Is anyone actually reading this?

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Chapter Fifteen: No Worries, Mate

Volkner sat down on the futon and stared up at the ceiling. Flint had claimed the bed was supposed to be comfortable but he found it hard as a rock. It didn't matter how many times he shifted positions, he still found it uncomfortable. How was he supposed to rest on a bed like this? Did Maylene and her gym trainers sleep on hard beds to improve their strength and endurance levels? He never understood fighting-type trainers.

Flint and Maylene were in the kitchen area. He couldn't hear what they were saying but they were probably talking about him and what to do with him. He lay down on the hard bed. His head was still sore but at least he had stopping vomiting, for now anyway. The door opened and both Flint and Maylene entered. Volkner sat up again. "What's going on?"

"Flint and I are going to head down to the pizza shop for some takeaway. Darren and his brothers will look after you while we're gone. We'll be back in an hour," she said, purposefully avoiding looking directly into his eyes. Whatever had happened must've been bad if she couldn't even look at him. Maylene turned around and Flint followed leaving the door open.

So he was going to be babysitted by Maylene's trainers. How humiliating. He didn't know much about them – heck, he didn't even know what their names were. Maylene had probably mentioned it during a gym leader meeting, but he was most likely not listening. He wasn't without company for very long as one of the brothers entered the room wearing a scowl on his face. He was dressed in his white robes, a red headband around his forehead, while his hands carried a jug and glass of water.

"I'm Darren." Darren placed the jug and glass on the floor in front of the bed then sat down leaving at least what appeared to be a metre gap between them.

"Volkner," he said, stretching out his hand for Darren to take. He was a guest here so he might as well be nice to his hosts.

Darren refused his gesture. "I know who you are. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Volkner raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You don't remember anything from last night, do you?"

"No."

Darren snorted. "I don't know why she even wants to help you… After what you did, you don't deserve kindness from Maylene, but she has a good heart. You made a fool of her last night."

That explained why Maylene refused to meet his eyes. He wished he remembered what happened, but nothing came to mind. "Aren't you going to enlighten me with the details?" he said, reaching down for his glass of water.

"You kissed her," Darren replied, almost with a hiss.

Volkner almost choked on his water. He kissed Maylene? That didn't sound like something he normally did. Sure, he liked kissing girls and all, but he never forced himself onto someone before. This was going to be an awkward stay now that he was aware of that piece of information. "Oh." What else was there to say? Apologize? Somehow that didn't seem like it would work.

"Maylene's a good girl and I don't want to see her get hurt again."

Darren's words sounded like a threat. Could it be possible the boy was… jealous? It was normal for the gym trainers to admire their leaders, but he had never assumed it could be more than admiration. Gym leaders weren't allowed to get into relationships with their students because that was frowned upon even if they were of the right age.

"I had no intentions of hurting her."

"She cares about you."

No surprises there. Gym leaders looked out for each other and provided support when needed. Volkner had managed to keep his problems concealed for two years but his cover had been blown. If the other gym leaders found out… He shuddered. They'd probably get together and stage an intervention of some kind. Having Maylene and Flint on his case was enough trouble. "We look out for each other."

"You're missing the point. Maylene cares about you," Darren replied, placing strong emphases on the word 'care'. "That's why she's hurt. If she didn't have any feelings towards you she wouldn't feel so bothered," he added, fingers curling into fists.

Volkner was worried the boy was going to deck him right there but Darren restrained himself. Still, he was cautious though. If Darren hit him it was going to hurt. "You're in love with her, aren't you?" Volkner asked, giving the boy a curious look.

If Darren cared for Maylene in a romantic manner, he certainly was good at not revealing it on his face. He didn't even budge. His face remained as hard as stone. The trainer leaned in close, and spoke, dropping to his voice to a whisper. "You touch her again and I will hurt you." He drew back and jerked his head down at the water. "Drink. You'll feel better." The boy stood up and left the room closing the door behind him.

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Having to return to Hearthome City was exhausting, but it had to be done. Her Houndour would've perished if he didn't receive any medical attention. Fortunately, the doctors who treated injured Pokemon were able to operate on her Houndour before permanent damage was done. Returning to the same building where she had previously been attended to felt strange, but this time she was seeing it from a different perspective.

