Chapter Six
Callie sat there in her seat at the bar, completely motionless as the spotlight shone down on her and Zoro. There was no way she had heard Roxie, right? Roxie wasn't actually expecting Callie to battle her, right? This had to be some kind of dream. . . . Right?
"Callie? What are you waiting for?" Hugh said with wide eyes beside her. "Roxie chose you — get up there and battle!"
"I-I. . . . I can't go up there," Callie whispered. "Are you crazy? I-I've never been in a gym battle before, I don't know what to do, I-I —"
"Callie, you've got this!" Hugh said encouragingly. "You're a natural when it comes to battling!"
Callie's eyes widened. "Really?"
Hugh smiled, nodding his head slowly. "Of course! It's like you were destined for this! Pokémon battling is in your blood!"
'It's in your blood, Callie! You were born for this!'
Celebi's words echoed in Callie's head as she thought about her encounter with the legendary pokémon just days before. . . . That fateful encounter that sent her back in time on this life changing journey. . . . It may have only been a few days since then, but to Callie, it felt as though a life time had passed, as if so many things had changed since then. And now, there she was, about to have her first gym battle.
Callie looked at Hugh, smiling softly. "Thanks, Hugh, I needed that."
She placed her water back on the counter and took Zoro in her arms. Callie stood from her chair, straightening her shoulders as she looked ahead towards the stage where Roxie stood, grinning wildly at her. It was hard to look past all the trainers that were turned towards her, staring, all of them obviously envious that she had been chosen and not them, but somehow, Callie managed not to look at any of their scowling glares as she numbly made her way towards the stage in the center of the gym, Zoro grasped tightly in her arms.
When she got to the stage, Roxie held a hand out to her and hoisted Callie on to the stage, steadying her on her feet.
"So, I guess that means you accept my challenge, huh?" Roxie said with a smirk, holding the microphone between her and Callie so their conversation would be heard by all the trainers.
Callie gave a firm, yet somewhat hesitant nod. "Right — but, just because we're friends doesn't mean I'm gonna go easy on you."
A chorus of 'oohs' broke out over the crowd.
Roxie chuckled lowly, shaking her head. "You sound confident. How many gym badges do you have?"
Callie's eyes widened and she blushed furiously, looking down at her feet. "Er — well, about that. . . . I don't have any."
"What?"
"None?"
"And you're going to try to battle Roxie?"
"Wow, one battle per show, and it's gonna be some snooze fest with a newbie trainer."
"What a waste of time!"
The crowd's attitude quickly turned south the moment they heard Callie didn't have any badges. Callie looked out across the crowd, frowning, her body beginning to tremble — they were right. She was a newbie, and there was no way she'd stand a chance against Roxie, even if she was a natural when it came to pokémon battles. She was just too new to this. . . . Callie looked down at her feet again, clenching her fists as she tried to fight back tears — she wasn't going to cry, not in front of all these people.
"Hey! Now just a minute!"
Callie's head shot up — she recognized that voice. It wasn't Hugh. . . .
"Wes!" Callie squealed in surprise when she saw his familiar face pushing his way to the front of the crowd.
Wes fought his way to the stage and hoisted himself up without any invitation. Callie saw body guards on either side of the stage move, ready to remove him, but Roxie raised her hand, motioning for them to stop, and they became quite still.
"Wes, what are you doing here?" Callie whispered, her eyes wide.
Wes flashed her a smile and nodded towards Roxie. "She handed me a flyer this afternoon when I got into town. Figured I had to check it out. Should have known you'd be here."
Callie smiled and Wes returned the gesture, giving her a swift wink before he turned to the crowd, the smile vanishing and his brow furrowed, scowling at them all.
"Now, you all listen here — Callie may not have the experience you all do, but she's a trainer all the same! We're all pokémon trainers, right? So we all have the same goal! To get stronger, to grow with our pokémon, to be the very best we can be! So, instead of sitting here and calling this battle a waste of time, how about we show some support to someone who's striving for the same things we all are?"
The crowd fell silent and Callie could see the look of guilt and discomfort on their faces — apparently, Wes's word had struck some sort of chord with them. Roxie smiled and clapped a hand down on Wes's shoulder.
"You've got yourself quite the friend here, Callie," Roxie said with a wink. "And he's pretty cute too."
"O-oh, uh, th-thanks," Wes stammered, his cheeks turning pink as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He then looked to Callie, giving her an encouraging smile. "I know this is your first gym battle, so just do your best, okay?"
Callie nodded, swallowing hard. "Er — right. Yeah. I-I will."
Wes smiled and hopped off the stage, making sure that he stood right up front. Callie watched as none other than Hugh forced his way forward, right next to him.
"Hey, Wes!" Hugh said excitedly. "You finally made it to Virbank City, huh? You're just barely keeping up with me."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Wes said with a sigh, shaking his head. Then, the two boys looked up at Callie, smiling.
"Well, Callie, I'm glad it was you if it couldn't be me," said Hugh. "But try to win, okay?"
Callie smiled, nodding. "Right, I will."
Wes said nothing and simply smiled up at her. Callie, feeling emboldened from the encouragement from her friends, turned back to Roxie, smiling broadly.
"Alright, Roxie, I'm ready," Callie said with a nod.
"Alright — let's get this started!"
Soon, both girls were posed on opposite sides of the stage, staring each other down while the crowd watched them with anticipation. Zoro was standing beside Callie, watching patiently. A referee stood between the two of them, ready to officiate the battle.
"Callie!" Roxie called across the stage. "What's your full name?"
"My full name?" Callie echoed. "Why?"
"So the referee can properly introduce you, that's why," Roxie laughed.
"Oh, well — my last name is Freer," said Callie.
Roxie nodded and so did the referee, who then stepped forward, standing dead center in the stage.
"The battle between Gym Leader Roxie and Challenger Callie Freer is about to begin," said the referee. "This will be a three-on-three pokémon battle. The challenger can substitute her pokémon whenever she would like, however, the gym leader may not. The first trainer to knock out all of the other trainer's pokémon will be the winner. Let the battle begin!"
The referee returned to his spot on the side lines and Roxie smiled, pulling out a pokéball.
"Alright, Callie, I'll let you see what pokémon I'm using, and then you can decide who to send out," Roxie said. Then, throwing the pokéball in the air, she called, "Whirlipede, let's rock!"
