Hey, new readers! I'm not usually too big on the headers and footers, but I just wanted to say that, if you take the time to read this story, please visit my profile if you haven't. It basically says that, even if you don't like Going Back, please drop a review, and mention if you'd like to see any more of it. Lots of people have been subscribing to my profile and to Going Back (even though it's finished), so I'll just assume they liked it and would want to see more, but it's always better to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. It'd mean a lot to me if you dropped a line!
Without further ado, enjoy the story!

Going Back

It had taken Joshua the better part of two years, but he did it. Finally, after so much blood, sweat and tears, he finally had all eight badges in his Trainer case. He was already halfway down Route 223 when he really began to think back on all his hardships to come this far. The miles he walked; the numerous times he slept on the dirt, usually in the cold, face up. His sleeping bag had long since been torn to shreds in the middle of a particularly nasty thunderstorm, and he was usually so low on funds that he'd opt for food and assorted medicines before buying something like a sleeping bag. He could've just as easily flown back home to Twinleaf Town and ask mom for some new supplies or money, but he never wanted to. Most other Trainers would give up before getting as far as he had. He was now eligible to challenge the Elite Four. This was his 'coming of age' task, and he didn't want to rely on his parents' help for things that weren't life-threateningly urgent.

He was giving too much credit to himself, though. He did the walking, he did the challenging, he did the raising, he was the one with the responsibility, but it was really his team that did all the hard work. He couldn't have gotten all those badges by fighting the battles himself. That's just a silly thought. It was his hearty, loyal team of six that did their very best to see their Master's dream through.

He warmed to the thought. Communication was difficult with his team, which wasn't unusual, but it didn't take a lot to convince him that they were all in it together, and that if he wanted something done, they'd see it through with all their power. Back when he only had four badges, he paid frequent visits to Dr. Footsteps on Route 213. Some of his team didn't seem especially comfortable with the idea of being ripped from their nice, comfy homes in familiar surroundings to be bumming around with some human they never saw before, being put in gladiatorial combat for his own amusement, and frequently receiving numerous cuts and bruises from particularly even or outmatched battles (all except for his Turtwig, now Torterra, which he received at the beginning of his epic journey. He never understood why, but it never wavered in the slightest when his Master told him to attack that Staravia with Grass Knot or fight a Fire-type – which was especially confusing since, as an Academy graduate, Joshua would've known the severe handicap. Thankfully, he had adopted more…technical strategies to his fights since then). It was an unwritten rule that if a Pokémon honest-to-goodness did not like what it was doing or whom it was doing it for, then a respectable Trainer would release it where they found it. But all six of his permanent team had grown incredibly attached to their Master, and likewise himself to them, over time. Flareon would never hesitate to push a precariously placed boulder that was in their way; if Joshua needed to be in the opposite side of Sinnoh right now, Honchkrow would gladly give him a lift; if there was a body of water that stood between where they were and where they were going, Golduck wouldn't need to be asked to ferry him to the other side, like she was now.

It was a huge trip for him, to reminisce about his journey since day one. He graduated from the Academy at 16, having started a year later than is usual for other kids. From the very first gym in Oreburgh, facing down Roark and his little menace of a Cranidos with only Turtwig, Starly and Shinx, to outdoing Crasher Wake's terribly powerful Floatzel with his own Psyduck (and pulling out an amazing critical hit in the most tense part of the entire battle), to witnessing Riolu hatching out of its cramped little egg in Celestic Town before getting his Mine Badge, to finally putting Volkner in his place in Sunyshore City and setting out for the final hurdle. It was difficult to believe that he and his friends did all that by themselves. Then again, his disbelief had shattered long ago when he pushed himself past the blizzard on Route 217.

And now, two years after starting his journey, Joshua could see the hulking mountain holding the twisting and turning Victory Road rise menacingly over the horizon. He was more than ready to challenge it. His reminiscing ended when he felt himself dragged upwards, as Golduck effortlessly scaled the only waterfall remaining between them and Victory Road. He gripped the blue duck's shoulders tightly, and a few seconds later he was facing the front door of the last Poké Centre in Sinnoh.

"Thanks, Golduck," Joshua said, zapping the happy Golduck back into her Poké Ball. Most Trainers made it a point to talk to their Pokémon in a casual way. After all, they were sentient creatures, weren't they? They understood the basics of speech well enough (although speaking it themselves was a little impossible). It couldn't hurt to be a little sociable with the things he's sending into fights for his own goals. He would always let his Pokémon out of their casings at morning, noon and at the end of the day for regular meals and general exercise, and would always think of a story to tell them before sending them to sleep. He couldn't understand a word of any of their replies, naturally (thankfully they didn't talk much directly to him, since it was just awkward for everybody) but it was just a part of being sociable. A family, as he sometimes liked to call them to boost camaraderie, works best if they were familiar with each other, and what better way than to share campfire stories?

It was lucky that they had gotten to the Poké Centre when they did: the sun was just setting over the horizon, and in a matter of minutes the only light in the sky would be from the moon and the stars. Poké Centres usually had a few spare rooms for the odd wandering Trainer to spend the night in, and since this Poké Centre was the only checkpoint between Sunyshore City and the entrance to Victory Road, it was built slightly larger to accommodate more Trainers.

