Disclaimer: Pokémon is owned by The Pokémon Company, which in turn is owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and probably others I forgot. The following fanfiction is me playing around in their sandbox, using characters they envisioned and created, except for the odd character that wasn't. I own nothing of this.

Chapter 9: Footsteps

Bone and blade clashed, grinding against each other before the two fighting Pokémon, at an unspoken signal, disengaged simultaneously. Both of them had got some good hits in earlier in the fight: the Gym Leader's marowak had landed its club on Max's grovyle twice, and a Bonemerang had all but made the grass-type's left arm useless. The grovyle had been able to pepper the marowak with a hail of seeds, and some of his slashing Leaf Blades had left visible marks on the ground-type's belly hide.

Danny thought marowak had the upper hand, though. It seemed fresher, despite dispatching a tired baltoy beforehand, and despite the type disadvantage. Then again, it knew Ice Beam. He shook his head. Ice Beam. On a pure ground-type. And then the vibrava before, which also negated some of the normal ground weaknesses. It wasn't easy.

Grovyle shot forward after Max said something. Danny missed the exact message: grovyle had been close to Max, but he recognised the pattern. A double feint, starting right, and bingo. Grovyle latched onto marowak's bone arm with both hands, though feebly in one case, and its fingers lit up, draining energy.

The marowak drove its skull and head into grovyle's chest in response. The grass-type fell with an audible thump, but rolled out of his skid backwards, emerging into a crouch, right hand on the ground as support. If anything, it looked worse off than before, more so than marowak.

That was when green energy, trace amounts at first, then blossoming into a full aura, swirled around the grovyle. Overgrow had activated, giving Max's Pokémon a second wind, and he launched into a Leaf Blade immediately. The attack connected, but marowak swung wildly with its club, forcing grovyle back before a second attack could land. A Bonemerang was the follow-up, and both Pokémon took up position near their own trainers.

"Giga Impact!" ordered the Coral Cape Gym Leader, just after Max had ordered another Leaf Blade. Purple and orange energy quickly formed around marowak, roaring in the hall, and though Max called for grovyle to dodge, he didn't, and the two met head on, both attacks connecting.

The match was over. Max's grovyle had slumped on the ground, its muscles relaxing in unconsciousness. There was movement on the other side, but even as Danny jerked his head around, the marowak couldn't push itself up either. "Grovyle and marowak are both knocked out. The match is a draw," declared the referee, voice loud and clear from the other side of the arena.

Danny took off the protective goggles he'd been provided – the ground-type Gym had loose soil and probably a lot of sandstorms, which were bad for your eyes – and walked to the middle, stepping around holes in the ground as he did so.

"A good battle," Terry said as he shook Max's hand. "You are aware of what happens when the battle is drawn?"

Danny wasn't, actually, but Max was. "The Gym Leader decides that."

"You are, of course, correct. I expected nothing less." Terry stuck his hand into his vest. "And it is my decision that you should get this badge. You were resourceful, trusted your Pokémon, and had good knowledge of what could and could not be done, for all Pokémon in the battle. Well done, Max." He held out the black and brown badge, shaped like a cave's entrance, and Max studied it for a second before closing his fist around it. "Come. Let us have a drink while my Pokémon fix the arena. We'll discuss the battle," Terry added, gesturing towards a side door.

Three minutes, two milkshakes, and a mug of coffee later, they sat in the cafeteria overlooking the battlefield. Danny saw diglett and dugtrio pop in and out of view as they moved soil around, removing holes, remaking rocks. A couple of the Gym's trainers had wanted to approach them, but the grey-haired Gym Leader had stopped that. "One thing I noticed, Max, is that your Pokémon stuck to very common and typical moves. Is there a reason for that?" Terry asked.

"We've been working on playing to their strengths," Max admitted. "We're not good enough for weird stuff yet."

