Chapter 2

The Five Star Pokémon

'You've got the right stuff. So make your mind up. Find the courage inside of you.'

"We'll show you who's the amateur! Go, Ledian! Use Agility!"

In the blink of an eye the ladybug Pokémon became a red and black blur, seemingly teleporting around the makeshift battlefield until eventually disappearing.

Weiss smirked, more amused than actually impressed. "Froslass, use Hail..."

The ghost Pokémon raised its arms and despite it being a warm, sunny day, dark clouds began gathering overhead. Ruby stared up at the swirling clouds in awe, slowly backing away and pulling her hood up as sheets of ice began falling from the sky. Glancing back down her breath caught, frozen midair as Froslass waved to her before disappearing.

'Beh-bee!'

"Ledian!" Blinded by white, Ruby searched the skies for her dearest companion, finding her flying in circles and being violently buffeted by hail stones.

"Let's get this over with," said Weiss, her soft voice carrying over the storm. "Froslass, Blizzard..."

"Quick, Ledian! Use Ice Punch!"

As a wintry blast of freezing cold air blew toward the humanoid ladybug, two fists glowing pale blue flew forward causing the attack to part on either side of her.

"Good work! Now use Thunder Punch!"

Grimacing, Ledian dove forward with her other two fists crackling with electricity, the blizzard still forking around her until she reached the epicenter. Her fists struck something solid and a pale figure briefly became visible as electricity coursed through its body. The flurry died as the Pokémon retreated back to its trainer where it became fully visible again, more surprised than actually injured.

"I recognized Froslass' ability as Snow Cloak!" Ruby yelled from across the hail battered battlefield. "She might be able to turn invisible and fly through the hail like it's nothing, but Ledian has sharp eyes and an ability of her own called Iron Fist. It increases the power of all her punching attacks, and makes them easier for her to learn and remember too."

Weiss glanced at Froslass who looked no worse for the wear after rubbing the tingling sensation out of its semi-corporeal body. "I'm afraid it still wasn't enough to do any actual damage," she said simply, her voice echoing again which Ruby attributed to Froslass' supernatural abilities. "But I will give you credit for using one of Ledian's many weaknesses as both an attack and defensive maneuver. It's just a shame about the weather..."

Her head spinning, Ruby found Ledian busily trying to dodge the worst of the falling ice but was still being pummeled by smaller pellets. Froslass meanwhile calmly watched her ongoing struggle, the hail passing through her body onto the ground and making it difficult to see her.

"Use another Agility!"

"Aurora Veil, Froslass! Then use Water Pulse!"

The ghost Pokémon shimmered like the northern lights which Ruby recognized as sharply raising its defenses, and watched as a ball of water was gathered in the air and hurled toward Ledian. She effortlessly dodged the giant glob but as the water struck the ground it erupted into a large ice structure. Again and again Froslass narrowly missed, forcing Ledian to fly higher and higher into the storm until she could no longer see her trainer or opponent down below.

'Beh-bee!' she cried out as her entire body was pummeled.

"Finish this with Shadow Ball!"

The speedy Pokémon instinctively tried evasive maneuvers but her movements were sluggish and she was struck in the chest by something excruciating. The pain was bad enough, but it seemed as though all joy and hope had been sucked out of her, and she blinked uncaringly at the fast approaching ground.

"Ledian!"

Almost reluctantly she fluttered her wings, righting herself before she struck head first, and quickly began looking around for her invisible foe while being beaten by ice.

"I stand corrected," said Weiss, sounding almost impressed. "I'm afraid however that the battle's over. Froslass, Blizzard."

The ghost Pokémon landed atop one of its many spires with Ledian watching from below, out of breath and barely able to keep her eyes open due to the sheer amount of hail striking her. Another wintry blast blew toward her, and although it was difficult, she could just barely make out her trainer's voice over the roar.

"Swords Dance!"

With her body beginning to glow, Ledian started spinning like a top as the blizzard overtook her, leaving nothing but white. The attack continued for several long, agonizing moments before finally waning, Froslass either unable to maintain the powerful attack or not wanting to seriously injure her more fragile opponent.

When the snow flurry died down, Froslass appeared to be catching its non-existent breath after so many powerful attacks in quick succession, but down below a spinning red light was slowly coming to a halt.

