A/N:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than the plot and OCs!

Chapter Five

A Rocky Battle

After her eventful trip through Petalburg Woods, Maria rested up for a bit before departing for Rustboro City. Fortuitously there was a pokemon center not far from the woods. Mudkip was revived and healed up. Maria felt as a height of guilt was lifted, but only slightly. She blamed herself for not being able to stop Corliss and recklessly allowing her dear starter to battle such a higher leveled pokemon. She was stubborn, short-tempered, rash, hasty and much more. Though young she wasn't stupid. The girl was merely inexperienced and had to learn lots. Therefore Maria trained her pokemon and herself twice as hard. She vowed that she'll become a lot stronger.

Maria was still sacred of what had happened. Corliss terrified her with her evolved pokemon. Back in Petalburg Woods, she tried to keep herself calm and collected against the woman. Still she barely managed. On the inside Maria felt that she could have broken down any moment and lose herself to her fears. She always did the best she could do, but mostly all of the time she failed. People usually reflected her to grow up to be alike her mother, May. Maria highly disliked this as a child, which lead her too stubbornly to do stuff on her own and that would either end in disaster or ruin. Realizing her mistake, Maria slowly became more trusting and relying on people. Though she did somewhat have difficulty still putting her trust in others.

Maria was currently on route 104 and nearly at Rustboro City. She gazed at the large pond as she walked amidst the bridge. She saw the beautiful clear water mirror her reflection. The body of water reminded her once she spent her time at the beach as a small child in Johto. She remembered altogether the cool air that blew against her pale white skin. The hot yellow sand beneath her feet. The strong ocean waves tickling at her toes. The darling smell of the salty water. Oh, how she missed it all. Especially when she would splash and play within the water nonstop, awhile companied by May or her mother's milotic.

The auburn haired girl eyed her own image before glancing up towards the rising sun. The mourning's sunrise was quite magnificent. A luscious array of bright streaks of orange, pink and red filled the heavens. The sky paralleled a crystal; all the colors mixed flawlessly with each other. The sun itself was simply glimpsing out of the horizon, and its dazzling beam shimmered glossily and it warmed the atmosphere. Maria marveled at the sleek mirror image of the sun on the water and she felt all her fears were washed away by gazing at the mere breathtaking view.

A small giggle escaped Maria. She suddenly felt a sincere feeling overwhelm her, a feeling that she rarely felt. But instantly that emotion turned from heartfelt to curiosity. In seconds she was nosing through her bag looking for something in partial. She searched and searched. After some probing she found what she was seeking for, the shiny stone she got from that man the other day.

Maria glanced at stone with such interest. It was clear the girl didn't know what it was for. But nonetheless she found herself eyeing the mineral every now and then. She tried to acquire a clear picture of it, however it was pretty difficult due to her shadow overarching the rock. Therefore she held it up to the sun to obtain a better lighting. The stone colors glistened by the sunlight's trace. Its blue, orange and black shades caused a beautiful display.

The red-brown haired trainer recalled her showing the striking stone to her pokemon. Numel seemed astounded by its sheer beauty. Mudkip appeared to latch onto it whenever she released her starter. The girl didn't completely understand why the mud fish pokemon was so attracted to it. Thus she chose to go and head for Rustboro, and ask somebody who had some knowledge with stones.

"Ah… Finally Rustboro City!" Maria exhaled. After such a long travel from Petalburg to Rustboro the young trainer felt as she could lastly relax for a while. Although she did have some small pauses from her trip, but she was at last in the city.

Alike her grandfather said, Maria was to challenge the Rustboro City gym. Though the teenager and her pokemon were weary. So, she decided to rest up at the pokemon center for a bit. But those plans were put to a halt, when a certain someone came walking out of the poke mart.

It was Darrick and with him was a grovyle. Maria recollected him owning a treecko. "Seems as though he has been busy…" She thought. She wasn't in the mood to encounter an unwanted discussion with him. She tried to slip away before he took notice of her. Yet Darrick managed to catch a glimpse of her beforehand.

"Well, if it isn't the daughter of the famous champion, May Maple!" He smirked and she shrieked in terror. Both teenagers locked eye to eye with each other. "Hello again, Mariann."

"What do you want, Darrick!" Maria hissed harshly.

"Oh, haven't you heard?" The redhead teased the auburn haired trainer.

"Heard what!?" She growled alike a mightyea.

"You've been quite the gossip for a few days now. Since you left your little safe haven in Littleroot Town. Some people took notice of you and your close appearance towards their beloved champion." He smirked. "The folk believe you're her daughter or relative of some sort. And possibly the reason why they lost their dear loveable May."

"It's not my fault! It was my mom's choice! She has her reasons." She roared. "Plus I wasn't even born yet!"