"Not everything needs to be as 'weird' as what your Sinnoh League champion friend does, Max." Terry smiled at them, warmly. "You should look into expanding your Pokémon's movesets with some curve balls. Nothing complicated about that, and if one of your Pokémon already knows the attack you want to use, so you can enlist its aid in teaching the move to others."

"Which moves are good for that?" Danny wondered. "Before we spend time teaching a rhydon to swim." That prompted an amused chuckle. "What?"

"Some rhydon have actually learned Surf," Terry explained, shocking Danny. "But your point stands. Common moves are Shadow Ball, Iron Tail and Steel Wing, Earthquake, and even Ice Beam. There is also Hidden Power, which approximately every Pokémon on the planet is capable of using with tutoring." Terry drained his mug. "There are more moves, of course. It's a trainer's duty to find out which moves are worthwhile to teach.

"Now come. Let us find out if I have to give out two badges today."

Goggles in place, Danny faced the Gym Leader across the repaired arena. As one, both took out a single Pokéball, before throwing them, revealing their first Pokémon for the two-on-two battle.

Danny sent out duskull, and when he shifted his focus from catching the returning Pokéball to the field, he saw that she was facing a larvitar. He was tempted to use his Pokédex to find out if it had moves to deal with ghosts, but then he remembered its final evolution. Tyranitar were part Dark-type.

Danny let Terry have the first move, only telling duskull to remain at a distance. He knew larvitar were fairly slow, and had no way of catching up to a floating opponent.

The first move was Sandstorm. Danny wasn't too surprised by that. Within seconds, the arena was filled with sand circling in the air, small grains hitting his face and clothes. It was pretty ferocious, but Danny didn't think it would be a problem for duskull.

Then the larvitar seemed to melt into the storm. That was odd. "Careful! Be ready to counter!" he called.

One larvitar shot from the curtain of sand, mouth opened to bite the ghost, but duskull had no problems dodging it. It vanished into the sand again, but moments later, another larvitar shot out, from a different angle. It hit duskull, except it passed through the ghost. "That's a Double Team," Danny called out. "Foresight, then attack!"

Red light swept over the arena, revealing larvitar moving in from duskull's right, its outline now clearly visible inside the sandstorm. It jumped, but the ghost flipped over it, and as the heavy Pokémon landed with a thud, duskull sent a burst of concentrated flame at its back, scoring a direct hit. The larvitar threw a loose rock in retaliation, but the ghost had floated away, firing a Shadow Ball, and scoring a glancing hit after it had done so.

"… Pulse," was all Danny heard Terry shout, but a look at larvitar's tiny arms told him enough. Purple energy, Dark-type energy, gathered at its tips, and larvitar soon sent three consecutive beams of it spiralling at duskull. None hit, though the last one came close. The larvitar started collecting the energy again after that.

"Really wish she knew Shadow Sneak," Danny muttered. "Get in close and Night Shade!"

One beam clipped duskull on the side as she flew in, sending the Night Shade slightly off-centre. It hit the energy dancing on larvitar's paws, causing the two energies to react to another, violently. Duskull rode the resulting shock wave back, while larvitar, heavy as it was, didn't move much. A cry told Danny that it was probably hurt, but how much, he couldn't tell.

A rock flew at duskull, but it was horribly off-target, as was the second one. Duskull didn't even have to dodge, though she did anyway, to avoid them. Then, Danny saw why that was: the larvitar had been throwing rocks with its other hand, and it didn't look like it was ambidextrous. He could work with that. "Shadow Ball barrage!"

Duskull took the offensive, sending ball after ball of purple energy at the fairly immobile Rock Skin Pokémon. They weren't powerful, Danny knew, but the amount meant that larvitar had trouble dodging, instead scrambling to a nearby rock for cover. About half had hit fully, and a few more had scored glancing hits. Danny ordered duskull to stop, and stay at a distance.

