VT: Okay, I do not own Pokemon; this belongs to Nintendo and Game Freaks, Inc. All I own is the plot and characters' personalities. Also, I am changing how the Pokemon talk to an easier way of talking.

A Rainbow Badge

Matthew was leaning against a tree; Becky was next to him, leaning against another tree, a pleased smirk on her face. She had gone first and now she was the proud owner of a Rainbow Badge, and Ethan was up now. Already he had taken out two of Erika's Pokemon. However, he had lost Dark Wing, and now he was using Eve to battle the Gloom that Erika had sent out.

"Eve, Quick Attack, and then let's do a Confuse Ray, okay girl?" Ethan commanded, well, more like asked her to do the attack.

"Gloom, Poison Powder now," Erika commanded as well, smiling as Eve raced right into the cloud of purple powder; she immediately shuddered but still connected against the Gloom. The Gloom was knocked back into a tree and fell to the ground. She jumped back up almost right away, only to get hit by a Confuse Ray. She stumbled, trying to send out an Acid attack, but only succeeded in dropping a little bit of Acid onto her own foot, hurting herself but not snapping out of the Confuse Ray.

"Eve, let's try another Quick Attack right now, girl," Ethan called out again, but still his voice was kind and respectful. Eve only nodded her head and rushed forward with a white stream of energy behind her as she slammed into the Gloom, sending her back into the same tree; she got up again but was staggering as if the ground she was walking on was moving as badly as a Wailord-watching ship in rough seas. The Gloom finally seemed to get her bearings and sent out an Acid Attack. Eve's health and stamina dropped badly from the poison that was in her system, along with the Acid that now hit her, burning her fur in patches. Ethan's face contorted with pain and a small drop of rage at seeing his best Pokemon friend get hurt. When he spoke next his voice had an icy tone in it.

"Eve, another Quick Attack. Let's make sure we end this." Eve only weakly bobbed her head and set off again right at the Gloom, her gold rings glowing a bright yellow color. She slammed into the Gloom, who was launched into another tree. When she got up she tried to use an Acid, but she only succeeded in having it drop onto her foot again. This time the Gloom felt the burn and her normally closed-looking eyes opened wide with pain and fear. She broke the Confuse Ray, but then she fell onto her back, having fainted from the attacks.

Eve just let out a small victory cry, swayed left, then right, and then fainted, having finally succumbed to the Poison Powder. Ethan pulled out Eve's Pokeball and returned her before leaving the Gym at a dead run.

"I have never seen such commitment between a Trainer and their Pokemon. I could have sworn those two had some sort of secret code, and his respect for her… I am impressed," Erika commented as she walked over to Becky. "If you don't mind, can you give Ethan his badge when you see him next? He earned it." She then turned to face Matthew. "In five minutes' time, we shall have our battle, understood?" All Matthew did was nod his head in agreement, and when she left another set of sliding glass doors slid down to the ground.

"So, Strips, ready for a battle?" Matthew asked his trusty Furret.

"Matthew, I'm ready as I ever would be," Strips said as he stretched out both his main body and his tail, and he then began to breath in and out, prepping his mind for the upcoming battle. Matthew nodded, also getting ready for his attacks. It would be a two-on-two, since he had only two non-fire-types. Ethan had opted for a three-on-three, but this battle, Matthew could tell, had taught him to be less cocky. Matthew had seen it on his face as he ran out of the gym, a fear that would work for his betterment in his future training.

(Four minutes later)

"Watch it, Matt. I want you to be on your toes. This can be a tough battle," Ethan yelled from the sidelines. He was there because Nurse Joy had told him that he should go, Eve would be fine and to please stop pacing so much, it was making some of the people nervous and they were beginning to complain.

"Thanks, Ethan, I'll keep my eyes peeled," Matthew called out, and thankfully Matt had not perked up from his watching spot next the Becky. He was looking bored and uninterested but he was only disappointed at being unable to battle. Firestorm, however, was sitting on her haunches and all of her five tails were wagging at the prospect of even watching a battle.

"Okay, Matt." Matt perked up at the sound of his name, only to put his muzzle down on his paws, seeing that it was Matthew that Erika was talking to. "You ready for the battle?" Matthew only nodded his head before sending out Strips, who immediately took up a battle stance.

"Okay, Oddish let's do this," Erika called out; her command sounded like the tinkling of a bell chiming in the distance.

"Strips, let's do a Quick Attack now," Matthew ordered, his voice echoing around the greenhouse as Strips launched forward with a white streak of energy behind him.

