The Gin Haze

"Because sometimes all you want to do is forget. With war looming on the horizon, some of us have more reason to want to forget than others. The next generation of Pokémon trainers, what kind of world are they to inherit?" Warning! War stories, dark, gore, sex and real life. This is what it takes to survive in the new war-torn era.

Chapter 8 – The Tide

8-8


"Welcome aboard, is there anything I can do for you?" We hear the greeting and grovelling over and over, like a broken record. Instead of worrying with that, we make our way into our stateroom at the rear of the ship, opening the double doors and allowing Mint to enter only after Mr Laurant declares the room 'safe enough'.

Once Mint and Shamrock are through, the rest of us pour into the room. The first thing that attracts me is the sound of a harp being played in the background. The scent of daffodils wafts in the room's gentle breeze, with three ceiling fans keeping the circulation going.

As soon as Mint kneels and lies down, mom slides off onto her feet. Daddy helps her onto the azure-coloured, L-shaped empress couch, where she plops onto it, already tugging daddy's hand to lay with her. He sits down, letting her lay her head in his lap. Her gentle snores start up but a moment later.

I look around, finding a kitchenette. A full-sized, rectangular dining table with twenty cushioned chairs seated around it. It's rich, dark lacquer almost seems to absorb all light around it. A sitting area, with a coffee table that mom probably didn't notice right next to her. A Jacuzzi we can enjoy in the privacy of our room. And three doors, no doubt leading to bathrooms. There are also two large slide glass doors leading to a private porch, and what looks like a little pool out there as well.

It's a day trip, so I doubt there will be a bedroom. But still! This room is as wide as the ship itself!

"Alright," Mr Laurant begins, beckoning to Haze and me. We go to him, curious what this is about. "The DiMarinos are complete morons, but they are not foolish enough to attack us on their ship. Luckily, the next two cruise lines are mine, so we won't have this issue again."

Feeling drains from my face. He… he owns… he… wha…?!

"That being said, we checked the guest list. And there's trouble brewing." I grab Haze's elbow, squeezing to show him how emotional that gets me. "Maylene's daughter, Desmodonna, bka Dezzy. She's here with three Fighting Type Trainers. Candace's son, Jack, bka Jack Frost is here as well, with three Ice Type trainers. Those two Gym Leaders have been friends since their high school days. I wouldn't put it past them to have their children and trainers supporting one another."

I nod, my grip on Haze not relaxing in the least.

"Curiously, Fantina's son, Jean-Luc, is also on board. He checked in with four others, but I can only guess if they're Ghost Type Trainers."

"Hmm," Haze noises, looking to me. "What do you think, Gin?"

What do I think? I don't know. What is there to think? Three Gym Leaders' children are on this ship, all three hail from Sinnoh, and none of them contacted us. "These are their envoys. They're here to talk to us, at the very least. But we don't know if they're on our side or not."

"True," he agrees, turning more towards me. "Do you want to find out?"

"If we go, all of us go," I insist. "That includes Michelle. If it's not safe enough for her, we should stay here."

He nods. "Let's go." Not even a moment's hesitation. My grip on him eases as I nod. "Dad?"

"It's alright, Haze," Marion speaks up. "I don't plan on leaving this room. I'll keep an eye on your Gogoats and your things."

Haze looks to me, questions in his eyes; do we trust her that much?

I smile, bobbing my head almost imperceptivity; it'll be fine.

He smirks, obviously thinking about something. "Alright," he agrees, taking off his backpack and nodding to me. I take off mine as well, offering it to him. He sets both our bags—filled with our laptops, the cases with all our Gym's Pokémons, and the TMs and HMs we'll need—and carefully stuffs them into one of Shamrock's pouches. "We'll be back later. Call us if anything."

"Will do," Marion assures him, smiling at me in thanks. Not missing a beat, she takes out five Pokéballs, holding them between her fingers so we can see. The unspoken promise that we can count on her and her team sets me at ease—even in the circumstances.

Let's just hope it doesn't come to that.

8-8


Making our way up onto the upper deck, some three decks above us, takes more out of me than I expected. Mostly because Michelle decided she wants to race all the way up, and I refuse to let her get into trouble because I couldn't keep up with her.

We regroup, everyone out of breath from running up six flights of stairs. "Heh, Adam wins every time," Michelle announces, pouting—even though she's still trying to catch her breath.

