I was right about putting my gym battle a week later. During training, Neo learnt Slash, forgetting Quick Attack. Estelle evolved into a Gardevoir, learning Dazzling Gleam in the process, while forgetting Magical Leaf. I find it stupid that with all the technology we have, our Pokemons still cannot learn more than 4 moves. But four moves or not, my Pokemon and I were ready, a week later and sitting in the prep room. Butterfrees danced in my stomach as I waited for my turn. My entire family, except Ariel, was going to be there! And Ronnie. Oh my god I hope Ben wouldn't kill Ronnie. Or my Dad. He caught me kissing her today morning. I was the one who started the kiss but of course, Dad seemed to be plotting ways to chop off Ronnie's hands, which was deliciously cupping my butt.

'Here you go,' The assistant passed me the headphones. 'Good luck!'

'Thanks,' I accepted the headphones, placing it above my cap.

I realized that the cap helped the headphones stay on better, which totally defies logic but I'm not going to argue, as long as it stays on. When I reached the platform, my eyes scanned the crowd. I found them sitting opposite me, such that I can see them above the Gym Leader's head. The stadium was way more crowded than the previous two gym battles I had. I guess it was because Mauville was one of the biggest city. And also because it was my hometown. I spotted a few familiar faces in the crowd. Ms. Morgan was there, her Gliscor beside her. I didn't know she keeps track of her students. Didn't she have homework to mark?

'I do,' I told Tobias Harmon, the Mauville Gym Leader.

'Alright then, release your Pokemon!' Tobias' voice boomed around the gym.

I released Neo, his scythes gleaming in the stadium lights. He took to the skies just as Tobias released a blue canine with yellow fur crackling with electricity. A Manetric.

'Axel, Quick Attack into Thunder Fang!'

A Manetric named Axel? At least I wouldn't have any qualms beating this dog into pulp.

'Neo, dive, then Steel Wing,'

Neo dodged the sharps fangs of Axel with a deep dive, the Steel Wing catching the blue dog in its underbelly.

'Slash!' I ordered.

'Shock Wave!' Tobias called out.

Shit. 'Neo, fly away!'

Neo raked his scythe against Axel's flank as he zipped away into the sky. Shock Wave, a move that cannot be dodged, hit Neo in the middle of his back. I learnt that electricity from anywhere will always travel through a conductor and into the ground. By asking him to fly, I was hoping to lessen the damage, though I wasn't sure it had much of an effect. Neo was flying haphazardly.

'Quick Attack and Thunder Fang again!'

'Bug Buzz, then Razor Wind!'

At least Neo doesn't have to move much to execute these moves. He landed, then let out an intense buzzing sound directed at Axel. The blue canine reared, distracted from the sound. The Razor Wind sliced into his belly, adding to the two deep gash already on his body. The Manetric took two steps forward, fangs crackling with electricity, before slumping onto the ground with a thud, blood soaking it's fur. Tobias returned Axel.

I called out Dawn, who seemed a bit disoriented with the number of people in the stadium. Tobias' second Pokemon was a dark yellow lizard. It came out with a hiss, flaring its beautiful black frill with orange tips. This time, I took the initiative.

'Ember,'

'Dodge, then Quick Attack.'

'Flame Wheel into Bite!'

The yellow lizard scrambled past Dawn's flames and charged at her. Dawn curled into a ball, rolling towards it covered in flames. Dawn was so much bigger than the lizard that when they collide, the Heliolisk was flung into the air. Or it would have been, if Dawn didn't catch the lizard in the tail.

'Ember!'

'Parabolic Charge.'

The Heliolisk flared out its frill in a blinding light, shooting or streaks of electricity at Dawn. When the spots cleared from my vision, I noticed that the Heliolisk's frills were smoking slightly. Dawn's Ember must have hit, though she was shaking her head, blinking rapidly. Damn, being that close to the light could not have been good.

'Thunderbolt!'

'Body Slam! Then Bite.'

Dawn leapt, half blind, dodging the bolt of electricity by a hair and crashed onto the yellow lizard, not unlike that night when she interrupted Ronnie and I in Verdanturf town. Though I couldn't hear it, I'm pretty sure the lizard let out an oomph. Dawn sank her fangs into the hide leg of the lizard and toss it over her head. The lizard landed behind her with a thud, unmoving. Tobias' face only looked grim as he returned Heliolisk.

