"Goodbye!" Everyone from Lavender Town said to Red and Leaf who were leaving the town with smiles on their faces. Smirking, Rina gave Leaf a box which made Red raise a brow before Mr. Fuji tapped him on his shoulder. "I wish the best for you two. I pray that wonderful things happen on your journey.

"Thank you, guys! See you soon!" Leaf exclaimed while Red gave everyone a hug, some of them like Nurse Joy showering him with kisses before they look at Leaf. "Please take care of our little scarlet please!"

"No worries, he's in good hands." She reassured them, intertwining her arms with him which gained a few whistles, much to Red's embarrassment. As they both left the city, they immediately are introduced to the nature of Route 8, the two of them exploring the route.

"What was that about with Rina?" Red asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. Leaf looked at him with a smirk then winked. "It's a secret."

Despite this, her Buneary jumped off her shoulder to his, whispering to his ear. 'She was working on her battling skills. She wanted to 'wow' you with them or something. I don't know about the box though.'

"Hmm, I see. Don't know why you'd want to keep it a secret but ok." Red thought aloud, getting a shrug from the bunny which made the brunette noticed what they're talking about, able to connect the dots when they both glanced at her.

"Buneary!" She glared at the bunny who looked away innocently, sighing at the rabbit Pokemon. They both continued through the route until the brunette notice something within the trees. Red heard noises before he readied his slingshot, about to shoot until he saw the creature which made him stop. Before him was a Ralts who waved at him, the sight made him look at it in confusion. 'That's odd.'

"Oh my goodness! It's a Ralts!" He heard Leaf's squeal before he noticed her running towards the small fairy with a Pokeball in her hand. "You are gonna be a powerful asset on my team!"

"Wait, Leaf. You need to be careful of Ralts!" He shouted, taking out his Pokedex as they both continued to chase the Pokemon. "There's something about you need to know before going to catch it! Their sensory abilities are very good!"

"Ow! Ouch! Damn it!" Leaf's shouts of pain echoed through the forest followed by a thud sound which caused a group of Pidgey to fly into the sky out of panic. Groaning and rubbing her back, the girl realized that she is in a hole, looking up to see Red looking down on her. "Leaf! You ok down there?"

"Yeah, sweetie. I'm fine...that hurts..." She said before two strings of silk attached to her arms then slowly take her out of the hole. Once out, she patted Beedrill before it latched onto Red's back. "Man, I almost got it too. Now the whole route is in my hair. At least my dress isn't ruined."

Red quickly helped her with her hair, removing some branches and a bunch of berries from her hair which made him have to hold in his laughter. "I-instead of chasing the Pokemon like a madwoman, why not try a different way of catching it? You'll be able to deal with its Teleport. And at least you won't look like that one cartoon with the Mightyena chasing the Doduo."

"Haha, real funny. Never took you for a Poketoons watcher." Leaf pouted with her arms crossed while she waited for him to finish cleaning her hair. "Well, it's one of my favorite shows and...wait, i-is that a Joltik?"

Hearing him snickering silently, Leaf's hands balled into fists until he was finished with her hair. "One of these days, Red...Damn, at least my dress is ok."

"That reminds me. Why did you think that a sundress would be a good clothing choice to hunt Pokemon?" Red asked with a hand to his chin as he inspected her clothes. She was dressed in a blue and white sundress that went past her knees with a red ribbon on the chest, a red hat and her signature pair of white boots.

"Oh! So you like my dress? You like how it hugs my body?" She smirked, twirling around before she showed her outfit to him, casting him a seductive leer. Red just looked to the side with a conflicted face. "I-it looks good on you."

"You're not looking at me, sweetie."

"I already saw."

"Even the huge bow at the back."

"What bo-" Red turned to Leaf who quickly grabbed his face and touched noses with him, giggling at his reaction. "You make it too easy, Red."

Red started mumbling angrily while he took up a container and marched ahead, Leaf recognizing the item he held in his hands. She then looked at the container, seeing Vulpix sitting atop it with a smile on its face. "I can't believe Mr. Fuji gave you an egg."

"He let you keep Zori." Red said, the Pokemon in question popping out of his bag before hopping on her shoulder beside Buneary. "Touche."

The two teenagers continued wandering the route, battling a few trainer along the way, Red taking losses in some while training his Poli and Leaf experiencing the same but with Misdreavus being disobedient. The two of them then took a break, sitting down by some fences, the girl angrily eating a sandwich.

"Damn it! The hell's your problem?" The brunette yelled in frustration at Misdreavus who mocked her and stuck its tongue out at her which made her angrier.

"Well, Ghost Pokemon are a bit more trickier to deal with than normal Pokemon. Also, she said because screw you that's why." Red answered, the Ghost type purred with fluttering eyelashes before descending into Red's shadow while giggling at the girl. "I wouldn't mind screwing you, Red. But that still ticks me off. I don't usually have issues with my Pokemon. Well, good thing I took out that Nightmare move it had."

