"Skyla?"
Fennel approached the girl. Skyla was sitting alone outside of the airport building.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," Fennel said.
"Leave me alone." Fennel sat down next to Skyla.
"I heard what happened to your dad." Fennel said. Skyla grumbled. "It's really sad."
"You can say it," Skyla mumbled. "You can say he's dead." She buried her face in her hands. Fennel watched her for a moment.
"My mom died too," Fennel said.
"My mom's been dead for a long time," Skyla said. "My dad would never admit it. He'd always say she was 'gone' or in a better place." She poked at the grass beneath her. "I hated that." She leaned against the wall of the airport building, raising her head. "It's the same now. No one will just tell me the truth. They act like I wouldn't understand."
"I get that."
"I wish they'd take me seriously." Skyla tracked a plane flying overhead with her eyes.
"I get that," Fennel said with a sigh.
"What do you want, anyway?" Skyla asked.
"Your grandfather is looking for you."
Skyla spotted her grandfather outside of the Mistralton gym and started for him. He noticed her and smiled sadly.
"It's a beautiful day, today," Miles said. Skyla looked up at him. "I'm taking over your father's gym."
"I want to!" Skyla suddenly shouted. Miles blinked.
"You aren't—"
"I'm gonna be the strongest trainer there ever will be!" Skyla declared. Her grandfather smiled down at her. Tears appeared in Skyla's eyes.
"You'll have to beat me if you want to do that," Miles said.
"You're a weak old man!" Skyla snapped. He frowned.
"That's not very nice," He laughed.
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.
.
"Hone Claws, again!" Skyla ordered.
Braviary spun in the air, pumping itself up.
"Thunderbolt!" Gothitelle fired a bolt of lightning, it narrowly missed Braviary and cut across the ceiling.
"Slash!"
Braviary dove, accelerating quickly. Its claws raked Gothitelle's chest.
"Catch it!" Fennel called. "Psychic!" Gothitelle held up its arms. Braviary froze in the air and plummeted to the ground. "Toxic!" Gothitelle hurled a purple blob at Braviary. Braviary cried out.
"Get free, rock slide!"
Several stones materialized in the air around Gothitelle, approaching fast.
"Psyshock!" Gothitelle fired a purple beam, cutting a path through the oncoming stones. Fennel ducked, the stones flying into the wall behind her. Braviary took flight, struggling to maintain itself. The toxic was taking effect.
"Hey Fennel," Skyla called out. Fennel met her eyes from across the battlefield. Skyla smiled.
"I'm gonna win."
"Gothitelle, psychic, get that thing out of the air!" A volley of projectiles were pulled from the damaged floor, flying at Braviary.
"Brave bird!" Skyla ordered. "Finish it!" Braviary started to glow as it dove. It smashed through several of the projectiles before reaching Gothitelle and slamming into it. The impact pushed Gothitelle against the wall and through it.
Just outside, Gothitelle was on the ground, Braviary cawed on top of it. Fennel sighed and returned Gothitelle.
The crowd cheered. Skyla smiled and returned Braviary. Her eyes passed over the crowd before meeting Fennel's.
"Thanks, Fennel."
.
.
.
"I guess I'm just taking a break," Skyla said. Bianca and Mary listened intently.
"So this isn't permanent?" Bianca asked. Skyla shrugged.
"That depends. On what I decide to do."
"You sure are being vague," Mary said. Skyla shrugged her shoulders. She sat down on the stairs. Mary and Bianca shared a look. Mary frowned. Bianca approached Skyla.
"You don't want to be a gym leader anymore?" Bianca asked.
"I do," Skyla said. "I just need time."
"You've had plenty of time!" Mary cut in. "It's been like a month, you've hardly been running your gym!" Skyla didn't say anything.
"Mary," Bianca started.
"Why'd you let that woman take over?" Mary asked. "Quit making excuses!"
Skyla grumbled a complaint.
"Just go away, would you?" Skyla waved her off. Mary scowled. Bianca stepped in.
"I think I understand," Bianca said. "You're doubting yourself." Skyla turned away.
"I feel I'm not worthy of being a gym leader."
"Geez," Mary grumbled. "I wonder why."
"I just think," Bianca started again.
"Maybe you should quit feeling sorry for yourself!" Mary shouted. "Even if you're the dumbest worse gym leader I've ever seen… You're still the gym leader."
Neither Skyla nor Bianca spoke for a moment. Skyla straightened up.
"I guess you're right." She stood up. "Thank you." Skyla glanced further up the stairs. "I'm leaving, grandma! I love you!"
There was a barely audible reply from the next floor. Skyla started running, she ran down the stairs and out of Celestial tower. Bianca and Mary followed behind her.
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.
.
"What are you thanking me for?" Fennel asked. People were starting to file out of the gym.
"It's because of you, I didn't realize how deep in the muck I was," Skyla said. "I guess I just someone to kick me to the curb and show me." Fennel scoffed.
"I just wanted to take over your gym," Fennel remarked, folding her arms. "I had no good intentions whatsoever." Skyla rolled her eyes and pulled Fennel into a hug. "It is good to see you back to normal, though."
Cheren met with Bianca and Mary near the battlefield. Miles was standing nearby, watching Skyla and Fennel. Fennel's assistants were near him.
"I don't get it," Cheren said. "Why did Fennel come here? What was she doing? What did she hope to accomplish?" Miles glanced toward him.
"Fennel and Skyla were friends for a long time," He said. "It wasn't until after Skyla's battle with Fennel when I discovered her intentions." Cheren shared a look with Bianca.
"Well?" He asked. Miles chuckled.
"She just wanted to cheer Skyla up." Cheren frowned.
"What?"
"But how was her Gothitelle so powerful?" Mary jumped in. "She had to be amping it in some kind of way!" Miles nodded.
"She likely did, though, I'm not sure how." Bianca smiled, nudging Cheren.
"I guess this is some kind of happy turnout."
The four of them watched Skyla and Fennel talking. Fennel was laughing. Cheren shook his head.
"You think she'll let people challenge the gym now?"
.
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"Who's in there?" A voice called out.
Kenya and I paused. We were following a tunnel. A light appeared further down.
"Hello?" Kenya called out.
"Who are you?" The voice replied.
"I'm Kenya, This is Andrew."
"Great." The light grew closer, revealing Clay and his Excadrill. "What are you two doing in my tunnel?"
Clay led Kenya and me out into Driftveil city. He didn't believe us when we claimed that we'd entered from Mistralton cave. Apparently, there was no way Mistralton cave could connect to his tunnel.
"I heard there was trouble in Mistralton, about that Skyla girl," Clay said.
"She hasn't been letting anyone challenge the gym," Kenya said.
"We've been waiting there for a while," I added.
"I heard she got replaced," Clay said with a shrug.
The two of us left soon later. The sun was steadily rising. We'd been in the cave all night. We traveled out of Driftveil city.
"I never want to go into another cave," Kenya groaned. "Ever."
"I second that." Kenya paused near a river, staring down into the water. She wiped dirt out of her face. I started across the wooden bridge.
"Andrew."
"Yeah?" I paused in the middle of the bridge.
"We should probably seriously talk about this, before one of us gets our feelings hurt."