Chapter Fourteen

A few days had passed since the incident at the Castelia Sewers. Callie was becoming more and more like herself, and she, Wes, and Hugh had gone on several adventures around Castelia City. The three of them went to Castelia Park, where Wes managed to catch not only a Purrloin, but he also added a Magby to his team. Hugh was also fortunate in the pokémon department, and he was able to add a Petilil to his team. Callie, on the other hand, hadn't been as lucky as her friends, though it wasn't for lack of trying — she had attempted to catch a Buneary and a Skitty, and she had even chased down an Eevee, but each attempt to catch a pokémon resulted in failure, which didn't do much to improve her mood.

On the morning of their eighth day in Castelia City, Callie had given up any hopes of catching a new pokémon. She was ready for something else, but she wasn't sure what.

"So, what do you guys want to do today?" said Wes as they sat down for breakfast.

"Why don't we try to go back to Castelia Park?" suggested Hugh. "Callie never got to catch a pokémon."

"It's fine, Hugh, really," Callie said quickly. "I'd rather not try to catch a pokémon — I haven't been very lucky in that area lately."

"That doesn't mean you can just give up!" said Hugh. "You've got to keep trying!"

"Hugh," Callie sighed.

"Okay, so I think it's safe to say no to Castelia Park," Wes said quickly, trying to avoid the potential fight that was unfolding before him.

Hugh looked away from Callie and towards Wes. "So how about we go over the Skyarrow Bridge?" Hugh said with a shrug. "I heard they just opened it to the public again — it's been shut down for months while they were conducting some sort of inspection."

"That wouldn't be a bad idea," said Wes.

"I don't really want to do any traveling right now," Callie said — she had been feeling quite homesick since Zoro was taken, and being in Castelia City was rather comforting to her. "I was hoping we could stick around Castelia City just for a little while longer — maybe we could go to the gym?"

"Oh yeah, the gym!" said Hugh excitedly.

"Oh yeah, I completely forgot about the Castelia Gym," said Wes with a nod.

"And we met the Gym Leader Burgh the other day in the sewers, remember, Callie?" said Hugh.

Callie nodded. "Yeah, I do! So, what do you say? Want to go see if Burgh can battle us?"

"Yeah, I think that's a great idea!" Hugh said eagerly. "I'm ready for my third badge already!"

Wes smiled softly, nodding along. "You know, you two may be right. I'm definitely ready for a gym battle with Burgh! He's a bug-type gym leader, and with my fire-type pokémon and Rufflet, I'll definitely get my badge!"

"He's a bug-type trainer, huh?" Callie said, frowning softly — bug-type pokémon had always given her the heebie-jeebies.

"Don't worry, Callie," Hugh said upon seeing Callie's expression — he must have assumed she was nervous about the battle. "You have Growlithe, you'll be fine!"

"I guess you're right," Callie said with a smile. "Growlithe is pretty tough, isn't he?"

Wes nodded. "That's right! He has a type-advantage, and he loves to battle! So you should be just fine!"

Callie smiled, feeling fairly more confident, and Hugh looked between her and Wes expectantly.

"Well, what are we doing just sitting around here?" said Hugh. "Let's get going!"

With that, the three friends set off towards Castelia City Gym. After spending a few days exploring the city, and with the help of Callie's expertise of the city, the boys no longer needed to use their town maps to help them navigate through the city. So, naturally, they were able to make it to the Castelia City Gym with much ease.

Callie stared at the building with wide eyes — it was far better than the building Callie had seen many times from the year she was from. This Castelia Gym was nothing like the travesty that it was in her time. The Gym was a lilac building with huge glass windows on the walls and room, with a plant-like pattern above the front door. Leading to the front door were camouflage tiles. Slowly, the three of them walked across the tiles and the doors slid open, revealing the inside of the gym. The inside was a botanical garden with a path for trainers to walk on. Bug pokémon such as Sewaddle and Venepide were living in the garden, and Callie watched as they scuttled out of sight, hiding in the many trees and bushes that filled the place.

"Hello?" Wes called out.

"Is anyone here?" Hugh said.

"Oh, what is that I hear? Are those the voices of challengers?" called a voice from seemingly no where.

Callie, Wes, and Hugh all paused and turned, watching and Burgh suddenly swung down from a tree, landing gracefully on the ground before them.

"Are you Burgh?" said Wes curiously.

"Yes, that would be me," said Burgh.

He wore a soft smile, though something told Callie that something about Burgh was off — he seemed even more deflated than the last time they had met. Burgh looked from Wes, to Hugh, and then to Callie, his smile widening someone when he laid eyes on the latter two.

"Oh, it's my friend from the sewers," Burgh said softly, directing it towards Callie. "You finally came to my gym."

"Of course we came," said Callie.

"I just realized, I never learned your name, did I?" said Burgh.

"I'm Callie," Callie said.

"Ah, yes, what a wonderful name," said Burgh. Then he looked to Hugh and Wes. "And are these your friends?"

Callie nodded. "This is Wes," she said, motioning to Wes.

