Chapter 1 (rewrite)
Malva watched the marshmallows bob in the chocolatey goodness, humming in joy as hot porcelain bled into frozen flesh—steam caressed her flushed cheek. Her nostrils flared, indulging in the heavenly smell. Her ears perked in interest, and she spied on her fellow trainers in the lounge—well-lit by a fireplace. She loved the kind of basic gossip they were dishing and plunged into the ever-growing narrative miasma of secrets, rumors, and stories.
Trainers rested here in preparation for the Western Corridor—the entrance to Snowbelle City—welcoming any challengers who pursued their last gym badge. We resided in a town on the edge of Snowbelle's sphere of influence. She steeled herself to confront her final obstacle in her first gym circuit. A commotion held her attention, halting her steady sips of hot chocolate.
"Hello, is anyone sitting there?" A boy around her age stood before her, nudging his chin to her left.
Huh?
A bizarre sight confronted her. She shivered at his attire—a simple shirt accompanied by shorts and Snom slippers. White hair dripped from his beanie like icicles; underneath the wool accessory was an adorable Snom. Her amber eyes interlocked with blue.
"Is that a no? Welp, sorry for the-"
She jolted up and spoke, "Oh. No-no one is sitting here."
The boy placed his Snom and food tray onto the coffee table. He sank into the armchair, taking a deep breath. His face seemed to melt in pleasure, kicking up his feet onto the table. However, an angry slug chewed on his slippers.
"Snom, stop being jealous of my slippers."
His words sparked more anger from the little critter. She couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. The boy signed, "Sorry for the commotion." His hand gestured toward his poor slippers. A question swelled in her throat.
"No. It's fine, but aren't you cold?"
"Huh? Don't be ridiculous," the boy said lazily, his hand fanning his face. "It's quite hot actually."
Malva watched the boy use Snom as a miniature fan in dumbfounded silence. How is he not cold? His oblivious face looked back at her, he gently shook Snom, "Do you want to try?"
"No, no, no, no."
She subconsciously retreated closer to her steaming mug. Seeing her appalled face, the boy fought back a laugh. "Sorry for my late introduction, but the name's Zich Hiver."
Malva swiftly scanned her surroundings in the bustling lounge. She softly spoke, "My name is Malva Pachira." She prepared for the usual outcome, but…
The boy hardly reacted, appearing oblivious to the significance of her presence. Was her disguise so good that it could compete with Diantha, her best friend? She adjusted her fur hat. Hold on, that isn't a compliment in the slightest. In actuality, Diantha's disguise was the most bare minimum—all black as if mourning someone.
He must genuinely not know who I am~mused Malva, cringing when she realized that her previous thoughts were already obsolete from just her name.
"Nice to meet you, Malva. I'm assuming you're challenging the Snowbelle Gym." Zich's eyes widened. "Damn! You're high up in the circuit."
"Yep," she nodded.
"Aren't you too young? Actually, that's just downplaying your achievements, my bad." He revoked his response.
"Well. Aren't you the same as me? Her brow rose, pointing her chin to the crowd of older trainers.
"Actually, I'm on my way home. Gramps sent me on an errand to Annistar City. Unlike you, I haven't even gotten my first gym badge."
Malva was shocked by such a response. Who would let someone with zero badges traverse arguably the most dangerous sector of Kalos? An area littered with wild Pokémon and criminal groups in hiding. Let alone the sheer distance for someone his age for a mere errand.
Zich ate his food nonchalantly as she contemplated.
There is no way he isn't strong, right? But a Snom… really?
He pointed his half-eaten sandwich at her. "Malva, your hot choco is going to get cold."
Confusion was replaced with disappointment.
"I can make you some cold chocolate." He wore a teasing smile as Snom permeated an icy aura.
"Not funny, Zich. But wasn't that errand dangerous?"
Uhhh. What kind of dumb question was that?! No shoot! The errand was dangerous, stupid me!
She cringed and mentally pulled her hair, squinting hard as if it could do something.
How am I supposed to succeed in this field if I make questions like these!?
Zich stared worryingly at her. "It was more of a hassle than anything. And are you having a headache?" He held Snom to cool off her head.