Before Roxie appeared an odd, rolled up pokémon. It looked to be encased in a hard, segmented shell and had two pairs of gray, horn-like feelers with dark gray stripes, with one pair extended upward from its front and the other pointing downward from its lower rear.
"What pokémon is that?" Callie whispered, pulling out her PokéDex.
"Whirlipede, the Curlipede Pokémon and the evolved form of Venipede. Whirlipede can spin its hard shelled body like a tire and smash into opponents. It will also stab its opponents with poison spikes."
"What type of pokémon is it?" Callie muttered.
"Bug and Posion," her PokéDex replied. "Fire and Flying-type moves would be very effective."
"Fire-type moves?" Callie said with a smile. "Perfect."
She pulled the bright pink Heal Ball off her belt. Tossing it into the air, Callie called out, "Growlithe, I choose you!"
With a pink light, Growlithe appeared on stage, looking across the stage to Whirlipede. Growlithe paused and looked back over his shoulder at Callie curiously, and she smiled encouragingly.
"Alright, Growlithe, this is going to be our first battle together," Callie said. "You ready?"
"Growl," Growlithe grunted, giving her a firm nod and turning back to Whirlipede, smiling dangerously.
Callie looked down at her PokéDex again. "What moves does Growlithe know?"
"Growlithe knows Bite, Ember, Flame Wheel, and Agility."
Callie took a deep breath and stuck her PokéDex in her bag — she knew it was risky, deciding to start off her first gym battle with a pokémon she had never battled with before, but she was confident that Growlithe could do it.
"A Growlithe? Nice!" Roxie called out. "But Callie, your type advantage doesn't mean anything — my Whirlipede is strong!"
Callie smiled. "Well, we'll just see about that, won't we?"
"By all means then, have the first move!" Roxie said, smirking.
Callie nodded. "Alright! Growlithe! Use Flame Wheel!"
"Growl!"
Growlithe leapt into the air and began spinning. Then, suddenly, his entire form was consumed by flames and he became a fiery, spinning wheel, and he headed directed towards Whirlipede.
"Whirlipede, dodge it," Roxie ordered.
Then, with inhuman speed, Whirlipede rolled away in a flash, and Growlithe crashed into the ground where Whirlipede had once been. Growlithe was unharmed though and he quickly stood up, looking around for Whirlipede, who was poised behind him.
"That speed," Callie whispered, staring at the pokémon with wide eyes.
Roxie cracked a grin. "My Whirlipede is pretty fast, huh? Well, trust me, it's powerful too! Now, Whirlipede, use Roll Out!" Roxie ordered.
Whirlipede began rolling towards Growlithe, moving too fast for Callie to even call out an order. Roxie's Whirlipede hit Growlithe hard, sending him flying across the stage. Growlithe let out a yelp, skidding across the stage and coming to a stop right at the edge of the stage.
"Growlithe!" Callie called out. "Are you okay?"
"Growl . . . lithe," Growlithe grunted, getting to his feet.
"Good job, Growlithe!" Callie said, relieved he was okay.
"Callie, watch out, Whirlipede is coming back!" Wes called from the crowd.
Callie's eyes widened and she looked towards Whirlipede, who, sure enough, was turning around and heading back towards Growlithe with another Roll Out attack, going even faster than before.
"Growlithe, get out of there!" Callie said, her heart racing.
Growlithe nodded and tried to jump out of Whirlipede's way, but the Bug-type pokémon was just too fast and it hit Growlithe again, this time much harder, and Growlithe went over the top of Whirlipede, landing hard on the stage.
"Growlithe!" Callie shouted.
"Callie! You've got to get Growlithe out of there!" Wes shouted. "Roll Out is a Rock-type attack — it's super effective against a Fire-type like Growlithe!"
"Growlithe," Callie called. "Can you stand up?"
Growlithe stood up, a bit shakily, but nodded over his shoulder to Callie.
"No, Callie, don't make him battle!" Hugh shouted. "Roll Out is an attack that gets continuously stronger! One more hit from that Roll Out, and Growlithe is done for!"
Callie bit her lip — maybe they were right. . . . She did have Oshawott and Riolu, and the referee did say that she could always substitute her pokémon. . . . But Callie knew Growlithe was resilient, he had shown her just how resilient he was at the Virbank Complex when he still wanted to battle that Elekid, even after the beating he had taken. . . .
"Then we just can't get hit again," Callie said, clenching her fists.
"Whirlipede! Come on, finish it up with your Roll Out!" Roxie called.
"Growlithe! Use Agility!"
Whirlipede started towards Growlithe with blinding speed, and Callie knew that Hugh was right — one more hit from it, and Growlithe would be out. However, just as Whirlipede was about to make contact with Growlithe, the Fire-type pokémon disappeared in a flash. Roxie's eyes widened and she watched Whirlipede rolled right towards the edge of the stage, coming to a screeching halt right before rolling off into the sea of people. Growlithe then suddenly appeared in front of Callie, a determined smile on his face.
"Good job, Growlithe!" Callie said with a smile. She then looked across the stage to Roxie, whose look of shock turned into a smirk.
"I see — my pokémon isn't the only one with some speed," Roxie said with a smile. "Well, this is going to be interesting — Whirlipede! Venoshock!"
"Venoshock?" Callie whispered. "Get ready, Growlithe — I have no idea what the is."
Whirlipede suddenly fired multiple globs of purple liquid at Growlithe.
"Dodge it!" Callie exclaimed.
Growlithe nodded and quickly dodged all the globs of liquid. As each one hit the ground, the stage fizzled violently underneath it until the liquid finally seeped through the floor. Callie's eyes widened as she looked at Growlithe, who managed to dodge each one.
"What was that?" Callie said with wide eyes.
"Venoshock is a poison-type attack — all those purple globs are highly poisonous. Avoid it at all costs," Wes called from the front of the crowd.
Callie nodded. She had to land a hit — she couldn't keep dodging attacks, she had to play the offense. . . . But how? Whirlipede was so fast. . . .
An idea came to Callie suddenly and she smiled, a strategy forming in her mind.
"I got it! Okay, Growlithe! Flame Wheel!"
Growlithe took off towards Whirlipede, once again turning into a fiery ball, and Roxie laughed.
"This again? Whirlipede, you know what to do! Dodge it!"
Whirlipede took off at high speeds again, but this time, Callie knew what to do.
"Growlithe, keep up the Flame Wheel, but now — Agility again!"
