"Is this an eternal flame" the radio blasted a cheerful pop tune. All was calm in the Crossfire household.
Phoebe frowned as she prodded at her breakfast. The smell of fried rice and scrambled eggs floated up in the air. On a normal day, she'd have already devoured breakfast, but so far, she had only four bites.
"Everything alright, kiddo?"
Kenneth asked her. He stood in the doorway, wearing a black robe and holding a Growlithe-print coffee mug.
"Yeah, it's just…" Phoebe cut the omurice with her chopsticks, then took a small bite of scrambled egg. The fried rice seasoning was deliciously salty, fading away some of her anxiety.
"What if I screw this up?"
"Screw what up?"
Kenneth asked before sitting down at the table. He set his mug down and crossed his arms.
Phoebe looked down at her breakfast, before taking another bite. The fried rice melted in her mouth, helping her de-stress.
"My first gym battle. What if I'm not good enough?! What if everything goes wrong? I don't even know why you made me the next gym leader–"
"Stop right there"
Kenneth cut her off, before softening his tone
"Phoebe, listen. I chose you because I wanted the gym to be run by someone I trust, and we both know you're a great trainer"
Phoebe looked up towards Kenneth, frowning slightly.
"I know, but" she ate more of her breakfast. "Dad?"
"Yea?" Kenneth asked.
She leaned in further.
"Who was your first challenger? As a gym leader?"
Kenneth placed his arms on the table and smiled
"Would you believe me if I said it was Apollo?"
"What?!" Phoebe yelled
"You— you battled Champion Apollo?!"
"Yep!" Kenneth put a hand on his own chest.
"Well, he was no champion then"
He remembered that fateful encounter, about thirteen years ago…
—-
"Kimchi, return!"
Kenneth shouted as he returned his Arcanine to its ball. He crossed his arms and nodded in approval
"Well I'll be a son of a Granbull!"
"Son of a Granbull?"
A younger Apollo asked. "I don't know what that means, sir!"
"Sorry, it's a Unovan saying"
Kenneth looked away. "But seriously. You did much better this time, Apollo"
"Thank you sir!" Apollo chirped.
"As per league rules" Kenneth pulled out a red and yellow gym badge. "Your well-earned Heat Badge"
He handed it over to the young trainer, who held it in awe for a few seconds.
Apollo grinned as he placed the badge in a galaxy-patterned case, then bowed
"Thank you! It was great battling you, Mr. Crossfire!"
"Agreed," Kenneth nodded. "I don't know about you, but if you keep up the good work, you might be one of Hoenn's next champions!"
—-
"So, what happened after that?"
Phoebe asked, finally having finished her breakfast. She sipped on some green tea.
Kenneth looked over his shoulder
"Well, a few months after that, I watched him successfully overthrow Totakeke"
"Huh" Phoebe set her teacup down. "Who do you think the next champion will be?"
Kenneth laughed a little
"Even I don't know that! But who knows, maybe they might be your first challenger"
For the first time that morning, Phoebe smiled
"You're right! In fact, I think I'm gonna go to the Pokemon Center first"
"That's the spirit!"
Kenneth cheered her on.
—
After getting dressed and grabbing her Poke Balls, Phoebe headed outside. The sun beat down on all of Lavaridge Town, and the air smelt of barbecue smoke. She went to the Pokemon Center, handed Nurse Shizue her Poke Balls, and headed to the onsen reception.
"HEY!"
she yelled as she slammed the door open.
Kabuki and Shino looked up from their counter.
"Now I thought we told you," Shino scolded her. "No Crossfires allowed!"
She pointed at a white sign, which had an ostrich's silhouette crossed out with a red circle.
"I know, but why?" Phoebe crossed her arms. "Yeah, my dad did something stupid, but do you really have to take it out on my entire family?!"
"Better safe than sorry though"
Kabuki shrugged.
Phoebe was fuming. She stomped behind the counter, and grabbed Kabuki by his yukata collar
"NOW YOU TWO LISTEN, AND YOU BETTER LISTEN GOOD!" she screamed in their faces. "I'm not asking for special treatment, I'm asking that you reconsider the whole ban! I get it, Kenneth was wrong for spying! But did you even consider that me, my mom and my brothers WEREN'T EVEN IN THE ONSEN ON THE SAME DAY!"
"And how do I know you're not a pervert like him?" Shino scoffed. The nerve of some trainers!
