Wait, what!?
I immediately turned to Hilda who, to my knowledge, was surprised as well, because the outline of her mouth was agape.
"I told you to not sign me up!" I loudly exclaimed at her.
"Don't look at me, I did as you told me to!" She defended herself before I turned back to the podium.
"Radko Rieger! Come to the stage, we have no time to lose!" Chili said out loud, his two other chefs standing next to him. Somehow, it felt like he was louder than Cilan even with the help of the speakers. I looked back at Hilda who had the look of defeat before releasing a sigh.
"Just go, I guess. Not like anybody is forcing you to win it anyway," She argued, and as much as I wanted to protest, Diana would probably be thrilled at the idea of challenging the gym.
A sudden jolt of movement in my pocket interrupted my thoughts, and I tentatively went inside to dig out Diana's pokéball. It almost felt like it was shaking in anticipation.
"I guess she can hear us through that," I contemplated before releasing a sigh.
"Fine, but don't expect any miracles from me," I relented, making Hilda adorn a small smile.
"Well, good luck then. Don't hold back, Diana would be mad if you did," She encouraged.
I nodded before standing up from the table and aimed for the podium. The chefs spotted me, and soon, a single spotlight started to beat down at me with its light, making me shield my eyes with my bandaged arm.
"Glad to have you here, Radko," Cress said professionally once I got up on the podium, "Now, can I ask which and how many Pokémon you have?"
"I only have one," I said before showing off the pokéball that was already in my hand, "It's a Deino."
The three chefs stared at me for a solid second before Cilan broke the silence.
"Well, that is, um, quite the starter," He said, eyes still slightly wide, "I think I never had seen a Deino being the first Pokémon for a trainer, but… well, it's an odd choice to be sure."
Somehow, the way he said it didn't leave me with good thoughts. I stared warily at him for a fraction of a second before Chili, being the hyperactive one, pointed a finger at me.
"Well, that means Cress will be the one to challenge you then!" He said, before attaching a small microphone to my coat, "This way everyone can hear you command your Pokémon."
"Wait, I didn't sign up for a show!" I argued, but the chefs gave me a flat look. All three of them.
"And what do you expect the trainers here to do when they are waiting for their turn?" Cress asked pointedly, "Not only can they use the entertainment, but also the time to strategize."
That made way too much sense.
"But then how does that make it fair for me!?" I complained but Chili gave me a toothy grin.
"Because you get to witness this first hand!" He shouted before pushing a button on a remote he suddenly acquired. Mechanical sounds of pistons slowly extending filled my ears before the sudden tremor shook the podium, making me almost lose my footing.
The whole place seemed to be shaking if that chandelier at the top wasn't any indication while a few sudden yelps echoed in the room. The three chefs were perfectly still however, completely unfazed that the restaurant seemed to be reforming.
That was then I realized that the podium was ascending very slowly before it split into two. They slowly separated, revealing under it a similarly-looking dirt field that was much larger than the ones on Route 2.
Slowly but surely, under the sound of shaking ground and mechanical screeching, the podium revealed the field, disappearing under it, much to my surprise, and the crowd's excitement.
Oh yeah, the crowd.
All of the tables were rearranged so that everyone had a view of the whole field, no matter where they were. I was even able to spot Hilda among them as she pumped her fists once my gaze met hers.
I turned back to the three chefs before Cilan guided me to my side of the field while Cress took the other. I stared at the gym leader, anxiety clawing at me mercilessly. The only comfort I had was the weight of Diana's pokéball.
"This will be a match between Radko and Cress with a single Pokémon. The first to faint loses the battle and match!" Chill shouted into a microphone he acquired before turning to me with another grin, "Show them something to remember, hotshot!"
...I had so many problems with him calling me that.
"Let's make this a memorable first battle for you, Sir Radko," Cress's voice boomed at the now reformed stadium thanks to the mini mic strapped to his suit while bowing slightly. "But don't make the mistake of thinking the first gym will go easy on you."
He brought a pokéball from his pocket, the regular red and white sphere before throwing it into the air. With a flash of white light, a cute-looking white polar bear cub appeared on the field, sitting on the ground with the biggest snout I had ever seen in my life.
"My Cubchoo is going to be your opponent. Now, show us what you can do," Cress said, but I was ignoring him because the name of that cub just threw me completely off-guard.
"Its name is Cubchoo?! Why is it so cute!?" I thought, "God, I swear these names will eventually kill me from sugar overdose."
