Chapter 5

Dropping the Baton

'You've got the strength to win it, so stay in it. If you're smart you can take it all!'

"Go, Scizor! Use Bullet Punch!"

"Will-O-Wisp, Misdreavus!"

A red and black blur hurtled itself toward the ghost Pokémon but veered away at the last possible second to avoid colliding with the ethereal flames surrounding Misdreavus. Sliding in the dirt and taking a step backward, Scizor raised its pincers defensively and grimaced, appearing to have difficulty even looking at the flames.

"Just like Jasmine taught us, Scizor! Use Sandstorm to put out the flames!"

"Hex, Misdreavus!" Morty countered.

Just as the mantis drew a line in the dirt and whipped it into the air, Scizor cried out and fell to one knee, the ghost Pokémon watching on with a wicked grin and glowing red eyes.

"What?" Ruby cried. "B-but Scizor wasn't burned! And Hex isn't very effective against Steel-types!"

"That's enough, Misdreavus. Get into position and wait for my command."

Although reluctant, the ghost Pokémon turned invisible, leaving Ruby, Scizor, and the spectators to wonder where it had gone. The mantis got back to its feet only to collapse again a moment later, the otherworldly flames dancing all around the battlefield, causing him to shudder as an inferno raged in his eyes.

"Scizor, what's wrong!?" Ruby screamed, on the verge of running onto the field even if it meant him being disqualified.

"He's been cursed," said Morty calmly. "Just like every other Pokémon you've sent out."

"W-what?"

"Don't you remember when Gastly used Curse during his battle with Togetic?"

Ruby had to stop and think for a moment. "Y-yeah, but Curse is just a stat boosting move."

"Ordinarily yes. For a Pokémon like Togetic, it increases their attack and defense in exchange for some speed, but for Ghost-type Pokémon, it exchanges roughly half of their strength in order to continuously drain their foes of theirs until there's nothing left. Under normal circumstances I would've used Mean Look to force your Pokémon into battling, but by using Baton Pass you've unwittingly allowed the curse to spread and fester among each one of your Pokémon. And while they may be relatively safe inside their Pokeballs, the moment you call upon them they'll begin having their life force drained just like Scizor."

Ruby covered her mouth in horror while Weiss cackled from behind.

"You knew about this!?" Sakura yelled, grabbing the front of the girl's jacket.

Weiss nodded happily. "As a matter of fact I did."

"Then why didn't you-"

"-tell Ruby? It's her battle, not mine. She should've done the proper research on Ghost-type Pokémon, just as you should've." Weiss motioned for Sakura to remove her hand, an underlying threat being left unsaid.

Despite her knuckles turning white the trainee relented, fuming at herself for not realizing what Morty had done despite having practically grown up watching him battle, and also having just battled him a few months prior. She had been too focused on what Ruby and her Pokémon were doing to pay much attention to her opponent, a recurring problem in her own gym battles.

"Don't feel too sorry for yourselves," Weiss continued. "At least now both you and Ruby will be better prepared for your rematches."

"Scizor!" Ruby cried. "Use Baton Pass!"

The mantis glanced back at her, its metallic sheen completely gone and its eyes fiery violet. He grimaced again, and although visibly upset, Scizor turned into a white light and transported itself inside the Pokeball in Ruby's hand while Togetic was ejected, now sporting a haunted look of its own. Instead of hugs and kisses, the tiny winged Pokémon could barely manage a halfhearted wave before dropping just inches above the ground.

"Quick, Togetic! Use Heal Bell!"

She chirped back weakly, and with her body beginning to glow soft pink, Togetic raised her arms causing a chorus of heavenly bells to fill the arena. Almost immediately the tiny winged Pokémon perked back up and began blowing kisses to everyone she could see.

"Excellent strategy," said Morty, nodding in approval. "Bringing a Pokémon with Heal Bell when facing a Ghost-type specialist is smart thinking, as is pairing it with Baton Pass."

"T-thanks, but why did you stop the battle and tell me about my Pokémon being cursed? A-aren't you trying to win?"

Morty grinned and shook his head. "As a gym leader my duty isn't to win battles. It's to test challengers and make sure they and their Pokémon walk away with a stronger bond than they walked in with. You still have all four of your Pokémon remaining, Ruby, but three of them have already lost at least a quarter of their strength to Curse, and I still have Misdreavus and Gengar at full strength. Are you ready to see if the bond between you and your Pokémon is strong enough to defeat us?"

Ruby froze, but shaking the cobwebs out of her head she nodded. "Togetic, use Foresight!"

Crimson colored beams of light originating from Togetic's eyes scanned the battlefield and found Misdreavus flying up above, causing the ghost to flinch as its body became corporeal.

"Now use Dazzling Gleam!" Prismatic rays emerged from Togetic's egg-shaped body and flew toward Misdreavus, but the peculiar flames came to the ghost Pokémon's aid, blocking the attack and causing a fireball to engulf half of the arena.

"Again!"

"Use Psywave, Misdreavus!"

Rings of psychic energy emanating from Misdreavus' sinister eyes met the bright lights of Togetic, causing another explosion that swallowed the tiny winged Pokémon.

"Too strong," Ruby muttered to herself. "Quick, use Future Sight then get ready to Baton Pass!"

Just as Togetic's eyes began glowing pink her opponent's trainer shouted- "Misdreavus, use Taunt!"

