AN: Here is the next episode! I was considering skipping this one, but realized I can't as something important happens and if it doesn't happen it messes with a character's storyline. Anyway, it might be short, but I might have the next couple up afterward so that's good news! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything about Pokémon, but the characters belong to me! Well, at least Zane fully belongs to me.

Episode 12: Trusting Trainers

Zane accepted the battle request out of respect. Part of her wanted to get going on their journey. She knew the others felt the same, but the Sage insisted that they should. Zane even told her friends they didn't have to go. They could spend the day in the city and see each other later.

"I think I'll go around the shops in the city." Naomi said after Zane said they could miss her battle. She thinking about asking anyway.

"It had been about us the past 3 days so go and have a good time." Zane replied as she gathered what she needed before left.

"Thank you! Bye." Naomi cried practically running out of the room with a small purse in her hand.

"You going with her or off by yourself?" Zane asked Korina who was left just patiently waiting.

"Nope, I want see your battle. I can learn through watching battles and sooner or later you'll get your butt kicked. When that happens I want to see it." Korina said with a smirk. She always like to tease Zane. Zane gave it right back to her though so it was fair.

"So you'll cheer me on and learn?" Zane said ruining Korina's teasing. Zane tended to ruin jokes with logic or calling them out…on purpose.

"Yah." Korina sighed defeated.


"Welcome to the top floor of Sprout Tower. Only the must trustworthy and strong trainers and their Pokémon are allowed here. I saw your battle yesterday and learned you are indeed one. Allow me to fully introduce myself. I am the Master Elder Sage, Li." Li said as he saw the two come up to the top of the tower.

"What about me?" Korina asked confused as she was a trainer and she thought of herself as strong and trusting to her Pokémon.

"You are as well worthy as I saw the contest." Li informed to calm her. "However, you follow a different path than the one we look at."

Korina then realized what he meant and said, "I'm a coordinator."

"Indeed. We look at the battle aspect. Shall we battle?"

"Ready to go." Zane answered.


Naomi browsed through the different shops. She knew she had to visit clothing, fabric, and just any design orientated stores before they left. She never got the chance to look in Cherrygrove, but it didn't help that there wasn't really any in the first place. Luckily the places allowed Pokémon so Naomi could bring out Bulbasaur. She also enjoyed looking at clothing and accessories

"What do you think Bulbasaur? Should I go with this one or...this one?" Naomi asked her starter showing her different fabric articles and clothes.

"Saur!" Bulbasaur said going with a green color.

"I think so too. I always needed to look like a trainer and I think I'll make something for Korina when that time comes. I know she'll get there. Come on!" Naomi said agreeing with her partner with a smile.


Zane and Elder Li stared at one another. It was a 2 on 2 battle, no substitutions. Korina watched on the side. It was tense for this kind of battle. It was odd. She didn't think that it would that tense. Perhaps this was a test or something. Korina could only imagine what could be tested. The only thing Korina could think of was if Zane would be allowed to continue training and compete in gym battles. On the hand she didn't think the Pokémon League Association would go that far to prevent Pokémon mistreatment.

"Fine by me." Zane answered agreeing to the terms of the battle.

"Excellent. Go Hoothoot!" The Sage called his first Pokémon.

"Phanpy you're first!" Zane called her ground type.

"Phan!" Phanpy shouted upon being released.

"Hoothoot Peck!" Li called taking the first move.

"Phanpy Rollout!" Zane countered.

"Hypnosis!" Li tried seeing his first attack failed.

"Mud-Slap!" Zane called.

"Huh?" everyone there questioned. Had she called the wrong move?

Hoothoot unsure about what to do stopped in his tracks and looked as he took no damage from the move, but effectively stopped his own.

"Worked like it should. Phanpy Rollout!" Zane called and Phanpy rolled off slamming into the flying type causing super-effective damage. "I know Mud-Slap is ineffective on Hoothoot so instead I used it as a distraction to catch you off guard."

Li smiled at the Zane's strategy. It was unusual, but it worked. It caught them off guard so Zane could finish off the battle. "Smart move. Good Hoothoot, return and rest. Go Weepinbell!"

"Tackle attack!" Zane commanded taking the first move.

"Razor Leaf!"


Naomi smiled as she walked out of a shop. The neckless had caught her eye. They matched her and her friends perfectly. Also she picked some little things for herself and them. Now her and Bulbasaur where going to stop by a small café for a break. They might do more browsing or just head back. She hadn't decided if she was going back to stop by the tower to check on her friends. A part of felt bad missing Zane's battle, but Zane said it herself. She didn't mind. Korina just didn't want to go shopping until she needed too. Plus Zane seemed like she understood. Naomi didn't really care for their battles and such and Zane didn't care for fashion. Zane would have just made rude, but funny comments the entire time in order to entertain herself. Naomi would have been lost in space during the battle or ruined it by asking questions. She knew she should learn, but she had time. It was only the start.

"I hope the others like what we got. I based it off their senses of style or at least their Pokémon." Naomi said to Bulbasaur who walked beside her.

"Saur!" A man then walked by furiously and almost kicked Bulbasaur. "Saur!"

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Naomi shouted seeing the incident. The man just kept walking and ignored her. "Oh well…are you okay?"

"Bulba." Bulbasaur answered and nodded that she was. Naomi smiled back.

"Are you a trainer?" a woman came up and asked her.

"Sort of. I have a Pokémon, but I want to be stylist so yes, you can say I'm a trainer." Naomi answered even though she was confused about why she wanted to know.

"You and your Bulbasaur have a beautiful bond growing so I want you to have this. It is a Pokémon Egg. The Pokémon inside will be lucky to have you as its trainer. It's hard to find nice trainers and at my old age that poor thing won't either hatch nor have an enjoyable life. Please take it and take good care of it." She explained. The elder woman was smiling. She had seen what happened. Sure anyone would have done what Naomi did, but she showed such passion for protecting her partner.

