Previously, Jonathan and Melia confronted the villainous Team Xen, with the former learning about the power of Shadow Pokémon. Following a triumphant victory over the Xen admin Zetta, the duo learnt of Jenner's treachery, with Melia escaping to Route 2 in response. Jonathan then decided to get stronger by challenging Venam in a Gym Battle.

Sorry for the long hiatus, I was just swamped with a lot of family related matters. I'll get back to writing this fic. Incidentally, Version 9 of Rejuvenation has just been released, so I highly recommend that you check it out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, it is the property of its creator, SuperJanBro.

Chapter 5:

Jonathan had stepped outside of the laboratory, and into the city once more. This time however, it was bucketing down with rain. The young man sighed and opened up an umbrella he bought from a small shop inside the lobby, and held it over his head, before proceeding to walk down the road. A thousand thoughts were running through his mind; Who was the voice that teleported Jenner away? Why would Jenner work alongside Team Xen? What were Team Xen's goals, and what role did Melia and his mother play into the grand scheme of things? He was too busy thinking to himself to notice someone walking in the opposite direction, and the two people collided into each other.

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" Jonathan called out, noticing that the trainer he bumped into was Venam. "You need a hand up?"

"Nah, I'm fine…" Venam replied, as she got up and brushed the dirt off her skirt and picked up her umbrella. "Next time, you better be more careful."

"I will; but there's something I need to tell you." Jonathan told her. "Melia's being pursued by Team Xen, and she's located somewhere on Route 2. I'm going to go find her—" he began, but was halted by Venam.

"Route 2…?" Venam said. "Tell me Jonathan, how many badges do you have?" the young man replied to the question by making a '0' with his hand. "Oh, this won't do at all."

"Huh? What does my badge count have to do with Route 2?" The young man inquired.

"Route 2 is littered with paths blocked off with rocks that can be broken easily. However to do so, you would need a HM for Rock Smash, and even then, you need one badge of the Aevium League to be granted authorisation to use the HM." Venam explained, causing Jonathan to groan to himself. HM's and Hidden Moves were a complete cancer that made adventuring a lot more complicated than it should be. He had hoped that the Aevium League ditched the useless pieces of garbage, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

"Ugh! You gotta be fucking kidding me…" the young man growled with himself.

"Look on the plus side, I'm a Gym Leader~" Venam quipped, in an attempt to cheer him up. "Heck, given the circumstances, I would just give you the badge here and now, but that's kinda against the rules…Gym Leaders honour and all."

"Heh, you got a point there." Jonathan replied. "So once we're done with the battle, you wanna help me find Melia?"

"Sure thing! She's my friend after all. But we gotta have our battle, in order for you to use Rock Smash." Venam smiled, before tip-toeing to Jonathan and leaning towards his face. "Besides, I've been wanting to battle you for a while now. A team like yours would be a challenge for my strongest team." She whispered.

"Alright then. So where's the gym?" the young man asked.

"Right near the train station. I'll show you the way~" Venam informed him, as the two trainers proceeded to make their way towards the Gearen City Gym.

10 minutes later

The two trainers had arrived at a rather strange building that looked like a gigantic Seviper. The jaws were wide open, with two sharp fangs glistening in the rainy day, and there was a set of red stairs in the place of a tongue, leading up to a door.

"Now that's not something you see every day…" Jonathan muttered to himself, a surprised expression on his face.

*giggle* "Do you like it? It fits me quite well, don't you think?" Venam giggled, amused by the look on Jonathan's face. "I'll leave you to your gawking. See you inside, and make sure to give it your all, or else I'll never forgive you." Venam called out, as she walked into the maw of the Seviper Building, and entered the Gym. Jonathan shook himself out of his stupor and quickly followed Venam. When he entered the building, he was surprised at what he saw. The gym floor was covered by a large field of grass, which had several brightly coloured flowers that Jonathan hadn't seen before, as well as a decent side pond on the right side. Additionally there were a few statues littered around the edge of the battle field that depicted a Seviper. Venam stood in the centre of the field, a confident smirk on her face.

"So you didn't chicken out, good." Venam told him.

"You know I can't chicken out. Melia needs us." Jonathan replied, as Venam's face softened slightly.

