Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

Okay! Here's the latest chapter. Thanks so much to OceanSpiral, May and Dawn are the best, Umbree, and Zangoose-Kira for your lovely reviews. I'm so grateful to y'all for keeping up with this story, and giving me such kind feedback. Anyway, here's the latest chapter. I've split it into two parts because I didn't want it getting too long, so…yeah. Please enjoy! I'd love to hear your reviews!

Spotlight
Chapter Eleven: Rock and Rolla

"Ah, Oreburgh!"

A night in the woods, loads of walking, and random Geodude attacks behind us, we arrived in Oreburgh on a bright and sunny day. It seemed a lot warmer here than in comparison to the overhanging woods we had been walking through. Willa and I partnered in several double-battles, but most of the single ones she left to me. I was grateful for that, since Zeke and Ozzy needed to train in preparation for the oncoming gym battle I was to face. I thought that the two of them had leveled up considerably, all things considered.

"About time, right?" Willa said cheekily, stretching out in the light in an almost catlike manner.

The city itself was a very rural looking place, with craggy rocks here and there. I could see that there was a quarry of some sort down towards one end of the town. Overall, the place was only a bit bigger than Floaroma, though it was immensely more populated. People busied themselves moving from the small outlet mall I could make out in the distance, or going from the Pokemon Center to the PokeMart and the other places around town. I suddenly remembered I needed to stock up on Potions and all that jazz.

"Gym time, Corrine?"

"I need to get some Potions and…stuff…" I told Willa, looking up at her. Gordon was perched on her shoulder, hanging on like an odd kind of backpack. With a jolt, I was reminded instantly of Jared and Theo.

"So eloquent," Gordon pointed out. The ever present grin on his face was enough to give me permanent chills, but… I knew I had to get over that. It was silly.

"Hmmm," I heard Willa breathe through her nose as she scratched her head.

"What is it?"

"Well, while you're in that gym battle of yours, I think I'm going to go catch another Pokemon."

"Wh-What?" I stuttered, "Hey, what happened to supporting your friend?"

"Friend? So we're suddenly friends?"

"Willa, I figure any group that have nearly gotten trampled by a herd of Machop are pretty much instantly friends."

Willa grinned at that. Yes, it was true. On the way here, a few missteps and overly loud conversation had landed us into Machop city. And they weren't too happy. Here I thought Machop were generally good natured, but they…well, to say the least, weren't happy to see us. It did help level Zeke and Ozzy up a bit, and I got to see a fair amount of Gordon's prowess, but it was definitely not fun.

"Yeah, well, I'll tell you what. I'm going to be off catching a new Pokemon while you get that gym badge. At the end of the day, meet up at the Pokemon Center and I'll let you meet him or her and you show me that badge!"

"Uh…that totally didn't answer my question."

Willa grinned, "Doesn't matter. It's happening."

"You are a word I can't even say."

"That's my job! Good luck, little hick-a-billy, see ya in a few!" Willa waved at me before starting down some random path. I half-wondered what kind of Pokemon she expected to find here, but then I focused my attention on the Mart, where I knew several things I needed resided there.

I ended up going into the Mart and bought everything I needed there, and then some. I bought food and got another Pokeball to replace the one Zeke broke out of so long ago. In all honesty, I only had enough money for one. Embarrassing.

I figured we should eat lunch before going and battling the gym leader. I only knew that he specialized in rock-type Pokemon, which was why I had to have a water Pokemon with me. Ozzy was my secret weapon. Since Zeke was a fire-type - and part dark, but I digress - he might not be too much of a help, I was remiss to realize.

I unleashed the two of them near a bench and sat down. I opened two cartons of the newly bought Pokemon food and fed that to them. I watched as they chomped down on the food, Ozzy rather enthusiastically and Zeke rather begrudgingly. I smiled and ate the sandwich I had just bought from one of the little shops around town.

"Today's the day, guys," I told them with a mouthful of sandwich. "We're going to get that first gym badge!"

"Duck, duck, duck," Ozzy chortled between his own food. I assumed that was an agreement.

Zeke snorted cynically into his food. Well, at least one of my Pokemon was seemingly civil towards me.

We kinda ate in silence after that. The sound of kids running about - I noticed that Geodude and Nosepass were popular starters here - and playing with their Pokemon was the only sounds around, other than the typical town-y sounds. I realized I missed Floaroma and its tranquility more and more.

