Joey walked into the gym and smiled. The gym was like a miniature forest with trees, grass, and bushes. Joey couldn't tell if this was a Grass type gym or a Bug type gym. He found the answer to his question when a green spider dropped down in front of his face.

"Ahh!" Joey jumped and fell on his behind.

"Aw, it's so cute," June said as she grabbed the Pokemon in her hands.

"Spiders are never cute," Joey said as he pulled out his Pokedex.

"Spinarak, the String Spit Pokemon. Dual Bug/Poison types. It lies still in the same pose for days in its web, waiting for its unsuspecting prey to wander close." Joey put the Pokedex away.

"The way you freaked out, I would think you would be afraid of spiders," June said.

"Only when they disappear or when they pop out of nowhere," Joey replied.

"Either way this thing is really cute," she said as she held Spinarak in her arms.

"If you think Spinarak's cute, what do you think of its trainer?"

June looked behind herself to see Bugsy hanging onto a green cocoon up-side-down, smiling. June stood there not knowing what to say to a question like that.

"Bugsy, I'm here for my gym battle," Joey stopped the awkward scene.

Bugsy turned right-side-up and landed on the ground. He then turned his attention from June to Joey. "Great. Let's get to it!"

The group of four walked to the battlefield in the middle of the indoor forest. June and Eddie walked over to the bleachers. Spinarak was happily sitting on top of June's head. Joey and Bugsy took their respective sides of the field. Lastly the referee walked into the middle of the field.

"This battle will be between the Gym Leader of Azalea Town, Bugsy, and challenger Joey. This will be a three on three battle, the first person to knock out all the other's Pokemon will be declared the winner. Trainers please choose your first Pokemon," the referee announced.

"Metapod, go," Bugsy sent out a green cocoon.

"Metapod, the Cocoon Pokemon. Bug type. Evolved form of Caterpie. It lies still in the same pose for days in its web, waiting for its unsuspecting prey to wander close," the Pokedex explained.

"This Pokemon doesn't look like it can do much," Joey said with a smile thinking Bugsy's first Pokemon would be an easy knock out. This would be a perfect time to see what Wooper can do, he thought. "Wooper let's go."

The little blue Pokemon appeared in front of Joey. It then started jumping around trying to play with Metapod.

Joey sweat dropped, "Wooper this isn't a time to play, get ready for battle."

Wooper looked at Joey and nodded with a, "Woopa."

"Begin!"

"Wooper use Water Gun," Wooper spewed a stream of water towards Metapod. When the water hit, Metapod only wobbled in place.

"Metapod use Tackle," Bugsy ordered. The green Pokemon charged towards Wooper.

"Wooper use Slam," Wooper also charged towards the green Pokemon. When they made contact they both were knocked back to their trainers' sides. Wooper on her back while Metapod wobbled.

"Metapod use Harden!" Metapod's body shined and Bugsy smirked.

Joey saw this and furred his eyebrow. What is he planning? he thought. Wooper was standing on the battlefield waiting for her next commands with a blank face.

While Joey was trying to figure out what Bugsy was planning, the gym leader took advantage of his challenger's setback. "Metapod, use Harden until I tell you to stop."

Metapod shined multiple times until Bugsy gave the order to stop. "Now use Tackle!"

"Wooper counter with Slam again," again the two creatures collided but this time Wooper was sent flying back to Joey while Metapod landed on the ground where the two had made contact. "What the-" Joey couldn't finish his question because he was too confused. "What just happened?" he asked the gym leader.

"Harden raises a Pokemon's defense stat, when I had Metapod use it multiple times, its defenses skyrocketed. That defense came into play when Wooper attempted to attack Metapod," Bugsy explained.

"How am I going to get by this?" Joey questioned under his breath.

Wooper slowly got up and eyed Metapod. She no longer had a blank face, it was now angry and filled with hatred. "It looks like Wooper's finally paying attention to the battle," June noted.

"She's not her usual happy-go-lucky self anymore," Eddie said.

"I've got it! Wooper use Mud Shot!" Joey ordered.

"Woopa!" The blue Pokemon shot balls of mud at at the Cocoon Pokemon when they connected Metapod wobbled in place.

"Now Metapod use Tackle again!" Bugsy ordered. Metapod leapt off the ground and charged Wooper once again.

"Wooper use Water Gun and send Metapod flying!" Wooper shot a stream of water out towards and sent Metapod flying into the air. As the Bug Type started to descend Joey came up with an idea. "Wooper before it lands use Mud Shot and send it into the wall."

