"Damn! That's quite the shiner." Kim said while scarfing down a bag of chips. Red groaned at the comment, glaring at the bluenette before he touched the black eye on his face. Picking up a rag, he jumped in surprise when it transformed into Zori, the Pokemon and Kim laughing at his expression while he grumpily picked up the real rag. "It feels worse than it looks."

"Didn't know Devin could punch that hard."

"This wasn't from Devin." Red said, wiping his face. "It was a from a gang member named Dread. His punches were painful."

The two then heard the door open, seeing Leaf who is holding a basket of fruits with a worried face. "You never thought to use Dusclops to call us instead of getting your Pokemon?"

Red immediately put his hand on his face in embarrassment when he realized this. "Sorry, I was in the moment."

"Yeah. And you almost got killed. Do you know how worried I was when the police brought you to the hospital bloodied up?" Leaf said, pointing at him in anger and crossing her arms before sitting on the seat beside Red's bed.

"Yeah. Leaf nearly went ballistic. She was about to rip the person asunder. You should've seen her. S-" Kim was stopped when Leaf covered her mouth with a blush before she turned to Red and gave him an apple. "Whydon'tyoueatthis? Itwillbegoodforyourhealth. Justrestup, ok."

Red could not get the chance to respond when she cut a piece of the fruit and shove it in his mouth. As they continued, Red looked to the ceiling with a conflicted expression which did not unnoticed by Leaf. "You ok, Red?"

"Oh yeah." He answered, Vulpix and Meowth sleeping on his lap as he looked outside. Touching his bruised eye again, he turned to Leaf. "Uh, Leaf. Can you teach me how to fight? Outside self-defense?"

This made Leaf raise a brow before she shrugged nonchalantly. "Uh, ok. But why?"

"I am tired of being in the hospital. This is like the second time in a couple of days that I have been in the hospital. My neck wound even got reopened." Red said bluntly, looking out the window. "Plus, it's not good if my Pokemon train and I don't have nothing to do."

'You literally run and train with them though.' Both Leaf and Kim mentally stated in unison before Leaf spoke. "So was Devin in cohoots with the group?"

"Nah. Devin's a jerk but he's not the type to do things to break the law." Kim said while typing on her Pokegear. "Emma told me that he does, however, have a serious hatred for you though because…you know, the accident. Did you really do it?"

"No. I never killed anyone that night. I do remember fighting a hooded man with an Electivire but apart from that, I had no lighter. Heck, I got these from the incidents." Red said, rubbing his bandaged head before he raised his hands which have scars and burnt marks on them.

'Just like the police report that Dad read.' Leaf thought before she thought about the situation, seeing Kim still a bit taken aback by the revelation. "So what? Did someone frame you?"

"When you think about it? It's not so farfetched. The word, not the Pokemon." The brunette commented with her pen on a notepad. "Psychic types exists and Red's a Channeler and don't you think it's odd that Red's the only one that isn't affected?"

"Well, I mean. Yeah." Kim thought about it. Red looked to the ceiling as his mind recalled something. "Also, I've been recovering some of my memories. But something that was bothering me was Devin's eyes. They were glowing when I told him what I know. It was almost hypnotic. He then started to be in denial when they stopped glowing. When I look into them, I felt guilt."

"Guilt. Is there a Pokemon that controls emotions?"

Red nodded before he went into his Pokedex and then gave it to them. The two girls' eyes widened upon seeing the Pokemon. "The Ralts evolutionary line is capable of manipulating and controlling emotions. There are others but these are the primary suspects for now. There are other Pokemon that can do the same so I'm searching."

The three continued their conversation and searching of the dreadful event until they heard the door open, Red immediately sweating bullets when he saw who it was.

"So you're in here again, mop boy?" Nurse Joy said in a quiet voice that intimidated the trio. Red squirmed in his seat with a fearful look on his face before he looked at the two girls for help. As the woman came towards the three adolescents, she smiled evilly which made Kim and Leaf tremble in fright. "My apologies, girls but I will need you to leave so I can conduct some checks on your little friend here to make sure he doesn't break any bones."

The two girls quickly nodded before they left, Leaf giving Red a kiss on the cheek. "Get well soon, honey."

"I'll pray for your survival though." Kimberley snickered as they closed the door before they heard muffled screams from the room as they clasped their hands. "May Arceus bless his soul."

Exiting the hospital, the two girls were met with the blazing heat, Leaf pulling down the brim of her hat.

"Damn, it's really hot today." Kim said as she waved a fan to her face, her Mawile using her ponytail mouth to cover herself from the sun. The two then went to the park and took shade under a tree as they drank their bottles of Fresh Water.

"Seriously, did Red's Vulpix accidentally use Drought or something? The sun is intense." Kim said as she waved herself, getting a shrug from Leaf who simply gazed at the sky. "I dunno. All I know is I don't feel like doing anything."