"Azalea Town's gym leader taught me that strategy!" Ruby yelled proudly. "It's how he counters moves like Flamethrower, and don't let Ledian's size fool you! Her species actually have really high special defenses!"

Ledian smiled tiredly but it was quickly wiped from her face by a chunk of ice hitting her between the eyes.

"You've done a fine job covering for your Ledian's shortcomings," said Weiss in an almost complimentary tone. "It's obvious that she's been well-trained, but you must realize she's no match for my Froslass. Even with Swords Dance, her attack power is still lower than when the battle started due to Aurora Veil, and she can't withstand another Blizzard or Shadow Ball, or much more time in this hail storm for that matter. Send out your next Pokémon before your recklessness gets her hurt."

Ruby swallowed, her eyes locked with Ledian's, both smiling in unison. "Who said anything about Ledian beating Froslass on her own?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's time you met Ledian's big brother!" Ruby retrieved a Pokeball with a black rose painted on the top from her belt. "Ledian, you've been awesome and did your job perfectly! Now take a hard earned rest. Use Baton Pass!"

"WHAT!?"

Turning into a pale light, Ledian retreated into the Pokeball while a crimson light emerged and turned into a large, red and black praying mantis-like creature with razor sharp pincers. "Go, Scizor!"

Weiss swallowed as the hail bounced harmlessly off the Pokémon's metallic body, possibly not even noticing the harsh weather it was currently experiencing. She quickly narrowed her eyes however as this had very quickly and without warning become an actual battle. She had fought a few Scizor since starting out on her journey, and even those of a lower level and belonging to inexperienced trainers hadn't been easy victories. Not only was Scizor an already powerful and nimble Pokémon, but because of Ledian's Baton Pass, her Swords Dance and two Agilities had further bolstered its already formidable prowess.

She gritted her teeth realizing she had greatly underestimated her opponent, an unforgivable sin and one that the caped-girl and her Pokémon would pay dearly for.

"I have Bugsy to thank for him too," said Ruby, smiling fondly as if forgetting about the battle and the hail storm. "After he awarded me the Hive Badge, Bugsy let me train alongside him as an official gym trainer, and when it was time to say goodbye he gave me the Metal Coat that he'd been saving for his Scyther. Not long after that Scizor here decided it was time to evolve, and he's been the ace of my team ever since!"

The large mantis turned its head and stared coolly back at her.

"I-I mean, he's pretty much been the ace of the team since day one, but now he's our SUPER ace!" Satisfied, Scizor turned back around and glanced at the spires up above, presumably searching for his invisible foe.

"He and Ledian are actual brother and sister, you know," Ruby continued gushing. "Yang and I were out for a walk one morning when we saw a Scyther battling an Ariados while a little Ledyba was trapped in its web. My sister and her Growlithe helped rescue her and finish the battle, and we would've said goodbye there in the forest but Scizor had been injured in the fight and badly poisoned. We brought them home with us and we've been one great big happy family ever since!"

Once again Scizor glanced back at her as though she might've been leaving out a few key details but evidently decided not to argue and continued his search, relaxed and unconcerned but also at the ready.

"Heartwarming story," said Weiss. "Froslass, Shadow Ball!"

"Bullet Punch, Scizor!"

From atop one of the spires, a dark ethereal sphere appeared with a red and black blur seemingly teleporting behind it with a pincer glowing white. Down below, Weiss hadn't been able to see what exactly happened, and could only watch in horror as her Pokémon plummeted toward the ground, cracking the hard ice with its now physical body.

"Froslass!" she cried, running out into the hailstorm. Falling down atop her Pokémon, needlessly shielding her from the falling ice, Froslass looked up at her weakly, barely able to lift its head which was carefully cradled in her trainer's arms.

"You did magnificently, Froslass," her voice cracked. "This was all my fault, and we'll win this battle in your honor. Thank you for all your hard work. I promise it won't go to waste."

The ghost Pokémon gave her trainer a sad, apologetic nod before being transported inside a white Pokeball with a snowflake design on the top. Carefully making her way off the battlefield now that the hail was beginning to subside, Weiss grimaced at the Scizor standing among the now melting pillars of ice. As a dual Steel and Bug-type, its only weakness was fire but Weiss hadn't brought any Fire-types or Pokémon capable of such attacks along with her. To meet Pryce with the Ice-type's archenemy in her party had just seemed blasphemous somehow.