"Is that why you wanted the Icy Wind TM we got from Lorelei? Also, why didn't you teach her Ice Beam instead?"

"Oh, I tried. It didn't listen. I'm just glad it didn't take much for it to learn Icy Wind since it's like Round."

"Huh? Explains why you were training so hard. I wouldn't worry though. You'll both warm up to each other in time." The raven teen said with a smile, making his companion heart skip a beat. 'Slight resistance but his cuteness is still strong.'

"Oh really? Since you're so good with understanding Pokemon. How about giving me some pointers?" Leaf asked, sitting on Red's lap with her arms wrapped around his neck. She was about to get closer until Misdreavus came out of his face, scaring Leaf and making her jump a few feet away. "Seriously, why?! We're having a moment there!"

"Well...like I said, tricky to deal with. Same with Psychic Pokemon. Give me a sec..." Red took out a book, looking through the pages until he found something. "Ah! Hear it is. They hold grudges a lot more than other Pokemon. Apart from dragons, dealing with them will take some time."

"Then explain you and Dusclops!" Leaf yelled, the Pokemon in question popping from his shadow with what the teen notice to be a raised brow. 'My word. I am quite shocked at her accusation of our kind and at a gentleman such as myself. If I must say, it is not all of us that acts so negatively towards humankind.'

'I swear I need to get a dictionary.' Red thought while giving a shrug, the result being him getting shaken by Leaf before she finished munching her sandwich, kicking a tree which caused noticeable damage to the tree, much to her friend's surprise. 'And a constant reminder to never get on her bad side.'

"Ahh, lookie. A punching bag. Juuuust what I needed." Red was knocked out of his stupor when he saw the an ominous aura around the brunette as she made her way to a bunch trainers that seem to be in a line, the girl taking out Buneary and Roselia. Red simply watched from afar along with Zori and Vulpix as she starts beating the trainers senselessly, taking out the last one's Weezing with an Aqua Tail from Wartortle before it could explode. He watched the carnage as a biker went into a battle with her before noticing a litter of Growlithe and an Arcanine in the tall grass, waving at them with a peaceful expression which confused them.

'D-did that trainer just waved at me and my kids? And he's not afraid?!' The Legendary Pokemon asked in disbelief, rubbing its eyes but seeing the teen still waving. Another Arcanine came into view, raising a brow at the baffled looks of everyone before turning to see Red. 'Honey, why is that trainer just waving at us like that and not fearing for his life? Is he ok?'

'I…I don't even know anymore...'

After a few battles, Leaf laughed in a victory pose, walking back from a mountain pile of fainted Pokemon with a serene smile on her face which made Red quickly type up that reminder on his Pokegear.

"Feel better now?" He questioned before administering Potions to her Pokemon while she pushed her hair aside in an elegant manner. "I feel wonderful. Now it's your turn."

"What?" He said with a raised brow.

"You had some losses today too. And Poli's demotivated because of them soooo it's time to even it out. Get your Pokemon ready because we're going to snag some wins!" Leaf said, Poli hiding in his trainer's bag and Vulpix jumping in excitement. Red looked at the tadpole in a pensive mood before Leaf sat back on his lap, took his water and drank some without a single care.

"What about the Ralts?"

"It should still be on this route so I'll bound to run into it again. Now get ready, sweetie." She proclaimed before she dragged him from the floor and down the route, their Pokemon frantically following the duo. After travelling for a while, Leaf was able to get some trainers to fight Red, the teen able to win with Vulpix and Clefairy. When he went off against a Bird Keeper, he decided to use Poli who seemed worried when facing off against a Pidgeotto.

"Pidgeotto, Air Slash!" The trainer commanded, his Pokemon shooting a wind slash towards its foe.

"Poli, now inhale and use charge Ice Beam!" Seeing the attack travelling towards it, the tadpole's mouth started glowing as it slowly back stepped.

"Now Bubblebeam!" He quickly obeyed, letting out a barrage of frozen bubbles which clashed with the Air Slash, weakening the attack until it reached the tadpole in the form of a gentle breeze. The Water type then lunged forward, using Bubblebeam and Ice Beam to slide and dodge the bird's attacks before Red commanded it to look at the ground which confused the Bird keeper. "Dude, are you trying to lose? Alright, Pidgeotto. He's wide open. Take Down!"

Readying itself and descending towards the blue tadpole, Pidgeotto started accelerating towards Red's Pokemon unaware of the smirk on the teen's face. The moment that it was just a feet away, neither it nor anyone was expecting Red's next move. "Propel yourself in the air with Bubblebeam!"

"Wait, what?!" Everyone shouted in surprise before Poli shot the attack which helped him ascend to the sky. Unable to stop, Pigeotto fell prey to the attacks before its foe used Ice Beam, freezing the bubbles which made them fall unto the Flying type, battering it until it fell to the ground.

