Route 112: A route that edges near lava. It's popular with trainers due to its elegant view of Mt. Chimney.

The boys followed a small dirt trail, climbing up a steep hill until it leveled out to an even plain. The hill was a vivid shade of red and crumbled slightly underneath their feet. They glanced at a large yellow building with a golden roof.

"You guys wanna go check that place out?"

Tank pointed at the door.

"Sure, what the heck"

Kidd wiped some dirt off his jacket sleeves. He pulled a water bottle out and finished it off

"I need to refill this anyways"

"Yeah, I'm down too"

Benedict shrugged.

The boys walked closer to the building, but stopped when someone hollered at them.

"Stop right THERE, you hooligans"

Two bucks and a doe marched towards the trio. The three deer wore white and grey uniforms with brown boots. The bucks wore button-up shirts with grey waistcoats and beige slacks, while the doe wore a blouse with a pinafore dress. The black badges on their clothing shined underneath the bright sun.

"You're treading on official Team Cottage property"

one of the bucks warned the boys. He shook a hoof at them as he stared them down.

"So leave already, you petulant brats, or else…"

"Or else what?"

Kidd rolled his eyes, pulling out something from his messenger bag.

"You'll have to battle us? Oh no, a battle. I'm so scared"

"Yeah, we'll kick your ass!"

Benedict shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Tsk, tsk"

the doe shook her head.

"I was thinking we'd eliminate you by throwing all of you off a cliff, but I think a battle sounds more….sophisticated"

"I must agree, Homura" the taller buck held his hooves together. "Master Dobie will let us go if we… eliminate them in such an obvious manner"

The Cottage grunts each released one Pokemon; a Zubat, a Poochyena and a small yellow camel Pokemon. The camel spewed smoke from its nostrils and small embers from its mouth.

The boys nodded to each other. They glared at Team Cottage and each threw one Poke Ball in the air.

"Libra! I choose you!"

"Makoto! Take 'em on!"

"Seedot! Let's go!"

The three Pokemon cried their names out. Libra neatly hovered in her spot while the other two landed on the ground. Makoto curtsied before glaring at his opponents. Seedot swayed back and forth in her spot, then hopped up and down in determination.

The taller buck calmly pointed at the three Pokemon

"Numel, Flame Burst"

"Nuuuuuumeeeeeeeeellllllllll"

The camel Pokemon's hump turned bright orange. It turned its head up as it spewed hot flames from its back. The flames torpedoed into the air, exploding across the cliff and landing on each Pokemon, knocking them backwards.

Benedict glanced over at Kidd and whispered to his friend

"Are y'all thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"Take down Numel first so the other two are easier?"

Kidd nodded. "Yes, let's"

The two boys nodded at the same time. Benedict grabbed Kidd's wrist before both boys hollered

"Makoto!"

"Libra!"

"USE CONFUSION ON NUMEL!"

The two psychic types stood together back to back. In perfect synchrony, they held their hands out and shot two magenta circles of telekinetic energy. The pink orbs surrounded Numel, attacking on both sides and thrashing the camel Pokemon until letting it go.

Numel swayed in its spot, its pupils swirled backwards and small stars orbiting its head.

Tank stepped forward, glaring furiously at Team Cottage

"Seedot, finish Numel off with Beat Up!"

"Dot!"

Seedot leaped in front of Makoto and Libra. She threw her body back before hopping onto Numel, headbutting its hump multiple times. Her body glowed different colors with each hit. She jumped away after landing the final hit, waddling back next to Libra and Makoto.

"Nuuuu-"

Numel groaned before falling onto its left side with a thud.

The boys cheered and high-fived each other in celebration.

Kidd flipped his hair and taunted Team Cottage

"Hmph, take THAT you Little House on the Prairie extras. Don't you have an overpriced strawberry print to buy, you outdated hipsters?!"

The taller buck grimaced in disgust. Steam blew off his body as he stomped a foot against the ground

"Hipsters?! How dare you compare us to those craft beer sipping, flannel wearing, irony-is-my-only-personality-trait FOOLS!"

He bared his teeth as he returned Numel to its ball.

"Hokage? Cool it" the shorter buck barked back. "Report back to Master Dobie. Do not inform him of your failure. Homura and I will eliminate these brats for you"

"Yes, Matsu" Hokage glanced away from his colleague. He strolled towards the yellow building, leaving Matsu and Homura to fend for themselves.

"Poochyena"

Homura's voice sharpened as she trembled in her spot.

