"There it is." Alex's mother said. She and her daughter stood in a street with small trees lining the sides. In front of them was a large building. It was much shorter than the surrounding buildings, with large windows lining the walls. In the center were a large pair of glass doors. Above them was a large logo in the shape of a Poké Ball.
"I'm nervous." Alex said quietly.
"That's fine, dear. Everyone gets nervous on their first time. Your brother almost turned and ran just before we got through the front door." Alex reached into her pocket and pulled out a small blue case. She opened it, and inside were eight small, thin, empty slots.
"I'm either coming out with an empty case or my first badge." Her mother reached over and closed the case.
"Don't you worry about that. Whether you win or lose, you'll come out stronger and more experienced than when you went in." Alex chuckled.
"Wow, mom. When did you become some kind of battling guru?"
"I'm just telling you the things my father tried to drill into me when I was younger and he wanted me to go out on a journey. He never changed my mind about not going, but at least his advice can help you in some way. Oh?" she said as she noticed a red-haired figure stood by the doors of the gym. "Looks like Dylan's here to cheer you on."
"Hey there!" Dylan called as if on cue. He ran up to Alex. "You look nervous." he said.
"I am." she replied. "Extremely nervous."
"I don't blame you. I've been here for a while and Burgh's already on a winning streak."
"Already?!" It's not even the afternoon yet!"
"I know it seems bad, but we can use this to your advantage. I know for a fact he's using his Dwebble and Heracross today."
"Dylan, no offence, but I only have two Pokémon. No matter what he uses I only have two to use" Dylan frowned.
"I guess I didn't really think this through, did I?"
"Wait, you stayed here all morning just to try and help me?" Dylan blushed slightly.
"Well, yeah I suppose so. I just wanted to make sure you would win is all. Besides, I'm not the only one who's been checking out the action." He nodded towards a large tree growing by one of the gym's windows. Daniel was leaning against the tree in the shade, gazing into the building, seemingly not aware of Alex's arrival. "He was here before me, and I'm not even sure if he's noticed I'm here yet."
"Hey! Daniel" Alex called suddenly. Daniel jumped as she called him.
"Oh, hello Alex." he said breathlessly. He put his hand to his chest."Sorry, you gave me a bit of a start."
"And who is this?" Alex's mother asked.
"This is Daniel. He's the one who saved me in the woods." Daniel began walking over to them.
"Oh, so you're the mysterious stranger. Thank you for saving my daughter."
"Oh, don't worry. It was no bother ma'am."
"Ma'am." Alex's mother repeated with a gleeful smile. "It's been a while since anyone called me that! Please, call me Dorothy."
"In that case, it was no bother, Dorothy. I was just doing what anyone else would have done."
"So, Daniel, what brought you here so early?" Alex asked.
"Oh, I knew I might have a lot of trouble getting Shroomish here. He just refuses to get in his ball, and I can't leave him alone in the forest. I had to carry him all the way here."
"Shroomish is here?" Alex asked.
"Of course he is. Isn't that right Shroomish?" he called to a nearby bush.
"Mish." a feeble voice called out in reply.
"He'll come out once he's comfortable enough. Anyway, I'm glad I got here early. The battles today have been fantastic."
"So I've heard." replied Alex. "I hear Burgh's on a roll today."
"Very much so. By the looks of it the challenger in there right now is already on the ropes." as he spoke, the group heard a distinct 'boom' from inside the building. "...and by the sound of it, it's over now."
Dylan rushed over to the nearest window and peeked inside. "Yep. Don't think they're getting up from that one." Alex grimaced.
"Okay, now I'm really worried."
"Now, now, there's no need to be so anxious, young lady." a voice said from somewhere behind Alex. She turned to see Dylan's father approaching her. Following behind him was a short woman, dressed in a suit jacket and and a black shirt that stretched down to her knees. She wore a pair of dark red glasses, and had black hair that was pulled up into a tight bun.
"Mr. Hutch?" Alex said as he approached. Why is your dad here?" she said in a hushed voice to Dylan, who was now standing next to her.
"I told him last night that you were taking on Burgh, and he insisted on coming."
"Why?"
"He has his reasons, you'll find out eventually. He comes and watches trainers all the time. With their permission, of course."
