Floaroma's Champion

by LowePlays

While out on a walk a boy from Floaroma finds a menacing beast. Using modern technology, he captures the monster. After it comes to accept the boy, both travel to become the best. For fame and fortune! Both strive to become the best, the Champion. But the path is not as easy as they might think... This story was inspired after MetalDargon's work in Sacrifice and Subjugation.

11. Trouble Arising

This is the one with the Gym Battle one, right? Yeah, that's right. This will be the day we've waited for! Anyways, I'm going to get started on this chapter as soon as possible. I don't have any plans for after the battle, but let's go! Hazah!

Also, Pokemark17, I know she seems a bit... bitchy, but that's because she is. Just goes to show how I am, right? Anyways, I had plans for a Tsundere girl, but I guess that didn't work in my favor. And don't worry, sometimes I want to backhand her sometimes too.

murloc rampage... You're a great guy. If I'd known who you were before, I'd have said hi earlier. But, thank you for your input. I promise I'll try and cut back on the fluff and filler.

---

After checking in at the Pokemon Center, we had to wait an entire half hour to get our Pokemon back. The cuts and wounds weren't major, but they still needed to be held for a while. When we did get them back, we headed right back into the hills.

We spent the rest of the day training in the alcove we'd battled in. Sarah showed me the small Shroomish she'd caught, his domed shaped head was a dark beige color. He seemed well-behaved at first, simply sitting there and looking at us. He didn't even attack Akuma or Thorn, even though we were foreign.

That is, until she tried to order him to attack. Sammy, as she'd named him, refused to do a thing. He simply did nothing, looking at Sarah with a defiant glare. He honestly didn't do a thing. After letting out Fuzz Ball, it looked at me with a look similar to Sammy. When it saw the crowd around it, it bolted behind me and hid from Yami and Perry. Though it was a step that it was me it chose to hide behind.

After getting used to the new Pokemon, I was able to calm down the Pachirisu enough to try to talk to it. Sarah separated to do the same with her new Pokemon, trying a similar method. While it wasn't the same as the one I remembered from several months ago, but since this wasn't a combat Pokemon, I wouldn't train it as such. For Sarah, I didn't know what she was planning by training it with simply words. While I didn't question it verbally, I still had my opinion.

An entire hour passed without much progress. Fuzz Ball still refused to follow my commands, even after intimidation from Akuma and Thorn. Sarah had a bit more luck, being able to order him to run around, though he stopped without going very far. Sarah scolded him and tried to get him to keep running, trying to train him.

Fuzz Ball was honestly just a rebellious prick, turning away at every time I tried to order it to show me it's power. Even after Perry agreed to help, a deal I'd made with Sarah to try and train together. While I had Perry, she'd have Thorn. For the most part, it worked, since the typing was so similar. If only the attitudes were the same.

Once Sarah asked for Perry back after two hours, I'd had it with Fuzz Ball. It was absolutely unreasonable and almost unbearable to train. In short, I hated it. Even after trying to talk to it, asking it nicely, demanding, and shouting at it, it still refused to follow even one of my orders. On top of that, I hadn't been able to train Akuma or Thorn while the Pachirisu was around. Every time I tried to send Akuma to train, Fuzz Ball would attempt to make a run for it. Luckily, I had the Pokeball to return it.

I nearly lobbed the Pokeball down the mountain, since it was a genuine pain in the ass. Swearing by Arceus, I simply shoved it deep into my bag. Taking out the second Pokemon I had to tame, I tossed the Zorua from hand to hand. Though I was slightly uncertain about it, training one would be interesting. With two dark Pokemon between the two of us, I think I could manage it.

Clicking the button was a quick decision, even if I was uncertain. The small and furry form of the Zorua appeared on the rocky ground before it saw me and Akuma next to each other. At first, it looked scared before taking a defensive stance. Sarah noticed the small black and grey Pokemon and circled around, keeping eye contact with me. It was hard to keep my eyes on both my Pokemon and Sarah.

Almost as if I'd blinked, the Zorua disappeared and a copy of Akuma appeared in it's place. I immediately focused on it, before recognizing the differences between the real and the Zorua's illusion. One was the fact that the fur wasn't exact, being fluffier and fuller than the real dragon. The second was that it's tail was short and stubby, the same as a Zorua's. The red highlight was painfully obvious.

"Akuma, let's show the Zorua what a real Deino can do." A bright blue flame splashed against the rocks near the transformed Zorua and scared it enough to jump away. The illusion held, but it wasn't smooth. The neck seemed to jerk back fast enough to break, as the proportions weren't the same.

Trying to defend itself, the Zorua attempted to warp the surroundings by changing the colors and generally give me nausea. This time, Sarah was there to see it too. She wasn't as used to the rainbows waving under our feet. While I stood, she lost her balance and I had to catch her before she hit her head.

Several jets of blue flame were able to stop the illusions and let me off with nothing more than a mild headache. Walking over to the Zorua, I saw some of it's fur had been singed, but it was alright. I then proceeded to scold it, Akuma getting the message across by growling and screeching. Her fire was enough incentive to obey. Once I showed the Zorua I was in charge here, which took a few more scoldings and commands to Akuma to really sink in, things went a lot smoother.

Which made me loath the white and blue spawn of evil in my bag. Why couldn't it be this easy with that one?

The Zorua, which I still hadn't named yet, fell in line after Akuma in terms of commands. I could command Akuma, who relayed my commands and it was forced to accept. It made me the leader of the team. Of course, that also made a link in the chain. If Akuma was away training, I couldn't train the Zorua. It wasn't battle-ready yet, not until it understood me and human language.

I spent a fair amount of time with Akuma and the Zorua. Akuma, on one hand, was not pleased being the tutor of my Pokemon again. She was bored and restless, wanting to fight or train on her own. The Zorua had started following Akuma like it's trainer, unlike me. I suspected it was due to the similar typing, both being classified dark types. It was cute, but I had to return them for the next part of training.

Sarah and I ate lunch from a small and unlikely shop at the edge of Eterna. It was a bit strange, but the entire town was a maze and disorganized anyways. Was a small bakery that strange anymore?

Eating croissants, Sarah and I enjoyed the Kalosian culture that had spread across the oceans. It also reminded me of the possessed sword Pokemon that the kid Angus had carried. I just couldn't shake his challenge. He'd said he was the one to beat the gym before me. I almost laughed at how pathetic his Pokemon had been compared to mine, but his face had been serious.

"Hey, Dragon Boy. You still in there, Kael?" Sarah waved her hand in front of my face.

"Huh? Sorry, was just thinking about stuff."

"Well, obviously. You weren't even eating your food. But, as I was saying, you did pretty well against me. I didn't expect Akuma to have already Thunder Wave. Though, without it, I'm pretty sure you would have lost. Anyways, since you beat me, what do you want as a reward?"

"Actually, I don't really know. And you're probably right about beating me. I've been working on the move a lot this Winter, until she could paralyze me. I think I spent a lot of time laying in the snow, come to think of it." I earned a laugh from Sarah.

"So, what was with that battle cry thing at the beginning? To be honest, it was a little weird. Or is this some new thing on the internet?"

"Oh, that. No, that was just an idea I got from Akuma's blindness and her response to sound. If you watch her when I yelled, she tenses and I think it helps her get into battle. Yeah, I know it seems dumb, but it works for me."

"No, I don't think it's dumb. Hey, if it works, it works. I think that's cool, actually." Cool? Wait, this wasn't like her. She never really ever complemented me, or my Pokemon.

"Thanks. You were pretty good as well. I'm also sorry for hurting Perry. I didn't mean for something like that to happen, you know?"

"Of course I know that. It was during battle, and you don't have any reason to kill my Pokemon, even by accident. It's fine, so don't worry about it." Nodding, I took a bite of my croissant. Almost immediately, I spit it out from the sauce spread on the surface. "Sarah?!"

.

The rest of the day was spent training. Boring and stressful as it was, Akuma and Thorn needed some exercise. Both had been helping me, or Sarah, tame and tutor our new Pokemon. On top of that, I still felt that I needed a bit more practice. A victory over Sarah, while it did feel good, it was only from my strategy. I needed more power.

Akuma had a disadvantage in ranged combat, being a strong physical fighter. Her flames could only reach, at most, three meters. While it was a long distance in a short battle, a drawn out trainer battle, such as a gym battle, the advantage of range becomes more important. As such, I needed to improvement.

As such, I focused on her flame breath and aim. She was very adept at finding enemies and recognition, but actually attacking was her main flaw. Especially in physical combat, where she needed to advance to attack. While hunting a squeaking Pachirisu or Buneary, pinpointing their position was easier than attacking another silent hunter.

Over the course of noon to nightfall, I saw Akuma was exhausted, but she was able to keep her jet of flames up for longer than a few seconds. She had made enough progress for my liking, so I let her rest on the rocks. While I personally didn't see it as very comfortable, she seemed totally at home on the stone.

