I knocked on the front door to the gym with a confident smile on my face. The door opened almost immediately after I'd knocked, revealing none other than a man I recognized from my dad's stories as Juan's butler, Sebastian.
"Well, this is certainly a large group visiting today." he said, nodding his head as he observed us, his steely gray hair and mustache agleam in the light of the sun as he stood tall in his usual dark blue suit, vest, and pants, red and white dress shirt, and black bow tie. "I take it that one of you is here to challenge Juan?"
"That's right!" I said, raising my right fist confidently.
"Well, I shall not keep you waiting. Come on in."
We all entered and saw that Juan himself was already standing nearby with a smile on his face. Admittedly, while his hair was now fully white and his face much more wrinkled as a result of him now being in his sixties, he was still easy to recognize, thanks to both his familiar hairstyle and the fact that he was still dressed in the same dark grayish black shirt, purple pants, and white outlined blue cloak that he'd been wearing when my dad battled him.
"Greetings, guests." he said. "I humbly welcome you to my gym."
He then looked towards Skye, his smile widening in recognition. "And good to see you again, Skye. It's very nice to see you again, after so long."
It certainly made sense that Juan would recognize Skye so quickly. After all, her father had been Juan's student and had served as the gym leader of Sootopolis City Gym, prior to becoming the Hoenn Regional Champion. And since it had been several years since the last time Skye would have had the chance to see Juan in person, it only made sense that Juan would feel the need to catch up with her, now that she was finally visiting once more.
"I will admit, you've certainly grown since the last time I saw you. I still remember how you were only about as big as my Azurill the last time you were here."
Skye chuckled, a companionable grin on her face. "Glad you've noticed. I'm happy to see that the gym doesn't appear to have changed very much while I was gone."
Juan chuckled and said, "Well, as they say, no need to fix what isn't broken."
He then looked towards where I was standing, alongside Jason and Megan.
"You must be Adam and Megan. You look so much like how Ash and May looked when they were here on their journey at your age."
"Well, here's hoping that I soon remind you of my dad in other ways, Juan." I said, pointing at him. "I've come to challenge you to a battle to win my 8th badge."
"I had a feeling that that was why you were here. I accept. Come along, everyone. The battlefield awaits!"
From there, we all traveled over to the large pool that my dad had told me about in his stories, with Juan and I positioning ourselves on opposite ends of the pool while Sebastian got into position at his designated post as referee and everyone else went to take their seats in the stands positioned next to the pool.
"It's certainly been a long while since I last saw Adam battle." I heard Michelle say as she took her seat directly in between Jason and Amber. "The Johto Pokemon League was almost a whole year ago, in fact. All the more reason to be looking forward to seeing just how much he's improved since then."
"Don't you worry, Michelle." Jason said. "Win or lose, I'm sure that Adam won't disappoint when it comes to his skill at battling."
I chuckled, nodding my head as if to silently say "challenge accepted", before flashing my friends a thumbs-up.
"I made sure to switch my Pokemon team around in preparation for this battle before we boarded the ferry to come to Sootopolis." I said while still looking over at my friends. "I knew that my usual team wouldn't cut it, especially considering how hard it was for my dad to win here."
"Smart idea." said Jason.
"I'm sure you've got just the right Pokemon needed to win, Adam." said Amber.
"I certainly wouldn't be surprised." Michelle agreed.
Juan chuckled and said, "Your father wasn't wrong to tell you how difficult it was for him to win his badge, Adam. In my gym, brute force can only go so far against a trainer who knows how to truly put up a good fight while utilizing all the grace of a coordinator. As you can probably guess, we shall be battling similarly to how your father and I did. We'll start with a double battle here at this pool before proceeding to the second battlefield, where we shall use three other Pokemon each to fight one-on-one."
"Works for me, Juan."
Sebastian made his pre-battle declaration from his position at the referee post, evidently taking my comment as his cue to begin the match.
In a flash, moving surprisingly quick for his age, Juan drew out two Pokeballs at once.
"Sealeo, Seaking, showtime!" he yelled confidently as he released both Pokemon, with Sealeo barking excitedly as it landed in the water while Seaking unleashed a low moan as it also landed in the water.
"You're certainly gonna get a good show today." I said as I drew out the Pokeball for the Pokemon that I planned to use in this phase of the battle.
"Pikachu, Feraligatr, I choose you!" I yelled. In a flash, Feraligatr was released upon a nearby pool pad while Pikachu jumped into position on another.
"Sealeo, let's start with a nice Blizzard for the opening act. Seaking, see if you can further keep everyone's attention with a Horn Attack." Sealeo expelled a stunningly large burst of icy wind from its jaws while Seaking dove under the water's surface where it would no doubt rapidly swim in the direction of Pikachu or Feraligatr before lunging head-first to strike with its horn.