"I always think it's important to take an interest in the younger generation. So, Alex, would mind terribly if we observed you?" Alex hesitated for a moment.
"I don't have any reason to object to you and…" she said, looking towards the unfamiliar woman.
"Oh, this is Michelle. She's one of my employees down at the Sanctuary." Michelle nodded politely.
"Hey." Alex said with an awkward wave. She turned suddenly as she heard the doors behind her sliding open. A young boy emerged, with a disappointed expression on his face. He was closely followed by Burgh, who was seemingly trying to cheer the boy up.
"... so that next time you'll be more experienced. That's a nice way to look at it, right?" the boy thought for a moment, before nodding confidently.
"Yeah. Yeah you're right Mr. Burgh. Thanks for the advice!" he called as he suddenly began to run down the street."
"It's no problem. And good luck with your training!" Burgh called after him. "Hmm?" he said as he noticed the large group of people congregated in front of him. "My, my, Alex. This is quite the crowd you've managed to attract today."
"Yep. I'm here to challenge you."
"I know. Dylan over there already told me this morning. Oh?" he noticed Daniel standing with the group. "So you're the one he's been waiting for all morning. I can see out of those windows, you know." he said to Daniel. Daniel's face suddenly turned red, and he turned away from the group. Burgh chuckled. "Well I suppose that it's best we don't keep the audience waiting. Would you all like to follow me inside?" He walked back inside, glancing back expectantly at the group. Dylan led the way, half-jogging inside. The rest of the group began to follow, except for Daniel, who didn't move an inch.
"I saw the way you were looking at Burgh just then." Alex said with a smirk as she passed him. Daniel tried for a few seconds to stutter out a response. "It's fine. Your secret's safe with me. I'll see you inside." she said as she entered the building. Daniel sighed.
"Come on Shroomish, let's get in there before I faint."
Alex and Burgh stood either side of a large battlefield, surrounded on almost all sides by a mess of trees and bushes, occupied by many small bug Pokémon. The small audience stood to one side. Daniel stood slightly away from them, next to a small bush, where Shroomish's face was poking out slightly. Michelle had pulled out a small notebook and pen, and was looking at Alex expectantly. "No pressure…" Alex muttered to herself sarcastically. A young man in a green shirt stood at the side of the battlefield.
"The Castelia Gym battle between Burgh the Gym Leader and Alex the challenger is about to begin." the man called suddenly. "This will be a two on two battle. The battle will be over when all Pokémon on one side are unable to battle." Alex's heart began pounding.
"You got this Alex!" Dylan called.
"Best of luck!" his father added, before leaning over and whispering something to Michelle, who began hastily scribbling on her notepad.
"Now then." Burgh said. "Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Alex said with slight hesitation.
"Alright then! I'll send out my Pokémon first." he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small Poké Ball. As it grew to normal size, Alex noted that the top half was a dull blue, and seemed to be wrapped in some sort of netting. Burgh threw the ball high into the air, where it burst open. A net of light spread out from the ball, before vanishing to reveal a small crab-like creature, wearing a small rock as a shell. The Pokémon landed with a thud, looking determindley towards Alex, who then silently pulled one of her own Poké Balls out of her pocket.
"If we're up against a Dwebble first…" she muttered to herself. "Marill! You're up!" She threw the ball out across the battlefield. It soon burst open, sending out Marill with a shower of light. Alex picked the ball up as it rolled back towards her.
"Alex!" Burgh called. "You two get the first move." Alex nodded confidently.
"Marill! Start it off with a Bubble Beam!" Marill jumped up and sent a barrage of bubbles hurding towards Dwebble.
"Dwebble! Use Sand Attack!" Dwebble began to claw at the ground in front of him, sending a wall of dirt flying upwards. The bubbles collided with the wall, slowing them down, and stopping some smaller ones entirely. The few that made it through fell short of the opponent. "Follow that up with Smack Down!" Dwebble let out a determined cry, and a small rock appeared floating in front of it, seemingly from nowhere. With another cry, Dwebble sent the rock flying through the wall of sand.