The two girls stayed there, feeling slight relief when the temperature went down before a youngster approached them with a challenge to a battle, much to the girls' dismay when he refused to take no for an answer. 'So much for doing nothing. Alright…'

Leaf proceeded to beat him easily with Buneary, the young trainer getting frustrated and running away crying. "Well, that takes care of-"

Leaf could not continue her sentence when she noticed more trainers approaching her with Pokeballs in their hands. "Ughhh! I wish I brought more Pokemon with me than Buneary, Zori and Selia. Oh the hell with it! Alright, give me your best shot!"

"I'll go and get us some more water." Kim said, getting up as Zorua defeated a Kadabra with Snarl. After a couple of battles, the brunette took a break by drinking a bottle of water before she managed to take down the rest of the trainers in the area, the girl's Buneary and Zorua panting on the ground while Roselia landed a Giga Drain on a Graveler, knocking it unconscious.

"Are you all done?" Leaf asked before she sat down, about to turn to Kim only to find her missing which made her raise a brow. "That's odd. Kim isn't back yet."

Leaf started to feel worried when she started to all her but it only went to voicemail. She then got up and ran around the Celadon Park, checking all the vending machines and the water fountain but found nothing in sight. "This isn't good."

"Hey there, cutie." Leaf heard a voice, turning to see a bunch of guys approaching her, the girl letting out a tired groan. 'Oh for the love of…'

As the guys came near her, Leaf pushed them away which made one of them start whistling as he grabbed her arm. "Feisty, I like that. Makes me want to take you out even more."

"Do you all know that it's too hot for this shit?" Leaf said annoyed, pulling back her arm before they blocked her way which made her cross her arm. Zorua then hopped on her shoulder, snarling as the guys got closer.

"C'mon, cutie. It's not gonna be too long. We're just gonna show you a good time." The other guy said which made Zorua start to glow as Leaf braced herself. 'It's your funeral.'

Before she was about to strike the guy, they were blasted away by a fireball that sent them into a wall, another one burning them, Leaf watching the guys scream in pain before another stream of flame hit them, burning the group into a crisp before Leaf could do anything.

"Hey there, babe." Upon hearing the voice, Leaf turned to see Nolan who was smirking with his Houndour growling beside him.

"Nolan."

"It's been a while since we connected." Nolan said, coming close to Leaf and about to wrap his arm around her before she stepped back and avoided him, much to his disappointment.

"I have no time for you right now. Have you seen Kim around?" The brunette said as she looked around before Nolan put a hand around her shoulder, Leaf glared at him before she removed herself from his grasp.

"C'mon, babe. Don't just leave me hanging. You gotta at least give your boyfriend a kiss."

"I don't remember agreeing to beat your girlfriend and I never will."

"Well, funny you say that, Leaf." Nolan stated before snapping his fingers, a bunch of men coming from behind him holding Kim in their grasp. "I'm not asking you. I'm telling you."

Leaf looked at Kim to see her cheek swollen before she turned to the smiling blonde with clenched teeth. "Nolan. Let. Her. Go."

"Do you think you're in a situation to be giving orders?" Nolan said, grinning before he outstretched his hand, Leaf letting out a sigh.

"I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. No. I. Don't. Want. To. Be. Your. Girlfriend." Leaf emphasized her words, the blonde gritting his teeth before he calmed down. Kim looked at the blonde with a raised brow as one of the guys tightened his grip around her. "I don't understand, Nolan. I mean you can get any girl. Like-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Nolan shouted at the bluenette who raised a brow. "I'm talking to Leaf."

"Nolan, you need to chill. She was just being nice. Plus, I already have someone I like." Leaf said, much to the blonde's anger. "No one belongs to you. Just let go of Kim and leave us alone."

Shaking with anger, Nolan was livid when he heard that Leaf was in love with someone else until he remembered. "It's that dork with the cap, isn't it?"

"Huh?" The two girls asked in unison, Leaf folding her arms and tapping her arm. "Duh! Thought I made it obvious. Then again, Red doesn't seem to know either."

"That's good. Perfect actually." He smiled evilly, his goons grinning as they put Kim in a headlock and started to choke her. "Tell me where he is and I'll let your friend go."

"What? Why?"

"My cousin's been looking for him actually. The guy made a mess of his face and his business and he wants to have a…" Nolan paused before one of the goons finished his sentence for him. "…meeting."

"Yeah. A meeting."

"Nolan, I'm not stupid." Leaf said, a smirk going on Nolan's face as he walked towards Kim. "I know. I hope that you make the right decision."

Leaf frowned before she looked at Kim, seeing the girl having trouble to breathe as the man pulled more on her neck. "Leaf, I just want you two to be safe. If you just tell us where he is, my cousin won't have to go after you two."

"What?"

"He wants to take out anyone that is close to that bastard." Nolan said, taking out a knife and walking towards Kim who started panicking. "And I'm not going to go with your bullshit again."

"Nolan, stop!" Leaf ran towards him only to be stopped when one of the big men tightened his hold on Kim's neck, shaking his head. Before Nolan could do anything, one of the men suddenly fell to the ground, holding his crotch as he rolled over on the floor.

"What the? The hell's wrong with you?" He got his answer when the other guy started to drowsily move around as he clutched his head which made him confused until he received a blow to the gut by Leaf, the blonde holding his stomach as he felt dazed from the strike. "Fuck…that freaking hurts!"

