An update at last! Not much to say this time, anyway, enjoy~

"Go, Widow!" Phil called. When the sneasel emerged, Gambit looked amused.

"You sure about that? Thought gettin' this far was supposed to make you smart!"

It was Widow who acted in response, screeching out her battle cry and spreading her claws with menace.

"If that's how it is, then," the gym leader let his pokeball fly. "You're up, Scraggy!"

Phil checked the pokemon's type: fighting and dark. "Icy wind!"

"Headbutt!"

Widow was the faster. She leaped into the air and unleashed her attack, inflicting a damaging blast. The scraggy grimaced but didn't deter. He jumped up to meet Widow in the air, charging into her head first with his thick skull.

Scraggy's attack did more damage than Widow's, that was clear to see, but the sneasel didn't so much as flinch as the impact threw her back. Instead she landed in a safe crouch, legs already bending in preparation to charge straight back.

"Fury swipes!" Phil called without delay. She sprang forth in assault. When the first of her several hits was a critical, he couldn't stop himself before he pumped his fist in triumph. Then she swiped her claws a second time, then a third, then-

"Brick break!"

Widow's fury swipes hit three times before Scraggy interrupted the streak with a swift, powerful chop.

Widow fainted!

Phil grimaced before returning Widow. He muttered a quiet apology to the luxury ball before putting it away.

"Dark and ice just ain't a good start in a fightin' gym," Gambit shook his head. "You got some guts, I'll admit, but we've got moxie!"

Scraggy's attack rose!

"Don't count us out just yet," Phil said shortly. Widow had done a number on the scraggy, and from what he'd observed of its speed, Hawkeye would be faster. Fast enough to deliver that one solid hit they needed.

The only problem was, well, Hawkeye didn't even have a move that was good against fighting types. He was a partial flying type, sure, but he still didn't know any flying moves. Even the simplest one would do, but no, he hadn't learned any. To make things worse, the only damaging moves he did know right now weren't very effective against fighting. Knock off was dark, fury cutter was bug, quick attack was normal…

Quick attack? He could finish it off with quick attack, sure, but that probably wouldn't help him with Gambit's next pokemon. Phil sincerely doubted that it would be part dark type as well.

Wait. Dark type. Dark was weak to bug, even though fighting resisted it. That meant it would even out. Then- actually, yeah, that was perfect! This battle could turn in their favor yet, provided Hawkeye didn't miss.

And Hawkeye didn't miss.

"Hawkeye!" Phil called, releasing the gligar, "fury cutter!"

As soon as Hawkeye emerged from the pokeball he flew straight for Scraggy, slashing him with his claws. Perhaps if it was a pure fighting type it would have been able to resist more of the damage, but instead, Gambit was forced to recall the scraggy as it fainted.

"Gettin' interesting, now!" Gambit said with a spirited grin and swapped Scraggy's pokeball for a different one, tossing it once in the air before tossing it into the arena. "Get 'im, Hitmontop! Triple kick!"

"Fury cutter!"

It's not very effective…

After Hawkeye's attack Hitmontop flipped on his head and spun around rapidly, kicking out at him in rapid succession. Each kick did more damage than the last.

It's not very effective…

Hit 3 times!

At least Hawkeye was able to resist fighting moves too, otherwise they'd be in more trouble. They still might be. It was down to the next move.

"Fury cutter!" Phil called again. Hawkeye circled through the air, using that attack for a second time on Hitmontop – and a third time, overall.

Fury cutter's power doubled with each consecutive hit.

That was the plan. Super effective or not, Hawkeye was now striking out with an attack quadruple its standard damage. Between that and his previous double powered attack, it was just enough for the win. Hitmontop fell.

Gym Leader Gambit was defeated!

"Aw, mon ami! Losin's not my style!" Gambit recalled his pokemon and headed across the arena. Phil did the same, meeting him half way.

"You think you can take the Fantastic Four?" the gym leader asked with a grin. "Here – better take this!" He presented Phil with a gym badge. Like the Hero Badge it was small and circular, but this one featured a silver X against a black background. "That's the X-Badge," Gambit explained. "Makes sure that pokemon up to level 30 listen to ya! Also lets your pokemon fly outside of battle."

"Of course."

"Here, take this too. This here's TM31, Brick Break. Use it to bust up your foe's defenses, and strike!"

