Fahrenheit

"Dodge Aerodactyl and use Rock Slide!"

The prehistoric Pokemon evaded Charizard's Flamethrower and jammed her wing into the ground, throwing huge chunks of rocks into the sky to come crashing down on Charizard. The dragon-like Pokemon evaded it just in time before a boulder landed onto her wing.

Zoey smiled and then wiped her brow. "Okay girls, that's enough for now."

Aerodactyl landed on the ground gracefully and Charizard followed suit. They both seemed a little tired, but Zoey had been training both of them: Charizard for experience with disadvantages, and Aerodactyl for the next Gym.

The Trainer walked up to them with Eevee on her shoulder and the other Pokemon inside their Pokeballs. "Great work you two! I feel like we're ready to challenge that Gym now!"

Aerodactyl and Charizard gave a happy cry. Zoey had been training for two days on the island's beach to strengthen her Pokemon, from morning until night. She realized that she had never really gotten to train alongside her companions, so she thought now was the best time to do so.

"Awesome work girl," she said as she patted Charizard's side, who smiled happily and brought her in to a hug. Zoey laughed at her affectionate gesture and hugged her back. "You deserve a break." She returned her starter back in to her Pokeball.

Zoey looked at Aerodactyl who yawned. "For being brought back to life not too long ago, you sure are gaining strength fast Aerodactyl."

"Aero!"

"Y'know, I think you're gonna do great in that Gym battle. Feel confident enough?"

The Pokemon nodded and smiled. "That's great! Well, you better get some rest." She returned her back into her Pokeball and stretched. "It's getting late. We should probably head back to the Pokemon Center Eevee."

"Eevee!"

Zoey had dropped off her belongings at the Pokemon Center and headed towards the hot springs with Eevee. When they got into the water, the girl gave a sigh of relief. "Man, this warm water feels so good…"

"Vee ~"

"I've never just sat in the water without any clothes on. I'm so glad it's steamy in here."

"Zoey? Is that you?"

She recognized the voice. Her assumption was confirmed when another customer happened to stand in front of the water, a towel around her. She smiled when she realized she was right. "Zoey!"

"Marina! What are you doing here?"

"Just exploring the islands in Kanto! I came to Cinnabar because I heard they had a hot springs, so of course I dashed my way over here as soon as possible! Mind if I join you?"

"No not at all!"

Marina submerged herself in the water and then came back up, scooting over and sitting next to Zoey.

"Ah! Now who is this little cutie?" she asked as she pet Eevee.

"That's my Eevee. I got her at Celadon."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, but…it was kind of a sad way to get her…" She began to proceed to tell her about what had happened at Celadon and all the events that happened afterward up to this point.

"Oh my God… Zoey…I didn't know how much danger you were in…"

"That's okay. It wasn't anybody's fault but mine. I was snooping around in that headquarters and was getting into Team Rocket's business. I brought it upon myself."

"But those things that happened to you at Silph! I'm sure they were traumatizing!"

"Well…yeah. They…they were…but I feel like eventually they'll die down and I won't be as afraid anymore. Though I did realize that I don't have time for a boyfriend."

"What do you mean?"

"If I had a boyfriend, Team Rocket would probably find out and use him as bait to get to me. They already hate me, probably more than I can even imagine. I'm sure they'd do anything to make sure I'm never seen again."

"But that Joey kid…I thought you really liked him?"

"I do, but…he and I both agreed that our adventure and goal to becoming Champions comes first. A relationship would only get in the way."

"Oh Zoey…but you can't avoid romance in your life. From what you've told me, it seems to be growing."

"What does?"

"Your romantic feelings towards that boy."

"Well, yeah, I mean I do really like Joey and we were actually going to start a relation-"

"No no, I'm talking about the other one."

"Other one?"

"Yes, the professor's son, Gary."

Zoey blushed, but not because of the temperature of the water. "I don't have romantic feelings for him! He's a jerk and an arrogant person!"

"But he was your best friend before."

"Yeah was but now he's my rival!"

"Well, I can tell."

"Tell what?"

"You may be oblivious to it, which is strange since females usually aren't, but I think…he may see you in a different way than a rival."

