A/N: So, we're coming up on a sort of "halfway" point. Yeah, finally. Nothing too significant about it except that now things with Aqua start to intensify (duh) and we start seeing the other characters a lot more often. (yiss)

(also quick apology for any weird grammar mistakes, I try to reread these for errors as much as possible and there's always something I miss! It's especially embarrassing seeing them in early chapters, which is part of why I'm also going back and revising those.)

Chapter 21: VS. Norman, "A Man in Pursuit of Power!" Part 2: Determination

Matt lumbered into his superior's office, re-tying the Aqua bandanna around his head. On foot, the journey back to the base had taken more than enough time. And sweating. And avoiding cameras. He'd just had his first shower since the operation at Mt. Chimney, and felt fantastic. Unfortunately, being called up by Archie meant that feeling might or might not last. "What's up, boss?"

The man was seated in his chair, as usual. His hands were folded beneath his chin, eyes two dark, calculating slits, lips curved in a barely-noticeable smile. After a few seconds Matt's words seemed to register with him and he sat back, reverting to his normal, carefree self. "I have a question, Matt. Go ahead n' sit down."

With a nod, the large man lowered himself into one of the office's three chairs. As usual, Shelly and Amber were seated on either side of him.

"All of you…" Archie began, "what do ya think of that brat?"

The admins immediately exchanged glances. Amber was the first to speak up. "She must be eliminated, sir. I tried to do this in Slateport, before she could get any more obtrusive…"

The Aqua Leader's eyes flashed at his subordinate and the smaller man quickly sunk back. He already knew what Amber thought. His concerns lied primarily with Matt and Shelly.

"Erm…" Matt leaned to his side in the chair, fiddling with the towel hanging around his bare neck. "Ta be honest, I didn't really care at first, Boss. But after she ruined our plans at Chimney, I 'on't see why you ain't seething. She really ruined it for us back there."

Archie crossed his arms and he looked out the window at the ocean, face unreadable. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he chuckled. "Chimney is nothing if our intel about the Weather Institute is true, Matt. But that kid is still pretty damn strong." He turned back to his desk, face contorting, and began tapping on the mahogany repeatedly with one large finger. "It's just our luck. We get one off our back and gain another. Magma doesn't have to deal with shit like this – but then again, they've been working behind the scenes like the rats they are."

"I have yet to encounter the girl," Shelly began, catching the attention of her colleagues, "but I can tell you now, sir, that should she appear during our operations at the Weather Institute, I'll be more than happy to put her down for your sake. My plans are already in the stage of perfecting. All we need to do now is get the team together and make for Route 119."

Archie nodded warmly at the woman's words of reassurance. "Great. But I have better news – news that'll hopefully let us get rid of that problem for good before your task force takes a step outside the base." He placed one hand on the black telephone sitting on his desk and grinned. "I just had a talk with that asshole, Maxie."

All three of the admins gasped. "What is he-"

"Long story short, we had some… 'Magma-Aqua negotiations'. And…" Archie cast a quick look at the clock. "Littleroot Town."

Amber and Matt gave their boss questioning looks, while Shelly simply sobered and crossed her arms.

"How were they able to find that out?" questioned the woman, more to herself than to her boss.

The Aqua Leader shrugged and crossed his arms on the table, which was still covered in papers. "Like hell if I know. Creeps me out. But I got an idea, Shelly, and I'm gonna let you handle it."

It was a shame it'd come to this, the man thought – he wished no one was screwing up his plans anymore so he wouldn't have to keep going out of his way and wasting his admin's time. But he was done underestimating problems. And Maxie had convinced him that this was one not to be ignored. The man assumed his adversary's words had been a desperate attempt to get Aqua to stay out of his way in whatever that operation he mentioned in Mossdeep would be. But either way, he'd considered them and agreed. At the rate they were going, it couldn't be much longer than a month – at the most, two – for their plan to be complete, so whatever Magma was planning in the islands, it didn't concern Archie. The trainer, though – this was a problem that couldn't be left unchecked. If simple words and threats couldn't stop this bratty teenager, then something that hit home definitely would.

