Pokѐmon Journey II: Gwyn's Passage

by Halloween Witch

It's been three years since the disbandment of Team Rocket and Gwyn Jalen is beginning her pokemon journey as well in the Johto region. Things seem normal until she encounters a red haired boy gazing into Professor Elm's laboratory and a young woman who seems like she could kick everyone's asses. And is it fight or flight when an old enemy of the young woman's come into play?

14. Helping Out

Pokѐmon Journey II: Gwyn's Passage

Chapter 14: Helping Out

Gwyn's Point of View:

As soon as the boat pulled into port only a couple hours later then my gym battle with Chuck, and after I'd healed up my pokemon on the ship with a Nurse Joy that was stationed there with a machine for travelers who didn't get the chance to hit one in town, we rushed off to the lighthouse as soon as we got the chance.

Our minds instantly clicked to take us on the path that led to the secret entrance at the top of the tower to where Jasmine and Ampy were. We had to rush up many flights of stairs that spiraled around the tower just like before, but this time, we had to hurry or else Ampy could… yeah, I'm not going to finish that sentence or I might freeze.

I ran at the front, Tristan and Aaron both were right behind me and flanked me on either side. Ticky now flew above us and slightly a head to make sure everything was okay while Sunrise sat on my shoulders, worried watching as we got closer to the top.

"We're almost there!" I called out as we approached the top floor before Ampy's room. "Just a little more!"

I jumped off the stairs and onto the flat room and raced to reach out and grab the rope for the trap door. I impatiently waited for the ladder to fall before I grabbed it before it had a chance to settle and I rushed up, the boys quietly waiting behind me until they could come up.

"Jasmine!" I hollered up to the open door in the floor above my head. "Jasmine! I have the medicine!"

I suddenly saw her worried face peak out over the edge and she reached over to give me a hand. I fished the medicine out of my pocket and passed it onto her before she pulled herself from the hole and I finished climbing up. Jasmine stood stiffly over the ampharos that was still heavily breathing in the bed. She was looking over the bottle for instructions.

"Where are the instructions?" Jasmine turned to question me worriedly as she showed me the bare bottle.

"There were none; he told Aaron that you give the medicine to the infected pokemon one teaspoon at a time per two hours for pokemon under five feet either tall or wide. The same instructions other then it's a tablespoon for pokemon that are larger than five feet tall or wide." I pulled out a couple spoons from my pocket and handed the larger one to Jasmine. "I got both of them from Nurse Joy on the ship after I told her what was going on."

Jasmine quickly got to work unscrewing the bottom top and pouring out the liquid onto the spoon. She handed me back the bottle and cap and got down next to the pokemon in bed.

"Here Ampy, this nice girl brought you some medicine to make you feel better." The sickly looking pokemon looked up at her and opened its mouth. Jasmine helped pull down its lip a little further and put the medicine in, and then she closed its mouth and slipped the spoon out.

Ampy looked to painfully swallow the liquid and for a moment was still, we all silently prayed that it worked. Tristan and Aaron had finally joined us up on the next top level and took a place next to me. I was suddenly startled with both boys took one of my hands and held onto it tightly. I turned to look at both of them, but there eyes were currently anywhere but me or the scene before us. I gripped their hands tighter and I looked back at the sick pokemon.

It was then that Ampy looked up at us, somehow I could see the color starting to return to its face and it smiled, raising a paw to pat Jasmine's stiffened hand. "Apm!"

"Ampy!" Jasmine cried pit happily. "You're alright!"

"I guess the medicine works then." I calmly let go of the boys' hands and pulled myself away from them to stand next to the young gym leader. "But we'll still have to feed him the rest of the bottle throughout the day until it's all gone to make sure we killed off that virus."

"You're right, I'll stay, another day won't hurt me, plus, Apmy won't take medication from others."

"Amp!" The pokemon in bed cried out and pushed her away.

"Ampy?" She was shocked. "Why'd you do that?"

"I think he's trying to tell you to get some real rest now that he's a bit better." I explained and walked over to her. Out of my pokeballs came both of my larger pokemon. Shocker took the lead and pounded his chest. "And me and my pokemon can stay with him for the day and night, we can even have my ampharos, Shocker, take care of lighting the lighthouse for the night until Ampy's better tomorrow."

"Yeah, we don't mind staying." Aaron shrugged and walked over to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. "We'll be good babysitters while you go rest up and what not, take a deep breath, go out for dinner or something, hell, do anything to make yourself feel better."

"You'd really do that?" The gym leader seemed more shocked then could be believed.

"Of course, while you're in the condition you're in, it would be unwise to battle you until you've had time to rest and recuperate," Tristan said as he tugged Aaron's arms off me. "And you shouldn't be grabbing at Gwyn like that, she may not like it."