"Because I've gone here since I was a little kid!" Phoebe ranted. "Have I done anything bad in the spring? No! And think about it. We've had some bad trainers come into our gym. BUT. Did my dad or I ban entire families from the gym? Well?!"
Kabuki sat down in his seat. He did remember battling Kenneth a few months ago, but was crushed in battle. The loss hit him hard; and the whole peeping incident helped fan the flames of hate. He thought to himself; Mrs. Crossfire never had any incidents in the spring, and neither did her five children. What good did it do to rope them in this trouble?
"...No," Kabuki shook his head. "Phoebe? I'm sorry."
"What? You are?" Phoebe gasped. "Really?!"
"Don't play dumb, Kabuki!" Shino scolded him. "She's trying to get to you"
"No, Shino!"
Kabuki cut her off. "I was the one being ridiculous! And Phoebe? I really am sorry for dragging everyone else in. In fact, I have a proposal"
Shino glared back at him.
"Um, you're already married" Phoebe snarked.
"Not that kind of proposal! You really are a Crossfire"
Kabuki shook his head with a laugh. "Tell you what. I think I'll undo the ban"
"Really? Oh thank you!"
Phoebe grinned and held her wings together. "Hey, wait, is there a catch?"
"Of course" Kabuki shook a finger at her. "Since you're the new gym leader and all. If you win your first battle, I'll even unban your father. But if you lose, he'll still be banned for another month"
The ostrich thought quick; just win one battle, and it's all forgiven? It sounded like tempting fate, but….
"It's a deal"
Kabuki and Phoebe shook hands, while Shino gave them the stink eye.
—-
Phoebe wandered around the gym; the warm water felt nice around her ankles. She thought to herself how she'd redesign the gym now that it's hers; keep the hot spring motif of course, but add her own Phoebe touch! Maybe a cool maze, or some tiki torches burning near the entrance. Oooh, or some pretty red trees with lots of flowers!
She laid down on the couch, splayed out like a Snorlax after breakfast.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Phoebe called out.
Benedict pushed the door open. He looked over at the couch
"Oh, howdy there!"
Phoebe looked up; huh. This guy was her first challenger? She expected someone completely different; maybe one of the neighbors, or an old classmate from school. That accent…he had to be Unovan. Someone this hotblooded and pushy would be perfect!
"Oh, hi there!" she called out. "You looking for me?"
"No, I got lost," Benedict deadpanned. He pulled out two Poke Balls "I'm here to battle ya!"
Phoebe dragged herself off the couch.
She stood in front of Benedict, struck a bizarre pose and hollered at the top of her lungs
"So you think you're the hottest thing in town, huh? Well be prepared to get baked! No wait, scratch that. My Pokemon and I will BURN YOU ALIVE!
Ugh, that doesn't sound right.
ROAST, YOU PUNY MORTAL!
Aw man, that was NOT what I meant"
She placed a hand on the back of her neck
"I swear I'm gonna get the hang of this!"
"I don't see the big deal"
Benedict shrugged. "I mean, you tried!"
"Yeah, but I didn't think I'd flub it all up!" Phoebe snapped, before looking away. "So, you still wanna battle, um…. I didn't get your name?"
"Oh!"
Benedict snorted before he introduced himself. "I'm Benedict Sussex! And before y'all ask, yes, I'm a Unovan"
"Well, the accent kinda gave it away" Phoebe grabbed four Poke Balls, placing two each in her pockets.
She pointed at the door "I know the best place to battle, so follow my way!"
"Sounds good!" Benedict grabbed onto his backpack straps.
The pair of birds stepped outside, but were ambushed by a huge crowd. Several animals carried large cameras, while others held microphones, notebooks and pens, or small camera.
"What the—"
Benedict was confused. "Now what's the press doin' here?"
"Aw man…" Phoebe facepalmed. "I forgot THIS would happen"
A dark blue koala walked up to the duo, holding out a microphone.
"Miss Crossfire," she asked "I'm Yuka Diesel, with the Hoenn News Network. And we want to know, how does it feel to be the newest gym leader of the Hoenn League?"
"Miss Crossfire!" another animal, a turquoise squirrel with big buck teeth, yelled. "Have you battled anyone yet?"
"Crossfire!" a grey mouse in a kanji sweater hollered. "What's your strategy for battle?"
Phoebe cringed and sighed. She unwillingly answered their questions;
"I'm nervous, alright! And no, I haven't battled anyone AS a gym leader! I don't want to be interviewed! And I don't know my strategy, so JUST LET ME HAVE THIS BATTLE FIRST, OKAY!"