Letting out a satisfied puff of air, Archie folded his hands back up and started to give Shelly the details of her mission.

The Gym advisor, still in at his post, gave me a thumbs up as I moved through the first doorway. I wasn't just confident this time. I was aware, and I was ready. Being well-rested probably had something to do with this new feeling of certainty, since I hadn't spent the last six hours training in the rain like the previous night – a mistake I wouldn't make again.

The final door creaked as I opened it. Combusken was walking at my side, unusually mellow. As I entered the arena room, I noticed a few workers, along with two Vigoroths, fixing the wall where Aron had destroyed it, and they flinched as I strode past them. Vigoroth… That's related to Slaking and Slakoth too, isn't it? I should be on guard…

"Welcome back, May." The sturdy voice of my father emerged from the other side of the arena. He'd been sitting and talking to someone in the sidelines – was that… Birch?!

"Hiya, May!" the professor waved with a big grin. "Norman caught me while I wasn't doing field research. And guess who else was in town!"

With his usual enthusiasm, Birch gestured to the bleachers where Brendan was sitting, grinning and waving. "Give 'em hell, May!"

If I were older, I'd probably have grown at least four gray hairs in that moment. At least he missed the first match.

My father turned to me. I could tell he was already sizing me up, judging me, trying to read me… "So, then, a rematch?"

I nodded, taking my place at the challenger's half of the stadium. Already, there was a wave of tension flooding the room. Stand tall, May! You can do this!

Combusken took its place in front of me and readied its battle stance. My father threw out his Pokeball, releasing the same Pokemon he'd used in our first fight; Slaking.

"Very well," his voice echoed through the room. "Show me your true fighting spirit, May! Give me a good battle!"

I met his gaze; those eyes were the same ones that told me those words so many years ago: "You're a child, May! You're foolish and impulsive, and you're not ready for that kind of responsibility!" A fire exploded to life inside me, burning off of the embarrassment and anger I'd felt during that time; being lectured in front of a friend and their family, being told I wasn't ready when I was at the average Pokemon training age, even the despair of losing that Gyarados on that day… and losing in front of Wally. All of it fueled my desire to win.

I wasn't sure if my father saw this in me or not, but whatever the case was, he gave me the first attack, once again.

"Combusken!" I yelled. "Attack!"

And my plan began. Combusken charged at Slaking, just like the previous night, at full speed. My father ordered Slaking to use Yawn, and it opened up its maw, readying the move just as Combusken leaped up and readied Double Kick…

"Now, use Dig!"

The Fire-type switched directions midair. It drilled into the sand beneath it, and, though Ground-type moves were not necessarily Combusken's specialty, it managed to avoid Slaking's Yawn attack.

Which means, I thought with a smile, Slaking will be resting for two turns.

As soon as Slaking began… slacking, Combusken reemerged directly behind it and attacked. I'd told it earlier that it needed to have quick reaction time, and it seemed to understand, because right as I ordered its next attack – Double Kick – the obedient Pokemon jumped into action. Dozens of times, Slaking was pelted, and it couldn't do anything about it due to that ability. I had Combusken continue its attack until the Normal-type finally roused and was ready to attack again.

"Get back! Combus-"

"Façade, Slaking!" My father yelled with intensity.

I flinched as Slaking rammed into Combusken at close-range, but had faith in the little Fire-type, for it was also a Fighting-type. Sure enough, my Pokemon turned in midair and landed back on its feet. As expected of Slaking, the attack did a great number on Combusken. But he's not out yet, I thought, which means…

"Get in close range, and hit it with an Ember, Combusken!" I ordered.

"Bus-ken!" The Pokemon understood clearly and put in a great effort to sprinting towards Slaking again, using all of the time given to us by its laziness. Bright red orbs of fire formed at the Pokemon's beak, and, with a squawk, Combusken released its attack. The firepower was amplified by Blaze – I'd only recently come to realize the true power of a Pokemon's ability. And not to mention Truant – that's his weakness. Slaking cried out in pain, but just wasn't heated up enough to strike back, giving me another chance to attack. With a great yell from me, and a great squawk from Combusken, Slaking was showered in a flurry of kicks and flames.