"I know; I would have postponed the battle to go help her. But rules are rules, I have to battle you and give you absolute hell." The young woman said.

"Hell? I've already got sent to a dimension that may as well be hell, earlier today. I ain't scared of anything you throw at me!" Jonathan assured himself, a confident smirk on his face.

"Now that's the spirit!" Venam cheered. "Since this is your first time fighting a Gym in the Aevium Region, allow me to give you a couple of useful hints."

"Alright then. Thank you very much." Jonathan thanked the Gym Leader, tipping his fedora.

"First of all, all Gym battles are 6-on-6. Yes, even the earlier Gyms like mine. Secondly, every Gym Leader has a field that benefits their strategy. Take mine for example, it powers up Poison-type Pokémon and their moves, as well as intensifying the damage a poisoned-Pokémon takes. Finally, each Gym Leader has their own unique move. I would tell you mine, but that would ruin the surprise…" Venam explained, a faint smile on her face following the last sentence. Jonathan wanted this battle over quickly; every second passing meant that Team Xen are getting closer to capturing Melia. But at the same time, he wanted to enjoy his first Gym battle in the Aevium League. If only the circumstances were different.

"My life's fairly interesting, don't you reckon? Rocker by day, Poison Queen by night. Now that's the life for me." The young woman commented, as both trainers made their way to opposite ends of the arena. "But this shit's messed up. I have no idea what a bunch of those Xen creeps are chasing Melia."

"I have no idea a well. Maybe when we find Melia, we can ask her about it." Jonathan suggested, sorting through his bag and attaching six Pokéballs onto his belt and grabbing one in his hand.

"Yeah, we can do that. But we've got a battle to do, and I am ready to GOGOGOGOGO!" Venam cried out, as both trainers then sent out their first Pokémon, with Jonathan sending out his Vilucard, and Venam sending out her Qwilfish. Venam noticed an odd look in Vilucard's eyes, but brushed it off.

"I'll start things off with an Embargo!" Jonathan stated, as Vilucard summoned a series of spectral chains from it's wing and wrapped them around Qwilfish and Venam, before disappearing. "Now say goodbye to any items you were hoping on using." Venam gritted her teeth in frustration, she was at a disadvantage, due to losing her ability to use items.

"If I can't use items anymore, then I'll have to take you down! Qwilfish, use Aqua Tail!" Venam called out, as her Qwilfish swam up to the Vilucard and smacked it with it's tail, sending it a few feet back. However, the Vilucard chuckled ominously, as it's body disintegrated, and transformed into a completely different creature altogether.

"Wh-what's happening?!" the Gym Leader asked, as the mysterious Pokémon's new form revealed itself. The creature looked a lot like a cross between a swan and a parade float, with a thick red and white fur coat covering it's body. It's head and neck were half black, and half white, and had a few multi-coloured feathers on top of it's head, as well as a multitude of them creating a tail similar to that of a peacock.

"Allow me to introduce you to my Dramsama." Jonathan began, as the newly named Pokemon began preening it's feathers. "They're a mysterious Pokémon that harvests the dreams of sleeping people for nourishment. Anyone who angers it will be put into a permanent sleep, where Dramsama proceeds to absorb the victim's soul and adds it to it's collection, as shown by it's tail feathers. Very few people are able to successfully form a bond with one."

"But what about that whole illusion thing?! I thought the Zorua line were the only ones capable of mastering illusions." Venam exclaimed, still a little shocked over the whole reveal.

"I'll give you that; the Zorua used to be the only KNOWN Pokémon to have Illusion. However, now that Tandor's Pokémon have become common knowledge throughout the major regions, more people now know the power of Dramsama." Jonathan continued. "Now then, use Psychic!" the Dramsama's eyes glowed a harsh blue, as Qwilfish was subsequently surrounded by a blue aura that restricted it's movements. Qwilfish desperately tried to break free by flailing all about, but to no avail. Dramsama then lifted it's head up, causing the Qwilfish to follow suit and was moved into the air by the Masquerade Pokémon's telekinetic powers. With a quick flick of the head, Dramsama sent the Qwilfish flying into a wall, dealing a lot of damage to it. Dramsama then freed the injured Qwilfish from it's mental grasp, and chuckled ominously, sending shivers down Venam's spine.