"What are you talking about?"

"From what you've told me, and though he does sound a bit cocky, I think Gary truly does care for you and it would hurt him if anything ever happened to you."

"Yeah because then he won't have a rival."

"No Zoey! Don't be so hard-headed! I honestly think that Gary sees you not as a rival, but as a girl."

She paused as she stared at Marina. "Well, yeah seeing as how I am in fact a female."

"That is not what I meant." She sighed. "Well beating around the bush doesn't seem to help with you, so I'm just gonna come out and say it: I think he likes you."

"Likes me?"

"Yes, as in romantically. I have that intuition about things like these. That's what happened with Jimmy and myself. I knew he loved somebody, but I couldn't quite figure out who, until he confessed one day, and then I realized it was me all along. Zoey, sometimes two friends who have known each other for a long time start to see the other as more than that. They start to care about them more and wanting to be with them, to protect them or assist them whenever they need it. To hold them, comfort them…love them."

The girl's cheeks were turning a deep shade of pink.

"I honestly think that Gary does in fact…well…love you."

"No…that's not…possible Marina. It's just not. He doesn't have time for things like that."

"How do you know that to be a fact? Have you asked him?"

"Well…no."

"Then?"

Zoey stood quiet and looked at the water. She looked at her reflection as a million thoughts raced through her mind. "No…he…can't…" she said almost inaudibly, though Marina could still hear her. "…he just can't…right? But even if he did…why me? Why…why the person he was friends with since childhood, and then rivals when we were in elementary? He just…no…it's not possible… He could have…have any girl he wants. They all throw themselves at him like every day. Why…why choose me over them? I've seen his fangirls. A lot of them are so beautiful…"

Marina put a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe he doesn't see them that way."

Zoey looked at her. "Marina…even if…even if you're right…and he does…" She was afraid to say the L word. "…uhm…like me as much as you say he does…I still like Joey. I don't like Gary at all in that way."

"I don't know Zoey. From your mumbles and reddening face, I'm sure some others might think otherwise. Maybe…you're just in denial."

"I'm never in denial. No…never, especially about things like these."

The woman shook her head and shrugged. "Believe what you want then, but I'm still sticking to my theory."

Marina leaned against the side of the pool and sighed happily. "This water really is comforting." She looked at Zoey, who still seemed to be deep in thought. "Why don't we change the subject?"

"Okay…"

"So, what are you doing here on Cinnabar?"

"I'm attempting to get the seventh badge. The Gym is here on this island."

"Oh yes! I've heard about that. Apparently it's inside the volcano."

"In a volcano?"

"Yes!"

"I didn't know that! I just knew the Leader has Fire types!"

"Well having a Gym in a volcano would make sense then."

"Now I'm afraid to go up there…"

"Oh come on Zoey! I'm sure it's safe, otherwise they'd have the Gym somewhere else."

"Yeah I guess."

"Are you prepared for it?"

"I've been training for two days on the beach with my Pokemon."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"Then, mind if we have a battle?"

Zoey looked at her a bit surprised. "Right now? In the evening?"

"Sure! People battle all the time!"

"Oh, well, I guess. But where do you want to battle?"

"I saw a square in the middle of this plaza. We can do it there."

"That would mean we'd get an audience."

Marina laughed. "I always did love an audience! And besides, you're going to have a huge audience when you get to the Indigo Plateau! Might as well get some practice!"

Zoey smiled. "Okay then, I accept your challenge!"

Zoey didn't put on her normal traveling attire, but a simple outfit that consisted of shorts and a tank top since it was a bit warm outside. It was evening anyway, and she didn't feel like getting herself ready.

Marina wore a tropical skirt and a white T-shirt, her hair held up in a bun. "I hope you're ready for this!" she shouted at Zoey, which attracted people to their activity.

"Of course I am! I've been training!"

Marina enlarged a Pokeball. "Okay then, let's see just how good your training was!" She heard people begin to talk and whisper as they gathered closer, getting her excited.

"Let's give them a show Big Pink!"

She tossed her Pokeball and out came a Wigglytuff. "Wiggly!"