"It's great to meet you," said Wes.

"Likewise," Burgh said before looking back to Callie expectantly.

Callie stood there for a moment, wondering why Burgh hadn't said anything to Hugh yet. However, after a few more moments of silence, she decided to force the conversation between the two.

"And, you already met Hugh," said Callie.

Burgh looked quite curiously between the two. "I have?"

"What?" Hugh nearly shouted. "How do you not remember me? I was there in the sewers with Callie! I helped her beat Team Plasma! I threw you the pokéball!"

Burgh seemed to be in great thought for just a moment. Then, with a great sigh, Burgh shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but it doesn't seem to ring a bell," Burgh said with a shrug.

"What?" Hugh groaned.

Callie and Wes both put the sulking Hugh behind them, standing between him and Burgh.

"So, tell me — why have you all come to the gym today?" said Burgh curiously.

"Well, sir, we were hoping for a gym battle," said Wes with a smile. "You see, we all want to battle you!"

Burgh smiled softly and shook his head, laughing ever so softly. "Ah, I see. . . . Three wonderful friends, traveling together, succeeding together. . . . How sweet? However, I'm afraid you've all come to the gym at a bad time. You see, I've lost all my inspiration — to design, to paint. . . . To battle."

"But I thought you said battles were your inspiration?" Callie said curiously.

"They usually are, yes, but lately they've been so. . . . Predictable, so bland, so . . . flat," said Burgh with a sigh.

"What are you saying? Pokémon battles aren't predictable!" said Wes. "You never know what's going to happen — that's what makes them so exciting!"

Burgh shook his head. "That's not true in the slightest. The moment I begin a battle, I know what kind of trainer I'm up against, and I know whether or not I'll win."

"There's no way you could know something like that," said Hugh.

"Well, I shouldn't, should I? But the challengers at the Castelia Gym lately have been less than spectacular. Nothing really captures my attention anymore. I can tell whether or not my opponent is really worth the effort within moments. I need someone who will really liven up the battlefield, someone with a certain essence. . . ."

"Well, then it should be a good thing we're here," said Wes. "We all want to battle you!"

"But why should I bother?" said Burgh. "They won't entertain me — it's just a waste of time."

"How can you say that?" said Hugh, his eyes widening.

"Come on, Burgh," said Callie. "Battle one of us — just one. If we don't spark any inspiration, we'll leave and go somewhere else for a badge. But if we give you even the slightest bit of inspiration, you've got to battle all of us, deal?"

"Hm, I only have to battle one of you then?" said Burgh. "And if I beat one of you, I don't have to battle the others?"

"Exactly," said Callie.

Wes and Hugh nodded in agreement, apparently viewing it as a decent plan overall.

"Fine then," said Burgh with a smile. "I'll battle you."

All of a sudden, Burgh looked directly at Callie, his eyes widening as if he had just come to some sort of great revelation.

"Me?" said Callie. "Really?"

"Yes, you!" said Burgh. "You did save that girl's Eevee after all, no?"

"Er, well, sort of — Hugh helped," said Callie sheepishly as she noticed Hugh's mouth drop in disbelief.

Burgh waved a dismissive hand. "It was you I saw that day —"

"I was there!" Hugh groaned plaintively.

"It was you that went after Team Plasma first," said Burgh, ignoring Hugh. "The care you have for all pokémon, and the bond you share with your own. . . . That's inspiration!"

Wes smiled and gave Callie an encouraging nod. So, Callie smiled softly and looked back towards Burgh, nodding.

"Alright — you're on."

And just like that, Callie and her friends were led to the battling arena, and Callie and Burgh stood on opposite sides of the field. Between them stood the referee, and he stepped forward to say a few words.

"The gym battle between Gym Leader Burgh and Challenger Callie Freer is about to begin. Both sides will be allowed three pokémon each — no substitutions will be allowed for either side. The first one to have all their pokémon defeated will be the winner!"

As the referee stepped off the field, Burgh smiled. "Now, Callie, I hope you know, just because you were able to defeat Team Plasma and help clear the city of such vermin, it doesn't mean I'll be going easy on you!"

"I wouldn't want you to go easy on me, Burgh," Callie said. However, Callie noticed something very odd — she wasn't as excited as she was when she battle Roxie.

"Perfect," said Burgh. "Before we battle though, I must say, good work back there in the sewers. My Bug-type pokémon should be scurrying with excitement about getting to battle you."

"Bug-types. . . . Right," Callie said, frowning some. She really wasn't a fan of bugs.

Burgh saw the look on her face and frowned. "What? Are you not a fan of Bug-types? My, my, my, I do hope this battle helps you see how wonderful they are. I'd say my Bug-type pokémon are pretty great!"

"I'm sure they are," Callie said. "I'm just not a big fan of bugs."

"I see," said Burgh with a frown. "That's quite disappointing."

"It's alright, Burgh," said Callie. "Let's see if you can change my mind — Growlithe, come on out!"