"Shut up!" Aaron did release me and gently pushed me out of the way next to Jasmine and Ampy and my other pokemon while the two of them started grabbing at each other's shirts, ready to start getting physical. "I'm her best friend and she's never minded it before! What are you, her father?"

"Enough!" To emphasis my order my stronger pokemon growled deeply at the two of them and both boys shut up. I sighed at them. "In case you two somehow forgot over the last two minutes, we do have a sick and recovering pokemon that doesn't need to be more stressed from your fighting. If you want to fight, then take it out of the tower entirely. I don't want this to somehow come back and hurt Ampy."

Both boys quieted right down and hung their heads at me. From Jasmine and Ampy, I could hear chuckling, but they tried to hide it. My pokemon on the other hand just plan out right laughed at the situation. I couldn't help but snicker myself at the two of them.

"Well, I'm glad to know Ampy will be in safe hands." Jasmine turned to me and gave me a quick hug. "I'll come back in the morning to see how things are going, does that sound alright?"

"You can come back anytime, though I imagine Ampy will be better after the medicine we give him before the end of the day and a good long night and day rest before he goes back to work." I commented as she and I walked to the door she'd locked that led to the observation area, the area where Shocker will be working and the elevator. "I'll take care of things here Jasmine; you just go get some rest and what not."

"Don't worry, I will." She smiled and called over Shocker to us. "Let me at least show him how to work the lighthouse tonight so he knows what to do and how much light to give off."

HalloweenWitchHalloweenWitch

It's been nearly the entire day since Jasmine left, we had arrived in the early morning to get the medication to Ampy while she went back to get some rest and be with her pokemon and family. I'd just given Ampy his last dose of medication a short while ago and he was looking like he'd just been brought back to life. The color was all back in his face and fur, there was a bright smile on his face, and we were able to get some food down into his stomach with the medication. That was all good.

On the other side of things, especially with the boys, all was not well. I sighed as I watched them for the umpteen time fighting each other, battling; it wouldn't be long before the two of them got to physical fighting that I'd have to get in the middle of before they kill each other. I still don't know why they fight so much…

The day was slowly dying away and sunset was soon ending as well, the night was quickly falling upon us and Ampy was fast asleep while Shocker was preparing to do his lighthouse duty for the night. I took a glanced back at the boys outside once more and I gasped when I saw Aaron grab the front of Tristan's shirt before a first punch was thrown. I jumped from the window and hurried over to my five pokemon in the corner and shook Cynder from her slumber.

"Cynder! Sunrise! Come on! The boys are fighting, like really fighting!" I turned on my heels as the pokemon followed while I looked at the other three. "You guys stay here with Ampy!" With two of my pokemon with me, we bolted to the elevator to get down the lighthouse.

It was much faster than the other way and I bolted out of the lighthouse to watch the boys tussling in the sand and punches being thrown. I gasped and their pokemon weren't that far off, watching the spectacle from a distance and not getting involved. I hurried up to them and tried to pull off an enraged Aaron from a furious Tristan, I'd never seen them so mad before… let alone the two of them actual fight…

"Both of you stop it!" I pulled and tugged on Aaron but he wouldn't budge. I tried to hold back on of his arms, but it didn't work until he made to deliver another punch at Tristan and somehow chucked his elbow right back into my face, square in my nose. I cried out as I felt the cartilage shatter to pieces and I fell onto my back, crying out in pain and withering in my spot. I felt my pokemon instantly surround me, Cynder had me up in her arms and carried me while Sunrise was on her shoulder and wouldn't let the so called "friends" of mine near me.

"Gywn!" Aaron called out and tried to reach out to me, but Cynder wouldn't let him. "I'm so sorry!"

"Cynder stop!" My pokemon I instantly felt freeze under my hold. "Just take me to Nurse Joy, she can fix me up." I nearly sobbed at the pain in my face. "Oww…"

"Gwyn?" I squinted through my eyes to look at Tristan who stood before me, his hand gently outstretched and just air touching my hands over my nose. "May I see how bad it is?"

I slowly pulled back my hands and allowed Tristan to look. He hissed once he saw it and gently put his hand under my chin to tilt it in different directions to look at it better.

"How bad is it?"

"Pretty awful Gwyn." Tristan sighed. "Let me take you over to the pokemon center. I'm sure Aaron won't mind staying behind and looking after Ampy while he sleeps and Shocker runs the lighthouse."

"I guess that can work." I allowed Tristan to pull me to my feet and he kept a hand on my shoulder once I was up to keep me steady. "Thanks Tristan."

He shook his head. "It's not a problem. Coming then?" I nodded and Tristan led me away from the lighthouse and my two pokemon followed after me.

Little did I know, my best friend was seething in anger as we walked off.

HalloweenWitchHalloweenWitch

"OWW!" I yelped as the nurse tried to apply small bands to my nose to help it heal correctly.

"I'm sorry Gwyn, but please hold still." Nurse Joy reached for some more bandages. She turned over to Tristan. "Would you help her hold still?"