The ghost Pokémon raised its stubby arms and Togetic shuddered, briefly glowing with ethereal energy before looking back at her trainer confused when its follow up attack failed.

"Only attacks that do direct damage will work now, Togetic! Use Dazzling Gleam again!"

Once more bright lights reminiscent of an aurora shot out its body and this time too quickly for Misdreavus to dodge or counter, and the ghost Pokémon fell from the air after being engulfed by a super effective attack.

"Yeah! One more time!"

"Pain Split!"

Misdreavus smiled wickedly as it gleefully leaped into Togetic's attack, absorbing the prismatic rays before a pink bubble exited the tiny winged Pokémon and flew into Misdreavus, causing the attack to end prematurely and for Togetic to begin gliding toward the ground, unable to stay afloat after having its strength drained.

"Good, now finish this with Psywave!"

"Dazzling Gleam! Don't let up!"

Once again the psychic rings and beam of lights struck one another in the center of the arena, and Togetic began crying out as it quickly began losing ground.

"Keep it up, Togetic! Just a little longer! You can do it!"

Glancing back at her the tiny winged Pokémon nodded, and as if on cue it was Misdreavus who suddenly began losing ground, but not without a wicked grin on its face.

"Destiny Bond..."

Misdreavus laughed, a horrific sound reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard, and dropped its attack in order to fully submerge itself into the light, still grinning even as it fell unconscious and returned to its Pokeball.

"Misdreavus is unable to battle," yelled the judge, turning to the challengers expectantly while the crowd erupted in cheers.

"Thank you, Misdreavus," said Morty. "As always you fought spectacularly." Once again he handed the Pokeball over to one of his gym trainers and watched as his challengers celebrated what sounded like a rare victory for them.

"I don't understand," said Sakura from the bench. "Psywave was so powerful before. What happened?"

Weiss smiled, all too happy to explain. "Psywave's strength is dependent on the Pokémon's strength much like Night Shade, except it varies from moment to moment. One second it can be more powerful than an Alakazam's Psychic, but the next it can be as weak as a baby Abra's Confusion. It's a gamble that usually pays off when used infrequently or in quick bursts, but in a prolonged stalemate Ruby knew that if Togetic could just hold out long enough they were bound to get lucky eventually. And fortunately for them both Pokémon were too weak to cause another explosion like before."

"They're amazing! And Ruby still has all four Pokémon remaining while Morty's down to his final one!"

A grin spread across Weiss' face not too dissimilar to the one Misdreavus had been wearing. "Not quite, and you're forgetting what exactly his final Pokémon is..."

Just as Weiss finished speaking, a peculiar violet light surrounded Togetic and she looked just as surprised as Ruby when she began plummeting like a rock.

"Togetic is unable to battle," declared the judge, not sounding the least bit surprised.

"Togetic!" Ruby reached out and caught the tiny winged Pokémon which looked up at her tearfully, unable to even hold its head up.

'tic-tic,' she chirped.

"Nothing to be sorry about," said Ruby in a soothing, almost motherly voice. "You're alright, Togetic. You were incredible, and I couldn't be more proud of you. Here, I'm gonna hand you over to Sakura. I want you to make sure she doesn't get scared, alright?" She nodded weakly and smiled up at Sakura, who after recovering from her surprise gladly accepted the fairy Pokémon.

"Here, take these too." Digging into her pockets, Ruby handed over a baggy full of Oran berries which the pair immediately began sharing, even going so far as to hand feed them to each other.

"Apologies for the sneaky Destiny Bond," said Morty, sounding genuinely sorry. "When the Pokémon that casts it loses all their strength so does their opponent. It's Misdreavus' favorite trick, and one of mine as well. However-" a grin spread across his face not unlike Misdreavus or Weiss' as he retrieved an Ultra Ball from his belt. "The time for tricks has come to an end. Raising your Pokémon's power and Baton Passing it down the line came at a great cost, and while I may be down to my final Pokémon this battle is far from over. Ruby, on behalf of Ecruteak City and its gym, I would like to introduce you to our pride and joy. Go, Gengar!"

Emerging from the Pokeball was a shadow with crimson eyes and a sinister grin, and almost immediately the arena's temperature plummeted, causing both trainers' breaths to plume in the air. Spikes resembling tufts of fur covered the Pokémon's vaguely gaseous, semi-corporeal body, and at the end of its stubby limbs were razor sharp talons.

Thunderous applause greeted the hometown hero and local celebrity, and as if to show off, the ghost Pokémon stuffed its limbs into its gaping mouth and proceeded to devour itself until it had somehow eaten its own mouth, only for each of its body parts to reemerge elsewhere.

The trick was a tremendous hit with the audience, and Ruby had to resist the urge to cover her ears, as well as her natural instinct to either run away or cry. She hated crowds and the noises they made, and because of her carelessness three of her Pokémon had needlessly suffered with Togetic needing to be cared for. And now everyone in that arena, including Sakura and Weiss, were going to watch as she lost another gym battle...

"Challenger, send out your next Pokémon!"

Ruby was tired of repeating the same pattern again and again, and it was only a matter of time before her Pokémon began feeling the same. Scizor had completely lost faith in her during their many failed Violet City Gym challenges, and she wondered how many more losses it would take for him to feel that way about her again, or her other Pokémon for that matter.

What if Togetic never forgave her? Or Ledian?