"Of course. All that work in the greenhouse keeps me in shape," Adam brags, puffing out his chest. He's not even a little winded after all that. It's Amalia that's truly surprising, though. Not only did she decide she's coming with us, but she kept up with Ilene and Janelle quite well—I get the impression she refuses to let those two out of her sight, though I'll be damned if I can figure out why.

Ignoring their exchange, I turn to the crowd mulling about. There are three courts up here, each with a warning that no battles over level twenty are allowed on this deck, and there's already a line of people itching to get in on the action.

Over to the nose of the boat, there's a bar and a more comfortable seating area. And to the back is a restaurant, already having half its tables occupied.

Along the walls I see a collection of automatic doors that slide open when they sense motion. Outside, I see a collection of people seemingly looking at a sky battle—given they keep pointing and their focus keeps dancing about.

"Ooh, Haze! Can Janelle and I go battle? We promise we'll be extra careful!" Ilene begs, giving Haze the puppy eyes treatment. I look to Amalia, wondering what she's going to do.

"Is Lia staying with you?" Haze asks, crossing his arms and trying to look stern. The girls look to my sister, begging her as well.

"Sure," Amalia agrees, nodding. "But only for a few battles. Haze and Ginny wanted to come up here for a reason, you know."

I ignore the parade of praise and thanks and promises they won't make a fuss when they have to leave. There's no point to it—I'd made those promises a million times in the past, and I never kept them unless mom or dad gave me the look.

While the girls are jumping around Amalia and begging her to hurry up, I'm busy looking around. The three groups we hope to bump into, they aren't in here.

"Amalia! We'll be outside looking around!" I announce, hoping she can hear me over two effervescent preteens. She turns around, her silver hair swishing with the sudden motion. Her eyes smiling as she nods and shoos us outside with a lazy wave.

Once outside, the cheers and jeers are far more noticeable. Apparently two Dragon Types are duking it out, and everyone has their opinion on who should win. I shrug, hugging Haze's elbow again as I start dragging him to the nose of the ship. I don't know why, but those courts up that way seem more promising.

The crowd up this way is much denser than it was inside. The lines are longer to get on the courts as well—but there are six courts here, instead of the three inside. It isn't the courts that attract me, though. It's the group of sunbathers over to one side. They look pale as snow, and I can feel their eyes on us.

Barely a stone's throw from them is another distinct group, each wearing a karate gi and a black belt. They sit, meditating with a Pokémon at their side—no Machops or evolutions thereof, so I'm not freaking out… yet.

Haze and I stroll over to them, with Michelle hanging on Haze's other arm and Adam on my other side. Two people step out of their crew. A whiter than snow guy with black hair and startling blue eyes. Beside him is a girl in a gi with a black belt. Her burnt pink hair and violet eyes remind me of some show I watch on TV sometimes, but I can't remember the name of it, or figure out the connection.

"Good to finally meet you, Hazel, Genevieve," the girl speaks up. Haze and I cringe at being called by our proper names.

"Haze and Ginny," I correct, grabbing Adam by his elbow and tugging him to me. "And don't forget Adam and Michelle. Or Ilene and Janelle, who aren't with us just now."

"Ah. Apologies. I am Desmodonna. Please, call me Dezzy. I represent Veilstone City Gym and my mother, Maylene."

"I'm Jack, second in command in Snowpoint City Gym," the man explains, his tone frosty. He and Haze could be best of friends.

"We've come to extend our greetings and our mothers' support of your goal," Dezzy says, bowing to us. She elbows Jack, obviously trying to remind him to do the same.

"She did," Jack counters, warm as a snowstorm. "Mother's support is conditional to you meeting all other stipulations to be adhered to."

"But we also came to warn you. Jean-Luc and his mother at Hearthome City Gym have expressed distaste with Hoenn sticking its nose in Sinnoh's business," Dezzy continues, her eyes lingering just over my left. I turn, finding a lone man leaning against the wall, unmoving. His eyes are ever on us, his purple hair swaying in the wind.

"I thank you for your consideration," I say, bowing and tugging my boys to bow with me. "Please allow me to assure you that we do not seek favours. We will fulfil every requirement without fail. And we have no goals in Sinnoh that could possibly cause conflict between us."

"Mom thought as much. Besides, a little competition is never a bad thing!" Dezzy gushes, pumping her fist and her eyes alight with fire. Obviously she's the passionate type. How did their mothers ever get along? For that matter, how do they?