He quickly got up only to get kicked in the face by Kim, grabbing his face as the girls quickly took their leave. The two then made a run for it until they saw a group of men blocking their way. "Take them down!"

The thugs then attacked the two girls, the men releasing their Pokemon as Leaf and Kim braced themselves. Leaf quickly dashed towards one of the burly men, landing several heavy blows to his stomach and knocking him out before she swept his legs and throwing him towards the guy who was about to attack Kim. While this was happening, Mawile smacked a Graveler into the air before Buneary launched a drop kick to the ground, defeating the Pokemon.

As they aggressively fought on, the two girls able to hold their own against the mob, taking them down one by one. After a while of battling, the girls panted as they fell to the ground, extremely exhausted.

"Man, that was…rough."

"No kidding. I felt like I ran a mile."

Smoke then appeared around the area, the girls looking around in confusion until Kim started coughing, her Mawile dispersing the smoke with Fairy Wind. The two girls then noticed the smoke was coming from Nolan's Houndour, the blonde smirking beside it as he threw another Pokball which released an Onix that blocked the girls' exit.

"I'm sorry, babe but I can't let you leave. It's either you tell me where that bastard is or you guys are gonna be leverages." He stated as his Houndour shot a huge fireball, Zorua immediately firing a rainbow ball that collided with the flaming orb, the attacks cancelling each other. As smoke exploded from the collision, Leaf quickly made her way to Kim before she picked her up. "We need to go now!"

As they tried to escape, they saw Onix lunge towards them, its tail turning to iron.

"Zori, Snarl!"

"Mawile, Iron Head!"

Mawile quickly rushed forward, jumping on the wall before slamming Onix down to the ground with an Iron Head until it then got hit by a Snarl which knocked it out. Before Leaf and Kim could continue, an Excadrill lunged towards them, the two having to dodge its attack as they both retaliated only for their attacks to bounce off the iron mole.

"Damn!"

"Zori, Ex-"

"Roar!" The two girls were hit by a Roar that made their Pokemon return, Leaf quickly taking out a Pokemon before she felt a chill up her spine.

"Selia, Gi-" She was cut off by a punch to the face that sent her skidding through the ground, the girl finding herself in front of Nolan with a busted lip. Looking at his grinning face, the girl then dashed towards him before she heard a cry, seeing Kim pinned to the ground by two bulky men, one of them taking her Pokeballs. "What the? You mothe-"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Nolan said, one of the men grabbing Leaf and slamming her face to the ground and then pulled her by her hair to look at Nolan. "Even when you're kissing the ground, you look beautiful."

Leaf gritted her teeth as Nolan placed his hand on her chin before he tried to lower the hand but was stopped when she spat at his face, making him stumble back as the man holding her grabbed onto her and slammed her face into the ground again. "You bitch! How dare-"

"It's ok. She has no choice anyways." Nolan waved his hand, wiping his face before he took out a knife from his pocket and aimed at Kim's throat which made Leaf stop, her heart beating fast while her eyes were glued to the weapon at her friend's neck. "Unless you want her head on the floor, tell me where he is. You can also date me on top of that as well."

The brunette weighed her options, realizing that the knife is getting close to Kim's neck before she caved in. "Alright, fine. I'll tell you. Just get the knife away from her neck. Please."

"You don't have a choice in the matter. It's either you tell me or she dies. Honestly I don't care which." Nolan said with a shrug while his Excadrill readied itself. He then grabbed Leaf by her hair and lifted her to look at him before he took out her Pokegear, smiling. "The bastard's at the Celadon hospital downtown. Someone go and tell Dread about it."

A grunt got up before he went on a bike and left the place, much to Leaf's dismay as she tried to get herself from the guy but failed when Nolan pointed his blade at Kim.

"I guess most people would say in this situation that they have no need but now, I can have you to myself. Let's have a little fun." He licked his lips as he got closer to Leaf, the girl bracing herself when he slashed her blouse which made her bra exposed. "Nice choice in underwear. Now for-"

Suddenly, a vine popped from the ground and wrapped around Nolan, taking the teen into the air, much to everyone's confusion. "What the? What the fuck is this?"

He could not continue when more vines popped out of the ground, grabbing his goons and flinging them into the wall, releasing their grip on the girls. Leaf then took the opportunity of the situation to check on Kim, letting out a sigh of relief when he sees that the wound on her cheek.

"Nice one, Selia."

"Excadrill!"

Excadrill then slashed the vines, freeing its trainer and the goons before it catches them and then lunged towards the girl only to be stopped when Roselia grabbed the Pokemon with its vines and then threw the mole towards him, the mole fall to the ground before him. As the Steel type stood up, Nolan started smiling before turning to Leaf. "Leaf, why don't we have a battle? If I win, you have to date me."

"Alright." Leaf said before she looks at Roselia who is twirling and dancing before lifting her gaze back to Nolan. "If I win, you leave us alone. And stop coming after me. Capiche?"

"Alright. If you can win against my Excadrill." Nolan said, the Steel type making a battle cry as it grinned at its small opponent.

