Boe stepped onto the flower-patterned battlefield of the Goldenrod Gym, his heart racing with anticipation. The vibrant colors of the field — pink, yellow, and white flowers painted onto the floor — seemed to reflect the Gym Leader's upbeat personality. Boe could feel the energy buzzing in the air, and despite his previous two Gym wins, he couldn't shake the nerves that settled in his stomach.

"Alright... third Gym Battle. I can do this."

Before he stepped forward, Boe pulled Deku's Poké Ball from his belt. The tiny Togepi had been curled up inside since they left the Pokémon Center, and Boe figured now was as good a time as any to give his newest teammate a learning experience.

With a flash of light, Deku appeared, his small, egg-shaped body wobbling slightly on his stubby feet. His round, black eyes blinked up at Boe with curiosity.

Boe knelt down, resting a hand on his partner's shell. "Alright, Deku, I want you to watch this battle carefully, okay? Battles like this are important if you're gonna learn what it takes to be a strong Pokémon."

Deku blinked again, processing his words. Then, with the best effort his tiny arms could muster, he threw up one stubby arm in a clumsy salute.

Boe stifled a laugh. "That's the spirit, buddy."

"Oh my goodness!" a bubbly voice rang out from across the battlefield.

Boe looked up to see Whitney standing on her side of the arena, a huge smile spread across her face. She wore a pink-and-white sleeveless top, red shorts, and high-top sneakers. Her pink hair was done up into two playful buns, and her whole demeanor radiated enthusiasm.

"Your Togepi is sooooo adorable!" Whitney gushed, clasping her hands together as she stared at Deku. "Look at that little salute! Oh my gosh, I love it!!"

Deku perked up at the attention, now frantically waving his tiny arms in Whitney's direction.

Boe smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, uh… he's still learning a lot, but he's trying."

Whitney giggled. "Awww! That's the best part about training Pokémon. Watching them learn and grow!" She suddenly shifted, putting her hands on her hips. "But don't think I'm gonna go easy on you just 'cause you've got a cutie with you!"

Boe straightened, his nerves kicking back into high gear. "I wouldn't expect you to."

Whitney grinned. "Alright, cutie! I'm Whitney, the Goldenrod City Gym Leader! My Pokémon may look adorable, but don't let that fool ya! They're tough as nails. So don't hold back, okay?"

Boe swallowed hard but forced a smile. "I'm Boe from Unova — and I'm here to challenge you for a Gym Badge."

Whitney gave him a playful wink. "Aww, cute and polite! Let's get started then!"

She grabbed her first Poké Ball. "Clefairy, you're up!"

With a burst of light, a Clefairy appeared on the battlefield, waving its stubby arms and letting out a soft, "Clefaaa!"

Boe took a steadying breath. "Jolee, let's do this!"

The Croconaw burst from his Poké Ball, landing heavily on the ground with his usual sharp-toothed grin. He glanced at Deku, gave a little wave, and then turned to Clefairy, ready for battle.

"Alright, Jolee! Start with Water Gun!" Boe commanded.

Jolee didn't hesitate. He inhaled sharply before blasting a stream of water from his jaws, striking Clefairy in the chest. The force of the water pushed the Fairy-type back, but Clefairy quickly recovered.

"Clefairy, Disarming Voice!"

Clefairy opened its mouth and released a melodic beam of sound. The air vibrated with soft pink hearts and floating musical notes, washing over Jolee. The Croconaw immediately winced, covering his ears with his claws.

Boe cursed under his breath. "I can't let Clefairy control the pace of the battle."

"Jolee, close the distance! Use Bite!"

Jolee charged forward, his fangs glowing with dark energy. He clamped down on Clefairy's arm, causing the Pokémon to let out a distressed cry.

Whitney flinched. "Clefairy, Double Slap!"

Clefairy swung its arm wildly, smacking Jolee across the face twice—then three times— until Jolee was knocked loose and stumbled back.

"Shake it off, Jolee! Ice Fang!"

Jolee's fangs became cloaked in a cold, blue energy before he lunged again. His bite sank deep into Clefairy's side, causing frost to spread along its skin. Clefairy screamed in pain.

"D-don't give up! Use Double Slap again!"

Clefairy desperately smacked Jolee, but the force was noticeably weaker. Jolee retaliated with one final Water Gun, blasting Clefairy backward and knocking it out.

"Yes!" Boe pumped his fist.

