Saylee Pokémon: 16 Deaths: 3
Key Pokémon: 21 Deaths: 2
"Bloody hell," Saylee exclaimed.
"Exactly," Key said roughly. "It hurt like hell. It felt like he'd stamped on me. I think I passed out. I woke up hours later, crying and crying and crying, and I couldn't stop. Dad offered me a Pokémon to replace Raphael, but it's not like anyone could. Thomas is the first Pokémon I've had since."
"I'm sorry, I had no idea," Saylee said morosely. She heard a creaking of bedsprings as Key shifted on her bed.
"Of course you didn't, I only just told you," Key said lightly. "It just never came up. Besides, you've lost so many more than me, in comparison it didn't seem..."
"Death isn't a numbers game," Saylee said sharply, standing up. She opened her eyes to discern where Key was seating, then reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Any loss at all is a terrible, terrible thing and not to be taken lightly. But you know what?" She smiled a little. "An old friend told me that friends never really leave each other. They'll always be with you, as long as you remember them. And they'll always protect you. Psychics have an especially powerful presence in this world even after they've left." She dug in her bag for her dreamcatcher. She stared absentmindedly at the dancing confection of colours and flashes of light, before hanging it up over her bed. She trailed her fingers down the threads until she found the coin and the spoon, the remnants of her Hypno and Kadabra, small items that still seemed to retain something of their owners' psychic power.
"Get some sleep," she said. "Dream about Wanda. Then in the morning, we'd better get on the road to get you your fifth badge!"
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"Thanks for the ride, Mr Briney!" Key called as they hopped off of the boat and onto the pier outside Petalburg Woods. She stretched broadly, breathing deeply of the mix of salt and wood in the air. "Mmm... it's good to be home!"
"Thanks," Saylee said, waving goodbye to the spritely old man, who simply waved back, revved up his boat and sped off. Pecko's singing echoed on the breeze. "Straight to your dad's gym?" she asked Key.
"Yeah!" Key said, straightening her glasses with a proud grin. "I'm revved up to fight. I've seen him battle a million times. I know all his strategies!"
"He might be holding back something special for you, though," Saylee suggested. "Some people do that, never really go all out until they're battling someone that they really think deserves it."
Key bit her lip. "...You think so? He is good."
"And he's your dad, and he won't go over-the-top," Saylee promised, grinning. "I'm just saying, if you show you earned it, then he might battle you with more than he's given anyone else. I know people who said they never fought anyone harder than they fought Red."
"Who's Red?" Key asked. Saylee gripped her new glasses, taking them off and cleaning them on the hem of her shirt.
"He was my big brother," she said, not looking up. "He was a fantastic trainer. He adored his Pokémon and trained them brilliantly. He fought his way across Kanto three years before I did."
"...was?" Key asked delicately. Saylee nodded, not looking at her. She held up her glasses to the light, squinting at them, and then huffed on one of the smudged lenses and cleaned it again.
"He died a few years ago," she said, focusing very intently on the glass. "In an accident. Pushed himself too hard."
"I'm so sorry," Key gasped. Saylee put her glasses back on and saw that the younger girl looked utterly stricken. "You never mentioned him."
"It hasn't really come up," Saylee said quickly. "I only found out he was dead a couple of years ago, anyway. I spent a few years before that looking for him. He was missing for a long time."
"It must have been awful, finding him dead," Key said, a little awkwardly. They'd slowed to a halt, standing on the beach, and Saylee looked out at the wave crashing rhythmically into the sand. "After searching for him."
Saylee shook her head. "I wish I could have found him alive," she admitted. "But I'm… grateful that I found him at all. Those years where I didn't know where he was, what had happened to him... that was awful. We got closure, in the end. My mum and Blue and I. And Red's at peace. He's in a better place..." She shook her head again and smiled tightly at Key. "It's kind of a complicated story. I'll tell you about it another time. But for now, the important thing is that it's time for you to battle your dad, right?" She turned and started walking towards Petalburg.
