Officer Mike was still waiting outside when the two exited the classroom.
"You took your time. Let's go." Mike motioned his head towards the exit.
"Tonight," Ryker mouthed silently to Moxy before walking away with his partner.
Suddenly, the school bell rang out, and seconds later the halls filled with students going to their next classes.
"The ordeals of learning," Moxy muttered in exhaustion as she made her way back to her classroom.
When she came back to class the entire room went silent. Moxy ignored everyone's stares and just listened to Roxanne teach. She endured two more periods of pokemon training before lunchtime rolled around. She sat down on a picnic table in the courtyard and let Sylveon out of her ball, as promised.
When she opened her lunch bag, there was a soggy peanut butter and jelly sandwich covered in plastic wrap that almost caused Moxy to retch. Its contents were all over the bread, and the jelly looked grimy.
"You want this?" Moxy displayed it in the air for her. Sylveon's face twisted in disgust and she shook her head. Moxy gave Sylveon the sandwich and the pokemon quickly tossed it into the trash can beside them.
Moxy pulled out a small box of food from her bag called TOGE-PELLETS. Moxy turned the box around.
"Now with extra calcium," she deadpanned. Moxy took a cautious whiff of the food before jerking her nose away in disgust. "You actually like this stuff, Sylvie?"
Sylveon was bobbing her head up and down in excitement, waiting to be fed. Moxy sighed.
The girl settled on an apple before moving on to another four classes of general studies, which were language, history, mathematics, and human biology. Every minute in those classes felt like hours. She didn't need to learn about consonants, what happened to the Desert Resort in Unova one thousand years ago, what the quadratic formula was, or what was keeping her heart beating. Her final class was gymnastics, and it was the only class she even considered fun. As soon as the final bell rang, Moxy hurried out of the school.
The clear, afternoon sky had begun to darken, and the frosty air chilled Moxy to her core as she strolled along the stone sidewalk. Cars whizzed by her, and every dozen or so steps she would pass a lamppost. As she walked to the pokemon center, the whipping wind struck her face.
I could train Sylveon against a mini-tailwind in these conditions, Moxy thought. It took about five minutes to reach the center, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the tall, red-roofed building. Just around the right side of the center was a fenced-off area enclosing a clearing of gravel, and white lines in the clearing formed a rectangular perimeter that was the battleground. She ran across the street, making her way through the automatic doors and into the cream-yellow interior. Right off the bat, she noticed the cheery, pink-dressed woman leaning over the reception counter drinking a coffee. Moxy gave her an unfocussed greeting as she walked out a side entrance to the training area.
There were a couple of benches to Moxy's immediate right and left, and pokemon trainers were seated at them. A battle was already taking place in the arena, and the trainers were watching, some even recording the battle on white devices. They were called Vs. Recorders, to Moxy's knowledge.
"Machop, Karate Chop!" someone yelled. In the middle of the rectangular arena, a Machop faced off against an angry-looking Makuhita. Two trainers were at the ends of the battlefield, yelling out orders to their pokemon.
The eighteen-year-old, male trainer on Machop's side was quite tall, averaging at around five feet and nine inches. His white and gray trainers' outfit tightened around his abs, and his broad shoulders bulged out. His polished, caramel hair rose in the front like fire, and there was a battle-hungry grin on his hard, chiseled face. Two, small pokeballs were clipped onto a belt he wore.
Makuhita's trainer was a young, amateurish-looking girl with dark purple hair, and she fashioned a similar outfit, only it was red and black. Her eyes twitched as she watched Machop dance around her lagging pokemon. The Makuhita tried to punch the incoming Machop, but the gray, bipedal pokemon swerved around it. Machop planted a Karate Chop on the back of Makuhita's head and knocked it down into the gravel. Machop flexed in front of its opponent, its large, red eyes glinting with determination. The Makuhita picked itself back up, glaring at the flaunting Machop.
