Hey everyone! Holy crap it's been a while. I think my last update was a few months ago, and I am so sorry about that. I expect better of myself. That said however, when I published that last chapter, I did not expect the world to fall apart into a global pandemic. As a front line worker, Covid-19 made my working life a living hell. Finding time to write about fictional animals who are supposed to be fighting a contest and falling in love has just been impossible. But, with Christmas holidays and such, I was able to not only get one chapter done, but two! Now, I still need to clean up the other, but with any luck I should have it out on or shortly after new years. Maybe even sooner. Then again this is 2020 and it's been a total write off of a year!

Also, slight warning: Sparkette does get into some darker thoughts near the middle of the chapter. Nothing serious, but if you have an issue with depression, it could be a bit close to home, so if you're sensitive to that, I apologize. While this is supposed to be a feel good story, character development does demand characters go through trials.

"I'm not so sure about this. I'm not a fan of water." I sighed, looking at Autumn's 'plan' on a whiteboard. "Well, we don't have many options. I have you, Pyro who is fire type, and Metapod who only knows Harden." she sighed, looking at the board again, clearly doubting her own plan. "We could go catch something good against water... like a grass type, or a Pikachu." I suggested. "I will never run a Pikachu in my team. They are useless as far as moves as stats. I mean you'd have to be a 10 year old dreamer who wants to be a champion but can't accomplish even the easiest tasks. Even with two Gym leaders helping you, you can't beat the league with a Pikachu." she scoffed. "So this plan... just shadowball and swift, and hope to wear them into exhaustion while using agility to dodge them. Seems like the best I can do." I groaned. "I can drown pretty effectively!" Pyro laughed, laying on a couch.

"Sparkette, look, you got this. You are not some fluffy pint sized ankle biter. You are far above any Eevee I have ever met. I have seen you in battle. You took down an Onix with a shadowball to the eye. You survived a whole cave despite every sign that we were doomed. If there was anyone I want to have my back in a battle, it's you. So get that cute fluffy tail up and go win that lame badge!" Shadow said, nudging my side. Well, I guess we truly had no choice. So Cerulean Gym, here we come!

I knew Cerulean was a water type gym, but I did not expect a literal pool. Nor did I expect it to also have daily shows with gym battles being a huge attraction. Hundreds of people and pokemon alike watching me. Yeah, no pressure there, thanks Autumn. But I did my job, I hopped up on my platform and waited. "Welcome everyone, to fight number 4 of the day! Gym Leader Misty defending with two pokemon against Autumn Green, sporting... just a single Eevee? Is that right... really, just an Eevee? Welp, okay people! It's confirmed, a single Eevee! This should be a very short show folks!" The announcer said, clearly doubting and taunting me. What was the word for that kind of person... oh right, asshole. "Just do what you do best chicky, win." Autumn assured me, and the scoreboard lit up. Misty sent out a Staryu, and I dug my claws in. He called the match, and off I went.

I launched myself off my back paws, using agility to rocket myself skyward as a solid stream of water blasted where I was just a fraction of a second before. So much pressure it would have sheered my fur off, if not my skin too. I gripped a support beam of the arena, spun around it with my momentum, and shot back down at the Staryu, twisting to get my back leg out. The beam of water arched over my head, stripping it of a tiny put of fluff, but the hit was good. My paw connected with the gem, and transferred all my energy into it, slamming the water type clear through the platform and into the water. I dug my claws in to stay atop it, and watched the Staryu dash away onto another floating pontoon. Shit, guess I would need more.

The gem flashes, and a storm of bubbles raced toward me. While not the best water move, it would still hurt, and I couldn't dodge, so I had to deflect. I opened my maw and let rip a stream of red stars, the sound of each projectile like a tiny explosion as it broke the sound barrier, except at around 4000 in 30 seconds. The stars obliterated every bubble shot at me, intercepting them so they didn't hit me. Swift was a frightening thing when used correctly. The Stayru was getting furious, and jumped, spinning and streaking at me like a disk. I barely had enough time to jump, let alone make a real plan. But just as it flew under me in a high speed tackle, I used agility again, slamming down on it. The poor thing collided with the already busted up platform and crushed under my paws. I could feel it's wet slimy meat compress down to something hard, which at the least cracked under the force. The gem flickered. I didn't knock it out, but I certainly stopping it from fighting any further.

