N ran his fingers through his hair, his face creased with worry. He hoped Hazel wasn't hurt. Running off like that by herself… Who knows what could have happened to her? N could only hope she had made it safely to Littleroot Town.
The bus he was riding stuttered to a stop beside a bustling sidewalk in Rustboro City. N stepped off, putting his hat on low to shield his face from the bright sun and staring people. He was hopefully only a day's journey from Littleroot. A day away from his daughter.
N turned a corner, looking for a hotel to spend the night. But the street he ventured on turned smaller and smaller, until it was no wider than a tunnel. N sighed. He was an expert at getting lost in large cities. He turned around, planning to head back the way he came. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw something that caught his attention.
There were five men at the end of the alley, dressed in blue suits. As N watched, one of them stuck his head tentatively around the corner, and apparently seeing that the coast was clear, beckoned to the rest of the group. The two men in the back hoisted a package onto their shoulders, and the group moved away.
N frowned. They reminded him of the Team Plasma grunts, that cowardly bunch that used to do his father's dirty work. The way they moved, the way they were taking cover in the dark alley… It raised his suspicion. N made his decision in a split second.
He started after them.
Ebony handed her three Pokeballs to Nurse Joy. She smiled as she thought of the newest addition to her team: a tiny Ralts she caught on the way to Petalburg City. Beside her, Aiden gave Nurse Joy his Mudkip in its Pokeball.
"I'll have them feeling better in no time," the nurse said with a smile.
"Thank you," Aiden replied.
Ebony nodded to Nurse Joy.
"So, are you going to challenge the gym, Ebony?" Aiden asked her.
"Of course," she answered confidently. Challenging gym leaders was the only way she could become stronger.
"I heard Liliana was a little… eccentric."
"Then I'll have no problem dealing with her."
"Why now?" Aiden asked.
"Because I've had enough practice with you."
Aiden laughed.
Ebony decided she liked it when he laughed like that.
Petalburg City was nowhere as large as Mauville, and Hazel found her way to the gym easily. She and Beldum had practiced with other trainers in some good-natured battles on Route 102, but as she neared the Petalburg Gym, she could feel her blood pumping through her ears and her hands become slick with sweat. Hazel had to admit it.
She was nervous.
Her Beldum was out of its Pokeball, and it trailed behind as they entered the gym, its eye widening and its claws clicking together apprehensively.
"I know. I am, too," Hazel said to her Pokemon. "But I won't let you down."
The interior of the Petalburg Gym was very bright and very colorful. Flowers littered the sidelines, and the bleachers were trimmed with hedges of roses. A sweet, musky aroma filled the air, making Hazel's head spin.
"Hello?" she called out. "Is anyone there?"
"Ah, a challenger," came a lilting voice.
Hazel spun around several times before she saw the gym leader. She was standing amid her flowers, dressed in an extravagant gown and adorned in jewels.
"Excuse me?" Hazel stammered. The perfumed air was making her feel sluggish.
"Well, are you not a challenger?" she asked, raising an exquisite eyebrow.
"Yes, I am," Hazel said hurriedly.
"Then we'll start the battle," the gym leader said, brushing an invisible speck of dust from her dress. "My name is Liliana. I specialize in grass type Pokemon, and I never lose! Don't I, my darlings?"
It took Hazel a moment to realize Liliana was speaking to her roses.
The gym leader stared intently at her flowers for a moment. Then she reared back, her hand fluttering to her mouth, as if she had been stung.
"What! How dare you say such things?" she exclaimed, glaring at the silent roses. "Oh, I can tell you it injured much more than my pride."
Beldum whirred, and Hazel met its questioning eye with a confused stare of her own.
"Um, excuse me. Ms. Liliana?" Hazel tentatively stepped over the white chalk line and into the challenger's box. Her Beldum followed her. "I'm ready to begin when you are."
The gym leader straightened up. "Right! My name is Liliana. I specialize in grass type Pokemon, and I never lose!"
She had said that already, but Hazel decided not to remind her.
"What's your name, dear?" Liliana asked her.
"Hazel," she replied.