Tristan said nothing, but nodded to her and came over to the side of the table I saw on and then went behind me. I leaned back against his chest and he locked his arms over my own and around my waist. I felt a deep red blush come over me for some reason and I lowered my head, my hair hiding my face from anyone looking at me.

"Now raise your head Gwyn, I still have to apply more bandages and medicine." I raised my head to look at the nurse as my face exposed the sudden blush that I had no control over. She blinked a few times at me before she smiled and didn't say another word while she finished up the bandages on my nose.

"Now just take it easy with that nose of yours Gwyn, I'll give you some pain medication to last the month. Don't take more than two pills unless you're really in a lot of pain. Also, ice your nose every now and then for a few days to make sure the swelling goes down." She walked over to a small refrigerator and pulled out a package of ice and wrapped some paper towels around it. "This will help a lot."

"Thanks Nurse Joy." I felt Tristan release me from his hold and it suddenly became easier to breathe. I hopped off the table I was sitting at and lightly bowed my head in thanks.

"No need to thank me Gwyn, it's simply my job, but your welcome all the same." She smiled at us and led us out of the back room. "I've also heard that Jasmine is reopening her gym tomorrow, are you planning to battle her?"

"Of course," I couldn't help but smile at that comment. "Just because my nose is out of commission doesn't mean I don't plan to battle."

"That's good to hear. Now as long as you're careful, it should be healed in the time span of a few weeks to a month or so." I nodded my head while she spoke and dabbed my nose gently with the ice, wincing at the pain. "And it will hurt for a while, so don't be a hero if you need the medication for the pain." She handed me a bottle of small pills that I pocketed.

"Don't worry, Tristan and I will stop somewhere to get something for me to drink and I'll take some, or I'll do that back at the lighthouse. We're staying there tonight and looking after Ampy."

"Well, at least you'll be with your friends and they can help you." Her face then turned worried. "How exactly did you get that broken nose anyway? And don't tell me you fell, your nose was cracked, like being hit."

"It was more of an accident." I rubbed the back of my head nervously. "The boys were fighting and I tried to break it up and ended up accidentally getting hit."

"I'm still extremely sorry for that," Tristan murmured to the side of me.

"I said don't worry about it, I'm fine." I patted his arm and then pulled on it to lead him out. "Bye Nurse Joy! I'll probably see you tomorrow!"

"Have fun and do well at that gym match Gwyn! And you as well Tristan!" I nodded and waved to her while Tristan and I made our way from the pokemon center and started to head back toward the lighthouse where Aaron was waiting on us.

It was quiet between us for a while; Tristan had hung his head and wouldn't look me in the eye. He must have still felt guilty after what happened, and I can only imagine what Aaron was feeling. He was my best friend after all, hurting me is the last thing he'd want to do.

But what exactly were they fighting about? What caused them to get so mad? I'd never seen them in a physical fight before… things were never like this when they didn't see each other. Did they truly hate each other? It was a possible reason; Aaron didn't exactly get along with most other guys for some strange reason, but Tristan, it's such a mystery. I've never seen him even angry at anyone, other then maybe the subject of his disowned parents, but I've never seen him so downright furious before, and it honestly scared me.

I shook my head. But… what if they did hate each other? Things wouldn't be the same if that was ever brought into light. The guys would never hang out together in the same area unless I was there to keep the peace, and things still wouldn't be all perfect and what not. I don't want them to hate each other. They're both my friends, best friends, and I cherish them so. They're like brothers to me… wait… that doesn't feel right, at least… not with-

"Are you alright?" I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder and I worriedly looked up at Tristan. His eyes widened when he saw how much he'd startled me and pulled back his hand. "Sorry, I didn't realize how in thought you were."

"Don't worry about it Tristan, what's up?"

"Well… we're here at a snow cone stand. Would you like one?" He pointed his finger over to the stand just a few feet from us. "I thought it may help you feel a little better and help you swallow some medication if you wanted to take some for your nose. I'll pay."

I shook my head. "You don't have to do that, I can pay for myself." I pulled out my wallet. "It just seems rude for me to take advantage of you just because my nose is broken."

I felt his hand cover mine and I raced to look up at him, my blush coming back just as quickly when our eyes met. A small gasp had escaped me and I was caught up in his gaze. Tristan held me there, trapped by the black swirls he had for eyes.

"I want to pay for you." He slowly pulled back his hand and pulled out some money from his pocket. "As your friend, let me."

"O…okay." He sighed and gently led me up to the vender and allowed me to look though the large selection. Upon looking everything over, I decided on mago berry flavored and Tristan paid for it while the concession stand lady quickly made one up and handed it to me. Tristan didn't get himself anything and gently led me over to a table where he had me sit down and enjoy my cone while I pulled out some of the pills. I swallowed them and after a short while, we got back up when my treat was almost gone and headed back to the lighthouse once more.