"Marill, look out!" Alex called. Marill began looking around frantically, unable to see either the opponent or it's attack. The rock soon emerged, flying at a devastating speed towards Marill. Alex's Pokémon tried to dodge, but was clipped by the rock as it tried to run. The rock shattered, and Marill stumbled. "Marill! You okay?!" Her partner turned and gave her a confidant nod. Alex noticed that the barrier had begun to fade. "Okay Marill. Use Bubble Beam again!" Marill once again began to send a stream of bubbles towards Dwebble.
"Sand Attack again!" Burgh shouted. In an instant the wall appeared again, stopping Marill's attack. "Smack Down!" Dwebble began to charge another attack.
"Marill. Pay attention to where this one comes from." Alex said quietly. Marill silently nodded. A second later, the rock came streaming through the wall once again. "To the left!" Marill rolled quickly out of the way. "Dwebble's slow, it doesn't move much." Alex said to herself. "Marill! Bubble Beam one more time!"
"That isn't working..." Dylan muttered. "I hope she has some kind of plan."
"Dwebble, you know what to do." Burgh said. Dwebble soon threw up a wall to stop Marill's attack, and began charging up its own.
"Marill, get ready to catch." Alex said in a low voice. "It's gonna come from the middle."
"Rill, rill." her partner replied with a determined cry. The rock soon appeared. Marill stepped to the side, stretching its tail out. It wrapped its tail around the rock as it hit, barely managing to hold onto it.
"Okay Marill, use Bounce!" Marill's tail began to glow. Marill hopped up, and used its tail to spring into the air, high above the sand barrier.
"What?!" Burgh cried out in surprise as the small blue creature appeared above the wall.
"Now! Slam!" Marill began spinning wildly in the air, before releasing the rock, which sped towards its opponent.
"Iron Defence! Quickly!" Burgh called in a panicked voice. Dwebble quickly turned around and tuck itself into its shell, which began to glow a harsh grey. The rock soon made impact, sending Dwebble sliding across the floor.
"Write that down." Dylan's father whispered to his assistant.
"Nice one!" Dylan called out.
"Wow!" Burgh called out. "That move was simply astounding! Are you okay Dwebble?" Dwebble peeked out of its shell, seemingly unhurt.
"Dwebble-ble." It replied in a shaky voice.
"That shell…" Alex thought to herself. "Dwebble barely felt a thing." she thought for a moment, and suddenly a smirk stretched across her face. "Marill! Rollout!" she called out. Marill curled itself up tightly, before beginning to roll at a fantastic speed across the battlefield.
"Dwebble!" Burgh called to his partner. "Get ready to counter with X-Scissor." Dwebbles claws began to glow a deep green, and it held them up, ready to attack.
"Marill, switch to Bubble Beam." Marill stopped rolling, and launched yet another stream of bubbles.
"Quick Dwebble! Iron Defence!" Dwebble quickly turned around, and its shell glowed grey again. Marill's attack harmlessly bounced off it.
"Marill! Grab Dwebble!" In an instant, Dwebble's shell was wrapped tightly in Marill's tail.
"Huh?!" Burgh said in surprise.
"Rollout again!" Alex called. Marill once again began rolling around the battlefield at an impressive speed, this time with Dwebble in tow.
"Dweb-b-ble!" Burgh Pokémon cried out as it was spun around the battlefield. It held on for a few seconds, before being flung high into the air, separated from its shell. The now defenceless creature landed with a thud.
"Marill! Slam!" Marill stopped rolling and jumped into the air. With a twist of its body, Dwebble's own shell was sent flying towards it. Dwebble barely had time to look up before being hit. A cloud of dust spewed up from the ground.
"Dwebble!" Burgh shouted. As the dust began to clear, he could see Dwebble lying underneath its shell.
"Dwe-bble." it cried out feebly.
"Dwebble! Can you get up?" Dwebble crawled weakly back into its shell, and tried to push itself back onto its feet. It stood for a moment, before collapsing.
"Dwebble is unable to battle!" the battle judge called out. Dylan cheered loudly.
"Well done Marill!" Alex said. Marill replied with a proud smile.
"Thank you, Dwebble." Burgh said as he called his partner back to its Poké Ball. "That was a very impressive move!" he said to Alex.
"Thanks!" Alex replied, slightly embarrassed.
