Note- Man oh man. It's crazy times we're living in. But thankfully, my free time is gonna be at an all time high for these next couple months. That means you can BOOK a chapter for December! But back to the present... Chris and Sarah have finally reached Blackthorn, with a showdown already on the horizon. And even after squaring off with his Winter Classic conqueror, he still must face the final Gym of Johto! Also, what fate has befallen Waz and Prinny? And that's not even taking into account any other unexpected surprises or questions that might be raised or answered! Let's see how things shake down in this 52nd official chapter! Hope you enjoy! Please Review and Subscribe!


Chapter 52

Chris entered the lobby with his hair still soaking wet. He passed a mirror and half expected to still see steam pouring off his head. At least my hair will dry quicker now that it's short again, he thought. And the return would hopefully bring back his enjoyment of the warmer months. The previous summer had seen his longer hair nearly gift him with a heat stroke.

Like the lobby itself, the PC's were unsurprisingly empty. Cody looked to have departed just as night arrived. He logged on and entered his trainer identification. A pair of icons in his digital storage grabbed his attention. They looked minuscule compared to all the open space around them. The system provided these digitized creatures with an optimized ecosystem and the ability to communicate with their trainer's other stored Pokémon. It was an aspect that, in hindsight, further justified Chris's random capture of Weepinbell. From here on out his stored teammates would always have at least one other companion.

"I can't waste a ton of time on this," he muttered.

The following day's battle with Sarah took absolute precedent. Even so, Chris couldn't fight off the urge to speak with his newest capture and introduce him to the rest of the team. He ultimately decided on boxing Ampharos for the Flycatcher Pokémon. The Electric-type's break would most likely be a short one with a battle against the Blackthorn Gym in the not-too-distant future.

He zipped up his jacket as he stepped out into the cold mountain air. The surrounding buildings held no light, but the black sky and its falling snow killed any hope of what surely was an immaculate view of the stars. Massive shadows towered above the cold night and seemed to press in on the trainer as he walked along the empty, barely lit street. The mountain ridges interlocked to form a ring that left the area below feeling like the bottom of a cooking pan. It all provided Chris with a healthy dose of humility. All it took was a wrong turn, a surprise Blizzard, or an avalanche, and he was gone. His fascination with humanity's connection to Pokémon had brought him to tales of the legendary Articuno appearing on mountains before doomed travelers. The investigators who had worked his brother's case around Mt. Silver had come to a similar conclusion.

Chris came to a halt and shook his head. He looked over his shoulder and found the Pokémon Center was nowhere to be seen. That's what I get for going down that rabbit hole, he silently chided. He made for one of the only working street lights and brought out his capture devices. The six proceeding flashes of light were quickly swallowed up by the darkness.

"Nido'?" the Drill Pokémon grunted and wrapped his chest in his large biceps.

"We're up in the mountains," Chris explained. "We may be out of Ice Path but you're not gonna escape the cold up here."

"'Vee!" The Normal-type bounced around in the snow with his unshakable smile.

"We all should take a page from Eevee. After all we've made it through, we can't let the cold crush our spirits. Especially now that we're joined by a new teammate!"

All eyes turned to the bell shaped creature standing off from the others.

"I want to be the first to welcome Weepinbell," Chris said, stepping over to stand beside the shaking creature. He dropped to a knee and put on his best smile. "My name's Chris."

"'Bell?"

Chris waved at his starter. "You battled Typhlosion, remember? Come on over here, buddy."

Without his flames and with the street light overhead serving as a backlight, the upright Fire-type struck an imposing figure. As his shadow fell on the trainer and his newest capture, the latter's entire body began to vibrate. Weepinbell's eyes looked to be the size of saucers.

"Maybe we'll mix things up and do introductions at a distance." He gave his starter a pleading look that thankfully stopped his approach. "So you just met Typhlosion. That energetic ball of fur sliding around in the snow is Eevee. He was our newest teammate before you." That Grass/Poison-type inched forward at the sight of the smiling creature. Chris directed his attention to the Bat Pokémon sitting atop the light post. "Crobat is checking you out from up there. He likes space from time to time, maybe like you." Weepinbell slid back, but Chris kept his voice cheery. "That beefy, pink fellow is Nidoking. He's a hugger… and a fighter. Oh, and that actually gives you two Poison-type allies! How about that?" The trainer's enthusiasm died the moment his eyes fell on his last teammate. The light had vanished behind a long, serpentine figure. Weepinbell had already slid back into a patch of dead bushes to escape the looming shadow. "And this is Gyarados. He's… not as scary as he looks. In fact, he used to look so harmless that people didn't take him seriously. But we don't judge anybody by how they look or where they start from." This final flourish wasn't enough to bring his newest capture from the cover he'd worked himself into.

With a sigh, Chris stood and turned his focus to other matters. "We've got our eighth and final Gym battle coming up." He bit his lip to keep from laughing as the team collectively tensed. "But before we worry about that, we've got another battle to focus on."

Four of the five visible Pokémon looked surprised by that. From where he stood the trainer couldn't see his starter's expression, but it most definitely differed from his teammates.

"Typhlosion is gonna get the chance to battle Sarah's Infernape again. I'm pumped for him and I'm excited for you guys to get to watch and root him on." Chris went to mention their loss at the Winter Classic but stopped himself. "Sarah and her team are legit. I'm hoping to win, but maybe we can learn from this too."

Led by Nidoking's enthusiastic roar, the rest of the team barring Weepinbell voiced their support. And even without a show of support, Chris caught his newest capture leaning out of the leafless thicket. Maybe we just have to give her time, he thought.

Chris kept the team out as they walked back to the Pokémon Center. He threw an occasional glance over his shoulder to ensure his trailing Weepinbell hadn't taken off. He took it as a victory when they'd reached the door with Grass/Poison-type still in tow. That kind of thinking may have been what inspired him to keep the creature out when he'd returned all but Typhlosion back to their Poké Balls. Besides, Chris thought as they stepped through the doors, we'll look a lot less scary in a well lit area.

A quick step was all that kept the trainer from smacking heads with Sarah. She thrust out a hand to keep their bodies from colliding which he instinctively caught with his own. Chris couldn't quite describe the look she gave him in response.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I am running low on supplies. What are you selling?"

That nearly got a smile out of her. She snorted and pulled her hand from his. "I can give you a free sample of personal space."

"Hey, you're the one that reached out."

"I just didn't feel like adding another injury to the cavalcade that Ice Path gave me."

Chris held up his arm and rolled back his sleeve to reveal the gash underneath. "I don't think I can do worse than what those pissed off Pokémon did to us."

"I wouldn't be so sure," she said, feigning awe. "I saw you lift that heavy machine. You may just be waiting for your chance to get back at me for beating you."

"That's what our battle tomorrow is for," Chris explained.

"Is that why you were out on a stroll with Typhlosion?"

"No," he replied and pointed at Weepinbell. "I wanted to introduce the team to our newest member."

"Oh yeah. I'd forgotten about her."

Chris looked past the two anxious Pokémon and into the dark street behind them. "You going for a walk too?"

"It'd be nice to be out under the open sky for a bit longer. This fresh air feels like a summer breeze compared to Ice Path."

"So you're not pacing nervously? You're just looking to chill?"

Sarah grimaced. "That was a terrible pun."