"Thanks again for this Tristan; you really didn't have to do that." I couldn't look the boy in the eyes as we continued to walk along. "I could have paid for myself."

"And I wanted to; I really wish you would let that drop." Tristan sighed and gently rubbed the back of his head. "You make me feel guilty the more you bring that up."

"You feel guilty?" I suddenly raised my head to match his gaze, my face scrunched up a bit and it brought back that burning sensation in my nose, the medication hadn't quite taken its hold yet. "Miltank crud! That's hurts!"

"You shouldn't make such faces then, it may get in the way of your healing." Tristan reached over to me and pulled my chin up to face him. He gazed over my nose before I saw him glance at my eyes before looking back at it. "You may have caused it to bleed again."

"Dang it!" I held my hand over my nose try and catch the slipping blood in my hand. "And I don't have anything on me, the napkins I had I used for my ice cone."

Tristan reached into his pocket and held out a few old tissues. I gapped at him as I saw him pull it out. How is it that he's always so prepared? Even with all that's just… happened to him? Has that made him more prepared for things now?

I was suddenly pulled from my thoughts when I felt him pull my hand away from my nose and place the tissue in my palm, wiping up the blood in it before gently pressing it against my upper lip, right below my nose as to not touch it and get the blood caught up in it.

"Hold it there, that will catch the blood until we can get a clean cloth of some sort back at the lighthouse." He pulled his hand away and he almost jerked himself away from me as he hurried down the path.

"Tristan!" Against my normal instincts I had to fight the urge to scrunch up my face as he walked away. I hurried after him and caught his hand in my own, pulling him back. "Tristan!"

He suddenly whipped around and looked at me; his face was almost filled with fear as he and I were locked in a hold with our eyes. I felt his body shaking under my grip on his hand and he nervously was locked in my gaze.

"What is going on with you tonight? You're all nervous! Was it something I did?" He blinked suddenly and his shoulders fell. His head lowered itself below his hair so I couldn't look at them, but I felt his grip on my hand. I felt him nearly about to crush it with his strength, but he wouldn't because he didn't want to hurt me more.

"Why aren't you asking the real question?" His other hand suddenly launched forward and grabbed onto my arm, shaking me slightly in his moment of rage. "Why aren't you asking why we're fighting? Why Aaron and I always fight?"

I felt my eyebrow rise at that. "That's what you're worried about?" I squeezed back his hand and he suddenly was breathing heavily as he had gotten that off his chest. "I never asked because it wasn't my business. I don't have the right." His arms went slack and he gaped at me. "But I will tell you this, while sometimes I do want to know, I won't because it's not right, but I will ask you two to stop your fighting." I sighed deeply and looked away from him. "Its scares me, the looks on both of your faces when you fight." I pulled my hand from his and used it to wrap around his waist to hug him with my only free hand while the other prevented getting blood on him. "I've never seen you two so mad before…"

I suddenly felt something wet fall below my chin. I pulled back my bloodied tissue and hand to look and I saw it was my own tears. "I'm crying? Oh man… I'm turning emotional… crud…"

"I'm sorry." I looked up to the boy who finally wrapped his own arms around me laid his head on my shoulder while mine ended up in his shoulder, my forehead pressed against it to protect my nose. "Aaron and I… we'll stop the fighting, I promise we'll work it out. Things have just been… rough recently."

"Really? You'll stop the fights?" He pulled back and showed me a soft smile for the first time that night.

"Yes, I promise." He even held out his pinky for me to shake with. I pulled back my arm and took my own pinky and locked it with his and we shook on it. He then looked up at the sky. "Now let's get back, it's probably really late now and I need to speak with Aaron to getting things settled between us.

Tristan's Point of View:

I arrived back at the lighthouse a short while back with Gwyn and got her situated in bed. She was quite tired by then and wished to get to bed for a bright and early day, not to mention a gym battle possibly with Jasmine (and her medication began to make her a bit exhausted shortly after she took it and our conversation on the way back.) With her in bed now, I was able to easily talk with Aaron without her overhearing anything that we didn't want her to hear.

I walked into the other room, closing the door mostly while Gwyn and Ampy slept with the rest of her pokemon and our own while Shocker continued to light the way for boats out tonight and Aaron and I sat against the iron railing, looking out over the town. He had his arms crossed for a moment before he released them and they dropped, I could see the pain on his face.

"I can't believe I hit her… what was I thinking?" He slammed his fist down onto the railing, not flinching when the two made contact.

"We both have figured out that we have feelings for that girl, that's what we were fighting about." I placed my head into the hold of my head, leaning against the railing. "We both lost our tempers when it came to who would have her, and now we need to stop this and hate in silence." Aaron threw me a wild glance.

"You think I would even consider that-"

"Aaron." I cut him off with a louder voice I didn't even know I had, nor did he. "Gwyn was afraid of us."

