Author's Note: Guess who's back, everyone? That's right, me! I haven't really had any motivation to update this story due to stress, anxiety, school (high school senior year, I may add), and just overall lack of confidence in my Pokémon stories. Nonetheless, I'm sticking to my personal vow of not quitting potential stories because I don't believe in setting deadlines for fanfics. Also, I've been really busy on my AO3 "EternalSailorNeptune_53" with my latest hit!

Plus, it's come to my attention that none of you can stand resident yandere Haley. Well... to be frank, that's been the number one reason I've lost confidence in this story because I know he's bothering you and being annoying. I'm not good at making my characters too likable or relatable, so that's also my fault. BUT! I will make this clear: None of you (bar me bc author) know Haley's full backstory aside from the reason he hates Team Plasma. Which is to say, you don't know the reason he's, well, Gasai Yuno incarnate. That part of his background will be revealed when we reach Humilau City or Lacunosa Town (around that part). I don't expect you to sympathize with him one bit when I reveal that chapter, but it'll at least explain things. Until then, try to be a little more patient with him a little longer for the time being. I can't write yandere characters too well without making them assholes.

(Also note to a certain reader who won't be named and doesn't comment, please stop mis-characterizing my characters with idiotic remarks. It's annoying, not funny.)

I didn't care what Trainers were in my way, I kept barging through them to get to the other side of the Driftveil Drawbridge and rid myself of my shame. The air was starting to have a hard time entering my burning lungs, but I kept pressing through until I reached the end, only a short distance from Driftveil City.

When I stopped at the end, I took some needed breaths and rested my aching legs on a nearby bench. My rest was interrupted by loud shouting coming from the smaller stone bridge next to me, so I investigated while crossing. I nearly gasped when I saw beside a Neo-Team Plasma Grunt was a resisting Plasma Grunt, this one wearing the old white outfits I remembered. However, the white-clad Paleo-Plasma Grunt was surprisingly more peaceful than their black-clad counterpart.

"Come on, little sister!" the Neo-Plasma Grunt offered, "We could rule together like the old days! Isn't that what you want?"

"Isaac, no!" the Paleo-Plasma Grunt rejected with folded hands. "Lord N has showed me the error of my ways. If I were you, I'd come to the good side instead of the horrible things you're doing now."

"Oh, really, Sophie? If you've truly changed, then why does everyone treat you like garbage? No one will ever trust you again as long as you still wear that ugly uniform of our former selves, so come with us and make them respect you!"

"I said no! I don't care if people still don't like us, I refuse to let myself get used by… by him again! I just can't, a-and I won't! Not now, not ever again!"

"And why not? For that king-wannabe pretty boy Nigel? Sophie, you're such a disappointment!" Isaac snapped, storming over and grabbing his sister by the arm. "Just come along and join me! We'll conquer this damn world as brother and sister! Again!"

"No, Isaac! I'm not betraying Lord N! Not even for you!"

"Then I'll have to make you see my point!"

Although I myself had a burning hatred for Team Plasma, the old Plasma Grunt was obviously not on the dark side anymore. Instinctively, I stormed over and pushed Isaac off of Sophie. He gave me a shady look and tried to move back in, but I kept him away by unsheathing Storm's Blade and pointing it towards him.

"Leave her alone," I growled. "She wants nothing to do with you scum anymore!"

"Hey, you're that girl!" Sophie gasped from behind, "The Heroine Of Ideals!"

"That's right…!" Isaac breathed, "You're the one who brought us all to our knees, didn't you?"

"Glad to see you remember," I laughed. "Don't forget I took your leader down after that bastard used his Hydreigon to murder my friend. So, what's stopping me from taking you down again?"

"We'll see if you do that!" Isaac exclaimed, grabbing me by the arm and tossing me to the ground, causing me to drop my katana. Isaac stomped on my stomach, making me cry out in pain while trying to push him off of me. "I oughta just nip things in the bud before you try and take us out again!"

"Get your dirty feet offa Hynden!" we heard a familiar voice scream.

Charging towards us was none other than Haley, who not only had a look of rage in his fiery maroon eyes, but also an egg roll or two stuffed in his mouth. When he scarfed the rest back into his talking hole and swallowed hard, he immediately charged at Isaac and ripping him away from me. As he gripped his neck and pinned Isaac to the bridge beam, Haley's glare only furrowed as Isaac started squirming.

