive that. Draven was supposed to be there for Aki and he brought her down, his best friend. Yes, Aki was his best friend. She could vaguely remember Draven calling out to her, but she kept running which Monferno was able to keep up with.

Aki just kept running. It didn't matter where she was going as long as it was away from Draven.
He'd never understand the way she was. It also didn't help this was rooted from their childhood. Everything he had first she eventually got as a hammy down. Not only stuff that was his first, but it was like that if they got anything. Aki just didn't like girly things so they got her the same thing as her brother. Maybe she wanted the blue robot and not the red. Never once did she have anything hers first. When they were thinking of becoming trainers Aki told him about her perfect team and why those six, but he had to have them first. Aki wouldn't settle for that as she valued being original and different. She wasn't her brother as many people compared her as. Like how she now noticed the new scenery of a river and flowers around her as she whipped the tears from her eyes.

"Monferno…" Monferno whispered to his trainer walking up to her. She turned and looked at him before she collapsed by the river. She literally cried a river.

"I'm sorry Monferno…" she started which actually startled the fire type. "You deserve better and sometimes I think I can't give it."

Aki looked around and found a rock. She then stood up and threw it at the water. She watched the rock make a couple skips before it stopped dead in the water suddenly. It literally looked like it hit a wall of water or something. The water moved before something jumped out. A Tentacool made a swipe at her with his tentacles. Monferno didn't have time to be in shock about what she said. He'd hit her later.

"I'm sorry Tentacrool!" Aki apologized, but the water/poison wouldn't hear it and kept trying to attack her. "Monferno Mach Punch!"

Monferno nodded and charged the Tentacool. The Tentacool was ready for any counter attack and launched a Water Pulse striking Monferno. The hit knocked Monferno back into a tree.

"Monferno!" Aki called to her fallen starter. Monferno than got up and started to beat the tree. "He's confused! Monferno return!"

Quickly Aki returned Monferno to his Poké Ball to clear the confusion.

"Cool!" the Pokémon cried swiping at her with a Poison Jab. It didn't hit Aki, but it did the job as she dropped Monferno's ball. She quickly scrambled for it, but was stopped by a furry of a Bubble Beam attack. Aki looked up to the Tentacool glaring at her. It then moved a launched another Water Pulse. Aki tried to move, but slipped. The Water Pulse was coming directly at her and she shielded herself with her arms.

"Zel!" A voice cried and Aki opened her eyes to see a Sonic Boom hit the Water Pulse and stop it. She felt a light sprinkle of water across her skin. She looked around before seeing a Buizel land in front of her.

"Bui bui!" he cried before he attacked with a Water Gun. The water type attack hit the Tentacool back into the water of the river. The Pokémon glared at the duo before sulking back into the water. Aki sighed in relief. She would have been a goner if not for her rescuer.

"Thank you Buizel," she said the sea weasel Pokémon. She then picked up her Poké Ball and let Monferno out who was confusion free. "Are you okay?"

"Monferno!" he cheered before noticing Buizel. "Mon…"

"Hey, it's okay. He rescued me," Aki told him after he growled. Monferno settled down, but still glared at the water type.

"Thank you again Buizel, how can I repay you?" Aki asked. Buizel scampered up to Aki and rubbed up to her. Buizel saved her because he had been watching her since she arrived at the river. He heard what she was saying and he didn't believe that. He could sense she was fully capable of training any Pokémon and the look of Monferno was proof. Buizel had been thinking about being caught for a while and wanted someone like her. He was going to approach her, but then they were attacked.

"You want to be caught?" Aki asked.

"Bui!" he smiled.

"Monferno!" the playful Pokémon shouted.

"Huh?" Aki questioned looking to her starter.

It had been Monferno and Aki for a while and to be honest, the fire/fighting was starting to like it that way. Just the two of them. If this water wanted to ruin that, he was going to have to earn it in a battle. Monferno screeched and raised a fist at him to show he wanted to fight. Buizel smirked and flipped backward to land in a fighting stance.

"I see, alright, here we come! Monferno Mach Punch!" Aki said starting the battle. Buizel then took off with an Aqua Jet to counter it. "He's strong alright. Now Flame Wheel!"

"Bui!" Buizel cried firing a Water Gun to block the Flame Wheel. Buizel then turned and launched a Swift that hit Monferno. After damage Aki looked to her starter seeing he was alright and smirking. It was clear Monferno thought he was worthy.

"Monferno Dig!" Aki said. Monferno went underground, but Buizel was smart and launched a Water Gun into it. However, Monferno wasn't a slouch and quickly came up attacking Buizel with Dig and then a Mach Punch. "Nice! Go Poké Ball!"

Aki, finally, tossed one of her Poké Balls given to her by the professor at the Buizel. The water type was captured inside and the ball shook. Aki watched anxiously. Sure, Buizel wanted to come with her, but that didn't mean she weakened him enough or he could have changed his mind. Oh she hoped not. She wanted the water type. She looked back at the Poké Ball to see it click for a capture.

"Yes!" Aki cheered at catching her first Pokémon. She jumped up in joy as Monferno reluctantly grabbed the Poké Ball to bring to her. "Thanks! Buizel come on out!"

"Bui!" the newly caught Pokémon cried. He looked up at his new trainer and smiled. He was happy.

"Monferno…" the starter grumbled and punched at Buizel.

"Bui Bui!" he snapped back.

"Hey!" Aki yelled and they both straightened up to look up at their trainer. "We're a team now and we need to act like it. I can tell this is a start, a new start."

Both Pokémon looked at each sure that their trainer was going to be alright now. However, they both could see future feuds between them. They were both strong and arrogant in their own way. They'd make it work for the trainer they cared about and she'd work for the Pokémon she loved.

AN: Finally finished with Chapter 4! Hope you'll review and come back for Chapter 5!