Disclaimer: I know heaps of writers who hop onto to write stories related to the series that they own, especially when a new series is about to come out...oh wait.

Skylar walked out of the Staryubucks feeling highly contented. He'd enjoyed his admittedly lackluster breakfast which consisted of hot chocolate and a brownie but it was enough to keep the teen satisfied. As he walked out he reached for his belt and released his Roselia. He'd been focusing on appeasing Roselia but he knew that it was a sensitive time and she needed all the attention she could get.

"So, how did you enjoy that battle?" The teen asked.

"Rose, roselia!" The bipedal flower announced while happily jumping up and down in excitement.

"Guess you're not used to battling for fun huh?" The trainer continued.

Roselia nodded, times before Skylar had been dark and although it still wasn't totally sure about trusting this boy he seemed to be much better than it'd previous trainer. He seemed to actually care about her well being and have her in mind.

Walking throughout the town Skylar observed all of the buildings that surrounded him, Santalune was certainly a bustling spot. People sped around, attending to their business and doing whatever they needed to do. It made the teen realize that he had nothing to do and as such he just continued to wander aimlessly.

Soon however he found himself lost but he was willing to just walk. But he needed a landmark to head towards so he chose a large looking building. Walking towards it his attention was captured when he saw a sign out the front.

His eyes widened slightly and he felt a grin come to his face, he'd found the gym of Santalune City. However suddenly a boy who seemed taller than him walked out of the gym with a gush of hot air following him.

Blue tips which led to black roots hung over his forehead but he didn't seem to mind, he had an almost cheeky glint in his eyes and he seemed to be skinny yet not ridiculously so and he had a skin tone of dark vanilla. Upon seeing Skylar he grinned, he seemed friendly enough and the younger trainer was willing to get to know him.

"Ah, so you're challenging the gym?" The jovial trainer asked curiously.

"I sure am, and I'm pretty sure you just won, judging by that grin." Skylar replied.

"Yep, but she was a tough trainer." He replied before raising one of his fists into the air and clenching it with excitement.

"It was a great battle, I loved every minute of it." He continued before grinning wryly.

"It just BUGGED me that it didn't go on longer!" The older trainer added as the punch line.

Skylar laughed as he didn't understand the joke. He couldn't understand what had possessed the older teen to emphasize the word 'bugged' but he didn't want to seem rude.

"Anyway, I'm Skylar Winter." He tactically added in order to try and move the conversation away from the joke he didn't understand.

"Tyler Sanders." The older boy replied as he extended his hand.

The two exchanged a handshake. It was slightly odd for two boys of such an age to perform this age old ritual but at that point Skylar didn't honestly care.

"So, got any gym badges?" Tyler asked after the two had shaken hands awkwardly for nearly a minute.

"This'll be my first." Skylar replied as he broke the handshake.

"This is my fourth." The older boy replied.

Skylar was slightly shocked until he remembered that most people started their journey much younger than he did and the boy would actually only need a few months to a year to gain that kind of advantage on him.

"Wow, you must be strong." The younger boy replied.

"Gym badges aren't everything." Tyler replied with a sheepish grin.

"Yeah, but I'm still just starting out." Skylar replied.

"Well in that case would you mind if I watched your gym battle? I'd like to see what you've got." The older boy asked.

"Sure, I don't have any problem with it." Skylar replied.

"Alrighty then, let's head in." Tyler announced with a grin.

Calmly walking towards it he shuddered in anticipation before opening the door and raising his eyebrows upon entry.

The gym was full of lush plants and appeared to be like some sort of a contained jungle. It was humid and warm which made it seem like some sort of a greenhouse. Roselia sighed contentedly as it seemingly relished the higher amount of moisture in the air.

Looking around Skylar soon noticed a large area in the centre of the building that was clear of any and all flora. Standing on the other side was a blonde woman with a camera around her neck putting her pokeballs into a machine.