"You willing to tell us what those goals are?" Jack asks, his eyes boring into Haze's.

"I'm not that kind of girl," Haze snarks in a complete deadpan.

Did he just say that?

Seriously?

I swat him, hard. "Ass."

"Ginny!" Haze turns to me, all hurt innocence. His eyes twinkle with mischief as he waves to Jack. "There are children present!"

A choked off laughter erupts from Dezzy, before she grabs her sides and devolves into full out guffaws. "He got you there, Jacky!" she belts out, swatting his arm.

"If you'll excuse us."

8-8


Leaving Dezzy's roaring laughter behind, we make our way over to the new guy. I know he's here with four others, but I can't seem to figure out why he's alone. He doesn't move, standing completely still as we walk towards him. His eyes are on Haze the whole time.

"Jean-Luc," Haze greets him, sort of.

"Hazel Laurant, son of William Laurant. Apprenticed to Tate of Mossdeep. Partnered with Genvieve Harrison, daughter of Doctor Bro—"

"Fascinating, but we know who we are, thanks," Haze cuts him off. "What's your angle?"

"Are you friend or foe?"

"That depends on you," I answer, not giving Haze the chance to mouth off. "Isn't that always the case?"

"You intrigue me, girl," he murmurs, his gaze seeping right through me.

I snort, tugging the boys along. This is a dead end conversation. No doubt in my mind. Once we're back inside, with the chilled air-conditioned air enveloping us, I sum up my thoughts. "He's scouting us."

"Totally scouting us," Michelle agrees with me.

"Let's regroup and head back. We need to get everyone up to speed on things," I demand, unwilling to bend on this.

We make it over to the line where I spot Ilene and Janelle just finishing up a match. Janelle's Mimikyu swats some guy's Scraggy right into Ilene's Honedge's tackle, knocking the poor thing out.

We bypass the line, strolling right up to our girls. I let go of Haze and Adam, taking the final steps to them myself, and murmur into both of their ears at once: "We're leaving. Meeting." They nod, not fighting me.

8-8


"Alright. Here's where we stand," I begin, going over what little we know. "Dezzy and the Veilstone Gym support us. Their allies in Snowpoint Gym aren't against us, but I get the impression they don't like us for some reason. They are willing to support our Gym title, as long as we play by the League's rules."

"Jack Frost," Haze murmurs. "He hates that I'm known as the Ice Prince of Mossdeep."

I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to hide how badly I want to laugh.

"Anyway," Adam butts in, rolling his eyes. "The real trouble is that Jean-Luc of Hearthome Gym. He's scouting us. And he no doubt has eyes watching our every move."

"What are they doing here, though?" Ilene asks the question of the year. "I mean, aren't they from Sinnoh? Why would they come all the way here just to go all the way back with us?"

It doesn't make sense. At all. I mean, not only did they come all this way, but they didn't even approach us. We approached them. Would they have just sat in the distance, watching us the entire way?

"Liza and Tate might know," Haze muses, crossing his arms, deep in thought. "They would have told me if they made arrangements. But it's possible these guys came here on their own."

I wonder about that. Dezzy seems genuine, and her mom openly supports us, even though we'd have a natural advantage over them. It's not likely they have bad intentions for us. And though Jack and his group are quite open in their neutrality/nit-picky quasi-hostility, it would be bad form to openly oppose us when an ally so openly supports us—it would cause a rift, which they are likely to actively avoid.

The only real problem is Jean-Luc, in that case.

"I have a plan. But it's crazy," I admit openly. All eyes are on me, their curiosity aglow. "I say we invite them to lunch. All three of them. That shows our lack of hostility to them. Then we can try to build bridges over a warm meal. I can talk to Dezzy, with Haze as my backup. He knows more about martial arts, and I can see if I can get her into girl-talk mode." Haze nods agreeing with me.

"While we're talking to her, Adam can ask for Jack's advice on raising Snorunts. He won't see that as aiding us as a Gym, especially if you point out they're for mid-winter travelling. Talk about how your expertise is more on Ground Types, and that you'd like a fresh perspective on seeing them as an Ice Type as well."

"That could work," Adam agrees.

"Then, Haze can talk to Jean-Luc when the opportunity presents itself. Then I back him up to see if we can't profile him together?"

"A solid plan," Haze agrees. "But we need more. We need to start building solid bridges. That means, we need all of ours trying to mingle and make friendships out of thin air with all of theirs. Remember, these are members of other Gyms. When our back's against the wall, we will need to call on them. And when their backs' are against the wall, they need to trust we'll be there if they call on us."