"Hey!" Key said. Saylee glanced back. "I thought the important thing for you to find out about those stones?" Key pointed out. "Those stones you found that gave you weird dreams? I thought that was what you came to Hoenn for, right?"
Saylee looked surprised. "It is," she said, touching her fingers to the pocket of her bag with the stones in it. "And I'll keep looking. I'll find out sooner or later. But you're my friend, so I can at least come cheer you on, right?" She grinned, and it was a happier grin than the fake smile that she'd flashed before. "C'mon. Your dad's probably waiting."
Key ran to catch up to Saylee, briefly flinging an arm around her shoulder and giving her a hug. "Thanks," she said. "And y'know, I hope you find some peace too. I really do."
"Thanks," Saylee said softly.
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"Well, look who it is!" Rob said, looking away from his Furret and a Quilava racing each other around the room and giving Key a noogie when she walked into the door of the main Petalburg dojo. "Little Key! Welcome back! And Saylee, right?"
"Hi… Rob?" Saylee guessed. Rob gave her a thumbs-up. She'd met a lot of people the last time she'd been at the dojo, but Rob's green-and-orange striped hair was pretty distinctive.
"I'm not a kid anymore, Rob," Key said, ducking away and sticking her tongue out at him. "How're you doing? How's training going?"
"Check these guys out," Rob said, gesturing to the two large, long, slender Pokémon that came charging up towards them. "Zeon, Kenneth, you guys remember Key? And this is her foreign buddy Saylee… Where'd Lazarus go?"
"I dunno, he's just a little Cubone, he likes playing around," Zeon the Furret said. "Hey Key!"
"Heya," Kenneth, the Quilava, said, sniffing Saylee curiously.
"You guys are looking good," Saylee said, grinning at them. "I trained a Furret and a Quilava back in Johto. Furret are about as versatile as they come. You should've seen Steve surf. And are you looking forward to being a Typhlosion, Kenneth?"
"Hell yeah!" Kenneth said, flaring up the top of his head. "You trained one? Nice!"
"Does that mean you'll give me tips on how to beat them?" Key asked, grinning.
"You want your dad to see you reading off a cheat sheet?" Saylee said pointedly.
Rob cackled for a second before pausing, his eyes wide. "Wait, you're ready to fight Norman? You've got four badges?"
"Check it," Key said proudly, flashing her badges at Rob.
"Sweet," Rob whistled, glancing at his Pokémon. "Hey, Zeon, can you go fetch Norman?" The big Furret nodded and shot off. "And Kenneth, can you find Lazarus?"
"You said he was a Cubone, right?" Saylee said, watching the Quilava head off. "Most male Cubone aren't very aggressive. I had one, though, and he was definitely powerful. Speaking of versatile, have you seen the kind of moves Marowak can learn…?"
They nattered on about Johto Pokémon for a few minutes before Zeon returned with Norman in tow. The Leader smiled warmly when he saw Key, but rather than sweeping her up into a big hug like the last time they'd seen him, he shook her hand.
"I see you got your badges," he said, waving to the front of her jacket where the four of them were pinned. "That makes us competitors, for now. When do you want to battle?"
"Whenever you're ready," Key said excitedly. "I've got something really cool to show you. Saylee helped me train her."
"I've trained similar Pokémon before," Saylee said, grinning knowingly at the pokéball that Key was showing her dad. "They take a lot of work, but they're so worth it."
"Well, I'm interested to see your new Pokémon," Norman said, leading them through to the battle room. The walls were smooth wood panelling like the rest of the building, although with patches that had been noticeably smashed and repaired, and the floor was covered in cheap, thick, disposable mats. "And I know a perfect way for a trainer to get to know another trainer's Pokémon! Rob, will you referee?"