Growlithe suddenly disappeared, and Roxie's Whirlipede came a sudden halt, looking around frantically for him. Then, just as quickly as he had disappeared, Growlithe reappeared in front of Whirlipede, still consumed in flames, and he collided into Roxie's Whirlipede, sending the Bug-type skidding across the ground.
"Nice job, Growlithe!" Callie called out, her heart racing with excitement — who would have guessed gym battles could be so invigorating?
"That was impressive, I'll admit," Roxie said. "But we're not out yet! Whirlipede, Poison Sting!"
"Counter with Ember, Growlithe!"
Whirlipede suddenly let forth several purple darts, all of them coming towards Growlithe at high speeds. However, Growlithe was quick to react, and he opened his mouth and shot multiple fiery bolts at Whirlipede. The two attack met in mid air, creating a small explosion and covering the stage in smoke.
"I can't see anything," Callie muttered, trying to peer through the smoke; she couldn't even see Growlithe.
"Now! Poison Sting again!" she heard Roxie call from across the stage.
"Growlithe!" Callie exclaimed. "D-dodge it! Please!"
"Growl!" Growlithe yelped, obviously hurt.
The smoke cleared and Callie saw Growlithe standing there, panting hard, a weird, purple tinted shadow across his face.
"Growlithe?" Callie called out. "Are you okay?"
"Looks like that Poison Sting was true to its aim," Roxie said with a smirk. "Your Growlithe is poisoned!"
"Poisoned?" Callie said. "No. . . . This isn't good."
"Call Growlithe back!" said Hugh from the side lines. "Send out another pokémon! Growlithe is just going to get weaker and weaker if you let him battle like this, Callie!"
Callie nodded, taking the Heal Ball in her hand. "You're right — Growlithe, return!"
The pink light flashed, reaching out for Growlithe, but, much to everyone's surprise, Growlithe leapt out of the way, glaring at Callie. The light disappeared and Growlithe continued to stare down his trainer, the purple shadow on his face darkening,
"Growlithe?" Callie whispered. "But. . . . Why?"
"Looks like your Growlithe still wants to battle," said Roxie with a smirk. "That's one determined pokémon."
"Is that true, Growlithe? You still want to battle?" Callie said.
Growlithe nodded, his body trembling ever so slightly. He was going to battle until he couldn't. . . . She then looked across the stage towards Roxie's Whirlipede and saw that it was also at the end of its rope, obviously growing too tired from the battle. It was anyone's win at this point. . . .
Callie gave a firm nod. "Well, alright then — let's finish this! Growlithe, Flame Wheel!"
"Dodge it, Whirlipede!" Roxie called.
Whirlipede rolled off, easily dodging the attack, and Growlithe stood in the spot where it had just been, glaring at Whirlipede.
"Now, Whirlipede! Venoshock!"
"Be careful, Callie!" Wes shouted. "Venoshock is even more powerful since Growlithe's been poisoned!"
"Use Agility to dodge it, Growlithe!" Callie called out.
Growlithe disappeared, easily dodging the poisonous, purple globs that rained down on the stage.
"Now, get in close!" Callie ordered.
"Use Poison Sting, keep Growlithe back!" Roxie ordered.
"Use Agility!" Callie called.
Before Whirlipede could transition from Venoshock to Poison Sting, Growlithe appeared behind it.
"Now, use Bite!"
Growlithe bit down onto one of the feelers on Whirlipede's back, and Roxie's pokémon let out a cry.
"Get out of there, Whirlipede!" Roxie called out.
"Not so fast — keep a hold on Whirlipede and use Flame Wheel!"
"What?"
Growlithe leapt into the air, taking Whirlipede with him as he kept his jaw locked around its feeler, and Growlithe began spinning, suddenly engulfed by flames. The fire also consumed Whirlipede, who let out a cry as it was spun around in the center of Growlithe's Flame Wheel.
"Whirlipede!" Roxie cried out.
"Now, let Whirlipede go and finish it off with Ember!"
Growlithe released his grip on Whirlipede and the Bug-type pokémon went flying, crashing into the stage. Then, while he was still in the air, Growlithe let forth his Ember attack, and Whirlipede was hit with a barrage of fire balls. Smoke rose from the ground as each fire ball hit, blocking Whirlipede's from everyone's view.
"That's enough, Growlithe!" Callie called out to her pokémon.
Growlithe's Ember attack ceased and he landed lightly on the ground, his feet a bit unsteady, the purple shadow on his face now much larger in size. He and Callie watched the smoke intensely, waiting for it to clear to see if Growlithe had been victorious. They weren't the only one's watching — the crowd was also watching, all of them holding their breath, waiting for the outcome. Soon, the smoke cleared, and everyone saw, laying on the stage, was Whirlipede, clearly unconscious.
"Whirlipede is unable to battle! Growlithe is the winner!" the referee called.
A sudden burst of cheering and hollering erupted from the crowd, and Callie smiled broadly as Roxie returned Whirlipede — they were off to a great start. But then she looked to Growlithe, who stood on the stage, trembling, on the verge of fainting.
"Growlithe, come back!" Callie called out. Growlithe slowly turned and returned to his trainer, standing before her.
Growlithe looked up at his trainer, the effects of the poison getting worse by the moment. Callie frowned and knelt beside him, gently petting the top of his head with one hand as she reached into her bag, pulling out the container of berries she had received from the shop owner the day before.
"A Pecha berry. . . . He said that cures poison, right?" Callie muttered as she pulled out a Pecha berry. She then held it out to Growlithe, who looked at it curiously.
"You'll feel better if you eat this, okay?"
Growlithe nodded and took the berry, eating it in one bite. Within moments, his eyes suddenly brightened and the purple shadow on his face disappeared, and Growlithe smiled, obviously feeling much better.
"That's better, isn't it?" Callie said with a grin. Growlithe nodded and licked Callie's cheek, which made her laugh loudly. She then patted his head and said, "You did great, Growlithe — now, how about you take a rest, huh? I may need you later."
"Growl," Growlithe said with nod, obviously agreeing.
Callie smiled and returned Growlithe to his pokéball before standing to her feet and looking across the stage to Roxie.
"You're pretty good, Callie," Roxie called across the stage. "Not many people can beat my Whirlipede with just one pokémon! This is really your first gym battle?"
Callie smiled, giving a confident nod. "It sure is!"
"Well, I'll have you know — I don't give out badges easily!" Roxie pulled out another pokéball, tossing it in the air. "Now, Grimer, let's roll!"
