Kenya and I followed Lenora to the gym. Lenora was talking with her husband when we entered the gym. It was a large museum filled with artifacts.

A large dragon skeleton was featured in the center of the museum. A transparent orb caught my eye.

"Follow me." Lenora scowled at us. Her husband lowered his head. Lenora led us downstairs to an underground battlefield.

"I admit, I'm excited to beat you into the ground one more time, brat," Lenora remarked as the two of them took their places on the field.

Lenora's husband and I stood on the sidelines. Lenora sent out her Watchog.

"I know you only have that one, Darumaka. I'll only use one pokemon. You knock it out; you win." Kenya sent out her Darumaka. Lenora crossed her arms. "Watchog, defend." Watchog imitated her pose.

"Darumaka! Headbutt!" Darumaka ran across the field. Watchog stepped out of the way, tripping Darumaka. Darumaka tumbled, rolling across the ground.

Lenora shook her head.

"Fire Punch!" Darumaka regained its bearings, running at Watchog again. Watchog maneuvered around it, maintaining a safe distance.

"Fire punch again!" Darumaka kept trying to land a hit on Watchog.

"What are you trying to accomplish?" Lenora asked. "You're rash. You never think about consequences. Do you not understand how dangerous that Druddigon is?"

"Incinerate!" Darumaka stopped mid-swing and fired a blast of fire at Watchog. Watchog jumped back. Lenora seemed to give up on the discussion.

"Watchog, knock it out." Watchog started approaching Darumaka.

"Use headbutt, hurry!" Darumaka charged at Watchog again. Watchog grabbed it and slammed it onto the ground. "Get free! Get free!" Kenya shouted, waving her arms.

Watchog's fangs glowed; it bit into Darumaka. Kenya stopped yelling and sat down hard. Watchog pulled back, pushing Darumaka away. Darumaka was knocked out.

"Oh, Kenya." Lenora's husband said quietly. "Oh, Kenya." Lenora refused to accept a rematch.

Eventually, we left the gym.

Kenya hardly spoke to me.

I returned to my room at the pokemon center. I fed all of my pokemon. I let them roam the room as I took a shower.

Tepig and Pidove were asleep on the bed when I got out. Munna was floating by the door. Pansage was doing a handstand on the floor. Munna bumped against the door. I walked over to the door. Munna made a soft humming sound.

"Is something wrong?" I opened the door. I immediately recognized Kenya's blue hair. She was sitting against the wall beside the door. "You good down there?" I opened the door wider.

Kenya looked up at me. Her eyes were puffy; her face was flushed.

"Hi. Can I come in?"

"How long have you been out here? Why didn't you knock?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Come on in."

She followed me into the room and sat on the floor. I put a shirt on and sat on the bed. Tepig stirred, stretching.

Kenya sat in silence for a while. I looked through my Pokedex, reading information about Tepig.

"My aunt died," Kenya said suddenly. I restrained myself from saying: 'my mom died, get over it and kept my mouth shut. "Druddigon is all I have left of her. But I…" She buried her face in her hands.

"Did that Lenora woman know your aunt?" I asked.

"It was her sister." I nodded. Oh.

"That Druddigon is really dangerous. It tore the city apart."

"I know that!" Kenya snapped. She balled her fists. I was at a loss, unsure of what to say.

I remember how Bianca treated the Druddigon. She seemed to calm it easily. What did she do that no one else seemed capable of? Was it the peaceful approach? The food? I racked my brain.

"I don't think he understands what happened to my aunt." She pulled her knees up to her chest. "I can't imagine what he's feeling."

"How did you feel when she died?" I closed my Pokedex. Kenya looked over at me.

"I was so sad, so scared , and so angry. I didn't have any way to vent all of that anger."

"Then you probably have a pretty good idea of how Druddigon feels." She wiped her eyes.

"I'm gonna get some sleep." Kenya ended up staying on the floor the whole night. I returned my pokemon in the morning. Kenya was asleep on the floor. I called Bianca on my Xtransceiver.

"Hey, Andrew!" Bianca's face appeared on the screen. She was surrounded by foliage. "What's up?" I hesitated.

"Uh, where are you?" She shifted around, the background seeming to shake.

"That's not important," she waved me off. "I'm just in a tree!"

"Why?"

"I'm watching the sunrise. She turned her Xtransceiver, displaying a view of the brightening sky.

"Wow."

"I know, it's amazing. Bianca's face reappeared on the screen. "So, what did you need?"

"Are you still near Nacrene City?"

"Yeah."

"Can you meet me at the gym?" Bianca agreed to meet me in half an hour. I got up and got dressed. Kenya was still asleep went I left. Bianca was standing outside of the gym when I arrived.

"Hey!" She waved at me as I walked over. "What do you need?" I gestured to the gym.

"That Druddigon yesterday. You calmed it down easily." She fidgeted, mumbling.

"I saw my dad do it once. I just copied him. I doubt I could do it again." She paused. "You want me to do it again, don't you." Bianca and I put together our plan while we waited for the gym to open.

Lenora's husband was the first to arrive. He greeted us as he unlocked the door. Lenora showed up half an hour later. She scowled as soon as she saw me.

"What do you want?" She crossed her arms.

"I'm here to challenge you." Lenora narrowed her eyes. For a minute, she didn't move. I wondered if she was waiting on something.

"Fine. Come on in." She led us back to the underground battlefield. Her husband didn't come with us this time. Lenora and I took our places on the battlefield. Bianca glanced nervously between us.

"If I win. Give me the Druddigon."

"What?" Lenora raised her hands in frustration. "Who do you think you are?" I stood my ground.

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Nothing. I'm going to keep it in safekeeping. But that's none of your business."

"I think I know a bit of what's going on." Lenora shook her head, rubbing her temple.

"You really don't."

"I know Kenya has the right to her aunt's pokemon." Lenora scoffed.

"Yet she sends you to do it for her."

"If I win. You give me the Druddigon."

"If you lose…." Lenora considered her next words. "You forfeit the right to challenge this gym ever again."

I swallowed hard. I could never battle Drayden. A nearly rejected the offer. I recalled Kenya's face as she cried on the floor.

I couldn't back down now. I tried to hide my trembling voice as I replied.

"Fine then. Let's do this."