This chapter is so stinkin' long. Goodness!
Anyway, if anyone wants to see what my characters look like, I have a tumblr account where I post my drawings of them. It's called dancingpeach2000. They aren't super good drawings, but they get the point across, lol!
Enjoy!
We just finished unpacking, I like the way the house looks. It makes me think of a kind elderly couple living here, and I can't help but imagine what they were like. I don't think I'll change any of the wallpaper or floors.
We keep finding cotton in the most random places, like the tub and the cupboards, and no matter how much we clean, we always seem to miss a spot, and I swear I hear giggling at night, too. Maybe our home is haunted? If it is, I'll leave some poffins out for the ghost to make it happy. We can be friends!
Dorothy took a deep breath and tightened her grip around the pencil.
I haven't felt too anxious, though that's mostly because of Lilligant. Having her as my emotional support Pokemon was probably the best thing you could've done for me. Leafeon and Tsareena have also been big helps in adjusting to the change. Tsareena's still being overprotective, but I know she means well. I just wish she would control her temper better... but maybe that's on me for not being a great trainer.
Sorry... I know I shouldn't doubt myself so much, I'm trying my best. I was thinking of taking them to see what a gym battle looks like, I know Tsareena would really enjoy that, and it'll do me good to be around more people, right?
My job starts on Wednesday, and I'm really looking forward to it. It's been my dream to bake for a living, and now I can do it every day! I would love to make cookie or cupcakes for my new neighbors, but I don't know if I have the courage to do that yet.
Twirling the pencil in her hand, she pressed it to the paper before lifting it again. What else could she talk about?
There was also... this guy I met...
Quickly erasing the words, Dorothy huffed and wrote the final words down.
So far, things are going great. I'll update you on anything interesting that happens.
Love, Dorothy.
After folding the paper and grabbing an envelope, Dorothy went outside to mail the letter and curled up on the couch as her Pokemon watched TV on the floor.
Her therapist, Emily, had been with her since the early days of her foster life, and was one of the few people she trusted and felt safe with. Emily had taken great care in making sure Dorothy was stable enough to live healthily in society, and Dorothy was extremely grateful for everything she did. Unfortunately, with Emily's deteriorating health, she was forced to retire, but she was adamant about keeping in touch with Dorothy.
Now that she's away from Sinnoh, Emily advised the young woman to write to her about her time in her new home, and if things got too difficult, she was just a video call away. But she was confident Dorothy would make it; she had grown from being that anxious little girl.
"Lil?" Lilligant looked back at her trainer, a silent question in her eyes.
"Just mailed it. Shouldn't take too long to reach her." She said with a small smile. Stretching her arms out, the purple haired woman laid on her side as she watched the screen. It looked like a tournament was taking place, so Tsareena was hyper fixated on the battle being shown. Ever since learning about the Dynamax phenomena that was unique to the region, she had become obsessed with watching matches that featured it.
"Yes!" She cheered, pumping her fist as the Pokemon on screen landed a heavy blow. "Did you see that Focus Punch? No way he's getting up from that!"
Leafeon rolled his eyes beside her and rested his chin on his paws. "It was a lucky shot, Blastoise' shell is tougher than that."
As Lilligant draped a blanket over Dorothy, Tsareena spoke confidently about how the Medicham on the TV was far stronger.
"It was point blank, I wouldn't be surprised if his shell was cracked!"
As the dust settled, they both leaned forward, eagerly anticipating the results of the battle. Lilligant joined them after smoothing out the blanket and sat daintily next to Tsareena.
Suddenly, explosions burst around the giant Pokemon and the red aura surrounding him faded away as he shrunk down to his regular size. Collapsing on his stomach, the Blastoise fell unconscious.
"Blastoise is unable to battle, Medicham is the winner!" The announcer declared.
Tsareena jumped up with a cheer and spun around on one leg happily as Leafeon handed over his share of poffins Dorothy made for them earlier.
"I told you, my battle instincts are never wrong. A Medicham would never lose to a Blastoise."
"Whatever," He replied grumpily.
Lilligant giggled into her hand at their antics. Hearing a quiet snore behind her, she saw their trainer sleeping soundly under the blanket. Dorothy had changed out of her usual blouse after they finished unpacking and was now wearing her maroon tank top and a pair of shorts to combat the heat. But the flowering Pokemon silently wondered if she should've fetched her pajamas before covering her.