"Get ready." I said to my Pokemon. "Pikachu, be ready to counter with Iron Tail. Feraligatr, do the same with Ice Fang." Both my Pokemon did so, readying themselves under the hope that they'd be able to react in time to defend themselves.
Seaking eventually burst out of the water with its Horn Attack, even while my Pokemon were still suffering under the effects of Sealeo's Blizzard. Unfortunately, Seaking proved a lot faster than expected when it lunged out at Pikachu, jabbing him with its horn and sending him flying! The sight of this caused Feraligatr to turn his head, snarling in surprise. Unfortunately, this moment of distraction proved quite beneficial for Juan.
"Sealeo, strike at Feraligatr with Ice Beam!" Feraligatr was hit with Ice Beam, briefly flinching as he worked to avoid falling off the pool pad that he was standing on. Fortunately, he managed to avoid losing his footing, roaring irritably at Sealeo after regaining his balance while Pikachu managed to clamber back aboard his own pool pad.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Sealeo!" Pikachu obeyed, sending a burst of lightning flying from his body and towards Sealeo...only for Seaking to suddenly jump out from the water in between Sealeo and Pikachu and deflect the Thunderbolt straight towards the ceiling with its horn!
"Come now, Adam." said Juan. "Surely your father told you how my Seaking wouldn't let you score a hit with an Electric attack that easily."
I gritted my teeth. Truth be told, in my eagerness to hopefully strike a hit, I'd completely forgotten about Juan's strategy of having Seaking deflect Electric attacks with its horn. And from what I now remembered being told about this strategy, it was entirely likely that the next Thunderbolt Seaking deflected would be sent flying at Feraligatr. As Pikachu stopped using Thunderbolt and Seaking landed back under the water's surface, Juan was quick to call an attack on Pikachu by Sealeo.
"Sealeo, use Ice Ball on Pikachu." Juan said. Sealeo charged up an Ice Ball and launched it from its mouth.
"Dodge, Pikachu!" Pikachu hurriedly jumped aside in time to avoid getting hit by the Ice Ball, which sailed over the pool pad previously occupied by Pikachu and then landed harmlessly in the water.
Unfortunately, the one Ice Ball that Pikachu had just dodged wouldn't be the last one that Sealeo fired off! And as per the parameters of the move, the next few balls of ice that Sealeo spat out each got bigger and stronger. And by sheer luck, not only did Sealeo manage to spit out a full five balls of ice, but the 5th and final one, which was also the biggest and strongest, managed to hit Pikachu and send him flying! What's worse, the 3rd and 4th icy projectiles from Sealeo's Ice Ball attack managed to strike Feraligatr and knock him into the water!
I had to admit, this was definitely not shaping up to be an easy battle. For starters, Juan's Seaking and Sealeo were proving quite capable of keeping Feraligatr and Pikachu at a distance, which made it difficult for my Pokemon to get close enough to directly hit them with their close combat attacks. But at the same time, I couldn't rely on fighting from a distance, either. Of the two long range moves currently at my disposal, Thunderbolt was something that Seaking could easily deflect at best and redirect at Feraligatr at worst, whereas Feraligatr's Hydro Pump wouldn't be very effective against Seaking or Sealeo, even if it did hit either of them.
"Don't tell me that you're giving up already, Adam?" said Juan from where he stood, looking somewhat concerned as he noticed my current state of indecision. "I've still got plenty of fight left in me if you're willing to keep going."
"Don't worry, Juan. I'm not giving up yet!"
And I wasn't! In fact, with the unwitting push that Juan had just given me, I was already working on thinking up a new strategy. For as Juan said, brute force could only get me so far in this battle. So if I were to win this round, let alone the entire battle, I'd need to get creative and be more clever with my attacks. And as it so happened, I was starting to get the inklings of an idea, now that I could see just how much of an advantage Juan seemed to have in the way that our respective Pokemon were currently positioned.
"Well, then I'm certainly not going to stop this battle now." Juan said. "Sealeo, use another Ice Ball! Fire it at Feraligatr!" Sealeo opened its mouth and started preparing another Ice Ball.
I needed to act quickly, for once Ice Ball was used, every subsequent usage would result in a larger and stronger ball of ice being produced for the attack. So this second one would no doubt cause a fair amount of more damage than the previous one. Fortunately, I soon realized a potentially useful way to counter this.
"Feraligatr, counter with Hydro Pump!" With a roar, Feraligatr spewed a massive jet of water from his jaws that slammed into the flying Ice Ball. From there, the large ball of ice was pushed backwards and sent slamming into Sealeo, knocking it off its pool pad and into the water.
"Pikachu, jump at Sealeo with an Iron Tail!"
"Seaking, Horn Attack! Now!"
Pikachu yelped in shock as he was sent flying skyward as Seaking rammed his pool pad with Horn Attack from directly underneath!
"Surely you can do better than this, Adam." Juan stated, clearly having expected me to do somewhat better than I was currently doing.
