AN: As promised, I would upload the full chapter in the middle of the week.
I will be away on a magical journey next week, and the week after that is the last week of school. Don't expect an update for 2-3 weeks...
Disclaimer: Don't own Pokemon, and I never will. If I did, the following shippings would be canon...
-Anime-
Amourshipping
Contestshipping
Penguinshipping
-PokeSpe-
Specialshipping
Oldrivalshipping
Mangaquestshipping
Franticshipping (I would make a scene where I prove it, and that Ruby didn't 'forget'.)
Commonershipping
Agencyshipping
That is all...
Probably forgot one...
Teresa gasped in surprise as the group hiked their way across the top of the hill. The view was splendid, and the sun had just risen, spilling a spectacular array of golds and reds across the city's high rise buildings. "We're finally here in Striaton City!"
Scarlett shared her friend's feelings of astonishment, and she eagerly scanned the area with her hand to her forehead to block out the sun's intense rays. "It's beautiful!"
Unable to control the impulse to break into a sprint, Milo charged down the hill at a breakneck pace. The wind shoved his messy brown hair away from his face, and he shouted in elation as he rushed into the city proper. The girls did their best to keep up with him, carefully picking their way down the hill in hopes of not tripping and suffering from a bad tumble.
Milo skidded to a halt as soon as the buildings began rising up in height. He gazed around, not knowing what to do next.
Not used to the sudden exercise, Teresa bent over with her hands on her knees, panting in exertion. Scarlett headed up the rear, finishing the unexpected run at a steady jog.
"What's wrong, Milo?" Scarlett smirked, knowing full well what was on his mind.
Milo turned around to face her, bashfully scratching his head. "I don't know where the Gym is."
Scarlett did a facepalm, before muttering, "Oh, that's so typical of Milo." She then proceeded to pull out her PokéNav to check where the Striaton Gym was located. She pressed a few buttons, and the PokéNav hummed loudly as it located the group's desired location. A single 'beep' indicated that it was ready, and a red dot flashed continuously on the screen, pinpointing the Gym's location.
"It says that the Gym is close to the Striaton Market," Teresa peered over Scarlett's shoulder at the tiny map. "Too bad it doesn't say exactly where the Gym is."
"Well, I know that the market is in the centre of the city," Scarlett tapped her chin thoughtfully. "That's what my dad told me."
"Then let's just go to the centre of the city and orient ourselves from there on," Teresa suggested, used to being the brains of the group.
Milo began walking again, but at a much slower pace than before, much to the girls' relief.
The buildings gradually elevated in height as they reached the centre of the city, with skyscrapers that seemingly touched the clouds. Market stands lined up on the sides of the street, with each seller enthusiastically trying to persuade a customer to come to their stand and to take a look at their merchandise.
"This place is just buzzing with life!" Teresa squealed excitedly before hurrying to check out a stand that had books on Pokémon. She hurried back to the group, clutching a new book titled, 'Strategies Used in Pokémon Battling: Analyzed'.
"Hey, now. This isn't a shopping trip." Milo pried the book from Teresa's hands and shoved it into his backpack. Teresa let out a small noise of protest at Milo for not properly taking care of her book. "We have to find the Striaton Gym!"
"We should ask someone who looks like they live in Striaton City," Scarlett pointed out before she scanned the crowd of people, trying to pick out the most likely candidates. Nodding firmly, she chose her target.
Scarlett walked up to a woman who was carefully selecting rare berries at a cart and asked her, "Excuse me, ma'am? Do you know where the Striaton Gym is located?"
The woman turned around, her ringlets bouncing up and down. "As a matter of fact, I do." The woman hoisted up her overflowing basket of berries and hurriedly paid the vendor. She then pointed down the road, further into the centre of the city. "Just keep following this road. At the second intersection you see, make a right turn. You won't be able to miss it." The woman eyes glinted knowingly. "So who's challenging the gym? Are you?"
"Me and my friends…" Scarlett pointed over her shoulder at Milo and Teresa. Teresa shyly wiggled her fingers, and Milo moved his arms around like a madman. "…are all planning on challenging the Striaton Gym!"
The woman lightly laughed. "Oh, is that so? That's perfect! I wish all of you the best of luck, then." The woman began walking out of the marketplace.
"Thank you very much!" Scarlett shouted after the woman's retreating figure. She turned to her friends. "Who wants to take part in a Gym Battle?"
