After stopping another regional catastrophe, Summer returned to her path to the Hoenn League. Because of recent events, she did a modified challenge for the Sootopolis City Gym. Thanks to her Contest-like appeal and the subsequent battle, the Hoennese won her last Gym Badge in front of her friends, new and old. With two months until the Hoenn League, Summer began preparations with Weldon's help. During this time, another friend decides to offer to help with her training. Who is this friend, and what will Summer learn from this experience?

Chapter 55- The Petals of Preparation

My Pokémon and I finished another intense training session with Weldon on Route 111. It'd been a month since our time in Sootopolis City, where we separated from the larger group, but I knew the Hoenn League would be approaching fast. Just before we prepared to head back to Mauville City, I got a phone call from a familiar Gym Leader.

"Hi Charmaine! It's been a while."

{Hey, Summer! It certainly has. I checked the PLA website and saw your profile was updated. Congrats on getting all the badges!}

"Thanks, but it's too bad I wasn't able to challenge you or Wally's Gyms."

{Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Since I have some free time tomorrow, I was hoping you can visit my Gym for a practice battle. I'm sure you heard that the Hoenn League mostly utilizes double battles, and I want to help you prepare for that.}

"Really? That'll be great, thanks! I'll check with Weldon and get back to you."

{Sounds good! I'll see you tomorrow.}

The next day…

Weldon, Lightning, and I returned to a bustling Slateport City. It was nice to feel an ocean breeze that wasn't scorching hot or drenching wet.

"You sure you don't want to come watch my practice battle, Weldon?" I asked.

He crossed his arms. "I would, but like I mentioned yesterday, this is also another kind of training you need. I'll be in the audience, so I won't be by your side during matches, giving you immediate feedback. You need to rely more on your instincts and knowledge under pressure."

"I guess you're right about that…" I replied with a sigh. "Then can you take Lightning when you visit the market? She wants to practice her Grass Knot by making more wreaths."

The Kantonian nodded. "And I'll make sure she doesn't get any more Lava Cookies in the meantime."

"Hey!" the Raichu pouted. "I should get a treat after all that work!"

He remained firm but gave her a smirk. "Let's see if you deserve it."

"Fine. I'll show you, Weldon!" She ran towards the water, forcing Weldon to chase after her.

I chuckled, then headed to the Slateport City Gym. Outside, the Gym Leader was waiting for me.

"Summer!" Charmaine greeted with a big hug. "Welcome back to Slateport City!"

"Thanks, Charmaine. I'm glad to see that the Groudon and Kyogre conflict didn't affect the city too badly."

"Me too. Luckily, the weather wasn't as bad since we're at the center of the region. Come on, let's head inside."

We entered the building and headed straight to the battlefield room. It was as humid as the greenhouses she cared for, but instead of edible plants, there were trees and vines. The field itself had both short and tall grass, a suitable arena for Grass type Pokémon.

"Now then," Charmaine said after she walked to her side of the field. Her usually jovial smile became serious. "This will be a double battle, like I said before. These are the Pokémon I'll be using. Unleash your fragrance, Flora and Puncher!"

A female Venusaur and a Breloom appeared in front of me, ready to battle.

I nodded. "Go, Errol and Olive!"

The Gym Leader was a little surprised to see my Noctowl and Grovyle. "I expected you to use Blaze instead of Olive."

"I would, but Olive needs to get more experience. And Blaze has been undergoing some intense training recently, so I wanted to give him a break."

"I see, that's very smart. In any case, you can have the first move, Summer."

"Thanks. Olive, use Quick Attack on Flora!"

She charged at the stationary Venusaur, but her partner stood in the way.

"Puncher, counter with Mach Punch!"

The Mushroom Pokémon cocked his right arm. In a flash of white light, the punch knocked the Grovyle back with blinding speed. She was able to quickly recover, so I made the next move.

"Errol, use Air Slash on Puncher!"

"Flora, counter it with Sludge Bomb!"