Fortunately, as it so happened, this was all part of my plan, and Juan had fallen for my ruse, hook, line, and sinker!
"Hurry, Feraligatr! Dive into the water!" Feraligatr snarled and jumped into the water.
"Come now, Adam. You're just making this even easier for me. Seaking, ram Feraligatr with Horn Attack!" Seaking turned around to face Feraligatr, already preparing its horn for the Horn Attack.
"Quick, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt on Seaking!" Sure enough, in that moment, Pikachu had already recovered, even while in the midst of falling down from his earlier flight towards the ceiling, and he sent a Thunderbolt rushing down towards Seaking!
"Deflect it with Horn Drill!" Seaking reared its entire upper body out of the water in time to deflect the Thunderbolt across the area with its horn, which was now glowing and spinning from the Horn Drill.
But in that moment, Seaking's focus was no longer on Feraligatr, just as I'd hoped. And at that moment, Seaking was positioned within ideal range for Feraligatr to lunge in with an attack.
"Now, Feraligatr! Use Ice Fang!" Feraligatr's icy jaws snapped down upon it.
"Good job! Now toss Seaking into the air!" Feraligatr reared his upper body out of the water, loosening his grip on Seaking just in time to send it flying skyward. Seaking was now far more vulnerable to attack than it had been in the water and Pikachu was still falling straight towards it.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Pikachu slammed his Iron Tail down hard on Seaking. Seaking moaned in pain as the Iron Tail smashed against it before falling back into the pool with a loud splash. Pikachu landed back on a new pool pad and Seaking was revealed to be floating atop the pool's surface, having fainted as a result of getting hit by the Iron Tail and subsequently undergone the powerful impact against the water's surface from high in the air.
Juan nodded his head, impressed with my strategy, stating, "Not bad. But you haven't won this round yet." He then called out his next attack.
"Sealeo, use Aurora Beam!" Sealeo was quick to obey, charging up and expelling a multicolored beam of light from its jaws. Pikachu got hit and went flying across the room before crashing on the floor right behind where I was standing. And while I could hear Pikachu vocalizing in his subsequent efforts at getting back to his feet, I could tell that the Aurora Beam must have taken a lot out of him.
"Now freeze the water with Ice Beam, Sealeo." Juan stated.
"Feraligatr! Get out of the water!" I cried.
Snarling determinedly, Feraligatr just barely managed to get out of the water and back onto a pool pad to avoid getting trapped when Sealeo's Ice Beam struck the surface and froze it up.
"You almost had me there, Juan." I said. "But as you can see, I'm not down for the count yet! Feraligatr, use Hydro Pump!"
"Sealeo, counter with Aurora Beam!"
In that instant, both attacks went off at the same time, colliding above the center of the pool as both Pokemon dueled for dominance.
"I could have easily let Sealeo get hit by Hydro Pump." Juan stated as Sealeo and Feraligatr continued. "After all, a Water attack like Hydro Pump wouldn't really cause Sealeo that much harm. But since you're the son of Ash Ketchum, I felt that you were worthy of receiving a more flashy and spectacle-driven defeat."
"Well, you're certainly about to get a flashy defeat in this round." I stated, looking back towards Pikachu.
"Now, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" In that instant, Pikachu, who had now just barely managed to recover enough to get up on both feet from where he'd landed earlier, jumped past me and unleashed his Thunderbolt once again, successfully striking Sealeo! Sealeo howled in pain as it was electrocuted by Pikachu's Thunderbolt. When it ended, Sealeo was revealed to be visibly exhausted and weakened, before slumping over upon its pool pad, completely out cold.
"Seaking and Sealeo are unable to battle." Sebastian stated from his position. "Adam moves on to the second round!"
Juan nodded his head, a look of amused respect on his face as he returned his Seaking and Sealeo to their Pokeballs, all while my friends cheered in the stands.
"Not bad." Juan stated. "But don't get too confident now. Pride always goes before a fall, and I've still got three other Pokemon for you to defeat in the 2nd round."
I nodded in understanding, returning my exhausted Feraligatr to its Pokeball and gesturing for Pikachu to take a rest where my friends were seated.
"Oh, don't you worry." I said. "I'm confident that I can still handle myself here."
"Well, if you're so certain, then let's change the battlefield!"
The water from the pool then drained out and a new battlefield rose up from the floor to replace it. This one had some land with a lake in the middle.
So far, despite my struggle against Juan in the double battle, I was still confident that I could get a victory in this round.
"At this time," Sebastian stated, "The match shall continue with a three-on-three battle. Hopefully, we shall all be treated to another fine spectacle."
Juan drew out a Pokeball to get the 2nd round started and shouted, "Luvdisc, spotlight!"