Joshua stepped past the sliding glass door to meet the eyes of the lovely nurse sitting behind the counter. It wasn't unusual for the Poké Centres to consist of only a single active female nurse, though they changed shifts with other nurses regularly. He removed each of the six Poké Balls from his waist and laid them in a special carrying case for easier transport, courtesy of each Poké Centre. "Some minor healing, please," he said in a casual tone. He'd done this hundreds of times before. "To make up for the trip from Sunyshore. Some of those swimmer Trainers are pretty spry out there."

The nurse giggled politely at the comment and took the case behind the counter, towards a machine usually located just to the side of the nurse's seat. "They're nothing compared to what you're going to see in Victory Road, let alone the Elite Four." She wasn't trying to dissuade him from going any farther – if Joshua hadn't realized this simple truth by now, he'd have a difficult time even getting past Aaron of the Elite Four. "You'll be staying for the night, right?"

"Yeah. We're going to leave first thing tomorrow morning to get our way through the cave."

The nurse placed all six Poké Balls in her incubator-like machine and switched the device on. A low hum filled the room. "You all set for the trip? Got enough food and medicine for your whole team?"

"I blew every last cent I had on Hyper Potions, Revives, and the usual antidotes for the usual ailments," Joshua replied. "I spent maybe a week harvesting berries and making Poffins. And just to be safe, I stopped by the department store in Veilstone and stocked up on all sorts of drinks. I think I'm about as ready as I'm ever going to be."

She smiled at him and resumed her deskwork that she had laid out behind the counter for herself. There was always a small waiting area for Trainers to relax in while their Pokémon healed in the incubators, consisting of some couches and chairs, with a single coffee table. Trainers could lounge a little while with their fellow dreamers and talk about their latest exploits and accomplishments, or give out advice to others less experienced in what they might be facing next. There was a middle-aged, balding man sitting on one chair with a young, female – by the looks of her clothes, an Ace – Trainer sitting on the couch closest to the man. Not unfamiliar with social gatherings exactly like this one, Joshua took a seat next to the young Trainer.

"…of Trainers in the lower levels are really tough," Joshua heard the girl say. "My Infernape didn't stand much of a chance against so many Water-types. But I know what to expect now, and I can't wait to go again!"

"It wasn't called Victory Road for no reason, lass," the man replied. "It'll be a hell of a statement of your abilities as a Trainer just to make it through that place by yourself. And on your first try! I only know of a handful of people that made it through on their first run."

"Excuse me," interrupted Joshua, shifting his position on the couch to stay in the view of both his fellow Trainers at once. "Tomorrow would be my first time through Victory Road. Got any advice for a rookie?"

"Kid," the man began, "if you beat Volkner, you're no rookie. The cave is large and pretty spooky for first timers, but I've never seen anyone not make it through if they were just determined enough. That being said," he sighed, relaxing in his seat. "You'll want Fighting-types, Grass-types, Water-types, Psychic-types and Electric-types for the lower levels of the cave. You'll run into lots of Graveler, Golbat and Machoke in there."

"Some of the other Trainers in there are the most hardcore I've ever seen," the girl added. "Hi, my name's Charlotte," she said quickly, extending her hand. Before Joshua could respond with his own name and accepting her handshake, she continued. "There are veterans and Dragon Tamers, but mostly just plain old Ace Trainers all over the place. They have an annoying habit of double-teaming you as well, so make sure your first two strongest Pokémon in the lead at all times."

"So, it'd be like going through any Trainer-infested area with wild Pokémon roaming around, like Mount Coronet?" asked Joshua. And he thought it'd be difficult.

The man's face turned a little distant. "Mostly, but there's something else. The Pokémon in Victory Road, along with being the strongest you'll find in the province, are also highly aggressive compared to anywhere else. Usually the Trainer attacks first when out in the wild, but these ones attack unprovoked. Your one Pokémon could soon see itself surrounded on all sides by Onix and Graveler if you're not careful. In my four round-trips through the Road, I've never once seen a Pokémon attack a Trainer, but after seeing some of the aggression by these things, you can never be too careful. You should go in with a pack full of Repels of all varieties, just in case."

Joshua winced inwardly. Of all the supplies to purchase, he specifically neglected to buy Repels, calling it 'conditioning' for his Pokémon. He also only purchased a single Escape Rope, to be used in the direst of emergencies.

"Around what level are your Pokémon at, son?"

Joshua blinked, trying to recall what the nurse at Sunyshore's Poké Centre had told him before he set sail.

"Mid fifties all around," the nurse called from the desk, having eavesdropped on the whole conversation, looking over a long list of statistics for Joshua's freshly rejuvenated team. The two experienced Trainers sitting with him inhaled slightly.

"Mid fifties?" Charlotte hummed. "It'll be tough. You're in for one rough ride…one you'll have to take if you want to even consider being ready for the Elite Four. You must have a lot of confidence on your team to be thinking of going through the cave at this point."

"I agree with Charlotte," the nurse called from the desk. "Maybe you should consider training along Route Two-Twenty-Three a little bit before heading in. Being at a mediocre level might be fine for getting through, say, Eterna Forest, but you're going to be in the cave for days. The swimmers are usually up to helping a Trainer raise their Pokémon up a few levels before heading into the cave."

Joshua faced forward for a moment, weighing his options. From what the man told him, he had a definite type advantage over most of the Pokémon in Victory Road, but only his Flareon was any fast; the remainder of his team, while it'd be possible to dish out one hit knock outs left and right, would still be moving second on a regular basis, and their health might get chipped at the longer he stays in the cave.

"There's a Poké Centre at the other end of Victory Road, right?" he asked.