I shook my head from these more than childish thoughts, before letting Diana out her pokéball. She roared a challenging "Deino!" in the Cubchoo's direction, and the cub's eyes started to water of all things. It sniffed, trying to pull that giant snout up into his small frame.
"Now now, Flakes, you know you are stronger than that," Cress reassured and although the cub's eyes stopped watering, the snout didn't disappear.
"Choo…" Cubchoo said nervously while turning to his trainer, and Cress gave him a small smile. The cub began to ease before turning to us and stood up. He, or at least I thought it was a he, adorned an expression that told me he was ready to fight.
"Alright! Let the battle begin!" Chili yelled out while the crowd shouted in agreement, making me feel even more self-conscious. God, was my father always feeling like this whenever he was on stage?
"Purloin got your tongue, Radko?" Cress asked smugly, "Well if you aren't going to make the first move then I will. Flakes! Powder Snow!"
The Cubchoo suddenly adorned a determined expression and snow particles started to envelop the cub before sending them Diana's way. I immediately snapped out of my trance, somehow adrenaline pumping through my body already.
"Diana! Use your Dragon Breath right in front of you!" I shouted, almost out of instinct while my voice boomed through the speakers. Diana readied her flames, before launching a stream of purple fire, ready to intercept the snow.
The attacks clashed, causing a small explosion to hinder our visibility, but then a small plan formed in my head. However, I had a small problem, being the mic strapped to my coat would make my strategy useless.
"Don't think I'll let you reciprocate! Brine, Flakes!" Cress yelled out, and even though the cub couldn't see us through the dust, a sudden torrent started to rain down on Diana like bullets.
"Back off, Diana!" I commanded her, but the bolts of water had wider range than anticipated, pelting Diana repeatedly, but she endured it like a champion. She let out a defiant "Deino!" at the Cubchoo, pushing the dust a little as well.
It still hadn't settled down, however.
"Hide under the cloud of dust, Flakes! Pelt that Deino with your Brine repeatedly!" Cress commanded and the cub did as he was told and continued the assault. The bolts still found their way to Diana, even if she tried to dodge them. But it was a futile attempt with her blindness and I couldn't command her where to go either.
"Shit!"
I had no way of getting to that Cubchoo, or getting rid of the dust either! I kept trying to find a strategy to overcome this, but I just couldn't find anything while Diana was still under the rain.
"Come on! Think of something!" I thought impatiently before a sudden thought invaded my mind that begged to be tested. "Wait… the dust!"
"Diana! Let out the mightiest roar you can muster!" I shouted in triumph while pumping my fist. Diana was confused at first before a smirk adorned her features. She stomped the ground a few times before releasing a monster of a roar.
It echoed in the arena, creating a small shock wave of air, not strong enough to throw me off-balance, but I still felt the wind toying with my coat and hair. It knocked away all the water pellets from the air, and I had a strong urge to cover my ears because of how loud her roar was, but for her, I wouldn't.
The roar cleared the stage full of all dust, revealing a terrified Cubchoo. I felt a little bad for him, but I couldn't come up short. If I would back off now, Diana and Hilda would be disappointed in me.
The crowd roared in approval, excited and thrilled to be sure, but I had to finish this. With a pointed hand and loosened fingers, I shouted, "Diana! Straight ahead, and headbutt that Cubchoo!"
Once Diana's roar ended, she immediately charged against the cub, ready to finish this fight.
"Flakes! Powder Snow, quickly!" Cress urged, his voice slightly scared and impatient, but the Cubchoo was too scared to move with Diana getting closer and closer. It tried to scurry away, but it was too slow.
With a defining thunk, Diana headbutted the poor cub, launching it against the wall of the field. The cub landed on the ground with a thud, immobile and out, letting out a weak "Cubchoooo…".
"And that's a wrap!" Chili suddenly shouted and the crowd started clapping for my victory. I was panting for air while a bead of sweat started to pour down my temples, adrenaline slowly fading all the while.
"Cubchoo is unable to battle! Radko and his Diana win the match alongside the Trio badge!" Chile shouted again, much to the crowd's excitement as they started to shout and applaud and all the fanfare. I turned around the stadium before my gaze landed on Hilda, who was also cheering as well.
A smile crept on my face.
Diana walked up to me, battered and bruised, but the toothy grin she had on her face told me everything I needed to know. I came down to her level and embraced her, letting her head lean on my shoulder.
"You did an amazing job," I whispered to her, and a happy purr was my answer.