"Finally asleep? Good, she was overdoing it." Leafeon said when he noticed, giving a firm nod.
"I hope she buys a proper bed soon, that one in there is so hard." Lilligant mused.
"And dusty," added Tsareena.
The trainer stirred at their chatter and they instantly quieted down.
"Let's get her to bed. It's been a long day," Leafeon orders gently.
With Tsareena's strength, she holds Dorothy's upper half while the other two hold her legs, and with practiced teamwork, they carry her to the bedroom and lay her down.
They slept in the other room in the house, but tonight they wanted to be near her, so Leafeon snuggled under her arm while the two females laid on each of her sides. Soon, they all drifted off to sleep.
Wednesday had come quickly, and despite her excitement, Dorothy struggled to get out the door in time due to nerves. Her hands shook as she dressed and brushed her hair, and she nearly forgot her housekeys when walking out the door.
Everything's going to be okay. New start, new job, no one will be mean to you, she told herself as she made her way to the bakery. She lived relatively close to it, so she knew a taxi trip wouldn't be necessary, especially with how fast she was walking.
It was a newly opened establishment, with the only other one being on the opposite side of town. That was probably why it was easy for Dorothy to get a job here. Very small business, small town, not many people to hire.
Stepping into the building, she was greeted by her new boss, a woman who looked only a few years older than her with a bright and peppy smile.
"Hiii! Come on in!"
Angela was a tall woman who lit up the room with her upbeat attitude. Being the granddaughter of a skilled baker, she decided to put her grandmother's recipes out into the world and show how amazing her cuisine could be.
The two girls met each other briefly through a video call after Dorothy submitted her application. Angela, impressed by her repertoire, hired her quickly, saying she could sense Dorothy was just the person her bakery needed, and even offered to pay for the ride to Galar, but the purple haired woman politely declined. Fortunately, she didn't seem to have done a background check on Dorothy either, which was both a relief and yet another source of anxiety she forcibly shoved to the side for later. She would cross that bridge when she came to it. And hopefully she never did.
Dorothy smiled shyly at her and grabbed her apron from a hook in the back room. While she tied it around her waist, the sound of shuffling could be heard coming from the front, and when she returned, she saw a small white Pokemon scrubbing furiously at the tables and floors with its bushy tail.
"Oh, that's my Minccino," Angela said nonchalantly. "They make the best cleaners."
Apparently, thought Dorothy, because within seconds, the floor was sparkling so much she could see her reflection.
The Pokemon let out a loud huff after the job was over and leaned with one hand against the wall.
"Thanks, Minc," his trainer said, patting him on the head. She took out her phone and began texting absently.
"I left the recipes in the back, and I'm still looking for someone to take the waiter job. Also I need to figure out what Pokemon to choose as our mascot, something that'll make people really want to come and eat our sweet treats. Any ideas?"
She blinked at the onslaught of words thrown her way and wracked her brain for a good response. "Um... I've seen a lot of places use Milcery as the mascot."
"Yeah, but I don't want to be like everyone else. We need something unique and palatable."
Dorothy pondered her boss's explanation and began working on some cinnamon rolls. She wasn't used to being asked her opinion on things, Angela was the first real friendly person she's encountered in a long while. Well, besides Milo.
"What about your Minccino?"
The blonde flipped her thick ponytail over her shoulder and pursed her lips in thought. "He's a cutie, but he doesn't fit the vibe. I need a Pokemon that looks like it can bake, that gives people an appetite for sweets!"
She didn't really understand the difference, the exhausted Pokemon on the floor seemed cute enough to be a mascot. But she wasn't going to argue with her employer.
As Angela spoke about her plans for the bakery, Dorothy worked in silence, both listening while also kneading the dough with skilled hands. The atmosphere felt peaceful, relaxing, and the tension left her shoulders as she homed in on her task.
Soon, all the pastries were finished and placed in glass displays, and Dorothy wiped her forehead with a deep breath. It was a nice assortment of croissants, cinnamon rolls, cookies, donuts, cakes, and pies in various flavors. The sweet smells wafted around the building and Angela munched on a cream filled donut as she put up the 'open' sign.
"Mmm. Dorothy, these'll sell like hot cakes- oh! I should put those on the menu, too!"
