Chapter VI

"Girafarig, return!" Lyra yelled as her knees started to buckle shakily. "You did great." She'd taken down Hitmontop and Breloom in no time at all, but Maylene was clearly a quick study and had responded by sending out Medicham, a Pokémon famed for its incredible meditative focus, which negated Girafarig's attacks even further than its inherent psychic nature did, and also raised its attack to a level known as Pure Power, which pummelled Girafarig in a flurry of punches in the three great elements; fire, ice and lighting. Lyra was going to have to switch tack with this one, then figure out what to do about that Machamp and Lucario she could see still standing behind Maylene.

"Girafarig was the only one to know Ghost or Dark moves, but too late for that now," she thought. "Alright, then…" she selected and released her pokéball. "Go for it, Noctowl!"

"Nooooc!" the bird Pokémon cooed, soaring above the battlefield, up near the rafters. Medicham could predict its opponent's moves, but Noctowl could see the future; this battle would happen before it did, so to speak.

"Thunderpunch it, Medicham!" Maylene commanded, but no matter how high Medicham leaped, it couldn't reach Noctowl.

"Noctowl, Fly!" Lyra commanded, directing Noctowl to soar downwards, smashing into Medicham with huge force. Medicham collapsed to the ground, partially due to its injury and partially due to its perfect focus being broken, disorienting it.

"That's enough, Medicham," Maylene said, darting forwards to pick up her Pokémon and carry it from the field. She didn't appear to use pokéballs, or shoes. "Machamp, swat that bird before it can get back up in the air!"

"Noctowl, Psychic, quickly!" Lyra commanded as Machamp shot forwards, all four fists aimed at Noctowl. Noctowl's eyes glowed as the huge, burly Pokémon stopped abruptly, and then was sent flying backwards into the wall with a resounding crash.

"Machamp!" Maylene yelled. She turned back to Lyra. "This is far from the end, right, Lucario?" The blue doglike Pokémon nodded and stepped forward calmly. Lyra regarded it carefully. She'd lucked out on type advantages before this, but Lucario took more than a type advantage to handle. Despite being officially classed as fighting/steel, they often had powerful psychic abilities, and if trained at length could form strong psychic bonds with their trainer. This one certainly had a strong bond with Maylene; it had been the one sparring with her when Lyra had entered the gym, and unlike the other four hadn't stood a ways behind Maylene but rather almost at her side. Besides, in Lyra's experience, leaders often saved their favourites for last. Which meant that Maylene wouldn't be giving Lucario any verbal commands, making its movements very difficult to predict or handle. It would be nearly impossible to launch a surprise attack; a well-trained Lucario could be so attuned to auras that it could fight blind.

"You don't see a Lucario that well-trained every day," she acknowledge aloud. "This is going to be pretty tough, right, Noctowl?" Noctowl hooted in response and started flying upwards. "We're gonna need a Heat Wave!"

Noctowl's eyes glowed as he began heating up his wings, but before the words had even finished leaving her mouth, Lucario had knocked over Noctowl with Extremespeed. Noctowl fell to the floor, and before he could get back up again, Lucario attacked it, again and again, incredibly fast, preventing it from getting airborne- and Noctowl couldn't do a thing if he couldn't use his wings.

"This is a lost cause, Noctowl! Return!" Lyra called. Lucario stilled to allow the jet of red light from the pokéball to claim its foe.

"That took us by surprise, calling a fire attack," Maylene commented. "Didn't know birds could do them. Still, it wasn't fast enough to get Lucario!"

"I think I'd better face your best with mine," Lyra said, choosing the oldest pokéball on her belt. "Go for it, Typhlosion!" Even as the light was resolving itself into her Pokémon, Lucario slapped its paws together, before slowly drawing them apart into a bone-shaped beam of green light. Bone Rush. This could make for serious damage for Typhlosion…

Typhlosion caught her eye, and Lyra recognized the expression. She nodded a little, and Typhlosion grinned. Lucario finished forming the bone and shot forwards, only to be engulfed by a huge blast of fire which shot first from Typhlosion, then from the floor around Lucario, making it impossible for it to escape.

"LUCARIO!" Maylene screamed, and there was real pain in it. Lyra winced. Shit. Their psychic connection.

"It's over, Typhlosion! Return!" she called, the fire fading with her Pokémon. Lucario slumped to the ground. "It's over," she repeated. "Sorry I had to end it like that, kid, but I didn't think it would take any less."

"Don't be sorry if you've fought to your fullest," Maylene said, kneeling by Lucario's side. "And thank you, really. It's good to know that I took your best." She grinned, and unhooked one of the badges scattered haphazardly over her tatty blue vest. It was an abstract little square made up of four little squares, but in a modern-art sort of way it almost resembled a fist. "Here. It's kind of ugly, but you've earned it. Erm… that came out wrong." They both giggled a little as Maylene pressed the badge into Lyra's hands. "Whatever. Here's the Cobble Badge."