With a red flash, a slimy, amorphous blob-like Pokémon appeared. It looked to be made of purple sludge, and it had two large eyes with ready pupils, and a gaping mouth with a grey tongue.
"What is that?" Callie said with wide eyes, pulling out her PokéDex.
"Grimer, the Sludge Pokémon. It was born when sludge in a dirt stream was exposed to X-rays from the moon."
"I'm guessing it's a Poison-type pokémon," Callie muttered, putting away her PokéDex. She then pulled a pokéball from her belt — she didn't have a pokémon with a type advantage, so now it would just be a matter of skill.
"Riolu, I choose you!"
Riolu appeared on the stage in a red flash, looking ready to battle — Callie knew she could count on Riolu for a good battle.
"A Riolu, huh? This should be interesting," Roxie said with a smirk. "I hope you don't mind, Callie, but since you had the first move last time, I think I'll have the honors this time. Grimer, Mud-Slap!"
"Riolu, use Detect!"
Grimer took a deep breath and shot a stream of brown mud from its mouth towards Riolu, but Riolu's eyes began glowing green, and he was able to easily dodge the Mud Slap attack.
"Alright then — Grimer, use Disable!"
Grimer was suddenly outlined in light blue and Callie watched as Riolu's eyes stopped glowing green and began glowing light blue. His body became very still, and Roxie smiled.
"Well, looks like that Detect won't be a problem for a while," Roxie said with a smile.
"What did you do?" Callie said, watching Riolu with wide eyes.
"Disable stops the opponent from attacking," Wes called from the crowd. "Riolu won't be able to use Detect for a while now, Callie! You'll have to find other ways to defend yourself."
Callie frowned but nodded. Grimer stopped glowing and Riolu's eyes returned to normal, and he stood there, obviously confused by watch just happened.
"Now, let's see how well you dodge Grimer's attacks now!" Roxie said with a smile. "Grimer, try another Mud Slap!"
"Use Quick Attack to dodge it, Riolu!" Callie called out.
Riolu was able to easily dodge Grimer's attack, and he ran towards Grimer, ready to attack, when suddenly, Riolu came to a sudden halt, a disgusted look on his face.
"Riolu? What is it?" Callie called out.
Riolu covered his nose and turned away, looking as though he were going to be sick. Roxie laughed loudly from across the stage.
"Looks like Riolu can't handle Grimer's smell!" Roxie laughed. "You see, Grimer loves to eat trash, and its body is filled with tons of toxins and bacteria. Its true, Grimer is a pretty smelly, but look at those eyes! It's simply the cutest thing!"
"Cute?" Callie whispered. "I don't know if those are the exact words I'd use. . . . But still. . . . I have to find a way to attack Grimer. . . . But Riolu can't get close. . . ."
"Mud Slap, Grimer!"
"Dodge it, Riolu!"
However, Riolu was still dazed from Grimer's stench, and Grimer's Mud Slap hit him point blank, sending Riolu skidding across the stage.
"Riolu! Are you okay?" Callie called out.
Riolu gave a shaky nod and stood up, still covering his nose.
"It's no good, you can't get close enough to land a hit," Callie muttered. "We'll have to try long distance. . . ."
"Zor?"
Callie looked down and saw Zoro was standing right beside her, and he had placed his paw on her foot. Was he offering to battle? Callie smiled softly and shook her head.
"That's sweet, Zoro, but I've got to do this with my own pokémon," Callie said gently.
Zoro nodded and sat back down, looking up at her patiently while Callie tried to decide was to do. Riolu couldn't get in close to attack. Growlithe could use Ember for a long range attack, but he was still tired from his battle with Whirlipede. . . .
"I got it! Riolu, return!"
Callie returned Riolu to his pokéball and pulled another pokémon from her belt.
"Switching out pokémon?" Roxie called from across the stage. "Interesting!"
"I choose you, Oshawott!"
In a flash, Oshawott appeared before Callie on the stage. Oshawott looked around the crowd surrounding the stage, and his eyes widened and he began trembling.
"O-osha!" Oshawott cried, turning around and running back towards Callie. He flung his arms around Callie's leg, hiding his face.
"Oshawott, it's okay!" Callie said, kneeling down and pulling him away from her leg. She held Oshawott out in front of her, smiling. "Come on — I know the crowd is a bit scary, but this is a battle, okay? You like battling, right?"
"O-osh," Oshawott said with a nod.
"Now, I know we can win this battle, but I need you, okay? We can't win without you," Callie said encouragingly.
Oshawott was comforted by her words and he nodded, now looking determined.
"Osha!"
He leapt out of Callie's arms and turned around, looking at Grimer with a confident smile.
"Looks like your Oshawott has a case of stage fright," said Roxie with a grin. "That's unfortunate."
"It's nothing we can't handle, right, Oshawott?" Callie called out to her pokémon.
"Osha!"
"Well, I hope your Oshawott can handle Grimer's smell better than your Riolu!" Roxie laughed.
Callie smiled, nodding. "I'm one step ahead of you — Oshawott, use Water Gun!"
"Osha!"
Oshawott leapt into the air and shot a powerful Water Gun attack at Grimer, who took it head on. Grimer slid back several feet, obviously in pain.
"Grimer, use Mud Shot!"
"Counter with Water Gun again!"
The two attacks met with great force and caused a small explosion, both attacked voided out by one another. Grimer and Oshawott stared each other down from across the field.
"They're evenly matched," Callie muttered to herself. "Even Oshawott's Water Gun can't over power Grimer's Mud Slap. There's got to be someway to distract it. . . . Ah! Oshawott, Tail Whip!"
"Wott!"
Oshawott quickly turned around, his back facing Grimer, and began swaying his tail back and forth, trying to distract Grimer. At first, it didn't look as if it would work — in fact, Grimer was staring at Oshawott as though he were crazy for thinking something like that would work. But then, slowly, Grimer's face fell and it began watching Oshawott's tail moving from side to side, its beady eyes following each movement in a trance like state.
"Grimer, what are you doing?" Roxie called out. "Use Venoshock!"
"Quick, Oshawott! Use Water Gun again!"
Oshawott turned around quickly, and before Grimer could use Venoshock, Oshawott hit it with his Water Gun attack, causing Roxie to growl in frustration.
"Er — Grimer, use Mud Shot again!"
"Water Gun, Oshawott!"
The two pokémon attacked and once again, their attacks collided in the middle, equally matched, neither one giving way. Just like before, the two attacks caused a small explosion, this time with some kickback, sending Oshawott and Grimer sliding backwards in opposite directions.