"I see," Phil added it to his TM bag. "Thank you, Gambit," he said, pinning his new badge next to the other with no small amount of pride. "Are you going to reset the puzzle now?"

"Nah," Gambit lifted his staff across his shoulders and draped his arms over it lazily. "You already solved it; that bookshelf'll stay right where it is. Why? Plan on comin' back so soon?"

"No," Phil shook his head. "I think I'll stay and learn about pokemon for a little longer, but now after earning the second gym badge it feels more appropriate to continue. What's my next stop?"

Gambit chuckled. "New York City."

The route to New York City was long, and had almost double the trainers he was used to. Phil found himself doubling back to the X-Town Pokemon Center a couple times just because it was closer than the next city, and there were always more trainers in front of him than there were behind.

At least, that was the way it seemed. It took going all the way back to heal and progressing again for him to realize that if he'd had just gone a little farther, he could have ducked behind a trainer and made it to a Pokemon center that was set up independently just before the entrance path to a forest. Phil could only smile wryly to himself as he healed his pokemon again anyway.

Widow just shook her head through all of it and Hawkeye laughed, but Bruce at least was sympathizing a little. He had opted to walk with Phil through most of the route while Hawkeye and Widow were out for the battles.

As tiresome as the path had gotten, though, they were definitely getting more battle experience. Hawkeye learned feint attack early on, which was definitely more useful at this point than sand-attack was. For Widow, Phil had his Pokedex read and project TM31. After viewing the demonstrated technique she had no trouble using it in battle, and whether his opponents had barriers or not, the fighting move definitely gave them more of an edge.

Concerning Bruce, well, trainer battles with the others started to give Phil a sense of what the troubled pokemon could and couldn't handle, stress-wise. Phil had been keeping a careful eye on him, but there hadn't been an issue until a picnicker's nidoran landed a critical hit on Hawkeye. Hawkeye had already been through a few battles at that point, and the critical had pushed him to the red – and caused Bruce to start to see red. Phil recalled him quickly and finished the battle, keeping him away for a short period after that until everyone was healed up again. Typical trainer fights like that didn't usually get so close, but at least now Phil knew it was safer to keep Bruce away for the more tense battle situations.

The forest was almost as long as the route, and just as painful to get through. Sure there were less trainers, but every few steps he encountered a wild pokemon and either had to battle, switch pokemon, mess around with his bag for a while, or flee. He usually fled. Even so, the additional round of trainer battles had Hawkeye and Widow each building up more damage to the point where Phil couldn't help but wonder if it'd be better to backtrack to the Pokecenter once again. Remembering how that'd gone last time, though, he pressed on. New York City had to be closer than it was far.

And it was. After another two turns and a straight walk forward, he could see the end of the forest and the beginning of a grand bridge. As soon as Phil stepped onto it the city came into view and he picked up his pace to an eager jog.

Finally, in the clear! If he never had to return to the path between X-Town and New York City, it'd be too soon. The view from the bridge was marvelous, but Phil rushed through it to the gate at the end until he made it just inside.

New York City. At last.

He'd been here before, but it seemed so much different as a pokemon trainer. Some things like the towering building of Stark Co. never changed, but besides that? There were Pokecenters, Pokemarts, pokemon contests and theaters, battle towers and subways, and more. This city was so much a central place for all things pokemon it had two gyms, and if that didn't speak volumes, he didn't know what could. The New York City he'd been to before felt almost like a distant memory, while the one he stood it now was new.

He took his first steps in.

"Hey, Coulson!"

…

No.

Damnit.

Maria Hill approached him from the street with vague interest.

He should have backtracked. Or used a potion. Why did he never use potions?

"Honestly I'm surprised you made it here, with how often you've been getting sidetracked. So, you finally got a second badge? I just earned the third, myself. It really is too bad that only one of the gym leaders is here right now. We'll have to come back later for the other. Not very professional, if you ask me."

Maybe it was just an encounter.

"The league will sort it out soon enough, I'm sure. In the meantime, I'm leaving for the next city. There's no reason to stick around."

So, it was just an encounter?

"By the way, Coulson." Her eyes took on a challenging glint. "Did you catch any new pokemon?"

Son of a bitch.

Rival HILL wants to battle!

"Go, Lotus!"

Lotus? Phil watched, hand in his pocket, as Hill called out her misdreavus. Looks like she'd earned her place on Hill's team.