"I was just trying to break the—"

"Don't," she said as a melodic laugh broke through.

Chris's cool posturing broke and he joined in. "Ya know, I think that's the first time I've heard you laugh. It's a lot higher pitched than I would have imagined."

"As bad as your jokes are, I wouldn't expect to hear it again."

"So you're saying there's a better chance of hell free—"

She covered her mouth with a hand and pushed passed him. The snow had begun to really fall now. It had obscured her in its blanket after only a few steps.

Clearly it wasn't Ice Path's temperature that bothered her, Chris thought.

He found one of his teammates missing when he turned back to them. Typhlosion jabbed a paw over his shoulder without ever taking his eyes off the obscured street.

"Oh gosh." He sprinted inside and threw his coat around the trembling Weepinbell. The Flycatcher Pokémon did not struggle as Chris wrapped the makeshift blanket around her. "I'm sorry for keeping you out in the cold. Your typing should have been an obvious giveaway."

Weepinbell said nothing, but her eyes had shrunk back to their normal size.

Chris motioned to Typhlosion. "Would you care to help warm Weepinbell up?"

As the fire starter stepped to her side, Weepinbell's body began to shake even more frivolously. The creature winced as a larger than expected collection of flames lit up around Typhlosion's neck. The Volcano Pokémon managed to calm things down as he dropped to all fours beside his teammate and returned her stare with a hard one of his own.

Chris sat down beside his Pokémon and rested his arms on his bent legs. "I probably should have done our introductions in a well lit spot like this. Do we look a little less intimidating now?"

The Flycatcher Pokémon hesitated but eventually gave what looked like a small nod.

"You sit here for as long as you like. Me and Typhlosion are just going to talk a bit of strategy."


The streets turned from pavement to dirt not far north of downtown. The number of buildings quickly dwindled and were replaced by a myriad of stones of all shapes and sizes. The steady rise of the road took a sharp right bend, leading travelers between a pair of rocky spires that looked to be taller than any building in the city.

As they passed through this natural gateway, many of Chris's team stopped to marvel at the jagged towers. Typhlosion continued on without even so much as looking at them. Crobat darted between the two rocks, examining every inch of their smooth exterior. His newly returned Ampharos held up her tail light to help Eevee see some sort of marking near one of the bases. Nidoking went so far as to grasp the closest rock and begin to climb. His trainer went to call him off but someone beat him to it.

"'Ty!"

His teammates turned to find the Volcano Pokémon further up the sloped hill. He stood on his hind legs and held a focused look that eerily reminded Chris of his Cyndaquil days.

The trainer felt Weepinbell shaking against his leg. "He's just focused on his battle," Chris told her before turning his words to the rest of his team. "We do need to keep moving, guys. We're already going to be late as is." They were only running a few minutes behind schedule, but Chris hated keeping people waiting. He tried to calm his rising anxiety by reminding himself that he'd been forced to wait for long stretches in the past. Who cared if they were five minutes late? That did little to help his nerves, prompting the trainer to silently admit that perhaps something else was worrying him.

The rocky outcroppings only multiplied as they continued their uphill trek. The mountains to their left and right also pressed in even as their peaks remained obscured behind a layer of grey clouds. The team was forced to go single file as the uneven ground on either side became nigh on impossible to traverse. It felt as though they were being led straight into a funnel toward a yet-to-be-seen drop off.

And all at once, everything opened up.

Snow laden dirt turned to frozen, brown grass. The sloped ground plateaued. The rocky terrain evened out just long enough to form an open, rectangular field. Not far beyond the plateau the ground inclined sharply once more. This climb looked as though it would mercifully be without any other natural obstacles.

"You're late."

The voice initially came from above but a chorus soon followed from the surrounding mountains. Chris tried to ignore the echo and scanned the far side of the empty field. Movement on a rounded stone between the mountain base and battlefield led him to the expected speaker.

Sarah slid down the tall rock and landed in a squatted position "I thought you were eager for this rematch?"

"Sorry. I got burned on my last showdown at noon. Wanted to make sure I didn't wait around for thirty minutes again."

"You'd have found an empty field if you'd been ten minutes late."

"Are you that busy or that scared?"

Sarah nodded slowly and revealed a Poké Ball in her hand. "Let's just get to it."

Chris had to shuffle back as a raging inferno nearly overtook him. The flames blasted from Typhlosion's neck like an erupting volcano. The dreary haze around them momentarily vanished as though the sun had peeked through the clouds.

He's been so fired up lately, Chris silently reflected. But maybe that's not a bad thing. The Typhlosion species were known for their ability to generate intense heat and unleash incredibly powerful flames. The few that lived in the remote grasslands between Olivine and Ecruteak were known to keep fire departments busy, especially in the summer months.

Infernape had joined her trainer at some point during Chris's inner foray. His hunched body language belied how much better he looked than the day before. His forward tilted head revealed a look of interest on the Flame Pokémon's face.

Chris turned to his watching teammates. "You guys are going to want to step back."

Typhlosion, meanwhile, took a couple steps forward and dropped to all fours. The trainer couldn't see his expression, but the roar he released made his feelings clear.

The roar of his starter's flames forced Chris to yell. "I think we're ready!"

"Then you can get this thing going!"

Having waited so long and with an amped up starter, there was only one course of action.

"Charge in!"

The Volcano Pokémon dashed forward and had cut the distance in half before his trainer had even realized it. Flames poured off the creature's back as he darted through the field, feet barely touching the ground. The trainer made the call just as the Fire-type was about to reach striking range.

"Quick Attack!"

"Mach Punch!"

Typhlosion pounced off his back feet and threw himself at Sarah's teammate. Infernape's fist met him an instant later. The two pushed against one another but their struggle ended in a stalemate. Chris called for a Flame Wheel as Typhlosion fought to stand his ground. Infernape managed to sidestep the flaming tackle and Typhlosion's trainer found himself already grimacing. But to his surprise, Sarah chose to punish their opening with another Mach Punch. The blow caught Typhlosion square on his jaw but didn't stagger him. With that realization, Sarah pulled Infernape back.

"Pursue with Flame Wheel!"

With their opponent backpedaling, Chris wasn't surprised when Sarah didn't call for a dodge. And when Infernape lunged forward to meet Typhlosion with Close Combat, the trainer already had a counter in mind.

"Quick Attack to the left!"

The flames vanished around the Fire-type's body as he planted his feet and pivoted away from Infernape's flurry of strikes.

"Now, Flamethrower!"

The flames on Typhlosion's back spiked to heights Chris had never seen before. When the Volcano Pokémon flashed his fangs, the surging fire reversed course and blasted as a concentrated stream from his mouth. The fiery blast struck Infernape's side, propelling him off his feet and damn near off the battlefield. A mixture of shocked cries and cheers echoed out behind Chris.

Where the hell did this come from? he asked himself.

By the time the assault had ended, Infernape stood too far away for a follow up. The Flame Pokémon flipped back to Sarah's side as Chris tried to gather his thoughts.

After these first few exchanges, Sarah's strategy seemed obvious. Like a counter puncher in boxing, the Sinnoh native and her teammate were following their opponents' lead, beating back weaker attacks, dodging the bigger blows, and striking when the aggressors left an opening. It wasn't too dissimilar from Chris's normal approach. So we'll just have to throw a wrench in their plans, he thought.