Zoey tossed her own Pokeball. "Show them your skill Marowak!"

"Maro!"

The young girl heard people gasping in excitement, waiting for the battle to begin. She was getting pumped up for the battle since she never had an audience before, except during that time on the S.S. Anne.

"Big Pink, use Body Slam!"

Wigglytuff ran over to Marowak and jumped up, preparing to slam into him, when Zoey said, "Use Bone Club!"

Marowak used his bone as a baseball bat and slammed it into Wigglytuff's face causing her to be thrown back to Marina's side of the field. Wigglytuff wobbled as she got up, shaking her head and regaining her composure.

"Not too bad. Big Pink, use Rollout!"

The large rabbit rolled up into a perfect sphere and rocketed towards Marowak. "Use Bonemerang!" Marowak threw the bone into the air as the Rollout hit him square in the nose.

"Maro!" It didn't hurt much since he was a Ground type, but it was still an impact. He smiled when his bone returned to him, hitting Wigglytuff's backside, causing her to stumble out of her ball shape.

"Finish this with Headbutt!"

Marowak slammed his skull right in to Wigglytuff's, causing her to faint.

"Big Pink!" Marina cried. "I…I should've used Attract!"

"Next time Marina!" said Zoey as she smiled. The woman smiled back and said, "Oh, don't get cocky on me now Zoey. That was just round one!" She returned Wigglytuff and took out another Pokeball. "Little Miss, I choose you!"

Out from the ball came a feminine-looking ghost, which Zoey had seen before the first time she met Marina.

"It's that new Pokemon that my Pokedex can't get information on."

"Mis ~"

"Return Marowak." She thought about her current team and knew all Eevee would be able to do is use Bite. It's risky…but he does need some training. "Elekid, let's go!"

"Bee!"

"Aww, how cute! A Baby Pokemon!"

"I got him at the Power Plant. This little guy was causing mischief, but I took care of that."

"Now just because he's cute doesn't mean I'm gonna go easy on him you know."

"I didn't expect you to."

"Good answer. Little Miss, use Shadow Ball!"

Mismagius formed a dark sphere with violet surges of energy circuiting around it, and shot it at Elekid.

"Elekid, use Light Screen!"

Elekid whirled his arms to generate his power and then held them up in front of him, creating a screen of light to block the attack. "B...Bee…" It was pushing him back.

"Jump out of the way!"

Elekid leaped away from the attack as it slammed on the floor. "Now use Thundershock!" He whirled his arms again and shot electricity at Mismagius, who dodged.

"Little Miss use Confuse Ray!"

Mismagius' eyes glowed and a ray shot from the jewels on her neck, hitting Elekid and causing him to teeter.

"B-Beeeee…"

"Now use Energy Ball!"

A green blob was shot at Elekid who got hit in the back and fell on his face. He sat up and shook his head, the confusion wearing off. He stood up again, but was panting a bit heavily.

"He's getting tired…" Zoey told herself. "He is only a baby after all…but he needs to get stronger… I just can't use anything other than Thundershock to attack, and Light Screen to defend. His Swift and Quick Attack won't work on Ghost types…"

"Got stuck Zoey?"

"I'm thinking about how to defeat your Pokemon!" she said in a frustrated tone. Okay, this may tire him out once it's done, but it should work… "Elekid, use Swift!"

The little Pokemon whirled his arms again and illuminated stars were shot at Mismagius, who didn't even have to move. They all just went right through her as she looked at them in awe.

"Now use Quick Attack!" Elekid darted over to Mismagius as Marina laughed. "Zoey! You're going to hurt your Pokemon! You should know Normal moves don't work against Ghost types!"

"Now keep it up and use Light Screen!"

Elekid whirled his arms while he ran and another screen appeared in front of him. He slammed into Mismagius who gave a cry.

"Now Thundershock!"

"BEEE!" He mustered up all of his remaining strength and shocked his opponent with electricity.

"M-Mis…" said the Ghost Pokemon as she hovered in the air unsteadily before falling to the floor. Her eyes had turned into swirls as smoke evaporated off her body from being shocked.

"No! How could…how could you have defeated Little Miss? She's stronger than your baby Pokemon!"

