Today's the day!

All of yesterday was spent training with Quarsh while Victini had lots of time to rest, so I feel like we're ready for the challenge ahead of us.

We were walking to the gym with Serena, who had decided to watch our battle.

When we got close to the gym's entrance, Serena stopped me.

"Oh, Harden," she called out.

"Yeah?" I asked, facing her.

"Here." She took two small cupcake-shaped candies from her backpack and handed them to me. "Those are poképuffs. They're made following an old recipe from Kalos. The red one is popular among fire-types while the blue one is for water-types. They should help give some energy to your pokémon."

I looked at the two poképuffs and smiled. "Thank you, Serena..." I handed the red one to Victini and took Quarsh's pokéball.

"Don't worry, Victini helped me make those." Colour me surprised, Victini cooking something? Maybe Serena did something I wasn't able to do.

"Quarsh, come out," I said and opened his pokéball. "Here, this will help calm your nerves before the big moment," I added and held the poképuff in front of him.

"These taste great!" Victini said while she quickly devoured hers, letting out a little burp once she finished, making Serena and me giggle. Since Quarsh didn't have any arms, it took a bit longer for him to finish eating.

"Ok, guess now we're ready," I said. As if to agree, Tini made her V sign while Quarsh jumped up and down excitedly.

"I will be in the audience, watching. Good luck!" Serena said, going ahead and entering the gym.

I recollected Quarsh and walked into the gym with Victini on my shoulder. The reception was in many ways similar to the one in Turffield. Pretty much only the symbol on the reception's back wall was changed to fit the gym's theme.

Quickly taking care of the formalities with the receptionist, I found myself making my way to the battle area minutes later.

After walking for a little, I stopped in front of the doors leading to the arena.

I took a very deep breath, preparing myself and remembering both all the training with Quarsh and the many times I thought about everything that could go wrong.

Probably noticing my troubled expression, Victini nudged my shouder, drawing my attention.

"Hey, I know you're nervous... I am a bit nervous too, but you've trained a lot with Quarsh. I know we're ready!" she said, clearly trying to cheer me up.

I smiled at her. "Yeah, let's get that badge and higher rank!" I said and immediately pushed the door open.

As soon as I entered the arena, I could feel an intense surge of sultry air surround me.

The gym was like a giant greenhouse, complete with rough, pitch-black and scorching hot tiles on the ground that had sizeable rocks strewn around on them. The floor gave off so much heat that my vision started to get blurry.

If the roof was closed, I'd be melting inside here!

While I was already sweating and panting due to the extreme temperatures, Victini was just fine, enjoying the ambient warmth on her fur.

I soon stepped in front of Kabu, who seemed to be around his thirties.

"Incredible, isn't it? All the heat generated in the city is brought here and used to heat the gym, making it the perfect environment for fire-type pokémon," Kabu said, not seeming fazed by the temperatures at all.

Just as he stopped speaking, a giant fountain of steam erupted not too far from us, sending another massive wave of heat crashing over me.

"How are you not burning up like I am?"

"I get that question often," he chuckled. "Don't forget I battle here everyday, young trainer. This has become normal to me a long time ago."

Wiping the sweat on my forehead away, I steadied myself and faced him. "Well, let's make the most out of this battle."

"Agreed," he said and walked away.

I did the same, and we got a few feet away from each other until we both turned around.

"Let's see if you have the potential to surpass me! Let's show our flames, Ninetales!" He threw out his first pokéball, causing it to burst open. A Ninetales gracefully emerged, elegantly swinging its tails.

"Victini, let's emerge victorious!" Victini flew in front of me, making her blazing entrance.

"It makes my heart burn with excitement to see a mythical up close! Now, Ninetales, let's start with Quick Attack!" In response, his Ninetales started to shimmer subtly before dashing in Victini's direction.

"Victini, use Psychic on the rocks, then follow with a Quick Attack!" Following my commands, Victini's eyes started to glow blue as several small rocks were lifted and swiftly launched at Ninetales.

