Chapter 12: "No Mineral Mining"

{A/N: Disclaimers and such and yeah don't own enjoyment purposes only alrighty. Enjoy this chapter.}

Olivine City. Home of the Mineral Badge. It'd been 10 months since her last Gym Battle, and in that time she'd made some team adjustments, battled some oncoming trainers, and celebrated her 15th birthday with Cassie in Goldenrod City. The two didn't travel together, per say, but they were never more than a town away from each other. It was just how things had always worked. Wherever one goes, within 24 hours the other had followed suit. Cassie's Poliwhirl and Griffin had become pretty close friends too, due to seeing each other so much. But now, The teenagers weren't together. In fact, Willa hadn't messaged her in about a week. Maybe she was already in Olivine by now. Or maybe… Maybe she was in Cianwood…

Willa shook the thought of bad interaction out of her mind. She loved her home. It was the best city in Johto, to her. But being an only child, with no mother at home… That's a big window for disappointment. If she lost to her dad, would he be disappointed in her? No… What she was really scared of, was her being just another trainer. Her body had changed, she was 5'8" now. The 15-year-old's hair dangled to her back, still red at the tips, though not a vibrant as when she was living at home. Her face looked different from last time the fighting gym leader had seen her… Would her dad even recognize her? That was her biggest fear at the moment.

Staring up, she walked under the festive banners and into the paved port city, Olivine. A red haired boy nearly bumped into her, staring at the tile with a Typhlosion in tow behind him, muttering some things in an annoyed manner. "Stupid Ampharos at the lighthouse HAD to get sick… Now before I can get my badge I gotta get this SecretPotion before she does." That gave her info. While Willa didn't know who 'she' was, she did now know the Olivine Gym was closed for now. Which meant her fifth badge would be the Storm Badge.

Turning around, she gave her best friend a dreading look. "He's going to be excited to see you. You haven't called him in a while, you know." The Lapras's voice was broadcasted in her head, something she'd gotten used to.

"Cameron will recognize me. Lao probably will, too. He's always been my dad's favorite gym trainer. And Aunt Marina will know it's me when I get HM02 from her." She thought about her dad's sister, who was often mistaken for his wife. "She always liked to give me cookies when I was little." Willa laughed to herself, shaking her head.

"And you think your own father won't…?"

"I don't know, Griffin. I'm scared that he won't… Let's just get to the Pharmacy." During her childhood, the man running the Cianwood Pharmacy had been her doctor. He had special herbs and potions for people and Pokémon, and apparently Jasmine had arranged him to make one of his universal SecretPotions. Reaching down, Willa pet his flipper to make her point. It was slippery, interrupted by a line of jarred skin from the first time he'd protected her. Coincidentally, when she'd snuck back home she got her own battle scar, running up the back of her right upper arm. Griffin's scar was on his right front flipper.

In fifteen minutes they were already at the beach. "Alright, Griffin… Routes 40 & 41… This is it. I'm coming home."

Soft. That's what the terrain underneath Willa's feet had turned to. From hard tile to this was a little startling to her feet, as she jolted her first step. Sand. She hadn't set foot on sand in five years. Hadn't had salt sting her nostrils in five years. Hadn't felt an ocean spray mist across her face in five whole years.

In all honesty, she'd missed it so much. Being a beach girl was part of who she was; most of her childhood was comprised of sand building and splashing in shallow waters. These waters… She thought silently to herself. Two water routes away was her home city. Being this close, in this proximity… Everything inside her that didn't want to return melted, rolling off her shoulders with the ocean wind. The suddenly-homesick girl shred her sneakers and socks, tossing them in her bag as she broke out into a sprint for the shoreline. It was all so familiar. Running towards white sea foam, sand spraying up with every step, the constant crash of waves on the ocean floor. She was familiar with it. She was comfortable. And maybe she wasn't home just yet, but she could taste it with every inhale of salty air. Literally. Her throat burned, and it hurt so good.

Griffin, meanwhile was very confused very fast. Wait… I thought she didn't want to go back! "WILLA! WAIT FOR MEEEE!" He waddled with ease, due to his physique being made for sand and water. The Lapras was giddy to be swimming as well, quickly sliding up next to his trainer in the wet sand where waves splashed up. The girl laughed, quickly grabbing two of the dull knobs on the Pokémon's shell, scaling it and hoisting herself onto his back.

"Alright, Griffin! Use Surf, and Let's go home!"

Route 40 was short, and traveled quickly by the excited two. There were a few battles, but mostly just Tentacool that they'd simply fled from. Route 41, however, was a bit more of a challenge to navigate. With many rocks and island caves, the route was simply a mess. All the caves, however, were blocked by whirlpools. "These are Whirl Islands. Legendary resting place of the Great Lugia…" She spoke quietly, knowing they'd both lost their mothers to an eternal search for the mythological beast. Being from Cianwood, though, she knew an extensive amount of details on all the legends, stories, and myths. Mantine swam with Remoraids under their wings in the waters below, passing by the natural whirlpools with ease. "C'mon, Griff. Let's get to the beach." She smiled at the thought once again, steering the Lapras away from the islands and towards the direction of Cianwood. And after a half an hour of navigating and getting turned around, it was Land Ho.