I remembered from my dad's stories about how Juan's Luvdisc was insanely fast and would only become even more so if exposed to rain or anything that simulated the effects of rain as a result of its Swift Swim ability. Simply put, I'd need to be extra careful and clever in order to win this battle. At the very least, I'd need a Pokemon with decently high speed...and I knew exactly which Pokemon would do the trick. It certainly helped that I'd been engaging in a lot of training with the Pokemon in question, ever since catching it.
"I choose you, Zangoose!" I yelled as I released Zangoose from his Pokeball.
"Interesting choice." said Juan. "But let's see how well this choice serves you. Luvdisc, use Water Pulse!" Luvdisc immediately obeyed, spitting out a large orb of water.
"Dodge!" I yelled in time for Zangoose to jump aside. While I felt confident that Zangoose would have been able to counter with his X-Scissor move, I didn't want to risk any resulting splash from such a tactic getting onto Luvdisc and triggering its Swift Swim.
"Hurry, Zangoose! Use Swords Dance!" Zangoose immediately began engaging in a frenetic dance-like motion, swinging his claws through the air wildly as he got himself into a confident mood that would increase the power of his attacks.
"Ah, working to make sure that any hits that your Zangoose scores against Luvdisc really count." Juan stated. "Not a bad strategy. But don't forget just how devastating it could be if your Zangoose were to end up unfortunately striking itself by mistake. Luvdisc, use Sweet Kiss!"
"Zangoose, counter with X-Scissor!"
Zangoose was quick to react, dissipating the Sweet Kiss projectile with his X-Scissor attack before it could strike him and confuse him.
"Good job! Now leap at Luvdisc with Crush Claw!" Zangoose was quick to obey, lunging towards Luvdisc with his claws glowing in preparation for the strike.
"Luvdisc, counter with Water Gun!" Zangoose shrieked in surprise as he got hit right in the face by the jet of water that Luvdisc spewed from its mouth.
Maybe I need to think a little more like a coordinator here and beat Juan at his own game. I thought to myself. And in that moment, I suddenly found myself realizing a coordinator-like idea that could work if I got lucky.
"Zangoose," I said, once he got back to his feet. "Use Swords Dance again!" Zangoose did so.
"Luvdisc, use Sweet Kiss!"
"Jump over that with Quick Attack!"
Zangoose did as commanded, successfully avoiding the Sweet Kiss as it sailed harmlessly through the space where he had been standing.
"Prepare to use Crush Claw!"
"This again?" Juan asked. "Luvdisc, counter with Water Gun!"
"Now, Zangoose! Use your Crush Claw while spinning around!"
Juan's eyes widened as Zangoose did as requested, using his enhanced and glowing claws to deflect the water to the left and right of the room, strategically allowing none of the splashing water to land down on Luvdisc. And eventually, right as Luvdisc reflexively shut off its Water Gun and Zangoose got close...
"Now, Zangoose! X-Scissor!" Luvdisc screamed in pain as it got hit hard by the X-Scissor and got sent flying out of the water before landing unconscious at Juan's feet.
"Luvdisc is unable to battle." said Sebastian. "Zangoose is the winner!"
"Not bad, Adam." Juan stated as he returned his Pokemon. "You certainly had a somewhat easier time with my Luvdisc than your father did. But now let's see if a strategy that works well for a Pokemon of high speed works as well against a Pokemon of high strength."
He drew out another Pokeball and shouted, "Whiscash, showtime!"
"Zangoose, use Quick Attack!" I yelled, taking the initiative. Snarling determinedly, Zangoose rushed towards Whiscash.
"Whiscash, use Tickle!" By sheer luck, Whiscash managed to catch Zangoose in its whiskers before Zangoose could strike with Quick Attack, and it started tickling him.
Walked right into that one. I embarrassingly thought to myself before altering my plan accordingly.
"Zangoose, break free with X-Scissor!" Zangoose managed - with some slight difficulty as a result of the tickling - to break free with X-Scissor and jump back.
"Alright, now do a Swords Dance and follow up with Crush Claw!"
"Not so fast, Adam. Whiscash! Rock Smash! Now!"
Whiscash glowed with yellow light and floated into the air before it suddenly came slamming down on Zangoose! When Whiscash finally levitated itself back to its earlier position, Zangoose was revealed to be completely out cold.
"Zangoose is unable to battle. Whiscash is the winner!"
I returned Zangoose, saying, "You did good. Take a good rest."
Pikachu and Feraligatr still needed time to rest, and weren't even allowed to be used in this round anyway, after having already been used in the previous one. And while one of the two Pokemon I still had available in my team would be have a doubly effective type advantage against Whiscash, I wanted to save that particular Pokemon for Juan's Milotic. Fortunately, the one other Pokemon that I had left as an option would likely be equally useful in its own right. Especially due to how it would be immune to all but one of the moves that my dad had told me Whiscash knew.
"Gengar, go!" In a flash, Gengar was released onto the battlefield, a gleeful grin on its face.