She couldn't help but giggle quietly at her scatterbrained boss. She had a feeling this was the norm for her, and she found herself looking forward to working with Angela more in the future.
The bell above the door rang when a customer walked in and Dorothy froze and put on a polite smile, silently praying it doesn't look forced. Thankfully, Angela rushed behind the counter and gave a much more convincing smile.
"Hello ma'am. How can we help you?"
The elderly woman scanned the pastries on display with squinted eyes. Dorothy couldn't tell if it was because she had bad eyesight or if she was just in a bad mood.
The lady continues to walk around at a slow pace, her hands firmly behind her back and her posture bent forward at an angle that looked uncomfortable. She didn't appear to have heard Angela, or if she did, she was ignoring her. This did not deter the blonde in the slightest, because without missing a beat, she approached the woman and began showing her the sweet treats on display, and she made sure to keep her voice a little louder in case the woman actually couldn't hear her.
Dorothy took a deep breath and felt her shoulders relax. In her pocket, she rubbed the small pokeball containing Lilligant. It was a habit at this point, making sure her friends were where she could access them, and it gave her a small comfort knowing they would always be there when she needs them.
"Have a wonderful day!" Angela's voice cuts through her thoughts and she sees the elderly woman walking out with a small paper bag.
Turning away from the register to face Dorothy, Angela dusts off her hands with a confident smirk.
"Done and done, our first customer of many more!"
Giving a small, quiet chuckle, the purple haired woman turned away and wiped a smudge off the counter.
Customers steadily started pouring in as the day continued, and Dorothy was more than happy to stay in the back and keep things on the shelves. Soft music played over the speakers, which added to the nice ambiance. Angela surprised her. Despite her... flighty demeanor, she proved how capable she was at her job, handling every customer with grace and kindness. She made sure every person that came in felt comfortable and appreciated and handled conversations like a champ. Dorothy was half tempted to ask the woman to teach her her ways.
When lunch started, Angela hung up the closed sign and laid on the cushiony bench with a large sigh. "Geez, being successful is tough work."
"Mhm." Dorothy sat across from her and rested her chin on her palm, her eyes drooping. The day was halfway through and she was already wishing for sleep.
"Heeey," she drawled as she slowly sat up, "you just moved here like three days ago, right?"
Dorothy nods and Angela goes on. "So you haven't had a chance to stop by the gym?"
"Um, no... but I got to meet Milo..." she reveals. Was that okay to say? Would she get jealous? After her meeting with him, she did some research on the gym leaders in Galar and discovered that they were pretty much celebrities in this region. The people of Sinnoh greatly respected their gym leaders, but they were simply viewed as powerful trainers and nothing more, the only one gaining any sort of celebrity status being Fantina, which was because she didn't just do that, but competed in contests as a talented Coordinator.
But thankfully, Angela only gave a lazy smile as she brought out her phone. "Milo's pretty cool. He's always chasing after Wooloos, so his fans get to see him a lot." She scrolled through the device before stopping on what she was looking for and showed Dorothy. "I like to watch him do farm work because he looks hot moving around those giant things of hay. I mean look at his arms!"
The picture on the phone showed the man lifting up a large bale of hay that was twice his size using only one arm, that signature smile he gave her back then glowing as he looked at the camera. He was very fit, she'd noticed that when they first met.
Clearing her throat to distract from the heat creeping up her neck, she bit both her lips and nodded. "He looks real strong."
"He is, and so are his Pokemon! He doesn't show it very much because he goes easy on new trainers, but when he's fighting other gym leaders, that's when he really goes all out!" Her boss said excitedly, turning her phone back to face her and started scrolling through more pictures.
Dorothy relaxed her shoulders and let out a sharp exhale at her enthusiasm. Was this considered girl talk? She'd never spoken to another girl before about these things, especially for this long, so it was a new experience.
"Here, look at this!" The phone was shoved back in her face and she saw a video displaying a battle between Milo and presumably another gym leader. This one was a very tall man with dark skin and his short black hair tied into a ponytail. He had a thick orange headband on his head and a black and gold hooded jacket with orange accents, and he wore a confident smile on his face. Some of the Pokemon they used were unfamiliar to Dorothy, but she didn't have much time to observe them due to their constant movement. It was an intense fight, and she found herself on the edge of her seat when they clashed and blasted each other. The skills of two very experienced trainers were prominent in every quick order and well thought out strategies. It had to have taken years to get to that level.