She quickly turned around and grinned before heading towards the two. Skylar decided to walk towards her and the spectator followed. Soon the two were standing in the centre of the field.

"Tyler, you just won! Are you really here to have a rematch?" The woman asked incredulously.

"Nah, my pokemon are too tired. But my friend Skylar here is ready to challenge you, it's his first time so be gentle." The boy explained while whispering the second half of the sentence.

Skylar buried his face in his hand, he couldn't believe that his new friend had even made that reference. It was in poor form and Viola herself was rubbing the back of her head, unsure of how to act.

"Um anyway, we should probably get to the fight right?" Skylar asked.

"Oh yes! Just let me collect my pokemon. By the way how many do you have?" Viola asked curiously.

"Two." Skylar replied.

"Is that a problem?" He asked shortly after.

"No, not at all, we'll just have to have a two on two match." She explained.

She them grinned before moving over briskly to the same place where the machine which she used to heal her pokemon was located.

"Well, I'd better get up to the stands." Tyler explained while the younger teen glared at him jokingly.

"Yeah, we might just need to talk about your idea of humor." Skylar replied as the spectators laughed and walked towards what seemed to be the equivalent of the spectator stands.

It was a large stone staircase which was covered in moss and admittedly didn't look overly comfortable. However Tyler sat down and seemingly relaxed without complaint on the piece of supposedly natural masonry so Skylar decided not to question it.

Meanwhile Viola had gone to some kind of computer and pressed a few buttons before suddenly two materialized with a small flash of light. Grinning Viola then walked over to her side of the field as her opponent assumed his position.

It was at the time that a surprised looking referee dressed in a green long sleeved shirt, white shorts and an apron appeared from within the forest. Dropping off the dark green garment which was not a part of his uniform

"As the gym leader I will have to release the first pokemon." Viola explained.

"And she will not be able to substitute pokemon, the challenger however will! The first trainer to have two pokemon faint is the loser. BEGIN!" The referee loudly announced which surprised Skylar.

The man certainly was loud.

"Alright, I need you Vivillon!" Viola announced as she threw one of her pokeballs out onto the field.

Suddenly the ball exploded in a flash of light before elegantly landing back in the hand of the gym leader. Floating on the field was a creature resembling a butterfly which flapped its wings and hung in the air. Just as he reached for a pokeball Skylar's mind suddenly flashed back to a certain conversation he'd had with Tyler about 'bugging.'

Skylar groaned audibly while Viola looked at him curiously. Meanwhile Tyler was grinning bemusedly at the fact that the younger trainer had only just understood the joke.

"I can't believe he even...never mind." Skylar shook off the thought.

Looking at the bug type the challenger knew he couldn't use Roselia which was quite unfortunate, he was already at a disadvantage from the start. With only one of his pokemon having a type advantage and the other being weak to the type he needed to be very careful where he stepped.

"Fennekin, let's do this!" The teen yelled as he released the small fire fox.

The two pokemon stared each other down for a few seconds before Viola grinned happily.

"Since you're the challenger you get the first move!" She called across.

"Alrighty then, Fennekin, start this off with an Ember!" Skylar commanded.

Nodding Fennekin opened up its mouth and fired a small jet of flame at the bug type however Vioka seemed oddly prepared for this scenario as she merely chuckled.

"Vivillon, use Gust to block it!" The gym leader commanded.

And with a flap of its wings the butterfly was able to create a tornado around itself which dispersed the flames upon contact. That shocked the younger trainer, he didn't even realize that moves could be used in such a manner and he suddenly realized just how powerful that pokemon would have to be in order to deflect an attack with a type advantage.

"And now use Infestation!" Viola continued.

Before Skylar could act what seemed to be a swarm of red and purple bugs of energy was sent flying towards Fennekin. It soon collided and sent the fox flying backwards. Although the fire type as able to stand quickly afterwards the bugs suddenly appeared around the skin of the fox and caused it to fall to the ground.