Callie clenched her fists, racking her brain. There had to be some way to over power Grimer's Mud Shot attack, otherwise they couldn't win. . . .
"Grimer, use Disable!" Roxie called.
"Oshawott, Tail Whip again!"
Oshawott turned around and quickly began to wag his tail from side to side in an effort to distract Grimer. However, the Poison-type pokémon began glowing light blue, and Callie watched as Oshawott's eyes also began glowing blue, and he became very still quite suddenly. Then, just as quickly as it happened, the blue light disappeared, and both Grimer and Oshawott stopped glowing.
Callie frowned. "No more Tail Whip then. . . . Alright, it doesn't matter! We can still win this! Oshawott! Let's give it one more attack — give it everything you've got! Water Gun, let's go!"
Oshawott prepared for another Water Gun attack, but this time, something strange happened — his body was suddenly surrounded in a light-blue aura, similar to Grimer whenever it used Disable.
"Wh-what's happening?" Callie said with wide eyes.
"I think Oshawott is using Focus Energy!" Wes said in surprise.
"Hurry up and attack, Callie!" Hugh urged.
"R-right!" Callie said with a nod. "Oshawott, Water Gun!"
Oshawott leapt into the air and let forth yet another powerful Water Gun attack, but this one was unlike any other Water Gun he had ever used before. This Water Gun was not only bigger, but it had a blue aura surrounding it, just like the one surrounding Oshawott's body.
"Grimer! Mud Shot!" Roxie called.
Grimer fired off a Mud Shot attack, but it was a feeble attempt. The two attacks met, but this time, Oshawott's Water Gun attack easily over powered the Ground-type move, and it hit Grimer head on, sending him flying back, crashing into the ground at Roxie's feet, completely unconscious.
"Grimer is unable to battle! Oshawott is the winner!" the referee called from the side line.
Oshawott landed on the ground, panting heavily, but obviously proud as he stood there, chest swelling with pride as the crowd cheered wildly, the sound deafening.
Callie stood there in disbelief — she was one more battle away from taking the match, and she still had all three of her pokémon. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she could win.
"So, you beat my Grimer, huh?" Roxie said, returning the fainted Poison-type to its pokéball. "I gotta admit, you're pretty talented for a rookie trainer, Callie. I mean, I haven't even taken out one of your pokémon."
Callie smiled, feeling a bit confident, and opened her mouth to respond. But then she saw the look on Roxie's face — she was smiling, as if this were all amusing to her.
"I haven't had this much fun in a battle in a while! Get ready, Callie, because now the real show is about to begin!" Roxie said with a laugh, pulling out yet another pokéball. "This battle is far from over! Koffing — let's rock the house!"
In a red flash, Callie watched as a Koffing appeared — it was the same kind of pokémon Issac had used the day before at the Virbank Complex.
As Koffing took the stage, the ground began getting louder, obviously excited by what they were seeing. Callie couldn't help but wonder why though.
"I caught this Koffing while I was in Kanto," Roxie said. "I've had him ever since! He's what inspired me to start Koffing and the Toxics! And he's the strongest pokémon on my team! So get ready, Callie — we're not holding back!"
Callie smiled, giving a firm nod. "You got it! Oshawott, use Water Gun!"
"Koffing, use Assurance!" Roxie ordered.
Before Oshawott could even prepare an attack, Koffing was coming at him at full speed, and it was nothing like Callie had ever seen — Koffing was able to move faster than even Whirlipede! Koffing hit Oshawott hard, knocking his head against Oshawott's and sending the small otter-like pokémon flying backwards. Oshawott skidded across the ground and landed at Callie's feet, knocked out.
"Oshawott!" Callie called out, kneeling down and picking him up in her arms.
"Oshawott is unable to battle! Koffing is the winner!" the referee called.
Callie held Oshawott in her arms, and he slowly looked up at her, frowning softly.
"Osha. . . ," he sighed, obviously disappointed in himself.
Callie smiled gently. "You did a great job out there, Oshawott. You did exactly what I needed you to do. Now, you take a much deserved rest."
Callie returned Oshawott to his pokéball and stood up, looking across the field to Koffing, who was floating in the air, smirking across the field at Callie.
"He's so fast," Callie muttered. "I'll just have to counter speed with speed. . . . Okay! Growlithe, come on out!"
Once again, Growlithe took the stage, still looking tired from his earlier battle with Koffing.
"Growlithe again, huh? Interesting!" Roxie called. "You really think Growlithe can beat my Koffing — you can't counter his speed or his power!"
"We're going to try, aren't we, Growlithe?" Callie called.
"Grow," Growlithe grunted. He definitely didn't have the same energy as he did during the first match.
"Alright, Growlithe, Agility!" Callie called out.
As Growlithe took off, disappearing and reappearing randomly on the field, Roxie smirked.
"I see — trying to match my Koffing's speed, huh?" Roxie said with a laugh. "I'm afraid that just won't work!"
"Huh?"
"Koffing! Use Smog!"
Koffing opened his mouth and released a thick green fog that covered the entire stage. Callie covered her mouth, trying not to inhale any as she looked around for Growlithe.
Please be okay, Growlithe, Callie thought.
Soon enough the Smog attack cleared, and Growlithe was revealed to be standing there, trembling, his face covered in a dark purple shadow once again — he was poisoned.
"Growlithe, no!" Callie cried out, her eyes wide.
Roxie smiled. "Now, finish it off with Venoshock, Koffing!"
"Use Agility to dodge it, Growlithe!" Callie called.
Growlithe took off just as Koffing began shooting purple globs onto the field. Callie thought that maybe they would get away, but as Growlithe appeared behind Koffing, Roxie's pokémon quickly turned and hit Growlithe point blank, sending Growlithe flying backwards.
"Growl!"
"No!" Callie exclaimed.
Growlithe landed a few feet in front of Callie, laying on his side, motionless.
"Growlithe is unable to battle! Koffing is the winner!" announced the referee.
Callie ran forward onto the field, careful to avoid some of the remains of Koffing's Venoshock attack. She pulled another Pecha berry out of her bag and knelt beside Growlithe, putting his head in her lap.
"Come on, eat the berry," Callie urged.
Slowly, Growlithe took the berry, and the purple shadow faded from his face, and he looked immediately better. He smiled weakly up at Callie, and she patted his head gently.
"I know you did your best, Growlithe — thank you. Now, rest in your pokéball. Leave the rest to me and Riolu."