"Give em another Flamethrower!"

An even larger inferno leapt from Typhlosion's neck and through his open maw. Infernape and her trainer both dove out of the way as the fiery stream swept through.

"Let's move in and give them another!" Chris instructed.

Typhlosion sprinted forward to cut the battlefield in half but the flamethrower attack exploded out of his mouth before he'd even stopped moving. Sarah and her Infernape also found this surprising, as a crucial second passed before either were able to respond.

"'Fer!"

The ducking Infernape tried to stifle his howl as Typhlosion's attack caught him in the shoulder. A visible grimace appeared on his face, but he still managed to quickly rise back to his full height.

These Fire-type attacks are only going to do so much, Chris reminded himself. But a resisted attack still does damage. We just have to keep creating opportunities.

After a swift command, Infernape was on the move. The Flame Pokémon zigzagged his way toward them prompting Chris to call off Typhlosion's next Flamethrower.

"Brace yourself!" he warned.

Typhlosion just managed to rear back and get his front legs up before Infernape's Mach Punch found him. This blow pushed the Volcano Pokémon back a step, but he dropped to all fours before Sarah had even called for her next attack.

"Flame Wheel!"

Infernape's attempt at Close Combat was cut off by Typhlosion's flaming tackle. Infernape attempted to rain down the barrage of blows again, but the Volcano Pokémon reversed course with Quick Attack. The newly created space gave his trainer an idea.

"Now's our chance! Focus Blast!"

"Approach again!"

Even after taking several shots, Infernape looked to have not lost a step. Chris went from confidence to concern as Typhlosion continued to grow the golden orb between his front paws. The Fire/Fighting-type had nearly reached him by the time Focus Blast had stabilized.

"Fire!"

"Duck!"

The golden orb slashed through the air and toward the head of its target. The hunching Flame Pokémon dropped his stance even lower and avoided the swaying orb completely. He found himself in Typhlosion's personal space as he rose back up.

"Close Combat!"

An uppercut found Typhlosion's chin, followed by a knee to the gut. A forearm found his chest. Then a roundhouse kick. As Typhlosion staggered back, his urgent trainer knew they had to retake the initiative.

"Bounce back with Quick Attack!"

"Mach Punch!"

Typhlosion brought his staggering feet to a halt and pressed off them. His lunging tackle found nothing but air as Infernape slid to the right. A lightning quick jab caught Typhlosion in the temple before trainer or Pokémon knew what had happened. The counter punch knocked the Volcano Pokémon sideways.

"Roll with your momentum!" Chris directed. Distance was key at this point in the battle. Fighting up close with Infernape was the last thing they needed when tired and dazed.

Typhlosion managed to twist his body as he landed so that his momentum carried him away from the Flame Pokémon. Chris found it odd that Infernape chose not to pursue until he caught sight of the growing flame atop his head. The trainer's call for Flamethrower came at the same time as Sarah's command.

An orange, spiraling stream of fire poured from Infernape's mouth. The flaming blast stayed low, ripping across the battlefield to swallow up dried grass and turn patches of snow to steam. It caught up quickly to Typhlosion, who had just rolled onto his knees. The Volcano Pokémon turned toward the flames as his neck came alive with its own fire. As the stream of fire swept up to overtake him, Typhlosion opened his mouth.

A wave of hot air blasted Chris's face, forcing him to shut his stinging eyes. He heard the ground in front of him begin to hiss and turned his back on the battlefield. That's when a second blast of hot air punched his back. He hissed through gritted teeth and let this pain block out the remaining sting of his eyes. His watching teammates voiced their concern, but Chris quieted them with a thumbs up. The instant he felt the air cool, he turned to face the battlefield once more.

Both Pokémon still stood. The clashing moves had knocked both creatures back to their respective sides, a revelation which struck Chris as odd. Infernape used Overheat, he reminded himself. And that was his first time using it. How did we manage to break even, especially with releasing our attack late?

His thoughts were cut short as a golden ring of fire began to pour out of his starter's back. With the strength of Typhlosion's recent attacks, Chris found himself excited by the desperation flames. "Let's show them what our Flamethrower can really be!"

Typhlosion rose onto his hind legs and let loose what almost sounded like a howl. Embers sprayed from his neck and sparked the grass around him to flame. Another flare up dropped him to all fours. He'd parted his jaws a moment later and left the dazed Infernape with a fast approaching wall of fire to contend with. With no time to evade the fiery beam, Infernape's fiery crown came to life once more. Another swirling collection of orange fire poured from his mouth, this assault noticeably smaller. These flames vanished into Typhlosion's attack, which pressed forward to also consume Infernape.

Sarah's high pitched shout cut through the roar of the flaming onslaught, but Chris couldn't make out her words. The sight of a blue pillar of fire quickly changed his focus.

As Typhlosion's attack subsided, Infernape burst through the remaining flames. He darted back and forth as he approached, killing any chance of another Flamethrower actually hitting him.

"Meet him with Flame Wheel!" Chris directed.

A golden aura of fire overcame Typhlosion as he spun to meet his oncoming foe. Infernape straightened his approach at that and let the blue flames atop his head surround the rest of his body. The living fireballs smashed into one another, showering the battlefield with flames of both color. Despite going low for leverage, Typhlosion found his charge reversed by the powerful Flare Blitz. The Volcano Pokémon staggered onto his hind legs and fought to steady himself.

Chris went to call for a Quick Attack retreat but caught sight of their opponent recoiling from the effect of his own move. "Don't back down. Focus Blast!"

The trainer could feel his heart in his throat as Typhlosion built the energy ball between his paws. Infernape had regained his bearings and charged once more at his trainer's direction. However, the Flame Pokémon's movements looked… sluggish. The creature looked to be breathing hard and favoring his left foot. Chris waited until Infernape had nearly reached him, half expecting an impromptu Mach Punch. But in his condition

"Fire!" Chris roared.

"Close Combat!"

To Chris's shock and horror, Infernape planted his limbs against the ground and then lunged toward the oncoming energy attack. The Flame Pokémon held a huge grin as he brought both arms up to meet the golden orb. That look disappeared the moment his forearms strikes pressed against Typhlosion's attack. He pushed against the energy but the orb did not budge. As he went to plant his feet again, the golden orb surged forward and nearly sent his arms back into his face. With a high pitched screech, Infernape brought his right knee up to catch the bottom of the encroaching move. That sudden shift sent the Flame Pokémon careening backward and the energy ball spinning just over his head.

Sarah was on it before her Pokémon had even hit the ground. "Bounce back up and use Mach Punch!"

Chris heard the fear in her voice, saw her studying her teammate as he struggled to get up, and then saw her head snap up to examine Typhlosion.

"Flamethrower."

The golden flames flared back up as Typhlosion prepared to drop to all fours. Infernape had fought his way back to his feet and begun his approach. The Flame Pokémon was still a dozen feet away when he drew back his fist. Too far away to strike and too close to dodge.

"Let him have it!"

Typhlosion dropped to his forelegs and opened his maw as the golden flames atop his shoulders suddenly vanished.

"Holy—"

A searing blast of air lifted the trainer off his feet and sent him sprawling onto his stomach. A sharp crack stabbed his ears and left them ringing. He felt worried paws on his back but his eyes refused to look away from the battlefield.