Ruby had promised her mom she was going to become a Pokémon Master someday, and that she would make her proud. She had failed, but what did it even matter? Even if she became a Pokémon master, her mom wouldn't be there to see it...

Prior to her sister starting her journey through Johto, Ruby had promised her that they'd compete in the Silver Conference together, but that wasn't going to happen. She had promised Bugsy that she'd become a Bug-type expert someday and have a proper gym battle with him, but that wasn't going to happen either. She had promised Sakura that they'd go on an adventure through Kanto together, but who would want to travel with a failure like her? And just moments before the battle she had lied to Weiss about winning and earning the Fog Badge, thereby ruining her chance to impress the former Champion and Elite Four Leader.

"Challenger, if you do not send out your next Pokémon you will be disqualified!"

She was going to lose in front of Agatha, one of the greatest Pokémon Masters to ever live, as well as two of the only friends she had. Not only that, but Ruby was pretty sure she had put her blouse on inside out again given how everyone in the audience was laughing at her...

"Challenger, you-"

"Ruby!" Sakura cried, causing Ruby to sluggishly turn her head. "You can do this! Don't let Gengar scare you! Weiss and I believe in you, and so do your Pokémon! If you don't believe in yourself, believe in them!"

Ruby ogled at her for a moment, having difficulty understanding her words. In her lap Togetic was grinning ear to ear, chirping her unconditional love and support. Beside them, Weiss sat with her arms crossed, staring as if patiently waiting for something to happen before giving the subtlest of nods.

"Thank you," the caped-girl said, barely able to get the words out and afraid to say anything more. The crowd had fallen mostly silent which Ruby thought was somehow even worse, but wiping her eyes she regarded her opponents again. Morty stood solemnly in position with a hand raised toward the judge while Gengar had fallen back, grinning from pointed ear to pointed ear, watching as Ruby retrieved a Friend Ball from her belt.

Absently she readjusted her cloak and took several deep breaths before throwing the ball into the air.

"Go, Meganium! I-I choose you!" From the Pokeball emerged a large quadrupedal reptile with green fur and a pink flower growing around its neck, as well as a friendly smile that rivaled that of Gengar's. The plant Pokémon let out a cheerful bellow and waved to the crowd with a pair of vines that extended from behind its flower, but soon returned to its trainer to nuzzle.

Ruby wrapped her arms around Meganium's neck and took a deep breath, immediately feeling her body relax thanks to the soothing aroma she naturally produced. "Thanks, Meganium," she gushed. "I really needed that."

The Pokémon bayed loudly, briefly lifting her trainer into the air before setting her back down again.

"Okay-okay-okay! No more panic attacks! I'm good now, really, b-but-" her eyes drifted toward Gengar but Meganium quickly blocked her view. Despite herself Ruby laughed as everything seemed funny all of a sudden, and she rubbed Meganium's snout just the way she liked. "Listen, I don't know how much Scizor and Ledian have left, so this battle may be up to you. Think you can handle it?"

Meganium bayed even louder, a challenge in her tone, and after a lick that lifted Ruby onto the tips of her toes she returned to the battlefield to face her opponent who had been waiting patiently, albeit occasionally rearranging the location of its eyes and mouth.

"Challenger," said the battle judge. "The battle will resume at your command!"

"R-right." She readjusted her hood and took a deep breath, ignoring the crowd and its cheers. "Meganium, use Petal Blizzard!"

With a loud cry razor sharp petals released from Meganium's flower and engulfed the battlefield, forcing Gengar to become visible after having tried slipping away unseen. The ghost Pokémon didn't seem particularly bothered by the never ending assault, and grinned when Morty commanded a Sludge Bomb.

Opening its mouth impossibly wide, Gengar ejected a glob of purple ooze down onto Meganium who was too large and too slow to fully doge out of the way in time. It cried out in agony from the super effective attack, and turned to her trainer with a sickly expression and purple foam bubbling on its hindquarters.

"Quick! Get rid of the poison with Aromatherapy!"

The plant Pokémon its body shook from side to side, releasing green spores into the air that quickly filled the arena. All the spectators sighed in unison from the pleasant aroma, as did Meganium due to the festering wound suddenly healing.

"Aromatherapy combined with Sweet Scent," Morty commented, nodding in approval as Gengar's invisible movements in the air were made obvious. "Use Sludge Bomb again!"

"Behind you, Meganium! Leech Seed!"

Once again the plant Pokémon shook its body, releasing dozens of seeds into the air. Tiny vines sprouted and upon contact began wrapping themselves around the ball of sludge until it was nothing more than a large bush that harmlessly bounced off her grassy fur.

Gengar quickly retreated again but due to the fragrant spores filling the air, Meganium was able to follow its movements and launch another barrage of seeds, all narrowly missing their elusive target.

"Now use Night Shade!"

The shadow Pokémon paused as its eyes were replaced by ethereal flames, but just as it was about to release the dark energy, vines began wrapping around its gaseous form, squeezing Gengar into an unnatural shape and causing something akin to electricity to course through its now corporeal body. Another vine attached itself to Meganium like an umbilical cord, and her body began glowing and becoming more vibrant each time Gengar cried out.

Surprised, Morty glanced down and gritted his teeth, noticing the large pods growing where the previous barrage of seeds had landed and had spat out their own seeds, presumably due to the Pokémon's natural affinity with plants.