When the Fire-type finally cooled down and paused in its onslaught, Slaking, with one great yawn, rolled over onto its back.

My eyebrows shot up. Does that mean its out? I looked at my father; his jaw tightened, but sure enough, he took out the Pokeball and returned Slaking.

I fought back a huge whoop at my victory instead crossed my arms. Combusken, on the other hand, came parading up to me, collapsing just as it reached the edge of the sandpit. Letting out a small laugh, I called Combusken back to its ball, even though it still had some energy. "Take a rest, for now, you stupid bird."

Silently, my father called out his next Pokemon. I had been right when I'd seen the one fixing the wall – it was a Vigoroth. I flipped open the Pokedex:

"Vigoroth, the Wild Monkey Pokemon. Vigoroth is simply incapable of remaining still. Even when it tries to sleep, the blood in its veins grows agitated, compelling this Pokemon to run wild throughout the jungle before it can settle down."

On the sidelines, Professor Birch lit up and nudged the people next to him. "You see that?! That's my Pokedex, ahahaha!"

It's hyperactive like that, huh…? I thought, eyeing the creature. So, if I can slow it down or keep it still, it might be at a disadvantage. The edge of my lips just barely curved up, and I tossed out a Pokeball – one I hadn't had on hand for a while. In a burst of light, a small, angular silhouette of a Pokemon materialized in front of me: Sableye. Birch started nodding on the sidelines; I'd taken it out of storage just this morning after a short conversation with him on the phone.

My father set his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes before taking the first move. "Vigoroth, use Slash!"

The simian Pokemon zipped forward at a much greater speed than Slaking. It was a blur of white – the fact that this thing was even remotely related to Slaking and Slakoth was amazing. One of its huge claws began glowing in preparation for an attack; however, I was expecting a physical fight.

"Dodge, Sableye!" I exclaimed. Sableye darted to the side just as Vigoroth closed in on it, as though it were a bull, and snickered as its opponent's attack sunk into the ground. "Now, use Flash!"

The Pokemon sobered, and its eyes began glowing in the same fashion they had back in Granite Cave. Vigoroth spun around and targeted its prey again, and, despite my father calling desperately for it to look away or close its eyes, fell victim to the attack.

"Roth! G-graaah!" the Pokemon cried. Its claws flew up to its face and began rubbing relentlessly at its eyes, which were now clamped closed. "Vigoroooth!"

Sableye then began raking its claws down the Pokemon's exposed belly in a nasty Fury Swipes attack, causing it to yelp in pain once more. This went on for some time, until Vigoroth began flailing helplessly and I was forced to pull back.

"Vigoroth!" the man shouted, voice as sharp and piercing as an arrow. The Pokemon was cut out of its daze and snorted. "Don't let it escape you! Use Encore!"

Encore? I gasped. What's…?

Vigoroth began glowing, until its entire coat of fur was a shimmering white.

"Stay on guard, Sableye!" I warned.

Suddenly, the glowing around Vigoroth amassed into one single disc of energy, which flew right at my Pokemon and dissolved around it.

But Sableye certainly didn't look injured.

I frowned. What was that? Did it poison Sableye? Will it put it to sleep?

Sableye tottered and fell into the sand. Or, is it confused? …Well, I don't have time to just predict! "Hit it with another Flash!"

The Pokemon seemed to receive my words, at least, and got back to its feet, but instead of charging up the specified attack, Sableye ran towards Vigoroth at full speed. It pulled back one arm, and its claws began to shine, almost like it was using… Fury Swipes?

"Wait, Sableye!" I shouted. "F-Flash, not Fury Swipes! Sableye!"

It was useless. The Pokemon closed in on Vigoroth, and, almost like the energetic Normal-type was mimicking my previous moves, it swerved out of Sableye's way.

