The next day, Chloe woke up early to put on her makeup. A few hours later, Brendan woke up as well, but Chloe had left without him. He got up and woke up Daniel, his Torchic. They set out about 30 minutes after Chloe.

On Chloe's side, she had gotten past the idiot who thought his own footsteps were a rare Pokémon's. She entered Route 2, and…

Immediately ran into a Seedot.

"Hello, there, little guy. You, wanna… Come with?" Chloe asked it, throwing a Pokéball at it. It was caught easily. She had decided she didn't want to use her other two Pokémon until the rest of the world was the same level as them, so she had them on the back of her team in case of emergency, but didn't use them unless she needed to. She checked the Seedot's gender. It was a boy.

"I'm going to name you… Korn. Korn and Rockstar. The perfect band duo." Chloe said. (Cake for anyone who gets the reference.)

"See! See-dot!" Korn cheered. Chloe smiled. She was glad he liked his name. After picking him up, she kept traveling onwards. Eventually, Brendan caught up with her.

"Hey! Oof…" he was panting hard. "Why'd you leave without Danny and me?" He asked her.

"It's "Danny and I", not "me"," Chloe said. "And I left without you because rivals don't travel together,"

Brendan smiled. "So you consider me your rival now?" Chloe nodded her head. His smile widened if that was even possible. "Okay. In that case, let me battle you! I caught some more Pokémon while catching up with you!"

"Alright, then. This time I won't use 'Kota or Rocksy. It'll just be Dante and Korn." Chloe told him. "Korn? Who's that?" he asked.

"My new Pokémon. He's a Seedot." Chloe said. "C'mon, let's go! Korn! I choose you!"

Korn popped out of his Pokéball. According to Dexter, "Bide" was his only move.

"Okay…" Chloe mumbled. "Korn! Use Bide!" Korn began bracing himself for an attack.

"It… Doesn't attack? Hmmm… Korn! Return!"

Korn didn't return. He just sat there, bracing for an attack. Eventually, Brendan decided to attack.

"Daniel! Use Ember!" The chicken spat out flames at Korn.

It was super effective!

Korn didn't do anything. Dexter said something.

"Korn is storing energy!"

Chloe was confused. "Storing… Energy? For what?" Suddenly, Korn charged towards Daniel, bashing into him at full force. The Torchic was thrown backward into Brendan's feet.

"Danny! Are you OK?" Brendan asked. Chloe was amazed. "Wow, Korn! Good job, Junior rockstar!" she praised him.

"Seedot!" Korn replied, satisfied.

"W-well, I've got more Pokémon! Bluebell, I choose you!" A large Wailmer came out of its Pokéball.

"Alright, use Water Pulse!" A shot of water was fired at Korn, but the Seedot dodged it.

"Umm… Korn! Switch out! C'mon out, Dante!" Chloe sent out her Treecko. Danté flexed his paws. It had a face on it that said, "I'm gonna win."

"Don'! Use Absorb!" Danté sucked Bluebell's life force(?).

It was super effective!

"Bluebell! Return!" Brendan shouted. "Go, Onion!" He sent out a Shroomish. Dakota couldn't stand watching anymore. She pushed Dante out of the way.

"'Kota! What are you-" Dakota removed the Evostone that she had on her wrist. She then proceeded to headbutt the Shroomish.

"Shroom!" Onion cried. He slid across the ground.

"Onion!" Brendan cried. "Dakota! How could you?!" Chloe yelled. She rushed over to the fallen Shroomish. It wasn't moving.

"Onion?" Brendan whispered. He picked up the Shroomish.

"Froa." Dakota stuck her tongue out at the Shroomish. Chloe turned towards her Froakie angrily.

"Why did you do that? Look at what you did!" Froakie didn't answer. Chloe turned around. When she did, she was blinded by a white light. Once it was gone, she looked. Dakota had evolved in Frogadier. Chloe hardly cared. "Rocky, can you watch her for me?" Rocky nodded.

"Come on, Brendan," Chloe said. "We have to go now."

Brendan nodded, sniffling. He picked up Onion's body and followed Chloe. They walked back to Littleroot Town.

"Let's bury him next to your house." Brendan didn't answer. He simply nodded and began to dig a hole.

"Don't worry about that." Chloe sent out Dante. "Can you dig a hole for me, sweetie?" Dante sadly nodded and began digging a hole much quicker and more efficiently than Brendan had.

When Dante finished, Brendan carefully placed the Shroomish's body in the hole. Dante buried it for him.

"I won't forget you, Onion," Brendan whispered. Chloe placed her arm over his shoulder. "It's gonna be alright," she said. "It's natural. I know how you feel…" she remembered losing Tristan on her Kalos journey.

She was battling a trainer.

"Go! Pikachu!" The trainer cheered, sending out her Pikachu.

"We can take this," Chloe said cockily. "Go! Tristan!" She sent out her Fletchling. "Fletch! Fletch-ling!" Tristan chirped.

"Pikachu! Use Thunder Shock!" Pikachu zapped Tristan with the Thunder Shock.

It was super effective!

Tristan is paralyzed! It might be unable to move!

"Shoot. Hang in there!" Tristan was at half health, but so was the Pikachu, and she could use Quick Attack.

"Tristan! Use Quick Attack!" Chloe yelled, but he didn't.

Tristan is paralyzed! It can't move!

"Oh, no... " Chloe whispered. "Hang in there, Tristan!"
"Pikachu! Use Growl!" The other trainer yelled. Chloe sighed with relief. "Tristan, Quick Attack again!" This time, Tristan did it successfully, but it left the Pikachu with a sliver of health.

Oh. Dear.

"Pikachu! Use Growl!" The trainer cheered again. "Tristan… Quick Attack! You can take him!" However, Tristan was paralyzed again.