The grassy field had evidently become the peak of an erupting volcano. Fire and rock filled the sky. Smoke hovered over the battlefield, mixing with the low clouds to wrap the battlefield in a tight blanket. A pillar of golden fire swirled at its heart, piercing the dark ceiling and rising out of sight. The ground shook as flaming earth came crashing down all around it.

Chris stumbled back to his feet as his entire team joined him. They watched as the fiery twister began to weaken and the final wave of uplifted earth tumbled back to earth. The smoke slowly began to dissipate and suddenly Infernape was in view. He stood, back hunched, with a blue flamed crown still weakly burning. He'd taken up a position closer to his trainer but he still looked to be nearly in striking range. His awestruck face indicated that perhaps something else was on his mind.

The impromptu eruption dwindled to a few hovering flames. Upon closer inspection, that golden fire turned out to be attached to his starter's shoulders.

"Typhlosion?"

"Close Combat!"

The command snapped Chris from his stupor and suddenly he remembered their battle. Infernape had remembered as well. The creature had already closed the distance and now had his arms ready to strike.

"Flamethrower!" Chris instinctively shouted.

But past his neck-wreathed flame, Typhlosion's head gave a vigorous shake.

Infernape's left forearm found the Volcano Pokémon's jaw. A stiff right hook caught him just above the eye. And as Typhlosion lurched onto his back legs, Infernape rose with him and delivered a flying knee. The Flame Pokémon's legs nearly gave out when he landed, but his knuckles found the grass and managed to keep him somewhat vertical. Typhlosion tumbled onto his back, limbs sprawled in every direction.

Crobat and Eevee beat their trainer to the Volcano Pokémon's side. Ampharos arrived with her other teammates a moment later and placed a soft paw on Typhlosion's shoulder. The Fire-type's eyes opened to the sky at that.

"That was incredible," Chris told him. He waited for his starter's response, but the creature only continued his unreadable skyward stare. He kept it even as Chris began to spray him down with potions. As he worked, the trainer turned his gaze toward the creature and trainer sitting only a few feet away.

Sarah had joined her grounded teammate only a few seconds prior and already had out her medical kit. She seemingly ignored his stare as she sprayed away at Infernape's injuries.

"That—"

"That was quite a light show," a familiar voice echoed down from somewhere.

A quick scan of the hill above revealed two onlookers. The dark, slender male Chris identified as the trainer-turned-nurse Cody. His comrade stood a good head taller and wore their dark brown hair in a long braid.

Heavy footsteps drew Chris's attention back to the path below. A moment later, Waz had jogged into view, his face red from fatigue and concern.

A loud wham and accompanying snap swung Chris's attention in a third direction. The rock Sarah had occupied before their battle now played host to a large, orange creature. Currently rolling down said rock was a young man in a navy coat.

And just as the previous wave of whiplash had begun to fade, the sound of flapping wings drew his attention westward. A man dipped below the low clouds, followed by the Staraptor he clutched to. He'd identified the human as Prinny before they'd even landed on his left.

"Can we—can everybody just stop."

Chris rubbed at his temples and forced his gaze back down to his starter. Typhlosion, however, had risen to a seated position. His hard stare toward the distant rock masked whatever pain he was still in. He slowly lifted a leg and pointed toward the winged creature lying across the tone.

"Ty'."

Chris's eyes went wide as he took note of the Pokémon's tail flame and twin horns. The boy that had been atop it had finally stopped his rolling and now lay on his stomach at the field's edge. His dark brown hair matted his face but couldn't hide his identity.

"Luke!" Chris scrambled across the simmering brown grass and dropped to a knee beside the still trainer. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm not as fucked as I'm letting on. Just… just give me a minute."

Hurried footsteps were approaching them, but Chris kept his tone light. "I see our reunion isn't your first among friends."

Luke chuckled but said nothing. Shards of ice stuck to his coat and frozen moisture to his hair. Movement in the grass beside him revealed his blue, trembling hands.

Chris's team arrived just as the trainer went to call for them. Typhlosion—the one he needed at the moment—was the last to arrive, having shrugged off any help from his teammates.

"I need your fire, Ty."

The Volcano Pokémon sank to his stomach and sparked his neck flames back to life. Despite following the command and looking relieved to be able to lay down, Typhlosion's focus remained on the unmoving creature above.

That'll have to wait, Chris told himself.

More footsteps, followed by the sound of flapping wings. The ground beside him shook as a pair of large clawed feet struck it. Looking up, he found Cody and a woman hopping off a fully grown Charizard. He nearly gave himself whiplash number five as he spun to face the rock overhead. Luke's starter still lay there, unmoved since their arrival.

Cody knelt beside the downed trainer and gently pressed a pair of fingers to Luke's wrist. "Are you alright with being moved?" he asked

"Somewhere… warm would be nice," Luke answered. One of his trembling, clenched hands open to reveal a minimized Poké Ball. "Just get—make sure you get Charizard."

"You know him?" Cody asked Chris.

"Yeah. He's a friend."

Cody nodded and waved for Chris to take the device. "We'll let you take care of his Charizard. Make sure to bring Typhlosion too."

"To where? The Pokémon Center?"

"The Gym. It's just above that ridge we were on."

Chris scrambled up the rock but froze at the sound of a low snarl. His eyes found a fierce blue pair. The trainer followed the creature's gaze back down the hill.

Luke had been picked up and currently lay draped over the tall woman's shoulder. She gently placed him on the back of the fire lizard and hopped on behind him. They took off, prompting a louder, more guttural response from Luke's starter.

"We're going to get him some help," Chris explained, brandishing the Poké Ball. "I'll take you to him."

Charizard looked at the device and then back to Chris. His stare softened. With a gentle, almost purring sound, the fire lizard lay his head back down.

When Chris returned to his team, he found Cody and Waz among them.

"You think he'll be okay?" he asked the former.

"I think so. It looked like he'd been out in the cold too long."

"You didn't see any frostbite?" Waz asked.

"We've dealt with plenty of exposure cases, some unfortunately fatal. It didn't look close to anything that serious." Cody nodded at the soaring creature nearly out of sight. "Flying on the back of a Charizard probably saved him from anything serious."

"Thank Arceus," Chris said. With that worry relieved, the trainer was able to turn his attention back to the two men at hand. He chose the easier conversation first. "Was that your Charizard?"

Cody grinned. "Hell yeah. When I saw you two duking it out with those fire starters I knew I had to stick around."

"Speaking of sticking around," Chris said, his guilty smile coming out in full, "I'm sorry, Waz."

"Sorry for what?"

"For… for leaving you back at Ice Path."

"We were at the exit. You helped get us there. You don't need to apologize for anything."

"Well, but all the Pokémon…" Chris's reply died at Waz's stern stare. He looked away and found himself scanning the field. "Wait a minute. Where'd your brother go?"

Cody interjected just as Waz was preparing to say something brutal. "I sent him and your girlfriend up to the Gym too."

Chris went to correct him but stopped. "I so hope you called me her boyfriend."

Cody let out his melodic laugh. "She did not like that one bit!"

The Cherrygrove native added his own laughter, but stopped when he caught sight of his team. "Hey, you guys head on up. I'll be right behind you."

