Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $7 000

AVRIL'S TEAM:
🌼 Poppy (Flabebe) -♀- lv. 27
Flower Veil
Synthesis, Fairy Wind, Grassy Terrain, Lucky Chant, Wish, Magical Leaf

🌼 Hydrangea (Shellos) -♀- lv. 25
Storm Drain
Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Recover, Rain Dance, Mud Sport, Hidden Power (?)

🌼 Wisteria (Inkay) -♂- lv. 18
Infiltrator
Swagger, Hypnosis, Topsy-Turvy, Pluck, Reflect, Psybeam

🌼 Venus (Mawile) -♀- lv. 20 NEW!
Intimidate
Fairy Wind, Bite, Sucker Punch, Fake Tears, Taunt, Baton Pass

AVRIL'S INVENTORY:
🌼 Holotch (phone version)
🌼 Fanclub Membership card
🌼 Eviolite
🌼 Silk Scarf
🌼 Various clothes and commodities

AVRIL'S CONTACTS:
Jordie, Shuna, Natsuko, June, Marcella

AVRIL'S BADGES:
🥊

🌼 Character art made with [SPAN="color:rgb(40,180,40);"]https://picrew.me/image_maker/94097[/SPAN]

Avril slept in, waiting until it was almost too late to get breakfast before setting foot inside the Resort's restaurant and getting something to eat. The gracefulness of her polka dot dress was offset by the red cuts all over her arms and by her clumsy steps, but some french toast was all it took to bring back the spark in her eyes.

Soon enough, the cuts were covered by a few layers of white gauze, provided by the Fanclub staff. But even then, when it came time to actually leave the fanclub and continue her journey as a trainer, Avril didn't feel like it - she just walked upstairs once again, reaching her room and laying down on the bed.

Avril could feel her head spinning, failing miserably to focus on what happened to her and process it. She eventually realized that even the people she'd met in Hoenn were all sorts of complicated… some would get her in trouble for who knows what reason, some would change appearance in no time, some she would forget about only to meet again and feel embarrassed, and really the list could go on. She needed to sort things out.

Now, nothing would stop her from having some time for herself and her Pokémon only. She was meant to enjoy this journey, while also making Poppy and the others happy - because really, they probably deserved better. Especially that one…

Avril eventually reached for that Pokéball. She still hadn't had the chance to give it to Hikaru, even though that was theirs, but a part of her really wanted to keep it for herself. And so did Poppy. Might as well...



I have to get out of bed and watch the Pokémon from further away, but at least the chair is at a safe distance. From here though, all I can see is this black, menacing mouth, full of grinding teeth, peek out from under my bed. But I don't think that under my bed there's an actual monster. Mawile must be too scared to think straight and that's… fine. I've been there literally some days ago.

I even remember how Poppy used to bump against the glass windows of my room, not knowing that there was actually glass there. Something that she quickly learned in a couple days. For Mawile, I suppose this is a similar situation - living her whole life in a cave and then being released inside a room meant for humans is truly traumatizing and, again, I should've known. Because I've been there literally some days ago.

Mawile, who I've released on top of the bed, is now under it, though, and that simply means that I can't see her actual face and talk to her normally. But… Poppy still can, and immediately disappears under the bed. From that point onwards, all I hear is a couple of chirps from both my Pokémon, as the mouth that peeks outside slowly moves, opening and closing slightly. Not a reassuring sight but…

I remember that Valerie used to have a Mawile as well. I never quite liked it - very cold and methodical in battle, but it was always praised by my parents and by Valerie herself. Poppy's smile as she comes out from under the bed though, is what gives me the confidence I need.

"So, Mawile… I'll b-be your trainer from now, and I'll do all I can to be a good one." I try to give a berry to her, slowly putting it on the floor, near her second mouth, but she just pushes it away. Bad start. It's Poppy who comes to the rescue, though, and points me towards the shutters, trying her best to explain that I need to lower them. Honestly, her gestures are still so cute even after all these years…

Only when my room turns dark, Mawile tries to come out from under the bed, running towards the cloth bag that I'd left on the floor. I see her searching in there, throwing some of the berries out of the bag but not finding what she wants. I hear her hiss angrily and immediately shudder, but I'm too far away to reach her Pokéball. I… probably know why she's behaving like this. The stone that she seemed so happy about… Hikaru still has it.

"Hey, uhm… Venus? D-do you like that name?" I mutter. "We're getting that stone back."

She runs towards me, and I brace for the impact, but as she comes close, I realize that what's on her face is actually a smile.

Lucy had gone back to Slateport after lunch, and Sunny had left shortly after. Now, Tsu stands by herself at the Pokémon Center, looking at the odd jobs board. None of them pay enough to cover her sudden debt, and all she can hear is Aunt Nyamo's scolding remark. "It's all fun and games until your check bounces, and then where are you?"

Tsu sighs, lowering her head in despair. Between the fine from the Rangers and everything else she'd bought over the past few days, she'd only had about ₽500 left. With her Contest winnings, she only had ₽2000 to give to Lucy. "Just thirteen-thousand to go..."

Her sulking is interrupted by her phone ringing, and she doesn't even bother checking to see who it is. "Hello?"

"Who's your best friend in the world?" It's Sunny, and she sounds very pleased with herself.

"Uhhh... Shiny?"

"Wrong! It's me! I know a way you can make big money fast! Come meet me at the beach!"

"Wait, hang on. The beach is a big place, where are you?" Tsu grabs her bag, heading out the door.

"I'm at the Gym. It's that old martial arts looking place down here. I just talked to the Leader, he's actually here!"

"It's called a 'dojo', Sunny. Wait... what did you do? How am I going to make money at the Gym?!"

"Just get down here! ...preferably before 12:30." *click*

"Sunny? Sunny! ...that's in ten minutes!"

☆☆15 minutes later!☆☆

Tsu arrives at the Gym, out of breath from running. Sunny is standing just outside, impatiently looking at her Holotch.

"There you are! Come on, you're late."

"Late... for what?" Tsu pants, hands on her knees as she catches her breath.

"For your Gym battle! You're gonna beat Brawly, get the badge and 5,000 Poké reward, and then I'm gonna battle him!"

"What? Why... why didn't you go first?" Tsu whines as Sunny leads her inside.

"Because you needed the motivation. Look how long it took you even with it." Tsu scowls at Sunny, but it's not very effective. "You'll do great! I believe in you!"

It's actually rather plain inside the Gym. Tsu isn't sure what she expected, but a middle-aged man stick fighting a pair of preteens with brooms is certainly not it.

"Uh... excuse me?" Tsu calls out to get their attention, and the man, presumably Brawly, looks over to her. One of the kids, the girl, takes advantage of Tsu's distraction to get a free hit on Brawly's leg.

"Whoa! Nice one, Alex! That's the round." He bows to the kids, who bow back before leaving the mat.

"You cheated." The boy says, to which the girl, Alex, responds, "Did not! He dropped his guard, it was a clean hit..."

Tsu's attention is called back to Brawly as he approaches. "Hi there! I'm Brawly. You must be Tsu, right?"