"Ah, limiting my Whiscash to only using Surf." Juan stated as he looked at Gengar. "Not bad. But don't get overconfident. Whiscash, use Surf!"
"Dodge it!"
Gengar was quick to obey, levitating up into the air in time to avoid getting caught in the wave Whiscash summoned and rode upon. And before long, I knew exactly how to proceed, right as Whiscash returned to its original position.
"Gengar, use Hypnosis!" I cried.
"Dodge!" Juan yelled.
But it was too late, and Whiscash was soon fast asleep from Gengar's Hypnosis.
"Alright, Gengar! Now use Dream Eater!" Gengar sent a shadowy version of itself flying at Whiscash, flying through the sleeping Pokemon and absorbing energy from it. Whiscash was still asleep afterwards, so I took further advantage.
"Do it again!" Gengar once again did as requested, absorbing another decent bit of energy before Whiscash finally woke up.
"Good move choice." said Juan.
"Whiscash, use Surf!" This time, Gengar wasn't able to dodge in time, and got thrown for a loop after getting hit by the wave. But I wasn't about to let this stop me!
"Gengar," I stated, once my Pokemon recovered. "Sucker Punch!" Gengar levitated into the air at a blindingly fast speed before suddenly slamming down into Whiscash's side at a likewise high speed. By the time Whiscash recovered, Gengar had taken up a position high above the water, not too far in front of my position, seemingly giggling at Whiscash's expense.
"Whiscash, use Surf again!" Whiscash initiated its Surf attack once again. But then, about a minute or two after Whiscash had positioned itself to the same height in the air as Gengar with the wave it had summoned, I made my move.
"Now, Gengar! Use Shadow Ball!" Whiscash was hit straight on by Gengar's attack and sent flying backwards before crashing to a landing at Juan's feet, completely out cold.
"Whiscash is unable to battle. Gengar wins!"
"Well then," Juan said as he returned Whiscash. "Time to unleash my biggest and brightest star." He drew out his last Pokeball for the battle. "Prepare to be amazed, ladies and gents! I proudly present...Milotic!"
I couldn't help but whistle at the sight of Milotic, especially in light of just how big it actually was when seeing it up close. Milotic bellowed loudly as it looked my way, its red eyes narrowed, as if challenging me.
"You've sent out your biggest challenge. Gengar, you think that you can handle this?"
Gengar nodded, vocalizing in the affirmative.
"Alright, let's see how you do. Use Shadow Ball!"
"Hydro Pump!"
The resulting burst of water from Milotic's mouth rammed into the Shadow Ball, sending it flying back at Gengar, who hurriedly dodged to avoid getting hit by its own attack.
"You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that to beat my Milotic, Adam." Juan stated.
I gritted my teeth, all too aware of the truth in what Juan had just said. Nevertheless, I was determined!
"Okay, then. Gengar, use Sucker Punch!"
"Twister!" Juan ordered, right as Gengar went flying off to unleash Sucker Punch.
"Gengar! Get back!" I yelled.
But it was too late, and Gengar screamed in surprise as it got caught up helplessly in the massive tornado that Milotic formed around itself. When the Twister finally ended, Gengar was revealed to be aimlessly floating around in the air in a daze, seemingly helpless to do anything.
"Milotic, end this with Iron Tail." Milotic caused its fan-shaped tail fin to turn to metal before striking Gengar with it, sending Gengar flying backwards and slamming against the wall behind me, and it fainted.
"Gengar is unable to battle. Milotic is the winner!"
Nodding my head, I returned Gengar.
"Guess I should allow Milotic to pick on someone its own size." I drew out the Pokeball containing my last available Pokemon. "Venusaur, go!"
The instant that Venusaur was released from his Pokeball, he let out a loud roar of excited confidence as he stared at Milotic. Milotic had an almost approving look on its face as it seemingly saw a worthy opponent.
"How fitting." Juan said in approval. "This should definitely be quite a visually appealing finish for our battle!"
"Well, let's not keep the audience waiting!" I yelled.
"Milotic, use Hydro Pump!"
"Venusaur, counter with Vine Whip!"
Both Pokemon unleashed their respective moves, with Venusaur managing to easily disperse the Hydro Pump into a harmless spray with the strong vines that grew out of his back, then using those same vines to smack Milotic in the face and upper body!
"A strong start." Juan admitted. "But that alone does not guarantee victory. Milotic, Recover!"
"No you don't!" I shouted as Milotic began its work on healing itself with Recover.
"Venusaur, use Razor Leaf!" Venusaur fired off a barrage of razor sharp leaves at Milotic. Milotic moaned in further pain as the Razor Leaf crashed into it, interrupting its concentration and cancelling the Recover.
"Don't stop now! Use Poison Powder!" Venusaur roared again before unleashing the Poison Powder from the flower on his back.