"Damn it! Pidgeotto get up and use Roost!" Seeing the Pokemon about to glow, Red thought quickly, making Poli use Hypnosis which put the bird to sleep. Taking opportunity of the situation, the teen allowed his Poliwag to unleash a barrage of attacks to knock out the Flying type which the tadpole did not notice as it carefully watched its opponent.

'I did it.' He said, noticing Pidgeotto not moving and the referee announcing his victory which made it smile as it hopped around. 'I did it! I did it!'

"Hell yeah! Time to take some more wins. Look! There are some couples over there…" She said, pointing further down the route, a smirk coming on her face before she entangled her fingers around his then drag him along with her as she started giggling.

"What do you mean we can't go to Saffron?!" A woman yelled, the entirety of the Pokemon in the route jumping in surprise. After defeating the trainers of the route, the duo was surprised that the walk to Saffron City was shorter than expected when they came across the Saffron City gate. They were taken by surprise when they heard the guard explain to the woman that the gates are closed unless you have a pass. "Seriously, that's it. What are the police force of Saffron city is doing?"

"I-I'm sorry, ma'am. bu-" The guard tried to apologize, a bit taken by a woman's outburst.

I don't need your apologies. You made me waste so much time to get here just for me to turn back again." The woman said with her arms crossed her arms.

"I-I know but due to the recent Rocket events, they decided to beef up security. Apart from that, they said you need a Saffron pass to get through. Apart from that, for Pokemon trainers, anyone with four badges or higher can enter." The guard cleared his throat nervously which made the woman angrier. Hearing that, Leaf leaned on the wall along with Red, checking her Pokegear. "So that leaves Celadon City which we can go to through the Underground Tunnel. For now, let's a break."

Red agreed with her plan until he heard the guard sighing, walking to the man with a bottle of iced tea which the man happily took.

"Oh! Thanks, kid. I was parched." The guard said while enjoying the tea, letting out a satisfied sigh. Putting his egg on the counter and eating a chocolate bar while he watched Vulpix and Zorua playing with each other, Red decided to speak. "Did...did anything happen...before Saffron closed, sir?"

'Man. Leaf makes this conversation thing with strangers easier than expected.' He thought until he heard the guard let out a breath before taking another sip. "Between me and you, kid. Not sure why the city is being this heavily guarded. All I know is that Silph Co. pushed for this to happen so talk with them if you have any complaints."

"Oh…Silph Co..." Red thought, his chin on his hand before thanking the guard. After half an hour passed, they got out of the gateway, going towards the Underground Path. Once they traversed the tunnel, they came across a bar, seeing teenagers crowding the place, dancing and partying around the place and enjoying themselves while the three trainers look at everything with differing expressions.

"What on earth?" Red and Leaf whispered their amazement as they observed the place, their Pokemon sharing their surprise. Before they could continue, they heard a familiar voice which made the brunette perk up. "Welcome to the Underground Corner. A place for misunderstood teens."

They both turn to see Kimberley who was walking to them with her hands on her hips, Leaf tackling the girl into a hug. As they made up and conversed, Red looked around the place, wonder filling his eyes. "It's surprising how much Kanto has changed since I last checked the region."

'Hmm, I do like how they did the place. Purple and yellow...nice combination.' Meowth said while viewing the place, coming out of its capsule. They then walked through the place, Red observed before he quickly checked his peripheral vision, not seeing anything which confused his Pokemon.

'What's up?' Meowth yawned, her trainer turning around and joining Leaf and Kim.

"I dunno. Thought I felt something." As they continued their way through the bar, the trio was about to take their leave, Kim deciding to tag along until a voice resonated through the air which upon hearing it made Leaf and Kim sigh in exasperation. "Look who the Meowth dragged in!"

In front of them stood Jessica with her group behind her snickering at the trio. At the sight of them, Leaf crossed her arms, muttering. "If things could not get any worse. This bitch…"

"So what are you doing soiling this place with your shitty presence?" Jessica sneered at the brunette, pushing her hair to the side.

"What are you doing soiling it with your shitty makeup?" Leaf rebutted, gaining her a round of 'oohs' and a glare from her pink haired nemesis. The two then started to argue, everyone cheering on and instigating the conflict. Jessica was about to slap but Leaf dodged it and move out of the way, walking past her. "As much as I want to inform you of how much of a bitch you are, I have a gym badge to get so I'm out."

Red and Kim was about to follow her until one of Jessica's cronies, Mike, tried to punch Red who barely dodged the strike which connected to the wall, causing his attacker to yell in pain. Mike then attacked again, making Red back away as he and the rest of the pink haired girl's group blocked their way to the exit.

"Jessica, just leave me alone! Whatever issue you have with me, don't drag my friends into it." Leaf said, cracking her knuckles. Jessica walked forward with her nose held high as Leaf's hands balled into fists, a serious expression on her face. "What? You giving me a clear shot to punch you into the ceiling?"