Callie returned Growlithe to his pokéball, and soon enough, she was standing back on her end of the field, her mind reeling. Just moments ago, she had a clear advantage over Roxie. But now, she was tied with the gym leader, both trainers left with only one pokémon to battle. Callie pulled Riolu's pokéball off her belt and took a deep breath.
"This is it, Riolu — I'm counting on you!" Callie said, tossing Riolu's pokéball into the air.
Riolu appeared on the field, looking ready to battle — he had taken a hit from Grimer's Mud Shot, but he still seemed full of energy.
"Alright, well, let's see what you're really made of!" Roxie called from across the stage. "Koffing is too fast and too strong — your Riolu doesn't stand a chance."
"We'll just see about that," Callie said, smiling. "Riolu, use Quick Attack!"
"Koffing, Tackle, let's go!"
Riolu took off towards Koffing and before Koffing could even make a move, Riolu collided against him, knocking Koffing back a few feet. Roxie's eyes widened slightly, obviously surprised.
"How did your Riolu land a hit before Koffing?" Roxie said.
"Riolu's speed is already impressive, and when you add his Quick Attack to the mix, not even your Koffing can beat him," Callie said.
"I wouldn't be so sure," said Roxie. "Koffing, use Smog!"
"Riolu, use Dig to dodge it!" Callie called out.
Koffing covered the field in the same thick green fog once again, but Riolu escaped just in time, using Dig to dive into the ground. Slowly, the fog cleared, but Riolu was still no where to be seen.
"Alright, now, hit Koffing with Dig!" Callie called out.
"Get out of the way, Koffing!"
The ground beneath Koffing began trembling, and Riolu suddenly burst up and out of the ground, heading straight for Koffing. However, Koffing easily dodged the attack, floating higher into the air.
Roxie laughed. "You really thought that would work? Koffing's Levitate ability makes Ground-type attack pretty much useless unless he's on the ground!"
"But it worked yesterday," Callie muttered, thinking back to her battle with Issac's Koffing. However, his Koffing had been much closer to the ground, and Riolu was able to make contact. But Roxie's Koffing was levitating roughly ten feet int he air. They'd have to get him stationed on the ground — but how?
Callie smirked softly, an idea forming in her head. "I've got it! Alright, Riolu use Quick Attack!"
"Koffing, use Venoshock!"
"Use Detect, Riolu!"
Luckily for Callie, Grimer's Disable attack at worn off, and as Riolu rushed towards Koffing with his Quick Attack, his eyes began to glow green as he managed to easily avoid all of Koffing's purple sludge globs. He leapt into the air, hitting Koffing hard as the two collided, and Koffing lowered some, but still not enough for Riolu to land a powerful hit from the ground.
"Koffing, use Assurance! Roxie called.
"Let him get close, Riolu!" Callie shouted.
Riolu listened to what Callie said and they watched as Koffing came rushing towards him at full speed. He was getting closer and closer and closer, and then —
"Dig, now!"
In a flash, Riolu leapt backwards and dug into the ground, disappearing from view. Koffing, unable to stop himself in time, crashed into the ground. Riolu resurfaced a few feet away, smiling devilishly as he watched Koffing slowly get back in the air. Callie's jaw clenched — she had hoped Koffing would get lodged into the hole, but he managed to just miss it.
"Koffing, use Tackle!" Roxie ordered.
"Wait for it, Riolu!" Callie called — they were going to win this.
Koffing rushed towards Riolu once again, determined to make contact, but Callie was ready.
"Jump up, now!" Callie ordered.
Riolu jumped into the air, gaining impressive height.
Roxie laughed. "Follow it into the air, Koffing, and use Tackle!" She then looked to Callie, smirking. "You've left Riolu completely defenseless up there!"
However, much to Roxie's surprise, Callie smiled, her eyes shining. "Not quite!" Then, Callie turned her attention towards Riolu, who was watching as Koffing came barreling towards him at impressive speeds.
"Alright, Riolu — Force Palm!"
"Ri!"
"What?" Roxie shouted.
Riolu held out his paw as Koffing came racing towards him, and the moment Koffing made contact, Riolu let forth a powerful flash of yellow light that sent Koffing flying towards the ground — it was the same attack Riolu had used against Growlithe that morning. Koffing smashed into the ground, lodging himself in the hole that Riolu had just escaped from moments earlier.
"Koffing, get out of that hole!" Roxie called.
Koffing struggled, but it was pointless — he was trapped in the hole. Callie smiled and nodded to Riolu, who knew what was about to come next.
"Riolu, into the ground!" Callie called.
Riolu quickly disappeared into the ground, burrowing under the stage.
"Koffing, you've got to get up!" Roxie shouted.
"Now — use Dig!"
With great force, Koffing was suddenly freed from the hole he had been stuck in as Riolu crashed into him, and Koffing quickly came tumbling back down and crashed into the stage, unconscious. Riolu hoisted himself from the hole, smiling broadly.
"Koffing is unable to battle! Riolu is the winner! Which means this battle goes to the challenger, Callie Freer!"
The din was deafening. Someone standing outside the building may have thought some sort of explosion had taken place as the crowd cheered wildly. Callie stood there, momentarily dazed — she had won?
Callie was quickly brought to her senses by none other than Hugh, who had hoisted himself onto the stage to congratulate her.
"You did it, Callie! I can't believe it!" Hugh shouted.
Callie blinked slowly before a wide smile spread across her face, and she pushed past Hugh, running towards Riolu.
"You did it, Riolu!" Callie cheered, scooping the pokémon up into her arms. "I can't believe you did it! You beat Koffing!"
"Ri-ri!" Riolu said happily, embracing his trainer.
"You really looked like you knew what you were doing there."
Callie and Riolu paused their celebration and looked up, smiling when they realized it was Roxie who had spoken.
"Your pokémon put up a great battle, but I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised you won," Roxie said with a sheepish grin. "But, still, here you go — you've earned it."
Roxie held out her hand, which was closed around something, and Callie extended her open hand. Then Roxie dropped something into Callie's palm, and she looked down, smiling — it was a gym badge.
"That badge right there is the Toxic Badge! It's proof that you have what it takes to beat me," Roxie said with a smile. Then she turned to the crowd, which was still cheering wildly. "How about one more cheer for our winner, Miss Callie Freer!"
The crowd began cheering wildly again, and Callie and Riolu were joined by Hugh, who smiled broadly next to them. Zoro leapt up onto her shoulder, nuzzling against her, and Callie and Riolu beamed out across the crowd.