Misty withdrew the fainted Pokemon, and I grinned at her as she tossed out a second. This was going to be harder... Starmie, Staryu's evolved form. The purple star couldn't grin since it had no mouth, but I could. I grinned and did a battle-bow (front down-butt up) and showed it my teeth. Bring it starbutt, I was will break you! The gem flashed, and I was thrown upward. No, not even thrown. It was like being grabbed by an invisible arm and hauled into the sky. Being moved like that wasn't the bad part, no. The bad part was my tiny furry colliding with the ceiling at damn near 75 miles an hour. I couldn't breath. I couldn't think. I couldn't do anything as I fell. Suddenly, I feel it again, this time I'm whipped against a steel support beam in the same way one would slap something on a table. Nothing could describe the pain. Just every inch of my body screaming in agony as I began to fall again. Nothing worked. Not my tail, not my paws, not even my voice to scream. Is this was fainting is? Or is this something worse? Then I see it, the water...

Did you know that when traveling at a significant speed the surface tension of water can make it as solid as concrete? Yeah, I didn't know that until I crushed myself against it like a furry comet. But that tension snaps, and you fall through. Into to the cold, wet, and darkness. Bubbles streamed from my nose with a stream of crimson as I sunk deeper and deeper. Was this my punishment? I got cocky, thought I was better than a gym leader, and now I had to suffer for my arrogance? Was my greedy pride worth this? I took it for granted. I felt invincible, let myself get careless, and for that crime, I was to be taught a lesson. A lesson in pain, anguish, and humiliation. No, I did this to myself. This wasn't punishment, it was simply a repercussion. I let myself be careless, and I paid the price. Maybe sinking to the bottom of the pool was a fitting end for being so casually stupid. But as my vision began to fade, I saw the familiar red flash and was sucked into my pokeball. Safety, warmth, home. "Pokemon fainted! Going into emergency mode. Locking exit. Preparing for life supporting efforts... Set up complete!" The ball screeched, before ejecting pink miss into my field. Well, apparently pokeballs are made to prevent death by battle, who knew? "I don't suppose you do... reports? News? Umm... details?" I asked weakly, laying on my fake grass panting. "Status report. Emergency mode. You have been critically injured in battle and can no longer compete. While I am unable to heal your injuries, I am able to continue life support efforts until such time as we reach a Pokemon Center. But do not fret, examination of your body shows no serious or disabling injuries. Your aura absorbed most of it, but your energy took too much of a drain on the final hit." it explained, the disembodied voice oddly comforting. The pain subsided, at least enough for me to sleep. Next thing I remember was the familiar chime of a PokeHealer.

I really did not want to come out of my ball when Autumn released me, but I never really got to pick when I was released. I also did not want to be tackled by a very big crybaby who sobbed into my chest asking if I was alright. "Shadow, I am fine. Physically. Emotionally, I could use some work." I sighed, pushing him off. "Sparkette, everyone takes a loss every now and then. You had the odds against you. I mean we expected it to be rough, but that Starmie... there was just no planning for that. Misty is a water type gym, that's what we planned on! Starmie though... it's half psychic. And she used the move psychic because of how badly you thrashed her Staryu. It's not your fault Sparkette, you just got a bad hand with a typing we simply didn't plan on. Before then, you were amazing! You fought bravely and courageously, that is why you are the best." he rambled, doing his best to justify my failure. "No Shadow, I simply got cocky." I sighed. "That's impossible, you're a girl!" He grinned. I bapped his nose with as much force as I could, trying my absolute best to not laugh at his obscene joke. I failed for the second time in a single day. "See, there's that smile. That smile, if it was an attack, would decimate all foes. We'll train, get better, and soon we'll shove that grimy Starmie's face in the mud!" he laughed, hopping in a circle. I rolled my eyes and turned to Autumn, who gently hugged me. "He's right you know. That wasn't your fault. We're going to train, and we're going to win. But first, we're going to go shopping!" She cheered. "What... how... how does shopping help us of all things!?" I shouted at her. "Because when I'm in the dumps, shopping makes me feel better. I'm sure it will for you too. Maybe a nice collar, or a bow for your tail?" she giggled. "If you put a fucking bow on my fucking tail I will fucking bite you!" I screamed, enraged at the very idea. "Oh Sparkette, please never change my fluffy ball of emotions." she said, sitting down and petting me. You know what? All told, this is fine. I don't mind it. I can live with this.