Then it happened.

"Pikachu! Use Thunder Shock!" The trainer yelled. The Pikachu obeyed. He zapped Tristan, and he hit the ground. Hard.

"Tristan?" Chloe asked. She ran over to the Fletchling. "Tristan! Please, get up!" Chloe began tearing up. She turned over to Finley, her Chespin.

"Go attack it. I don't care what moves you use, just get rid of it."

Finley did so.

And also killed the Pikachu. He hit it with a Vine Whip a bit too hard and killed it. Chloe hadn't cared. She ran off towards the end of the forest.

"Chloe Bear? Are you…"

Brendan sniffled. "Chloe?"

Chloe was jolted back into reality. She'd been spacing off for the past five minutes. "Are you alright? Brendan asked.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Do you remember what I said earlier? About how we're rivals, so we shouldn't travel together?" Chloe asked.

"Uh-huh."

"Well, maybe we should travel together," Chloe suggested. Brendan nodded.

"We should head to Petalburg now." Brendan suggested. "Yeah. Let's go." said Chloe.

They headed past the Routes that they'd already traveled until they came across Petalburg Town. Brendan immediately headed to the Pokemon Center. Chloe headed to the Gym.

"Hey, you! Over there! I'm challenging you!" Chloe called out to a person who very obviously was the Gym leader.

"How many badges do you have?" he asked gruffly.

"None…" Chloe mumbled. "But my Pokémon are strong!"

"No. You need to have four badges." he told her dryly.

"Oh, yeah? Well, I could still take you!" she retorted cockily.

"Hmm… Fine. Go, Slaking!" the leader sent out a large Slaking.

"Hmm… 'Kota, I choo-" Chloe started. "Umm… Go, Rockstar!" Chloe quickly sent out Rocky instead of Dakota. She still hasn't forgiven Dakota. Rocky flexed her claws. "Rocky, use Horn Drill!" Rocky rammed into the Slaking, 1 hit KO'ing it.

"Dang it. Slaking, go!" He sent out another Slaking.

"What the heck? Why do you have two of them?" Chloe asked, dumbfounded. "Rocky, use Rock Tomb!" the rocks hit the Slaking, but barely dealt any damage.

"Slaking, Facade!" the Slacking smacked Rocky. Though not very effective, it dealt a lot of damage. "Hmm…" Chloe mumbled. "Rocky, use Rock Smash!" The Rhyhorn charged towards the Slaking, smashing into it.

"Slak!" it cried as it was hit. It fell to the ground. The Slaking slumped over.

"Is it… dead?" Chloe asked the Gym leader.

"Nope. That's it's ability, Truant. It only attacks every other turn." he explained. Chloe was shocked. "That sounds terrible. I would never use a Pokémon with such a bad ability!" she scoffed. "Rockstar, use Rock Tomb!" Rocky (magically?) kicked up large rocks at the Slaking. Finally, it was down.

"Anything else?" Chloe asked. "One last Pokémon. Go, Vigoroth!" he sent out what Chloe guessed was the prevolution of Slaking. "Rocky, use Take Down." Chloe yawned as Rocky barreled into the Vigoroth, taking it down. The Gym Leader handed her the Balance Badge. "You earned it." he said.

"Hmph. Thanks, I guess," Chloe mumbled. "C'mon, Rocky."

"Rhy. Rhy-don." Rocky muttered. Chloe rolled her eyes, and walked out of the Gym, and smacked face-first into a little kid.

"Ouch!" he cried. "Oh - I-I'm sorry, ma'am…" he quickly apologized. He passed by her. "Mr. Norman! Umm, I need a Pokémon!"

"I don't have any, but you can catch one," the Gym Leader - Norman - said. "But I'll let you borrow my Zigzagoon and some Pokeballs to catch one." he told the kid.

"Thank you, Mr. Norman! My name is Wally!" the child, Wally, thanked Norman. He ran out of the Gym and smacked into Chloe. Again.

"S-sorry again." he muttered.

"Hey, trainer. You're skilled; why not help Wally there catch his first Pokémon?" Chloe groaned. "Fine, fine." She followed the boy.

"Well, I know I get Pokémon in tall grass…" he said.

"Yeah, yeah, we all know this is a tutorial for catching Pokémon. Just get it over with." They entered the tall grass. Almost immediately, a Ralts appeared.

"Ooh! That one looks cool!" Wally sent out the Zigzagoon Norman had let him borrow.

"It's only level 5," Chloe groaned. "Just use the Ball."

"Oh-okay," Wally said. He threw the Pokéball at the Ralts, catching it.

"Yay! T-thank you, miss…"

"Chloe."

"Chloe. Yeah. Thanks for coming! Bye!"

Chloe curtly nodded, then headed back to the Pokémon Center. It was getting dark, and she was tired.

When she got there, she saw Rocky holding her half-asleep Dakota. Chloe nodded. "C'mon, Rocky." she yawned. They walked into the room they'd booked in the Center, and dozed off rather quickly.

1685 Words

A/N: That was a time. Poor Brendan. IF you can't tell, Dakota's a mofo. Anyways, I'll see you again soon! See you next Nuz!

The Team:

Dakota the Frogadier, : Level 26

Holding nothing

Rocky the Rhyhorn, : Level 37

Holding a Hard Stone (increases Rock-type moves' damage)

Danté the Treeko, : Level 14

Holding nothing

Korn the Seedot, : Level 6

Holding nothing

Dead:

None (thus far)

Brendan's Team:

Daniel the Torchic, : Level 13

Holding Charcoal (increases Fire-type moves' damage)

Bluebell the Wailmer, : Level: 11

Holding nothing

Dead:

Onion the Shroomish, : Level 10