"Do you think we're running late?" Kuiper asked.
"No Kuiper if anything will be early the run doesn't start for like an hour" Oort replied as he slipped through the crowd.
Florian was following behind the two of them kind of awkwardly trying to decide if having his hood on or off made him the least conspicuous looking.
"Hey, Farbuti what's up with you," Kuiper asked "You've been sweating bullets since we got here.
"Oh I'm fine I've just never done something like this before.
"Calm down man that's no way to get ready for a festival" Oort laughed "But seriously man, it will be fine no one is going to notice us"
Oort was right nobody noticed. Until they got there anyway. The apartment Kuiper was guiding them to was blasting music loud enough that Florian could hear it before even opening the door.
Oort swung the door open with a whoop greeting several other Rachba Squad members most of the room looked like there were 16 or 17 already.
The entire room smelled like cheap alcohol and weed. Florian's confidence rapidly plummeted as he followed after Oort and Kuiper squirming around the body brushing against him.
Somebody handed Florian a cup of something that smelt like cheap vodka and iced tea Florian chugged the entire thing maybe a little of the Eastern European potato juice would do him some good. He was in the middle of searching for some water to drink when the bedroom door burst open with an obnoxious bang.
"Hola Albiorix long time no see" Oort beamed.
"Hey, Javier it's just us we can skip the code names" an older boy in a dark flannel and baggy jeans laughed.
"So Alejandro how's the hermano Jarnsaxa"
"David is chilling he got us some of that la prima tequila if you follow me" Alejandro signaled them into the room.
"So are you the Farbauti that Ana was talking about?"
"Oh ya but if we're going to go by regular names you can call me Florian"
"Esperar, esperar, esperar is your name seriously Florida?" David laughed taking a smoke of a joint and blowing a puff of strange-smelling smoke into the air.
"No estúpido it's Florian, not Florida you fucking dumb ass!" Alejandro laughed smacking his brother on the back.
"Well, I'm going to call him Florida it sounds funnier what do you say Florida sounds good?"
"Yes, sir Florida it is" Florian laughed finishing off another drink that the girl beside David handed him.
"Florida you want a hit?" David asked.
"Nah I'm okay" Florian replied sheepishly laughing. Despite how far he had come he still wasn't quite ready to try smoking yet.
Florian was starting to feel uncomfortable. He needed something big like breaking the pool table to push past his lack of sociability without it he was just kind of there.
He needed something to override that part of his brain that was still the awkward elementary school kid that stopped him from talking to people.
Florian was able to slip out of the room when everyone else was distracted, The idea of watching people drink and smoke wasn't that fun to him when he could be doing something himself.
Unfortunately, his small social circle came back to bite him since he didn't know anyone else at the party. As he stood slumped against the wall Florian was debating just going home.
"No Florian Castro you are not going home you came here for the running of the Tauros your not going home, you wimp!" Florian told himself.
So Florian sat there against the wall for what felt like forever. Until a series of loud chanting got Floriajs attention.
A swarm of grunts was gathered around Giacomo who was dressed in bright red clothes with matching scarlet sneakers and a bright red hat and cape.
If he was trying to get the attention of the Tauro's then mission accomplished he was redder than wine on a white carpet.
The rest of the Team Star leaders gathered around Giacomo Atticus and Eri hoisting him onto their shoulders and carrying him out the door.
"Hey, hey, hey Farbauti" Oort stumbled behind Florian.
"Is it time for the running of the Tauros?"
"Oh ya it's defiantly time"
The rest of the week seemed to crawl like dripping honey for Goh.
After five days of dealing with his parents, he couldn't wait to get away from them.
Mainly because he still hadn't gotten around to talking to his parents about his feelings.
He knew it was stupid he knew that it would be good for his mental health just like Hassel had told him but he just couldn't talk about it he just needed the right time was what he told himself.
Although for now, the right time could wait. Right now it was time for the running of the Tauros Levincia was humming with activity all of them excited for the running of the Tauros.
Since Goh's parents weren't interested in actually running the event he was allowed to just be with Ash and Iris.
Ash was over the moon about the event he had transferred his thirty Tauros to partake in the event.
"Milline tore tempomuutus" Salvatore laughed as pushed through the crowd in front of Goh. "Come on Jacq Saguaro you don't want to be late"
"Ya come on Goh this is going to be awesome!" Ash shouted as he made his way toward the center of the crowd.
"Alright so remember the objective is to get as close to the Tauros as possible without getting run over" Saguaro explained.