Zoey put her hands on her hips and smiled. "Just because he's a baby doesn't mean he can't pack a punch!"

"Eevee!"

"Bee!" Elekid sat down, panting, tired from the battle.

"You deserve a rest. Good job!" Zoey returned him back inside his Pokeball.

Marina shook her head and closed her eyes, smiling. "Of course, I shouldn't underestimate you." She returned Mismagius and took out another Pokeball. "This is the last Pokemon I have on hand, so I hope you're prepared."

"Of course I am!"

"Okay then." She tossed it into the air and said, "Wani-Wani, let's go!"

A large reptilian Pokemon came out of the Pokeball and gave a cry. "Feraligator!"

"Wow…that…looks like a strong Pokemon…"

"Of course he is. He's my starter Pokemon! The first Pokemon I've ever gotten! They're only native to Jhoto though."

Zoey wondered how she was going to handle this one. She wanted to use Aerodactyl, but she would have a disadvantage. "Hmm, okay, I know what I'm going to do."

She took out a Pokeball and tossed it. "Charizard, come on out!"

Out came Charizard who landed on the ground in front of Zoey. She gave a roar.

"A Fire-type? Zoey…"

"She's my starter Pokemon, just like Wani-Wani is yours. I feel like it's only fair to use them against each other."

"But she's a Fire type."

"So? Charizard has been faced with opponents who have advantages over her before. Right girl?"

"Rouw!"

"Okay then, whatever you say! Wani-Wani, use Hydro Pump!"

The Pokemon shot a big surge of water at Charizard, who knew better than to stay in the way. She flew up away from the blast.

"Use Flamethrower!"

Charizard shot a stream of flames from her mouth at Feraligatr, who blocked it with his arms, but it also blocked his vision, because Charizard was coming at him fast.

"Use Strength!"

She lifted up Feraligatr and flew upside down, tossing him back to the surface below where he crashed into the middle of the arena.

"Now use Fly!"

Charizard soared up into the evening sky and began to dash back down to where Feraligatr was at.

"Not so fast! Use Ice Fang!"

Feraligatr dug his teeth into Charizard's hide when she got close enough. She gave a cry of pain as Zoey saw ice beginning to form on the wound.

"Now Wani-Wani, it's your turn again! Use Slash!"

The blue Pokemon slashed his claws against Charizard who stumbled back. She cringed in pain.

"Finish her off with another Hydro Pump!"

Feraligatr opened his large jaws and sent another surge of water at Charizard.

Think fast think fast think fast! "Oh! Charizard, use Dragon Pulse!"

Charizard opened her mouth and shot an intense stream of energy at the Hydro Pump, overpowering it, causing it to slam into Feraligatr and push him back. He fell on his belly, and that was the end of that.

The crowd that had formed cheered. Zoey punched the air. "Yes!"

"W-Wani-Wani!" cried Marina. She ran to him and held his head in her lap, petting him. "It's okay. You did the best you could. We're more for Contests anyway." She returned him and then stood up, watching Zoey run to Charizard and hugging her.

"That was a great battle!" Marina told her as she walked up to her. "Looks like your training really did pay off."

"Thanks!" She returned Charizard. "I just want them to be in the best shape possible. I feel like I overexerted Elekid's energy though…"

"He's an energetic Pokemon. I'm sure he'll be back on his feet in no time."

"Yeah, I think so too."

The crowd began to subside and Marina asked, "So where are you staying?"

"In the Pokemon Center."

"What a coincidence! So am I!"

"Really?"

"Yes! I was going to stay at a hotel, but they're too expensive for me right now. So I decided the Center was the best place."

"I always stay at a Center. I feel comfortable there, and safe."

"Same here."

It was the next morning and Zoey was already up, ready to start her day. She had thanked Nurse Joy for the room and breakfast, and saw Marina in the lobby.

"Oh, Zoey! Good morning!"

"Good morning!"

"You're going to go to your Gym battle now?"

"Yup. I feel prepared."

"Okay, but don't get arrogant. The further you progress in this journey, the more difficult the Gym leaders become."

"I know."