"Now, rest inside," I said while pointing at Diana with her pokéball as the beam engulfed her inside. It shook in my hand with content, "I'll get you inside the center as quickly as possible."
I pocketed the ball before I heard a slow clap from my opponent who closed the distance quite quickly.
"Congratulations, I have to say that was a battle of wits and skill, and you have both, my friend," He said, slightly impressed. Cilan and Chili, the former having a small smile while the other had his trademark grin, were there to congratulate me as well, with Cilan having a small red pillow with a neat-looking badge on top of it.
"With you clearing the Striaton Gym, we can proudly bestow upon you the Trio badge. Take it," Cress said, prompting me to take the badge. It was three diamond shapes, neatly stacked and each having a color representing the three chefs and lined with gold.
To think I didn't even want to fight and I ended up winning the fight anyway.
With a stifled chuckle, I took the badge, and it was surprisingly heavy, and a small sense of accomplishment washed over me. It felt… surprisingly nice.
"Thank you," I said while bowing lightly, "I guess I should go to my table and wait?"
Chili gave me a thumbs up. "Yeah! Enjoy the show with your first badge under your belt! It'll only get harder from here!"
I only nodded, giving the mic to the chefs before moving to the table where Hilda was. She had her arms crossed and a smug expression on her face.
"'Don't expect any miracles from me.' he said," She mocked playfully, before stifling a giggle, "Arceus above, how can I trust anything you say at this point."
"Diana pulled both of our weights. I was just there calling the shots," I said, but Hilda shook her head.
"Trainers and Pokémon both play important parts to become the strongest," Hilda said with a pointed finger, making me quirk a brow.
"Where did that come from?" I asked and she shrugged.
"That's what my mom likes to say anyway," She said before gazing at the badge in my hand.
"Anyway, congrats. I knew what I was doing when I named you my rival," She boasted proudly, making me stare flatly at her, although it wasn't meant to be hurtful.
"Like I am going to believe that," I then inspected the badge and admired its shining qualities in the light before a sudden thought invaded my mind.
"Um? Where am I supposed to put this?" I asked mostly myself, but Hilda heard me anyway, making her snort into her hand.
"How can you be so perceptive yet so dumb at the same time? You seriously don't have a case?" She asked and I sheepishly shook my head. She immediately pointed to the exit of this restaurant/gym.
"To the center with you."
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
I took my time getting to the center, as the battle surprisingly took a lot out of me. These battles were quite stressful, not to mention just how much pressure I had to deal with actually losing.
While I wasn't much of a competitive person when it came to regular sports, when it was either a game of cards or something similar, I always played to win. No matter how underhanded the tactic or strategy was.
Somehow I had the feeling that I could get used to this, but entertaining that idea was out of the question. I had a place to go back to and I'd be damned if I wouldn't find a way home, metaphorically and literally.
With Diana fully healed, letting her out of the pokéball for the meantime, and a royal-blue badge case in my purse, I headed back towards the gym. The center was very close to the restaurant, making the trip very short.
Though once again, I just couldn't get to a place without some sort of a hindrance or somebody interrupting me.
Guess who it was.
"Well, I have to say, you keep on surprising me," Said N who was leaning on one of the statues signaling the place of the gym.
"You have a knack for appearing at weirdest times and places, N," I said to him while leaning my wrapped hand on my hip. A small chuckle escaped N's lips.
"And you have a knack to make yourself look more and more interesting," He shot back, though I wouldn't even call it a comeback, more of a creepy stalker syndrome instead.
"Alright, N, what is your deal?" I demanded. Diana growled in his direction to make my demand even more, well, demanding.
"I don't seem to understand your question," He said innocently, "I just wanted to see you with Diana in action, and you did a splendid job. You even earned the first gym badge."
The way he worded his answer made a sudden thought pierce through my mind like a lightning arrow, making me scowl in N's direction.
"Fine, then let me ask you a different question," I stared at N with an unrelenting gaze, "You were the one who rigged the poll and made me participate, weren't you?"
N's eyes widened at my question, yet he immediately went back to his neutral gaze, trying to hide his reaction.
"Why would you think that?" He asked.
"While I don't see how you could have rigged it, from what I know, only three, maybe four, people know me well enough that they know I don't like fighting, and I stand by my opinion. Diana is a special case which only enforces my ideology," I said while patting Diana's head.
"And Hilda, as much as she is snarky, her mother is right about the fact that she cares," I kept my gaze at N, "While you, on the other hand, I can't get a read on you, meaning you are the only suspect of who could rig the pool. Or am I wrong?"