Callie released Growlithe on the field, and her Fire-type pokémon was smiling triumphantly. Growlithe was a stronger battler, and Callie was confident in his ability. However, as Callie stood there, seconds away from battling, she still didn't feel any excitement, no adrenaline rush that filled her with anticipation of what was to come.

"Well then," Burgh said. "Lights, please! Time to show you what Bug-type pokémon are made off! Dwebble, dear, spot light!"

Burgh released a small, orange hermit crab-like pokémon with large pincers. It had dark, oval-sharped eyes supported by eye stalks, and it wore a large grey rock as a shell.

"What is that?" Callie said as she pulled out her PokéDex.

"Dwebble, the Rock Inn Pokémon. After finding a suitable rock, Dwebble digs a hole in the rock's bottom to use as a protective shell. Dwebble can make rocks easier to carve by producing a liquid from its mouth."

"Huh," Callie muttered, tucking her PokéDex away. "Well, a Bug-type is a Bug-type, right, Growlithe? We'll take care of Dwebble, no doubt!"

"Growl-growl!" Growlithe growled in agreement.

"Well, it seems as though you two are a very spirited and confident pair," said Burgh with a smile. "By all means, why don't you have the first move?"

Callie smiled. "Alright, perfect! Growlithe, use Flamethrower!"

"Protect, Dwebble!" Burgh called.

Growlithe let forth a powerful Flamethrower attack, aiming straight towards Dwebble. However, the Bug-type pokémon quickly lowered its head and pulled into its shell, just as a turquoise force field appeared around its body. Flamethrower made contact with the shield, but it couldn't pierce it, and Growlithe's Flamethrower disappeared. The turquoise shield faded, and Dwebble appeared from its shell, smirking softly.

"So, you know a few tricks, hm?" Callie muttered. "Fine, Growlithe, use Flamethrower again!"

"Growl!"

Growlithe used Flamethrower again, and Callie smiled — Dwebble wouldn't be able to muster another Protect in time.

"Dwebble, dodge it with Dig!" Burgh called.

Callie watched in shock as Dwebble dug into the ground with amazing speed, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Growlithe's Flamethrower attack missed, going straight over the hole, and leaving Growlithe standing there, looking around the field anxiously.

"Now, Dwebble!"

Suddenly, Dwebble burst from the ground directly below Growlithe, sending him flying backwards.

"Dwebble — follow it up with X-Scissor!" Burgh said.

Dwebble jumped into the air, abandoning its shell, both of its claws glowing light blue. It then crossed its claws in front of its body and fell towards Growth, a light blue 'X' like energy appearing in front of Dwebble's claws as it slammed into Growlithe. Then, once it was finished, Dwebble quickly returned to its shell. The speed at which Dwebble did it all left Callie speechless — Burgh's Dwebble was even faster than Roxie's Koffing!

"Your Dwebble," Callie muttered. "It's so fast!"

Burgh smiled. "Ah, so you've noticed! You see, Dwebble's rock shell is actually lighter than average, allowing my Dwebble to move at incredible speeds!"

Callie frowned as she looked at Growlithe — Dwebble's X-Scissor had pushed him back several yards, and Growlithe was just now pushing himself to his feet. He stood there a bit shakily before glancing over his shoulder at Callie, giving her a confident smirk and a small nod.

Callie felt herself smile. "I knew I could count on you, Growlithe," Callie said with a smile. Then, with a more determined look on her face, Callie turned her attention back to the battle. "Alright, Growlithe — let's fight speed with speed! Use Agility, then use Flame Wheel!"

"Growl!"

Growlithe took off at amazing speeds, definitely rivaling Dwebble's natural pace. Then he broke into a Flame Wheel, barreling towards Dwebble at a devastating rate. Callie knew that one good hit would help even the battle, and no doubt, Growlithe would hit Dwebble this time.

Burgh smiled softly, obviously amused. "Dwebble — Protect!"

Another green shield appeared, and Growlithe ran straight into it, nullifying his Flame Wheel. Growlithe rebounded off the Protect attack and fell backwards on the ground.

"Now, quickly, Dwebble," Burgh called. "Rock Wrecker!"

Dwebble put its claws together, and a small grey stone with a red aura around it began to take form between then. The rock then grew larger until it was as big as Dwebble itself, and suddenly the red aura disappeared. Then, Dwelled fired the stone directly at Growlithe.

"No, Growlithe, move!" Callie exclaimed.

But it was too late. Rock Wrecker hit Growlithe point blank, erupting in a giant cloud of smoke and dust, blocking Growlithe from view. When the dust cleared, however, it was revealed that Growlithe had been knocked out.

"Growlithe is unable to battle!" the referee called. "Dwebble is the winner!"

Callie returned Growlithe to his pokéball, frowning softly.

"You did a good job, Growlithe," Callie said quietly. "Thank you."

She then looked across the field to Burgh, who stood proudly behind his Dwebble.

"So, I can see that your Dwebble is not only fast, but strong as well," said Callie. "It took Growlithe down with ease."

