A/N: This is the last catchup chapter. From here on out, updates will take a more sedate pace of one or two chapters per calendar month.

Chapter 6

Roots

"So you're kind of a big deal back in Hoenn, are ya?" Xavier teased. "Should've known I'd pick a fight with some kinda celebrity." Having sent the younger kids on their way and briefly stopped by a Pokémon Centre to check up on the battlers, the three of them were now sitting around a small glass table at a waterfront cafe not too far from the park. The cool breeze from earlier had warmed up a little, leaving quite a pleasant Saturday morning under gentle sunlight.

"Really, it's not that big a deal!" Alex protested, waving a hand dismissively. "I only mention it because, well… that's the only reason I'm any good at double battles. Contests are all about that format, so it feels more comfortable for me."

"Even so," Yvette put in, setting her coffee down for a moment and grinning at Xavier, "I'm pretty sure you said you'd never be beaten."

Xavier groaned exaggeratedly. "Babe, I-"

"By anybody, in any kind of battle. Wasn't that what you said?"

"Not in so many words, but-"

"No, you were pretty specific." Yvette's eyes were alight with mischief as she slipped Alex a quick wink, seemingly enjoying seeing her companion squirm. "You even went ahead and said something cool like 'Watch me, Yvette! I'm going to keep winning and winning until I'm the League Champion!', right?"

Deflated, Xavier laid his forehead on the frosted glass tabletop and let out an overdramatic sob. "I get it and I'm sorry, so leave me be already!"

Turning to Alex as if nothing was amiss, Yvette changed tack - although the smug grin on her face betrayed her mirth. "So, Alex, you were a Coordinator in Hoenn, you say? I can't say I've watched many Contests, certainly not in person. It's sort of like a Showcase, right?"

Alex blinked, then smiled glibly and launched into the explanation that he was coming dangerously close to knowing by heart. How Contests were kind of similar to Showcases, he supposed, but from what he'd heard there was distinctly more Pokémon battling involved.

"Any at all, really," Yvette said, nodding as she leaned back in her chair, soaking in the morning sun with apparent lazy delight. Closing her eyes, she stretched her arms back over her head and yawned, but kept talking through it. "I've met Performers before, and well… half of them won't even battle with their Pokémon."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Really?" That sounded a little far-fetched, even for the… interesting characters he had met at the theatre last night. But then, it certainly lined up with what the wannabe kidnapper had been saying.

"Mm. They treat their Pokémon like royalty. Never let them walk outside in case they get muddy, never battle with them in case they get hurt. They spend so long bathing and feeding and grooming and cooking for them, it's a wonder they have any time left to compete, let alone have a life." There was a noticeable hint of derision in her voice now.

"Sounds terrible," Alex said sympathetically, though in all honesty he had to agree. As much as he enjoyed showbusiness, he couldn't imagine getting so invested in it that he forgot to let his Pokémon be Pokémon. He had to wonder, however, if Yvette's point of view was entirely objective. There was an undertone of bitterness in it that he was hesitant to explore, especially as they were still basically strangers. Instead, he changed the subject. "Kalos really is quite different to Hoenn, I've noticed. I didn't think it would be this pronounced, but it feels like I'm in a completely different world."

"I guess that's natural when you consider how far apart the two regions are," Yvette said with a shrug. "I haven't been to Hoenn myself, but I hear it's a lot more modern."

Glancing up and down the seafront boulevard - which was neatly cobbled rather than tar-sealed and didn't appear to have any traffic to speak of - Alex was inclined to agree, though Xavier cut in before he could vocalise anything, apparently having given up on sulking after being ignored. "You want modern, you go to Unova. That place is nuts."

Yvette rolled her eyes. "Just because you went to Castelia on vacation that one time." She leaned closer to Alex. "He knows I've always wanted to go there, so he takes every opportunity he can to remind me of it."

