No uproar but silence, as Ava waited for her turn in the dark depths of the tunnel. The audience too unsure how to react after the battle which had transpired.

"Well there we have it folks, our winner, let's please give a round of applause to these two young trainers."

The restrained and scattered clapping that were following the announcer's suggestion was quickly drowned out by loud footsteps reverberated off the concrete walls. If Ava was a weaker soul, she could easily imagine pressing herself against the cold encircle. Instead she kept her eyes trained ahead, as a disgruntled Morgan marched past on a mission.

"Now," the event commentator continued. "For our final event of the day, the one we've all been excited to see! Let's give a warm welcome to the trainer who traveled all the way from Kanto region to participate. Ava Natsume from Saffron City!"

Ava made to step toward the light and booming crowd, till a hand shot out from behind, fingers digging into her shoulder threatened to throw her off balance as they pulled back on her forward momentum. In swift retaliation, Ava spun around, hand directed to the throat of aggressor. She stopped three inches, her eyes having time enough to scan the outline of her's assailant's face.

"Zoey?" she whispered.

"It's just Zoe now." Zoe putting a finger to her ex-friend's skin slowly lowering Ava's extended arm.

The crowd outside's enthusiasm dwindling as their attraction didn't appear. "Uhhh," the cough, the announcer havingnot expected to be stood up, he managed to recover quickly enough, "and on the other side Reddrick Starr, our underdog from Violet City."

"Hmm," Madam Rayel not pleased with Ava's lack of appearance. The old psychic, was not in the mood to tolerate Sabrina's wrath. And you can be sure the split second Sabriana heard her only child missed an entrance some poor sap would be held to the fire. Rayel not chancing the odds the Mistress of Psychic pokemon would pass her attention onto someone other than the mentor.

A row down Haunter delicately worked on tying a long white string to a little girl's ponytail. "Haunter!" Rayel's voice not a yell, but just loud enough to tell the trickster not to ignore her at this moment. Haunter's head turned, his hands not faltering from their task. "Go find Ava, She's late."

Haunter took another second to finish securing his knot before floating down the stairs toward Ava's side of the field. The little girl felt a tug on her hair, whipping around to tell the jerk off. Instead of facing the person who was teasing her, she got a face full Spinark. The girl's shrieks giving the purple pokemon a lively fanfare send off.

Haun Haun Haun," chuckling at how beautifully the trick was executed, the ghost pokemon sank through the bleachers.

Zoe started fidgeting under Ava's silent stare of disbelief. "I don't mind if you call me Zoey though."

"You left me!" Ava hissed, "Not a goodbye, not even a warning, and now you have the audacity to talk to me?!"

"Ava" Zoe spoke in an attempt to calm down the disgruntled girl. Ava however caught the hint fo pity left in the whisper with that a level

volcano raged triggered into nuclear.

"Don't AVA me! As soon as you left my mother turned heartless! The only interactions I got with people were mock battles."

"You had Madam Rayel."

Ava snorted and turned around too aggravated to keep facing the ignorant. "Oh yes, and what a pillar of comfort and warmth she is."

"Well what about Haunter?" stiffled laughter coming from behind.

"I'm talking human interaction." Ava retorted.

"It's ok Huanter, Ava didn't mean to leave you out. No she didn't. Haunter Waunter is the bestest. Yes he is"

Ava turned confused at where the baby talk had come from only to met with the sight of Haunter in the arms of Zoe. His eyes were closed as he inhaled the lavish attention. "traitor" Ava said under her breath.

Zoe squeezed Haunter tighter "Missed you," She placed a soft kiss on his head. "oh Haunter wants to know, why you're not battling"

Ava's eyes snapped to the arena. She took off...in the opposite way.

"Hey! Ava! Where ya going? Wait up!" Zoe finally releasing Haunter to chase after Ava. Silently wishing that Ava had never learned how to combat mind reading. Although when you have a mother like Sabrina who could blame her.

The crowd grew restless, Boos and bottles being thrown onto the arena.

Reddrick held out his arms wide as he walked around his podium, enticing the crowd. "Is this what ya'll paid for? Sum cheap celebrity brat who won't even give ya'll a show?"

The announcer held up the microphone,"Ava has failed to participate, I am afraid she is dis..."

Smoke rolled forth from out of the tunnel sweeping over the entire battlefield. The fog scaled and wrapped around the podiums. Reddrick defensively covered his eyes with an arm.