The air and poisonous spheres collided, showering all Pokémon with wind and sludge.

Charmaine's pretty strong. I can see why she became a Gym Leader.

"Puncher, use Seed Bomb on Olive!"

The Breloom opened his mouth and fired multiple glowing green seeds at his opposing Grass type.

I smiled. "Olive, dodge with Double Team!"

The Wood Gecko Pokémon separated into multiple illusions, and the seeds failed to make contact with the real version.

"Tricky, Summer. But that won't stop us!" Charmaine retorted with a grin. "Flora, find the real Olive with Razor Leaf!"

"I don't think so, Charmaine! Errol, counter with Heat Wave!"

The Gym Leader was surprised to see the Noctowl release embers from his wings. The Fire type move not only burned the leaves to a crisp, it also hit both Flora and Puncher.

"An interesting coverage move," the Kantonian noted as her Pokémon shook off the attack. "You've definitely grown since we last met."

"Thanks, Charmaine. But we're not done yet. Olive, use Fury Cutter on Puncher!"

"Counter with Mach Punch!"

The two Grass types battled in close range, striking and dodging each other's blows. The Gym Leader then turned her attention to the Flying type.

"Flora, use Leech Seed on Errol!"

As the seed flew from the Grass type starter's flower, I shouted, "Knock the seed away with Psychic!"

With his glowing magenta eyes, the Owl Pokémon knocked the projectile onto the field, and it wrapped uselessly around the nearby grass. As Olive and Puncher continued their combat, the continuous and increasingly powerful hits from Fury Cutter were able to force the Breloom to retreat. The Hoenn starter did the same, but I could tell she still took some damage.

"Looks like we need to change it up. Puncher, use Sky Uppercut on Errol!"

The Fighting type adjusted his gaze to the airborne adversary and prepared a glowing blue fist.

"Errol, stop Puncher with Psychic!"

Errol surrounded his skyward opponent with his psychic powers, stopping the move inches from him. Then, he threw Puncher onto the grass. The Mushroom Pokémon got up, despite being hit with another super effective move.

"Flora, use Sludge Bomb on Olive!"

The Venusaur hurled the purple orb at her fellow starter, but Olive was able to jump out of the way.

Seeing Puncher not doing as well, I commanded, "Errol, use Air Slash on Puncher!"

Charmaine grinned as the Noctowl charged the attack. "We aren't done yet, Summer! Puncher, deflect that Air Slash with Iron Tail!"

I was stunned to see the Grass type charge up his tail and swing the swirling orb of air towards Errol's partner.

Knowing she couldn't set up a Double Team in time, I shouted, "Olive, dodge with Quick Attack!"

She dashed out of the way, but it left her open to Puncher's partner.

"Flora, use another Sludge Bomb on Olive!"

The Grovyle was hit point blank with the super effective attack. She fell onto the field, but she was able to return to her feet.

"Olive, use Fury Cutter on Flora!"

She charged the blades on her arms and headed towards the Seed Pokémon.

"I don't think so, Summer! Puncher, knock Olive back with Sky Uppercut!"

The Breloom jumped in front of his partner and landed the punch onto the Wood Gecko Pokémon's chin.

As she flew towards Errol, I responded with, "Errol, protect Olive with Psychic!"

The Owl Pokémon stopped Olive from crashing into him, but he struggled to maintain control. Worried he was getting mentally tired, I motioned him to let Olive go so she can return to the field on her own power.

"Use Hypnosis on Flora!"

"Stop that move with Leech Seed!"

The Venusaur shot the seed into the white rings, and I was shocked to see the vines spread out sooner than last time. Not only did they cut through the Hypnosis, they also latched onto Errol. He fell onto the grass, and the vines sapped some of his energy to give it to its user.

This isn't good. Charmaine's using my Pokémon's declining health to her advantage. And doing one-on-one attacks isn't working as well as I thought. I should change my strategy. "Errol, Heat Wave!"

