(Alright, I'm tired. Screw this. I don't own pokemon, I own five shining Eevees. Pwned. R&R. For Moriko Hikari, who loves this story. Lots of love.)
They followed her to a small forest clearing. "Okay, all of you can fight one of Luna's pokemon. Okay?" They nodded. "You up for fighting?" Luna whispered. "Oh, god, finally!" Merope groaned. Luna grinned. "I'll take that as a yes!" Max pranced forward. "Me first! Okay, you're up, Moriko!"
"Hello, Luna! Nice to meet you!" "Hi, Moriko." The Chikorita stopped, amazed. "Y-you can talk to us?!" She nodded, then said, "Merope, Aerial Ace!" She struck quickly, slashing with her scythe. "Moriko! Use Razor Leaf!" The Chikorita's summoned leaves sliced through Merope's skin. "I'm fine!"
She assured Luna. "I have an idea!" She nodded. "Do your thing, hon." She surrounded herself and the field with shadows, then used Slash. "…Chika…" Moriko fainted. "MORIKO!" Max screamed. She picked her up. "Oh, do you have a potion?" Luna nodded, tossing her one.
"You did so well for your first fight! I'm really proud!" Max healed the wounds, as Luna bandaged Merope. Chria nodded to her Torchic. "Okay, Elena." Luna thought. "Okay, I think Cybela should give it a shot! You up, honey?" She nodded.
"…I…I…" Luna knelt down. "It's okay, dear heart. Talk when you're ready." She nodded gratefully, then pounced on the battlefield. Nyeros watched with apprehension. "You'll make sure she's okay?" He murmured. Luna nodded. "Of course." While they were all conversing, Salem, Chria, Max, and Prof. Monarch all stared in amazement. "What is she… doing?!" Chria hissed.
"I think she's… talking to them!" Prof. Monarch whispered. "Okay, go, Elena! Use Ember!" The Torchic spat out small flames. "Bela! Use Psychic!" She nodded, and levitated the Torchic; the same technique she used on the preacher. Elena fell, stunned, but only momentarily. "Use Tackle!" Chria told Elena. "Chic!" She ran for Cybela, who used Confuse Ray, causing Elena to trip and fall.
"Okay, Finish her off! Use Psycho Cut!" Cybela nodded, sending the Torchic flying. "Lena!" Eria gathered her up. "You did amazing, sweetie." Luna tossed her a potion, then grinned at Salem. "Well, it's just you now!" He smiled. "Yeah, I guess. Okay, go, Kita!" "Quil!" She chirruped. "Nyeros!" She told him. Grinning, Nyeros tore out onto the field. "Use Quick Attack!" Salem told Kita. "Dark Pulse!" Luna yelled.
Nyeros nodded, and out poured his aura. Kita couldn't see as the aura surrounded her, so Luna yelled, "Use Crunch!" Nyeros had already thought of it, and attacked. "Qui…Quil…" Kita fainted. "Kita!" Salem screamed. Nyeros returned to Luna's side. "She went down easily. That Salem will need much guidance and training, I assure you." Luna nodded.
She came over, and said, "Here, I know how to heal stuff like this. Let me show you." She instructed him on how to heal certain wounds on a pokemon. He nodded, never meeting her eyes. "Thanks, Luna." She grinned, and turned to her pokemon. "You guys were amazing! Sorry about not getting to fight, Fera, Azrael. You'll have the gym!" They purred and yipped, surrounding her. Luna smiled. "Okay, so Professor Monarch, can we register now?"
She was startled out of her reverie, and nodded. "Oh! Of course, come inside!" She took them to machine. "Just type your name in, and you'll get a Trainer Card." Luna went first. "Luna Ashforth." "Pokemon?" The machine buzzed. "Feraia…" She paused.
"Ninetales. Merope. Absol. Azrael. Houndoom. Cybela. Espeon. Nyeros. Umbreon." The machine spit out a card with her name, picture, and her pokemon's names and pictures. "You can change that as you get more pokemon, you know. Just visit a pokemon center."
She nodded, as she put the Hammer badge in. Salem, Max, and Chria all registered themselves, then Salem said, "Luna, if you want, we're not leaving until tomorrow, so if you want to come with us for awhile, you can." Luna nodded. "Love too!" She turned to Prof. Monarch. "Professor, I'll be back tonight, okay?" She nodded. "Okay, see you! Good luck, you three!"
She said to the others. They headed out of the lab. The blonde-haired trainer from town was outside, sneering at them. "Hey. You're registered for the pokemon league?" He was only addressing Salem. "Yeah, but I'm probably gonna do contests first." "Hey! I registered too!" Luna piped up angrily.
"Psh. You? A girl can't be the Champion. It's never been done. (A/N: I wrote this part before D/P, so there was, at that time, no female champ.) Besides, your pokemon look weak. Now get out of my way, I'm going to register." He started towards the lab, but was greeted by a snarling Merope.