"You ready, Selia?" Leaf asked, getting a nod from the Pokemon as they faced off against Nolan. Nolan smirked until he noticed the glare from Leaf which frightened him before he grinned. "Poison Jab."

Excadrill lunged forward with Poison Jab which was easily dodged by Roselia as she danced around the field. Leaf then made her Pokemon trap the mole with Giga Drain before it used Growth, much to Nolan's amusement. "What's that gonna do?"

"Why don't you wait and find out?" Leaf asked with her arms crossed, the blonde let out a smirk when his Pokemon ripped out of its bindings with Drill Run and then charged towards Roselia as its body transformed into iron.

"Poison Sting to swat him away!" Roselia immediately smacked away the attack with its thorns, Excadrill turning around and attacked, its speed catching Roselia off guard before the Grass type received a Poison Jab to the stomach that sent it into the ground.

"Roselia!" Leaf gasped when Excadrill took up the Thorn Pokemon by its neck. "What are you doing?!"

"Don't move." Nolan said, she stopped in her tracks when she saw Excadrill's claws tightening around Roselia's neck which made the Pokemon cry in pain.

"Good. Stay right there unless you want heads to roll." Nolan threatened with a grin as he started to walk towards Leaf. Before he could do anything, she grinned and stuck her tongue at him, much to his confusion. "Fooled you!"

"What th-"

"Selia, Weather Ball to protect yourself!"

Selia started glowing intensely, its body erupting into flames which surprised Nolan as he watched the display of power shown. "Damn. I forgot about the sun."

"Nice!" Leaf said before another heat wave hit Excadrill, Roselia walked towards the mole with its hands engulfed in fire.

"Poison Jab."

"Weather Ball."

The Grass type immediately launched a barrage of fireballs that Excadrill was able to knock away with Poison Jab. Nolan grinned as his Pokemon was about to hit Roselia until it was blasted away by a wave of fire. "What the? How the?"

"Hmm. This is a nice scenery." Seeing the blazing inferno in front of her, Leaf noticed claws coming through the furnace towards the Grass type, much to Nolan's glee. "It's over, Leaf!"

"Trap it with Giga Drain." Selia immediately stopped its attack with Poison Sting then trapped it with Giga Drain, Nolan about to make a command but Leaf beat him to the punch. "Weather Ball."

Roselia shot a fireball from its mouth at Excadrill as Nolan desperately made his next move. "Quick! Sandstorm!"

"Don't hold back! Full power Weather Ball!" The brunette said, her Pokemon unleashing a powerful stream of flames that changed the color of the area, turning everything into an orange hue as everyone witness the attack. Enduring the move, Excadrill could barely stand as it tries its best to summon a sandstorm that changed Roselia's flames into sand. After a while, Leaf made Selia stop the attack, seeing Excadrill standing still until it fell to the ground.

'Impossible. Excadrill's never lost a match. I made sure that it's even able to handle Grass types.' Nolan thought, stepping back in disbelief. Returning his Pokemon and cursing under his breath, the blonde turn to Roselia, smiling when he saw the Pokemon covered in bruises. "Not bad, Le-"

"Next Pokemon, Nolan. I don't have all day. Plus, I hate sandstorm." Leaf said as she tried to rub the sand off her clothing.

"Leaf. All you have to do is go out with me. Why don't you wanna go out with me? You know I want to treat you right. And Dread won't be coming for you." Nolan asked with an award winning smile.

"Nolan. I don't like you. I never did and I don't now. I'm tired of this back and forth…and I'm definitely tired of your shit. So...next Pokemon." Nolan was caught by surprise by the girl's brutal assault of words before he sighed.

"Fine." He threw out Nuzleaf and quickly made the first move. 'Your funeral.'

"Leaf Blade." Nuzleaf dashed towards Roselia, plucking two leaves from its skin which turned into blades. Immediately reaching in front of the Poison type, it made a swipe which it dodged, the blade cutting effortlessly through the ground.

"Poison Sting." With a swift strike, Selia overpowered Nuzleaf who tried to use Dark Pulse but it was stopped by a heavy blow to the stomach that made it fall to the floor and clutch its belly in pain. Nolan's eyes widened in shock at what he witnessed, Leaf, on the other hand, was indifferent as Roselia pummeled the Dark type.

"Growth, Nuzleaf!" He yelled in desperation, his Pokemon about to use the move until it was attacked by a barrage of purple needles that poisoned it. "Fuck, this was not how it was supposed to go."

"I mean you did ask for this." Leaf said as Nuzleaf tried to launch another blast which Roselia avoided before shooting a Weather Ball. Nuzleaf tried again to go on the offensive by using Payback which was skilfully blocked by Roselia who grabbed it then slammed it onto the ground.

"Nuzleaf! C'mon, you got this!" Nolan shouted, his Nuzleaf trying to get up as Selia walks towards it.

"You put this on yourself." As Leaf said this, Roselia charged and fired a Weather Ball that hit Nuzleaf, the Pokemon fell to the ground after taking the attack. Getting angry, Nolan glared at Leaf while returning his Pokemon before his Houndour went on the field.

"Incinerate."

"Weather Ball!"