"Ta," Lyra grinned, pinning it into place next to the badge she got from Volkner. Maylene's eyes went wide when she saw the eighteen-badge collection.

"Wow, you've beaten everybody!" she gaped. "Geez, and here I thought I'd teach you a thing or two about fighting!"

"There's always something new to learn," Lyra said with a shrug and a smile. "As for what I'd like to learn next: do you think there are any hotels in this town that aren't overrun by gamers? Even the Pokémon Centre's full."

"Hey, you could just hang here at the dojo for the night!" Maylene suggested brightly. "I bet we could learn something from you, eh, guys?"

"Of course, sensei," the four huge men said in unison, bowing before the diminutive little girl. At this point, Lyra broke down into full-fledged laughter.

-P-

"Pleh!" Crystal gasped, spitting out sand. "Okay, we're not going that way again. Noway, nohow."

"It wasn't that bad," Gold said, then pulled off one boot and started pouring out a stream of sand that seemed to vastly exceed the volume of the boot. "… Okay, maybe it was. Hmm?" A rock thumped out of his boot and into the pile of sand. "How the hell did that get in there?"

"Let's see," Crystal said, blowing at the rock and brushing it lightly to get all the sand off. "Looks kinda like something's claw…"

"Huh…" Gold said, dumping out the other boot. "Wonder if we should check that out with Lyra's pal Leaf. She's got a thing for ancient Pokémon, right?"

"Yeah, I think so," Crystal said, untying one of her ponytails. "Aaaagh! My hair! I'm going to need such a bath to untangle this mess!"

"Somehow, I don't think we're reaching Lavaridge tonight," said Gold, pulling his boots on and glancing around. "It's getting pretty dark. We spent way too long wandering around that stupid desert. Better set up camp out here."

"At least it's warm out here, I hate putting up tents in the dark," Crystal sighed, pulling out her sleeping bag. "Urgh, I'm going to be so uncomfortable until I get to those hot springs!"

"It could be worse," Gold said, taking off his hat and pouring out another improbable stream of sand.

"How?" Crystal growled, spinning in a few circles to shake off some sand before pulling out a bag of sandwiches. "Geez, they're going to taste like sand, aren't they?"

"Ummm…" Gold scratched his head, dislodging more sand from his hair. "It could be raining."

"Stop tempting fate and go get some firewood."

-P-

So cold. It was so, so cold. And it was dark, yet there was white, everywhere, impossible to see through. And too cold to move…

"Lyra!"

"Lyra! Hey, Lyra?"

Lyra cracked an eye open, groaned, and them thumped her head off the dojo floor. "I did it again, didn't I?"

"Geez, again?" Maylene asked, looking concerned. "That was a pretty crazy nightmare you seemed to be having. You've had it before?"

"Yeah," Lyra said, sitting up, "a few times. I don't really wanna talk about it."

"Okay," Maylene said with a shrug. She seemed to have already been up for a while. "I dunno if you want our breakfast, it's pretty high on the carbs and protein, y'know?"

"A muffin'd do it for me," Lyra said, digging out her brush and attacking the bedhead before it could set in too badly.

"We've got blueberry ones," Maylene said, nodding towards the table where the four blackbelts were gorging themselves. "That okay?"

"Sounds great, thanks," Lyra agreed, checking her Pokégear. Geez, this girl was an earlier riser than Crystal!

"Hey, speak of the devil," she thought, noticing an email from her friend. There was one from Gold too.

Hey, Lyra! Kris here!

The gyms here are interesting, but I swear they're not as tough as back home. Gold's been cleaning up on badges. I could, but I'm not really into gym battling these days. More fun chasing Pokémon, y'know ;) Sinnoh, huh? What's it like? I've heard it's a big place, and the leaders are pretty tough, but I suppose that's hardly a challenge for YOU. It's a long way, though- but Blue's coming all the way out there to meet you, huh? Lucky you ;) You two have fun, and let me find out if you know anything interesting, 'kay? Oh, and let me know if you find out anything about Pokémon too ;) See ya!

~Kris

"Oh, she is so not getting away with that," Lyra grumbled. "But hey, I probably deserve that for the jab about Gold…"

"Who?" Maylene asked curiously as Lyra sat down next to her, grabbing a muffin as she read her Pokégear.

"Oh, some old friends of mine," Lyra said, figuring she'd reply later while walking. "We grew up together. They're in Hoenn just now."

"That's pretty cool," Maylene said, sucking down a protein shake. "They fight too?"