"I see," Alex said, though in all honesty he was feeling slightly overwhelmed by the number of sudden twists and turns the conversation was taking. In a final attempt to steer the conversation back to something manageable, he tried to appeal to Xavier's evidently competitive nature. "So I guess you're taking the Gym challenge here in Kalos, right? What's that like?"

Xavier's brow wrinkled. "What's it like? I mean, I guess it's about the same as anywhere else. Right, babe?"

"Yeah, I'd think so," Yvette agreed, folding her arms thoughtfully. "We're both challenging Gyms, actually. Well, at least, that's the plan. We're both from here in Coumarine, so we thought we'd set out after winning the Plant Badge from Ramos up at the Gym… but one of us hasn't managed to beat the old guy yet." She shot an amused look at Xavier, who looked appropriately embarrassed.

"You had it easy with the type matchup," he grumbled, though there was no genuine resentment in his voice. Rather, Alex thought he sounded like someone who was more than used to this kind of gentle teasing.

"I suppose having a strong Fire-type like Arcanine would make things easier," Alex suggested. "Xavier, don't you have any Pokémon with a type advantage like that?"

Xavier, who had been taking a gulp of his coffee, pulled a face. "Ugh, it got cold. No, you've seen my whole team so far. Just Pangoro, Doublade and Floette."

"Hmm." Alex rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That's a tough one. Of course, type advantages aren't the only way to win a battle, but they do make things easier. If only there were some way to get around that..."

Chuckling, Xavier leaned across the table to flick Alex on the forehead. "Hey, you don't have to coach me or anything. I'm not whining because I want someone else to solve my problems for me."

"Yeah, he just likes to whine for the sake of whining," Yvette added, swiftly dodging a follow-up flick from Xavier but unable to avoid the scowl he sent her way alongside it. "Really though, Alex, it's fine. He'll get his badge eventually, and then we can finally head out to travel the rest of Kalos."

"How nice," Alex said, a touch of nostalgia creeping over him. Though he figured Xavier and Yvette were about his age, he had already spent his time journeying some years ago. He still travelled to Contests in all corners of Hoenn, but the demanding schedule of a professional Coordinator made trekking overland impractical. "When are you challenging Ramos, then?"

Xavier grinned. "In about an hour and a half, actually. We were just wrapping up our warm-up when you and the kids showed up."

As if reading Alex's mind, Yvette raised a finger. "And don't even think about apologising for interrupting," she said knowingly. "I can see it in your face. This guy doesn't even consider it a worthwhile day unless he's had three battles by lunchtime."

"Yep! And my Pokémon are at 100% again, so I'm good to go! Hey, Alex, you should come and watch the battle."

"You don't mind?"

"Not at all!" Standing, Xavier drained his cup, though he immediately looked like he regretted it. "In fact, I'd prefer it. It's always nice to have more people in your corner, isn't it?"

For a moment, Alex's mind went to his fan club, the gaggle of primarily teenage girls that seemed to be in attendance at all of his Contests. Of course, the only person who had truly never missed an event was Veronique...

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."

The Coumarine Gym, as it turned out, was not at the base of the tree that towered over the hilltop district, as Alex had suspected. In truth, it was a garden complex suspended in the branches, the sheer size of the tree allowing the canopy to be fitted with a vertiginous battlefield surrounded on all sides by nature. At the end of a dizzying climb, Alex and his new Kalosian friends found themselves at one end of a battlefield of hard-packed earth, much like any other Pokémon Gym in the world. Rather than bleachers or stands, however, the field was surrounded by grass and trees, open to the sky yet sheltered from the winds by the thick greenery on all sides. A small cottage sat a short distance from the battlefield, alongside an open-air garden and a greenhouse.

Alex took all this in curiously, letting his eyes wander - from the startling array of flowers and vegetables in the garden, to the two men who waited for them on the battlefield, to the cluster of Grass-type Pokémon meeting his interested gaze with their own - but next to him, Xavier was laser-focused and wound tight as a coiled spring, his eyes locked on the Gym Leader.