"Twister! Now!" Milotic promptly used Twister as requested, blowing the Poison Powder away before it could even get close to touching it. And worse, the Twister ended up heading right towards Venusaur! Venusaur growled, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes.
"Milotic, use Iron Tail." Milotic obeyed, smacking Venusaur with Iron Tail.
Venusaur, thankfully, wasn't down for the count and he growled determinedly as he got back to his feet.
"Alright, Juan. No more messing around." I said.
"Venusaur, prepare a Solar Beam!" Venusaur snarled, already starting to absorb light into the flower on his back to charge up his Solar Beam.
"Going for the big photo finish move, huh? I can respect that. But I won't let it be too easy. Milotic, do a quick Recover while you're waiting."
Milotic obediently used Recover, this time successfully regaining some of its earlier lost energy. But hopefully not enough to allow it to avoid getting knocked out if hit by the Solar Beam. Naturally, there would be only one way to find out.
"DO IT NOW!"
"Milotic, counter with Hydro Pump!"
Roaring and moaning in unison, Venusaur and Milotic unleashed their respective moves. The resulting struggle between the attacks proved quite visually spectacular to witness, much to the awe of the audience watching.
"Wow!" Jason yelled.
"Great show!" Megan yelled.
"I'll say!" Michelle and Amber both said in unison.
Eventually, after about two or three minutes, Venusaur's Solar Beam began to gain ground against Milotic's Hydro Pump. And from there, it wasn't long before the Solar Beam finally crashed into Milotic, who moaned in pain before finally collapsing into the water with a loud splash.
"Milotic is unable to battle. Venusaur wins! Adam Ketchum is victorious!"
Juan nodded, an accepting look of pride on his face. He then returned Milotic. He then took out a Rain Badge and lifted it up for me to get a clear view.
"I believe you've earned yourself a Rain Badge, Adam."
I smiled, quite happy to accept...but then I suddenly felt myself get hugged by three people at once!
Surprised, I turned my head in time to see that my friends and Pikachu had all come running down from the stands to congratulate me, with Michelle, Amber, and Megan all hugging me in unison.
"Great job, Adam." said Megan. "I knew you could do it."
"Very nice to see that your skill hasn't diminished since I last saw you. If anything, you've gotten better!" Michelle said with clear pride on her face.
"I never doubted for a minute that you'd win." said Amber.
I couldn't help but blush slightly, equal parts touched by the gesture and mildly embarrassed at the timing.
"Yep, I never doubted his ability to win, either." Jason said as he stepped forward. "And we can celebrate all we want later. But for now, I think he'd appreciate being able to go and claim his badge."
"Oh, right." Megan said as she, Michelle, and Amber broke their embrace and stepped aside before gesturing towards where Juan was still patiently waiting.
I smiled and nodded my head before walking over to where Juan was waiting.
"I accept my Rain Badge." I said while extending my hand towards him.
Juan chuckled and gently placed the badge in my hand, stating, "And it is an honor to be giving it to you. Your father would be proud of you."
Nodding my head, I turned around and lifted up the badge to show my friends.
"Well, I've done it, guys." I said. "That's all of the badges that I need to qualify for the Hoenn Pokemon League!"
The girls cheered, with Jason nodding his head before looking to Juan.
"And I'll be coming tomorrow to see if I can join him there by defeating you and getting a Rain Badge of my own." Jason said to Juan.
Juan chuckled again, nodding his head in acceptance, saying, "I'm looking forward to our gym battle tomorrow already."
As we all left the gym, it wasn't long before the girls started up another conversation. And while Jason, Trevor, and I didn't necessarily plan on taking part, we couldn't help but overhear.
"I'm surprised that you've managed to take to your new family so quickly, Robyn." Megan said. "I mean, with just how relatively recently you lost your parents, I'd have thought that you'd need a couple of extra months, maybe an entire year to get used to having a new family."
"I can see what you mean." Robyn admitted. "I guess after losing my parents, I learned that it was best to not take my family for granted ever again, regardless of who I ended up considering my family afterwards. At the end of the day, so long as they're there to take care of me and be around in my life, I need to make the most of every moment I've got with my family, even if they're not directly related to me."
"I understand what you mean." said Brittany. "After all, I'm in a pretty similar family situation, just with a couple of differences. I mean, I've lived a pretty secretive and sheltered life, up until about two years ago. And my mom died when I was a lot younger than you, so the only family that I ever really knew for a while was my dad. But over the last two years, since I got introduced to my other family members, I've grown pretty close to them pretty quickly, just like you've done with your new family. And much like how you've grown pretty close to your new big sis, I've gotten pretty close with my Aunt Dawn, who is Adam's mom."
Robyn chuckled and said, "Well, you certainly understand my situation pretty well. I think we'll be good friends."
"I agree. We have a good foundation to build our friendship on."