He turned to his team but waited to speak until the two men had made it to the top of the hill. "Can we all agree that Typhlosion put in an incredible performance?"

Nidoking roared his approval, followed closely by Eevee and Ampharos. Crobat gave his slight nod. Weepinbell stood slightly outside of the team ring and let her eyes dart between all of them. Typhlosion didn't seem to take notice of this or any of his teammates' responses for that matter. He kept quiet, as did his shoulders, and stared off into the distance.

"Now we'll get to focus on our final Gym battle. I'll let you guys know within the next day or two who will be participating. In the meantime, let's head up to the Gym and do some scouting."


"How are you able to access the Gym facilities?"

The five visiting trainers sat around a roaring fire pit. They'd been led through the Gym and into a dome shaped room near the back of the building. The smoke from the burning wood drifted through openings in the walls, with just the smallest amount reaching the high, rounded ceiling. A machine similar to those seen in Pokémon Centers hummed away in the corner. The center of the machine glowed red, revealing three Poké Balls inside. Aside from this, the only other source of light came from the fire pit.

The machine's red glow lit up Cody's excited face. "We actually work here."

"We?" Sarah turned to face the tall woman in the corner. Despite arriving early and sitting Luke in his seat beside the fire, the large samaritan had said nothing. "You're a Gym assistant too?"

She nodded.

"This is Amalia," Cody clarified. "She's helped us out at the Gym for almost a year now."

"So she's an official assistant?" Chris asked.

"One of a few. Though, me and her are the only one's here for the season."

"Where's Clair?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," Prinny jumped in. "I've been preparing to challenge her from the beginning of my Johto journey. It being my sixteenth badge, I was hoping to challenge her full team."

"You didn't need to mention that," Waz spat.

"No, but I did. So fuck you."

"Shut up," came a firm voice from the corner. Amalia stepped into the firelight and Chris felt himself lean back into his chair. She'd taken off her mossy green jacket to reveal a burnt orange undershirt that did a marvelous job in showing off her toned physique. With each step, her braided brown hair swayed like a whip behind her. Her bronze skin glowed in the fire light, giving her the look of someone from an ancient time and place. Her defined muscles flexed in Prinny's direction. "Clair is not here."

"What?" four voices said simultaneously.

The fire light illuminated Cody's grimace. "I didn't want to jump right into that."

"How are we supposed to earn the Rising Badge?" Chris asked.

"You realize that a bunch of trainers from the Winter Classic will be here soon," Prinny added.

"There are still a couple options to earn the badge," Cody replied, holding his hands up. "The first is to wait for Clair to return."

"How long will that take?" Waz inquired.

"A few days back she said two weeks."

Sarah shook her head. "What's the second option?"

"You battle the interim Gym Leaders."

Chris leaned in. "Is… is that plural?"

Amalia stepped over to tap the shoulder of the only person who hadn't yet spoke.

Luke's body shook in his seat and his head whipped around to stare at their faces. "I'm alright. What's up?"

"We can't let him fall asleep like that," Amalia said.

Chris made sure she saw his nod before continuing. "We'll have to face more than one individual for the badge in option two?"

"Yes. In the time that she's been gone, we've had our few challengers battle myself and Amalia consecutively in two-on-two affairs."

Sarah's frown slipped. "That doesn't sound all that bad."

"But things might be different after watching you battle earlier."

"What do you mean?"

"I loved the strategy, camaraderie, and passion you two shared while clashing. That, as well as being absolutely bored by our current format, led me to change things up in your case." Cody turned his grin toward his neutral compatriot. "We're going to do a double battle with you and Chris."

Chris's jaw nearly fell from his face. Sarah turned to him with a matching expression. The two turned their shock back on the smug faced Gym Leader.

"I'm looking forward to that battle," he said. His attention shifted next to Prinny and Waz. "And I think this format will lend itself well to bro—"

Waz stood up abruptly, a fire in his eyes that had nothing to do with the flames before them. "I'll wait for Clair," he said. Then he was gone.

Cody looked hopefully to Prinny. "Maybe you could team up with Lu—"

"I will also wait for Clair."

Cody's mouth began to open but quickly shut. Prinny may not have realized it, but he and his brother shared a death glare that could make a Happiny change their name. The Sevii Islander had gone the way of his younger brother a moment later. He left behind an uncomfortable silence.

Amalia was surprisingly the first to break it. "I like them."

Cody didn't attempt to hide his eye roll. "Of course you do."

"I guess that leaves me battling you two consecutively," Luke said, reaching toward the fire.

"I guess so," Cody reluctantly agreed.

Chris watched Luke reach even closer to the open flame. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been much worse. The weather may have sucked, but it showed me a hell of a lot more mercy than that Ursaring did."

"What were you doing up there?" Cody asked.

"We were trying to find Blackthorn."

Cody shook his head. "You're liable to get lost and starve doing that during this time of year. Constant cloud cover and pop up blizzards you won't see coming."

"We got a taste of that," Luke said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd have been fucked without Charizard."

"How did you find us?" Chris asked.

"A giant pillar of fire."

"A pillar…" Chris reclined deeper into his seat.

Cody chuckled. "Looks like Typhlosion saved the day," he said.

Luke's eyes narrowed. "That was Typhlosion?"

A moment of hesitation eventually gave way to a reluctant nod. "We attempted to use Flamethrower."

"That sure as shit wasn't Flamethrower," Cody cut in, his humor-filled expression never wavering. "But it wasn't a move like Fire Blast or Blast Burn either. I've had my eyebrows singed enough times from the latter to know.

Chris's eyes darted toward Sarah, who no doubt would be giddy to hear about one of her opponent's moves. He was shocked to find her chair empty, and a quick scan of the room revealed the same.


Chris and Luke were halfway back to the city before either spoke.

"Man, Charizard… that's so awesome."

Luke's head went in every direction all at once. "I'm still getting used to it myself."

"Was it him north of the Lake of—"

"It was," Luke cut in. Something in his tone made Chris want to change directions. So he turned to what constantly dominated his own thoughts

"Fantastic. So how many badges will you have after Blackthorn?"

That managed to draw a smile from the Tohjo Falls native. "All eight."

"Even Ecruteak's?"

"Even fuckin' Ecruteak's."

Chris punched his palm. "Heck yeah. Did Charizard get a chance to whip up on Kamon?"

"Kamon?"

"The Mahogany Town Gym Leader."

Luke took a deep breath. "He did… eventually."

"Have you guys battled together any other times?"

"Not on the same side, no."

Chris found that phrasing odd but his thoughts were already moving in a different direction. "Then we need to get you some more practice."

Luke's back visibly stiffened. "What are you talking about?"

"Me and you are going to have a one-on-one battle. Let's say tomorrow at noon."

"What the hell makes you think that I'm up for that?"

"Talk it over with Charizard. I've got a feeling he'll agree with me.

"But didn't you just have a one-on-one battle today?"

Chris shrugged. "Means I'll still be sharp. And it'll give me a chance to make up for the loss today."

"You lost?"

It was Chris's turn to stiffen. "Yeah. We had a chance to win it but… well, I don't know what happened."

"Was that big blast of fire really from you guys?"

"It was."

"I thought for sure it was an erupting volcano or something."

"A volcano, huh," Chis mindlessly echoed.

