A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the wait for the new update, I have been been busy with my other fics, but worry not, the newest chapter is here for your reading pleasure. So please, I hope you all enjoy it. Sorry for the short note, I'm actually doing a massive post with all my other fics.

5/18/17 As today, chapter 5 has been re edited and re uploaded

Pokemon XY

Legends of Kalos

Chapter 5

Santalune Gym battle

The three trainers were heading toward the Santalune Gym for Alex's gym battle. The honey blonde had called the Gym leader ahead of time and introduced the two, so that they didn't waste time on the battlefield. Viola had been overjoyed to meet another challenger, and told him she would be waiting for him at the gym. Now the three were walking through the city, with Alex going over his strategy one last time before he stepped into the building.

"Okay, Sirskit seems to be a Special attacker, I didn't see it use any physical moves, though that doesn't mean it doesn't have any. Sticky web is going to be a problem, especially for Taillow. It's best to take It out first, then that leaves Vivillon. I don't know what type of moves it can have, and the Pokedex entree didn't allude to anything special, other than the variations of them."

He stopped in front of the large building, a bead of sweat trickling down his face. He was nervous, Arceus he was nervous. This was his make it or break it battle..if he lost during his first gym battle...it wouldn't be embarrassing, so much as it would hurt his pride. He had trained his Pokemon for this battle, and was confident he'd win, but there was that little self doubt. If he didn't win, would he still be an okay trainer? Would he have to go back to being a punk rock sensation? A person being forced to perform by his father just for a quick buck? Aria surfaced in his mind, for whatever reason.

The smile on the Kalos Queen's face during that commercial pissed him off. She was truly happy, doing what she loved...why couldn't he be that happy when he performed on stage? He loved singing, poured his emotions into every song. But in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but curse his talent for singing, the thing that brought him grief in the past years of his life.

"Are you going in or are you just gonna stand there?" Yvonne asked, pulling him from his musings. He shook his head and gave a firm nod, placing a foot on the first step.

"My literal first step into the Kalos League. Maybe if I do win, my smile will be as bright as hers."

Everything became a blur to him, as he made his way to the battlefield. The doors slid open, showing him the dark forest like field, held within the building. It was a beautiful indoor garden, large trees surrounding the entire battlefield. The large ceiling was completely see through, letting the natural sunlight into the building. He saw metal beams up there, holding large vibrant lights. He wondered why it was designed like that but only for a second. Viola was standing at the other end, a smile on her face.

She was a blonde young woman, being around twenty or so years of age with fair colored skin. She had bright green eyes, and a vibrant smile on her face. She was wearing a white tank top, with camoflauge shorts and some hiking boots. She had an SLR camera around her neck.

"You've arrived, it's not polite to keep a lady waiting you know."

"Sorry, I had to make a call real quick...but I'm here now. Is the battle still on?" he asked nervously.

"Sure is. Come on down, make yourself comfortable." she said.

He nodded and handed Yvonne his pack, both she and Zera wished him luck and moved toward the stands. Alex stood in the challengers box, the referee glancing at him and giving him a firm smile. That eased his nerves a bit. She rose her flags up, looking at the two trainers.

"The Santalune gym battle between Viola, the Gym leader and Alex Winters the challenger will now begin, each has the use of Two pokemon, and the winner will be decides when either side is unable to continue. Substitutions are allowed in this match, is the challenger ready?"

"R-ready." Alex stuttered.

"Is the leader ready?" the woman asked.

"I'm ready." Viola said confidently, fixing her camera lens. She snapped a picture of Alex, the gleam of the flash reflecting on his glasses.

"Hope you don't mind." she said.

"It's fine. I'm sort of used to it." he said, muttering the last part.

"Let the battle, begin." the referee said, lowering her flags.

"Alright Sirskit, you're up first." Viola cried, sending the pond skater pokemon out first. It slid around the field for a few seconds before settling in front of its trainer. Alex pulled out a pokeball, looking at it confidently.

"We trained hard for this, Taillow I choose you." he said, throwing the ball into the air, it snapped open, and Taillow shot forward, cawing loudly. The glow around its body died down as he kept himself aloft.