Now she knew how her family and friends felt while she lay on one of the hospital beds. For a couple of hours she had paced back and forth in the hallway, unable to sit still. Her mind had been occupied with doubt, worry and even hatred towards Paul. How could someone be so cruel to their Pokemon? Thankfully, the Houndour was no longer in Paul's care. Dawn had made a silent vow to ensure her Houndour was strong enough to crush Paul should she cross paths with him again.

Her stay in Hearthome City had been short as she was determined to reach Solaceon so she could continue her journey to find the truth of her family history. The closer she neared her destination, the warmer she felt. Thank Arceus she had taken time to stock up on some supplies and change clothes before setting off. She was still wearing a short-sleeved top and a short skirt, but she had put her scarf and jacket away as the weather warmed.

As she neared the town's gates, she was approached by a man wearing a shirt and shorts. "G'day mate! How ya' doin?" he called out giving her a wave.

Dawn frowned. She wasn't sure what the strange man was actually saying, but she smiled just to be polite. There was no point in causing any trouble especially with people like Paul and Team Galactic around. The man seemed nice enough even if she did speak in a funny manner. Stepping through the wooden gatehouse, Dawn heard more strange speech coming from the guards. She caught one of the guards talking about the 'missus' whatever that was.

Solaceon was often described as a carefree town full of eccentric people on the televisions and travel magazines. It was marketed as the number one place to go to if you wanted to experience an extreme cultural change due to the bizarre activities that occurred in this place. One of the games was called, 'Two-Up' which was apparently a gambling game involving gold coins.

She wasn't here to gamble though; this was simply a town she had to pass through to reach the destination of the next gym. Still, she figured she'd enjoy the unique cultural experience while she was here. A young couple walked by, both clothed in what appeared to be farming attire. The male wore a large straw hat and carried a pitchfork, while the woman wore yellow rubber gloves and big brown boots. They looked very strange, but she figured this was normal.

In addition to hosting a unique cultural experience, Solaceon was also known for its rich agricultural history. Most of the people in this town owned farms and sold their products in exchange for coins. Citizens of Solaceon were hard-working individuals who didn't seem to mind doing heavy labour work under the hot sun. Dawn on the other hand wasn't sure if she could handle it.

"I hear old Johno is chuckin' a sickie again!" a young trainer exclaimed, leaning against a fence chatting with his friend.

His friend laughed. "That's Johno all right! He's chuckin' a sickie so he can attend the barbie! He only works in the early hours of the morning though and the party is late in the arvo!"

"You reckon he'll get pissed again?"

His friend nodded. "Yeah, old Johno can't stay away from the rum."

Dawn turned her head away. These people lived in the region of Sinnoh too, but it felt like they came from a completely different world. They way they dressed, the way they spoke and acted… it was very different from the usual mannerisms she was used to. Even the town itself had a completely different vibe to it. Hearthome had beautiful and medieval architecture and this town lacked it all.

The trees in the area had been cut down to make way for grazing ground for Miltank and Mareep making it a rather bland place in terms of scenery. Even the buildings were simplistic in design – they considered of small wooden cabins and tin sheds which looked unstable. A strong windstorm could ruin the town with little effort. The people dressed in simple clothes, had tanned skin from the hours working under the sun and all wore big smiles. They didn't seem to have a care in the world at all. Dawn wondered what that would be like to not have anything to worry about. What a luxury that would be.

There wasn't a single cloud in the sky which was a rarity for the eastern cities. The eastern cities of Sinnoh often had overcast skies and heavy dumps of snow during the winter months, while the western cities bore the brunt of wild storms and damaging hail. It was also quite humid in the western lands which made getting around quite difficult for those unaccustomed to it. Beads of sweat dripped down her face. She wiped it away with the back of her hand.

The stench of Pokemon droppings filled her nostrils as she headed down a dusty path towards the centre of the town. A herd of Miltank were eating grass in a paddock to her right while a flock of Mareep lived in the paddock to the north. She headed over to the Miltank paddock and watched the cows eat. In the far end of the paddock, she spotted two adult Tauros locking horns together in a vicious battle for dominance. She figured they were fighting over a Miltank since it was said Tauros were more aggressive than usual when in the presence of single Miltanks.

"Hey Dawn!"

Dawn turned around at the mention of her name. She spotted her childhood friend rushing up towards her, a triumphant smile on his face. He obviously had obtained the badge from the third gym otherwise he wouldn't be here. "Hey Barry!"

