Chapter 13: Preparations
"OK everyone, we have another Gym to prepare for, and this next one is said to be one of the toughest so we need to work real hard to be ready for this one! Let's go, go, go!" June cried at the top of her lungs.
Ray, Behemoth, Paige, Ace, Victoria and Leonardo cried out in response. They were as ready to go as June was and were going to give this training their all.
It was now the next day and for June, that meant another day of training to prepare for the next Gym. With three badges in hand, the next five gyms would only be more challenging for her and she couldn't afford to fall behind at this stage. Before this, she'd said goodbye to her parents and Ash as they flew out of Saffron City on Doomsday to track down Giovanni. They wished they could've stayed to watch the rest of her journey but as long as Giovanni was at large, Team Rocket weren't truly defeated.
"If we're to find him, we best get going." Ash had said, "Sorry we have to leave in such a hurry June, but you know how important this is."
"Of course. You be careful out there mum and dad." June insisted, "And you too Ash! I know you're very strong trainers but Giovanni will no doubt be a crafty kind of chap and he'll be ready for you two now he knows you're after him."
"Oh I'm not taking him lightly my girl." Ruby agreed, "I made that mistake with Sordward and Shielbert back when I was fourteen and that nearly got me, Hop and Leon killed. I'm not making that mistake again."
"And ever since then, you haven't." Hop said brightly, "We'll search every nook and cranny of this region until we find him, and once we do, Team Rocket will be gone for good with nobody left to run their operations."
"You remember to keep that Master Ball safe at all times." Ruby warned, "If Giovanni finds out you have one, he'll come after you for it. I don't even want to imagine what will happen if he gets his hands on you again…" she added, cringing at the thought.
"It won't happen again mum, not with me getting much stronger with all my Pokémon!" June declared confidently, "Giovanni will be sorry he messed with me!"
"Heh, you've certainly grown bolder since this journey started." Hop remarked, "I've never heard you speak like that before."
June just shrugged. She too had noticed her journey had clearly changed her and she was becoming less and less of the easily scared and awkward girl she'd started out as. What would she be like by the time she reached the end of it? Much braver, stronger and more heroic most likely.
Once Ruby, Hop and Ash had left, June caught up with Trace and Tricia to see them off. They were keen to set off for Pallet Town as quickly as possible now they'd rested up and their Pokémon were fully healed. Trace looked happier than June had seen him in a while and Tricia had completely changed her appearance now she didn't have to work for Team Rocket anymore. She'd changed into a sleeveless summer shirt with white and orange stripes, skinny jeans, sandals and a large floppy hat. June thought the clothes suited her MUCH better than the Rocket Uniform ever did.
"What do you think?" Tricia asked coyly.
"You look so cute in those clothes…" June mumbled bashfully.
Tricia giggled as June looked away shyly.
"Glad you like them. This is more "me" than that hideous Rocket Uniform was." the purple-haired teen spat, "Seriously, I looked like a stripper in that uniform. Why Giovanni expects his female grunts to dress like that, I'll never know."
"At least now you never have to wear it again." Trace said happily, "It truly feels like you're fully back sis."
He hugged her and smiled graciously. Tricia returned the hug.
"It's great to BE back little brother." she said warmly.
June smiled with awe, enjoying the sweet scene before her. Tricia turned back to the Galarian girl.
"Once again June, I owe you more than just my thanks." she said softly, "I know your coming here with your parents wasn't because of Team Rocket, but thanks to you I've managed to get away from them and I can have my life back again! I really don't know how I can thank you or your parents enough for this."
"Please don't, your thanks is enough." June said meekly, "But what about your finances? You may have gotten away from Team Rocket but won't your family end up going poor again now you're not getting any money from them anymore?"
"That's been sorted." Trace confirmed, "Your parents offered to donate some money to us to help us get back on our feet before they left. Seriously, you should see the cheque Ruby wrote for us!"
June could imagine the cheque had a lot of zeros on it. Her parents were very rich thanks to their careers as Champion and Professor so they could afford to spare some to help Trace and Tricia's family out.
"Mum and dad…always being the kindest people alive." June said with admiration in her voice, "I'm sure their donations will help you two and your mum out a lot."