"Stop, Sableye!" I called, and did so for the next full minute; not matter what I said or did, however, the Pokemon continued slashing relentlessly, and Vigoroth kept dodging. Its claws zipped through the air with each strike, making an unnerving whipping noise. My father was definitely showing off his Pokemon's acrobatic abilities. So then, Encore must have… made Sableye only able to use Fury Swipes…?!

"Eye! Sableye!" My Pokemon lunged at Vigoroth two more times, still unsuccessful. What do I do, what do I do…? My fingers closed around Sableye's Pokeball. If I leave it in the battle, then it'll get too exhausted… But… Maybe, Combusken could finish it off…?

I was practically swimming in doubt as I called back the hypnotized Pokemon. Vigoroth immediately began jumping in place and pacing as though waiting restlessly for its opponent to return. I gave an uneasy look at Combusken's Pokeball in my left hand, hoping it would be able to take on the Pokemon in its condition, and called it out.

"Vigoroth, use Slash!" My father began as soon as Combusken emerged from its ball.

"I know you're tired, Combusken, but please hang in there!"

The Pokemon's little yellow head turned towards me and nodded.

"Dig!"

Vigoroth's Slash slammed into the sand once again, sending it spraying everywhere, and it cried out in frustration. I'd barely given the command in time. But I still had no plan, and the Fire-type only had a limited amount of time underground before it had to resurface again. To make matters worse, resurfacing Dig left it momentarily vulnerable; my father would definitely pick up on this.

It seemed to be a race against time until I remembered the Pokedex entry:

"Vigoroth is simply incapable of remaining still."

"Still…" I murmured to myself. "Still… Still! Combusken! Resurface underneath Vigoroth!"

My father seemed to lose more of his cool as the ground beneath his Pokemon began to sink. He called for it to move out of the way, but Vigoroth was distracted by the sand and began digging into it with Slash attacks as though hunting its prey.

I smiled.

With one tremendous hit from Vigoroth, and Combusken's own Dig move, the substance rapidly engulfed the panicking Vigoroth until its head was the only thing above ground. Combusken then popped up a little ways away and shook its feathers free of the sand, cooing in irritation.

"Roth! Vigoroth!" the Normal-type cried. It struggled, but was unable to properly pull itself out alone. Combusken, without orders, let out another wild Ember attack, scorching the Pokemon's head and causing it to faint from exhaustion.

"What…" my father's mouth hung open as he recalled his Pokemon. "Oh, I see… The Flash attack…"

Huh? Flash? I thought. W-wait… did it… keep Vigoroth dizzy enough so that it couldn't react properly to Dig?

My father sent out another Slaking, but I barely noticed, too busy gloating over my own ingenuity. That was great! For improvising, I mean! I set my gaze on my father's last Pokemon and went to work once again. Time to finish this. Combusken is weakened… Sableye should be recovered, but it isn't strong enough to take down Slaking alone… The battle may come down to Mightyena's strength, then… I cringed as I remembered the previous fight, and how the poor Dark-type had gotten knocked out in a single hit. If only I had…

"Aron! Ron!"

I blinked and twirled around towards the doors; a tiny, white hunk of metal was bouncing through them. "A-Aron? What…"

The Pokemon continued barking furiously as a gym trainer ran in the same door, looking flustered. "N-Norman, sir, this Pokemon just ran in, we don't know… how it…"

My father's eyes narrowed. "I won't go any easier on you, May, even if you do choose to use an injured Pokemon. What is your choice? Will you listen to your partner's determination?"

I stared down at the Steel-type. The crack on the top of its skull was very distinct, and if Slaking hit that same weak spot a single time, it would surely cause irreparable damage to the poor thing. On the other hand, Aron was trembling with anticipation, and it was impossible to tell its big, confident blue eyes 'no'…

"Aron," my voice was stern, "get out there."

"Aron!" The Pokemon cheered happily and dove into the sandpit.