Barry stood next to her and glanced at the Miltank panting heavily. Dawn raised an eyebrow – had he sprinted all the way here? It looked as though he had run a marathon. There were even visible sweat patches on his shirt. "I didn't think you were into cow watching," Barry said, then turned away from the Miltank to look at her. "I won my third badge!"

"That's great, Barry."

He grinned. "A brilliant flash of inspiration came to me before the battle against Fantina! I came up with a strategy to become an invincible trainer!"

She raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. Somehow, she didn't think that method involved deepening his bond with his Pokemon. Barry was all about achieving results in the quickest way possible. "What strategy is that?"

His grin widened, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'm only telling you because you're my friend…" He drew close to her, leaning in towards her left ear. "All right. Listen close… the quickest way to become an invincible trainer is this… Make certain all your attacks hit. Avoid enemy attacks for sure." He pulled back. "You do that, you'd never lose!"

If anyone else had shared that information with her she would've shook her head from the silly logic behind the idea, but it was Barry and his goofiness was so contagious, she couldn't help but smile. She wasn't sure how Barry had managed to get past Fantina considering what the gym leader had told her about bonds and such, but perhaps the woman had allowed Barry to pass because of his friendship with Dawn? It was possible.

"So, what do you think? It's good, isn't it?" Barry exclaimed.

Dawn nodded. "I wish I had thought of that idea," she replied, playing along with her friend's craziness.

"Oh come on, Dawn!" he retorted in a light-hearted manner, catching onto her playful sarcasm. "You have to admit, it makes a lot of sense!" Dawn didn't get a chance to speak when Barry spoke up again. He dug a hand into the right pocket of his pants and pulled out a tourist brochure. "Guess what? They're holding a mini-tournament right here in Solaceon Town! It's being hosted by the farmers as a celebration of the fine weather or something, but that's not the point." He unfolded the brochure and drew Dawn's attention to the bold headline, 'Solaceon Tournament'.

Dawn skimmed through the text. A tournament between trainers was being hosted in the town's centre at three in the afternoon. A scientist called Bebe was offering an Eevee egg as a prize for the tournament champion. She thought hard. There was still one more spot available on her team and an Eevee would suit that position well. They could evolve into a number of elemental types that could provide her team with a much needed balance. Having a Vaporean would ensure all the elemental powers of the starter type Pokemon were covered.

"You are interested, right?"

She nodded, brushing a strand of blue hair behind an ear and answered his question. "Of course I am. It'll be good training for my Pokemon before I take on Veilstone City's gym."

Barry smiled. "Great! We just have to register at the Café Cabin and then we'll be set! You better make it to the final rounds, Dawn. You and I haven't battled in a long time and I want to show you how much I've improved! Come on, let's go and register already!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the Cabin Café which was somewhere outside the town's gates. He stopped after a few metres and faced Dawn. "Oh by the way, you need to become my friend on PokeNetworking."

"PokeNetworking?"

His jaw dropped. "You don't know about social networking on your Poketech? You do have one, right? The clowns in Jubilife were giving them away."

Oh, right. In light of all the events that had happened recently, she had forgotten about that device. She reached down into her bag and pulled it out. "Yeah, I've got one. I just never really had much time to explore it, that's all."

He shrugged. "That's understandable. I wasn't interested in it either until I learned about the PokeNetworking App. You can keep in contact with your friends around the region anytime, anywhere all with the simple click of a button! Here, I'll show you." He took Dawn's Poketech device out of her hands, turned on the machine and scrolled through the screens until he found the one he was looking for. "What's your trainer ID number?"

"Uh…" Dawn looked down into her bag again, this time pulling out her wallet. "Six, one, six, six, eight," she said aloud, reading the numbers imprinted on the upper left hand corner of the card. Barry entered the numbers as Dawn put wallet back into her bag. She peered over his shoulder. Barry had brought up a colourful screen with a world map on it. It all looked quite complex.

"The Poketech remembers your details so you won't have to enter it in again. You can take photos of your Pokemon and upload them to your profile page. You want to enter in the basic details so everyone knows who you are. It's a good way to track down other trainers, you know, just encase you want to challenge them to a battle sometime later down the road." He handed her the device back and pulled out his own. "I'll just send you a friend request. I've already got ten friends."

None of this was making much sense to Dawn. She didn't see the point in tracking the progress of other trainers at this time and moment. It seemed more distracting than anything else. "All right." A few moments later a notification popped up in the right-hand corner of the screen. Barry McCauley has sent you a friend request. Do you accept or reject? Dawn tapped the 'accept' option and moments later, Barry's profile appeared on her screen.