Without a word, Milo dashed off in the direction the woman told them to go in. He was itching for his first Gym Battle.
"Hey, hold on a minute!" Scarlett chased after Milo. "I didn't mean right now!"
Teresa sighed, not wanting to run again. Left with little choice, she began jogging slowly after her friends, hoping to conserve her energy for the battle.
The woman who gave the group directions to the Gym turned around and removed her glasses. She had wanted to come with them to the Gym, but she thought that might have been too stalkerish. "Now is the perfect time for me to say hello to the Striaton Triplets. I haven't paid them a visit for a long time."
The group headed down the stone tiled path with four tall and imposing marble columns shadowing them. They stopped in front of the door, which stretched much higher than their heads. Teresa awkwardly reached her hand up to knock on the door, but Milo beat her to it. He threw the doors open wide, as if the Gym was his own home. The doors clanged loudly, as Milo had shoved them with so much force that they hit the walls. Scarlett and Teresa both winced; Scarlett at the noise and Teresa at Milo's rudeness.
Milo announced, "All right! I can't wait for this Gym Battle!" His excitement was cut short as he realized that there wasn't a battlefield in sight.
Quiet entertainment music played in the background, and the gentle clatter of plates and cups could be heard over the chatter of customers. They all stopped immediately after Milo declared his intentions. The silence then turned into annoyed whispers.
"What on earth is that boy talking about?" One girl hissed to her two friends.
"I have no clue what he's going on about! It's lunchtime!" Another nudged her friend, who nodded in reply.
A man who was dressed like a waiter walked up to Milo, and politely asked, "Are you here for lunch?"
Scarlett opened her mouth to reply, but was cut short by Milo's snarky whisper, "This sure doesn't look like a Gym to me. It's more like a-" He was cut off by two other waiters, who obviously pretended not to hear Milo's antagonizing comment.
They hurriedly escorted the girls to an empty table, completely ignoring Milo. Milo harrumphed before following the waiters with his arms crossed. He sat down at the table with a huff. "I'm not here for-"
He's cut off again as a red-haired waiter practically shoved the menu in front of Scarlett's face. "Such lovely young ladies like yourselves would just adore these new additions to the menu!"
Scarlett shook her hands, planning to say that they weren't here for lunch, but she didn't get the chance to. The other blue-haired waiter who escorted them to the table added to the confusion. "May I suggest trying…"
The two waiters then began bombarding the girls with their latest options and the most popular picks by their customers. The girls helplessly refused each choice, trying their best to edge a word in. The green-haired waiter calmly stood off to the side with a notepad and a freshly sharpened pencil poised over the paper, ready to record their order.
Milo was completely ignored, and was getting more and more frustrated by the second. He suddenly stood up and pounded his hands flat on the table. The chair scraped across the red carpet, causing the friction to almost ignite the wooden chair. "I'm here for a Gym Battle, not a full course meal!" he shouted in fury, his sea green eyes burning intensely.
Scarlett took the opening, pushing her chair out from under herself quickly before proclaiming, "Me too."
Teresa sighed in relief, glad that the bombardment of options was stopped. She said nothing, as she still wasn't certain she wanted to challenge the Gym.
The customers in the room froze at Milo's statement, and they began whispering to each other. One girl whispered loudly to everyone, "Did that boy say a Gym Battle?"
Another rubbed her hands together in glee. "Oh, this will be good! There hasn't been a decent challenger in ages!"
The green-haired waiter firmly set his notepad and pencil on the table while raising his eyebrows. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Milo rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You didn't let us have the chance to talk. Now, who is the Gym Leader?"
The waiters outright ignored his outburst. The truth was that they had already known the group wanted to challenge the Gym. Ever since a certain incident many years ago, this had become a standard of theirs. They loved tripping up challengers, as a test to see if they were truly serious about their challenge. Their customers were more than happy to assist them by acting the part of annoyed customers.
The green-haired waiter smiled before he and the other waiters posed in front of a wall. He then snapped his fingers. "All right then! We'll grant your request!"
The red-haired waiter rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So you're all challengers? Then you'll receive a welcome as pleasant and hot as the noonday sun!"
The blue-haired waiter shook his head in disagreement. "No, I think we should be cool. Like a refreshing glass of water. Chilled, of course."
