"You will not leave this house!" Bianca's father shouted.
Her mother sat silently at the table. Bianca and her father's plates were untouched. The two of them stood in the kitchen.
Bianca stared at the floor. Tears streaked her face. Her shoulders were slumped pathetically.
Her father went on with his lecture. His words were muted. The room seemed to be filled with water.
Bianca was at the bottom of an ocean. Her father was standing on the surface. She opened her mouth, bubbles rising to the surface.
He didn't notice them.
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Bianca took her place on the battlefield. Her dad watched her silently.
Alder was saying something. She could hardly make it out over the cheering crowd. Kenta sent out his pokemon.
Golurk, Garbodor and a Maractus. She sent her own pokemon.
Audino, Larvesta, and Servine. Golurk stood tall over the other pokemon. Kenta's Golurk was abnormally large. It was nearly twenty feet tall.
"Please begin," Alder said.
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Audino paced behind the bench. Cheren stared at Dewott's Pokeball in his hand. Bianca glanced at him. He finally broke the silence.
"I don't get it," his voice was shaky. He lowered his head. Bianca took his hand. Cheren tensed up. He pulled his hand away.
"Cheren. It's not that much of—"
"You don't get it," he said. "You can't understand. If I can't beat them, then I'm…" He put Dewott's Pokeball away. "I'm worthless."
"You're not worthless!" Bianca insisted. "You're a great trainer." Cheren put a hand over his eyes.
"It's so easy for you. You don't have any problems. You just say whatever you want, do whatever you want. Since no one expects anything from you." Bianca blinked.
"What are you going on about?" She forced a laugh, playfully punching him in the arm. Her face was burning.
Cheren didn't look at her. She felt tears welling up in her eyes. Cheren looked past her. Andrew and Kenya were exiting Clay's gym. They were talking. Cheren scowled.
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Larvesta was knocked out. Servine whipped up a leaf tornado around Golurk.
Kenta shouted orders. Garbodor spat a blob of poison at Audino. Audino dove to the side, avoiding the poison.
Maractus fired a volley of needles at Servine. Servine took the hits. The tornado weakened. Golurk advanced, swinging its leg like a hammer.
The leg hit Servine and knocked it into the air.
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"What is wrong with you?" Kenta shook Bianca by her shoulders.
"Hey!" The girl shouted. She pushed Kenta away from Bianca. They were standing outside of the pokemon center. Kenta backed away, out of breath. Audino nudged Bianca nervously.
"It's alright," Bianca said.
"You'd abandon your family?" Kenta stepped closer. The girl stepped between them. "You're not going to be a trainer!"
He eventually left. He yelled the same things he always yelled when he was angry. How Bianca was harming her mother and herself. Her mother needs to be taken care of.
The girl turned to Bianca. She frowned.
"Bianca?"
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"Kenta has the advantage," Alder said. "Young Bianca seems to be playing defense." Garbodor spat more poison, Audino was hurt.
Bianca shouted. Servine hit the ground hard. Maractus moved in, hitting Servine with a needle arm.
Servine retaliated with a leaf blade. Maractus absorbed the hit. Golurk descended on the pair, its foot falling like a meteor. Servine whipped up a leaf tornado, pushing Maractus back and knocking Golurk off balance.
Bianca's face was flushed. She gave orders; her voice trembled. Kenta's eyes met hers across the battlefield.
"Audino, double slap!"
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Bianca cried. Audino nudged her softly, unwilling to put the egg down. She was on the floor of the pokemon center restroom.
The girl was waiting outside. The moment she shut the door. The flood gates dissolved. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to calm herself.
She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, curled up on the bathroom floor. More tears came. The girl knocked on the door.
"Are you okay?" Bianca's Xtransceiver buzzed. She hesitantly opened it, seeing it was Juniper calling. She picked up.
"Bianca?" Juniper's usual smirk shifted to a frown. Bianca sniffled, forcing a smile.
"Professor! Hi!"
"Is something wrong?"
"Of course not!" Juniper scoffed.
"Why are you on a bathroom floor? That doesn't look sanitary." Juniper's frown deepened. Bianca averted her eyes. "Speak to me."
Bianca hesitated. She gave in, opening herself to Juniper. She told her about her conflicted feelings. She told her about her worries. Cheren and Andrew. Her fear of getting left behind. Her doubts in herself. Her fear of being worthless.
Juniper was silent, merely nodding her head. When Bianca finished, Juniper laughed. Bianca's cheeks flushed.
"W-what are you?"
"No. No. I'm sorry." Juniper shook her head. "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you're not alone."
"What do you mean?"
"I had a chat with Cheren a few hours ago. He told me all about his fight with Clay and those thugs. He's so scared of being left behind. Just like you."
Bianca felt a pang of guilt. His words outside of the Driftveil gym bounced around in her head. How stupid could she be? How blind could she be? Juniper smiled.