"Great! Be sure to update your profile!" He put his device away and Dawn did the same after switching it off. That was something she wouldn't be doing much of in the near future. "Okay, let's go to the cabin!" He led the way to the north, bypassing a group of young kids throwing their sandals at nothing in particular. It looked to be a competition to see who could throw theirs their furthest. She smiled, shaking her head at the sight. These people certainly were an interesting race of individuals.

The café cabin was situated just outside the northern gates sitting atop a gentle hill. Outside tables and chairs with umbrellas gave visitors and locals the opportunity to dine outside and take in the views around them. There were quite a few trainers sitting outside relaxing in the gentle breeze listening to a local musician playing tunes with his guitar. They entered the building and noticed a queue of people lining up. The other trainers appeared to be locals judging by their farming attire.

"This is so exciting," Barry said, rubbing his hands together. "You think any of these trainers will prove a challenge?" he added, observing the people before them.

Dawn studied the queue. The trainers were enthusiastically conversing with each other, but none of them had ever ventured outside their town before. They were all rookies. Dawn suppressed a sigh of disappointment. She had hoped they would prove a challenge to help assist in her training, but they appeared to be entering just for the thrill of it. Her only threat was Barry. Look on the bright side, she told herself. This will be a good chance to observe Barry's strategy.

It didn't take long for them to reach the counter. The man standing behind was well into his sixties as indicated by the grey hairs on his head and the wrinkles on his face. "G'day mates! Let me guess, you two are both 'ere for the tournament this arvo, aren't ya?" he said, giving them a wide smile, revealing two golden teeth in his upper jaw. Dawn didn't want to know the story behind them.

"Yeah," Barry said. "Sign us both up!"

The man nodded and glanced down at the paper resting on the counter. There was a list of scribbles of signatures of other competitors. Dawn counted four names on the paper. "Only four other trainers are competing?" Dawn said.

The man nodded again. "Yeah. Being a trainer isn't too common 'round 'ere." He grinned again. "I'm stoked to see some tourists taking part in the fun. It can get a little boring watching the same old people compete." He handed Dawn the pen pointed to the space beneath the last scribble. "Just write down your name 'ere and that'll be all, mate."

Dawn scribbled down her name then handed it to Barry who did the same. Barry handed the pen back and said his thanks. "This is going to be awesome! I can't wait to begin!" He grinned at Dawn. "I hope you're ready because I'm not going to hold back!"

"I look forward to it," Dawn replied.

The man smiled. "It'll be held across from the café at three pm! We're gonna some tucker after the battles so be sure to stick 'round!"

Dawn smiled politely then around, leading Barry back outside. The bizarre words people used here were surely going to get stuck in her head for a long time. "Well, shall we get something to eat while we're then?"

Barry nodded and sat down at one of the empty tables. It was already past one so they didn't have much longer to wait for the battle rounds to commence. Fighting on an empty stomach was never enjoyable though so it was necessary to have something nice to eat. Dawn took the menu and examined it. 'Karp and Chips. Bull Burgers. Farfetch'd Surprise. The thought of eating a Pokemon was sickening so Dawn opted to go with her usual – tofu and salad. It was amazing how many people claimed to love Pokemon yet did not hesitate when it came to eating them to satisfy their bellies. It wasn't that she didn't meat – if there was an option to avoid it, she'd take it without hesitation.

A waitress came over and wrote down their orders shortly afterwards then returned to the counter. Sitting down and having the chance to relax was calming. She hadn't had a day to spend some quality leisure time since setting off on her journey to become the next Champion. Barry on the other hand, didn't seem to be sharing the same viewpoint as her. He was more fidgety than usual – "Barry, you need to relax," Dawn said in between giggles.

"I don't like sitting down for long periods of time. I feel like I could be doing something else right now, like training my Pokemon and becoming stronger!" He darted his eyes around the room like a caged Pokemon. Dawn thought he was going to get up and run, but he remained put. "I want the tournament to start so I can carry on with my journey!"

"Come on, Barry. You have to admit, it's nice to catch up and just sit bit back for awhile and enjoy the moment. I'm eager to continue on myself, but don't push yourself too hard.

He stopped fidgeting. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I am feeling kinda hungry."

She grinned. "You'll need a full stomach if you hope to stand a chance against me," she said playfully.