"That was one of the most impressive moves I've ever seen! Michelle, did you write all that down?" Dylan's father said. Michelle replied with a silent nod. "Excellent."
"Come on Alex! One to go!" Dylan shouted.
"That still means I'm only halfway done." Alex thought to herself.
"Alright then! Burgh shouted as he pulled out another ball from his pocket. "Come out Heracross!" he threw the ball high into the air. Just like Dwebble, Heracross burst out of a net of light, and landed on the battlefield. "Start off with Horn Attack!" The large horn on Heracross's head began to glow a harsh white, and the Pokémon began to charge towards Marill."
"Counter with Bounce!" Marill used its tail to launch itself into the air. It began to swing its tail towards Heracross. Marill's tail collided with Heracross's horn, stopping both Pokémon in their tracks. Marill fell from the air, landing in front of its opponent.
"Heracross! Use Shadow Claw!" the gym leader's Pokémon's hand was suddenly covered in a dark light. A second later, several sharp claws formed around it, and Heracross swung its am swiftly towards Marill. Alex's partner had no time to dodge, and was knocked backwards by the powerful swipe.
"Marill! Are you okay?" Alex called.
"Rill-rill." her partner replied as it pushed itself unsteadily to its feet.
"Okay then! Bubble Beam!" Marill launched its attack.
"Heracross, dispose of it with Arm Thrust!" Both of Heracross's arm's began to glow white. It began thrusting them forwards with a steady and forceful rhythm. Marill's bubbles bounced harmlessly off as it began to run towards Marill.
"Marill! Bounce again!" Marill soon sent itself flying towards its opponent once again.
"Switch to Megahorn!" As Marill approached, Heracross's horn glowed a bright green. Before the small blue creature had a chance to attack, Heracross swung its horn wildly. Marill was caught by one of the swipes, and was flung violently to the side.
"Marill! Get up!" Alex called. Marill tried for a moment to push itself up, but its arms gave way, causing it to fall again.
"Marill is unable to battle!" the judge called. Alex sighed.
"Thank you, Marill." she said as she called her Pokémon back into its ball. "Looks like it's one on one now…" she thought. She reached into her pocket and pulled out another Poké Ball. "Mareep! You're up!" she threw Mareep's ball, making her partner burst out in a ball of light.
"You got this Mareep!" Dylan called from the side of the battlefield. The sound of a Poké Ball bursting open came from Dylan's pocket. A stream of light burst out, and Buneary was soon standing next to him.
"Neary!" it cried out.
"Buneary agrees!" Dylan added. Mareep replied with a determined nod.
"Mareep! Charge!" Alex called. Mareep's wool began to glow, and after a few moments, it started to spark.
"Heracross! Use Horn Attack!" his Pokémon began to charge towards Mareep.
"Keep charging." Alex said. "Keep going for a bit longer." sparks of electricity began to shoot off from Mareep's wool. "Now use Thunder Shock." In a flash, Mareep sent a bolt of electricity flying towards Heracross. The attack hit Mareep's opponent head on. Heracross stumbled slightly as the attack shocked it, but soon shook it off and kept running.
"Mareep, get ready to dodge!" Alex called as Heracross approached. Mareep braced itself.
"Hera!" its opponent called out suddenly. As it cried out, it suddenly staggered, and sparks suddenly appeared across its body.
"Paralysis…" Dylan's father said quietly. "Lucky. Unless…" As he spoke, Heracross let out a loud cry, and the light from its horn seemed to glow brighter. He leaned over to Michelle. "The Heracross has Guts. Write that down."
"That's not good…" Alex said without thinking. Mareep looked back towards her with a concerned expression on its face. "Don't worry, we can still do this. Try using Iron Tail." Mareep nodded, and jumped into the air. Its tail suddenly turned a harsh grey. It swung its tail around, slamming it into Heracross's horn. The attacks collided with a loud thud, and both Pokémon were launched backwards. "Cotton Spore!" Alex called as Mareep landed.
"Reeeeeeep!" her partner cried as it began to curl up. With a sudden jolt, Mareep sent several puffs of wool flying at Heracross.
"Shadow Claw!" Burgh called. Heracross once again created several shadowy claws on its arms, this time seemingly much bigger than the first time. As the puffs approached, Heracross swiped at them, tearing them apart in the air.