Larvitar's right paw was hurt, and by keeping his distance, Danny reasoned, he'd force the Gym Leader to either reveal a new attack, or to attack from behind the rock. "Right side, duskull," he ordered, as quietly as he could while still making himself heard to the ghost-type.

He'd meant it as a caution, but duskull took it as an attack order, and a Night Shade flew at the rock's right side, right as larvitar revealed its left paw, Dark-type energy dancing on it once more. Once again, the violent reaction sent a shock wave through the arena, but this time, duskull was barely affected, while larvitar let out a louder cry than before.

Terry returned his Pokémon, giving Danny a thumb up from across the arena. Danny wasn't sure why, but being 1-0 up wasn't something he was going to complain about, and he waited for the other Pokémon to be sent out.

His second opponent was a gligar. Ground/Flying, Danny recalled. He always felt that was a weird typing. It'd be fast enough to challenge duskull in the air, and tough enough to rough it with marshtomp. He didn't remember gligar's moveset all that well, but knowing Terry, it had something weird.

The sandstorm had subsided somewhat, luckily, and gligar didn't start it up again, instead going straight for duskull. It was pretty fast, and duskull nearly got caught by its claws before dropping straight down, causing the gligar to swoop over the ghost-type.

Its stinger went into duskull's face, probably missing the eye. Danny hadn't seen if the stinger had been glowing purple, but that didn't matter, because now duskull was distracted for just a bit, which was all Terry had wanted. He ordered gligar to get in close, and it did just that, landing, turning on its feet, and jumping in again, attacking with tooth, claw, and stinger.

Duskull weren't meant to be good in close combat. Danny kept an eye out for flashes of colour from the claws and stingers, and saw at least one purple glow that wasn't poison or ghost-type as gligar pummelled duskull, giving chase relentlessly every time the ghost tried to slip away. Duskull did get in a few half-formed attacks, but they weren't enough to even push the gligar off, let alone beat it.

The match was, once again, tied, and Danny returned duskull. She'd done her best.

He eyed the Pokémon standing near Terry. Gligar were fairly agile, which was marshtomp's biggest weakness whenever Danny practised against Max. He didn't think plastering mud in its eyes would help either: Terry probably had that happen a lot in his training, and marshtomp couldn't defend forever. Gligar would manage to hit at some point, using its speed and agility. If only Danny could stop tha…

Of course. Danny grinned as he recalled the general type match-ups. Why use marshtomp. "Snorunt, let's go!" Moments later, as the referee signalled to resume, he ordered an immediate Powder Snow.

Glittering snow replaced the slowly whirling sandstorm in the Gym. Gligar launched itself into the air, and while it didn't stop on hitting the cold, Danny saw it flinch slightly. It also missed snorunt as it dove in, but that had more to do with the ice-type hopping out of the way.

"Icy Wind!" A more concentrated blast of cold shot towards gligar, clipping it on its legs as it jumped straight up to dodge. Good. "Keep away. Keep going!"

Defending by keep-away. Danny was happy Ash had taken some time to help snorunt with that. It worked like a charm. The snow and ice was slowly starting to take over the arena, making every landing and take-off harder for gligar, while not hindering snorunt. She was hit once, but the claw to her side didn't stop her from using an Ice Fang in return.

After that, gligar started keeping its own distance from snorunt. Poison Stings rained down on snorunt, but Icy Wind neutralised most of them, also forcing gligar to keep moving. The ones that weren't cancelled out plinked harmlessly on the ground. "You're doing great!"

Terry ordered something, and again, Danny saw purple energy start to dance on the opponent's claws, paws, whatever. Gligar released one beam, its aim true, and Danny saw it crouch, ready to jump at wherever snorunt was going to dodge. "Watch out!"

Snorunt dodged left, easily avoiding the Dark Pulse, but the gligar was more of a problem. A punch or two hit the small ice-type almost before landing from its dodge, and the gligar's stinger came in from the right side, aglow with poison.