"Alright, start talking. Or, would you rather do things the hard way?"

"Talking about what?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! I want Minnie back! Gimme Julia's Purrloin back!"

"What Purrloin are you talkin' about? I'm drawing a blank here, kid."

"No, you're not! Where's the Purrloin you goons took from my sister when you destroyed Goldenrod City!"

"Oh, right! I've heard of that mission. Never went on it, but man did the Goldenrod Grunts boast about it!"

"Ah-ha, so you do know something about it!"

"Or do I? And if I do, then it's none of your business anymore. For all I possibly know, that Purrloin you want back so badly is probably long gone. But, it's not like you'll ever know!"

"You'd better answer me!" Haley roared, now livid as he started squeezing Isaac's neck tighter. "If you don't, I've got ways of squeezing the answer right outta ya!"

The gags and struggled breaths of Isaac weren't unheard, but were blatantly ignored by Haley, who continued to strangle and beat him against the bridge beam. Sophie beat me to the punch by intervening, pounding on Haley's arm desperately.

"Stop it! He's my brother!" she pleaded as my friend was forced to let go, only glaring at Sophie now.

"Hmph, like brother, like sister, I guess!" Haley snapped, violently tugging Sophie by the collar. "Tell me what you know! If you don't answer me, it'll be the last thing you do, toots!"

"I-I don't know about your Purrloin! Honest!" Sophie confessed, "I was supposed to go on that mission to Goldenrod, but things happened and I got taken off the roster! I'm sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't cut it! For all I know, you're probably lying like the Plasma scum you are!"

"I'm not lying! I truly know nothing! Besides, I've turned over a new leaf! Now I only follow what's best for Pokémon under Lord N's guise!"

"Ha! You really think you know what's best? Don't make me fuckin' laugh!" Haley cackled, now holding Sophie by her neck. "I ain't got time for your BS, so spill it! Tell me the truth!"

"I-I am!" Sophie coughed, banging on the bridge beam. "P-Please refrain!"

"Not until you tell me what I wanna know! Better start talkin'; I'd say your clock's ticking fast!"

"Haley, she doesn't know anything!" I told him, trying to loosen his grip on Sophie's neck. "Let her go already!"

"Hynden, you of all people shouldn't be so trusting towards these goons! They've wronged you too!"

"I know that! But this one's genuine! Let her go!" I demanded, socking Haley in the stomach, causing him to let go of Sophie's neck.

The old Plasma Grunt fell to the marble floor, coughing and gasping for breath through her newly-freed windpipe. I went over and helped her up, only to get a shocked and horrified stare from Haley. In the meantime, we all turned around to see Isaac hightailing it out of there, a furious Haley following behind.

"Get your ass back here, Plasma!" Haley roared, bolting after the unfortunate Grunt.

"We hardly knew ye, Grunt guy," I sighed, looking at the shrinking sight with a grim face. "Are you okay, Sophie?"

"Yes, thank you," she panted, catching her breath at last. "That friend of yours, he's quite a… lively one."

"I get that a lot. He usually never hits girls at all, but I guess Team Plasma Grunts are exceptions."

"I don't blame him. We've caused so much grief in the past, so it's only natural your friend would be upset." Sophie blinked a few times before taking my hand and leading me across the bridge. "Follow me, Ideal Heroine. There's something I'd like to show you."

For Sophie to call me by my former title was a little unnerving considering the events that gradually led up to the final fight against Team Plasma. I internally shuddered as she took me by the hand and led me into the city of Driftveil. Looking around, I saw that Driftveil City was no longer a rural and earthen-favoring community. The unfamiliar hotels among other new buildings gave the city a more bustling tone, though less-so in comparison to Nimbasa City before it.

Sophie guided me to a building atop a lush hill towering over a mound of dirt and construction. She let go of me to talk to a familiar old man in fresh maroon and red robes. When the man turned around after the conversation, we both gasped as I took a few steps backwards.

"You!" I exclaimed, pointing at the red Sage.

"Champion Hynden!" he gasped, pointing at me in return. "Our cherished Heroine of Ideals has returned!"

"Yes, Sage Rood, she has returned," Sophie told him. "After two long years, she's come back to us."

"Well, I'm not the Champion anymore-" I was about to say.

"Hynden," Rood interrupted, "it's important that you come inside." He took out one of his two Poké Balls and out came a Herdier, "But first, I must test if your prowess and compassion are still efficient after your disappearance."

