While the field was being prepared for the next round, I looked up the footage for Rhiannon's Gym Battle against Roark. Her Riolu had an even easier time against Roark's Rhyhorn but the Fighting Type was quick and powerful, so much so that it also took down the Gym Leader's Onix. No matter what the giant rock snake did, he could dodge around it and terrorize it with Fighting Type moves. What kind of monster was she raising? What was her Eevee like, and what would any of her Pokemon be like when they evolved? Helen hadn't been lying, Rhiannon was seriously talented. Karl would be facing her next in the bracket and now I understood his frustration with having to face her.

Another thought crossed my mind, and I remembered my conversation with Helen a few days prior. Damien was also here, and there was no way he'd ignore the tournament, right? Sure enough another look at the brackets showed his name, though we'd both have to reach the semi-finals to be able to face each other. A notification on my phone told me that my Pokemon were healed up and ready for the next round.

"Thank you for the advice, but I have to go get my team. Maybe we can talk after the next round?" I asked the veteran Trainer.

Hawlucha glared at me before looking at his Trainer, who smirked at me as she turned her attention from the field to me.

"I might be floating around from field to field but if I catch your match and I'm still around, then sure. If not, it was nice meeting you!" Kalani replied.

It was helpful to talk to a Trainer that was far more experienced than I was. Getting her perspective on things helped me realize where I needed to start improving but the advice Kalani had given me on Murkrow was invaluable. I'd have to let the Flying Type go after the tournament, but for now I needed to keep my mind on the battles ahead.


After retrieving Hitmontop and Sableye, I took a walk away from the tournament grounds so I could talk to them. I released Hitmontop first, wanting to surprise him with the news of our victory and congratulate him on evolving. The Fighting Type materialized before turning to look at me and I couldn't help but smile. I wrapped my arms around my starter, hugging him as he returned the embrace. I set him back down and knelt down to his height.

"You did incredible Tyro- I mean, Hitmontop. We won the battle but more importantly, you evolved! I'm so proud of you!" I told him.

Hitmontop's eyes lit up as he smiled and cheered before I wrapped my arms around him in a hug which he responded to in kind. He was already strong as a Tyrogue, but much more so now that he'd evolved. If he squeezed me any harder he'd probably be leaving bruises.

"Okay, okay, easy!" I laughed as Hitmontop giggled and let me go. "Think you're ready for the next match? Terrence also uses a Fighting Type, a Gurdurr but I think you can't handle it. You're fast and tricky enough, you just can't let him overwhelm you. If possible, you have to let him come to you. Gurdurr has to carry around that weapon of his, it'll tire him out if he has to chase you."

Hitmontop nodded, taking in my advice before squaring up into a fighting stance and throwing a few experimental punches and kicks. "Hitmon, Montop!"

"I'm letting Sableye out now too, okay?" Hitmontop nodded before returning to his shadowboxing.

As the Ghost Type materialized from the Pokeball, he turned to me and smiled, flashing a mouthful of wicked looking teeth.

"You did amazing for your first battle, Sableye! Really, I'm proud of you both. But I don't think I used your strengths to the fullest against Alyssa and her Braixen. Our next opponent mostly relies on his Gurdurr, so he's kind of the perfect opponent for you to pull pranks on."

At that, Sableye cackled as he fell back on his butt and laughed. I'm glad he enjoyed the last match and was looking forward to the next one at least. The Ghost Type walked over to Hitmontop and observed his punches and kicks with a grin on his face before following the movements. He copied the stance and threw a punch of his own. Sableye looked at his own hand, flexing his fingers before shrugging and sitting down as he watched Hitmontop exercise. There wasn't a lot of time before the next round to prepare, so I released Marshtomp so he could relax with the others in the meantime.


Twenty minutes later, I walked into the chalk-lined trainer box on the battlefield with Marshtomp's ball in hand. I was slightly nervous, even if on paper the Type matchups were definitely in our favor. There were more people watching now too which wasn't helping my nerves, but I took a few deep breaths trying to shake it off. I would have to get used to spectators sooner or later.