"Well then, Hazel. Allow me to introduce you to my husband and our announcer for the day, Jonathan!" She swept an arm to indicate a man with a microphone standing on a low platform that Hazel hadn't even noticed.
The man cleared his throat noisily. "Do you have any friends or family members who would like to watch your battle?" he asked.
Hazel thought of her father, Ebony, Professor Birch, and the person who had given her Beldum. The former two were probably far away. The professor most likely didn't care very much about her. And she didn't even know who her mysterious gift-giver was.
"No," she told Jonathan, perhaps a little sadly. "It's just Beldum and me."
"Is this your first gym battle, young lady?"
"Yes." Her heart was pounding so loudly she could hardly hear Jonathan.
"Then I'll go through a few rules. Each side may only use two Pokemon -"
"Wait," Hazel interrupted. "What if I only have Beldum?"
Jonathan blinked. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but no words came out.
"Then you're at an even greater disadvantage," Liliana said. "Isn't that right, Jonathan?"
"I… I suppose so," the announcer agreed hesitantly.
"Continue, please."
"Right." Jonathan harrumphed again. "The battle will commence until all the Pokemon on either can no longer continue or the challenge is forfeited. Are we clear?"
"Very clear, my dear," Liliana said, batting her eyebrows.
Hazel could only nod.
"Then, let the battle begin," Jonathan announced very anticlimactically.
Liliana acted instantly. "Come on out, my darling. Let's show them what we've got!"
The Pokeball she threw hit the ground, and after a flash of light, Hazel saw that a Lotad settled on the opposite side of the battle arena. She knew about Lotad. It was a small, bud-like creature that looked like it was holding a lily pad on top of its head. It was a water and grass type Pokemon, Hazel remembered, meaning she and Beldum didn't have any type advantage over Liliana. She swallowed dryly.
"Okay, Beldum," she said. "It's show time."
Beldum whirred, advancing out from behind Hazel's leg and onto the battling field.
"Oh, my," the gym leader crooned, a dainty hand flying to her chest. "What a fine specimen you have there, young lady. Where did you ever find it?"
Hazel opened her mouth to answer, not sure what she would tell the gym leader.
"Never mind, dear. It's not like it matters," Liliana said quickly. "Shiny Pokemon aren't any more special than normal Pokemon in battle. You won't win the badge with just pretty looks, Hazel. You have to know what real strength is!"
Hazel gritted her teeth, bracing herself to be ready for the gym leader's attack.
"Use Bubble, Lotad!" Liliana called out.
"Beldum, Iron Head!" Hazel shouted immediately.
Lotad opened its bill, letting out a foamy spray of bubbles. Beldum charged forward, its head glowing white. It rammed through the Lotad's attack, the bubbles popping harmlessly against its metal body, and smashed into the opposing Pokemon. Lotad fell backwards with a shrill cry.
"Oh no!" Liliana cried.
"Use Iron Head again!" Hazel commanded.
"Razor Leaf!" the gym leader shouted. "Then dodge!"
Lotad let loose a volley of sharp leaves that once again bounced off of Beldum, doing little damage. But before Beldum could connect with its Iron Head, Lotad jumped swiftly out of the way, and the shiny Pokemon hit the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
"Razor Leaf!" Liliana shouted. Then to Hazel she said pompously, "You might learn something from this yet, girl. Battling is not all about attack."
As the gym leader spoke, Lotad unleashed another swarm of pointed leaves.
"Iron Defense," Hazel called.
Beldum hardened its body, raising its defense. The Razor Leaf flew by smoothly and Beldum emerged, unscathed.
"Now, use Zen Headbutt!" Hazel commanded quickly.
Beldum gave a high-pitched whir as its crown glowed pink. It shot across the ground and slammed into Lotad. The other Pokemon went flying, landed limply at Liliana's feet, and did not move again.
"Oh, my!" the gym leader, withdrawing Lotad to its Pokeball. "Such raw power!"
Hazel allowed herself a smile. It wasn't over yet, but Liliana's first Pokemon had gone down more quickly than she had ever imagined.
"You won't get through this one so easily!" Liliana exclaimed, tossing a Pokeball into the air. "Come out, Shroomish!"