"No problem," Rob said, trotting off to stand at the left middle of the battlefield. Saylee stood behind the challenger's box, watching Key square off against her dad. "Fifth-badge match! Four on four, first one to lose all Pokémon goes down!"
"I've been looking forward to this," Norman said, grinning proudly at his daughter. "I'll start with Spiro!" He released a tittering, twirling Spinda.
"Whoooooooaaaaaaaaaaa... we're battling Key?" the little spinner gasped, tottering around to stare at his trainer's daughter.
"Yep," Norman said, smiling at his daughter. "So, what're you using?"
"I know what all you have, so it's only fair that I return the favour," Key said, releasing her Pokémon in turn. "You know Thomas. He's still a Grovyle, but that doesn't mean he's not a badass."
"Hope you're ready to get your ass kicked, old man," Thomas said, leaning against the wall next to Saylee.
"Not yet, Thomas," Key giggled, releasing Python. "And this is Python, do you remember him? He's evolved!"
"Check it out!" Python said proudly, rearing up and snarling. "How cool am I?"
"Yeah, you've been hit by an Ice Beam," Thomas said, rolling his eyes. "Now freeze. That means no talking."
"Be nice," Key chastised, releasing Leslie. "Python, go stand next to Thomas, okay? And Leslie, she evolved too."
"A Linoone?" Norman said proudly. Leslie preened and then looked around nervously. Saylee took pity on her and released Zac and Polly—the latter because Saylee found the two Mightyena just too cute together. Whenever both were released, they greeted each other with nuzzles and ear-nibbles before sitting patiently to watch the battlefield. "Your Pokémon all look in wonderful condition."
"And this is Manami and Shikoba!" Key continued, showing off her Azumarill and Swellow. "You haven't met them yet. Manami, Shikoba, this is my dad. He's a gym leader."
"Charmed!" Manami said, waving to Norman. Shikoba just nodded to him, and Norman nodded back, before Shikoba returned to preening his feathers and straightening his scarf. Since evolving, he'd become even prouder and flirtier than before, and Thomas seemed to have taken it as a personal mission to knock him down a peg on occasion—in this case, tugging the Swellow's favourite silk scarf off and laughing as Shikoba struggled to retie it with beak alone.
"I won't be fighting with everyone, of course… in fact, I'll probably only need one," Key declared, holding aloft the last pokéball. "We've been working pretty hard together, so let's see how it paid off! Topaz!"
She threw the pokéball into the air and the elegant green form of a Flygon flew out, landing by Key's side. "Hi," she said softly, flicking her tail. Rob whooped appreciatively.
"A Flygon? Now that's a challenge!" Norman laughed. "You up for it, Spiro?"
"Lemme at 'em!" Spiro said, weaving towards Topaz.
"Watch out," Key muttered to Topaz. "He might not look coordinated, but it's a facade to confuse you. You've got to take him out before he gets near you! Dragonbreath!"
"Okay!" Topaz flapped her wings, buzzing into the air, and breathed blue flame all over Spiro. The dizzy little Pokémon cried out and collapsed.
"I'd heard that they were powerful, but this is the first time I've seen it," Norman said appreciatively, returning Spiro and releasing his Linoone. "Have at it, Linus. Slash!"
"Crunch!" Key ordered. Linus' claws raked across Topaz' armoured skin, doing little damage, while her powerful jaws closed around his midsection. She flung him back to the ground, where he lay unconscious. "Brilliant!"
"Then it's your turn, Van!"Norman ordered, releasing his Vigoroth. Key suddenly looked nervous; Vigoroth were strong and fast, and would take more than one hit to take out.
"Sand Tomb!" Key ordered. Topaz nodded and flapped her wings furiously, emitting a hail of sand.
"Slash!" Norman ordered again. Van's claws were even sharper than Linus', but he often missed Topaz through the sand and her defences were powerful. She continued to knock him back and bury him in sand, and he eventually fell under the deluge.
"Is that it?" Topaz asked, nonplussed, landing next to the unconscious Vigoroth.