"A shiny Taillow..what a rare sight." Viola said, snapping a few pictures of the Pokemon.

"Um..miss Viola?" the referee said.

"Oh, sorry...I tend to forget when I'm In battle. Okay then, Sirskit, lets start things off with Sticky Web, stop it from flying." she said.

"Sirskit." the pond skater cried, firing off several large globs of sticky white silk. Alex was expecting this to happen, so he remained calm, putting the first part of his strategy into action.

"Dodge them all Taillow, then go for the Quick attack." he said.

"Taillow."

Taillow ducked and weaved from side to side, avoiding the webs that zoomed by it. It flew down close to the ground, a white glow covering its body as it zoomed forward.

"Hit it with an Ice Beam Sirskit." Viola called out. Sirskit spun around for a few seconds before unleashing its Ice beam, the blue beam headed straight for Taillow, who didn't slow down a bit.

"I knew you'd do that, now Taillow Double Team!" he cried out.

Taillow cawed, several copies appearing from thin air. The Ice beam hit one of the copies, before making contact with the battlefield. Taillow slammed into Sirskit, sending it flying back a few feet. The Pokemon shook the attack off and tried firing another Ice beam, only for Taillow to dodge again.

"Nice work Taillow, follow up with Peck." Alex said.

"Taillow."

"Stun Spore Sirskit, make sure it hits." Viola cried. Alex grit his teeth as Sirskit let out a yellow haze from its mouth. He wasn't expecting that..of course he hadn't seen the rest of Sirskit's attacks, so predicting that wouldn't have been easy.

"I need to get rid of the spore but..how can I...that's it.."

"Taillow, use your Wing Attack to blow the spores back to Sirskit." he called.

"Low." the small bird cried in agreement.

It began batting its wings as hard as it could, the blue glow making their power increase. The spores blew back in Sirskit's face, successfully paralyzing it.

"Oh no!"

"Perfect, now use Air Cutter!"

"Taillow Tail."

Large saw blades of wind cut through the air, slamming into Sirskit, kicking up dust and spores all around them. Taillow flew back to its trainer's side, hoping to see its opponent defeated, only for it to remain standing.

"Heh, sorry Alex, but its gonna take a lot more than a flying type move to get rid of us. We've trained too hard for this..now Sirskit, Ice beam into the girders." she cried.

Sirskit fired its Ice beam upward, the blue beam of energy trailed through the girders, shooting down from the lights, coating the field in thick ice. Alex was taken aback, now seeing the new ice field. Sirskit started gliding on it, using the ice to move around with ease.

"So that's what the beams were for. I honestly wasn't expecting this at all...I have to say, Viola is really smart for coming up with this." Alex thought, inwardly praising the woman.

"Uh oh, Alex this is the tactic she used with me, be careful." Zera called out.

"We believe in you, give it your all guys." Yvonne added, being supportive of her friend.

"Taillow be careful, I don't like the looks of this...play it safe and use Roost." he said.

"Taillow Taillow." he cried, singing a soft melody. Its body begun glowing as its injuries healed.

"I wasn't expecting your Taillow to have that kind of a move." Viola said.

"That's what a little training will do to you. We trained for a whole day trying to learn that move. It's our ace in the hole." he said.

"We have our own ace in the hole as well. Sirskit, it's your time to shine, use Energy ball."

"Attacks like that won't do any damage to us. Wait until its close then use Peck." Alex called out.

Taillow gave a firm nod, keeping its place. Sirskit zoomed around the field, going from left to right. It moved so fast that Alex had a hard time tracking it. It jumped into the air, launching a glowing green sphere at Taillow, who couldn't react fast enough. Even though the attack did little damage, Taillow did get hurt from hitting the ice field.

"Nice job Sirskit, Aqua Jet."

"Get up Taillow, and use Quick Attack." Alex cried.

"Sirskit sir." the pond skater cried, shooting forward in a veil of water. It aimed at Taillow, only to hit the icy field, as the small swallow had been able to dodge it. In its stupor, Taillow managed to land the quick attack, with enough time to zoom out of the danger zone. He leveled out, glancing back at his opponent.