"Poison Fang the Kirlia"

Benedict snapped

"Makoto! Stun it an' use Draining Kiss!"

Poochyena sprinted across the ground, its mouth oozing bright purple gunk that splashed onto the ground.

"Kirrrr!" Makoto leaped above his opponent and tapped Poochyena on the head with his feet. Poochyena barked as it flinched, its mouth's color fading back to normal.

"Liiiiaaaaaa!"

He blew a kiss downwards, landing it against Poochyena's forehead. Kirlia gracefully floated to the ground, curtsying as he absorbed energy from Poochyena. Pale pink energy flourished from his body.

"Finish it off with Magical Leaf!"

Kirlia spread his arms out, releasing a flurry of leaves from his fingertips. He twirled in his spot and fired a small tornado at Poochyena, calmly watching as the leaves took out Poochyena. The dark type skidded backwards before falling onto its stomach.

Homura's eyes widened as she stepped backwards. The doe covered her mouth with her hooves, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She looked away in shame as she returned Poochyena to its ball.

"M-matsu?"

she asked her coworker. "Finish these pests off" the doe stormed back to the same golden building Hokage did.

"Of course"

Matsu readjusted his waistcoat, smoothing out the wrinkles.

"Zubat. Wing Attack, Seedot, now"

Zubat darted through the air, its wings glowing white as it tried to find Seedot by her scent. The bat's ears twitched, hearing small chirping come nearby. Zubat picked up speed, about to knock Seedot down until—

"Libra, take the blow for Seedot!"

Libra teleported in front of Seedot, flinching as the wings hit her on the chest. She snarled as the pain stung through her body, refusing to hover back down.

"Abra….."

she hissed under her breath.

"Zubat, use Bite to—"

"Seedot! Beat Up!"

Seedot quickly darted underneath both Pokemon. She leaped upwards and blocked Libra from Zubat's sharp fangs, headbutting Zubat backwards.

"SeeeeeeeeDOOOOOOOOOOTTTT!"

The acorn Pokemon's body turned bright blue, growing at least three times in height. The small nub on her head grew longer, the end flattening into the shape of a leaf. Two thin arms shot out from each side.

The blue light exploded across the ground, revealing the new Pokemon. Her body was still beige, but instead of being stuck an acorn on stubby feet, she now had powerful legs for kicking, slender arms for rapid punching, and a long green leaf growing from her head.

"Nuuuuuuuz-LEAF!"

she cried out as she shadow boxed the air.

"Oh heck yeah!"

Tank cheered. He grabbed his Rotom Dex to scan his new Pokemon.

"Nuzleaf, the Wily Pokemon. A grass and dark type, and the evolved form of Seedot. Nuzleaf live in densely overgrown forests. They occasionally venture out of the forest to startle other Pokemon. The nubs on its chest help absorb chlorophyll"

Matsu pinched the bridge of his snout and shook his head.

"Zubat? Air Cutter every single one of them"

"Nuzleaf! Beat Up!"

"Nuz, nuz-!"

Nuzleaf jumped in front of Makoto and Libra, her fists glowing black. She landed an uppercut punch against Zubat's stomach, stopping it mid-air.

She rapidly punched Zubat several times, her arms glowing different colors with every single punch.

"LEAF!" she cried after landing the final punch, nimbly landing on her feet and wiping sweat off her forehead.

Zubat dropped against the ground with a heavy smack, falling unconscious without making a noise.

Matsu sighed heavily as he returned Zubat to its ball

"Arceus Christ, that was pathetic" he muttered before leaving without a word.

Matsu walked into the yellow building with dread. He saw two of his coworkers being berated by another deer in uniform.

"And if I catch ANY of you pathetic lots failing at another battle, all four of us are going to be eliminated by Master Dobie himself. Do you hear me?!"

"Y-yes sir…"

Hokage and Homura stammered, shaking in their spots like a pair of leaves. Matsu noticed large bruises on their cheeks. He shuddered to himself as bile rose up in his throat.

"Ahem. Grunt Two-Hundred Nineteen" the tallest buck crossed his arms. "Do you mind explaining why you and your cohorts failed this battle?"

The boys tended to their Pokemon, making sure everyone could blow some steam off before traveling forward.

"Hey, you know what I was thinking?"

Tank asked his Pokemon.

"Nuz?"

Nuzleaf tilted her head, biting down on a small berry.

"Since you evolved, how'd you like to get a nickname like Libra and Makoto do?" Tank pointed at the other two Pokemon, who were busy chasing each other in a circle.