Scarlett and Teresa's eyes batted back and forth between the waiters, thoroughly dazed and confused. "What on Earth are they talking about?" Teresa whisper-asked Scarlett.
Scarlett didn't know what was happening either, though she would have known the most about Gyms out of the group. Her dad told her that a Gym Leader named Cilan had traveled with him through Unova with an aspiring Dragon Master named Iris. But Scarlett didn't remember what they looked like, as she had been only a few hours old when Ash's old traveling companions and friends visited the hospital in Viridian City where she was born. As far as she was concerned, any male Gym Leader in Unova could have been named Cilan! And he might not even be a Gym Leader anymore.
Milo was the only one who voiced his opinions out loud. "What on Earth are you talking about?"
The green-haired waiter cleared his throat for emphasis. "This is the Striaton Gym."
The red-haired waiter continued, "And the three of us…"
"We're triplet brothers," the blue-haired waiter finished for him.
"And we're the Gym Leaders," all three of them said in unison.
"No way! You're the Gym Leaders?" Milo asked in disbelief. He scanned the three men, unable to comprehend that the well-dressed men were Gym Leaders. Up until now, he had thought most Gym Leaders were energetic and full to bursting with energy.
Upon realizing something important, he groaned, "Aw, man! There're three Gym Leaders? I have to fight all of them?"
Still ignoring him, the green-haired Gym Leader continued with their introduction. "Now it's…"
"Show time!" All three of the brothers gestured towards the wall, which began to slide into a slot hidden beneath the floor. Once the wall disappeared beneath the floor, the trio of Trainers were ushered into the stadium which held the battlefield. Rough brown rocks randomly littered the dirt, making it a difficult place for battling Pokémon to navigate.
High above the battlefield, the customers, all of whom were girls, rushed onto the balcony in cheerleader outfits. They cheered loudly for the Gym Leaders, chanting terribly cheesy rhymes and words of encouragement.
Behind the group of cheering girls, the mysterious woman the group met in the marketplace ascended the stairs. She quickly separated herself from the throng of screaming fangirls, opting to stay on the side of the balcony opposite to the girls. She leaned on the railing of the balcony and quietly remarked, "This will surely be a spectacular battle, filled with just the right combinations of sugar and spice. I can't wait."
After thoroughly breathing in the battlefield, Milo faced the three Gym Leaders. "Do I have to battle all three of you to gain the badge?"
"Of course not!" Scarlett cut in for the Gym Leaders. "In the Striaton Gym, challengers can pick which Gym Leader they want to face."
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but how do you know this?" The blue-haired Gym Leader inquired.
"I learned from my dad. He challenged this Gym two decades ago, and he chose to challenge all three of you!" Scarlett proudly posed. "I wanted to do the same when I finally got the chance to challenge you, but now I have an even better idea!"
She gathered her friends into a group huddle, while the triplets stood together, thoroughly confused.
The one with red hair scratched his head, racking his brain for people who had challenged their Gym. "I don't remember someone challenging all three of us. That must have been a really long time ago."
The blue-haired man nodded in agreement with his brother. "My memories of Gym Battles that were fought a long time ago are quite fuzzy."
The green-haired brother wasn't listening in to his brothers' conversation, but was instead mulling over what the girl had told them. He had his chin supported by his fingers, and he began to think. He began piecing the puzzle together, and gasped as he came to a startling conclusion. He then looked at Scarlett's fiery orange hair and bright green eyes. The man pondered out loud, "It couldn't be. If it's her, she's grown so much."
His brothers stopped debating and looked directly at their brother's face. "You looked like you've just seen a ghost. Who, Cilan?" The blue-haired waiter asked urgently.
Cilan muttered just loud enough for his brothers to hear his next sentence. "That girl, I think she's Scarlett Ketchum."
His brothers both gasped. "Are you sure, Cilan?" Cress lost his usual calm demeanor. "Her hair changed colour!"
"She's so tall now!" Chili yelped. "And she's going to be as beautiful as her mother!"
"I bet she's just as good of a battler as her dad." Cress declared firmly.
"I bet she's even better!" Chili decided.
Cilan stared at the young girl in amazement. The last time he and his brothers had seen her was at the conference for the Unova League. The young girl had decided to tag along with the new Champion, and had proudly announced to all of the Gym Leaders who she was. The new Champion had been utterly embarrassed, as he hadn't noticed the girl follow him. "I think it really is her. But we'll see."