"…what?" His anger instantly vanished and his eyes went wide as they looked over at me.

"Gwyn, she was afraid of us, and still is of our angrier sides." I stood up to look him right in the eyes. "We have to stop our fighting or neither of us will even remotely have a chance with her, or even keep the friendship we so desperately try to keep together with her."

"…so what do we do?" He looked away from me and out to the dark waterline.

"We keep quiet, act like rivals rather then enemies, we need to control ourselves if we even want a chance. She hates our fighting."

"Did she ask why?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because, as she said, it was 'not right'." I shook my head. "I asked her why she didn't ask us that, and that was her answer to me."

Aaron just grinned and shook his head. "Same old Gwyn."

I chuckled with him and looked out to the water as well. "Yes, yes she is."

Gwyn's Point of View:

I woke the next morning feeling a dull pain in my nose. I groaned as I sat up from where I was resting on the makeshift bed Jasmine had left out for the three of us. Tristan and Aaron must have come to bed late last night, since I didn't remember seeing or hearing them come in. Both of them appeared to be curled in toward me and it almost didn't want me to get up from the warmth they gave off.

Almost.

I raised myself from the bed and pulled the covers back over the boys, as soon as I was out of the way, I saw them move toward each other for warmth. I couldn't help but snort a laugh under my breath. I took out my pokegear and snapped a photo, oh Violet would love me for this, she's also probably use it as leverage for something in the future…

Am I become a bit like her?

No, not that much anyway, I'm still nervous at times when it comes to my pokemon battling, I'm still scared of… well I don't have to say it. But there have been times… times where I've shoved away all my feelings and embraced the fight, is that what Violet does? Or is that just human nature when loved ones are in peril? When I fought Team Rocket, Proton head of the operation over at the Slowpoke Well, and when I faced that horrible grunt that almost took Ticky from me… I just… fell into the swing of battling with my life on the line; even my fear of… the end… didn't bother me then.

I shook my head. Thinking about these thoughts would mess with my already unstable emotions; I had an ampharos to check on and a gym battle to win, if Jasmine was ready.

"I'm shocked to see that you're awake already." I turned my head to face the steel type gym leader as she came up through the trap door below. "I thought I'd treat you to breakfast before-" She gasped when she saw my face. "Oh my Lugia! Are you alright Gwyn?"

"Shh!" I helped her up to the top level and helped her calm down. "I'm fine; I just got hit with one of Aaron's elbows by accident yesterday when I tried to stop their fight. Nurse Joy already checked it out and it really doesn't hurt that much unless I make a face that would move my broken nose."

"Oh you poor thing…" She brushed her hands over my face to look at the black, blue and red nose on my face. "Let me take you out to breakfast this morning."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Tristan already bought me an ice cone last night, you don't need to buy me anything too."

"But I've put you thought a lot already and if it wasn't for you and your friends, I don't think Ampy would have made it last night without that medicine you got for him." She then turned and looked over at the bed. "How is Ampy?"

"He did well yesterday; he took all the medication and slept soundly through the night. I was about to check on him when you got here, in fact, I just got up." I looked over at the pokemon too, seeing his chest rise and fall with steady long breaths that he didn't have before.

"He looks to be doing a lot better." Jasmine walked over and patted his cheek and felt his forehead. "His fever is entirely gone!"

I smiled down at him. "I guess that medicine really does work well."

"Yes, I guess it does too." Jasmine stepped away from the bed. "Let's go get some breakfast and then we can take about having that gym battle for you; I know you've been waiting that."

"Cynder has been begging to battle your steel types, she's all in thrills." I grabbed my backpack and wrote the boys a quick note to where I was and why I was gone. "Let me just get my pokemon and let Shocker rest and I'll be all set."

HalloweenWitchHalloweenWitch

After a quick breakfast bought for me and my pokemon by the gym leader, she took me over to her gym at the north end of town, practically right back on the route that led back to Ecruteck. Once we stepped inside, I saw that her gym was made with steel beams and ceilings and even a floor other than that battle field. The battle field itself was a dirt one with large rocks with flecks of metal on them in certain spots on the field.

The only pokemon I planned to use had been Cynder, but I had a backup of Sunrise and Ticky should I need them, thought hopefully not with Cynder's type advantage. Shocker was still tired from lighting up the lighthouse all night in place of Ampy, and his attack would have no effect on these pokemon.

Jasmine walked over to her side of the gym and I stood on the challenger side. She had a light grin on her face now, she was ready. "It's been a while since I've had gym battle, but that doesn't mean I plan to take things easy on you, even if you did help cure Ampy."

"Good, I'd hate it if you did that." I grinned and pulled out my pokeball with Cynder inside. My other pokemon released themselves anyway to watch and I threw out Cynder's pokeball. She came out with a roaring flame of fire spouting from her mouth and partial mane.