Whitney nervously recalled Clefairy. "H-hey! Just one left? But... I ain't losin' you hear?" She reached for her second Poké Ball. "Miltank, let's do this!"

Boe's stomach dropped. Here we go…

The large, pink Miltank landed on the field with a heavy thud, immediately flicking its tail and glaring at Jolee.

"Miltank, Attract!" Whitney called.

Jolee barely had time to react before Miltank batted her eyes and gave Jolee a flirty wink. The Croconaw's expression immediately turned dreamy, and his body relaxed.

Boe groaned. "Oh, come on."

"Jolee, Scary Face!"

Despite his love-struck expression, Jolee forced his face into a dark, menacing scowl. The energy broke through his infatuation, and Miltank shivered slightly.

"Alright, that's enough! Jolee, return!"

Boe quickly swapped Jolee for Cementoss, his Geodude. The rocky Pokémon emerged, slamming his fists together confidently.

Whitney grinned. "Bad move! Miltank, Rollout!"

Miltank immediately curled into a ball and sped toward Cementoss, slamming hard into his rocky body.

"Cementoss, use Rollout too!"

The two Pokémon spun toward each other like rolling boulders, colliding mid-field with a loud CRASH. Cementoss tumbled but quickly righted himself, unfazed. Miltank looked rattled.

"Poor me!" Whitney whined. "Miltank, Milk Drink!"

Miltank quickly popped up and began splashing milk into its mouth, recovering energy.

Boe clenched his fists. "I can't let her keep doing that."

"Cementoss, Bulldoze!"

Cementoss raised both fists and slammed them into the ground, sending a shockwave that knocked Miltank off its feet.

"Rollout again!" Whitney cried.

Miltank tried to recover but stumbled over the uneven ground caused by the Bulldoze. Cementoss didn't wait.

"Rock Throw, now!"

The Geodude hurled a large rock, smashing into Miltank's side. The pink Pokémon tumbled, tried to stand—then collapsed, fainted.

Silence.

Then Whitney burst into tears. "Waaaaah! You're so mean!"

Boe froze. "Uh oh…"

Whitney's assistant rushed to her side. After a few whispered words, Whitney sniffled and spun around. "Oh! You want a badge, huh?"

Boe blinked. "…Yes?"

"Fine! Here's the Plain Badge and TM45: Attract."

Boe accepted both, still stunned. "Uh… thanks?"

Whitney's sobs suddenly halted. "You think I'm cute?"

Boe awkwardly smiled. "Uh… yes."

"And I'm a good battler?"

"…Yes."

Whitney beamed. "Awww! You're so sweet! Come battle me again sometime, okay?"

"…Sure."

As Boe walked into the lobby, Rev smirked. "You win?"

Boe sighed. "Yeah… but I think I need therapy now."

Deku let out a proud, "Togepi!" and tried to salute again.

Boe laughed. "At least you enjoyed it, little buddy."

The sun was beginning its slow descent behind the tall buildings of Goldenrod City by the time all three battles were finished. Boe now leaned against the outer wall of the Goldenrod Gym, his nerves finally settled after his earlier battle with Whitney. Deku the Togepi sat curled up in his lap, giggling happily as Boe idly scratched the Pokémon's shell. The Plain Badge glistened in his hand, but Boe was still wrapping his head around how chaotic that whole experience had been.

A few minutes later, the glass doors slid open, and Zane stormed out. His expression was a mixture of triumph and sheer exasperation. Clipped proudly to his vest was his own Plain Badge, but his face suggested the battle hadn't exactly been pleasant.

"Ohhh, she needs serious help," Zane grumbled as he approached Boe. He yanked his hat off and ran a hand through his hair, clearly still processing what had happened.

Boe raised an eyebrow, amused. "Rough time?"

Zane scoffed. "Dude. She called me a 'meanie-head.'"

Boe snorted. "Seriously?"

"Yeah!" Zane snapped, his voice dripping with disbelief. "Like, I beat her Miltank — finally — and instead of being a good sport, she just sat there and cried like I kicked her Skitty or something. I walked up to her all like, 'Hey, good battle,' and she wouldn't even talk to me. Just… sniffle, sniffle, you're so mean, waaaaahhh!" He threw his arms in the air dramatically. "Like, seriously? It's not my fault I beat her!"

Boe burst into laughter, almost toppling Deku off his lap. The Togepi let out a delighted "Toge-piiiii!" in response.

"Dude," Boe wheezed, struggling to breathe, "she didn't even call me that. She just cried a lot and then handed me my badge like she was giving me her last Poké Ball or something."