Both Pokemon fired their respective blasts, the collision creating a huge shockwave throughout the alleyway. Houndour quickly dashed towards with Thunder Fang, about to bite the flower only to have its mouth shut by Roselia vines. The dog could not get the chance to counterattack when Roselia fired a Weather Ball to the face.

"Damn! She's just manhandling Houndour." Kim said as she saw Houndour use Smog which got blown away by Weather Ball. It then tried to use Snarl which was dodged by Roselia who struck it a couple times with Poison Sting before landing a strong uppercut that sent the dog back.

"Damn it. Houndour, take it out with Incinerate!" Houndour got up and shot a huge fireball, the attack colliding with Roselia's Weather Ball. As the blasts continued to clash, Leaf noticed Roselia starting to get weaker which made the flames started getting close to it. "Oh no."

"Take her down, Houndour!" Nolan yelled.

At his command, Houndour started howling, bursting into flames as the fires then hit Roselia, much to everyone's surprise. Leaf watched in horror as her Pokemon fell down to the ground, the girl starting to sweat before she heard her opponent. "Use Incinerate!"

Houndour's mouth went ablaze, it then fired a powerful blast, its Incinerate more powerful than before as it hit Roselia, the Grass type sent into a wall.

"Roselia!" Leaf yelled, running to the Pokemon as it tried to get up. "Are you ok?"

Roselia struggled to push itself off the ground, its arms shaking until it succumbed to its wounds, Nolan grinning as he saw the unconscious Pokemon. "Well, that resolves that."

Houndour howled into the air, glowing intensely as flames surround its body, Nolan watching the situation with surprise while Leaf clicked her tongue before she returns Roselia. Everyone have to watch as Houndour gets bigger, horns coming from its head and its tail getting longer until the fire dispersed, revealing Houndoom. Seeing the newly evolved Pokemon, Kim could only groan as she looked at the hell hound in front of them. "You got anything to fight that, Leaf?"

"I think."

"You evolved. You evolved!" Nolan said, a grin on his face as his Houndoom exhaled fire from its nostrils. Leaf checked her options, her team looking worse for wear which made her worried. She was about to use Zori until they noticed a bunch of guys gathered around the area. "What the?"

"What's happening? Nolan-" She was cut off when the place started to shake violently, making the two girls fall into a crater. The two looking ahead to see someone behind Nolan who put his arm around his neck. "The hell, bro? I had them."

"I know. We just need to make sure we have a little…insurance." Dread said, snapping his fingers which made one of the guys released a Weavile which snatched Leaf and Kim's Pokemon.

"What the hell?" The brunette said as she climbed out of the crater, as soon as she got out, she was introduced to a kick to the face by Dread. Holding her bruised nose, the girl watched as the man put the Pokemon in a bag as he gestured for the fight to continue. "And don't do anything stupid."

"What about that Red guy?"

"The Nurse Joy of that hospital put up a freaking barrier. None of us can get through it now. Talk about a killjoy. So, Nolan. If you lose to the girl, just know I can do anything I want, right?" Dread smirked at Nolan who crossed his arms and nodded. Hearing them, Leaf let out a sigh of relief when she heard that Red is safe before she turned to Kim who nodded at her. "Please kick his ass."

Leaf chuckled before she took out Red's jacket out of her bag, putting it on and zipping it up before she looked at her final Pokeball.

"Buneary."

The rabbit appears on the field, slightly winded and covered in scratches as she faces off against Houndoom who let out a burst of flames from its mouth. The rabbit quickly avoided its opponent's fire attacks, Leaf noticing its sluggish moves which made her have to change her approach.

"Thunder Punch to defend yourself!" Buneary's ears started crackling with electricity as it punches the ground and picks up a rock which shielded it from Houndoom's blasts. Seeing this, Nolan was getting annoyed as he made another command.

"Darn it! Thunder Fang!" Houndoom dashed towards the bunny, breaking through the rock only to see nothing. Seeing Nolan confused by this and taking advantage of the situation, Leaf smiling as she was about to make her attack.

"Look up!" Dread said, Nolan looking up to see Buneary dashing towards his Houndoom, the dog able to evade its attack. "Gotcha! Attack!"

Buneary was caught off guard when it was hit by a Snarl from Houndoom, making the Pokemon stumble. Regaining its balance, it then leaped into the air to dodge a fireball from its opponent before it hops forward and use Jump Kick but was stopped when it had to block a Snarl. Buneary immediately vanished, appearing behind it and about to land a kick but it retreated when it saw Houndoom use Smog.

"Jump Kick and Agility!" Leaf commanded, her Pokemon lunged towards Houndoom and unleashed a flurry of kicks on the dog then ending the assault with a Thunder Punch. As the Dark type got up, it came face to face with Buneary's Jump Kick only for the rabbit to get knocked aside by a Flamethrower, Leaf turning to see a Tyranitar beside Dread.

"The hell? That's cheating!" Leaf yelled angrily, Dread leaned on the wall with a smile. "Sorry, Spike gets a bit enthusiastic when it sees intense battles."