"What, you want a battle?"

"Of course. It's your only way into the building, after all. Shall we?"

"We shall!" I agreed, tossing Tidus' Poké Ball so my Servine could battle. "Tidus, use Vine Whip on Herdier!"

"With pleasure, ma'am!" Tidus confirmed, whacking Herdier several times with his vines.

"Herdier, grab the vines and use Take Down!" Rood commanded.

When Tidus went in for another harsh lashing, Herdier bit down onto his vine with its sharp canines. It ripped Tidus forward with one head jerk and slammed my starter Pokémon onto the ground harshly. Then, Herdier pounced on Tidus with all its might, resulting in both Pokémon taking damage.

"Tidus, that's enough," I said, recalling my weary partner. "Eris, Pursuit!"

From the second Eris took form from her Poké Ball, her claws sharpened and dug right into Herdier. Yelling out in pain, Herdier writhed from Eris' frequent Pursuit attacks until it could endure no more. Rood recalled his Normal-type and instead summoned a Swoobat against Eris.

"Don't worry, you got this!" I assured her. "Take it down with another Pursuit!"

"Swoobat, Attract!" Rood commanded.

Eris' eyes widened in shock as pink, hollow heart-shaped beams sprang from Swoobat's equally-shaped tail and surrounded her. Within seconds, Eris was utterly besotted by the Psychic-type.

"Aww, come on! Snap out of it, Eris!" I told her.

"Oh, I can't! He's, he's absolutely gorgeous!" Eris beamed, "Say, my debonair flyer, you wouldn't happen to be rich too, would you?"

All of a sudden, a beam of white light ejected from one of my Poké Balls and out came Percy. When he saw the infatuated Eris drooling over Swoobat, Percy's face became hoarse with rage as he immediately charged at his opponent with Rock Smash. Despite his anger, the move only inflicted minimal damage, even when he alternated with Rock Smash and Force Palm to mitigate his anger.

"What did you do to Eris?!" he roared as Swoobat started to dodge his attacks. "Why is she looking at you like that?!"

Swoobat didn't respond and instead slyly attacked with Heart Stamp, rendering an already worn out Percy unconscious from the move. I recalled Percy and the infatuated Eris to their Poké Balls and sent out Rubella to fight instead.

"Oh, a Swoobat, eh?" Rubella questioned. "Let's see who the better bat is, then!"

"Swoobat, Heart Stamp!" Rood commanded.

"Rubella, dodge and use Confuse Ray!" I shouted.

The heart-shaped center of Swoobat's nose glowed a bright rose until he fired a single shot of the same form at Rubella. She was able to fly out of the way in time and fire a disorienting ball of flashing lights at Swoobat. The orb encircled the heart-bat many times until Swoobat could focus no longer.

"Swoobat, use Air Cutter!" Rood commanded.

Much to Rood's misfortune, Swoobat's confusion was great enough to cause him to miss Rubella entirely. Rubella took the chance and finished Swoobat off with a single Bite attack, releasing him when he was truly unconscious.

While Rood recalled Swoobat, Rubella stood proudly until her body started shining brightly with purple gunk swirling around her again. From beneath the glow, Rubella's wings split into two pairs, her body became much rounder while growing in size, her ears grew, and her feet shrank greatly. After the evolution, I now had my very own Crobat.

"Wow!" Rubella beamed, examining her body with a smile. "To think just yesterday morning, I was a little ol' Zubat! But, now look at me!"

"Maybe when you're fully trained, we'll see if you can beat my dad's Crobat," I said, taking out the Hidden Machine Bianca gave me earlier and the Move Tutor CD Player. "First, let's readjust your moves."

I placed the headphones over Rubella's ears and pressed the "Play" button on the CD Player once Fly was set inside. A few seconds later, the CD stopped and Rubella gave her new attack a go. She bolted into the sky and flew around at a swifter speed, coming back to Earth without getting tired.

"This day just keeps getting better and better!" she laughed with joy. "Ha! Those critics of Trainers wish they caught me back in the sewers!"

"Bravo, Champion Hynden!" Sophie applauded. "That was fantastic teamwork! And look, you've accomplished evolution of your Pokémon with mere friendship!"

"Now, if that isn't perfect camaraderie, I don't know what is," Rood chuckled, opening the door. "Come right in with us."

