Annika walked along the path out of town followed by Espeon, Meganium, Kingler, and Meowth as well as Robbie and his team. "The first rule to train is to believe in yourself and your Pokemon. Even though Espeon evolved from Eevee when I found her and rescued her from bondage, most of the time you really have to work to get your Pokemon happy."

"Espeon Espe Espe!"

"She says she is still happy that I rescued her that day and she remembers it very well," Annika told Robbie as she dropped her backpack and stopped walking. "This is where I train, and where I found Meowth here."

"Meowth Meowth!"

"He says I helped him feel much better," Annika said with a smile. "Too bad Meowth doesn't evolve with happiness. Anyway."

Reaching down, she pulled out a booklet and tossed it to Robbie. "I wrote this when I was eleven about how I got Espeon and Meganium," Annika said as she patted Espeon. "Kingler came along three months after I finished it, and Meowth today."

"Neat," Robbie said as he glanced through it, putting it in his backpack, but Annika really wasn't paying attention, but looking at Robbie's Shuckle as it bounced around.

"Shuckle shuck shuckle shuckle shuck!"

"Your Shuckle says that your mother feeds him lots of yummy fish, and that he loves fish," Annika said as she smiled. "But we need to train. How about in a battle? Three-on-three."

"Fine," Robbie said. "Go Shuckle!"

"Shuckle!" he cried, swaggering to be infront of Robbie.

"Go Espeon!" Annika cried.

"Espe!!!"

"Shuckle, wrap!"

"Espeon, psychic!"

Even though Shuckle's attack got off first, Espeon dodged out of the way and performed her psychic, knocking out Robbie's Shuckle in one hit.

"Guess your Shuckle isn't as good as he looks," Annika said with a grin. "Send out your next Pokemon."

"Go Croconaw! Water gun!"

"Espeon, confusion!"

Croconaw got off a good water gun, giving Espeon a hit square in the head, but Espeon quickly got off and gave Croconaw a taste of her confusion, and soon Croconaw was hitting himself.

"Espeon, psychic."

And with psychic, Croconaw was down and not getting back up.

"Next."

"Okay, Chinchou! Thunderbolt!"

"Espeon, psychic!"

While Chinchou was charging up, Espeon got her psychic off and down went Chinchou. "See? You haven't been training and it is obvious. I could tell when Croconaw was saying 'Oh, great!' before he went into battle."

"Fine, so my Pokemon aren't in the best of shape," Robbie said as he recalled Chinchou. "But I did win Faulkner's badge."

"And I will win it tomorrow," Annika said as Espeon leaped into her arms and gave her a big lick. "Great job, Espeon! You will sure do great tomorrow with Meganium! Like you always are!"

"Espeon!"

"She says she's ready," she told Robbie as she nuzzled Espeon with her nose before setting the Pokemon down.

"You haven't battled Faulkner?"

"No, and I really do not feel like telling you why not, either," Annika said as she sat down with a thump. "But feel free to see me challenge him tomorrow for his badge, and I'll win."