"Well, I guess I'll see you around then."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm still not done exploring the islands! I want to see if I can catch any Pokemon that will do great in Contests. Plus, I've gotta train extra hard so I can beat you next time!"

Zoey chuckled. "Oh I see."

"Anyway, good luck on your journey, and do call me if anything comes up!"

"I will."

Zoey gazed up at the large geographical landmark. "That looks dangerous…"

"Vee…"

"I wonder how I can get there? Apparently the Gym is inside the mountain but…I don't know…"

The girl walked towards it and found a door. There was a huge sign on top that said, "Gym" so she decided to go right in.

"It's really hot in here…"

"Of course it is. You're inside a volcano."

Zoey looked around for the owner of the voice but found none. "Who's there?"

A man came out from behind a boulder. He looked elderly but tall and had a bald head. He wore sunglasses and a lab coat.

"Are you the Gym Leader?"

"You bet I am. The name's Blaine."

"Oh, hello Blaine. Uhm…if you don't mind me asking, where do you hold your Gym battles?"

"That eager huh?"

"Yeah, I need to get all eight badges so I can go to the Indigo Plateau!"

"Well, that's fine and everything, but you do know that you need to defeat the Elite Four first right?"

"What?"

"Before you even enter in the tournament, you need to defeat the four strongest Trainers in the Kanto League."

"Oh…I…I didn't know that…" Now Zoey was stressed. To her it seemed like she still had a long way to go before she'd be able to enter the final tournament.

"But of course, you won't get there if you can't defeat me."

"Well I've been training, so I'm confident in my abilities!"

He smirked. "Is that so? Then let's see just how good you are. What's your name?"

"Zoey Ketchum from Pallet Town!"

"Ketchum? Now where have I heard that last name before…? Ah, yes, now I remember! You must be Ketchum's daughter then, huh?"

"Yup! And I plan to be just as strong as my dad, which is why I need to win at the Kanto League! But I can't do that until I get your badge! That's why I came here."

"Okay then Ketchum. I admire a fiery spirit. I accept your challenge."

Zoey was a tad bit nervous fighting so high up. "Uhm…d-do we really have to be this high?"

"You've flown on a Pokemon before right?"

"Yes."

"Then this shouldn't be a problem! You can handle it. Besides, it's probably more dangerous battling inside than on top." He took a Pokeball from his pocket. "Now, are you ready Ketchum?"

"Yes I am!"

"Okay then, since you said you've been training, I wanna see just how much exactly." He enlarged the Pokeball. "Rapidash, go!"

From the stream of light came the unicorn-like creature. She neighed and shook her head. Zoey took out her first Pokeball and tossed it. "Go Marowak!"

"Maro!"

Eevee jumped off her shoulder and sat down next to her feet, watching the battle.

"Rapidash, Will-O-Wisp!"

The Pokemon shot flames at Marowak, who dodged them by rolling out of the way. "Marowak use Bone Club!"

He charged at Rapidash, lifting up his bone as he jumped in the air.

"Use Stomp!"

Rapidash kicked Marowak in the stomach and he was sent flying back. He recovered from his fall and waited until Zoey said, "Headbutt!"

He charged again, lowering his head, as Rapidash was given the command to use Horn Attack at him. He missed it just in time and slammed his skull into her chest, causing her to lose her breath for a few moments.

"Now use Bone Club again! On her legs!"

Marowak knocked the bone against her legs while she was recovering from the previous blow, causing her to stumble onto the ground. Just as he was about to attack again, Blaine shouted, "Fire Blast!"

Rapidash shot a huge blast of fire at Marowak. When it cleared, he was nowhere to be found, until he came up from under the unicorn and slammed into her underside using Dig. She wobbled a bit, and then collapsed on the ground.

"Rapidash!"

"Yes!" shouted Zoey. "Good job Marowak!"

He smiled. "Maro!"

"Not bad, not bad," Blaine told her as he returned Rapidash. "Let's take it up a notch then. Arcanine go!"

A large dog appeared in Rapidash's place. He barked. Zoey took out her Pokedex for information.

"Arcanine, the Legendary Pokemon. Its magnificent bark conveys a sense of majesty. Anyone hearing it can't help but grovel before it."

