Fennekin and Fletchling charged at the Zigzagoon. Fennekin was using Ember, but none of the sparks hit the agile Zigzagoon. Fletchling was trying to use Quick Attack form its position in the air but its only grazed the Zigzagoon.

We all were so engrossed in the battle that no one noticed that Serena picked up a large rock and had snuck behind the thugs. Down goes the woman, and the purple-haired man. Serena was poised to strike the leader, now. I closed my eyes and cringed as I heard a loud crack, then a thump as the jacketed man hit the ground.

With his trainer down, the remaining Zigzagoon scattered.

"Hello, kids!" Officer Jenny said in a perky voice when she arrived. "Thank you for calling… and for subduing them before I got here.

"It was all Serena," I gushed.

"You two are free to go, no questioning required," the Officer continued, pulling out a small notebook and a pen.

"C'mon, Alex," Serena urged, yanking me by the sleeve in the direction of the forest.

"Serena…" I start. I'd been thinking of what I was going to say for a while now, and thinking the best course of conversation to avoid dispute. Women and men seem to disagree a lot when it comes to directions. "I think we're lost."

"We're not lost, we just need to find the right path," Serena mumbled in response. That was her response a few hours ago. I don't know the exact number of paths that lead out of this forest, but I'm guessing it's several more than I originally expected.

There is a rustling in the clump of bushes next to us, and Serena jumps.

"What's that?" I asked in surprise as I stopped walking.

Out of the bush jumped a small black caterpillar with buck teeth. "Mine!" Serena screeched. "Go, Fennekin! Use Ember!"

The wild pokemon dodged a few of Fennekin's attacks before it was hit in the head while trying to dodge another attack. Serena threw a pokeball and caught it. The ding of the pokeball seemed like music to her ears.

"Which pokemon is that?" I asked.

"I actually don't know," Serena says, tapping her boot as she pulled out her pokedex.

Scatterbug

The scatter dust pokemon

Type: Bug

When under attack from bird Pokémon, it spews a poisonous black powder that causes paralysis on contact.

"Scatterbug, But Type," Serena read, nodding. She sent out the recently caught pokemon. "Can you help us find our way out of this forest?" she asked it.

We arrived in the city of Santalune at dusk. The sun greeted us with a display of painted colors streaked across the sky. The journey out of the forest and across Route 3 had been long, so we were happy we arrived with time to spare.

"I think we should get a room in the Pokecenter for the night," I suggested, yawning.

"Good idea," Serena agreed.

"So, are we taking on the trainers at the gym tomorrow?" I asked Serena. We had checked in and were settled at the center. I had to admit, it was very nice and cozy.

"Yup," said Serena, leading back on her pillow. "Better get rested."

I was awake well into the night, listening to Serena snore. It wasn't loud; it was very calm, and occasionally she would wrinkle her nose and snort. It was actually kind of cute and I had to resist the urge to laugh. Eventually, I drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

As soon as Serena and I walked into the gym, I knew it was bug-type oriented. Webs coated the walls and ceiling, and hives hung from the rafters. I remembered the Scatterbug Serena caught; that would be a huge advantage, for sure. I nodded to myself. We had a good chance at winning. Serena and I made quite a nice pair.

The gym was like an indoor forest. In fact, it reminded me of the forest we walked through yesterday. We spotted a clearing. The gym leader was standing in the center, filing her nails with her plump, burgundy lips pursed in concentration. She wore a small, white top hat, which sat off-kilter on her head. Her long, straight blonde hair stretched down to her waist.

"Hey!" Serena piped up, rushing ahead in the direction of the blonde. "We challenge you to a gym battle!"

The woman's eyes, a startling blue color, opened wider as she looked at Serena, then at me. She stuck out her lips in thought as she examined us, her potential challengers. In truth, she looked a bit like some kind of red-billed Psyduck.

"I accept your challenge!" she cries out finally, a cunning look dawning on her peach colored face.

A referee hurried over. "Alright, this will be a 2-on-2 battle. Choose your pokemon wisely. You'll have one minute to discuss before the battle commences."

"Already chosen," the blonde says idly.

Serena and I were deep in discussion. "I'll us Fennekin, because fire is super-effective against bug," she told me. "At least, I'd assume she's using bug-type. The same goes for your Fletchling."

"Got it," I respond. "We're ready!" I said to the ref.

"Then let the battle begin!" he yelled. I poised myself for my first gym battle.

Author's Note: This is set at a different time frame from the games so the leaders may be different in some instances.

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