Despite his diminutive height and advanced age, it was obvious that Ramos was sharp as a tack, and just as dangerous. His squinty eyes scanned the three teenagers as they approached, but he did not move from his place. "So," he said, a grin on his wizened old face. "Ye've brought another whippersnapper with ye this time."

Alex nodded politely, but there was apparently no time for introductions.

"I'm winning this time, old man," growled Xavier, who had been wound as tight as a coiled spring since they had reached the base of the tree. "Let's go."

The battle was swift and fierce. Once Yvette and Alex had retreated to the sidelines - the former leaving Xavier with a quick good-luck kiss on the cheek, the latter opting for a reassuring handshake - the younger man, who was apparently an official League referee, separated the two Trainers and spelled out the rules. The battle would be three on three, with only the challenger allowed to substitute Pokémon. Xavier's first choice was his Doublade, while Ramos sent out Victreebel.

Alex watched with interest as the battle erupted before him. Though as a Coordinator he naturally participated in a lot of battles, the fact remained that his objective had always been not only to win, but to make sure his Pokémon looked good doing it. There was none of that today; Xavier seemed totally focused on destroying the opponent in front of him.

There were no wasted movements as Doublade sliced and twirled its way around the Grass-type. Even as Alex saw a thousand opportunities opening up for a flourish or an extra spin from the naturally flashy Steel-type, additions that would score solid points in a Contest battle, Xavier ignored them all, hammering home attack after brutal attack. Every strike was called with conviction and delivered with purpose, eschewing style for efficiency as Doublade mercilessly slashed its way through Victreebel's defenses, leaving it unable to fight back within minutes.

As the flag went up, Alex and Yvette applauded, though Alex narrowed his eyes slightly. "That's a good start," he commented carefully.

"Yep!" agreed Yvette brightly.

"So why doesn't Xavier look happy?"

Yvette cast her eyes over to Xavier, whose brow was still set in the same intense scowl he had been wearing since they arrived at the Gym. "This is how it usually goes," she admitted. "And being a Pokémon down from the start…"

Frowning, Alex counted off on his fingers. "Xavier has three, right?"

Shaking her head as they watched Ramos recall his first Pokémon, Yvette said tightly, "Xavier won't let Floette battle yet. Not in a big match like this."

Ramos mounted a blistering assault with his Jumpluff, forcing Doublade to go on the defensive, blocking and parrying a flurry of lightning-fast attacks as best it could. Alex bit his lip, unable to stop himself from visualising a Contest performance bar over Xavier's head, draining swiftly as his Pokémon was harried backwards through the air. If Xavier was really hoping to win this battle with just Doublade and Pangoro, he would have to make something happen soon.

"Doublade's already tired from taking down Victreebel," he said, almost unconsciously voicing his thoughts. "It can't take much more of this. He needs to switch it out and let it rest."

Yvette sucked in a deep breath between her teeth, shrugging hopelessly as Xavier continued to stare resolutely ahead. "I vote you tell him that," she said, her voice almost completely humorless for once. Alex noticed that her knuckles were white as she gripped the edge of her shirt.

As predicted, Doublade was only able to withstand Jumpluff's attacks for a few more seconds before its guard broke. The X formation of the two blades that made up the strange Pokémon's body wavered, and Ramos pressed his attack, directing Jumpluff to drive relentlessly through the opening with an almost supersonic Acrobatics attack. Doublade tumbled to the ground, blades clattering hollowly.

Yvette cursed under her breath. "It's just like last time!"

"You mean he didn't change his strategy at all?" Alex asked, frowning. "I figured he at least had something planned, if this is how it usually goes."

Shaking her head, Yvette sighed wearily. "He's just too competitive. He's a gifted Trainer, but even if I talk strategy with him until I'm blue in the face, he never seems to apply any of it."