"Bitch, touch me and I'll kick your ass." The pink haired girl sneered, more people starting to surround them.

"Good luck with that. The most you have done to damage is your insults."

Seeing the two glare at each other, the crowd watched in excitement as they started to chant. "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Hearing the people, a smirk came on her face until she had an idea. ""How about this? Let's battle. A three on three battle, round based. No subs. If you win, you can go to Celadon City but if I win, turn back and fuck off with the rest of the trash that's with you."

Leaf perked up, nodding. "You're on."

"Go crazy, girls!" The referee said in a cool voice before he slammed his soda to the floor to signal the start of the match, everyone cheering loudly. At the sound of the impact, both girls got ready, Leaf readying her Pokeball. "Buneary! On guard!"

"Hmm, a runt, just like her trainer." Jessica smirked, getting a reaction from the ground before readying her capsule while pushing back her hair. "Bonnie, let's crush them!"

As the ball went into the air and the bright flashed onto the field, Leaf's eyes widened in surprise when she saw a bigger brown rabbit appear on the field, its fluffy ears nearly the same size as the Pokemon.

"Woah, it evolved!?" Before her was Bonnie who is now a Lopunny looking down at Buneary with a teasing smirk on its face.

'This is going to be difficult.' Red thought as he saw both combatants readying themselves, their trainers glaring at each other before Jessica made the first move. "Sky Uppercut!"

Neither Leaf nor Buneary were prepared when Lopunny sprinted towards the Pokemon, its astonishing speed catching it off guard before the devastating strike connected to it and launched it into the air, making it almost hit the ceiling. Quickly recovering with a flip, the Normal type then lunged towards its evolved form, attacking with Double Hit which was blocked by Bonnie before it spun and smacked Buneary with one of its ears. Thinking out of panic, Leaf made her Pokemon brace for the ground, using its ears to cushion the fall then push itself back towards its foe, this time using Jump Kick.

"My my, Weed. This is sad. Bonnie, dear. Dodge please." Jessica said in a bored tone, her Pokemon quickly sidestepping, the kick grazing it before Buneary landed on its ears, rolled on the ground then hop back up, much to everyone's surprise.

"S-shouldn't it be hurt? I thought Jump Kick caused recoil?" One of the people in the crowd said, Red also confused along with the others before they heard Jessica's shriek. "What the hell did you do? Your Pokemon should be on the ground holding its foot in pain! That's the whole reason I didn't let Bonnie learn the move!"

Red looked at Leaf who had a smile on her face and then smirked. 'So she used its ears to cushion the knockback of the attack, resulting in little to no damage when Buneary misses the attack. Nice.'

Meanwhile in the fight, a clash occurred between both Pokemon, Lopunny able to push back Buneary's Double Hit by using Return with one ear before it used its other ear and send the pre-evolution onto the ground.

"You ok, Buneary?" Leaf asked, getting a nod from her Pokemon before turning at her opponent, clicking her tongue and racking her brain for ideas. 'Lopunny's way too strong to deal with, I can't even hit her. If I can't overpower her, how about speed?'

"Buneary, let's go with Agility." Leaf whispered, the Pokemon obeyed before it started moving around until it lunged towards its opponent, its newfound surprising Jessica and everyone else as the fight continues. "Quickly block the move."

Leaf smiled as her Buneary was just seconds away from Lopunny, about to use its move. 'Too late, you're do-'

A sound pierced through the air, everyone surprised by what happened including Leaf, who looked in disbelief as her Pokemon's attack was blocked by Bonnie who did not struggle against the move and was smirking after seeing her shock.

"What's wrong? Are you realizing how weak you are?" Jessica taunted before commanding her Pokemon to use Sky Uppercut, it grabbing unto its foe then readying itself and landing a devastating punch to the gut which made it hit the ceiling, causing a slight crack onto it, much to Leaf's concern. "Buneary!"

The moment Buneary was about to fall into Lopunny next attack, the brunette thought quickly and made her Pokemon use Double Hit to move out of the way. Before Jessica could make her move, the little bunny immediately disappears, surprising everyone.

"What the? Where did it g-"

"Thunder Punch." Leaf said and within a second, Bonnie received a strike to the gut causing it to step back. Before the Pokemon could recover, Buneary continued its assault, unleashing multiple punches to its opponent's stomach before it bounced off its ear to dodge a Return and then ricocheting off the floor to land a Jump Kick to Lopunny's face which caused everyone to cheer louder.

"Damn, what a hit!"

"I felt that one."

"Man, both chicks are at each other throats, bruh. This is intense."

As the battle continues on, Bonnie used Ice Beam, shooting the blasts from its hands which Buneary is avoiding while rushing forward until a wall of ice is created with the move, making it stop before it heard its trainer's voice. "Jump over it and use Jump Kick!"