"Okay, Oddish, lets do a Sleep Powder…." Erika never got a chance to finish her sentence, for Strips had already connected. However, the Oddish knew what her Trainer wanted, so she let out a blue powder that glistened in the light of a full moon, which soon settled over the Furret. Strips tried to keep awake, but he could not and soon he fell over in a slump, though Matthew smiled at how Erika had fallen into his trap. At that exact moment Strips began to snore loudly, disrupting some of the sleeping plants around them as well as beginning to hurt the Oddish.

"Okay Oddish, Tackle now," Erika ordered in a whisper of a voice, but Matthew had heard her and knew nothing could stop the assault, but he also knew that Strips had good stamina for battle. This kept up for about two minutes before Strips woke up and gave another Quick Attack, hitting Oddish into a near tree and fainting her, her stamina already weak from all of Strips' Snore Attacks.

"Very good, Matthew, but are you ready for your next opponent?" Erika asked rhetorically, her voice still soft and soothing. She then threw out her last Pokemon for the match, revealing to no one's surprise the Gloom that she had battled with for three matches in a row.

"Is she always going to use that Pokemon?" Firestorm muttered at seeing the same Gloom. "Doesn't she have any others?" She was clearly annoyed at seeing the same Gloom and not being able to attack the Pokemon, so all she did was a Growl that fell on deaf ears to all but those around her.

"Relax, Firestorm. I find it kind of nice to not have to be on the lookout and always worrying about what will come at me next. I never had that even in the pack; I was always worried that someone like Fiery Tail would come after me to bully me," Matt whined, enjoying the sounds of the greenhouse at night.

Firestorm only growled at that name. "Yeah, but if he had laid just one paw on you I would be on him and give his ego a bruising."

"Strips do a Swift Attack now," Matthew commanded from his spot, having already seen a poison Powder float down and cover Strips all over. Strips was now showing signs that it was getting worse.

"Gloom, let's do a Tackle attack to dodge those stars," Erika commanded, still using her soft and soothing voice; however, there was an edge to it that the Pokemon could pick up on, one of frustration and despair at seeing another loss.

Strips closed his eyes and soon yellow stars appeared in the air over his head. Then the group of stars shot forward at the Gloom, a fair amount hitting her as she ran at Strips, who at the last moment jumped to the left and used his own Tackle attack, knocking her over.

"Now!" Matthew shouted at Strips, who right away began to use a Fury Swipes, scratching the Gloom about four times before she could get away from him.

"Gloom, keep in there, you just need to hold out till that Furret faints." At her words Strips suddenly stiffened and let out a cry of pain before flopping over in a faint.

"Strips, return," Matthew stated in a cool voice as he pointed Strips' Pokeball at the Pokemon. A red beam shot from the red and white orb and hit the ferret Pokemon before turning him all red and sucking him back into the ball.

Matthew then reached back and unclipped another of the orbs before launching it into the air. In mid-arch it opened up to reveal a purple rat that immediately looked around before sighting the Gloom and then bared its two large teeth.

"Sir Thief, Quick Attack now," Matthew commanded in a firm voice. Sir Thief then took off with yet another white streak of energy coming from his path behind him.

"Sir Thief?" Erika asked in bafflement before taking on a more serious look. "Gloom, Poison Powder now at that Rattata, same tactics as before." Her voice never once rose in volume, nor did it loss its soothing tone.

Sir Thief, though, hit the Gloom right as she unleashed the deadly spores. Unfortunately for the Gloom the attack did some major damage.

"Now use Hyper Fang, Sir Thief." Matthew then turned to face Erika directly. "His name is that because no apple is safe if he is in the area."

The Gloom fainted after being hit again, and Erika returned it and stared at Matthew Vixen. "You either have some good strategies or you have higher than normal Pokemon. I pick the latter. Care to explain? Especially as to why they obey you so well?" Her voice had now taken a serious tone, as well as a sharpness that made Matt and Firestorm stare at her.

"Simple. Two words: Team Rocket. They have made my team grow up fast as well as gain a mutual respect. I assure you that is the truth," Matthew stated bluntly and with a tone of no nonsense, showing nothing in his face, actions, or voice that would otherwise it.

Erika's face took on a look one of pity for a moment at the mention of them being attacked over and over by Rockets.

"Please, I assure you that we need no pity from anyone, okay?" Matthew said in a flat tone of voice, completely startled in his that a Gym Leader would have pity on him.

"Hey, can we go now?" Firestorm asked as she stretched and trotted over to Matthew. Matt only pointed his noise at the sliding doors leading outside into the cool summer night.

Matthew just nodded and, after returning Sir Thief, walked out and headed back in the general direction of the Pokemon Center, not knowing that a small band of people were watching from the shadows of an alleyway.