"Zoey, what does being a pokemon master mean? I hear that phrase being thrown around all my life, but still don't know what it means," Leon says.
Zoey drinks from her can as they ride in the bus. "Well…it basically means mastering all the league. Used to be just battles, but then became included contests and then other completions like the leagues over in the oceanic areas," she explains.
"Really, I thought it meant having mastered all pokemon to a degree as a trainer that you can care for any of them," Gardenia says.
"Not by today's trainer's standard," Zoey sighs at.
"Wait. Does that mean that there is no true definition of a pokemon master? It's just an unrealizable dream for people to chase?" Leon asks as none of his group noticed a reporter nearby, taking this down after having gotten interested.
Zoey hums. "Really…it could be considered for two reasons. One is many trainers wanted to be a master at something, possibly that their high strung parents wanted something to brag about, and so they came up with this term, win all leagues and earn the title. Second is just something the leagues came up with just to push so many trainers into their region so they can profit from all of this traveling and all that. So really, it's either human stupidity or just business."
"Wasn't it also be to try and avoid war?" Leon asks.
"How else to not make sure there aren't more than enough trainers to start something? Keep them moving and give them incentives to do so. And you have become a 'master' in…well…anything. Coordinators also count as trainers so you have that as well," Zoey suggested.
"I can see that," Leon says as their destination came into view. "So that is Oreburgh City, huh?" Leon asks.
"Yep. Nice place, right?" Zoey says, smiling at the change of subject.
"What are they doing?" Lana asks looking out.
"Oreburgh City is a mining city I think," Leon says.
"Yep. They have the most famous mine here to find fossilized pokemon. Even their lab where they study it has some kind of machine to make those fossils into real alive breathing pokemon of what they once were," Zoey explains.
"So they pioneered the technology or just the biggest in the region?" Leon asks.
Zoey taps her chin a bit. "Actually, they were among the first to perfect it where Pokemon don't actually die after a while. Unstable genes or something. Think they used a croagunk's genes to make them stable in the end."
"Is that why some say they aren't exactly like they were like back then?" Leon asks.
"There is some debate, but yes," Zoey nods.
"Let's hope nothing goes…"
"Wrong," Gardenia says as they look at the closed sign on the gym.
"…well shit…maybe the owner is out for a bit? Maybe getting fossils?" Leon suggested.
"Yeah, probably," Zoey says patting his back.
Leon looks around. "Where's the mine?"
"Leon, what are you planning?" Zoey asks.
"Planning to see what they are doing. Plus, what kind of fossil pokemon there is," Leon explains.
"I am for this idea," Lana says thinking of the water fossil pokemon.
"So…mine?" Leon asks, turning to Zoey.
"Let's go," Zoey says, walking off.
Leon smiles as he follows with the others catching up afterward. When they arrived, they saw a few ambulances were there with doctors and nurses looking at both humans and pokemon who seemed to have injuries.
"What happened here?" Leon asks a miner.
"There is an onix that has taken control of a section of the mine and is attacking any who enter the mine," the miner informs.
"What about the gym leader?" Leon asks now with a very serious expression.
"He is in there trying to drive it off," the miner informs as Leon starts heading in.
"Hey!" Zoey calls running in with the others running after them.
"What are you planning?" Gardenia asks.
Leon just gives them a sly chuckle with a sweat drop and they sweat drop in return. "Um…going to help," Leon offers.
"I'll say it. You're a dumbass," Zoey says dryly.
"But one with a good heart," Lana adds.
Leon raises an eyebrow at her. "Hmm…maybe you're not so bad," he starts and Lana looks proud at that. "For one who plays dead in battles." That made her trip in her step.
Leon chuckles as she gives a pouty face before coming to a stop and grabs Zoey's collar who runs past him and pulls her back as a boulder crashes into the wall from an entrance into a large cavern. "Watch yourself," he warns before peeking around the corner to see Roark and his pokemon, a blue pointy-headed dinosaur looking pokemon. Staring down a large onix that seemed to glare while mining equipment and supplies were messed up about the whole cavern. "Okay…he's going to need help," he notes, seeing the pokemon just get blindsided by a tail whip and slide near Roark. "Okay…I can do this…maybe," Leon says, trying to take a deep breath before reaching for his pokeball belt before stopping.
"Can't decide?" Zoey asks, figuring out what to use for her own.
"No…just figuring how to take this belt off," Leon explains as he undoes the belt and takes it off to look over the six pokeballs before activating all of them.
"Wait. You aren't seriously thinking…!" Gardenia tries to ask before Leon moves into the opening and throws the whole belt into the air.
