Arden rubbed his cheek where Dixie had kissed him as he made his way toward Saffron's unofficial pokemon gym. His cheeks were still red with embarrassment. "What a weird guy, that Dixie," said Arden to Quenelle. "What's he up to with things like that, huh?"

"Auros," said Quenelle, tossing his head.

They traversed a boulevard, until at last they came upon two large buildings which stood side by side. Both of the buildings looked, to Arden, like gyms—however, one was slightly smaller and had a more traditional feel to it. The larger gym beside it was stark and plain, its entrance guarded by a grunt for Team Rocket. Arden looked back toward the smaller gym. "I guess this must be the one, then," he said, walking toward it.

The door to the gym was made of a wood frame and paper, which slid open. Arden pushed it out of his way and entered with Quenelle close behind him. Within, the gym was a large room, empty of all furniture. A few scrolls were hung up on the walls, displaying calligraphy. Four men in martial arts outfits were practicing kicks in the center of the room while, at the back of the gym, a fifth man supervised them. Arden closed the door behind Quenelle. "This looks like a literal gym," he muttered to the pokemon. Quenelle nodded silently.

Hesitating slightly, Arden took a few steps forward, past the entry way and into the gym proper. "Uh, hi—I was just wondering," Arden began, but was cut short by one of the fighters.

"Who's that who enters our dojo?!" shouted the man.

Arden paused. "Uh, well, my name's Arden—ah, I'm a pokemon trainer and… well, which one of you is the leader here? That's all I—"

"To get to the leader, you must fight!" said the same man, striding toward Arden. "I will fight you first!"

"You're not going to hit me, are you?" asked Arden, stepping behind Quenelle. "I thought this was a pokemon gym—I swear, if it isn't, I'll leave quietly!"

"Hyah!" yelled the fighter, throwing a pokeball. "Primeape, go!"

Arden sighed with relief. "Oh, a pokemon battle," he said. "Well, alright then. Quen, get 'em!"

"Aurrrros!" shouted the pokemon, lurching forward. His hooves clacked against the wooden floor.

"Primeape, seismic toss!"

"Quenelle, use thunderbolt!" said Arden.

"Taur!" shouted Quenelle, cracking his tails like whips. As the primeape came at him, he lowered his head and, eyes aglow, produced a blast of electricity from the jewels on his forehead. The lightning struck the primeape mid-stride, sending it reeling backwards, and tumbling across the ground in a state of unconsciousness. "Aur-aur-aur!"

"Return, primeape!" said the fighter, holding up a pokeball. With a flash, the fainted pokemon was recalled and he lowered it, grabbing up another pokeball from his belt. "Machop, go!"

"Quen, surf!"

"Aur-aur-auros!" shouted Quenelle, pounding his hooves to the floor and producing a massive wave which knocked back the foe's pokemon, fainting it easily.

Arden laughed. "I'm unstoppable!" he shouted, throwing his arms around the tauros' neck. "We can't be beaten!"

"Auros," said Quenelle, licking Arden's forehead sloppily.

The door to the dojo scraped open. "Another challenger?" asked one of the martial artists, pausing in his practice.

"Nope," came Gaius' voice from behind Arden. "Just lookin' for baby brother… Ah, well maybe I'll have a few fights. What we doin' in here? Pokemon fighting, or fist fighting? I'm up for either."

Arden turned around. "Gaius," he said. "You're back… And you're wearing a suit."

Gaius brushed the lapel of his jacket with his thumb. "Yeah," he said. "I headed straight out here after Dad's funeral. It was a nice service… Mom's damn upset with you for not coming. She's really, really pissed."

"She'll get over it," said Arden looking down with a shrug.

"Nah, I wouldn't be so sure about that, baby brother," Gaius said, smirking. "She's outside right now, and she's pissed off."

Arden's eyes widened. "Eh—you have to hide me! She's outside? She'll kill me!"

Gaius laughed. "Nah, I'm just jokin' with you," he said, patting Arden on the back. "She's not outside. But, I'm under her orders to bring you right back to her so she can give you a tongue lashing."