The reporters went quiet; a loud outburst was not on their schedule.
Benedict cleared his throat. He waved to the journalists
"I'll take any questions y'all got! In fact, I'll be the one battlin'-"
An animal in the crowd shouted
"Nobody CARES! We came to see Phoebe, not an annoying Unovan prick!"
Benedict sunk down in his spot; geez that was incredibly uncalled for.
Phoebe snapped. She hollered
"Okay WHO SAID THAT?!"
The crowd dissolved; a lone animal stood in the middle. A green and yellow frog smirked, smugness spread like acne across his face.
Phoebe stomped over
"You don't get to talk about my challenger that way!"
"Pffft" the animal snickered. "You? Challenging THAT nobody? You should battle me instead!"
Phoebe rolled her eyes. She didn't want to give this smartass a lick of her time.
"Now" she turned back to the press. "I'll be happy to do interviews, but only after my battle. Speaking of which"
She grabbed Benedict by the wrist and led him to the middle of town. The journalists followed suit, like Combee flying to their Vespiquen leader.
The small park was mostly made of sand, framed by a large grass circle. A large gingko tree stood near the small path, several yellow leaves falling to the ground.
A large sign was at the entrance; reading "Lavaridge Park: Can't spell community without unity!"
Spectators gathered at some of the benches, while the press gathered at the gazebo, zooming their cameras at the field.
"Knock him out, Phoebe!"
One of the spectators, a maroon red wolf with a pompadour and indigo jacket, hollered. He flashed a toothy grin and whistled to her.
Phoebe rolled her eyes at the wolf. She walked to one side of the park, tossing strands of her ponytail back against her shoulders. She waved to the crowd, ready for action. But inside, she feared she was going to screw this one up.
Cherry ran to the field, carrying two large flags. She slid across the dirt, then stood in front of the gazebo.
"What's UP everybody!" she hollered. "Can I get a WOOHOO?!"
"WOOHOO!" the spectators cheered.
"That's what I like hearing, because" Cherry shouted. "It's my girl Phoebe's first ever real gym battle! Let's give it up for Phoebe Crrrrrrossfire!"
Phoebe smiled and waved, while most of the audience cheered her on.
"And just who is she taking on today?"
Cherry jumped up. "Iiiiiiit's Benedict Sussex of Castelia City! With three badges earned so far, will he take the fourth today, or will be BURN ALIVE?!"
Benedict waved to the crowd, flashing a cocky smile. The applause was much warmer, not roaring and screaming. Several animals waved back to him, including Tank and Kidd.
"Now that you know our contenders" Cherry screamed until her voice went hoarse. "let's! Bring! Out! The! POKEMON!"
Both birds passionately grinned at each other.
Phoebe jumped up and tossed her Poke Ball in the air
"Cayenne! Flare up!"
A Numel landed on the ground with a heavy thud, lowering her head and glaring at her opponent.
Benedict winked and held out his Poke Ball
"Makoto! Now!"
"Kirrrrrliaaaa!"
Makoto twirled in his spot, forming a heart with his hands.
Cherry waved a huge yellow flag, like she was a member of the colorguard
"Battle, start!"
"Cayenne, use Curse!"
Cayenne slowly moved back and forth in her spot, her body glowing purple as she slowed down in her spot. Her skin hardened up like a chocolate shell.
"Makoto, Calm Mind!"
Makoto folded his hands together, his entire body stiff as his antennae glowed pink. He mentally reassured himself; this is just one battle, he's battled several other gym leaders, and he's not dealing with another Slugma… The psychic type felt emotionally stable, his antennae still pink.
"KirLIA!"
"Cayenne, Earthquake!"
Cayenne rapidly stomped her feet against the ground. The earth began to rumble, forcing Makoto to jump up before he could be knocked off his feet.
"Makoto! Aim for the face with Magical Leaf!"
"Kir!"
Makoto jumped onto a rock and shot a tornado of leaves from his hands. The leaves changed color as they danced through the air.
The Numel flinched as the leaves blasted in her face. She took a few steps backwards, enduring as many leaves as possible. Her face stung from the attack, but she shook some of it off.
"Cayenne! Flamethrower!"
"Nuuuuuu-
Cayenne took a deep breath in, her back hump glowing bright orange. She screamed and blasted a ray of fire
"MELLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
"Jump behind her!"
