Chapter 30- Toxic Relations

A/N: This is a original Pokemon Fan Game, made by Amethyst. if you wish to check it out and play the game download it at Reborn Evolved. search for it on your web browser if you want to get to the website.

Time: 10:00

Location: Byxbysion Wasteland

It was slow reaching midday, when Percival and Lucille finally their destination. Though it was originally Cain's home, Cain didn't accompany Percival and Lucille, though it was as Cain didn't want to see his family again.

Though the scars from the events from Mount Pyrous were still in their minds. Lucille was more relaxed, decided to find what she forgot in Reborn. She knew not what to search for, but maybe she felt if she just continued forward, she'd find something. Though there was one other clue that Lucille had, that was the Absol. The one she received visions from telling about Corey's and Kiki's death, the same one who saved her from Nero. Lucille felt like she's met the Absol before, and wanted to try and find it again, but she also knew that the Absol was more likely to find her first.

Percival however, was struggling, but he hid it well. What was Percival struggling with? Between feeling like he could have changed something, if he was stronger. If he could have just beat Solaris, he felt like no one had to die that day. But there was still his anger, and how it's not directed at all. When Percival met Cal, he felt like he saw himself in a mirror. Though he soon learned the Cal was working with Team Meteor, and Cal's reason, was just to prove himself to be better than his brother. Because of that… Percival worried, worried what he'd do if he was given that choice.

Even still they had to move forward. If they didn't Anna, Charlotte, Heather, Noel and Shelly would be captured forever. Though their journey has barely reached its quarter mark, the weight they carry is high.

Knock, Knock!

Percival loudly knocked on the door, to the base that was called 'Wasteland Hideout', he looked to Lucille, "Politeness is the key, isn't it?"

"What do we do if no one answers?" Lucille remarked back with a tired smile.

"Then we force our way in, and demand a gym battle." Percival said, half joking half serious smile.

Just then the door opened a crack. It was an older woman, with purple hair, Percival and Lucille presumed her to be Cain's mother. "Oh, hello. What do you want?"

"Ah, I'm here for a gym Challenge." Percival said with a kind smile, "Is the Gym Leader in?"

"Another one…" The lady sighed, almost annoyed by their presence. "No, sorry, I suppose I should get used to this. Come on in, apparently the living room is a Gym now. Goodness!"

"Pardon the intrusion." Percival bowed his head as he entered the house.

"Thank you for letting us in." Lucille followed suit thanking the woman.

"No, I just need to get used to this fact." The woman sighed… "And it's not like I can let two young girls out there."

"huh?" Both Percival and Lucille blinked in surprise.

It took a moment, till Percival pointed at himself asking. "Y-you mean me?"

"Yes, who else would I be referring to." The woman answered,

To which Lucille broke down laughing, at the unexpected turn of events "Oh my Arceus! Hahahaha!"

"… Ma'am, I'm a male." Percival answered…

"What?! Are you sure?" The woman was surprised,

"Yes." Percival answered. "My name is Percival, and I should know if I'm male or not."

"…" then seeing how awkward the situation, the woman moved to the side of the room. "AYA, YOU HAVE ANOTHER VISITOR!"

It was less than a minute for Aya to respond. "OKAY, I'M A LITTLE BUSY RIGHT NOW."

"Well… it is her first day on the job and all." The woman just chose to ignore the events that just occurred. "She's currently in a battle with a different Trainer. I suppose you're free to go and watch, if you'd like."

"I think we will…" Percival sighed, feel extremely self-conscious in how his gender was confused. Lucille was still clutching her stomach at the thought of it.
"hah… I… it's just too funny." Lucille still chuckled as she left to the battle arena with Percival. As they got there, they were just intime to see Aya returning a Dragalge to its pokeball.

"Fine, you win." Aya said in annoyance to her challenger.

"I know." The challenger had green hair, glassing, and that annoying smirk. It was Fern.

"Of course… it just had to be you." Percival groaned as he noticed Fern.