It bounced off a green shield with a muffled whomp, unbalancing the gligar as its tail swung back. Protect, a move that snorunt had had a lot of trouble with for the last month or so, had worked perfectly, completely stopping gligar's attack. "Get it!" Danny ordered, and snorunt spun, releasing a flurry of icy shards. At close range, and unbalanced, gligar stood no chance of dodging any of the projectiles. It fell backwards, one claw on the ground, one arm useless by its side. "Icy Wind, finish!" Danny yelled.

The Icy Wind never hit, because Terry returned gligar before it could.

"Excellent work," Terry said as they met a minute or so later, Danny shivering slightly from hugging his cold Pokémon. "A defensive style, but a good grasp on timing and breaking cover served you well. I almost feel I went too easy on you," he added, smiling. "Though possibly, that is my ego hurting from being soundly beaten by someone a fifth my age." His hand went into his vest. "This is yours."

Danny accepted the badge, blushing slightly at the praise. He made to say something, but a shrill whistle interrupted him. "Alas, I must be off," Terry said. "If I may, I'd like to give both of you a final tip."

Both boys nodded in acceptance. Danny wondered what Terry would tell them: none of the other Gym Leaders had done something like this.

"Danny, I'll start with you. Keep practising this style. Far too many young trainers focus on attacking without restraint. To see a new trainer like you understand the value of waiting and patience gladdens me. And don't blush," he added, making Danny's ears burn even harder. "It is a rare find, both refreshing and, to others, perhaps surprising. Make use of that.

"Max. Diversify. Start now, and reap the rewards all the sooner. It'll allow you to keep control of the battle, and as with Danny, expectations are that you didn't. Perception can work in your favour too, and if you want to follow in your friend's footsteps, you should use every advantage you can get." He paused, taking a moment to look at both Max and Danny, eyes serious. "To be at this level, with the official experience you have, is astounding, for both of you. Work hard, work diligently, and don't get arrogant. If you do that, who knows when or where your stories end."

~~§~~§~~

In suburban Petalburg, a phone rang, and the Gym Leader that resided there answered it after three rings. He only needed a second to recognise the caller once video was established. "Max! Good to see you, son! How'd your battle with Terry go? Did you win?"

"I didn't win, Dad."

"You lost?" The Gym Leader's eyes went wide, before he noticed his son's face. "Oh, I see you smirking. You got one through a draw, didn't you?" A badge case came into view, showing the five Hoenn badges his son had acquired. "Well, a draw is still a draw, and Terry is a wily old fox. Been a Gym Leader almost as long as I've been alive."

"That long?" Max seemed a little surprised. "Wow. He's ancient."

"As old as your grandfather." Who didn't look a day over Norman's age. "And isn't everyone over twenty ancient to you pre-teens? A challenger called me ancient today." In jest, after some smart aleck remarks.

"Well, you are," Max said, sticking out his tongue the same way he'd done when younger. Then, a different expression, but one Norman knew. "Dad?"

"What is it, son?"

"After the battle..." Max started, before interrupting himself, his jaw set in a way Norman knew was because the boy was biting his lip. "Terry said… He said that it's 'astounding' for us to be at this level."

Terry praised often, but never without cause. It was a trait Norman had always liked about the genial senior Gym Leader, but it felt like there was more to this. "Yes? What is it?"

"It's just… People expect things. Expect me to go far. To do great. To be as good as..." Steven Stone, Norman mentally added. "Danny too. Just because we're—"

"That's how things are," Norman interrupted. "I know," he added, holding hands up apologetically. "It's nonsensical. But people aren't always logical."

"They should be," Max mumbled with all the indignant bluster only pre-teens could muster.

Time to pop a bubble. "You weren't when Ash came to Petalburg."

That got him glared at. "I was nine. What's their excuse?"

Norman sighed, resisting the temptation to pinch the bridge of his nose. "None. Look, Max," he said, deciding to switch tactics, "you shouldn't listen to them. It's your journey, yours and Danny's alone. What others think is not important."