"Y-yeah! I'm Natsuko, but my friends call me Tsu. ...I guess you can, too."

"Right on, right on. You've caught me at a good time! I was just helping my kids clean the Gym. You wouldn't believe how much sand gets in here."

"Uhhh..." Tsu glances at the open doors, at the piles of sand in the corners, and the dents on the broom from being used as a weapon.

Oh yeah. Definitely not what she expected.

"But enough about me! Your friend is eager to battle, but she insisted that you go first. Said you really needed this fight. She's a good friend, looking out for you like that."

"Haha... yeah. I guess she is." Tsu smiles, not at all prepared for this, but at least she's not tired anymore. "So... how do we do this? I only have three Pokémon, so..."

"Then that's what I'll use. We'll have three one-on-one fights, single knockout style!" At Tsu's confused expression, he clarifies, "That means that when one Pokémon can't fight, the winner gets called back, too."

"Oh, okay! So, I stand over there?"

"If you'd like! I don't mind. Hey, Alex! We need a ref, bud!"

The boy from before hands his broom to the girl, who looks offended as he runs over. "Hello. I'm Alex, and I'll be the referee..."

"Wait, wasn't the girl Alex? And aren't they your students?!" Tsu looks at Brawly suspiciously, but he laughs it off.

"Nah, they're both Alex! They both like the name, so who am I to call them different? But they're completely fair, don't you worry. If anything, they'd love to see me lose, right?"

Alex pouts a little at the implication. "That's not fair, Dad. I only want that because it's so rare, it has to be a good fight. I wouldn't cheapen it by cheating!"

Rare? Does he not lose often? Wait... DAD?! Tsu pulls her hat down, her head spinning.

"The official Gym Battle between Leader Brawly and Challenger Natsuko is about to begin! Please choose your first Pokémon!"

Tsu grabs Stacy's Poké Ball, deciding to start out strong. The Duchess appears in a flash of light, filling her side of the dojo as she coils around Tsu.

"Oh no! I forgot how big she is!" Tsu frets, but Brawly just whistles appreciatively.

"Whoa, mama! She's gorgeous! Not many people bring a beautiful gal like that to my Gym! Alex, give the lady some space!"

The other Alex drops her broom, and runs to the back of the dojo and into a side room. After a moment, gears start clicking and shifting as the roof opens up, letting in sunlight and giving Stacy enough room to stretch out.

"That's more like it! As for me, I'll use Machoke!" He tosses his Ball, sending out the muscular Pokémon, who takes the opportunity to flex and show off his muscles.

"You can do it, Tsu!" Sunny calls out, waving to her friend from the doorway.

"Yeah, kick his butt!" Alex encourages, coming out from the back room.

"Alright, the first Pokémon have been chosen!" Alex steps back, waving his flags. "Let the battle begin!"

"Stacy, start with Tackle!" Stacy grumbles, but ducks her head and charges at Machoke.

"Whoa, there! Machoke, Power Trick!" Machoke sharply inhales, puffing out his chest as he braces himself. Stacy crashes into him, but he is able to catch her and turn her aside.

"Got some power to her, huh?" Brawly grins, but Tsu hides her eyes under her hat.

"I'm not sure, this is the first time she's fought since she evolved."

"Hey, don't be so down! She's still the same Pokémon, she's just bigger!"

She almost ate me, what do you know?! Tsu wants to yell, but that memory gives her an idea. "Stacy, Bite him!"

"Woo, okay! Go for a Low Kick!" Stacy charges in, trying to grab Machoke in her teeth, but he manages to grab her instead. Her teeth dig into his palms as he forcibly keeps her mouth from closing, and he drops to one knee to reach out and kick her, knocking her off balance and causing her to fall. He pushes her away as she does, and her full weight hits the mat, leaving her dazed for half a second as the crash reverberates through the floor.

"Whoa!" Sunny clings to the door frame. "This place is sturdy, right?"

"Solid as steel, babe! You got nothing to worry about!" Brawly flashes a smile and a thumbs-up.

Stacy growls in frustration from the floor, glaring at Machoke. Tsu notices, and is concerned for him. "Stacy, stay calm! How about a Splash? Get some altitude!"

"This is gonna be big, Machoke! Do another Power Trick!" Machoke rolls his shoulders, cracks his knuckles and pops his neck, ready to fight for real as Stacy gets upright, hops once, then throws herself into the air. She flies up and out the open roof, her whole 21-foot long body clearing the hole before turning in mid-air and diving straight toward Machoke.

"Yes! Splash into Tackle! Just like the Contest!" Tsu claps excitedly, really hoping Stacy's glare is just how she looks now, and that she's not really angry.

Brawly stays quiet, and Machoke glances back at him. Brawly nods once, and Machoke assumes a wide stance. Stacy comes back down through the roof, crashing headfirst into Machoke and driving his feet through the tatami mat floor. He grunts with effort as he grabs her head, holding her aloft.

"Counter!"

Before gravity can assert itself, Machoke redirects the momentum of her dive and pushes her slightly, slamming her face into the mat. The rest of her body follows suit, and the whole floor shakes as the Duchess crashes to the floor. She groans softly, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Stacy!" Tsu recalls her to her Poké Ball, holding it close. "I'm sorry, we were not prepared for this..."

"Gyarados is unable to battle!" Alex lifts the blue flag on Brawly's side. "Point goes to Leader Brawly!"

"So, I'm guessing you haven't battled much with her, right?" Brawly asks gently, recalling his Machoke. "She only knows how to fight head on, not much room for strategy. It works pretty well, until you meet someone who knows how to turn that power against you."

"Yeah... truth be told, I haven't battled much at all. A few times with Stacy when she was a Magikarp, but mostly with..." Tsu smiles slightly, tossing another Ball. "Mostly with Shiny."

The little Ponyta neighs at mention of her name, looking around curiously. It's indoors, but she can see the sky overhead, and a gentle breeze comes from the open door. She trots up to Tsu, pushing her with her head.

"Oof! Hi! You like this place? Like beung outside, right? We're in a battle, okay? I need you to do your best."

Brawly sniffs, smiling as a single tear runs down his face. "Ah, the bond a Trainer has with their first Pokémon!" Over by the door, Alex gags slightly, disgusted by her father's sappy reaction.

"As for me, I think Raichu is the way to go!" Brawly tosses the Ball, and his Raichu surfs onto the mat, riding its own tail. "One round down, but this battle's just getting started! Woo!"

With the coming of sunrise came forth a vast array of colors that lifted the sky's darker curtain to reveal brighter shades. Through the window these rays of sunlight blanketed Emilio's room, revealing a mess of clothes and snack wrappers plaguing its insides. Emilio, who had awoken an hour earlier, sat on the bed beneath the comfort of the blanket, of which was draped around his shoulders. Thanks to his back facing the window, his front was shadowed; his gaze had fallen on the pokeball he had set on his nightstand.

"God damn it, I said I'm sorry," he murmured, a finger lightly tapping his cell phone's case. He didn't mean to hurt her feelings. On the contrary, he was afraid to release her and allow the memories of a deceased relative ruin his day. Of course, thinking back on his reasoning, he realizes now that it may have been selfish of him to do so.