"Hurry Haunter Hurry!" Zoe raced back and forth from pile to bucket, with Haunter floating close behind. Both had their arms stacked with blocks. The huge cubes hissed in the water after each dump. The dry ice giving off a thin mist. One had to wonder what Ava had said to invoke them to hussle with such urgency. After every brick evaporated, Zoe collapsed on the floor in Exhaustion. Haunter floated to her left side, nudging her, to her right side, probing her to get up.

"Ava and I are so even after that." Zoe laughed as she lifted a hand to rub the floating pokemon's head, reassuring him that she was fine.

The haze disaparatting, Ava stood poised on the stand, looking at the pokeball that floated directly above her hand. She spoke to the bobbing ball to discredit the opposing trainer's presence. "I'll agree with you on celebrity brat." Her eyes then locking on Reddrick. Her face was calm, but her eyes held unclothed anger. Reddrick had to take a step back under their force. "but cheap? please my shoes cost more than the house you live in."

Enraged at the insult, Reddrick reached to his belt unclipping a pokeball. "Let's see if you can back up your cheap talk! Spheal! let's teach her some manners!" he yelled as he flipped the pokeball in the air. The red lightning zipping out to release the ice pokemon.

The crowd roared, some stamping their feet. They would finally get the battle they had waited for.

It's time little one. "she whispered to the pokeball, everyone held their breath to see what she brought. The trainers were even. 3v3. The red glow bolted out of the ball slowly taking shape. Fenniken lay on the ground curled with its tail covering its eyes.

"Spheeeal!" the small pokemon cried puffing up, pumped fore the battle before it.

Fenniken's tail twitched then slightly lifted to reveal one lazy eye. Not impressed, Fenniken slowly rose to her feet before performing a downward dog.

"SPHEAL!" the opponent pokemon irritated at the Fenniken for her blatant disrespect, hopping up and down impatient for his trainer's command.

Trainers? Are you ready? The announcer asked over the speakers.

Both humans nodded.

Are your pokemon ready?

Spheal!" hopping once more.

"Fen" gave a curt head motion for emphases.

The referee signaled everyone was ready below.

"Then let's get ready for a tusssllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllle"

The moment the commentator ran out of breath, "water gun," Reddrick yelled wasting no time to kick off the match. The little blue body puffed up as the pokemon inhaled deeply.

"Fire charge," Ava interjected sooner than Spheal's release. Flames wrapped around the yellow pokemon as she raced froward. Letting go Spheal sprayed a powerful jet. The water hissed and evaporated upon contact. Spheal's eyes grew big, neither the poor sap, or his pokemon reacted quick enough. The Fenniken ramming into the small target. Spheal cried out being launched into the air only to collide into Reddick's stand, slowly peeling off, smacking onto the ground. The spirals replaced the eyes. The indicator showing no more continuation of this battle.

"I just captured that spheal anyway." Reddrick stated offhandedly, unclipping another pokeball after returning the done Spheal.

"Of course you did." Ava thought holding back her tongue, not interested in another insult exchange.

Reddrick stopped mid-throw, eyes trained on the arena. Fenniken circled the spot of ground. "Whats your pokemo.." curling up, and replacing her tail over her nose. "Is she sleeping?!" clearly out

raged.

"Kadett doesn't believe your worth her time." Ava stated simple as the floating pokeball recaptured Fenniken. The sphere shrinking and going back to its place of origin.

Reddrick got red in the face. He turned to the referee. "That means Fennekin forfeits!" punctuating with a tantrum stomp.

The guy sheepishly glanced at Ava. Ava stared back offering no assistance, leaving the decision to him. The ref apologetically signaled to headquarter causing a red light blinked out under Ava's name.

Ava was not going to argue the point. Sure she could make Kadett wake up and fight, but why look unprofessional or lacking confidence in the eyes of the crowd. She had fair her other pokemon would manage fine.

Reddrick finished his toss. Ava's was working on morphing on the arena floor or rather a foot above the arena floor. "Slakoth!" an eager cry, indicating another pokemon geared to fight. The sloth pokemon ready standing instead of its usual lax posture. Ava's pokemon still working on coming out, clearly not thrilled to be in such a loud place.

"It's hammer time, hammer arm."