"Oh look, it's Whitehall, late to the party as usual." Fern laughed, noticing Percival and Lucille.

"…I'd rather you not call me that." Being called by his last name annoyed Percival, even more so since he was disowned.

"like I'll listen." Fern rolled his eyes. Then pointing to Aya. "Don't worry about this noob. She's fresh off the plate."

"Excuse you." Aya responded to that remark in a harsh tone. "I beat you once before."

"Yeah, I was caught off guard by you fighting in Doubles." Fern snapped back at her.

"Oh, Doubles." Percival shook his head, he found Double battles to be much more intriguing than single battles.

"Isn't that just a cheap way to cover for your lack of skill?" Fern looked to Percival or Lucille to agree, but…

"I actually like Double battle format." Percival smirked, annoying Fern. [A/N: I hate making a character that likes this format… it's so hard to write in.]

"if it's by myself… I'd rather not… I don't like fighting alone." Lucille gave her impression of battling, though it was more of a neutral stance.

"Ugh… of course you weridos would like it." Fern rolled his eyes at the answers he was given.

"Hey, I can fight in whatever format I want. Besides, it was my brother who—" As Aya was about to give Fern a piece of mind, she was interrupted by her mother.

"AYA, YOU HAVE ANOTHER VISITOR!" The mom yelled from the living room.

"REALLY?! ANOTHER ONE?!" Aya screamed back to her mother.

Fern couldn't help himself from making a remark. "Can't blame people for wanting a free Badge."

"Would you shut up, please?" Aya asked Fern. "Or just leave me alone."

"…Did I come at a bad time?" A new voice entered and asked, Percival and Lucille who were closest to the door looked first. It was a guy with orangish-red hair, red eyes, black shirt and grey jeans. The guy looked to be about two or three years older than Percival and Lucille.

Percival answered first. "No… Well where ever Fern is, it's a bad time."

"Oh, right. forgot that." The guy chuckled, looking directly at Fern.

"Oh, it's you." Fern was the one to recognize the guy.

"Yea, it's me. What're you doin' here?" He responded to Fern.

"Sweepin' scrubs. How about you?" Fern laughed.

"I heard there was a new Gym Leader, so I figured I'd come down and welcome her to the club. You're Aya, yeah?"

"Um, yeah." Aya was quite nervous when she spoke.

"Name's Hardy. Reborn's Rock Leader, at your service!" Hardy spoke with a joyous smile. "Yanno, the plan was to give you a warm welcome, but… Looks like you kinda already got a sour one, huh, mate?"

"He really, is annoying." Percival remarked to Hardy.

"You can keep the snide comments to yourself, thanks." Fern said ignoring the statements.

"So, you know each other?" Aya asked.

"This is my first-time meeting Hardy. But I've had the misfortune of meeting Fern." Percival noted.

"he is certainly up noxious." Even Lucille agreed.

"'Fraid so. I had the misfortune of being stuck in the same class as Fern in the Onyx Trainers' School." Hardy sighed, remembering the painful classes with Fern.

"In short, Hardy's jealous because I was the top dog and he was just another loser." Fern commented praising himself.

"Yea, that's it." Hardy rolled his eyes, "Keep tellin' yourself that, mate."

"Didn't I take that title from you?" Percival added, with a sly smile across his face.

"Plus, our sisters used to be close friends, so we happened to get dragged to places together sometimes." Fern said trying to drown out Percival's comment.

"You what, mate?" hardy couldn't help but smile when he heard Percival's comment. "Wish I was there to see Fern get beat."

"Most people there were in shock." Percival added, "It did only take me one Pokémon to beat him after all."

"Yeah, okay, you guys keep chit-chatting. I'm gonna go heal up my Pokémon with the machine in the other room." Aya said, walking to the living room where the Healing Machine was.

"You're not really thinking of fighting her, are you?" Fern indicated pointing at Percival. "Like I said, total pushover."