I returned Dawn and called out Estelle. She entered the battlefield calm and steady as she waited for her opponent, who turned out to be a gigantic black zebra. White lightning patterns streak down its fur. It shook its spiky white mane with a whinny. Oh boy, from what I know about horse, and seeing Enyo, horses like it fast. And this one was raring to go, evident from its pawing.

'Flame Charge!'

Flame Charge? What a weird choice. The move will raise the Zebstrika's speed though, which will be annoying. The Zebstrika took off like a streak of lightning, no pun intended.

'Teleport, then Dazzling Gleam. Then Confusion.'

Estelle disappeared, then flickered into view behind the Zebstrika. She let out a wave of bright light that blinded everyone, her long skirt billowing. Oh boy, I need to start investing in sunglasses now. While the Zebstrika was momentarily distracted by Estelle's disappearance, it was hit in the behind with Dazzling Gleam, causing it to whinny in pain, cantering in shock. Before he could recover, he was hit with Confusion, causing him to stagger back.

'Pursuit!'

I was about to order a Teleport when Tobias ordered.

'Shock Wave.'

Damn the move that never misses.

'Magical Leaf!'

The leaves that Estelle summoned did almost nothing to Zebstrika, though it did stop its Pursuit. Estelle was hit by the Shock Wave. The rest of the match passed with Estelle teleporting and hitting with either Confusion or Dazzling Gleam in rapid succession. The Zebstrika wasn't able to squeeze in an attack and went down.

Tobias' last Pokemon was a familiar one.

'Sheep!' Lexy cried out when he saw the Pokemon.

'Sheep…?' Tobias' puzzled voice had the audience chuckling, for they couldn't have heard Lexy.

I had to bite back a smile. Mari and I Facetimed a while back. Her Jupiter had evolved into an Ampharos, and it took a bit of convincing to Lexy that that was his old travel buddy. The yellow Pokemon had a red orb on its forehead as well as its striped tail. He didn't seemed jealous that Jupiter evolved twice already, which is a sign of his maturity, I hoped.

'Thunder Punch!'

Tobias had started first. Gee, what a gentleman.

'Crunch.'

The fist charged with electricity was swallowed by Lexy's, I presume, mouth inside his shell. Tobias seemed to be waiting for this moment.

'Dragon Pulse.'

Uh oh, at that distance, it was going to do a lot of damage.

'Roll, Lexy!'

With the Ampharos' stubby arm still in his mouth, Lexy turned sideways onto his round shell. We discovered this, as was normal with Lexy, completely by accident. He had been rolling on the grass when Dawn's Flame Wheel was pushed off target. Lexy narrowly missed the attack and we had all laughed at it when Lexy realized he could dodge move with this much faster than normal. The momentum allowed Lexy to roll around the battlefield and forced the Ampharos to roll with it. The Dragon Pulse went wildly off target. I winced as it hit the barrier in front of me. I was glad that force fields were in place because if not, I would have been fried extra crispy by that draconic energy.

'Headbutt, then Dragonbreath,'

'Discharge!'

Lexy let go of the Ampharos' arm to bash its forehead, right on the red orb. The Ampharos gave a howl of pain, staggering back, electricity shooting off its body. The sparks glance harmlessly off Lexy's shell. Before the Ampharos could regain its balance, it was hit in the face with a blast of draconic breath. Which probably smelt like chocolate, given how he had an entire bar that morning. Or maybe it was extra smelly, because Ampharos crashed onto the ground. Wow, this was the fastest one yet. Was Lexy that powerful?

'Congratulations.' Tobias said gruffly. 'The Dynamo Badge is yours.'

I thanked him, then headed back to the prep room. Afterwards, I met up with my family for a late lunch while my team was healing at the Pokemon Center.

'Where's Ronnie?' I asked, stuffing a wanton into my mouth.

'She said she had something to do,' Ben shrugged, lifted a spoon heaped with rice and roasted Pidgey.

Weird. I wondered what she had to do. Was it more Neo Helios stuff? She doesn't mention them much while we were travelling together. Actually, I don't think she ever did. She was so secretive about her life. My mood suddenly plummeted from the clouds back to Earth at that thought. My family, though, didn't noticed. They were too busy highlighting their favourite moments of my battle.

Ronnie wasn't at dinner either. It wasn't until late night when I received a text from her.

'Meet me in town?'