"Finish it off with Seismic Toss!" Machop's trainer called out. The trainers' form was composed as he observed the ongoing battle. Machop grinned as it sprinted towards the round pokemon, and that was when the girl made her move.
"Arm Thrust!" she yelled. Makuhita punched Machop right in its gut, winding the gray pokemon. A series of punches followed right after, and when Machop tried to take a step back, the Makuhita advanced one step forward, keeping up with the assault.
"Grab an arm and follow up with Revenge!" the boy called out impatiently. His pokemon did exactly what its trainer said, grabbing and pulling one of Makuhita's arms mid-thrust. Machop's body seared with power, and one lariat was all it took to knock out the bulky pokemon.
The girl scrambled as she unclipped Makuhita's pokeball. Red light enveloped the pokemon as it went inside the ball. The boy patted his Machop on its rugged head while returning the pokemon to its pokeball. He walked up to the girl, pulled out a yellow device from his jacket, and pressed a couple of buttons. With a little bit of analysis, Moxy confirmed it was a PokeNav. The purple-haired girl reluctantly took out her PokeNav, punched in a couple of buttons, and waited until she had paid the other trainer the cash prize for winning. Both trainers put away their PokeNavs and shook hands before returning to the benches along the sides of the arena.
"Who's next?" the boy asked the cluster of trainers at the waiting area, a hint of challenge in his thick, northern accent.
"I am," Moxy spoke up before anyone could. At her sight, the boy's stormy blue eyes lit up in surprise.
"Oh Moxy, I didn't see you there," he gasped. "What did you… think of the battle?"
"That was just a warm-up, Charles," she replied with a smirk.
Charles ran a hand through his hair, his eyebrows raised. "That's rich, coming from you. Well then, shall we?" he started, walking towards a pedestal near the left side of the arena. He pressed a button on the pedestal, and a large, glass screen emerged from white lines. The glass had numerous marks and streaks. Moxy threw her bag down by the benches and walked into the glass enclosure through a door. Charles followed her inside and pushed a switch near the door that closed off the arena. Both trainers walked towards opposite ends of the battlefield and faced each other.
"I hope Sylveon is ready!" he yelled from his side of the field while unclipping a pokeball.
"She always is," Moxy said quietly, pulling out a tiny pokeball. She clicked the middle of the ball, causing it to enlarge. She tossed it into the air, and it burst with multi-colored light. Sylveon landed on the hard gravel in a battle-ready stance.
Charles' pokeball opened in his hand, and a lilac, four-legged pokemon appeared out of the multi-colored light. The pupils of Espeon's starry, dark purple eyes were white, like Sylveon's, and the red gem on her forehead glistened under the blue sky. Her large, cat-like ears lit up at the sight of Sylveon, and she trilled happily in greeting. Sylveon purred in response, waving one of her feelers towards her friend.
Moxy snapped her fingers, and Sylveon narrowed her eyes at her opponent. The trainers at the benches were at the edge of their seats as they filmed the fight with their recorders. Some of them even let out their pokemon to watch.
Charles flicked his hair to the side and stayed silent. Moxy realized he was allowing her to make the first move.
"Echoed Voice!" she yelled, giving Charles no chance to react. Before her pokemon could even open her mouth, Espeon became enveloped in white energy. She sprinted at Sylveon at an alarming speed, headbutting her mid-move. Sylveon still shouted out as she was knocked aside, and the pink soundwave went flying towards the benches. Thankfully, the glass stopped the wave dead in its tracks. Espeon waved her head back snobbishly, the white energy dissipating from her body.
"Quick Attack, while she's trying to get up!" Charles repeated. Moxy's heart skipped as she scrambled to think of a way to defend her pokemon.
"Hide in the gravel using Sand Attack!" she finally shouted. Sylveon immediately sprang back on her feet and used her long feelers to thrash the gravel around her erratically, whipping up a small dust cloud. Espeon dashed away to a safe distance, examining the cloud with her large eyes.