"Well… How about you start with your Frosslass?" I suggest. "I mean, that should give you common ground with Jack and Jean-Luc?"

Amalia starts digging into her bag, fishing out two Pokéballs. She offers one to Haze, the other to me.

Only… what do I name her? I don't know. I've been craving chocolate lately—as usual when I'm on my period.

"Are we going back up?" Janelle asks, her eyes begging for us to say yes. "Because I say a froyo stand, and I really like froyo!"

"Froyo…?" I muse, wondering about that. Hmm. I insert the new Pokéball into my Dex and type in as her nickname: F-r-o-y-o. "Janelle, you're a genius."

"Huh?" She blinks, knitting her brow.

"Don't worry about it. Hey, Hazey-bear? I need a Psychic TM for Froyo."

"Good point. Ilene, Janelle, do your Pokémon already know Psychic?"

"Huh? How many TMs do you have?" Ilene asks, narrowing her eyes at him.

"None. Psychic Gym Leaders are allowed the HM Psychic. So I can use it over and over and over again." I blink. Since when…? And didn't Green Tea's Psychic register as…? You know what. Whatever.

"I'm going out with Green Tea, Pizzy, Rocky, and Froyo. Keep up, or get left behind."

8-8


And just like that, we get out Pokémon up to speed, and head up to the upper deck again.

There's still two hours to lunch, but Janelle's froyo craving, and me nicknaming Froyo that, and me thinking about… damn it! I want frozen yoghurt!

So that ends up being our first stop. The place is called Swirls, for some reason. Still, they advertise fat-free froyo, so I'm good. Rocky keeps shivering between my legs, not liking the scene, but with Pizzy here, he doesn't make a fuss. He mostly keeps an eye on her, making sure she's okay.

We get up to the counter, and the guy takes our order. When Froyo decides she likes her name sake. "Fross!" she announces, pointing at a mix of froyo and berries. I giggle, loving the pleading in her eyes and how she's practically drooling over it.

"Alright. One berry blast for my baby. And…" I turn to Haze, who's petting his Froslass and asking if she wants one too. She hides her face in his jacket, refusing to even acknowledge the question. "No, just the one. If anything they can share."

"Bel?" Grey announces himself, tapping the same picture.

Sigh. Fine. "Better make it two," I correct. Grey flies at me, rubbing against my cheek, his sole eye closed.

"Kyu?" Janelle's Mimikyu—that spooky faux Pikachu look really freaks me out sometimes—turns to her, beady little eyes begging her for something.

"You know what. Just make it six, and give us a few extra bowls. We'll figure it out."

"RALTS!" Green Tea and Paris start jumping for joy together, obviously glad they didn't have to ask.

"You want extra spoons with that?" the guy asks, nonplussed. I guess we're the only ones that spoil our Pokémon.

"Yes, please." I smile warmly and nod. If these little scamps want to eat it, they will learn to eat it properly. When Adam and Amalia come up, ordering the same for their Pokémons, the man just shakes his head and sighs.

When we finally get our whole group to a table, and everyone's seated—every Pokémon having their own seat—Haze and I start distributing the froyo fairly. Ilene and Janelle's Pokémons get their fair share from ours as well.

I end up with Pizzy and Rocky sitting down on chairs next to me, their paws on the table and patiently awaiting their share. Green Tea sits in my lap, and Froyo kind of hovers around me, her bright blue eyes never leaving the cup she's so sure is going to be hers—and she's humming a catchy tune she must have heard on the radio, though I don't recognize the beat.

"Now remember, guys!" I get their attention, just before everyone dig in. "I don't want any slurping. I don't want any mess. You are going to eat politely. And if you don't have hands, you are going to use your psychic powers to work the spoon! The SPOON! Not the dessert. Alright?"

I get a chorus of different noise, grunts, and spliced Pokémon names as a response. But not one dares diving into their cup, so I know they understand. Now that Froyo has her cup, I see her carefull hovering down into my lap beside Green Tea. They share a look, each sporting a trail of froyo on their lips, and they grin like they won the lottery.

Everyone digs in. Everyone but Rocky and Pizzy. I share mine with them, letting them lick my spoon clean, before scooping up some more for myself.

"You spoil them," Haze says, smiling. I lick my spoon clean, I point with it to Paris and his Froslass, who he's taking turns feeding—and also using the same spoon. He shrugs. "Touché."