"Kir!"
Makoto gracefully leaped away from the fires. He front flipped in the air, landed behind Cayenne and stared her down.
"Magical Leaf again!"
Makoto blasted a tornado of leaves at Cayenne. The leaves stuck themselves around Cayenne's back, covering up her crater. The camel Pokemon squealed as she tried to blow the leaves away.
"Draining Kiss!"
Makoto winked.
He kissed one of his palms, blew the pastel pink kiss into the air, then kicked it towards Cayenne's face.
"Flamethrower!"
Cayenne stood her ground.
She blasted another Flamethrower, melting the pink energy into bright sparkles.
"Confusion!"
"Kirrrr-LIAAAAAAA!"
Makoto surrounded the flames with a bright pink ball of energy. He stepped backwards, glared, then threw the fiery ball back at Cayenne's face.
The pink and red ball exploded in the air, covering the battlefield in pastel smoke.
The smoke faded away, revealing Cayenne was knocked over on her left side, unable to move an inch.
Cherry counted to three before announcing
"DUDES! Cayenne the Numel is unable to battle! The winner is Makoto the Kirlia!"
Some animals scoffed in surprise; maybe Phoebe was just getting warmed up…
Phoebe kneeled down and petted her Pokemon on the head
"Aww, at least you tried, right?"
"Num"
Cayenne nodded twice. She stood still as her trainer returned her to her ball.
Benedict high fived Makoto
"Great job out there!"
"Kir, kir!"
Makoto cheered.
"Wanna keep goin'?" Benedict asked his Pokemon.
Makoto crossed his arms and nodded
"Kirlia!"
"Then it's on!"
Benedict looked back up.
Phoebe smiled, grabbing another Poke Ball.
"Cubanelle! Flame on!"
A Vulpix elegantly landed on the ground, before striking a battle pose. She glared at Makoto, pawing at the dirt in anticipation.
"Makoto, use Draining Kiss!"
Makoto kissed his palm, then blew a pink ball of energy at Cubanelle. The pink ball landed against Cubanelle's head curls, absorbing energy from the fox Pokemon.
"Cubanelle! Shake it off and use Will-O-Wisp!"
"Vulp!"
Cubanelle yelped. She spewed a small tornado of purple flames, glaring as the flames wrapped themselves around Makoto.
"Use Confusion to break it away!"
Makoto stood still as he pushed a few flames away from his body. Despite the push, a few flames had stayed put anyways, flickering around his hair and skirt.
Benedict rummaged through his backpack; how did he have nothing on hand for burns?! Oh no….
Phoebe snapped her fingers
"Cubanelle! Hex!"
The Vulpix's eyes glowed dark purple as she summoned a black and purple orb. She threw her head back and tossed the orb through the air.
Makoto tried to fight off the last few flames, but stopped as he saw the orb thrown his way. His eyes widened in surprise.
The dark energy exploded across the battlefield. Dust filled the air, clouding up everything in sight.
Cubanelle blew some of the dust away, revealing that Makoto had fallen onto his front. His eyes were swirled, and he was spread out like putty.
"Dude! Makoto the Kirlia is unable to battle! Cubanelle wins!"
Cherry shouted.
The crowd applauded in approval. Finally, Phoebe was getting somewhere!
Benedict felt like a piece of frozen tempura thrown into hot oil. He kneeled down to his Pokemon
"Hey. Sorry if I pushed y'all too hard"
"Kir"
Makoto groaned weakly. He relaxed as Benedict returned him to his ball.
"Y'all did great by the way"
Benedict whispered to his Poke Ball. He looked back up at Phoebe
"Hey, I ain't goin' down yet!"
He grabbed another Poke Ball and held it out
"Freiza! I choose you!"
Freiza popped out and howled triumphantly. He clawed at the dirt, small sparks flying off his body.
"A Manectric? How cool!" Phoebe grinned. "But can he stand a chance? Cubanelle, use Flame Burst!"
Cubanelle uncurled all six of her tails. She growled as she shot bright red flames from her body, the embers exploding across the park, several sparks landing against the grass.
Freiza closed his eyes and flinched as the fire pelted against his head and chest. He shrugged off some of the flames, refusing to let his guard down.
"Freiza! Use Volt Switch!"
"Manec!"
Freiza's body glowed gold. He formed a ball of electricity in his mouth, howled, then blasted it at Cubanelle. The sparks exploded in her face, knocking her backwards and dust flying up in the air.