"Oh, sure it wasn't." Darrick pestered. He walked up closer to Maria and she stiffened. Her face turned red in frustration. "You know they'll be wanting answers. To know why your mother left? Who's your father? And possibly more."

"You're such a jerk!" Maria shouted.

"Am I now? I thought that I was being nice and kind." He sighed. "Oh, well what am I to do? I'm hurt!" He said sarcastically.

"Y-you… you…" The auburn haired trainer muttered and tried to make a comeback. Suddenly it hit her. "You were on the news whilst I was in Petalburg City. They reported that some team magma grunts were looking for you? Explain that!"

Darrick stopped himself. His whole entire body grew tense and firm. His usual smirking face turned to a struggling frown. He moved away from Maria and gazed towards the sky. He closed his purple colored eyes and deeply sighed. "I see my father's still searching… He must be worried sick about me… That's rather odd…"

"Your father… Who's he anyway?" Maria was curious to know. But when her rival shudder she immediately regretted what she said. "I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean… Hmm… You don't need to tell who is he-"

"No, it's alright…" Darrick breathed. "I can understand you're curious. But I assure you. You don't want to know what my parentage is."

Maria grew even more meddlesome. She yearned to be aware of Darrick's heritage. She growled in annoyance. "Darrick, just tell me. It can't be that surprising or shocking!"

"I-I… I really can't argue with such a pretty face." He chuckled. She was taken aback by his remark. "My father's team magmas leader, Maxie Asher. And that's all I'm saying!"

The air around them unpleasantly turned cold and chilly. A nippy breeze blew through the sudden space between the two. Maria felt anxious and uneasy. An ill at ease silence befell over her. She stood there frozen and ice-covered, and bitter shivers ran down her back. It was cold, all too cold.

Darrick alternatively felt as though this would happen. "Oh, Arceus! You had to go ahead and tell the girl! If you haven't you wouldn't be struck in this satiation!" He sighed under his breath. He slightly stared at Maria for a moment. She was gawking at him, to his discomfort. "Maria, your gaping at me as though you have seen a legendary-" The redhead was cut off.

"Pardon me! But I didn't know that I was in the presence of the leader of team magmas son!" The young trainer panicked.

"Hey, there's no need to make some big deal about it!"

"No, big deal! You're the son of the great Maxie! The man who almost bought Hoenn to a drought! Not to mention the pervious enemy of my mother!"

"That was eighteen years ago! My father- the man has changed! He isn't some criminal any longer!" Darrick yelled in frustration.

Maria puffed her cheeks, it was true that Maximilian Matsubusa Asher was a changed man. She heard her mother's tales one to many times in fact. May always spoke of Maxie as a decent man, but he had the wrong intension of how he approached his goal. When Marias mother repeatedly implied to be sad once she talked concerning him. It confused Maria as a child and even towards this day. The pokemon trainer kept hearing about him and she didn't know why. She heeded that people had many different opinions regarding Maxie. Truthfully she had mixed views. She didn't know what to believe, which sacred her.

"I-I…" Maria groaned. "I'm going! I'm in no mood to linger around in your attendance." She left with a grim tone.

"Humph… No, challenge for a battle. I'm very disappointment. But in truce you're probably still no match for me. I bet you don't have a single gym badge yet."

Maria stopped herself. "…And you do?"

"Oh, yes I have one. The stone badge actually." Darrick sneered. "It was quite easy to get ahold of with the help of grovyle over here." He turned to grovyle and petted the creature.

The auburn haired girl shot the boy a dead serious glare. She was enraged with irritation. She quickly turned over her heel and marched right up to her rival. She growled in prevention, her eyes burned with fury, she open her mouth to speak. However she was hindered from talking because she was unexpectedly stopped by Darrick.

His purple eyes were large and expanded. It showed that his attention was leaning hostile to something else. He stood firm and stern, and he didn't dare to move a muscle. The boy instantly took ahold of his competitors hand and clutched stably. She quivered by his sudden touch. She gawked at him and tried to talk, but he tighten his grip and she quietly whimpered in slight pain.

Darrick pointed his debate towards a couple of team magma grunts, Maria lastly understood. She eyed the grunts for a moment, they weren't the same people she saw at her grandfather's gym they were different folk, and most likely they were looking for Darrick. The girl was pretty clear that if those people saw her that we'll ask her questions. The redhead didn't trust her enough to believe that she'll lie. Thus he speedily scanned his surroundings before he ran. Maria tried to loosen Darrick's grasp of her, though it was no use. He was too strong for her.

The two teenagers ran away from the group of grunts without them taking notice, however, Maria felt as though one did unluckily see them. Darrick observed each and every building they passed. But he thoughtlessly ran into the Rustboro gym. Both the boy and girl crashed onto the hard cold ground.