As the battle continues, Buneary started to get faster as Leaf adjusted to the interruption from Nolan's group. This helped her to put Nolan on the defensive, the blonde teen barely able to keep up with Buneary's speed as it relentlessly attacked the canine.

'This shouldn't be like this. Houndoom should be tearing that Pokemon apart. It's too in sync with its trainer's commands.' Dread said as he watched the battle. As Buneary dodged a Smog and was about to land a drop kick on Houndoom, the ground started shaking which destroyed the place and knocked Buneary off balance, Nolan smiling as he took the opportunity to attack the rabbit.

"Take Buneary down!" Houndoom dashed towards the Normal type, baring its fangs before the rabbit disappeared the moment Leaf snapped her fingers. After witnessing and seeing no sign of the Pokemon for a while, everyone looked around for the Pokmon as some of the gang members started voicing their thoughts.

"Did the Buneary just…vanish?"

"The hell did it go?"

"It probably just ran away!"

Leaf smiled as she adjusted her collar and snapped her fingers, Houndoom receiving a blow to the face that sent it straight into a wall. Nolan and the group could only watch as the Pokemon fell out of the wall, the blonde looking in disbelief as the Pokemon could barely get up. Leaf and Kim watched the Pokemon about to fall until the place was obscured in a cloud of smoke, the smog causing both girls to cough and wheeze.

"Should've expected this!" Leaf yelled, her Buneary barely able to get up as some of the guys sent out their Pokemon to attack the bunny.

"Sorry girls. But can't have you beating Nolan and ruining our street cred? Your friend did that already." Dread said before the men attacked her Pokemon, Buneary holding its own as it hit Weavile with a Jump Kick then dodged an attack from a Machoke before it countered with a Thunder Punch. Leaping again into the air, the rabbit could not get the chance to continue when it was grabbed by a Rhydon who slammed it into the ground then smacked it across the place with its tail.

"Buneary!" Leaf said before she had to dodge Tyranitar's Flamethrower, Kim immediately released her Mawile and made it intervene by unleashing a pink tornado that trapped the gang.

"Nice job, Mawile! Give Buneary some assistance." Kim said as the Pokemon rammed into Rhydon with Iron Head which gave Buneary the chance to land an uppercut on an incoming Weavile. Both Pokemon fought off against the horde of Pokemon for a while until Buneary and Mawile able to knock them back with a combination attack of Iron Head and Thunder Punch that enveloped the place in a flash of light. "Nice!"

Taking advantage of the situation, Leaf dashed towards Dread, about to punch the man but was stopped when she received a smack to the face. Recovering quickly, the girl immediately rolled over and pulled out a baton that she used to hit her attacker in his face before she sprinted towards Dread.

"Stop now!" Dread said as he pulled out a gun, pointing it at Leaf as he fired the weapon, the bullet grazing the brunette but she continued. The man tried to fire a few more which missed as he and Leaf had a faceoff, the girl taking out her other baton and was successfully able to knock his gun out of his hand.

"Shit!" He cursed as he had to defend him from a kick from the girl, the man completely overwhelmed by her fighting prowess. He tried to throw a punch but it was dodged before he received multiple blows to the stomach by the batons before Leaf punched him in the face.

'The bitch knows how to fight. Seriously, what is with these headaches?' Dread then braced himself and tackled Leaf into a wall, able to land a few punched but it came to naught when he was introduced to a kick to the crotch that incapacitate him before the girl mercilessly hit him with a barrage of strikes. Before Leaf could continue her assault, a gunshot barely missed her before she turned to Nolan who was holding a gun. "Leaf. You know what to do."

Leaf simply stayed quiet, blocking a blade aimed at her from Dread, Nolan about to shoot before a strong gust of wind hit him, a blast knocking the weapon from his hand. The blonde started to get angry when he saw Kim waving at him with her Mothim on her head before he started to charge towards Leaf. "You fucking bitch! All you should do is nod, you bitch!"

Nolan was able to punch Leaf, the girl using the momentum to twist the knife out of Dread's grip before she lands a kick on Nolan, knocking him into Dread. "I'm sorry, Nolan but no. I don't like you and you can't force me to like you."

She then lands another kick which sent the two men to the ground, the girl dashing forward until she noticed Tyranitar charging towards her. Leaf immediately have to move out of the way before she realized that Tyranitar is not far behind as it prepared to use another attack.

"Spike, crush them!" Dread said with a tone of anger, his Tyranitar approaching the girls with its mouth set ablaze as it lunged towards them.

"Close Combat!"

The stone titan was interrupted when he received multiple blows to the chest, the last strike being an uppercut that sent it into the air. The man saw his Pokemon fall to the floor, about to get his gun only for it to be crushed under a foot, the man seeing a Scrafty in front of him. The man gritted his teeth until he noticed a group of people with leather jackets that has a Dragonite's face on it but what made him more worried was the messy brown-haired man standing in front of them. "Still stealing other people's shit, Dread? Cough up the items."

"Damn it! Nolan, ditch the girls. We need to go!" Dread said as he quickly got up and ran away as he commanded for his group to leave.