"You better eat well yourself. I want to give me everything you've got!" Barry challenged. The waitress returned several moments after with their food. Barry had ordered himself a plate of 'Karp and Chips and immediately started eating. He talked fast, he walked quickly and he even ate quickly. Dawn was surprised the boy didn't choke. Dawn was halfway through finishing her meal when Barry stood up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'll see you down at the tournament area! Catch ya later, Dawn!"

Dawn just shook her head. One of these days Barry was going to have to learn that sometimes it was better not to rush into everything.

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Darren was right about something – drinking the water did make him feel better. Drinking the water made him realize just how thirsty he actually was; his mouth felt like a desert. The foul taste of vomit was still fresh in his mouth as well so he gurgled down some water then spat it out onto the floor, removing the last few traces of the leftovers. Spitting on the floor probably wasn't the wise option to take, but he was locked in the room thanks to Darren. The trainer didn't want him trying to escape so he locked him inside the room.

Volkner wouldn't mind so much if there was actually something to do. Staring at the ceiling and reflecting on recent events wasn't terribly an invigorating activity. He didn't even have his Pokemon with him. Flint had wisely taken his Pokemon off him while he was in the early stages of his hangover. Perhaps this was punishment. Force him to stay overnight in a room with just a bed to think about his previous actions.

He wiped his mouth and lay back down on the bed, hands resting on his stomach, as he gazed up at the ceiling. He could hear Maylene's students watching some stupid fighting show and yelling loudly. He wished they would quieten down their hollering so he could get some sleep, but their shouts only became louder. This was torture. Did they have to yell so loudly?

Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to sleep by using the 'counting Mareep' method, but it only made the task more difficult. It was said to sleep you had to clear your mind of all thoughts. That didn't make much sense to Volkner – thinking about nothing was still thinking about something so how did that help? Now he was confusing himself. He blamed it on the alcohol he had consumed the previous night.

The door popped open and Volkner sat up immediately, alarmed. He relaxed when he spotted Flint standing in the doorway, carrying a square white plate with two slices of pizza on it. The smell of pizza filled his nostrils, filling his mind with a sudden desire to eat. It dawned on him he hadn't eaten since yesterday morning. No wonder the alcohol affected him so sadly.

"Feeling better?" Flint said, walking over to Volkner, avoiding the mess the blond made. He sat down, grabbed a slice of supreme pizza and took a bite using his hand as a plate.

Volkner glanced down at the other piece – seafood flavoured pizza. He spotted a bit of prawn on his pizza, but wasn't quite sure what the other pieces were. He didn't want to know either otherwise he might force up the contents of his stomach up again. "I've seen better days," he replied, still studying his pizza slice. To eat or not to eat, that was the question.

Flint looked down at his plate. "Eat. You'll feel better."

Flint was studying him and Volkner knew he wasn't going to get any rest until he had a bite. Holding in his breath, he brought the slice to his mouth and licked the tip, his tongue brushing up against something rubbery. Gross. He would've thrown the pizza aside, but he was being watched by a member of the Elite Four. Besides, Maylene would probably introduce him to a new world of pain should he decide to throw the pizza away. He bit down and forced himself to chew on the rubbery bit, trying not to think what poor Pokemon ended up in his stomach.

"You need to talk to Maylene. She's pretty upset over the entire ordeal."

Volkner forced the rubbery piece down his throat then grabbed his glass to watch the flavour away. "What am I supposed to say to her?" Darren's words regarding Maylene's feelings for him came to his mind. How was he supposed to look at her now with that knowledge in mind? From now on it was going to be awkward being around her. His relationship with her had changed.

Flint raised his eyebrows. "You seriously don't know? You know her better than I do, Volkner. She's your fellow gym leader. Don't you gym leaders catch up every now and then?"

"We do, but that doesn't mean we have to like it." Whoops, he thought. That came out harsher than he had intended. "We usually meet up for business-related stuff, Flint. It's not exactly what I would call terribly exciting."

"Still, you should talk to her."

Did Flint know Volkner had a move on the girl? If he did, he was doing a fine job of hiding it. "Fine. I'll talk to her if it will get you off my case," he said with a roll of his eyes. Flint smirked, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'll give some pizza to the other guys while you talk with Maylene." The Elite Four member stood up and walked out of the room, but stopped at the doorway and glanced over his shoulder. "You might want to clean up that mess by the way." He walked out.