At any rate, Phil felt slightly better about Widow being closer to half health than full. She was perfect for this.

"You're up, Widow!"

Hill's eyes widened briefly as she took in his new pokemon and his type advantage before she switched to just plain irritated. It was pretty satisfying.

"Lotus, confuse ray!"

"Feint attack!"

As always, Widow beat her to it.

It's super effective!

The move made a big dent in Lotus' health, but she hung in there to cast rays Widow's way that seemed to perplex her.

Widow became confused!

"Snap out of it, Widow – one more feint attack!"

Widow was confused, but his order must have gotten through because she used feint attack again. Lotus promptly fainted.

Hill looked displeased, but not entirely worried. Phil supposed if he had four other pokeballs on his belt, he probably wouldn't be either.

"Good, Widow. Return!" Phil said, recalling her. She could snap out of her confusion inside the pokeball. Besides, she'd be in trouble if Hill sent out her mankey. Not that Hawkeye would fair that much better against its low kick, especially when he was at half health. Again, Phil berated himself for not using the potion. They just weren't at an advantage here.

"Go, Hawkeye!"

"Trickshot, go!"

No mankey, but something different. Phil didn't need the Pokedex this time, not since he studied. This black bird pokemon was the dark and flying type, Murkrow.

"Use fury cutter, Hawkeye!" Weak against flying, but effective against dark; it'd even out. At double the power, Hill's pokemon could be down in two turns.

"Astonish!" Hill shouted.

Hawkeye and Trickshot went at each other with rivaling speeds, nearly matched.

Nearly.

Trickshot beat him to the punch and struck him with a closed up talon while letting out a startling screech. At the close proximity it made Hawkeye flinch instead of attacking.

Hill didn't relent. "Wing attack!"

"Come on Hawkeye, fury cutter!"

Again Trickshot's attack came just an instant before Hawkeye's. Had Hawkeye been at full health at the beginning of their fight this wouldn't have been so much of a problem, but the attack brought him close to fainting while Hawkeye's fury cutter had only cause marginal damage.

One more turn and Hawkeye would faint, so Phil did the only thing he could think to do. He raised his pokeball.

"Hawkeye, return!" It was his mistake. No, not even that; it was his oversight. Hawkeye shouldn't have to lose to Hill again because Phil wanted to conserve their potions and had incorrectly assumed they were in the clear.

Hill had other plans. "Pursuit!"

Phil watched in alarm as the red beam of the pokeball hit Hawkeye to recall him, and Trickshot bolted forward. The murkrow's talons were glowing black, enabling him to strike through the red that washed over the gligar – and for double the damage because of it.

A critical hit!

Hawkeye's pained cry was clipped as the pokeball made him vanish, definitely down for the count. At best. It all happened in an instant but it felt longer to Phil. It was a good thing he had learned earlier when it wasn't safe to have Bruce out, because if Phil was seeing red, he could only imagine.

"What the hell was that?" Phil snapped at Hill. "I was returning him! You already won!"

Hill had the decency to look a little abashed at the critical, at least until Phil started yelling. "What, so you could call him back out later to get the upper hand on a pokemon that's not as fast?" she shot back.

"What? No! Why would I do that?"

"Strategy! But maybe you're right, and it was my mistake for assuming you had any!"

"Go, Widow!" Phil called, because he'd had enough. "Brick break!"

"Night shade!"

Trickshot was too slow for Widow's intense strike. That plus the hit from Hawkeye's fury cutter brought him down.

Hill gripped her pokeball tightly as she recalled the pokemon and steadily reached for another. Phil didn't know whether he should forfeit to the Pokecenter or stay with Widow and do as much damage to Hill's team as they could. Widow certainly looked like she'd favor the latter.

Before he could make that call, though, and before Hill could lift another pokeball, his S.H.I.E.L.D. Tech chimed. Both of theirs did. It was a call from Fury. Hill responded instantly, and Phil, a beat later. As soon as the display projected he found himself in a three way call with both the director and the agent across from him.

"Hill. Coulson. I see you're still in New York City – or, just arrived. Good. You won't be leaving just yet. I have a mission for each of you. How about we talk more in person?"

"Where should we report to, Sir?" Hill asked while Phil recalled Widow. Their battle was clearly over.

"Look up."

Phil did. The S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier was flying straight above.