A saturated battlefield with melting pillars of ice was no place for a Fire-type anyhow, but as was the case with Froslass, Ice-type Pokémon were weak to Steel-types and usually frail, and unfortunately the majority of Weiss' current party members were Ice-types she had wanted to show off to Pryce.

Narrowing her eyes at the red mantis, she retrieved another custom Pokeball from her belt and tossed it into the air. "Go, Empoleon!"

From the red light appeared a massive blue and black penguin with metallic feathers covering its body. The dwindling hail bounced harmlessly off its hide, and after sizing up its much smaller opponent, let out a roar that shook Ruby at her core and caused several of the towering ice spires to collapse around them. Scizor meanwhile hardly even blinked, merely raised its pincers in anticipation.

"Meet Empoleon," said Weiss proudly, her opponent in awe of the foreign Pokémon. "Empoleon, it's been a while, but I believe we may have finally found you a worthy opponent."

Yanking her cape out from underneath a fallen chunk of ice, Ruby rubbed her hands together to keep them from shaking. "Y-you can do this, Scizor! Ledian and I believe in you!"

Scizor let out an affirmative grunt, its eyes never leaving Empoleon's, both Pokémon appearing to be waiting for either them or their trainers to make the first move.

"Steel Wing!"

"Bullet Punch!"

Sparks flew through the air as Scizor's pincer collided with Empoleon's wing, metal screeching and both letting out terrifying roars trying to intimidate and overpower the other Steel-type. Eventually it was the mantis that was sent flying backward, landing gracefully on its feet.

'Good,' Weiss thought to herself. 'Scizor may have speed and raw attack power to its advantage, but Empoleon has bulk and defense. If it comes down to exchanging attacks we're sure to outlast them.'

"Stealth Rock, Empoleon!" The giant penguin swiped the ground causing large, pointed stones to fly toward Scizor which it easily dodged out of the way of. Instead they scattered harmlessly across the battlefield, lying in wait like landmines. Weiss turned to her opponent with a devious grin. "That's for Ledian if you make the mistake of bringing her back out, which I wouldn't recommend. Quad-effective Stealth Rocks to a Pokémon as frail as her won't be a pretty sight."

Ruby gritted her teeth. "It's up to you, Scizor! Use Fury Cutter!"

"Iron Defense!"

In the blink of an eye pincers scraped across Empoleon's hide showering them both in sparks. Again and again the mantis struck looking for a weak point to exploit while its foe stood impassively, glowing with a faint metallic sheen.

"Fury Cutter?" Weiss mocked. "Not only is it a pathetically weak attack, but Steel-types resist Bug. Even an amateur like you should know that!"

Across the battlefield Ruby grinned. "On top of Ledian's Swords Dance, Scizor's Technician ability gives it an attack boost, and every time Fury Cutter hits an opponent it doubles in power. See for yourself!"

Weiss turned back to what should've been her Pokémon completely ignoring the feeble attacks, but instead was now grimacing and appearing to be having difficulty maintaining its concentration.

"That's enough, Empoleon! Quick, use Swords Dance!"

Large, metallic wings began glowing red as they moved to block the worst of Scizor's attacks, but the mantis was too nimble and easily got underneath its guard for another series of painful strikes.

"Aqua Jet!"

Scizor ducked out of the way just as a torrent of water sprouted from underneath Empoleon's feet, and with astonishing speed for such a large Pokémon, began chasing the red mantis around the battlefield, gaining ground after every narrow miss.

"Iron Defense!" Ruby shouted.

Scizor came to an immediate halt, and raising its pincers was struck by the torpedo-like attack causing a tidal wave to surge across the entire battlefield and send both trainers scurrying for higher ground, but besides its slender legs sliding a few feet in the mud, Scizor stood its ground, its body shimmering with a familiar metallic sheen.

"Hydro Pump!" Empoleon's beak opened and it was as though a river flowed out of its mouth, washing Scizor away and Ruby very nearly along with him.

Weiss stifled a laugh as her opponent jumped to her feet, rescued by a particularly painful-looking thorn bush. "You're welcome for the bath!"

Instead of responding, Ruby pointed at the red cyclone spraying water further up the path.