"Sirskit can you continue?" Viola asked, a worried look on her face.

"Skit." the pokemon cried, giving a firm nod. Viola smiled, forming a picture frame with her hands.

"Lets get this into the album. Sirskit, use Sticky Web, fire it at the girders." she said. Alex's eyes widened.

"Crap, if that move does the same thing Ice beam did then..."

"Taillow, Wing Attack!" he called out.

"Taillow Taillow Tail." the swallow cried, jetting toward the pond skater pokemon, wings aglow with blue energy. Sirskit was about to fire its own attack, only to be sent flying back into the wall by the powerful flying type attack. Sirskit gave a low cry of pain, sliding down the side of the wall, swirls in its eyes.

"Sirskit is unable to continue, the first match goes to Taillow." the referee said.

Viola couldn't believe what she just saw. Sure, both Pokemon had taken powerful hits, but that wing attack had managed to cut down her Sirskit. The pokemon that had been able to take out Zera's Charmander and Yvonne's Fennekin. Alex was stronger than he let on, and yet he had been nervous about the battle in the beginning. She shook her head clear of those thoughts, recalling her fallen friend.

"Excellent work as always Sirskit, take a long rest." she said.

"Nice job Taillow, you did great...but I want you to take it easy for now, I might need you for later." Alex said, returning his Pokemon back to his Pokeball.

He drew another one from his belt, at first he had wanted to use Vixen, as his starter still needed to get over her shyness, but with the current state of the field, that wouldn't be possible. She'd just slip and fall, preventing her from attacking properly. He had made his choice the second the field had changed.

"For your first gym battle Alex, I gotta say you are handling it pretty well. You weren't kidding about the training either..I can see it's paying off." Viola said.

"Thanks, we've only been here in Kalos for a few days, but I've taken them very seriously."

"No matter, we won't hold back anything, and I hope you won't either. Vivillon, it's time to end this." she said, throwing her ball forward, from it came out a beautiful butterfly pokemon. Its wings were pink in color, and its body was black. It had large eyes and small stubby legs, with short antennae on its head.

"Viii."

"So that's her Vivillon uh? It's a meadow pattern Vivillon." he muttered. Having memorized all of the patterns displayed in his Pokedex, Alex had been expecting one of the various variety. He was surprised to see one of the common patterns.

"Vivillon here has been with me the longest, we met when we were younger. She had been my ace during my time as the Santalune gym leader. We won't be that hard to beat...so show me what you got."

"Fine by me..Staryu, its battle time." he called out, tossing his next Pokeball. Staryu landed on the field, wiving a firm "Keh" as a greeting.

"An interesting choice, lets see how this plays out shall we?"

"Staryu, start off with Light Screen." Alex called out, stunning the leader a bit. Staryu's gem glowed a bright yellow as a large box appeared around it, glowing brightly. Zera gave a little smirk, remembering her own battle against that Pokemon.

"So, it knew Light Screen too...how many secrets are you hiding from us I wonder?" She said, earning a raised brow from Yvonne. She wasn't expecting this sort of thing from the trainer either. Just how did he teach his pokemon these moves so quickly?

"Covering your defenses eh? No matter, Vivillon Hidden Power."

"Cut through it with Rapid Spin and then use Water Gun." Alex cried. With a firm cry, Staryu shot forward, spinning as fast as it could. Vivillon fired its attack, though it was no match for Staryu's rapid spin. The Pokemon stopped mid spin and fired its Water gun, effectively soaking the butterfly, making it lose some height.

"Vivillon, Energy ball."

"What?" Alex cried, unable to react fast enough, Staryu took the super effective hit. It slammed into the ice field rather hard, crying in pain. Alex pushed his glasses back into place, worry written on his face.

"Are you alright Staryu?" he asked.

"Keh." it replied, standing back up. He smiled, giving it a firm nod.

"We'll have to be careful, even with Light screen up those attacks still do damage. Use Water Pulse."

"Counter it with Psybeam." Viola called out. Staryu fired its attack, meeting in the center with Vivillon's Psybeam, causing a rainbowy explosion on the field. Part of the ice cracked from the intensity.