Ava was now perturbed, attacking before ready. The redness disappeared replacing a blue cylinder. Ava's finger tapped the metal guard rail on the podium. A sheen of light swept over Beldum's body. Slakoth's arm struck down. There was a pause, a perfect still life art before Reddrick's pokemon screeched grabbing at its arm. Two taps against the metal. Beldum pummeled into the opponent's gut. The shabby sack of fur sliding across the ground unconscious.

"Slakoth return." Reddrick called angrily holding his pokeball out in front of him, his pokemon disappearing in the red light.

Ava examined Beldum, debating if recalling her metal friend was worth the risk. She wanted to see what her mother had given her. Despite her curiosity, she was not willing to be made a fool of, if the gift didn't take a liking to her. She would press on with Beldum.

"Stop smiling!" again with the tantrum stomp, Ava noted.

"I'm not." Ava blinked confused.

"Yeah, well your thanking about it!"

Ava scoffed, "If you could read minds this battle would be far more entertaining."

Insulted he yanked off his last pokeball with such a force Ava wondered how his belt didn't fly off with the white and red sphere. "Tyrogue, let's teach her some manners!" Tyrogue formed in the air, somersaulting down, landing on his feet, striking a martial arts pose.

"Enough of this nonsense" Ava thought. She struck two taps. Beldum sped forward.

"High jump kick!" Reddrick screamed the order. Bracing his legs, Tyrogue gave a small hop up, then another one off the head of Beldum launching skyward.

One tap.

Another coat of protection in time for Tyrogue's foot smashing down. Beldum crashed into the earth. Ava moved her finger up on the bar, Beldum rose out of the miniature crater.

Two taps, another take down, another high jump, another hole into the ground.

And again.

And again the pattern appeared once more.

"Some pokemon master you turned out to be, allowing your pokemon to take so much damage!" Reddrick mocked.

Ava could hear the murmurs of the crowd.

"She doesn't have a plan" she could almost make out

"You think Sabrina's daughter would know better than to bring a pokemon that only know's two moves. " another voice complained.

Irritated, Ava tapped twice again. Beldum obeyed charging forward once more. However this time Ava moved her finger up causing Beldum to follow Tyrogue's jump, smashing into the fighter pokemon's gut. Finger moved down.

Beldum barreled Tyrogue into the ground. Dust and rock scattered.

The crowd's gasp, a quiet echo to the loud snap.

"What...what have you done?" Reddrick jumped off the podium rushing to where hovered a bobbing Beldum. "Out of the way!" he said shoving the winner aside. Reddrick bent down over the hole, reaching in to retrieve his pokemon. "You monster!" He yelled up to Ava's podium. Cradling his injured pokemon. Tyrogue's arm and leg jutted out awkwardly.

"I gave you three chances" Ava answered calmly. "You didn't change your tactic, it's your fault your pokemon suffered from your own incompetence."

Reddrick turned to the ref. "She can't do that can she?" Tears in his eyes begging the ref to call out a foul. The ref didn't respond in shock, none of the previous outcomes of battles had ever been so extreme. Reddrick searched his brain for anything "She used Psychic powers! That can't be allowed!"

"First off, psychic powers were never off limits in the rules of this tournament." Ava responded as she stepped down off the podium, recalling Beldum. "Secondly i didn't use Psychic powers. Beldum has a hive mind, I used magnetism" holding up her hand to show off her ring band. "to communicate with him. It's faster speaking in a language he easily understands."

The ref couldn't see anything wrong, ushering the boy to take his pokemon to Nurse Joy. "You monster, you freaking monster." The teenager kept calling over the Ref's shoulder as Ava walked out of the spotlight.

Ava stepped into the dark tunnel. Her body relaxing, relieved to be out of the eyesight. She was so ready for a hot bath, and some alone time at the hotel. She was grateful the stadium provided such premium luxury to the winners of the first match.

"You didn't have to hurt Tyrogue so badly. He looked barely alive." Zoe appearing beside her as she walked to the lobby. She must have watched the match from the tunnel.

"He shouldn't have been so full of himself."

"I'm talking about Tyrogue not the trainer." Zoe scolded. "Separate the two. The last match wasn't you battling out there. It was your mother."

Ava glanced sideways. "You wouldn't know how I battle. You left before my mother allowed me to throw my first pokeball." Ava stormed ahead losing Zoe in the buzz and hustle of the lobby.