"I have to win," Bianca said under her breath.
"What was that?" Juniper leaned in. Her face growing on the screen.
"I'm sorry, professor!" Bianca grabbed onto a sink and pulled herself onto her feet. "I have to do something!"
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Audino knocked out Garbodor with a double slap. Maractus kept up with volley after volley of pin missiles.
Servine was on its last legs. Jumping around to stay out of Maractus' range.
Alder said something else. Bianca's heartbeat drowned it out. She shouted orders. Audino went after Maractus.
Servine went on the offensive as well, attacking Golurk with a leaf blade. Golurk ignored the attack. Stomping on Servine. Maractus rushed past Audino, following up on Golurk's attack with a needle arm.
Servine was knocked out.
"Looks like the battle is just about over." Alder's voice cut through Bianca's mind. She panicked. Maractus and Golurk turned on Audino. Bianca yelled. Audino ran.
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"It's a promise," Kenya said. "You, me, and Andrew. One of us has to win."
Kenya and Bianca shook hands.
Audino went head to head with Watchog.
The girl was cheering on the sidelines. Audino knocked Watchog out, nearly collapsing in the process. Lenora surrendered the badge. Bianca grinned, meeting Lenora's gaze.
"You've changed," Lenora said. "That Audino is powerful."
Bianca and Cheren were the first ones in the waiting room. Bianca cut him off as he walked in. He frowned.
"Cheren."
"What is it?" He asked. A smile grew on her face as she spoke.
Cheren's eyes widened.
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Audino struck Maractus again and dove out of the way of Golurk's attack.
Kenta shouted orders. Golurk chased Audino, its foot swinging like a deadly hammer.
"Get out of the way!" Bianca yelled. Audino rolled, but Golurk was too fast. The edge of its food caught Audino in the side. The impact sent Audino sprawling into the air. Audino landed on its back. Golurk advanced, raising its foot to stomp on Audino. "Fight back!" Bianca shouted. Audino grabbed Golurks foot. Golurk pressed down hard. The floor of the battlefield under Audino cracked.
"It seems the battle is over," Alder said. Bianca knew he was wrong. Audino began to rise. Golurk stumbled backward. Bianca bit her lip. Audino had no real way to damage Golurk.
Audino looked over at Bianca. They exchanged nods. Golurk advanced again.
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"I'm going to be a trainer." Audino blinked. Bianca cradled Larvesta in her arms. "I'm done feeling sorry for myself." She pulled Audino into a hug. "I'm done losing."
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Audino lunged away from Golurk, striking the floor. Maractus fired a volley of needles.
Audino maneuvered around Golurk, putting it in Maractus' path. A few needles embedded themselves in Golurk's side. They had little to no effect. Golurk continued its advance, quickening.
"Now!" Bianca shouted. The shrillness in her voice surprised her.
Audino dove at the ground in front of Golurk, striking the floor with a take down. The floor splintered, Golurk stumbled back.
Audino continued forward, getting a firm grip on Golurk's leg. Audino took one hefty step and yanked.
Golurk fell and slid. Audino started to spin, hoisting Golurk's massive body in a circle.
Kenta was shellshocked for a moment. He ordered Maractus to attack. Audino was picking up speed, spinning Golurk in circles.
Maractus fired a few needles, but they bounced harmlessly off of Golurk. Bianca grinned, locking eyes with Kenta. The crowd was cheering like mad. Somehow she hadn't noticed them before.
"That Audino's strength is… bizarre!" Alder was aghast. "I don't think I've ever seen an Audino with such strength…" Audino let go of Golurk. Bianca gasped.
Golurk flew sideways towards the audience.
"No!" Bianca shouted. Kenta returned Golurk before it reached the crowd.
He lowered his head, returning Maractus as well. "Dad?" Bianca was confused.
"Is Kenta surrendering?" Alder asked.
"I surrender," Kenta said. He smiled sadly at Bianca. Bianca blinked. He turned and walked off of the battlefield.
Bianca took a shaky breath. Audino hobbled over to her.
"You did it!" Bianca hugged Audino. Alder seemed to take that as his cue.
"Bianca is the victor." He'd returned to his tired state. Bianca and Audino left the battlefield. She had her pokemon healed and returned to the waiting room.
"Bianca, You were amazing!" Mary shouted the moment Bianca appeared in the doorway.
Bianca smiled as Mary chattered about how she was the only one cheering, she even reenacted Audino spinning Golurk.
Bianca met Cheren's eyes. She walked over to him.
The next fight was getting called. Bianca somewhat recognized one of the names, but she ignored it. She shared a smile with Andrew and sat down next to Cheren.
Cheren.
What is it?
"Bianca," Cheren spoke quietly.
"Yeah?" Bianca fidgeted with the hem of her shirt.
I won't let you beat me. Not without a fight.
"I'm going to win."