Chapter 13 – Petal Dance

Challenges come in many different forms throughout one's life. Trainers pick particularly difficult paths, facing obstacles from every walk of life. Nature throws curve balls all the time, whether that's blistering heat, mind numbing cold, physical exhaustion, or tricks on ones psych.

Then there are the other trainers, people and Pokemon who willing put themselves before one another to do battle and determine who can come up with victory. Travellers the world over battled daily to strengthen bonds and grow. Teams rose and fell with each battle, and those competing would either learn or fall to the wayside. Novel strategies took place all the time to confound or procure victory. Some only did it for fun whilst others were in it to create a name for themselves.

And then there are those out there who would challenge the gods. Would carve their names into history as the strongest. The most capable. The most willing to put everything on the line to come out as the best trainer. Their teams were always marked in some way, powerful beyond comprehension. A will that was indomitable. They were what champions were made of. These people however created a system wherein they could create benchmarks as proof that they were capable. That they deserved the titles bestowed upon them. This lead to the creation of not only the various leagues, but also the Pokemon gym.

Now not everyone could be a gym leader. No, this position was incredibly difficult. It took years of funding, both public and private, to create this system of trainer checkpoints. Individuals dedicated to this life were people of a different sort of mettle. Do not be confused as to thinking they are weak. Quite the opposite. Most kept their team of Pokemon primes in reserve. Using them to train the next generations aspiring individuals. They would temper their power to create matches which would allow those travelling to test themselves, but still have trouble. An all-out assault after all would prove nothing. Why tear someone apart with an abundance of power? What does that prove after all when the challengers are attempting to see what they are made of? Testing is much better.

This is also the reason why gym leaders were special in their own right. Leave the power for the Elites and champions. Rules imposed on gyms created conditions which some chose over the all-out force and unleashing of awe that Pokemon were capable of. Instead, it required strategy, quick thinking and a desire to succeed where you are positioned to fail. People were quick to dismiss gym leaders, but some saw the romance behind what they represented. Anyone who was strong enough to become champion typically understood this. The balance was unfair, but these individuals wouldn't have it any other way. They were the ones who allowed those passing through to grow. They empowered others to do their best. They pushed everyone to their limits in battle. They were the ones who upheld the beauty that was Pokemon battling.

Gardenia had created her gym to show the mastery and beauty that nature could provide. A grassy terrain surrounded by flowering fields and shrubbery. She had always grown up loving grass type Pokemon, and living in Eterna so close to the forest, she had met and befriended plenty. Now she was old enough to run her own gym, creating in this town steeped in history, another point for trainers to grow and learn. And she loved watching them grow. It was the same as watching flowers come in to bloom. This was also part of the reason why she had a gym rule that every challenger must face off against those who spent their days learning under Gardenia's tutelage. Today would be no exception.

Arthur stood beside Cynthia looking down upon the final battle field. Gardenia was waiting for her challenger, the young woman who Arthur believed to hold much promise. Still he couldn't shake why he felt that way. This wasn't his region, nor his place. That pull that he had felt along his journey through Johto was beginning to come back. He could feel that much. But something told the young champion it wasn't here. Cynthia had things under control here. The champion of Sinnoh was one of the most powerful trainers there was. Most pitted her against Red as the two titans. Arthur in the minds of society was close to that pinnacle as well. So why should he be here? Sinnoh had its guardian, as did Kanto. Was his place back in Johto?

"You seem awfully quiet. Something on your mind?" Cynthia asked not looking at the young man beside her.

"I need to see this battle to know for certain what she could do."

"That's not the truth Arthur." The young man looked at Cynthia's hardened eyes. She was reading him rather well.

"You've got some experience in this…" Arthur stated offhandedly about her remark. The blonde nodded. "The truth is, I don't know where I need to be. I've spoken with the legends. They say balance is degrading. It's falling apart. How am I to fix that though when I have no idea where I'm needed?" Cynthia's bangs once more fell in front of her one eye as she looked back down to the battlefield.

"I don't know that I have an answer for you Arthur, but I've felt much the same way lately, ever since you told me about the legends. And I know for a fact something is going on here in my region, bubbling beneath the surface but I can't seem to find that lead. What I do know is some wisdom my grandmother imparted on me a long time ago, something I didn't really come to understand until more recently. It was a quote. Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice: It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."

Jill looked up at the catwalks above the audience to see the two champions watching her. Anxiousness swept through her as she realized they had stayed simply to watch her second gym battle. And while she may have easily defeated the underlings, the leader herself here would be a completely different story.

"Well well Jill, I'm impressed. You defeated everyone rather quickly for a newer trainer. But now you'll have to defeat me if you want my gym badge!" Gardenia said with a wink. Jill focused her attention on the battle at hand. It would avail her nothing if she was distracted by who was in the stands currently. "Are you ready?" Jill nodded. The ref for the battle stepped up to the sideline.