"I guess you've done some research about my type." Jasmine shook her head lightly as she pulled out a pokeball of her own. "But that doesn't mean we'll go down without a fight! Go Magneton!" Out from her pokeball came a three, round magnet bodied pokemon, each one with an eye. Magnets were attached to its body, two or three on each one. It was a darker greenish gray color and floated in the air.

"Okay… that's not bad…" I muttered to myself. This pokemon was a steel and electric type. It's a good thing I didn't send out Ticky or else she'd really be in trouble. I turned to my fire type. "Let's go Cynder! Start us out with flamethrower!"

My fire type complied easily and her mane enlarged itself as the fire burst from her mouth and headed strait toward the steel type. I saw it suddenly widen all its eyes and they hazed over in fear before it tried to run away from the attack. It shielded itself behind Jasmine, cowering behind her while our attack hit off to the side. When the fire cleared we saw just how much hotter those flames had gotten. Cynder had melted through some of the beams to Jasmine's gym and created a large hole in her wall, not including the charred edges all around the hole that didn't go through yet.

"Oh dear…" Jasmine brought a hand up to her mouth and looked back at her pokemon. "I guess you won't be fighting today Magneton. Return." She put him back inside her pokeball and I blinked at how easy that really was.

Cynder, on the other hand, was one pissed fire type. Fire was practically oozing out of her mouth like molten lava and she was getting impatient for her battle she'd been promised. She stomped her foot on the ground and even got down on all four paws for a moment to dig at something to prevent her from going wild.

"I guess we do have our work cut out for us." Jasmine pulled out another pokeball. "Let's go Skarmory!" From a second pokeball of hers came another steel type, this one being a bird with steel feathers and features all over its body, I don't think there's a single part of this pokemon that couldn't hurt you, even with the lightest touch. Its black eyes glared at me and this one seemed to not to be afraid of Cynder like the last one had been. She grinned madly at it, but the pokemon seemed not to flinch.

"Alright Cynder, let's satisfy your craving! Use flamethrower on that skarmory!" My first misfit instantly burst out a large flame that almost looked like it had some lava content in it from how much Cynder's been worked up for this battle. The bird easily dodged out of the way of the move and few up into the air and out of Cynder's reach, if she didn't know long ranged moves. Cynder growled and followed after the pokemon with her heavy breaths of fire and if they didn't hit the bird, it hit the walls all around the ceiling.

I lightly gasped when I heard a large bit of squealing from above. I looked up to see that the roof was only holding onto one corner of the wall left, and it was starting to cave in since Cynder had accidentally knocked out all its other supporting points.

The metal bird screeched and hurried back over to its trainer and covered her body with its own. "Gwyn!" Jasmine shouted. "Get out of there!"

My eyes widened and I returned all my other pokemon that had been cheering on Cynder a moment ago and I hurried my way out onto the field and ducked under Cynder's arm to be under her large body. She worriedly lost her hungry graze for the battle, all her attention was on the danger right now.

"Cynder! I know your fire's hot enough to melt this place right now, take out the ceiling with the most powerful flamethrower you can make!" She nodded and that hungered gaze came back for a moment before she let loose a large burst of flames from her mouth toward the ceiling. But she had such a large area to take care of before it fell on us…

She cried out, nearly screeching above me and I watched her body almost shaking in anger before what I saw was… symbols? Glowing symbols? They were all over her body, slowly spreading, starting with her gut where all her fire was produced from and then they spread, slowly.

"Cynder!" My pokemon didn't hear my worried cry for her sudden appearance and her mouth suddenly opened so wide, I thought she'd somehow dislocated her jaw like an ekans or arbok to let out more fire at once. But this fire, this fire that came out of her mouth was white. Like pure white fire, it was so intensely hot, that compared to Cynder's actual body, the air was warmer then her at the moment as the white fire exploded from her mouth and attacked all of the ceiling.

It was too bright to look. I had to duck my head into the fur of Cynder's body and close my eyes. It was so intense; to see it actually take place was amazing. What kind of a move was this? It was so extraordinary! But…

I looked back up to my pokemon's face. Despite the harshness of the blinding light, I could see her face clearly, and this move tired her. It would be something last minute and emergency only for the future until I find out more about it and what exactly the move is.

Finally I heard something give away above and the flame from my pokemon's mouth broke through the ceiling and I watched as the flames thinned out and the ceiling had been entirely burned to a crisp, at most only dust and charcoal ashes were left that scattered about in the air. I looked above and saw that nothing but the blue sky was up there now, and Cynder stopped her attack. Calming down, but she was gasping a bit for air. The fire that had normally come out of her mane had stopped. That attack seemed to have taken a lot of energy out of her.

I patted my pokemon's fur of her chest. "Are you alright Cynder?"

She nodded to me and rubbed her snout against my cheek. "Sion. Phlosion?"