"We're sure on that too." Tricia said brightly, "I know dad will be happy to know we'll be able to carry on in his name, and without me having to earn that money dishonestly." she said, looking up to the heavens as if she could see her dad's smiling face in the clouds.
"Absolutely." June said brightly, "Well I best not keep you two held up any longer. Your mum's going to be very excited to see you two again. I'll let you go and I'll stay here to train up ready for the next Gym."
"Don't get too far ahead!" Trace warned, "I still wanna be right beside you once we reach the Indigo League!"
"Wouldn't dream of it." June reassured, "Goodbye for now. Hope to see you two again very soon!"
"We'll be right back once we've caught up, sweetie." Tricia replied, "Take care of yourself June. And thanks again for you and your parent's parts in getting my life back on track."
She then surprised both Trace and June by walking up to her and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. June's eyes widened and her body stiffened as she registered what just happened. By the time she recovered, the siblings were on Gyarados's back and flying out of Saffron City back to Pallet Town. June touched the spot on her cheek where Tricia had kissed her. It seemed Tricia felt the same way she did about her.
"Here you are already winning the heart of a fair maiden." Ray joked, "Gotta say, how did she go from trying to rob you to kissing you? What's your secret June?"
"I have no idea…but I'm not complaining!" June murmured, still surprised over it.
And now she was outside Saffron City in a nearby route preparing herself and her Pokémon for the next Gym. She wanted to try evolving some of her other Pokémon to make them more powerful and hopefully teach them any new moves while they were at it. She began at once.
"Ray, practice your Zippy Zap on that rock!" the Galarian girl ordered, "Behemoth, show me the biggest Rock Throw you can pull off! Leonardo, give me a big Water Gun! Ace, show off your Wing Attack! Victoria, use your Drill Run and Paige, give us a mighty Karate Chop!"
Her Pokémon all obeyed and unleashed a flurry of moves to show their skills and strengths. Ray charged into a nearby rock and obliterated it with a single electrified charge, Behemoth threw rocks as big as cars to show off his own power, Leonardo blasted a jet of water from his mouth up into the air, Ace demonstrated her powerful Wing Attack, Victoria drilled through the air with Drill Run and Paige smashed rocks to pieces with Karate Chop. June watched the whole scene with satisfaction. She could see that her Pokémon's moves were looking strong and with some training, they would become even stronger. Even Giovanni would hesitate to battle her now!
A couple of hours passed with this training montage of practicing moves with her Pokémon demonstrating every move they currently knew. Seeing what they could do for now, June decided it was time to try learning some new moves. Ray wanted to learn Surf after watching Lt. Surge's Raichu in action so he focused on that. Paige practiced her Karate Chops, aiming to learn the much stronger Brick Break attack. Behemoth wanted to learn Earthquake so June had him practicing to see if he could. Victoria practiced with her fists, trying to learn Poison Jab and a punching move, preferably Thunder Punch. Leonardo trained to try and learn a more powerful Water attack and Ace flew through the air to try and learn Aerial Ace. All six Pokémon trained and practiced hard for much of the day with some having greater success than others.
Leonardo had trained so much with his Water Gun that he was eventually able to expand his power and use the more powerful Water Pulse. He was able to fire a jet of water with surrounding rings from his mouth and hit his targets with great force. He felt very pleased with himself for being able to do this. Paige didn't take long to master Brick Break and soon she was able to break rocks with ease, more so than when she'd been practicing her Low Kicks when June had met her. One swipe of her hand was enough to crack a rock the size of Behemoth's head in two, something that wowed the whole team. Behemoth had been able to learn Earthquake in the end, slamming his tail on the ground over and over until he'd managed to create the powerful fissure he was aiming for. His efforts caused the team to fall over on their bottoms but they were full of praise for Behemoth regardless. The huge Onix beamed with pleasure, proud he'd managed to master the move. Ace and Victoria took a long while before they were able to learn Aerial Ace and Thunder Punch respectively. Ace's training regimen consisted of a lot of skilful flying and trying to focus that into an attack. It took a lot of trial and error but by dinner time, Ace had finally been able to pull it off. She crowed with delight, seeing it as another challenge she'd conquered.