Skylar hadn't expected the attack and had been too busy musing over just how strong his opponent's pokemon was. However he was going to bounce back no matter the cost.

"Fennekin, hit it with another Ember!" Skylar yelled.

The fire type forced itself up and sent another jet of flame flying towards the powerful bug type. However once more Viola was multiple steps ahead.

"Use Light Screen." She commanded and in an instant a yellow barrier appeared in front of the butterfly.

As the flames came through they subsided until only a handful of embers touched the creature, not bothering it in the slightest.

"Use Poison Powder!" Viola continued as Fennekin flinched as the bugs appeared once more.

"Suddenly the fire type was hit with a series of purple spores which caused it to cough. Following this it winced from pain before suddenly collapsing, all of the damage done to it from the recurring Infestation and the poison had been too much for the pokemon to handle. Skylar was shocked.

Meanwhile in the stand Tyler was observing the battle intendedly. She'd used a similar strategy against him although he was able to eventually break through and score the win, however she'd used the powerful move Toxic to poison his pokemon instead of poison powder.

Returning the fire type Skylar felt a little numb but attempted to devise a strategy, he failed miserably. His only option was Roselia and if Vivillion could effortlessly defeat a pokemon with a type advantage he'd hate to see what it could do when it had the type advantage.

"I forfeit." Skylar suddenly announced which surprised everybody present.

Roselia had certainly been fearing that it would have to fight against that powerful butterfly but to see her trainer, who had always shown her so much kindness and seemingly always had confidence to give up was quite a shock. Although she was admittedly relieved that she wouldn't have to deal with Fennekin's opponent.

Meanwhile Tyler was mildly surprised. To see this boy who he'd just met give up didn't seem all that surprising as he barely knew him. But forfeits in gym battles were rare and usually only occurred when a pokemon was seriously injured and the trainer didn't want to risk its health for a gym badge they could get at a later date.

Viola was surprised herself, it had been a long time since she'd received a forfeit and as such she wasn't entirely sure how to react to it. She merely returned her pokemon as the referee called the battle.

"The challenger forfeits meaning that Viola is the victor!" He announced.

Skylar himself wasn't really sure how to react so he merely returned his pokemon and nodded to the gym leader before turning around and leaving the building, Roselia following him close behind.

Tyler quickly rose from his seat and briskly jogged down to meet the younger trainer. He succeeded and he was soon waking alongside him. As the two left the gym Skylar let out a sigh.

At that point he was a volatile cocktail of emotions. Rage, confusion, sadness, shame, confusion, everything coursed through him. He honestly didn't know how to react but he felt sick in his stomach. What he'd just done was a terrible thing indeed. And it was because he wasn't the one who had to suffer the consequences.

"That was...humiliating." Skylar confided as he walked towards where the Pokemon Centre was located.

"Hey, don't let it get you down. There's a good training spot just near the city that you should head to after your pokemon are healed." Tyler explained.

Suddenly Skylar froze and paled slightly before cruising to himself colorfully. He'd totally forgiven about the concept of training his pokemon! What kind of an idiot was he? To think he'd thought he could take on a gym at that level!

Storming towards the Pokemon Centre Roselia struggled to keep up until he eventually walked inside. Tyler had been walking in silence and he continued to not speak until the younger trainer had returned his grass type to the ball it came from and handed both over to Nurse Joy before the older trainer gave over three Pokeballs to the nurse.

"Skyalr, I need to ask you something." Tyler explained as the two sat down on a chair.

The number of people seeking to have their pokemon healed was great and it would take a few minutes to get through them all. So the two had an opportunity to talk.

"Yeah?" Skylar asked.

"How much have you trained your pokemon?" The older of the two questioned.

"Not much, come to think of it I haven't trained them at all." Skylar explained before drifting off.

"Hey, don't worry, it's a mistake that's easy to make, especially when you're a newer trainer." Tyler consoled the younger trainer.