"Gold still takes on leaders, though mostly on a whim rather than as a vocation," Lyra said with a shrug, munching on her muffin. "Kris just likes tracking down and catching Pokémon. She's a bit wild sometimes."

"Sounds a bit like Maylene," one of the black belts commented, to general laughter. "She's always out in the wild, fighting and training. Don't think she's owned a pair of shoes since she was a baby, eh?"

"It's better to go barefoot," Maylene insisted. "It makes you tougher, it's more natural. Pokémon don't wear shoes!"

"We're not Pokémon," Lyra laughed. "We're people. Trainers. We have to try hard to be as tough as our Pokémon because we know we never will be."

"Amen, sensei," Maylene said, bowing her head. "Care to spar with us today?"

"That'd be fun, but I'd like to keep moving," Lyra said apologetically. "Thanks a ton for the bed and breakfast, though."

"Don't sweat it," Maylene said, flapping her hand. "Besides, your stories about Chuck were pretty cool. I've always wanted to go meet him, he's a master!"

"Well, if you ever do, drop by New Bark Town and say hi, 'kay?" Lyra said, finishing off her muffin. "Good luck with your leadering!"

"Thanks," Maylene said, raising her fist. Lyra bumped it, and then tried to avoid being slapped jovially on the back by the black belts as she left.

"Morning, Typhlosion," she said, releasing her partner in the bright morning air. It wasn't particularly warm; Sinnoh seemed generally colder than anywhere else Lyra'd been.

"Tyyyy," Typhlosion rumbled, sniffing the air and looking quizzically at Lyra.

"We're going west," Lyra said, looking at her map. "Route 215, then go north when we hit route 210…" she trailed off as she noticed the blinking email icon, remembering that she hadn't read Gold's message yet. She clicked it open as she walked with Typhlosion, since she could see where she was going well enough out of her peripheral vision, and anyway nobody ever ran into a girl who was walking next to six feet of burly bearlike Pokémon. On fire.

How's tricks, Lyra? Heard you're out whipping the Sinnoh leaders! Good! If you're gonna be a champion, better be champion of everybody, right? I've gotten four Hoenn badges already, natch! Kris and I are off to Lavaridge. I wanna challenge their leader- I think she's a fire-type, no surprise- but Kris just wants to hang out at the hot springs. She keeps talking about getting to wear her new swimsuit. Um, I dunno how to ask this, but… do I take that as a hint, or what? We've all known each other forever, so you know what I mean, right? What do you think? I'll shut up now.

~Gold

"Whoa-HO!" Lyra hooted, trying to decide whether to laugh or sing. About time Gold owned up to his little crush! Not that there was anything little about it. "Can you believe it, Typhlosion? Gold's finally trying to do something with his crush on Kris! Kris can be a bit of a closed book sometimes, but I know Gold's the most important guy in her life, y'know?" Typhlosion nodded, having known the three of them for five years and being as familiar as Lyra with their relationships. She growled something. Lyra shrugged. "Well, Kris has never been one for inhibitions, y'know? The swimsuit talk might just be her genuinely wanting to try the swimsuit." She frowned. "Then again, she's never been that big on clothes… think it's genuine flirting?" Typhlosion nodded. "Okay, then. Guess I owe Gold a reply, huh?" Typhlosion moved a little in front of her as she became lost in thoughts of what to say to Gold. Typhlosion figured her trainer was going to need a bit of guidance if she was going to get absorbed in that Pokégear. Lyra was a good trainer, but she could get pretty absentminded…

-P-

"Huh, check it out. We must've missed it in the dark."

"What is it?"

"The route 112 sign. Geez, we were only an hour or so from Lavaridge! There's no need to go through the desert at all!"

"… Gold, we've known each other since we were babies, so please don't take any undue offence when I tell you that I'm seriously considering murdering you and leaving your corpse to be eaten by packs of Poochyena right now."

-P-

No, I'm not releasing these on anything resembling a schedule… just whenever I feel like it XD I've gotten this whole thing written much faster than any serial fic I've written before… something about Pokémon just inspires me!

Is Crystal's mom still taking her money and buying stuff for her? Lyra's mom is, so yeah, Crystal's probably is too XD At least she's not buying stupid berries… that's always annoying me about the remakes. Instead of the epic Snorlax doll, the best you can get is a Moon Stone. Which are nice and all, but who didn't find the Snorlax doll totally awesome? XD

Is Crystal's cousin Sapphire the girl from Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald? Yep. Which also puts the events of those games some time in the future. When Diamond, Pearl and Platinum happened… dunno XDXD

I would never presume to claim Pokémon as my own. I bow at Tajiri Satoshi-sama's feet for its creation.