A/N: Celery Man, thank you for the review. I do appreciate the feedback, and you make some good points. To be honest, this is a story I've been working on for my own amusement for awhile now that I thought I might as well post. I can promise you that there is a story here; it just takes a long time to get into it, especially the part the prologue alludes to. Certain relationships have to be developed before all that action occurs, and I feel like the story would be missing a huge chunk to the point where it would make no sense if I started right there. I may have gone to the other extreme by slowing things down too much (this is probably a result of watching the anime and unconsciously pacing my story similarly). Still, I do not want to rush things and make it look choppy. The third chapter actually was extremely important and vital to the purpose of the story, and it's my fault for not making that clear. From now on, at the very least, I'll try to use foreshadowing and other hooks to show you what's important and what to look forward to. I may go back and rewrite everything later to make it more interesting, but for now I'll post what I have and work on improving on the writing of future chapters. And just as a note, this chapter is also pretty important.


Chapter 4: Drew

The group found a nice clearing to stop and have lunch. After they all let out their Pokemon, Simon noticed Gabri's Emolga and ran over to him. "Oshawott!" he said.

Dani frowned at him, knowing what he was thinking. "It's time for lunch," Dani said. "We can battle later."

Simon seemed unhappy, but he perked up when Gary placed a bowl of food in front of him. While everyone ate, there was peace and silence. As soon as he was finished, however, the Oshawott once again walked up to Cashew. "Osha!"

Cashew blinked at him. "Emolg?"

Dani glanced at her youngest sister. "Do you want to battle?"

Gabri hesitated. "Well, I need to train him some more before I let him battle. You can battle Dragon, though."

The Tepig smiled as he approached Simon. "Tepig!"

Simon crossed his arms and turned his head away.

"Are you afraid you'll be beaten by a fire type again?" Dani teased.

Simon's eyes widened, and he turned back to Dragon. "Oshawott!"

Gabri smiled slightly. "Good. Cashew, practice flying while we battle."

"We'll clean up," Gary said.

Shelly nodded in agreement. Usually she would have argued with her sisters' lack of work, but she wanted the opportunity to spend some time alone with Gary.

After returning their other Pokemon, the two girls found an area to battle. "You can go first," Dani said.

Gabri nodded. "Thanks. Dragon use Tackle!"

"Dodge and use Water Sport!" Dani called.

Simon did dodge the attack, but then he used Water Gun against Dragon, which struck him and sent him falling to the ground.

Dani blinked. "Ok, but use Water Sport now so fire attacks won't have as much effect."

"And you use Ember!" Gabri said.

Dragon breathed in deeply and then released fire from his snout. Simon ran right towards him even when he was hit by the fire.

"Dodge and use Ember again!" Gabri said.

"Water Sport!" Dani cried.

Simon skidded to a halt when he realized the Tepig had jumped out of the way. He turned just in time to be hit by more fire balls.

"I don't thinks he wants to use Water Sport," Gabri said. "Dragon, use Tackle!"

Dani grit her teeth as she tried to think of a new plan. "Ok, dodge and use Water Gun."

Simon was hit by Dragon's Tackle before he had a chance to use Water Gun. Angry, he ran towards the fire type to Tackle him himself.

"Dodge and use Tail Whip followed by Tackle!" Gabri said.

"Water Gun!" Dani called.

Dragon jumped out of the way of another attack. He bent down and wagged his tail back and forth. Then he ran towards the Oshawott. Simon listened this time and blew out his water. Dragon was hit, but he kept running forward until he slammed into his opponent.

"Now use Tail Whip and Tackle," Dani said.

"Use Ember while you run into a Tackle!" Gabri said, thinking quickly.

Simon ran forward without using Tail Whip, and was forced to stop when fire balls hit his face. While he was distracted, the Tepig slammed into him, sending him skidding across the ground.

"You need to listen to me," Dani said in distress. "Water Gun!"

"Tackle!" said Gabri.

Simon seemed to have gotten an idea from his opponent, for he shot out his water while running. Dragon was able to dodge the water while he ran at him as well. At the last second, he hit the Oshawott from the side. Simon skidded in the grass once again, but this time he did not get up.

"No, Simon!" Dani said as she rushed over to him. She picked him up and gazed at him sadly. "We're going to have to work on your obedience." She took out his Pokeball. "Return."

"Yay! We won our first battle!" Gabri exclaimed.

"Tepig," said Dragon, happily wagging his tail.

Gabri glanced at er sister and gave her a small smile. "I'm sure he just needs some training. He's used to battling on his own."