N's face fell and darkened while staring at the ground.
"Very perceptive of you, friend," He said while removing his cap, "Yes, I was the one who did it. I was sure you were going to blame it on your companion, but it seems I underestimated you. Just like him."
"Who is him?" I pressed, but N gave me a determent stare.
"That is none of your business," He said dismissively, "But I'll still ask you this. Do you want to join Team Plazma?"
"You mean that organization who liberates Pokémon from battling and unsuited trainers?" He nodded, "Then I'll counter that question, why did you force me to fight then?"
N's head shot up at that, his mouth slightly hung open before it settled into a frown.
"I already told yo—"
"You gave me an excuse, not a reason. You forced me to battle, yet your ideology contradicts your actions," I interrupted him while picking up my stride inside the gym, leaving N behind. Not without leaving with a few parting words.
"There is always something my father told me numerous times," I began while stopping before the doors to the gym, "Indecisive people will only lead themselves to a dead-end. Make use of those words however you will, N."
Silence was my answer, as he just stood there. I didn't know if my words reached him or not, but I could only hope. I gave Diana one final pat on the head before recalling her inside her pokéball.
"And for the record, N, don't think I hate you. Just… keep your distance from us for now," I said to him before disappearing inside the gym.
I breathed a long sigh and found my way towards the table that Hilda occupied. Once she turned to me and saw my sour expression, she leaned her chin on her hands.
"What made you so moody? You just won a gym badge, you should be celebrating," She said while I turned to the field with Chili shouting at the top of his lungs while having a monkey with red fur and a fire-shaped haircut fighting.
"I got sidetracked by somebody," I said while taking a seat, making Hilda quirk a brow.
"You mean that green-haired guy?" I was a little surprised she knew about N, and I gave her a slight nod.
"Well, he did look a little fishy and annoying to boot. And I don't like that combination at all," She said with an irritated expression, making me chuckle.
"You hit the nail right in the coffin. N is… interesting, and I'll leave it at that," I answered her.
"Yeah—wait, his name is… N? Just N?" She asked, making me almost laugh because I had the same reaction as well.
"Yes, just N," I said, making Hilda just stare flatly at me.
"You aren't pulling my leg here, right?" Welp, that did it. Full-blown laughter escaped from my lips, lasting for a few moments before wiping my eyes from tears while Hilda was unimpressed by my behavior.
"Oh ha hah, very funny," She said with crossed arms, making me adorn a small smirk.
"Looks like I'm not the only sore loser here." Hilda huffed, making her turn to the field instead. And by the look of things, Chili was winning with how the battle was going. The fire monkey kept his fiery assault and was burning a Purloin to submission.
It fainted under the heat, and Chili immediately called off the attack. He pumped his fist in triumph while the trainer slumped in defeat. The red-haired chef went to the trainer and looked to be giving him encouraging words before leaving the field.
"It's time to, um... well, get another one of you here," Cilan said before digging into the bowl again and pulling out a sphere. He did the whole process of uncorking it before saying into a microphone, "Hilda Hymerlay, come to the stage!"
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
Oh, that… that was my name.
Well, I did expect to be called out eventually but, it just felt weird to be named out loud. I wanted to stand and proudly come down to the stage, but this anxiety just made me feel sick.
"Hilda," Radko called me out, bringing me out of my thoughts and a reassuring smile was on his face. It looked a little weird, but comforting to an extent, "You'll be fine. You were the one who trained hard on that route after all. Unlike somebody out of the two of us, you are more than prepared."
… I hated how good with words he was, and yet he had the attention span of a Pidove.
"You're right, you just goofed around unlike me," I said to him, making him smile sheepishly.
"I'll have you know that I was being productive… to a certain extent," He said, making me stare flatly at him.
"And how would you call a nap productive?" I asked him, way too curious what words he would spill out this time. He shook his head.
"Pay me no mind, don't you have a battle to win?" He asked, nudging me to go down to the field, making me sigh.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll go. Though you'll tell me if you find a reason why a nap is productive because I really want to know," I said to him with a smug face, before going down to meet the three weird chefs.
Since I had Tusky and Bunni, I would probably have to fight Cress, just like Radko.
"Maybe I could show him the gap I created," I thought smugly, "Maybe he will start taking this trainer thing seriously."
After going through the whole process Radko went through with his fight, I stood on the other side of the field, ready to have my first badge under my belt… or case, or... whatever.