Buneary obeyed, using the strength in its legs to leap over the wall and was about to use its move but was stopped when it came into contact with a Sky Uppercut, making it fall to the ground. Seeing Lopunny rushing towards it, the Pokemon got up and dodged a kick by rolling over and jumping back up before it started avoiding its opponent's strikes, awaiting its trainer order.

"Agility again! Don't let up, Buneary!" Leaf shouted, her Pokemon hopped and then started to run around Lopunny, pushing its speed to the limit as it started to turn into a blur. While it was using the move, Red noticed something as he felt some wind hitting his face then looked around to see that others were experiencing this, seeing that the speed the small rabbit was creating caused a mini tornado. "What the?"

"She's really going all out for this fight." Kim said, seeing some of the people having to hold onto their lighter Pokemon so that they won't be blown away from the wind. Jessica, as well, had to brace herself from the gust, gritting her teeth in frustration before she yells her next move. "Bonnie, Bounce now!"

"Go against and use Jump Kick, Buneary!"

Lopunny use Bounce, about to attack with its feet outstretched while Buneary launching itself towards Bonnie by flipping and directing its feet towards the evolved form, creating a collision. Everyone cheered for their favored side as both Pokemon push past their limits to win the clash until Jessica made Lopunny use Return with its ear, about to strike Buneary until the small bunny bounced off the attack then struck the back of its opponent's knee which knocked it off balance.

Watching Leaf and Buneary fight, Kim saw how the girl made another command, her Pokemon able to quickly dodge and land a hit before moving out of Lopunny's attacks. "Did she ever fight like this?"

This caught Red's attention as he turned to Kim. "Hmmm?"

"Leaf. She...she never fought like this before. She fought with Pokemon like it was turned based game. Even at the SS. Anne tournament, she was fighting differently from what I'm used to seeing her fight like. A normal person. What happened?"

Red understood what she mean, in her fight against Brock, she fought like a rookie. She was powerful so she was able to get away with it however things changed when she went against Misty. Fighting an opponent who is not only strong but uses that strength in ways that no one would think of. He saw Leaf as she trained day and night to hone her skills at Cerulean Cape. Thinking about these events in his head and remembering all the struggles and problems that she had to deal with, only one came to his head as he answered. "It's experience."

Kim turn to him in surprise before she looked back to the match. "Misty messed her up that much?"

"Even without Misty, she would learn that lesson herself. Power is one of the ways to win a fight..." He turned to the battlefield as Buneary was able to land an uppercut on Lopunny. "...but it's not a set solution."

"Damn it! Bonnie, c'mon! Use Ice Beam!" Jessica yelled, her Lopunny shot another beam of ice, its foe dodging the blasts by flipping around the field and bouncing off the wall, much to the excitement of the crowd. When Bonnie shot another icy laser, Leaf used this chance, making her Pokemon jump over the attack before it spun around the ice sculptures and hit it in the gut with a Thunder Punch, landing out a flurry of strikes thanks to its newfound speed, finishing it with an uppercut. Trying to retaliate, Lopunny was barely able to see its opponent until it got hit with a Jump Kick, its opponent bouncing around the place and trying its best to continue its assault.

"Wow, Buneary is super fast!" Kim said with a whistle, witnessing Lopunny receiving another strike from Buneary before the small bunny skid across the floor and bounced back to land another Thunder Punch, Red recognizing something. "But…isn't she going too fast?"

Upon saying that, Lopunny started to brace itself, observing its opponent's movements before it endured another hit, this time slightly being able to predict it.

"Alright, let's end it! Buneary, Jump Kick!" Leaf said with a smile, her Buneary preparing itself as everyone watched in anticipation as it lunged towards Lopunny, its feet outstretched as it was going towards it like a bullet. Within a moment, it was able to dodge the last attack, catching everyone off guard as their mouth fell in awe. Unable to stop because of its speed, Buneary crashed into the ground, being hurt by the move as it clutched its leg.

"Wow! Like trainer, like Pokemon. Pathetic in the end." Jessica laugh loudly while Leaf called her Pokemon to get up as it tried to do so only to see a foot stomp in front of it, Lopunny glaring at it with a smirk on its face. "Bonnie, be a dear and finish it with Return!"

Before Leaf could do anything, Bonnie quickly lashed out, slamming its foot to the ground which made the Normal type bounced to its eye level before it pummeled the pre-evolution, ending the attack with a swift strike to the face which knocked back Buneary to Leaf's direction, much to her horror when she saw the bruises on it. "You…didn't need to go this far."

"I know. I just wanted to give a message. A message to anyone that pisses me off." Jessica said, a hand on her hip as she watched gleefully as her nemesis picked up her Pokemon. Returning Buneary and congratulating her for a good job despite her loss, Leaf heard everyone in the area calling her weak and berating her, making her clenching his fists and taking a deep breath before glaring at Jessica who had a teasing smile. "You're showing your true colors right now, Weed. You're not gonna cry, are you? Like the frail bitch you are!"