"Yes, but your concern should be on what's in Victory Road, not what's past it. You can focus on the Pokémon League once you're on the other end of the cave."

He frowned, taking in this advice. The man said he'd made four roundabout trips through Victory Road, and even the nurse is advising him to put if off for a few days so he could train. But on the other hand, Victory Road is right there – as if it's taunting him, daring him to reach out and grasp the opportunity to fulfill his dreams by the –

"I'll sleep on it," Joshua lied, his mind already made up. He was good at keeping straight faces, so the other three believed him. He glanced at his Pokétch, fiddling with its two buttons a little to get to the digital clock application. "Oh, jeez, it's already ten o'clock! I need to head to bed!"

Charlotte seemed less than amused with the concept of being in bed shortly after the sun had completely vanished without a trace, but the old man laughed at the exuberance. "In a rush to make those decisions, huh? You must really want to get to the Pokémon League either way."

"You have no idea," Joshua said over his shoulder, returning to the counter for his Poké Balls and a key to a vacant room. "Thank you all for the sound advice, as well."

"Don't mention it," the man said.

"Don't be a stranger!" Charlotte called at the same time.

Joshua went into a separate hallway located in the corner of the lobby and went into his small, free room for the night. It had a single dresser with a mirror, a desk with a chair and a lit lamp, and a bed with a thin, stiff mattress; par the course for Poké Centres. He had stopped whining about the quality of the free shelters shortly after Oreburgh's Gym. He stripped to his underwear, placing his Trainer belt across the desk, and threw his dirty, unwashed clothes into the corner of the room, and climbed under the woolly, itchy sheets for as best a sleep as he could hope for.

He stood before the mouth of the cave, his head high with determination. The old man and Charlotte were still in bed – it was only seven in the morning – and the nurses had changed shifts, so the nurse from last night wasn't there to dissuade him any more from going into Victory Road.

Still, should he be concerned about his team's performance going into the cave? The three people he had talked to last night had more experience than he had with the cave, so they should know, and they all told him to put it off for a little while so he could train up his team a handful of levels each. Maybe he should do a few victory laps through Iron Island, just to be safe? It was always a good place to train.

On the other hand, he had absolutely dominated Volkner, the strongest of the Gym leaders in Sinnoh, and he was armed to the teeth with Potions, Revives, and assorted medicines. His Pokémon may take an overall hit in morale if he asks them to keep fighting when they keep losing, but it's more than possible to simply heal his way through Victory Road. It wouldn't be very good for training, but if he could at least get to the Pokémon League, he could fly and train anywhere he wanted to without having to deal with the cave again.

Then again, he only dominated Volkner because he used Torterra the whole time, and, with it being part Ground, it was completely immune to most everything Volkner had to throw at it.

But Victory Road is full of Rock- and Water-types, and he has Crunch for everything else. Torterra should still be able to handle it himself, no sweat!

…Relying on only one Pokémon the entire way through may be a good way to actually make it through Victory Road, but it'd also write books about his ability as a Trainer, and his confidence in the rest of his team. Not to mention he had heard that one of the Elite Four had a preference for Fire-types, where Torterra wouldn't stand the very slightest of chances. If he wanted to make it through Victory Road and stand any chance at all of succeeding against the Pokémon League, he needed to make sure everyone was getting an equal workout.

Finally resolving that inner-conflict with himself, he turned himself around, facing out towards watery Route 223 and the magnificent lights of Sunyshore off in the distance; the natural rock formation making a cute Munchlax nicely silhouetted against the city's lighthouse. The sun hadn't completely risen yet, making a gorgeous painting in the glass-like ocean water; a picture-perfect blend of dark purples, oranges, greens and grays, cascaded with the fading starlight of the morning sky. It almost made him forget that he was going to be facing his toughest challenge yet in a minute, and when he did, he found it almost funny that he's willing to throw this moment away for the dark, unforgiving grisliness of Victory Road. He finally tore his gaze away from Sunyshore and forced his left foot in front of his right, heading into the cave.

It was surprisingly bright in Victory Road. He had brought along the store-bought 'technical' machine 'Flash' in case Victory Road proved to be drenched in permanent night, but the natural illumination on some of the stones lining the walls, along with the reflective surfaces of the few Onix using the move Rock Polish, made it almost brighter than it currently was outside. He could clearly see numerous rope bridges assembled to assist Trainers in their journey to make it to the other side of the road; families of four and five Golbat lined the stalactites, each still rowdy from last night's pack hunting; he even saw a Steelix off in the distance, the massive metal snake slowly slithering its way to some familiar territory.

Joshua entered Victory Road with mixed feelings and thoughts. On the one hand, Victory Road didn't feel that much different from Mount Coronet. Coronet was a gargantuan mountain splitting Sinnoh cleanly in half, but, handled in pieces; one trainer could ascend and descend its hollowed innards in the space of a day or so. Victory Road would be longer laterally than Coronet was vertically, but most of the wild Pokémon he'd seen so far seemed standard fare for caves and rugged terrain. Golbat, Machoke, Graveler and the occasional Onix – nothing he's never handled before. Victory Road, though, would house stronger Pokémon than Coronet, sure, but Joshua's handled powerful Pokémon before – he did school Volkner, right?