"Great work, Meganium! Now use Ingrain!" Roots sprouted from the grass Pokémon's feet into the ground, causing all the plants to double in size and for Gengar to cry out even louder as its energy began feeding them as well.

"Quick, Gengar! Use Thunder!"

With an agonized roar the shadow Pokémon flew to the ceiling and raised its stubby arms over its head, electricity crackling between its talons as the lights began to flicker. A thunderous clap overhead caused everyone to cover their ears, and Ruby dropped to her knees and screamed as a bolt of lightning struck the battlefield.

Those who hadn't closed or covered their eyes were left blinded, and when Ruby finally opened hers the dust was just beginning to setting on the crater that had once been their battlefield. Gengar floated down to the ground tearing off charred vines from around its body, out of breath and its gaseous form smaller than before, but all Ruby saw was Meganium on her knees unable to stand. Electricity coursed around her body before eventually subsiding courtesy of the Aromatherapy still lingering in the air, but a lightning bolt pattern reminiscent of a tattoo had been branded across her grassy hide.

She tried to stand once more but fell back down, and inspecting the plant Pokémon more closely Ruby gasped when she saw why. Charred roots clung to the bottoms of her feet which were burned just like the rest of the plants including sections of her prized flower...

"Meganium!" Ruby shouted, jumping to her feet. Fresh tears replaced those from the thunderclap, and she leapt atop Meganium to keep her from trying to stand again.

"Meganium has been deemed unable to battle due to forfeit," declared the judge, the audience eerily silent as Ruby comforted her injured and distraught Pokémon.

"It's okay, it's okay," she repeated until Meganium finally stopped trying to stand. "You were incredible, Meganium. I know you wanna keep battling but I don't wanna to see you get hurt, and you already helped us win. Thank you so much. Here, take a nice long rest. We'll get you to the Pokémon Center in just a bit, a-and I'll even have a new gym badge to show you. I-I promise."

The long necked Pokémon licked her face before reluctantly returning to its Pokeball, and with the hood covering her face, Ruby returned to her position trying to wipe away her tears as stealthily as possible, her knees still trembling from the thunderclap. With her head still down she retrieved another Pokeball from her belt before returning it, momentarily forgetting who was in whose Pokeball due to the confusing nature of Baton Pass.

"You can do it, Ruby!" Sakura cheered followed by hundreds if not thousands of spectators.

"G-go, Scizor!"

The red mantis reappeared, its metal body brighter than before as if recently polished, and began calmly sharpening its pincers, never taking its eyes off of Gengar who seemed to have mostly recovered from the previous battle.

'Not much longer,' Ruby thought to herself. 'Any minute now...'

"Scizor, use Swords Dance!"

"Disable!" Just as its opponent began spinning in a circle, a faint reddish glow around its body, Gengar held up a talon and immediately Scizor came to a halt. "Good work! Now use Shadow Ball!"

"Bullet Punch to dodge and get in close, then use Night Slash!"

In the blink of an eye Scizor appeared directly in front of Gengar with a glowing pincer than became surrounded by darkness and repelled the ethereal energy being gathered in Gengar's palms. Upon release Scizor effortlessly cut through not only the ghostly attack, but also straight through Gengar's gaseous body.

As Gengar plummeted toward the ground Morty commanded him to turn invisible before a follow up Bullet Punch could connect. Unsure what to do next, Scizor landed back onto the battlefield awaiting his trainer's next command.

"Clever," Weiss commented from the bench. "While Night Shade is more powerful and would've ignored Scizor's Steel-typing, it also leaves itself more open to attacks while Shadow Ball allows Gengar greater mobility."

"But did you see how Scizor used Bullet Punch to close the distance!?" Sakura gushed, petting Togetic who was watching the battle intently. "If they can just keep this up they'll win!"

"Not necessarily." She pointed at the metallic mantis, noting how out of breath it was. "Morty's not a fool, and the same trick isn't going to work twice. Besides, that was four attacks in rapid succession by an already exhausted Pokémon that's just gotten over being cursed. From where I'm sitting, Gengar is by far in the better position."

"Don't listen to her, Ruby! You can do this!"

"Now Scizor!" she cried. "Use Iron Defense!"

With his opponent still in hiding, the mantis crossed its pincers over its chest and lowered its chin, bracing for impact while its body regained its metallic sheen.

Across the battlefield Morty frowned, suspecting that his opponents were purposefully goading an attack in order to make Gengar commit to an action and reveal its location. At the same time however, they couldn't allow Scizor to bolster its defenses too long. Sludge Bomb wouldn't have any effect against a Steel-type, Night Shade took too long, and Shadow Ball wasn't very effective even if Scizor wasn't capable of cutting through it like butter. And because of Meganium's Aromatherapy still lingering in the air, status conditions were also out of the question...

"No other choice! Gengar, use Thunder!"

At the top of the arena electricity began crackling, the lights dimming once more, and down below Ruby held up a Pokeball. "This is it, Scizor! Baton Pass!"

Without even looking, Scizor returned to the Pokeball, forcing a tiny humanoid ladybug to be ejected and for Ruby to cover her ears as thunder rumbled overhead.

"What are you doing!?" Weiss screamed, jumping to her feet. "You'll kill her!"

Sakura closed her eyes and squeezed Togetic, attempting to cover her eyes but to no avail.

"Gengar!" Morty cried. "Stop!

"THUNDER PUNCH!"

