Astro.

Max, Daisy, and Max's purple-haired friend were inside the gym, playing on one side of the battlefield with a barefoot girl with pink hair. Daisy looked up the moment I stepped inside.

"Hi, brother!" She chirped, voice loud and clear. She stood up and ran towards me, Max and friends in tow.

Daisy tackled me in a head-on bear hug that sent me sprawling on my back. Everybody jumped, surprised.

Riolu, who had been walking in step with me, cried out when Daisy tackled me. "Astro!"

I groaned, trying-and failing-to pull Daisy off of me. "Damn, Daisy, that hurt."

"Damn! Damn! Damn!" Daisy repeated happily. I caught Riley, the sadistic bastard, hiding a snicker behind his hand, and considered introducing him to the middle nubby finger on my paw.

Max hauled Daisy off of me, and let me get up. "Heh, sorry, Azzy..."

Riolu held out his paw, and pulled me up standing. "No problem, Maxie."

The pink-haired girl directed Max and his friend to two long benches over on the sidelines while Reggie spoke with his four challengers, and Daisy dragged me over with them. Riolu, with a sad look on his face, stayed near Riley.

I shrugged my arm out of Daisy's grip. "Not so tight, Daisy, you're hurting me." How the hell was she so strong?

Max and his friend climbed up on one bench together, their legs dangling down.

"This is my friend Paul, Astro," Max told me happily. "Reggie's his big brother. Reggie's gonna kick the crap outta Amber's friends." Amber would've hit him for saying that.

Paul nodded down at me, his mouth a solid, disapproving line. "Can..can that Riolu talk? Like Daisy?"

"Yeah! My dad bred him for my sister! She's the redhead. Astro's, like, super strong. Too bad Amber don't wanna battle gym leaders. Say hi to Paul, Astro!"

"Don't tell me what to do." I sat down on the floor in front of the benches. Daisy plopped down next to me, an unsettling grin on her face.

Before I knew it, the others were walking over towards us; Volkner was up to bat. Riolu sat on the floor on the other side of me, eyeing Daisy warily.

Then, it hit me. Riolu had never seen Daisy before. He had no idea who the hell she was.

"Riolu, this, uh..." I gestured to Daisy. "This is my, um, little sister. Her name's Daisy."

Riolu glanced at her again, unconvinced. Daisy beamed, waving at him.

"Hi!" She chirped.

Amber hushed us, "Shh! Quiet."

Yeah. She hushed us, but I could hear Aaron gushing to Lee and Mark, "Oh, Christ, guys, this is Lt. Surge's son. Him and his Pikachu...God, I don't wanna say I envy this kid, but-"

"Keep the platonic boner in your pants, bro," Lee laughed. "I battled him myself. Not really much of a battle, though."

Reggie and Volkner were ready to battle. The pink haired girl was gonna be the judge.

"Ready, Maylene?" Reggie asked her.

Maylene nodded. "Okay!" She shouted. "The gym battle between the challenger, Volkner Surge, and the gym leader, Reggie, will now begin! Each trainer will use one pokemon, and the battle will be over when the pokemon on either side is defeated! And, begin!"

Volkner already had a pokeball ready, his mouth a fierce scowl. "Let's go, Pikachu!"

A shiver still ran down my spine when I saw that yellow demoness. Reggie, however, wasn't so intimidated.

"Drapion, I choose you!" He sent out what looked like a huge, purple scorpion with arms coming out of its head.

Riley pulled his pokedex out. "Drapion, the Ogre Scorp pokemon, and the evolved form of Skorupi. Drapion is able to turn its head 180° to see its surroundings. It uses its claws to latch onto prey."

Drapion flexed its head-arms and growled. "Drrrapion!"

Nothing intimidated Volkner, although Pikachu was startled. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu stood up on her back legs, and tensed her whole body. "Pikaaa..." Suddenly, a huge blast of lightning burst from her body, aimed at her opponent. "Chuuuu!"

Drapion accepted the attack like a man, taking not a bit of damage. "Drra."

Volkner's eyebrow twitched. "What in the hell...?"

Reggie laughed. "They didn't pick me to become a gym leader just for my good looks," He told Volkner. "Drapion, use Fire Fang!"