Venam knew that she was a strong girl, who wasn't one to cower in fear…but this Pokémon has her questioning that train of thought. Whereas Vilucard's laughter was that of a mischievous being that played pranks, Dramsama's laugh sounded like something out of a horror movie, as if the creature before her was a malevolent spirit. Her Qwilfish managed to limp itself back into the pong and sawn in a little circle, indicating that it was able to fight on.

"Alright Qwilfish, use Pin Missile on that creepy Pokémon!" Venam ordered, as her Qwilfish took in water and inflated to three times it's size, before firing a volley of sharp needles at Dramsama.

"Awww, don't hurt my darling's feeling by calling it creepy. Perhaps I should punish you by having Dramsama use Shadow Ball." Jonathan replied, feigning a look of sadness. The Dramsama charged up a ball of ghostly energy and fired it at the Qwilfish, destroying the Pin Missile barrage on the way. The Qwilfish was struck by the Shadow Ball and was send flying through the pond, before hitting a wall. When the dust cleared, it showed that the Qwilfish was knocked out.

"Ahh, return…" Venam called out, returning her Pokémon and turning to face Jonathan. "That…Dramsama is quite the frightening Pokémon."

"Hehehe, I get that all the time. You know, I battle a few trainers who thought that Dramsama would be a push over, based off of it's looks. Boy were they in for a nasty surprise." The young man chuckled. "A Pokémon that's both beautiful, and powerful. Why it reminds me of Melia."

"You're right about Melia being strong and pretty, but I doubt she's some Pokémon out of a nightmare." Venam replied, as she retrieved a Pokéball from her belt, and smirked to herself. "And I'll show it a real nightmare. Go Drapion!" Venam called out, as a rather menacing Drapion appeared on the battlefield and hissed at the Dramsama.

"Argh, didn't expect to see a Drapion. No matter, I can work around this. Dramsama, use Signal Beam!" Jonathan called out, as the Masquerade Pokémon formed a ball of bright blue and yellow energy, before condensing it into a beam and firing it at the Drapion. The attack landed and caused Drapion to hiss, however it didn't seem to be doing that much damage.

"Go for Night Slash, Drapion!" Venam called out, as the Ogre Scorp began scuttling at surprisingly quick speeds for a Pokémon of it's bulk. It's claws glowed with a black aura as it slashed the Dramsama, causing it to shriek in pain as it was sent flying into another wall and caused a lot of dust to appear. Once the dust had settled, both trainers saw that Dramsama was knocked out.

"You did well out there." Jonathan called out to the fainted Pokémon, returning it to it's Pokéball. "I must say that your Drapion is very powerful."

"Oh thank you." Venam smiled, as Drapion scuttled back to its trainer. "But don't think flattery will get you anywhere."

"I know, I just figured I'll try at least." The young man cracked a smile. "But now it's time for you to see another one of my Pokémon. Go Glavinug!" he called out, as the Sea Slug Pokémon appeared on the field and dived into the water.

"Let's start things off with a Reflect, Glavinug!" Jonathan called out, as his Pokémon created a wondrous wall of blue light to bolster its defences. "How'd you like that?" he smirked.

"Attempting to increase your Pokémon's defences is a pretty nifty move…" Venam began, as her usual smile was replaced by a smirk. "Too bad it won't do any good here. Use Brick Break, Drapion!" she called out, as the Ogre Scorp Pokémon scuttled towards the Glavinug, it's right arm glowing a brownish-orange. It slammed it's arm into the Sea Slug Pokémon, dealing a fair bit of damage and shattering the blue wall.

"Ah, it knows Brick Break?!" Jonathan exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah, it does. I figured that I should teach at least one Pokémon Brick Break, to counter any Reflect/Light Screen shenanigans my opponent might pull off." Venam replied. "Now I'll follow up with a Poison Jab!" The Drapion's pincer glowed a sickly purple, as it attempted to jab Glavinug with it.

"Not today! Use Ice Beam!" Jonathan replied, as Glavinug fired a beam of pure ice at the incoming Drapion, dealing a fair amount of damage to it and freezing it. Venam huffed in displeasure over having one of her crucial Pokémon frozen.