"But my dad works in a gym as a trainer, I should have known better!" Skylar replied angrily.

"Nobody's perfect. And sometimes things don't go like you think they would." Tyler replied as he suddenly began to look distant.

Something was clearly bothering the older trainer but the younger one had issues of his own, he'd made a foolish mistake and he'd payed the price for it.

"But Fennekin had to go through all of that pain, just because I didn't have the sense to train him!" Skylar explained angrily, the volume of his voice now growing.

By this point the older trainer was looking at him kindly. That surprised Skylar due to the violent outburst he'd just subjected him to. It was just like that boy from his first day as a trainer. Had he truly learnt nothing since then?

"Nobody's perfect and your pokemon know that. You seem like a good person but sometimes even the best of us make simple mistakes." The older boy explained kindly.

This stopped the teen in his tracks, the older boy had a good point, he'd made a terrible move. But would his pokemon truly forgive him?

"Your pokemon are healed!" Nurse Joy called over to the two of them and in complia me the two trainers arose and took their pokemon.

"Hey, do you mind if I have a moment with my pokemon?" Skylar asked.

"Of course." Tyler replied as he went off to a seat.

Walking outside the trainer sighed before grabbing his two balls and then throwing them into the air. They both exploded in a burst of light and suddenly his two pokemon were standing before him. Fennekin looked around, evidently confused by his sudden reappearance into the world. Roselia however looked at the fiery fox with concern.

The two weren't exactly close but seeing it being thrown around certainly affected the bipedal flower pokemon. They were teammates and even though they didn't share a true bond Roselia had felt sympathy towards it, particularly since it had been physically struck by its owner on multiple occasions.

"Guys, I'm sorry that I've been a bad trainer...I forgot one of the most fundamental aspects of being a trainer. Training. Particularly you Fennekin, you had to pay for my ineptitude and for that I apologize." Skylar said to his pokemon with a great deal of sadness in his voice.

"If either of you want to leave I'll understand completely, I wouldn't want to stay with a trainer who forgets simple things like that." Skylar explained as he began to shake. He was evidently holding back tears.

However upon hearing this statement both of his pokemon looked utterly surprised and called out cries in protest. When Skylar looked down at him they were both giving him a determined look before the two of them both called out their names. The trainer realized what they saying, as he did he felt tears running down his face.

The hot, salty liquid flowed down the teen's face as he looked down at his two loyal companions. He felt himself choke slightly and although he didn't trust his voice he eventually managed to stutter out but two words.

"Y-you guys..." Was all that was uttered before he knelt down and embraced his pokemon who both leapt into his arms as the first snow fell from the sky.

Meanwhile from a window Tyler looked out at the boy with a grin on his face. What he was witnessing was something nearly every trainer went through. A period of severe self doubt that could only be cured by their own pokemon. It warmed his heart to see such a thing occurring. A reminder that there is light in the world.

He'd need to remember that...

A/N: And so another chapter is out. Sorry that it took longer than usual, I've been suffering from a lack of motivation and the fact that I was busy for part of the process and then really couldn't be bothered doing it when I was free.

But I didn't want the quality to fall so I kept working on it, sorry if it isn't as good as normal. In this chapter I tried something a little different, the chapter is slightly darker than usual and focuses more on character development than comedy. Hope I don't suck completely XD

Oh and I have some exciting news for all of you readers, PK Aurastorm and I have recently decided to create a shared universe between this story and Isle of Champions which is an awesome pokemon Fic that I recommend you check out. Ares, Skylar's Uncle will be appearing in that story and I will be writing a story from his perspective as more is released in the main story.

PK Aurastorm is also the creator of Tyler. Speaking of which I am still accepting OC's and will be for a great deal more time so keep 'em coming. The template is in Chapter 3.

Until next time have a little fun and Merry Christmas.

(Expect a Christmas Special.)