"Quickly Vivillon, use Solar Beam." Viola cried. Vivillon flew up higher, smaller orbs of sunlight forming around it, coalescing into a small ball in its mouth, which burst into a hot green beam of light.

"Staryu, use the ice from the field as a shield, then use Rapid spin." he cried.

Viola watched in amazement as Staryu kicked up one of the ice chunks in time to block the incoming solar beam. Ice chunks flew in all directions, as Staryu had narrowly missed being hit by the attack. It jumped into the air, slamming into Vivillon's thorax with its rapid spin. The butterfly hit the ground hard, uttering a cry of pain.

"Vivillion, get up quick and use Struggle bug." she said.

"Don't let it get up Staryu, finish it with Water Gun!" Alex cried.

Staryu jumped into the air firing the strongest water gun it could muster. Vivillon, unable to move took the full brunt of the attack. Staryu landed firmly on the ground, breathing hard after its attack. The scattering pokemon lay on the field, unconscious. The referee rose the green flag up.

"Vivillon is unable to battle, Staryu wins the match. The battle goes to Alex Winters from Aspertia City." she said.

Alex stood there a bit stunned, hearing him being named the winner. A smile made its way onto his face, and he ran into the field catching his Pokemon in a tight hug. He didn't even care that he had slipped on the ice and made himself look like a fool. He was happy to have won his first badge.

"Nice job Staryu, its all thanks to you and Taillow." he said.

The tiny swallow popped out of its Pokeball, landing on his shoulder. Both of them gave joyous cries.
He stood up, brushing the ice and dust off his vest and made his way to the other side of the field, where his friends were waiting for him. Yvonne handed him his pack, while giving him a punch to the arm.

"See, I knew you had it in you...all you had to do was have faith in yourself." she said.

"Yeah...I kind of feel stupid for worrying." he said.

"That was a great battle. Staryu and Taillow were great, it goes to show that you can lose some battles but still be smart enough to win the others." Zera said. Yvonne wondered what she meant by that. Viola appeared next to the three, a small tray in her hands.

"Well, Alex even though you were nervous at the beginning of this battle, you were able to shake it off and pull a victory, and for that I award you with the Bug badge. I take it this is your first badge here in Kalos right?" she asked.

"It is..I came here from Unova to participate in the Kalos league, and now I'm one step closer to that goal." he said, taking the badge from the tray. It gleamed in the low lighting of the field. The new trainer knew then that his path as a trainer was set. He placed the badge in his case, filling the first slot.

"Well Yvonne, if you want that rematch, you'll have to wait until tomorrow. My Pokemon need to be healed and I have a few photo shoots to take care of...I'll be glad to take you on tomorrow, the first battle of the day."

"Actually, I've changed my mind. I gave it some thought, and I've decided that collecting gym badges isn't for me." she said.

This surprised Alex, seeing as she had plans and strategies set to beat Viola. What could have changed her mind?

"I see, well...whatever path you choose to take, just know that I wish you luck. As for the two of you, why not head to Cyllage city for your next badge? A good friend of mine runs the gym, it's a good ways away from here, but the Battle Chateau is on the way there. They're always accepting challengers. There's Parfum Palace near Camphrier Town as well."

"A palace? There's a palace here?" Alex asked, looking at Yvonne, who gave him a nod.

"Parfum Palace was built a long time ago, for the previous king of the Kalos region. Though we aren't a monarchy anymore, the Palace has since then become a museum of sorts. They hold a fire works festival every once and awhile. The owner of the palace is a decedent of royalty, but rumor has it that he lives the soft and easy life, letting his hired help do everything for him." she said.

"Wow...I can't believe Kalos has a palace...I can't wait to see it." he said.

"I hope you enjoy your time here in Kalos Alex, and if you ever want to battle again, feel free to drop by."

"Sure thing, thanks again Viola."

The three trainers left the gym, heading back to the Pokemon center. After healing their Pokemon, the three decided to head out of Santalune, heading back toward Lumiose city. The three had decided on taking a quick route there. It would still take them two days to reach the city however, giving Alex more training time.

