Hey everyone! Yes, I know, scary. Two updates in one day. I told you I was determined to get rid of writer's block, and I meant it. So, without me blathering on any further, Chapter 25; Battle for the Badge!

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Alexa's POV

"Wake up! Come on, don't make me actually come in there and get you!"

"You're lively for someone who just got poisoned..."

"This is serious, you've got to wake up!"

"What the hell is so important that it has to wake me up at eight in the morning...?"

"Alexa, your gym battle's supposed to start in fifteen minutes!"

"What!? Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" Oh no, I was going to be late for my battle with Roxanne! I ended up scrambling to pack all of my stuff and get my clothes on before I raced out of the door, running right past Greg and to the counter, "Nurse Joy! Are my pokémon good enough to battle?"

"Well, your Kirlia is still recovering from his burns from yesterday..." Oh no, was she serious? I couldn't battle Roxanne... "But, your Treecko and Houndour are in top shape, so they should do just-"

"Thanks!" I didn't bother sticking around to hear what Nurse Joy was going to say and took my pokéballs, racing out the door and onto the city streets. Of course, it was only then I realized...

I had absolutely no idea where Rustboro Gym was.

"Alexa! Damn girl, you run fast," Greg ran up behind me, breathing hard before he straightened out, "What's the matter? I thought we were heading to the gym!"

"I... Don't know where the gym is," Aw man, of all people I had to admit this to him. What made things worse was that he started laughing at me for it!

"Come on, I'll show you. It hasn't been that long since I battled Roxanne..."

After what seemed like ages, we had walked around and ended up right back up at the front of the Pokémon Center.

"Remind me never to trust you for directions again."

"Okay, it has been a while. We'll get there in time for your battle!"

"I'm already late because of you!"

"Excuse me, it's your fault for sleeping in so late!"

"You said you were going to help me! All you've been doing is getting in the way, you conceited-"

"Pardon my intrusion, but are you two lost?"

I blinked and looked at the guy who had butted into the fight, stopping to get a good look at him. He was... Oh god, Dad would kill me for having thoughts like this, but he was hot. There was something strangely familiar about him though... Tall guy, probably about eighteen or so, silvery hair, a deep voice... It was the voice that got to me, where had I heard it before...

"No, we're doing just-"

"Yes, we're lost and we need some help! Can you tell us where Rustboro Gym is?" Immediately I clamped a hand over Greg's mouth, hearing him protest through this. Had to laugh over him to cover up whatever the hell he was saying, he was ruining my chances!

The guy just smiled and pointed over to our right, and when I looked...

"Uhm, wow, I feel stupid. Thanks a lot mister-"

"Steven. Steven Stone. It's nice to meet you, uhm... May I please have your names as well?" Oh screw where I heard this guy before, he was just so...

"Thanks, Steven, we've gotta be going now! Bye!" Greg had started dragging me away from the total heart-throb... Hottie... Dream Boat... Is there any description I can use that won't get me in trouble with Dad? Probably not.

"What the hell were you doing back there? You were drooling all over that guy worse than you usually do over food!"

"Shut up! I was just asking him where the gym was!"

"Sure, sure, and Snuggles can fly."

As if on cue Snuggles hopped out of his pokéball and landed on Greg's face, hugging him while Greg yelped and began trying to pry the pokémon off. Hah! Served him right...

Oh right! "Come on, we've gotta get into the gym!" I dragged Greg with me through the big doors of the Rustboro Gym and towards the platform, a teenager with long, brown pigtails blinking at us as we ran in, "S-sorry I'm late! I really want to battle you, Roxanne!"

"Ah, you're not late. You're just in time, challenger," Roxanne smiled at us as she went to the far end of the platform, me taking my place at the side closest to me as I heard the referee begin to talk.

"This will be a two on two pokémon battle! Our Gym Leader, Roxanne, will be facing the Challenger... Uhm..."

"Alexa, from Littleroot Town!" Geez, this was insulting. The guy didn't even know my name...

"Right. Alexa, from Littleroot Town. Only the challenger can substitute pokémon during the match, and whoever has the last pokémon standing will be the decided victor! Pokémon can be disqualified from the battle either when they are incapable of battling any further or if they are thrown out of the arena's boundry lines! As the challenger, Alexa will pick her pokémon first!"

"All right!" This was it. I was really going into my very first gym battle! I could feel the blood rushing hot through me as I enlarged a pokéball from my belt, throwing it into the air and calling out the name of my first pokémon, "Go, Houndour!"

In a flash I could see Houndour landing on the ground, seeming a little disoriented as I caught the pokéball again. This wasn't training anymore though, and that meant we had to battle at our best if we wanted to stand a chance against Roxanne...

"Well, that's interesting. A fire type being used in a rock type gym. That pokémon had better be strong if you want to stand a chance against me, rookie," Roxanne smirked as she enlarged a pokéball of her own, throwing it into the air and calling out the name of her pokémon as well, "Geodude, come on out!"

Bright light surrounded the other pokémon before it shook it off, flexing its muscles at us and growling its own name. I didn't even know that rock type pokémon could flex their own muscles, it was almost creepy how real it looked.

"Let the battle begin!"

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Houndour's POV

I had just been released from my pokéball, and moments later a Geodude was released before me. This scenario was familiar, and unlike the several battles I faced before I was almost looking forward to this. This wasn't a battle of life and death, nor was it a battle of vengeance. No... This was a test of strength, stamina, speed, endurance...