"Well, I did tell you I'd change your mind about Bug-types, didn't I?" said Burgh with a smile. "However, while Dwebble's speed and strength may have aided in Growlithe's defeat, I think the real key was you."

"Me?" said Callie. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you played right into my trap," said Burgh with a smile. "Right until the very end!"

"What do you mean?" Callie said, her eyes widening. "You planned the entire thing?"

"Of course!" said Burgh. "I knew the moment you called upon Growlithe that you were a trainer that was all brawn and no brain — there's not a strategy in your mind except to attack."

Callie frowned, growling in irritation. "Th-that's not true!"

"I'm not so sure — this seems to be just like what I told you all. I can predict how every battle will end," said Burgh with a shrug.

Callie narrowed her eyes slightly. From the side lines, Wes called out.

"Callie, c'mon — get out of your head!" Wes called. "Focus on the battle! Come on!"

Callie paused — was Wes right? Was she really stuck in her head? She thought back to that day she found Celebi in the woods; when Wes and Hugh were training, he had told Hugh the same thing.

"You've got to learn to get out of your head. You have to completely focus on the battle, and you always want to be one step ahead of your opponent."

Wes was right; she had been stuck in her head, which allowed Burgh to stay one step ahead of her the entire time.

Burgh smirked ever so softly. "Well, I think I'm going to be winning our battle today. But, by all means, prove me wrong — give me the inspiration I'm seeking!"

Callie clenched her jaw tightly, now more determined to win this battle — she had to get out of her head. She was going to stay one step ahead of Burgh. He thought she was all brawn and no brain? Huh, well, she'd just have to show him. Annoyed, she tucked Growlithe's pokéball away and pulled another one from her belt.

"Alright, Riolu, I choose you!"

In a red flash appeared Riolu, who seemed to know exactly what he was being summoned for. He looked ready for battle, staring across the field to Dwebble, smiling softly.

"I see," said Burgh, smirking ever so slightly. "You may have just made this interesting."

"Just you wait and see," Callie said with a smile. "Riolu, Quick Attack!"

"Dwebble, use Protect!"

Riolu rushed forward, ramming into Dwebble's Protect. As one would expect, Dwebble's Protect held true, easily withstanding Riolu's Quick Attack. Riolu skidded back some, but not much, only inches between he and Dwebble.

"Now, Riolu — use Force Palm!" Callie called.

Riolu nodded and slammed his paw against Dwebble's green shield, a huge yellow light blasting from his paw. Once again though, Dwebble's Protect withstood the attack.

"So, you thought that would really work?" said Burgh with a grin. "Dwebble isn't just some weak pokémon — it's a Bug-type!"

"Well, we'll just see how strong it really is," said Callie. "Riolu, use Force Palm again! Keep it up until Dwebble's Protect fails!"

Riolu then proceeded to apply a barrage of Force Palm attacks to Dwebble's Protect. The shield help for several strikes from Riolu. However, with one final strike, Dwebble's Protect shattered, and Riolu's Force Palm attack made full contact.

"Dwebble!" Dwelled cried out, skidding backwards.

"Dwebble, no!" Burgh called out, his eyes widening.

"Now, Riolu, use Quick Attack again!" Callie said.

Riolu took off at amazing speeds, easily closing the distance between he and Dwebble, who was still struggling to recover from the last attack.

"Now, Force Palm, one more time!" Callie called out.

Riolu nodded and reached out, pressing his palm to Dwebble's shell. Dwebble looks up at Riolu with wide eyes, and before it could react, a yellow light burst forward from Riolu's paw, sending Dwebble flying back once more. Dwebble landed roughly, and this time, it didn't get up.

"Dwebble is unable to battle, which means Riolu is the winner!" called out the referee.

Burgh smiled lightly, returning his Dwebble to its pokéball.

"I see — you knew that Dwebble's Protect couldn't last forever, so you used a barrage of Force Palms to catch it off guard the moment its Protect failed. Perhaps there is more than just brawn," said Burgh with a simple shrug.

Then he smiled and pulled another pokéball from his belt.

"Perhaps this battle will prove to be more interesting than I thought! Now, Whirlipede, take the stage!"

"A Whirlipede, hm?" Callie muttered. Roxie had used a Whirlipede during their gym battle, but that time, Growlithe had taken it out. "Well, Riolu, what do you say? Are you ready?"

"Ri-ri!" Riolu said with a nod.

And with that, Burgh released Whirlipede onto the field.

"Whirlipede, use Poison Sting!" called Burgh.

"Riolu, use Detect!" Callie directed.

As the two of them began to battle, Wes and Hugh were talking quietly to one another in the stands as they spectated.

"Something seems off about Callie, don't you think?" said Hugh as he and Wes watched her direct Riolu to use Dig to get out of Whirlipede's Steamroller attack.

"She's stuck in her head," Wes muttered. "She and Growlithe couldn't even land a hit a Dwebble. Callie's better than that — she and Growlithe could have taken out Dwebble if they really tried. But her head is somewhere else right now. She's not focused."