I finished off my sandwich just as a boy and his Cacnea came up to me. He was at least eleven, I figured, and I blinked at him as he stopped right in front of me and positioned himself between Zeke and Ozzy.

"Hello!"

"Er…hi."

"My name is Spencer!"

"Um…hey, Spencer."

"This is Carlos!" Spencer pointed to the Pokemon beside him. The Cacnea croaked out a hello and spun slightly.

"Is that your first Pokemon?" I asked him casually.

"Yep!" Spencer beamed and picked up the Cacnea. I wondered idly how he could do that without being poked to death by the spikes. Maybe Cacnea could turn it on and off…but that made no sense. "Are you going to fight Roark?"

"Well, yeah, I was gonna punch him one," I said, but when Spencer looked scandalized, I retracted my statement, "Er, yeah, I was going to try to get my first badge."

"He's a tough one!" Spencer pulled back the fabric of his vest to reveal two shiny badges, "I already got Gardenia's, too!"

I stared blankly at him, "Oh…hell…"

"What did you say, Miss?"

"It's Corrine," I told him, blushing. Calling me Miss. What the hell was this kid…oh, well, he was as adorable as a sack full of Eevee, so I supposed I didn't mind as much.

"Do you mind if I watch your battle, Cori?"

Cori? Oh geez.

"I guess not…" I trailed off. I looked at the kid. His clothes were way too big for his tiny frame, and he had a pair of huge, black-rimmed glasses that kept sliding down his nose. He was holding on to Carlos the Cacnea like the Pokemon was his only life source, but he had a smile on his face. Untidy brown hair fell around his face, curious hazel eyes studied me with the intent only a small kid could get away with. "Fine, Spencer, let's go fight Roark."

"Well, technically, I don't need to because I already have a badge from here…"

"I get that. I was just saying…"

We walked across town, Spencer making idle talk now and then. He was a chatty kid, but one that I could tell knew what he was talking about. Strange.

"Did you know that Pidgey migrate to Hoenn for the winter and Taillow migrate to Kanto for the same season? It's very interesting to think that two native birds switch like that when the snow starts to fall - "

I nodded assent to that, listening to the kid was like getting a schooling in Pokemon 101 all over again. But no, I did not know that, little Spencer. Very interesting. Actually, it was. No sarcasm there.

He had trailed off for a moment and then I asked, "Is Carlos your only Pokemon?"

Spencer shook his head, "Nope! I have a Buizel named June and a Taillow named Solomon. How many Pokemon do you have?"

"Two. As of now," I said, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Spencer bent over and tapped Ozzy on the head, who quacked and grasped his skull with clawed hands. "Duck, duck, duck!"

"Oh, did I hurt him?"

"Nah," I dismissed, peering at Ozzy with a quizzical look, "He's just…special."

"Psy!"

We turned the corner and found ourselves at the gym. Suddenly, I felt my heart start to patter sporadically in my chest. This was it. My first gym battle, which would lead - hopefully - to my first gym badge. I would officially be in the gym circuit. Adrenaline sped through my veins and I stepped forward.

"Are you cold? Your hands are shaking."

I turned around and gave him a Mean Look that would have every Bannette quaking in their boots. I shivered, Bannette. Not a welcome image to have before a match as big as this one. "No, I'm fine, Spencer. Let's go."

"Okay!" he exclaimed. I heard his slight stumble as he tripped over his shoelaces and tried to suppress a laugh.

I pushed the doors of the gym open and stared.

And stared.

Did I mention I stared?

I wasn't sure where to get started. There were boulders everywhere, jutting up from the rocky ground and from the sides of the walls and from every place I could think of. Of course, Roark was a rock-type trainer, so I guessed this was expected. I looked around to try to find out where exactly Roark was, but to no avail. There were stairs and bridges and ropes hanging from every nook and cranny of the place.

"Challenger!"

I jumped and let out a small yelp. Feeling a blush form on my cheeks, I turned in the direction of the voice, "Yes?"

He was a young boy with a hardhat on. Dirt coated his cheeks and I couldn't tell if his hair was actually that brown in color or if the dirt had expanded to there as well.

"I'm the first gym trainer here! You are to fight me before you can get to Roark."