Only Ray hadn't managed to learn a new move yet. He'd been trying and trying to use Surf but no matter what he did, he couldn't seem to get any waves of water to appear at all. By dinner time, he had no choice but to give up as he wasn't getting anywhere. He'd have the chance to practice again tomorrow. June and her Pokémon gathered around a campfire as June cooked a delicious curry for everyone to eat. Naturally she'd inherited her mother and aunt's curry cooking skills and, as she put it, was keen to give her Pokémon a taste of Galar.
"We Galarians love our curries." June said as she plated the food out for everyone, "As we often think, there's no food quite like a steaming plate of Galarian curry. Hope you enjoy!"
The Pokémon tucked in eagerly. The curry was delicious, the sauce the perfect level of spicy without being too hot, the rice soft and tender and the meat and vegetables cooked to perfection. Everybody enjoyed their meal.
"The food must be awesome in Galar if this is how good it tastes!" Ray cried, "I ain't tasted anything like this before!"
"Quite so. It's got a lovely taste to it and the mix of rice, meat and vegetables makes it wonderfully flavoursome." Victoria complimented, "Very nice indeed."
"It feels like I'll get tougher just eating this." Paige said in-between mouthfuls.
"If this is what a Galarian curry tastes like, I wonder what other tasty foods Galar has to offer." Leonardo said thoughtfully.
"You'll get the chance to taste for yourselves for I plan to take you all back home once my journey's over here." June announced, "I'd love for you all to see Galar and meet my friends and family back home."
"What is it like back home?" Ace asked curiously.
"Wonderful!" June said with a bright smile of pleasure on her face, "Galar is a beautiful region that has everything a Pokémon lover could ask for. We've got the Wild Area where Pokémon roam freely as they please, we have our Gym Battles that take place in huge stadiums and Pokémon battles are akin to a spectator sport complete with huge crowds, sponsors and more! I've loved growing up in Galar with my family and friends for thirteen years and I couldn't have asked for a better place to grow up in. I'll certainly miss Galar if I become Champion of Kanto, but I'll be sure to visit whenever I can." she said brightly.
"It sure sounds fun over there." Paige murmured, "I bet there's lots of strong Pokémon and trainers to battle in Galar."
"How are you liking Kanto?" Ray asked, "Given you asked to come here and all, I just thought I'd ask. Is it everything you hoped for?"
June spooned some more curry into her mouth and chewed slowly as she mulled over her answer. She swallowed and answered Ray's question.
"Aside from Team Rocket? Yes, it is everything I've hoped for." June said happily, "Kanto is as beautiful as it looks in the photos and it's full of nice and friendly people I've enjoyed getting to meet, especially Trace, Brock, Ash and Misty. I've of course enjoyed meeting all of you and training with you and the Gym battles are as thrilling as I hoped they would be. It does feel strange compared to Galar considering the Gyms are smaller and we don't have an audience watching, plus the lack of Dynamaxing does kinda take away some of the thrills of battling back home." she mused, "But I'm enjoying my time here and should I achieve my goal, I'll be happy to protect Kanto as its Champion and hero for the people."
"Very noble of you indeed June." Victoria complimented, "I'm sure you'll make for a great Champion, provided we're strong enough to help you reach that goal."
June shook her head.
"Don't put so much pressure on yourselves." she said softly, "Remember, a Pokémon's success is as dependant on the trainer as the Pokémon themselves. You don't just have to be strong, I have to be as well. Together, we'll all achieve that goal."
Behemoth bellowed in agreement.
"I know Behemoth. We'll be an awesome team that'll overcome any challenge!" June said optimistically, "Come tomorrow, we'll train some more and I'm sure we'll be able to learn some more new moves to help hone our battle skills."
"I could help Ray learn Surf." Leonardo volunteered, "Maybe as a Water type, I can give him a hand in learning how to do that move."
"Sure thing, I'd appreciate that." Ray said graciously.
"That's so nice of you Leonardo." June agreed, "I'm sure you'll be just what Ray needs."
She ate some more curry while looking over her team. She was sure Pokémon trainers all thought the same thing, but June felt she truly had a wonderful team she could be proud to call friends. Her life had truly been transformed because of them and she'd be forever grateful to have met them all. As she ate, June allowed her mind to wonder for a moment.