Luke tilted his head and took a slow breath. He brought a hand down to tap his hip. "Maybe your Pokédex could clear things up. It is a Pokémon encyclopedia."

"That's a good idea."

The path had leveled out and buildings were coming into view. They passed through an opening in a rocky outcropping and found themselves in a wide, dirt covered space. Several of the low maintenance roads shot out from the rounded wasteland, branching off into different parts of the city. At their sight, Chris sensed he'd soon be parting with his friend for the day. No doubt he'd need to somehow find Sarah and get a game plan ready. But he had never been great at prepping for things that didn't lay directly in front of him. And right now, Luke's battle was priority number one.

The Tohjo Falls native came to a stop. He nodded to the path furthest to their left. "I'm gonna head this way."

"You want to meet back here for our battle tomorrow?"

Luke sighed. "You're sure we have to do that?"

"I am."

"Then I guess this spot will work."

Chris extended a hand. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Luke took it and pulled him in till their shoulders touched. "See ya then."

Chris watched his friend set off and waited till he'd passed out of sight to turn away. A sharp, tugging pain in his face grabbed the trainer's attention. He realized he had a massive grin on his face. To see Luke back on track—back with his Charizard—and with a leg that didn't seem to bother him anymore… He's heading in the right direction, Chris thought.

Footsteps snapped him from his thoughts. To his surprise, he found Sarah marching toward him. The look on her face sapped whatever joy he had just built up.

"Three days," she said.

"Three—"

"We're doing our Gym battle then."

"Why that soon?"

Sarah brought a foot down, kicking up a cloud of dust. "Because I'm not staying up in these mountains longer than I have to."

"As pissed as you look, I'm surprised you didn't object like Waz and Prinny."

"I guess I was too stunned. And I'm not about to wait up here for two weeks. I'm getting that eighth badge no matter what."

Chris chanced a grin. "It'd be great for me if you did."

"A decent trainer paired with a great one can make this work."

"Don't sell yourself short."

Sarah snorted. "I just hope you're willing to focus in for these next few days. These two we're battling must be incredibly strong for the Gym Leader to leave them in charge. We can't afford any distractions."

"About that," Chris said.

Sarah's eyes flashed toward the far left road. "You two better not have agreed to something stupid."

"It's just going to be a quick battle tomorrow."

"Can it not wait?"

"No," Chris replied, a sudden heat spreading into chest. "I'm sorry, but I'm doing this battle. Luke's a friend that's been through a ton. And right now, he needs this more than either of us need that stupid Gym badge."

He was surprised to see her frown disappear. "Is he using Charizard?"

"That was my sole requirement."

Sarah brought her hands to her hips. "Alright, you have my blessing."

"Well that's a re—"

"Just make sure you go with a Pokémon you'll use in our Gym Battle."

It took Chris a moment to catch on. "I gotcha."

"Good," Sarah said, pulling her blue jacket closer. "I'll meet you afterward."


Chris sat in the Pokémon Center lobby. He had six Poké Balls on the counter to his left and the PC screen open before him. A dull pounding in his head had begun the moment he'd sat down. As his eyes darted between capture device and computer, he found the ache to be growing steadily worse. Why does my brain work this way? he asked himself. His inability to focus on a future task before a present one had always gotten him in trouble. Back in school it'd earned him high marks in math and literature. The speed of solving mathematics and his interest in reading trainer manuals had been powerful motivators. But his one-step-at-a-time approach had also brought him low marks in Social Studies and Science. He could only read and focus on so much after all. Mindless memorization of laws and anatomy had just been a step too far for him. Why try to spread yourself thin when you can prioritize and pour your heart into something entirely?

What the hell was I even doing? Chris's own thoughts brought him back to the counter and PC.

He needed to choose a Pokémon that would be the right fit for both Luke and the Blackthorn Gym. That gave priority to his teammates without weaknesses to Fire-, Flying-, or Dragon-type moves. Aside from Weepinbell and Scizor, that left six teammates still in the running. Chris's hope was short lived when he turned the question around. Typhlosion possessed no super effective moves and was outright resisted by both Fire- and Dragon-types. Eevee knew no super effective moves. Neither did Crobat. When it came to Charizard, Nidoking also fell short in that category. That just left him with Gyarados and Ampharos. Both possessed at least one move that could deal significant damage to both Charizard and Dragon-types in general.

And if I do go with those two, which would I choose to battle Luke? he asked himself. He thought it over for what felt like several minutes without getting anywhere. So he grabbed one of the Poké Balls and activated the capture device.

Typhlosion burst from the device, alert and with flames at the ready. That aggression quickly vanished at the sight of his surroundings and his company. He tilted his head and gave his trainer a questioning look.

"Just thinking," Chris said with a wave. "These past few days have been too crazy to do much of it."

Typhlosion gave a short nod and dropped to all fours. Chris rubbed the back of his neck and felt as though he'd held his hand in front of an open oven. The Fire-starter looked back over his shoulder at the hand and then its owner.

"I wonder," Chris mumbled, bringing out his Pokédex with his other hand. He pointed the device at his teammate and watched data fill the screen. He smiled at the device's description for the species. "I swear, half these entries must have been written as a joke. Says that you'll set everything on fire when you're pissed. Apparently you can also rub your fur together… to cause massive explosions?"

That managed to get a smile out of his starter. The creature nodded for him to continue.

"I guess we shouldn't be surprised then that you fall under the category 'Volcano Pokémon'."

More of the fire starter's fangs were visible now.

"Looks like only you and… the Legendary Beast Entei fall under that category."

"Ty'?"

"He's connected with Suicune. Yeah, I know." Something about the Fire-type member of the Legendary Beasts brought Chris to Typhlosion's moveset. He passed over former moves like Ember and Tackle that had long been forgotten. The recently replaced Smokescreen appeared and vanished as he kept scrolling. "We've got Quick Attack and Flame Wheel. Kiyo taught us Focus Blast. And Flameth—" he stopped himself. The move popped onto the screen but appeared in faded text. Typhlosion had to know it. He'd used it from their battle against Whitney up until just earlier today.

Typhlosion had risen onto his hind legs and stepped over to stare down at the screen. Chris wasn't even sure if he could read it.

"You have to know another Fire-type move. That big blast out of your back looked like a—" He froze as a highlighted word came onto the screen.

"'Phlosion?"

"The others did think it looked like this. And you are the Volcano Pokémon."

"Ty'?"

"I don't think I've ever seen you ask this many questions."

"Typhlosion!"

"It sure looked like an incredibly powerful move. Seems like only a handful of Pokémon can even learn it."

Typhlosion dropped back to all fours and breathed out a long sigh.

Regardless of its power, they'd need to work with their newest attack quite a bit before Chris would feel comfortable using it in battle. And with that thought, he remembered why he'd brought his starter out in the first place. "There's another reason I wanted to speak with you."

Typhlosion must have caught the seriousness in his trainer's voice as he'd defaulted back to his usual hard stare. "Ty'."

Chris grabbed two of the Poké Balls on the counter. "I need your advice."


Eight minutes late. Chris shook his head at his Pokégear as he stepped off the pavement and onto the field of dirt. He'd been on this journey for nearly eight months. He'd been independent and learned so many life lessons during that time. So how in the hell was he getting worse with time management?

"Ty'."