He wasted no further time dawdling at the cave's entrance and began his trek through the caves. He had no map to guide him, but, based on what he could see, he quickly mapped out a small path for himself on his Pokétch – up a set of man-made stairs etched into the side of a small rock formation, across the rope bridge, down another set of stairs, and pause to figure out where he should start heading next. All the while he fended off waves of unusually rowdy Pokémon with his own team. Torterra, Lucario and Golduck would head off the Rock-types; Luxray and Flareon would pick off all the Golbat that thirsted after the newcomer's blood; and Honchkrow was more than happy to pick fights with the Machoke. Some of the Ace Trainers that Joshua met there had pulled out a surprising variety of different types – and met at least two different Dragon Tamers in the cave – but, as was unusually common of many Trainers, they typically didn't carry more than three or four Pokémon at a time, and they were easily brushed aside.

The Trainers, all of them, from the Veterans to the Aces to the Dragon Tamers, had been hired by the Pokémon League itself, Joshua learned. Their entire job was to serve as obstacles for any Trainer interested in challenging the League. Not to deter them, but to test them, to invigorate them. If the Trainer lost even once, they'd be forced to start from the beginning of the cave, or else the League would refuse admittance. If the Trainer couldn't beat one opponent, how could they think they were ready for the League? How could they think that they compare to five of the most powerful Trainers in the province?

Joshua had no way of telling the time outside of his Pokétch and Pokédex. The illumination of the stones in the cave gave the impression of constant daylight, skewing his perception of time. Joshua promised himself that he would call it a day every day at 9:30 P.M. sharp, and on the first day in the cave, he accidentally found himself still battling well into ten o'clock. He quickly pitched a tent, released all of his Pokémon for their meals, and soon fell asleep in the comfort of his tent. His sleep was uneasy, though: there were wild, unusually aggressive Pokémon out there, and there was the constant lingering thought that some irate Machoke or Graveler is going to stumble upon his makeshift shelter and rip it to shreds without a moments' thought. Thankfully for Joshua, his worries were unfounded, and at 8 A.M. the next morning he was up and ready to continue his trek through Victory Road.

Joshua quickly got the hang of travelling through Victory Road. The path wasn't always laid out for him and he often had to blaze his own trail – more than once he had to use a makeshift ramp made out of precariously placed stones to sling himself over an obstacle, and others he had to rely on his Flareon's Strength to move some boulders that had shifted onto his path, but otherwise, it was just another test to him. His team was still going strong, seemingly excited about their scenario, and Joshua found himself using far less supplies than he had anticipated. The occasional Potion and Ether here and there, but all in all, it looked like he had overspent his money for nothing. Each felled opponent, wild and Trainer alike, added to his confidence. He was sure he'd be able to stand toe-to-toe with the Elite Four at this rate.

The path through Victory Road had led him in 'ropes' around the interior of the cave, alternating between an 'upper floor' and a 'basement'. To Joshua's surprise, the basement of Victory Road housed several ponds, at least one lake, and three waterfalls – so this is why the old man recommended an Electric-type. The area was not only littered with Trainers fancying Psychic- and Dragon-types, but he also found himself combating exceedingly powerful Floatzel, among other powerful Water-types; something Joshua had not anticipated. Flareon saw little action in the basement area of the cave, as a result, though Golduck, Torterra and Luxray were free to run amok in the wetlands.

Joshua kept a closer eye on his Pokétch this time, making sure he didn't overshoot his schedule at all, compared to as largely as he had last time. Immediately at half-past-nine at night, Joshua released his whole team again for their supper, and looked over everyone's condition with his Pokétch in the meantime. No one was at one-hundred percent strength, obviously, but no one needed any desperate attention either. They were all anxious to continue their trek and finally get to the one place their Master had been striving to get to for the past few years.

"Torterra, you're doing pretty well so far," Joshua said, running his wristwatch over his starter Pokémon. Torterra was the team's strongest Pokémon, physically: Joshua purposely had him see a bit more action than the rest of the team, so he could stay ahead in experience and ability. Torterra was meant to be the leader of the pack (under his own Master, of course), and his authority was exerted sternly, Joshua noticed: Torterra was normally quiet and kept to himself, but he was loud and brash whenever he felt someone else in the team was acting up. He was frequently challenged by Honchkrow, but Torterra always managed to win, somehow. "I know you only learned that Leaf Storm attack recently and you're eager to use it, but remember that it takes a lot out of you in the long run. Stick with Giga Drain and Crunch for the time being, okay? I'll let you use Leaf Storm all you like when we get to the Elite Four." Torterra grunted his understanding and resumed his meal, consisting of berries and special plants.

Sitting next to Torterra was Luxray, the 'next in line', as it were. Luxray was the second Pokémon Joshua had owned and the first he caught, back when he was a Shinx. Joshua had read that Electric-type Pokémon wandering the tall grass were rather uncommon in most parts of the country, including Sinnoh, so he thought it would be a good idea to raise one from the start. Shinx proved to be just a nuisance against Roark, but from then on, he went straight up in ability and proved to be an asset to the team in no time flat. "Luxray, you're fighting well and you're laying out the Golbat left and right, but stop using Thunder so often. It's inaccurate, and all it would take is a well-timed Air Cutter or something and it'll take more than a few potions to help you out. You also have Thunder Fang; try using it more often." He gave Luxray a pat on the head and a scruff on the neck and left the electric lion back to his dinner.