From within the group huddle, Milo asked Scarlett, "Did your dad really battle all three of them? I only knew he won the Badge."
Scarlett confirmed it with a nod. "Yup! That's what I wanted to do as well, but now I have a better idea."
Teresa quickly caught Scarlett's drift. "I understand! There are three of them…"
Scarlett smiled, glad that Teresa realized what she meant. "…and three of us! What else can we do but a…"
Both girls shouted in unison, "Triple Battle!"
The triplets heard the girls shout and made their way over. Cress asked, "Have you decided how you wish to challenge us?"
Milo nods. "It wasn't my idea, but we want to battle you in a Triple Battle, one Pokémon per person."
The triplets shared a look, before all of them nodded once. Cilan turned to the group, "We gladly accept your challenge."
Milo hooted and hollered, completely fired up. This offended the fangirls slightly. "That young man is so unrefined," one of them whispered, disgusted with the way Milo had been acting so far.
The mysterious woman overheard their protests and merely smiled. "The young man's spirit is similar to a raging fire, filled with passion and enthusiasm. I rather like it, strange as it may be." The woman began making her way down to the floor level where the battlefield was. "He reminds me of someone else I knew."
The triplets stood on their usual side whenever a challenger appeared, and the group on the opposite. The Gym Leaders all had a Poké Ball in hand.
"As Gym Leaders, it's only right that we show our Pokémon to trainers who have less than 2 badges. Since none of you have any up your sleeves, we'll offer you a chance to strategize and plan accordingly." Cress made his Poké Ball larger in his hand, and called out his Pokémon, a small tadpole. "Make a splash, Tympole!"
Not wanting to be left behind, Chili threw his Poké Ball onto the field as well. "All right, Darumaka! Heat's on! Let's show 'em what you've got!"
"Here we go, my partner! Cottonee!" Cilan released his Pokémon too, and all three Pokémon stood (or hovered) on the field.
Teresa nervously looked at Scarlett, who was standing in the middle of the group. Her fingers clenched onto Oshawott's Poké Ball tightly. "Do you really think we can beat them?"
Milo overheard Teresa's worries and winked, "Have a little faith, won't you? The battle hasn't started yet!"
Scarlett stared the Gym Leaders down. "We've got this in the bag."
But upon realizing something very important, Milo shouted, "Hey, wait a minute! We can't have a battle without a referee!"
Cress pointed his thumb to the cheering fangirls on the balcony. "We could, ask one of the lovely ladies up there for assistance?"
The fangirls began squealing with the possibility of refereeing a battle for the Striaton Triplets. "Oh, pick me, please!" one girl shouted.
"I'm an experienced Trainer!" another girl declared proudly.
Another girl cupped her hands around her mouth before yelling, "I love you, Chili!"
Chili awkwardly ignored the last comment, though his brothers couldn't help but snicker slightly at Chili's predicament.
Before the brothers could decide who should referee the battle, the mysterious woman stepped forward. "I'd be willing to referee this battle." All available eyes went to her. The group recognized her as the woman from the market.
Milo whispered to his friends, "That's the woman from the market!"
Teresa nodded in agreement. "What's she doing here? Does she know the Gym Leaders?"
Teresa's inference turned out to be correct when Cilan's spring green eyes widened in recognition.
The woman smiled, glad to be recognized. "How are you, Cilan?"
Before Cilan could reply, Scarlett yelped loudly and pointed at the green-haired Gym Leader. "You're Cilan? My dad travelled with you a long time ago!"
"Aha! You were right, Cilan!" Chili congratulated his brother. "I guess those 'Detective Connoisseur' skills were put to good use for once."
"Is your name Scarlett?" Cilan asked, just to be sure.
"Yes, it is!" Scarlett was slightly offended that he had to check it was her.
After getting over his shock over seeing Scarlett again after ten years, he was shocked again when he remembered Burgundy was still standing only a few metres away from him. He turned to his old rival. "What brings you here, Burgundy?"
Chili and Cress both vaguely remembered her challenging the Gym twice before. But both times had been long ago, and the brothers' memory of the feisty purple-haired girl was fuzzy.