Wondering what she was doing so late in the city, I asked if Lexy wanted to go with me to the city. He agreed, seeming to be in one of his rare energetic mood as a Shelgon. Then, because I told Dad, who narrowed his eyes at me, that I'm going for a jog, I wore a tank top and gym shorts. Lexy seemed happy, bounding along beside me as we wound down the familiar paths that we ran around so long ago, before I even started my life as a Pokemon Trainer. I slowed down to a walk as I saw the city lights loomed in front of me.

'Wru?' I typed out a message to Ronnie.

'Trainer,' Lexy asked. 'Do you like chocolate Trainer?'

'Ronnie?' I asked in astonishment. 'Yes, why did you ask that?'

'You used to spend more time with us,' Lexy said simply.

My legs slowed. I looked at Lexy's face, trying to decipher his expression, which was hard because only two yellow eyes stared out at me from inside his shell. Was he jealous? Or had I been neglecting my Pokemon? My Pokedex dinged with Ronnie's reply.

I glanced at my phone. 'Meet me at bridge?'

'It is ok. I like her. She gives me chocolate.'

I really couldn't tell if Lexy was angry or upset. He had plodded along before I could say anything. Wow, what a day.

Ronnie was leaning against the railing overlooking river, an ice cream cone in hand. Her jacket flapped in the gentle night's breeze, her hair fluttering. The moonlight shined down on her, illuminating her face in a way that made her look vulnerable. Or it might be the wistful look she had as she gaze down the river, listening to the splash of the waves. With a start, I realized her eyes looked slightly puffy. My running shoes scuffed on the wooden floor and she looked at me, her face instantly transforming, all traces of sadness gone.

'Hey,' She said, holding up the ice cream. 'Congrats on your third badge. I'm sorry, I don't have any chocolates with me.'

Lexy shrugged (it sort of looked like he tilted from side to side with his round shell). Then sat down.

'Are you trying to make me fat?' I took the ice cream. Butter Pecan, my favourite.

'As if you could be fat,' She gave her signature smile. As she stuffed her hands into her pockets, I saw a flash of the sadness lingering in her eyes.

'Are you ok?' I gently touched her elbow.

She seemed startled, then she gave me a soft half smile. 'Yeah.'

I held my ice cream, unsure of what to do. Around us, the city had a muted buzz as most resident returned home for the night. In the distance, a Herdier barked.

'Have you eaten?' I said, finally.

'No,' She seemed surprised, as if that she had forgotten eating was something a person would do.

'Come on,' I slide my hand into the crook of her elbows.

A grilled Tauros kebab in her hand, and a half-eaten ice cream in mine, we strolled along the quiet streets. We were silent, but it wasn't the sort of silence that exists when two people were enjoying each other's company. The silence nips at my heart, whipping up a flurry of confusing thoughts. And Ronnie could tell.

'What's wrong?' She pulled me down onto the bench at a bus stop.

I glanced at Lexy, who still had leftover energy despite our jog. He had plodded forward, scaring the bejesus out of an old lady. I'm glad it was so late, so no one will complain about a gigantic Pokemon in the city.

'Lexy told me that I used to spend more time with them,' I dropped my voice to a whisper.

'Do you feel like you've been neglecting them?' Ronnie tilted my head up, her eyes holding me steady. 'I don't want to take you away from your Pokemon.'

'I don't know. I don't think so,' I stared at her. 'I feel like I spend as much time as I do when I'm with Mari, or Finnick and Anna.'

'Maybe he feels that your attention isn't there?' She mused.

I shrugged, frowning. I bit my lips as I stared into those green pool of wisdom.

'Talk to them,' She placed her hand on my shoulder, her touch, which usually sent tingles down my body, now giving me a sense of assurance. 'Preferably without me, but you can't know what your Pokemon is thinking all the time. Communicate with them.'

I nodded. After a long moment, she finally said. 'Your Pokemons isn't the only one you should be communicating with you know. Talk to me. What's wrong?'

'I don't know anything about you!' I burst out, then looked down, slightly ashamed at my outburst.

I thought I could do this maturely but it wasn't until now that I was aware of how much resentment I was feeling. She removed her hand and I keenly felt the loss, cool air now brushing where her warm, soothing hand was.

'Well, what do you want to know?' She opened her hands.

'Where did you live?' It occurred to me suddenly that I don't even know where she came from.

Her eyebrows lifted in surprised, and her face melted into a smile. 'Mossdeep City. In one of the suburbs. Very similar to yours actually, location wise. I live with my parents and sister.'