I stood there waiting for a few minutes before I checked my phone. The time was 1:34, and Terrence Drake still hadn't taken to the field. As I looked up from the screen, as a siren indicating the end of a match played over the loudspeakers.

The crowd was also murmuring and there was confusion at the noise. The battle hadn't even started yet. What was going on? Over the loudspeaker, an announcer's voice called out:

"Terrence Drake has dropped out from the tournament, the winner by default is Titus Claren!"

Dropped out?

There was mixed musings from the crowd and a few boos thrown my way. They probably weren't too thrilled about showing up for a battle that wasn't going to happen or that I was getting a pass to the next round.

My only guess was that Terrence knew the type matchups on our teams weren't in his favor, but there were probably a lot of Trainers and fans alike that wouldn't respect him just giving up without trying. Maybe I was reading too much into it. It's also possible he had some kind of emergency.

I left the field in a hurry, opting to walk around the town until the next round with Hitmontop by my side. He was confused at first when we weren't in the middle of a battle, but I caught him up to speed pretty quickly. My starter was disappointed that he would have to wait for another fight but that was assuaged when I told him the battles would only get tougher from here. As we walked through town, we passed several stores and businesses that were probably happy to have Trainers coming through. A camping supply store, a Trainer boutique and a store that sold herbal medicine for Pokemon were the notable ones. I was full up on supplies and I didn't have much interest in flashy clothes, much less high-end designer stuff made for Trainers, so Hitmontop and I stepped into the herbal medicine store. The large, hand-painted sign above the door read "Lachlan's Herbal Remedies". The paint was slightly faded, but there were vines and flowers painted to snake between the letters.

It was a small, unassuming store with wooden floors and practical adornments. Shelves and other herbs drying on the walls and ceiling. There was a small catalog near a window and on the counter were several hand-carved Pokemon statues in stunning detail. A woman around my Mom's age turned from the shelf she was stocking and her eyes lit up as she noticed us walk inside, our presence highlighted by a door chime that rang above our heads. What stood out the most however, was the scent of this place. There were a dozen different aromas floating in the air that I couldn't put a name to and none of it was unpleasant. I actually noticed another display that featured candles as well.

"Can I help you with something?" the woman asked. She had reddish hair and a warm smile. I also noticed she wore a name tag that said Gretchen. "Medicine for the road maybe?"

I thought about it for a moment as I watched Hitmontop look around the shop. He walked over to the candle display and smelled each one, though he grimaced and stuck his tongue out at the last one.

"We're supposed to go through Eterna Forest soon, do you have anything that might be useful there?"

"We do, actually." Gretchen walked behind the counter before pulling out a scale and a jar filled with green powder. "This is good for relieving poison and other ailments. While this one," she grabbed another jar filled with pale yellow powder and it set on the counter. "Is good for wounds and restoring your Pokemon's stamina. Though, I should warn you that they're terribly bitter. Most Pokemon will refuse to take them more than once, if at all."

They sounded useful, though I was worried about my team hating the taste of them. It had to be worth at least trying, so I bought a few doses of each. Gretchen weighed out the medicine on her scale before dividing it into small paper packets that she tucked into a small box. It came out to a little over 3000 Pokedollars but it felt better to support a tiny store like this than a giant corporation. Hitmontop and I thanked Gretchen before leaving with our purchases and heading back to the Center.

I left the medicine in my room while I checked the online bracket. My next opponent was Hayden Thomas, Alyssa's friend who had been the referee for our first battle. I knew shockingly little about either of them, but he also had a badge from the Oreburgh Gym along with a Nidorina and Woobat. I hadn't seen much of the latter as they weren't native to Sinnoh, but from what I'd found online they had Psychic abilities along with a plethora of debilitating moves to couple it with. Hayden had used both in his Gym Battle but his Nidorina was exceptional. It had the bulk and power to go toe-to-toe with Roark's Rock Types. Between the two of them, Marshtomp and Sableye would be my best options as Hitmontop didn't have many options for dealing with Poison Types and he wouldn't be of much use against Woobat.