"Let's make this a memorable first battle for you, Lady Hilda," Cress said in his pompous tone that Radko sometimes used as well.
"This won't be a battle, but a one-sided victory," I boasted before calling out Tusky into the field, and Cress's expression changed from a small smile to an anticipating smirk.
"We will see if your words hold true then," He said before sending out his trademark Panpour, a water counterpart to Chili's Pansear. A Pokémon I was kind of expecting to see more of honestly, but most trainers had Pokémon the other two chefs countered.
"Alright, let the battle begin!" Shouted Chili and I wasted no time whatsoever.
"Charge, Tusky!" I commanded, and she took action immediately. With a loud "Axew!", he ran straight at the Panpour, ready to make this a quick and easy fight.
"Break his charge with a Water Gun, Vodder!" Cress commanded, and a stream of water erupted from the Panpour at a frightening speed, aiming squarely at Axew.
"Power through it!" I shouted at my Pokémon. Tusky planted his feet into the ground and crossed his arms before the stream of water washed over him. He triumphantly shouted another "Axew!" before bolting to the surprised Panpour, "Now Dragon Claw!"
Axew's claws began to shine a dark green light and grew in size before he clawed at the Panpour, making it grunt. The Panpour was sent flying, yet it didn't lose its footing as it slid on its feet back to Cress, before kneeling down from the pain.
"Pan… pour!" He said, determined to win and got up from its position.
"Nice to see you strong as ever, Vodder. Now, let's spice things up. Work Up," Cress said and small sand particles started to envelop the Panpour before he absorbed all of them.
"Damn it! I should have intercepted that!" I berated myself.
"Quickly, Tusky! Take that Panpour down with another Dragon Claw!" I commanded, and Tusky hummed before charging ahead, but Cress smirked.
"Dodge the attack and counter with a point-blank Water Gun!" He shouted.
The Panpour grunted in agreement. It was faster than my Axew and successfully dodged Tusky's attack, much to my dismay. Another Water Gun came out of the Panpour's mouth, also stronger in power, launching Tusky against the wall, creating a small dust cloud.
"Tusky!" I shouted in worry. Once the dust settled, Tusky was already on the ground, passed out.
"Axew is down for the count and unable to battle, Panpour wins!" Shouted Chili, making the crowd cheer in excitement while I just stared at Tusky, making me click my tongue.
"I'm sorry I let you down," I whispered, thankfully not enough for the mic to pick it up before shooting out the red beam. I took out Bunni's pokéball and called her out.
"Time to get some payback," I sneered at the Panpour.
"And begin!" Shouted Chili.
"Quick Attack, Bunni!" I immediately shouted. Bunni barked in agreement and white mellow light enveloped her before charging at the Panpour at lightning speed.
"Dodge the attack, Vodder!" Cress commanded, and even though the Panpour dodged the attack, Bunni followed him successfully. She rammed into him with great force, sending it flying. He landed on the ground with a loud thud, passed out.
"Yeah! That's for Tusky!" I shouted while pumping my fist and Bunni barked out as well. Revenge had never been sweeter.
Cress pulled the Panpour inside his pokéball and dusted it a little before taking out a…
"Wait, you have a Vanillite?" I asked, looking at the ice cream cone Pokémon with its frosting and small puffs of cold air coming out of its tiny mouth.
"You would make more use of it against my Axew, you know that right?" I pointed out, irritated that the gym leader seemingly might be toying with me.
"You are correct, my Vanillite would have a type advantage against your Axew, but…" He trailed off before his smirk was plastered on his face again.
"So annoying…"
"Your strategy will go down to a screeching halt with my Vanillite here. Icy Wind, Cream!" He shouted and his Vanillite immediately responded. A small but still annoying icy wind crept on me and Bunni, making me shiver in the cold. It was too wide for her to dodge, making small shards of ice form on my Lillipup.
"Keep at it, Cream!" Cress encouraged and the ice cone increased the intensity of the wind, making me feel colder, and Bunni wasn't taking it well either. But what was I supposed to do!? I couldn't lose here! Not when my brother beat the second gym already!
"Bunni! Warm yourself up, and then Quick Attack the Vanillite!" She looked back at me, and she was probably looking at me confused.
"Just keep moving! Don't stand there like a statue!" She got the message this time and tried to move her feet, but she was way too slow to keep up with the forming ice.
"It seems that your Lillipup isn't going anywhere any time soon. Finished it off with an Avalanche," He said with a bored expression. The nerve of him!