Nuzleaf closed her eyes and nodded twice, finishing up her berry in three more bites.

"How about…."

Tank placed a hoof on his chin.

"I got it. Grevillea!"

Nuzleaf crossed her arms. She tapped her right foot against the ground, thinking to herself. Grevillea…..grevillea….Yes!

"Nuz" she calmly nodded. She liked the elegance yet sturdiness it gave off "Leaf!"

"Then it's on!"

Tank grabbed a marker and a Poke Ball, writing on the top half of the ball. "You're now Grevillea!"

"Nuzleaf, nuz!"

Grevillea chirped, bouncing slightly in her spot.

Tank stood up and hollered to his friends

"You guys ready to head out?"

"Yep!"

"Sure am!"

With that settled, the boys returned their Pokemon to their balls, grabbed their bags and headed inside the nearby tunnel.

The Fiery Path. A long underground route. The Pokémon that live in this area like to use the steam that erupts from the ground to refresh themselves.

The boys walked through the path, sighing from the sweat. They stopped to take their jackets off, exposing their sleeveless shirts. They stashed the jackets away before continuing their walk.

Tank looked over at Kidd.

"You're leaving your scarf on? Aren't you hot in that?"

"Not at all"

Kidd shrugged. "It's made of silk, so I feel fine"

The cave's ceiling rumbled slightly, small red rocks falling onto the ground.

Tank stopped in his tracks

"Did you guys hear that?"

"Pffft. Probably another Zubat horde"

Kidd rolled his eyes.

"No, not that!"

Tank kneeled down to pick up a handful of rocks. He glanced back up at the ceiling. "Oh no…"

He grabbed Benedict by the wrist.

The entire path rumbled. Huge boulders fell from the ceiling, piling up as quickly as they fell. The boys screamed and leaped away from the falling rocks. They small crevices that blocked them from the falling rocks. While Kidd darted to one of the caves on the left, Tank and Benedict landed in another hole on the right side.

Several minutes after the final stalactite fell, the boys peeked out of their respective caves.

While Kidd saw white steam and smoke spew from near the entrance, Benedict and Tank saw cooled down lava formed into bizarre shapes.

Kidd pulled out his Rotom Phone and cringed. No service? Good grief…

He shook his head as he shoved it back inside his messenger bag. Welp, let's go already, he thought to himself as he walked out of the small cave and into the Fiery Path.

A wet squishy sound echoed from behind him. He glanced behind his shoulder quick, then kept walking. He swept some dirt off his tank top. The squishing grew louder. Don't think about it, it's probably just the cave…

The goat stopped in his tracks and turned around with a small yelp.

A horde of five Pokemon crept towards Kidd. Their bodies were dark purple and made of gooey sludge. They each had two arms growing from their sides, carelessly groping the air. Their mouths hung wide open, exhaling a rather pungent smell. The smallest Grimer had worry in its eyes.

"Griiiiimmmmmmeeeeeerrrrrrr"

the purple Pokemon droned in sync, gunk dripping off their bodies and onto the floor.

Eugh, Kidd thought to himself. He stood still and hollered

"Go away!"

The Grimer refused to listen, creeping closer and closer.

Well, that didn't work, he thought. Wait a minute. Battling would make them go away!

Kidd grabbed two Poke Balls and held them in front of himself

"Aries! Aquarius! Come on out!"

The two Pokemon high fived each other, proudly standing in front of their trainer

"Pika pika!"

"Marsh-TOMP!

The crowd of Grimer crept closer, their stench growing stronger.

"Aries! Use Electro Ball on the closest Grimer! Aquarius! Use Mud Shot all over them!"

"Pikapi!"

Aries surrounded herself with a blindingly bright ball of electricity. She jumped into the ball and threw herself against the closest Grimer, knocking it backwards in an explosion.

"MarshTOMP!"

Aquarius stomped forward and shot several blobs of mud against the crowd. The dirt and soil splashed into one of the Grimer's eyes, causing it to scuttle backwards and crash against the wall.

The remaining three Grimer crept closer towards the trio, their breath forming thick fog clouds on the surface. Purple gas crept upwards from the thickening clouds.

Kidd coughed violently as the rancid clouds filled the air.

He untied his scarf and retied it around his face, covering his nose and chin.

The two Pokemon turned around

"Pika?"

"Shtomp?"

"Don't worry about me, you two" Kidd shook his head, coughing slightly. "Focus on the enemy.