The Flying type freed his wings from the vegetation and flapped them to release the flames. The heat burned the vines off of him and hit both opposing Grass types.

"That Heat Wave's getting troublesome… Flora, use Earthquake! And Puncher, use Iron Tail on Olive!"

I was wondering why she wanted to use the first attack, but when the Mushroom Pokémon jumped onto Flora's back, I reacted quickly.

"Errol, protect Olive!"

The Noctowl stood in front of his struggling teammate, taking the full hit of the Steel type move. He fell onto the grass, motionless. Olive bit her lip, clenching her fists.

Feeling her anger, I shouted, "Quick Attack on Puncher!"

She slammed head on into the defenseless Pokémon, knocking him out as well.

"Great work, Errol," I praised, returning him.

"You too, Puncher," the Gym Leader added. "Now then. Looks like it's one-on-one now."

Nodding, I made the next move. "Olive, Double Team then Leaf Blade!"

As she and her illusions charged forward, Charmaine shouted, "Razor Leaf and Sludge Bomb!"

The multiple Grovyle were taken down by the sharp leaves and poisonous orbs until only one remained. Olive struck Flora with the extended green appendage just as the latter hit her with a super effective Sludge Bomb. Both Pokémon collapsed, but Flora was able to regain her footing.

The battle was over, and I ran over to Olive. "Are you okay, Olive?"

"I-I'm fine," she replied with a hint of trembling in her voice. "I'm sorry, Summer."

I gave her a hug. "Hey, you did really well for just your second official Gym battle."

"I agree."

The Gym Leader approached us with several Sitrus Berries in her hand. After giving them to the Grass type, she sat next to us.

"You battled really well, Summer. Your Pokémon are really well trained, but I have some advice about what you should do for the rest of your preparations."

I took a deep breath and replied, "Thanks, Charmaine. I'm listening."

"First, you should have your Pokémon battle in pairs to see who would work well in a double battle. Olive and Errol seem like they'll be a good pair, but they need better coordination. For example, when Errol protected Olive from Puncher's Iron Tail, a better strategy would be to have Olive jump on Errol's back so they can avoid both the Earthquake and Iron Tail."

I mentally noted that down. "I see. That makes sense."

"As a follow up on that, you should build up your Pokémon's endurance. I saw Errol was struggling with the consistent use of Psychic, and Olive felt the same with the close range combat. This would take some time, but I know you have a short timeframe."

"I agree, but I know Weldon will come up with something. He's been a big help during my training sessions, and I really want to make him proud of me."

Charmaine tilted her head. "I don't mean to pry, Summer, but do you have feelings for Weldon?"

"Uh…wh-what makes you think that, Charmaine?"

"Well…your face glowed while talking about him just now."

I touched my cheeks. "I-I think the higher humidity in this greenhouse's more to blame."

Laughing, she clasped my hands. "It's okay, Summer. I felt the same before Wally and I dated, so it's nothing to be ashamed about."

"I know… It's just, I'm not sure if he knows how I feel. I think he likes me, but I don't want to ruin things now that we are finally friends."

"Then take it slow for now until you're ready to tell him. He's likely thinking the same, trust me."

"You're right. Thanks for the advice, Charmaine," I acknowledged with a smile.

"Of course! Feel free to text or call me for any future relationship advice." She stood up and stretched. "I know it's a little early, but do you and Weldon want to join me for lunch? Since spring is coming soon, I can whip up my specialty: pasta primavera!"

I returned to my feet. "Mmm…that sounds good. Let me call him and see if he's able to come over."

"Great! Oh, before I forget."

The Gym Leader took out a pin with several four-petaled flowers on it. It was beautiful; the petals were thicker than normal flowers, and its colors varied from white, to peach, to red in the sunlight. The badge also released a unique smell, which I recognized instantly.

"Are these daphne flowers?"

"You're right!" she answered, beaming. "The first plant I ever grew in the gym is daphne, which is why I use it as part of my badge design. In the language of flowers, it means 'sweets to the sweet'."