Chris looked back to see his team staring out at the empty battleground. "Good to see I'm not the only one getting worse with time," he said.

His fire starter stepped forward to sniff at the air.

"What is it?"

The faint rhythmic flap of wings grabbed everyone's attention. A grey cloud behind them parted to reveal an orange, draconic creature. This being the land of the dragons, Chris wasn't ready to declare Luke's arrival until he caught sight of the trainer's navy, striped jacket.

Dust filled the air as Charizard slowly descended to the earth. His rider dropped from his back and landed in a squat.

"Good to see your legs have fully recovered," Chris said.

Luke brought up his bandaged hands. "I decided to hurt these to make up for it."

"Guess nobody ever said the training profession would be painless."

"If they had, I'd have already found that person and pun—kicked them for lying."

The air began to heat up as Typhlosion rose onto his hind legs. Flames began to flicker around the Volcano Pokémon's neck.

"Remember what we discussed last night," Chris whispered. "This isn't the right time for this."

"Are you going to use Typhlosion?" Luke asked. The young man kept his neutral stare but his tone sounded less than enthusiastic.

"Not this time," Chris answered. He tapped his starter on a raised leg and the two turned to face their team. "You ready, Ampharos?"

The Electric-type smiled and made for the battlefield. She'd only taken one step before being swallowed up in a massive hug from Nidoking.

"Nido'!"

Electricity spilled out of the Light Pokémon as she squirmed to get free. Nidoking continued his show of affection without even acknowledging the harmless attack. Chris stepped over and pried Ampharos free of the embrace, receiving a heart-stopping jolt for his efforts.

"Let's vocally show our support," Chris told the Drill Pokémon. When he'd received a bashful nod, he turned back to Ampharos. "Let's do this."

"Amph'!"

The battlefield had been set a moment later. Ampharos and Charizard stood in front of one another, a couple dozen feet separating them. Both their tails glowed bright against the overcast sky.

"We'll let you have the first move," Chris said. Not that I know a single one of them, he added silently. He hadn't even seen Luke's starter battle since his Charmeleon days.

"Flame Burst!"

"Dodge to the left!"

Ampharos was on the move before the flames had even left Charizard's mouth. That slight hesitation turned in the fire lizard's favor as he managed to twist his head at the last moment. The ball of fire leapt from his mouth and exploded against the ground just behind Chris's teammate. The Cherrygrove native was excited to see his teammate's increased speed until Ampharos let out a cry. Several large embers had leapt out to strike her back.

I tell her to dodge a move that literally has the word 'burst' in it, Chris silently berated. He'd have to be more careful with Charizard rapidly approaching. "Thunderbolt!"

Ampharos's body lit up as electricity surged around her. She lowered her head and fired a bolt of electricity at her high flying opponent. At Luke's direction, Charizard swooped below the attack and raised both arms, digits glowing white.

"Get your arms up!" Chris warned.

Charizard's downward slashes found Ampharos's paws. The Flame Pokémon's claws pressed down and nearly drove Ampharos's own back into her skull. Her feet churned against the dirt and she managed to move out from under her heavier foe.

"Cotton Spore!"

As Charizard made for the sky, he found himself surrounded by yellow bits of fluff. He flapped his wings but the spores had drawn close enough to stick. That seemed to change Luke's plans.

"Drop back down with Brick Break!" he called.

"Meet them with Thunderbolt!"

The fire lizard returned with a single, flattened claw. Brown met yellow as Charizard's energized appendage fell on Ampharos's charged skull. Both Pokémon recoiled from the exchange. Ampharos stooped low as Charizard took to the air once more.

"Don't let him get away!" Chris directed.

Ampharos's body surged with electricity once more. She brought her arms up and another stream of electricity darted out. Luke's teammate spun around the blast and heeded his trainer's call for a Flame Burst.

Chris felt a grin slide onto his face as he called, "Power Gem!"

Energy poured from the Light Pokémon and split into smaller orbs of energy. Ampharos launched them toward the incoming ball of fire. The white spheres morphed into jagged stones just as they reached the flames. Chris tensed for an explosion but it never came. The concentrated ball of fire burst apart, tossing fire in all directions like candy from a pinata. But that didn't stop a good number of stones from pushing through.

"Charizard!" Luke's voice took an unusual swing up.

Chris felt the momentum in his favor, but knew he had to go with a quick striking move. "Thunderbolt!"

Luke's tone had dropped to something resembling normal as he called for another Flame Burst. Chris found his grin gone when Charizard somehow managed to get the attack off in time. Fire and electricity met and mixed in a volatile way. A loud pop echoed out from the collision, followed by a cloud of smoke.

There's my explosion, Chris thought. And as Charizard swung below the cloud and into Ampharos's line of sight, the trainer's thoughts shifted from humor to opportunity.

"Power Gem!"

"Drop to the ground!"

The Flame Pokémon's feet slammed into the ground as energy orbs began to gather around Ampharos. The Fire-type's wings came down in a furious flap as he landed, kicking up a cloud of dust in the process. Ampharos turned her head as the brown wave swirled over face. The energy orbs around her vanished, prompting an audible curse from her trainer.

"Wing Attack!"

Already hunched, and with his wings before him, Charizard lunged toward Chris's stunned teammate. The fire lizard brought his left wing forward to smack Ampharos's exposed side. The blow spun her around, allowing Charizard to land his right wing across her other side.

Luke's voice ticked upward once more. "Now, Slash!"

"Block it!"

Charizard swung his glowing claws passed one another and leveled them toward each of Ampharos's shoulders. The attacker found two bruised paws instead.

Chris saw Luke's entire body lean forward, but he forced his attention back on the clash at hand. "Let loose while you're connected!"

A spark shot out from between the connected Pokémon, followed by a rapid fire popping sound. Charizard howled and teetered away from the Light Pokémon.

"Finish this with—"

A gust of hot air smacked Chris's face and made him blink. His opening eyes found an opponent glowing hotter than a recently removed poker. The red aura around Luke's Pokémon momentarily vanished as a large flame boiled up from behind the winged creature. Chris heard Typhlosion's urgent growl behind him. Seen it too much recently not to recognize it, he thought. We'll just have to keep him from using it.

"Thunderbolt!"

Even with her improved speed in execution, Charizard already burned with the heat and fire he needed. The fire ball he launched looked and moved in a way that even surprised a trainer used to this scenario. Ampharos's stream of electricity met it halfway, but the resulting explosion blew back entirely on the Light Pokémon. Charizard was on them in a flash, one set of claws raised high. Ampharos would have no time to meet the attack with one of her own.

"Cotton Spore!"

The Flame Pokémon's glowing claws chopped down through a yellow cloud of wool and found Ampharos's right shoulder. Steam hissed from the contact point, drawing an extra cry from Chris's teammate. She grabbed at her shoulder and stumbled back as Charizard pressed forward.

"Now—" Luke's voice stopped suddenly.

The fire lizard lurched backward, his body seizing as sparks burst from his chest, wings, and legs. That drew the attention of the other Pokémon and her trainer.

"Power Gem!"

"Flame Burst!"

Ampharos's energy orbs had formed into rocks before any hint of fire had appeared in Charizard's mouth. She'd launched the flurry of stones just as Charizard had shaken away the last of the sparks. Flames appeared around the fire lizard's closed maw just as the rocks reached him. He opened his mouth.