"No!" Key yelled. "Get back! That's—"
"Faint Attack!" Norman called. Topaz was knocked backwards as Van suddenly slashed at her, catching her off-guard. "Follow it up with another Slash!"
"Dragonbreath!" Key called. Topaz breathed out a second wave of blue fire, this time managing to take Van out before he got near her. He collapsed again and Topaz hung back nervously, but Norman returned him.
"This is quite exciting," he laughed. "Fantastic, Key! But I'm afraid it's time for the big guy..."
"Oh, no," Key muttered nervously as Slaking appeared. The fat giant lumbered forwards, lazily stretching and flexing his gigantic muscles. "Solomon!"
"Hey," he yawned, waving vaguely at Key before reclining indolently on the floor. Topaz looked down at Key, resonating with her trainer's nervousness.
"Keep it together, Key!" Saylee cheered. "You're doing great! Show him what you've got!"
"C'mon, roast that fat lump!" Thomas called. Key's other Pokémon set up a cheering section. Bolstered by their support, Key turned back to the battle, sizing Solomon up.
"Dragonbreath!" She ordered. "You can't get within his reach!" Topaz nodded, breathing the odd blue flames for the third time. They washed over Solomon, but he didn't appear fazed. He just yawned hugely. Topaz couldn't help a yawn herself, and began to flag a little, Solomon's laziness infecting her.
Flute music joined the rhythmic cheering of Key's Pokémon. Key glanced back to see Saylee had pulled a flute out of her bag and was playing a simple backup melody to her Pokemon's cheering. "Wake up! Dragonbreath again!" Key called, looking up at Topaz. The dragon did so, already looking perked up. Solomon grunted in pain as the fire hit him again, leaving him stiff and jerky with paralysis.
"That's brilliant, that'll hurt him!" Saylee called, but Key shook her head. Her dad had grinned, and she knew exactly why.
"Not if it just makes him stronger!" Key called, looking up at Topaz. "Get back, he's gonna use—"
"Facade!" Norman ordered. With astonishing swiftness, Solomon hauled himself to his feet and flung himself at Topaz. She was knocked out of the sky with a scream.
"Topaz!" Key yelled, starting forwards as Solomon rolled off of her, scratching at his burn. "Topaz..."
"Is she out?" Norman asked as Solomon looked back down at his fallen foe.
"She looks out," he opined, reaching down to her. He was whacked in the face by a green, whiplike tail, and then hit dead-on by yet another blast of draconic fire.
"Faint Attack," Key said smugly as Solomon went down hard enough to shake the gym floors. "I learned from the best."
"I can't believe that I just fell for my own trick!" Norman laughed, slapping his hand over his face. He dragged it off as he walked over to Solomon. "Solomon? Solomon... nope, he's out." He grinned broadly at Key. "I can't believe it! That means that I lost!"
"You won, Key!" Saylee whooped. Thomas darted over to high-five his trainer, and the rest burst into cheering. Key hugged Topaz around the neck, before being swept up into a huge hug by her dad.
"Here you go," he said, pinning his badge onto her jacket. "You've earned it, Key. You really have. I'm amazed by how strong you've gotten!"
"I've had some help becoming a trainer," Key said, glancing back at Saylee, who just shook her head.
"The important thing about becoming a trainer is to love your Pokémon," she said, scratching behind Polly's ears. "That's all you need. Any Pokémon can be strong if it's loved. And you love yours."
"You always have," Norman said proudly, ruffling Key's hair. Key made a face. "I remember that you had a Silcoon, too. Did she evolve?"
"Wanda?" Key said, her face falling. "Yeah, she evolved, but..."
Judging by the way that the grin slid off of his face, Norman already knew what his daughter was going to say.
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The battle was more or less swept through by Topaz for Key. As for me… Teddy and Double Kick happened. Setting a Mega Blaziken on this gym in October will be fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun.
Saylee
Key