The small blue Pokemon spit out a ball of mud at the falling Pokemon. When the attack connected Metapod was sent sailing into the wall. When it fell down, the Bug type was seen with swirls in its eyes.

"Metapod is unable to battle. Bugsy, please choose you next Pokemon!" the referee commanded.

"Metapod return. You know Joey, I've gotta say, I didn't expect you and Wooper to work so well together so quickly," Bugsy complimented his challenger.

"Thanks Bugsy," Joey replied, "I was a little worried about using Wooper when I just caught her, but I guess it worked out."

"Well," Bugsy pulled out a new pokeball, "it won't work out against this Pokemon. Scyther go!" the gym leader released a creature that resembled a praying mantis. Scyther took a battle stance after swinging its blade like arms around in a way to look imitating.

"Scyther, the Mantis Pokemon. Dual Bug/Flying type. It slashes through grass with its sharp scythes, moving too fast for the human eye to track," Joey's Pokedex stated.

"Wooper, do you think you can handle Scyther?" Joey asked his Pokemon.

"Woop!" her face was no longer filled with anger, though it was not its normal blank expression either. Her face was now one filled with determination.

"Good. Now use Slam!" Wooper charged towards her opponent head first.

"Scyther, use Slash," within a blink of an eye, Scyther went from standing in front of Bugsy to right in Joey's face.

"What just happened?"

"Look," Bugsy pointed towards the middle of the battlefield. Wooper was laying on her chest with swirls in her eyes.

"How-"

"My Scyther is trained to be faster than most of its species," Bugsy then looked over to the referee, gesturing him to give his next command.

"Wooper is unable to battle. Joey please choose your next Pokemon."

Joey grabbed the first pokeball on his belt and enlarged it. "Come on buddy, I know you can handle this. Cyndaquil let's go!" Joey tossed Cyndaquil's pokeball onto the battlefield and the Flame Pokemon appeared.

"This battle will be between Cyndaquil and Scyther. Begin!"

"Scyther, start this off with X-Scissor."

"Cyndaquil use Swift!"

Scyther crossed its arms and charged through the stars Cyndaquil sent. When the Mantis Pokemon made contact Cyndaquil was sent flying to the wall behind Joey.

"Cyndaquil! Can you continue?"

"Quil!" Cyndaquil's flames flared.

"Okay good. Try using Tackle," Cyndaquil charged headfirst towards his opponent.

"Scyther, False Swipe!" Scyther slashed its oncoming opponent and Cyndaquil was sent rolling backwards. When Cyndaquil stood back up he started glowing red.

"What's going on?" Joey queried.

"That would be Blaze. Cyndaquil's special ability. It powers up his Fire type attacks three fold," Bugsy answered.

Cyndaquil flared his flames on his back, showing it was fired up and ready to fight.

"Okay Cyndaquil, one final Ember! Full power!"

Cyndaquil took in a huge breath of air and sent wall of embers at Scyther. When the embers subsided Scyther was scene with burn marks all over its body.

"Scyther finish this with Quick Attack," Scyther couldn't be seen as it went in for the knock out against its opponent. When the Mantis Pokemon made contact Cyndaquil was knocked to Joey's feet with swirls in his eyes.

"Great job Cyndaquil, you deserve a nice long rest," Joey said as he returned his starter to his pokeball. He then proceeded to pull another pokeball off of his belt. "Hoothoot it's all up to you now!"

"So another Pokemon that has advantages against the type train. I see you came prepared Joey," Bugsy said.

"These are the only three Pokemon I have. It's just a coincidence that I have a Flying type and Fire type," Joey replied before pointing in the direction of Scyther, "Hoothoot attack with Peck!"

"Scyther counter with Slash!"

Hoothoot hopped over to Scyther, threw his head back, and thrusted his beak at Scyther's blade-like arm, while Scyther made contact with Hoothoot's beak. The two Pokemon both held their ground.

"It doesn't look like either of them are going to give in," June said as she watched Joey's battle intensely. Spinarak was still happily sitting on top of her head.

"Yeah, but I don't know how much longer Hoothoot can take of this. He looks like he might give-" Eddie was cut off mid-sentence when a bright light started coming from the battlefield.

"Huh, wh- what's going on with Hoothoot?" Joey asked worriedly. Hoothoot was still battling with Scyther, not wanting to give in, the only difference, Hoothoot was now glowing white.

"It looks like your Hoothoot is evolving," Bugsy answered.

Hoothoot then, while still glowing white, started to change shape. Scyther was forced off its attack because of its opponent growing. When the glowing stopped a Pokemon that very closely resembled an owl appeared. The new Pokemon now had dark brown feathers and antler-like eyebrows and his beak and talons were light pink.