After five long minutes, the battle ends with the other man the victor, and both gym leaders share a handshake, respect shown in the friendly smiles on their faces.
Dorothy released a breath she didn't know she was holding as Angela pulled the phone back. "He's pretty cool..."
"Mhm, you should go to one of his matches, he has 'em all the time."
It would be good to get out, she'd been cooped up in the new house ever since they moved, but being around such a large group of people sounded like a big leap. The last time Dorothy was in a crowd was at her college graduation. A stadium filled with screaming, over excited fans was a bigger feat. Still, she needed to get out of her shell.
As she was contemplating, Angela's voice faded into the background, but her thoughts were interrupted by the woman standing. She made her way to the door and took down the closed sign and hung up the open one with an energized smile back on her face.
"Time to get back to work!"
After her shift was over, Dorothy fell on her couch with a long sigh, her feet aching. Her Pokemon, happy to be out of their pokeballs, stretched and wandered the house in search of something to do.
"She seems nice, but it's too soon to tell. I'm keeping my eye on her." Tsareena said, giving the air a few practice kicks.
"You're suspicious of everyone." Leafeon responds with a deadpan expression. "She's a saleswoman, hardly anyone harmful."
"That's what some people want us to think, then they'll backstab and humiliate us!"
"But she's not that bright. She didn't even do a background check on Dorothy, if that's not dumb I don't know what is."
"But she could be faking it to lure us into a false sense of security before she strikes!"
"I think you need some therapy." He mutters.
Leafeon giggles into her leafy hand and places it on her friend's shoulder. "Reena, I think you should relax. You'll get sick worrying so much. Let's just give Angela the benefit of the doubt and be a little optimistic."
"But cautious." Tsareena urged.
"Cautiously optimistic," she said agreeably.
"Fine." Letting out a huff, Tsareena relaxed her shoulders and continued her training, the activity helping her let off some steam. "Achoo!"
"Where is this cotton coming from?!" Exclaimed Leafeon.
I'm happy to hear you're doing well so far, I knew the move would be good for you! Don't forget to tell me how your job goes, I want to hear everything. And cotton? I've never heard of a ghost Pokemon that leaves cotton, but I'll look into it, it might be a Pokemon only found in Galar. Either way, they'll be lucky to have those delicious poffins!
And Dorothy, you are a good trainer. All Pokemon have their own personalities that don't always match with the people that take care of them, but that doesn't mean you're not doing a good job. You told me you wanted to take Tsareena to see a gym battle, right? That tells me everything I need to know that you love and support her interests. And I know she sees it too.
If you do end up going to the match, remember your breathing exercises and to have Lilligant on standby. I hope to hear from you again soon, dear!
Love, Emily.
Dorothy folded the piece of paper with a soft smile on her face, feeling much lighter now that she heard from her. Her companions, who had been hovering over her shoulder as she read the letter, hopped down once she finished. Leafeon lazily wagged his tail and nuzzled Dorothy's leg affectionately when he saw how relaxed she was. In response, she scratched behind his ear. He purred and leaned into the touch.
It had been a long week, but thankfully without any problems. Dorothy was settling into the job and Angela seemed like a nice boss. On one of their lunch breaks, Dorothy had released them from their pokeballs and the blonde-haired woman practically smothered them in kisses. Leafeon can still smell her strong perfume.
While he was receiving his much needed attention, Lilligant had turned on the tv and started watching a cooking competition. Tsareena, who was eating a cupcake Dorothy had brought home, perked up and quickly sat beside her.
"I bet Dorothy could beat them." She said confidently. Lilligant only nodded her agreement, and Leafeon smiled softly, not even bothering to point out that it was a cooking competition and not a baking one. But he supposed she could win that, too.
The people on the tv rushed about the large kitchen and stumbled to finish their dishes within the time limit, but one contestant knocked over a bowl and it splattered all over the floor. There was no way he'd be able to start over now, the time was almost up, but he continued with the main course and abandoned the side dish. When the timer went off, the remaining contestants presented their dishes to the judges, and to everyone's surprise, he had enough points to enter the next round!
Dorothy giggled at her companion's shocked faces as she worked on her response letter. She loved these peaceful moments when they could just relax and do whatever. She wished she understood what they were saying, though, being part of the conversation would be fun.