"What'd you name her, by the way?" I ask, scooping for Pizzy and letting her lick it clean.

"Angel."

"Aww," I gush, making a face so he knows I think that's adorable. Angel, for her part, keeps hiding her face in his jacket, but is quick to take her share when offered. She and Froyo seem to enjoy it as much as the others, if not more—being Ice Types and all.

I look over at Michelle and her Solrock and Lunatone. She's correcting how they levitate the spoons, but she lets them feed themselves. Ilene on the other hand, is letting her Mime Jr feed herself by showing her how it's done—then using every other spoonful to feed her Mimikyu, which Mimi mimics without fail.

"Would you look at that, Cutie? Mimi loves you, too!" Ilene gushes, hugging the pair of them.

Adam is much the same with his Princess—the psycho—his Baltoy, and the two Gollets. For some reason, he keeps calling her 'doll'. Seeing as he named his Geodude 'Golem', I can't say I'm surprised. I don't hear him talking to his Gollets, though, so I don't know what nickname he came up with for them.

"Do you like that, Honey?" Ilene asks, an empty spoon barely an inch from—what I can only assume—is her Honedge's mouth.

"Hone!" she exclaims, her eyes smiling brightly. I assume that's a 'her', seeing as 'Honey' doesn't strike me as a particularly masculine name.

"Well, there you go. Now, try levitating the spoon. That way you can feed yourself." Honey wraps her sash around the spoon, scooping up more for herself. "That works too. But then you'd better levitate the cup so you don't make a mess, okay?"

"Hnn!" Honey agrees, her sole eye glowing red and the spoon stabbing into the frozen goodness within. After trying that a few times, she decides to switch it about—grabbing the cup with her sash, and levitating the spoon. "Honedge, edge honedge. Hnn!"

"I love it, too. But Winston, Honey, did you thank Ginny and Haze as yet?"

The table falls silent, all eyes suddenly looking at their dessert with a spoonful of guilt.

Another joyous chorus goes up, as everyone thanks Haze and I—I assume, at least. All, except Grey. He hovers a spoonful over to Haze, his way of saying thanks. Haze, bless his heart, takes it with a smile, knowing just what Grey means.

"You're all very welcome." Haze and I share a look, his eyes twinkling like the night sky.

Such expressive, golden eyes. Eyes that only ever smile for me. Just for me.

Whining reaches my senses, but those gorgeous, bright eyes are still smiling for me. Smiling, and stealing the air right from my lungs.

Then it's all black and grey and red. I jerk back, finding Pizzy lost her patience. She muzzles the spoon and whines again—she wants her froyo now.

"Fine. Ruin the moment why don't you," I deadpan, but I scoop up her share anyway, offering it to her. She starts licking the spoon instantly, her happy little face corroding my annoyance before it even has a chance to take root.

8-8


Once everyone's had their fill—and that means getting another two rounds of froyo for Angel and Froyo—we decide to take everyone for a walk out on deck to work off all that sweetness.

There's another dragon on dragon battle, so we avoid that side. We head up to the nose again, so haze and I can scope out the courts and the battles going on.

"Ooh, dicey pick," I say, watching a Sceptile being pitted against a Blastoise.

"Yeah, putting a Water Type against a Grass Type! What's he thinking?" Janelle agrees, but completely misses my point.

"No sweetie. It's the idiot that thinks his Grass Type can win against Blastoise," I correct.

"Huh?"

"Wait. You'll see," I assure her, frowning.

"Sceptile! Use Leaf Blade!" comes the predictable command. And the nail in the coffin. Leaf Blade is one of the stronger Grass attacks and a signature move of this species almost, but it needs to make contact. That leaves Sceptile hopelessly open to:

"Blastoise! Ice Beam!" the trainer orders at the last second, when the poor Sceptile is moving too fast to stop, and jumped the last part so dodging isn't an option. That leaves only taking a face full of ice.

Sceptile takes the full force of the attack at point blank range. I'm not surprised when the poor thing flies back, Staryus in its eyes, and frozen.

I turn to Janelle and Ilene, hoping to impress something important. "Just because you have a type advantage, doesn't mean you'll win. And just because they have the advantage over you, doesn't mean you'll lose."

The pair of them nod, their eyes wide with shock.

"It's about planning," I continue. "Plan for your weaknesses. Plan for what your opponent will think of. And when it happens, you're already prepared."