Lightning flashed and thunder clapped, and all at once everyone was blind and deaf. The ground shook underneath, and it was several moments before anyone even realized that the lights were still flickering. A giant dust cloud caused many to cough and gag, and what parts of the battlefield that could be seen hardly even resembled itself anymore.

As the dust settled and everyone began expecting the worst however, Ledian appeared hovering just inches above the ground with all four fists crackling with electricity. Sparks bit at the softest parts of her body as she stretched her fists out as far away as possible, and occasionally her toes would scrape the dirt and threaten to become her new home.

Gengar came floating down a moment later, breathing heavily as it stared at the tiny Pokémon, impressed but also sorrowful to see her. Morty took his eyes off the pitiful-looking Pokémon just long enough to scowl at her trainer.

"Gengar, get this over with. Use-"

Before the words could fully come out of his mouth, the universe tore open and a blue meteor pulsating with psychic energy struck Gengar from behind, pinning him to the ground while roaring in agony. Morty just like everyone else could only stare and watch in awe, but slowly his gaze turned to the tiny winged Pokémon now sitting up in Sakura's lap and absolutely beaming. "Future Sight," he whispered. "I-I forgot..."

"Ledian was there when Togetic hatched from an egg," Ruby said, the ladybug Pokémon returning to the air with some effort while Gengar struggled getting to its knees. "They're best friends, and Togetic can see Ledian's future better than her own. Which if you ask me is looking pretty bright! Ledian! Finish this with Thunder Punch!"

'BEH-BEE!'

'Tic-tic!'

With her entire body enveloped by electricity and with sparks showering the entire battlefield, Ledian thrust forward with all four glowing fists toward Gengar, lightning flashing and thunder clapping as the arena was once again engulfed.

The flash of light only subsided when Ledian's battle cry gave way, and when the lights came back on and dust finally settled, Gengar was a mere shadow smeared on the ground while Ledian lay face down atop an overturned rock, sweating and panting heavily, conscious if only barely.

"Gengar is unable to battle!" the judge declared, raising the green flag up in the challenger's direction. "The winner is Ruby Rose of the Patchwork Village!"

The crowd already on its feet roared and began chanting both Ruby and Ledian's names, but for the victors they could only stare at one another in disbelief.

"W-we won?" Ruby murmured, shaking her head. "Ledian! We won! We actually won!"

Although her legs were weak, Ruby sprinted toward the ladybug Pokémon, nearly tripping over the uneven ground before jumping atop Ledian, still lingering electricity biting at her and causing her hair to stand on end. Ledian buried her face in her trainer's neck and together began sobbing. Togetic quickly fluttered over, joining the embrace and showering them both with kisses. Sakura followed behind as quickly as she could, but Weiss was more careful navigating the crater that in places more resembled canyons, keeping her distance even after climbing over the final dirt mound.

"That was incredible!" Sakura cried, her voice being drowned out by the chorus of cheers and applause, as well as celebratory music.

"Yes. Yes it was..." said Weiss quietly, glancing away to presumably admire the lightning bolt patterns in the dirt. "Both of them..."

Sakura jumped atop Ruby and her Pokémon, squeezing them and receiving her fair share of kisses as well. As they all giggled and shed tears of joy, a shadow loomed over them causing the girls to freeze. Despite Gengar being barely more than a pair of eyes and a mouth, the shadow Pokémon's normally sinister grin was instead cheerful if not a little sheepish, and all five glanced up as an even taller figure appeared.

"Excellent work, Ruby," Morty said, the audience quickly growing silent. "It's been some time since Gengar and I have had a battle quite like that."

"I-I don't think we've ever had a battle like that," Ruby admitted, wiping her eyes. "Thank you. Both of you, and your other Pokémon too."

Morty held out his hand. "A champion belongs on their feet, Ruby, not on the ground. That goes for you too Sakura."

Sniffling, Ruby accepted the help up, holding onto Sakura's hand while Ledian and Togetic sat atop their trainer's shoulder in an embrace, using her cloak to dry their eyes and occasionally blow their noses.

"Ruby Rose," he said in a loud, authoritative voice. "As the Ecruteak City Gym Leader and on behalf of the Pokémon League, I hereby present you with the Fog Badge in recognition of you and your Pokémon's battle prowess, as well as your teamwork and if I may say so, creativity. Congratulations. It's well deserved and hard earned."

Turning her hand over, Ruby gasped as a metallic blue emblem resembling a ghost's face had fallen into her sweaty palm. "I-I-"

"And please take this as well." Reaching into his pocket, Morty procured a plastic case containing a mini-disk which he also handed over. "This is the Technical Machine for Shadow Ball. Insert it into your Pokedex or a PC and you'll be given instructions on how to teach your Pokémon the signature attack of the Ecruteak City Gym. It will be difficult to learn and even more difficult to master, but after tonight I have no doubt that you and your Pokémon are more than capable. Good luck, and I wish you and your Pokémon well on your journey."

With the city's gym leader finished with his traditional inspiring speech to his challenger, the crowd resumed their standing ovation, and glancing up with twinkling eyes, Ruby saw Agatha standing up straight and clapping. Even the gym trainers had forgotten about her and instead were celebrating with the rest of the audience.

"I-I don't know what to say," she sniffed, hugging the badge to her chest. "Thank you..."

After squeezing it so tightly she was afraid it might break, Ruby passed the badge over to Ledian and Togetic, who instead of fighting over who got to look at it first, appeared to be fighting over who got to look at it after the other.