"Wow, that's one impressive Pokemon," Zoey told herself. "It sure does look majestic." She decided to use a different Pokemon other than Marowak.

"Okay, return Marowak." She took out another Pokeball. "This is her first time battling in a Gym, so let's give it a shot! Lapras, let's do this!"

Zoey tossed the Pokeball onto the battle field and out came Lapras.

"Okay Lapras, this is what we've been training for! Let's show them how good you are!"

"Ra!"

"Arcanine, use Extremespeed!"

The large canine charged at Lapras, hitting her on her side. She slid backwards towards Zoey. She shook her head and slid back into place, a determined look on her face.

"Lapras, use Ice Beam!"

She shot a stream of ice at Arcanine, who then used Flamethrower after Blaine called out the attack. It created mist around the arena.

"Now use Body Slam!"

Arcanine didn't know what hit him when Lapras slammed onto his back, paralyzing him. Zoey took this chance to attack once more. "Another Body Slam!"

Lapras threw herself at Arcanine again, but Blaine said, "Use Thunder Fang!"

"What?"

Arcanine was able to bite down into Lapras' hide, causing her to shriek out of pain. She whimpered a bit.

One more attack like that and she could get paralyzed too! Zoey thought to herself. But what attack can I use that will help her…? Oh!

"Arcanine, use Thunder Fang again!" The Legendary Pokemon managed to get up and run towards Lapras, ready to bite her again.

"Lapras, use Safeguard!"

Lapras formed a veil of bluish-green light around her, and when Arcanine bit into her hide, she took the damage, but was saved from being paralyzed.

"Now use Surf!" Lapras leaped off the platform.

"Surf? All the way up here? But there's no water up here! And where did your Lapras go?"

Just then, he heard the sound of rushing water, and from behind Zoey, he saw a large wave, Lapras riding on top of it, glee on her face. Arcanine was speechless. The water slammed onto Arcanine, drenching him from head to toe. When the water cleared, he had been knocked out. Blaine sighed and returned the large dog back into his Pokeball.

"That…I wasn't expecting something like that…"

Zoey laughed. "Good job Lapras!"

"Ra!" She slid over to Zoey and nuzzled her head against her face. The girl giggled and pet her Pokemon. "Return!"

"Looks like your training paid off!" Blaine told her. "But it's not over yet. I still have one more Pokemon left, and he's my strongest."

"That's fine. I can take anything you throw at me!"

"Okay then." He tossed the Pokeball. "Magmar, go!"

A Pokemon that strangely resembled a plump duck appeared. It's red and yellow body shined like fire.

"Magmar!"

"Oh what the heck is that…?" Zoey used her Pokedex again. "Magmar, the Spitfire Pokemon. Born in the spout of a volcano, its body is covered by flames that shimmer like the sun."

"Uhm…what Pokemon should I use then…?" She didn't want to use Marowak or Lapras again because she wanted them to rest. "Ah, I got it. I've been training her too, so let's see how she fares here. Aerodactyl, I choose you!"

Zoey tossed the Pokeball high in the air, and out from it came Aerodactyl, who soared over the field, giving a battle cry.

"You have an Aerodactyl?" Blaine was amazed.

"Yeah! She's my newest Pokemon!" She looked up at Aerodactyl and smiled. Then she said, "Aerodactyl, use Crunch!"

The prehistoric Pokemon dived down at Magmar, jaws ready to snap at his hide.

"Magmar use Lava Plume!"

The Pokemon shot scarlet flames from his mouth making an impressive display. It hit Aerodactyl, but she didn't take much damage, although it distracted her concentration.

"Use Thunder Punch!"

"Not another electrical attack!"

Magmar slammed his fist into Aerodactyl's belly, causing her to roar out of pain. Because she was close to the ground, Zoey thought it would be a good time to use, "Rock Slide now!"

Aerodactyl slammed her wing into the ground and threw large rocks into the air. They came crashing down all around Magmar, but he dodged them. Zoey had remembered looking at her Pokedex the night before, seeing which moves her Aerodactyl currently knew. She remembered a move that she had never used before, and figured now was a good time to test it out.