"Charge!" Alex called. Mareep's wool began to glow.
"Heracross! Prepare to attack!" Heracross began running towards Mareep.
"Mareep. Use Cotton Spore again." Mareep once again launched its wool towards Heracross.
"Get rid of it with Shadow Claw!" Burgh suddenly noticed that the puffs of wool surrounding his partner were sparking with electricity. "Huh?! Heracross! Hold on a moment!" His calls were too late, as his Pokémon had already begun slicing through the puffs. As it did, each one seemed to discharge a spark. In an instant, Heracross was encased in a prison of sparks. It let out a pained cry as it began to take damage from the sparks surrounding it. Burgh and the watching audience gasped.
"Charging up the wool first…" Dylan's father said in disbelief. "Michelle…"
"I'm already writing it down." the woman replied with barely concealed amazement.
"Mareep. Finish off with an Iron Tail!" With a determined cry, Mareep began charging towards Heracross. It leapt up as its tail began to glow grey. As the creature entered the prison of sparks surrounding its opponent, its tail seemed to become charged, and it too began sparking. As Mareep slammed its tail into Heracross's body, the surrounding electricity discharged across the battlefield, kicking up a cloud of dust.. The battle judge jumped backwards, and the trainers shielded their eyes. The audience stood in stunned silence.
"That was…" Dylan said after a moment.
"...insanely powerful." Daniel finished the sentence from behind him. Michelle silently continued writing.
"Mareep…" Alex said.
"Heracross…" The pair of trainers waited anxiously as the dust began to settle around their Pokémon. When the dust cleared, the outcome was clear. Heracross was lying on the floor, with Mareep standing calmly in front of it. The judge scanned the scene over for a moment before yelling.
"Heracross is unable to battle! Therefore the victory goes to Alex, the challenger!" he shouted, holding his arm out in her direction. Alex stood speechless for a moment.
"...I won?" she said after a moment. "...I won!"
"Victory!" Alex heard Dylan calling from somewhere. She suddenly saw him sprinting towards her. He threw his arms around her. "Alex! Alex! Alex!" he chanted as he jumped up and down. Buneary bounced over to Mareep and hugged it proudly. Mareep let out a sheepish cry.
"Excellent work, Heracross." Burgh said as he called his Pokémon back into its ball. "A marvelous performance, Alex!" he said as he clapped his hands together. "Simply astounding." Alex's mother enthusiastically joined Burgh's applause.
"That's my girl!" she said proudly. Alex began to blush.
"I think you're embarrassing her." Daniel said.
"I'm her mother, it's what I do." Dorothy replied, followed by a whoop of delight.
"That was a fantastic battle!" Dylan's father shouted. He turned and whispered to his assistant. "Did you get all of that down?"
"As best I could, yes." she glanced down at the notes she had made, grimacing as she noticed how untidy they were. "I just hope I can actually read these later."
"Now then, Alex." Burgh announced over the noise. He began to walk towards the centre of the battlefield, as the battle judge walked towards him, holding a small box with its lid removed. Dylan and Buneary quickly left the battlefield, continuing their cheers from the sidelines. Alex walked nervously up to Burgh. Burgh took the box from the judge and held it towards Alex. Inside was a small green badge, shaped vaguely like the wing of a bug Pokémon. "This is the Insect Badge, proof that you were able to defeat me." Alex reached into the box and pulled the badge out shakily.
"T-thanks." she said. Dylan and Buneary began cheering louder. Alex pulled out a badge case from her pocket. She opened it.
"Hold on!" Her mother called from the sideline. She was fumbling with her phone, trying to take a picture. "Almost… Okay, go ahead." Alex smiled awkwardly as she fitted the badge into the first indent in the case. She felt a sudden surge of pride in herself. She noticed Mareep staring up at her.
"We did it, Mareep. We did it!" She put the case in her pocket and picked Mareep up, and started swinging it around wildly. "Go us!" From the edge of the battlefield, her mother let out a warm sigh.
"Just like her father…"
"Your mom makes a mean lunch, you know that?" Dylan said to Alex. The pair were walking down a bustling street somewhere in the city.