"Let's go, guys!" Leon calls out and grabs the attention of the two sides fighting before all of the pokeballs releases to show all of Leon's team. Amber, Beacon, shellder, Rhythm, machop, and Tsunami who came out, flying straight at onix before spinning around and smacking him away with a strong tail slap before landing where he was. "I didn't think that throw would work."
"Don't pat yourself on the back!" Zoey calls, bringing out her pokemon as well with Lana and Gardenia.
"Kid, get out of…" Roark starts.
"Shellder, water gun!" Leon ignores, letting shellder fire off a stream of water at onix, making it flinch slightly before just growling back at them. "Beacon, he's wet! Do the thing!" Beacon thrills happily before shaking itself as static travels across his fur before a pulse of lightning travels off to onix and hits him dead on, shocking him where all the water collected and even the small gaps in it. "Nice."
The onix roared as it tried to thrash about and cause destruction, only for Tsunami to stop it and make it focus on grappling with her with their tails.
Leon takes a quick look around before grinning and picks up Amber and whispers in her ear, Amber immediately leaning in more before looking to where he mentions and sees the oil barrels. Amber grins and rushes off before kicking the barrels over and spilling the oil along the tracks along the ground, making a circle. Leon smirks before ushering the others into the circle as well and steps over the tracks himself. Tsunami sees the hand wave from Leon and looks back to onix before slamming him down from the tail wrestle and slithering back to the group.
Onix roars at them as it gets back up before a ring of fire forms from the track and surrounds them in a wall of flames. Leon chuckles a little as onix gives a hardened glare to them all, almost like it was using mitigate to make them off their game. "Machop, stay and focus. I'll call you when ready. Rhythm, fly high and stay at the top. Call you when ready. Beacon, keep aggroing it and keep moving. Tsunami…do what you do best and show him how the ladies move," Leon lists off and almost the whole team grins before moving off to their positions.
Beacon immediately runs at onix and dances in front of him before sticking his tongue out teasingly before running away from the tail slam on where he was. Tsunami slithering in and tackles into him before biting onto the tail and holding it up to not make him hit the ground and possibly cause more attacks. However, onix fought back on that and turns to her before binding himself around her and squeezes tightly, making Tsunami growl, but not let go of the tail.
"Amber!" Leon yells and Amber jumps over the flames with a helmet full of oil as it catches fire from the ring before throwing it at onix's head, covering him in the oil and blinding him. Onix then let's go of Tsunami as it tries to shake the oil off before Tsunami keeps smacking him around, making soon hit the ground with Tsunami hitting him repeatedly as she bites harder. "Nice one girl."
Amber gives a thumbs up as she lands near him before Leon takes another look around. Onix then roads loudly and makes them cover up their ears until he starts to curl up then spin around like it was a ball, making Tsunami let go and back off until he rolls into her and starts to grind her body down as he pushes her into the flames.
"Shit…okay. Machop. Wanted to save you for a bit more, but your turn. Seismic toss," Leon orders as he looks back to the meditating pokemon who opens his eyes and grins before running up to onix and slams both of his fists into the rock pokemon, grinding down the stone until he came to a stop and lifted him up in the air to onix's surprise. Machop grunts and throws onix high in the air where Rhythm waited before giving a beaky grin. "Super sonic, yell your lungs out!" Leon cries out and covers Amber's ears while she tries to cover his before hearing such a loud screech that the rocks from the ceiling actually went through the safety net and started to hit the ground all around them.
Onix roars loudly from the pain before coming back down from the full blast of the sonic screech, its own body was still vibrating before machop jumps up and catches a part of him before slamming him down hard into the ground, making a small crevice.
Leon groans and puts Amber down before smirking. "Hit him," he says simply and all of his pokemon immediately tackled onix hard and makes him go deeper into the ground before they hit him again and makes him go deeper. "Ice him," Leon calls out and shellder grunts before ice spears form near him and then fly towards the hole, covering onix in many of them before only the top remained. "A little simmer," Leon jokes smirking and Amber breathes in before spewing out ember, melting down the ice and makes a puddle of water. "And a little electric spice," Leon almost laughs at his DIY cooking as Tsunami and Beacon both charge up as onix finally gets his head out before being shocked again and makes him roar in pain until his head falls down and the attack ends.
The group all leans in as Leon steps up and takes out a spare pokeball. "Let's see if this works," he notes and throws it and hits onix's head, capturing him inside as it shakes twice before it dings and disappears in a flash of light. "Holy crap…now how do you put out an oil fire?" Leon suddenly asks as he looks at the ring of fire around them while most of his pokemon sweat drop at his plan leftovers.