The brunette started laughing before she put back Buneary's Pokeball. "I hope you won't when the tables are turned."

"Hah! We'll see about that. Let's shock them to the ground, Flaaffy!" The pink haired girl sent out a pink sheep who let out a cry, electricity crackling through its white wool. Leaf then readied her capsule which made Red worried when he noticed the type of capsule that she had. "Is she really going for her now? Any option would be better than her if she wants to win."

She then sent out Misdreavus who immediately looked at her with a raised eyebrow before rushing towards Red, snuggling him and going to his shadow which gain a round of laughter from the crowd. "C'mon, we don't need this right now."

However despite her shouts, Misdreavus ignored her, having fun in Red's shadow which made some of the people back away from the teen while others look at the scene in curiosity. Looking around, he started to feel a bit embarrassed before he whispered to the Ghost type. "Hey, Misdreavus. How about this?"

He silently spoke to the Pokemon, everyone trying to wonder what he told it before it eagerly flew out onto the field immediately which surprised even Leaf. She then heard cheering from Kimberley, Red giving her a thumbs up which she reciprocated before she heard Jessica. "So you finally got your shit together, slut?"

"I know your plastic ass isn't talking, Ms. I took two hours just to make myself uglier!" She rebutted, the pink haired girl glaring at her before she opened her mouth. "Thunderbolt!"

"Psybeam!"

Both Pokemon shot their respective attacks, the beams cancelling out each other before Flaaffy quickly used Power Gem which was redirected by Misdreavus' Round, the orb hitting the Electric type. The battle continued as both combatants attacked each other and dodge the other's attack until their trainers yelled their next move.

"Confuse Ray!"

Both combatants used their move which collided into each other, causing a burst of light. After doing this, Flaaffy followed up with Thunderbolt which Misdreavus avoided before using Psybeam to counter another lightning bolt, creating a smoke cloud that obscured both trainers' sight. To everyone surprise, the pink sheep appeared right in front of Misdreavus, Leaf smiling before she made her next move. "Psybeam now!"

Misdreavus' eyes started glowing before it opened its mouth, a cold gust erupting from its mouth which dispersed the smoke and pushed back the Electric type. "Ok, at least it worked. Keep it going! And please listen to me!"

The Ghost type rolls its eyes before its move intensified, causing its opponent to slow down until Jessica commanded it to use Power Gem, it focusing two gem-like energy orbs before it released them towards Misdreavus destroying the first orb before dodging the second, Red noticing a smirk on Jessica's face. 'What is she smiling abou-oh no!'

Before Leaf or her Pokemon could notice, Flaaffy was in front of them again, this time able to use Thunderbolt which scored a direct hit that send it onto the floor, much to its opponent's glee. Laughing, Jessica looked at Leaf with a mocking stare before a smile crept on her face. "Didn't you say that you want to be a Champion, Weed. Sad! You're a sorry excuse of a trainer. Always thinking that everyone is below you. Why don't you try being a slut since you like being on top?"

"I never thought like that!"

"Huh? What? You think just because you have a cute face, you can go anywhere! You probably must've sucked your way to getting Brock and Surge's gym badges. That explains why you took so long to get Misty's. You had to try!"

Leaf's hands balled into fists as she started at Jessica with nothing but hatred in her eyes. "Don't you dare undermine my hard work!"

"What hard work? If you haven't noticed, you're the shithead with two Pokemon breathing through the floor. And man, that Misdreavus is weak! Didn't even last long!"

Hearing the insult, Red got angry until he sensed something, looking to Misdreavus to see it starting to glow as it floated, glaring at Jessica with a stare that could rip her in half if looks could kill. 'She's dead meat!'

Before the girl could do anything, it then rushed forward, its speed surprising everyone as it easily avoided its opponent's attacks then using Round which messed up the pink sheep's hearing until it used Thunderbolt out of panic that hit the floor and created a dust cloud. Once the electric type discharged its move, everyone was surprised when they did not see the ghost within the cloud.

"What the?"

"Where did it go?"

"Like, dude. Was it even there to begin with?"

Meanwhile Jessica was looking around frantically only to be caught off guard when Flaaffy got hit in the back which made her look at the direction of the attack but saw nothing before another blast hit the Electric type.

"C'mon, Flaaffy! Thunderbolt to protect yourself! Fight back!" The pink haired teenager tried to yell commands but was rewarded with nothing as her Pokemon use other attacks out of panic until it fell prey to Misdreavus' Confuse Ray which made it hurt itself, giving the phantom a chance to send him into the air with a Round before it falls into a Psybeam that knocked it unconscious. "Oh no! My beautiful Flaaffy!"

While Jessica picked up her Pokemon and cradled it, Leaf congratulated Misdreavus who simply turned away before diving straight for Red's shadow, earning a sigh from her. "Welp. All's well that ends well. And at least now the playing field's even."