Very selfish.

Unable to summon the necessary courage to apologize any louder, he leaps off the bed and snatches the pokéball, ready to venture out.

To quell the guilt Emilio decided to partake in some window shopping. Normally the activity wasn't a pass time of his, but doing it alone, without the company of his family, was… a surprisingly different experience: He inspected the diversely colorful TMs, found a guilty pleasure in admiring Pokémon dolls, grew infatuated by the various scents from incenses, was entertained by the energy guru's claims, curiously listened in to the shopkeeper's knowledge on their collection of international berries, and more.

But the reality of the situation was that -in no shape or form- should he indulge in these materials just yet; he's fully aware he's in dire need of extra cash for the journey ahead.

Then again this is Emilio.

Despite the wave of shame that followed, he proceeded to enter a burger joint and ordered himself a meal for two; he planned to eat his way into Dewford.

--------------------

The breeze was cold, yet active, on this time of day. With it being noon came the knowledge that soon he will embark into a new island. A new mini world. And perhaps, a gym that didn't require an extra companion. In the meantime, he figured why not spend it by "studying" how to train for such an event.

Sitting just outside the Ferry Terminal beneath a shady oak tree sat Emilio savoring a beef burger. His other hand held his cell, absorbing pokémon training videos of many sorts and varieties.

"...this is an EXP machine-"

"...remember to always check for type advantages and disadvantages-"

"...treating your Pokémon like they're your family is the key to success-"

"...but the trainer needs to be training too, not just their loyal companions-"

"...and welcome to Training 101-"

Of course, he could only take so much. Within an hour of studying he found himself heading back home, occasionally emptying trash from his bag into passing trash bins. Whether it was an old candy wrapper, scrap notes, dry cheetohs, or used napkin, without care or concern Emilio tossed them out. Half of them did not land and ended up being litter.

While waiting for 3:00 to come crawling at his door, the young man packed everything he needed into his bag as soon as he reached his destination. A good tug and push forced the contents to be zipped and sealed. Unfortunately this also meant that upon being opened, everything would spill out.

Still hiding inside the contents of their Pokéball was his dear Galarian Ponyta. Again, not a single tremble or budge was felt. At first he felt no worries, but having gone so long with such silence was finally beginning to gnaw on him.

"Hey… hey, uh… are you okay there?" he mumbled, tapping his backpack. After a minute of no response he sighed and continued on. "Fine. Don't talk to me then." Little did he know his lack for trying only worsened the small horse.

An odd wall of ice had been built between the two. And it was this fact that remained and did not allow for any other thought to conquer his mind. All except for one; as the boat departed, he noticed Koko rushing to this very same boat. Sadly she was too late, but she didn't seem to display any dismay or annoyance.

Emilio looked on curiously as Koko released her Onix and pointed at the departing ferry. Together they shared some laughs and began to exit the premises. This made him feel guilt towards his own companion once more. A yearning for company. A desire to reconnect.

After choosing a seat he set the bag between his legs and clenched the top of the bag with one hand. The other carefully unzipped a small portion that, as he feared, began to leak out clothes and items. Frustrated by the cascading objects, he rummaged into his bag and retrieved the pokéball.

He began to toss it from hand to hand.

Emilio Estéban Grácia​

"Alright, Shiny, start with Flame Charge!" Shiny charges toward Raichu, trailing fire from her hooves.

"Ride it out, Raichu, and set up Electric Terrain!" Lightning sparks all around Raichu, even going into the floor. The lightning starts feeding back into itself, perpetuating itself and bathing the arena in a yellow glow. Shiny slams into Raichu, but it merely hops onto its tail and surfs away, gliding over the ground like it was water.

"Keep pace with it with Flame Charge!" Shiny chases after Raichu, making it work to avoid her. Shiny leaves blazing hoofprints behind her, while the Electric Terrain causes Raichu to leave a trail of lightning as it surfs.

"Ooh, hang on!" Tsu pulls out her phone, recording the two Pokémon on her camera. "That will make a great photo later!"

"Heck yeah, it will!" Brawly grins. "Raichu, Teleport!" Raichu vanishes in a flash of light and burst of sound. Shiny slows her charge to a trot, then stops to look around for her opponent.

"Oh, right. Head in the game..." Tsu looks around for Raichu, who suddenly reappears with another flash and pop, above Shiny's head as Brawly calls out for Electro Ball. Raichu glows with electricity, which condenses into an orb in its hands.

"Jump back, Agility!" Shiny uses her own Psychic power, not to teleport, but to enhance her speed, leaping backwards as the Electric orb hits the floor in front of her. Raichu glides back to the ground, surfing away from Shiny.

"Not so fast! Flame Charge again!" Raichu may be a fast surfer, but Shiny was born to run, and manages to get ahead of Raichu and knock it to the ground.

"Woo! Go, Shiny!" Tsu and Brawly both turn to look at the door, amused by Sunny's outburst. "Sorry! Ponyta is just... so cool..." She fidgets in place, unable to contain her excitement.

"Ha! You can say that again!" Brawly laughs, grinning in excitement. "So, you can match Raichu's speed. I could try to trip you up with Electroweb, but that little pony's just too quick. So... final exam time. Raichu, use Surf!"

Raichu hops back up onto its tail, surfing to the other side of the Gym. Water rises underneath it as it does, and it makes a sharp turn at the opposite side, the water rising into a massive wall that comes crashing toward Shiny.

Tsu's mind races. She could try to dodge with Flame Charge, or leap over it with Agility, but it's coming too fast. Frantically, she looks around for advice. "Uh... Sunny?! Oh! Sunny Day!"

Shiny quickly creates the shining orb, tossing it at the approaching wall of water. It bursts just before hitting the wave, actually pushing the water wall apart with its heat. Significantly diminished, the wave only hits Shiny from the knees down. She neighs in distress as her fetlock flames are doused, shaking slightly.

"Whoa, haha! Nice!" Brawly cheers. "Little Shiny has your number, Raichu! Want to try one more time?" Raichu nods, hopping back up onto its tail.

Tsu panics just a little. "Shiny, use Flame Wheel!" Shiny rushes forward, her mane and tail extending as flames wrap around her body, boosted by the light of Sunny Day. She leaps over Raichu before it can get its momentum up, bucking it with both back hooves and knocking it to the floor.

The Electric Terrain fades, and Alex lifts the red flag in his hand. "Raichu is unable to battle! Point goes to Challenger Natsuko!"

Brawly lets out a breath, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, it was worth a shot. You weren't kidding, you really know your Ponyta's moves. You keep that up, and you'll have your badges in no time!"

Shiny trots back over to Tsu, earning a hug and a kiss on the forehead for her efforts. "That was amazing! You did so good, Shiny. Take a little break, now." She returns her to her ball, grabbing her last Poké Ball. Brawly holds up a hand, waiting until the mini sun winks out before giving her the go ahead.

Tsu tosses the ball, sending out Cyrano. Rather than look around, he stands still, slowly turning until he faces north. Brawly nods as he looks the Nosepass over. "That's a nice look, the magnet nose ring. Get the right venue, and he could go far in a Contest."