'Another Swords Dance,' Weiss thought to herself. Although the relation between their Pokémon's attack and defenses were now back to square one, Empoleon had clearly gotten the better of the exchange. 'All we have to do is keep the pressure on and we'll win by attrition.'

"Aqua Jet!"

"Iron Defense!"

Once again Empoleon torpedoed itself into Scizor, causing its legs to drag further through the mud. "Now use Hydro Pump!"

"Swords Dance!" Just like before, the mantis was washed away only for a cyclone to begin diverting the torrent of water.

'Three Swords Dances, two Agilities, and two Iron Defenses...' Weiss couldn't help smiling at how well her Empoleon was contending with such a formidable opponent, and let out a sigh of relief that Scizor had now reached its highest attack potential. She also knew it wasn't fast enough to go immediately back into an Iron Defense in the time it took Empoleon to strike, not after a second point blank Hydro Pump.

"Alright! Finish this for Froslass! Use Aqua Jet!"

"SUPERPOWER!"

"W-WHAT!? EMPOLEON! Get out of there!"

Instead of its metallic body hardening and bracing for impact like anticipated, steam began rising from Scizor's body and it struck forward with an enlarged, glowing pincer. Empoleon didn't have time to react, and was just barely able to angle its body so that it was struck on the shoulder instead of head on, and was sent soaring over his trainer's head, landing prone in the mud.

"Empoleon!" Weiss screamed, splashing through puddles. "Please get up!"

The penguin Pokémon gradually got to a knee using its massive wings to keep itself steady. "Quick, use Aqua Ring!"

It nodded weakly and with some effort summoned a ring made of water to surround itself with, spreading over its body like a thin watery shield.

As Empoleon gradually began regaining its strength, Weiss turned to Scizor wondering why there hadn't been a followup attack, and saw that the red mantis had dropped to one knee and was gasping for air, steam still rising from its body.

'Superpower is an incredibly powerful Fighting-type attack but it also lowers the user's attack and defense,' Weiss recited from one of the many textbooks she had memorized throughout her life. She found some comfort that Scizor had sacrificed its own power and appeared exhausted because of the attack, overheated even, but knew even Empoleon couldn't withstand another super effective attack like that.

"Quick, Scizor! Use Iron Defense!"

The mantis' body shimmered again causing Weiss to grimace. Scizor's defenses were close to being maxed and she couldn't risk having Empoleon use Swords Dance when another Superpower might very well knock him out. Studying her Pokémon however she noticed its body now had a slightly blue tint to it, meaning Empoleon's Torrent ability had activated and that Water-Type attacks would be roughly fifty percent more effective than before.

Weiss almost chuckled as her opponents had unknowingly just won them battle. "Let's finish this, Empoleon. Hydro Pump!" Another river rushed out from the Pokémon's gaping mouth toward Scizor, who was still down on one knee desperately trying to catch its breath.

"Baton Pass!" Before the mantis could be washed away for good, it was enveloped in a white light and returned to the Pokeball in Ruby's hand while a crimson light was discharged. "Go, Ledian!"

The ladybug Pokémon returned to the waterlogged battlefield, watching from above as a newly formed river flowed underneath.

"Idiot! You forgot about Stealth Rocks!"

'Beh?'

Sharp, jagged rocks homed in on Ledian, and despite her best efforts to try and outmaneuver them, even using another Agility, she quickly found herself surrounded and sandwiched in between. Weiss shuddered at the limp body held in the air by the quad-effective hazards digging into Ledian's soft body, feeling pity for the poor Pokémon and no small amount of fury toward her trainer.

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" Unable to watch any longer, she cast her eyes onto the ground about to start tending to Empoleon's injuries when one by one the stones splashed in front of her. "What in the world?"

"Good work, Ledian!" Ruby cheered, beaming when she saw her opponent's shocked expression. "Ledian's now at plus five attack and defense, and I told you she's tougher than she looks! It's gonna take a lot more than some floating rocks to beat us!"

Weiss marveled as the ladybug Pokémon's pulsating body appeared to be trembling as if unable to contain its own awesome strength. "S-she's still no match for Empoleon! Go! Use Hydro Pump!"

"Dodge and use Thunder Punch on the ground!"