Dear Emily,
My job is going rather well so far! My boss is very nice and the hours pass by fast. I'm never too tired and I fortunately don't have to interact with any customers, I just stay in the back and make the food.
Her pencil hovered over the paper as she contemplated what to say next. Nothing noteworthy had happened, really. Maybe she should wait a few more days until she had something interesting to report?
Just then, the tv switched to a battle and Tsareena jumped up in excitement. Running to the couch, she hopped next to her trainer and bounced in her seat. Dorothy couldn't hide the fond look on her face. Tsareena has always loved battling, even when she was a Bounsweet, the grin she wore was the biggest tell of her passion for the sport, and Dorothy always tried her best to train and help her get stronger despite her poor skills for battling.
"It looks like a lot of fun, huh?" She asked softly.
Her Pokemon nodded vigorously, eyes glued to the tv. She'd do anything for that smile, as she knew her friends would do the same for hers.
With a deep sigh, Dorothy stood up and went into her bedroom to grab her laptop. When she turned it on, she looked up tickets for the next gym battle and bought two.
In the afternoon light, people were already starting to gather at the entrance, the air smelling of popcorn and other assorted sweets and drinks. Tsareena was practically dancing as she stood by her trainer, ecstatic to actually be at a real stadium! When Dorothy came in the house yesterday with two tickets in her hands, she nearly knocked her over as she tackled her in a hug.
The trainer in question chuckled at her excitement and loosened her grip on her hand. She knew this would be just the thing.
After turning in her tickets, she led her Pokemon to the concession stand and ordered popcorn, a drink, and a cupcake. She gave the cupcake to her friend and they made their way to the stadium. She wasn't able to get close seats on such short notice, but she doubted Tsareena would even mind.
Deep breaths, she reminded herself. It was starting to get noisy with the oncoming people, but she rubbed Lilligant's pokeball and looked at Tsareena, who paused once she noticed her trainer's tense posture. She was just fine.
With a firm nod, she turned her eyes to the grassy arena and waited for the event to begin.
When the stadium was filled, Dorothy subtly scooted closer to Tsareena and hunched her shoulders to make herself smaller. Most of the lights started dimming and the spotlights turned on to shine on the approaching trainers.
"Welcome everyone to the exhibition match featuring our very own gym leader: Milo!" The commentator announced as the man strode onto the field with an easygoing smile, waving happily to his fans. "And the former gym leader from Spikemuth: Piers!" Another man walked slowly from the other side, his demeanor the complete opposite of his competitor. He looked exhausted and his posture was hunched. He was thin and lanky with pale skin and long, black and white striped hair tied into a ponytail.
They both got to the middle and nodded at each other with mutual respect, sharing a few words that were inaudible to the audience, and then walked a few paces away.
"LET THE MATCH BEGIN!"
Milo threw a pokeball with a strong arm and released a long nosed, brown and white Pokemon with leaves for hands. Dorothy recognized it as Shiftry. Piers followed suit and tossed his own pokeball and released an orange Pokemon that looked almost as exhausted as he was. It had loose yellow skin that resembled a hood hanging around its neck and what looked to be baggy pants around its waist with a short tail, and a large red crest on its head that reminded Dorothy of a mohawk some of the delinquents back in Sinnoh would wear. She'd seen this Pokemon on TV before. It was called a Scrafty.
To Dorothy's confusion, the man called Piers suddenly pulled out a long microphone stand seemingly out of nowhere and started directing his Pokemon while talking into it.
Where was he keeping that? Dorothy thought.
"Alright, Scrafty. Let's give 'em a good show and start off with a Fake Out."
Obeying his trainer diligently, the Pokemon's expression quickly turned fierce as he leapt forward with his hands outstretched. Milo gave Shiftry the same command and being the faster mon, he clapped his hands over the area where Scrafty's ears would be, making him flinch. Milo took advantage and commanded Shiftry to use his Leaf Blade. With lightning quick speed, the leaves on the Pokemon's hands began to glow and lengthen, and he swiped his opponent's vulnerable body with them, sending him flying a few feet away.
The Scrafty landed on the ground but jumped up to his feet with a determined expression, not deterred by the advantage Shiftry had gained. With an angry growl, a dark aura surrounded the hoodlum and he attacked the opposing mon with Payback, wounding him as the aura was released on impact. Both being dark types, the move normally wouldn't have been very powerful, but it provided a bigger effect due to Scrafty getting attacked twice before, and Shiftry grunted in pain.