"Get back here with our Pokemon! Buneary!" Leaf shouted before she and Kim chased the group. Seeing the girls coming in pursuit of them, Dread was about to attack until his group saw Tyranitar in the air, running out of the way before it crashed on the ground.

"Spike was knocked out?! Shit! Fall back, everyone!" He said, returning his Pokemon before he ran away after barely avoiding a blast from one of his enemies. As the group were running away, Buneary immediately dashed forward in a burst of speed allowing it to catch up to Dread and his gang. As they continued on their chase, one of the goons sent out a Ninjask that clashed with the bunny before Mawile hit it to the ground with an Iron Head. Getting up, the bug started glowing then unleashed a barrage of wind blades towards the girls.

"Seriously?! Air Slash?!" Leaf said as she and Kim had to take shelter from the attack, one of the guys in the Dragonite leather jacket sent out a Cloyster who used Protect to shield them against the attack. During this, Kim nodded at Mawile who jumped towards the bug, Ninjask directed the attack towards the Steel type who endured the assault, hitting it with an Iron Head that sent it into the sky. "Nice one, Mawile!"

"Alright, let's go!" Leaf said as they continued chasing them, the girl seeing a gang fight happening between Dread's group and the guys with the Dragonite's jackets. A goon's Weavile lunged towards them, about to attack them until Buneary defeated it with a Jump Kick before bouncing off it and dashed to them with Agility. Seeing Buneary on their tail, Nolan commanded his Houndoom to use Flamethrower that Buneary dodged by doing a flip over the attack.

"Try again and hit it!" Angling its blast and trying to hit the bunny, the canine was rewarded with failure as the Normal type's flexibly move around and avoided its blast before it shut the hound's mouth with a kick.

"Damn it!" Nolan said as they went into an empty street. Before they could do anything else, Scrafty fell in front of them, its arms glowing and transforming into claws as it approached them.

"Charizard, attack him with Air Slash!" Dread said as he released his Charizard whose wings immediately started glowing as it flew towards Scrafty, the two clashing with each other until the Fire type flew up then unleashing a barrage that Scrafty knocked away by using its claws. Taking up to the sky and about to fire a blast, the Fire type received a punch to the face from Scrafty before a kick that slammed it to the floor, Buneary falling on its head.

"Damn it!" Dread looked around, clicking his tongue when Charizard pushed Buneary off it, his gang being attacked as an intense battle took place before he went faced off against the brown-haired person. "C'mon, Dread. Just give me the bag and leave."

"Over my dead body, Havoc!" Dread said as his Charizard roared beside him, the lizard lunging towards Havoc only to receive a punch to the face by Scrafty before it then flipped the dragon to the ground. The Fire type tried to get up and use Flamethrower but it was stopped when it received a kick to the gut before it got pummeled by its Fighting type opponent, ending the assault with a Throat Chop. As they continued their fight, their gangs fighting each other, the street receiving some damage from the explosions from the battle.

"Houndoom, Flamethrower again!" Nolan commanded his Houndoom which was about to use the attack but was stopped by Buneary who unleashed a barrage of kicks on the Dark type, making it stumble as it tried to use another Flamethrower. Seeing a Machoke running to it, the bunny dodged its attack before Mawile slammed the Fighting type to the ground along with Houndoom, the two Pokemon braced themselves with their backs against each other. During this, their trainers had to hold their own as Leaf took down a few of the gang members with her batons, receiving a punch to the face before she grabbed the person, stun him with a tazer and then threw him into two other goons.

Meanwhile, Kim used a pepper spray on one of the hooded members who was about to attack Leaf before she tackled him into one of the Pokemon fighting which knocked him out.

"Mawile, let's shave down the baddies with Fairy Wind!" She said, her Mawile spinning itself around which created a huge pink tornado which took down multiple of the Dread's gang members, the Steel type immediately stopping to avoid an Air Slash from Ninjask who was unable to continue until it got hit by a Thunder Punch from Buneary. The two then clashed blows as Buneary's Thunder Punch collides with Ninjask's Fury Cutter, Leaf landing a kick to one of the goons' temple before making a command. "Double Hit! Rev up the speed!"

The rabbit did as its told, launching a barrage of strikes before it sends the bug into a wall with a kick before it got knocked down by a Charmeleon and Machoke as it tries to hold its own against the gang of Pokemon, much to Leaf's dismay.

"Buneary, just hold on. You can do this! Fight on!"

Hearing its trainer's words, Buneary started glowing as it struggled to push back its attackers. As it successfully threw off its foes, Buneary started to let out an intense glow, surprising everyone in the area. The rabbit got bigger, its ears getting longer and its limbs getting longer until the light dimmed, the Pokemon letting out a loud shriek as it prepared itself for battle.

"Lopunny, you evolved! Awesome!" Leaf said excitedly, kicking a man in his crotch before she runs up to the Pokemon. She patted the Pokemon on its head which made its ears shake. "Alright, let's show them your strength."

Lopunny then pushed Leaf out of the way, blocking an attack from both Machoke and Charmeleon with its ears before it punched Machoke in the gut with one of its ears that made it faint then land a kick that sent Charmeleon across the street, hitting multiple gang members in the process.