Ledian effortlessly navigated the river flowing toward her as two fists began crackling with electricity. The moment they struck the pool of water that had become their battlefield, Empoleon let out a painful roar and fell to its knees while both Ruby and Weiss grimaced due to feeling the residuals even from afar.

"Empoleon!"

Electricity coursed through the Water-type Pokémon's body, and thanks to its Aqua Ring was completely enveloped. Sparks erupted from all around its metallic hide while Ledian drew patterns in the water with its electrified mitts, causing the enduring roars to echo throughout the surrounding mountains.

"Get up, Empoleon! Get out of the water!" The giant penguin tried to stand but it's knees sank back into the mud deeper than before. "No! You're paralyzed!"

"Good work, Ledian! Now finish this with Focus Punch!"

"NO!"

At blinding speed Ledian flew at Empoleon, coming to a halt just above its head with a pair of fists that began to glow and double in size.

"Please, Empoleon!" Weiss screamed. "Please get up!"

As Ledian continued gathering energy and concentrating all of its might, Empoleon tried to stand once more before closing its eyes in resignation, the fists connecting a moment later and engulfing both Pokémon and the surrounding battlefield in a blinding light.

"EMPOLEON!"

Water erupted like a geyser, and despite being blinded, Weiss waded through the mud until she practically tripped atop her Pokémon. Still lingering electricity bit at her but she ignored it as best she could while trying to stir her unconscious partner. "Empoleon! EMPOLEON! Say something! Please!"

The giant penguin's eyes fluttered, finding hers before answering with a weak honk.

"You were incredible, Empoleon," she sobbed. "Thank you. I-I'm so sorry. This is all my fault..."

Weiss wiped her eyes as someone came splashing toward them. "Oh my gosh! Is he alright? Please say he's alright!"

'Beh-bee?' echoed a weak chirp from atop Ruby's shoulder.

"Of course he is," Weiss sniffled. "Empoleon's been through much tougher battles than this. He'll be just fine after a long rest."

Ruby smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "You were amazing, Empoleon! I think you were our strongest opponent yet. Froslass was amazing too, and so were you, Weiss."

The penguin Pokémon gave a grateful nod as it pushed itself up with all its might in order to sit. It locked eyes with Ledian, and just as Ruby was about to back away, a large flipper was extended. After a moment of hesitation and caution, Ledian gladly shook it and congratulated her opponent on a hard fought battle.

"Come on out, Froslass," said Weiss, sending out the ghost Pokémon who upon returning to the battlefield was down on her knees, the water turning to ice upon contact with her body. "Let's get you both healed up."

Weiss laid her backpack atop of Empoleon and after a bit of digging retrieved a couple of Full Restores.

"Hold on a second." Ruby pulled out a pair of Pokeballs. "Go, Meganium! You too, Scizor!"

Along with the red mantis which was down on its knees like Froslass, appeared a large quadruped reptile with green fur and a pink flower growing around its neck. It immediately grinned at the other Pokémon and trainers, and bent down to nuzzle Ruby and Ledian.

"Thanks, Meganium. Think you can get rid of all this water with Ingrain?"

The Pokémon nodded and its feet immediately began taking root, and gradually the water around their ankles subsided until they were standing on dry earth.

"Great job," Ruby said, rubbing the Pokémon's hindquarters, its coat now lush and full of wildflowers. "Listen, we just had a tough battle and everyone's a little worse for the wear. Would you mind giving us an Aromatherapy?"

Meganium nodded all too happy to oblige, and immediately a sweet smelling aroma released from the flower around its neck, causing both trainers and all four Pokemon to smile and their bodies to begin swaying.

"That's incredible," said Weiss at last, dizzy and barely able to keep her eyes open. Once the aroma began to fade she began applying her Full Restores to Empoleon and Froslass while Ruby retrieved a plastic baggy full of berries and began hand feeding them to her Pokémon.

"Meganium?" she asked. "Would you mind going around and making sure all the nearby plants are alright? It's not their fault we decided to have a battle here, or that winter came early this year."

The large plant Pokémon nodded and began going around breathing on any flower or blade of grass that had been affected by the conflict, and before long they were surrounded by an overgrown garden that threatened to overtake the forest road.

"Meganium's breath can bring plants back to life," said Ruby when she saw Weiss' curious expression. "It's also good for people and Pokémon, especially Grass and Bug-types."