Since Scrafty was part Fighting type, he had the bigger advantage in that area, and Piers used this to command a Brick Break. His companion lifted his hand in preparation to chop it down on Shiftry's head to end this round, but he lacked in speed in comparison to Shiftry.
"Shiftry, dodge it and use Throat Chop!" Milo shouted. The wicked Pokemon's eyes snapped open and he rolled away just as his opponent's hand slammed down on the ground. Pushing himself forward, he crossed his arms in front of him and straightened them in a powerful strike and landed on the other side of the hoodlum, grunting proudly as the opponent fell in defeat behind him.
Dorothy leaned forward in her seat, her mouth open in awe. It all happened so fast, but it was so intense! Despite Piers having the upper hand, Milo was able to use his Pokemon's speed to gain them a win. That must have taken incredible skill and years to perfect.
Tsareena beside her was equally as enthralled, her eyes sparkling in amazement. It was like a beautiful dance, Pokemon and trainer working in sync to pull off the right moves and react accordingly with each other's wishes. She wondered if she and Dorothy could ever be that powerful.
"You almost had me there!" Milo commended, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
Piers scoffed and gave a smirk, his former exhaustion seemingly dissipated at the exciting atmosphere. "Yeah, but we're not done yet. Malamar, you're next!"
Throwing his next pokeball, a squid like Pokemon emerged with a sinister grin on its face. It was dark purple in color and had bright yellow eyes that were narrowed and spots on the front of its body that seemed to glow. Dorothy was unfamiliar with this Pokemon, but just looking at it made her shiver. It was definitely not something you'd want to encounter in a dark alley.
"Alright, Shiftry, let's use Leaf Blade on Malamar!" Milo commanded, waving his arm dramatically. Shiftry grinned widely and charged at the squid, his arms held straight out behind him. Piers and his Malamar remained stagnant, waiting until the perfect opportunity to strike.
What is he doing? Is he just going to get hit? Dorothy stared in confusion at the scene before her, and Tsareena craned her neck forward to see what the former gym leader was planning.
"Alright Malamar," Piers murmured, his voice coming out low and smooth. "Foul Play."
The corners of the Pokemon's beak twitched and his body began to emit a dark glow like Scrafty before him. But instead of tackling Shiftry, he lifted his thick tentacle and swung it down. The long nosed mon barely managed to dodge the fierce attack, but his shoulder was grazed in the process.
"Great, now hit him with a Night Slash."
He tried to dodge the next move, but the previous attack left him clutching his wound, and he was unprepared as Malamar slashed him with his sharpened tentacle.
"Shiftry is unable to battle!"
The audience went wild now that they were both down a Pokemon, and Dorothy found herself clapping along with everyone else. She turned to see Tsareena's reaction and was pleased when she saw the giant smile on her face while bouncing happily in her seat.
As the battle continued, Tsareena grew more excited with each new move and strategy that was showcased. She was so grateful to Dorothy for bringing her here, this was a dream come true!
Milo and Piers were both down to their last Pokemon. Milo lifted his arm to throw his final pokeball, but before he could release it, a low rumbling shook the stadium. He dug his heels in the grass to steady himself and looked around, Piers doing the same.
Dorothy's brows furrowed in confusion. Was this not part of the battle?
Her ears perked up at the sound of a pained groan and she whipped her head around to see Tsareena kneeling in front of her chair, her face twisted in a tight grimace. A deep red glow started coming out of her skin and she clutched her midsection.
"Tsareena," Dorothy started gently, reaching a hand out, "are you okay? What's wrong?"
"REEEEEEEE!"
The Pokemon's guttural shriek echoed throughout the building, and in one leap, she was on the field. Milo's eyes widened and he swept his arm in a frantic motion. "Everyone back away! She's about to Dynamax!"
"What?!" Dorothy jumped out of her seat and attempted to run to the front, but Tsareena's glowing body began to enlarge to Dorothy's height and beyond, reaching up to over a hundred feet tall! Dorothy and the other people in the stands were blown back from the force of the sudden growth, and she could vaguely hear Milo directing the staff to get the audience out of the building. She rubbed her aching head and slowly pushed herself off of the chair she landed on. She needed to get to Tsareena, but the towering Pokemon that was just at her side was untamable at the moment.