I wonder how Trace and Tricia are doing back at their home… she thought.
Trace and Tricia were finally home.
It had been a long flight but thanks to Gyarados's speed, they had reached Pallet Town during the time June had been training with her Pokémon. They had much of the day left still to spare, which was just what they'd wanted. The more time left in the day, the more time they could spend with their mother. Gyarados touched down on the ground and Tricia returned it to its Pokéball. Trace looked around. It hadn't been that long since he'd left Pallet Town to go on his journey and yet being back here on his home turf again, it felt as if he'd been away for weeks. For Tricia, it had been much longer. It had been years since she'd last set foot in Pallet Town and now she was back, she began to feel nervous. What would her mother say when she walked in? What would she say once she learned why she'd been away for so long? Trace held Tricia's hand and smiled at her reassuringly. Everything was going to be fine. That was what his smile was saying to her. Sighing softly, Tricia smiled back.
The siblings headed straight to their house and went inside. Their mother was waiting on the sofa for them just as they'd expected her to. Their mother was a brunette woman with green eyes and the sort of face that radiated kindness and cheerfulness. Ever since her husband had died and her Kangaskhan had been stolen, she'd lost much of her cheery nature. She'd become withdrawn and even spent most of her days lounging around the house, too depressed to do anything.
But the moment she saw her son and daughter walk in side-by-side together, her gloomy expression disappeared in an instant. She charged over to them and grasped her children in a tight hug of joy and wept like there was no tomorrow. Trace and Tricia cried with her. It was the happiest they'd ever seen their mother look in ages. Her joy only grew bigger once Tricia presented her Kangaskhan's Pokéball and Key Stone to her. Their mother exploded with relief and quickly released her Kangaskhan so they could hug together. The motherly Pokémon was delighted to be back with her trainer at last. Trace and Tricia beamed with delight. Their mother's Kangaskhan's safe return was just what she needed to be back to her old self again. Her grief wouldn't be the end of her as they'd feared.
Once the happy reunions were over, their mother started asking the inevitable questions Tricia had been preparing herself for: where had she been for the past few years and why hadn't she called her? Steeling her nerves, Tricia explained the whole story. It pained her to recap her time being recruited by Team Rocket and being forced to steal Pokémon for them but she forced herself to spill everything. Her mother sat in total silence as she talked. Tricia concluded the story by recapping the Silph Co. heist and how June, Trace, Ruby, Hop and Ash had helped her get away from Team Rocket, rescue Kangaskhan and stop the heist. She grimaced, expecting her mother to be angry with her. Trace was equally as nervous. But to their surprise, their mother displayed no anger or disgust or anything. In the end, she was just grateful that her daughter was free from Team Rocket and wouldn't have to work for them again.
Relieved, the siblings embraced their mother once again. Tricia's work for Team Rocket no longer mattered. It was all over with and the family was back together. Their mother couldn't help but anxiously ask what they would do for money now. That was when Trace presented her the cheque Ruby had written for the family. Their mother looked at it and was so overwhelmed by the kindness of Galar's champion that she had to sit down again. Ruby had single-handedly solved all her financial woes! She wanted to meet Ruby herself so she could thank her in person for this kindness. Trace suggested that they might be able to arrange that once she and Hop had finished their mission. He then began to wonder how June was doing in her training…
Night had fallen but June wasn't able to sleep. She lay there in the darkness of her tent tucked up comfortably in her sleeping bag but sleep wouldn't come to her. Every time she closed her eyes, she was immediately brought back into the president of Silph Co's office, bound and gagged and at Giovanni's mercy. She could see his evil face laughing at her as he threatened to do terrible things to her. Then she saw his Rhyperior looming over her with its horrible horn drills ready to skewer her alive, and…
It was too much for her. June crawled out of her sleeping bag and went outside her tent. She sat down on the grass and sighed gloomily. If only she'd never gotten caught by Giovanni! The whole experience had left her feeling less sure of herself, feeling…helpless. She'd been a weak, scared and helpless little child back there and June couldn't shake off the feeling that it meant she was never going to be like Ruby. Her mother was strong and brave but she was neither of those things. June took out her Rotom phone and put on the torch feature so she could see in the dark. Then she took out her sketch book and began to draw.