"No, it's fine." Malva cut him off, she distanced herself from the chill as if it were a physical manifestation of resurfacing memories.
They've talked a bit more. No, a long time. It was a nice change of pace to have company around. She enjoyed the sweet embraces of just talking. They exchanged stories varying from one extreme to another. She burst into laughter when he learned more about her. Minutes passed. Hours passed. The crowd diminished. Afternoon became night.
Her eyelids rose like drawbridges, revealing a blurry image as her eyes slowly adjusted. Blobs of pink solidified into an Audino, who exuded a kind persona. Nurse Joy gently spoke, "Good morning, sleepyhead." Audino placed a tray of breakfast on the clean table. She lazily reciprocated, "Good morning, Nurse Joy."
Huh? A light blue jacket covered her body with a large logo—a blue mountain inside a golden snowflake. The black fur collar tickled her chin. Her hand peeled off the makeshift blanket to reveal a crimson interior. To her left was an empty chair; the sight made her feel a slight disappointment.
"Where did he go?"
"The gentleman left at night."
Malva continued her morning routine in silence; although peaceful, it was quite boring. She swiftly left to head west. I might reunite with him, she mused before spotting a magnet of surprise.
"Huh!?"
Zich slept in the snow. Snom rested on his eyes like a sleep mask. Cold vapors leaked from his nostrils like a slumbering Baxcalibur. Speaking of which, she saw an Arctibax by his side. Sneasel curled on Zich's chest, scratching its feathery crown.
What kind of person did I befriend?
Her flushed face stared at the crowd around Snowbelle Gym.
This is unusual.
She cupped her cold mouth with wool gloves, breathed a pocket of warmth, and glanced at the columns that supported the vibrant blue roof. The building that stood before her was merely the first phase of the process. Her eyes shifted to the crown of the mountaintop, a glimmering metallic base.
"Excuse me!"
"Hurry, we're going to be late, Jay."
Kids ran past with a sense of urgency. Tiny arms cuddled Snom plushies that were half the size of themselves. Glimpses of cash poked out of their iron grip and dangled along the frigid wind. In common, they wore clothing with a large Snowbelle logo like Zich's jacket.
Did Snowbelle allow public watching? The act was rare, and the only gym that incorporated it was Lumiose.
Malva trudged to the somewhat barren front entrance in contrast to the bustling lines. A male receptionist sat behind a wide wooden desk. "Next," he looked up and continued, "Link your device to the scanner."
Ding!
He blanked. "You're his daughter… No wonder you look familiar. However, you do look like a busted can of biscuits with that thick attire."
Yes, my disguise is a success after all. Wait!? A busted can of biscuits?! She deflated at the thought but was thankful that her older brothers weren't here.
He lifted all five fingers, "Defeat five trainers and solve the puzzle." His hands roamed over the pile of paper, sliding a sheet across the table and repeatedly tapped it.
"Each win will grant you one stamp on this sheet. The last obstacle is a battle with one of our elite trainers to get the last stamp. Without it, you can't make a reservation with Wulfric. Is that clear?"
Malva nodded, "Um. To be blunt, why is there such a crowd?"
The receptionist rested his chin on his palm.
"A fan favorite had recently returned to Snowbelle. And if I'm not mistaken." The man turned over some pages. "You're expected to be his opponent. Good luck. He is quite unorthodox."
Fan favorite? Unorthodox?
"Oh, I almost forgot your pager. When the device beeps… Well, you could probably guess." He motioned his finger to the double door.
Beep!
"Well, will you look at that? It's my lucky day. Oi! Jacob, it's my lunch break."
"You arse!! You only want to watch."
Ignoring the bickering duo. She steeled herself and pushed the large doors to lead down a flight of stairs.
"Woah."
She recoiled at the sudden twilight and composed herself to soak in the chromatic view—a massive tunnel of LED cubes with four rings that radiated a rich pink, blue, yellow, and green like the ribcage of a beast. Colors transitioned to transparency, exposing the horde of locals watching behind the cubed wall.
"Welcome, challenger!"
Her eyes sparked in anticipation, standing before her were two trainers. The sight only fueled her competitive spirit to burn even brighter.
