Riley was up as early as possible the next morning! He was so ready to find out where he would get his new gym badge! He was ready to finally move on to the next chapter of his Pokemon adventure! He started walking towards Vancine City, but to get there, he had to stop by his hometown, New Moon Town. Maybe he could ask about that Ella girl who had apparently picked up the PokeBall he had left behind. But first, he stopped at the Pokemon Centre. He retrieved Flaradillo, Barksky, Bluntooth, and Corvekt from the Virtual Paradise before heading home to see his father and his old neighbours.

The doorknob was chilly and moist from the morning dew, as was the grass that made up their small but cozy front lawn. He turned it. The house was quiet. The lights were off. His father was probably asleep. The sun wasn't even over the brick wall around the city yet.

He walked inside, his four Pokemon walking in a single-file line through the door behind him. Bluntooth sniffed around, curious. It had never been to Riley's home before. Barksky immediately jumped on the couch and nuzzled its nose into the cushion. Both of its tails wagged like propellers when it caught the scent of Riley's father.

Flaradillo remembered this place, too. It was the first real home it had been in besides Professor Maple's home, which was right beside her laboratory. Corvekt was excited, too. It waddled along the floor, then jumped up on the kitchen table, laying its wooden sword down in front of it as it felt safe here.

Riley did too. This was his home. He felt euphoria returning here after so many long days. It had been at least a week and a half since he'd gone off on his adventure, possibly even more, and he didn't realize he was homesick until he returned here.

The stairs creaked. A big, proud knight in jeans and a sweater walked down them. Riley ran up to him and hugged him before the man was even awake. It was great seeing his father again! Even after only a couple days, Riley had so much to tell him!

"Riley!" The Pokemon Trainer's dad picked him up and hugged him close to his chest, rubbing his charming stubble against the boy's cheek. It made him giggle before the man put him back on the ground.

"Wow, you've made it on the news, you know." Riley's dad was smiling so wide his pearl-white teeth were showing. "I saw the article where you stopped Team Delta from ruining the power all throughout Chinocko. I'm proud of you. You and Night Shadow saved Chinocko." The big, muscular man yawned for a long time before rubbing his mouth and eyes and sitting at the kitchen table. "As promised, I'm gonna make you your favourite; Oran Berry Pie!"

It was delicious and steamy and perfectly cooked. The filling was glossy and the most beautiful jewel-like blue imaginable. Riley's dad even made it so that it was edible for Riley's Pokemon, and they all enjoyed it greatly.

Riley's father had, as he said he would, brought his Pokemon back into his home. There was a Huskowl, a Racrook, and a Machamp. His father sure did like Fighting-type Pokemon. He was a professional hockey player in his day. But that was before he had gotten a leg injury and had to give up his two favourite things: Pokemon battling and hockey playing.

He was once the Fighting-type Gym Leader of Chinocko, but he had to give up that title when he'd become disabled. Riley was really upset about that. It wasn't fair that an injury caused by someone else would end his dad's favourite two careers. It wasn't like he was alive during those days; in fact, he had been born exactly a year and two weeks after his father had to give up the Courage Badge as well as his skates, but it still made him angry.

And not only that, but the man who had taken the place of his father was the man who had injured him, Arden, the new bestower of the Courage Badge and Chinocko's cruel new Fighting-type Gym Leader. Oh, was Riley ever excited to make his Pokemon suffer.

Huskowl and Barksky were too busy loving each other to pay attention to anything else. Huskowl was Barksky's father, just as Riley's father was Riley's, and they hadn't seen each other in so long. Huskowl looked to be so inexplicably proud of its child for evolving, and for helping protect the boy that he was there to witness grow into a charming young man.

Bluntooth was sitting in Riley's dad's lap, getting pet and purring as loud as it ever had before. Flaradillo was sitting next to Riley on the floor, not wanting to leave his side at all. They were much too close for Flaradillo to ignore Riley, and the Pokemon was glad to see Riley catching up with his father after the last week or two.

Corvekt was getting to know Machamp and it was perched on the Pokemon's muscular blue arm. Racrook was busy gorging on leftover Oran Pie, the glutton it was. It was sitting in the corner and observing how happy everyone else was as it ate. It smiled and got up before discreetly bringing its plate into the sink. Riley's dad got up and walked to the sink to start washing the dishes.

"I finally did something I should have done a long time ago," he smiled. "I brought back my old partners. They're a little hungry to battle, but they unfortunately can't because I can't take them on a journey anymore like we used to. It's upsetting, but they don't mind as much as it pains me.

"I'm proud of you, son. Take a piece of Oran Berry Pie with you. Eat it if you get hungry, or feed to a Pokemon if it needs a good restore. Oran Berry Pie takes a good number of Oran Berries to make, so it has a much greater healing property than just regular Oran Berries.

"It'll help you, I hope. I'm so glad you're going on a Pokemon League Challenge. You're going to bring great glory to our family name." The ex-Gym Leader took a break to focus on the sticky stain he was washing. "There's a lot to the Chinocko region, and I hope you get to see all of it."