"Wait why would you want to get closer to the Tauros isn't the point not to be run over by the Tauros?" Iris asked.
"Well, that's the fun part of it see how close you are willing to get to the Tauros?"
"Personally I don't see the fun in getting gored and risking internal bleeding" Jacq sighed.
"Dosta! I think it's starting!" Salvator shouted.
Goh based as a firework flew into the sky bursting in a puff of white.
"What does that mean?" Ash asked.
"Now you run!" Saguaro explained already getting a head start.
Goh was half running half being pulled along by the crowd he had already lost sight of Ash and Iris.
"Ash!, Iris!" Goh called being drowned out by the screaming of the crowd.
Goh got sight of Jacq's bi-colored purple hair grabbing onto his flannel like his life depended on it.
Among the deafening sound of the crowd running Goh could pick up on another sound. It was the sound of thundering hooves.
Goh looked behind him to see people being pulled up the steep walls as sharp horns came into view along with fierce-sounding snorts and bellows.
That really kicked Goh's legs into overdrive.
Suddenly Jacqs flannel felt like a pair of handcuffs holding him back.
Goh frantically ran/stumbled as he pushed through the crowd the sounds of the Tauros only getting closer.
As he turned the first corner he saw Jacq leap over the gate to avoid the horns of a Combat Tauros.
The thunderous hooves of the Tauros sounded like they were rate behind Goh now.
Goh forced himself to keep running, hugging the wall as the first wave of Tauros caught up with him.
The Tauro charged forward with Horn Attack bowling over several people others clambered onto the side walls desperate to escape the raging bulls. Others ran beside the Tauros running their hands along their backs Saguaro among them.
That was one wave of Tauros down but Goh remembered that there was a second wave of them coming slightly behind them.
He was over halfway done he just needed to get to the arena before the Tauros got to him.
Although, judging by the approaching hoove steps the bulls would get to him first.
Goh came around the final turn the entrance to the arena had come into view.
As he was running Goh noticed a familiar face running beside him.
James from Team Rocket.
"What the what are you doing here!" Goh wheezed.
"The same thing your doing twerp" James responded.
"Are you sure you're not trying to steal Tauros!"
"How would I do that when I'm running for my liaaaife" James was knocked off his feet as a Tauros Goh recognized as one of Ash's bowled him aside with Take Down.
The second wave of Tauros was upon Goh now.
With all of his energy, Goh pulled himself forward his vision focused on the wide-open arena where he would be safe from the Tauros.
Goh completely ignored the world around him as he entered the tunnel into the arena.
3 more meters.
He ignored the pounding of his heart the heaving of his chest and the burning of his legs.
2 more meters.
He ignored the scent of fire as a Blaze Breed Tauros streaked passed him.
1 more meter.
He ignored the screams of other runners as they were knocked down by the raging bulls right behind him.
Safe.
Goh burst into the wide-open arena making a beeline for the side away from the stream of Tauros coming into the arena.
Many of the other runners were battling the Tauros with their own Pokémon. He saw Saguaro and Salvator battling with their Hatterene and Raichu.
"Oh hey Goh there you are" Iris ran up to him her Haxorus at her side.
"Glad you made it through"
"Me too oh man I am not doing that again" Goh panted as his burning lungs got up with him.
"Have you seen Ash?"
"Over there" Iris pointed to Ash and Pikachu who were running from his entire herd of Tauros all trying to affectionately tackle them.
At least Pokémon battling was something, Goh could get into he sent out Cinderace, Grookey, and Dewgong to battle the Tauros.
Overall Goh had fun during the run but that was something he wanted to do once and once was enough.
"Asombrosa everybody here!" Nemona exclaimed in excitement rubbing her Lycanroc's head.
"Why wouldn't I be here you invited me" Rinto replied.
"What are you saying that you wouldn't have come just because it's the right thing to do?"
"Well, no, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known Team Star would do something as severe as trying to maim two students. Not to mention that's illegal there's an entire section of the law book about crimes involving a Pokémon"
Nemona's phone ringing got everyone's attention.
"Hola Penny find anything?" Nemona put it on speaker.
"H...Hey, I'm up in the stands of the stadium I found Team Star it looks like t...there standing by one of the gates I think they're going to open it when the T...Tauros come by and s...see...send them to the boys" Penny stammered "I'll send you all the coordinates"
"De ninguna manera that's, horrible" Nemona shouted flicking the green strand of hair back "I'll keep you updated on the situation"
"O...okay, goodbye then"
"Alright, so it looks like Team Star is down by one of the last gates it's on a corner so we need to get there and stop them. Rinto you and Julianns take one route, Cherry and Nashi and I will take another one we need to make sure that no Team Star members will stop us" Nemona sent out her Floragato and Vivillon along with her Lycanroc.