"What?! No way!" said Arden. "I won't go!"

"Well, baby brother, I'm sorry, but you've got to," Gaius said, rubbed Quenelle's nose. "Heya, Quen—how've you been doin'?"

"I won't go," said Arden stubbornly. He crossed his arms resolutely.

"That's too bad," Gaius said. " 'Cause now I gotta make you."

He grabbed Arden's arm tight. "Hey, let go!" said Arden, pounding his fist against Gaius' broad chest. "I said I'm not going home and I'm not going home!"

"Come on, baby brother," said Gaius, smiling. "Do you really want to make this harder on yourself? Man up and come take your lickin' from your mama."

"I said no!" Arden shouted, wrenching his arm away from Gaius. He grabbed a pokeball from his belt and held it up.

Gaius' smile became more of a smirk. "Come on, baby brother," he said. "You really want to go down that road with me?"

Arden glared at him, and shouted, "Go, Fang!"

"Alright, fine," said his older brother. "But you're just making an idiot out of yourself." He reached into his coat pocket and produced a pokeball from within. "Go, Daryle!"

With a flash of light, the pokemon were released between the brothers. Fang appeared, screeching and spreading his wings. Across from him, a great hulking form appeared from Gaius' pokeball. With a ferocious cry, Daryle the typhlosion arched his back and bared his fangs, flames shooting out of his neck eagerly. Arden furrowed his brow, but otherwise gave no outward token of how terrified he was of Daryle.

"Fang, supersonic!"

"Lava Plume, Daryle!"

Fang took a deep breath for his attack, but in no time at all Daryle lurched double and shot an enormous blast of flame from his neck. The fire caught Arden's golbat, causing him to wheel about and faint. "Damn it," growled Arden, returning his pokemon to its ball.

"Your pokemon are leagues below mine, Arden," said Gaius. "You're just putting them through unnecessary pain with all this. Come on, now, just be a man and come with me!"

"No, damn it!" said Arden, slamming his foot in the ground. "I said I'm not going home and I meant it!"

Gaius made a sour face. "Fine. You're pigheaded—as usual—and clearly you don't give a damn about your pokemon in all this," he said. "So screw the battle. I'm not going to hurt innocent pokemon needlessly. Daryle, Quen—help me subdue baby brother."

"Taur!" said Quenelle, advancing on Arden.

"Guh—Quenelle, I thought we were friends!" said Arden, backing away from him.

"Tyyy!" shouted Daryle, blocking Arden from behind. Arden stumbled backwards into the pokemon, and it grabbed him around the neck. Struggle as he might, Arden couldn't get free of its grip. Gaius pulled hard on the sleeves of his jacket, tearing them off. As Daryle held his still-thrashing brother, he began to bind his hands together.

"Really, baby brother," said Gaius, shaking his head. "You act like such a kid sometimes…"

"I am a kid!" Arden objected.

"No excuse," said Gaius, knotting the ties. "Alright, Daryle. That's good work."

"Ty!" said Daryle, letting go of Arden. Gaius patted the pokemon on his back.

"You can go ahead and return," said Gaius to his pokemon as he picked Arden up around the waist and lifted him easily onto Quenelle's back, before climbing on himself. With a flash, Daryle withdrew to his pokeball. "Quen, let's go. You know the way."

"Auros!" said Quenelle, charging toward the door. He smashed through it easily and kept running.

"I'm never ever going to forgive you for this," said Arden, pouting.

"Yeah you will," Gaius said. He roughed up his little brother's hair. "So, Quen, how did Arden treat you while I was gone? You guys get into any trouble?"

"Auros aur aur aur!"

"Oh, really?" said Gaius. "That's fascinating…"

"How can you understand that? He's just saying 'auros' again and again!"

"It's the language of the heart, baby brother!"

Dixie exited Silph Co just in time to see Quenelle come racing past. He blinked a couple of times. "Arden?" he mumbled, rubbing his chin as he watched the tauros turn a corner. After only a short hesitation, he followed briskly, not wanting to lose sight of the speeding pokemon, and therefore be unable to follow it.