A gym battle.

"Let the battle begin!"

"Houndour, use Howl!"

Howl. That was a familiar move. I could feel my fur bristling when I tilted my head back up and roared as loudly as I could, strength and adrenaline pouring through me while I did so. This wasn't at all like the battles former master and Sister forced me into. No... I felt alive, and powerful, like I never had before. I had a feeling that I would enjoy this battle...

"Geodude, Defence Curl! Then Rollout!"

The other human's voice rung through my Howl, the boulder-like pokémon obeying her command by rolling into a ball and staying still for a mere moment. Then, it started rolling swiftly towards me, I knew this attack too well. I had to dodge all five attacks if I wanted to make it through...

My trainer, my new master, had said something but I didn't pay attention. Getting out of the way seemed more important at the moment, but the other pokémon was really, really fast. In fact, I wasn't able to dodge the second bout and yelped when I was hit. Even if it was only the second of five runs, it was painful...

"Houndour! Listen to me! Use Ember to slow down Geodude!"

I blinked at my trainer, right before jumping to dodge the next attack. Ember, it wouldn't be strong enough to stop Rollout, especially not now...

But I knew an attack that could.

It took a second, and the attack almost didn't make it in time to stave off the blow. However, I managed to build enough energy to attack the Geodude with a flamethrower, causing its rolling to slow down until it came to a stop in front of me.

Unfortunately, it seemed like the other pokémon had been prepared for this.

Its granite hands grabbed my sides and slammed me into the ground, and did that ever hurt. I yelped when I was slammed onto my back, but not because of pain alone. It brought up a memory...

"Get up, little brother! Get up and fight me! You won't survive without me if you can't stand on your own!"

"But... Sister..."

"Quit whining! We'll never survive without mother and father if you don't get up and fight! And stop calling me sister, I have a name you know!"

"I'm sorry, sis-"

"Use my name! You can't rely on me anymore if you wish to survive! Don't be pathetic and cowardly or you'll end up dead!"

I stared up at my sister's eyes, so full of fury and rage. And yet, I could see what she was trying to do. She was helping me stand, to become strong. She wanted nothing more than for me to be able to live on my own, back then... Before...

Before...

Geodude's rocky fist collided with the side of my face then, snapping me out of my thoughts and bringing me back to the battle before me. What was I...?

"Houndour, snap out of it! Use Smog!"

Oh, I was still in battle. Right. I forced the poisonous gas to surge from my mouth and I took cover in it, now relying on my nose to find the other pokémon in all of the smoke. It wasn't hard, identifying Geodude in the cloud of my attack, but I had a rather nasty surprise coming to me; the moment I got in front of Geodude, I could hear the other human trainer giving Geodude an order for an attack I knew I could not dodge or defend against.

"Geodude, use Self-Destruct!"

It was without warning that the other pokémon began to shine brilliantly, the massive burst of sheer power hitting me right in the front and sending me tumbling off of the platform and onto the ground. Everything hurt, but I had to get up and fight. I had to...

"Geodude is no longer able to battle! Houndour has been knocked out of the arena! Double-knock out!"

What did that mean? I jumped back onto the platform, but just as I landed I heard my trainer speaking to me again, "Houndour, it's okay. You've done great, but you can't battle anymore right now. Take a rest, okay?"

I didn't even get a chance to ask why before I was sucked back into my pokéball, the familiar surroundings of my home forming in front of me. I didn't get it. I was weak, but I could still fight, couldn't I?

Maybe... I couldn't. Like my sister and my former master before her, my new master deemed me too weak to fight anymore. I was useless... I was unnecessary. The thought made my stomach turn over a couple of times before, once again, a memory of my past decided to present itself to me.

"Look, you're still just a pup. But I want you to grow up big and strong so that someday, when I'm not there to look out for you anymore, you can do it for yourself okay? I want you to be able to beat me someday!" Sister's teeth were bared at me when she said that, right before her smile turned gentle and compassionate towards me, "But, until then, I'll be here to take care of you. Promise me that, until you're ready, you'll never leave my side."

"I promise, Sister... I mean... I promise, Acadia. I will not leave until I am ready to face and defeat you."

"You'd better not. I'll be really mad at you if you do!"

Sister... I'm sorry for not keeping my promise to you...

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Alexa's POV

"Well, it looks like I have no choice now," I couldn't help but sigh when I returned Houndour to his pokéball. Can you really blame me? My most reliable pokémon had just been knocked out, and my strongest was currently resting in the pokémon center. That only left one choice...

"What are you waiting for, rookie? Send out your next pokémon to battle, unless you're forfeiting right now!"

"As if!" I immediately spat back at Roxanne when she said that, feeling a bit of anger boiling up at the comment. I wouldn't ever give up, not even if it took me a hundred battles against her! I would win that badge!

"We don't have all day, Alexa! Hurry up and release him!"

"I know already, shut up!" Greg really wasn't helping, but right now... As reluctant as I was, I really had no other choice. Please, let him listen to me just this once...

"It's time to fight, Jack! Come on out!"

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Too bad, I'm ending it there! I'm just glad to have my writing spark back personally, and I have to have somewhere to start off on for the next chapter right? Right. So, read, review, and stay tuned for the upcoming and highly anticipated chapter 26!