"You seem to forget that she's still recovering from losing Zoro," Hugh said as Riolu struck Whirlipede with a Force Palm, sending it flying. "She's bound to still be struggling with it."

"But this is a battle," Wes said. "She has to be focused!"

"It's not always that easy," said Hugh. "Just give her time."

Wes gave a heavy sigh and nodded, and the two boys focused back on the battle.

"Riolu, surface!" Callie called out.

The ground beneath Whirlipede trembled violently as Riolu burst from underneath it, striking Whirlipede and sending it flying into the air.

"Now, Riolu, use Force Palm again while it's defenseless!" Callie called — Whirlipede was fast, but it couldn't dodge easily in the air.

"Quickly, Whirlipede — Iron Defense!" Burgh called — Callie couldn't be sure, but it almost looked like Burgh seemed a bit panicked. However, it was a very brief moment, and Burgh soon returned to that confident, lopsided grin he favored.

"Whirli!" Whirlipede sounded off in agreement as it carried out Burgh's orders.

Whirlipede's body became outlined in light blue, and the moments later, a white shine went up its body, and its body seemed to have turned into iron for a moment. Riolu then used Force Palm, which sent Whirlipede flying. It landed on the ground and skidded several feet, but managed to stay standing. It was panting heavily; Whirlipede had obviously taken damage, but not as much as Callie would have expected after it had been hit with two Force Palm attacks.

"Iron Defense is quite the move, isn't it?" Burgh called, smiling ever so slightly. "Your Riolu won't be doing much damage if it's constantly relying on that weak Force Palm. This battle is proving to be very boring after all."

"We'll just see about that!" Callie snapped. "Riolu, use Quick Attack, go!"

"Ri-ri!"

Riolu took off towards Whirlipede with amazing speed, but Burgh wasn't going to let Riolu get too close.

"Whirlipede, use Steamroller!"

"Whirl!"

Whirlipede leapt into the air and its body began spinning rapidly. Then, the tips of its antennae started to glow white, and it came rolling towards Riolu. With Riolu using Quick Attack, there was very little time for them to dodge the attack.

"Riolu, get out of the way!" Callie called out.

But it was too late — Riolu and Whirlipede were both going too fast for Riolu to get out of the way. Whirlipede slammed into Riolu, sending him flying backwards. Riolu crashed into the ground, letting out of loud grunt as he landed.

Burgh smiled and immediately seized his opportunity to attack.

"Whirlipede, quickly now — use Solar Beam!" Burgh called.

Whirlipede nodded and turned towards Riolu, who was struggling to stand. The front two antennae on Whirlipede's body started to glow a golden hue as it gathered energy from the sun. As it did, golden energy started to form between the two antennae, which eventually formed into a glowing white orb of energy, with a shimmering golden aura around the energy orb.

"Riolu, you've got to get out of the way!" Callie called. "Quickly!"

Riolu tried to push himself up, but it was then that Whirlipede fired a powerful golden blast from the orb at Riolu. The powerful Solar Beam attack hit Riolu head on, causing a small explosion of dust and dirt on impact.

Once the dirt settled, Callie watched with wide eyes as she saw Riolu kneeling on the ground, panting quite heavily.

"Riolu!" Callie exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"Ri. . . . Riolu," he grunted.

Amazingly, Riolu pushed himself shakily to his feet, and he looked over his shoulder at Callie, giving her a thumb up before turning back to face Whirlipede.

"Riolu. . . ," Callie whispered in disbelief. Then, she smiled softly and nodded. "Alright, Riolu, let's do this!"

Burgh smirked, obviously amused.

"Your Riolu doesn't know when to quit, does it?" Burgh said. "Well, I guess that is, in itself, a bit inspiring. . . . But it won't be for long — Whirlipede, finish this with Steamroller!"

"Riolu, use Dig to dodge it!" Callie called out.

Whirlipede came at Riolu with another Steamroller attack. Riolu, however, didn't move.

"Riolu?" Callie said, her eyes widening. "What are you doing? Use Dig and get out of there!"

"Ri. . . ," Riolu growled lowly.

A sudden reddish-orange aura suddenly formed around Riolu as he stared across the field to Whirlipede, who was rushing towards him thanks to Steamroller.

"What's happening?" Callie said, her eyes wide. "Riolu?"

"Ri!" Riolu suddenly exclaimed.

Then he ran forward, bringing his paw back and forming a fist as he sprinted towards Whirlipede. Then, just as the two were about to collide, Riolu threw a punch, making contact with Whirlipede.

"Riolu!" Callie exclaimed — there was no way Riolu could stop Whirlipede's Steamroller.

However, much to everyone's surprise, when Riolu's fist made contact with Whirlipede, it stopped the Bug-type pokémon in its tracks. Then, with a loud grunt, Riolu followed through with his punch, sending Whirlipede flying. It flew through the air, out of the arena, past Burgh, and crashing into a wall.

"Whirlipede!" Burgh exclaimed, his eyes widening.

Whirlipede, however, slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Whirlipede is unable to battle — Riolu is the winner!" the referee announced.