Her team swept through all who opposed her. Houndoom howled in triumph over a slumped Mamoswine. Like a wildfire scorching a forest with ruthless efficiency—her foes perished under their uncontrollable momentum.
With each battle, her sheet gained more stamps. The rings spun to life. Lights ceased upon setting foot on the final platform. The arena turned dark as if on cue.
"Hello, Snowbelle City, this is Liam!"
"And this is Noah!"
"Today, we see Malva pull off a phenomenal performance to stun our trainers in their tracks, making a statement as they line up!!!"
"Seems like someone is pumped. Come on, folks! Let's cheer for our favorite Unovan in disguise!"
The crowd roared like no other; she felt trapped inside the depths of the beast's stomach.
Are they always this energetic with every challenger? No, that can't be…. And Unovan in disguise? What an odd nickname.
The arena glowed with thousands of glowsticks, spreading almost of its own accord from stick to stick. Cheers intensified in the sea of pink, blue, yellow, and green. Numerous faces gleamed in excitement in an atmosphere of pure adrenaline. There was a sudden hiss and flash of light; the ground lit up jets of billowing clouds.
"Let's see if he can punch out his weight class against one of Kalos' top young prospects."
"Even if he loses, he is our loser!"
"Oi, that's a lil rude…"
She heard a familiar voice.
Wait…
"WELCOME—"
Zich…?
"—ZICH!!!"
At his introduction, she heard the booming cheers mixed with the ecstatic caster duo. Across the field, Zich smiled and lazily waved toward the audience, who gladly responded with their own, although with more oomph.
"We meet again, Malva. Surprised?"
Malva responded with a dumbfounded smile, "A welcome one."
"Give me a few seconds." Zich stood in a theatrical pose, embracing the spotlight of attention. She noticed a blatant shift in his personality, pivoting away from a Slakoth to a lively Vigoroth. A toothy grin rose, and his actions became more expressive, almost too excessive.
"Snowbelle City, you know the routine! For any new visitors, it's your time to vote!"
In the air was a display of levitating cubes—identical to the gym's interior—combining into one large screen to reveal Zich's roster, represented in four colors: pink, blue, yellow, and green. She could only watch in awe as thousands of glowsticks started to manually change colors. Thousands of votes started to pour onto the screen, making a tight race between the four prongs. Merlin's name emerged as the winner for the pink team.
Sections of the crowd cheered, "Merlin! Merlin! Merlin! Merlin!"
Another figure interrupted their brief reunion. A trainer she previously defeated came to referee the match. On the trainer's flank was a barrier specialist from Anistar City. "To the left, we have the daughter of our esteemed Elite Four member, Malva Pachira! To the right, we have gym trainer Zich Hiver of Snowbelle Gym. The battle will be one-on-one. Any questions? The two shook their heads. "Then let the match begin!".
"Houndoom."
"Merlin."
Mr. Rime? The dancer dramatically bowed in front of his adoring fans.
"Confuse Ray"
Huh?
Merlin redirected the attack onto himself. His pupils swirled out of control. His head swayed drunkenly. The dancer's movements became loose and cartoonish.
Her Houndoom shot a preemptive Fire Blast. The ice-type's feet tangled with one another, face planting onto the ground, entirely dodging the great flame.
BOOM!
The explosion caused the dust to billow around the fallen figure. Houndoom's jaws crackled with flames in place of the silence until the speakers hummed with sudden activity—an unknown song.
Zich's shenanigans began without further notice. Malva blinked, taken aback by the scene. Dust curtains dissipated to reveal Zich and Merlin with their hands on their hips. The crowd oohed in anticipation as if to warn her.
"Dance Dance Revolution!!"
The pair danced. Each step coated the ground in hardened ice. Palms brought together. Hips shaked. Shoes tapped. Arms swung out. Yearning for perfection with each beat, rising in tempo to a feverish degree.
Am I fighting a performer?
Her liberal use of Fire Blast was simply dodged over and over again. Even the infamous Will-O-Wisp was downgraded to mere a dodgeball game. Merlin swirled and twisted, lost in the blissful continuation of his dance, bathing in kicked up debris and embers. Avalanche fell in the shape of… arrows? Houndoom traversed the frozen wasteland and wove through the icy bombardment.