"We are NOT weak. Luna is a better trainer by far than you!" Luna was the only one who understood that, and grinned. "Out of my way." He shoved Merope. "Don't touch her!" Luna screamed. She was going to punch him, but Azrael and Nyeros held her back. "Not now, Luna."
Merope snarled at him. "You think you're so tough! Well, FINE! I challenge you, and I refuse to lose to a wanker like you!" Luna yelled angrily. He stared. "Fine. You want to lose, I'll be happy to do it." He whipped out a pokeball. "Go, Tauros!" A gigantic brown bull appeared. "Cybela, you ready?"
She nodded, and faced the Tauros. "Psychic!" "Stomp!" While the two fought, the trainer snorted. "Cybela? You named your pokemon?" "Well, of course. They need names." Luna said. He snorted. "Psh. Pokemon are fighting machines; they do the dirty work. That's all they're good for. My dad says the same thing," He said, drawing himself up proudly. People like this one pissed Luna off. People who didn't care about the Pokemon who devoted themselves to those Trainers. "Shut up! My pokemon are my best friends, and I love them!" Cybela stopped. "Love?" She whispered, pausing. It turned out to be her undoing. The Tauros used Tri Attack, and it hit her full force. "CYBELA!" She roared in agony. "My BABY!"
She tore in front of the Tauros, and picked Cybela up. She petted her, repeating, "Oh, I'm so proud… I love you, Cybela, you're gonna be okay…" She wasn't moving. "SISSA!" Nyeros roared. She placed her in front of Merope. "Watch her." Merope looked surprised.
"Why not Nyeros?" Luna looked at her. "He's going to get back for his sister." Nyeros roared. "Nyeros! Use Night Slash!" She yelled. Nyeros swung with all of his fury. The Tauros staggered, but didn't go down. The Trainer looked surprised, but regained composure. "Tauros! Use Double Kick!" Luna's hoodie flapped in the wind that had been kicked up by the generation of aura, exposing to the others her biohazard mark. "What the hell is that?"
Salem asked. "I've got no clue." Professor Monarch was watching from her lab. "Could she really be…" Luna screamed, "NYEROS, USE OTHERWORLD'S CORE!" The biohazard and Nyeros glowed in tandem.
Suddenly, a sphere portraying another world appeared, and from it, poured a great amount of aura. It struck the Tauros, sending it flying. "Return!" The Trainer spat. He looked at Luna. "My name's Ryura. We'll meet again."
He walked away. "Cybela…" Luna's first concern was her pokemon. "It's okay, I've got a revive." She popped it in Cybela's mouth, then hugged her. "I'm so proud of you and Nyeros." Cybela yawned. "I'm glad… but…sleep now?"
Luna nodded, and grabbed a Luxury ball. "Wow, I just realized you didn't have a pokeball. Okay, well…" She threw it, and it enclosed around a grateful Cybela. Salem, Max, and Chria ran up.
"Are you okay?!" Salem rushed. "Never mind me. Guys, you're all okay?" Nyeros nodded. Merope and Azrael were unharmed. "Luna, what just happened?" Chria asked. "What just happened when?" They were confused. "You told Nyeros to use this weird attack, and this mark on your back glowed!" Luna looked confused. "Umm…"
Salem sighed. "We'll ask Professor Monarch about this. For now, let's go challenge this gym." As they headed towards the gym, Azrael muttered to Merope, "And how is it that the one thing we came to do in this town was the last thing on everyone's mind?!" Merope shrugged.
"You know, I've been Luna's friend since she was four, and yet her stupidity still amazes me." The gym was pretty much just a converted greenhouse. A sign read, "BACK IN HOUR" Luna sighed. "Thank god, relaxing time!" She released Cybela. "We've got an hour to nap outside, hon." She nodded, putting her head in Luna's lap, dozing off.
"Hey, Luna?" Max asked. "Mhm?" She murmured. "How come you can talk to pokemon?" Luna thought, as she played with Cybela's ears and tail. "Um, I've been able to do this since I was born. I don't know why me though." Max nodded, as Chria consulted a map. "Okay, well, my sis and I have got to head to this town five miles away, and we're not challenging this gym, so we're gonna go now." Luna nodded. "We'll meet again, don't worry!" Max reassured her. "We live in Saorceon Town, and there's a gym there, so you'll come and visit, okay?"
Luna nodded, and hugged them. "Here, take my number." She scribbled it down, and slid it in Max's pocket. "Be safe, and may Mew go with you. We shall see you soon." They headed off. Luna bit her lip, and sat next to Salem. Suddenly, a girl with spinach green hair, a white tank top covered by a pilot's jacket five sizes too big in lime green, and a pair of jeans and sandals pranced up.