Dani nodded. "I suppose."

"If it was because he does not like you, he wouldn't have chosen to come with you."

Dani smiled slightly. "Yeah, that's true. Congratulations on your win."

Gabri smiled. "Thanks. I think we both have some training to do though."

Dani knew that was right. She could see it was going to be a long and difficult journey with her new Pokemon. However, she was determined for them to succeed as a team.


Dani tried to train her Oshawott over the next couple of days, but she did not seem to be getting very far. Gabri, however, was having great progress with her two Pokemon, and Shelly was happy with the combinations she was coming up with for her first contest.

The four kids were walking in the forest on the third day after setting out from Accumula Town when Shelly noticed a small, grey, furry Pokemon eating a berry near a tree. "What's that Pokemon?"

Gary followed her gaze and smiled. "That's a Mincinno."

"How do you know all of the Pokemon here?" Gabri asked.

"I've been studying. It's a good idea for Pokemon researchers to know all the Pokemon of a region."

"Cool!"

Shelly pulled out a Pokeball. "It's cute, and I'm going to catch it, Go, Petals!" The Chikorita appeared looking ready to battle.

Unfortunately, the wild Pokemon did not seem as ready. "Cinno?" she said as she looked up at Petals.

"Use Magical Leaf!"

"Cinno!" the Mincinno cried in alarm. She turned and fled further into the forest

"No, wait!" Shelly cried. She and Petals dashed in after the rodent.

"Shelly!" Gary called after her, but she did not stop.

"Wow, she made my rookie mistake," Gabri said.

Gary sighed and shook his head. "We better go after her. Come on, Gogoat." He and his Pokemon raced into the forest, the other two girls on their heels.

"Quil!" Mo said as the wind threatened to pull him off of his trainer's shoulder."

"Sorry, Mo." Dani grabbed him and held him in her arms. Soon, she grew tired of running, and she started to lag behind.

Up ahead, the Mincinno crossed a rope bridge that hung over a grassy area several yards down. Shelly and the others ran across the bridge after her.

"Slow down!" Dani called as she stepped onto the bridge, but they did not seem to hear her. Then something down below to the right caught her attention. "Hold on, guys."

She grabbed onto the rope lining the bridge and looked across the grassy area where a person and a Pokemon appeared to be training. What looked like petals were coming forth from the Pokemon, but she was too far away to be able to identify the Pokemon. Curious, she returned to the previous side of land and searched for a way down. There was a rope ladder leading down into the grassy area below, so she put Mo back on her shoulder and climbed this.

As she walked closer to the pair, she could tell the Pokemon was green with flowers were hands should be, but she still did not recognize it. Since Gary as not there, she took out her Pokedex and listened to the entry: "Roserade, the bouquet Pokemon. With the movements of a dancer, it strikes with whips that are densely lined with poison thorns."

"Cool," Dani said to herself. The Pokemon looked beautiful, but it sounded like her looks were deceiving. She wondered what that said of her green-haired trainer. She could now see that Roserade was using Petal Dance and Magical Leaf in a combination. She bet the trainer was a coordinator.

Suddenly, both the trainer and Pokemon stopped. "It's rude to stare without announcing your presence, you know," the boy said without looking at her.

Dani flushed. She had not noticed that she had come within several yards of the pair. "I'm sorry. I was just admiring your combinations. Are you a coordinator?"

The boy turned his head to look at her with his piercing green eyes. "I am. You better not be or else you were spying."

Dani chuckled nervously. "Oh, no. One of my sisters is a coordinator, but I'm training for the Unova League. I'm Dani. This is Mo."

"Cynda," said Mo.

Roserade smiled at him.

"I'm Drew." He paused. "The Unova League? You must be entering because you can't win contests."

"Hey!" Dani said indignantly. "Challenging gyms is just as good as entering contests! I'm strong."

Drew looked her up and down, seeming to size her up. "You don't look very strong to me."

"Then how about I show you my strength with a Pokemon battle?"

"Cynda!" Mo said in agreement.

"Alright. I could use the practice. Let's go, Roserade."

"You too, Mo."

The two of them backed away so that there was enough space for them to battle. Than Mo and Roserade stood in front of their trainers and took battle stances.

"Roserade, start off with Petal Dance!" said Drew.

"Mo, use Flamethrower!" said Dani.

"Dodge that!"

Roserade created a spiral of leaves that she sent straight towards the Cyndaquil. Mo burned the leaves with his Flamethrower, but the grass type jumped out of the way before the fire could reach her.