The dust cleared away, revealing Cubanelle still standing up and Freiza….gone?!
"Hmph"
Benedict held Freiza's Poke Ball up.
"That's Volt Switch for ya!"
He grabbed another Poke Ball and tossed it up
"Kenshiro! Finish her!"
Kenshiro popped out of his Poke Ball and roared at the top of his lungs.
"An Aron? How cute!" Phoebe gushed, not a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Cubanelle! Fire Spin!"
"Vulp!"
Cubanelle's head curls unfolded as she blasted a tornado of red flames. The fire spun around like a cowboy lasso, growing stronger with the wind. With a snap of Phoebe's fingers, the tornado sunk down in the ground, trapping Kenshiro in his spot. The steel type tried to inch away, but felt the flames close in on his spot. Sweat dripped down the side of his head.
"Thought I'd let you switch again, huh?" Phoebe taunted him, still riding the high of Cubanelle's strength.
"Switch, huh?" Benedict undid his ponytail. "This battle's game for me! Kenshiro, Bulldoze the ground!"
Kenshiro picked up his front paws. He rapidly drummed his feet on the ground, forcing the battlefield to rumble and shake.
Cubanelle tried to jump up, but lost her footing to the rumbling. After the earthquake faded away, she felt completely disoriented. Jumping up for any attacks was the last thing on her mind.
Benedict thought quickly; the fire still spun around his Pokemon, so just jumping out for Iron Head was out, and Rock Polish couldn't work here either….Hey, wait a minute!
"Rock Slide!"
Kenshiro turned around and nodded in understanding. He looked up at the skies and summoned a wave of rocks behind his back.
He threw his head forward, throwing the stony avalanche across the air. The rocks tumbled through the skies, all six boulders crashing on the field and exploding into a cloud of dust.
The dust blew away from the spectators, revealing the Fire Spin had faded away, and a knocked out Cubanelle. Her curls were tight in place, while dirt and scratches covered her fur.
Cherry hollered
"YOOOOOOO, dudes! Cubanelle the Vulpix is unable to battle!"
Two of the reporters zoomed their cameras in, watching as Phoebe's face turned white.
She gulped as she returned Cubanelle to her ball. All eyes were upon her as she grabbed her next Poke Ball.
"Mirasol! Blast him AWAY!"
A Magcargo popped out of the ball, landing with a loud squishy noise.
Benedict looked down at his Pokemon
"Kenshiro, wanna keep going?"
The iron armor Pokemon shook his head no. He had enough flames for the day!
Benedict nodded in understanding. He returned the Aron to his ball, then rummaged through his party. Hmm…. Makoto was out, Kenshiro needed a break, Freiza would get burned pretty bad by a Magcargo, and so would Asuka…. Hey!
"Jojo!" Benedict threw another Poke Ball over his head
"Let's get goin!"
"Commmm-BUSKEN!"
Jojo roared as he shadow boxed the air, staring down his adversary.
Phoebe flipped her ponytail back
"Mirasol, use Rock Slide!"
"Maaaaag-"
Mirasol's shell glowed yellow as she summoned a wave of large stones.
"CARGOOOOOOOOOO!"
She threw each boulder through the air.
"Jojo! Double Kick the rocks back in her face!"
"Bus-KEN!"
Jojo jumped and kicked each rock away, crying out as the rocks fell back into Mirasol's face.
The lava Pokemon flinched from her own attacks backfiring, the sediment absorbing into her body.
"Playing fire with fire, huh?"
Phoebe redid her ponytail.
"Mirasol, use Smog!"
Mirasol's body glowed bright purple. She exhaled deeply, spewing a thick purple cloud through the air.
The cloud swirled around Jojo's face. Despite his best efforts to flail it away, the gases stuck to his body, effectively poisoning him.
Jojo's cheeks glowed purple as he heaved in his spot.
"Jojo!" Benedict called out. "Y'all wanna take a break?"
"Busk, comBUSK!" Jojo cried out. There was no way a little poison could stop him!
"Alright then!"
Benedict yelled.
"Use Double Kick!"
"Mirasol, Flamethrower!"
"Cargo!"
Mirasol blasted a stream of orange fire, the flames about to collide with her opponent.
Jojo stood in his spot. He clenched his fists, then bobbed and weaved the blast of fire like it was nothing. He curled two of his talons in, inviting Mirasol to come closer.