The call lasted for a few more minutes, but soon, Norman was alone again, his wife out for the night, and his daughter out somewhere between where he was and where Max was, off to help one of her friends train for the upcoming Hoenn Grand Festival. They were good kids, both of them, and Norman felt Caroline and himself had done right by them.

Yet, for all the good reports about and results for his children, there was something he'd missed, and he didn't know what it was.

~~§~~§~~

May loved the seaside. The sand, soothingly slipping between her toes; the sea, normally blue, but now slowly colouring orange; and above all, the smells, which never failed to soothe her. She'd love to get into the sea and swim freely, Pokémon at her side, but she was waiting for someone, and she needed to watch the road.

It had nothing to do with the sign that warned for tentacool. Nothing.

Okay. A little.

He saw her before she saw them."May!" her brother yelled, in that same voice she'd heard him use the last time they spoke, on his birthday. Turning, May saw her brother slide his pack off his back before running up and hugging her., which she gladly returned. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Dad told me you were coming here, and I was nearby, so I decided I wanted to see my little brother on his journey," May said, looking her brother over. He looked pretty healthy, decently tanned and all. "I see you're still using the same clothing."

"And you're still wearing the same bandana," Max shot back as they walked back to the road, May carrying her sandals. Max's best friend was waiting for them, grinning even more goofily than May had seen him do before. "Thanks Danny."

Danny shrugged. "Pokémon Center?" he asked, in a voice deeper than May remembered. He was taller too. May just about looked him in the eyes, but she was still a bit taller than Max. "I need a shower."

"So does Max," May said after nodding. "You need one, little brother," she added, remembering the numerous times that she or Brock had had to tell him to take a shower. Ash had somehow been even worse.

"I know," Max said, taking May by surprise. It probably showed, too. "What's the matter, sis? Didn't expect me to know that?"

"Well..." May made a show of fake thinking. "No."

They shared details en route to the Center. Max and Danny told her about their Gym battles, and tournaments they'd participated in, and May told them about her good Johto Grand Festival results: she'd ended up in the top four again, and she'd defeated Solidad. That still brought a smile to her face. She also told them about her new Pokémon: Max knew about swablu, but he didn't know vaporeon and ivysaur had evolved, and that she'd caught a skiploom.

"What are you going to do now?" Danny asked as they enjoyed a late dessert in the Pokémon Center lobby. Then, the jingle indicating that a new batch of Pokémon had been fully healed played, prompting Danny to jump up, ice-cream in one hand, to see if the boys' Pokémon were among them.

"I was thinking about entering the Hoenn Grand Festival again," May answered as the boys took their Pokéballs off the tray Danny had delivered. "Try to reach the final and be close to Mom and Dad." She'd missed her family in Johto, but she wouldn't want to travel with Max. She knew her brother wouldn't like that.

Max nodded. He probably understood her. "Why not go to Sinnoh?" Danny asked. "You haven't been there yet."

"I am not going to Sinnoh. It's way too cold there!" She nearly shivered at the thought of it. "I like snow, but they have too much of it. Kanto and Johto were cold enough in winter."

"I liked it," her brother said, shrugging the same way Ash did. "Hey, May, want to see our Pokémon?"

She had wondered what her brother had caught. Dad had teased her, saying that she wouldn't expect some of his Pokémon at all. She knew he left with treecko, and that the ralts was gone. The electrike was no surprise: May remembered her grandfather giving Max an electrike plushie for his seventh birthday.

Baltoy was a surprise, but when Max said it was from Izabe, May understood. She also understood why Max had a ninjask: it was a Pokémon Ash would love, and she knew Ash was a role model for her brother. "And this last one might surprise you, sis," Max said with a grin when May looked at him, waiting for him to release more: she'd seen him take five balls off the tray. Out came a blue Pokémon that Max immediately picked up. A bagon? May didn't know where Max would have got a bagon. It was pretty young if Max could still lift it up like he did. "Found an Egg. He's a handful, but it's amazing."