"You're just full of surprises aren't you? I mean-" Weiss blushed and quickly retrieved another potion from her bag. "Um, do either Ledian or Scizor need a Full Restore? I have plenty so it's no trouble."

Ruby shook her head. "Meganium's Aromatherapy and these berries will be enough until we get to a Pokémon Center. Potions are great in a pinch but nothing beats natural remedies. Here, try some Oran berries."

She handed Empoleon and Froslass a handful which they sniffed before taking small bites of, immediately grinning and saying their thanks. Weiss nibbled on hers, and once her surprise faded she finished applying her Full Restores before kneeling down in front of Ledian who had taken residence atop Empoleon's knee.

"I think I owe you an apology," she said. "You're an incredible Pokémon, Ledian, and I'm sorry for saying anything to the contrary."

Ledian smiled and jumped into Weiss' arms, nuzzling her neck. The girl in white winced as she got even more muck on her clothes, but she soon smiled and hugged her back. After releasing one another Ledian fluttered atop Scizor's shoulder and for the first time since the battle began, the red mantis grinned and nuzzled her back.

After a proud look at the pair Ruby glanced at Weiss who had gotten to her feet to glower over her.

"W-what?"

"Baton Pass," she said simply. "It's a reckless, amateurish strategy and without it you wouldn't have stood a chance."

"Yeah, well-" Ruby gritted her teeth and tightened her hand into a fist, but seeing their Pokémon at peace with one another her expression softened. "Maybe, but together my Pokémon can compete with the very best! You call it amateurish, I call it teamwork."

"You have talent I'll give you that, but you're still an amateur as far as I'm concerned. Baton Pass is a cheap trick that won't work on the same opponent twice, or on anybody who already knows your strategy."

Ruby puffed out her cheeks but after blowing out hot air she merely sighed. "Listen, I know a more experienced trainer when I see one, along with higher level Pokémon. Sometimes it takes tricks to win a battle against stronger opponents."

She smiled sheepishly and Weiss' lip twitched. "I'll take it as a compliment, but next time we battle, don't expect the same outcome." She took a deep breath before helping Ruby to her feet. "So where do you go from here?"

The caped-girl scratched the back of her neck and bit her lip. "I guess we head back to Ecruteak and challenge Morty for the Fog Badge. If we register today we might be able to get a gym match as early as tomorrow or the day after."

"Well then, I suppose we should be going. It's nearly a two hour walk following the road. If we hurry or ride our Pokémon we may even make the Kimono Girl's noon show."

"W-wait, you're coming with us? I thought you didn't like me. And what about battling Pryce and becoming an Ice-type Master?"

"I don't like you, but I also have a little something you don't called patience. I've waited all my life to meet Master Pryce and it's been three years since I started out on my Pokémon journey. Waiting another few days won't do any harm. Besides, I barely got to spend a day in Ecruteak and wouldn't mind seeing the Kimono Girls and challenging them, but more importantly I'd like to get Empoleon and Froslass to the nearest Pokémon Center. I also believe I have a debt to pay."

"Huh?"

"Our wager, remember?" she said, tapping her foot with tested patience. "I owe you whatever an Icium-Z Crystal and used Z-Ring cost.

"Oh, to be honest I completely forgot, and don't worry about it. I didn't challenge you because I wanted money, or anything else really. I just wanted to prove that you were wrong about us."

"The only thing you've proven is that you're not quite as incompetent as I previously thought, but you did beat me fair and square which means I owe you."

"Really, Weiss, I don't care about the money." Reaching into her pocket Ruby retrieved her Z-Ring and held it up for her to see. "This Z-Crystal isn't important to me because it's rare, but because my mom and I found it together. She's gone now, but I have both the crystal and her Z-Ring here to remember her by."

As Ledian fluttered over to her trainer's shoulder Weiss covered her mouth. "Ruby, if I had known about your mother o-or how important that crystal is to you, I would've never have agreed to battle you for it."

"Which is why I didn't tell you. I trust my Pokémon, but even if we had lost I knew it would be in good hands. I was going to tell you either way, and didn't you say you're going to be an Ice-type Master someday?"

"Well yes, b-but-" At a loss for words, Weiss simply stared, her eyes twinkling. "You're even more reckless than I thought, and you're the biggest dolt I have ever met wagering something so valuable over something so petty!"