Thorn also made a lot of progress, but he couldn't train the entire time. Sarah's new Shroomish was generally untrained, but with my own supposed grass 'expertise', Thorn was basically conscripted to help train Sammy. While my own Pokemon was trying to help train another, he himself only had about two hours of his own to improve his Absorb attacks.

Finally, near nightfall, I pitched my tent and returned Thorn. With Akuma already asleep, I groaned as I heavily flopped on my sleeping bag, before realizing I still had Sarah's blanket. Too tired to care much for it, I just slept on it and dreamed of nicer and happier things.

Morning came with an unbearable earliness. Groggily, I stepped out of my tent and glared at the sun before heading to sit on a rock. Akuma trudged after me and yawned before laying next to me. Looking through the valley, I saw the sun rising over the forest. The sky was dyed a light and subtle orange and yellow, before turning blue. It was very pretty.

"Don't blind yourself, Dragon Boy," Sarah said playfully, scaring me. I nearly screamed before catching myself. Akuma jumped up and growled at Sarah, before calming down. I laid my hand on her neck.

"Oh, hey. Morning." I let my shoulders fall and sighed.

"What's wrong with you? Am I that big of a joy killer?" She glared at me and I sensed the dangerous daggers over my heart.

"No, no! I'm sorry, just a little tired. Didn't mean to be rude." I breathed easy once her eyes had forgiven me. "So, what's the plan for today? Training again, or to Eterna?"

"Well, we spent all day yesterday training, so I think we should go explore the city," she suggested. "Besides, I've spent too long in this stupid alcove." Weighing it in my head, I was hesitant to agree, but I had let her choose. To Eterna it was.

"Okay, then. But I want to stay here for just a little bit longer. Until the sunrise is done." Sarah sighed, but I didn't move from my rock. Akuma laid next to me and nuzzled against my leg.

"Fine," Sarah exasperatedly said. "But I'm going to clean up my tent. Stupid..." While she whispered the last part, I could barely make it out. Sighing, I muttered something about girls and their own schedules.

After the sky had turned a brilliant blue, scattered with only a few clouds, I still didn't want to move. To be honest, my leg had become numb and I didn't want to face it's wrath when I stood up. Unfortunately, I had a traveling partner who had other plans. Grabbing me under my armpits, I felt her breasts press into my back and I blushed, before being rudely jerked to me feet.

Staggering a bit, I collected myself before turning to face her. "C'mon, Dragon Boy. No time to lose! Now, go take care of your stuff. Because tomorrow, I'm leaving this place, with or without you." Kicking me in the butt, she pushed me toward my tent before I could even look at her.

Grumbling and rubbing my sore cheek, I forced myself not to show the pain of needles in my leg. I collapsed the cloth hut and rolled it back onto my pack. After giving Sarah a glancing glare, I shouldered my bag and returned Akuma before we descended into the city.

.

The museum we went to held a lot of interesting things about Eterna, including the forest. It was interesting to know that it was said to hold shrines of several mythical Pokemon, such as Celebi and the Weather Pokemon of Hoenn. While some claims had been mentioned, no proof of the shrines actually being there.

Of course, there was also the rumors of the temple of Darkrai being located in the northern sector was a fan favorite for some.

To me, I mostly just rolled my eyes through most of the religious stuff, as well as a lot of the history crap. The one part I did perk my ears for was the organisation which claimed to still have roots in this city. Team Galactic was once seen as a criminal organization after attempting to summon the gods Palkia and Dialga. It was almost scary to hear the remnants of the team were now our main science division.

"Arceus, this is boring," Sarah whispered to me, while I was listening to the presentation given by the curators.

"Hey, that's my line," I joked. Even though this was the best part, I agreed to follow her to the exit. We weaved through several of the listening customers, getting some disapproving looks from some of the older folks.

"Ahh~," Sarah breathed when we stepped back into the sunlight. "I thought it was going to be an eternity in there! That guy's voice is soo boring."

I nodded my agreement, but I still wanted to know a bit more about that Team Galactic. Still, I also noticed my stomach was feeling empty when I looked at the food stalls. "So, how about something to eat?"

We continued to jest and banter about the ridiculous Eterna museum we'd decided to visit. The Miltank burgers we'd ordered were a delicious meal for me, but Sarah only picked at her's. I didn't questioned it, but ate my own. She might not have been hungry or maybe was just busy talking, but I got to eat mine. That was what counted, right?

When I finished my food, Sarah tossed hers into the trash, only half finished. I raised an eyebrow, but she didn't seem to see it. She just walked off. Jogging a few steps, I caught up with her, but didn't want to say anything to get me yelled at. Together, we walked around, wandering through the streets.

"What's the date today," I asked casually. Hadn't I forgotten something? My eyebrows were pushed closer as I tried to remember.

"It's, uh, the twenty second of March," she read out from her PokeDex, monotone. "Why, is there something you need before your battle tomorrow? Listen, you'd better win, or I'm leaving you behind."

"Heh, I know," I replied, scratching the back of my head. "Actually, it's not really important. I'm just an idiot, is all." Sarah stepped in front of me before looking me in the face. I looked back for a second, before I blushed and looked away. Her studying stare was hard to contend with.

"I can see you're hiding something. Spit it out." She jabbed me in the ribs to force me to speak up. I tried to step back to escape the painful poking.

"Alright, alright! I'll tell you! Just stop trying to kill me! Deal!?" She continued to poke at me, though it didn't hurt as much as before.

"C'mon already! Tell me, tell me, tell me!" She emphasized every 'me' with a finger to the ribs. If only she didn't have finger nails, it'd be a lot more bearable.

"Okay! It's my birthday, alright? Jeez, I told you it wasn't anything important." While I was freed from the pain of being poked in the chest, I was suddenly tackled by a laughing Sarah. I caught myself before I fell onto the hard sidewalk and tried to pry her arms from off of my head, but she just giggled and squeezed tighter. With two flesh cushions pressed to my face, I couldn't breathe. If this was her idea of a gift, I'd hate to see the cake.

"So, how old is the Dragon Boy? C'mon, you gotta tell me!" She finally let go of me and dropped down onto the pavement. Instead, she held my shoulders and grinned like it was her own birthday.

"I'm seventeen now, I think." I barely finished the sentence before Sarah squealed again and hugged me.

"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier? We could've had a party and everything! And I still need to buy you something!" Dashing off, Sarah was grinning and giggling like a little girl. "I'll meet you back at the Pokemon Center soon," she called out before turning down a street and disappearing.

Glancing around me, I felt the heat rise to my face when I realized everyone was staring at me. Ducking my head, I slipped past them and ignored them while I tried to find a place to drown my embarrassment. Why did Sarah have to make things difficult for me?

.

Since Sarah hadn't said anything about an actual time she'd be back, I returned to the Pokemon Center and sat in one of the armchairs. There weren't very many trainers in the Pokemon Center this early in the day, but there were always people in need of help.

Yawning, I rubbed my eyes and laid back in the chair. The soft cushions were easy enough to relax in. Soon enough, I was closing my eyes and snoring.

"Hey," a familiar voice said. While I rolled over in the chair, still trying to sleep. "C'mon, wake up! I got you your present." Sarah started poking me in the arm.

Stretching, I cracked open an eye to see Sarah carrying a small poorly wrapped box under her arm. "Wha's goin' on," I asked groggily. Yawning, I stood up and bent backwards to stretch before fully opening my eyes. I had to blink away my sleep, though.

"What's going on is my present. C'mon and open it already!" Her hands instantly shot out, the box almost smacking me in the nose. I instinctively tried to move back, but the chair behind me stopped me from escaping. "Just take it, will you?"

Hesitant, I took the box and tore off the wrappings. Pulling open the top, I peered inside to see a trio of different items. "Sarah, t-thanks. This means a lot."

"Well it better. I spent my own money on that." Smiling, I knew I wouldn't get off easy, even if it was my birthday. "Well? Are we going to go get some cake or what? And stop grinning like an idiot. It's not that big of a deal..." A red blush colored Sarah's cheeks as she stepped back. It made me laugh a small laugh, which only served to get me a sharp glare in response.

"Hold on for just a second. I'll just put these in my room and then cake." Happiness was one emotion I felt. The others... I don't know. I didn't want to push anything with Sarah, but what was she playing at? One second she seems to like me, the next and she's mad at me. I guessed she might be as confused as I was, deciding to drop it.

In my designated room, I put my bag on the bed and took the contents of my gift out of the box. Deino keychain, a new black hoodie, and a bag of soft gummy candy. Shoving most of the contents into my bag, I took a handful of the candy and ate them as I jumped down the stairs.

Sarah was impatient with me and, the second she saw me, dragged me out the door and I was nearly ran over by a passing truck. Luckily, an arm was wrapped around mine to anchor me to the sidewalk. After that, I stumbled to follow the girl who was dragging me past other people. The stares they gave were enough motivation to resist.