At this point, Michelle turned her head to look at Megan, asking, "Speaking of families, do you happen to have any siblings, Megan? I have a sister now, and I couldn't help but feel curious about how close you were with your own siblings...if you have any, of course."
"I've got two siblings." Megan replied. "My older sister April just recently won the last ribbon that she needed to qualify for the Grand Festival, and I've become very close with her over the course of my journey. And while my brother is still just a baby, I'm looking forward to hopefully getting close with him as he grows up."
"That's good to hear. Like I said earlier, I'm gonna do everything in my power to be a better big sis to Robyn than my three aunts were to my mom when they were younger."
"And for that, I'm sure Robyn is very thankful."
Amber then spoke up and asked Brittany, "On another note...what my dad revealed about finding a new love in his life has honestly gotten me thinking about you and your dad, Brittany. Are you sad that you don't have a mom? I mean, we both lost our moms to Team Rocket, after all."
"Honestly, I don't remember my mom at all. I must have been even younger than you were when you lost yours. So I suppose I've never really minded. I mean, you can't miss what you never really had, right? Besides, I've still got my Aunt Dawn and Grandma Johanna, and they've acted like mother figures to me in the two years I've known them. So I'm gonna stay happy with what I have, rather than be bitter about what I don't have."
On that note, we all continued walking relatively silently for the rest of our little trip before we finally reached the hotel. But just as we were all about to enter, I suddenly realized that now was a good time for something that was probably best taken care of sooner rather than later.
"Is it okay if Michelle and I briefly hang back outside for a little bit longer?" I directed a subtle glance towards Michelle from out the corner of my eyes. "There's something...private that I should probably talk with her about."
Michelle briefly raised her eyebrow in confusion before her eyes widened, as if realizing what I most likely wanted to talk with her about, and she nodded her head.
Everyone agreed, but Robyn didn't seem to want to leave her beloved big sister.
"Is it really important, Michelle?" Robyn asked.
Michelle nodded and replied, "Oh yes, very much so."
"Well, if it's really important, then okay. Just don't take too long. Mom's waiting in the hotel."
"Don't worry, Sis." said Michelle. "Adam and I shouldn't be long."
The rest of our little group entered the hotel. Michelle then turned to face me.
"Come on, I think I see a spot where we should have a bit more privacy." I told her.
We walked over to a nearby alleyway. And upon taking position there and doing a quick check to make sure that no one was around to watch or listen in, we looked directly at each other.
"Alright, Adam. If this is about what I think it's about, just let me remind you that I still view you only as a brother." Michelle insisted.
"Don't worry, Michelle. I haven't forgotten." I assured her. "And believe me, I've been trying to move on. Really, I have. But even so, I've been having a bit of difficulty, and I was hoping that we could have a little talk right now to clear things up between us and figure out exactly where we stand. Doing so would allow me to more confidently make a continued effort at moving on and finding someone new. And believe me, considering how I've already gotten a clear read through my Aura on how Amber's come to feel about me, and how I still don't know for certain just how Megan might be feeling about me, I may not necessarily be lacking in options."
I mentally facepalmed upon saying that last bit. Wow, did I really have to say that last part? Let alone phrase it like THAT?
Michelle, for her part, was now raising her eyebrow in mild amusement, saying, "So Amber likes you, huh? Well, I suppose I'm not too surprised, after how she was starting to act after you rescued us from Team Rocket last year.
"Regardless, what exactly is it about how things ended between us that's making it so hard for you to move on from me? Surely you weren't expecting us to completely end our friendship over that little incident between us from when we last saw each other on Altomare, were you?"
"Well, when I really think about it, I don't think so. Although, admittedly, there may have been a tiny part of me that was thinking it."
I then hung my head, sighing in equal parts exhaustion and frustration, and confessed, "I'm sorry, but I really don't know why I've been having such difficulty letting go of you in that way and moving on. Believe me, no one wishes that I could do so more than me."
"I understand, Adam." Michelle said, sounding remarkably calm and collected, all things considered. "How about this? Are you, perhaps, subconsciously feeling guilty? Maybe believing that you may have had a chance of me liking you the same way that you like me, but then blew it?"
I thought to myself, feeling briefly skeptical that it could possibly be something that simple...until I found myself realizing a detail that I hadn't really considered, or even realized was on my mind until that very moment.
"Well, now that you mention it, I suppose there's one little thing that might have gotten me feeling that I accidentally ruined my chances at you loving me as more than a brother."
"I'm listening." said Michelle, curious as to what I was about to talk about, and proud of herself for apparently correctly guessing the reason behind my current difficulty in moving on from her.
"It's kinda stupid." I stated.
"You want to be able to move on, right? I need full honesty here."
I sighed and hung my head, admitting, "Do you remember Jace?"
"You mean the guy who tried to befriend me in Johto that you blew up at and threw a Meowth-level hissy fit over?"
I winced at the unflattering description of what I'd already come to view as a quite unflattering moment.