Flareon lay next to Luxray, enjoying her own set of berries and small meats. Joshua had received Eevee as a gift long after he began his journey. This one Eevee was one of a litter of four, and the little boy who owned the mother Eevee was practically handing them out. Eevee were exceptionally rare throughout the country, and their adaptability to any environment made them highly sought after. Joshua wasted no time in adopting his own little bundle of fur. Deciding to change her into a Flareon, though, took a bit more time to decide; Joshua ultimately made the decision based on the number of Fire-types roaming throughout Sinnoh (a single-digit number, making fighting Grass-types (and those damned Bronzong, too!) all the more difficult). Ever since Joshua adopted the little Eevee, she's been very attached to Luxray; as far as he knew they weren't mates, but then again, he didn't have his eyes glued on them every waking second, and they were compatible, but it wasn't a topic he liked to dwell on. "You must be exhausted, Flareon. I've been making you move boulders left and right all day." He patted the small dog gently on the head, and she nudged into his palm affectionately. Her joints seemed a little strained at the action; Joshua hoped she would sleep like a newborn tonight. "You're fighting very well, girl. You outrun most Machoke and you fry most Medicham. Just keep your strength up a little while longer, and we'll be at the next Poké Centre before you know it."

He turned around to face his next team-mate. He had received an egg from a sailor returning from Iron Island back when he was in Canalave City, looking for a fight with the Gym leader there, Byron. He had heard that Iron Island was a great place to train, and when he mentioned that he was going there to give himself and his team a good workout, the sailor mentioned that he had picked up a Pokémon egg from a few days before, when he was visiting the island for an unrelated reason. The sailor had no family and he wasn't particularly into raising Pokémon himself, especially from birth, so he practically forced the egg onto Joshua.

When a male Riolu eventually forced its way out of its shell about a week later, Joshua wasn't impressed, as a whole. Not because he wasn't fond of Fighting-types – Dark-types were becoming increasingly frequent, and Fighting-types were strong against them – but because he already had five badges, fighting to get his sixth (he had attempted once and failed against the Steel-type Leader), and now he had a whole new Pokémon to raise from scratch. He couldn't, in good conscience, leave the little thing in a box in his PC, so he had it hold an 'EXP. Share' device he won in a contest earlier and let it grow from the safety of the sidelines.

Joshua had failed twice to receive his badge from Byron, and after training for almost three brutal weeks on Iron Island, he was convinced that Byron wouldn't stand a chance against his new hardened team. Riolu still hadn't evolved by then, but Joshua was getting comfortable using him in battle against the Rock- and Steel-types of the island. Once the Steelix of the island purposely turned around and burrowed underground after Joshua sent Riolu to fight – dispirited from fighting the little creature that stood to the human's knees – he was convinced that Riolu would be the key to winning that Mine Badge once and for all. Riolu evolved into Lucario a short while after winning that badge, after Joshua nearly froze to death during his hellish walk through Route 217.

"Your aim is spectacular with Aura Sphere, Lucario. I don't think I've ever seen it miss once! These Graveler aren't anything you can't handle, not by a long shot – but don't fight those Medicham anymore, not after what happened seven hours ago," he warned. He noticed that Lucario's left arm still seemed a little limp after a Hi Jump Kick to the shoulder, narrowly missing his skull. "As a part Steel-type, I don't need to remind you that I'm comfortable sending you to fight Golbat and other Flying-types, but you need to be careful of other Fighting-types for the same reason." Lucario had paused eating his meal of strict Pinap berries, his blood-red eyes stared into Joshua, listening intently to everything he had to say. It was kinda creepy, to be honest, but at least he appreciated being taken as seriously as Lucario took him. "Don't forget to use Agility more often, too. Your opponents can't hit what they can't see, right?" Lucario barked his understanding, and offered his paw for Joshua to shake. Out of his whole team, Lucario was one of the two only bipedal ones of the bunch, with his paws vaguely resembling hands. Joshua and Lucario made a 'secret handshake' between them when Joshua learned that Riolu evolved via their attachment to their Trainers, and it seemed to help immensely, although Joshua had an awful lot of scars all over his hands from the spikes on the back of Lucario's paws as a result. They quickly made a new one to compensate.

Sitting next to Lucario was Joshua's Golduck, enjoying a nice, warm meal of cooked meats and vegetables. Since she was a Water-type, she didn't need liquids as often as the others, and as a result she'd only taken to dry berries, like Cornn berries and Chesto berries, ever since she evolved.

Joshua found his first Psyduck on the lower levels of the Oreburgh Gate, returning to Jubilife. It surprised the hell out of him, initially: since he had gone through the gate twice, spent a few days in the city of stone, rummaged his way through the city's mine in a vain attempt to find the city's Gym Leader, find Roark and finally beat him on the first try, he wasn't expecting to find a Water-type, the bane of every Rock-type user out there, resting just underneath the city. Joshua knew that if he wanted to travel the province of Sinnoh, and ultimately the whole country, he'd need a Water-type Pokémon capable of learning Surf and Waterfall. Psyduck wasn't his first choice, he'll openly admit, but he eventually grew attached to the creepy duck, and when she evolved into a Golduck (and finally started learning some useful Psychic-type attacks. Joshua couldn't express his gratitude enough when Golduck surprised him with a Psychic attack fighting a Medicham along Route 210), she cemented her position permanently as one of Joshua's 'go-to' Pokémon. Her overall usefulness couldn't be compared, especially when they were travelling across any body of water.