"Alright, here we are," Sarah exclaim, stopping in front of a familiar cafe. It was the Elegant Petilil, the sign announcing the name. "I was here my... I think it was my third day? Anyways, you have to try their cake." Laughing under my breath, having done the same thing. Sarah looked my way, forcing me to keep a straight face.

Walking inside, we took our seats at a small table near the window. While the window wasn't exactly clear, the green leaves frosty and opaque, I was still a bit self-concious. After all Sarah had done today to embarrass me, I wouldn't be surprised if she pulled something here.

One of the waitresses, dressed in the usual formal attire, walked over and looked at us expectantly. "May I take your order?"

"Uh-"

"We'll take two of your Oddish cakes," Sarah said, interrupting me before I could answer. She smirked at me before nodding to the waitress. The waitress then looked at me before looking back at Sarah.

"We'll share, I guess. Just bring two cakes?" She looked at me with a glance before nodding and retreated to the counters. "I would've ordered the Oddish cake anyways. You didn't need to order for me."

"Doesn't matter," Sarah waved it off. "Anyways, you look like you know this place. Have you already been here?" Laughing sheepishly, I nodded. "Damn it! Surprise ruined."

"Sorry. I was hungry then, and I just... Yeah, sorry." I couldn't really come up with an excuse, but my effort to show I was sorry seemed to work. Sarah just leaned back in the cafe chair and crossed her arms over her chest. While she looked to be a bit pouty, she didn't seem angry.

For a while, we just sat there awkwardly. I didn't know what to say, and it seemed Sarah didn't either. Until I heard someone talking about the upcoming Elite Four challenges, we were honestly looking at the menu and each other.

Once we were talking about the League, things started moving a bit quicker. Mainly with Sarah picking up the topic and telling me all about her battle and the news she'd heard. While I was interested in her gym battle, I couldn't listen very well when the waitress brought us our plates.

"Can I get you two anything else," the waitress asked, interrupting Sarah's story. The latter glared at the former, but I gave Sarah a look to say 'Drop it'.

"Could I get some coffee? You need anything, Sarah?" I raised my eyebrows to signal her. Crossing her arms over her chest, she just looked back at me.

"I'll just go get your coffee and let you two sort this out." The waitress sheepishly backed out and left to, most likely, brew some coffee. It was probably for the better she didn't intervene in this anyways.

"You could have just said you didn't want anything," I said, poking the green cake with my fork. Taking a bite, I savored the sugary goodness in the spongy cake and thick frosting. This was the good stuff. Sarah had done the same, but was eating much faster than me. I had to stifle a laugh. She'd easily been distracted with a sweet treat, dropping her hostility.

"Ahh~! That was good! Maybe I really should have ordered a second piece for myself. Better yet, an entire cake!" Laughing again, Sarah set down her fork while I was only half through mine.

"You should savor it, not inhale it. At least, that's what my dad always says." I immediately took another bite of my own cake and enjoyed the flavor, rather than take another bite.

"Well, your dad has never tried this cake then. C'mon, just enjoy it and eat it!" Sighing, I took another larger bite on Sarah's suggestion.

"It's good and I like it, but I still don't feel like eating it all at once." I was immediately saved by a steaming cup of creamy brown liquid, stopping Sarah from responding with another reason to eat faster. I thanked the waitress and took a hesitant sip, since it was still hot.

"So, how is it," Sarah questioned. She looked genuinely curious about it's taste.

"Not bad," was all I could really think to respond with. "Oh, yeah. You never finished your gym battle."

"Oh. Right, I never did finish that story. Um. So, when I ordered Yami to..." I sighed and relaxed after my muscles. Distracting Sarah with a chance to show her aptitude in battle, even after losing to me. Barely. Listening was a challenge of it's own, of course. While most of my interest was Chelsea's fighting style, Sarah hardly focused on anything other than her own Pokemon.

Finally, she ended with her triumph over Chelsea's Ferrothorn and I paid for the bill. Sarah followed me out and gleefully ran out into the street and yelled, "Freedom!" I couldn't help but laugh when I saw a car stop for her, before honking. Honestly, I'd almost forgotten I'd been in the woods for weeks.

We spent the afternoon walking around and looking around town. As fun as it was, we didn't do much. It was a slow, but nice birthday, which was a rare thing for someone like me to say. I generally enjoyed everything, all of today's events, even when Sarah had embarrassed me. I don't think she cared much about the attention, but the looks she got weren't the nicest.

"Let's go get hammered, get some drinks and party the night away!" Sarah pointed at the bar sign hanging overhead. "No one has to know we're underage, so we can both get some beers."

"I don't think you know how that works," I stated, bland and monotone.

"We'll just order a beer or two, then we can go back to the Pokemon Center and party there. Loosen up and let's party!" Sarah made a move towards the bar's door, but I caught her arm.

"What'll happen when they ask for your ID," I asked, a serious expression on her face. While I wasn't against partying with her, drinking was not an option for us. Being seventeen now did open the option for a few things, it was eighteen when we would be allowed to drink. Judging by Sarah's looks, she wasn't eighteen either.

"Yeah, you're right," Sarah sighed, dejected and pouty. "But what else are we gonna party with? Drinks or what?" A few things came to mind, but I couldn't say much of anything without consequences. Reluctantly, Sarah and I went back to the Pokemon Center after eating some kebabs.

Even after eating it, I still didn't know what it was.

Sarah joined me in my room for a few hours, a few snacks and soft drinks between us. We talked, partied, and joked around until after dark. I enjoyed the small party, even if it wasn't much. It meant a lot, after my last birthday party, back when we'd lost everything.

Before Sarah left, she gave me several tips and a bit of a motivational speech. She was genuinely concerned about my battle tomorrow, but I had the seriousness to battle. The upside was that the battle wasn't until noon, but I could use the help.

Once Sarah had returned to her room, I sat alone in the dark. Several minutes of sitting, thinking, I finally changed and prepared for sleep. Slowly, I fell into the grasps of sleep.

. . .

Akuma was happy to be able to eat again. I wanted to make sure both Thorn and Akuma were prepared for the battle, and giving the carnivore a small meal of a Pidgey and Starly. Thorn was okay after getting some sunlight and water. The only thing I was sketchy on was the Zorua. I still had to give it a good name, and Akuma was the only one who could give it orders.

"You don't have to use the Zorua if you don't want to. You just need to win with Akuma and Thorn." Sarah was confident in my abilities, which did make me feel a bit better. She was standing nearby with Sammy, giving it a chance to photosynthesize.

"I know, but I did say I was going to use it," I reasoned. I tossed the red Pokeball from hand to hand. I knew I could release it now, and I already had a butchered Pidgey for it, but I wasn't certain.

"Well, you obviously had it under control the other day. It's about time you feed it anyways. You know what the Nurse said."

Hesitant, I aimed the Pokeball and pressed the button. I quickly pulled out the meat and called to Akuma before the illusionist could do much. "I'm going to give you food," I said calmly, using Akuma as a translator. The grey Zorua got the message pretty fast when I held out the raw meat for it to take.

While it was a bit cautious about taking the food from my hands, Akuma was able to coax it into eating. It wasn't that it wasn't hungry, but it didn't want to take anything from me. Since Akuma had told it to eat, it took it quickly before tearing into the bird.

"Why can't all my Pokemon just listen to me," I breathed. My thoughts switched to the Pachirisu, which was a pain in my side. Being so weak, I'd expected it's will to capitulate to mine, but some just had to ruin it.

"See? The Zorua is looking a lot better aftsr the meal. No problems." Focusing back on the present, I looked at the Zorua. Better was the blood on it's mouth, seeming to bend into a crazy smile. But it was looking at me, expectantly.

"Now you're going to listen to me," I asked it sarcastically.

"Yes, because you're my master," Sarah voiced, talking over my shoulder. I smiled at the voice she'd used, being extremely high pitched.

"Okay, then. If we're going to win, let's give it our all!" I touched Thorn's bud, careful not to prick myself. My fingers ran through Akuma's thick fur. Then I looked to the Zorua. While it was small and cute, I wasn't sure if it was safe. Cautiously, I slowly held my hand out.

The sharp clicking noise of teeth colliding was all the proof of barely getting away. Akuma growled and screeched at the Zorua, who cowered and tried to shrink behind Akuma. It's tail was unnaturally large while it's body got smaller and smaller. Reaching out my hand again, I touched the Zorua before I thought I could, my fingers vanishing.

That was all the time I could touch it before it snapped at me again. I didn't lose my fingers today, but I swear I could feel the sharp teeth graze my knuckles.

"Alright everyone. Today is the date. Let's go kick some Eterna City ass!" My motivational speech ended with me yelling and Akuma letting out a high pitched roar. Smirking, I returned all of them to their Pokeballs. "To the gym," I simply stated. My blood was pumping and I was ready.