Crack. The first stone struck just early enough for all to hear it. Those that swarmed in after created an inaudible thudding that echoed out even after the last stone had shattered.

Another, heavier thud sounded as Charizard toppled onto his back. As the low rumble faded and silence set in, Chris's eyes darted between his teammate and the opposing trainer. Ampharos stood, hunched over, and with bruises he could see even from this distance. Her red tail held a faint glow that betrayed her current worn out state. Not that everyone couldn't see it anyway.

Luke also had his shoulders bent forward. His gaze, almost expectant, remained fixed on his downed teammate. Chris studied Charizard as well, unsure of what Luke saw until a flicker of fire caught his eye.

The Flame Pokémon's claws stretched out to find the dirt. His arms ticked up, back bent forward, and his wings swung out. With a grunt, Charizard staggered back to his feet. His long neck hung low, bringing his spiked head near level with his stomach.

Chris's mouth tasted sour as he opened it. "Thunderbolt."

Ampharos gritted her teeth and let loose one final, noticeably smaller bolt of electricity. The chaotic stream crackled through the air and surged toward its target. A popping sound filled the air as the electrical current struck the ground where Charizard had just stood, sending sparks dancing across the dirt. The last of Charizard's physical presence vanished into a Poké Ball in the form of a red beam of light.

Chris fought the urge to run to his teammate. He settled on a power walk that allowed the rest of his team to beat him there. Upon arriving, his initial fear was quelled at the sight of Nidoking. The Drill Pokémon stood a couple feet to Ampharos's right, his enthusiasm for once not blinding him to the delicate situation. That didn't stop him or Eevee from dancing around her like she'd just won them the Silver Conference. Typhlosion gave her a bit more room and seemed more than a little preoccupied with their defeated foe. Gone, though, was the hard stare he usually held for Luke's starter. The creature's peeled back ears now stood up, his narrow eyes wide.

Bringing his attention back to the rest of the team, Chris found that Gyarados had stretched himself around them. All seemed well until the trainer recounted and realized he only had five Pokémon here.

Weepinbell studied them from just outside Gyarados's scaled ring. He looked from Chris to Ampharos and back to Chris. The trainer waved for him to join them, but Weepinbell's eyes were once more on Ampharos. Despite her fatigue and half closed right eye, Ampharos still managed a grin. She grimaced as she lifted an arm but quickly reverted to a smile as she began to wave.

The Flycatcher Pokémon's eyes widened and she glanced around as if she were looking at someone else. When Ampharos gave her an unmistakable nod, the Grass/Poison-type took a cautious step forward. Then another. Before long, she'd come to stand between Ampharos and her trainer. The Light Pokémon brought her bruised paw gently onto her newest teammate's leaf. Weepinbell turned to look up at Chris, who grinned back. Why the hell did I wait to introduce her to Ampharos?

"Great job, Ampharos." And he figured she caught the dual meaning.

Footsteps grabbed the team's attention. Gyarados's tail swung back to allow one of the few trainers he trusted to step into their midst. He still held Charizard's Poké Ball. His gaze fell somewhere between it and Chris.

"That was a good battle," Chris said.

"Your Flaaffy has really grown," Luke replied.

"She's changed her look a tad bit." Chris placed a soft hand on the Light Pokémon's back. "But she's still a hardworking and caring teammate."

"Her conditioning and coordination are leagues better than they were when she battled Chuck. And she's gotta be tough to take those big shots from Charizard."

"Speaking of Charizard, I can tell that he still cares about you. That much hasn't changed."

"Yeah," Luke said, and it sounded like something caught in his throat. He rolled his shoulders. "I just… set us back in every other way."

"I think the word you're looking for is 'stalled.' The important thing is that you still managed to grow your relationships with the rest of your team."

"How do you know I did that? You haven't even seen them."

Chris shrugged. "It's more of a… feeling. Your soul was tested and I think you've come out better for it. You and Charizard put up a great fight despite still getting reacquainted."

Luke gave him a hard stare. "Are you just bull shitting me?"

Chris returned the look in kind. "You wouldn't be here unless the rest of your team rallied to help you get the other badges. Based on Morty's reputation and what I've seen from Kamon, they wouldn't have given you much of a chance unless they felt that way too. You and your team are in a better place. I just know it."

The lines in Luke's forehead softened as a small smile tugged at his lips. "That big heart of yours is gonna backfire eventually."

"Not today."

The two men's feet moved simultaneously, bringing them together into a tight embrace.

"Good luck with your Gym challenge," Chris said.

"Same to you." As the two stepped apart, Luke's eyes lit up. "Oh, and I've been thinking about having some people over to the house before the Silver Conference. Maybe a month or so out."

"That'd be awesome, especially since it's on the way. You sure your folks wouldn't mind?"

A real smile finally broke through. "I'll talk it over with them and let you know," Luke replied.

"Sounds like a plan," Chris said, extending a hand. "If I don't see you till then, kick some butt and train hard."

Luke took his hand and shook it. "Me and the team will have better proof of that next time." And with a wave, the Tohjo Falls native set off toward town.

A not-so-strange sense of déjà vu set in as Chris watched him leave. Feels better than yesterday, he told himself. Reaching into his bag, he retrieved a potion and turned back to his team. "Let's get our victorious teammate all healed up."

"Already done."

Chris's entire body tensed in surprise. Unfortunately for the girl knelt beside Ampharos, that included his trigger finger. Unfortunately for Chris, his unintended target happened to be his doubles partner.

"Shit." Sarah's hands went to her face, a potion falling from between them.

Chris dropped to a knee beside her, his voice cracking. "I am so sorry."

"I don't need apologies," she answered, waving a hand at him. "I need something to wipe this away."

Chris dug into his pack and procured a wash cloth. "Here."

Her hand swung out to grab it but smacked his arm and then his wrist. I doubt those were accidental, he thought.

Chris waited to risk another word until Sarah had finished wiping her eyes. "You, uh, surprised me."

"I'll choose to believe that over straight up assault."

"Thanks," he said, rising to his feet. He offered a hand to her but she ignored it. As she stood, Chris's eyes turned to a healthy looking Ampharos. "And I really appreciate you taking care of Ampharos. I gotta say, that was unexpected."

Sarah pointed to a blinking eye. "Clearly."

The Cherrygrove native looked over the rest of his team. "I'm surprised none of you guys let me know she'd slid her way in." He cocked an eye at Gyarados. "Especially you. You nearly trampled her the last time she did this."

"They probably sensed my generous heart."

"Or they recognized you. Easier to tolerate a familiar face with a potion as compared to a stranger stealing a sandwich."

"Either way," Sarah said, letting out an exasperated sigh, "I'm here. And that means it's time to train."

"Now that's something I can get behind."


My goodness. Talk about an action packed chapter! Typhlosion may have lost this battle, but he's seemingly added a new, powerful move to his repertoire. And major props to Ampharos for scoring one of her biggest victories yet! But with his final Gym Badge still in the balance, how will Chris find victory when forced to work with Sarah? Can the self-acclaimed sub-par double battler put together a good enough gameplan with this rising Sinnoh rival? Another MAJOR battle looms as we await Chapter 53! I'll see you then! Please Review and Subscribe!