"Those Floatzel never knew what they were up against, were they, Golduck?" Joshua laughed, clapping Golduck on her slimy shoulder. Golduck gave some kind of laughing-like sound in response, fondly remembering putting those rookie Water-types in their place. "I want you to start using Waterfall more often against Rock-types. You've been using Surf a lot lately, in battles and out of them, and I'm worried overusing one attack will burn you out eventually. If we find any more Water-types, go nuts with Psychic and Surf, but otherwise, stick to Waterfall. I know it's less powerful and less accurate, and you're stronger with your mind than you are with your body, but just trust me on this for now." Golduck sent a small telepathic wave to Joshua. He knew it was her way of communicating with him, but all it felt like, to him, someone was putting a small amount of pressure on the centre of his mind. It was never enough to make it feel painful, but he always hated it when she did that, and she knew it.

The final Pokémon on Joshua's team was an abnormally large female Honchkrow. At first, Joshua was content with using his Starly, the third Pokémon he ever owned and the second he ever caught, as his designated Flying-type Pokémon, but he was always turned off by the fact that it was part Normal. He wasn't counting on finding another Flying-type Pokémon – at least, none that were native to Sinnoh – but when he was running through Eterna Forest one night, desperately trying to find his way out, he was attacked by a lone Murkrow. Apparently Joshua wandered right into her territory, and judging from the Murkrow's unusual size, she had to fend off a lot of intruders in her life. A brisk zap from one agitated Luxio and a quick toss of a Dark Ball that Joshua happened to have handy, and it was added to his list of caught Pokémon.

Joshua was attracted to Murkrow's Dark- and Flying mix. Although she was only as strong as Starly (Staravia at that point) against Fighting-types, Joshua knew he could find more uses for a Dark-type Pokémon than a Normal-type. Naturally, however, they were both rather irate towards each other, and Murkrow would often ignore orders during battle, sometimes forcing Joshua to forfeit matches entirely because of it. The feeling was mutual; Joshua was still a little sore-spirited towards Murkrow for attacking him when all he wanted was to get out of that frightening forest as unscathed as possible. Joshua was seriously considering releasing her when she cost him the match against Gardenia in Eterna City's Gym, but the nurse at the local Poké Centre convinced him to give her one more chance. He was pessimistic, but was won over when the nurse offered him a Soothe Bell she had received from her cousin living in Hoenn, which he accepted. The item apparently made the Pokémon wearing it grow attached to its Trainer over time.

Results were not immediate, but after four days, Joshua found Murkrow listening to him in battle, and accepting the berries he offered as opposed to hunting for her own meals (which never worked well in caves and cities). It wasn't until Joshua ran into a random thug, who sought to make Joshua's Pokémon his own by violent and potentially lethal means, interrupted his battle with a wild Kadabra along Route 215. Joshua was attacked at knifepoint, and Murkrow was busy defending herself against the thug's Pikachu. It was raining at the time of the attack, so Pikachu's Thundershock attacks were deadly accurate. It was an unfortunate encounter for both of them, but they helped each other through it: unexpectedly, Murkrow dove-bombed the human assailant, giving Joshua enough time to disarm him and toss the knife harmlessly into a small trough of bushes to the side. Pikachu retaliated by attacking Murkrow with a fierce Thunderbolt, but just before it could get the shot off, Joshua threw himself into the bird, knocking them both clear of the strike. Wasting no more time, he withdrew his entire Pokémon team to help defend against the attacker, and succeeded in fending them both off seconds later. The entire ordeal cost Joshua a week's time of journeying, returning to the previous Poké Centre to heal his and Murkrow's wounds, but the entire event cemented Joshua's relationship with Murkrow; she quickly became attached to him, and she soon became a favourite choice of Joshua's for battle.

"Fighting Machoke and Medicham is a lot of fun, isn't it?" Joshua asked. Honchkrow cawed back affectionately, spreading her wings very slightly. "And you have a good arsenal of Dark-type attacks for all the Rock-types lying around here. Just try not to get in too close to the action, because remember, one hit with those rocks and you'll have trouble getting back up. Also, it's a lot of fun watching you fight those Golbat up in the sky, but that doesn't mean you have to pick fights with more than one at a time. I'm already impressed with you, Honchkrow; you don't need to keep trying to." Joshua drummed his fingers off Honchkrow's 'fedora', a habit he picked up soon after she evolved.

There wasn't a whole lot of food left for himself, but it would be enough to get him through the cave. "Alright, team," he said as he sat down to his own meal: a handful of berries, a small slab of fat, and his last bottle of water. He had some sodas and lemonades remaining, so he wasn't concerned about his liquid reserves. "I honestly have no idea how much farther it is through Victory Road. It could be only another few hours; it could be three more days. But one thing's for sure: we're ready to fight the Elite Four themselves." Most of the Pokémon had finished eating their meals and were ready to just go back into their Poké Balls and sleep. They were all pretty weary after today's unexpected trip through the lakes. "You're all handling yourselves really well out there, and I'm proud that you've all learned to take care of yourselves during your time with me. Just imagine what we'll be capable of if we can beat the strongest team in Sinnoh!" Truth be told, Joshua had no idea what he was going to do if – once he beat the Elite Four's champion. Would he retire permanently off the wages he's earned during his time as a Trainer? Would he release his Pokémon team back into the wild, where he found them all respectively? Would he travel to the other provinces and fight other Trainers, exotic Pokémon, gain another eight badges for each one, and become the champion of Hoenn, Johto and Kanto, and of other provinces and countries? The topic's been on his mind ever since the Beacon Badge fell into his palm.