"Well, there's your answer." I said, nodding my head. "I mean, let's be honest. After seeing me acting possessive and territorial over you towards a guy that I had no proof you were even considering having as a boyfriend, I'd be even more surprised nowadays if you HAD still been willing to take me as a boyfriend afterwards. I mean, if I was too insecure to even be willing to let you try to befriend any boy other than Jason and I, then how much worse would I have been if I'd ended up acting just as insecure, if not more so, in the hypothetical event that we WERE dating each other?
"I mean, sure, I didn't truly understand how I felt about you at the time, and only figured that out when my mom helped me realize the full truth after the fact, but that's still no excuse for blowing up at Jace like that. And it especially won't be a good excuse for if I undergo a repeat with any other guy that a hypothetical future girlfriend of mine ends up wanting to befriend and hang out with."
"Oh, that makes plenty of sense, Adam." She then placed her hands on my shoulders in a companionable gesture. "But if I didn't make it clear to you when we last talked about this particular matter, that whole incident is water under the bridge. I've already long since forgiven you for that little mess, and I understand why you acted the way that you did. And before you ask, let me assure you right now that it has nothing to do with me not returning your feelings for me. I still would have come to the conclusion I reached, even if you hadn't blown up at him like that. Even when you were actively in the midst of blowing up at him in front of me, you seemed to be more like an overprotective brother than a possessive boyfriend!
"To put it simply, you didn't do anything wrong. Any chance that you may have lost with me wasn't lost as a result of anything that you personally did. So you can stop blaming yourself for how things ultimately turned out between you and I. You don't need to feel guilty about it anymore."
I thought to myself, carefully considering what Michelle had said. And then, after several minutes, I let a smile come onto my face and nodded my head. She was right. Subconsciously or not, I needed to stop blaming myself for how things had ultimately turned out between us. For as Michelle had now made clear, it truly hadn't been my fault that she hadn't returned my feelings for her.
"Thank you, Michelle." I said as I looked into her eyes. "You were a big help to me just now."
"Glad to hear it." She then hugged me, with me eagerly returning the gesture. "You'll always be a brother to me, Adam."
"And you'll always be a sister to me."
And with that, we ended our hug.
"But...how did you know that I was subconsciously feeling guilty about something? And how that was the reason why I was having so much trouble moving on from you? I mean, like I said, I didn't even really understand why I was having such trouble until you suggested that possibility to me." I asked.
"There was obviously some good reason why a part of you was worried about me ending my friendship with you after the whole awkward business of me rejecting your feelings for me. I figured that it would only make sense for that reason to be closely related to the reason behind your difficulty in moving on if not one and the same. So I figured that the idea of you feeling guilty over an erroneous belief that you'd personally done something to ruin your chances with me was within the realm of possibility." Michelle replied.
"Makes sense." I admitted. "Nonetheless, thank you again, Michelle. You were really helpful, and a true friend."
Michelle chuckled and said, "Hey, what are friends for?"
And so, back to the hotel we went. I couldn't have been happier, even after we parted ways to join up with our respective families, this time on much better terms than our previous interaction back on Altomare. And I was still smiling as I managed to catch a brief glimpse of Megan and Amber as they sat and talked with Christina, Ashlyn, and Skye while heading off to find my dad.
In that moment, I couldn't help but briefly stare intently at Megan and Amber, already starting to wonder just how things could potentially unfold between them and I, now that I'd had my talk with Michelle. I had to admit, I was already feeling as if a great weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. Perhaps now, I'd finally be ready to make a serious effort at opening my heart back up and figure out how I truly felt about Amber, Megan, or perhaps both of them. After all, as far as I could tell, I was now well and truly letting go of Michelle and shedding my subconscious guilt and wariness. So what better way to put things to the test by seeing if I truly returned Amber's feelings? Or perhaps figured out just how Megan felt about me? Well, whatever happened, I'd certainly have plenty of time to find out now.
I nodded my head and turned to resume my search for my dad. Yep, I knew exactly what I'd need to focus on in the near future. But first, I'd wait just long enough for Jason to hopefully win his badge tomorrow and perhaps for the day of the contest to be held here in Sootopolis City before the Grand Festival came along. After all, depending on how things unfolded here, prior to the Grand Festival, what better timing to perhaps figure out my feelings, and maybe take a chance at a relationship with Megan or Amber than after one of them had perhaps won said contest?
Author's Note: Adam wins his final gym badge, qualifying for the Pokemon League! Jason's battle is up next.
Adam also has a serious conversation with Michelle, who helps him come to terms with their past, and let go of the guilt that he was subconsciously holding onto. Guilt that was preventing him from moving on from Michelle and considering his feelings for other girls, like Megan or Amber.
Now that Adam has finally let go of his guilt and lingering feelings, which girl will win his heart now?
And will Jason win his final badge, too?
Find out in the next chapter of Pokemon NG!