Volkner thought about exiting the room, but he figured Flint tell Maylene now was a good time to chat. He made himself as comfortable as he could on the bed and waited for Maylene to enter. "I see you're feeling better," Maylene said, entering the room, closing the door behind her, a half-eaten pizza in her left hand.

He snorted. "As good as one can feel when recovering from a hangover," he replied curtly.

Maylene didn't sit down. Her eyes wandered over the mess Volkner had made then rested on his face again. "Making yourself at home, I see?"

"I'll clean it up after I've finished eating," he said, rising up from the bed. Right now he wanted to go to the toilet so he could flush the remains of the pizza. He moved towards her and she instinctively stepped backwards, her back brushing up against the wall. "Darren talked to me earlier while you and Flint were out. He told me something about last night."

"I was upset."

"I know what I did last night now, Maylene. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did."

She rolled her eyes and briefly looked to the side. "You're damn right you shouldn't have, but you weren't thinking straight were you? Were you hoping to score last night because I'm not one of those easy girls you can simply win over with a smile," she retorted.

He frowned. "Is that what you think of me? Just some guy looking around for a cheap thrill?"

She put her hands on her hips and glared. "Why else would you be at the casino flirting with barmaids and trying to get other girls drunk?"

"Do you really think so little of me?"

Her glare intensified. "I don't know what to think." A dry bitter laugh escaped her throat. "I don't know why I thought I could even help you. You are failing to see what this is about. You think saying sorry to me is going to fix everything? It's not that easy, Volkner."

"Then help me understand."

Maylene shook her head. "You'll never get it." She turned to exit the room and he reached out to grab her arm. She could've easily broken out of his grip, but she didn't and turned around to face him, her brows furrowed. "Volkner, let me go or I swear I'll call Cynthia now to take away your title."

His mouth curved into a smirk. "Somehow, I don't think you'll do that considering how much you want to help me. If you wanted me to lose my position as a gym leader you would've called Cynthia the moment you stormed out of that building." His grip tightened. "I know you care. About me."

"We're both gym leaders; we look out for each other," Maylene replied, pulling her arm free from his grasp. "Whatever feelings you think I have for you are just that – they're assumptions, nothing more. I want you gone by midday, Volkner and don't let me catch you hanging around here again." She turned her back and exited the room leaving Volkner feeling like he had just received a knee between the legs. Somehow, he knew he had just driven a bigger wedge between them.

.

The entire population of Solaceon circled around the fighting area, highlighted by little coloured flags in the ground. Dawn counted at least twenty heads paying close attention to the battle currently taking place. Dawn had breezed her way through to the finals and Barry was about to deliver the final crushing blow against the opponent's Tauros. The Tauros was no match for Barry's battle-hardened Monferno. Monferno's Mach Punch attacked brought the Tauros to the ground, resulting in an easy victory for Barry. He threw his fists up into the air as the crowd applauded.

The host of the event, the man who had been taking the registrations at the cabin, walked to stand in the centre of the circle, raising his hands in the air calling for silence. "I have to say, that was one of the most intense battles I've ever witnessed take place in this tournament! Whaddya reckon?" The crowd cheered. "It all comes down to this battle – Dawn, Barry, are you ready to fight to win the title of Solaceon's Champion of two thousand and fourteen?"

Dawn stepped into the circle and stood opposite to Barry. The host took a few steps back until he was out of the flagged area. "Are you ready, Barry?"

"Are you?"

"The rules are the same as previous as rounds. You'll choose three Pokemon each and you'll battle until your opponent is unable to continue. You now have a few minutes to make some last minute preparations so choose wisely!"

Barry was examining his pokeballs working out which three to use and Dawn knew she had to choose hers carefully. He was undoubtedly going to use his mascot Pokemon, Monferno, for sure but his other two were a mystery. The boy had won his rounds using his Monferno probably to keep Dawn on her toes. Fortunately, she had only used one of her Pokemon to win her rounds, relying on her Grotle to obtain victory.

But what other Pokemon to use? Houndour had only just recovered so he couldn't be included. Relying on Deino probably wasn't a wise idea either considering the events of the past few days. She'd have to rely on her Gastly and Murkrow to battle should Grotle fall. Barry's Pokemon had probably all evolved to their second stages now and both Gastly and Murkrow were still on their first.