Burgundy had grown in height and was almost as tall as the brothers, who all were very tall. Her hair that had been cut in a neat bob twenty years ago was now in ringlets, and if one were to pull on the end of her hair, they would discover her purple hair went to her waist. Her lilac eyes had deepened in colour and were now a dark violet. And all of the triplets couldn't help but notice how pretty the woman was.
She shrugged, "Oh, I had no particular reason. I was just feeling nostalgic, and I was also looking for a few rare ingredients to use in a recipe. I happened to be nearby in Nacrene City, and the Striaton Market popped into my head. I met the kids challenging you in the market, and they asked me for directions to the Gym. I thought now would be a perfect time to visit, while a Gym Battle was happening."
Milo eyed Burgundy carefully, not knowing what to make of the woman. "She sneaked up on us, didn't she? I didn't notice anyone following us!"
Teresa shushed him. "That's not polite! Mind your manners!" She did have her own doubts about Burgundy. Why hadn't she told them she was headed that way, too?
Cress bowed politely to Burgundy. "Well, I suppose a well respected Trainer and A- Class Pokémon Conassuisse would make a fine referee."
The fangirls on the balcony all sobbed dramatically, upset at not being chosen as the referee.
Burgundy stepped up to the side of battlefield after snatching the red and green flags from their holding spot on a post. "This Striaton City Gym Battle is about to begin. All three Gym Leaders, Cress, Cilan and Chili, will battle the challengers…" She paused, not knowing their names.
"I'm Milo," Milo grinned before sticking his chest out proudly.
"My name is Teresa," Teresa said politely.
"And my name is Scarlett Ketchum."
Burgundy was taken aback when she learnt that the girl herself confirmed that she was Ash's daughter. Ash was so dense it's kind of amazing that he now has a daughter, she thought while shaking her head.
"…the challengers Teresa, Milo and Scarlett. This will be a triple battle, with each person using only one Pokémon. The battle will be over when one side has no Pokémon standing. Is everyone ready?"
Milo hollered appreciatively, glad the battle would finally start.
Scarlett followed him, enthusiastically shouting, "Yes!"
Teresa merely nodded, not one for whooping or shouting.
Cress and Cilan both nodded, and Chili gave Burgundy a thumbs up.
She brought her arms down in a cross-like shape, red and green flags fluttering furiously, matching how everyone on the battlefield felt in their hearts. Exhilaration and determination. "Then, begin!"
Teresa confidently decided, "I'll take on Cress!" She took out the only Poké Ball she had. "Oshawott, please help me out!"
Milo devilishly smirked, "Then I've got Chili!"
Chili gave Milo a thumbs up, eager to see what the young Trainer would have in store.
"That leaves me with Cilan." Scarlett said while sizing up his Cottonee. Using Snivy gives me no advantage, and neither does using Riolu, she thought strategy-wise. Both will only dish out half the damage to Cottonee. I'll have to use random selection.
She turned to Milo, with her hands holding the Poké Balls of Riolu and Snivy. "Hey, Milo? Left or right?"
Milo grinned briefly before sending out Tepig, "Left, of course!"
"All right, then!" Scarlett cried out in her battle voice. She felt that she was ready to take on anything the triplets dished out. "Riolu, I choose you!"
Riolu appeared instantly, and moved its body into a 'ready' stance.
"Ah! It's such a rare and wonderful sight to see a Riolu in the Unova region! Not only are they rare in their region of origin, they are even rarer in Unova!" Cilan said in a quick evaluation of Riolu. "And this one has a fighting spirit unlike any Riolu I've ever seen."
Riolu nervously glanced back at Scarlett. That man is weird. Can I trust him and those others? It gestured up at the spectators cheering on the balcony.
Scarlett was brutally reminded of Riolu's distrust of humans, and she promptly shoved the horrid memory to the back of her mind. But traces of it lingered, from the rough shouts of humans to Riolu's terrified whimpers. She chided herself that she had to remain strong, for Riolu's sake.
Firmly grabbing the memory, she shoved it into a dark box and threw away the key, for now, at least. "It's fine," Scarlett soothed. "He's a Gym Leader, as well as his brothers standing next to him. The spectators…if the Gym Leaders trust them, then I do too."
Well, I suppose. Riolu let out a sigh, and growled in anticipation for the battle.
Burgundy watched the Riolu with great interest. "That Riolu…it's something else. It doesn't seem to have the innocence of other baby Pokémon."