I took a deep, shaky breath. This wasn't part of my plan, and there was no telling what could happen. I'd have to wing it. Mightyena was now no longer a choice, either, as I saw the empty Pokeball symbol on the small display to the right of the arena disappear and an Aron icon take its place. But the courageous Steel-type was one of my strongest Pokemon, so I stood aside it and had faith.

"Slaking!" the powerful voice of my father boomed across the room once more, "Slack Off!"

I gaped as the enormous Pokemon lay down on its back as though it were about to fall asleep. What kind of attack is that? Whatever it is, there's probably some hidden potential… My eyes moved down to Aron. But, if that was its move, then that means I have a window of opportunity, now! "Aron! Metal Claw! Hit it with your all!"

The puny thing charged forward and readied the attack it had used so many times that it could be called a signature move. Things were looking up as it tumbled towards Slaking, as its claw came down on Slaking and cut through it… as Slaking… vanished?

My Pokemon and I were equally surprised as the Metal Claw chopped through nothing but air.

"Faint Attack!"

Slaking suddenly appeared behind Aron. Its face held that familiar, scrunched look of rage, and Aron squeaked in terror as it was smacked all the way back to my side of the battlefield.

"Aron! Are you okay?!" I stepped forward, and stopped myself. No! May! Focus!

The tiny Pokemon pulled itself back up after a few seconds. "R-ron…"

Just then, a gasp escaped my lips. What… The tiny spike on Aron's back was… glowing? Is this… My heart beated faster and faster. Evolution?!

Step by step, Aron advanced, back still shining. Slaking, having just attacked, slumped back down to the ground and shut its eyes as its ability came into effect. My heart beat faster still as I watched Aron pick up speed until it was running towards Slaking. If it was evolving, it wouldn't be moving, would it? Then is this… I gasped. A new attack?!

Aron was now charging forward, calling out as if it were still in pain from Slaking's Faint Attack, and once close enough, took one tremendous jump into the air. Then, still without any command from me, it spun around and brought the glowing spike – no, I realized then, it wasn't glowing anymore; it was instead a reflective, dark gray – slamming down into Slaking's exposed gut. In turn, the enemy Pokemon's eyes flew open and it sat up with a yelp of pain, clutching at its stomach. Aron maneuvered backwards and landed on its feet a safe distance from Slaking. The Normal-type shivered violently, once, before crashing to the ground like a fallen oak tree and lying there, unmoving.

For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence.

"Is it… over?" I heard someone from the sidelines mutter – was it Brendan?

The room was dead still for a good thirty seconds more, before my father drew out a Pokeball and called Slaking back. The referee, in turn, held up both arms: "Gym Leader Norman is out of usable Pokemon! May of Littleroot Town is victorious!"

I lit up and fell to my knees to have my usual reunion with my team. Aron ran back over to me, barking happily, and Combusken popped out from its ball, too, nearly tackling me in the middle of the battlefield, and I went along with it until I felt my father's cold gaze boring down on me.

"I… I can't believe this…" he muttered to himself. "May… defeated me…?"

He then began descending into the sand pit.

I sobered and got to my feet. "Dad..."

My father eased his expression, to the point where there was actually a small smile on his face. "Don't bother. Just take these."

Two objects. The badge, and a TM. As usual. I swallowed so as to keep myself from jumping in joy, and took both items, flipping the badge around in my hand. It was shiny and white – a neutral color, just like the typing of the gym.

He crossed his arms again and scoffed. "Well, you earned it, May. What can I say? Rules are rules. That's the Balance Badge."

The… Balance Badge, I repeated in my head, going into a trance for a minute. "Thank you."

He nodded. "Officially, it raises your Pokemon team's Defense, and also lets you use the HM for Surf outside of battles." A hand was then placed on my arm, and I looked up. "But it's also a gift. I can tell you've worked hard, and as both a Gym Leader and as your father, I'm telling you that your power and aptitude in battling earned you that badge. And the TM is Façade; the move I used against you, during both battles." He paused, turning to the side and gazing up at the scoreboard before continuing; "I knew you weren't prepared on your first battle, May. Don't push yourself too hard, or you'll suffer the consequences. That's the lesson of this gym match."