Gastly had to be close to evolving, but Murkrow needed a Dusk Stone to evolve. Wait, she thought. She had a dusk stone recalling a brief conversation she had with Cyrus back in Eterna City. He had given her the evolution item. Now was the perfect time to use it otherwise she'd be at a great disadvantage. She summoned her Murkrow then reached down into her bag for the special item. She found it on the bottom and picked it up, holding it before her Pokemon.

How the heck did this stone work? Did she have to hold it up in the air and wave it around in the air or speak a few magical words? The stone didn't come with instructions and she hadn't seen any manuals about evolution items in the shops. Murkrow however, seemed to know exactly what to do with the item. He perched on her left arm then tapped on the stone. A burning sensation erupted in her fingers and she dropped the item on the floor, fearing it was going to burst into flames. It exploded into rays of white light, so blinding she had to shield her eyes.

The crowd 'oohed' and 'aahed' at the pretty sight. The light disappeared shortly afterwards and in its place was a large avian bird with dark-blue plumage. The bird's white prominent crest of feathers on its chest reminded her of a wizard's beard. She brought out her Pokedex and held it before her new friend.

Honchkrow, the final evolution of Murkrow. It one utters a deep cry, many Murkrow gather quickly. For this, it is called "Summoner of Night."

She put it away. What a sinister sounding title.

"All right trainers, I see you've made your final preparations. Let the battle begin!"

Barry nodded. "It was wise of you to evolve your Pokemon, but it won't be enough to defeat me! Go, Staravia!" Both birds took to the air, circling each other, awaiting orders from their trainers.

"And our competitors have chosen to start off the match in the air! Which feathered friend will obtain victory?"

Barry thrust a finger forward. "Staravia, use Wing Attack!" Staravia flapped its wings, sending forth many piercing feathered arrows.

"Dodge it, Honchkrow!" Honchkrow beat his wings to gain altitude then pinned his wings back and dived towards the ground. He raked his talons forward just before he hit the ground and somersaulted, narrowly missing the feathered arrows. The feathered arrows crashed into the ground. "Counter-attack!"

Honchkrow gained altitude again and chased after the other avian. Talons locked together as the birds engaged in a fearsome battle with their beaks. Honchkrow's larger form allowed him to gain the advantage and he was able to kick the Staravia in the chest before clamping his beak around his opponent's right wing.

"Staravia, use Wing Attack again!" Staravia recovered, and stretched its wings then brought them forward, sending forth another flurry of arrows. This time, Honchkrow was unable to avoid the blow. He was thrown off balance, but he managed to regain his composure. Barry thought he had the advantage, but he had yet to see Honchkrow's true aerial abilities. Murkrow's evasive training had paid off.

"Honchkrow, use Peck!" Honchkrow swooped and raked his talons forward to strike at Staravia's eyes, eliciting a pained cry from his smaller opponent. Temporarily blinded, Barry's Staravia was unable to see where it was flying and panicked. Honchkrow gained altitude again and dive bombed, throwing his entire weight, knocking the smaller bird out of the air. Staravia hurtled towards the ground and landed, sending clouds of sand up around it, shrouding itself in dirt. Honchkrow squawked in triumph, flying in circles above his fallen opponent.

Barry recalled his fallen Staravia and sent forth his second Pokemon, a small orange otter type creature with a two tails. Dawn brought out her Pokedex a second time to obtain data.

Buizel. It spins its two tails like a screw to propel itself through water. The tails also slice clinging seaweed.

She put it away. The otter didn't look to be much of a threat – after all, there was no water around for it to hide under.

"Buizel, use Water Gun!" Buizel looked up at the sky, puffed up his cheeks and opened them, launching a big ball of water up at Honchkrow at a lightning speed. The ball of water collided with her avian, dousing his feathers in liquid, bringing the bird to the ground. Soaking wet and unable to fly, Honchkrow was vulnerable on ground level.

Dawn muttered a curse and recalled her Honchkrow. She sent forth her second Pokemon, Gastly, knowing summoning Grotle would just prompt Barry to switch to his Monferno. "It's not over yet, Barry."

"Good because I'm just getting started! Buizel, use Pursuit!" Buizel puffed up his cheeks again, but instead of spitting a ball orb filled with water, he spat out an orb of dark energy. Dawn cursed inwardly. That was a move she hadn't anticipated. The ball of darkness enveloped her Gastly causing her Ghost-type Pokemon to vibrate violently in place. Fortunately, Buizel's attacking power was relatively weak and Gastly managed to endure it.