Aries, Quick Attack! Marshtomp, Water Gun!"

"Pika pikaaaa!"

Aries's body glowed light blue as she darted across the cave. She jumped up and smacked a Grimer in the face, knocking it backwards.

Aquarius opened her mouth and spewed a strong jet of water at the same Grimer, finishing it off in one blow.

The last two Grimer crept closer to the trio. They took a deep breath in and exhaled, spewing thick purple gas into the other Pokemon's faces.

Aries and Aquarius bent over and coughed violently, their cheeks glowing bright purple as they spit out the disgusting gas.

Kidd rummaged through his messenger bag for anything; greaaaaat, not a single antidote or Pecha Berry in sight. Well, at least Tank could help him out, when they meet up that is.

He took a deep breath in through his scarf.

"Girls" he clutched to the strap of his bag. "We can do this, right?"

"Pika, pikachu"

Aries nodded twice.

"Marsh-tomp!"

Aquarius winked and waved one of her flippers.

Kidd sighed in reassurance.

"Aquarius, another Water Gun! Aries! Meteor Mash"

"PiKA!"

Aries leaped on top of Aquarius' head. Her paws turned a metallic shade of grey as she jumped off her friend. Yellow stars shot from her body as she punched the Grimer in the face.

"Pika pika PIKA"

The Grimer scuttled away from everyone, leaving its ally behind.

The final Grimer gulped and clasped its hands together.

"Griiiii!" it screeched, tears forming at its eyes.

Kidd and his Pokemon paused in their tracks.

"Aries?" he asked. "What's going on?"

The yellow mouse tiptoed towards the poison type, holding her paw out. Kidd and Aquarius watched as the two Pokemon conversed.

"I don't want to battle anymore! Please! Don't hit me!"

"But you were SO harassing my trainer!"

"I know, but! I didn't want to! The other Grimer made me do it!"

"Huh? Made you do what?!"

"Battle! I didn't want to! They thought I was wild too!"

"Huh? You're not wild?"

"Y-yeah. I have a trainer! But she and I got lost!"

"Lost from what?"

"The rock slide! I cant' find her anywhere!"

"What does she look like?"

"Well, um….she's a pink bird! With HUGE hair in two buns! She's really chatty"

"Okay! We'll help out!"

"Th-thank you so much"

Aries hopped over to her friends. She tried her best to explain in Pika-speak, pointing her paws around and wagging her tail.

"So wait" Kidd tilted his head. "The other Grimer got lost from its trainer in that rock slide?"

"Piii-ka!"

Aries nodded.

"Ohhhh" Kidd gasped. He leaned down towards Grimer's eye level "Well, little Grimer, I'm sorry I had to attack you. If you want, we can help you find your trainer!"

"Gri, gri!"

The Grimer clapped its gummy paws together.

The group searched around their half of the Fiery Path; checking through as many every crevices and paths as they could.

Loud whistling echoed from the left, before breaking into energetic singing

"Wheeeen the bubbleGUM pops! I want you to smi-ile!"

The foursome sprinted towards one of the caves, stopping when they heard the singing fade back to whistling.

"Hello?!" Kidd hollered.

"Is there anyone who's missing a Grimer?!"

"Hellloooooooo, that'd be meeeeee!"

the voice sung out.

Kidd walked into the cave first, stopping in his tracks when he saw a very familiar girl. Pink flamingo, big hair in two buns….

"Oh, hi Kidd!" Flora giggled and bounced in her spot. She squealed at the top of her lungs

"OhmiGOSH YOU BROUGHT NOUGAT! THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

She sprinted towards the group, kneeling down to embrace her Grimer.

"Ohhh Nougat" she sobbed in joy, nuzzling her Pokemon on the forehead. "Awwww I hope you weren't hurt too badly, heehee!"

"Grimer, gri!"

Nougat cooed, melting in its spot.

Flora returned Nougat to its ball and looked back up

"Kidd?! Where's Benny and Tank?! Are they lost too?!"

"Y-yeah" Kidd sighed. "I don't know who or what caused the rock slide, but I have no cell service and a bunch of wild Grimer thought Nougat was one of them"

"Awwwwww man" Flora pouted and kicked a stone. "I totally wanted to show Benny the sparkly new Gym Badge I earned! Hey can we, like, stick together until we find them?"

"Sure, that'd be fine!"

Kidd held his hoof out. He picked Flora back up on her feet.

The duo and their Pokemon walked through the rest of the cave, looking around for any signs of their friends.