Moxy clicked her tongue in annoyance. Espeon's were known for being able to predict the future by sensing sudden shifts in the wind with their sensitive fur. That was what she read about in her psychic-type compendium, anyways. As she read the definition backward in her mind, she came up with an idea to beat Espeon.
If Sylveon created an artificial gust of air, then she could probably trick Espeon into dodging. A calculated Echoed Voice in the direction she landed should score a hit on the nimble pokemon.
"Can you hear me, Sylveon?" she asked, loud enough to yell over the thrashing but low enough just for Sylveon to hear. The pokemon responded with a yip.
"Use Fairy Wind, three o'clock. Echoed Voice at nine o'clock," she ordered, maintaining her speech volume. A smile crept on her face when the dust cloud suddenly dissipated and a sparkling wind blew towards the right side of Sylveon's field of vision.
"Don't move! Use Confusion!" Charles called out, reading Moxy's ploy. The gem on Espeon's forehead flashed, and red circles of energy were expelled. Sylveon was too preoccupied with waiting for Espeon to dodge the fairy wind. The circles passed through her and red energy outlined Sylveon. She was lifted into the air by an unseen force, and her legs flailed as she tried to break free from the psychic grip. Espeon nudged her head to her right, and Sylveon was propelled into the glass wall. An intense expression formed on the Espeon's face and Sylveon yelped in pain. The psychic attack was pressing the delicate pokemon against the wall, and every cry from Sylveon caused Moxy to wince.
"Echoed Voice! Fight against the pressure!" Moxy commanded. Sylveon struggled against the pressure of the Confusion, directing her head towards Espeon. As soon as the opponent's figure was in her sights, Sylveon let loose a loud cry. Espeon was too slow to avoid the following pink soundwave that disoriented her. She withdrew her sensitive ears under her paws, which freed Sylveon from her psychokinetic hold. Sylveon's body enveloped in pink energy as she bounced off the glass wall, striking Espeon with a Quick Attack before she had a chance to stabilize itself. Espeon crashed into the gray sand, scattering gravel in her area of impact.
"Good stuff!" Moxy cheered her pokemon on. Sylveon did a short, angelic jump, squealing with joy. On the other side, Espeon composed herself, shaking the dirt off her fur.
"It isn't over just yet. Espeon, use Swift!" Charles ordered with a sharp tone.
"Counter with your own Swift!" Moxy said, pitting her Sylveon's power against Espeon's. The two pokemon spun around as they started their attacks. They both unleashed numerous stars from their tails, but Espeon's were white, while Sylveon's were pink. As the stars collided with each other, they exploded in flashes of energy. Moxy had to shield her eyes from the light they emitted with each collision. Sylveon sprang into the air, flipping as she fired more stars from her tail. Espeon did a quick sidestep, avoiding the air assault while shooting out counter stars. As soon as the last two stars clashed, Sylveon and Espeon locked eyes with one another, both panting.
Moxy snapped her fingers twice, the clear sound reverberating across the field. Sylveon flopped her left ear twice in response, and Moxy grinned.
"Get up close with Quick Attack!" she shouted, and pink energy enveloped Sylveon as she bounded towards Espeon, all four feelers outspread and snaking across the gravel. Charles widened his eyes, aware of the trick Moxy was trying to pull.
"It's a distraction! Focus on Sylveon's follow-up move!" he yelled out. As soon as Sylveon got close, Espeon dodged the headbutt with her deft reflexes.
"Use Echoed Voice!" Moxy added, her shoulders tensing up. Sylveon quickly spun around as she passed by Espeon, skating across the gravel and letting her feelers fall gently on the ground. A piercing cry filled the air as the Echoed Voice was let loose. Espeon anticipated the move, jumping up high and evading the soundwave.