"Let go!" Maria cried. She slipped the grip from Darrick and rose up to her feet. She brushed off any dust and dirt that were on her clothes. Once the auburn haired trainer turned she was greeted by a taupe haired woman.

"Hello. You must be a new challenger." The taupe haired woman said. Maria suddenly realized she was in the Rustboro gym. "I am Roxanne, the Rustboro City pokemon gym leader."

"Huh greetings…" The red-brown haired girl said awkwardly. "I'm Maria!" As Maria inducted herself Darrick stood up and Roxanne recorded him as a challenger from earlier.

"You! Aren't you that boy that battled me earlier and won?"

"Huh… yes…" The redhead spoke in shyness.

Roxanne glanced back and forth at the two teenagers. She smiled. "I see. You bought this young lady here because she was looking for a fight. Am I right?"

"…I-I not quite-" He was cut short.

"I became a gym leader so that I may apply in battle all that I've learned at the pokémon trainers' school. If you defeat me in a pokémon battle, I'll present you with a gym badge as proof of your strength as a Trainer. Please take up the challenge. I look forward to seeing you as a challenger. Until then, farewell." Roxanne declared towards Maria and left.

Both the young trainers were dumbfounded. It took them a few moments to regain clearness. Maria gazed off to the distance and a smile was founded upon her lips. Whilst Darrick sighed.

"You're thinking of challenging Roxanne?" He questioned her.

"Well, of course! You don't think I have what it takes?"

"Correctly, I'd believe you can least knock out one of her pokemon. I may have defeated Roxanne and obtained the Stone Badge with ease. But she's still a gym leader! Even though mukip and numel have type advances against rock-types. Maria, you're still a beginner so never underestimate a gym leader."

"I'm baffled. Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?"

Darrick humorously laughed. "You're rather brainless. It's a piece of advice, Mariann."

Maria grunted. "You're a jerk!" The redhead purely laughed at her statement. She groaned and left his side to battle Roxanne.

Maria highly disliked the idea of Darrick watching her battle. He somehow managed to persuade her. He told her a number of useful information and that he'll guide her through the battle if needed. She considered the idea but believed that it wouldn't be needed. Anyhow she unpredictably accepted his offer. Undeniably, she had a familiarity with gym battles because of her grandfather and mother. Currently Maria was bit of a nervous wreck and she would require some assistance if she were to break down. Darrick suited that role to her displeasure.

The two pokemon trainers approached Roxanne. Darrick decided to leave Marias presence and watch from the side. The taupe haired woman welcomed Maria. "Just as I foresaw... I knew you would accept my offer. Now, would you kindly demonstrate how you battle with your pokémon?"

The gym leader led her challenger to a rocky battle field. Both females took their places and the battle began. "Go, geodude! Stand ready!" Roxanne sent out her geodude.

"A geodude…" Maria muttered. She quickly took out her pokedex to gain info on the pokemon. "The longer a geodude lives, the more its edges are chipped and worn away, making it more rounded in appearance. However, this pokémon's heart will remain hard, craggy, and rough always." She read what stood on the pokedexs screen. Hopefully the data she acquired would be of some use.

"I choose you, numel!" Maria released her fire and ground-type pokemon.

"Geodude use tackle!" The gym leader told her pokemon. "Dude!" Geodude responded without any trouble. It launched itself at numel. Though rock-types were often slow Roxanne's geodude was fairly fast. Thus numel had to endure the attack rather than dodge it.

"Numel hit it with a growl!" The young trainer commanded and numel used growl. The attack directly hit, and the rock pokemon was disturbed by the enraging sound. "Now use magnitude!" Numel used the move and the rocky field began to quake.

"Geodude quickly sustain the move with defense curl." Geodude listened to the gym leader with ease and it tolerated the assault, when magnitude ended their barely was a scratch on Roxanne's pokemon. Maria was dumbfounded. She was too much in shock to tell numels next course of action. And by surprise the numb pokemon suffered an unexpected tackle of their opponent.

"Numel! You alright!?" She shouted in worry. Luckily numel wasn't fainted and it continued to fight on.

Darrick watched the battle from afar. He didn't root or cheer for his rival. Rather he carefully observed the battle in general. Surprisingly he found himself to be more or less interested in this clash. Still he didn't exactly recognize why, but by hook or by crook he appeared to lapel towards Maria style of battle. He saw a fiery fury burn in her two separate colored eyes, especially her right brown eye. Once numel was gun downed by geodudes tackle Darrick couldn't help stand back and watch. "Maria! If numel knows yawn. Tell him to use it!" He yelled.

Maria was bewildered. "Dang! Why didn't I think of that before…? At least the redheads good for something." "Numel use yawn!" The fire and ground-type pokemon calmly obeyed its trainer and did the move. Yawn unswervingly hint geodude. After some time Roxannes pokemon was asleep. Numel was quite worn-out and it seemed he'll swoon from exhaustion, nonetheless the shiny pokemon stood firm and tackled the opposing geodude. The rock pokemon fainted.