Zane gave him a flat look. "Okay, well, you were probably all charming and polite, right? I walked up there like 'Yo, Badge please.' She looked at me like I just broke her heart."

Boe's laughter continued. "What did you say to her?"

Zane folded his arms. "I said, 'Battle was fun. Thanks for the Badge.' And she goes 'You're a meanie-head! I don't wanna give it to you!'" His voice pitched high to mimic Whitney's crying. "I thought I was about to leave empty-handed."

Boe laughed even harder, clutching his stomach. "Oh my gosh… I wish I saw that."

"Yeah, hilarious," Zane grumbled. "I can't believe you got the chill version of her and I got full-on crybaby Whitney."

Just then, the gym doors opened again, and Rev strolled out with his hands resting behind his head. His face, unlike Zane's, was beaming with amusement. Clipped to his vest was his own Plain Badge, glimmering under the fading sunlight.

"Whew. Man, that was fun," Rev grinned, strolling over to them.

Zane turned on him immediately. "Don't tell me she was normal for you too."

Rev chuckled. "Nah, she definitely cried."

"HA!" Zane pointed accusingly. "See?! It wasn't just me!"

Rev smirked. "But she didn't call me a meanie-head."

Zane's eye twitched. "…What?"

"Yeah," Rev shrugged, casually. "I mean, she started crying after I beat her Miltank, but then she looked at me and was like, 'You're really strong… hic… but you're also kinda cute.'" He paused for dramatic effect, then grinned slyly. "So I said, 'Thanks, you're pretty cute too.'"

Boe lost it again. He practically fell over laughing. Deku squeaked in delight, as if it was the funniest thing in the world.

Zane gawked at Rev, absolutely dumbfounded. "You flirted with her?!"

Rev shrugged, smirking. "I mean, she was cute. Not my type, though."

Zane's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "But—but—she called me a meanie-head. And she gave you a compliment?! Dude, what's your secret?"

Rev laughed. "I dunno, man. Just lucky, I guess."

Boe was practically in tears. "I… can't… breathe…"

Zane threw his hands in the air. "Unbelievable. I get called a meanie-head, Rev gets hit on, and Boe probably got the royal treatment."

Boe, still trying to compose himself, gasped, "I… I think she just cried a lot and then gave me the Badge."

"Unreal," Zane muttered.

Finally regaining his composure, Boe wiped his eyes. "Well… at least we all got our badges, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Zane grumbled. "But she almost didn't give me mine. She was like, 'I don't wanna give it to you! You're mean!'" He mimicked Whitney's crying voice again. "I legit thought I was about to leave empty-handed."

Rev laughed. "So what'd you do?"

"I said, 'Lady, I'm not leaving here without my badge,' and then her assistant just convinced her to give it to me. Then she called me a 'meanie-head' one last time before I left." Zane shook his head. "Ridiculous."

Boe chuckled. "So what did you think of the battle itself?"

Zane scoffed. "Oh, the battle was fine. Slowpoke put her Clefairy to sleep and then just wrecked it. Miltank was tougher, though. I had to use Rollout to counter Rollout — which was super confusing — but eventually I got it."

"Nice," Boe grinned. "At least Slowpoke got a good workout."

Rev smiled. "And now we're officially halfway through Johto's badges."

The three of them paused, exchanging proud looks. That realization really sank in. They had three badges now.

"…Halfway," Boe murmured, looking down at Deku. The Togepi smiled up at him, completely oblivious to the emotional weight of the moment. Boe grinned. "Guess we're doing alright, huh?"

Rev stretched his arms. "Yeah, but it's only gonna get harder from here. We've still got Morty, Chuck, and Pryce to deal with before the League. Those aren't exactly easy battles."

Zane cracked his knuckles. "Bring it on. I've got my team figured out now. I just need a little more training."

Boe nodded, feeling his own determination rise. "Same here."

Rev smirked. "Well, since we survived Whitney without getting emotionally scarred—" he shot a look at Zane, "—what do you say we find something to eat and call it a night?"

"Please," Zane groaned. "I need to eat my feelings after that battle."

Boe chuckled. "Come on. There's gotta be a good spot around here."

The three of them walked off into Goldenrod's lively streets, the energy of the city buzzing around them. Three badges down — five to go.

And for the first time in a long time… Boe truly believed they could do this.

But deep down, he also couldn't help but wonder what Whitney's reaction would have been… if he'd called her a meanie-head.