Being bold, Scarlett took the first move to try and gain a fast advantage for her team. "Riolu! Use Quick Attack on Cottonee!"
Riolu rushed forward immediately under its Trainer's order, kicking up dust and loose dirt as it built up speed. We'll beat you Gym Leaders for sure! It cried out defiantly, but everyone other than Scarlett only heard three sharp barks.
Cilan quickly countered by having Cottonee dodge into the path of Cress's Tympole with only a flick of a wrist, proving how close he and his Cottonee were. All three brothers were experienced Trainers, having battled challengers seven days a week for almost twenty five years. They had to tone their level down for rookies and beginners, but often used one advanced technique to see how well the challengers would respond.
The two brothers shared a look of understanding before they began their advanced strategy. Cress quickly called out, "Tympole, blast Cottonee straight at Oshawott using Bubble!"
Tympole complied, and Cottonee headed straight for the Sea Otter Pokémon. While the strategy might have been risky, the brothers trusted each other and their Pokémon to pull it off. The plus was that Grass types were strong against Water types, which meant the low damage-dealing Bubble was even less effective than usual.
"All right, Cottonee, use Leech Seed!" Cilan commanded the Cotton Puff Pokémon.
While flying at Oshawott, Cottonee gathered up energy, before it shot a small, glowing seed at Oshawott's head. Strong green vines sprouted from the seed and began entangling the little blue otter. It started draining Oshawott's energy quickly and effectively.
Teresa gasped, not knowing what to do next. "Oshawott, oh no!"
Oshawott fell onto its' knees as a red glow surrounded its body, sapping its strength.
"Please get up!" Teresa cried out, flustered.
The poor otter tried to, but this ultimately made it worse. Oshawott wailed in discomfort before falling onto its stomach.
Turning her head slightly, Scarlett saw the whole exchange. She motioned for Milo to make his move on Darumaka immediately while she dealt with Cress' Tympole.
Milo shouted his first move, "Tepig! Use Flame Charge on Darumaka!"
Tepig snorted a few embers before charging at the Zen Charm Pokémon. Tepig's body became encased in a wild fire that increased in intensity the closer it came to its desired target.
With a mere snap from its Trainer, Darumaka cleverly rolled out of harm's way, snickering as Tepig crashed violently into the rock that was behind it.
Tepig danced around with jelly legs, its bone structure rattling from the sudden smack into the rock. It shook its head to clear it of the Torchics, before it pawed the ground angrily.
Milo cursed under his breath. "No way in hell did that happen." It was a habit he was used to as Teresa always scolded him about swearing in public.
Chili smirked confidently, realizing the Trainer across from him was much like his old self. He charged into a battle without much of a strategy in mind. "Now what will you do, challenger?"
Noticing Milo order Tepig to attack, Scarlett nodded in satisfaction. "Quick Attack!"
Riolu obeyed without hesitation, crashing into Tympole at an extremely high speed. Tympole bounced onto the ground, crying out in pain.
Cress bit his lip in sympathy for the tiny Pokémon. "Your Riolu is awfully agile, and it listens to your every command without hesitation. How long have you been partners?"
Scarlett grinned as Riolu, seemingly without a verbal or physical order, attacked the dazed Tympole with a Sky Uppercut. "Only three days, I think."
Cress was at a loss for words as Tympole was batted back and forth by one Sky Uppercut after another.
Burgundy's eyes widened from off of the battlefield. The woman sat on a bench off on the side, unwilling to stand for the whole battle. "Three days to become so in synch with each other? It couldn't be possible!"
Meanwhile, things were taking a turn for the worse for Teresa. Cottonee had finally finished leeching Oshawott's energy, and the otter Pokémon collapsed on the ground, completely exhausted.
Teresa was almost in tears. "Oshawott! You have to get up! Please, please get up!"
"Teresa!" Scarlett shouted from beside Teresa, never turning her eyes away from her battle with Cress. "Use your head! You're the best strategist out of the three of us! Stay focused!"
Realizing her friend was right, Teresa took a deep breath to try and regain her orientation. She looked at the battlefield, and her mouth dropped in shock. She hadn't been paying attention and so she hadn't realized how desperate the situation had become.
"Cottonee, it's time to unleash the power of your Razor Leaf!"
Cottonee gathered up the energy it stole form Oshawott and prepared for the final assault.