"I've heard that phrase, but I never really understood what it meant."

"It means, 'a bittersweet farewell to naivety and innocence'." Charmaine's heart panged a little. "In a way, this flower represents my journey. When I got the invitation from the Hoenn Champion at the time to start a new gym in this region, I was excited, but scared. If I left Kanto, I knew I wouldn't be able to see my parents and Lows as often. But if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to fulfill my dreams. I…still have some regrets of how I left, but I don't regret my choice. Even though our match was unofficial, I still want you to have it so you can remember this as part of your journey to win the Hoenn League."

I accepted it, and I felt her past emotions from the item. "Thanks, Charmaine. And thanks for sharing that story with me. I know it's a personal one."

She wiped a tear. "I don't know why it's so easy for me to talk to you about these sensitive things, but I'm glad I did. Anyway, I should get the ingredients ready for lunch."

"Oh, right. I'll be back in a bit!"

I went back to the lobby, and my heart skipped when I saw Weldon and Lightning waiting for me.

"Summer! I wasn't sure if you were done with your battle, so we waited out here for you."

"It was over a while ago, but Charmaine and I were talking about some things, so I appreciate you waiting. She also extended an invitation to join her for lunch."

"That sounds good. I'm starving after having to babysit Lightning."

"It was hard work making all those wreaths!" she retorted as she opened a bag of Lava Cookies. "Not only for the kids, but for the adults too!"

I laughed, petting her head. "You should enjoy those cookies while you can, Lightning. I need to make sure you all have the endurance to last through a long battle, so no more treats until the end of the league."

"Aww, man…"

As she sadly munched her treat, I noticed Weldon was trying to put a small box into his bag.

"Did you get something too, Weldon?"

"Oh, yeah. One of the vendors was so impressed by Lightning's work that she gave me a sample box of incense cologne in exchange for a wreath."

"Ooh… That's a top selling item at the market. Which scents did you get?"

"Luck, Rock, Rose, and Wave."

I smiled, trying to keep my emotions in check. "Those scents really match your personality, Weldon."

He chuckled. "I hope to use them sooner than later. Anyway, let's go help Charmaine."

As he went into the hallway first, I exhaled sharply. Charmaine's right. Taking it slow is the best thing right now. Especially since I need to focus on the league.

Lightning and I followed the Kantonian, and we enjoyed a delicious meal amongst friends.

Summer's Pokémon:

Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, Blaze Ability, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut

Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Psychic, Hypnosis, Air Slash, Heat Wave

Aurora (Dewgong, female): Calm Nature, Thick Fat Ability, moves: Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Signal Beam

Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch, Grass Knot

Rocky (Steelix, male): Lonely Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Stone Edge, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail

Olive (Grovyle, female): Timid Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Fury Cutter, Double Team, Leaf Blade, Quick Attack

Weldon's Pokémon:

Venusaur (male): Serious Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Razor Leaf, Earthquake, Sludge Bomb, Vine Whip; in rotation- Solarbeam, Body Slam

Fearow (male): Adamant Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Heat Wave, Steel Wing, Fury Attack, Aerial Ace; in rotation- Drill Peck

Golem (male): Bold Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Rock Slide, Earthquake, Rollout, Double Edge

Gyarados (male): Sassy Nature, Intimidate Ability, moves: Surf, Ice Fang, Payback, Waterfall

Arcanine (male): Naughty Nature, Flash Fire Ability, moves: Hyper Beam, Extremespeed, Flare Blitz, Fire Blast

Electabuzz (male): Rash Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunder, Ice Punch, Brick Break, Shock Wave; in rotation- Mega Kick, Thunder Punch

Questions for the Chapter:

What did you think of Summer's battle against Charmaine?

What did you think of Charmaine's story behind her badge? A.N.- If you want to learn more about the details, go read the Hoenn Backstory 1 chapter in Hoenn - Where the Journey Begins, which was written by my friend, Fancyyy! :)

What are your speculations on how Summer will do in the Hoenn League?