"Tch, you got lucky there…" Venam said, returning her Pokémon. "But now it's time for the newcomer to take the spotlight. Go Trubbish!" Venam called out, sending out her newest capture. Jonathan gazed at the Trash Bag Pokémon, who proceeded to give a small glare to the young man.

"Venam…was this Trubbish one of the Pokémon that me and Ren fought at the sewers?" the young man asked her.

"Yep. I figured that I should catch one for myself." Venam admitted. "Now let's start things off with a Stockpile!" The Trubbish opened it's mouth and inhaled a lot of air, making its body grow larger and boosting it's defences.

"Two can play the same game. Glavinug, use Reflect again!" Jonathan called out, as his Glavinug created another wall of blue light. "Hah! How do you like that?"

"You can bolster you your defences, but I can break through them. Use Sludge Bomb Trubbish!" Venam ordered, as her Pokémon vomited a barrage of noxious balls of sludge at its opponent. The attack hit Glavinug, however it didn't do much damage, since the Trubbish was a fairly weak Pokémon.

"Heh, is that all?" Jonathan smirked. "Now Glavinug, use Bubble Beam!" The Sea Slug Pokémon unleashed a torrent of bubbles from its mouth and bombarded the Trubbish with them, sending it flying into a wall and knocking it out.

"Oh no, I should have trained Trubbish a bit more…" Venam sighed, as she returned her fainted Pokémon. "Hopefully my Drapion would have thawed out by now." She continued, as she sent out her Drapion again, the Pokémon still in its frozen prison. After a few seconds, the ice began to crack, before it shattered, freeing Drapion from the icy grasp. The Ogre Scorp Pokémon hissed into the air and locked eyes with its foe.

"Now Drapion, use Brick Break again!" Venam called out as her Drapion scuttled towards Glavinug and delivered another Brick Break, however this time it dealt massive damage to the Sea Slug Pokémon. Glavinug cried out in pain as it was sent flying into a wall and was knocked out from the attack.

"Return, Glavinug…" Jonathan recalled his Pokémon, as he was awe struck at just how much damage the attack did.

"Surprised, are we?" Venam giggled. "My Drapion has the Sniper ability, boosting the power of its critical hits."

"Damn, no wonder it hit so hard…" the young man replied, as he reached for his third Pokéball. "But can it hit my next Pokémon? Go Harptera!" he sent out his trusty Bug Pokémon, who immediately proceeded to flit in the air.

'Man that thing looks fast, but at the same time it looks rather frail. A lucky critical hit should send it packing.' Venam thought to herself. "Alright Drapion, use Night Slash!" The Drapion attempted to slash its opponent down to the ground, but the Harptera dodged the incoming attacks with ease.

"It's gonna take more than that to defeat me. Use X-Scissor!" Jonathan retorted. Harptera's tail began glowing harshly as it flew directly at the Drapion and smacked the scorpion's face with its tail, causing the Drapion to fly a few feet back, before it was knocked out.

"Yes! Now that's what I call a critical hit!" Jonathan grinned proudly, as his Harptera did the same.

"Return, Drapion." Venam recalled her Pokémon, before gazing at the young man. "I've got to say, you're the first trainer who's making me work for a victory." She praised the young man.

"Why thank you." Jonathan smiled. "I assume your previous opponents were pathetically weak."

"Ouch, that's kind harsh bro. They just weren't prepared for their first Gym Battle being this difficult." Venam replied, as she took out her next Pokéball. "And I doubt you'll be ready for this next Pokémon; go Muk!" Venam sent out her next Pokémon, as it materialised onto the field. Venam's Muk was a brightly coloured assortment of green, pink, yellow and blue, as opposed to the dark purple usually associated with Muk. It has various white crystals protruding from its body, mouth and fingers, making it look like it has claws and teeth.

"No way! You have an Alolan Muk?!" Jonathan gasped.

"Well I did say that you wouldn't be ready for my next Pokémon, didn't I?" Venam cracked a grin. "Now Muk, use Crunch on Harptera!"

"Argh! Dodge it!" Jonathan called out quickly. The Harptera managed to dodge the attack easily, due to the large speed difference between Harptera and Muk. It was then that Jonathan spotted a few medium sized rocks on the battlefield. "Hey Harptera, why don't we go for a Rock Slide?" The Harptera flew over to one of the rocks and pick it up, as it proceeded to fly towards the Muk.

