"The truth is my dear readers that even I can't comprehend the impact pokèmon left on our world back then, some can't even now, but I do know that while some may see pokèmon as equals others don't, they freely use their powers only to dispose of them later on but then again don't we all ?"

Philip Aberworth,writer of the book 'Trust' (December 12th 2514)

Chapter Eleven

Battle

When I returned from training Goliath I ate dinner and then walked up to my room only to be stopped by Josh once more, his face practically radiating happiness.

"What happened ?" I asked him.

"I am just so happy" he nearly squealed.

"Why ?" I raised my eyebrows while asking this.

"Because I just know what to do to keep Lola safe and still doing something !"

"Yeah sure .. what is it ?"

" I want to become a coordinator !" he said with a huge grin.

" ... "

He was still grinning.

" You just found that out ?"

" huh ?"

"I could have told you that the moment we left"

"Oh .. but I'm so happy ~ ! I'm going to tell Danny !" he literally skipped away.

Remind me why I liked him.

Before I went to bed I put my clothes in the laundry-machine because I began to smell .. a lot and decided that since tomorrow was the last day I had to train I would take Nate .. or at least try to.

I woke up in the middle of the night, the curtains moving slightly in the wind coming from the open window, I closed it before walking down the stairs to get to the main room from the center.

I grabbed a mug on my down and went to the kitchen to fill it with hot chocolate before sitting down on one of the couches and drinking the hot chocolate, nearly burning my mouth by doing so.

I noticed some other trainers sitting on the couches in the room but we all ignored one another for the same reason, who wants to be bothered when sitting on a couch drinking hot chocolate because you can't sleep ?
I don't, nor do they apparently.

Once I was finished drinking I walked to the row of table with the computers on it and decided to search for a 'Aggressive/abusing/ignorant pokèmon training guide for dummies' and to my amazement there was one.

But sadly enough it was written for fire-pokèmon and only covered 'How to heal burns' 'What to do when Charizard put your house on fire' 'How to pet a Slugma' and 'Fighting fire with water' so no luck there.

I shut the computer down and walked back to my room, Josh snoring ever so lightly and the two girls sharing the couch and occasionally mumbling about purple Mareep while Danny slept silently but he did drool on his cushion .. a lot.

I went up to my bed an laid down while staring at the ceiling, soon I was once more visiting the land of dreams.

I woke up around 10 in the morning and grabbed a glass of milk and some cereal when I got to the kitchens before offering to help Nurse Joy clean the center, Why ? So I will have less time to spend with Nate.

It took about 2 hours to clean the center and she even gave me some money !
That means that I can survive another weak in the wild with my money .. Yay !
I grabbed Nate's pokèball and set out for route 211, the same one I trained Goliath and Bob the previous days.

I only dared to release Nate once we were in about the middle of the route and before I did that I put on my gloves, one can't be careful enough.

"Nate" I began "Quit being an annoying pokèmon and actually listen to me, I want to win the gym badge tomorrow and you are not helping me by not listening-"

Nate growled something but stayed in his place with a glare.

"-And if we win we will be recognized as stronger .. we would all be stronger .. imagine that Nate .. the more you listen the more experience I get causing you to get stronger as well !"

Something sparked in his eyes when he heard this and he stomped his front-paws on the ground in a weak imitation of a rearing Rapidash before looking back at me, the eerie glint still in his eyes.

He then marched over to a bush and came back with a Meditite in his jaws, he then threw it on the ground before marching back to me without shooting me as much as glance he took a battle stance and just watched the Meditite lying there, struggling to get up.

"Tackle it !" I yelled.

Nate glanced at me before grunting and charging towards the Meditite, within a second the Meditites eyes glowed brightly green and he easily evaded Nates tackle, Nate jumped and turned around in mid-air, once again facing the Meditite.

"Poison Sting come on !" I was growing desperate, If we lost I knew for sure that Nate would ignore me even more.

Nate opened his mouth and a purple glow appeared and a second later long purple needles fired in rapid succession from his mouth, the Meditites eyes flashed green again and he once more evaded the attack only to be hit full in the chest when Nate fired another time. The Meditite fell to the ground and didn't stand up.

We won.

I walked to Nate and awkwardly petted his head, or attempted to because the moment I touched him he made a move to bite my hand and I quickly withdrew it.

I guess it's just a working relationship .. I hope.

We continued this the whole afternoon until I got tired, I praised Nate once more before returning him to his ball and walking back to Eterna.

Danny and Josh both congratulated me Josh by exclaiming "Took you long enough to get that purple thing to listen!" and Danny's soft "Good job .. "

I left my pokèmon in Nurse Joys care for the night, they needed to be healed for tomorrows match and then I ate a delicious dinner consisting of leftover pizza.

