"Bianca?" I found Bianca crouched by a tree. "It's been a while." Kenya was fighting a gang of Patrats with Darumaka. I knelt next to Bianca.
"How have you been?" Bianca asked.
"I beat the Striaton gym."
"I haven't beaten any gyms yet," she chuckled. I frowned.
"Are you alright?" She wiped her eyes and stood up.
"Andrew! Let's have a battle!"
"What? Why?" Bianca pulled out a Pokeball.
"I'm going to beat you!" She sent out an Audino. I thoughtlessly let out Pidove. "Sweet kiss!" Audino kissed Pidove, putting it to sleep.
I considered returning Pidove. Hyper Beam!" Audino didn't do anything. "I'm kidding." Bianca started laughing.
I furrowed my brow, confused. "Secret power!" Audino blasted Pidove. Pidove woke up, flying into the air.
"Steel wing!" Pidove dove at Audino, attacking with its wings. Audino tried to defend itself, but Pidove easily outmaneuvered it, smacking it with its wings. Audino stumbled backward, falling over.
"What?" Bianca returned Audino. "How was that so strong?"
"This Pidove has a strong physical attack," I explained. "And it was born with steel wing, which is very strong by itself. It was a very lucky catch." Bianca balled up her fists.
"Lilipup!" She sent out a Lilipup.
"Steel wing again!" Pidove flew up, ready for another dive.
"Protect!" Pidove flew at Lilipup, smashing into its barrier. "Now, bite!" Lilipup grabbed onto Pidove.
"Take it up!" Pidove shot into the sky and propelled itself straight towards the ground. "Quick attack" Pidove moved like a blur, smashing Lilipup into the ground. It damaged itself in the process. Lilipup was knocked out. Bianca silently returned Lilipup and sent out Snivy. "Gust." Pidove started flying in circles around Snivy.
"Vine whip!" Snivy caught Pidove with a vine, pulling it down into the ground. The impact knocked Pidove out. I sent out Tepig. For a moment, Bianca stared at Tepig. "Why?" Bianca returned Snivy. "Why am I such a bad trainer?" I returned Tepig.
"What are you talking about?"
"I can't win. I can't beat you or the gym leaders." I approached Bianca as she sat down. I didn't know what to say. I sat down next to her, watching Kenya fight Patrats. "I thought if I…" she trailed off. "I don't know what I'm doing."
"Bianca," I tried to think of something to say. "It doesn't really matter if—"
"I know it doesn't matter!" She jumped to her feet. "I just… forget it. I'll see you later." She walked away.
She was long gone by the time Kenya finished off the Patrats. She walked over to me, Darumaka at her heels.
"Wasn't that Bianca?" She asked.
"You know her?" I looked up at her.
"Of course. Is she alright?"
"I don't know." We continued traveling. We arrived in Nacrene at noon. I silently looked for Bianca as we made our way to the pokemon center. There was a crowd of people gathered outside of the pokemart. They were dressed in strange white outfits.
"Oh. Those guys are back." Kenya made a disgruntled sound.
"Who are they?" I asked.
"Team Plasma. They're activists. They want everyone to let their pokemon go."
We got our pokemon healed. Kenya suggested we get something to eat. We ended up eating at a small busy café.
"So the reason you're following me is that you cant figure out how to get through Pinwheel forest, right?"
"Uh, yeah." Kenya took a bite out of her sandwich.
"Then why were you in Accumula town?"
"I was wandering, I guess." I nodded.
"Why didn't you ask anyone else?"
"What's with all the questions all of a sudden?" She leaned back in her seat, furrowing her brow.
"I'm just wondering. Have you beaten the gym leader?" Kenya grumbled. "No?"
"I can't beat her," she admitted. "It has nothing to do with Pinwheel forest." I feigned a shocked expression.
"Then what'd you need me for?" I noticed Bianca through the window. She was talking with one of the Team Plasma members. Someone walked into the café, Kenya tensed up. "I need to talk to her." The woman walked across the café.
"Kenya!" The woman had a booming voice. She marched over to our table. Kenya sunk in her seat.
"What do you want?"
"Where have you been?" The woman smacked the table. "It's been weeks since I've seen you!"
"It's Lenora," someone whispered. I looked up at her.
"Give it to me." Lenora held out her hand. "Now." Kenya scooted away from her.
"It's mine." Lenora's hand curled into a fist.
"You have no right. Who do you think you are?" She lunged, grabbing Kenya's arm and yanking her up.
"Whoa!" I jumped up, hesitating to do anything. Lenora shook Kenya.
"You're desecrating her name, you ungrateful brat! Quit acting like a selfish child and give him to me!"