The snail Pokemon slithered closer, her body heating up to blast another Flamethrower. Small embers dripped from her body, falling onto the ground like snow.
When she got close enough…
"CommmBUSKEN!"
Jojo roared and leaped up. He pulled his fists back and used his right leg to kick Mirasol twice, landing both times on her throat. Several flames popped up from her body, but had no effect whatsoever on Jojo.
Mirasol was pushed back several feet. She groaned as her lower body slid against the sand, unable to take another hit.
She collapsed onto the field, landing on her left side. It looked like she was melting right in the ground, like ice cream on the pavement.
Cherry waved a flag to her right side
"Mirasol the Magcargo is unable to battle!"
Several members of the crowd shouted in anger, three spectators getting up and leaving.
Benedict called out to his Pokemon
"Jojo! I think you should rest!"
Jojo looked over his shoulder
"Combusk!" he nodded in agreement, then flinched from the lingering poison.
Both trainers returned their Pokemon to safety.
All eyes were on Phoebe, the cameras zooming in on her anxious face. She gulped as she pulled out her last Poke Ball; best for last, right?
Phoebe closed her eyes, threw her Poke Ball up and screamed
"Meg! It's up to you!"
A new Pokemon came out; a large red turtle with a black shell. Meg roared as she billowed clean white smoke out of her cracked shell
"Torrrr-koal!"
A Torkoal, huh? Benedict felt victory in his heart; just one last Pokemon, one more gym badge…
"Freiza! Go!"
Freiza popped back out of his Poke Ball, shaking his head before barking in pride
"Manec-TRIC!"
"Freiza, use Thunder Wave!"
Freiza hopped backwards. He formed a small tornado of electricity above his head, then threw his head forwards, throwing the sparks towards his opponent.
Meg stood completely still, letting herself
Phoebe winked and snapped her fingers
"Meg, use Attract!"
"Tor!"
Meg stood completely still. She batted her eyes towards her opponent, blowing pink hearts at her opponent.
Freiza dodged most of the hearts, but flinched as the last one blasted into his face. He shook his head clear, but found himself dumbstruck by Meg. The fire type was incredibly cute; with her squishy body yet firm shell. She looked like the type of Pokemon that anyone would want to protect, no matter the cost.
The electric type strutted over, affectionately nuzzling his snout against her cheek.
"Awwwwww"
The spectators and journalists cooed.
"Koal, koal!"
Meg chirped, smiling to herself knowing her trainer's plan worked. She was surprised even a thunder dog would fall prey to her charms.
"Freiza, use Volt Switch! I said, Volt Switch!"
"Tric?"
Freiza looked over, confused at what his trainer said.
Benedict facepalmed. How did he not know about a move like Attract!
"What a surprise, huh?" Phoebe flashed a cocky grin.
"You and your ragtag bunch of guys got nothing against my sweet little Torkoal! Shame your Kirlia's knocked out, huh"
"Actually" Benedict wagged a finger at her
"Makoto's no girl, but I can see why! Now y'all know who is?"
He returned Freiza to his ball, then tossed out one last Poke Ball. His hair flapped in the wind as he introduced his only female Pokemon
"Say hello to Asuka! Twen'y one feet of pure power!"
Asuka towered well above the entire crowd, roaring in pride of her size and praise.
Meg looked up and shrunk in her spot; no Attract was going to save her now, even from this absolute beast.
"Hm" Phoebe looked up. "She's cute, but.
Meg! Use Overheat!"
Meg's entire body glowed bright yellow.
"TORKOALLLLLLL!"
She blasted five massive clusters of fire across the field. Asuka tried to fan them away with her tail fin, but yelped once the last cluster exploded against her underbelly. Fortunately, not a single burn formed on her skin.
The Torkoal lowered her head, panting heavily as she recovered from the massive attack.
Phoebe looked over her shoulder; several animals whispered to each other, two of the women shooting a nasty glare. Was she done for?
The park went silent as Meg shook her head, refreshed from clearing her mind of that attack. She was ready for action, even unleashing another Overheat until–
"Asuka, USE AQUA TAIL!"
Asuka roared, pulling back her tail before unleashing a wave of water forward at Meg. It collided head-on with a spray of steam across the battlefield.
The Torkoal's fumes faded away as she fell onto her stomach, her limbs falling down and unable to move.
Meg tried to get up, but fell back down. She was wiped out.