Game over, Moxy untensed. Sylveon immediately raised her feelers off the gravel. Espeon sensed the move as soon as it presented itself, but she could do nothing, for she was suspended in the air. The feelers coiled around one of Espeon's slender, hind legs, and she gasped as she was dangled upside-down in the air. Sylveon aimed and drew in the deepest breath.
The soundwave boomed through Espeon as she was swathed in red light. Charles returned his pokemon, sighing in defeat. The glass walls slid back into the ground, and Moxy ran to her pokemon.
"You were spectacular, Sylvie!" she said, kneeling to hug Sylveon. Moxy flinched as her pokemon winced in pain. There was a visible bruise on Sylveon's fur, and she trembled weakly.
"We'll get you healed up right away, girl," Moxy promised, scratching Sylveon under her chin. She cooed as Moxy returned her pokemon to her ball. She stood up and walked over to Charles, who was gazing through the hard floor as if some sort of answer lay beneath it.
"Good match." Charles shook his head from his stupor and gave Moxy a warm smile. "I thought I had that one for sure."
Moxy put her hands on her hip. "You shouldn't have played so defensively. Espeon is much faster than Sylveon."
"I know but... it doesn't help that Sylveon's normal type moves are stronger than Espeon's. I'm already having a hard time getting her to learn Psybeam. And she still can't activate her new ability."
"I know she'll get there soon," Moxy assured him. "It took Sylveon a while to get Pixelate working, too."
Charles returned her kind words with a genuine smile, but Moxy held out her palm. Charles glanced at her hand before his smile turned sheepish.
"Too bad I don't have any solid cash on me right now," Charles simpered, scratching his head. "Maybe if you saved some money on a PokeNav..."
Moxy placed her hands on her hip. "Those aren't the rules. And you know Penny would take my money away before I could even say PokeNav."
"I'd have to make a long trip to the bank…"
"Tell you what. How about you treat me and Sylveon for lunch? Then we'll be even," she convinced. He squinted his eyes at her but succumbed when Moxy gave him the baby-doll eyes.
"Okay, but you better not order four appetizers like last time," he grumbled. Moxy grinned before walking back inside the pokemon center with him.
After Moxy's and Charles' pokemon were fully healed, they went to Moxy's favorite restaurant, a seafood buffet named The Pearl. After the battle, they were hungrier than they thought, so they ended up buying a ton of food, to Charles' dismay. Moxy also bought some sweets, like cupcakes and cookies, for Sylveon and Espeon. Once they were done, they walked over to Rustboro Park and found a bench that overlooked the ocean. They watched their pokemon play under the setting sun while chowing down on cooked Clauncher meat.
"Please remind me never to take you out again," Charles said, dejected at the sight of his bank account from his PokeNav.
"If I did that, then I'd never hang out with you anymore," Moxy mumbled with a mouthful. Charles looked up at her, a sarcastically plain face about him.
"Aww, I'm only kidding around." Moxy finally swallowed her food, punching Charles lightly on the shoulder. "When I become Champion, I'll buy us a feast fit for a king."
A chuckle burst from Charles at hearing that statement, and Moxy punched him again, this time a little harder.
"Ow, I'm just kidding." Charles smiled and rubbed his shoulder.
"I'm serious. I'll beat the Elite Four first. Then I'll defeat Champion Steven. And after that, I'll become the Champion of the world, if that's even a title. I promise we are going to change the world."
"You're forgetting you need to win the Hoenn Conference, too," he added.
"That's gonna be a piece of cake."
"How can you be so sure?" Charles asked. "You haven't even gotten your first gym badge yet."
"Well, Roxanne won't let me battle her gym until I've received my trainer's license," Moxy pouted, crossing her arms. "If I had my way, I would have already wiped the floor with Liza and Tate."
Charles laughed again, this time almost falling off the bench.
"Hmph!" huffed Moxy as she twirled her body away from him.
"Oh Moxy," he said, pulling her arm, "You know I believe you, one hundred percent. You're just getting a little ahead of yourself."
After a few more pulls, Charles finally managed to get her to turn towards him again. She was glaring daggers at him.