"Geez," Lana says before her pokemon started spraying water.
"I think you handle oil fires not by water, but by sniffing out the oxygen," Leon mutters out loud and the group outside looks to Roark who nods at them.
"It's true. Let's get him out of there first before sealing up the air shafts here," he says as a hole is made and Leon returns most of his pokemon one by one with everyone else before Beacon and Amber both start to glow.
"Cool…they deserve it," Leon says proudly as he holds up their pokeballs, ready to move. He watches as Amber slowly grows in size until her form resembles a small monkey and then the glow dies down to show her with a fire on her tail and a mask like coloring on her face. Beacon meanwhile changes stance and stands on his two hind legs before the glow dies down to see that most of his coat is moved to his head and neck while his colors changed to a more pinkish hue. "Alright you two, we'll celebrate back at the center," Leon quickly tells and returns them before running through the fire and steps up to the surprised group. "So…does this give me a free badge?" he asks cheekily.
"No," Roark says bluntly.
"Worth a shot," Leon shrugs.
"We best inspect the stability of this cavern and the entire mining system," Roark says as they leave.
"Considering that we just used a sonic blast, I would think the ceiling is a bit unstable as well," Leon adds.
"Yeah, so le…Gardenia, what are you doing here?" Roark asks, spotting the grass leader.
Gardenia chuckles nervously. "Funny story, I am actually learning how to battle from him."
"You skipped out on your gym?" Roark asks as they make their way to the entrance.
"No. Just learning again. Leon here beat me in a surprising way just like with that onix," Gardenia explains.
"A bit faster please," Zoey says trying to speed them up.
"We're hurrying," Leon tries to reassure as Zoey pushes him faster till they emerge from the entrance and Gardenia starts getting them to leave while Roark is distracted by the miners coming up to talk to him.
"So…guess no gym battle today. No matter. I at least got an idea of how he battles," Leon says, thinking out loud.
"Yes, now go go go," Gardenia says, pushing them along, not wanting to be questioned by Roark.
"It's a nice night," Leon says watching it storm outside.
"How? It's storming," Zoey points out as she eats a little with the others.
"I like the rain," Leon explained.
"So why not train in it?" Zoey suggested offhandedly.
"Well, it's late and they all fought in a tough battle," Leon says as Rhythm lays on his lap.
"Thrum…" Rhythm croons and nuzzles his head onto him.
"You rest," Leon says, petting the bird pokemon.
"Thrum," Rhythm coos and closes his eyes.
"So we are going to try and go to the gym tomorrow?" Zoey asks as Gardenia was already trying to sneak away.
"Yeah. Maybe by then, they would be ready for any battles," Leon agrees and eyes Gardenia a little. "Where are you going?" Leon asks.
"Um…you see…" Gardenia tries to start and looks embarrassed.
"You have a tendency to run off on your gym, don't you?" Leon asks.
Gardenia keeps chuckling embarrassed before slowly trying to step out the door. Until Amber shuts the door in her tired state and yawns as she stands in front of it.
"You're not going anywhere so just sit down and let's talk," Leon says.
And talk they did for a few hours where Gardenia reluctantly revealed she was the second worst in the eight major gyms of the Sinnoh region.
"Wait. Who's the first?" Leon asks curiously.
"Fantina, she runs the Hearthome gym and runs off all the time for contest reasons. Whether she is the judge or to watch. She is also one of the judges for the Sinnoh grand festival," Zoey informs.
'Oh, that is right. The gym that wasn't open when Ash first went to challenge it,' Leon thinks.
"So…that's why you have been traveling with us," Leon says, now thinking of what to do while petting Amber's tail as she lays on his lap.
"Well, right now they can't even yell at me for it as I have taken an indefinite leave of absence and they sent a replacement for that gym," Gardenia says.
Leon kept massaging his forehead before shaking his head altogether. "Gardenia…what are we going to do with you?"
"Nothing?" Gardenia asks with a nervous smile.
"Zoey?" Leon asks hopefully.
"I am thinking about it," Zoey says as Leon now had multiple of his pokemon sleeping on him.
"Oh boy," Leon says before sighing and returns all his pokemon to their pokeballs and heads to one of the rooms the pokecenter supplied.
"Continue this in the morning?" Zoey asks.
"Maybe," Leon informs.
"Fine by me," Zoey says, still watching Gardenia who fidgets.
"Night," Leon says before heading into the room to find Lana already asleep in one of the beds.
Leon shakes his head before crawling into his own bed and sighs. "Why do I remember this stuff late?"