I blinked at him before turning to Spencer, "It's true," he said, shrugging his tiny little shoulders.

Sighing, I said, "Alright, then. Let's go!"

The gym trainer ended up having only a Geodude and a Zubat, which were surprisingly taken out by both Zeke and Ozzy in a double battle. I grinned over at the kid who was blushing to the roots of his hair. I felt pride surge in my chest, but that was trampled when Ozzy decided, in a fit of elation over the victory, to latch his bill onto Zeke's stubby little tail. To say the least, it wasn't pretty, and I was blushing so hard I thought blood would pour out my ears by the end of it. I ended up pulling them apart by force, giving them a few Potions, and then returning them both so they wouldn't harass one another while I tried to actually find Roark in the boulder bonanza around me.

"Are you the only gym trainer here?"

"…yes."

"Okay!" I grinned toothily in Spencer's direction, "On to Roark, then!"

"Newbies…" I heard him mutter, but I decided to ignore it. The big dog in town was next, and I was more than pumped from my unorthodox victory.

To get to Roark, however, was a completely different story. I had to maneuver myself over bridges that hung between pillars, getting hung up in dead ends and whatnot before I finally arrived in front of the man himself.

"Hi, I'm Roark, the leader of this gym. You look pretty green, but I won't go easy on you! You'll have to earn that first badge from me!"

I ignored the jab at my experience and gave him a slight smile. More nervous than I thought I would be, I placed my hands in my pockets and fiddled around for one of my Pokeballs, "Alright, let's go, Zeke!"

The ball split in two with a crack. A flash of light, and my starter was standing in front of me, his short tail waggling idly. He gave a bark and dug his paws into the dirt as Roark appraised him with an amused expression.

"Oh, don't you know? Houndour are part fire-type, they have a weakness against rock-types - "

I turned toward Spencer, "Um, yeah."

"Then, why - "

"It'll be okay, Spenc - "

"Geodude, Rock Throw!"

I squeaked, "Zeke! Oh my Palkia, dodge it!"

Zeke got smacked by one of the rocks and dodged the rest. Well, at least Roark was starting out with a Geodude, one of the Pokemon Zeke had gone up against when we had fought that gym trainer, so I had a bit of confidence that he could pull his off. "Try an Ember!"

Zeke ran around on the rocky terrain that encircled us, jumping and dodging Geodude's fists, and - well, fists. It didn't really have anything else. Other than the rocks, and those were plentiful around here. He dodged one particularly rough looking rock and shot out an Ember that charred Geodude's side.

"Geo!" Geodude groaned as it pushed itself forward, using its hands, and threw itself into a tackle.

"Atta girl!" Roark crowed, pumping a fist in the air, "Try Mud Slide!"

"Dude!" the Geodude crowed before - somehow - summoning mud and tossing it into my Houndour's direction. It caught Zeke in the face, and he whined, swiping his face with his paws, trying to get regain his sight.

"Tackle!"

Geodude launched herself into Zeke's side with a triumphant grin, and Zeke howled in pain. I winced, reaching desperately for my Pokeball to return him, but Zeke bore down at Geodude at the last second, snarling and growling like a Pokemon possessed, and then Tackling it back. I wasn't sure if it would hurt Geodude, but the skull cap caught her in her side, and she let out a rugged scream. Zeke was on her in a flash before I could call out any moves, scratching and clawing and chewing at the rock-type's surface until the small boulder-like Pokemon was immobilized.

Roark blinked a few times before recalling the Geodude with a, "Good job, girl." He then turned his eyes on me before unlatching another Pokeball from his belt. "That Houndour of yours was lucky that first time against a type disadvantage. I'd like to see him beat this!"

Roark threw the Pokeball in front of him, it opened with a loud crack and a flash of light. I fought the urge to shield my eyes as a large, snakelike creature appeared, made of several boulders. The thing was so huge I had to crane my neck to look into its eyes, and then regretted doing so.

Zeke was so tiny compared to the large, imposing Onix.

He stood his ground, though, looking completely unfazed by the gigantic rock-snake. I fought the urge to return him, imagining all kinds of awful things that could happen, but I didn't. But oh, I wanted to.

"Onix, Tackle!"

I saw Zeke tense and brace himself for the blow, and I felt myself doing the same.

At that point, I could only hope.

End.