"Can't sleep?"
June looked over her shoulder to see a very worried looking Ray standing behind her. The Galarian teen glanced at him apologetically.
"Sorry Ray, did I wake you?" she asked, "I was trying to be as quiet as I could."
"It's that light that did it." Ray said, "I was gonna yell at ya to turn it off but once I saw it was you and you were outside, I thought I'd see what's up."
"It's nothing Ray. Just go back to sleep." June said tightly.
But Ray wouldn't budge.
"It IS something and I'm not going back to sleep unless you talk to me." Ray said firmly, "How can I get to sleep while I'm worrying if my trainer's OK? Talk to me June. You'll feel a lot better afterwards."
June groaned. She didn't want to talk about it for talking about it only made her feel more anxious. But she didn't want to upset Ray. Still drawing, she answered his question.
"It's about Giovanni." the teen trainer murmured, "Ever since I got caught and help captive by him, I'm unable to shake those images out of my head. It's like he's there in my mind, taunting me for being so weak and helpless as he had me in his grasp. I needed mum, dad and Ash to get me and Trace out of there! I just don't want that to ever happen to me again…but what if my training's not enough?" she said worriedly, "What if I never become strong like mum and dad and I just get caught again like today?"
Ray jumped onto June's shoulder and peered at her sketchbook. He noticed she'd been drawing Giovanni's face. She'd captured every detail from his narrow eyes to his wrinkled features and his cruel smile. Once again, Ray was impressed by how well June could draw. It was as if Giovanni had been shrunk down and placed on this piece of paper for how realistically she'd captured him in this drawing.
"So what's that about?" Ray asked.
"Oh it's a coping mechanism mum suggested to me when I was about eight years old." June explained, "Whenever I'm worried about something, mum suggested I draw or write down on paper what's worrying me, a sort of way to "get it out of my head" as she put it. Rather than bottling my emotions up, I can get it down on paper and see the problem for myself."
"OK…not sure how that works but it's interesting." Ray mused, "So what's the picture telling you now?"
"That I have to be better than the man in front of me and get much stronger so he won't ever worry me again." June answered, "But…I don't know if I ever will. What if my anxieties just hold me back like so?"
Ray nuzzled June's cheek affectionately.
"I wish I had the answer there June but I'm a Pokémon, not a psychiatrist. I'm not sure what else I can say." Ray said, feeling guilty that he couldn't be more helpful, "But whatever you do, just remember you're not alone and you have your Pokémon beside you to conquer any challenge you face. We'll be strong, not just for ourselves, but for you too!"
June smiled appreciatively at Ray and stroked his head.
"I know you will. You and the rest of the team." the silver-and-purple haired girl said kindly, "You may not think you've been much help, but I appreciate it nonetheless. Thank you for listening Ray."
"No problem! If you need someone to talk to, I'm always here for you." Ray said kindly.
June took Ray off her shoulder and embraced him warmly. What did she do to deserve such a wonderful Pokémon like him? Feeling more at ease, June packed her sketchbook and phone away and took Ray back into her tent. Her anxieties weren't gone, but she felt talking with Ray had helped her get something off her chest. And that was enough for her to drift peacefully off into a much needed sleep for the rest of the night.
The next morning dawned and June woke up feeling a little more confident in herself despite her worries last night. She didn't know how but drawing her worries always seemed to make things a little better for her. Now she was up with more determination than ever to become stronger. She would be strong enough to beat the remaining Gyms, beat the Elite Four and become the new Champion but most especially, she'd be able to beat Giovanni next time they met!
After breakfast, June spent the whole morning training some more with her Pokémon. They mostly focused on practicing their new moves they'd learned while Leonardo tried to help Ray learn Surf. Even though Ray wasn't a Water-type, Leonardo was hopeful he could help him learn the move. He told Ray to close his eyes and focus while imagining himself creating a wave of water. He had to focus hard and eventually, he would be able to create that wave and then at last, he'd be able to use Surf as Surge's Raichu did. Ray wasn't sure if it would work but he gave it a try anyway. He focused on that while Leonardo practiced his newly learnt Water Pulse.