"No no no..." She mumbled. She needed to get to her. She tried to move forward but a young boy with dark purple hair appeared in front of her and gently grabbed her hand.
"Come on, ma'am, it's not safe." He guided her to the exit.
"But... I need..."
"Don't worry, my friend will handle it." He said confidently. "He's the champion."
Tsareena had no idea what was happening. She was just sitting there with Dorothy when this power started bubbling up inside her, causing her to lash out at everything in sight. When she saw that boy leading her trainer away, she wanted to destroy him! Where was he taking her?
She made a move to attack but was stopped when a small red ball barreled into her, knocking her off balance. Anger boiled in her stomach as she stumbled back and a roar erupted from her lips. The little pest that hit her flew like an annoying bug around her head, his high pitched voice screaming in her ear.
"I know this must be confusing, but you have to calm down!"
Tsareena swung her leg above her head to strike him, but the little green dragon dodged it with a midair roll. This only made her angrier.
"ARGH!"
"Please, you'll hurt yourself and others! Don't you want to see your trainer?"
That made her pause. She did want to see Dorothy, but she was nowhere in sight, that boy took her! What did he do to her?! She grasped her head, the energy flowing through her making it hard to think properly.
"Where is she?! I want to see her now! What did you people do to her?!" She screamed, stomping her large foot and causing a giant dust cloud.
Seeing as he couldn't get through to her, the Flapple made his way down to his trainer where reinforcements finally showed up.
"The Dynamax energy has made her too unstable, she won't listen to reason." He reported to the others while their trainers planned what to do next.
"Then we'll have to calm her down the old-fashioned way." The champions Cinderace said, the fire rabbit cracking his knuckles in preparation.
Piers' Obstagoon smiled excitedly and howled. "Great! Our match got interrupted, so this'll be a fun substitute!"
Hops' Rillaboom hooted beside him once he returned inside with his trainer. "She belongs to that girl my trainer escorted out; we should be careful not to hurt her too bad."
"Alright," said Victor, the champion. Pulling everyone out of their huddle, he continued, "Flapple will keep Tsareena distracted while Rillaboom attacks her from the front and Cinderace from behind. Obstagoon will provide protection, and when the time is right, I'll Dynamax Cinderace and finish her off!"
"Right!" They all said in unison.
The sky above them was a deep pink color with clouds swirling overhead as powerful energy sparked around the battlefield. Flapple flew back above Tsareena and began pelting her with Grav Apple and Acrobatics. This worked to chip away at her health while his teammates hit her with their own attacks on both sides. For any other Pokemon it would be near impossible to dodge hits from such a large form, but Flapple was gifted with his tiny body and incredible speed.
Hurling a missed Trop Kick towards the little wyrm, Tsareena's foot slammed into the empty stands and got stuck in the broken concrete. As she struggled to pull it out, a Pyro Ball was sent flying to her back, and she screamed in both pain and anger as the flames licked her body.
"Rillaboom, use Slam!" Hop yelled. The gorilla ran at full speed towards the large Pokemon and used the full force of his body to ram into her. Unfortunately, this caused her foot to loosen from its confines. Tsareena tumbled back with her now freed foot and caught herself by holding onto the wall. With a growl bordering on feral, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and unleashed a whirl of Magical Leaves to the puny Pokemon beneath her, her eyes wide with extreme fury. How dare they keep her from getting to Dorothy?!
Using Obstruct, Obstagoon protected both himself and Rillaboom, but with Flapple being out of reach, he was nicked a few times by the sharp edges. This wasn't enough to slow him, however, and he continued to fight.
Victor's Dynamax band around his wrist began to glow, and he called back Cinderace. Returning him to his pokeball, the energy of the band entered the ball, and it enlarged in the young boy's hand. He held it with shaky arms and turned to throw it behind him. When Cinderace emerged, his body expanded to the size of the opposing Pokemon.
Tsareena's eyes widened when she saw her enemy join her in height and gritted her teeth. Stupid rabbit! He wasn't going to stop her!
With an enraged yell, Tsareena bounded forward in preparation to kick the living daylights out of that punk. In her blind rage, she paid no further attention to the regular sized adversaries on the ground and the one in the air, her eyes focused only on Cinderace. This fortunately gave them the advantage, and the forgotten Pokemon began to attack at once.