The trip to the gym was almost like a procession at a parade. There were so many people trying to get to lunch that it was hard to move through them. While they weren't throwing candy, there were even advertising trucks. Sarah was as frustrated as me as we pushed through the swarms of people. Finally, we reached the doors of the gym with a few minutes to spare.

"Arceus, why are there so many people at lunch time? Can't they just get something practical like a burger and get off the streets?" Sarah fumed at the crowds while we breathed inside the giant glass gym.

"Well, at least we got here on time. I've only got about twelve minutes before I should be down in the pit." I nodded to Sarah and put my three Pokeballs in my pocket. "So, are you going to watch or pay for a seat?"

"It's not too expensive for a ticket, but looking at all these people, I don't know if I'll actually get a seat." I was beginning to see Sarah wasn't one for crowds, as well as impatient. "I'll take the risk and I'll watch from the stands. See you there, alright. Oh, and you better win." Running off towards the desks, Sarah waved to me before slipping in between the crowds.

"I guess it's time for me to get down into the pit," I mumbled to myself. Going down a set of stairs, after showing my PokeDex to a security man, I entered into the familiar dim room with benches and the schedule. Currently, I was next in line. After looking at the other trainers waiting, I found an empty seat and plopped myself down.

Taking out Akuma's Pokeball, I let her out and told her to sit next to me. A few trainers glanced my way, even scooting away, but my hand kept her from doing anything. It was a bit awkward anyways, but I felt like the sounds of battling above was setting others off more than Akuma.

"You ready to fight," I asked in a whisper. The blind dragon turned and seemed to say, 'Do you need to ask?'. Smirking, I sat back against the wall and waited for the sounds of battling to subside. I mumbled to keep calm and I thought about what Sarah had said. Winning was my only option.

After several minutes of waiting, the time for my battle came and went. My foot began to subconsciously bounce and my nerves started to act up. My thumb was my main target and chewing it up was my method of calming myself. By the time I heard the crowds cheer and the battling stop, I had shredded my thumb nail to pieces. My name was called and Akuma was returned to her Pokeball.

Breathing, I stood up and stepped into the elevator and held Akuma's Pokeball in my hand. I shifted in with my fingertips and constantly resized it again and again as the elevator began to rise up. Slowly, the sounds of the crowds grew louder until the sunlight blinded me when the cover overhead opened up.

"The Challenger has appeared!"The loudspeakers cut across the field as I came to a halt on the surface. My jaw hurt from the tension I felt, my muscles tight and contracted. The crowd was a dull roar and I kept my head level. I couldn't look up at them yet. Even if I knew Sarah was watching, I wasn't foolish enough to search the stands for her.

My calm demeanor was able to hold while I made my way to the center of the field, where the gym leader was standing. Chelsea seemed nice enough, her face a bold smile. While she wasn't thin, she was definitely lean and muscular. I held out my hand and greeted her with a firm handshake.

"I hope you're not some wimp like all the other's I've beaten this week," she jested. "No time for weaklings in this League, kid."

"Link your Dexes!"Pulling out my PokeDex, I held it out for Chelsea to link to. It took only a second, but I felt nervous while my picture was displayed on the large screen in the stands, along with my name, score, and three rolling Pokeballs. "The Challenger has three Pokemon and a perfect 1-0 rating! Let's see how long that lasts?!" Whoever was behind the microphone was obviously doubting me.

Akuma was ready in my palm while I waited for Chelsea to release her first Pokemon, but when her voice rang out, it wasn't the start of the battle.

"Rules are this! Two switches, one potion! If I say switch, you switch! Got it?! No attacking me, the crowd, or anyone for that matter! You should already know this, but I still have to say them!" Then, with a sharp snap, the signal was given and I released Akuma in front of me. With a quick yell, I gave the orders for combat.

"The battle has started off with a strange war cry! And is that a Deino?!" Akuma ran forward towards the gym leaders Pokemon. Looking at it, it seemed like she was starting off with her toughest first. The small Ferroseed was resting in the dirt while Akuma searched for it.

"Use Dragon's Breath," I shouted. Akuma could hear the crowds, but she could feel the vibrations of the steel seed trying to burrow into the dirt of the arena. Unleashing a torrent of blue flames, I knew the dense seed Pokemon wouldn't stand much of a chance. It was a good choice, considering the rarity of fire and dragon Pokemon, but when there was one, the Ferroseed was screwed.

"You think that puny little Deino could hurt my Erizo? Let's show this newbie trainer how to properly fight!" Akuma quickly shot breath after breath at the Ferroseed, but it responded by rolling along the ground into Akuma. It quickly changed directions and came back to roll over my fallen dragon.

I'd seen this already, last year. A confident smirk crossed my face.

"Akuma, dodge and retaliate! Just like last time!" Akuma picked herself up, jumped over the rolling Ferroseed, and blasted a Dragon's Rage directly as it passed underneath. The force blasted Akuma into a higher jump and propelled her away from the dust cloud.

"It looks like this trainer already has a strategy for Leader Harron! And it seems to be fairly effective at that!"Damn right, it is! My hand made a fist and I felt my nails start to sting my palm while I waited for the dust to settle. As the clouds fell, the Ferroseed was still alive and kicking. Well, maybe not kicking...

Immediately, I called for Akuma to attack with her Dragon Breath, but Leader Chelsea Harron saw it coming. She ordered her Ferroseed to self destruct. As Akuma rushed forward to blast fire over the steel seed, it suddenly exploded violently. The smoke covered Akuma and the Ferroseed, but I knew at least the Ferroseed didn't make it through. I was honestly stunned she pulled a move like that.

"Oh, it looks like Leader Harron pulled out her final trick up the sleeve already?! I don't think that Deino will be walking away from that, even if it's a dragon!" Pulling out her Pokeball, I returned Akuma before the smoke cleared and checked her health. The percentile was flashing a bright red 12% with trauma to her front legs and neck.

Chelsea looked at me from across the field and seemed to question me. What was I planning? I quickly sent out the Zorua on a whim, but I was still on the fence about it. Without Akuma to help, I wasn't able to command it. Even though I could call out orders, it was hardly likely to obey. Still, I'd be a fool not to say a thing.

"Alright, Felix. You only have to win one battle, since Akuma will be recovered by then. I promise you'll get a whole Buneary if you win!" It was worth a shot to give some orders. Even if they ended up unfulfilled, hopefully the message got across. I was nervous about letting the newly named Zorua battle already.

"Looks like this trainer has some real rarities on his team! First a Deino, and now a Zorua?!"

A Tangela appeared on the Gym Leader's side of the field and Felix prepared for combat. While he wasn't loyal to me, he could see the enemy ahead. It was all the motivation anyone needed to fight.

Felix didn't do anything at first, but stood there watching the Tangela as it approached. Until it was close by, Felix' only actions were to observe the mass of walking vines. As soon as it stepped near enough, Felix released a sheer blackness from underneath his fur.

The darkness washed over my body and sent chills down my body, right before pushing me onto my back. The Tangela had a lot less luck, having been slammed forcibly down to the dirt. Felix ran forward and sunk his fangs into the writhing mass of the vine Pokemon. While small and lithe, he was violence and vicious.

Snapping back to the fight, the Tangela retaliated with a thick vine to the side. Felix flew across the field and landed against a decorative tree. I couldn't help but call out to him while he just laid there. He had next to no competitive battling experience, so he might have been simply going by the wilderness' rules. Suddenly, it morphed into a Deino and stood to face the advancing Tangela. I could see some flaws, but when the camera focused on it, all I heard was the announcer.

"Looks like the Challenger isn't done yet! It seems the Zorua has created an illusion of the Challenger's Deino, but I can't say that will make much of a difference for the Zorua!" Felix, or the faux Akuma, ran towards the opponent. Aiming for his head, the Tangela swung another vine meant to maim him.

But it passed right through the illusion with easy, continuing past and pulled the tangled mass of vines forward. Felix used his own weight, under the guise of Akuma, to knock the Tangela to the ground. "The Zorua has brought the Tangela to the ground with the help of it's illusion! Amazing!" About time you said something good about me...

Felix leapt onto the planty wad and began to tear in to it with razor sharp fangs. He seemed to be making progress and doing damage until a thick vine made contact with his side. Felix was once again tossed through the air, before landing down in the dirt. And this time he didn't get up.

"It looks like the Zorua has been knocked down! Will he get up again, or is he down for the count!?" I called to Felix, but he stayed in the dirt. Sighing, I pointed his Pokeball and returned him. Lastly, I pulled out my third and final Pokemon. Thorn would be able to hold out better, having more combat experience, but I was getting nervous.

Thorn appeared a dozen feet in front of me. His light green body was looking fuller than earlier, but he was still very small. I wasn't sure if I could win. Just to be sure, I pulled out one of my potions, my only available potion. I administered it through Pokeball and healed Akuma, though her wounds were pretty serious. The potion would take a few moments to take effect, but I already had Thorn out for battle.