Everyone was cheering while she noticed the pink haired teen glaring at her, contemplating her choices. 'She's probably gonna use her Wartortle.'

Leaf did the same, thinking about which Pokemon to choose next. 'Knowing Jessica, she may go Steenee to combat Wartortle.'

Both trainers glared at each other, fingers dangling against their capsules until they chose one, both throwing their Pokeballs at the same time.

"This is it, the final stretch." Red mumbled as he watched both capsules opened while speedily going towards each other.

"Go!" Both girls yelled, their Pokemon popping out of their Pokeballs and attacked each other, a collision sounding through the tunnel before retreating to each side of the field. When both Pokemon landed on the battleground, everyone was surprised when they saw a Swablu on Leaf's side and a Swanna on Jessica's side, much to the elation of the pink haired girl.

"Hah! Man, your Pokemon are pathetic. Swanna, Bubblebeam!"

"Dodge it, Swablu!"

Swanna shot out a Bubblebeam which Swablu avoided until it landed face first into Air Slash, knocking it to the ground. Trying to get up, Swablu was about to retaliate but was stopped when its opponent continued summoning air blades, the Pokemon having to resort to dodging until Leaf commanded it to use Mirror Move which clashed with one of the moves, giving it the opportunity to move away.

"Alright, fly up and use Hyper Voice!"

"Swanna, Air Slash!"

Swanna then shot a variety of air blades which were blown away by Swablu's Hyper Voice; the attack deflected back to the bigger Flying type, making it get bombarded by its own attack along with its opponent. The white swan tried to endure the attack and stay in place but came to naught when Swablu caught it by surprise, hitting it repeatedly with Peck. "Damn it! Featherdance, Swanna."

Able to smack away Swablu, Swanna's wings started glowing before it flapped them, unleashing a gust of feathers which obscured the blue bird's sight until it was shot by a blast which slammed it into the ground before it was bombarded by Bubblebeam. Upon Jessica's command, her Pokemon continued the move which made the blue bird cry in pain which made the crowd uncomfortable.

"You know you can stop, right?"

"Jessica, chill out. It's down for the count!"

"You're just torturing the poor thing."

"Swablu!" Leaf yell in horror while Jessica smiled and ordered her Pokemon to continue the assault. Hearing the literal cries of the Pokemon unlike everyone else, Red started to walk towards only to be stopped by Mike who was smirking. "Not a chance, wimp! You're gonna stay right there and watch your girlfriend's Pokemon get pounded."

"Move." Red breathed, the tone of his voice causing most of the Pokemon in the area that could hear him tremble and flinch. Mike simply hollered, grabbing the smaller teen by the collar and lift him up. "You think you can do anything? You got lucky at the SS. Anne but now I get to beat in your face!"

"I said move." He said a bit more serious, his eyes glaring at the brown haired which made him flinch as he stepped back then fell. He could not get up, his body only shaking as he watched Red treaded towards Jessica. Meanwhile, Brianna snuck close to the pink haired girl with an uneasy expression as she watched the girl's brutal assault. "H-hey, Jessica. Don't you think that's enough? I don't think it can get up after this."

"No! I'm not gonna stop until I see that bitch in tears." Jessica stated, snapping her fingers which made the attack stronger, much to Leaf's chagrin. "Jessica, stop!"

"That's it! I want you to understand how much of a trash trainer you are and trash deserves to be taken out! Swanna, change to Air Slash!"

As the attack changed, Swablu cries of pain got louder until it started using Hyper Voice, everyone realizing the attack being stronger and able to cancel all of its opponent's moves. Leaf was about to congratulate the Pokemon until she realized that it's critically injured, barely able to get up. Leaf clenched her fists, looking at Jessica, weighing her options. 'Damn it! I don't wanna lose to her but…Swablu…'

"Can you still battle?" She asked, getting a nod from Swablu before it slowly took flight. Jessica gritted her teeth before she commanded her Pokemon to do the same. As both birds ascended to the air, they both used their strongest attacks, Swanna's Air Slash clashing with Swablu's Hyper Voice, the moves creating an intense shockwave.

"Don't give in, Swablu!"

"Take her down, Swanna!"

The two Flying types continued, pushing their bodies to its limit as they try not to lose. Before long, Leaf starts noticing that Swablu is getting exhausted, making its attack weaker as the air scythes from its opponent come closer and closer. At that moment, everyone walked away, some saying Swablu lost while others kept watching.

"C'mon Swablu! You can do it!" Red watched the fight, seeing Swablu trying its best to win. At that moment, the Pokemon's move stopped, surprising its trainer as the brunette watched the barrage of Air Slash coming towards, closing her eyes and taking her Pokeball. It was then she heard its loud chirp, opening her eyes to see it glowing, covered with an intense energy aura before launching a Dragon like blast at Swanna, both and its trainer's along with everyone surprised at the new development.

"What the hell?"