"Really?" Naomi said surprised. It was so sudden. "Thank you and I will! Look Bulbasaur!"

"Saur! Bulbasaur!" the grass type cheered seeing the future newborn.


"Thank Phanpy, nice job, return and rest." Zane sad returning her fainted ground type. It was the powerful Razor Leaf that fainted him. He was great, but she knew that Phanpy would have trouble against a Pokémon with the advantage. Well, it was time to change it up. "Go Cyndaquil!"

"Cyndaquil!"

"We won't lose. Weepinbell Vine Whip!" Li said upon seeing Zane was using a fire type. He remembered that this Cyndaquil was pretty strong. He needed to be careful.

"Cyndaquil!" Zane cried seeing that Weepinbell got a hold of her fire type partner. "Ah ha! Cyndaquil Rollout while it has a hold!"

"Cynda! Quil!" Cyndaquil said understand then attacked Weepinbell then used the holding vines to toss the grass type.

"Bell!"

"Weepinbell! Flash!" Li said to counter.

"Cynda…" Cyndaquil moaned as he could no longer see.

"Calm down buddy. You're gonna have to trust me, okay?" Zane said realizing Cyndaquil couldn't see and every time he opened his eyes he only saw brightness.

"Cyn." He nodded. Of course he trusted her. They were partners after all and nothing was going to change it.

"Yes…" Li whispered seeing the interaction. He smiled. This was the point of their battle. Well, at least one of their points. "Weepinbell Razor Leaf!"

"Ember in front of you!" Zane said to counter the leaves.

"Quil!" he cried releasing an Ember attack.

"Grab it with Vine Whip!"

"Jump and grab to your direct left!" Zane said as the Vine Whip went right by Cyndaquil almost grabbing him. The Vine Whip overshot the target and Cyndaquil grabbed the section he could. "Now reel it in and Ember!"

"Quil!"

"No Weepinbell." Li said knowing the full outcome of the battle. He knew the moment after he used Flash.

"Bell..." the grass type moaned and looked to his trainer.

"Thank you my friend..." Li said to his trusted partner.

"Weepin!"

"That was excellent teamwork and trust between all of you. That is a reason so we use Flash so we can truly test the trust between trainers and Pokémon by blinding their way. You all passed and only see flash as a bright future for you. All of you including you Korina." Li explained.

"Thank you!" the two said.

"Cynda!" Cyndaquil cheered.

"May I ask why we battled?" Zane asked.

"I want to see the trust between you and your Pokémon. Trainer often come here to partake in this test. I wanted you to see this for yourself. The trust and growing bond you all share. Here take this, a Soothe Bell. It will calm Pokémon. It will also increase the trust. Not that you'll need much help." Li said. He wasn't lying to the girl. Just tweaking his word choice.

"Thank you." Zane said taking the bell and gave it a ring. A soothing jingle resonated from the bell.

"Quil…" Cyndaquil said pleased and calmed by the sound.

"You like that sound huh?" Zane asked with a smile. He was happy they won. He felt closer to Zane and the bell was a sign of their friendship and trust.

"Cynda!" Cyndaquil smiled.

"Well we probably should head back. Don't you think?" Korina asked. Naomi would probably be waiting and she didn't want her by herself for too long. Well, at least human company, not that Pokémon weren't great, but friends were too.

"Yeah. Thank you so much for the opportunity." Zane said as she bowed to the Elder.

"No dear. Thank you." Li returned. He completed what was asked of him of a friend.


Zane and Korina walked back to the center. The sun was going down and Zane couldn't believe time had gone by so fast. They were just going to drop off their Pokémon and ask Naomi if she wanted dinner then. That was if she was back. When they opened the door she was back, but not alone. In her arms was…an Egg?

"What happened?" Korina asked.

"We were only gone a few hours?" Zane added.

"Hi guys! Look guys, some woman gave me a Pokémon Egg and I bought all this for us!" Naomi said as she acknowledged their arrival. She placed the Egg carefully on the bed and gave her friends her gifts.

"Thanks! The Egg is really lucky to have you," Korina said thanking her for neckless that was of a water droplet.

"That's great!" Zane said mentioning about her Egg as she also accepted the flame neckless. "This is awesome!"

"Our journey is getting more exciting!" Naomi cheered excited about her future new partner.


After Zane and Korina left Li made a call. Not long ago or say a few ago he received a call. A girl named Zane Jason would be coming to Violet City for a gym battle and would he mind putting her and Pokémon to the test. The test to see the trust between trainer and Pokémon. He needed to know. A man about in his forties picked up the phone.

"Hello Elder. How did she do?" the man asked.

"She did better than you expected. She has the making to be a great trainer one day. Perhaps even a great gym leader." Li answered.

"Not gym leader, not her. That's too small. She thinks big. I know she does. Thank you for doing this for me. I needed to know she was alright and now I can be at ease. But only time will tell." The man answered thinking about Li's recent challenger, Zane.

AN: Well, that's the end of that episode with a few touches that weren't there before. Well, Naomi has a Pokémon Egg and I will tell you now…it is not Togepi. Violet City seemed convenient time to give out the first Egg. Anyway, make a guess if you want to about the Egg or the guy. I hope you'll review, follow, and/or favorite in the meantime! See you next time and enjoy your night or whatever time of day it is when you read this! (For me it's night.)

Preview: Pidgey is my homey! (Did I spell that right?) A flock of Pidgey don't know how to fly! When the heroines come across them the only thing they can do is help. However, will one of the girls get their homey?

(Note: my best friend calls Pidgey this and I think it's cute and funny.)