"Cheren has earned his Nimbasa gym badge," Alder said. Minutes later, Cheren returned to the waiting room. Bianca patted him on the shoulder as he sat down. The next match was being called.

"Trainer Bianca and Trainer Cerea." Bianca got up, smiling at Cerea. Cerea frowned and got up.

"Bianca, you should let me win," Cerea said. Bianca laughed. The two of them left. Soon, they appeared on the battlefield. They sent out their pokemon

"Please begin," Alder said.

.

.

.

"Bianca!" Cerea whined. I sat up at my desk, yawning. Bianca and Cerea were standing by the classroom door. "You promised!"

Cheren was sitting a few seats away, reading a book. There were a few other students, a dozen in total. Juniper was standing in front of the classroom, writing on the chalkboard.

"I'm sorry," Bianca said. "My mom didn't want me to." Cerea threw up her hands in a fit.

"Well. We can do it now." She marched to a seat, Bianca following behind her. Bianca hesitantly took the seat in front of Cerea. I ran a hand through my hair. Cerea started messing with Bianca's hair.

"Can anyone tell me what type of attack would be effective against a pokemon that possesses both the dark and the ghost type?"

"There isn't one," Cheren said.

"Correct!" Juniper turned to face the classroom. She frowned. "Cerea. What are you doing?" Most of the students turned; Cerea was holding a pair of scissors over Bianca's hair. She lowered her hand.

Juniper strode across the classroom, examining the two girls. Cerea sat back, crossing her arms.

.

.

.

Bianca had won. Audino and Servine wiped out Cerea's team in minutes. Bianca cheered, gathering her pokemon. Cerea cried out, covering her eyes. I shared a look with Cheren.

"Please leave the battlefield," Alder said.

"You said you'd let me win!" Cerea shouted. She ran off of the battlefield crying. Bianca returned her pokemon and left the battlefield. Cheren grumbled.

"You've got to be kidding," Cheren said.

"What's that all about?" Kenya asked. Bianca returned as the next match was called.

"Andrew and Mary." I stood up, smiling at Bianca as she sat down. Mary, Bianca's friend, rose as well. I followed her out of the room.

"I'm not gonna go easy on you just because you're friends with Bianca," Mary said.

"Good." We walked out onto the battlefield and took our places. I noted the damaged arena wall from Druddigon's attack yesterday. The battlefield itself had been significantly repaired.

"Please begin," Alder said. Mary sent out her pokemon. Gigalith, Emolga, and Tynamo. I sent out mine as well.

"Gigalith! Rock slide!" A wave of stone projectiles flew at my team.

"Split up!" I ordered. Pignite charged through the stones, deflecting most of them. Musharna and Tranquil flew to safety overhead.

"It's her only strong pokemon. If it goes down, she loses."

"Pignite, go after Gigalith!" Pignite approached Gigalith. Gigalith shifted around threateningly. Tranquil descended.

"Hey, Gigalith! Use Rock polish!" Mary shouted.

"Tranquil, steel wing!" Tranquil dropped like a missile aimed at Gigalith.

"Tynamo, hurry! Thunder wave!" Not again! Tynamo was too slow. Tranquil maneuvered around the attack and struck Gigalith. Gigalith staggered back.

"Pignite hit it with arm thrust!" Pignite pummeled Gigalith, pushing it back.

"W-what? Hey!" Mary threw up her arms. "Gigalith! Get it together!" Her short temper reminded me of Kenya.

I pushed the opening.

"Musharna! Put it to sleep." Musharna used hypnosis, lulling Gigalith to sleep. Tranquil dove again.

"Emolga! Take out that Tranquil already!" A bolt of electricity cut across the battlefield, hitting Tranquil. Tranquil spiraled towards the ground. It recovered quickly, flying low. "Again! Again!" Emolga glided across the battlefield, sparking as it charged up another attack.

"Pignite!" Pignite started pummeling Gigalith again. "Musharna!" Musharna used psychic, propelling Tynamo at Emolga like a bullet.

Tynamo knocked Emolga out of the air, the two of them fell to the ground in a heap.

Gigalith snapped awake just in time to be knocked out by Pignite.

Tranquil landed on Pignite's head. Emolga and Tynamo recovered. Mary bit her thumb.

It wasn't until then that I noticed how silent Alder had been. Mary returned Gigalith. I gave her a second. Musharna slowly crossed the battlefield, approaching Emolga and Tynamo.

"Emolga, um." She hesitated. I was done waiting.

"Finish them off, Musharna." The battle ended minutes later. Mary nodded at me and left the battlefield. I returned my pokemon, waiting for Alder to announce my victory… nothing.

Stubbornly, I waited. I crossed my arms, glancing at the crowd.

"Oh. It seems Andrew has won." Alder's dreary voice boomed. "Please leave the arena." I obliged.

I was feeling confident. Between my first two matches, I hadn't had much trouble. Tranquil and Pignite made a fantastic duo. Musharna had much more opportunity to shine in this battle, unlike my first match.

I returned to the waiting room as Alder called the next match. Kenya and Nathan. Nathan rose. Kenya jumped up, grinning as per usual. She offered me a high-five as she walked past. I obliged her and sat down next to Bianca. Kenya and Nathan left.

"You did great out there," Bianca said.

"It was over once that Gigalith went down," Cheren said. He made a few analytical comments about my battle. I watched Kenya and Nathan appear on the battlefield. I gave Bianca a sidelong look. She was fidgeting.

"Sorry I beat your friend," I offered. Bianca smirked. "You don't feel bad about Cerea, do you?" Cheren frowned.

"No," Bianca said. "I'm good." She nodded at one of the screens. "Do you think your brother can beat Kenya?" Cheren scoffed.

"It's the other way around."

"Yeah?" Bianca perked up.

"Nathan is an intelligent trainer," Cheren said. "I remember he's a gym leader candidate for Brycen."

"Who's that?" I asked. "The Icirrus gym leader?" It was the first I'd heard of it. I was certain that was an ice-type gym. Nathan didn't have a single ice-type pokemon.

"Yeah." Bianca tapped her chin, feigning deep thought.

"Kenya has strong pokemon, too," she said. I nodded. Kenya and Nathan sent out their pokemon. Nathan had a Klingklang, a Sawk and a Stunfisk.

"Please begin." Nathan shouted something. Klingklang and Stunfisk glowed. A pulse of electricity covered the battlefield, consuming all of the pokemon.

The battlefield disappeared in a cloud of smoke and electricity.

The building rumbled, and the lights flickered.

"Was that a discharge attack?" Alder asked. The smoke slowly cleared. The battlefield was cracked and steaming.

"Whoa," Bianca leaned forward.

All of Kenya's pokemon were down.