Teresa had no choice but to act quickly. She whipped strands of her loose blonde hair out of her face. "Oshawott, you have to use your scalchop! Use it to deflect the Razor Leaf!
Hearing its Trainer's command, Oshawott weakly held up its scalchop just as a powerful Razor Leaf was unleashed.
Milo growled in frustration at his own battle with Chili. He looked over at Scarlett, who practically owned Cress' Tympole by having Riolu bat it back and forth using Sky Uppercut. It was a wonder Tympole hadn't been knocked out yet. It was much tougher than it appeared.
His mind was snapped back to reality by Chili's voice. "So Milo, do you give up?"
Tepig fell to the ground after being hit with Darumaka's Rollout for the third consecutive time.
Milo gnashed his teeth together. "I'll never quit! Not until I've finished the job!"
Suddenly, a massive fire roared to life from within Tepig, and it stood up, more determined than ever.
Milo recognized the fire as Tepig's Blaze ability. "We're going all out! Tackle!"
Tepig charged into the attack, and then Milo ordered, "Now Flame Charge!"
The flame surrounding Tepig burned super hot and bright, almost white in colour, and Tepig crashed into Darumaka with full force. The fire blacked out, and Tepig snorted embers before trotting back to its side of the field.
Darumaka had been completely floored by the intelligent and intense Tackle/Flame Charge combo move.
Milo quickly turned his attention to Teresa, who was having the most trouble out of all of them. He noticed Cilan's Cottonee gearing up for an attack on Oshawott. The otter Pokémon raised its scalchop weakly in defence.
Scarlett's attention was caught by Cottonee, who was preparing for a powerful Razor Leaf on the fallen Oshawott.
Cress took advantage of her distraction. "Supersonic, Tympole!" The tadpole responded with a massive ear-splitting noise.
Scarlett clapped her hands over her ears. "Riolu! Use your Quick Attack to escape the Supersonic! Go to Oshawott!"
Riolu clamped its paws over its highly sensitive ears before racing to Cottonee to assist Oshawott. Man, that's loud! Turn your freaking voicebox down a notch!
Seeing this, Cilan merely called out, "Cotton Spore!"
Pieces of Cottonee's fluffy hide expelled form its body, and they quickly multiplied. The field was covered with floating balls of cotton, obscuring the view of those who may have wanted to disturb Cottonee's attack. A blue light flashed from inside the cotton spores, followed by the sound of blades cutting through air. The razor-edged leaves created a strong gust, which forced the fluffy cotton balls to disperse.
In the middle of the cotton spores, a triumphant Cottonee hovered over the unconscious Oshawott. The Sea Otter's scalchop was scattered a few inches away from its paw, encased in a pointed blue forcefield.
Teresa's face fell as she realized she lost. "Oshawott! Are you okay?"
"Osha…" Oshawott groaned from its sprawled position on the ground.
Teresa dejectedly took out her PokéBall. "I'm sorry, Oshawott. This loss is my fault." Oshawott was sucked back into its PokéBall in a red light. "Please take a good rest."
Scarlett bit her lip in agitation. "We're down one, but they're also down one. And Cottonee isn't breaking a sweat! I think it's time for us to use that move."
Scarlett glances over, willing for Milo to understand, before she telepathically ordered Riolu, use the move.
Milo understood what Scarlett meant, and together they both fist pumped, Milo with his right arm and Scarlett with her left. "It's time to use… the Scarlett-Milo Combo!"
Teresa squealed in excitement, knowing exactly what the remaining Gym Leaders had to face.. "Oh, hurray! You'll beat them for sure!"
Cilan slightly frowned. Whatever this attack was, he didn't think it would be easy to beat. These kids just kept throwing surprise after surprise onto the battlefield. He hadn't expected for them to last this long, and from his brothers' slightly worried expressions, they were as well. "What's this?"
Teresa giggled in a slightly creepy manner, which raised the hairs on the backs of Cress and Cilan's necks. "You'll see."
Riolu ran up to Tepig, and grabbed its head in its paws. It began running in a circular fashion, until the force of the pair spinning like a top balanced out and the two Pokémon looked like a whirling hurricane of destruction.
When Scarlett and Milo deemed the spinning to be of great enough speed, they ordered their Pokémon to use "Force Palm!" and "Flame Charge!" respectively.