"I'd be the judge of that, Fern." Percival commented back.

"Well it'd be a shame if you came all the way down here and didn't have at least one good bate." Fern smirked, sending out a Rhyhorn. "Lemme help you out there, huh?"

"Oh, Hardy, you're about to see a recreation of me sweeping Fern." Percival smirked. Tossing out his Leafeon.

"Wish I brought some popcorn then." Hardy smiled.

"And Fern you really need to stop lead with a rock or ground type. Vee." Pericval smiled, even on these toxic Fields it shouldn't take much for to beat Fern.

"I know you're using Swords Dance Rhyhorn, Fire Fang!" Fern commanded, and flames filled his Rhyhorn's mouth and bit into Vee, though the Leafeon only shrugged it off.

"Oh, you were hoping for a burn, weren't you? Well Vee has a good experience taking Fire attacks. So that won't work. Now, Vee, Show your strength. Leaf Blade." Percival remember all those times fighting his dastardly fire expert brother. Vee however used the leaf on top of its head, and slashed at the Rhyhorn knocking out with one swipe.

Aya however finished healing, and walked back in on Percival and Fern fighting. "I'm gone for less than five minutes, and people are using my gym for a battle… great."
"Fern picked the fight… but Percival followed with it…" Lucille sighed… "Oh this is going to take much longer than we wanted…"

Remembering what was going on, Percival slightly regretted falling for Fern's Taunts. "Right, Fern I have things to do, so why don't you quit while you're a head."

"Yeah, right!" Fern ignored it and threw out his Next Pokémon a Scyther.

"Vee, let's if we out speed. Aerial Ace." Percival commanded, where Vee narrowly avoided the wing attack from the Scyther, managing to again one-shot Fern's Pokémon. "Good girl."

"Oh, shut it Whitehall!" Fern yelled at Percival. This time gaining the attension

"Wait? Whitehall? And she just called you Percival" Hardy's ears perked at the name. "You're not that Percival are you, mate?"

"…" Percival silently gulped as his name was recognized. "That depends on why you're asking."

"…" Lucille worried, about hearing this as well.

"huh? I though you guys never met." Aya asked, surprised to hear this.

"Well from how Fern's acting… guess I'm the only who still reads the news." Hardy sighs. "Apparently, the Whitehall family Disowned their second Eldest. A Percival Whitehall."
"What?!" Aya ends up shouting in surprise.

"This doesn't change anything! Krookodile!" Fern ignored it, throwing out his next Pokémon.

"Vee, Leaf Blade." Percival commanded no longer paying mind to Fern. his more upbeat confident tone then changed to colder one. "Was really hoping no one here would know that."

"hah! Gotcha, Roserade Hidden Power (fire)." Percival was surprised to hear this, looking back he saw Vee being hit with a ball of flaming. Knocking her to the ground.

"Vee!" Percival shouted as his Leafeon fell, due to his on negligence, his Pokémon was hurt. "I'm sorry, I should have been paying more attention."

"Really, mate, you call that fair?" Hardy interjected, as Fern made a cheap attempt by not calling out his next Pokémon.

"Pfft, it's just a battle." Fern laughed. "Besides picking on Percival is way too easy."

Percival who was more concerned about Vee… The flames hurting Vee, Percival forgot who he was fighting... Making his next comment more of just base instinct. "Oh, for Arceus sake. Could you just shut the hell up, Kuro?!"

Everyone then looked at Percival surprised. Lucille remember Percival telling her that Fern reminded him of his brother. Though Hardy, Aya, and Fern were surprised to hear Percival say this. "…Kuro?"

"…" Percival stayed quiet, realizing his mistake. Though he was still angry. "Come on out. Oracle, Psyshock." Sensing the angry and rampant emotions from Percival it sent power waves rushing into the Roserade, quickly falling it.

"What the?" Fern barely had time to react, this was nothing like any of the attacks his Pokémon had recived from Percival before.