"I've got a gift for all of you," he continued, reaching into his backpack. "When I went on my huge shopping spree before we got here, I bought a capsule of Calcium for each of you. I was going to hold onto them until we got out of Victory Road, as thanks for seeing me this far, but I figured, what the hell, they're not getting any fresher." He withdrew two pills, each with a large 'C' engraved on them, in his right hand. He was quickly swamped by each member of his team, eager to get their share of the miracle vitamin. Golduck was first, using her telekinesis to will her one pill to herself, followed by Lucario, being the only other Pokémon with 'hands'. The rest were hand-fed their calcium.

"Things will only be getting more difficult from here on out," Joshua said, reaching for the Poké Balls around his waist. "Get some sleep; soon we'll be among the few to complete Victory Road on the first try." Flareon and Torterra were already well asleep, with Lucario and Luxray struggling to stay awake. Golduck was wide awake, despite having worked the hardest: though she wasn't a Psychic-type, her ability to work with Psychic-type attacks helped her learn the basics of 'mind over matter' and found that she could push her body to much farther limits than the rest of her family. Honchkrow was not only awake, but still ready to keep going: as a Dark-type Pokémon, exploring during the night was inherently her forte. But Joshua wouldn't have any of that, and quickly saw each of them into their respective homes before calling it a night himself.

Joshua never really liked walking around Victory Road during the night and early morning, simply because of the Golbat. They were always really hyper around those hours, because of their feeding frenzies. And in a cave where not a whole lot of fleshy organics grow, feeding can be quite competitive and fierce. Thankfully Joshua's tent looked quite unappetizing to wild Pokémon, so he was always safe from at least the bats.

Joshua had just beaten a veteran Trainer using a very well-trained Empoleon using his own Lucario. Joshua tended to rotate his Pokémon around, so they would each get as much experience at an even pace as the rest, and luckily for him, his part Fighting-type had come across the part Steel-type just as it was Lucario's turn up front. Rather than withdraw his Pokémon, as Joshua usually did after battles, he kept Lucario out this time – Joshua noticed a craggy rock-face leading up to a ledge just a few paces away, and Lucario was the one in the team who knew Rock Climb, so it made more sense to keep him out for now.

"Lucario, if you don't mind," Joshua said casually, nodding to the wall. He was always uncomfortable having Lucario climb a rock wall for him, if only because it meant Joshua would have to piggyback on the tough Pokémon and it seemed a little demeaning towards himself.

After the short climb, they both spotted an idle Onix off in the distance. It was awake, and was grooming itself against the rough rock walls. Lucario always had a thing for fighting Onix, ever since Iron Island, and eagerly awaited permission from him Master to go and fight the giant rock snake. "Go ahead, Lucario, have fun," Joshua said, and the Pokémon was off like a shot. The Onix noticed the small Fighting-type's aggression and quickly responded with its own, launching a blindingly fast Iron Tail in Lucario's direction.

Onix weren't normally so fast – it must've used Rock Polish to aid its grooming earlier – so Lucario was blindsided by the attack, flying clear off his feet and landing a good few yards back, skidding to a stop. Lucario rubbed his sore chest, but wasn't deterred at all, and quickly began his assault again. This time, Lucario got in close enough to get in a Rock Climb attack, knowing full well that it wasn't very effective against Onix, but wanting to play a little bit with his opponent before his Master called him back.

Onix recoiled slightly from the attack before quickly responding with a Dragonbreath. It was another unexpected attack from the mighty rock snake, but Lucario nimbly leapt out of the way, allowing the breath to scorch the ground instead of his fur. In an attempt to spook the Onix, Lucario took off like a shot, putting his Agility to good use, and ran far faster than the normally slow Onix could see. Onix was unimpressed; he responded with a Screech, which stopped Lucario in his tracks. His paws quickly covered his ears in an attempt to drown out the shrill, ear-piercing yell, but failed to cover himself before the gist of the noise registered to his mind. His legs quivered slightly as he attempted to regain his stance, shaken to the core from the yell.

Lucario had a Ganlon berry tucked behind his right ear since the end of the first day in Victory Road. He was told by his Master that, if he ever felt like he was weak in his knees, and that it felt as though he was frail as a newborn Glameow, he should eat it. He noticed that Onix was still reeling from its own Screech attack, so Lucario took the opportunity to quickly scarf down the berry. The effect wasn't immediate, but after only a moment, he felt his strength return to him, and soon enough he felt as though the opponent's Screech attack hadn't even occurred at all (aside from the ringing in his ears). Funny, though; Lucario thought his Master would've shouted a command, or some praise for his quick thinking by now, but no, Lucario didn't hear a peep. He took it as a sign of pride: he was clearly doing well enough to not require instruction. And that uppity Luxray thought he was the smartest!

Still, Lucario didn't want to risk having another one of those awkward shrieks rupture his eardrums, so he decided that now would be a good time to end the battle with this Onix. "It's been fun," he said in his Pokémon tongue, "and nostalgic for me, but I'd really rather just finish this fight now."

"I couldn't agree more, Caterpie," the Onix replied in its gruff voice. "You look like your bones will last quite a while as toothpicks!" Onix slammed its tail into the ground, vibrating the earth in such a way that the rocks surrounding their small arena began to tumble from the walls, cascading towards Lucario. Pah, Sand Tomb? He thought, effortlessly evading the attack and wringing himself around the Onix' neck, positioning himself for a Close Combat. Would've gotten farther with Bite, the stupid thing. A few quick chops to the back of the neck, and the Onix fell to the ground, knocked cleanly unconscious.