Tsu breathes out nervously. "Honestly, Brawly, I'm not sure about this. I only caught him yesterday, and haven't really gotten to know him yet."

"Well, that's what I'm here for! To test your bonds with your Pokémon, see what you know and what needs work. But I've gotten to know you a little, and I think you'll do fine. Still... bad idea to bring a Rock type to a Surfing Gym."

"It's a Fighting Gym, Dad!" Alex yells from the corner where she was picking up fresh mats.

"It can be both!" Brawly complains. Tsu is once again surprised that the twins seem more mature than their father, at times. "Besides, I'm sending out Mantine! Who isn't a Fighting type."

Alex drops the mats in a huff. "Mantine? Dad, I wanted to see a fight!"

"What's wrong with Mantine?" Sunny speaks up. "Doesn't it fight?"

"Barely." Alex pouts. "It's just boring. Just sits there and heals-"

"Hey, don't give away my strategy!" Brawly whines, gesturing to Tsu. "I have a challenger here! Now she knows what I'm gonna do."

"What? No, no, I really don't." Tsu doesn't like the way they're talking about her, feeling guilty for even being nearby.

"Well, no help for it now... Mantine, Aqua Ring." Mantine flaps its wings, surrounding itself in a sphere of water that hovers above the Gym floor, Mantine floating inside it.

"Okay, uh... use Thunder Punch!" Cyrano turns to face Brawly, charging toward Mantine. His nose hums as electricity is generated, the energy flowing into his hand and sheathing it in electricity. He throws himself at the Aqua Ring, but it pushes him back, the electricity scattering harmlessly across the surface of the sphere.

"Aw, man... the direct approach again? Mantine knows how to counter that. You gotta think it through, man! Water Pulse." Mantine spits a bubble out, which floats slowly inside the sphere, then launches like a bullet once it leaves. Cyrano is staggered by the hit, arms flailing as he tries to recover his balance.

"Think... think... okay, we don't want that to happen again. But how can we stop it?" Tsu consults her Pokédex, specifically Cyrano's moveset. "Oh, okay! Try a Thunder Wave!"

"There you go, try to lock it down! Sometimes you gotta come in from the side, right? Mantine, use Supersonic."

"Okay, not good for me... oh! Use Rock Throw! If it tries to use Water Pulse again, aim for the bubbles before they leave the water, maybe you can pop them!"

"Quick thinking! And since you can shake off confusion a lot faster than paralysis, if you keep up that defensive style, you'll find your opening for a Thunder Punch."

They exchange thrown rocks and water bullets, but when Cyrano starts slowing down, Tsu instructs him to use Rest. Brawly seems to approve.

"Quick top off mid-fight, not a bad idea. Mantine's been steadily healing this whole time, but you're whittling him down! With a bit of luck, you could win this!" He actually starts clapping for her.

Tsu grins at that, looking over at Sunny excitedly. As she does, she notices Alex give her dad a grumpy glare. She glances at the other Alex, who just sighs knowingly. Confused, she looks at Brawly, who is still smiling and clapping.

"Mantine, come on back. I'm calling it now."

Alex raises the red flag. "Leader Brawly has withdrawn from the match. Challenger Natsuko wins."

"Wait, hold on a minute... I won?" Tsu slowly raises Cyrano's Poké Ball, as if doubting Brawly is actually done.

"Yep! I think you're well on your way to being a great Trainer! I've seen enough that I think you deserve the Knuckle Badge, and the ₽5,000 prize money!" Brawly offers her his fist, which she hesitantly bumps, and he turns his palm up to show her the Badge.

Tsu takes it, still somewhat dazed at the thought. "I... I won my first Gym Battle. Thank you for the opportunity, Brawly sir."

"My pleasure, dude! It was fun! Feel free to come hang out anytime!"

Sunny runs over, pulling Tsu close as she puts an arm around her shoulders. "Told ya you could do it! Am I good, or what?"

Tsu laughs, smiling genuinely at the badge in her hand. "You were right, Sunny. I did need this. In more ways than one."

Sunny releases her, grinning fiercely at Brawly. "And now it's my turn! Unless you need a moment to prepare, Brawly."

"Nah, I'm good, little firecracker! Let's get this show on the road! Alex, you good to ref again?"

Tsu heads over to the doorway, taking a seat on the floor. The least she can do is stay and watch Sunny fight.

AGE: 17 ⟡ PRONOUNS: she/her ⟡ HOME REGION: Johto ⟡ DEVICE: PokéGear
DATE: Monday, September 21 ⟡ TIME: afternoon
LOCATION: West Wilds

"North" takes them all the way to the edge of the island without running into a single Pokémon. Marie wonders aloud if Edison's SCAN is so broken that it is driving Pokémon away, which seems to upset him.

"I don't understand, I thought I fixed it! Why isn't…" he stops, lightly smacking it when it glitches again. "It wasn't scanning. The whole time, it wasn't scanning…"

"You're going to have to buy a PokéNav at this point," Marie says vaguely. The beach they've ended up on would be nice but for its rather cramped size- the forest pushes right up to only a few feet of soft sand before the rolling waves crash down to shore. To their right, the forest and beach both fight to climb the hard stone beginning to jut from the earth- the edges of Granite Cave's upper levels, if Marie's mental map is correct. It usually is.

Edison grumbles a bit, tinkering and fidgeting with his Holotch. "If this one dies completely and irreparably, maybe I'll think about it. Until then, I just need to figure out what I'm doing wrong."

"Maybe the Pokémon just don't like you today." While more of a whimsical statement than a scientific one, it may be true enough. Even Cutie had shuffled away from Edison initially.

"There may be something to that, actually…" Edison finishes his tinkering as he talks. "We were using your device to SCAN, but before that, we didn't see anything. I still have a SCAN available, but maybe something else is keeping the Pokémon at bay?"

"That would be good to know, cuz I haven't had any luck, either." A new voice joins the conversation from behind them.

Who the hell is-

Oh.

Marie looks around, then down to see the newcomer, a girl around her age but almost a foot shorter than her and Edison. She's definitely dressed for the sticky weather, with her t-shirt, cropped jacket, and shorts leaving plenty of tanned skin exposed. Her messy brown hair dances in the breeze, and she raises a hand to shield her big green eyes from the sun. She has a worn out old backpack over one shoulder, and a Pikachu perched on the other.

All together, incredibly cute.

"Hello, and what might your name be?" Damn, "suave" is probably not the right way to go but she's committed now. Why is she garbage at talking to people she's actually interested in? She can put the moves on people she has no attachment to easily, but when she actually wants to get to know someone...

The girl cocks her head slightly, a smile tugging at one corner of her mouth. "Hello to you, too. My name's Van, and I'm from Kanto!"

If Edison noticed Marie's shift in demeanor, he doesn't comment on it. Marie's still not quite sure which is more likely to be the case, but it's not exactly the time to be wondering about that- she's still trying to find the right words, even as Edison speaks up. "Hello there. I'm Edison, and this is Marie."