"Eats way too much," Danny added drily. Max just made a waving gesture. "We found an Egg off Route 114, and some of the Rangers near Meteor Falls helped figure everything out."

"How old is he?"

"Eleven days," Max said after a short pause. "I think. Didn't exactly check if it was before or after midnight when the Egg hatched." He returned most of his Pokémon, leaving the bagon out.

"After. I checked my Pokénav." Danny fiddled with his belt. "Want to see my Pokémon too?"

May just nodded, still watching her brother hold the bagon, but flashes of light drew her attention before long. Marshtomp and snorunt brought back memories, but then, a purple floating Pokémon came out, and May inhaled sharply. "What is it, sis?"

May shook her head rapidly, forcing memories back. "Sorry. Just a bad experience. It's okay," she added. "You don't have to put it away. It's fine."

Danny's other Pokémon were okay, but May was still glad when the duskull was returned to its ball. She knew it was just a reaction to what had happened, and that this duskull wasn't the same one, but having your dream eaten and waking up to see that one eye hovering over you… It sent shivers down her spine, even a week after it had happened.

There was a glint in her brother's eyes. May knew that glint, and about half an hour after they'd retreated to their own rooms, after May had taken a relaxing shower, someone knocked on the door. "Come in Max."

"Hey May," her brother said as he walked in, bagon trailing behind him. "This one didn't want to leave me." He sat down next to her on her bed, the bagon climbing onto his lap. The mattress sunk slightly with each addition.

"You are his Daddy," May said, happy to tease her brother. The glare she received in return was ruined by Max's smile as the bagon got comfortable against him. "I should get a picture. It's cute."

"Ask Danny. He has a few." Max shifted, turning towards May the best he could. "What happened, sis?"

May explained how all the ghost Pokémon in and around town, around three dozen in total, had suddenly decided to start messing with humans, one early, early morning, a week back. Eating dreams, using Lick or Hypnosis or Nightmare… May had had her dream eaten by something, and then the duskull was floating over her when she woke up. Her scream woke up her roommate, too. Oddly, it hadn't actually resulted in anyone physically hurt, but it was the talk of the town the days after, and it had been that when May had left. "And the weirdest thing was that they weren't all wild Pokémon. Some trained Pokémon also did it."

"Trained Pokémon?" Max said, eyes boring holes into May's. "Are you sure?"

"That duskull I mentioned? That's Veronica's duskull." As she found out when her friend had returned it to its pokéball. "And I heard about a boy's shuppet doing the same thing." Her brother had gotten a far-away look in his eyes. "Max?"

"Oh, right, sorry. Weird," came Max's answer. "And they didn't do it again?" May shook her head. "And this was in..."

"Petal Grove. About three days from here. Why?"

"So we can take another route," Max said before yawning. "Huh. Time for bed, I think." He prodded bagon, which jumped off Max's lap. "Night sis." He rose, and made to leave.

May stood up as well, and hugged her brother. "Night Max."

~~§~~§~~

"Ghost Pokémon, wild and captured, doing things to people? That sounds like..."

"I thought the same."

"Call Ash? Let him know?"

"Tomorrow. He told me Drake wakes him up at dawn."

"Better him than us."

~~§~~§~~§~~§~~

"Many Ghosts are tricksters, or pranksters, or just fun-loving. Don't be surprised if your Ghost-type pops up from behind a tree at night: it's their idea of having fun. They are Pokémon, though, and what may seem funny to them might not be funny for you. If your Pokémon does that, just tell them to stop. Ghosts are some of the smarter Pokémon, and they're fine with restrictions, as long as they can still indulge from time to time."

Phoebe of the Hoenn Elite Four, lecturing on Ghost-types.

Author's Note: And that is five.