"Heat crash!"
Emboar slammed into Druddigon, knocking it back. Druddigon stumbled, but recovered quickly.
That ones tough!
"I know," I grumbled. "Hammer arm!"
"Dragon Claw!" Kenya ordered. "Hurry!"
Druddigon dodged Emboar's attack and slashed across its chest. "Hyper beam!" A beam of white light consumed Emboar, pushing it out of the battlefield. It was knocked out.
I scratched my head. Kenya grinned and patted Druddigon on its back.
I returned Emboar and sat down on the edge of the battlefield while Kenya rewarded Druddigon with some snacks.
It'd been a few weeks since the attack on Mistralton. It was a cold afternoon. A light snow had settled on the ground.
"Hey, Andrew!" Kenya called out as she returned Druddigon. "Since you have such a big crush on me, why don't we get something to eat."
"I don't have a crush on you." I met her in the middle of the battlefield.
"That's not what you said at Celestial tower."
"Spur of the moment. What do you want to eat?" She shrugged. We trudged across Mistralton, finding a food stand near the gym.
"Were you talking with Emboar earlier?" Kenya asked. I nodded,
Skyla was standing outside of the gym, surrounded by a crowd of people. She was holding a clipboard.
"Next!" She shouted. "Next!" I spotted Bianca amongst the crowd, approaching Skyla. Skyla handed her the clipboard and she signed it. I cocked my head.
"You think they're signing up for a gym battle?" Kenya asked. "You should get in there." I headed over to the crowd. It was a few minutes before I got a chance to sign. I was twenty-sixth on the list. Bianca followed me back to the food stand.
"Where's Cheren?" I asked.
"Training," Bianca said. "He was the first on the list."
"No surprise there." The three of us ate together. According to Skyla, the first battle would be tomorrow.
Each battle would be a day apart.
I was seventeenth on the list.
.
.
.
There was a crowd for the first battle against Skyla. People gathered in the gym, cheering.
Bianca and I made sure to come to watch. Kenya decided not to show.
"Are you ready?" Skyla asked, waving her arms at the crowd. A roar of approval replied.
"Let's do this!" Cheren demanded. Skyla frowned.
"Fine then."
She sent out her first pokemon. Braviary.
Cheren sent out Zebstrika.
"Let's go, Braviary!" Skyla shouted. "Bulk up!"
"Thunderbolt!"
A bolt of electricity ripped across the battlefield. Braviary jumped, dodging it.
"Superpower!" Braviary charged at Zebstrika.
"Thunderbolt, again!"
Cheren's battle with Skyla was over in a few minutes. Zebstrika knocked out all of her pokemon.
Skyla silently returned Swanna, her last pokemon.
The crowd was cheering. Cheren returned Zebstrika and approached Skyla.
"Can I have my badge?"
Skyla handed the badge over with a groan.
"Alright, alright," she said and turned to the crowd. "Everybody out!"
The crowd slowly left the building.
Bianca and I waited for Cheren. He smirked as he walked over.
"That was easy."
The three of us left the gym.
.
.
.
"Audino, Ice Beam!"
Audino fired a white beam at Tirtuoga. Tirtuoga was knocked out. Bianca and I were battling behind the pokemon center.
Bianca burst into laugher.
"That Tirtuoga is a bit small," Cheren said as I returned Tirtuoga. Bianca gave Audino some pokemon food.
"Is it?" I asked. I'd never seen another Tirtuoga for comparison. I noticed Kenya approaching from the pokemart.
"It's a rock type," Cheren said. "It could be useful against Skyla."
I considered that, examining Tirtuoga's Pokeball.
I hadn't given my strategy for Skyla much thought. She had a Braviary, a Swanna, and a male Unfezant.
Emboar and Simisage were at a disadvantage to flying types. That left Musharna, Tirtuoga, and Unfezant.
I considered catching another pokemon.
As I contemplated, Cheren and Bianca had moved on to another conversation.
"I need to catch more pokemon," Bianca said. "Larvesta and Servine are both weak to flying types."
"You could catch an electric type in Chargestone cave," Cheren suggested.
"Wanna come with?" Bianca turned to me. I shrugged, glancing at Kenya.
"Hey, Kenya!" I called out. "Wanna come with us to Chargestone cave?"
"I think I'm good." I shared a look with Bianca.
"You guys go ahead," I said. "I'll hang out here."
Bianca and Cheren headed to Chargestone cave.
I walked over to Kenya and sat down.
Darumaka poked my forehead, snickering.
We sat in silence for a while, I noticed a group of people gathering near the airport.
"Do you want to do anything?" I asked. Kenya thought for a moment, glancing up at the sky.
"I don't know, I'm just thinking."
Darumaka ran in circles around us.
I lied back in the grass, stretching out.
"I'm not sure what I want to do," Kenya said. She wiped stray hair from her face. "Like, in the long run, you know?"
"When I beat Drayden, I have no idea what I'm gonna do." I sat up.
"Hello, citizens!" A woman spoke into an intercom.
I noticed her speaking to the crowd by the airport. She seemed vaguely familiar.
"Who's that?" Kenya asked. I shrugged.
"Wanna go see what she's talking about?"
"Eh." Kenya lied back next to me. "I'd rather count clouds."
"How do you count clouds?" I asked. "They all just mix together."
"There's a trick to it," Kenya said. "You gotta make outlines for yourself." She started drawing lines in the air.
I gave the crowd a sidelong look.
.
.
.
Fennel had just arrived in Mistralton City. She and her three assistants had flown here on a plane. Salim, Hubert, and Conah.
The pilot had trouble landing on the damaged airstrip.
Skyla had to come out and guide them down.
"A bit risky trying to land around here, huh?" Skyla said.
Fennel chuckled.
"A risk I was willing to take."
Skyla raised an eyebrow at her.
"I think I'm getting out of here," the pilot said.
"Thank you for the ride," Salim said. The pilot nodded at her before boarding the plane.
Skyla led Fennel and her assistants off of the airstrip. Her grandfather, Miles was waiting near the airport building.
"What exactly are you here for?" Skyla asked. "If you don't mind me asking."
Fennel smiled and held up a megaphone.
"Hello, citizens!" She spoke into the megaphone. Skyla flinched, spinning around.
Several nearby people turned their attention to Fennel and her assistants.
"What are you—" Skyla started.
"My name is Fennel!" Fennel walked past Skyla, not giving her a thought.
A few people gathered, giving Fennel mild interest.
"I have seen the damage done to your city," She gestured to the nearby craters and destroyed buildings. "Yet your gym leader has taken little action."
"What?" Skyla started for Fennel. Her assistants moved between them. "What are you going on about?"
"I am here to make amends!" Fennel shouted.
"What are you going to do?" A man asked.
"For starters," Fennel said. "I'd let people challenge the gym."
Someone cheered.
"Id speed up construction!" Fennel added. She turned to Skyla.
Her assistants moved out of the way.
"I'd be a better gym leader than you ever were."