"Drum Beating!"
"Dragon Rush!"
"Shadow Claw!"
"Max Flare!"
Flapple roared as he breathed out a beam of draconic energy. It hit her on the side of the head, causing her to stutter in her pursuit. Rillaboom pounded on his drum at a rapid pace, causing spiked vines to spring up from the ground to trip and whip her with sharp snaps. A ghostly aura engulfed Obstagoon's hand as he jumped to slash at her falling form, and with a finally, Cinderace kicked his leg in a powerful sweeping motion, a fireball the size of a small sun sent flying towards her.
It felt like an inferno was surrounding her, and Tsareena collapsed to her knees as pain overtook her senses. Small explosions appeared around her and her body shrunk down to its original size.
"Yes!" Hop cheered, his fist pumping in the air.
Milo ran to the downed Pokemon and kneeled in front of her. His large hand rested on her head in a soothing manner while taking a revive out of his pocket. "It's okay. We're going to get you back to Dorothy."
She lifted her head shakily to look up at the human, before her vision faded to black.
Dorothy's chest heaved as her lungs grew tighter, her panic rising when she couldn't seem to get enough air in. Leaning with her back to the wall to support her increasingly shaky legs, Dorothy tried her best to focus on her surroundings, but it was a monumental effort due to the influx of panicked voices running from the stadium. Black spots dotted her vision and her head felt light. She knew she needed to calm down so she could be there to comfort Tsareena, but her anxiety wouldn't allow her to come to her senses. She was a failure as a trainer who couldn't protect her friends who relied on her to take care of them! How could she?!
In a blinding flash, Lilligant emerged from her pokeball and grabbed her trainer's hand in her leafy ones, the scent from her flower reaching Dorothy's nose. The flower on the Pokemon's head was a well known relaxer for both humans and other Pokemon, but it took a skilled gardener to help it bloom and flourish. When she had given Lilligant to Dorothy, Emily taught the anxious girl how to care for it. It had become a steady routine for her to sit in silence or with the occasional music on in the background while she cared for her companion, and soon she began doing it for Leafeon and Tsareena, who greatly appreciated the extra TLC.
The sweet smell helped ground Dorothy to reality and brought her back down to earth, and she took a deep inhale and breathed out through her nose slowly. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.
She pushed herself off the wall when her legs grew steadier and smiled gratefully at Lilligant, her voice silent for the time being. It seemed like the place had emptied out in her panic, and the rumbling of the building from the battle inside had stopped. Maybe they already detained Tsareena?
She allowed Lilligant to guide her out of the building, a reassuring warmth in her chest as she held her hand. The crowd outside stood and waited for the champion and his teammates to emerge victorious.
"Oh my, that poor Pokemon."
"I wonder what happened to its trainer."
"Did it get abandoned?"
"What kind of trainer just leaves their partner?"
Lilligant tightened her grip on Dorothy's hand as people gossiped around them. It was fine, she knew how hard Dorothy worked to be where she is now, how strong she was to deal with her past and move forward. These people didn't know her.
The woman took another deep breath and closed her eyes, letting the voices around her fade out into nothingness.
"Lilli!"
Feeling Lilligant shake her hand suddenly, she opened her eyes and saw Milo walking out with her Tsareena by his side and hastily attempted to fix her frazzled appearance. She didn't need Tsareena to worry about her when she had just been through something awful.
People cheered, but she didn't hear a thing as she rushed over to her exhausted Pokemon. Dropping to her knees, she embraced her tightly with Lilligant by her side, joining the hug.
"Sorry for the wait, we didn't want to go too hard and hurt her." Milo said with a gentle smile. The crowd started to swarm him before Dorothy had a chance to thank him and was promptly shoved out of the way. Tsareena, even in her exhaustion, moved herself protectively in front of her trainer and lifted her leg in preparation to attack.
"Let's go." Dorothy said placatingly. She gently ushered her friends away from the crowd, but not before looking back at the gym leader. To her surprise, he looked in her direction and gave her a wave.
She gave him a grateful smile and nodded. It was a poor excuse of a thank you, but it would have to do for now. It was time to go home.
I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, I'm loving Dorothy's story and her Pokemon. Also, this is my first time writing a battle scene, so I hope it didn't suck, because there'll be more in the future!