"I'm fine; will you be okay for the rest of the battle? Now that the danger's out of the way?" She nodded her head easily and picked me up in her arms, getting back up to her two back legs, walking on them and carrying me over to my box on the other side where the others let themselves out of their pokeballs again. She then turned back and stepped out to the middle of the field. She roared out and once again came out her mane of fire. She huffed out and fire began to ooze out of her mouth again. She recovered quickly, that was for sure.

The skarmory made its way away from its trainer and Jasmine appeared to be unharmed. Good, now we can continue this. Looking at the pokemon on the other side of the field I saw that it was hurt from some of the ash that had landed on its features, they seemed to have singed its sharp metal feathers. It hissed at the pain but happily looked to face Cynder again.

"Alright then Cynder, start out with flame wheel!"

"Counter it with steel wing!"

Both pokemon jumped into their attacks and sped toward each other. I could see the light air currents forming around the wings of the skarmory as it dived at my pokemon with glowing metallic wings. Cynder on the other hand had wrapped her entire body in fire and was rolling toward the steel type. The two of them suddenly dived and jumped and hit each other head on with their attacks. The two of them also cried out as their attacks raged, neither of them backing down.

Finally one gave way. The skarmory was overrun by flames all over its body that spread from the flame wheel attack and its body burned as it was hurled into the back wall, its body crushing into it and leaving a large indent in the wall just a few feet shy of Jasmine. She turned to look as well as the rest of us as the dust lingered around the body so we couldn't see the face or condition of the pokemon.

The dust soon cleared through, just as the body feel out of the wall and landed on the ground. The pokemon was out cold with a black body from all the burning, the metal had nearly come off its wings. Maybe we went a bit out of control…

"Skarmory!" Jasmine rushed out to her pokemon and nervously checked it over to see it if was hurt at all. Wait, that didn't come out right, extremely hurt, yeah, that's better. Hopefully the poor thing is okay.

Cynder and I watched the other side of the field and watched as Jasmine lifted the bird's head. It opened its eyes to look at her before smiling and curling its head into her chest. It was done, it'd lost the battle.

"Nice Cynder! Just one more to go girl!" My fire misfit grinned and roared out with a burst of flames, a bit hotter then normal that were edged in blue.

I watched as Jasmine said kind words to the steel type before returning it and pulling out a final pokeball. It was well worn from what I could see and a serious face appeared on my opponent.

"Its time you faced my strongest pokemon, I won't stand back idly anymore while you scare or take out my pokemon with your fiery attacks!" She threw out the pokeball. "Go Steelix!"

Out from the pokeball came the large metal snake that had a large, wide mostly, head with blunt ends all over its body for greater digging capabilities then its pre-evolution, onix. Its teeth were larger as well to break through boulders with the greatest of ease. Its red eyes looked down at Cynder, and her neon dark red ones glared back up at it. Just because she wasn't as large as this pokemon didn't mean that she couldn't beat it. After all, she did have a type advantage to the steel aspect of this pokemon. But on the other hand, she was also at a disadvantage to the ground type it carried over from when it was an onix.

"I'm not waiting on you for your first attack Gwyn!" Jasmine cried out as she looked out to the field and her pokemon. "Now Steelix! Start out with dig!"

The pokemon grunted before its blunted digging boulders on its body started to spin and it spun its head as well before it threw its head into the ground and dust jumped from the flood, hiding it as it took off. When the dust cloud vanished, so had the body of the opponent of ours.

"Dang it!" All I saw was a hole in the ground. That pokemon planned to take us out from below! Either dragging Cynder under or attacking her from in the ground. I could see Jasmine smiling from the other side of the field; she was thrilled that she was finally able to get an upper hand on me for once this battle.

I looked over at my fire type that still showed no nervousness on the battlefield. "Don't stand in one place too long Cynder! Its either going to drag you under or attack from below! Run around the gym every now and then so it can't find you!" She nodded and jumped from her spot and just made it out of the way in time too. The steelix came up and jumped out of the ground, aimed its body at Cynder before she took off out of the way. The beast simply let her and jumped down into the ground, making another hole.

Wait a minute… I watched the same scene happen over and over again on the field with Cynder dodging the attacks of this large pokemon and it simply let her before it would jump down into the ground again, making more holes. These holes have to connect with one another, either that or there are thin walls between them, I bet if I made an explosion down there, all the tunnels would collapse and anything in them would be pretty hurt.

"Cynder! Cut off the fire on your back!" I saw my fire type question that order from me. She gave me a look as if saying 'I'm not going to use fire?' "Run through the tunnels and use smokescreen as you go through them!" My fire type merely grinned at the dangerous job and took off running on four legs while letting the dark smoke emerge from her mouth. She must have understood my plan once I told her to do that.

"Going through the tunnels will be your pokemon's undoing Gwyn!" Jasmine called out to me.