The Pokemon emerged in a blinding flash of light. It reminded Hazel of a very large mushroom with green specks all over its body. Its eyes were barely two dots, and its mouth was just a comical line. Beldum clicked its stubby claws determinedly, and Hazel felt renewed courage surge inside her.
"Okay, Beldum," she said with confidence, "use Iron Defense, then Iron Head."
"Absorb!" Liliana shouted at nearly the same time.
Both Pokemon acted instantly. Green glowing tendrils shot out from under the Shroomish's mushroom cap, but Beldum's slick, hardened body easily deflected them. Hazel's Beldum shot forward, its crown shining, and rammed into Shroomish. With a cry, the opposing Pokemon tumbled back and sprawled onto the ground.
"Now, Zen Headbutt!" Hazel called, wanting to take advantage of Liliana's weakness.
Beldum hit Shroomish mercilessly again with the powerful Psychic type move, and the mushroom-like Pokemon let out another pained squeal.
"Good." Hazel's hands balled into fists nervously. "One more Zen Headbutt, Beldum. Don't hold back!"
But Beldum didn't move. It merely hung in the air for a moment, then dropped to the ground.
"No! What's wrong?" Hazel yelled. She made to move over the painted white lines of the trainer's box and run to Beldum, but that would automatically lose her the match. Her heart was shot with concern for her Pokemon. What had happened? Beldum couldn't have fainted. It barely took any damage!
She glanced over at Liliana in frustration, and saw that the gym leader had a smirk on her face.
"Before you forfeit the battle, let me explain a few little things you may not have been aware of," Liliana said with a quirked eyebrow. "My Shroomish has the Ability Effect Spore, which has a chance of putting a Pokemon to sleep upon contact. Call it… beginner's luck that it activated on your Beldum."
Hazel clenched her jaw. Her first notion was to call Liliana a cheater and stalk out of the gym in disgust, but it was her own fault she hadn't studied the intricacies of Pokemon battling. Plus, Beldum was in danger, and she couldn't let her Pokemon down.
"Now, Shroomish, use Mega Drain!" Liliana called.
Green tendrils wrapped around Beldum, sapping its energy and transferring it to Shroomish. Beldum whirred in its sleep, and Hazel felt something jerk in her chest.
"Come on, Beldum!" she called to her Pokemon. "Please wake up!"
Liliana snickered. "Seed Bomb!"
Shroomish fired a barrage of green pods that crackled and exploded on Beldum. The sleeping Pokemon skidded across the gym floor in a trail of smoke.
"Beldum!" Hazel screamed, her voice cracking.
"Seed Bomb again!" the gym leader called.
Beldum was hit once more, and Hazel seemed to feel her heart rend itself in half.
"Please, Beldum!" she cried. "You have to wake up!"
"Ignorant girl," the gym leader scoffed, and her Shroomish gave a mocking cry.
But miraculously, the limp silver body lying in the dust stirred. Hazel shouted in relief as her Beldum picked itself up from the ground, fixed its glowing red eye upon the opposing Shroomish, and growled threateningly.
"No, it can't be!" Liliana wailed. "Use Seed Bomb!"
"Okay, Beldum, Iron Defense!" Hazel commanded.
Beldum's body shone like polished silver, and the exploding seeds glanced off, doing little harm.
"Now, Iron Head!"
Beldum became a blur as it streaked across the field and rammed into the opposing Shroomish. The gym leader's Pokemon skidded across the ground from the impact and landed limply at Liliana's feet.
There was a moment of stunned silence as Liliana gazed down at her fainted Shroomish. Then Jonathan, whom Hazel had quite frankly forgotten, exclaimed in his spittle-filled voice,
"Shroomish is unable to move. The winner is the challenger, Hazel!"
Hazel ran out onto the arena and embraced her Beldum, hugging it tightly to her chest. Her Pokemon responded with a few choked whirrs.
"Thank you, Beldum," she said. "You did a great job."
Beldum smiled with its eye.
Hazel looked up and saw that Liliana had returned her Shroomish to its Pokeball and was standing before her in a calm, composed manner.
"Thanks for the battle," Hazel said, smiling.
"No, I should be the one thanking you. It's been quite a while since I've battled a challenger as talented as you are," the gym leader said.