As soon as the attack hit Ninetales, the Quick Attack of hers was cancelled out, leaving her vulnerable. Now, Victini started moving extremely fast in her direction, using the opportunity to land a strong hit and knock her a few feet back.

"Now, use Psychic again." Once more, Victini's eyes turned a bright blue colour as Ninetales was raised from the ground.

From what I've heard, Ninetales can use psychic powers as well... I hope I am not pushing my luck with this... I thought.

"Now, throw Ninetales up!" And so, she tossed the fiery canine in the air... until she let gravity take over, resulting in the Ninetales slamming into the ground moments after. She landed in a messy heap, knocked out.

"That was quite impressive!" He called his Ninetails back. "I can see a blazing determination inside the two of you... A harmony and bond that few trainers and pokémon have this early on. Your expression tells me that you already know everything that goes through you and your partner's mind," Kabu said and took another pokéball from his belt.

"Come on, Arcanine!" He threw his pokéball, and a giant quadruped creature emerged from it, letting out a fierce roar.

Things are going well, let's keep it up! I heard Victini's voice in my mind. I nodded lightly in response.

"Arcanine, Flame Wheel!" Kabu shouted. His Arcanine covered itself in fire, then rushed towards Victini.

"Fly up!" Understanding my intention, she started to put distance between her and the ground immediately, hoping to evade Arcanine's attack.

I thought that we were safe, until suddenly, Arcanine was somehow launched into the air, landing a perfect hit on Victini. I could only look on, extremely shocked.

"What?!" I said, trying to understand just how in the world Arcanine managed to jump that high in the middle of an attack.

My confusion didn't last for long though, as I quickly noticed Kabu smirking. "Don't be fooled. Take a look around and you'll find something," Kabu said. I took his advice and looked around, taking a step back.

Stones, fire, steam... Steam! My eyes widened at the realisation.

"Steam! You used the steam fountains to launch your Arcanine up without stopping the move!" I said, still a bit dumbfounded at his strategy.

"Impressive. Most take a few minutes to figure it out, others don't even get close." He nodded. "Arcanine, use Quick Attack!" he commanded barely a second later, making his Arcanine pick up speed again.

"Victini! Stay away from the cracks on the ground!" She started to fly away from Arcanine just to be hit from behind thanks to another steam fountain that appeared beneath Arcanine. With her concentration broken, her psychic powers gave out. Losing control, she plummeted to the ground.

Think! THINK! There has to be some way to counter this! I thought, trying my best to figure out what to do.

Then, something came to my mind.

Victini got back up from the ground, hovering in the air a few feet in front of me.

"Arcanine, Quick Attack!"

"Victini! Turn invisible!" I quickly shouted. From one moment to another, Victini simply disappeared in mid-air. Arcanine passed through the space Victini once occupied as she used the chance to move away, unnoticed by anyone but me.

He can't chase what he can't see, so this buys us some time. I might get disqualified if we keep running though... I have to think fast, I thought.

"Victini, reappear," I said after a few seconds. Victini revealed herself, now being a bit higher up from where she was before.

"Okay, let's turn the tables," I whispered, knowing only Victini would hear me.

"Victini, use Quick Attack!" I said, and Victini bolted in Arcanine's direction.

"Arcanine, Flame Wheel!" Kabu said and Arcanine, covered in flames, stormed in Victini's direction.

Just when they were about to collide, I whispered, "Fly up." Victini flew above Arcanine, just narrowly avoiding a collision.

Arcanine, not able to halt his momentum, kept rushing forward. However, just as he was about to begin chasing Victini again, he was thrown up by a steam fountain that suddenly erupted beneath him.

Before he landed, I shouted, "Now! Use Quick Attack!" Victini turned around and used the chance to hit Arcanine repeatedly, eventually launching him towards the ground.

"You're not the only one who can use the environment to your advantage," I said while Victini flew down in front of me.

"Clever, but we're not done yet!" His Arcanine stood back up, shaking the dust and dirt off of himself.