Cherry counted to three, everyone staying silent before…
"Dudes…..man….Meg the Torkoal is unable to battle, the winner is Asuka the Gyarados"
Her mouth felt dry as she forced herself to say
"And with no Pokemon left on Phoebe's side, victory goes to Benedict Sussex of Castelia City"
The camera crew stopped filming. There was no way any of them wanted to show this battle on TV!
The crowd was silent; nobody knew what to believe! It felt like a dream gone wrong, like drinking too much kombucha before bed.
Kenneth…. made a complete mistake making Phoebe the new gym leader! What kind of gym leader loses on their first real match?! Only a complete JOKE!
Several animals booed loudly, a few of them throwing cans onto the battlefield. Fortunately, none of them attacked either trainer or Pokemon.
Phoebe gulped as she returned Meg to her ball. She looked back up at the crowd, furious faces staring her down.
"What a joke!"
yelled the green frog from earlier.
A barrage of insults assaulted Phoebe, filling her up with crushing negativity.
"Really?! THIS is who Kenneth picked?! This pushover?!"
"Yeah, way to make Lavaridge Town look like a joke"
"Talk about a sad and pathetic choice"
"What a disgrace to all Fire-types"
"Champion Apollo would be embarrassed to have this loser as part of his League!"
Phoebe tightly gripped onto her Poke Ball. She looked away from everyone else and ran away from the field and into a nearby neighborhood.
Benedict shouted as he returned Asuka to her ball.
"Phoebe, wait!"
He tried to run off, but got stopped by someone grabbing his shoulder. A much taller ostrich looked down at him, looking completely calm despite what had happened.
"Let's give her some space first," the ostrich told him.
The press and spectators slowly left the park, leaving Tank and Kidd behind to walk up to Benedict. The park was silent, except for chirping Taillow and rustling branches.
Phoebe found a large rock near the Pokemon Center. She pressed her back against the wall, took a deep breath in, sat down on the ground and cried as hard as she could, choking on her sobs. How could she have screwed up this badly?!
Tears waterfalled down her face as she looked down at her feet; her eyes were sore but nothing hurt as hard as letting down the entire town.
She thought to herself; what if they were right, and she wasn't ready to be a gym leader? Maybe she should just resign and have somebody else take over…
The harsh voices still echoed in her head, weighing her down like a paperweight.
"Um, Phoebe?"
Phoebe looked back up. Oh, it was just Benedict!
"Hi" she sighed, blinking as more tears rolled down her face.
"Hey, um" Benedict gulped. "Sorry if I was too harsh on y'all's Pokemon"
"Don't be" Phoebe sighed. "I'm not even upset about THAT"
"You aren't?"
Benedict was confused; he thought that was the reason she ran off crying. "Then, what happened?"
Phoebe sniffled.
"It was those jerk animals watching me! They made me feel like a failure!"
Benedict sat down next to her
"Yeah. That was awful of 'em. Well, all except two of 'em"
"Wait" she gasped "there were animals that weren't using me as a punching bag?"
"Yep"
Benedict nodded. "I know 'em well, but if y'all want some space, just lemme know"
"No, I" Phoebe choked. She shook her head, quickly changing the subject
"But hey. We at least had fun, right?"
"Heh, yeah, that was a fun battle" Benedict assured her. "I gotta admit, I didn't expect y'all's Vulpix to be that tough!"
"Aw, thank you" Phoebe smiled for the first time since the battle.
"Cubanelle and I have been through a lot. Oh, before I forget"
She rummaged through her messenger bag, pulled out a small box and unlocked it. She grabbed something out of the box; a badge shaped like a wisp of fire. The beautiful red and yellow gradients glowed under the sun.
"One Heat Badge, all for you!"
Benedict held the badge in both wings; the red pigment was more orange-ish compared to his feathers. He looked up at Phoebe and grinned
"Thank you!"
"Hey, it's no prob," Phoebe assured him.
"All your Pokemon are great too! In fact, I was thinking something"
"Huh, what is it?"
Benedict asked as he put the badge away in his case.
"Well" Phoebe looked away. "I thought it over for a bit, and I'm thinking of evolving my Vulpix soon. Then I could actually win my next gym match!"
"I think some training should come first"
Kenneth walked up to the duo, his wings in his pocket. His sunglasses were pushed up to his hat, showing his baggy eyes and thick eyebrows.
"Dad!" Phoebe gasped. "You're, uh, not mad at me, are you?"
"What?!" Kenneth gasped then yelled. "Why would I be mad at my own daughter! Gym Leaders aren't expected to be unbeatable!"