"Hey!" I grabbed Lenora's arm, trying to pull her away from Kenya. "Cut it out!" Lenora pushed me into my seat.
"Stay out of this!" Kenya pulled free.
"He's all I have left of her." Kenya backed away. "I won't let you take him." She held up a poke ball. Lenora tensed up. "Back off!" Murmurs spread across the café as people moved away from them.
"You wouldn't dare." Lenora took a step towards Kenya. I got up. Kenya backed up.
"I'd rather him be free then you have him," Kenya said. Lenora shook her head.
"That's your ignorance talking. You can't take care of him." Kenya bumped into a chair. Lenora rushed forward, shoving Kenya down.
The Pokeball opened.
Lenora was flung back; she rolled across the floor.
A Druddigon appeared, landing on a table, crushing it. A few people screamed, running out of the café.
"No!" Kenya shouted. The Druddigon roared, charging through the wall. I rushed to Kenya's side, helping her up.
"What's going on?"
"We have to stop him!" Kenya pushed past me, hopping through the hole.
"Kenya!" Lenora yelled. I climbed out of the hole. The Druddigon was chasing people. Kenya was yelling at it.
Someone sent out a Durant, ordering it to attack. Druddigon pummeled the Durant. I ran over to Kenya as Lenora came out of the café. Druddigon threw the Durant into the air.
"Durant!" Druddigon charged at Durant's trainer.
"Watchog!" Lenora sent out a Watchog; it intercepted Druddigon. Druddigon roared and fired a hyper beam. Watchdog dodged it. The beam cut through a few buildings. People ran out of them.
"What do I do? What do I do?" Kenya clutched her head, hesitating. I considered sending out Munna, to attempt hypnosis.
Other people were sending out their pokemon and attacking Druddigon. Druddigon attacked Watchog, knocking it away.
"Give me the poke ball!" Lenora demanded. "Return it!" Kenya held out Druddigon's poke ball. It turned towards us and fired a hyper beam. I grabbed her and pulled her out of the way. The beam hit the street in front of the pokemart.
The team plasma gang scattered. Kenya dropped the poke ball.
"Watchog! Keep it busy!" Lenora ordered. "Kenya! Hurry up!" Druddigon kicked Watchog away and jumped at us. A Gurdurr intercepted it. I grabbed the poke ball, holding it out to Druddigon.
Nothing happened. Could a pokemon refuse to be returned? Druddigon stomped on Gurdurr and turned to me.
"Andrew! Throw the ball at me!" Kenya waved her arms. I chucked the poke ball at her. She caught it and tried once again to return Druddigon. Druddigon picked up Gurdurr and threw it at her.
Gurdurrs trainer returned it midair. Watchog, a Jellicent, and a Mienfoo attacked Druddigon.
"Why won't it work?" Kenya waved the Pokeball at Druddigon.
"We have to knock it out!" I couldn't think of anything else. But the Druddigon seemed impossibly strong.
Lenora shouted orders at Watchog. Some of the other trainers backed off. The Mienfoo went down first, then Druddigon jumped onto the Jellicent and finished it off with a dragon claw.
I took the poke bell from Kenya.
"What are you doing?" I started walking towards Druddigon. It looked at me, holding Watchog down with its foot. Lenora returned Watchog. Druddigon charged at me.
"Are you crazy?" Lenora yelled.
"Andrew!" Kenya called out. I held out the poke ball. Druddigon roared. I was pushed aside, falling to the ground. Druddigon slowed to a stop.
Bianca was there, standing in front of Druddigon. Druddigon stood still, staring at her. Bianca held out her hand.
Druddigon sniffed it and ate something out of it. I got up, watching. Druddigon slowly sat down. Bianca placed her hand on the side of its head.
She whispered something. Druddigon closed its eyes. Bianca turned to me and held out her hand.
"Is that his poke ball?" I nodded. She took it and tapped it against Druddigon's nose. He went back into the poke ball. All the trainers watched, dumbfounded.
"What did you do?" I asked. Bianca raised her eyebrows.
"I just fed him. He was in so much pain. He was confused." I let out a sigh of relief.
"You're amazing." Lenora walked over to us.
"I've never seen him respond like that to anyone but my sister."
"Is this yours?" Bianca asked, holding out the poke ball.
"No!" Kenya ran over. "He's mine! I need him!" Lenora took the poke ball. "Give him back, please!" Lenora shook her head. The other trainers slowly scattered.
"You are incapable of training him," Lenora said. "Your aunt would be disappointed." She slipped the poke ball into her pocket and crossed her arms.
"I can train him," Kenya insisted.
"How can you prove that?" Lenora approached Kenya.
"If I beat you." Kenya pointed at Lenora. "If I can beat you, then you give him back!" Lenora didn't say anything. She just nodded.