"I'm sorry," he started while rummaging through his pocket, "But maybe this will turn your frown upside down."
Charles pulled out a thin but small white box, holding it out for Moxy to take.
"F-for me?" she stammered. She could feel her cheeks burning. After Charles' nod, she took the box carefully. It was weighted in her palm as she opened it. Its velvet-lined interior housed a brilliant, gold bracelet. The ceiling of the case had a gold engraving in it.
For my best friend
"I know how much you like shiny things, so happy birthday, Mox," he said, the corners of his mouth parted into a huge smile.
She was speechless. The setting sun plinked light off the bracelet, and her eyes glimmered with happiness.
"I… don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything. I'm just happy that you are happy."
Moxy gave Charles a big hug. No one has ever done something this nice for her. Well, ever since Dahlia or Elliot, the only people who really cared about her. After she put the white box in her backpack, they continued to watch their pokemon play. Moxy laughed when Sylveon tried to bite Espeon's tail, the psychic pokemon squeaking in surprise and slapping the pink pokemon in retaliation.
"Why don't you let your new pokemon out to play, too?" Moxy asked, a smile on her face. "Don't think I didn't notice you have a Machop in your party now. It's going to be tough to raise two pokemon."
Charles' erected himself properly on the bench, leaning forward and clasping his hands together, "He's… still integrating into the party."
"So, did you catch him or did big brother decide to grace you with another member to your party of one?"
"Umm... sort of. Machop was given to me, yes," Charles hesitated. "But not from Elliot. They are given as starters. To... new entries in the police academy."
"W-wait, entries?" Moxy gasped, her heart skipping a beat. "You mean... you enrolled in the police academy? In Unova? Which means... y-you're leaving."
The boy looked away. "I'm sorry. Father made me. He's hellbent on making me become a police officer, and it doesn't matter what I tell him. He won't change his mind about it."
"How long?"
Charles was reluctant to answer, but Moxy's scolding eyes caused him to spill. "About a year."
"WHAT!?" she bounced from her seat. "A whole year? I... but you..."
Her voice became scratchy. Her throat turned dry. It was hard to swallow. Anger and sadness clouded her thoughts, and she couldn't form a cohesive sentence. She just waited for him to say something. Anything to alleviate the panic racking her mind.
"W-what if you came with me? You could stay in the family home. Train with Elliot. We-"
Moxy shook her head. Tears were streaming down her cheeks now. "You know I can't. I don't have a passport," she sniveled, "And you know your father wouldn't even let me. I'm stuck in this god-awful place. Alone."
"Don't say stuff like that. You're not alone. You have Sylveon."
"It's not the same," she rubbed her eyes, but the tears shed faster than she could dry them. A small sob escaped her lips. Charles rose from his seat to comfort her, but she turned away from him. Her shoulders heaved, and Charles placed his hands on them to steady her.
"I know I should stand up for myself, but... I just couldn't. I'm sorry," Charles whispered. "I thought the bracelet could give you some comfort. Something to remember me by until I come back... if it's any consolation."
"Consolation?" she hissed. "What am I supposed to do with that? You're the only reason I-" she stopped herself. Charles widened his eyes. He was about to ask her to continue, but she snatched her backpack off the ground and began walking away from him. Charles grasped her hand.
"I'm not going anywhere until I get to see you off on your journey in three days. Just stay here with me. Let's enjoy the time we have left, okay?" Charles pleaded.
She yanked her hand away from him and whistled for her pokemon. Sylveon's ears perked up at its master's call, and she sounded a goodbye to Espeon as she followed her trainer. Espeon watched sadly as Moxy's and Sylveon's silhouettes faded in the distance.
Charles rubbed his left knuckles with his right hand, and Espeon came to his side. She could sense Charles's sadness, and Espeon nudged her nose on his knee. Charles scratched behind her ear in return.
"What do I do now, Espy?"