"Riolu! That was amazing!" Callie exclaimed to her pokémon. "But — what move was that?"

She pulled out her PokéDex, and Dexter immediately began talking.

"Reversal — it is an all-out attack that becomes more powerful the weaker the user is," said Dexter.

"So you learned a new move, huh?" said Callie with a smile. "Great job!"

"Ri!" Riolu said with a smile, panting slightly — he was definitely worn out from battle.

"I must admit, your Riolu really surprised me there," said Burgh. "I thought for sure that we had this in the bag, but alas, that Reversal was powerful enough to knock out my Whirlipede!"

"How are you feeling, Burgh?" said Callie. "Have you found the inspiration you've been looking for?"

"Close, but not yet," Burgh said as he returned his Whirlipede and pulled out another pokéball. "So what if your Riolu was able to beat my Whirlipede, eh? It doesn't matter! My last pokémon is the only one I need — get ready to meet my muse! Leavanny, please, my dear friend! Let's finish this together!"

The pokémon Burgh released was a thin, yellow, bug pokémon that had a broad, split leaf around its large, round head and it had long antennae that ended in semicircles. Its eyes were red, and its tiny thorax was dark green, and its long abdomen was yellow and covered in green leaves.

"I've never seen that pokémon before," Callie muttered while pointing her PokéDex towards Leavanny.

"Leavanny, the Nurturing Pokémon and Sewaddle's final evolutionary form. Using sticky threads that come from its mouth, it makes clothes for Sewaddle by sewing leaves together," said Dexter.

"So, this is your last pokémon, huh?" Callie muttered, tucking her PokéDex away. "Well, we'll make quick work of it, won't we, Riolu? Now, use Quick Attack to get in close, and then use Reversal!"

Riolu nodded and took off towards Leavanny.

"Dodge it, Leavanny!" Burgh called.

However, Riolu was moving just a bit too fast, and before Leavanny could move out of his way, Riolu was able to land a punch on Leavanny, sending it skidding backwards a few feet as it cried out. Burgh frowned some.

"Leavanny, are you okay?" he called.

"Vanny!" Leavanny grunted, smirking confidently as it stared down Riolu.

"Good!" Burgh called. "Now, Leavanny, use Leaf Storm!"

"Use Detect, Riolu!" Callie directed.

Leavanny raised its arm and its body became outlined in turquoise energy, It was then surrounded by a large number of glowing green leaves, which it then fired at Riolu. However, Riolu's eyes began glowing green, and Riolu was able to gracefully dodge each leaf with ease. However, this didn't seem to bother Burgh in the slightest. In fact, he was smiling as he spoke.

"Leavanny, dear, if you don't mind — use String Shot!"

"Leavanny!" the Bug-type sang in response.

"Riolu, dodge it!" Callie called out.

However, Riolu's eyes were no longer glowing green, and he was standing, frozen in place, stuck in some trance-like state. Callie's eyes widened — how could she have forgotten about this particular side effect?

Leavanny released a stream of sticky white string from its mouth at Riolu. With amazing accuracy, Riolu's feet were covered by Leavanny's String Shot, which glued him in place.

"Riolu, no!" Callie exclaimed.

Suddenly, Riolu came too, and he looked around slowly, obviously still dazed.

Burgh smiled softly. "Now, finish it with Hyper Beam!"

"Leavanny!" Leavanny sang again.

"Riolu, get out of there!" Callie called.

Riolu tried to move, but his feet were being held firmly in place by Leavanny's String Shot. Leavanny formed a pink orb of energy with a white orb of energy around it in between its antennae. The orb then grew larger and Leavanny fired a powerful red beam of energy directly at Riolu. Still stuck in place due to Leavanny's String Shot, Riolu was unable to get out of the way, and he took the full brunt of the attack.

"Riolu, no!" Callie cried.

Riolu fell backwards, unmoving.

"Riolu is unable to battle!" the referee called. "Leavanny is the winner!"

Burgh smiled triumphantly, and Callie returned Riolu to his pokéball.

"You did a great job, Riolu," said Callie with a smile. "You rest now. I'll take care of everything else."

She tucked his pokéball away and stopped for a moment, considering her next move — she could either send out Dewott, or she could send out Shinx, neither of which had a particular advantage over Leavanny. In fact, Dewott was at a disadvantage, with Leavanny being a Bug and Grass-type, meanwhile he was just a Water-type. However, now that he had evolved into Dewott, he was considerably stronger. . . .

Suddenly, Callie paused — she was feeling it! The excitement! The adrenaline rush! Finally, she was really feeling better! For a brief moment, she couldn't remember what had been bothering her.

"Well, are you going to be sending out your last pokémon then?" said Burgh with a smile, bringing Callie out of her thoughts. "Or do you know already that there's no point, because I'll be able to defeat you no matter what?"

Callie's jaw clenched, and she let out a growl of irritation — how could he be so arrogant? She had to make a decision on her last pokémon and prove Burgh wrong —

"Alright, here we go then!" she snapped, pulling a pokéball from her belt. "I choose you!"