Willa squealed, hopping off when the waters were still thigh-deep. She jumped over each swelling wave, grateful it was low tide, because Cianwood could be known as the Port of Crashing Waves at high tide. Her toes sunk into the sand, slogging as she waded out to dry sand, a grin stretching ear to ear as her foot hit Cianwood beach, laughter escaping her lips as she held out her arms to take it all in. "Finally… After so long…"

A hand gripped her wrist, a familiar voice from behind tearing the smile right off her face in shock. "Finally going to attempt at a fifth badge, kiddo?" Pivoting, her face was white.

"What… In the name of ARCEUS, are YOU doing here?!" She glared, violently pulling her wrist away. Before her stood her rival, Joshua.

The teenage boy grinned, twirling a pokéball between his fingers. "Same as you, coming here to get that medicine- and the Storm Badge along the way." He was so smug with how he spoke, making Willa roll her eyes. It was true; Josh didn't have a clue that they were standing in her hometown. "I suppose you should tag along if you're in for that medicine." He started to walk into the city more, each step of his hitting the sand making her seethe. That THING doesn't deserve to be here. Cianwood's too good for him… She grumbled in her thoughts, tentatively following suit.

"Hmm, I don't know which one's the pharmacy… Here, let's check this one." He started walking, rounding a house to the front.

"NO!" He was walking to the door of a house. HER house. And Willa was not about to let this evil creature in her home.

Stopping Josh looked at her like she was insane. "Uh, Willa. We walk into random people's houses all the time… It's really no big deal if it isn't right." Grabbing the doorknob, he jiggled it, and Willa took in a sharp breath, frozen in fear. "…Locked." Josh said, looking at the door. And then Willa could breathe again, he wasn't getting into her- "I'll just knock." His fist rapped against her door three times, causing the panicked Willa to shove him forward, slamming the boy into the door. A faint sound came from behind it.

"…Champ?"

The 15-year-olf girl wanted to scream. Scream of hope, glee, excitement- Machamp was making his way to open the door! But she also wanted to scream of terror, panic- Machamp was making his way to OPEN the DOOR. "What the heck was that for, Wil-"He only got through half of her name before she'd covered his mouth, whispering hoarsely.

"SHUT UP!" She took her hand away, hearing thuds on the stairs inside. The girl cursed to herself, pointing to what she knew for sure was the pharmacy. "I'll check there-!" And with that, she was sprinting as fast as she could, rounding the house to be only a blur by the time the door opened. She leaned against the pharmacist's outside lining, peeking around at the terrifying scene playing out before her eyes. She had to get Josh away- out of town preferably, before anybody recognized her and welcomed her home. Because she did NOT want him learning any new information about her.

At ALL COSTS- He could NOT find out she was the Gym Leader's daughter.

It happened. And she screamed when it did. Machamp was always too hospitable for his own good. He'd let that THING into her house. So she did the first plan she'd thought of. Getting what she wanted had never proven that much of a struggle. She did the inevitable- she called Josh.

Inside the Dojo home, a PokéGear rang. Joshua had picked up on the second ring, and Willa could almost feel the smug smile surely plastered on his face. "Hello, pipsque-"

"I found the Pharmacy. I told him you'd pick up the SecretPotion." She lied, peeking around at the door, scouting things out. Thinking ahead, she darted out into the open and hid behind her own house so he wouldn't see her.

"Oh yeah? And why didn't you get it, princess?" Right now, Willa really wanted to spit at him.

"Because, stupid, I figured you should get to do something successfully, you know?" She smiled to herself for that one, plastering her back to the northern wall. "Plus I've decided to train in the cave. You should get cracking, too. If you ever want to beat Chuck." With that, the girl hung up, counting painfully long seconds before she heard the sounds of the door rolling open on its hinges, and sighed to herself in content. It was all going to work. Sneaking around the side wall of her house, Willa watched Josh stroll across the blazing sands like the world was made for him. She rolled her eyes, stepping up to her door and drawing in a deep breath.

This was it. After five years of no contact with her childhood guardian, only her father, she was finally reuniting with him.

Watching her knuckles soundlessly touch the door, a rush of cool ran through her nerves. Closing her eyes and biting her lip, she pulled her fist back, softly knocking on the door of her home.

{A/N: Yes, Plot! Woo! I actually had to split this chapter in half, hence the semi cliff-hanger. There was just so much I had to do, so I left this chapter just her getting back to Cianwood. Haha… Named No Mineral Mining 'cause she can't get the Mineral badge yet… Get it… Aha… Yeah. Review any thoughts or feedback if you'd like!}