Joey then pulled out his Pokedex to evaluate his newly evolved Pokemon. "Noctowl the Owl Pokemon. Dual Normal and Flying type. The evolved form of Hoothoot. Its eyes are specially adapted. They concentrate even faint light and enable it to see in the dark. New moves learned: Uproar and Dream Eater." With that Joey put away his Pokedex and prepared to continue his second gym battle.

"Okay Noctowl, finish this with Uproar!" Noctowl then flapping its wings towards Scyther. When the Owl Pokemon was finished Scyther was lying on the ground with swirls in its eyes.

"Great job Scyther. Take a nice long rest," Bugsy said as he returned his Pokemon, the gym leader then pulled out a new pokeball, "Your Pokemon really seemed to get an energy boost when it evolved. Let's see if it can take my Pinsir," he then sent out a brown beetle creature with white horns.

"Pins!" it cried.

Joey then pulled out his Pokedex and scanned the new Pokemon, "Pinsir, the Stag Beetle Pokemon. This Pokemon is a Bug type. With its horns, it digs burrows to sleep in at night. In the morning, damp soil clings to its body." With that Joey put away his Pokedex and paid his attention to the battle.

"Noctowl use Peck," Joey ordered.

"Counter with Brick Break."

As Noctowl attacked his opponent beak first Pinsir charged its fist. When they collided both Pokemon were sent flying backwards. Before Noctowl could touch the ground he composed himself in the air, looking at him Joey could see that Noctowl had not fully recovered from its battle with Scyther before evolving.

I need to end this soon. I don't know how much longer Noctowl can withstand this, Joey thought.

"Noctowl use Hypnosis," Noctowl sent a beam towards the Stag Beetle Pokemon. When it connected Pinsir closed its eyes and dropped to the ground, "Now quick, Dream Eater!" Noctowl then sent a purple beam at his opponent. Then a green beam came from Pinsir to Noctowl. After the beam disappeared Noctowl looked revitalized and ready for more action. Suddenly, Pinsir opened its eyes looking exhausted.

"It looks like I'm going to have to resort to this attack. Pinsir, Guillotine!" Bugsy shouted out the order.

"Counter with Uproar!" Joey countered.

The two Pokemon charged each other once more. When Pinsir was in range it crushed its pincers together in an attempt to trap and squeeze Noctowl between them. But Noctowl flew above the pincers then stretched its wing to slap Pinsir down on the ground. Noctowl then continuously hit Pinsir with his wings until the referee called him off. When Noctowl flew back to Joey's side Pinsir was lying on the ground knocked unconscious.

"Pinsir is unable to battle. Noctowl is the winner, which means Joey is the victor of the battle!" The referee declared.

"Yes!" Joey shouted as he did jump with a fist pump.

While Joey was busy celebrating Bugsy had walked up to the challenger. "Congratulations Joey. That was a great battle. I was expecting to win with my Guillotine attack, but you proved me wrong. I now here present you with the Hive Badge," he held out the badge with a smile.

Joey then took the badge and put it in his badge case. "Thanks Bugsy. It was a great battle for me too. I hope we meet again sometime."

"Me too," Bugsy then held his hand out. Joey took it and shook it, "I'm looking foward to seeing you compete in the Silver League. Good luck on your journey," Bugsy then pulled Joey in closer. It wasn't until their heads were side to side that he started talking again. "Quick question, is June seeing anyone?"

Joey surprised by the question, studdered, "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I mean is she dating anyone?"

"Like, have a boyfriend?"

"Yes."

"Not that I know of."

Bugsy then backed away and nodded his head, "Thanks for answering my question, Joey."

"Are you going to ask her out?"

"I don't know right now."

The two then walked up to Eddie and June. While Joey showed off his new Hive Badge to his friends, Bugsy was staring at June contemplating what to do. Then he noticed that Spinarak was still sitting on her head.

"June, it seems like Spinarak has taking a liking to you."

June then looked on top of her head and sighed, "I guess so."

"You know you could take it with you on your journey if you want."

"No no that fi-" June was cut off when Spinarak crawled into her bag and pulled a pokeball out and clicked the button. The ball then dropped into June's hand and only shook once before the capture was complete.

"It doesn't look like you have a say in it anymore," Eddie commented.

"Great," June sighed.

2,515 words. Sorry this literally took forever to finish. I've honestly wrote like one word a day. So anyways Joey just obtained the Hive Badge from Bugsy and Hoothoot evolved into Noctowl.

In the next chapter Shane will return with his Totodile as well as Team Rocket.

See ya.