"Why don't you watch this battle and see just exactly what happens?" My words quieted the woman, but her grin failed to fade away. I turned my attention back to my pokemon who just barely jumped out of the tunnel before the steelix came up and out after her. Cynder continued to use her smokescreen attack as she ran, but cut down on it when she was above ground.

It was a game of meowth and rattata as the two of them ran about the field and Cynder continued to fill up all the tunnels with smokescreen. The steelix would barely catch up to her before she would take a swift turn and the pokemon had no choice but to dive under into its tunnels or crash into the walls of the building and end up outside, not to mention taking some damage. It was funny to watch the two of them, but enough was enough, it was time to take out this annoying steel type.

Cynder came to a halt when all the tunnels were oozing out smoke from deep below and the steelix had just jumped under to avoid hitting another wall. Cynder positioned herself before one of the holes that were sprouting the burnable smoke.

I threw out my arm toward my pokemon. "Now Cynder! Flamethrower on the hole!"

My fire pokemon gathered the fire in her mouth and it was only then that Jasmine found out my plan. "No! Steelix-!" before she could get out another word the floor literally exploded.

I ducked with my pokemon as hot sand and earth flew in the air and scattered. I could feel the sting on my skin and I rushed to brush it off as it came on me. Ticky helped with blowing a bit of wind to help cool it off and have the wind brush it away from me, but it was falling too fast for it to help much. I hissed at the pain, but I did my best to remain calm while I watched the field crumbling down on itself and kept most of my pokemon out of the way of the burning sand.

As the dust cleared, I watched as the field also had, it was no longer there, but also a couple hundred feet down. At the bottom sat the body of the steelix in the middle of the burning and damp sand from a few hundred feet down. I gasped and looked around for Cynder, shocked to see that I couldn't see her.

"Cynder!" I called out to my pokemon as I brushed off some more of the dirt that was singeing my skin. "Cynder!"

"Sion!" I whipped my head around to see a head pop out of the soft ground that managed to stay on top of the battle field, or make a large pile before us. She was nearly swimming in it, basking in its warmth before she dug herself down into the hold and popped her head out before me. She was all sooty and dirty with a large grin on her face. I took a quick picture to remember this by in my pokegear and had her come out of the dirt before I hugged her.

"You were amazing girl!" I snuggled into her fur that was surprising not as hot as the sand around us. "You got us a gym badge all on your own! And congrats on that new move we found out about!" Cynder nervously rubbed the side of her head with one of her clawed fingers before she grinned madly and threw me up onto her shoulders, just sitting behind her mane where I could still grab her neck should I need to.

I always wondered this for the longest of time, but would her fire hurt me? I pondered about that for a moment and gently reached to touch the flame of her mane. There was no solid substance there, but it didn't burn, even when I had my hand all the way down to her pores. They all felt warm… I wonder if it's because I'm her trainer or because of her manipulating the flames so it wouldn't hurt me?

"Nice job Gwyn!" Jasmine walked back over to me once she had checked on her steelix and returned it to its pokeball and then I had Cynder let me down. "You fooled us so easily on the field. Your power is amazing, and you discovered some new tricks of your own while throwing ours back in our faces." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver badge in the shape of an octagon with a lighter metal edging. "This is the mineral badge. Its proof that I see you fit to move on to the next gym, you've showed me that you're beyond the point of worth to have this." She placed it in my hands and I closed my fist around it for a moment, basking in the delight that I had another badge. There was only two more to go…

"Although, if you don't mind my saying this, I think we might need to go see Nurse Joy for our pokemon and ourselves after this battle, and I better call in a group to start repairing my gym." My eyes followed hers to the damage that had come about all around us. My eyes widened when I saw the barbequed walls, the burning sand that was starting to cool, the few hundred feet deep hole in the ground throughout the entire battlefield other then right before the trainers' boxes.

"Oops…" I nervously chuckled as I put away my new badge in my case.

Jasmine laughed. "Don't worry; I don't expect you to pay for it. So," she held her arm out for me. "Coming? Before you friends find out what happened here?"

"You bet." I took hold of her arms and with our elbows hooked together, we walked out of the practically destroyed building, without it being totally destroyed, and headed out to the pokemon center.

Witch's Note:

Yahoo! Another chapter done! Oh I can't wait for the next one! We're gonna get another pokemon for Gwyn! Not to mention we're gonna have a bit of a break from gym battles and boy problems (maybe on that one!) and have a little fun with some of our favorite villains in this story! Team Rocket!

So who's ready for some family drama as well since we're going to be having a meeting (eventually) between bad mom and good son? Who wants to see that play out with Rose and Tristan? I know I do! I'm planning it out and have been for the past few months! I'm so excited, as I'm sure you guys are too, so I'll shut up and let you guys bask in this chapter for a little while longer while I work on the next one.

Love you all and please remember to send in Questions for me and the characters to answer and work with! Oh and don't forget Reviews please!

Halloween Witch