Both Pokémon tensed from within the tornado of destruction, waiting for their Trainer's final signal.
Scarlett and Milo both shouted "Go!" at the same time, and Riolu slammed Tympole into the ground with a Force Palm whose power was augmented by the speed of the 'Scarlett/Milo Combo'. Tepig crashed into Cottonee, with its Flame Charge burning at full force, singeing the Cotton Puff Pokémon's fluff.
The field exploded in rocks and dust from the impact of the attacks. Tympole and Cottonee were immediately knocked out, as Tympole had already suffered multiple hits from Riolu's Sky Uppercut, and Cottonee was extremely weak against Fire Types.
"And that's that!" Burgundy shouted over the roar of the wind. With one hand, she pressed her skirt down to prevent it from flying up. With the other, she held her glasses onto her face. "This Gym Battle goes to the challengers!" As a side remark, she snidely said, "Cilan didn't get a chance to use his 'evaluating time'."
As soon as the dust cleared, the trio shared high fives all around, with Teresa and Scarlett hugging each other. Tepig and Riolu lightly headbutted each other, before touching noses in excitement. They'd done it! They'd won their first Unova Gym Badge!
That was amazing, Scarlett! I had so much fun! Riolu shouted before running straight into Scarlett's arms. Scarlett laughed, and spun the blue Fighting type around and around.
"Those kids sure were good!" Chili remarked, rolling up his undershirt's sleeves. "No one's beat any of us for a while now, right brothers?"
"You are indeed correct, Chili," A small smile stretched across Cress's face, and from an inner vest pocket, he removed three badges. "I believe these belong to you." He handed them to his brothers, who then handed one each to the group, with Teresa receiving hers from Cress, Milo from Chili, and Scarlett from Cilan.
Milo smiled, before he pinned it to the inside of his jacket. "That was a great battle! Thank you."
Chili shook his head. "Thank you, for being such a tough opponent. You've got a long way to go, but you'll get there!"
Scarlett opened her Badge Case and carefully popped the Trio Badge into its rightful position; the first spot. It was, in fact, the one that Ash himself had used on his journey through Unova.
Teresa gently fingered the badge's three enamel gems before she clipped it onto her backpack. Guilt pumped from Teresa's heart throughout her body. She didn't think that she deserved the badge, as she had done almost nothing to help her friends earn it. If anything, she believed that Scarlett deserved the Trio badge the most.
She thought for a while, and made up her mind. She would keep the badge, but…"I have come to a decision to not do Gym Battles ever again." She paused, carefully thinking over her next words. "I really did enjoy today's battle, but I found I was nervous even after the battle started. Usually, I only get nervous prior to the battle. I was unable to battle to the best of my ability today."
Cress nodded in understanding. "It is upsetting when one cannot battle to his or her best, isn't it? I'm sure we will all respect your decision."
Burgundy shrugged lightly, and elegant roll of her shoulders, which she had been practicing for a long time. "Perhaps you'll find where your heart truly lies at another time."
"Thank you for the Gym Battle. It was a great experience." Teresa bowed her head again, with Scarlett following her example.
"Sure was," Milo said. Teresa was about to tell him to be more polite, but decided against it.
"Oh, right! I should give you this." Cilan dug around in his pockets, before procuring a purple pen-like object. "This is very special to me, and I used it when I travelled with your dad. I want you to keep it, and use it." He handed it to Scarlett, who accepted the object. She stowed it in her fanny pack, which was almost filled to the brim with items of importance to her.
"Hey, that's your old fishing rod!" Chili exclaimed. "You sure you want to give it away?"
"I don't use it anymore, so I thought Scarlett, Milo and Teresa might put it to better use."
Burgundy fake-whispered to Scarlett, "Be thankful you won't have to see Cilan's 'Fishing Connoisseur' act."
Cilan pouted in a child-like way, pretending to be hurt, and everyone laughed heartily. After a while, he relented and laughed along too, their laughs filling the battlefield. Even Riolu sniggered, thought it didn't fully understanding the joke.
AN: There sure was a lot of perspective switching in that chapter...
How was the battle? Too long? Too short? If you have a critique (or compliment), please let me know!
Notes/Questions to Consider:
N/A, unless the readers can think of something!
And of course, please review if you like it, or have an idea you want me incorporate, or if you have constructive criticism!
Stay tuned!
Sweetie147