'You have a sister?'

'Yeah, older sister. She's an annoying ass,' Ronnie rolled her eyes at the mention of her sister. 'Not that I mind all these questions, but why so sudden?'

'Because when you disappeared suddenly today, I realized you don't tell me anything about you! What if you had gone for some Neo Helios thing, and you're injured or something, I wouldn't know. Or like, if you just grew bored of me. I don't even know what's happening with you I don't know how to help. Or how to cheer you up. I think my period's coming.' I buried my face in my hands, hating how much I was rambling.

She gently tugged my hand away from my face. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. I went home today to switch my Pokemons. I thought it'll be a quick one, Fly there and back before you're done with your paperwork after your match. Arceus knows how long that is. Then, when I was reaching back, I saw… I saw the island.'

'Hey Ronnie,' I grasped her hand. 'It's ok if you don't want to tell me. Or if you're not ready. I don't want to force you. I'm sorry, I was just really worried and –'

'No,' She stopped me before I could go full on ramble again. 'I want to tell you.'

She took a deep breath. 'I had a travelling partner, Charis Dann. She was brave and fearless. But also rash, always diving in headfirst without thinking of a plan. A bit like you actually.'

'The trainer who saved the Trapinch?'

'You remembered that?' Her eyebrows lifted. At my nod, she continued. 'I also had a brave Skarmony. His name was Leon. He was the bravest bird, my fiercest fighter. They were so much alike, Charis and Leon, that I always joke Charis was meant to be Leon's trainer instead. But he chose me, he gave me his feather. And it doesn't matter because Charis and I were together all the time anyway. We were heavily involved in NH then. And we had 8 badges. We thought we were invincible. We had just found out that the poachers had their HQ in this island off the coast of Mauville. It's not an island actually, more like a cave. It leads to an abandoned power plant. Charis and I went in and…'

Ronnie took a deep breath, swallowing visibly. 'She didn't make it. Neither did Leon. I almost lost my mind after that. I went to Kalos because Mum and Dad always spoke of how wild flowers occupied acres and acres of wide open plains. The sprawling mountain range filled with hidden pools of crystal clear lakes fed by alpine stream. It sounded idyllic so I packed a bag and went there. After my 8th badge there, and a lot of wandering around, I realized I should be back here, to continue fighting for Neo Helios. It's what Charis would've wanted.'

'Charis is important to you,' I said with a moment of realization.

Somewhere in the middle of the story, Lexy returned, apparently done with exploring the sleeping city. He was now sitting beneath the bench, eyes closed.

'I loved her,' Ronnie lowered her eyes. 'When I saw the cave today, flying back, I couldn't resist. I had to go back. After that I didn't… I couldn't… I didn't want you to see me like this. That's why I took so long.'

'Are you angry with me?' She asked after a long moment of silence.

'No.' How could I? When she told me such an emotional story, one where she bared her soul. Though I did feel really weird. Was I a rebound to her?

'Ronnie, look,' I took her hand. 'I'm sorry, I was just worried you were gone today. I'm not angry at you, I never was.' I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand. What does one say? Oh Arceus, why am I so inarticulate. 'I'm really glad you told me this. Tell me if there's anything I can do.' I drew her into a hug.

'You. You being here helps,' She whispered as she buried her face into the crook of my neck. 'Tell me something. Anything.'

I felt her squeezed her eyes shut, hot tears escaping from the corners of her eyes, splashing down onto my neck. I knew she was asking for a distraction.

'Tom and Jerry are best friends.' I told her.

She pushed my shoulder back. "What?! No.' She sniffed once, wiping away her tears roughly with her sleeve.

'It's true. Tom's only pretending because he didn't want his owner to take him away from Jerry.'

She let out a soft chuckle, sliding her arm around my waist. I scooted closer, leaning into her. I felt the soft strands of her hair brushed against my cheek and she leaned her head against mine.

'I'm sorry for worrying you.' She murmured into my hair.

I reached up and cupped her face, my thumb skimming over her cheeks. 'Don't be. But maybe next time drop me a text or something ok? Please don't give me a heart attack. I'm too young.'

'Ok. Promise me to tell me if there's anything wrong?'

'Promise.'

After a while, I held out my pinky. 'Communicate?'

She hesitated for a moment, so brief I thought I imagined it. Then she curled her pinky around mine.

'Communicate.'