Lucario dismounted the Onix' body, putting his paws on his hips, admiring his work knocking out his eighty-fourth Onix. He was expecting some praise from his Master, a pat on the shoulder, a ruffle of the fur…but nothing. Not even a 'good work, Lucario'. He wasn't even being recalled back into his Poké Ball. What was–?

Lucario turned to see what was occupying his Master's attention. What he saw was a ball of clothes, human flesh, hair, and wings tumbling over itself on the ground. Lucario was confused and didn't understand what he was looking at, until the ball fought itself to its feet. A weak cry for help rang through the air, and Lucario got an eyeful of what was going on: a Golbat, hungry and apparently unsuccessful with the night's raid, had latched onto his Master's neck and began bleeding him dry, after the human's bloody nutrients.

"Ha..." Joshua yelped weakly, his eyes trained on Lucario's position. "Help, Lucario…!" he yelled with all his might. His hands were trained on prying the bat's jaws off his right shoulder, but the Golbat was exerting far too much pressure, and Joshua was far too weak at that point to gain any upper hand at all.

Lucario had to think fast. He didn't want to risk running up to the Golbat immediately, in case the bat might get spooked and become even more violent towards his Master. And even if it didn't, Rock Climb would get his Master in the blast as well, considering how close Golbat was to him. Ignoring the blaring type disadvantage, Lucario immediately set himself up for an Aura Sphere attack. It wouldn't be very powerful against the Flying-type bat, but I never miss, Lucario thought to himself, confident that he could knock the bat off his Master without catching him in the blast as well.

Joshua was having difficulty standing, but remained still, to focus his strength on prying the bat off with his hands (tumbling around on the ground clearly wasn't working, and he figured he'd be doing Lucario a favour by staying as still as possible). He saw that Lucario had fired an Aura Sphere in his direction; well, it may not be the greatest of attacks considering the opponent, but Joshua trusted Lucario's aim – apparently, enough with his life.

A tense few seconds passed before a force knocked the Golbat off of Joshua's shoulder. It went soaring with a screeching noise, riding the attack into the cave. Lucario breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that his desperate gambit had worked to a well enough degree; but quickly panicked when he saw that his Master was falling off the ledge of the rock face they had climbed earlier, the force of the Aura Sphere knocking his Master off balance. Lucario ran towards Joshua, fear and panic and desperation written all throughout his face, desperately wishing he could get to his Master before he fell off the face of the cliff. Joshua, meanwhile, was trying to keep his balance by waving his arms and thrusting his body forward, but to no avail: he fell backward off the cliff, his body bouncing relentlessly off the jutted rocks, feeling his clothes rip, his skin bleed, and his bones break, until finally falling blissfully unconscious as he hit the floor of the cave.

Lucario flung himself off the cliff face, hoping to dear almighty Arceus that his Master was alive. The dust had risen around his Master's body as the sickening sound of beaten flesh clapping against dirt filled his ears. Lucario closed his eyes, searching for his Master's Aura through the dust as he landed – it was there, thankfully, but it was weaker than Lucario had ever seen it before, including after that terrifying trek through Route 217. He was alive, but barely.

He leaned down against his Master's body, turning him over and getting a look at his bloodied, broken face. Lucario was instantly brought to tears – he blamed himself for this, opting to fight another Onix over protecting his Master, and look what happened because of it. Why didn't he just try to Close Combat the Golbat when he had the option? He would've been close enough to control his strikes, so that Joshua wouldn't be caught in the attack–

Lucario cradled the broken human in his arms, desperately thinking over his options and what he should do next, but he kept getting distracted by the shock of what had happened to his Master. He was in charge of his Master's safety at the time: he was responsible for Joshua's condition. How could he let this happen?

A loud explosion filled the cave off in the distance as Lucario's Aura Sphere finally hit the wall, exploding the ball of concentrated energy into the cave. The Golbat probably exploded with the Aura, Lucario thought. Well, serves him right, he concluded, returning to the desperation at hand. But soon, a powerful vibration filled the cave, followed by the excited screams and the frantic flapping of Golbat wings. Graveler and Onix quickly burrowed into the ground, while Machoke and Medicham quickly found shelter under some rocky outcroppings. Lucario wondered what was going on, before suddenly, some rocks began falling off the walls and ceilings all around him. Horrified shouts and screams of fellow Pokémon Trainers filled the cave with the Golbat, and Lucario finally realized what was happening: the cave was beginning to collapse, probably thanks to how much power he had put behind that Aura Sphere.

Lucario wasn't as familiar with the cave as the Machoke and Medicham. While he knew that he could lift his Master to safety with ease, he had no idea where safety was in Victory Road. After watching a few more rocks fall dangerously close to both Pokémon and Trainer, Lucario tucked the spike in his chest under his left arm and jumped over Joshua, covering as much of the adult human's body as he could, in an attempt to protect him from the falling rocks, paying no mind to what was protecting him from the rocks.

The vibrations began to get worse, and soon, the very fabric of the cave began to unwind around them both. Lucario shut his eyes tightly as rocks bounced off his back and limbs, waiting for the cave-in to finish before it has a chance to crush them both under its weight. His Steel-type advantage protected him against the rocks, but eventually, too much would be too much; he just wished he had the strength to ride the collapse out before that happened. Above all else, Joshua must live through this.