"Alright, Thorn. We have only two targets, two more opponents." I looked up at the large screen before seeing a flash from across the field.

"Oh, it looks like Leader Harron has returned her Tangela! That Zorua must have really done a number on it!"

"Make that one more, Thorn. I'll keep Akuma on the bench, just in case." I nodded to Thorn, giving the signal to advance. Looking across the field, I saw another flash and I gritted my teeth, before my shoulders fell. A booming cry came from the large quadropedal Tropius now on the other side of the field. I felt my gut drop past my balls as I looked at it.

Even though it was larger than Akuma, towering over Thorn, I couldn't leave it at that. Steeling myself, I called for Thorn to keep his distance, but to attack.

"Even in the face of Leader Harron's Tropius, the Challenger still wants to fight with his tiny Budew! He must be planning something, or already have a plan!" My teeth were starting to hurt from grinding them together. I might not have had any plans, but I was going to make this a win. I had to.

Before Thorn had made it within range for an accurate Razor Leaf, a ball of green energy began charging in the Tropius' mouth. It was quickly released and impacted Thorn in a quick blast. Before he could recover, the leafy wings shot out from it's back and it leaped into the air, hovering above the battle field. I was beginning to see how this would be a problem, facing off against a flying Pokemon.

Back on his feet, Thorn sent a sharp leaf upwards, towards the flying Pokemon. While it was powerful, the larger body also presented a target. It was obvious, once it tried to dodge, it wasn't meant for close combat. The leaf bit into it's side, causing it to grunt and fall to the ground. Suddenly, a bright light surrounded Thorn.

"Oh, ladies and gentlemen! It looks like the Challenger's Budew is evolving! This is an impressive event!"

As the light dissipated, I saw the new form of Thorn revealed as suddenly as it had started. Two small roses bloomed from his hands, one a deep red and the other a violent violet. A trio of spikes made a crown on his head, all sharp. A sign of graceful elegance. A small smile pulled at the corners of my mouth.

"Thorn!" I yelled out of glee and happiness. My Pokemon had evolved for me, now of all times. Besides that, it was my first evolution I'd seen. In a sudden twirl, Thorn launched a volley of small leaves into the air. I watched as they cut into the Tropius, but most simply nicked it's sides and helmeted head. One, however, left a larger gash in it's leg. A small smile started to return.

It didn't last long, though. A roar sounded before it began flapping it's massive leafy wings to knock Thorn off his feet. The small rose Pokemon blew around in the small storm that the flying grass type had created. I braced myself against the torrent of wind, which made my jacket whip in the gale.

The blows went back and forth, with my Roselia throwing leaves or absorbing energy, but he didn't last long against the winds, his weakness. After another gale of winds, Thorn wasn't getting up for a while. His tuxedo-like leaves had been torn and tattered in areas and a few of his new petals had been torn out as well. I knew this would happen in the end. And he'd even evolved and everything. I knew he'd be bummed when everything was said and won.

"Switch," gym leader Harron called out. It was almost redundant, but I complied. Returning him, I pulled out Akuma again. This was the last battle.

The black and violet dragon roared the second she was out of her Pokeball. She probably expected a rematch between her and the Ferrowseed, but she only shifted her weight when the Tropius roared back. I bit my lip, but still focused on the goal. Giving orders, I allowed Akuma to race forward.

Having been caught in the blast earlier, I'd expected her to be a bit more hesitant, or cautious. Still, it was inspiring, seeing her charging a beast larger than she was.

Flanking, Akuma ran headfirst into the fray, quite literally. She smashed into the side off the winged plant before it could snake it's head around to defend itself. While significantly smaller, Akuma was still very strong. The Tropius stumbled before catching it's balance and lashing out with blizzard of leaves. While they weren't very sharp or anything, the sudden attack came without warning and surprised Akuma, knocking her back.

But, she still had to finish the fight. Akuma locked onto the target, searching via sound and verberations and small tremors. Suddenly, she rushed out and away from the Tropius, just in time to avoid a giant leaf from it's neck. I shouted out for her to attack with ranged while it prepared to leap into the air. Gaining a firm ground, Akuma opened her maw and shot a column of flames at her target, but the Tropius expertly dodged while in the air.

The trade from ground to air and back again, while smart for one side, was not in my favor. Akuma could only shoot fire, at most, 4 meters. The Tropius could easily fly above the breath attack and dodge. Luckily, the Tropius wasn't all that offensive in the air, so coming back to the ground for stability was all it would do, other than blow air on the Deino.

Whenever the Tropius touched the ground, Akuma was there to bite and gnash at the sides of the larger monster, using dark apparitions to cause as much damage as possible. The fangs left gashes in it's planty hide, but didn't draw much damage due to the larger size of her opponent. And she was taking damage as well.

"The Challenger is fighting well! It looks like, even if the Deino looks to be disadvantaged, it seems to be dealing some lasting damage!"

The health on her Pokeball continued to drop during the battle, but I had faith since she was dealing as much damage as she could. I just hoped she could hold out long enough.

In a breath of fire, Akuma engulfed the Tropius' head and retreated, but caught a leaf to the side and fell. "Akuma!" I saw her struggle to get up while the Tropius stumbled towards her. Akuma was still on the ground when the smoke smoldered out on the Tropius' face. As it lumbered closer, I began to grit my teeth in fear. This was now or never.

As soon as it stood close enough, Akuma lept forward and sunk her dark fangs into it's leg. As the Tropius reared back in pain, it dragged her up with it, before sending her to the ground. I winced, but Akuma continued to keep her hold. After the third time meeting the ground, her grip faltered and she was left there.

In a final attempt, a burst of blue flames lit up the underside of the Tropius. In one sharp cry, it collapsed to the side to try and protect it's underside. Checking her pokeball, I winced when I saw such a low percentage on the small display. Her injuries were pretty severe, and I could see she was finally being affected from them. She wasn't moving much, but stood her ground as she observed the Tropius struggle on the ground.

As soon as the green giant tried to rise, a jet of blue flame scorched the side of it. It was forced back to the ground to hide it's side. Leader Harron kept calling for it to get up and fight, but it's instincts were forcing it to disobey. Which was perfect for Akuma, who seemed to have figured out the weak point of the hulking beast.

Three flame jets later, the Tropius refused to rise again. If it tried, it would be burned. If it said down, the fire wasn't hitting it. Even with Leader Harron's commands, it did nothing. Seeing it's resolve shattered, Akuma dove onto the huge green giant and tore at it's throat and side with dark fangs. It simply cowered in fear and pain. In a flash, Akuma dropped to the ground and the battle was won.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Challenger has won his second gym battle! Give it up for him and his Deino!"

A loud cheer rang out from the crowd and I grinned and laughed away the tension. The battle had lasted a lot longer than I'd hoped, but I'd done it. I returned Akuma to her pokeball and promised to get her a good meal after this. I breathed in a heavy breath of relief, before walking to the center of the field.

"That was a good battle at the beginning, but I question the strategy against my Tropius," Leader Harron criticized the battle, and I clenched my teeth. "Still, you beat me, so I am obligated to give you the badge of the Forest. I am looking forward to facing your Deino later on, maybe when it's a Hydreigon or something. It's quite surprising, considering the territorial battle up on Mt. Coronet. Anyways. I hope to see you progress, kid." Shaking my hand, I was beginning feel bad about how the match ended. I, or at least, Akuma had fought dirty and had used fear to her advantage.

.

Sarah congratulated me after I collected my reward, storing my badge, money, and TM 86 in my bag. After a few laughs, and a bit of a questionable talk of Akuma's behavior during the fight, we went to the Pokemon Center and rested our Pokemon. Akuma's health, while dipping below 10%, wasn't as bad as it could be. A severed limb or a disembodied organ was much more severe than a few bumps, bruises, and cuts. Even if she had a hairline fracture in her left leg, the nurse reported that they could return in half an hour for their Pokemon.

In the mean time, we paid one last visit to the Elegant Petilil and ate the delicious Oddish Cake they so gracefully prepared. I talked about the battle with Sarah, asking for some feedback, though often subtly. I did get some sarcastic remarks on my "terrible" battle, but we did agree on a few of my faults. I nodded at many of the issues, but argued a few of them, before we paid our bill and returned to the Pokemon Center to pick up our Pokemon.

After a quick trip to the Pokemart and grocery mart for supplies, such as pokeballs, potions, Chancey Extract, and some food, we made our way towards the eastern edge of town. I was grateful for the thick wad of cash in my wallet, thanks to my success at the gym, but when most of it disappeared, I was hesitant to even look at anything or else my remaining money vanish.