Suddenly Michelle is beside me as well, the three of them with a thoughtful frown on their face. With a little luck, they'll start thinking about what that means.

"In other words, girls. You don't use force to win. You use your brains." I see the three of thing wondering about that, but I don't really know a better way to explain it.

"Gin?" I turn to Haze, knitting my brow to figure out what he wants. He offers me his hand and a cocky smirk.

I smile. "Well, the best way to learn is to watch," I agree, taking his hand. "Girls. Stay with Amalia. And be sure to watch our matches carefully."

Together, hand in hand, we head to the line-up. The matches don't end that fast, but with six courts the lines move forward quickly all the same. All the while, Pizzy keeps whimpering and looking up at me.

"Not yet, baby," I say, scratching behind her ear. Tiny as she is, injured as she is, she's too used to being my go-to Pokémon when it comes to a battle—rare though they are.

It takes almost ten minutes before it's our turn, over on the court closest to the girls. "We only do doubles!" Haze announces. The opponent nods, accepting out terms, so we step up to the little box where we're meant to stand.

"Paris?" "Green Tea?" We ask them at the same time. The pair of Raltses saunter into the ring together, hand in hand—just like Haze and I.

The crowd starts laughing, jeering, poking fun at two Raltses on a level thirty to fifty court. And, to be fair, the pair of them are only level fifteen. When our opponent tosses out an Ursaring and a Houndoom, the cheers turn to 'swallow the tykes whole', or something along those lines. Or is that just the one idiot a few challengers back in the opposite line-up?

It doesn't matter.

"Two to Tango!" Haze and I announce at the same time. Our Pokémons nod. Green Tea puts his right hand on her hip, and Paris her left on his shoulder. The take each other's' free hand, and their eyes meet. I can feel their tension ebb as they find all the strength they need in each other's eyes. And Paris, calm as the eye of the storm, glares at their opponents—Green Tea's gaze lingers on her a moment longer.

Rocky starts whimpering beside me, fearing for his friends. One sharp bark from Pizzy quiets him, but sends Froyo and Angel into a panic, so they both hide in our jackets, unwilling to watch.

"Haze and Ginny of Mossdeep VERSUS Zack of Slateport! First battle! BEGIN!"

The crowd goes absolutely nuts, cheering Zack on. Let's see how long that lasts.

My gaze flicks to our girls, seeing their mute begging for us to show those fools. I smirk.

"Doom! Use Flamethrower!" The Hounddoom leans back its head to take in a deep breath, then lowers its head and breathes out a stream of glowing flames.

"Psychic!" we announce at the same time, and our babies comply without hesitation. Only, not in the way the crowd likely expects. They use the move, on the long tongue of fire, capturing it and keeping it in a little ball. When the Hounddoom runs out of air, and stops the attack, Paris and Green Tea fling it at the Ursaring, hitting its snout with its partner's attack.

The Ursaring flails and claws at its muzzle, trying to out the flames. Its face is burned, and I can see the searing pain in its eyes, feel the throbbing of its face.

And yet, Ursaring doesn't react. It stands there, awaiting instructions. Well-trained, but as a battler it will do little good.

Zack grumbles something I can't make out. He probably had his hopes set on an easy win.

"Ursaring! Use Slash!" As commanded, that one comes barrelling towards out pair, its paw held up high and ready to maul them.

Not needing instruction, our pair wait. And wait. At the last possible moment, just as the attack starts rocketing down at them, they both Teleport behind the Ursa and Teleport him behind the Houndoom.

"NO!" Houndoom takes the full force of the attack, knocking it over to our side, but Paris and Green Tea aren't done. They Teleport the Ursaring a good five metres above where the Houndoom is struggling to stand.

All three Pokémon fall right on top of Houndoom, squashing it under a hundred plus kilograms of Ursaring.

Paris and Green Tea jump off, to our side, and pick up the Ursaring again, flinging it callously to the other side of the court, letting gravity do the damage for them.

I look around, hearing nothing but the howling winds—the crowds are stunned at the scene. Even the other courts have fallen still.

"YEAH! THAT'S MY BIG SISTER!" Everyone but Michelle, who's cheering and gushing and pumping her fist up to the heavens. "WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Go Ginny! Go Haze! Go Paris! Go Green Tea!"

Houndoom, angered that it's losing the fight, struggles up on its legs again, growling like our Raltses were caught eating from its bowl. Paris and Green Tea share a look—and I could swear they both raise an eyebrow at the scene.