"Now use Solar Beam!" Drew called.

Dani could tell that this guy was not messing around. Solar Beam took awhile to build up, so she knew she had to strike now. "Flamethrower!"

"Hang in there, Roserade!"

Mo blasted his fire once again. This time, it hit Roserade straight on. However, Roserade did not move as she endured the attack. When it was over, she released a powerful Solar Beam that sent Mo flying across the field.

Drew flipped his hair back and said, "Mega Drain."

"Flame Wheel!"

"Dodge and use Petal Dance!"

While Mo became a flaming ball, Roserade stuck her arms out and released a green beam from the flowers on her hands. The beams struck the rolling Mo and then were sent back to Roserade to give her energy. As Mo caught close to her, she jumped in the air and released pink petals from her flowers. These hit Mo and caused him to stop rolling.

Dani grit her teeth as she considered her next move. Drew was a tough opponent.


"Go, Pokeball!" Shelly cried as she tossed an empty Pokeball at the tired Mincinno she had cornered at a tree a little ways away from the bridge. Petals had helped weaken the Pokemon, and now she was going to be caught! The Mincinno was sucked inside, and the Pokeball moved back and forth, growing still after a few seconds. Shelly grinned as she picked up the sphere. "Finally!"

"Good job," Gabri said.

Shelly stared at the small Pokeball in her hand. "I'll have to switch out one of my Pokemon once we get to Striaton City."

"Hey, where's Dani?" Gary said as he looked around.

Shelly blinked. "We lost her?"

"I last heard her back at the bridge," Gabri said. "Let's go back there."

The other two were in agreement. It did not take long before they were crossing the wooden bridge once gain. "I see her!" Gary said as he pointed to the forms of two people battling down below in a distance.

Shelly frowned as she noticed Dani was battling some boy. "Flirting again?" She shook her head. First Gary, then Paul, and now this guy. Her sister did not know when to stop.

"We can get down there," Gabri said as she pointed to the rope ladder.

Gary nodded. "Alright. Gogoat, return."

"You too, Alice," said Shell.

Dragon did not want to go into his Pokeball, so Gabri held him in one arm as she climbed down.


"Mo, use Eruption!"

"Roserade, use Solar Beam!"

Both Pokemon took a moment to power up their attacks. The Cyndaquil's blue flames moved first. Before they could reach Roserade, a beam of energy collided with the fire, causing an explosion. Both Pokemon were pushed back, but they were still standing.

"Now Flame Wheel!"

"Roserade, use Petal Dance and Magical Leaf!"

While Mo rolled into a ball, Roserade pointed her arms at him. Out of one arm, she sent out petals, and out of the other, leaves. The combined attacks mixed and swirled together while the Cyndaquil moved around to dodge them.

Dani's eyes darted across the field until she spotted something. "Go onto that rock!" Mo turned and headed for the rock. When he hit it, he flew into the air and uncurled. "Flamethrower!"

While still in the air, Mo blasted a stream of fire at Roserade. The grass type cried out as she was struck. Then she stumbled and fell to the ground. Mo landed on the ground, looking victoriously upon a fainted Roserade.

"You did it!" Dani said with a grin. "Great job, Mo!"

The fire type ran towards his trainer and jumped into her arms. "Quil!"

"Nice work, Roserade," Drew said to his own Pokemon. "Return." Then he looked over at Dani. "I guess you're not that bad... for a gym battler."

After being victorious in battle, Dani was not going to let him get to her, so she smirked and said, "Thanks."

"That was a neat battle," Shelly said from the sideline. Dani looked in surprise to see her standing in between Gabri and Gary. "Are you a coordinator?"

"Yes, I am," Drew said proudly.

"So am I!"

"These are my sisters, Shelly and Gabri," Dani said. "And this is our friend, Gary. Guys, this is Drew."

"Nice to meet you," Gary said. "I'm a Pokemon researcher."

"Hi," said Gabri. "I just started out, but I want to enter the Unova League."

"You're still young," Drew said. "It's nice to meet you all."

"Shelly, did you catch that Mincinno?" Dani asked.

Shelly smiled. "I sure did."

"Awesome! Sorry I ran off like that."

"She couldn't resist spying on my amazing contest performance," Drew said with a smirk.

Dani rolled her eyes. "Yeah."

"I think it's time to take a break for lunch," Gary said. "Drew, would you like to join us?"

Drew shook his head. "No thanks. I should get back to practicing."

"Coordinators need to eat too," Dani teased. "Are you too humiliated by our battle to eat with us?"