Benedict huffed as he looked around the small cavern.

"I really hope Kidd's alright"

"He's gonna be fine, dude!"

Tank patted his upper back. "Well, I tried to call him, but I couldn't get any service here"

"That sucks"

Benedict kicked a small rock. "So, y'all wanna find a way out already?"

Tank grabbed his friends by both wings

"Only if you're by my side!"

"It's a deal!"

Benedict nodded, his cheeks glowing bright pink. "Heh"

The two boys grinned before searching the cave for any way out. They saw a small hole ahead, but found it was blocked by several large stones. They pushed the stones out of the way and crawled through the small path.

After minutes of crawling through the tight path, Benedict hopped out and brushed some dirt off himself. He grabbed Tank by the hands and pulled him out to safety.

The duo glanced around the path. More red pebbles fell down while small embers flickered from a trail of stones.

A huge yellow cloud floated in front of them. The smell of sulfur filled the air, causing both boys to gag and flinch in disgust.

They pulled their shirts over their noses and ran through the cloud, cringing from the lasting smell. Once out of the cloud, they pulled their collars down and panted heavily.

"That was DISGUSTING"

Tank coughed into his elbow, shuddering from just thinking about it.

"I don't think it's over yet"

Benedict nudged his friend on the arm and pointed upwards.

Five spherical Pokemon hovered in front of them. Their skin was a desaturated shade of purple while their bodies resembled landmines. They opened their wide mouths to spew a thin cloud of gas.

The two boys leaped out of the way, landing in different directions.

"Tank! Y'all got any idea what the heck we're dealin with?!"

Benedict hollered.

Tank yelled back

"Yeah, it looks like Koffing, dude! They're Poison-types!"

"Poison-types ya say?!"

Benedict stood up and pulled out a Poke Ball

"I know just who I need then. Kenshiro, show 'em your moves!"

"Aron!"

Kenshiro roared as he stood in front of his trainer, his head lowered in determination.

"Tank! Grab a Poke Ball too!"

Benedict yelled. "I need all the help I can get!"

"On it!"

Tank leaped upwards and released another Pokemon

"Fern! Let's go!"

Fern sliced the air with his arms

"Grrrrr-OVYLE!"

The five poisonous Pokemon hissed at their opponents

"Koooooooofffffffffffiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnggggg…"

Tank pointed at one of the wild Pokemon

"Fern! Grab Kenshiro and throw him at a Koffing"

Benedict raised an eyebrow. Wait, but— ohhhhhhh, right, these Pokemon were airbound!

"Kenshiro! Stay calm and use Metal Claw!"

Fern bowed down and picked up the other Pokemon. He pulled his arms back and threw Kenshiro into the air.

"Aron!"

Kenshiro yelped and clawed at the first Koffing, knocking it out in one hit before landing on his feet.

"Fern! Use Quick Attack on another Koffing!"

"GroVYLE!" Fern's body glowed white as he jumped back up and kicked another Koffing in the face. The grass type backflipped in the air before landing in front of his trainer.

Benedict crossed his arms and looked up and down. While the Koffing were floating in the air, he could have Kenshiro use Rock Tomb to knock them down a peg. No, wait, that could cause another rock slide, trapping everyone inside even longer than needed. But wait…. A-ha!

"Kenshiro! Use Rock Tomb on the ground!"

"Ar-ON!"

Kenshiro barked and summoned as many rocks as possible. Stalagmites shot up from the ground.

"Now, climb up one of 'em rocks and use Headbutt!"

Kenshiro darted across the ground. He scaled up one of the stalagmites and snarled at all four Koffing. His body glowed brightly as the Koffing lowered themselves in the air.

"Koff-?"

"ARON!"

Kenshiro stood on his back legs and headbutted one Koffing in the stomach. The wild Koffing backed away and spewed poisonous gas from its holes.

Benedict and Tank cringed in disgust from the rancid gas. Fern jumped away and Kenshiro stood still, completely unaffected by the stench.

Tank pulled his shirt collar over his nose

"Fern! Jump over the gas and use Pursuit!"

Fern nodded and hopped over each rock. His arms glowed black as he picked up speed.

"Gro-VYLE!"

He flew in the air and punched Koffing in the face, forcing it to fling backwards and slam against the wall.

"Hmm…" Tank placed a hoof to his chin. "Fern, return!"

He returned Fern to his Poke Ball.

"Got an idea?"

Benedict asked.