Riley spent a couple hours at home, then he waved goodbye to his father, gave him a kiss, and left to take the next step of his journey. That's when his wrist started vibrating. It was his PokeVice. He was getting a call. "Hey Riley, it's me, Professor Maple," was what the woman in the holographic projection said when Riley answered his PokeVice.

"I think- oh." The woman looked up from her device. What was she looking at? "I gotta go, you're here." Curious, Riley looked up from his device as well. There she was, Professor Maple, standing right in front of the fountain. She walked up to Riley with the same alluring walk as she always had.

"It's a coincidence seeing you here right now. I wasn't expecting to, that's for sure. Were you visiting your father?" Riley nodded. "Ah, that's great. Spend as much time with your family as you can, because they won't be here forever. Anyway, as I was saying on the PokeVice, come to my lab. I have something for you." She waved at Riley, then turned back and walked the other way, the direction of Maple Labs.

Riley followed, curious to see what it was she had for him. He walked into her lab. She was waiting in front of a new elevator door that wasn't there the last time he'd been there. Or was it? He wasn't sure.

"Have I got news for you," Maple began before Riley was even paying attention. "While you were off in Eclisse City, saving all of Chinocko, I got a message from the Pokemon League. As the Professor of Pokemon Conservation, they wanted me to take the spot of the Gym Leader of the Venom Badge since the former gym leader had to retire!"

Riley gleamed. How cool! Wow, he was going to be getting his Venom Badge from the same person who gave him the Pokemon that started his entire adventure! What a crazy thought!

She went on, "I converted the medical lab downstairs into my gym, you see. I don't know if I mentioned it to you, but I study the medicines used to help Pokemon recovery from injuries just as I do the physical aspect of it. After all, you can't always expect an injury to heal all on its own. Meet me downstairs in the basement when you're ready for a gym battle you won't forget!"

The Venom Badge, huh? Riley knew which Pokemon he would use against the Poison-type Pokemon that Maple would be using. He stopped at Professor Maple's desk and changed up his party using the PC there. He was left with Darwing in its Leafprancer form and Darwing in its Subterrain form, and Flaradillo when he was done.

She walked ahead and entered the elevator that lead down to the gym. Riley followed her. It looked so much different than he had expected. He was expecting a white-tiled room with flasks and bottles of medication. While there were flasks and bottles of medication, it definitely wasn't a white-tiled room.

There was a thick glass floor that overlooked a pool of bubbling purple liquid below. Furthermore, the same purple liquid was flowing from vents in the walls, trickling down into the pool like waterfalls of poisonous liquid. Despite this, though, it smelled rather pleasant. Almost like a perfume that one would use as a guilty pleasure. The floor broke off into a bridge that lead across the pool of poison below, and in the middle of the bridge was a large round section with a PokeBall design painted on it in white. The design was no more than a sketch, but Riley knew what it meant. This was a Pokemon Battlefield.

Professor Maple was standing in expectation of Riley at the end of the bridge. There was a circle of white-tile stairs that lead up to where Maple was standing proudly. There was a wall made of the same glass as the bridge behind her, and on it was the symbol of the Venom Badge, a fang with purple liquid dripping off the bottom of it. Behind the glass wall, the half-translucent liquid trickled down, tinting the fluorescent lights behind it the same purple colour.

...

HOW COULD ANYONE MAKE SUCH A HUGE RENOVATION IN ONLY FOUR DAYS!?

Riley approached Maple at the other end of the long, huge room. "So," she began," you're ready for a Pokemon Battle against the woman who started your entire adventure, huh?" She juggled one of her PokeBalls in one hand. "I sure hope you're ready for a challenge then, because I am as strong as all the Pokemon who rely on my help to recover from the downfalls of human mass-production!"

Riley clenched his fist! He was ready! They both walked down to the PokeBall design and began their battle immediately.

"Grimer, go!"

"Mermer." a purple Pokemon murmured. It slithered around on its gel-like body ready to battle!

"Dillado!" Flaradillo called, also ready to take on its opponent!

"Grimer, pull off the first move! Use Poison Beam!"

"Mergri!" the Pokemon called as it shot out a purple beam! It collided with Flaradillo's leg shield, but it still did damage, and ended up poisoning Flaradillo!

"Dill!" Flaradillo's cute gruff voice shouted. It curled up its body and used Flame Wheel. It rammed into Grimer, and Grimer took damage! Flaradillo stopped rolling around on its shell when its body tensed up from the pain of the poison it was plagued with.

Grimer used another Poison Beam! It landed a critical hit, and Flaradillo fell unconscious!

Riley sent out Leafprancer Darwing! He had it use Future Sight! It focused its energy on an attack against Grimer. Grimer used Poison Beam, but its attack missed Darwing! Darwing used its next turn to use Confusion! It created a display of lights that hypnotized Grimer. It stumbled around in its jelly body as it tried to focus! It used Sludge Bomb, but its attack missed due to it being confused!