She threw the pokéball forward, and in a red flash, Dewott appeared on the field, smiling.

"What?" called Hugh from the sidelines. "Not Dewott!"

"Callie!" Wes shouted. "Dewott is at a disadvantage!"

"Relax!" Callie snapped. "I know what I'm doing — I have faith in Dewott! I know he can do it! Isn't that right, Dewott?"

"Wott!" Dewott said with a smile.

"Ah, the bond you and your pokémon have," said Burgh, the ever so slightest smile on his face. "It's so inspiring!"

"Well, you haven't seen anything yet!" Callie called. "Dewott, use Focus Energy!"

"Ott!" Dewott responded. Then, a light blue aura surrounded his body, and Dewott smirked slightly.

"Perfect!" Callie smiled. "Dewott, use Water Gun!"

"Dew!"

Dewott fired a super powerful Water Gun attack at Leavanny, but Burgh was quick to react.

"Leavanny, use Protect!"

Suddenly, a bluish-green force field appeared around Leavanny's body, protecting it easily as Dewott's super-charged Water Gun collided with it. Leavanny easily withstood the attack thanks to its Protect shield, and when Dewott's Water Gun subsided, Leavanny was left standing there triumphantly.

"Leavanny, use String Shot to keep them in place!" Burgh ordered.

"Dewott, get out of there!" Callie called.

Dewott jumped out of the way just as Leavanny shot the sticky string at him. However, Leavanny wasn't going to let him get away, and as Dewott was in midair, Leavanny shot it String Shot at him and managed to hit him, causing Dewott to fall to the ground.

"Dewott, no!" Callie exclaimed.

"Now, Leavanny, use Hyper Beam!" called Burgh.

Once again, Leavanny formed a pink orb of energy with a white orb of energy around it in between its antennae. The orb then grew larger and Leavanny fired a powerful red beam of energy directly at Dewott.

"Dewott!" Callie cried. "Deflect Hyper Beam with Razor Shell!"

"Wott!"

Dewott crossed his arms in front of his chest and grabbed the two scalchops on his legs using the hand from the opposite side of his body. When he grabbed the scalchops, they both started to glow yellow and a light blue aura appeared around them. The aura then stretched and hardened, forming into two curved blades of energy. Dewott then crossed the two blades in front of his body just in time, meeting Leavanny's Hyper Beam with great force. The two attacks met, and their collision caused a small explosion, the force of which freed Dewott from Leavanny's String Shot and sent him flying backwards.

"Quick thinking," said Burgh with a smile. "But little tricks like that aren't enough to win you this battle! Leavanny, use Leaf Storm!"

"Counter it, Dewott!" Callie said. "Focus Energy straight into Water Gun, let's go!"

"Dew!"

The two attacks collided with a good bit of force, knocking both pokémon back several feet. However, they both managed to hold their ground, both of them panting heavily — they were both beginning to tire out.

"Alright, Leavanny, finish this — use String Shot, now!" called Burgh.

Leavanny shot a sticky stream of string at Dewott, covering him from head to toe.

"Now, use Leaf Storm!" Burgh exclaimed.

"Dewott! Use Razor Shell to cut through the String Shot quickly and get out of there!" Callie called.

Dewott nodded, and just as he began to cut through the string left behind from Leavanny's attack, Leavanny used Leaf Storm. Dewott was quick though, and he managed to cut the String Shot around his feet, allowing him to move. However, the rest of his body was still covered in String Shot, which slowed him down considerably, and he got caught up in Leavanny's Leaf Storm. Dewott was thrown up into the air, and he was then trapped in a spinning vortex of leaves.

"Dew!" Dewott cried out, obviously in pain.

"That Leaf Storm is super effective against Dewott!" Wes called out. "You've got to get him out of there!"

"I know!" Callie snapped, not taking her eyes off Dewott — how was she going to get him out of there? That String Shot was a problem, constantly slowing him down. . . .

"I got it!" Callie suddenly exclaimed. "Dewott! I want you to dive into Leaf Storm while spinning, okay?"

"Wott?" Dewott grunted, looking at her curiously.

"Just trust me!" Callie said, her eyes wide.

Dewott smiled softly and nodded before doing exactly as he was told — he turned and began to dive down into the Leaf Storm attack, spinning in the same direction of the leaf vortex. Dewott dove towards the bottom and managed to break out of the Leaf Storm. As Leavanny's Leaf Storm died down, Dewott landed on the ground, looking ready for battle.

Burgh seemed very impressed by the fact that Dewott was still standing, which he tried to not make obvious when he spoke.

"So, your Dewott is still standing, eh?" said Burgh, trying to seem nonchalant. "I must admit, it was smart to have him dive into the Leaf Storm attack while spinning — it helped him avoid taking as much damage. But he won't be able to avoid taking damage from our next move — Leavanny, use Hyper Beam!"

Callie smiled softly as Leavanny powered up its Hyper Beam.

"Well, I hate to break it to you, Burgh, but diving into the Leaf Storm while spinning did a lot more than help minimize the damage Dewott took — it also helped weaken Leavanny's String Shot!"