Morty smiled and flattened the young trainer's untamed hair. "You are more than welcome, Ruby. From this day forward, your signature and a photo of you and all your Pokémon will be added to the hall of victors within this gym, but before that I believe your friend has something important she wishes to say."

"Huh?" Ruby turned and saw the girl in white staring at her before quickly looking away, holding her arms to her chest as if she were cold. "Weiss? What's wrong?"

"I, um..." She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed. "Ruby, I need to apologize to you and your Pokémon. Again..."

After a moment of silence passed Weiss opened her eyes, grimacing and still unable to look Ruby in the eye. "After you ran off yesterday, I told Morty all about your Baton Pass strategy. I-I told him and myself it was because I wanted you to learn to not rely on cheap tricks to win battles, but the truth is I mostly just wanted to see you lose as payback for embarrassing me earlier. The more painful and humiliating the better..."

"You what!?" Sakura yelled, moving in front of Ruby with balled up fists. "So everything you told Ruby before the battle was a lie!? What about what you told me!? Was that all a lie too!?"

Weiss flinched and averted her gaze to the ground. "I-I didn't lie to you, Sakura, and I didn't lie to Ruby either, not entirely at least." She took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Ruby, once more you've proven me wrong about you and your Pokémon, a-and I couldn't be happier for you, or more sorry. I don't ask for your forgiveness, but you deserve to know the truth..."

She bowed her head low and closed her eyes, awaiting the physical or verbal lashing she more than deserved, but she was forced to keep waiting. Up above, the confused spectators had gradually been growing silent, watching the peculiar scene intently.

"Y-you really did that, Weiss?" a hurt voice squeaked.

The girl in white winced as though she'd already been struck, and flinched again when someone grabbed her by the arm, presumably to throw her out of the gym or introduce her to the bottom of the crater when she heard giggling and hesitantly looked up.

"Huh?"

"We still won the Fog Badge, didn't we?" Ruby asked, her Pokémon holding the badge up triumphantly.

Weiss nodded, not trusting their cheerful demeanor. "Yes you did..." her voice cracked.

The caped-girl smiled and Weiss couldn't help smiling back at her, albeit sheepishly. "Weiss, I've lost enough gym battles to know what you did wouldn't have made a difference either way, and if we had lost that would've just proven your point. Right?" She turned to look at Morty but just like his Gengar merely smiled rather than answering outright.

"Maybe if I'd lost another gym battle and if my Pokémon had battled for nothing I'd be upset right now, but we just had the battle of our lives! And we finally beat a gym leader on our first try! And it was against ghost Pokémon! You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that to get rid of me!"

Without warning she wrapped her arms around the heiress, who once the shock wore off embraced her back despite all the eyes watching and her own scarred eye beginning to water. "I'm sorry, Ruby, and I promise I won't ever do something so stupid or horrible ever again..."

"You better not," Ruby laughed, squeezing her tighter. "From now on leave the stupid to me!"

Standing on a wooden stage with gold and silver engravings were seven young women wearing white face paint and dazzling kimonos. Just like the ornaments in their dark hair, each kimono appeared to be just as alive as the four legged Pokémon beside them. Fire, water, lightning, sunlight, moonlight, leaves, and snowflakes were all represented by their respective ceremonial attire, and atop each Pokémon's head was an ornate crown decorated with gems and the symbols of their many accomplishments, as well as a pair of feathers above each ear, one sparkling silver and the other radiant like a rainbow.

Hundreds of spectators, perhaps even a couple thousand, sitting on the floor and from the balcony watched in silence as a young woman with an Espeon walked forward, seemingly gliding despite her wooden shoes.

"Tonight my sisters and I honor a trainer who has defeated not only the seven Kimono Girls of Ecruteak, but also our beloved sister in Laverre City. May the kimono she now adorns be a symbol of not only her strength, but also the unyielding bond she has with her Pokémon. Please, put your hands together for Weiss of Lumiose City!"

As the dance theater erupted in cheers and applause, the young women parted revealing a regal-looking teenage girl in a white kimono tied with a red sash, matching the ghost Pokémon floating next to her that appeared just long enough to bow while a Glaceon sat with its chin held high and a Never-Melt Ice resting atop its head like a crown. Weiss' hair was tied back much like the other women she shared the stage with, but although her face hadn't been painted white like theirs, it was very nearly just as pale despite the extra effort that had gone into covering her scar.

Weiss smiled from ear to ear, eyes twinkling and cheeks blushing as cheers and all manner of flowers were thrown onto the stage. None were more spectacular however than from Ruby Rose, who had changed into one of the trainee's red kimonos due to not having anything formal to wear and also not wanting to look out of place or draw attention to herself. After throwing all the bouquets she and Meganium had grown just earlier that day, she then began bragging to everyone in the theater that she knew the girl on stage and that they were even traveling companions.

Everyone showered the stranger from another land with acclamation, all except another teenage girl standing in the darkest corner of the theater. She wore white face paint just like the other Kimono Girls and trainees, but unique to her was a bow in her hair and a black kimono tied with a golden sash, complementing the Umbreon perched on the statue by her shoulder.

"Schnee..."

Her lip was twisted into a snarl, a bouquet crushed beneath her feet as she trembled, looking as though she might be sick at her stomach. The black cat-like Pokémon nuzzled her comfortingly, the golden rings adorning its body glowing slightly, but its crimson eyes never straying far from the invisible guardian on the stage.