On a whim, I also checked my profile on the League forums, and was surprised to see that I had several direct messages from someone:

Anon 389239 (Non-Verified): I bet you fixed that match with terrence

Anon 389239 (Non-Verified): how much did you pay him

Anon 389239 (Non-Verified): loser

Anon 389239 (Non-Verified): talentless fuckfest

Anon 389239 (Non-Verified): go back to jubilife

I immediately closed the app and slid my phone back into my pocket. I hadn't had anything to do with that match panning out the way it had and someone just jumped on me immediately. It was probably to be expected though, knowing what most people my age could be like with a bit of online anonymity. I just hoped this was an isolated incident and not something I'd have to deal with regularly.

I spent the next while hanging out with my team in my Center room, letting them relax before the upcoming match.


I stepped onto the chalk-lined battlefield and was relieved to see Hayden on the other side, who smiled as I took to the field. The tall teenager wore workout clothes, a thin black t-shirt and jogging pants. I held Marshtomp's ball in my hand as I waited for the referee's signal, feeling a sense of ease as I held it. The murmuring of the crowd was soon drowned out as the announcer's voice came on over the loudspeaker.

"From Sunyshore City and holding one badge, Hayden Thomas!"

Hayden smiled and waved to the crowd, and I heard a few girls squeal as he did so.

"And from Jubilife City also holding one badge, Titus Claren!"

There were a few claps and cheers, but not nearly the reaction that Hayden had received. I wasn't nearly as exuberant or great at working the crowd. I mostly just wanted to battle and move on.

"Begin!"

I released Marshtomp onto the field as my lead and Hayden chose a Pokemon I hadn't seen before. It was a small black lizard-like creature that stood around two feet tall with orange marks on its back. Its eyes were a bright purple color, and it had the appearance like it was constantly snickering at you.

"Salandit, Incinerate!"

Wait, what the fuck-

The black lizard, Salandit I guess it was called, opened its mouth and belched out a burst of flame as Marshtomp dove away from it, his back getting singed by the flames as he hit the ground.. As quickly as I could, I recalled him before any more damage, physical or mental, could be dealt to him.

Hayden had a Fire Type in his back pocket. As I looked across the field at my opponent-

Hayden was grinning ear to ear, a shit-eating grin plastered to his face. He was enjoying watching me panic and scramble like this because-

He knew.

That motherfucker knew that Marshtomp was afraid of fire.

Shit.

I only had a few seconds to select my next Pokemon, as I'd be disqualified if I took any longer. I sent out Sableye next, as I knew Hitmontop couldn't deal with anything else. The Ghost Type materialized and cackled as he spotted his opponent.

I was at a serious disadvantage here. I'd never seen a Salandit before. Was it a Fire Type, or just capable of using Incinerate? What other Types could it be? It's Abilities? Fuck.

"Smog!"

"Fake Out!"

It knows Poison moves too?!

Sableye reappeared in front of Salandit, slapping both sides of its head and stunning it as the gas it was ready to unleash died in its mouth.

"Flash!"

"Poison Fang!"

The Ghost Type cackled as a burst of light overtook them both, and I was forced to look away from the blinding attack, unable to see the result of Salandit's next move. When it ended, Salandit had Sableye pinned with his arm in its mouth, poison dripping from its fangs as Sableye winced and tried to pull himself free.

"Zen Headbutt, get him off!"

"Incinerate!"

The Ghost Type threw his head forward and pulled Salandit towards him in a single motion, slamming the opponent with Psychic energy. He was getting faster with the move now. Salandit released his grip and fell to the ground before leaping back and belching out a burst of flame that narrowly missed Sableye but continued to ignite the field. Sableye winced from the pain in his arm, and it looked to be dripping with poison.

"Smog, then light it up!"

Light it up?

"Night Shade!