"What?" Burgh said, he eyes widening.

"Dewott, shake off that String Shot and dodge that Hyper Beam!" Callie called.

Dewott smiled and easily shook off the weakened String Shot before leaping into the air, no longer being slowed down by it. He was able to easily dodge Leavanny's Hyper Beam attack, which meant it was their turn to strike.

"Alright, Dewott!" Callie called. "Focus Energy, let's go!"

"Dewott!" Dewott exclaimed, a blue aura forming around his body.

"Now, let's finish this, Dewott — Razor Shell!"

Dewott nodded and drew his scalchops from his legs, a blue blade forming on either one. Then he dove at Leavanny with a high burst of speed, his light blue aura around him. It was so fast, both Burgh and Leavanny simply stood there in awe, neither one able to think of anything except the demonstration of sheer speed in front of them. Dewott then easily slashed Leavanny with his Razor Shell attack, sending the Bug-type flying backwards. Leavanny crashed into the ground before Burgh, kicking up lots of dirt and dust. Finally, the dust settled, and laying on the ground, completely unconscious, was Leavanny.

"Leavanny?!" Burgh exclaimed. "No!"

"Leavanny is unable to battle; Dewott is the winner. Which means that this battle will go to the challenger, Callie Freer!" the referee called.

A great roar of cheer and applause came from Wes and Hugh, who stood up and clapped loudly. Callie stood there, her heart pounding, her mind racing — they had . . . won?

Suddenly a great force collided with Callie, knocking her backwards, and her attention was brought to Dewott, who had apparently tackled his trainer in excitement.

The two fell to the ground, dazed for just a moment. However, when Callie looked down at Dewott and met his gaze, she couldn't help but smile and burst into laughter.

"Dewott!" she exclaimed as she embraced her pokémon. "We did it! You were amazing!"

"Dew! Dew!" Dewott cheered.

Burgh returned his Leavanny with a sigh, and he looked across the field to Callie and Dewott, both of them laughing madly as they celebrated. Something about the way they looked when they embraced, both of them smiling broadly as the sun shined down on them heavily. . . .

"That's it!" Burgh whispered with wide eyes. "Yes! That's it!"

Callie and Dewott stopped laughing and looked at Burgh curiously. Wes and Hugh even paused their celebration and watched as the gym leader clapped his hands together excitedly. Burgh was smiling wildly, obviously greatly delighted.

"This battle is exactly what I needed!" Burgh exclaimed. "The bond you and your pokémon share — it's like nothing I've ever seen!"

Callie and Dewott smiled softly as they got to their feet.

"Well thanks, Burgh, I-I appreciate it," Callie said with a grin.

"No, do not be thanking me! I should be thanking you! You've given me my inspiration back!" Burgh said with a smile. "Oh, I could never thank you enough, truly! Here! Please, take it, take it!"

Burgh rushed forward and placed something in her hand.

"It's the Insect Badge!" Burgh exclaimed.

Callie smiled, looking down at the badge — it was a beautiful shade of green, and was shaped like the wings and body of an insect. She then looked down at Dewott, showing him the badge eagerly.

"We did it, buddy!" Callie said gleefully.

"Dew-ott!"

"Wow, Callie, that battle was amazing!" Hugh said excitedly as the three of them stood outside the Castelia City Gym.

"Thanks, Hugh," said Callie. "I got lucky when Riolu learned Reversal."

"That wasn't all luck," said Burgh as he walked out of the gym. "You and your pokémon battled spectacularly! Really!"

Callie blushed slightly, and Wes clapped her on her shoulder. "They're not wrong, y'know. You and your pokémon were great out there! You really earned that badge!"

Callie smiled and looked down at the badge in her hand before smiling and looking up at her friends and Burgh. "Yeah, I guess you're right!"

"So, Burgh! When do we get to battle you?" said Hugh eagerly.

"Why don't you boys come back tomorrow?" Burgh suggested. "I'll make sure to have another team of pokémon ready, and I'll battle you both tomorrow, alright?"

"Wow, really?" said Hugh.

"That's be great!" Wes said.

"Fantastic!" said Burgh. "Now, if you don't mind — I must go! I have all this inspiration, and I feel the need to do something with it! I'll see you all tomorrow!"

Bidding farewell, Burgh disappeared inside the gym, and Callie looked to Hugh and Wes.

"Well, I think I'm going to go get my pokémon to Nurse Joy," said Callie. "Are you coming?"

And with that, the three of them headed back to the Pokémon Center, Hugh and Wes both eagerly looking forward to their battles tomorrow. Callie, however, was practically glowing with pride — she had done it. She and her pokémon had won their third gym badge!

Author's Note: Hey everyone! That's it for chapter fourteen! I hope you enjoyed! Things are really about to start getting really exciting! Lots of fun plot points coming up! I hope you all enjoy it! Please feel free to let me know what you all think of this chapter and this story so far! I can't wait to hear from you! Chapter fifteen will be out soon!