"Use Ancientpower!"

The airborne Pokemon felt nostalgic as the rocks around her began to glow. She tossed them all at Magmar, pelting him with the earth as he got hit various times.

"Before he gets a chance! Use Crunch!"

"Magmar use Flamethrower!"

Aerodactyl was too fast and she bit down on Magmar's snout, causing him to expand like a balloon from the fire that he was building up. Aerodactyl flew into the sky, Magmar still in her grasp, and once she was high enough, she threw him back down to the arena, his back facing the Trainers, as the Flamethrower was released into the air, not hitting anything and evaporating. He fell onto a rock, and knocked out.

"YES!" shouted Zoey. She punched the air. "Great job Aerodactyl!" she yelled at her companion who was soaring in the air. She got a happy cry in return.

"Well, looks like you did train your Pokemon well," Blaine told her. He returned Magmar and walked over to Zoey. Aerodactyl landed beside her.

"You deserve this for giving us one intense battle!" He held out his hand, and in the palm of it was the Volcano Badge. Zoey took it and grinned at the piece of metal.

"Yay! We got the Volcano Badge!"

"Eevee!"

"Aerodactuuul!"

Zoey put the badge inside her vest, just like her father used to.

"Well Zoey, your methods of battling sure are impressive."

"Thanks!"

"You just have one more badge to go, and then you can finally get to the Indigo Plateau!"

"Oh, that's right! The last Gym is in Viridian, correct?"

"Yup! Pallet Town is near here, so you might want to go there first."

"Okay!"

"I wish you luck Zoey. Once you defeat the last Gym, it's time to face off against the Elite Four, and they're all tougher than the Gym Leaders."

"I know, but I'm sure I can handle it."

"That's the spirit!"

"Amazing Zoey! You defeated the seventh Gym!" The girl was talking to Professor Gary at the Pokemon Center.

"Yup! Just one more badge, and I get to battle the Elite Four!"

"Awesome! Does this mean you'll come home first before you go to the last Gym?"

"Uh huh. It's on the way so I might as well. I'm sure mom is worried about me. Besides, Viridian isn't that far from Pallet Town. It's within walking distance and shouldn't take me more than like forty five minutes."

"I'm sure your mom will be excited!" He turned to the Pokemon who were staring behind him. "Guess what you guys? Zoey is going to come home soon!" They cheered, and Omanyte practically ran to the screen, attaching himself to it, crying. Zoey could see his sharp little teeth as he sucked on the glass. She laughed.

"I'll be there soon Omanyte! Okay?"

Prof. Gary struggled to pull Omanyte away from his screen. He finally detached him from the computer and held him under his arm. "That's gonna leave a mark. I better clean that up..." Omanyte wore a guilty expression and retreated inside his shell. Prof. Gary smiled and shook his head. "Well Zoey, we'll be awaiting your arrival!"

"Okay professor. I can't wait to come home! See you a little later then!"

"Bye!"

She looked at Eevee. "You've never been to my house huh? Well now you'll get your chance!"

"Vee!" The small Pokemon was excited. Zoey stood up and stretched. She unzipped her vest and saw the seven shining badges on the left side. "Just one more…and then finally, I'll be a step closer to becoming the Kanto League Champion."

Eevee smiled up at her master, wagging her tail.

Zoey looked out into the ocean, letting the breeze flow through her hair. She saw some Seel playing in the ocean and Krabby, a Kingler and Shellder on the rocks. She decided to go ahead and get their information, putting her bag down onto the sand.

"Seel, the Sea Lion Pokemon. Although it can't walk on land, it is a graceful swimmer. It especially loves frigid seas."

"Krabby, the River Crab Pokemon. It lives in burrows dug on sandy beaches. Its pincers fully grow back if they are broken in battle."

"Kingler, the Pincer Pokemon. Its pincers grow peculiarly large. If it lifts the pincers too fast, it loses its balance and staggers."

"Shellder, the Bivalve Pokemon. Grains of sand trapped in its shells mix with its body fluids to form beautiful pearls."

She put the Pokedex away and watched the Pokemon in their natural habitat. It made her happy to see them content and unharmed.