Behemoth practiced his Earthquakes, slamming his tail on the ground over and over to create powerful shockwaves. Every time he was finished, he flattened the earth back down so he didn't create more cracks with every Earthquake he did. Ace and Paige used their Aerial Ace and Brick Break attacks they'd just learnt and Victoria made sure her Thunder Punch was as powerful as could be. Hours later, the Pokémon's new moves were finely tuned and June was confident that they'd mastered them ready for the next Gym. But Ray was still unable to use Surf. He grew increasingly frustrated, wondering why he couldn't seem to do it.
"We should go back to Vermilion City and ask that Surge guy how his Raichu learned it! I bet he can help us!" Ray suggested.
"I'd rather not. Surge will have other challengers to deal with." June said thoughtfully, "We should learn it ourselves."
"But I can't seem to figure it out!" Ray complained, "So maybe asking for help is the better idea right now!"
He threw his arms up in exasperation…and then it happened. Completely out of nowhere, he seemed to summon a huge wave of water that rose up like a giant curtain and sweep towards June! June cried out but couldn't do anything about it as the wave splashed down over her and soaked her. Her Pokémon were left staring in surprise at what had just happened. Ray blinked several times while trying to process what he'd just done.
"Uh…did I just use Surf?" he asked.
"I think my sopping wet clothes answer that question!" June laughed, shaking water out of her hair, "It's so weird how you seem to learn a new move when you get frustrated like that! First Double Kick, now this!"
"So is that the secret to your success? Just get really irritated and hope it works?" Victoria sneered, "Not an ideal training regimen if you ask me."
"Shut it queenie!" Ray snapped, "Lest you want me to use Surf on you!"
"That's enough Ray." June said firmly, "You've learned Surf now, that's what we wanted. Just be glad about that. As is, I think we should take a break and I should get changed into a dry set of clothes!" she chuckled.
She went back into her tent to get changed and dried off. After that, she and her Pokémon took a break for lunch before training some more. They only managed another hour until incredibly, Paige, Ace and Leonardo suddenly began to evolve! June watched with awe as three of her Pokémon simultaneously changed into their next forms. Ace was now fully evolved into a Pidgeot while Paige had become the ill-tempered Primeape and Leonardo was now a Wartortle.
Pidgeot were huge Normal/Flying type Pokémon, easily big enough for a child to ride on its back. They looked very much like Pidgeotto but with a long red and yellow ponytail that swept over their heads and down their backs.
Primeape looked like bigger versions of Mankey with more muscular limbs, huge fists shaped like boxing gloves and metal cuffs around their wrists and ankles.
And Wartortle were larger versions of Squirtle with darker blue scales, a bigger shell, a tail shaped a little like an ocean wave and feathery ears.
June cheered excitedly and congratulated her newly evolved Pokémon.
"Wow, wow, wow, look at you all! You look so much stronger and ready for anything!" she cheered, "I can't wait to see you all in action like these! Well done to you!"
"Most appreciated June. As a Pidgeot, I shall overcome any challenge!" Ace said proudly.
"As a Primeape I suddenly feel like I have all this energy in me I need to burn off." Paige murmured, "And why do I feel the need to punch someone? Like, really hard?"
"Gotta say, I like my new body." Leonardo said as he admired himself over, "My new tail especially looks real pretty!" he simpered, giving it a shake.
"I'd say after that, we're more than ready for the next Gym. How about you?" Ray asked, looking to June.
"We could use the rest of the day to train further and let Ace, Paige and Leonardo get more adjusted to their new bodies." June thought, "I'm sure you guys feel ready but I think we should give it until tomorrow just to be safe. OK?"
Her Pokémon agreed and so the rest of the day was spent training. All six Pokémon took turns to battle one another and show off their new moves while still using their old ones. The battles were fun and displayed the Pokémon's strengths brilliantly. June felt herself growing more confident and fired up as she watched them battle. She was sure that they were ready for any challenge no matter what it was! Hopefully Trace would be able to catch up once he resumed his journey. She didn't want to get too far ahead otherwise the next battle they had would be unfairly one-sided.