Hazel felt her spirits soar with pride. Beside her, Beldum clicked its gears appreciatively.
"I suppose I should give you this." Liliana held her hand out, offering her a small badge the color of an emerald and the shape of a leaf. "The Petal Badge," she said.
Hazel accepted the badge graciously, hardly able to believe her luck, and decided for the time being to pin it to the inside hem of her jacket zipper until she could get a badge case.
"Continue with your journey, and you'll become a powerful trainer one day," Liliana said.
Hazel opened her mouth to thank the gym leader again, but before she could speak, the sliding entry doors behind her opened. She whirled around and saw two people walking in. Both of them had smiles on their faces and Pokeballs strapped to their belts. Hazel's eyes widened as they came closer and she recognized the tall, lanky girl with straight black hair.
"Ebony!" she exclaimed, running forward to greet her friend.
At the sound of her name, Ebony looked up. Her face fell, and her eyes hardened. Hazel stopped in her tracks.
"It's… it's nice to see you here, Ebony," she stammered. She was an arm's length away from the other girl, but she was too afraid to move any closer and too stunned to step back. "You didn't tell me that you went on a Pokemon journey."
"I'm sorry. I thought you knew," Ebony replied curtly, and Hazel was suddenly reminded of the clipped, stony voice Mrs. Fay always used to speak to her.
"Oh," Hazel whispered. There was something dreadfully wrong. Her eyes flitted worriedly between Ebony and the redheaded boy with her friend whom Hazel had never seen before.
"This is Aiden Larksley," Ebony said, noticing her movements. "Aiden, this is Hazel Harmonia."
The boy stuck out his hand. "It's very nice to meet you."
Hazel breathed a sigh of relief as she endured the boy's enthusiastic handshake. At least he was amiable enough.
"So… are you here to challenge the gym?" she asked Ebony once Aiden had released her hand.
Ebony only nodded.
"Yeah, we are," Aiden spoke for her. "I see you've already been successful."
"Oh - yes," Hazel said, yanking her jacket down to hide the glittering badge. "It was really all Beldum's work." She reached down and patted her Pokemon's head.
"Wow," Aiden gasped as he laid eyes on her Beldum. He crouched down to examine it further. "This is a shiny Beldum, isn't it?"
Hazel nodded uncomfortably.
"Where did you get it?" he asked.
"I don't know. It was a present from someone."
"Who?"
She laughed awkwardly. "I don't know. It just appeared in my bag with a note that said 'keep it,' and the sender didn't leave their name."
Aiden straightened up, looking at her admirably. "That's something else. Were you not able to get a Pokemon from Professor Birch?"
"Well…" Hazel paused and glanced around, thinking that the gym wasn't a place well suited to conversation. But Aiden didn't seem to mind, and Liliana and Jonathan were listening with rapt attention, so she continued, "My father didn't approve of me going on a Pokemon journey at first, so I missed the deadline by a day. By then, Professor Birch was out of Pokemon. He gave me a Trainer Card and a Pokedex, though, and I set off on my journey. I stopped at a Pokemon Center for the night and when the nurse told me I couldn't stay because I didn't have Pokemon and therefore was not a trainer, Beldum appeared in my bag."
Aiden laughed. "The nurse really told you that?"
"Yes, she did," Hazel insisted. "And her Chansey was really mean, too."
He grinned at her. "Then I'd say you have a secret admirer, Hazel."
"Maybe." She shrugged. "Or maybe someone just made a mistake. But it's too late for them now."
"I doubt that. I think someone saw -"
Aiden stopped in mid sentence. Ebony had just turned around and stormed angrily out of the gym. He blinked curiously at the closing doors.
"What -"
"Wait, Ebony!" Hazel called, running after her friend.
"Hazel!"
Aiden took off after the two girls, leaving the gym leader and her husband slightly amused and flabbergasted. They were so concentrated on the scene that had just occurred, in fact, that they failed to notice the pair of cerulean eyes that was watching them from the windows above the stands.
So Merry Christmas 2015! I am definitely not writing out any detailed Pokemon battles anytime soon. They're just too exhausting and waste too much of my time, and they're probably extremely boring to read, too.