"Gastly, use Hypnosis!"

"Oh come on!"

Gastly swung from to side like a pendulum before Buizel, lulling the creature into a deep sleep. It flopped down onto its belly and curled up into a ball. "Now Gastly, use Night Shade!" Gastly vibrated, his purple flames brightening in colour, as a black fog rose up from the ground, shrouding them all in darkness. He moved forward through the low cloud and sunk his fangs into Buizel's neck sapping a great deal of health. The Buizel writhed in its sleep, but did not awaken. "Use Night Shade again, Gastly!" Once more Gastly bit down on the sleeping Buizel's exposed neck. The otter shuddered and groaned.

"I knew I should've packed some Awakenings…" Dawn heard Barry murmur.

"There's more to a battle than just landing attacks on your opponent, Barry. You have to have a strategy behind those attacks otherwise you'll lose," she pointed out. Buizel stopped flailing its limbs in various directions indicating to Dawn it had fainted. One more Pokemon to knock down and the Eevee egg would be hers to claim.

Gastly started to vibrate and Dawn knew he was evolving to the next level. She had witnessed the evolution phase twice already, but even so it was always amazing to witness an evolution occurring. White light encased her Pokemon and once again she shielded her eyes from the brightness. The dark fog disappeared. Seconds later the evolutionary light faded to reveal her Haunter. Haunter seemed delighted, throwing a smirk in Barry's direction.

He summoned his final Pokemon. Monferno. "Monferno, use Flame Wheel!"

Multiple embers left the Monferno's mouth, forming a ring around her Haunter. The embers moved upwards and clung to the ghost-type's body, burning him slowly. Dawn raised Haunter's pokeball up in the air and recalled him. She summoned Honchkrow to the battlefield again. The bird was no longer doused in water. "Finish this, Honchkrow! Use Wing Attack!" Honchkrow took to the air, hovered in place and flapped his wings aggressively to loosen feathers. Feathered arrows rained down on the ape below. Dawn learned during that brief moment fighting-types were incredibly weak to flying-type moves. Barry's Monferno groaned and flopped down onto the ground, its flames dying down.

The crowd, which had mostly remained silent during the match, erupted into loud applause. Barry recalled his Monferno and sighed. "I lost again? It goes to show my sure-fire winning strategy doesn't work…" He looked up giving Dawn a sheepish grin. "I guess I have to grind it out and toughen up the team a bit at a time. Anyway, you deserved the battle! I'm off to challenge Veilstone's gym leader next! See ya, Dawn! You'll be shocked by my growth the next time we met!" Before Dawn could convince him to stay for the celebrations, Barry raced off towards the Pokemon Centre.

"…I guess you're friend isn't staying around for the celebratory tucker?"

Dawn shook her head sadly. "No."

The host moved forward. "Well, the more for you then! That was a cracker of a battle and I reckon you'll go far! You've got what it takes to become the Champion!" He glanced over his shoulder and jerked his head towards Dawn. "Hey Bebe, come over 'ere and give our Champion her prize!"

A girl with blonde hair in a ponytail emerged from the crowd, cradling a green spotted egg in her arms. She stood before Dawn and held forth the egg. "This is an Eevee egg! Keep the egg safe and war and in a couple of days the egg will hatch! Do you know what Eevee evolution you want? There are seven reported types! It's even rumoured there's an eighth type available only in Kalos region! Your choices are as follows: Flareon, the fire-type, Vaporean, the water-type, Jolteon, the electric-type, Umbreon, the dark-type, Espeon, the psychic-type, Leafeon, the grass-type and Glaceon, the ice-type. Leafeon and Glaceon only evolve when exposed to a special stone found in the untamed wilderness. Umbreon only evolves at night-time and Espeon evolves during the day. You must have peak happiness for the Eevee to evolve though."

That was a lot of information to absorb, but Dawn didn't care too much since she already knew what Eevee she wanted. "I'm interested in a Vaporeon."

Bebe smiled. "Oh that's great! You can pick up a Water Stone in Pastoria City!" She handed the egg and Dawn took it, holding it against her chest, both arms underneath it. Walking around carrying an egg was going to be difficult – she wondered if there was an egg-carrying bag available to purchase somewhere in Veilstone. "Well, I'll be off! Take care!" The woman walked away.

"You are planning on staying around for a late arvo tucker?"

Dawn nodded, grinning. "Of course!"