"Vanillite!" Cream said excitingly before a set of icy rocks were summoned by such a small Pokémon high in the air.
"Bunni! Get out of there!" I tried to shout, but it was too late. The boulders encased my Lillipup like it was nothing with a loud crash, sending a wave of cold air my wave. I covered my eyes before staring at the boulders unbelievably. My legs sagged and I landed on my knees.
"No…" That was all that came out of me before tears started well up.
"Well, that was more trouble than it was worth," Cress said with that stupid pompous attitude, making me sneer in his direction, "Now, could you call out the fight already, Chili? We can't waste time here."
"Can't do, Cress. We have to make sure the Lillipup is down for the count," He explained, making Cress sigh.
"Alright then, Cream, could you—"
"Is that all you have!?" I suddenly shouted desperately at the boulders, interrupting the chefs, "Come on, Bunni! I know you are stronger than this! We have to show them how it needs to be done!"
My lungs hurt after my plea, but nothing was happening for a moment, making me wait with bated breath. But then, like a small miracle, a small white light lit up inside the pale blue boulders before a powerful roar ruptured the ice boulders and then broke immediately after.
I was speechless until I found the reason for the roar. Standing inside the remains of the boulders was Bunni, but not as a Lillipup.
"Herdier!" She shouted in defiance, making Cress stare at Bunni incredulously before a small frown was plastered on his features.
The small puppy that she was before was now a much more menacing hound. Not on the level like a Stoutland, but we would get there eventually.
"I knew you had it in you," I said to Bunni who had a giant smile on her face. I sniffed before I rubbed my eyes free of tears, and gave Cress a shit-eating grin, "Now the real fight can begin!"
"You should learn when to quit. Cream, Icy Wind!" He commanded.
"I'll make you eat your own words. Let's spice things up! Work Up, Bunni!" I commanded and the same sand particles enveloped Bunni before she absorbed them, now full of energy. The icy wind bit into my skin yet again, but now, Bunni was much more resilient.
"Quick Attack!" I said and Bunni charged through the wind with little to no trouble. The Vanillite tried to intensify the winds but to no avail.
"Dodge the attack, quickly!" Cress shouted desperately, much to my amusement. The Vanillite was too slow, however, and Bunni bashed into the ice cream cone, sending it to the ground, unable to get back up.
And just like that, I released a breath I didn't know I was holding, and a smile slowly crept up on my face, before Bunni tackled me to the ground while the crowd cheered in my victory.
Too bad Bunni was way too excited.
"Owww…" I groaned in pain while Bunni kept licking me sporadically, much to my chagrin, "Ok, ok, can you stop for one second please?"
Nope, she just continued doing so anyway.
"Well, call me surprised you were able to pull it off!" Chili said excitingly with another grin on his face before offering me a hand for me to take.
"I'll… get up once Bunni stops licking me," I weakly replied. She didn't stop however, so I just pulled Bunni into her pokéball. While I liked the affection, I sort of had something else to do. Both Cress and Cilan were with Chili, standing over me rather expectantly.
I was tired. Arceus, please, could they be a little more patient?
I eventually got up, taking Chili's hand, and saw Cilan with a pillow in hand and the Trio badge resting on it.
"While the battle was far from a one-sided victory, I still am honored to bestow upon you the Trio badge. Congratulations," Cress said. Oh how much I would enjoy just punching him and that stupid face of his.
"But…" He trailed off before giving me a pointed stare, "Gyms are only going to get harder from here. I would suggest training your Pokémon in more ways than just 'getting stronger'."
What was that supposed to mean?
"Um… sure?" I answered eventually and Cress smiled at me.
"Then take your first badge, it's yours after all," He prompted, and I nodded, taking the badge from the pillow before placing it inside my case triumphantly. And I had my Pokémon to thank for it.
"Score."
AN: With that chapter out of the way, I will skip the usual banter this little segment has and do a few shoutouts.
We at the Fanfiction Treehouse have several fanfic writers who are very talented and need to be called out. I highly recommend checking said fics out!
Throne of Mud by HowlingArmadillo
Underdogs by Cavik
Bro, Do You Even Lift? by Stormtide Leviathan
They Mostly Live in Minnesota by Spiderc
Small Heaven by Chifle
Two Steps Forward by Ace Star-Chaser
You can't go wrong with any of BANIX's fics
And many others!
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Link: gg/9XG3U7a
Anyway, have a great day.
God's speed.