I went to bed and did my stuff, I even picked up my forgotten clothes from the laundry-room and decided to wear them tomorrow .. or the day after that.

Before I went to bed I called my mom to tell her about my progress and she didn't even try to talk me into coming back, my dads influence I guess.

I slept like the dead, I woke much to late and the sun was mocking me by shining happily through the window.

I ate my breakfast, got my pokèmon, brushed my teeth and even showered for the first time since leaving home.

Then I walked to the gym with Danny and Josh following, Danny to battle Gardenia as well and Josh to watch.

Once we arrived at the gym we were nearly overwhelmed by the amount of trainers standing there, at least 20 trainers boys,girls,young,old were standing in front of the door, some were pacing, others discussing battle strategies and one was looking as he might wet himself .. poor guy.

And at exactly 11 o'clock the door opened and Gardenia walked out while looking at us with a sneer.

"Sooo " she drawled "Will all the brats with either a Bidoof or Starly as only pokèmon leave ?" about five people walked away.

"And all those idiots with a Starly and a Bidoof may leave as well .." ten people walked away.

"Those with at least one pink, blue or white pokèmon can leave as well" eight people walked away the majority of them female, leaving 4 in total, Danny, unknown guy, almost wet-himself guy and me.

"Congratulations " Gardenia mumbled, her voice laced with sarcasm "Apparently you are either original or just plain lucky with your choice in pokèmon .. just great .. now come on I don't have all day .. stupid brats" Gardenia walked in while continuing to mutter 'brats' 'spoiled' and 'idiots' every few steps.

We stopped at a square completely made out of sand with a few bushes and trees placed on it.

"Okay you little kiddies, you know the rules .. I use 3 pokèmon you can use all the pokèmon you want .. No moves of mass destruction on your part I however get to use them because I am the responsible person here and you're all just brats .. got it oh and the Eterna City Gym is not held responsible for possible trauma,injury or death"

We all looked shocked while she just looked at us.

"You there" she pointed at nearly-wet-himself guy who looked downright horrified "you're up first"

The guy stuttered something before shuffling to the field and summoning a creature I quickly recognized as a Wurmple, I scooted backwards and looked the other way.

Two minutes later Gardenia called the next trainer forth because nearly-wet-himself guy forfeited after his Wurmple was knocked out and nearly ran out of the gym.

Next up was Danny, he defeated Gardenia in less than 5 minutes seeing how Pipers speed and Ember attack did the job just fine causing Gardenia to get red and yell at poor Danny who was shy enough already.

"Stupid brats and their stupid-" Gardenia kicked a bench "- Fire pokèmon stupid unoriginal brats !" she threw her arms in the air before letting out a long scream "AAAAAARRGH !" then she pointed at me still looking angry "You there, battle now !"

I wasted no time and nearly ran to the battlefield because quite frankly I too was scared.

Gardenia picked 3 different pokèballs from her belt and called forth a Turtwig.

"Go, Goliath !" I yelled while throwing the ball in the air and Goliath materialized from it pumping his ears in the air with a happy squeal.

Gardenia yawned and waved her hand dismissively "Another forest-pokèmon .. Turtwig just bite it's head off already"

"Hey!" I yelled angry "What's with that ?"

Gardenia sighed "Whatever .. just bite it already but don't bite its head off .. happy now ? damn brats ..."

The Turtwig started running with a surprisingly high speed towards Goliath who was watching him intently, waiting for me to order.

"Fire Punch" I came out without even a thought.

Gardenia's eyes widened as she saw my Buneary's ear catching flame and he quickly charged towards the Turtwig, hitting its face with his ear causing the small green pokèmon to give a pained cry before being punched again resulting in its fainting.

"Good job Goliath !" I cheered, Goliath jumped up and down and skipped over to me only to start jumping around me in circles while waving his paws around.

"Return Turtwig" Gardenia sighed while glaring at me "Cherubi, finish it off" and a small pink berry-like pokèmon appeared from the ball.

The moment the Cherubi was on the ground its leaves started glowing white and I looked at Josh who was standing on the sidelines.

"What kind of attack is that ?" I asked him.

He shrugged before answering "Don't know"

I decided not to care and ordered another Fire Punch, as Goliath ran towards the Cherubi it's leaves started glowing even brighter, was it a Flash attack or something ?

The moment Goliaths ear made contact however, it happened, a bright flash of yellow energy blasted from Cherubi's mouth and shot straight ahead, directly hitting Goliath before going straight through te roof creating a big hole.

I guess that's a Solarbeam then.

But when the attack ended I saw two pokèmon lying on the ground, Cherubi and Goliath were both knocked out, Cherubi once the Fire Punch hit and Goliath once the Solarbeam hit.