"I hope Team Rocket is gone for good now." She took out Charizard's Pokeball and released her. The dragon stretched and yawned.

"Come on girl, it's time for us to go back home!"

"Roaw?"

"Well Viridian is the last Gym, and Pallet Town is on the way. So we should stop by!"

Charizard nodded happily. Zoey picked up her belongings and placed Eevee on Charizard's back, Zoey herself then climbing on top.

"Okay, to Pallet Town!" She pointed in the direction of the place and Charizard gave a chuckle, spreading her wings and lifting up into the air, flying back to Pallet Town.

Unknown to Zoey, there was something extra in her bag that was slipped in there when she wasn't looking.

A/N: SO I FINALLY UPDATED. Sorry this took so long. I actually would have gotten this chapter up earlier, but for some reason I got stuck with the battle for Arcanine. Yeah... Also excuse the lame title for this chapter...

Anyway, I decided to include the chapters for the Elite Four, so hopefully I'll have those up soon. *sigh* This means this story is not yet finished, but it shall be soon! And to answer some questions that you guys have asked in the reviews and private messages to me:

1. Although it has been shown in the anime that you can have Pokemon Contests in Kanto, Zoey won't do them until she reaches Hoenn, because that's where the contests first appeared. This fanfiction originally started off based on the game, not so much the anime, but here and there I had to incorporate things from the anime as well for this to make sense. :I

2. I didn't skip any Gyms. There are only eight Gyms in every region, so I don't know where that idea came from. O_o If you're talking about me skipping those random towns that Ash went to in the anime, it's because, again, this is more based on the game than the anime. Besides, it'll take too long and I don't know what I'll do with those extra towns. I have too many minor ocs in this story as it is. Lol

3. ASH WILL APPEAR IN THIS FIC. TOWARD THE END. But as to when exactly in the end...well...we shall see. :3

4. Yes, if you couldn't tell by point number one, I do in fact plan to have Zoey travel to all the regions, but I won't ever finish if Nintendo keeps making more Pokemon! Dang five generations already! (I'm excited for Black & White's North America debut next spring though!) So yes, after this one, I'll start the Jhoto one, which will probably be a bit more dramatic (and maybe slightly more romantic) than this first one.

5. I won't tell you who Zoey ends up with in the end. Why? Well for one, I originally didn't want romance in this story, but then...yeah. And two, she still has four more regions to go. Dx But I know some of you want it to be Gary/Zoey or Joey/Zoey, so we shall see. Oh ho, but then there's the Jhoto arc and we have two new male protagonists from HeartGold and SoulSilver, who are my favorites, commonly known as Gold (Ethan) and Silver (the Rival) so~well...I'll stop there. I think I whore out this OC too much huh? I need to stop that...

Hope you guys enjoyed my update! And sorry for the lag... I haven't lost interest in this story. I actually have fun writing this one ('cause I love Pokemon like woah) but it's just thinking of the battle scenes is a bit difficult, and when Zoey gets to the Pokemon League where she will have to battle all those random trainers...damn. I'm gonna have to come up with some more random Pokemon teams. I'm also going to attempt for her to collect data on every Kanto Pokemon, but I might miss a few. So if I do, I'm sorry. Oh yeah, because I was peeved that in the anime Pokemon have more than four moves at a time (but no more than six apparently), Pokemon in this story shall have more than four moves at a time as well.

Mm, I'm making a LiveJournal account for this story only (since there's so much information for this thing) that will have the Pokemon teams and the like on there, so once it's finished, I'll post the link on my profile, or I'll announce it on the next update. I'm doing this just to make it easier to understand the story and to not get lost with which Pokemon belong to whom, etc. Thanks for sticking with this story and for giving me reviews! They really do help me out a lot. =) I hope you guys also got that Mew in your HeartGold or SoulSilver from Nintendo's Wi-Fi event! Today is the last day to get that Mew, so make sure you do because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity! Since I finally have Mew, now I really have completed my Kanto Pokedex. Yay! And I completed my Jhoto one too ~ I would have completed the Hoenn one but...I need a Milotic... orz

Have a Happy Halloween! :D