Purple-pink light surrounded Grimer! The Psychic-type attack hit the Poison-type Pokemon with full force! Grimer fainted! It lost control of the shape of its body and turned into a purple puddle on the ground. Then, Professor Maple returned it to its PokeBall.

"Toxock, it's up to you!" She sent out a Metamorphic Toxock! It used Poison Beam, and it hit Darwing straight in its tiny chest! The little bird fainted on contact!

"Ringwing!" Darwing chirped as it fell to the ground, unable to keep itself flying it was in so much pain. A red wing rubbed the little bird's back.

"Wingard," nodded the Subterrain form of Darwing to its partnering Leafprancer. It rubbed its back shortly before standing in front of it and holding out its wings protectively. "Darri!" it crowed!

Toxock used Toxic! Darwing became poisoned! It cringed as it felt the painful effects of the venom. But it pulled through and made its attack! The entire lab shook as Darwing summoned a strong Earthquake! But the opposing Pokemon was levitating and it did nothing to Toxock! Darwing's face widened in shock. How could it defeat a Pokemon when its strongest attacks couldn't hit it!?

Toxock used Rock Smash! It expanded its gel body outside of its rocky shell and then imploded, smashing its shell, the shards falling on top of Darwing! Quickly, the shell reformed to protect the Toxock's cell underneath it.

Darwing would have to go for Darwing's Rock-type attributes! Riley sprayed the last Antidote that he had received from Maple onto Darwing's infected area, healing it. Toxock tried to use Poison Beam again, but its attack missed, and it nearly hit Riley had he not jumped out of the way!

What did Darwing know that would be super-effective against a Rock-type Pokemon? A Steel-type move! Thankfully, Darwing knew one! It coated the claws on the tips of its wings in iron and slashed Toxock with them! It had just used Iron Claw! Toxock was forced into critical condition!

Toxock used Rock Smash, but Darwing moved out of the way before the rock shards could fall on it! Before its new shell could fully form, Darwing used Iron Claw again, and Toxock took so much damage that it fell to the ground, unconscious!

"Time to see the power of a cruel heart turned good!" Maple called out. "Roarbit, show Riley how you've grown!" She dramatically threw a Dusk Ball into the field, putting a side-spin on it for effect. An unusually-coloured red and black Roarbit came out. It was unlike any Roarbit he'd seen before!

"Roarbit! Use Earthquake!" Maple ordered. The laboratory shook again, an earthquake rumbling the gym! But Darwing managed to cement itself on the bridge using its claws and didn't take any damage from it!

Darwing used Earthquake next, and Roarbit found itself tripping over as the ground vibrated underneath it! It was super effective!

"Roarbit, take this!" Maple said, dropping a Full Restore into its webbed hand. The oddly-pigmented Pokemon's air sacks inflated with happiness as it sprayed the Full Restore on its wounds! It was as healthy as it was when it had started!

"Wingu!" Darwing cried in protest! It ran up to Roarbit and used Iron Claw! It slashed the Dragon- and Poison-type Pokemon right on the thigh, causing it to trip over! Then, it fluttered it heavy body to the best of its ability into the air and coated its talons with metal. It slashed the Roarbit's extended back with a protestful Iron Claw!

"Biiit!" Roarbit complained, calling its opponents move unfair! It jumped up and took on a battle position! It released its tension in a strong Dynamic Punch! Its punch was super effective on Darwing, it being a Fighting-type move used against a Rock- and Ground-type Pokemon!

But Darwing held on out of sheer respect for Riley. It looked back to its trainer, its eyes coated in salty tears from all of the pain it was in. Riley looked back at his bird Pokemon, his eyes going soft when he saw the sheer pain Darwing was suffering. He wanted to help, but he knew Darwing had enough in it to finish this battle! Riley nodded to Darwing.

Darwing flexed its wings, building up tension and strength in its body, then slammed its wings like fists into the glass bridge! The glass crystallized as it shot up in a shock wave affect! A concentrated Earthquake attack would do much more damage than one that would shake the entire place! And it did! A glass pillar popped up right underneath Roarbit, causing it to go flying into the wall in the back of the room that had the Venom Badge painted on it.

"Aaahh!" Maple shrieked, her jaw dropping. "Roarbit, you poor thing! Return!"

Maple sent Roarbit back into its Dusk Ball and walked with her becharming subtly towards Riley. She knelt down and handed a purple badge to Riley. The Pokemon Trainer's eyes sparkled when he laid eyes on the Venom Badge, its gold outline and lustrous purple paint clashing stylistically with the matte ivory colour of the fang. He proudly clipped it to the strap of his messenger-style bag and stood straight.

"Riley, you are now one of the owners of the Venom Badge. With this badge on your sash, you may now take the Ferry to Peurt Town, which is north of Vancine City but not as far north as as far north as Arctacle City. The reason we can't just build a route there is because Mount Charm stands between Vancine City and Peurt Town. But I think you'll like Peurt Town, huh?"