The training lasted until nightfall and come the next day, June packed up her camping equipment and headed off back towards Saffron City. Feeling pumped up, she was keen to challenge the Gym and win that Marsh Badge. Sabrina better be prepared for June wouldn't be going easy on her!
June left the route and just entered Saffron City again. Her eyes lit up as she took in the beautiful, mostly yellow colours of the city. There was no other place in Kanto quite like Saffron City and now Team Rocket was dealt with, she could actually just enjoy it and admire the place for a bit. But she didn't get to do much sight-seeing before she suddenly bumped into someone. June fell onto her bottom and winced. Ray almost fell off her shoulder. The person she bumped into held out a hand.
"Oh I beg your pardon miss. Are you hurt?" they asked.
June took the person's hand and allowed them to help her up. She saw that the person was a man who appeared to be in his thirties and had silvery blue hair that sprouted out around the sides, almost making him look as if he had ocean waves around his head. He wore a casual shirt open at the neck and a black jacket. June had never seen him before and she felt bad about bumping into him.
"I'm so sorry sir. I just got carried away looking at the city. Please forgive me." she said sheepishly.
"No apologies necessary." the man said casually, "This place is quite lovely. It's easy to get distracted. You aren't hurt, are you?"
"No, I'm fine! Right as rain!" June said reassuringly, "Though I best make sure nothing in my bag's broken. I did fall over pretty heavily…"
She slung her backpack off her shoulders and rummaged through it. As she did, the man caught sight of the Master Ball Silph Co. had given her. He grinned with pleasure as he saw it. June smiled with relief and closed her backpack.
"Nothing's broken, thankfully!" she said cheerfully, "I apologize again for troubling you sir. Do have a good day."
"And you little lady." the man said kindly, "Where are you off to?"
"Saffron Gym. I'm aiming to claim my Marsh Badge." June answered, "Me, my Pikachu and other Pokémon have been training very hard for this one." she added, looking to Ray, "I've really got to go now. Bye!"
She quickly ran off towards the gym. The man gave her a friendly wave. But as she was swallowed up by the bustling crowds of the city, the man's smile grew colder and his friendly demeanour evaporated. He took out his Rotom phone and dialled a number. He put the phone to his ear.
"Boss? This is Sakaki. It may interest you to know that, serendipitously enough, the Galarian girl you held hostage a couple of days back is in possession of a Master Ball." he announced, "I'm guessing Silph Co. likely provided her with one after our failed heist was over."
"Excellent." Giovanni purred from the other side of the phone, "At the first available opportunity, you are to relieve her of that ball and bring it to me. Then we can use it to capture Mewtwo and harness its unbeatable power for ourselves."
"That ball will be delivered to you in no time." Sakaki declared, "She's currently challenging the Psychic Gym. Once she's finished, I can ambush her. Her Pokémon will likely be too weak to challenge me by the time she comes out."
"Of course." Giovanni said slyly, "Report to me once the Master Ball has been seized."
Sakaki hung up and put the phone back into his pocket. He headed off towards Saffron Gym. He would wait there until June came back out. Then once she did, he would have her. The Master Ball was as good as his…
Pokémon evolved: Leonardo the Squirtle, now Leonardo the Wartortle
Paige the Mankey, now Paige the Primeape
Ace the Pidgeotto, now Ace the Pidgeot
June's ready to battle Sabrina, though her capture at Team Rocket's hands still seems to be weighing on her confidence a little. Still, she might be able to win next time. And Trace and Tricia's mother is feeling much better now her Kangaskhan's back. Gotta love happy endings, eh? ^^ But it's not the ending yet as there's still more story to go. Join us next time as June tackles "The Fourth Gym"...
Trivia: This chapter mostly exists as a breather between the last one and the next and I didn't want to cram June's training and the family reunion with Trace and Tricia into a chapter along with June's Gym battle nor skim over it in a montage. So this chapter was necessary to give these plot points the attention they deserve.
As for Team Rocket's new agent here, he's meant to be the Team Rocket equivalent of Spinel from Pokémon Horizons and you'll soon see what I mean in later chapters. Also his name, Sakaki, is a reference to Giovanni's Japanese name, which is also Sakaki.