Ruby shrugged with a lopsided grin on her face. "I'll take it as a compliment," she echoed.

"As a Schnee I cannot allow a debt go unpaid. Off the top of my head I don't know how much a Z-Ring and Icium Z Crystal cost, but how does ten thousand lien sound?"

"Ten T-THOUSAND!? No, I-I couldn't."

"Well, ten thousand minus two Full Restores, the dry cleaning for my clothes, two tickets to the Kimono Girls, and of course my living expenses while we're in Ecruteak. By the end you may actually owe me money," she laughed

"W-wait, your last name's Schnee!? Schnee as in the Schnee Dust Company's Schnees!?"

Both Empoleon and Froslass froze, and Weiss stared at the other girl as if evaluating her before eventually nodding. "Perhaps formal introductions are in order." After futilely dusting herself off she bowed gracefully. "I am Lady Weiss of House Schnee of Kalos, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. More importantly however, I am a Pokémon trainer on my journey through the Johto region and a soon to be Ice-type Master. It's a pleasure making your acquaintance."

She bowed again and Ruby started with her mouth gaping open. "A-are you saying that you're a real life prin-"

"I'm asking if you would like to be my traveling companion, a-at least for the time being."

Ruby's eyes widened and she found herself suddenly unable to breath. Weiss meanwhile shifted her weight uncomfortably and looked away, hugging her arms to her chest.

"I've been alone for most of my journey," she said. "Besides my Pokémon of course, but seeing how we have a common goal and destination I wouldn't be opposed to you coming along if you'd like. However, the very moment you begin slowing me down I am leaving you behind and never looking back, understa-?"

Without warning Ruby embraced her, squeezing her until Weiss thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head.

"In no way does this make us friends," she wheezed. Despite herself she couldn't help smiling and hugging her back, if only a little.

"You're right!" Ruby cheered. "It makes us best friends!"

"I think I've just made a terrible mistake..."

"'Til the end I will be with YOU! We will go where OUR dreams come true! All the time that we have been through! YOU will always be my best friend!'"

(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. While this wasn't my first action scene to ever write (not by a long shot), it was my first Pokémon battle, and truth be told I found it rather difficult to balance the actions and thoughts of both Pokémon and trainer. Ordinarily in my RWBY fics I'd rely a lot on the five senses to describe Ruby versus Weiss with the actual actions of the fight being secondary. In a Pokémon battle however that gets turned on its head due to the trainer giving orders and then having to describe how the Pokémon react. I just found it to be "different" is all, and I hope the battle overall was satisfactory. I'll get better, and I hope you enjoy the battles to come.

Once again there's just something about Ruby and Ledian that's just very endearing to me, and Ledian is low key one of my favorite Pokémon. It has a Special Defense of 110 so it's actually not as squishy as people think, and while it's attack is only 35, it's ability Iron Fist and access to a wide variety of punches means it's attacks are often super effective. On top of that it also has access to Swords Dance, health recovery moves, and obviously Baton Pass. Seriously, consider using a Ledian with Iron Fist on a playthrough sometime or in the Gen 2 games. While it may not be viable competitively you might be surprised how effective it can be in story mode.

I also wanted to contrast Weiss' modern, "industrial" mindset with Ruby's who's a bit of a naturalist. Instead of relying on store bought medicines, she uses her Pokémon's own healing capabilities and berries, and rather than store bought Pokeballs, she prefers apricorn balls. I think this is also reflected by the Pokémon we've seen her with, a Grass-type and two Bug-types (albeit one of them half-steel) while both Froslass is something akin to a status symbol. Just something that I thought would be a fun contrast between them and fits the world of Pokémon in my opinion.

One other thing I wanted to get across in this chapter is that Empoleon is a force to be reckoned with, and that Ruby would not have won if not for Baton Pass. For all intents and purposes, Weiss is the better trainer. Her Pokémon are stronger and have more experience, but Ruby is clever and has developed her strategies from always being the underdog. I think this strategy fits well with her theme of "being ahead of the curve" in respect to the world of RWBY where she's a fifteen year old prodigy in a setting where seventeen or eighteen is the norm, and it means that just like in my other fics, Ruby can hold her own against more experienced, more powerful opponents, but overall she isn't quite at the level of Weiss and their peers.

All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with this story and with all of you wonderful readers. God bless)