Finally, we were on our way. I held Akuma's pokeball in my palm, and I was anxious to be outside of the borders. With success still fresh on my mind, I was impatient and I was ready to be free. While we were crossing the border of town, my PokeDex rang and I picked up the call. My ear was nearly deafened by the loud cheer my mother gave. I almost wanted to hang up when Sarah started laughing.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Mom. Please don't scream at me." I didn't like talking to my parents, not after having left for the second time. But with my Mom still being supportive, I couldn't just hang up on her. We talked while Sarah and I walked. I purposely tried to sound uninterested, tried to end it as soon as possible.

"'Bout time you got here," a voice said from under a tree. I whipped around and tensed, before I recognized the voice. Coming out of the shadows, with a Vulpix by his side, Miles stepped up to Sarah. "Good day, fair lady. You've got lovely hair. Has this guy ever said that?"

Caught off guard by the sudden compliments, Sarah blushed and shook her head. Miles looked at me, before placing a quick peck on her lips. Sarah, for one, obviously wasn't expecting it, and I definitely wasn't. While I was surprised, Sarah was almost definitely stunned.

"Hey," I yelled and grabbed Miles' hand, before I realized what this looked like. Dropping his hand, I backed away and gritted my teeth. I'd been hoping to do that same thing myself, but I knew her too well to just.. do that. In the awkward silence, I heard a sound from my side. "Oh. Sorry, Mom. I gotta go." I hung up the call and pocketed my Dex.

"Hey, wait a minute! Who said you could kiss me?!" Pushing Miles away from her, she lost the daze from the sudden kiss. Miles simply laughed and backed away with his hands up. Judging from Sarah's and Miles' expression, I guessed they didn't know each other.

"Now, now. Calm down. It was just a little kiss. I thought you were cute, and I meant it as a compliment. No need to kill me or anything." Sarah had her pokeball out and she looked down-right serious about releasing a Pokemon to kill Miles. Jumping in between them, I held my hands to keep them apart.

"Woah, now! Let's take this slowly. Sarah, this is Miles. I met him back in Oreburgh and again at the Eterna gym. Miles, this is Sarah. She's been with me since the beginning of my journey." After introducing them, I backed away so they could shake hands. Sarah was stuck with a glare, while Miles took the hint and extended a hand. Reluctantly, as well as cautious, Sarah held out her hand.

With introductions out of the way, I wanted to know why Miles was here. "So, what are you doing here? I'm assuming you didn't come here just to see me off." Miles simply laughed. I gritted my teeth through his charismatic laugh. I still didn't like him much.

"Why else? I'm planning on traveling with you. Though I didn't expect you to be kicking around with such a girl. Seriously, you're lucky to have someone like her from right off the bat, I'd say."

It was almost like an obvious thing for Miles, but I was struck dumb, just like Sarah had been. After a few seconds, I scoffed, before getting a punch to my shoulder from Sarah. Rubbing my now sore shoulder, I turned back to the expectant Miles.

"Well, there is the saying 3 is a crowd-"

"And there's also 'the more the merrier'. Besides, we're both going to the same place. Or, the three of us. Doesn't really actually matter, now that I think about it. I could just tail you the whole way with Silverwings, but he's not really one for long distance traveling yet..." Looking back at us, Miles cleared his throat before backing up a step. "So?"

"Fine," I replied, sighing to make it seem like I really wasn't interested. In honesty, I was on edge. I already didn't like the guy very much, and now he was willing to join us? In the wild? With Sarah? The idea just rubbed me wrong, and I definitely was opposed to it. I just wasn't sure about Sarah. After all, he had come on stronger than I had, and she seemed to have gotten over the kiss already.

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road, then! We aren't here to watch the grass grow, are we?" Confident, Miles hoisted his pack as he walked down Route 211. Sarah followed, but I was left to run through the situation and decide with to do next. After a few seconds, I sprinted to catch up with Sarah.

.

The rest of the day went by fairly slowly. Miles continued to flirt and hit on Sarah, and while she mostly enjoyed the attention, she mostly rebuffed him. They tended to talk to each other more than me, but I was fine with the silence. Akuma was loyally padding along beside me, occasionally growling at the unfamiliar person in our group.

Traveling on the path in the spring wasn't exactly the calmest of seasons. After two kilometers of traveling, a trainer challenged us, and I elected Miles to go first. During combat, I found he only had two Pokemon, but his Vulpix and Pidgeotto were fairly powerful. Unfortunately, the trainer we faced was fresh from Veilstone City, and he had the badges to prove it.

After that crushing defeat, as well as a few quick poitions, we started entering the real mountains. The Gate had been one thing as a cave system, but judging from the maps there was only one option. Not under, not around. Up and over, though the snowy caps.

With snow come cold. Vice versa. I'd had my coat stored in my bag for the past week, just as the temperature started turning to something Spring-like. It felt weird digging it out of my bag, my hands shaking from cold by evening when I gave in. Of course, it was also awkward when I was the only one without a coat anyways.

By the time it was getting dark, Miles and his Pidgeotto found a small cave for us to spend the night. Luckily for us, the cave was inhabited by a small family of Drilbur and Excadrill. After a small skirmish, being 7 on 4, we were left with a pretty nice dinner. Akuma dug into hers, along side Felix and Yami, while the three of us tended to cooking our three Drilburs.

Each of the burrowing Pokemon was valuable for one reason; their claws. We all agreed to share the claws, with me winning a coin flip to take the Excadrill's claws and metal bits, before Akuma started chewing on them. After everything was stored away and cleaned, we turned the Drilbur over a fire made with surrounding tree branches.

We all ate our Drilbur with mostly silence. Akuma's loud and messy eating was one of the sounds, the other was the occasional Hoothoot or Zubat. It was slightly awkward, but I enjoyed the meal itself. Miles shared his with Ignis and Silverwings, as he called his Vulpix and Pidgeotto. They both sat around him as if to brag about their loyalty as they took scraps of meat from Miles' fingers.

After dinner, it was a bit strange as I staked my small tent along side Sarah's. Miles simply had a sleeping bag, while both of us had a small shelter. My inner human told me to share my own tent, but there was never going to be enough room for both of us. Sarah's tent was larger than mine, but it was Sarah's, not mine. We were in a small cave though, which could be claimed as shelter. It helped take my mind off the problem as I zipped shut the entrance of my tent and slipped into my sleeping bag next to Akuma.

In the morning, Miles was the first one awake. Even with his messy hair and clothes, he immediately became the designated as the morning alarm clock. Sarah was more energetic than me, and I was the last one out of the cave. Stretching, I groaned as Miles commanded us forward. We continued our march up the side of the mountain.

"Alright, I think I can figure out how far you guys can walk." Miles stopped and turned to face the two of us.

"Wait, what are you talking about," I asked, suddenly scared Miles was not the same guy he claimed to be. My hand slipped down to my PokeDex. "Is this some test I just failed?"

"No, what the hell are you talking about? I'm just going to go scouting, and I wanted to know how fast you guys can travel so I can catch up later. With Silverwings, we're going to fly around the peaks, and I'm going to be the first one to see the battlefield between Ascalon and the Hydreigon." With a stupid grin, Miles released his Pidgeotto and waved at Sarah and I, before saddling up on the back of the large bird. I wasn't entirely certain the four-foot bird could fly, but when the strong bird lept into the air, I changed my answer.

"What the Arceus just happened," Sarah questioned as she watched Miles fly off. "I mean, I know what happened, but what the Arceus?" Looking at me, we both burst out laughing before we tried to figure out what Miles meant. Flying on his Pidgeotto wasn't fastest means of travel horizontally, but compared to vertically, he'd cover a lot more ground.

"He's damn lucky, that's for one. I want to check out the Hydreigon nests and the Champion's Haxorus, too. If only Akuma could evolve sooner. Then I could just fly anywhere I needed to."

"Yeah, and then try dealing with an immature Zweilous," Sarah warned with a laugh. "And you forgot teleportation. Almost any Psychic trainer would call you an idiot for not considering that mode of transport."

"Oh, yeah. Let me just get my Deino to teleport me across the continent," I joked, with sarcasm dripping. "Honestly, I don't enjoy teleporting around. It just... I don't even care. I don't like it."

"After one try? That's a pretty strong refusal for it already. But too bad. You're coming with me on my first jump."

"Already did that." After a sly smirk, as well as a hard shove, we started walking again. The constant company with Miles was uncomfortable, but now that he was gone, it was so much easier to talk freely without him. I still felt a bit angry he'd gotten the drop on Sarah before I did, but now we were alone, I felt like I could be more bold with Sarah.

Miles was the target of a few of our jokes as the temperature continued dropping as we climbed. It was nice to be away from the constant training and business after the Gym battle, unlike the panic before hand. It was mainly because I felt exhausted after so much training, but it was also due to Akuma. I didn't want to injure her after just a day in the battle. Walking was fine.

We reached the peak after almost a full hour of climbing. Snow blanketed the cap and we sunk down about 4 centimeters. Akuma loathed it and melted it with puffs of fire, while Yami practically pranced in the snow. Sarah didn't seem to mind the snow, while I wished I could breath fire like Akuma.