"No," said the girl in a low, monotone voice, speaking perhaps more to herself than her companion. "As much as her family deserves it, we don't do that anymore..."

Despite her words neither of them took their eyes off the girl or her Pokémon, not even when the ceremony was over and she had snuck away to speak to an elderly woman in the front row, ignoring several dozen reporters and important looking businessmen by doing so.

"Sakura!" cried a voice above all the others. "Hey, sorry to bother you but have you seen Sakura? She has, well, hair just like yours, white face paint, and-"

Without even looking, Blake pointed toward the back, hardly giving the recent gym challenger a second glance other than to scowl at the girl who had somehow fallen in league with a Schnee and already paid the price, and foolishly seemed willing to pay it again.

Ruby ran across the theater ducking and dodging limbs until she breathlessly caught up to the trainee now adorned in full Kimono Girl garb, which while not as luxurious as those still dancing on the stage, was still a sight to behold. Sakura grinned and twirled for her, hardly recognizable under her black wig and makeup, and if not for her Espeon or having already seen them in a show together, Ruby would've never even recognized her.

"The-show-was-amazing!" she gushed, speaking at a hundred miles an hour. "You-look-terrific-and-thanks-again-for-letting-me-borrow-your-Flareon-kimono! The-nicest-thing-I-own-is-what-I-wore-to-the-gym-battle-and-it-was-dirty-and-I-kinda-sweated-through-it-and-I-don't-think-I-wore-enough-deodorant!"

On and on she continued rambling, and Sakura's only response was to giggle throughout. "Come on, I know you hate crowds so let's go somewhere a little quieter." Taking Ruby by the hand she led her to the back of the theater where the ceilings were higher and led directly to the courtyard outside where dozens of patrons had already gathered and begun celebrating to their heart's content.

She ended up leading Ruby to furthest seats within the theater near where Meganium and Scizor had taken residence. The gentle giant being far too large to stand up and move around comfortably was seemingly content lying down while bobbing her head in rhythm to the music, the rough pads under her feet no longer showing signs of having been burned. Scizor meanwhile was leaning against a pillar with his head down, possibly trying to take a nap but occasionally keeping an eye on his fellow party members. Ledian on the other hand fluttered all around the theater, greeting everyone and shaking their hands while Togetic showered them with hugs and kisses, causing many to come by for second and thirds.

"Ruby, I-" Sakura's voice cracked. With her eyes twinkling she quickly looked away and fluttered her eyelashes before her mascara could run. "Just in case you decide to leave town again without saying goodbye, or if you decide to leave while I'm here at the theater, I-I just wanted to say that I'm gonna miss you, and there's something I want you to have."

Reaching into her kimono she retrieved a brightly colored feather that shimmered like a rainbow, matching the feathers worn by the Pokémon on the stage. Ruby stared with her mouth hanging open, and Sakura had to grab her hand in order for her to take it.

"It's called a Rainbow Wing." she explained, "It's an actual feather from Ho-Oh. They're passed down from Kimono Girl to Kimono Girl, and this one belonged to my mom and her mom before her. And now I want you to have it."

"Sakura," she breathed, her hand shaking. "I can't take this!"

The trainee smiled. "I've already told my mom and sister, and they both gave their blessings. Don't worry, the theater's not gonna run out of feathers anytime soon. Legends say that Ho-Oh can peer into the hearts of anyone who carries one of its feathers and only appear before those pure of heart. It won't do me any good here in Ecruteak where everybody's already on the lookout, but if anyone has a chance of seeing Ho-Oh again, it's you. Even if the legend is just another made up story we tell tourists, I still want you to have it as a way to remember me by..."

Ruby looked down at her trembling hand, shaking her head. "I-I can't. What if I lose it? Or-"

Sakura squeezed her hand around Ruby's and the feather which pulsated with warmth not unlike a beating heart. "Ruby, you reminded me why I want to continue my family's legacy and become a Kimono Girl, and it's not like we'll never see each other again. Remember what you said about traveling to Kanto together? How about you hold on to that Rainbow Wing for me until then. That way you don't get distracted or go off on another crazy adventure without me. Even Espeon thinks it's a good idea!"

The cat-like Pokémon at their feet mewled and stared at Ruby intently, the red gem on its forehead glowing.

"Oh! And I have one more thing I wanna show you!" Sakura whistled as if hailing a taxi and a moment later patrons began jumping in the air or to the side, appearing to be trying not to step on something as a heavenly chime made its way toward them. Almost immediately Ruby's fear and anxiety disappeared, and a brown foxlike Pokémon suddenly appeared doing laps around their legs, a silver bell tied around its red and black collar.

After doing several circles around them and failing to get Espeon to play, Sakura bent down and scooped the Eevee up into her arms. "When a trainer defeats all seven Kimono Girls its tradition to present them with their very own ceremonial Kimono, but win or lose we're always on the lookout for kindhearted people who love Pokémon. Here at the theater we all raise several Eevee each year to give away just the Pokémon given away at labs and Pokémon Centers. This is the same Eevee you've seen me with lately but it isn't actually mine. I've been raising him just for you, Ruby."

She gave the Pokémon a lingering kiss atop the head, tears filling her eyes. "Eevee, sweetie, this is it. I'd like you to meet your new best friend and family!"