"Alright, let's go!" Nemona, Cherry, and Nashi took the street going left well Rinto and Julianna took the street going right.
"Be careful we don't know what they're capable of" Rinto warned.
As if on queue a Flamethrower came flying Rinto's way.
"So trying to stop us our you?" a girl with red hair called from the alleyway Armarouge and Ceruledge standing beside her.
"I should have known this would happen" Rinto yelled sending out his Gallade to battle. Julianna sent out her Quaxwell.
Ceruledge leaped forward blade glowing bright violet with Bitter Blade Gallade swung forward with a Night Slash the two blades creating sparks of black and purple energy.
"Pretty tough I see I guess I should have known with you being Rika's brother"
"I'm not doing this because I'm Rika's brother I'm doing it because your organization is trying to seriously injure two people just for bulling you"
Mela sneered "Like you would know anything about that privileged Arugula hair" Armarouge fired a Psyshock at Quaxwell who went for Aqua Jet to dance around the floating pebbles.
"You complain about bullies and yet you resort to calling me petty names"
"Whatever Armarouge use Flamethrower!" Armarouge fired a stream of flames toward Quaxwell.
"Use Sacred Sword!" A blade of blue energy appeared around Gallads arm cutting through the Flamethrower protecting Quaxwell.
"Just like I would expect from a future elite four member hiding like a coward"
"Use Earthquake!" Gallade slammed its arm into the ground creating a vibration that rocked Quaxwell, Armarouge, and Ceruledge.
"Use Shadow Claw!" Ceruledge leaped behind striking him in the back with Shadow Claw.
"Aqua Cutter!" a blade of water formed around Quaxwells wing slicing through Ceruludge and knocking it out.
"I guess that it's no surprise that Nemonas running dogs would be pretty strong but I'm going to ha...have to...to stop" Before Mela could finish her sentence she was knocked unconscious by a violet-blue powder.
Before the Armarouge could react Nemon's Lycanroc and Floragato sprang from behind it knocking it out with Crunch and Shadow Claw.
"You guys doing good there!" Nemona asked her Vivillon floating behind her.
"We were doing just fine by ourselves" Rinto scoffed.
"Well we needed you to hurry up we already had to get through that Atticus guy"
"W...weird guy talks like he's from ancient times," Nashi remarked.
"Anyways that's not important we need to get to that gate to stop them from opening it now hurry let's go andale! andale!" Nemona shouted running down the street towards the gate.
Ortega and Erie were standing by the gate getting ready to open it. Julianna could see the stamp of Tauros already coming around the corner.
"Hey stop right there!" Nemona shouted.
"Too late" Ortega sneered well Eri managed to open the gate by herself.
A pair of Aqua Breed Tauros came charging out of the gate rushing past Julianna.
"Seems like your little rescue mission fell short" Ortega laughed "Alright Eri you can close the gate where done here"
Before Eri could close the gate a Blaze Breed Tauros rushed past with Flame Charge knocking the gate off its hinges.
"Okayyy...alright then Eri run! call Giacomo and tell him he's gonna want a head start!" Ortega yelled as a herd of Tauros of all four variants came running through the gate.
"Hey, Inteleon your weird map thing is glowing" Francois the Magnemite alerted from the sky.
"Alright come show me" Intelon sighed.
Lo and behold the glowing blue map was giving off two Tera Crystal signatures both coming from the same place.
By now the rest of Goh's Pokémon were gathering around to inspect the map.
"Look's like it's a Fighting and Dark type Tera Crystal" Iron Valiant remarked.
"Well isn't that convenient that's the two we were looking for" Great Tusk stated.
"Dose anyone know where that is on the map?"
"I think it's called Levincia it's the place Goh was going to go" Flygon replied.
"Well I'm sure that Calyrex wants us to get those so everybody get ready we're going to Levincia keep your eyes open for any psychic ostriches or weird robots" Inteleon exclaimed.
End Credit Song-Livin' La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin
Shorter chapter since this is a two-parter next part wraps all these plotlines up which means I need to start thinking about post-Levincia stuff in detail since the gym battles two chapters after that. Anyways that's a problem for future me I'll try and get part 2 out as soon as possible but again no promises.