All he could do since leaving the gym was stare at his glimmering badge..he had been nervous before, even doubted himself, saying he didn't know what to do if he failed..but now that he had actually won the badge, he knew that this was his true calling. He finally put it away, glancing back at this two companions.

"Hey Zera, I never asked, why did you decide to travel with us?" he asked.

"Traveling with friends is better than going at it alone. Ain't that right Carla?" she asked.

"Char char." her partner cried in agreement.

"I decided to stick with you because you'd be a lost little Dedenne, trying to find your way around Kalos. It's good to have a native be a guide, considering you forgot your town map, and your tent poles, and the fact that your PokeGear has a map feature."

"So I had a rough first day..who cares..I still made it to Santalune." Alex said. The auburn haired girl bit back her laughter, glancing at the younger boy.

"Yeah, after we took the right path, I still remember you wanting to take the left path in that fork on route four. Even when I told you that would lead you back to Lumiose city. Lets face it, you'd be hopeless without me." she said.

"Pfft, whatever...anyway, you said you didn't want to collect badges anymore, what made you change your mind?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's a question that intrigued me too." Zera said.

"Hmm...it's rather simple. I just didn't feel like gym battles were my calling card. I have a lot to live for, seeing as my mother is a renown Pokemon trainer, just like my father is. However I don't think I'd be a good trainer. So, I did a little research and put a lot of thought into what I could do, and I decided to become a performer." she said.

"A performer?" Zera asked.

"You mean...that Kalos Queen crap?" Alex asked.

At the sound of the Girl's Only event, the young trainer cringed. He thought it was just a glorified beauty pageant. The current Kalos Queen flashed back into his mind, and he couldn't help but grow angry. That smile really pissed him off.

"It's not crap...it's a way for me to show the world the bond between me and my pokemon. That and I get to design my own costumes, make my own Poke puffs, do all kinds of stuff. There's a place in Lumiose city where you can make your own Trainer video for other performers to see, even the higher ups can see it. It's how they can tell if you'll be the real deal and stuff."

"I dunno...I get the vibe that it's filled with pretentious women who want nothing but that dumb tiara...it doesn't help that the current Kalos Queen is too...vibrant." he said.

"What's wrong with that?" Yvonne asked, earning a shrug from him.

"I don't know."

"That's not a valid answer. Why is the Kalos Queen to vibrant?" she asked firmly.

"Because she is...she seems forced, like she's not even having fun, trust me..that smile on her face can be hiding a thousand secrets. Shit that you or I will never even know." he said.

"How do you know that?" Zera asked curiously.

"I got first hand experience, trust me." he said, quickening his pace a bit. The girls shared a look, but shrugged it off, not wanting to keep the argument going.

"I think that I have what it takes to be the next Queen. The first show is in Lumiose city, so I have a short window to prepare...I'd like it if the two of you could show me your support. Maybe even my uncle Sycamore will go see me on stage." She said with a bright smile. Alex gave a firm nod.

"It's the least I can do for everything you've done for me. Whatever you need, I'll be there for you." he said..

"That and I want to see for myself why Pierre is the host of this show, last I checked, he was hosting Johto Super Contests."

"You alright there Alex? You went all silent on us." Zera said.

"Eh? Oh I'm fine. Nothing's wrong, nothing at all." he said, laughing it off.

"Are you sure? Is it because you can't get Aria out of your head?"

"Zera, how fast can you run?" He asked firmly.

"I don't know." she answered truthfully.

He smirked and grabbed a stick from the ground, which was covered in a thick glob of mud.

"Well we're about to find out, start running." he said firmly. She broke into sprint, heading up the dirt path.

"Alex, if you get any of that shit on me I swear to Arceus I will murder you." she howled.

"Then you better step up your game. Those long legs of yours can handle the weight of running, so hurry up." he shouted back. Yvonne sighed, she really wasn't looking forward to this journey, especially if her friends were this childish.

After a while of non stop running, Alex decided to cut Zera a break, and tossed the stick in his hand. He had to admit, the girl was really fit for having been a gym leader most of her life. He himself needed a little more exercise, but he blamed the rock star life for that. He wiped some sweat off his brow and looked around, seeing that they were deep within a forest. He turned around, seeing Yvonne in the distance.