"Marie Rachelle Mocinno," Marie corrects automatically. Habits die hard- though she's not exactly trying to break that one. "From Goldenrod, Johto. What's a Kanto girl doing on a wild island in Hoenn?" Nope, still bad.

"Well… officially I'm here on business. But I'm taking a bit of a break, looking for Pokémon." She looks back at the forest with a frustrated sigh. "I've been looking for a Makuhita all morning, but haven't found a single one! Lots of Exeggcute around, though."

"Oh! Yes! We found a bunch of them too, look!" Marie clicks Cutie's ball and the Exeggcute pops out onto the sand, wiggling a divot to nest in. Maybe that endearing little behavior will distract Van from Marie's horrifically obvious eagerness to please. She can only hope.

Van actually laughs at Cutie. "Hey there, little guy! Getting warm in the sand? He's cute." Marie murmurs some kind of "thanks, I made him myself" that Van- luckily- doesn't quite pick up on as Edison nabs her attention.

"Looking for a Makuhita, you say? I might be able to help with that." Edison brings up his Holotch. "I needed something to SCAN for, why not a Makuhita?"

"Whoa, really? You guys would do that for me?"

"The real question is if it's going to work," Marie sniffs. "He's been trying all day."

Edison tenses at Marie's words, silently pressing the button on his Holotch. It vibrates more than it should, and more than is comfortable, based on his expression. He slowly turns, stopping when he faces the water. "There's one… this way?"

"That doesn't sound right…" Van frowns at that, leaning closer to Marie. "Is it supposed to do that?"

Marie leans in as well before she catches herself. "Um, ah, not actually sure. He's customized it, I think. Normal ones don't do that, though."

The Holotch suddenly stops shaking, and Edison looks at it in disappointment. Then, something bursts from the water, landing on the beach and posing dramatically.

It's a Clobbopus.

"What?!" Edison look at the Pokémon in confusion, then down at his Holotch. "But… these aren't even supposed to be here! How did I…"

Clobbopus marches up to Edison, immediately grabbing onto his leg with its strong arms. "What? Argh… not again!"

Marie isn't keen on helping, not physically, but Cutie has other ideas about the dire situation his father is in. One egg slams into the Clobbopus, then another, all six in turn- though one misses, rolling past Edison and his assailant as the other five clamor in fear. It rolls into the sea, bobbing on the waves, and Marie's heart jumps into her throat.

"Get back here-" Her long strides take her into the rolling foam, knee-deep by the time she can scoop up the little pink egg. It's gone emotionless again, but as she wades back it begins to shiver and shake in her arms, only calming down when she reunites it with the rest and shoos them away from the water.

Her shoes squelch, reminding her that she's now soaking wet from the knees down. "Ugh."

Van puts her hand on Marie's arm. "That was quick thinking! I think you just saved his life!" She grins, giving Marie a light, playful shove. Marie makes an embarrassing noise as she loses her balance, plopping down on the sand to strip her shoes and socks as if that were her intent. Saved it.

Cutie's barrage had managed to dislodge Clobbopus from Edison's leg, and he swiftly steps back from the creature. His hand instinctively goes to his Poké Balls, but he pauses, as Clobbopus and Cutie stare each other down. "Thank you. Do you… want to fight? What do you think, Marie?"

"Fight?" Marie wrings out her socks and surveys the situation. "Um, let me…"

She ungracefully wiggles out of her backpack and drags her PokéDex from where it had settled in the bottom. "Absorb, Hypnosis, Reflect, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Barrage," she recites, mostly to herself, but Cutie apparently takes them all as commands and… does them.

Clobbopus closes the distance, wrapping Cutie in its arms like it had tried to do to Edison. Cutie responds by draining some energy from it. When it tries to punch Cutie, he looks it in the eyes, his own glowing with Psychic power. It promptly falls asleep, still squeezing him. Cutie erects a barrier between his bodies and the Clobbopus, weakening its attacks, then implants several seeds to further drain its energy. Clobbopus wakes up, deliberately missing with a left hook to come in with a right jab. Cutie drains a much larger amount of energy, then finishes the fight with a second one-after-another Barrage of tackles, knocking Clobbopus back into the water.

"Um. Well then!" Marie claps her hands together. It certainly wasn't what she intended, nor a very good way to show off battle competence to someone who was clearly interested in Pokémon, but it works. "Good job, Cutie!" she praises, as the Exeggcute rolls happily into her lap.

"That was awesome!" Van cheers. "You had that whole fight planned before it even started! And Cutie was all like 'Nuh-uh, can't touch me!' And then that finish? BOOM, back in the water! Nice!"

Hm. Marie can work with that.

"Yes… a surprisingly good display of his abilities." Edison has his hand to his chin as he looks at Cutie, moving closer as two eggs bounce around his feet and the other four clamor for Marie's attention.

"Oh, yes, he knows just what to do!" Marie pets the eggs as they squeak at her. "A perfectly executed sequence. We'll take down Brawly just like that!"

"Ha! I like your style, but don't underestimate Brawly! He's a pretty chill guy, but he's still a Gym Leader, and a master of Fighting types. That Clobbopus was a small fry compared to a Pokémon who's been properly trained. Trust me, I'm kind of an expert."

"On training, Fighting types, or just Pokémon in general?" Edison gently pushes the wayward cuties back toward Marie, reforming the whole set around her. Marie focuses on them for a moment, plotting her next move- her battle prowess is nothing to brag about, especially with Van's apparently high opinion of Brawly.

"All of the above." Van preens a bit under her own praise. The airs jog a memory of young Natu all vying for her great-aunt's attention. "I'm a research assistant for a Pokémon Professor back in Kanto, so I do a lot of field work. But my favorite Pokémon are Fighting types, and I've been training my own Pokémon to fight not just competitively, but also for sport!"

Ah, there's a line she can jump on. "Do you physically train with them, then?" A lot of Fighting-type specialists do just that, and Van's athleticism speaks volumes toward that probability.

"You bet I do! I taught Pikachu here everything she knows about Fighting. She's almost as good at wrestling as I am. You wanna see some of it? I might be able to teach your Pokémon a thing or two!"

"I would very much like to see that, yes please." Edison steps forward, more excited than he's been since meeting Van. Cute. Wait, which one is that thought directed towards? Oh, doesn't matter.

"I'm definitely interested in seeing some of your moves," Marie grins up at Van, the cockiness of a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. Is this anything? "Can any of mine learn?"

Marie clicks her other two PokéBalls and a weight disappears from her head as Stunnie appears and wriggles into the sand. "Oh, wait-" She clicks Tuie's PokéBall again and the Natu re-situates herself in Marie's hair, clicking her beak in irritation. "Forgot, sorry. Um, Stunnie already knows Revenge, but if there's something else…?"

"Uh… I don't think so…" Van tosses her coat off as she looks over Marie's Pokémon. "Sorry."

Edison swipes his hand along his belt, triggering all four Poké Balls at once. "Well, how about mine?"

Van shakes her head as she looks at Staryu and Magnemite. "Looks like it's down to Chubby Cheeks and Scary Smiles here." She stops to strip off her shoes and socks, offering an apologetic shrug. "Gonna be honest, I'm better at teaching the ones with human-like bodies."