"Yes! Way to go, numel!" The brown and blue eyed girl cheered.

"Well, done… But that's see if you can withstand this! Go, nosepass!" Roxanne deposited her pokemon. "Use rock tomb!" She ordered. Nosepass used rock tomb and numel blackout from the single attack.

"Numel return!" Maria withdrew back her numel. "You did your best. Thank you." She whispered sweet words and sent out her final pokemon. "Mudkip, take to the stage!"

"Ah-ha! A water-type now that's a bit of challenge, however, don't underestimate the power of rock-types!"

"I wasn't going too!" The challenger cried. "Mudkip hit them with a mud-slap!" The mud fish pokemon damaged the gym leader's nosepass.

Though mudkip had the type advance over its opponent. Nosepass didn't intimated to take much harm when Marias starter did successfully land a hit. And to make it worse, after some roughhousing mudkip seemed to be almost completely drained out. The girl tried to get her pokemon to fight, but it'll would downright not listen.

"Nosepass, use rock tomb once more!" The taupe haired woman commanded and large big rocks came launching at the blue colored pokemon.

"Mudkip, dodge it! Dang it move out of the way!" She screamed and screamed. Still mudkip wouldn't obey. Instead a white glow surrounded mudkip. The pokemon appeared to grow bigger and superior too. Lastly the white aura faded into thin air and the trainer ultimately caught a glimpse of her changed pokemon.

"Ma-Marshtomp!" Her marshtomp cried.

"M-Mudkip you... evolved…?" Maria was puzzled. Nonetheless she didn't have any time to be confused. Therefore she told marshtomp to grab one of the encounter boulders and use it against Roxanne's nosepass. The giant rock landed on the opposing pokemon, yet it didn't do much. Happily it was enough to distract nosepass from marshtomps surprising watergun. The attack positively beat and the compass pokemon crashed onto the rocky field, and fainted.

Both pokemon and trainer roared in cheers. The auburn haired trainer embraced her newly evolved marshtomp into a tight squeezing hug. She gleefully thanked the mud fish pokemon and returned it to its pokeball. She was approached by the defeated gym leader.

"I understand. The pokemon league rules state that trainers receive a badge when they defeat a gym leader. Please accept the certified pokemon league stone badge." Roxanne gave Maria the badge. "…And do take this too!" She handed over a TM. "That's rock tomb. The move not only inflicts damage by dropping rocks, it also lowers the targets speed. If you use a TM, it instantly teaches the move to a pokemon. You can use a TM as many times as you want, so do give it a try! Since you're so strong, you should probably challenger all the other gym leaders, too. By battling many trainers, you likely learn many things."

"I-I… just… Thank you! A thousand thanks!" Maria was a loss for words. She was utterly overwhelmed by joy and bliss. Suddenly the victor took out the shiny stone she received from the man she recused, and shyly she asked. "Miss Roxanne… you wouldn't happen to know what this stone's for… would you?"

The taupe haired gym leader curiously eyed the mineral for a moment. She replied with. "I've heard of stones like this… Nevertheless I'm no expert on the matter. But I do know one who's quite knowledgeable on the subject. Head for Devon Crop and look for someone with the name Mr. Stone. If you can't find him than ask for his son, Steven Stone."

Maria nodded. "I thank you one again!" She said and began to leave the gym. Roxanne waved goodbye. At the main entrance stood Darrick, a sly smirk upon his face and he slowly painfully clapped his two hands together.

"Oh, you're still here." She growled.

"I must say… That was a fairly motivating battle… Well, for someone as dull-witted as you, Mariann."

"…" Maria paused. "Just leave me alone!" She gave him a dead glare. She pushed him aside and marched out the gym.

"Hey, Mariann wait!" The redhead ran after her. Once again when she stared at him, her two eyes drove into his soul and it haunted him. He didn't understand why he was driven to her. He wanted answers. He was pretty sure she had them.

When Darrick caught up with his rival. He took notice that she was staring off to the distance. He tried to pull her attention back to him, however, it couldn't be helped. He uttered. "Mariann… you okay?"

Maria gave out an unexpected response. "Mom…"

A/N: Yes, it's true. In this story Darrick's the son of Maxie and Courtney. At first I was quite unsure if I wanted to reveal Darrick's parentage in this chapter. But I really didn't yearn for it to linger and drag on. Certainly it's pretty oblivious too.

I do love it when you people leave reviews. It makes see what your reactions are towards this story. It absolutely makes me gain more confidence in my chapters. So, if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask.

Review responses:

Verelan – I do tend to worry a bunch. But by merely reading your review it gives me faith within this fanfic. Thus I thank you for that!