"Hi! You're a trainer?! My name's Tolly! Ready to fight?!" Luna blinked. "Um… yes…" The girl was like ten cheerleaders and a butterfly on crack. They headed in. "Okay, see you at the end of the maze!" Tolly disappeared. "Dammit!" Salem said. "How are we going to find our way out?!" Luna thought. "Let's go find a trainer! If we beat them, they'll tell us where Tolly is!" They agreed, and went searching.
(A/N: Okay, I just realized this is an eerie copy of Eterna's gym… forgive me. It wasn't intentional. TT) Luna looked around. "I'm real bored searching… Hey, I've got an idea! Az, Fera, use Fire Spin!" The flames poured out of their mouths, but they kept them controlled enough so that they only ruined the hedges. Luna looked forward, satisfied. "Found you, Tolly!" Tolly gaped.
"WTF? Ha…how…you?" Luna waved a hand in front of her face. "Are you okay? Do you wants some almonds? I like almonds. They taste good. Ooh, and peppermint. I like that too. And chocolate! Ooh, chocolate with peppermint sounds good! Maybe I can have some after this." Everyone, including her pokemon, was stunned. And bemused at her insanity/stupidity. She turned around.
"What?" She asked innocently. Tolly regained composure. "Well, if you wish to challenge this gym, then I'm the one! Go, Rosya!" A roselia popped out of it's pokeball. "Okay, Azrael! You're up!" He flew to her side. "Posionpowder!" "Agility, then flamethrower!"
Azrael just missed the cloud of spores by leaping on the wall, then spewed a torrent of flames at the Roselia. It hit her, and she staggered, but didn't go down.
"Solarbeam!" Tolly told Rosya. "Az, while she charges, hit her with another Flamethrower!" "Ro..SELIA!" The Solarbeam collided with the Flamethrower, creating a giant explosion. Rosya was knocked out, but Azrael wasn't in much better condition. "Return, Az!"
He loped gratefully to her side. She knelt down, and sprayed a Super Potion on him, and told him, "You kicked ass out there. I'm so proud." He nodded, and fell asleep. "Okay, Feraia!" She skidded out, falling on her face ungracefully.
"…Um…" Luna clapped. "Yay! Circus!" She turned around, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Luna cringed. "Sorry, but it was kinda cool, you've got to admit." Muttering something like, "Idiot…" Under her breath, Feraia faced Tolly's next Pokemon, a Bulbasaur.
"Razor Leaf!" "Agility, then Flame Wheel!" The power of her tails burnt all the leaves to cinders, and singed Bulbasaur. "Hey, you're pretty good!" Tolly grinned. Luna curtsied. "Thanks. But I'm not fighting, it's my pokemon that are so good."
Tolly raised an eyebrow. "Huh… never thought about it that way." Merope said, "Hey, take some damn credit, willya? You're pretty good with strategy." Luna nodded. "Guess so…" Tolly told her Bulbasaur, "Cyanida, use Vine Whip!" "Sauur!" The vines shot out from the bulb, then wrapped around Feraia. Luna had an idea. "Feraia, use Fire Spin!"
The flames spun down around the Vines, burning them to cinders. They encircled the Bulbasaur, spinning like a psychotic top, until the flames died down. Bulbasaur was knocked out. "Return!" Tolly said, calling him back. "Wow, I'm on my last pokemon. Hmm… go, Bellya!" A Vileplume popped out. "Feraia, to me!" "WTF?" She thought, but obeyed. "Vileplume's poison and grass. Cybela wants a shot, okay?"
Feraia looked surprised, but nodded. "Be careful, kid." Cybela crouched down, and nodded. "Okay, Cybela! Use Psycho Cut!" She flew at the Vileplume, as Tolly said, "Parlyzpowder!" Cybela missed the worst of it, and just barely managed to hit Vileplume. "Good, Cybela! Use Confuse Ray!"
She sent out brain-distorting waves, leaving the Vileplume confused. "No! Bellya! Use Giga Drain!" It backfired, hitting Vileplume. "One more time, Cybela! Use Psybeam!" It hit the Vileplume full force. "Vi…" It fainted. "Yes! You did it, Cybela!"
Luna rushed out, and picked her up. "Splendid!" Cybela purred. "You rocked!" Nyeros nuzzled his sister. "Fantastic, sissa." Tolly clapped. "Your pokemon are amazing fighters! Here, I think you deserve this! It's the Demeter Badge. " Luna nodded. "Thanks, Tolly. See you again!" They headed out, into town.
"So, what are you going to be, Salem? What are your dreams?" He thought. "I'm... I'm going to be a Coordinator." A spark of pain flashed in his eyes. "Don't cry, Say-Say..." Kita patted his foot with her nose. "Luna, what's she saying? "She says she doesn't want to see you cry. But if you wanna know for yourself, I'm sure Professor Monarch's got a couple extra translators. We'll ask tonight."
Salem looked at her. "Well, what are you gonna be?" "Well, I'm going to be the strongest Trainer in the whole wide world! I'm gonna be HIP LIKE BAD-ASS!!"