"Just look at the view," Sarah basically screamed into the air, listening to the echoes. "Doesn't it just make you wanna fly?"

"Yeah, not really. Jumping off a cliff doesn't sound fun. Maybe with something like a glider or a Pokemon, then we're talking."

"Screw you, you know what I meant." Giving me a playful shove and I fell backwards. Beginning to slide downwards, I grabbed onto Akuma and Sarah's outstretched hand. Both of them fell down beside me, but we weren't sliding anymore. With Sarah directly to my side, I felt the blood rush to my face. Before we both started laughing, we turned to face each other and bumped noses.

"Well, that was scary. Let's not push each other while on a snowy mountain, huh?" Sarah brushed the snow out of her hair and clothes. "And we should probably find a way down, too."

"Remember, you're the one who pushed me," I said with a grin. Laying a hand on Akuma, I found her to be quite warm to the touch, more than normal, and I worried about her health. Still, she was breathing fire, so I was mildly cautious.

"Alright. Last look around. Come 'ere." Dragging me by my hand, Sarah stood beside me, before stepping to the side. I looked at her for a moment, but I wanted to take in the scenery; Down below, there were several trees in the crevices of the mountains. The other peaks around us were taller and some formed a bridge between two peaks. A thin blanket of snow covered every mountain. It was pretty amazing. "Wow."

"Hey, I thought you were Snowpoint," I poked at her side while asking. "You're supposed to be used to this kind of weather and stuff."

"Maybe I just appreciate it more, being used to it." Sarah was dead serious, her voice almost flat. Yami was returned and Sarah started down the other side of the slope. Suddenly confused with whatever the hell just happened, I followed Sarah and had Akuma follow.

"Sarah, wait up!" I jumped down to catch up. Akuma simply ran down the slope, following my feet. Sarah looked back at me but she didn't say anything. Not until I was right next to her, when she burst out laughing.

"You should've seen your face," she exclaimed through her gasps. "You! You thought I'd gotten all offended and- and got all freaked out!" She continued to laugh while I facepalmed. I kept falling for this crap and I'd definitely lose to Miles. Groaning into the palm of my hand, I followed her while she continued down the path.

I tried to be a joking person with Sarah, but sometimes she was just so much better at humor than I was. She was playful and joking for the first time in a long time, but it faded faster than I'd hoped. It was almost a blessing to disturb the silence after three hours of hiking when Miles landed with his Pidgeotto. His bird looked very exhausted after the four hours of flying. It honestly looked like it would drop at any moment. Miles landed hard on a nearby ridge and stumbled off of Silverwings.

"That was exciting. That's the furthest I've ever pushed Silverwings. I'm glad to see he could make it." He grinned as he returned Silverwings. I noticed his legs were shaking, but he looked pretty confident as he walked up to us. That, or drunk. His nose and ears were bright red and he was shivering, even with his coat.

"So, what'd you see," I questioned, curious of the dragons.

"There wasn't much to see, but I did see some of the battle scenes from the fights. Pretty safe to say the battles over, but I didn't see Ascalon or the Hydreigon. Just a bunch of burnt rocks and craters." After giving the report, Miles dropped to the ground to stop his shaking legs. Sarah and I joined him on rocks, and I pulled out a bag of dried berries to snack on.

"And did you take any pictures or proof of it? Any evidence we could submit?" Sarah inched forward with every word.

"Oh. I might have forgotten to do that. Whoops!" With his damned charismatic grin, he smiled at Sarah. "Forgive me?"

"...Fine. But if you're going to go back, make sure you get at least ONE picture?"

.

Miles still filed a report to Jubilife News, and while it was accepted, the article was mixed in as an anonymous trainer. It ticked me off, as it was filed with all three of our names as a party, but at least it was mentioned, as Sarah reasoned. What made it worse was the next day, when a camera crew flew over on Fearow and documented the entire scene without even a hint of acknowledgement towards us in the slightest.

The mountains were a pain to traverse without a cave at first, but once we found a trail between the mountains, it started going faster. We also found it to be warmer inside the trees. Several Pokemon lived in the sparse woods, but it made for some tasty meals for us. It didn't help that we had to feed three humans and five Pokemon. The others could live off grasses and berries that were beginning to come out, or simply feed from the sun.

My new Roselia demonstrated more power than before, but when I let him out for the first time after the gym battle, he was depressed. He'd been beaten, even after evolving, which was just rubbing salt in the wound. I did help him to train, but he usually sat out group training.

Group training was Miles' idea. He devised a game to play, similar to Pidgey. Each Pokemon would use a ranged attack and attempt to hit the other, while the other dodged. Akuma didn't understand it at first, and hit Miles' Ignis at full force with a headbutt. After a bit of coaching, she began to get the hang of it and used her fire breaths instead. Yami, Felix, and Akuma would sometimes pair up for physical attacks and sparring, though.

"Your Pokemon look pretty strong," Miles complimented. "But they don't seem very experienced. Especially that Zorua, though it's pretty impressive you caught one, and it even obeys you already. You said you caught it in Eterna Forest, right?" I nodded. "You should consider some real fighting." That's how our nightly sparring started.

Miles seemed more competent with Pokemon that either Sarah or I, and usually gave great advice, but he was also very absent-minded. After spending almost a week with him in the mountains, it became obvious of that. I still ground my gears with him, but I didn't really do anything to him. Just gritting my teeth or clenching my fist was enough for the anger to pass. Though sometimes I wished I could punch him whenever he moved closer to Sarah around the fire.

Once we started descending the slopes again, Miles took his Pidgeotto out more and flew around to 'scout' as he said. There was a few twinges of jealousy, but I knew I could have an even stronger flying beast than he could ever have. A Hydreigon would definitely beat a measly Pidgeot.

We also started encountering more people, trainers usually, as we got closer to Celestic City. Akuma enjoyed the fights, and Felix quickly took Thorn's place of fighting, since he was unwilling to fight for me. Besides that, Felix could use his Dark Pulse with some scary force. I might have had Akuma and Yami as dark Pokemon, but Zorua and their illusions and ranged attacks felt different.

It also put the money in my pocket. Usually. I did suffer two losses, in which I wagered a whole thousand Pokedollars in one.

Down the route, we checked our maps for anything nearby, but Celestic City was ahead. After the mountains, it only took 3 days of battling and walking to reach the next source of civilization. It was a good rule of thumb that the better the roads got, the closer you got to the next city.

"How many have you two fought so far," I asked as we tried to decide who would fight the next trainer. We'd faced enough that we were able to lose count. Since there was only one, only one of us could fight, and the kid gave us the choice in picking. It ended up being Sarah, who practically swaggered up with her Pokeball in hand.

Sammy was her first up against a Tranquill, so it was hardly a fair match. When Sammy was knocked down, he had been able to deal some damage, but not enough. Yami helped finish up the battle with his ice claws and speed. When the trainer sent out another bird, the outcome was already decided. The Staravia dropped pretty quickly.

The Machoke that came out next was a bit of a problem for a Sneasel to handle, but Sarah was able to deal some damage and finish up with Perry. It was a close win, but it was a pretty good fight. I could tell she has definitely gotten stronger since Oreburgh. Miles had also shown his power over the week we'd been traveling together. He'd proven his friendly and true intentions, so my distrust in him was beginning to lessen, but his moves on Sarah still angered me.

With the mountains still visible behind, and trees around the route, we couldn't see Celestic City until is was already right in front of us. "Woah, this place is awesome!" Sarah immediately tried to run to one of the flashy shops, but I stopped her by grabbing her bag. "Aww... Party killer."

"Wait up a sec. We should figure out what we're doing first, before running off to who-knows-where. Then we can meet back up at the Pokemon Center."

"Fine, but I'm not going with you. Or you."

"I've got plans to check out the ruins around here, too. Sorry, Kael, but I guess you're on your own. And I'll see you," Miles charismatically said, cupping Sarah's chin. "Later. Chao!"

"What about you, Sarah," I questioned, as Miles walked down the sidewalk. "What're you gonna do?"

"I'll be fine on my own. Now let go of me, Dragon Boy!" Struggling against me, I gave up and dropped her bag.

"Well, I guess I'll be exploring on my own. Ugh, that sounds sad."

"See ya!" Sarah ran down the street and I was left on my lonesome. In a city I'd never been to before. Man, this sucks. Sighing, I opened my PokeDex. Navigating the streets with a map wasn't the hardest thing, as I'd done it several times before. Looking at the buildings, I was half expecting there to be a gym for me to fight. Instead, it was a bunch of shrines and temples, as well as the flip side with casinos or bars at ever intersection.

In it's own unique way, Celestic City was a wild mirror of it's self. Something akin to a Yin and Yang symbol, the city held it's own balance. I liked the place for the feeling it had, having made a cool discovery, but at the same time, the streets were not very welcoming to a traveling person like me. I felt the eyes of several people staring at me, making me uncomfortably shift my bag around.