The bulky hulk-scorpion moved forward, intending to grab Pikachu. "Drapion!"

"Don't let him catch you, girl!" Volkner warned.

Pikachu nodded. "Pika!" Drapion tried grabbing her, but she dodged and moved behind her opponent.

"Use Electro Ball!"

She formed a ball of electric energy with her mouth. Before she could slap it at him with her tail, Drapion turned his head all the way around and moved. The ball hit the ground where he'd stood.

Volkner was getting pretty agitated. "Slam it with your tail, Pikachu!"

Reggie smirked. "Use Cross Poison, Drapion!"

Pikachu lept before she heard Reggie. She did a backflip and slapped Drapion with her tail(doing nothing, again), and Drapion grabbed her.

"Pika!" He threw her in the air, his claws glowing a frightning shade of violet, and slashed her as she fell to the ground.

Volkner stiffened. "Pikachu!" He cried. "Pikachu, get up!"

Behind me, Lee scoffed. "Come on, have a little more backbone."

"Who was it that threw himself over Shift to stop this morning's battle?" Riley snapped at him, in a rare show of any emotion besides chivalry and embarrassment. "Shut up, Lee, you talk too much."

The esteemed Mr. Higgins, judging from his aura, was utterly shocked.

Meanwhile, Pikachu forced herself to her feet. She looked pretty roughed up, I'll admit. I saw Volkner bite his lip with concern.

Reggie took the initiative. "Drapion, use Bite." He was just a little too overconfident.

Drapion grabbed the already-exhausted electric mouse, and bit her. Pikachu struggled, not ready to give up.

Finally, Volkner had an opening. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu tensed herself again, then blasted Drapion to his very core with electricity. The move startled the behemoth into letting her go, and she dashed back over to Volkner's side.

Now, it was Reggie's turn to be astonished. "What?" He gasped. "Drapion!"

I saw bright sparks dance across that armor-like skin, and my memory of my last battle against Pikachu flashed in my mind.

"Paralysis!" I cried out. I could practically feel the pain of paralysis vicariously.

Daisy's tiny paw curled around mine. "Get 'im, Drapy!" She squealed. I don't think she understood that Drapion was in a bad situation.

While Pikachu caught her breath, Reggie sweated over Drapion's situation. "Drapion, you've almost got Pikachu done. Use Slash! You can do it!"

Drapion certainly moved more sluggishly, but Pikachu was still worn down. "Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

"Pika!" Pikachu dodged Drapion's attack and formed an electric ball with her mouth, then threw it up in the air and slammed it at Drapion with her tail. "Pikachu!"

The move didn't do much. Drapion's paralysis certainly evened the playing field, but it looked difficult to get anything past that thick skin. I didn't expect Pikachu to win.

Volkner certainly wouldn't give up, though. "Why the hell isn't anything working?" He growled. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt, again!"

"Pikachu!" The pure tenacity behind everything Pikachu and Volkner did left me wondering how Lee had beaten them so easily in Hearthome.

Reggie was getting just as frustrated. "Drapion, dodge it!"

By the grace of the great pokemon deity Arceus, Drapion managed to fight the paralysis and dodge Pikachu's Thunderbolt. He dashed out, and lashed at Pikachu with his claws. It threw her back.

"Pika!" She cried out, gritting her teeth. But, man, was she a fighter.

Even Daisy watched for any signs of faltering. Pikachu got down on her front and hind legs. "Pika!"

Volkner smirked at his pokemon's determination. "Use Quick Attack!"

"Slash at Pikachu again, Drapion!"

Pikachu dashed at Drapion on all fours, and she looked ready to end it. Drapion readied his claws, and when she drew close, he swiped at her with the strength of a Machoke.

A direct blow to Pikachu's face sent her flying backwards, to the ground, over and spent.

Volkner tensed again, twitching to go to her. "Pikachu! No!"

"Pikaaah..."

Maylene pointed at Reggie. "Pikachu is unable to battle!" She announced loudly. "The winner is Drapion, and the victory goes to our gym leader!"

Volkner didn't spare an extra moment. He went onto the field, scooping Pikachu up in his arms.

I turned to look at the other three. Flint, I supposed next in line, looked about ready to make a mess in his baggy jeans.