The three of us entered the building, where several white-clad ex-Plasma Grunts had different hair color and styles, their discarded orange wigs beside them ignored. Another things that caught my attention was that most of the Grunts who weren't sitting idly were caring for different Pokémon. One female in the corner was wrapping a bandage around a Galvantula's injured leg, another playfully tossing a Scraggy up and catching it, a third playing fetch with a Herdier, and so on.

"You guys sure have changed," I breathed, impressed entirely by the sight. "To think you all used to be about treating Pokémon like dirt because of one idiot."

"Caring for these lost Pokémon is the least we could do for foolishly following Ghetsis," Sophie added. "Everyone! Lord N's counterpart has returned to us!"

All of the other ex-Grunts stopped what they were doing and looked up at me. Some flocked around me and uttered incoherent babbles of wonder and awe. I greeted a few back with waves and smiles, but one male Grunt with light chestnut hair and beady hazel eyes approached me from the front with the utmost wonder.

"Champion Hynden!" he proclaimed, kneeling before me and cherishing my hand in both of his as if it were some rare ruby. "I never thought I'd see the day our other savior would return to us!"

"Uhh, yeah, I'm back!" I chuckled, a little sheepish at the scene. "Though, I'm not Champion anymore. When I get the title back, then come see me, alright?"

"But still, you're our one and only heroine!" the Grunt beamed, now kissing my hand several times before standing up and facing me, my hand still clasped between his palms. "You stayed true to your ideals, and they've helped you lead us out of our darkness!"

"Oh, shucks, it wasn't anything! You guys were just tricked by Ghetsis, so I had to snap you out of it somehow!"

Suddenly, I heard a swift SHP sound, much like that of something clicking in place. At the same time, the male Grunt before me gasped and cringed in pain as something sharp pierced through his stomach and barely stopped at me. We both looked down in horror at the crossbow bolt lodged through his stomach, blood staining his very uniform like a runny dye. Then, the shocked murmurs in the room turned to screams of horror when a second and third crossbow bolt was fired at the blacked out Grunt's calf and lower gut. Looking up with shock, I saw the culprit enter, his identity being Haley; his clothes and face splattered with old blood and maroon eyes as dull and dark as they could be.

"You must be damned if you think I'm gonna let some Plasma bastard make a move on Hynden," he hissed, venomous jealousy painfully obvious as he abandoned the black crossbow. "I may have lost Julia's Purrloin and my hometown, but I'm not gonna lose the love of my life to the likes of you either!"

With a dark look in his eyes and a will burning hotter than a Magmortar, Haley was set to pull the crossbow trigger and finish off the languishing Plasma Grunt. But before he could, he was quickly disarmed by Rood, who was rather agile for someone his own age. Rood tossed the crossbow aside, and when Haley had tried to retrieve it, I held him back until he struggled like a stubborn Primeape before surrendering in my grasp.

"Hynden, let go of me!" Haley pleaded, "Team Plasma's gotta pay!"

"Just listen to what Rood has to say first," I told him, not complying. "Take a few deep breaths to calm down."

Haley inhaled and exhaled slowly through his nose a few times as his eyes became gradually less dull than before. I had to run a hand up and down Haley's head a few times, which finally eliminated most of his anger as his breathing became more stable. While I stroked his head, Haley's face was noticeably florid and gentle. However, when he looked at Rood after I stopped, there was still quite some irritation and hatred still lingering.

"Alright, start talkin', Plasma," Haley sighed with a snarl. "You and your lot have been on my bad side since before I even came to Unova, so make it good!"

"Shouldn't we first start with introductions?" Rood suggested. "It is proper for a first meeting."

"Fine. The name's Haley O'Malley. AKA, the kid whose life you screwed over in the long run when your stupid organization destroyed Goldenrod and traumatized my precious little sister! Ring any bells to ya?"

"No, I'm afraid it doesn't, young Haley," Rood said sympathetically. "However, I must say I am deeply sorry for any trouble we have caused you."

At those words, Haley's body twitched with utter shock and disgust. Although his eyes remained a vivid burgundy, they did however furrow downwards as a great fury raged within my troubled friend.