Edison recalls his Pokémon, except for Sableye. "Her name is Gremlin, actually. I'd be interested to see what you could teach her."

"Hmmm…" Van thinks about it, setting Pikachu down by her shoes. "Oh! It's technically a dirty trick, but how about I teach her to sweep the leg?"

Gremlin gasps, looking up at Edison and nodding excitedly. "Well… that could be interesting, and she does seem excited."

"Awesome! Come here." Van says with a smile.

Edison starts to step forward, then stops. "Pardon?"

"Get over here. I need to demonstrate the technique, so she can see how to properly do it. And for that, I need a volunteer."

"I'll gladly be your test subject," Marie's mouth says, without any input from her brain. Tuie flutters down from her head and off to the side, clearly aware of what's to come. But she doesn't have any time to rescind her dumb offer before Van is accepting it.

"Cool, thanks!" Van offers Marie her hand, pulling her to her feet with surprising ease. Cutie scatters once more, squeaking indignantly as they regroup around Tuie. "Okay, stand here, like you're gonna fight me… great. Okay, Gremlin, Ed? Are you watching? First step, get up close."

She steps forward, suddenly very close, and sets her foot between Marie's feet. "Sweep toward your other leg, out and up. You should catch the opponent here..." she catches Marie just below the ankle, lifting her foot off the ground. Marie wobbles and can't help a nervous catch in her breath, but Van reaches out to catch her before she can fall. "...putting them off balance for a follow-up. Also makes it hard to run if you kick the leg out.

"Or, you could go for the back leg. Reset." She squares up against Marie again. Ooh, her cheeks are red and she knows it. Hopefully Van thinks nothing of it; it's rather embarrassing. "Step up…" She steps beside Marie, this time hip to hip, her heel against Marie's heel. It's almost like formal dance. She grabs hold of Marie's hand, and Marie's fluttering heart jumps into her throat. "...then sweep your leg back." Again, Marie's foot is lifted from the ground, and she finds herself falling back with a gasp, held up only by Van holding her hand and waist.

"If I did this in a match, I could let my opponent fall. Or, I could follow them down." She gently lowers Marie to the ground, shifting her grip to pin Marie's wrist to the ground and entwining her leg with Marie's.

Oh.

"Get them into a pin. Of course, you probably won't do this in a Pokémon battle."

Van grins at Marie below her. "Thanks for your help."

"No problem," Marie squeaks. Fuck, she's acting like June. Shake it off, shake it off. She clears her throat. "Um, did Gremlin see that? I- I don't mind doing it again if she didn't…" Not a save. Definitely not a save. Marie glances at Edison.

….who is also on the ground, Gremlin cackling as she stands over him. "...I think she understands the basics, yes."

"Only the basics, though." Van releases Marie from the pin, sitting down next to her. Marie crosses her arms behind her head and relaxes into the sand. She's already covered in sand and seawater, so why not. Cutie bounces over, entertaining himself by repeatedly hopping over Marie's long legs. "Pika, bring me my bag!" The little Pikachu looks up from where she'd been napping, picking up the whole bag and scurrying over. "Here, this TM should teach her the rest."

"If you had that, why act it out like that?" Edison complains as he accepts the device from Van.

"Because it's fun!" She grins at Marie playfully. "I can show you some other moves, if you want?"

Is this… an invitation? Marie doesn't quite know what to do with it. She's never really gotten this far, not with anyone she's actually thought was interesting. But if Van wants to show off… "I'd love that," she decides, and she really would, "But I can't see your moves if I'm the participant, right? And Edison won't do it…"

"Yes, I think I'll pass. Thank you for the demonstration, though." Edison offers Van her TM back, taking her hand in his as she grabs it. "And thank you for the technique. I'm only sorry I couldn't be of more help finding your Pokémon."

Van pulls her hand away. "No problem. You tried, and it was fun meeting you. Both of you." She turns to Marie, pulling her phone from her pocket. "Here's my number, maybe I can show you my moves some other time. Or if you just wanna talk."

Did I just…? Marie fumbles to retrieve her phone and exchange numbers with Van. She did just get a cute girl's number, despite doing practically nothing. Which means only that this is all Van's doing, not her own, which means both that Marie is apparently endearing enough to be given a number and that she is still indeed garbage at flirting. Unless Van just gives her number to practically anyone. In which case, this is not much of a win.

She'll still take it.

Sunny casually tosses a Poké Ball in her hand, taking her spot across from Brawly. "I think I know how you fight, Brawly. I have three Pokémon, so use whatever rules you like."

Brawly grins in sudden understanding. "You've done this before, haven't you?"

Sunny nods, showing off the badge pinned to the inside of her jacket. "And I'm gunning for badge number two, so bring your A-game, Brawly!"

The twins exchange a look with each other, Alex quietly coming to stand by her brother as he raises his flags.

"Leader Brawly vs Challenger Sunny, three Pokémon each, standard League rules! Trainers ready? Begin!"

Sunny sends out Sputter, while Brawly starts with Hariyama. Sunny grins at that. "Oh, we got this. Sputter, use Minimize!"

"A solid plan..." Brawly nods, "Ghost types can't be hit by Fighting moves, but you're still trying to make your Litwick harder to hit. Guess all I can do is Bulk Up to defend."

Sunny frowns at that. "Standard rules means you can recall your Pokémon once per fight. You have a trick up your sleeve, surfer boy, I can tell. Minimize again!"

"Aw, man! Missed my window. I guess there's no tricking you, firecracker. Bulk yourself Up, bro!"

Tsu quietly comes over to the twins during the banter. "What are they doing?"

"Making themselves stronger, technically." Alex whispers back. "And seeing which one cracks first. Smart money says Red attacks first."

"Dad always has a plan, even if he doesn't look like it." Her brother agrees.

"Fine! Sputter, use Ember!" Sputter launches a purple spark at Hariyama, who barely even reacts.

Before Tsu can even ask, Alex explains. "Hariyama's Ability is Thick Fat, making it resistant to temperature of both extremes. Coupled with its natural toughness, its bulk makes it very difficult to harm."

Tsu stares at him blankly, so his sister clarifies, "Your friend messed up, and can't actually hurt Hariyama."

"Alright Hariyama, use Foresight!"

Alex sighs in disgust. "And now it can't evade him either. This is gonna be a sweep..."

Sunny seems to have a similar concern, calling out for a Confuse Ray. Hariyama pushes through the confusion, eyes glowing white as it smacks Sputter with a Force Palm. Sunny's arrogance evaporates, and she calls for Will-o-Wisp.

"Another solid move! Weaken Hariyama and deal steady damage. Not bad. Use Surf!" Hariyama raises its arms, conjuring a wave of water that crashes down on it and rolls over Sputter. It remains calm and unaffected by the wave, while Sputter is swept up and left waterlogged.

"Litwick is unable to battle!" Alex raises the blue flag on Brawly's side.

Sunny recalls Sputter, tossing out Striker next. The shiny Aron lets out a tiny squeak fierce battle cry, ready to fight. "Striker, get in close with Reversal!"