"Woah, she's so strong now!" Leaf said before she saw Charizard falling to the ground. "Give up, Dread. Your gang isn't supposed to be around here. This is the Draconite gang's territory."

"Fuck. You. Caught me off guard."

Seeing the situation, Nolan made his Houndoom released a powerful Flamethrower that burnt several of the enemies he's fighting until the flames were doused by an Aqua Tail from a Gyarados before Lopunny defeated it with a Jump Kick.

"Charizard, Hyper Beam!" Dread said after looking at the situation, Charizard immediately took flight as it charged a huge orange orb, Leaf and the others watching the Fire type went further and further into the air as the sphere grew in size.

"We need to get out of here." Kim said as Dread's group ran away from them. Leaf, on the other hand, did not wait as she tried to dash towards Dread. As the orange lizard shot the blast, a Cloyster went into the air and blocks the blast with Protect, everyone watching as some of the blast started to disperse into multiple balls of lights that descended towards the group.

"Everyone, run!" Havoc said as they all ran away, the balls exploding upon reaching the ground. Leaf and Kim had to hide behind a wall, barely avoiding one that exploded near them, taking out the man who was trying to chase them. Nolan was unfortunate as he got hit by one of the spheres that knocked him out, Dread gritting his teeth as he noticed that Charizard is starting to reach its limit.

After Charizard stopped using Hyper Beam, Cloyster immediately made its move by hitting it with an Icicle Crash that knocked Charizard to the ground.

"Get up, Charizard!" Dread shouted, his Pokemon struggling to get up as it started panting on the ground. Leaf did not waste any time when she nodded at Lopunny who dashed forward and leaped into the air the moment she made her command. "Lopunny, Jump Kick!"

"Mawile, Iron Head!"

"Scales, help 'em with a Dragon Claw!"

Lopunny immediately positioned itself with its foot outstretched, Mawile following by running forward, its head turning into steel while Scrafty dash forward with its hands glowing. As Charizard got up, it was not able to fight back as it received the attack, knocking it out unconscious. Dread could not get the chance to escape when Lopunny appeared in front of him and snatched the stolen bag of Pokemon that he had before kicking him in the chest.

"Fuck! Shit!" Dread said, clutching his chest and coughing out blood. "God damn it! You fucking bitch!"

Before he could say anything, he received another kick from Leaf who stepped on his head. "That was for what you did to Red. And this is for Kim-"

Leaf could not get to punch him when the moment she blinked, he was gone which confused her before she starts looking around. "Where-"

"Up there!" One of the Draconite members said as they all looked up, seeing a hooded man riding a Metagross. Havoc started sweated as he commanded his Scrafty to use Throat Chop only for it to get repelled by a shield that knocked it to the floor.

"You made a mess here, Dread" The person said in a deep voice before he snapped his finger, a Hypno appeared in front of him, grabbing the group members and teleported them within the blink of an eye. He then glances at Leaf who is taking her Pokeballs out from the bag along with Kim.

"Havoc. A message to your boss. Let him know that I want to have a talk with him soon. I'll let him know of the date." The man said before he left, Havoc frowned before he and his group starts leaving. "Hey, are you two ok?"

"Yeah. It was annoying. Nolan ruined my favorite blouse." Leaf said as she looked at her blouse underneath Red's short sleeved jacket, letting out a sigh.

"I hated it. I just wanted to sleep." Kimberley whined as she leaned back on the bench, Havoc laughing until before one of his men gave him a couple of drinks, the guy throwing two to the girls. "Well, it's over. Take your beauty nap and get the hell out. Their gang has been getting hostile lately since Team Rocket left. They think this whole city is their turf. Also, be careful of that guy Dread. The dude holds grudges. Whatever this Red dude did, he better be careful because he has a target on his back."

"Don't worry. He's gonna be fine." Leaf said with her hands on her hips. Havoc took the bag from them and checked the Pokeballs in their before he and his gang took back their stolen Pokemon, some of them happy to be reunited with their Pokemon again.

"Yeah. The guy is stubborn if that's a good thing. Also, he has Leaf here." Kim said while folding her arms, getting a small blush from Leaf and a laugh from Havoc before he thanks them.

"Thank you guys. You really helped us. I don't know how I would feel if they took my Bubbles." He said, an Azurill that appeared on top of his head who waved at the girls with its tail. Havoc then left, his gang following him which the two girls saw until Leaf asked a question that came to her head. "So, who are you guys?"

Upon hearing her question, he smiled before he turned to them. "What else? We're just rejects."

After they left, Leaf and Kim went to the Pokemon Center to heal their Pokemon, the brunette unusually quiet as she looked through her TM bag which did not go unnoticed by her blue haired friend. "You thinking about those guys, huh?"

"Yeah. Now I can understand why Red wants fighting lessons. Those guys are no pushovers." Leaf said but she smiled when she saw her Lopunny coming to her, hugging it as she is happy that it has evolved. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Let's go eat some food. I'm hungry."

Another chapter finished. Apologies for being late with this but I hope you enjoy the chapter and let me know of your thoughts on the chapter. Hope you guys are ok. Enigma out!