"You're… sorry?" he growled, "You're SORRY?! In case you haven't noticed, 'sorry' will never cut what you guys did to me and Julia!" Tears started to leak from Haley's livid eyes as his speech became more choked up while speaking. "Is 'sorry' going to make me forget what you did to the place I once called my home? Will 'my bad' ever bring a smile back to my sister's face after those Grunts of yours stole her best friend from her?! Do you honestly think 'my deep apologies' is gonna make me or my mother forget the life you stole from one of our Pokémon?! NO! NO, IT WON'T! You can give me all your cop-out apologies all you want; I'm not gonna forgive what you did, and I never will!"

Haley stood right up in tears and started storming out of the building. I tried going over to console his distress, but when my palm made contact with his red-and-white jacket, he turned to me with tearful eyes that were trying desperately to blink away the salty drops.

"When I get that Purrloin back, they'll really be sorry," Haley breathed with bitterness when he spoke to me. "Make no mistake about that, Hynden…!"

With all of that being said, Haley left me behind for once and slammed the door behind him. While some of the reformed Grunts couldn't comprehend Haley's resentment in the slightest, only reacting with disgusted remarks at his insolence and lack of manners, others like Rood were rather somber about it.

"It appears that friend of yours is among those who suffer because of our foolish misdeeds," Rood pointed out. "Oh, how terrible we feel."

"You guys really have changed since last time," I remarked. "Also, you'll have to excuse my friend's rude outburst. He's been having it pretty rough lately. Is that Grunt okay?"

"The bleeding at least stopped," a female Grunt said, "but if we don't take him to a hospital, he's not gonna make it."

A few former Grunts hastily moved the languishing Grunt out the door, a safe assumption of them being on their way to a nearby hospital mentally made. When I started making the decision to leave myself after all the trouble that happened, I was suddenly approached by two women I recognized from a couple years back. The one on the right's unique blonde hair beside her sister's rose quartz-colored hair pointed to only two people.

"Anthea and Concordia?" I wondered.

"So you do remember us," Anthea realized. "Two years hasn't altered the memory of our greatest Heroine Of Ideals."

"No, it hasn't. What's happened since I took my hiatus?"

"As you know, our former organization has disbanded and taken a turn for the better," Concordia answered with a smile.

"Well… half of our organization," Anthea sighed, correcting her sister. "Only those in white uniforms have been reformed. Some of us just couldn't handle being without Ghetsis' leadership and tyrannical guidance."

"And those would be the ones in the darker uniforms?" I asked.

"Correct," Anthea and Concordia responded at the same time.

"Oh, I gotta ask: What happened to your brother? He said he'd come back when I did."

"We cannot say," Anthea and Concordia said with melancholy and sullen eyes. "But we're certain our Lord N is doing well in his travels." Concordia then spoke alone to me. "Heroine Hynden, it's advisable that you do the same. There is still much to be done, I fear."

"What more can I do? I already whooped Ghetsis and sent him heading for the hills. There's no way he'd just come back! ...Right?"

All the two sisters did was sigh and look down as if something worried them from the inside out. I couldn't do anything but nod yes, saying goodbye to Anthea and Concordia along with the rest of the reformed ex-Plasma members. I left the building after setting my mind back on my future Quake Badge, heading down to where the Pokémon Center was to heal my Pokémon.

Minutes later, I thanked the Driftveil Nurse Joy and left the Pokémon Center in favor of Clay's Gym. I remembered where my destination was and went that way, passing by the new architectural structures built during my absence to see the Gym was exactly where it was before. However, I was surprised when I finished walking up the hill and saw Haley in front of the doors. This time, the only thing my friend was paying attention to was his Xtransceiver, looking distressed and panicked from before as his conversation started. Popping up on the screen when I got close enough to watch was none other than Julia, whose sullen face turned happy when the six-year old saw her brother's face.

"Hi, Haley!" Julia greeted with a wave. "I miss you so much!"

"Miss ya too, Jules," Haley chuckled with an empty laugh of guilt. "How are things at home?"

"They're okay, I guess. Mommy and Daddy aren't doing bad. But… did you find Minnie? I gotta know, big brother."

"...No, little sis, I haven't yet." The disappointed look in Julia's teal eyes made Haley's maroon ones morose, his eyes putting on a confident mask for his sister. "But don't worry! Your cool big bro's gonna get your best friend back ASAP! I ain't comin' back without 'er!"

"Haley, you shouldn't say that! I want Minnie back, but if you never came home, I'd be so sad!"

"That's why we're both gonna come back. Because there's no way I'd let those Plasma bastards keep your friend captive! Julia, keep leavin' it to me, 'k?"