"Okay, we know how to fight back now!" I said. Both Victini and me were smirking confidently.

"Let's see if you do. Arcanine! Flame Wheel!" Kabu said. His flaming Arcanine once more rushed in Victini's direction, before jumping with the help of another steam fountain.

"Fly down, then use Quick Attack!" Victini dived downwards, avoiding Arcanine's attack, and hit him with her own Quick Attack immediately after, throwing him a few feet up.

"Now, use Psychic and throw him down!" As Victini's eyes started to glow, Arcanine's body was covered in a faint blue light before he was smashed towards the ground.

I wonder how many times this will work, I thought as Arcanine stood up yet again, albeit somewhat shakily this time.

"This was an impressive match so far, young one, but let's see how well you will deal with this! Arcanine, use Spinning Flame Wheel!" he shouted. Before we could even blink, the Arcanine started running in circles around Victini, all while covering himself in fire.

Arcanine kept running faster and even faster. Soon, I couldn't see him between the flames. However, what I did see was a small yet powerful looking tornado forming around Victini.

"Get out of there!" I said, but it was already too late. No matter how many times she tried to escape, she was simply sucked back inside as if she was a mere leaf.

Arcanine kept running as the tornado got bigger and even bigger. I tried to use my aura vision only to see Victini spinning and being thrown around like crazy.

Soon, the tornado exploded, causing sparks of fire to fly everywhere. Victini was thrown to my feet and roughly hit the ground, unconscious, while the Arcanine stopped next to Kabu, panting slightly.

Needless to say, I was shocked.

"This is the full power of our burning passion for battling!" Kabu said and the crowd roared in response.

I took Victini's loveball from my belt and called her back, bringing it to my forehead soon after.

"I understand you hate being in there, but know that you did a great job. We'll be side by side again soon enough," I said and fastened her loveball back to my belt, simultaneously grabbing Quarsh's pokéball.

"Quarsh, come out," I said and threw his pokéball.

Kabu's expression grew confused, though it did not take long for it to revert back into a neutral one. "You don't see that often," he muttered.

"Okay, Arcanine! Once more, use Flame Wheel!" Not a second later, his Arcanine, cloaked in fire, sped towards Quarsh.

I took a deep breath, remembering yesterday's training. It wasn't going to be in vain.

"Quarsh, Geyser Jump!" As soon as Arcanine was close enough, Quarsh skyrocketed while the water gun that propelled him upwards hit Arcanine, stunning the fire-type.

"Now, Mud Shot!"

Next, Quarsh rained down multiple bullets of wet earth, hitting Arcanine several times. It tried to remain standing and endure the onslaught, but soon fell to the ground, unconscious.

Meanwhile, Quarsh, losing momentum, started falling again. As trained, he shot another water gun at the ground just before he would've landed, stopping the fall and allowing him to land safely.

Now, Kabu was the one standing there with a shocked expression. "W-what was that?" he asked.

I smirked. "What? Did you think you were the only one with an unique attack?" I said. "Quarsh has a special trait that allows him to use his Water Gun to perform some sort of super jump. I decided to call it Geyser Jump."

"I see." He nodded. "Well, I guess it is time for us to finish this then." He recollected his Arcanine and took another pokéball from his belt.

"Let's show them the true extent of our burning passion, Centiskorch!" He threw his pokéball to release a centipede-like fire-type pokémon from it. Not knowing what I was dealing with, I took out my Rotomphone.

Centiskorch is a fire- and bug-type from Galar.

While its extremely hot body is already more than dangerous on its own, this excessively hostile pokémon is also known for using its large und very sharp fangs.

Moreover, Centiskorch has a Gigantamax form that is capable of using an exclusive G-Max move known as G-Max Centiferno.

A Gigantamax, of course, I thought.