Heh, if you're going to rely on dodging, then…
"Smog!"
Houndoom drowned the field in brackish smoke. Fire Fang ignited the fumes in an explosive display of fireworks.
"ACHOO!"
Mr. Rime sneezed into the air.
HUH!? She fought the urge to facepalm at such absurdities.
"GUNGNIR!!!"
Icy wind cleansed the sky of lingering smoke. Merlin stood on a falling glacier rather than a dancer; he became a conductor. An icy baton swayed in his hand, manipulating the Avalanche as if they were notes on a musical sheet. Icicle arrows orbited around the conductor and forged a sphere of inconceivable proportion. It grew as more ice integrated into the multitude of layers. Malva noticed a faint shimmer of psychic energy. It intensely compressed the ice like scrunched-up paper before carving a grand spear.
Zich pointed his finger down to command the spear's departure.
And not to be outdone.
"Overheat!"
Houndoom sent a nasty glare at the looming guillotine. Streams of fire leaked from his jaws. The air quivered with malice. His figure undulated in the scorching heat. She felt a slight vibration at her feet, as if the field shivered in fear.
Fire!
The atmosphere seemed to shudder. A blinding column of fire hummed in the air; the sheer intensity alone sizzled her eyes beneath her amber shades. She welcomed the heat, banishing the frigid cold from its own gym. The audience watched the fiery lance charge forth, casting the arena in a rosy hue.
A match in the making. A joust of fire versus ice.
The collision was similar to watching a single piece of sand against the ocean. Expectantly, that piece of sand was Zich's great spear, melting away.
Better luck next time….
Mr. Rime dove through the melted wreckage. A bubble of Protect cracked among the storm of orange to continue the joust.
"Counter."
Houndoom grinned at the thought; his midnight fur and pearly keratin shimmered with Counter. She watched the two figures collide, rippling in tension before exploding in glassy fragments. Merlin flung high up into the air.
"What do Unovans say in this scenario?" She snapped her fingers upon remembering. "Home Run!"
Zich shook his head in amusement at her antics and grinned.
"Counter!"
Merlin's head attempted to split the hexagon phalanx of psychic energy, ricocheting off the ceiling. The energy barrier gleamed with diverse colors and rippled across its surface, visually similar to an oily puddle on a rainy day. She and thousands of others watched in silence as Gungnir became a reality.
The monumental speed of the makeshift projectile was expected to hit her Houndoom in seconds—maybe even quicker. A blue trail punctured the heat wave and physically displaced the air. Rather than a whistle, it was a haunting sizzle.
Merlin struck Houndoom's hastily erected Protect. The ground shattered like an oversized spiderweb, literally ripped to pieces, scattering debris everywhere. Malva's legs rattled as the field painfully groaned, its structural integrity collapsed, and a gaping wound became prevalent.
Zich continued his offensive, leading with a move that perfectly described him. "METRONOME!"
A move deemed impractical in the league for its random probability and being weaker than their real counterparts. The move was truly a double-edged sword for an individual to test their luck.
Crack!
The ground churned in distress, forcibly torn apart in a torturous process of roots slithering out. Frenzy Plant grabbed Mr. Rime's feet, spinning him in a loop-the-loop. The dancer's arms swung upward as if he were on a rollercoaster ride. Countless cheers and giggles erupted from the audience as he passed by.
"Whack a Diglett!" Zich yelled, pleasure leaking through his voice. "GIGA IMPACT!"
Giga Impact activated and encased Merlin in a majestic sphere of violet embellished with yellow streaks that tightly twist and curl. He spun faster and faster, and his trail followed behind to recreate a ringed planet in the sky. Across the field, Zich swung down with an imaginary hammer, followed by a large root whipping down with all its might; the metaphorical hammer resembled a purple comet.
He never fails to surprise me.
Your lvl 1 bum of a writer is back. I decided to revamp the story. Ngl, when I reread my first version of the story, it made me cringe. Hopefully, I continue to write and reach the fun stuff stored in my head. Ultimately, this story is just a journey to get better at writing. Expect random edits or minor changes.