"So, you going to throw out your Decidueye, or are you done." Percival asked, though it was intimidating as ever.

"…Fine, but know I just let you win." Fern said, scoffing at Percival.

"I could care less." Percival remarked back at him.

"Well… other than that Awkward situation I made." Hardy scratched the back of his head. "I think seein' Fern get beat is worth the trip out here in itself."

"Stow it, rocky. I was going easy on Whitehall." Fern remarked back.

"You call playing dirty, easy?" Lucille even disagreed with Fern.

"Hey, all is fair in war." Fern added… though that didn't do much for a defense.

"Whatever ya say, mate." Hardy just rolled his eyes.

"All right. Percival… right?" Aya just changed the subjects. "You came for a battle, though your team didn't get much damage. Other than your Leafeon… We can start your battle, whenever you're ready."

"Thank you, and I'll be sure to not be as obnoxious as a certain green haired trainer." Percival responded with a kind smile.

"I can referee the match." Hardy offered, "I know how it goes from my own Gym."

"Right, I wanna see this." Fern laughed.

"Great… and I have to sit next to you." Lucille sighed… getting more annoyed by Fern.

Percival just used, a spare Revie and few super potions on Vee, to get her back up to health… though he wasn't going to be relying on her. "Ready."

"I'm not sure who I want to lose more." Fern smirked.

"Guh… you're such a pain." Lucille sighed.

"Do you just hate everyone by default, or what?" Aya asked, annoyed.

"Nah, just you." Fern commented back.
"Hey, lay off o' her, mate." Hardy called out at Fern.

"No, no! It's fine, it's perfectly fine." Aya said trying to defuse the situation. "He's right. I'm not a good person. I shouldn't even be doing this."

"hey, now's not the time to doubt yourself." Hardy said. "Chin up. You're gonna rock this fight."

Aya however just rolled her eyes. "I'd be better off if everyone just left me alone."
"The challenger, Percival, faces the leader Aya in a 6 on 6 double battle!" Hardy said raisin his arm.

"I don't even really want to do this." Aya mumbled…

"Either competitor can make substitutions. The battle's over when all six of either trainer's Pokémon can no longer fight! Let's rock!" Hard then dropped his arm. "And roll!"

Both sides tossed out their Pokémon. From Aya was a Nidoqueen and a Toxapex. Percival though started off this battle strong with his Delphox and Gardevoir. Fern when he saw the match up. "Wow she's screwed so many ways."

"Oracle, Psyshock on the Nidoqueen! Artemis, Psychic on the Toxapex!" Percival commanded. Both of his Pokémon put their trust into him. Artemis one-shot the Toxapex with her psychic abilities, while Oracle barely managed with a critical hit on the Nidoqueen. Both with their psychic attacks diging deep into them.

"Oh, come on… I didn't even get a move…" Aya sighed, as her Pokémon fell. "Drapion, Salazzle!" Aya tossed out her Poisonous Lizard, and scorpion Pokémon to the field. "Salazzle Sludge Wave!"

The Salazzle then produced a wave of sludge crashing into Artemis and Oracle, nearly knocking out Artemis, while Oracle was brought to half health. "Tch, Oracle Psyshock on the Salazzle!"

"Drapion Cross poison on the Gardevoir!" Both sides gave commands, resulting two Pokémon The Salazzle and Artemis to be knocked out. The Salazzle was defeated as the psychic rocks flew into it, while The Drapion took out Artemis with a slash of it's poisonous arms

"Artemis!... Alright, then Come out Steel." Percival said bring out his Metagross.

"You got to be kidding me… I didn't even…" Fern was speechless as he saw Percival bring out a Metagross.

"A Steel type… great." Aya sighed as she saw Percival's Metagross. "Guess, my best weapon. Venusaur!"

"Oracle, Psyshock on the Venusaur!" Percival said, and his Delphox one shot the Venusaur, again with the psycic rocks crushing into the Venusaur.