And as if on cue, Kabu decided to go all in. "Burn bright, Centiskorch! Let Dynamaxing change your size and shape!" he said. Activating his dynamax band, it unleashed a bunch of red particles that were quickly absorbed by Centiskorch. With a mighty cry, it changed into a much more massive form, the bands of fire coming out of his head burning much more fiercely.

The heat I felt was simply unbearable. To be honest, it was as though I had walked into a pre-heated oven on full blast. Just standing upright already seemed like a streinous burden. Below it, I could even see the black stone tiles slowly giving in, melting. If Quarsh and I were going to win this, we had to do it now.

"Ok then, Quarsh! Let's show them how big our waves are," I said. Following suit, I also activated my Dynamax band, turning him giant.

"Flames always burn upwards, and so we, too, will always aim to go higher. You understand, don't you?" Kabu asked, and I knew exactly what he meant.

"Centiskorch! G-Max Centiferno!" he said. Twisting so that its entire front faced us, the Centiskorch charged up and fired a giant stream of fire at Quarsh. Thankfully, being a water-type, he managed to withstand the attack.

"Quarsh, use Max-Water Gun." Quarsh started creating a big water sphere in front of his mouth before launching a jet of water at Centiskorch. Upon contact, the water evaporated immediately with a violent hiss, plunging the entire arena into a dense fog. As it grew ever thicker, the Centiskorch's confused cry echoed throughout the entire building.

"Hey Quarsh, how about we try something crazy while he's stunned?" I asked. In response, he simply hopped, almost making me fall to the ground.

"Ok then, I've been waiting to try this! Quarsh, use Max-Geyser Jump!" I said and Quarsh 'jumped' high into the sky.

"What?" I could hear Kabu's voice somewhere in the fog. However, it was too late to make a difference. Just a few seconds later, a massive amount of water descended from the sky, heading straight for Centiskorch.

When the torrent of eventually subsided, the battlefield was flooded and the warm water was splashing against my knees. While I saw Centiskorch's collapsed, now much smaller form in the corner of my vision, my attention was set on Quarsh, who was quickly approaching the ground, reverting back into his normal size as he fell.

I immediately started trying my best to wade through the flooded battlefield. However, as soon as he got close to me, he simply shot another Water Gun. Not expecting the sudden shower, I fell face flat into the water while he landed safely.

When I looked up, I could see Kabu approaching me.

I swear I was almost shivering at how frightening his look was. I thought I would get scolded, but instead, he helped me get back up.

"A great pokémon and a great trainer! Your victory was inevitable!" he said and shook my hand. Even though the crowd's cheer must have been deafening, I barely noticed them.

As soon as we let go, he pulled something out of his pocket. "This is the fire badge, the proof that your determination burned strongly enough to defeat me and this gym." He gave me the badge, and after fidgeting for a bit, I finally managed to put it into my case, right next to the badge Milo gave me.
_

A few minutes later, I was exiting the gym with my rotomphone in hand, trying to look for anything I could have done better during the battle. My attention was quickly diverted though when I felt someone's hand on my shoulder. I quickly turned around to see Kabu.

"Before you leave for the next town, may I talk to you, young one?"

"Sure, what about we talk in the pokécenter? I have to take my pokémon to Nurse Joy," I said, and he nodded.

We walked to the pokécenter in relative silence, and once we arrived, we handed Nurse Joy our respective pokémon. Being told to wait for a bit, we made ourselves comfortable at one of the tables.

"So, what did you want to talk about with me?" I asked.

He closed his eyes and said, "I wanted to hear more about you and your Victini. It's not every day someone like you appears."

I spent the next couple of minutes talking to Kabu, answering some of his questions about Victini, though he surprisingly had a few questions concerning Quarsh as well.

Kabu proved to be a way more pleasant person to talk to than I thought, even despite the fact that he still looked intimidating.

As time passed, Nurse Joy eventually called me to the counter. "Here. Both of them are in good health again!" she said as she handed me both Victini's loveball and Quarsh's pokéball.

"Ok, you can come out now," I said and released Victini.

As soon as Victini was out, I could see a shiver go through her body along with her fur spiking up.