"I know. She has her flaws, but she really knows how to pull out all the stops when making a victory feast. My dad and her used to do it all the time whenever my brother won an important battle. The last one must have been about nine years ago I think."
"How do you remember stuff from that long ago? You must have been, like, seven."
"I don't really remember the feasts themselves, but I do have a vivid memory of throwing up after I ate too much." She looked over to Dylan, who had a disgusted look on his face. "Sorry. Was that too much?"
"Very much so. That's an image that's going to stick with me for a while. Hmm?" he said, glancing at a small cafe across the street. "Isn't that the weird forest guy?" Daniel was sitting outside of the cafe, gorging himself on a large sandwich. Shroomish's face was poking out from under the tablecloth.
"Yeah, that's Daniel. Hey! Daniel!" She called. Daniel looked around in confusion. Alex glanced both ways down the street before jogging across. "Over here!" Daniel finally saw her.
"Mmm…" He tried to speak through a mouthful of bread. He chewed for a moment before swallowing with some difficulty. "Alex. Hello. Apologies for the mouthful."
"What are you still doing here Daniel? I thought you were going home."
"Are you that keen to get rid of me, are you?" Alex started to stutter out a response. Daniel laughed. "I'm joking, I'm joking. I was heading home, but then I realised it's been ages since I actually had a meal that wasn't soup or berries. A sandwich doesn't seem like much, but when you live in a forest this kind of thing is practically gourmet. So, where are you two heading off to?" He nodded to Dylan, who had just caught up to Alex.
"Me and him are heading out to see his dad at work. Said he had something he wanted to show us, whatever that means…" she glanced over at Dylan.
"Don't look at me. I'm just as clueless as you. I can't figure out what my old man has planned most of the time. Heck, I don't even know how he ended up in charge of the Sanctuary.
"Your father works at the Sanctuary?!" Daniel blurted out suddenly. "That giant conservation place, right?"
"That's the one." Dylan replied. "I can see if he'll let you in, if you want."
"Really?" Danile said with a sudden spark in his eyes. "I've always wanted to visit, but they always turn me away at the door."
"Yeah, my dad's weird like that. I've only ever been in there a handful of times myself. But I'm sure he'll let you in with us."
"Thank you so much!" Daniel suddenly scoffed down his sandwich. He dashed inside of the cafe, and practically threw some change at the waitress inside. He came back out, and picked up Shroomish from underneath the table. "Okay, I'm ready to go."
"Someone's keen." Alex said.
"Well, I didn't want to keep you two waiting. Is it obvious I'm kind of excited?" He said as the group began walking.
"Considering you almost broke the door and practically assaulted that waitress with your money? It's kinda obvious." Dylan replied. "I only wish the actual staff there were half as keen as you are."
"Maybe we can see if they're hiring." Alex added jokingly. "You got any references?"
"Shroomish seems to like me. Isn't that right?" He said to the creature he was cradling in his arms. Shroomish stayed silent. "You wound me sometimes, you know that? He's just upset that I made him leave his bush."
"I think he'll be alright once we get to the Sanctuary. A lot of the Pokémon there get nervous in strange areas." Dylan said.
"I have to say. Your father really is an impressive man to be in charge of a place like that. I don't know how he could possibly find the time to go out and rescue the amount of Pokémon he has in there." Dylan shrugged.
"I don't know where he finds them in all honesty. He rarely leaves the city as far as I know."
"Maybe he has his staff go out and look for them?" Alex suggested.
"I doubt it." Dylan replied. "There aren't that many people working there. I think it's just Michelle and about seven others."
"Michelle?" Alex said. "Wasn't she the woman taking down notes during my battle. What's her deal?"
"No clue. My dad's always really secretive about what goes on in there. I keep asking him about how the heck they get the funds to run a place like that, but he just keeps brushing it off."
"You don't think your dad might be involved in shady dealing or something like that, do you?" Alex asked.
"Nah. You've met my dad before, he's not the kind of guy who could be part of something shady without messing it up tremendously." The group rounded a corner, and Daniel gasped. In front of them was a large building. It was a two story building, much wider than it was tall. It sat alone, a large pathway circled it, separating it from the rest of the city. The outside walls were a harsh grey, completely blank apart from occasional words painted on the wall in yellow paint, simply reading: Sanctuary. On the roof sat a large glass dome.