"You beat Roxie!" Hugh cheered loudly.
Callie, Zoro, Riolu, and Hugh eventually slipped off the stage, rejoining Wes on the ground, and the ground of friends made their way back to the bar area, where three people gladly offered them their seats.
"What a show!"
"Great job up there!"
"I'd love to battle you some time!"
"I can't believe you beat Roxie!"
"Your Growlithe is so cool!"
"I bet you and your Oshawott spend hours a day training, huh?"
"Man, your Riolu is just the best!"
Callie was surrounded by people offering her their praise for her performance, and it was beginning to get a bit overwhelming, but soon, Roxie's voice rang throughout the building.
"Alright, now that we've warmed up with a battle — how about we get on with the show?"
The crowd cheered and the concert commenced, allowing Callie and her friends to celebrate her victory.
A couple hours later, the concert was over, and people began filing out of the gym all of them heading back to wherever they were staying for the night. Callie had long since returned Riolu to his pokéball, and Zoro had somehow fallen asleep despite all the noise from the concert, so she was carrying him in her arms. She, Wes, and Hugh were at the very end of the line, so they were the last to leave the building. However, before they could step through the door and into the night life of Virbank City, Wes, who had been walking next to Callie, suddenly stopped as two hands clasped themselves around his arm.
"Uh-uh, not so fast, cutie."
The trio of friends stopped and turned, only to see that it was Roxie who had taken a hold of Wes.
Wes's face flushed slightly. "Er — y-yes, Roxie?"
"You're a trainer, right?" Roxie said with a smile. Wes nodded and Roxie continued. "Well, if you came to Virbank City, I can only assume that it was to get a gym badge from me, wasn't it?"
"That's the plan," said Wes, trying to free himself from Roxie's grasp.
"Well, then, how about we have a gym battle two days from now? I've got a few things I have to do before then. How about it? We'll meet here around noon. Sound good?"
Wes smiled and gave a firm nod. "Sounds good to me!"
"What about me, Roxie?" Hugh blurted out, thrusting himself between Wes and Roxie, managing to free Wes from her. "I'm a trainer too, and I'd love to battle you! Please?"
"Er — yeah, okay, we can battle after I battle your friend there. Alright?" Roxie said, obviously not nearly as interested in Hugh as she was in Wes.
However, this didn't seem to bother Hugh in the slightest, as he pumped his fist in the air.
"Yes! I've got a battle with Roxie! Awesome!" Then, his eyes suddenly widened. "Oh, man! I need to have Nurse Joy look at my pokémon! I better get going! Wes, Callie, I'll see you two at the Pokémon Center!"
And with that, Hugh took off through the door, leaving Wes, Callie, and Roxie alone.
"Well, we should probably head out, too," said Wes sheepishly, inching away from Roxie. "You need to take your pokémon to Nurse Joy, don't you, Callie?"
Callie nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'm really worried about Growlithe."
The two turned to leave, but Roxie stopped them.
"Wait!"
Wes and Callie paused, looking back towards Roxie.
"What's your name?" Roxie said, looking at Wes.
"Me? I'm Wes," he said simply.
"Your full name," Roxie said, laughing. "For the gym match, remember?"
Wes made an odd face but complied. "Weston Gates."
Callie stiffened, and she felt suddenly dizzy as her face paled some.
"W-weston . . . Gates?" she said, her voice shaking.
Both Roxie and Wes looked at her quizzically.
"Yeah, that's my full name," Wes said. Then, his face creased with worry, and he reached out towards her. "Callie, are you okay, you don't look so good. . . ."
But before he could lay a hand on her, Callie turned on her heel and bolted out the door, leaving Roxie and Wes standing there alone in the gym.
"Callie!" she heard Wes cry out behind her. "Where are you going?"
But Callie didn't stop, not even for a second. Zoro was startled by Callie's outburst, and he woke up and looked at her as she ran, just as confused as everyone else was by her sudden reaction. However, Callie kept running. Her feet slapped against the pavement with each step she took, hoping she could find her way back to the Pokémon Center in this unfamiliar city. Lucky for her, she did, and she ran straight through the glass doors of the Pokémon Center, where she came to a sudden halt in the lobby.
Nurse Joy looked up from the front desk, obviously concerned.
"Callie? Are you alright?" Nurse Joy said as she ran out from behind her desk to check on her.
Callie nodded her head, managing to pull the three pokéballs off her belt and hold them out to Nurse Joy.
"Please look at my pokémon," she managed to say. "I-I'm gonna go to bed."
"But you look like you've seen a ghost!" said Nurse Joy, taking the pokéballs from her.
Callie said nothing else, and instead she walked back to her room, Zoro still sitting comfortably in her arms. Once the two of them where safely in their room, Callie sat down on her bed, letting go of Zoro, and reached into her bag, pulling out her history book. There, tucked within the pages of the book, was the report she had written for class. She had read it aloud the day Celebi taken her back in time. Callie read over the paper again, pausing when she read the short few sentences she had written.
'One man rose to the occasion and attempted to stop Team Plasma — a man by the name of Weston Gates. He and his pokémon fought vigilantly, but in the end, he was defeated and was never seen again.'
"It can't be him," Callie muttered to herself, flipping through the pages of her history book. "I know it can't — it's a coincidence. It can't be him, it just can't —"
She froze when her eyes fell on an image of a boy who looked exactly like Wes, who stood in the photo posed with an Emboar next to him, both smiling happily. Under the photo in small, italicized print, were the words, 'Weston Gates and his partner Emboar, just after receiving Nimbasa City Gym Badge.'
Callie's paper slipped from her hand and settled on the floor as she stared at the photo — there was no doubt that the boy in the photo was her very friend Wes.
There was a sudden knock on her door, and Callie's head snapped up.
"Who is it?" Callie called.
"It's me — er, Wes."
Callie quickly shoved her book away into her bag. "C-come in."
The door slowly opened and Wes stepped inside, smiling softly.
"Hey there," said Wes.
"H-hey," Callie said gently.
"You, uh. . . . Want to tell me what all that was about back there at the gym?" Wes said curiously.
Callie sighed. "I couldn't even begin to explain it."
Wes smiled softly and sat down on the bed beside her. "Go ahead a try."
Callie laughed softly, shaking her head. "I really couldn't even if I tried. . . ."