Drew frowned. "Fine. I'll stay for a little bit. I think I saw a picnic table close by."

Gary smiled. "Excellent."

Once they arrived at the picnic table, everyone got to work. Gary and Gabri worked on making a stew while Dani, Shelly, and Drew set up the picnic table. When they were finished, they second group let out their Pokemon to give them a break. Apart from Roserade, Drew had a Masquerain, Flygon, Absol, Bayleef, and Granbull.

"Cool, you have a Bayleef," Shelly said.

Petals walked up to the Bayleef and smiled at her. "Chika!"

"Bay!" the bigger Pokemon greeted.

"I was just in Johto," Drew explained.

"That's where we're from," Dani said.

Drew eyed the Cyndaquil standing next to her. "I figured that."

Dragon walked up to Flygon and sat down, staring up at him in awe. Gabri glanced over from work on the stew and laughed. "My Tepig thinks he's a dragon type," she explained.

Drew smirked. "Identity confusion is not good. What will happen when he learns he will never fly?"

Gabri just shrugged and returned to what she was cooking.

"You guys can get the Pokemon food out," Gary said. Then he and Gabri released their own Pokemon.

It was not long before every Pokemon had a bowl of Pokemon food in front of them. Soon after, the picnic table was set with bowls of stew. Dani and Drew sat on one side while Shelly sat in between Gabri and Gary on the other.

"Not bad," Drew said after taking a bite.

"Thanks," Gary and Gabri said at the same time.

Dani noticed that Shelly was staring at Drew quizzically, so she said, "What's up?"

"Are you from Hoenn?" Shelly asked Drew, ignoring her sister.

Drew nodded. "I am."

Shelly clapped her hands together and grinned. "Now I remember you. May told me about you!"

Dani and Gabri exchanged glances. They knew their sister did not normally talk to boys this openly, so they were curious as to what was going on.

Drew blinked. "You know May? She talked to you about me?"

"We just met May and Max in Accumula City," Shelly explained. "I asked her about people she has met on her journey, and she mentioned you."

"What did she say about me?"

Shelly smirked. "Not much I can disclose. She said nothing bad, though. She mentioned you were rivals."

Drew nodded. "That's right. She's one of the few coordinators I've met that offers me real competition. Of course, she was a disaster when she started out, but she's really grown. I think competition between us helps motivate us to get even better."

"That's great," Dani said with a smile. "And if you remember to keep it friendly, that's how rivalries are supposed to be."

"I agree," Gary said. "I did not understand the friendly part when I first started out with my rival. We couldn't stand each other at all. I like it a lot better now that we're friends."

"May and I did not exactly get along at first either," Drew said, "but that was mostly because she did not know what she was doing, and she gets angry so easily. It's still kind of fun to mess with her."

"I know what you mean," Shelly said. "It's easy to get to some people." She smirked at Dani.

The oldest sister frowned. "Hey!"

"Anyway, you do think of May as a friend?" Shelly said.

"I do," Drew agreed. "She's not only a great coordinator, but she's an amazing person as well. She's kind to everyone - people and Pokemon alike, and she's got a lot of confidence and determination. She's always there to help her friends - and sometimes people who have not been so friendly to her."

Shelly smiled. "That's good. She seemed pretty cool when I met her. She said she thinks of you as a friend as well."

Drew chose to eat and not respond, but Shelly could tell that he was satisfied with this information. Her mind was already in overtime trying to figure out her next step.

After several more minutes of casual conversation, everyone had their fill of the stew. "That was really good, guys," Drew said as he stood up. "I really should get back to training now."

"Are you going to be in the Straiton City contest?" Shelly asked.

Drew nodded. "That will be my first Unova contest."

Shelly grinned. "May and I are going to be in it too."

Drew smirked. "I look forward to seeing how you will perform." He quickly returned all of his Pokemon to their Pokeballs. "See you later." With a wave, he walked away.

"So..." Gabri said slowly after he was out of earshot, "what was all that about?"

Shelly blinked. "What do you mean?"

Dani raised her eyebrows at her. "Since when do you so enthusiastically talk to a guy you just met?"

Shelly shrugged. "I don't have to be nervous around him because he's already taken."

"He has a girlfriend?"

"Not yet, but I know he and May like each other."

"How would you know that?" Gary asked.

"I can tell by how they talk to each other."

Dani and Gabri exchanged skeptical glances.

"Just wait until we get into Striaton City and see them together. You'll understand what I mean."

Dani and Gabri were not so sure, but Shelly was brimming with confidence.