Salandit coughed and a plume of purple gas shot towards Sableye, who dove into the ground before leaping out to safety with his doppelganger in tow. The attack continued as the Ghost Type and the fake dodged around clouds of noxious gas. As Sableye dove for the ground, Salandit sprang his trap, igniting the surrounding gas and setting the entire field ablaze. For an instant, the battlefield became a mix of flames and smoke as I struggled to make out what had happened. I had no doubt the Night Shade had been destroyed, but had Sableye gone down with it?

When the flames ceased, Sableye was struggling to stand up and Salandit was in the same spot he'd been in.

"Poison Fang!"

Salandit darted left and right, far faster than I had been giving it credit for, scampering across the burning battlefield on its tiny black feet with poison dripping from its mouth and a malevolent gleam in its eyes.

"Confuse Ray!"

But Sableye was faster. A ghostly shape shot out from Sableye's shadow, sliding across the ground as it chased down Salandit before entering its shadow. The lizard Pokemon flinched and recoiled as it stopped in place and screamed before continuing on its path towards Sableye.

"Zen Headbutt!"

"Salandit, snap out of it!"

Sableye was exhausted but he gave everything he had for one more Zen Headbutt, charging up the move as Salandit leapt at him with an outstretched maw and clamped down on to the Ghost Type's arm, causing him to screech in pain. Sableye retaliated with one last attack, slamming his head into Salandit's own before they both collapsed.

"Both Salandit and Sableye are unable to battle. Trainers, send out your last Pokemon!"

Marshtomp was my only Pokemon now. Before I sent him out onto the field, I released him next to me. The Water Type whipped his head around, no doubt confused and scared from Salandit's attack. Hayden had thrown us both for a loop and now it might keep Marshtomp from battling altogether. I knelt down and put my hands on his shoulders to reassure him. His lower lip was trembling and there were tears forming in his eyes. I pulled him into a hug before looking into his eyes again.

"Are you okay? Can you still battle?" I whispered to him.

Marshtomp shut his eyes tight, tears beginning to flow down his face before he caught his breath and wiped his eyes clean before opening them again. There was still fear there, but he was determined now. He looked at Hayden, then back to me. And he nodded.

"Are you sure? You don't have to-" I began, but he cut me off.

The Water Type pointed at the battlefield and yelled at me. "Marsh!"

At this point, the crowd and the referee, an older man in his fifties, were getting impatient. The man barked at me from his stand.

"Send out your Pokemon now, or I'll consider it a disqualification!"

"Right, sorry!"

I recalled Marshtomp before releasing him onto the field. Hayden responded in kind, releasing his Woobat onto the field. The small fuzzy blue ball flapped around on wings that looked too small for it as it hovered in mid air.

"Dig!"

"Air Cutter!"

Woobat flapped its wings several times in quick succession, sending blades of air towards Marshtomp who dove into the ground to avoid getting slashed. Staying above ground would be hard, as Woobat was a small target that probably win out in a fight at range. That didn't mean we couldn't attack though.

"Rock Throw!"

A chunk of stone flew out of the ground as Woobat swerved to avoid getting hit with it.

"Don't let up, throw as many as you can!"

Fist sized pieces of rock and stone tore themselves out of the smoldering earth, flying upwards at Woobat who swerved constantly to avoid the attacks coming its way. Occasionally, one would get too close to comfort for the Psychic Type and it would send it flying away with Confusion. This went on for a minute before one of them grazed the Flying Type's wing, sending it tumbling down.

"Now, Rock Throw send them down!"

"Confusion!"

Marshtomp burst forth from the ground, the stray Rock Throws falling down around him entering his range as he sent them hurtling down with even more force. Woobat wasn't finished yet, as several errant rocks began to glow pink and shot back at Marshtomp, pummeling him in the chest and face and knocking him out of the air. The Flying Type spun and tried to regain its balance before the tumbling stones overtook it, crashing into it and burying it in rocks. Marshtomp crashed into the ground as well, clutching his stomach as he bent over in pain. After a few seconds, the referee blew his whistle.

"The winner is Titus and Marshtomp!"


Thank you for 100+ followers! I've been having a lot of fun writing this so far. Feel free to leave comments, questions and criticisms. You can also read this on AO3 now as well!