"Welcome back," I said and she turned to me, scratching the back of her head with a sheepish smile.

Kabu soon approached us.

"Even outside of battle, she is a sight to behold," he said, much to her embarrassment.

"As I told you before, she's a psychic-type, so normally she talks to me using telepathy. It usually takes some time to start working again after having been knocked out or having entered a pokéball though. It was thanks to her telepathy that I could tell where she was during the battle, even when she was invisible," I said.

"A fire- and a psychic-type...? Seems like a powerful combination," he said.

"Your Ninetales can also learn psychic moves. You could use them alongside fire moves during battle, that would make your gym a way bigger challenge than it already is."

He nodded. "Good suggestion." However, before he could continue, Victini started making a few hand gestures.

"Now that I think about it, you're right. Where's Seren-" Before I finished, the door suddenly burst open. Storming in, Serena closed it tightly just as quickly, letting out a big sigh.

"Uh, what is all of this?" I asked as she held the door shut.

"Fans," she dryly replied, looking exhausted.

"Let me guess, you ran through the whole city?"

"Yeah," she said, and sunk to the ground, sitting down.

"That's the price of fame, I guess," I joked.

"C-changing the subject, what was that? You and Quarsh flooded the entire gym!"

"Well... I didn't expect it either, it was quite a surprise. Uh, sorry about that, Kabu," I said, feeling a little guilty thinking about the work it would take to dry and fix the whole place.

"Don't worry young one, this kind of thing is more common than you would think," he said. "Now, if you two would excuse me, I must go look after the gym."

"Huh, that was certainly something. Well, how about we get ready to go to Hulbury?" I asked, and both Victini and Serena nodded.
_

While Harden was in our room packing our things, Serena and I were in the lobby, talking about the battle.

"You should have seen it! When you were knocked out, Harden looked so upset with himself, like he made such a big mistake that he would need to pay for it with his life!" she sang.

Maybe I should go and talk to him? I mean, he might be feeling bad about the battle... I mused to myself. ...Until I noticed Serena grinning at me.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked me with an encouraging look clear in her eyes.

I thought about it for a bit longer before finally flying towards our shared room.

When I got there, Harden was about to finish closing his backpack. As soon as he was done, he turned around to see me.

"I always say this, but you should be a bit more discreet if you're trying to scare me." He smiled.

I made a few hand signs, asking how he was feeling.

"I'm feeling okay. I mean, the last battle was really rough; I think my adrenaline never went that high before." He laughed a little.

I once again pointed at him, then at me, and finally mimicked a worried face.

"Of course I was worried about you. I mean, that fire tornado was completely unexpected. I never thought something like that would be possible," he said. I could only shake my head.

I, once again, made a few more hand signs, saying that it was a battle, so he shouldn't feel too bad about it! If only he'd get that through that thick head of his...

"I know it was a battle and that I couldn't have predicted that. Still, you're too precious to me. Objectively speaking, you may just be my pokémon like Quarsh, but to me, you're more than that. You're my partner. I care a lot about you," he said, making me blush.

I approached him tentatively and gave him a small peck on the cheek, leaving a small black mark.

Unable to contain my emotions anymore, I quickly flew out the room, only barely noticing his dumbfounded expression before turning and dashing down the hallway.

Soon, Harden came down from our room, a blush more than just visible on his cheeks. Great! Now it'll be obvious to just about everyone...

Serena approached him and inspected his face. "...Oh, what's this? You have a black mark on your cheek. How'd that get there?" What did I say!?

"It's nothing! I just fell and hit my cheek on the bed's corner!" he said, clearly embarassed. Serena grinned... knowingly?

"W-well, let's get going?" Speaking from the way Serena looked, it was clear she saw right through his attempt to change the subject.

"Weeeell, if you say so!"

And with that said, the three of us left Motostoke behind, making our way towards Hulbury. All the while, I could notice Harden looking thoughtful about something.

Did I make the right move?