The levitate the Ursaring again, hovering it over Houndoom's head.

Green Tea points up.

Houndoom continues growling, though more menacing than before.

Paris points up.

Houndoom stalks towards our Pokémon, its limp obvious as the pain its in.

"Doom! Get outta the way!" Zack bellows, frantically waving his Pokémon out of harm's way. Houndoom finally looks up.

I smirk. Even for a hound, like Pizzy, I feel no pity. Not for the arrogance they so clearly showed at the beginning. Still, pointless violence should be avoided.

"Lie down, Houndoom," I warn, my tone icy and my face blank. "If you stay down, we'll put your partner down beside you and count this as our win."

Houndoom scoffs, turning its nose up at the offer. I shrug. "That's just stupid. Do it."

Like a Golbat out of hell, Ursaring flies down at Houndoom. Only, they use it as a mallet and headbutt the pair together, knocking them both out.

Both Raltses are engulfed in a blinding white light, shifting and moulding into something else, something twice as tall and far stronger. The seemingly drooping dress that is their legs turns into lithe dancer's legs, and a tutu gets tossed into the mix. The helmet that covered their eyes seemingly turns into a stylish—if some feminine—hairstyle, with a bang covering their nose.

Our baby Raltses have grown into cute Kirlias.

"Winners! Ginny and Haze of Mossdeep!" the ref calls it.

Our group starts cheering at the top of their lungs! They're going absolute nuts! Soon the rest of the crowd joins in, as do the other trainers. Everyone is chanting our names, and cheering us on.

"Paris!" "Green Tea!" We call out at the same time.

"Heal Pulse!"

Both Kirlias glow white. They concentrate the light into their right hand, shooting that it at the downed Pokémons, each getting one bright little ball shot into their head. Houndoom and Ursaring stir, groaning like they were hit but a stampede of Tauroses.

"Let them rest for a few hours before battling again. And get a meal in their stomach. They'll be fine," Haze says. He waves lazily, tuning on a dime and ready to walk away. I agree, the girls've seen what we needed them to.

"Coming?" I ask Paris and Green Tea. They come running, Green Tea jumping into my open arms for his hug and Haze scoops Paris up. We leave the courts, the crowd, and the idiot who just lost with his chin hanging low.

"You guys were amazing back there," I praise, kissing Green Tea's brow.

8-8


We make our way away from the courts, over to one side where the foot traffic is lightest. The whole way, I'm answering the girls' questions as best I can. "So all we have to do is find their weakspot?" Ilene asks, wondering about that.

"Yes, and no. It's about knowing where and when to strike," I try, wondering about that myself. "It's like… with Ursaring. How heavy he was, and how strong he was. You need to think of a way to use that against him. Like how we used him as a mallet on Houndoom?"

"That was so awesome!" Janelle praises, stars in her eyes.

"Maybe, but it was the better strategy. Mind you, you can't use that all the time. Some battles use rules that restrict alternative uses for moves. But… I think you girls should know how to pull off tactics like that regardless," I explain, hoping I'm getting the message across.

"So… we need to be careful what the rules are? And always stay within the letter of those rules?" Michelle asks, knitting her brow.

"Yes," I agree, nodding sagely. "Never break the rules, but never stop thinking of ways to use your skills to their fullest within those confines."

"And," Haze chimes in. I smile, grateful—and utterly unsure if I'm turning them into brawlers or not. It's how Haze's been training me, after all. "Never use more force than is needed. If you aren't completely sure your Pokémon or your opponent's Pokémon can handle it? Then it's safer not to. Otherwise you'll end up killing one of them. And no one wants that."

The girls quiet down quickly—like a toy's batteries just ran out. The thought of getting someone killed obviously strikes the chord I've been missing.

"I… I understand," Ilene says, her tone solemn and her fists balled. She knits her brow, understanding the true weight of her choices. "May we go back inside? To the courts?"

Haze and I share a look. He shrugs, leaving it to me to decide. "Sure, sweetie. Come on, we'll come watch. Then we can give you some tips, if you want?"

"Would you?!" Janelle practically begs me to say yes.

"Of course! You're our juniors, after all."

8-8


Sigh. Sitting here, looking at Ilene and Janelle taking on challenger after challenger, I find myself at ease. After all the craziness of the past days—all the strategy talks and lessons and games between Haze and I—I'm starting to see what he was talking about.