Pangoro took the field with a roar that shook the leaves all around the arena, slamming both its massive fists into the ground in challenge. Ramos' Jumpluff, however, seemed unfazed as the battle resumed, darting teasingly around the larger Pokémon's head and irritating it with light, almost playful strikes as it effortlessly dodged Pangoro's clumsy swipes. When Xavier wised up and stopped calling attacks, Ramos simply had Jumpluff back off and charge up a Solar Beam, forcing the challenger to go on the offensive.

Chewing her lip, Yvette muttered darkly to herself, quietly chastising Xavier as if she had forgotten Alex were there. "Stupid, cocky, arrogant idiot," she grumbled. "You're going to lose if you keep this up."

Privately, Alex was pretty sure the result of the battle was settled already; in fact, it may even have been a foregone conclusion. "Does he really think this will work?"

Yvette blinked, thrown off in the middle of her muttering. "Sorry?"

"Does Xavier really think he can win with only two Pokémon and no strategy at all?" The words sounded a touch cruel, even to him, but he had to say them. He winced as Jumpluff continued wearing down Pangoro's defenses, leaving it reeling. Xavier, too, looked slightly stunned as the battle collapsed around his ears, as if he were the one being pelted with attacks.

"He does." Yvette's mouth was a thin line, curving into the faintest hint of a bitter smile as she watched Xavier bellowing orders to his Pokémon. "No matter how dire it gets, he believes in himself and his Pokémon to the very end, one hundred percent."

"I, uh, didn't mean-" Alex said quickly, but Yvette shook her head.

"Oh, no, you're absolutely right that there's no way he's going to win here. I won't argue with you on that one."

"So why?" Alex turned his attention from the battle, looking directly up at the tall redhead. "Why let him keep doing this?

"Look at him. Do you think I could stop him?" There was a resigned edge to Yvette's voice that made Alex frown.

"You have to," he said. "If this is what happens every single time, you have to help him break out of the pattern or he'll keep this up till he self-destructs. I've seen it happen before, mostly to Coordinators like me - but Trainers are just as vulnerable to it." It felt weird to be handing out advice like this, but Alex had a feeling he was only confirming something that Yvette already knew. "Look, I'm sorry if this comes off as rude, or crossing some sort of line. I don't even know you guys that well. But I've been around Pokémon for years, and I've known Trainers who go right up to the professional level - and this is the same sort of thing that I've seen a dozen times over. He's got no chance of beating Ramos as he is now, and if he just keeps trying again and again without changing anything... it's not gonna end well."

The battlefield trembled as a brilliant flash of light filled the arena, instantly followed by an earth-shattering boom as Jumpluff's Solar Beam slammed squarely into Pangoro, bowling it off its feet and sending it skidding and rolling across the battlefield before finally coming to a rest, unmoving. Alex winced as the referee's flag went up, signalling the end of the round.

Xavier glanced down at his belt for a second, his gaze lingering on the third Poké Ball clipped there. After a moment, however, he simply raised a hand in surrender, his face grim and cold.

Alex sighed as the two Trainers met in the middle of the field to shake hands. "I should let you guys talk it out. This won't mean anything if he hears it from me."

Yvette chewed on her lip. "What can I say, though? I'm pretty sure I've tried everything."

"I'm not exactly in any position to be giving suggestions." Alex chuckled ruefully. "Even though that seems like all I've been doing. But if you do want my advice..."

Yvette held up a hand. "Wait."

Slightly taken aback, Alex quickly bit his tongue. "Sorry. Guess I did go a bit far."

"No, that's not it," Yvette sighed. "I just think that if you have something to say, you should say it to him - to us - directly."

"You think it'll work?"

"I don't know, Alex. Maybe he just needs to hear it from someone other than me." A tinge of hopelessness crept into her voice, but Yvette smiled as she stepped forward, eyes fixed on the defeated Xavier.