"This place has changed since I last saw it." Daniel said in shock.
"Dad made some pretty big changes about a year ago. Said it was something to do with tightening security after someone tried to break in."
"One break in attempt? And that was enough to get him to remove all of the windows?"
"Like I said, the old man really doesn't like people going in without permission." Daniel eye's eyes shifted to the large glass doors at the front of the building.
"I see he kept the automatic doors though."
"He did." Dylan said as the doors slid open for them. "But I guarantee that if there was an emergency there'd be a massive metal door or something that would slam down and cover it."
"So if we hear an alarm, stay well away from the doors? Got it." Alex said. The group walked in. They entered a long, thin room. The room was almost spotlessly white. Michelle sat at a large desk opposite them. On her left there was a large window, looking into an equally plain corridor. On her right was a large metal door which was firmly shut.
"Hello Michelle." Dylan said as they approached the desk. Michelle didn't look up from her computer screen as she reached her hand to a small device in her ear.
"Mr Hutch, your son and his friends are here." She paused for a moment. "Yes, friends. Yes, plural." She paused again. "Because there's more than one, Mr Hutch, that's why."
"I brought someone else along." Dylan said. "Tell dad that."
"Dylan said he brought someone else along." She paused yet again. "Yes, it's a security risk but it's at your discretion. Okay then, if that's your decision. Understood. He's on his way." She said to the group. Daniel let out a small squeal of delight. Michelle glanced up at him with a mix of confusion and disgust on her face.
"Sorry." He said. "I'm just excited." Michelle silently turned back to her computer screen. The group stood awkwardly for a few moments, each of them hoping someone else would break the silence. The tension was broken when Mr Hutch sped past the large window, startling the group. A few seconds later, the large metal door slid up into the ceiling, and Mr Hutch stepped out.
"Welcome, welcome. You're slightly later than I was expecting you, but that's fine." He turned to Daniel. "You're the young gentleman who was watching Alex, aren't you?"
"This is Daniel." Dylan answered. "He's that guy from the forest I told you about. The one who takes care of Pokémon in need. I said you'd let him in to have a look inside."
"Did you now?" His father replied. He looked Daniel up and down. "Technically, I shouldn't be letting you in. Y'know, security concerns and all. But if Dylan trusts you…" he glanced towards his son, who nodded. "...Then I suppose I trust you as well. Follow me." He turned and hurried through the door. Dylan's group followed. They walked in silence for a few moments, down a long, empty corridor. Every few steps, they would pass large doors, identical to the one they had just passed through. Alex eventually broke the silence.
"Mr Hutch…"
"Please, please." he interrupted her. "There's no need for formalities. Call me Roberto, or Robert if you prefer. But not Robbie, I can't stand being called Robbie."
"Okay then, Robert. Why exactly did you ask us here?"
"An excellent question." he said as the group arrived at another, larger door. "I will answer your question shortly. But first…" he said as he typed into a small keypad just next to the door. As he finished, the door disappeared upwards, and bright light shone in. Beyond the door was a small field. Lush green grass grew all over. Several small trees were scattered about, each with a handful of small Pokémon crawling about in them. As the group walked in, they noticed a large pond on one side, being filled by a stream of water trickling down from the wall that surrounded the small garden. The pond eventually morphed into a stream that stretched across the room, flowing under the wall of the other side, A small wooden bridge crossed the stream just in front of the group. Above them, sunlight was streaming through the large glass dome on the roof of the building.
"This is incredible." Daniel said. As he spoke, Shroomish jumped from his arms and ran to a nearby bush, quickly hiding itself inside. Roberto raised an eyebrow at Daniel. "He's very shy." he replied awkwardly.
"You brought us here to show us this?" Alex said as she looked around.
"Well, yes, but I also brought you here so I could…"
"RANT!" A shrill voice called from somewhere in the room. The group looked over at the pond. Inside a small blue bird Pokémon was thrashing about wildly. Roberto rushed over to the pond. "Calm down Cramorant! These people are okay!"