"Yeah, dude" Tank nodded as he threw another Poke Ball

"Go, Lotad!"

Lotad waved her stubby legs around before falling to the ground.

"Use Mist to clear off the gas!"

"Looooooo-tad!"

The water-type took a deep breath in and spewed a thick white cloud through the cave. The air turned refreshing and pure, causing the remaining three Koffing to grimace and hold in their stink.

"Ohhh, NOW I see what y'all are gettin' at!"

Benedict gasped in surprise. "Great thinkin!"

"Trust me"

Tank winked. "I know what I'm doing!"

"Right!"

Benedict stepped closer to his friend, grabbing him by the hand

"Now! Kenshiro! Iron Head again!"

One of the Koffing hovered ahead of its allies and took a deep breath in. Its body glowed a bright shade of red before exploding in the middle. The explosion caused stalactites to fall from the ground and crumble into dust.

The boys returned their Pokemon to safety before running away from the explosion, refusing to look back. They tumbled down down a steep hill until the plane flattened.

Benedict rolled onto his back, blushing hard as Tank fell on top of him.

"Y'all mind gettin' offa me already? You're kinda crushin' me"

"Oh, uh, sure dude"

Tank blushed as he climbed off his friend. He grabbed him by the wings to pick him back up.

The two boys walked through the rest of the cave, looking around for anyone else.

"Okay Nougat!"

a high pitched voice cried out. "Push it in the hole! You can do it!"

Tank and Benedict ran towards the yelling. They stopped to watch a Grimer push a large boulder into a deep hole to form a makeshift bridge.

The Grimer scuttled over the boulder, stopping to wave hello to both trainers.

"Hey guys!"

Kidd hollered as he walked over the stone.

"So, how'd you guys make it out?"

"Just fine!" Tank sighed in relief. "Also I found out what's been causing the rock slides; freaking Koffing blowing up instead of putting up a fight!"

Flora skipped across the stone, stopping in her tracks. Her eyes lit up as she bounced on her tiptoes.

"Benny!"

She sprinted towards her friend and tightly hugged him, squeezing the life out of him.

"T-too tight" Benedict chirped out as he squirmed in her arms.

He wriggled himself free. "Didn't expect to see y'all here, Flora!"

"Oh, same HERE!" Flora did a small dance and twirled a loose strand of hair. "Well, Kidd found me after that rock slide. It was SO scary, but it could've been so much worse! Oh yeah, and look what I got!"

She opened up a small grey case with a Dynamo Badge inside.

"No freakin' way!"

Benedict looked down at the case. He gently touched the small badge.

"Yep!" Flora winked and flashed a peace sign with her wing. "Static was totally fun to fight, even though it took me three tries before I won!"

"What Pokemon did y'all use against him anyways?"

Benedict tilted his head and crossed his arms.

"Ooh, well"

Flora safely placed her badge case away. "I totally gotta show you when we get outta this gross cave!"

"Sounds good to me!"

Benedict fistbumped her.

The group walked together through the cave. Once they saw an exit, they charged outside like a pack of wild Tauros.

Everyone sighed in relief. The cold sharp winds were a welcome departure from the muggy environment of Fiery Path. The sky was a calm shade of blue with darker clouds swirled in different shapes.

Flora yawned loudly and threw a hoodie over herself

"Soooo, guys?" she asked. "Did any of you deal with some weirdos that dressed like a bunch of wannabe hipsters?"

"Eugh, you mean Team Cottage?!"

Kidd cringed.

"Yeah, we dealt with them before we got in the cave"

"Yeah, they totally ambushed me before I went in the cave too!" Flora waved her wings around.

"And I told them 'Hey do you MIND I'm trying to get to my next gym battle' and they tried to take my Pokemon! But lucky for me, Konpeito took care of them with a big ol' Bubble Beam!"

"Konpeito?"

Benedict threw his hoodie on and tilted his head. "Is that your Minccino?"

"Nope!"

Flora threw her Poke Balls into the air. Two Pokemon popped out: her Minccino, and a brown star-shaped Pokemon with a red core in the middle.

She winked and struck a pose

"Konpeito is my Staryu! You guys already met Nougat, and my Minccino, Hershey!"

Tank held his hoof out to the Staryu

"Huh. I've never seen one of these before"

"Yeah, I caught it on Route 110!" Flora explained, waving her wings around in pride. "I won a fishing rod in a raffle, Hershey needed another friend, and when I saw Konpeito, I KNEW I had to have a totally awesome water type!"