"The rules for this battle. It will be a three on three battle. The victor will be decided when all of the opponents Pokemon are no longer able to battle. Only the challenger may substitute. Trainers ready? Then begin!" Both ladies grabbed their first Pokemon and released. Gardenia was starting with a rather familiar face to Jill, a Turtwig.

"I heard you picked Turtwig as your starter Jill! A great choice, but I'm about to show you how to unlock it's true potential!" Gardenia said. Jill however simply smiled. Her first Pokemon was Epona, and the fiery horse was definitely ready for this match. Jill knew that speed and the type advantage should make this first matchup an easier one.

"A Ponyta? Where did you catch one of those?" Gardenia asked in surprise. It Jill had to remind herself that the equine species weren't super common to see in battle these days due to the lack of wild herds left.

"There was still a wild herd living outside Oreburgh, and Epona here decided to join our team!" Jill said with enthusiasm. What she left out was this was Epona's first real challenge. So far Jill had only used the fire type in wild battles to allow her to grow.

"Well let's get this battle underway then! Turtwig use razor leaf!" Gardenia called out. Jill frowned knowing just as well as the leader that a grass type attack would be completely ineffective against Ponyta.

"Counter with ember and follow up with flame wheel" Jill said. Epona leapt into action, throwing out hot coals incinerating the incoming leaves before becoming a ball of fire blazing across the battlefield. A black trail followed the horse as she crashed into Gardenia's Turtwig, knocking out the grass type in one shot.

"Turtwig is unable to battle!" the ref announced, declaring Epona the victor of the first round. Jill was grinning. If that was her Turtwig's potential, then this gym battle was going to be a sweep!

"Wow, one shot! I'm impressed Jill, but this next challenger won't be so easy!" Gardenia sent out her next Pokemon, what appeared to be an upside down flower. Jill looked on confused. How did this gym leader expect a flower to defeat a fire type?

"Alright Epona same thing again, use flame wheel!" Epona responded by charging forward once more. Jill was impressed with her partner's responses to this battle. Epona's normally thoughtful and almost whimsical demeanor was replaced instead by focus and drive. As the horse wreathed herself in flames once more, Jill noticed Gardenia smiling.

"Jill, I'm a grass type gym leader. You didn't really think I had no defense against fire types did you?" she asked, and Jill felt her spirits sink. How could she have gotten so overconfident? "Use grass knot Cherrim!" Jill could only look on in horror as she froze. The flat and solid ground in front of Epona was now the exact opposite and blades of grass tied themselves together at the command of the green glow coming off the purple flower. Epona screamed as she fell hard to the ground.

"Epona!" Jill cried out. Trembling the fire type regained her feet.

"I shall be fine trainer Jill. However, I must admit that scared me for a moment" the fire type responded.

"I'm sorry, I should have been more aware. Are you alright to continue?" Epona's eyes were shinning with fierce determination as she neighed, her own battle cry.

"Now use leech seed!" Gardenia called out. Cherrim responded by launching a glowing seed at Epona.

"Don't let it touch you!" Jill called out and Epona once more took out at a gallop. The seed missed as did the following one. What Gardenia and Cherrim weren't ready for was how close this brought Epona to the opponent. As Jill yelled go, Epona struck the grass type true this time with flame wheel. The powerful strike once more knocked out Gardenia's Pokemon.

"I'm impressed Jill! You've trained your Ponyta extremely well! But my last Pokemon will be sure to cause you some problems!" Jill watched carefully as Gardenia sent out her final Pokemon. The first two had been taken out rather quickly, but now she was much more cautious of what could appear. The next appearance caught Jill off guard once more. This time the flowers were used as hands, if she could use that term. A mask of sorts covered the eyes of the opposing Pokemon. Jill took out her Pokedex to see what she was up against.

"Roserade, the bouquet Pokemon, and the final evolved form of Budew. Each of its hands contains different toxins, but both hands can jab with near fatal power." Checking the screen further, Jill noticed that it was a dual poison grass type. She looked up again and saw that Gardenia was grinning. This is what she was waiting for. Here was the Pokemon responsible, Jill was sure, for putting a pause to more than one journey while people tried to figure it out. But she wasn't just some regular trainer either.

"Alright Epona we're going to have to be careful here…" Jill wasn't able to finish what she was going to say as Gardenia and Roserade jumped into action. The flower Pokemon launched purple nettles at the fire type, forcing Epona to keep moving once more. A detached part of Jill's mind noted that Gardenia was more than likely attempting to wear down her opponent, especially when the gym leaders Pokemon had no attacks that were particularly effective against fire types.

"Epona conserve your energy and use ember to block the poison sting!" Jill called out. She'd seen this strategy work more than a few times, countering an attack with another attack. It wasn't something they'd really trained for, but her Pokemon seemed up to the challenge. Epona's mane let out a mass of burning embers, nullifying the incoming stingers. Gardenia was still smiling meaning that she was far from finished.

