Now that I've made it to Snowpoint City: City of Snow. It's time to get my seventh Gym Badge. Apparently there's a boat that leads somewhere, maybe I can use it to get out of here quicker. There's also a yellow, construction truck with a hook near some metal crates. In the heart of it all stood the Gym. The Gym Leader is an Ice Type user, obviously. That being said, I need Fire, Rock, Fighting, or Steel types to have the upper hand. Riolu isn't quite ready yet and I need to do this quickly. So I switch him out with Alakazam in hopes I can win this.
I walk inside the Gym and there stood a girl with black twintails, wearing a white outfit, and her eyes silver (I think), glowing with passion. "I'm here to challenge, Candice!" I yelled. The girl walked towards me and I was a bit nervous being the social anxious type.
"You want to challenge Candice?" she asked.
"Y-yes." I said stuttering a little.
"Sure thing! I was waiting for someone tough! But I should tell you, I'm tough because I know how to focus. Pokemon, fashion, romance...it's all about focus! I'll show you what I mean. Get ready to lose!"
I get my first Pokemon ready being Luxray because I don't know what to really expect. Candice leaps with joy and sends out Sneasel. Luxray uses Spark, but Sneasel slashes us in return. Both Pokemon are still standing strong and attack again and again. It was no use, she's faster than me. But as it turns out, she wasn't very defensive. Candice's next Pokemon is Piloswine so I switch out with Alakazam. With us being faster, we land our first attack being Psychic. Did it land a KO? Yes, it did! We'll be able to win in no time flat!
Candice's next Pokemon is Abomasnow. Alakazam is still battle ready so I keep him in. Suddenly, it begins to hail due to our foe's ability. We can attack first, but this guy has serious defense. The hail deals damage little by little while Abomasnow hits us with Blizzard. Alakazam cannot withstand it so he's knocked out. Since our foe is also a Grass type, I send out Piplup and use Drill Peck. Thankfully the hit was critical so it knocks out Abomasnow.
Finally, she's down to one last Pokemon: Froslass. If we can wrap this up with Hydro Pump then we can hurry it up to Lake Acuity. Piplup takes the shot, it hits, and she's still in. But we can wrap it up with Bubble Beam even though Froslass used Double Team. Bubbles are shot all around hitting the clones and finally the real one. Game, set, match! We won!
"Wow! You're great! You've earned my respect!" Candice applauded.
"Thanks!" I said rather too excited.
"I think your focus and will bowled us over totally. Oh, that's right! I'm supposed to give you this!"
Candice hands me the Icicle Badge. Finally! I can head to Lake Acuity and stop Team Galactic. "Thanks for the Badge, but I have to be somewhere quickly!" I said jogging off. "Take care!" Candice yelled while waving. I race to Lake Acuity without hesitation forgetting to heal my Pokemon. Can I still win? Hopefully, but we'll see when the battle begins. "Here I come Team Galactic!" I yell as I run into Lake Acuity.
"You're not getting away with this, Team Galactic!" Barry yelled.
"Oh? Are you finished already?" Jupiter asked. "You're Pokemon aren't bad, but you're laughably weak. You honestly thought you could save the Pokemon of the lake?"
"That's enough!" I yelled.
The pink haired girl turned my way and smiled. She remembered she brutally beat me, literally. So she doesn't see me or Barry as a threat. The scars still ache, but not as bad as they once did. "Oh? Don't I know you? We met in Eterna City." she said walking closer. "Listen, Team Galactic is going to do something huge for everyone's sake. That's why you should keep out of Team Galactic's way."
"I'm going to do the opposite! Don't you realize that you're gonna end the world where I finally found the cure to this pain?" I asked putting my hand on my heart.
"In the new world, you won't have to worry about such nonsense. Now, if you'll excuse me."
Jupiter leaves to the Veilstone City HQ to further the progress of the creation of the new world. It looks like I'll be heading there next. Barry is kinda lost at what he just witnessed, but then he remembers something.
"Yeah, that's right! I couldn't do anything against Team Galactic!" he groaned.
"I hope you learned your lesson." I said crossing my arms.
"Whatever, but that Pokemon called Uxie. It was suffering."
"Suffering? Probably because Mesprit and Azelf were stolen."
"Yeah. Listen, I'm gonna get tougher, and it's not about winning or losing! That's not good enough! I have to be stronger! It's not enough to just want to be the most powerful Trainer ever."
"I knew that-"
"Let me finish! It takes honest effort, and a determined heart. You have that."
"I do…"
The blonde who I thought was full of pride showed me a side of him I thought I'd never see. He's changed for the better, just what I thought would happen. Thank God! But, didn't Barry say that I have honest effort and a determined heart? Do I? All I can see in myself is a worthless bag of bones just existing because she was born into this world. No one wants to be my friend or wants to give the time of day for me. I've never had a friend call me, come over to see me, invite me to an event, or anything!
"It hurts." I cried. All of these thoughts were like salt on my wounds. If I didn't have a twin brother or a cousin that I'm close to, then I'd be alone. My parents would be there, but I'd have no one to hang with because mom and dad are almost always working. "Why? Why do people ignore me?" I asked choking on my tears. "What am I doing wrong?" My little pal tugged at my pants leg like always to get my attention.
"I think you're the one who's ignoring me." he said looking up to me.
"This isn't about you, Piplup." I said through my tears.
"Oh, it isn't? You're my friend, so as far as I'm concerned it is about me."
I was lost for words. This little penguin, really cares about me? I pull him into my arms and let my tears flow. "Thank you." That was all I could get out at the moment. Piplup was a little confused, but he decided to just go with it.
"Don't forget, you also have Cynthia." he added.
"Right." I said clearing my face of tears. "Now, we have unfinished business to take care of."
We head off to Snowpoint City to take the boat as close as we can get to Veilstone City. The sailor drops us off at a forest that leads close to the city and to the Galactic Headquarters. This is where things will get interesting!