"How amusing…I think we should go for an Acid Armor, Muk." Venam suggested, with the Muk nodding in response. It then proceeded to absorb the toxic waste in the arena, and convert it into a tough coating that bolstered its defence greatly. The Harptera then shattered the rock it was carrying, causing the Muk to be bombarded with small rock shards, however the attack didn't do that much damage.

"Ahh, that's pretty clever of you to increase your Pokémon's defences while I was preparing for Rock Slide." Jonathan commented.

"Well when you're a Gym Leader in the Aevium region, you have to stay on your toes in the event of your opponent revealing their trump card." Venam replied. "Now use Gunk Shot!"

"Dodge and use X-Scissor!" Jonathan called out. The Harptera flew at the Muk, dodging the latter's powerful ball of garbage and striking the Muk with its tail, dealing some good damage. However Venam wasn't displeased by this; in fact she looked rather happy, as if the young man unwillingly sprung her trap. The Muks fist glowed a harsh black, as it slammed into the Harptera, sending it hurtling into the ground and knocking it out.

"Knock out?!" Jonathan spluttered, returning his Pokémon.

"From the way you used Harptera earlier in this battle, I predicted that you would strike hard before retreating to safety. So I figured I'd have Muk use Knock Off when your Harptera got within striking range." Venam replied, a smirk on her face. "Now send out your next Pokémon, so I can defeat it easily."

'Ah, what do I send out? That Muk of hers is quite the powerhouse. Perhaps if I send out that Pokémon…' Jonathan thought to himself, before picking his next Pokémon. "I choose you, Drilgann!" he called out, as his next Pokémon materialised from its Pokéball. Drilgann was a large brown and purple mole, who had tusks and claws that looked a lot like a drill head, as well as a tail that looked like a drill head as well. It also had what looked like a purple mask over its eyes.

"Oh wow! Now that looks awesome!" Venam gushed, her eyes sparkling in awe.

"Hahaha, I figured you'll like it." Jonathan chuckled. "Drilgann can tunnel several miles a day without getting tired, hence why it's popular among miners."

"Wait…then that means—"Venam began, an uneasy look on her face.

"Yep! It's a Ground type, and I think it's time to shake things up with an Earthquake." Jonathan smirked, as his Drilgann began slamming it's forelegs into the ground, creating powerful seismic shockwaves that shook the field, dealing a lot of damage to Muk.

"Muk!" Venam called out in fear, as Muk got up off the floor and glared weakly at the Drill Pokémon. "U-use Gunk Shot." The young woman said.

"Use Dig to avoid the attack!" Jonathan retorted. The Drilgann used its drills to dig a hole through the ground, avoiding the Gunk Shot and proceeding to dig its way through the ground.

"Now where could it have gone?" Venam asked herself, as she carefully scanned the field, hoping to see a sign that gave away Drilganns location. A few seconds later, the young girl would get the surprise of a lifetime when Drilgann resurfaced and attacked Muk, sending the Pokémon flying several feet into the air, before it proceeded to fall back to the ground, knocked out from the attack.

"You did well Muk, return." Venam recalled her Pokémon, before reaching for her next Pokéball. "I choose you, Dragalge!" she sent out her fifth Pokémon, as the Mock Kelp Pokémon slithered into the pool.

"I must say, I've always liked Dragalge." Jonathan whistled. "A powerful, yet graceful Pokémon. Fits quite nicely into your team."

"Indeed, and I shall show you the power of my Dragalge. Use Hydro Pump!" Venam called out. The Dragalge used its snout to suck up a lot of water from the pool, before unleashing a massive jet of water at Drilgann, dealing a catastrophic amount of damage and sending the Drill Pokémon flying into a wall, knocking it out.

"Ah, return Drilgann." Jonathan shook himself out of his stupor, and returned his Pokémon. "Now that was one powerful Hydro Pump."

"I know, I've been training my Dragalge for a long time now." Venam smiled.

"Luckily for you, I have just the Pokémon to deal with that Dragalge. Go Yatagaryu!" Jonathan called out, as his ace Pokémon materialised onto the field and squawked at its foe.

"Damn! Now that's an intimidating Pokémon." Venam commented.