"Fine, fine. . . . You sure you're okay though? You looked awfully sick back there."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I-I think the adrenaline from my gym battle wore off, and I was just feeling tired," Callie said sheepishly.
Wes chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm not surprised. You and your pokémon really gave it your all out there! You really proved yourself."
"You think?" Callie said, her eyes widening some — Weston Gates, one of the most famous pokémon trainers in Unova history, was giving her a compliment?
"No doubt," said Wes. "I'm really glad you decided to try gym battles. You and your pokémon are perfect for them."
"Th-thanks, Wes, that means a lot," Callie said with a small blush on her cheeks.
"No problem," said Wes with a smile. He looked at Callie, holding her gaze for a moment, and he opened his mouth as if to say something. However, it appeared as if he had decided against it, and he shook he is head, smiling to himself.
"Well, I guess I should let you get some rest," said Wes, standing up. "I probably need to get some sleep too — I guess I should probably start training for my battle with Roxie."
Callie nodded and Wes made a move to walk out of her room, but paused when he stepped on something. He bent down and Callie watched as he picked up her report that had fallen on the ground.
"What's this?" said Wes curiously, looking at the piece of paper.
"I-it's nothing!" Callie said quickly, reaching for it. "It's just some dumb writing of mine — nothing important. Don't worry about it, really —"
"Oh, some writing? Like a journal entry?" Wes smiled teasingly, holding the paper just out of Callie's reach. "Let me see. . . ."
"No, Wes, don't!" Callie exclaimed, leaping off the bed and onto Wes's back, knocking them both to the ground.
"Ow — Callie, jeez, calm down!" Wes said, pushing her off of him. He sat up, making sure to keep Callie at arms length so she couldn't snatch it. "If it's just some dumb writing, let me read it."
"Please, don't," Callie whimpered.
However, despite her protest, Wes took a few moments to glance over the writing, managing to quickly read the paper. Callie bit her lip nervously and sat there very still, waiting for him to finish. Once he was done reading the paper, Wes slowly placed it back on the ground and looked up at Callie.
"What. . . . What did I just read?" Wes said quietly.
"I told you, it's just some dumb writing of mine," Callie said half-heartedly.
Wes clenched his fists. "Don't lie to me, Callie — what is that?"
Callie frowned, looking away from him. "You won't believe me. . . ."
"What is it?" Wes said, this time much louder.
"I-it's a report I wrote for my history class," Callie said quietly.
"History class?" Wes echoed. "That doesn't make any sense. . . . Team Plasma hasn't taken over the world. And. . . . And you wrote that I tried to stop Team Plasma, but I was defeated and never seen again."
"That's because. . . . That's because it's going to happen, Wes! It just. . . . It hasn't happened yet," said Callie.
Wes's eyes widened. "What?"
Callie took a deep breath.
Here goes nothing, she thought.
"Wes. . . . I-I'm not from this time. I'm from twenty one years in the future, where Team Plasma has taken over, you're no where to be found, and pokémon and humans can't be friends. My life was relatively normal up until a few days ago when Zoro brought me to meet his friend Celebi, and Celebi told me that I'm the only one it could trust to go back and stop Team Plasma from taking over. It sent me back in time to stop Team Plasma, so now I'm trying to get strong enough to stop them," Callie said quickly.
Wes stared at Callie for a moment, completely silent. His face was unreadable. Then, suddenly, Wes stood up and said, "You're insane."
He headed for the door and Callie scrambled to her feet, reaching for his hand.
"Wes, wait!"
"Stay away from me!" Wes snapped, pulling away from her. "Something is seriously wrong with you! Celebi is a legend! You're not from the future, Callie, and you haven't been sent here on some mission to stop Team Plasma!"
"But, Wes," Callie said softly. "I'm not lying! Please, you've got to believe me!"
"No, I've got to get you some help," Wes said, reaching for the door knob. "I'm going to go get Nurse Joy."
"No!"
"Zor!"
Suddenly, Zoro leapt up from the bed, putting himself between Wes and the door. He was growling lowly, and his body became surrounded by a red aura. Wes quickly backed away from the door, not wanting to risk being attacked by Zoro, and Zoro's body returned to normal.
Wes looked between Zoro and Callie, obviously panicking.
"Zoro? What, are you saying she's telling the truth?" Wes said, staring at the fox-like pokémon.
Zoro nodded and Wes looked back to Callie. "You two. . . . You aren't lying, are you?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you," said Callie, frowning some.
"And you're . . . from the future?"
Callie nodded slowly. "Er. . . . Yes."
"And you're going to stop Team Plasma?"
"Right again."
"And, in the future, I tried to stop Team Plasma?"
"Right."
"And. . . . In the future. . . . I just disappeared after being defeated by Team Plasma, and no body knows why?" Wes looked at Callie with wide eyes, as if hoping he didn't already know the answer.
Callie nodded her head very slowly. "No one's seen you in twenty years, Wes."
Wes slowly nodded, as if he was only partially aware of what he was saying. Callie noticed that he was swaying where he stood and looked awfully dazed.
"Right. . . . You're from the future . . . and I try to stop Team Plasma . . . and . . . apparently . . . just fall off the face of the Earth," Wes muttered to himself, beginning to pale.
Callie quickly rushed to his side, trying to steady him.
"Wes, are you okay?" Callie said, panicking.
"Oh, I'm great. . . . Just dandy," Wes said. "I'm just gonna . . . try to process all of . . . this."
And then, quite suddenly, Wes fell backwards on to the floor, completely unconscious. Callie stood there, looking at Wes's fainted form. Then, letting out an annoyed sigh, Callie hoisted Wes to his feet.
"I told you not to read the damn paper," she grunted under her breath, heaving him on the bed. "But no, you just had to read it. . . ."
After she got Wes somewhat situated in her bed, Callie sat at the foot of the bed, watching him rest. Zoro jumped up beside her and looked at her curiously. She smiled softly at the pokémon and reached down, petting his head.
"Oh, Zoro. . . . We have a long day ahead of us," she muttered, shaking her head. "I can only imagine the conversation we'll have in the morning. . . ."
Callie sighed and leaned her head back against the wall, her mind reeling — the day had started with the movies, then, after a very intense battle, she won her first gym battle. That would have been the best way to end her day, but instead, it ended with her telling her new friend that she was actually sent here from the future, and that in her time, he's presumed dead.
"Never a boring day," Callie muttered to herself before somehow drifting to sleep at the foot of the bed, Zoro in her lap, and Wes sprawled across the rest of the bed.