"O-Okay, Haley! I know you can do it! Be careful out there when you're looking for Minnie, okay?"

"Cross my heart and hope to… uhh, got it!" Haley made an air cross with his thumb and gave his sister a salute. "Tell Mom and Pop I said 'hi' and I'm alright, okay, kiddo?"

"You got it! See you later, Haley! I love you!"

Haley ended the call with a sincere "Love you too, Jules" and a smiling wave. Once his watch screen turned black in a click, his face fell as he dug both hands through his spiny raven hair. I noticed he was shaking when a hand moved to cover his mouth, tears threatening to fall from his eyes while he trembled. I could hear shallow breaths being taken in and out of his covered mouth, only getting slightly more audible when he finally moved his hand.

"If I don't return home with that Purrloin, Julia's gonna hate me, I just know it!" Haley breathed with anxiety. "I've gotta get Minnie back, or I'll definitely die trying! A good big brother doesn't fail, and a good one also doesn't want his sister to hate his guts for the rest of her life-"

"-Haley?" I called out to him. "You don't look so good."

"Hynden!" Haley squeaked, suddenly standing upright with a roseate face over saddened eyes when he saw me. "Hiya! Don't you have a Gym Leader's butt ta kick or something?"

"Yeah, I do. But then I saw my best friend starting to have a nervous breakdown where I'm supposed to be. Is everything okay?"

"I… I've been better, Hynnie. Err, that doesn't mean I'm not the same confident Haley O'Malley you've been best friends with since Trainer's School! Nothing in this world's ever gonna get me down!"

"Are you… sure, Haley? Because after past and recent events, you don't seem to be completely truthful. Especially after your little mishap back at that reformed Plasma house."

"Hynden, never put 'reformed' and 'Plasma' in the same sentence. That'll never really happen." I saw Haley was starting to get angry again, as evident by his creasing and burning eyes. "They can go and pretend to be the good guys all they want, but I know it's all just bullshit! You know how badly they ruined me! Urgh, just thinkin' about it makes me wanna-"

"Haley, Haley, cool down. I promise you'll finally make peace with your whole 'Plasma issues' and take them out for good. And as long as I'm with you, you've got nothing to be scared of!"

"You always say that, Hynden. There's never a moment where I don't believe you, but I…"

Thinking of no other option, I leaned forward and hugged Haley, to which he flinched upon feeling startled. I felt the little thumps in his chest pick up the pace, though my friend's face remained sullen and guilty. Haley hugged me back and buried his face in my shoulder, shaking with anxiety even as I ran a hand down his back in comfort.

"I never did deserve someone like you, Hynden," Haley breathed with melancholy. "Even back then, you've always been my one friend and rock. And I… I just can't thank you enough for caring about me so much."

"We're friends for a reason, Haley. I only wanna help you get better," I told him, slapping a confident hand on my bicep and smiling. "As long as I'm around, nothing's gonna get you down!"

"Heh, now doesn't that sound familiar…?" Haley's smile started to come back alongside a roseate face, his hand making its way behind his spiny black hair. "For only your sake and Julia's, I'm gonna keep trying to get my mission done! Speaking of 'missions', doesn't a certain future Champion have another Gym Badge to get?"

"Oh yeah, almost forgot! I'd better get going, shouldn't I? I'll see you a lot later, Hales. Right now, I've got another victory to claim!"

"Best wishes, Hynden! I love you- uhh! Well, y'know, good luck!"

I sighed at Haley's interrupted words, now confirming he hadn't quite gotten over everything from the past like I recalled him promising. Before heading towards the Gym entrance, I noticed Haley walking off with a hand on his heart, yet another digging through locks of night black out of anxious embarrassment. I let my friend be, anticipation and determination filling me from thoughts of winning against Clay for a second time.

"That Quake Badge is as good as mine!" I gloated internally, bursting through the door to the lobby. "Nothing's gonna stop me from winning like before! I just know it!"

Pokémon obtained: None.

Badges earned: 4/8

Boxed/Unboxed: None.

Author's Note: The next one's gonna take a while to release due to me having not fought Clay in-game yet, but this chapter was supposed to let you all know the story will be finished. Also, I've lost touch with characterization, so I need to get back on track with that too. So, I hope those of you still around liked this update! Stay tuned for Chapter 22!