"Oh believe me, it's got plenty of power to back up its looks." The young man smirked. "Use Thunder on Dragalge!" he called out. The Yatagaryu summoned a wicked bolt of lightning, and aimed it at the Mock Kelp Pokémon. The Dragalge cried out in pain, as it took a ridiculous amount of damage, with a large explosion rocking the battle field. Once the dust settled down, it revealed that Dragalge fainted from the attack. Venam returned her Pokémon, a look of absolute shock plastered on her face.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" Venam shouted out loud, surprised at how her Dragalge was knocked out in one hit, despite its impressive Special Defence. "HOW POWERFUL IS THAT THING?!"

"Yatagaryu is considered to be one of the most powerful Pokémon in the Tandor Region." Jonathan replied. "It's only natural that most Pokémon would get obliterated by its powerful Thunder."

"Argh! Looks like it's time for my ace to slither out of her hole. Go Seviper!" Venam called out, as her trusty Seviper appeared on the field.

"Your Seviper looks impressive, too bad that it won't be around her for long. Use Hyper Beam!' Jonathan called out. The Yatagaryu charged up a bright orange ball of pure energy, before converting it into a beam and firing it at the Seviper. The Fang Snake Pokémon gracefully dodged the attack by slithering on the ground and diving into the tall grass. The Yatagaryu then flew down to the ground, in order to recharge after the attack.

"Now's our chance. Use Venam's Kiss!" the young lady called out, as Seviper slithered up to Yatagaryu and kissed it on the cheek, causing the Stormbringer Pokémon to start retching in disgust, as a purple hue appearing on its cheeks, indicating that it is poisoned.

"Venam's Kiss, what kind of move is that?" Jonathan asked, confused at what just happened.

"Remember when I said that the Gym Leaders have their own special move? Well Venam's Kiss is my move. It has a high chance of poisoning your Pokémon, which works out well for my strategy." Venam answered, a smile on her face. "Now use Venoshock!"

The Seviper spewed a noxious green liquid from its mouth, and drenched the Yatagaryu in it. The Yatagaryu shrieked in pain, as the liquid mixed with the poison in its system to deal a lot of damage.

"Yatagaryu!" Jonathan called out, concerned over his Pokémon's wellbeing. "Are you still able to fight?" The Yatagaryu nodded weakly. "Alright then, use Dragon Pulse!" The Yatagaryu flew up into the air and charged up a ball of pure energy, before firing it at the Seviper.

"Use Sludge Bomb, Seviper!" Venam called out in desperation, as the Seviper launched a barrage of sludge at the Yatagaryu. The two attacks collided mid-air and both Pokémon attempted to out power the other. Eventually, the Yatagaryu gained the edge and got the power boost it needed to overpower the Sludge Bomb, dealing a lot of damage to Seviper and sent it flying into a wall. When the dust settled, it revealed that Seviper was knocked out.

"Thanks for all your hard work Seviper. You take a nice rest now." Venam recalled her Pokémon.

"Yeah, you too Yatagaryu." Jonathan recalled his Pokémon.

"I've got to say, you're quite the impressive trainer. It's been a while since I had a battle that intense." Venam smiled, before her face took a more serious appearance. "Ren told me about the dangers that will be encountered on this quest. Are you really up to the challenge?"

"Yes Venam, I will do anything in my power to ensure Melia's safe return." Jonathan declared. A smile graced Venam's lips, upon hearing the answer.

"Now that's the answer I'm looking for!" Venam replied. "Since you did beat me, I guess I should give you the Poison Heart Badge." She walked over to the young man and handed him a badge. It was a dark purple badge, in the shape of a love heart, and had a few flairs around the edge.

"Thanks Venam!" Jonathan thanked the young lady, as he inserted the badge into its designated socket on the trainer card.

"Now come on Jonathan, we're going to meet Ren at the Train Station, so we can all go together to the Amethyst cave." Venam told him. "But let's heal up our Pokémon before we go, just in case we encounter those Team Xen creeps." The two trainers proceeded to leave the building together, in order to help their friend Melia escape Team Xen's clutches.

Done. That chapter took a fair bit longer than anticipated. I figured that I should upgrade Venam's team a bit, to make her more of a challenge. Tune in next time, where our heroes will explore Amethyst Cave, and put a stop to Team Xen's plans.