"I-is that?"

"Dragon Pulse…" Leaf said before smiling when she saw the attack hit its target, knocking back the swan into the wall. Clicking her teeth, Jessica yelled in anger commanding every move she could which made her Pokemon got up and rushed forward, quickly attacking; its opponent able to cancel out the moves by using Mirror Move as they both traversed through the room. Before Swablu could do anything, Swanna got close and Air Slash which almost hit the blue bird before it used Dragon Pulse out of panic, both moves knocking them back before they land safely, Swablu with a little difficulty which Jessica immediately quickly decided to take advantage of.

"Secret Power! Catch it off guard, Swanna!"

"Take it on with Peck, Swablu!"

Both Pokemon lunged forward, Swanna glowing pink, its wings outstretched while Swablu rushed forward as well, the residue of the Dragon Pulse it used coating it, making it look bigger than it usually does, much to everyone surprise including Red's. 'Woah. It almost looks like a dragon.'

"Go!" Both girls yelled, their voices echoing through while their Pokemon screeched before they collided, the shockwave that nearly sent both girls back. As the winds started to die down, everyone watched as the dust cloud came from the field, it starting to disperse as everyone saw the results of the clash, most of them surprised.

"It's a tie, guys! Both Swablu and Swanna are unable to battle!" The referee yelled, everyone cheering at their lungs at the spectacle. During the applause, Red watched as Leaf ran from her post, picking up Swablu who chirped weakly, a melancholic expression on her face. Jessica marched towards her about to kick the girl until Red came between them, stopping her, much to her anger until she saw his face, fear trickling through her body as she stopped entirely.

"Tch. This party sucks anyway. You ruined it." She said before leaving, returning her Swanna before Red could her speaking under breath. "...just like you ruined everything else..."

He then turned around and crouched beside Leaf, giving her a Potion along with a Revive which she immediately used. "Thanks."

"You alright?" He asked worried, the girl getting up and shaking her head before walking away. After they took a break and got out of the bar and continued the rest of the journey through the tunnel, Leaf stayed quiet, a pensive expression on her face which was awkward for both of her friends.

"Uhh, Leaf. You alright?" Kim decided to ask, making Leaf jump before the girl was able to catch herself and answer. "Oh…yeah. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Jessica...the fight with her. If I was not so lucky with Misdreavus or learned Dragon Pulse, I would've lost. I need to be stronger if I need to win my battles from here on out. That's why…" The brunette turned to Red who was speaking with his Pokemon, pointing at him.

"Red! I need you to be my coach!" She said with a smile on her face, making Kimberley's eyes become as wide as saucers as her eyes dart between her and Red who was confused before he said. "I beg your pardon. Why me and not a gym leader? That is literally their job."

"Think about it. You're super observant and you can tell my weaknesses and how to strengthen on them. I was focused on trying to be strong on my own but even with Buneary, the reason she is so good at avoiding the recoil from Jump Kick is because of what she saw your Meowth did with Aerial Ace…" She explained, their Pokemon nodding in agreement. Meowth smirked as she looked at the rabbit who folded her arms. 'Is that so? I thought my moves suck.'

'Shut up! It was just a coincidence. They do suck!'

'Suuure.'

While the two bickered, Red thought about the situation, contemplating the advantages. On one hand, he himself can get stronger and find out his weaknesses as well but one question bugged his mind. "But why not a gym leader? I'm not as perfect as you think. Plus, you're smart enough to reach this far and you're very adaptable to fights."

"I know but...training with gym leaders...it feels like I'm revealing my plans to them. I can't allow that so I'm more comfortable with you doing it." Leaf admitted shyly, a blush coming onto her face. When he looked at her face, he sighed then scratched his head. "Alright, I'll do it. Dunno why you had to ask though. Didn't I promise you that I would help you?"

Leaf jumped up in happiness before lunging forward towards Red, knocking him to the ground as Kimberley laughed. "Hell yeah! I gotta see this. Coach Red in the house."

"Please don't call me that." Red commented silently before they all heard giggling seeing the Ralts hovering above them. Red paled as Leaf immediately got up before sprinting off in pursuit of the Pokemon, yelling all the way. "Hey, come back! I have a Pokeball with your name on it."

Red and Kim looked at each other before sharing a chuckled as he puts his hands in his pocket as they both walked after their friend, his Pokemon following him with a sigh at the brunette antics to catch the Psychic type.

Merry Christmas. Hope you guys are enjoying your holiday. Sorry about the chapter being late but yeah. Would you believe me if I said that I was going to make Swablu win that match? Yeah, no. Me neither. Alright, I'm gonna be honest. I loved this chapter. It's a big break from the big events that occurred and a slight breather. Well, at least Swablu learned Dragon Pulse and we will soon be in Celadon City so that's good. I honestly have nothing to say apart from I hope the best for everyone who had their Thanksgiving! Well, that's it. I'm finished. Enigma out!