I nodded, still feeling a little humiliated. "Yes. I understand."

"…Nonetheless, you still learned from your mistakes and outsmarted me in our second battle. That's impressive, May. Façade's power increases when the target has a status condition, such as Paralysis or Burn. I'm trusting that you'll learn to unlock its true potential."

I clutched the TM tightly in my hand. "I will."

He let out an easy chuckle and glanced over to the other side of the arena, where Professor Birch was chatting with a few of the other trainers. "I'm sure the feeling of defeating your father in battle is much different from the feeling of having your daughter defeat you in battle, May. I'm disappointed in my abilities, but I'm also proud of you."

I blinked. "I… Thanks, Dad. For letting me get a Pokemon, I mean. It's been unforgettable, and fun – oh, and, er, very humbling, too."

Suddenly, one of the gym's doors opened yet again, and in marched a familiar man. His gaze met mine and he seemed relieved, all of the sudden. I tried to recall where I'd seen him before… a trainer? No… this was… Oh! That's Wally's father!

"May!" he exclaimed, rushing up to me. "I heard you were in town! Oh- I'm sorry, Norman. Could I borrow your daughter here for a minute? I… I'd just like to discuss something with her, and… and I have a gift, too."

He seemed awfully shy about it. My father waved it off. "Go ahead, its okay. I hope Wally is healthy. I had an excellent gym battle against him the other day."

The man bowed. "Thank you. Please, May, come next door with me for a minute."

Before I knew it, I was in Wally's old house. His mother smiled at me as I entered.

"Again, I- we're – just so sorry for interrupting your battle, May, it's just…"

Wally's father began laughing, wiping a tear from his eye. "Wally… Wally is in such good health now, compared to before. He's in town – I don't know if you've seen him yet – but it's amazing, honestly."

"I just talked to him yesterday. He really has gotten a lot more confident," I replied, shifting my feet.

"Oh, and he mentioned you so much, May. I don't know if you've realized this yet, but you've become quite the role model for him. He told me he's excited to watch your 'conquest' of the gyms." The couple shared an easy chuckle.

I blushed. Conquest? "Well, I impress someone, at least!"

The man went on. "Anyways, Verdanturf's clear air has certainly helped with his health, but I think happiness has too, May. You helping him catch that Pokemon of his a while back, and then visiting him and calling him – he's been staying positive lately, and just enjoys being around Pokemon so much, and our whole family would just like to thank you for being a good friend to him."

"Yes, Wally's always had such trouble with making friends. It's so good to see him this happy," added Wally's mother.

I was speechless. I could see where the man was coming from, but this was just plain reverence. "O-oh, you're exaggerating," I muttered with a giggle, rubbing the back of my neck. "It's just what anyone else would do…!"

"Anyways, since you just got the Balance Badge, we decided we wanted to give you this." His wife walked up holding what I recognized as a TM. I hesitated, but they encouraged me to accept it and after a second I did. It shone a soft, bright blue in the light. A Water-type move, no doubt.

"That's the HM for Surf," said Wally's mother. "It'll help you travel, and get to other Hoenn cities to battle gyms. If you didn't realize this already, a good portion of our region's in the ocean!"

I thanked them countless times, shocked at the amazing gift I'd received, and then, thinking of the boy, decided to go look for him – and maybe brag about the battle.

A/N: Plot twist warning next chapter. Nothing is ever easy for poor May.

Also, a question for readers! Like I said, Wally and Brendan are here despite only showing up in ORAS. They really upped the characterization in the remakes so I thought I'd include that anyway. Considering the recent reviews I've got, I was thinking about adding the scene with Latios/Latias, but I'm iffy about it since, again, it wasn't in the originals. Obviously May wouldn't be getting a Key/Mega stone and Latias wouldn't just (immediately) join her main team, and I think it'd be weird since now that ORAS is out Matt's character is very off, but what do you guys think?

If you'd like to see it included, or you think I should stick to the original plot, say so. It'd just be cute filler but I think it'd be fun to write. Thanks for reading!