"Good Arceus, young man," one robed man suddenly exclaimed. "You look exhausted after your long travels! Wouldn't it be nice to take a long rest on one of the pews inside our church?" Looking past the man, I saw a church behind him, one to worship the 'miracles of Arcues' or something.

"Uh-"

"You still going at it, you ass?!" Suddenly, a woman threw a punch to the holy man's face. He dropped pretty quickly, and the woman grabbed my arm. "You alright, kid? He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"No, I'm fine, I guess, but who are you?" Dropping my arm, the lady stood in front of me and saluted. I instantly recognized the emblem on her uniform of the Ranger Corps.

"I'm Lieutenant Rosa, and my partner detaining that conman back there is Corporal Morgan. We've been watching this man for an hour now, and while it is harsh of us to say, you were something of bait to draw him out again. Thank you for your cooperation." Turning back to the scene, the Lieutenant walked back and pulled the now handcuffed and gagged man to his feet before leaving.

"Wait!" I ran after the two Ranger Officers. "What's going on? What did this guy do exactly?" The Corporal looked to his superior for an answer, who looked back before telling me.

"I'm sorry, civilian. I can't divulge the details of our case, but I can tell you this; you'd be a lot worse off if you'd allowed this man to drug you." With that, the Rangers carried the man off, who was fairly silent, but I thought I could see a smile from behind the gag before they suddenly teleported away with a small popping noise.

Confused as ever, I stood there trying to figure out what had just happened. A new set of Rangers teleported back to the scene with an Espeon walking beside them. They quickly entered the church with their pistols raised. Something had to be happening, but I had nothing to do with it, so I stepped back from the church.

Somehow, I wound up at the Pokemon Center, still thinking of the Rangers and what had just happened. I must have been thinking pretty hard, because when Miles found me, he had to snap his fingers in front of me to get my attention.

"Hey, I asked if you'd already eaten. You look worried." Smiling up at him, I said I was fine. "Well, let's go and get something for dinner. And text Sarah to let her know where we're going." Holding out his hand, Miles helped me stand.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see. By the way, I have to ask. What's got you so spooked? You look like you've either seen something horrible, or something you think is really cool. Or something you don't understand?"

"It's nothing. I just saw a crime scene with the Rangers. It's fine, so don't worry about it." Honestly, the guns freaked me out. I didn't hear the sound of gunfire, but it must have been serious to require guns. Just what could have been happening to require firearms?

"Man, that must have been crazy to see the Rangers in action. They didn't question you or anything, did they?"

"Nah, they were just arresting some guy. Apparently, he'd been drugging people or something. I didn't get the whole story, but they raided the place. Don't worry about it. Sorry if I've been worrying you. Just forget it." Miles accepted it, because he shut up promptly after that. He just lead the way to a restaurant he'd apparently saw on the way.

Feeling my PokeDex buzzing, I saw Sarah had replied, saying she'd agreed to be meeting at the address Miles had given to me. While the two of us, both male, sat down at a table meant for four, we'd started to get funny looks already. It really set an awkward mood, even in a cheap restaurant like this.

"Alright. What are we eating?" Sarah dropped down into the seat furthest from either of us.

After a quick dinner, I told Sarah what I'd seen. She was surprised when I told her they'd had guns drawn. She prodded me for more information, but I'd already told her I everything I knew. Giving up, she simply suggested we go sneak into a club or drink without showing our licences. To which I was adamant about denying her.

In the end, we spent our night getting some ice cream and hanging out in an arcade. I might have thought I was good at games before, but Sarah mopped the floor with us after winning the most tickets out of all of us. Once we cashed in our tickets, I bought a small cheap Plusle plushie. Sarah got a small kids toy shaped like a car. Pushing it kept it going, and she seemed to enjoy annoying both Miles and me with it. Miles wasn't interested in toys, but got his money back after giving up his tickets.

We crashed in our rooms, being almost midnight already. I was tired enough that I didn't check the messages on my Dex. By the time the sun was coming through the windows, right into my face, I realized I'd fallen asleep. Stretching, I stumbled around the room and washed up before deeming myself ready.

Sitting in the lobby were four trainers were watching the news while I went into the cafeteria. The lady behind the counter wasn't very talkative, so I settled for the bowl of oatmeal she gave me. Walking back into the lobby, I sat in one of the armchairs and watched along with the rest of the trainers.

"-and they recovered at least a dozen trainers' Pokemon. The church the criminals took over was retaken by the Rangers and further investigations will be looked into. Barry, how's the weather out there?"

"Well, Aria, the skies above the west coast are mostly cloudy, with some..." I began to think of what I'd only gotten a glimpse of yesterday. Who were these criminals, and why were they stealing Pokemon? What could be worse than that, when you could just as easily catch or purchase one?

.

Meanwhile, in a hidden location...

"So, now that we've been caught, we need to announce ourselves as something really scary. Anyone got any suggestion?" About two dozen Team Members sat around a table in an underground cave.

"How about Team Dragons?"

"Weak, mate." "Boring." "Can I take a bathroom break?"

"Joe, go ahead." The member named Joe stood up and walked out of the room. "Now, some REAL name suggestions?"

"Maybe Team Tangerine?"

"Oh, that one sounds better." "Scarier, but could be better." "When do we get to the real Team name?"

"Guys, it would help if you weren't faffing around, and actually helped us come up with names! Arceus, you guys aren't being useful!"

"Well, what about Team Steve? Ooh, just scared myself..."

"No!" The main grunt slammed his hand down on the table. "Stop messing around and actually help me come up with names!"

.

We spent three days in Celestic City, and more incidents of crime popped up over the days. People were afraid it was Team Galactic was making a return after the centuries, having said to have originated in Celestic City. However, when they announced over a video their name of Team Vortex.

While their name was almost a joke at first, as most people were laughing at their cheesy presentation and emblem, but once they began hitting hard and actually evading the Rangers, and capture, the laughing began to fade and people started to get scared. The threat of a new Team Galactic was scary enough. Now that they were serious, it was even worse.

"Man, it's turned all cold and stuff all the sudden. Not temperature, but the mood, I mean." Sarah rubbed her arms like she was cold, but she was only wearing a t-shirt and Pokemon Center sweats. The lounge was warm enough, but everyone else just nervously fidgeted in the warm place of relaxation.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," I groaned, with my outfit matching Sarah's and Miles'. We sat around our table, with soft drinks on the table. "You know what? I think I've had enough of this sort of thing. It's a good thing the Rangers have stepped up their game, though. Good to know they're getting used to these Vortex people. They're still a threat, but at least they're getting pushed back. They even say Leader Harron and the Champion are trying to find them."

"But how are they escaping capture," Miles asked, just like everyone else had been. Rangers had found their hideouts several times, but they simply switched too often and too randomly to be found. Everyone knew that, from the reports and news.

"So, what do you guys think we get back on the road. Besides, it's not like we have any more time left at the Pokemon Center anyways, unless we feel like paying."

"I was about to suggest the same thing," Sarah exclaimed. "I think we've stayed our welcome, mainly because I don't feel like paying up." Grinning, the three of us tossed our fee up on the table and left the lounge. We spent some time back at the Pokemon Center, retrieving our clothes and bags.

Quickly departing was our only wish. We were lucky enough to get a straight shot towards the exit. It was a gleeful thing to see, the gate to the wilderness, until two Rangers halted us. "Sorry, just need to see some identification." Showing our Dexes, as well as proof our Pokemon were ours, we were allowed to pass.

The sheer fact we had to even go through with it anyways was enough to know things were changing, and fast. Probably not for the better, either.

---

Yes, I did come up with the name Ascalon after Final Fantasy. It might sound a bit unoriginal, but it seemed fitting in my head. Also, Miles got me into the mood for mythology and stuff, and I gave him a Vulpix with the Latin word of FIRE and a bird named SILVERWINGS?! Yeah, totally unoriginal. My style, huh? I get that a lot, now that I think of it.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, even after the looong time it took for me to get my shit together for it. Be sure to leave a review, and share with those one friends who like a good, long story. Well, maybe not good, but better than some of the other crap out there.

Last thing, I've been thinking of Remaking my Blades of Alliance story, but I'm not entirely sure. If I do post it, I'll let you know. Auf wiedersehen!

Current Pokemon

Trainer: Kael Lorano; SI863FL239

Pokemon in Possession:

Akuma - Deino

Thorn - Budew

Felix - Zorua

Pokemon in Preparation:

Fuzzball - Pachirisu

Trainer: Sarah O'Perr; SI772SP8HN

Pokemon in Possession:

Perry - Dedene

Yami - Sneasel

Sammy - Shroomish

Trainer: Miles Samson; JO836GR3F4

Pokemon in Possession:

Ignis - Vulpix

Silverwings - Pidgeotto