Phoebe sniffled
"Really, but—?"
"Listen" Kenneth placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I lost many gym matches too. Yes, I got booed too. Also, not everyone was booing you in the crowd"
"Dad, I don't believe you," Phoebe shook her head. "I mean, who wouldn't be booing me?"
"Well" Kenneth said. "After I ripped the crowd a new one, I met two very nice young men. And they weren't booing you at all"
"You did?" Phoebe felt skeptical. "Are you sure they weren't being sarcastic?"
"Believe me" Kenneth finished explaining. "I told them we needed space, they're in the Pokemon Center right now. But look, not every animal watching saw you as someone to beat down"
Phoebe sniffled and sobbed again.
"It's...it's not just that. Dad?"
Kenneth looked back down, staying silent.
"I talked to the Kanayukis today, and" she sighed in defeat. "They unbanned Mom, and my brothers, and me, BUT. I told them if I won my first battle, they'd unban you, but... you're still banned for a whole month because..."
"That's alright, Phoebe" Kenneth patted her shoulder. "I'm glad you finally sorted things out with them"
He kneeled down to hug her
"Even though you're a gym leader now, you'll always be my daughter first"
Phoebe sniffled and hugged him back
"And you'll always be my dad!"
Benedict looked away; all he remembered of his own dad was not talking much, being away in other regions for weeks on end...Did Mornay even say he was proud of his own son?
"If y'all don't mind, I'm gonna head to the Pokemon Center"
"Oh, alright" Kenneth looked over. "Phoebe, how about you go join him? I'm gonna get us some Here We Gyoza Again"
"Okay, dad!"
Phoebe got back up. "I'll see you then!"
—-
"Your Pokemon are all healed up!"
Nurse Shizue chirped.
Benedict and Phoebe walked up to the counter and grabbed their Poke Balls.
Phoebe sat down at a bench and released all four Pokemon. Despite the battle, all the fire types were as cheerful as ever.
"We had fun, didn't we?"
she asked them.
"Vulp, vulp!" Cubanelle yipped as she pawed at Phoebe's leg.
Cubanelle and Mirasol nodded, while Meg yawned in relaxation.
"Yknow, I never asked but" Benedict looked at the fire types. "How'd y'all come up with those nicknames?"
"Welllll" Phoebe leaned down and scratched Cubanelle's chin. "My mom grows peppers in her garden, and they're my favorite food. Except Meg, I didn't name her after any peppers, just after a character from a show I liked"
"That makes sense,'' Benedict nodded. "I read a lotta manga, an' that's how I came up with nicknames for my Pokemon!"
"Heh, I figured" Phoebe snorted. "I mean, when I saw you send out Asuka, everything just added up!"
"Yep!" Benedict sat down next to her. "Hey, I hope this ain't weird, but I hope I can add y'alls number"
He held out his Rotom Phone.
"Hm?" Phoebe held the phone in her hands. "Sure! And a rematch, of course!"
She tapped her number into the contact section
"Or if you just wanna get some good Lavaridge food!"
"Of course! That ramen place was great, and-"
A voice yelled
"Benedict!"
Benedict looked up. He jumped up and held his arms open, laughing as Tank tackled him into a tight hug.
"Dude, that was your best battle yet!" Tank yelled, nearly lifting Benedict off the ground. "I mean, you really thought fast out there!"
"Aww, Tank!" Benedict tried not to laugh. "Yeah, I was pretty fired up out there! Hey, where's Kidd at?"
"He's still stuck in the Poke Mart"
Tank explained. He looked over "Oh, hi Phoebe!"
"Oh, hi!" Phoebe waved. "So, you two are...?"
"Boyfriends!" Tank exclaimed, while Benedict looked over and blushed hard. "Was I too loud about it?"
"A little"
Benedict stuck his tongue out. "Oh, yeah, Phoebe, this is Tank"
"Nice to meet you!"
Tank waved. "I'm from Fortree City"
"Fortree, huh? Nice!" Phoebe smiled. "I've only been there twice, but it's such a pretty place. Of course, my dad likes it for other reasons"
—-
After meeting back up with Kidd, the boys headed back to the Pokemon Center. Tank adjusted his party, while Kidd got some drinks for on the road.
The boys waved goodbye to Phoebe, as they headed out of Lavaridge Town, ready to take on grassy routes and a grand desert. What bizarre adventures await them in the sand?