The way Honey likes to sneak up behind his opponents—a Ghost Type tactic right there. The way Winston likes to slam his face into the opposition—more of a Fighting Type tactic. And Mimi's tendency to analyse and copy the opponent's moves—I'm pretty sure that's unique to Mr Mimes and Mime Jrs.

But mostly, I'm focusing on Ilene and Janelle's commands, how they communicate with their partner and with each other.

Janelle gives her sister a look, an amused little smile. Ilene nods, smirking. They don't use words—they don't need to. They are in tune with each other. And that spills over into their Pokémons' relationships with each other.

What I like most, is that after each match the sisters talk to their opponent(s), try to explain what they did wrong, and what they could do instead. Just like what Haze and I have been doing with them.

"Uh… hey," the boy from earlier calls to us. I turn, raising an eyebrow to him. His brow is knit as he scratches the back of his head, like he's trying to figure out something but is utterly failing all the same. "I, uh… I lost. But you guys walked off before I could pay you."

"Forget it," I wave it off, turning my attention back to Janelle and Ilene. Honey and Mimi are starting to tire—their movements are sluggish and they're starting to sweat. Will they call it a day after this match? Will they get cocky and push their Pokémon to exhaustion?

Honey uses Shadow Sneak, knocking the Diglett out. She's huffing, trying to catch her breath. Ilene turns to the ref, calling out, "That's it for us, ref!" I watch as the girls offer some advice to the opponents and they shake hands.

"You don't… you don't even care that you beat me?" Zack asks, confused. It's as if he just learned the sky is green and ice burns. Sadly, there are times and situations when both are very true.

"Why should we?" I ask, curious what he's thinking. "We needed a match to show what I was talking about. It just happened to be you."

I turn back to the girls. The sound of growling comes from both sides of me—Pizzy and Rocky don't like whatever is happening outside of my notice.

"Kirlia!" Green Tea demands, glaring at Zack and ignoring his treat.

"Whatever you're feeling, Zack of Slateport, I suggest you be mindful of it," I warn, my tone frosty. I pet Pizzy and Rocky, to soothe them as best I can while not hindering them if they feel the need to act. "Green Tea is quite protective of me, as are all of my babies."

The girls and Amalia start making their way over to us, so I take the pitcher of water and pour seven cups half full and set four bowls with two berries each. They take their seats opposite me, thanking me with a smile for the refreshments.

Our two little Psychics in training keep thanking their partners, telling them how proud they are. I smile, grateful they are so good to their Pokémons—not everyone is.

"Hey, Haze?" I turn to him, questions in my eyes. He smirks, nodding. Ilene and Janelle look from Haze to me and back, wondering what they missed. "Don't worry, girls. We'll explain when we get back to the room."

"Arceus, no way!" Janelle belts out, covering her mouth and nose with her hands. Her eyes are wide and watery, as if she can hardly believe what's going on.

"You don't mean…?" Ilene trails off, insight hitting her right between the eyes.

"That's right, girls. Haze and I think you've earned the right," I say, beaming at them. "But we'll discuss details in the room, okay?" They cheer, hugging and kissing their Pokémons.

Honey rolls her eye, grabbing the cup and bringing the straw to her mouth for a long pull. Setting the cup back down, she focuses on her berries, enjoying them for all they're worth.

As hard as she tries to hide it, I feel Honey's joy at seeing Ilene happy.

She looks at me, blinking. I smile, just for her, and she looks away. She reminds me of Haze—hard exterior, but once you get to know him he's the world's biggest teddy bear.

"Alright," I call for everyone's attention, grabbing the salt and pepper. Haze grabs two extra salts and peppers, so I'll have the pieces I need to explain what I mean.

Setting the peppers to one side and the salts to the other, I look to Ilene and Janelle. "The peppers are your team, the salts are the opponents. I want you to show me how those matches went, and tell me what strategies you were using. Haze and I will offer any critiques we feel are needed."

"Should you be discussing this out in the open?" I turn to the voice, wondering why I recognise it.

"Hey, Jack," I greet. "Did you guys want to join us for lunch? You, Dezzy, and Jean-Luc?" His eyes go wide. Obviously he didn't see that coming.

8-8

End Chapter 8

8-8


A/N: A bit on the short side, but there are three more things that need to happen before disembarking. Unfortunately, those things are hard to show through Ginny's eyes. So guess what? The Ice Prince is up next.