"Gah… Drapion, Knock out that blasted Delphox!" Aya commanded, her Drapion using it's gaint claw crashing into Oracle, knocking them out.

"Oracle! Steel Meteor Mash the Drapion!" Percival commanded, getting revenge for Oracle. Steel having it's arms batter them just like a meteor crashing into it though the Drapion still stood after that attack.

"Hmp… Dragalge, come on out!" Aya said sending out her last Pokémon.

"Phoebe, come on out." Percival said throwing out his Milotic to the field.

"Drapion, Knock off on Metagross!" Aya called and her Drapion hit Steel with it's claws just like before, though as a Metagross, Steel easily took the hit.

"Phoebe, Finish off the Drapion with Scald!" Percival said, and with scalding waters hitting the Drapion, it was taken out. "Steel, meteor Mash on the Dragalge."

"Dragalge… Shadow Ball!" Aya retorted, as her Dragalge was hit with meteor like punches from the Metagorss, it was just barely able to keep standing. "Just finish it already, why don't you."

"…Phoebe, Ice beam." Percival reluctantly called, and his Milotic took out the Dragalge with an ice type attack.

"And all six of Aya's Pokémon are unable to battle, that means Percival's the winner." Hardy declared ending the battle.

"There… I lost…At least I won't have to deal with this again." Aya said with a sight of relief as she lost.

"Cold." Fern called. "I think I woulda preferred it if Whitehall had bombed after all."

"You wouldn't have cared either way…" Lucille just shook her head, trying her best to ignore Fern.

"Whatever. Later losers!" Fern said, walking out of the gym finally leaving.

Meanwhile Hardy chose to try and cheer up Aya. "Heyo, Aya don't take a couple of losses too hard, aye? It happens, and you put up a solid fight. Percival just rocked a little harder. All there is too it."

"I don't care." Aya responded with a cold voice.

"C'mon, no need to be so distant about it." Hardy said with a smile.

"No, you don't get it. I really don't care. I never wanted this." Aya stated. "It never was my job. But my stupid baby brother dumped this onto me. Emphasis on the baby. You know Cain, don't you, Percival? What'd he say about us? Does he hate us?"

"… Never really talked to him about it… but him hating someone, doesn't seem to be that type of guy." Percival answered, but before Percival could ask his own question, hardy already asked.
"Why would he hate you?" Hardy, someone who is in his first meeting of Aya asked.

"Ask him. I'm just not a good person, I guess." Aya said looking off to the side sulking. "He hasn't talked to any of us since he ran away. One day he just up-and-left. Didn't say good bye. Didn't even take his Pokémon with him. HE was the one who was supposed to take over the poison gym. So, I'm stuck doing it. Mom won't talk about him anymore. And I'm not cut out for this."

"Hey, calm down already, a'rite?" Hardy said trying to calm her with a smile. "You're fine. Tell ya what, why don't I stick around for a bit and help you guys out with some stuff?"
"Why?" Aya questioned. "I should just be alone."

"No, what you should do is give Percival their badge. Then you and I'll get stuff worked out, aye?"
"Sure…" Aya agreed, then walked to Percival and handed him the badge. "This is the Blight Badge. Take it. Pokémon up to level 50 will listen to you now. And you can use the HM, Strength, outside of battle. And I guess I'm supposed to give you this." Aya also handed Percival a TM. "Sludge Wave hits every target, and has a chance to poison each of them. Go figure all I'm good for is spreading something toxic like that."

"You say you are… but don't seem like it." Percival commented.

"You can go now." Aya said, not wanting to listen.

"Come on Percy, we should hurry. We spent too much time as it is." Lucille called to him

"Right. Again, thanks for the battle, and again sorry about Fern." Percival said as he headed for the door, but Hardy called to him first.

"Percival, I look forward to seein' you in my gym up in Agate City someday!" Hardy shouted. "Don't let me down, aye?"
"I won't!" Percival shouted. Though unknown to Percival, an old friend he would soon see, back in Reborn City.