"Time for Force Palm, dude!" Striker charges in, while Hariyama takes a stance. It moves up, thrusting one oversized hand directly at Striker, hitting him in the face. Striker takes the hit without flinching, a bright orange aura surrounding him as he leans back, then lunges forward, actually knocking Hariyama off its feet.

"Ooh, dang! Nice hit!" Brawly grins over at Alex, nodding toward Tsu.

"Oh! Um... Aron must have the Sturdy Ability, letting it survive a knockout blow. And Reversal gets stronger as the user sustains damage, so Sunny was able to maximize it's efficiency with one punch."

"We get it, your boy's smart. Can we get on with the match, please?" Sunny grits her teeth in an almost smile, but her eyes burn with determination.

"Sure thing, dude, but I think Hariyama needs a break. Little metal dude just about knocked him out." Hariyama rolls its eyes before dramatically falling over and playing dead.

"Hariyama has been declared unable to battle." Alex lifts the red flag for Sunny.

"What? You're not making this very fun!" Sunny crosses her arms in annoyance, a sentiment shared by Brawly's daughter.

"I'm not? Isn't this what you wanted? A high energy battle with a Gym Leader? I'm having fun!" He sends in his next Pokémon, Meditite.

"What I wanted was a chance to test my skills against a strong opponent, to show off my Pokémon! Their strength, their skill, the results of our training! You're just playing with me. So please, take this seriously!"

Brawly looks at Sunny, paying a little closer attention to her now. "Alright, if that's what you want, then prepare for High Jump Kick!"

Meditite leaps into the air, does a flip at the apex of its jump, and dives down with one leg extended...

"Striker, Protect!"

...and crashes into the translucent silver barrier Striker erects in front of himself. Meditite crashes to the floor, wincing as it holds its leg in pain.

Sunny laughs in delight, applauding Striker. "That worked! I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but it worked!"

Brawly shrugs as Meditite hops back to its square. "Yeah, what can I say? Your speech really got to me. You ready to play for real, now?"

"Yeah, let's go! Use Headbutt!"

"Psycho Cut."

Striker charges in, but before he can close the distance, Meditite conjures a blade of purple psionic energy from its hand. With a quick swipe, the blade slaps into Striker, knocking him down and out.

"Aron is unable to battle." Alex lifts the blue flag, and both twins are now watching intently.

Sunny sends out her last Pokémon, Flare. "I'm not holding anything back, Brawly. I'm like a fire, I always give it my all! I'm pretty sure the ocean is the same way, so show me what you can do! Show me what I can do!"

Meditite starts with Recover, sitting down and focusing inwards. A green aura surrounds it as it heals the injury dealt by its failed attack on Striker. Flare charges in with Fire Fang, grinning with flaming teeth that wouldn't look out of place on his evolved form. Meditite counters with Psycho Cut, but Flare catches the blade in his teeth, then chomps on Meditite's hand, burning it.

"Fall back, then use High Jump Kick!"

"Counter with Incinerate!"

Meditite comes down with a dive kick, while Flare inhales deeply. He belches out a wide cone of fire that completely engulfs Meditite. It emerges from the fire, kicking Flare in the chest and bouncing off. Flare is knocked down, but struggles back to his feet. Meditite stumbles as it lands, falling to one knee. The fire and the burn have taken their toll, and it collapses from the heat.

"Meditite is unable to battle!" Alex lifts the red flag.

"Hey, she did it!" Tsu cheers, but Alex shakes her head.

"Dad still has one Pokémon. And Daruma is hurting from Meditite's attacks, even weakened. This battle's over."

"Good job, little dude. Come on back." Brawly returns Meditite, sending out Poliwrath in its place. Flare turns to look at Sunny, not smiling anymore. She shakes her head, her fist clenched in determination.

"We can do this, Flare! Use Rock Smash!" Flare throws himself at Poliwrath, who responds with Hypnosis, the odd spiral on his stomach swirling. Flare trips as he runs, already snoring as he hits the floor.

"Poliwrath, prep a Water Pulse." Poliwrath holds his hands in front of himself, water swirling between them and forming into a sphere. He points the sphere at Flare, while Brawly looks straight at Sunny. "How's your fire now, Sunny?"

"Nngh... hah." Sunny struggles, visibly distressed at the scenario, then deflates, her shoulders hunched in dejection. "...burned out. I'm not going to win this fight."

"And I'm glad you can admit that. Takes strength to admit when you've hit your limits. Next step is pushing past those limits and getting even stronger." He recalls Poliwrath before the Water Pulse can be thrown.

"Oh, come on!" Alex throws her hands in the air, storming off to the side of the dojo. Alex stays professional, lifting the red flag. "Leader Brawly has forfeit the match. Challenger Sunny wins." After that, he sets down the flags and goes to join his sister.

"What." Sunny stares at Brawly, brows furrowed in annoyed confusion.

"Sunny, you won!" Tsu runs over to her, but Sunny puts up a hand to stop her.

"I didn't win. You quit. I haven't earned a Badge."

"Sunny, just take the win. You fought hard!"

"Hey, are you sure? You still put up a good fight..." Brawly offers, but Sunny shakes her head.

"Yes, I'm sure. Instead, I will accept this loss, and grow. Thank you for showing me where I stand, Leader Brawly." She recalls Flare to his ball, bowing her head stiffly to Brawly and heading for the door.

Tsu glances between Brawly and Sunny before bowing as well. "Thank you for the battle." She hurries after Sunny, almost running into her when she stops at the door.

"Hey, Brawly? Are you still gonna be here in the morning? Because I think my friend Eddie should have a battle with you, too..."

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $15 000 (+8 000)

AVRIL'S TEAM:
🌼 Poppy (Flabebe) -♀- lv. 28 ↑
Flower Veil
Synthesis, Fairy Wind, Grassy Terrain, Lucky Chant, Wish, Magical Leaf

🌼 Hydrangea (Shellos) -♀- lv. 26 ↑
Storm Drain
Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Recover, Rain Dance, Mud Sport, Hidden Power (?)

🌼 Wisteria (Inkay) -♂- lv. 20 ↑
Infiltrator
Swagger, Hypnosis, Topsy-Turvy, Pluck, Reflect, Psybeam

🌼 Venus (Mawile) -♀- lv. 22 ↑
Intimidate
Fairy Wind, Feint Attack, Sucker Punch, Fake Tears, Taunt, Baton Pass

AVRIL'S INVENTORY:
🌼 Holotch (phone version)
🌼 Fanclub Membership card
🌼 Eviolite
🌼 Silk Scarf
🌼 Various clothes and commodities

AVRIL'S CONTACTS:
Jordie, Shuna, Natsuko, June, Marcella

AVRIL'S BADGES:
🥊

🌼 Character art made with [SPAN="color:rgb(40,180,40);"]https://picrew.me/image_maker/94097[/SPAN]

Hikaru still held something that belonged to her, but she also had some of their items. The sooner she would have rid herself of them, the better - or at least, that's what she thought - and luckily, she knew exactly where to go.