"Let's see you dodge this then! Roserade, use stun spore!" Jill was frozen. Gardenia was throwing out different strategies like a young child tearing apart their room looking for their favourite toy. How was Jill supposed to keep countering different strategies? Frantically thinking, she yelled out the first thing that came to mind.

"Epona super heat your flames and charge in with flame wheel!"

"Well would you look at that… it worked" Arthur said quietly. Cynthia looked down at her cousin and the young woman rushed out onto the field. Jill had only used two of her Pokemon to defeat this gym, something that few trainers could say.

"She certainly used the type matches to her advantage" Cynthia said.

"Yes, but it wasn't just that. She remained calm and collected considering what Gardenia was attempting to do."

"Yes the constant change of strategy was not what I was expecting." Arthur looked at the blonde.

"She's something alright Cynthia. I don't know what's happening here in this region, but she'll play a role I believe. There's something about her and you might want to be careful too. Power draws power after all. And I have a feeling she's going to steal your title from you" Arthur finished with a sly wink. Cynthia however, couldn't help but think the younger champion was right.

"You were amazing Epona! And we did it!" Jill said excitedly as she hugged her fiery partner. Epona was breathing heavier but looked overjoyed that her trainer was pleased.

"That was a most exhilarating experience" the fire type said.

"Excellent job Jill! When Cynthia said that there was a trainer to battle and that it would be worth it, she wasn't kidding!" Gardenia said walking up to the pair.

"Cynthia really said that about me?" Jill asked.

"Yes, she said that you were someone worth challenging. And now I can see why you were able to beat Roark. Just beware, the gym challenges only get harder from here on out. Where are you planning on going to next?"

"Well I was planning on continuing a bit west and I believe Hearthome was the next city with a gym that way" Jill responded looking down at the new badge in her hand.

"Good luck then" Gardenia said. "Fantina the gym leader there is a real challenge!"

Jill exited the gym and noted the two champions waiting off to the side of the road. Cautiously the not so new trainer walked over, unsure if she was fit to join such company.

"That was an impressive battle" Arthur said.

"Good job adapting to the varying strategies Gardenia kept using" Cynthia added. Jill was immediately blushing and couldn't quite string together a thank you. "I think Arthur was right in stating that I may have quite the challenge in a few months. You still have some growing to do yet I think but you're well on your way to being able to challenge the league cousin." Jill was stunned with such a proclamation. To have the champion of Sinnoh state that she, Jill, would be able to challenge the league and possibly defeat the blonde, well that was something else.

"I think it's time I took my leave Cynthia. I don't think I'll be much help here anymore, but you know what my thoughts are about that." Arthur held out his hand which the other champion grasped nodding her understanding. The young man then turned to Jill. "A piece of advice; don't give up. There will be a time when you don't think you'll be able to go on. That the task in front of you is insurmountable. It isn't. You'll always have your team by your side, and when you yourself don't think you can go on, take solace from them. Together you'll be able to achieve a balance no other can." Jill nodded, not completely understanding what the young man meant. She wasn't about to throw away the advice though. The two woman watched the champion of both Johto and Kanto walk away.

"He's seen so much for one so young already. I think someday Jill you and he will have that in common. I too however must be leaving. I enjoyed your battle and I wish you luck on the road ahead. There is one more thing..." The champion reached down behind her and brought up a case of some sort. Nestled inside was an egg, shockingly white with red and blue triangles of some sort. The design was interesting to say the least.

"Do you know what this is? Cynthia asked. Jill shook her head. "It's a Pokemon egg. This particular egg won't hatch for just anyone, but I have a feeling it might for you."

"Wait you're giving me an egg?" Jill said incredulously.

"I am. If it hatches Jill you will have one more member of your team capable of some amazing feats. Take good care of it." Jill could only nod as she looked on in wonder at the gift she had received.

Cynthia shook her cousins hand leaving the young trainer there. Jill had barely said a word, and hadn't needed to. The two champions seemed to understand something she didn't. At least not yet. But she would one day. That was a promise she would keep.

Jillian's Pokemon:
Caladan (Grotle) - level 18, ability: Overgrow, nature: Bashful
Chase (Luxio) - level 18, ability: Intimidate, nature: Impish
Star (Staravia) - level 18, ability: Keen Eye, nature: Lax
Epona (Ponyta) - level 20, ability: Run Away, nature: Naughty
Egg

My apologies for the extended break folks. I had a real hard time with this chapter as the battle was ridiculously easy. Also it should be noted, the quote Cynthia uses is from William Jennings Bryan. Always have to make sure we give credit where credit is due. Please let me know what you thought and hopefully I can send some more chapters out in the next little while here.