"Man, I was really inconsiderate." He said, leaning against a tree truck.

"Ya think?" Zera asked, sitting beside him, draining her canteen.

Carla fell down in a heap beside her, panting for breath. Zera rolled her eyes and handed her the canteen, and she began to gulp the water down.

"So now that we are heading to Lumiose city, what are you planning on doing?" she asked.

"Don't know." he said.

"Well, as much as I know you want to head to Cyllage city, we won't be able too. Yvonne's first showcase is in a week, so we'll be spending time around the big city. It's best we find out something to do." She said.

"I forgot about that. I suppose I could just hang around the city for a bit, check out the sights and what not. I do have a friend who goes to Lumiose Academy. I can visit her, maybe have another battle." he said.

"Oh, a girl? Who is she huh? A love interest?"

"No Zera, she's not a love interest...she's the first person I met when I came to Kalos. She's sweet and gentle and she gave me tons of advice when we met. She wanted to travel with me, but sadly she can't travel until she graduates, which really blows." he said.

"The school life is the life some people choose, some people can't rely on Pokemon training to pay the bills you know." she said.

"Yeah yeah...maybe we can check out the observatory on the top floor of Prism Tower."

"Maybe...hey Slowpoke, finally caught up to us."

"There was no way in hell I was running after you two. Sorry but I need to make sure I stay clean and pristine." she said, kissing her glossy nails.

"Well, at least you have that princess vibe on you. You'll make the perfect queen." Alex said sarcastically. Yvonne glared at him for a few seconds before looking around.

"Hmm, we best be careful in these parts. Wild Beedrill are known to nest around here and we really don't need to be stung. If we keep this pace we'll make it to Lumiose by tomorrow after noon, as opposed to the next day like we had planned. Maybe that run you two took was what we needed to cut time."

"Sure. Say, Yvonne what are you going to do in Lumiose? Aside from the Showcase of course?" he asked.

"I wanted to check out a few boutiques in the city, as well as a few stores of interest. I was actually going to tell you about this particular store that you might be interested in, it's called the Stone Emporium, it's a store that sells Evolution stones, and since Staryu evolve with Water stones, I figured you'd be able to buy one there for yourself, in case you ever need it."

"Really? That's cool...I didn't know there was a store in Lumiose that sold stones like that." he said.

"It's a good thing too, seeing as two of your Pokemon evolve with evolution stones. You could evolve your Eevee into a Flareon..that would be great." Zera said.

"Of course you'd say that, since you are a fire type trainer. Personally, I think a Vaporeon is the best choice."

"Actually, I'm not evolving Vixen. I like her the way she is...she can choose to evolve when she's ready...forcing a Pokemon into evolution is wrong." he said.

"Yeah sure, but think about it, they even have Mossy stones and Ice crystals so you can evolve it into Leafeon or Glaceon. You lack a grass type in your team anyway, and an Ice type could be potentially beneficial to your team." Yvonne said.

"I'm not evolving Vixen, that's final. I will buy some stones, just in case I ever need them." he said. The two girls shared a look and matched his pace.

"Hey, sorry for pushing the subject on you. It was just an idea." the honey blonde said.

"I know, I'm not mad...it's just...dropping something like that on Vixen isn't what I want. It wouldn't make me a good trainer if I force her to evolve. She can evolve when she's good and ready. Now come on, we need to hurry up and make it to Lumiose city, that way you can have enough time to sign up for that showcase." He said.

As he walked though, he didn't see the stick in his path until it was too late. He stepped on it, snapping it in half. A loud buzz filled their ears and they turned around, seeing a massive horde of Beedrill behind them.

"Holy shit, run for it." Yvonne said, grabbing their hands and pulling them along.

"Wait...Zera can't you have Carla attack them?" Alex asked.

"And risk getting poisoned? Hell no, just run."

And so, the three continued to run, avoiding all of the poison stingers being launched at them courtesy of the Beedrill. The journey continues as Alex, Yvonne and Zera head to Lumiose city, site of the first Pokemon Showcase.