I scratched my head "Okay .. then .. yeah .. err .. return I guess" I mumbled as I returned Goliath and grabbed Nate's pokèball "Your turn Nate" I sighed as Nate appeared on the field.

Meanwhile Gardenia also returned her pokèmon, a vein was clearly visible on her head as she angrily shouted something about brats again before sending out her final pokèmon, a Roserade.

"Magical Leaf !" she shouted once her Roserade appeared and the Roserade wasted no time and started spinning around, the flowers on its arms started glowing green and soon bright green leaves whirled around it only to suddenly shoot right at Nate.

"Evade it !" I cried out, desperately as Nate jumped to the side, a part of the attack still hitting him.

"Poison Sting !"

Nate opened his mouth to fire the familiar purple needles and Roserade quickly countered with another Magical Leaf.

"Try again !" I yelled and Nate glanced at me before firing another rain of needles at the Roserade who countered with Magical leaf again, Gardenia was smirking now.

"Ittsy-Wittsy brat is losing" she grinned.

"This isn't working" I said through clenched teeth "Let's try this, get up close and personal .. Nate Double Kick !"

Nate charged towards the Roserade and then jumped in the air, his hind legs started glowing and he came down on the Roserade and kicked it straight in the ground.

I grinned, it worked .. it worked !

Gardenia just shook her head with a smile "Don't think you've won little brat" she smiled a rather scary smile and said "Weather Ball"

Roserade held its two flowers together and an orange ball started to form, then streams of fire appeared around it and Roserade threw it at Nate.

"Oh shi- Jump or duck or just don't get hit !" I yelled and Nate turned around to glare at me only to get hit on his back by the Weather Ball, he fell forward and didn't get up.

I had only one pokèmon left .. Bob.

I recalled Nate and grabbed Bob's ball before sighing "Okay then .. it comes down on you then .. Bob go for it .." and my female Bidoof appeared on the battlefield.

Gardenia lost it then, she started laughing so laud that several Gym-Trainers came to watch and they too started laughing.

"what's so funny ?" I demanded.

"It's a FEMALE Bidoof !" they cracked up again.

"I know."

"And you named it BOB ?"

"Yeah .. " I scratched my head.

"Never mind" Gardenia said "Let's make it quick shall we ? Roserade just tackle it"

"Bob .. tackle it as well .. " I wished I forfeited when I had the chance.

Bob ran –slowly- towards the Roserade and both hit one another at the same time and both fell over but apparently my 40kg Bidoof had so much luck today.

The Roserade didn't stand up, Bob did.

Apparently I won .. and seeing how being tackled by something at least 3 times heavier than you is painful + just being double kicked by an angry purple pokèmon did the job.

I won !

Gardenia screamed, she then proceeded to yell something about it being unfair and a Bidoof and a lot of other things, she then marched over to me and roughly threw a badge, money and a cd in my hand with 'Grass Knot' written on it before marching away.

I WON !

But as I walked out of the Gym my excitement was quickly over.

There, in front of me, stood someone I didn't particularly want to see.

Disclaimer: Pokèmon isn't mine.
I kept my promise so here is the new chapter, I tried to improve my battle scene so I hope it payed off.
Not much to say, the chapter came quite easily and was written today because yesterday I went surfing (Wind Surfing) with my family for Mothers Day (My mom didn't want a gift today)
And I reached 30.000 words (on here) so I'm happy ~
Clearing things up:
1. Josh a Coordinator ? Yeah .. he has to do something once okay ? And I don't see him and Lola battling in the near future,
2. Danny and Jacob both won the gym on their first try ? Gardenia isn't that difficult just annoying + Goliath did 2, Nate and Bob just did the Roserade .. I originally wanted Jacob to have 3 tries before winning but I wasn't in the mood to write three whole battle scenes to this is what happened instead.
did Nate listen now ? Because Nate has a very particular goal in mind .. you'll find out *Insert another Evil Laughter*
Reviewers:
Neelyn8r:
Thank you and you're welcome !
I did my best on the last chapter so I'm very happy you liked it !
Bob really is cute and very heavy resulting in winning from a Roserade ! I likes Bob ~
I'm very glad you liked the "Jacob as a Gary-Stu' chapter-thingy as well .. it was so entertaining to write it mainly because it's so easy to write a perfect character with 'awesome' pokèmon and a cape compared to writing an idiot with weird friends and downright crazy pokèmon that any fool can capture .. the whole 'be good at anything' thing is something I'm still struggling with because I don't want Jacob to become a Gary-Stu .. Ever.
Anyway I hope you like this chapter as well !

Next chapter: Probably in a week .. might take longer because my schedule is full so it'll take a while compared to the other chapters.