The berries that Avril and Hikaru gathered the previous day were still there, either in or near those two cloth bags, sitting beside the bed, but they were supposed to be in the hands of that café owner as soon as possible. Their quality would have worsened over time, especially in the eyes of someone like Avril… so she had to act.

With bandages still there on her arms, the Kalosian girl slowly made her way to the bar she'd visited the previous day with Hikaru. It was quite a long walk and she soon found herself breathing heavily, the struggles from her cave adventure still taking a toll on her… but she made it to her destination before 11. That was great, actually! By the time she would have returned to the Resort, she could find the restaurant open for lunch.

Not like she would have wanted to stay there any longer than necessary. The plan was simple: hand in the berries and get the reward that the owner had offered. She repeated all the lines she had to say in her head as she got close and finally spotted the man working behind the counter - she brought him what he needed, how bad could it go?

"S-sir? I finally brought the berries."

"Oh, thank you very much! B-but… what happened to you? And your friend? Are you alright?" The man…

should've said. Ugh.

Instead of looking worried, the barman seemed annoyed and detached. No empathy. "It's about time, I lost profit yesterday evening. Just hand those over and…"

Avril almost did as told, but stopped in her tracks and decided to speak up instead. Like Hikaru would have done. "W-what about the reward? I-I know you've got less money from yesterday but I and my friend s-still need it…"

"Just hand those over, I said…" He replied, visibly angry.

"G-guess I'll call the rangers then!" The girl turned around, pouting but failing to look even remotely threatening to anyone. Her words were a bit less reassuring for the owner though. Not a good idea to deny Avril her reward in front of a team of rangers. This is why…

As the girl tried to turn around and walk away, a large shadow blocked her path. The air became chilling, and soon Avril found herself surrounded by ice spikes. "I can't let you do that!" The man called out.

The blonde trainer's heartbeat went from slow to frantic, to the point that her own blood couldn't keep up. As if she hadn't had enough of the cold, the pain, the tiredness… she now had to deal with this! For some reason.

In those situations, Hikaru would definitely roll with the punches and fight back. She obviously wouldn't, but she didn't have that many other options, and to be fair she didn't even have enough lucidity anymore. Everything that mattered to her was getting even just a bit of what she had struggled so much for. And so, it was time to turn around, pull out all of her Pokéballs, and unleash her whole team against that weird Pokémon. Glalie, she heard the bar owner say.

Poppy and Wisteria floated up and away, but immediately had trouble doing so because of the Ice-type's chilling moves. Icy Wind slowed both of them down as Poppy tried in vain to dispel it with Magical Leaf and Inkay failed to use Hypnosis. From below, however, came a Fake Tears from Venus and a Mud Sport from Angie.

The situation was very complicated, so much so that Avril mainly let her Pokémon free judgment on what to do and only yelled a few commands here and there. Staying focused was hard enough not just for her, but also for the two levitating Pokémon, who were getting slowed down more and more as they tried to hit Glalie. Their attacks really didn't deal much damage, Glalie was just too much. The only thing that seemed to put a dent on it was actually the barrage of Water Pulse attacks from below!

"You don't know what we're going through to keep this place afloat!" The owner shouted, trying to be heard above the Pokémon cries. "Freeze-dry now!"

It took literally one hit, one single hit, of that strange looking ice to petrify Angie and knock her out. The mud she was sliding on turned into some hard, brittle terrain as well. At least, Wisteria could use that chance to fire off another Hypnosis and finally get Glalie to feel at least a bit dizzy. Poppy threw in a Magical Leaf as well for good measure, but Mawile kept using Fake Tears and refusing to attack. Sure enough, the Dewford Sun was causing her trouble.

Avril focused on Venus for a bit, trying to watch her moves and her reactions, as the other two Pokémon kept hitting the Glalie with their attacks. She really didn't seem interested in fighting, and was doing either the bare minimum - as far as dodging and crippling the opponent was concerned - or just watching the other three Pokémon… possibly hoping they'd do all the work for her.

Too bad, though. After many Icy Wind attacks, Poppy's flower was full of small ice crystals and therefore, much heavier. In that condition, it was braindead easy for Glalie to strike her down with an Iron Head, and then another one… she was knocked out in no time. And Inkay?

Wisteria was able to hit more Psybeams than Flabébé's Magical Leaves, and the Fake Tears actually helped him deal even more damage to Glalie. By the time Poppy was down, Glalie was already showing the first signs of weakness, and looked rather confused. But it didn't matter too much, because all it had to do was blow some cold air around the battlefield and damage Inkay that way!

The battle soon turned into Glalie versus Inkay, with Mawile seemingly running away to hide under a beach umbrella. But it seemed to be still at Avril's reach! Glalie was struggling, its Icy Wind or Freeze-dry attacks were going all over the place, while Wisteria was hitting Psybeam every time. Then… as soon as he got close enough, attempting another Hypnosis, Glalie lunged forward. Just as its trainer ordered, it used Crunch and left Inkay barely standing.

As the inevitable Icy Wind that came after knocked Wisteria out for good, Avril felt hopeless. She had been doing this for what seemed an eternity, keeping her eyes on that menacing Ice-type face, only to see all of her Pokémon down. Only Venus was left, but she just was uninterested about the battle. Giving up after all this though, felt even more wrong.

The way that Glalie mercilessly knocked out all her Pokémon reminded her of the Aggron inside of Granite Cave - the obvious problem was that this Pokémon was someone's, and that someone was clearly in the wrong there. She couldn't give up now!

Her fired up mind now crafted another plan, a very simple one actually. "Hey Venus!" She called.

"Well? I enjoyed the battle so far but it's not getting anywhere." The owner remarked… so much talking for someone who battled probably just as bad as her. He was just lucky to have a strong Pokémon.

"Venus? Beat this Pokémon if you want your stone back!"

That was too easy, way too easy. A loud hissing noise announced Venus's Taunt, which immediately drew Glalie's attention upon her. Its Icy Wind and her Fairy Wind collided soon after, before the two Pokémon would get even closer and start trading Crunches and Bites.

Mawile was actually extremely nimble, jumping around and dodging every attack despite her inability to levitate. Her second mouth was definitely something that even Glalie had to watch out for as it lunged at her with Iron Head, and what Avril's Pokédex revealed to be Sucker Punch gave Venus an even larger agility boost. That vicious bite was nearly impossible to dodge for Glalie. Not to mention, Venus could use Fairy Wind in a similar way to Poppy to jump even higher up!

A last-ditch effort Freeze-dry was fired off by Glalie right as Venus was in front of it, freezing her body as she jumped up. A smirk appeared on the bar owner's face, as Venus took the hit and grinded her teeth. But… she then pierced those teeth right into one of Glalie's spikes. She used her horn-mouth to bring it down, twirling in the air. In the blink of an eye, Glalie was half buried in the sand, specifically in the frozen Mud Sport that Angie had left behind.

"L-looks like we deserve that reward now. You know, even my f-f-friend who got severely hurt…" Avril declared, somewhat timidly. At least Venus's cry - or hiss - of victory made up for that and showed that she meant business.