"CRAAAAAM! CRAAAAAM!" The creature screamed again. It flapped its wings wildly, and suddenly sprung out of the water, and sped towards Daniel. He tried to back away, but seconds later the Pokémon was perched on top of his head. He staggered slightly under the weight. Roberto laughed loudly.
"That means she likes you!"
"Please tell me she's house trained. This is a new shirt."
"It's a white shirt, it'll be fine." Dylan said with a chuckle.
"I'm glad you're enjoying this." Daniel said.
"Robert." Alex said. "Is the only reason you brought us here is to have your Cramorant mess up our shirts?"
"Oh, no, no. Of course not. I suppose it's time I told you why we're really here." He put his hand up to a small device in his ear. "Pierre, could you send Charlie in? Thank you very much." He began to walk towards a door on the opposite side of the room. As he approached, a quiet tapping noise seemed to emanate from beyond the door. The door slid open, and a Pokémon emerged. It looked much like a human. A moustache, a small lump on its head resembling a hat, and feet that resembled shoes that clicked loudly on the ground with each step. It was holding a cane which was glowing, and two Poké Balls were floating either side of it.
"Rime. Rime. Rime." The creature said cheerily as it walked along.
"Thank you, Charlie. Now if you could unlock the door please." Charlie began tapping towards a large rock sat a few paces away from the pond. Alex stepped back slightly.
"What's up?" Dylan asked her.
"It has a face on its stomach. Don't you think that's a bit creepy?"
"Alex, that's Charlie. He's perfectly fine."
Alex sighed. "Fine. But if that stomach face winks at me, I'm gonna scream." As they spoke, Charlie reached the rock. The rock suddenly began to glow, and began to rise into the air. Beneath it was a small sheet of metal, with a small hole in the centre. Charlie walked towards it. When it reached the hole, it shoved the cane it was holding inside. A loud click echoed from somewhere, and Charlie stepped backwards. The boulder floated slowly back to the ground.
"What the?" Alex said as she felt a rumbling beneath her feet. A section of the floor across the stream from her suddenly began to rise. In seconds, an elevator had appeared from the ground.
"Fancy." Dylan said. "Can we get one of these at home?"
"Who's to say we don't have one already?" His father said with a smirk as he entered the elevator. "You two coming down?" He turned to Daniel. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to stay up here."
"Sorry Daniel, we'll try to be quick." Alex said apologetically as she passed him.
"Please do. I don't know how long I can stay like this." Alex flashed him an apologetic smile as she got into the elevator. Dylan entered after her, soon followed by Charlie, and the mysterious floating Poké Balls it was controlling. The doors slid shut, and the elevator slowly vanished underground, leaving Daniel alone in the room above.
"Actually, let's not get one of these." Dylan said as they descended. "It's kinda cramped in here." As he spoke, the doors swung open, revealing a giant room. "...Never mind."
"Excuse me." Roberto said as he sidled past his son. He began to walk quickly towards the other side of the room. As Alex and Dylan exited the elevator, it became clear that the large room was in fact a large battlefield, similar to the one in Burgh's gym. Charlie walked out of the elevator behind them. The doors slid closed. "Now then... " Roberto was now on the other side of the battlefield. He turned around. "I have a little challenge for you two." A dark smirk spread across his face.
"Does your dad seem a bit weird today? What's going on?" Alex asked Dylan quietly.
"No clue. He has been acting a bit too friendly today, now that you mention it." He replied.
"If you two want to leave here…" Roberto said as he pulled two Poké Balls from his pocket. He threw them high into the air. A few seconds later, two identical, purple, humanoid Pokémon appeared on the battlefield in front of him. "...You're gonna have to defeat us!" Dylan chuckled.
"Was this whole thing a ploy just to battle us?" He asked.
"Maybe, maybe not." His father replied.
"Now I see where you get your eccentricity from." Alex said.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Dylan replied with a smirk. "So, do you reckon we could take him on?" Alex looked nervously at the opposing Pokémon.
"We're up against a pair of Machoke. Honestly? I don't think we stand a chance." She smiled at Dylan. "...But when did we ever let that stop us from trying something?"
"I like the way you think. Dad!" He called across the battlefield. "We only have one thing to say to you…" He looked at Alex, who nodded. The pair called out in unison.
"Bring it on!"