Without warning or the need to be prompted, the foxlike Pokémon jumped out of Sakura's arms into Ruby's, immediately crawling all over her and licking her face.

Ruby quickly fell onto her backside giggling and crying, and squeezed him tightly when she finally got a hold of him. "Sakura, I-I don't know what to say, other than he's the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

*sniff*

"Thank you so much!"

Hearing the commotion and their trainer's uncontrollable sobbing, Togetic and Ledian fluttered over to sniff and officially greet the newest addition to the team while Meganium extended a vine to pet his ears. Scizor meanwhile opened his eyes just long enough to give the Pokémon a somewhat approving nod before returning to his rest.

"What do you say, little guy?" Ruby sniffed. "Wanna go on a journey with us and help me become a Pokémon Master? I've always got lots of treats in my pockets!"

Eevee immediately agreed and began licking her face again, not stopping until every inch had been cleaned and Ruby had no more tears to shed.

"I think that's a yes," Sakura interpreted, helping Ruby to her feet. Afterward she gave her a lingering hug before tapping their foreheads together. "I'm sorry I can't come with you, Ruby. I'm gonna miss you every day that you're gone, but I'm glad you're not gonna be alone and that it's with someone I trust..."

She released her, and standing there in her white kimono and priceless jewels was Weiss, blushing slightly and unsure what to say. Finally, after setting Eevee down to play with the other Pokémon it was Ruby who held out her hand.

"Friends?" she asked.

Weiss looked at the hand and its sweaty palm, her nose twitching slightly when without warning she wrapped her arms around Ruby and squeezed, leaving just enough room for Sakura to join in.

"Best friends..."

(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Thank you, friends, for all the love and support you've shared with me while writing this story. What began as just a fun little distraction while I took a break from "The Patchwork Prodigy" has become something very near and dear to my heart. As a longtime Pokémon fan this story has been a "dream come true" of sorts, and I'm reminded why I fell in love with Pokémon so many years ago and of my old dream of writing an official Pokémon story someday.

I hope I was able to do a fan-favorite Pokémon like Gengar justice, and that you enjoyed it taking the combined efforts of all four of Ruby's Pokémon to defeat it. On top of the battle with Gengar, everyone contributed to the overall battle, and the only Pokémon not to get any victories was Meganium, but I think that's understandable considering her only opponent was Gengar. Still, she was able to use Aromatherapy to protect her teammates from status ailments while also lowering Gengar's evasiveness (Aromatherapy and Sweet Scent being combined just makes sense to me), and Leech Seed is nothing to scoff at either. I also thought it would be interesting to see a Pokémon still technically capable of battling but the main character not wanting to risk them getting injured as I don't recall ever seeing that back when I watched the anime. Togetic was arguably the MVP in my opinion, being able to defeat both Gastly and Misdreavus while also curing the team's Curse with Heal Bell and hitting a timely Future Sight against Gengar. Ledian's defensive Thunder Punch saved Scizor from a brutal Thunder, and Scizor while only getting one KO is more or less the "blunt instrument" of Ruby's team, and raw attack power simply isn't enough against a trainer like Morty. Still, he managed to defeat Haunter and did some major damage to Gengar with Night Slash, and you could argue he was the only Pokémon remaining on Ruby's team since Ledian could've probably been considered unable to battle.

Although Ruby's game plan nearly cost her the battle and likely would have if not for Morty's intervention, she was still able to salvage the plan near the end which is what a good trainer (and smart character) does in my opinion. A plan that goes without opposition doesn't make for much of a story, but while it's necessary for characters to be able to adapt and come up with entirely new plans, I also like it when they're able to reincorporate certain elements in order to succeed. With Ruby being a less experienced trainer I think she would naturally fall back on what she knows and is comfortable with, and that's everyone working together to defeat an opponent.

The more I write Sakura's character the more she grows on me. Originally her role was minimal and more akin to a supporting character, but I kept finding her inclusion to be necessary due to the "antagonistic" nature of Ruby and Weiss' relationship, and also because I didn't think Ruby would be willing to show her vulnerability in front of Weiss when trying to impress her. I'm very happy with the way her character turned out, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her and seeing where she and Ruby (and Weiss) go from here. Also, I hope you enjoyed Sakura gifting Ruby with an Eevee and Rainbow Wing. Both felt very natural for Ruby to have in my opinion, and I adore the idea of Ruby snuggling with an Eevee at night, especially one so young and full of energy. Plus while receiving a gym badge for her battle prowess and Rainbow Wing for her kindness are pretty cool "rewards", I think being gifted an Eevee by a friend is what Ruby would treasure the most and feels the most in line with the true spirit of Pokémon in my opinion.

Also, I'm aware that I played around with some of the rules from the games. Hex and Heal Bell have no effect on Cursed Pokémon, but in my opinion that doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. You'd think that given their names Curse/Hex would be an effective combo, and Heal Bell is essentially a heavenly (spiritual) chime that restores the vitality of everyone who hears it. You'd think it'd also cure curses, especially since Curse is a status condition. I'm also aware that as of the sixth generation of games Steel-types are no longer resistant to Ghost-type attacks. I'm just not a fan of this in-game change and decided to ignore it in this story. As a long time fan I was bound to forget about the change anyway. This just simplifies matters for me, and more importantly, it means I can continue living in a world where Metagross isn't weak to Shadow Ball.

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