Hiya there and welome to chapter 15! I'll address the elephant in the room and apologize profusely for how late this chapter is. I could give you lots of excuses but instead I'll just apologize and bow and send candy, y'know, all the things people do to apologize. XD I'm still playing through the game to write it down and so that's why it's taking so long... oh look I shoved in an excuse anyway. XP

Alrighty, so time for White's second battle and... tenth badge?! Wow, that seriously just feels wrong to say ten badges. XD Nothing with N in this chapter, although I promise you something very exciting regarding our two little lovers will be happening very soon! Probably next chapter!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy! :D

Chapter 15: A Toxic Battle

It'd been a long time since I'd had a conversation as enjoyable as the one with Professor Juniper. We sat, sipping coffee and laughing at memories. We talked about everything from Pokémon in the past, to Pokémon now, to what to expect with the changes in Unova. Not only that but for the first time I'd spoken with her about life itself.

She was definitely one of the most well-versed people I'd ever talked with. She told me about her own journey as a kid and how through collecting many Pokémon of her own she began to develop hypothesis and new ideas about their characteristics and powers. She'd known she wanted to be a Professor since she'd gotten her second badge and she said she'd already had an award-winning theory by the time she was eighteen. Her father had been similar, also publishing paper after paper that threw the Pokémon community into deep discussions, altering how humans viewed Pokémon each time he published new test results.

Juniper seemed flustered after a while of talking about herself so instead she turned to Hugh and myself. She knew just about everything going on with me so we only shared a few words, me giving her some facts about Pokémon I'd had that she'd been curious about and even calling out Eevee to let her give the tiny creature a look-over. She'd then turned to Hugh and talked with him.

Hugh had grown up in Unova, in a very small town that'd existed on the same land Aspertia was on now. So when the new city had been built, naturally he and his family moved into a newly built house there. He said he loved the new city life and wouldn't trade it for the world… although he would trade it for the chance to go on a journey. He said he lived with his mom and little sister. He'd always been close with his sister, especially after a Purrloin she'd befriended was stolen by Team Plasma.

Mei'd interrupted Hugh's story about a Purrloin before when we'd been in Aspertia so I finally got to hear the gist of it. Like many Pokémon a couple years ago, Olivia's Purrloin had been stolen. I'd heard countless stories of the like but apparently it'd hit Hugh the hardest, even harder than his sister. Since then he'd been absolutely determined to take down Team Plasma, even believing they weren't completely destroyed after I'd conquered N. Turned out he was right.

Juniper was interested in the encounter we'd had with the Plasma grunt. She'd sighed and nodded. She said it would be a catastrophe whenever word got out, but she honestly wasn't surprised. After the conversation with her and how she'd been suspicious about them still being around, surviving in some underground organization, I began to wonder if I was the only one who had thought that Team Plasma was done for.

Juniper said that for the moment anyway, not to worry about them. She said we were young and to enjoy our journeys while we could. That if Team Plasma really was back, it'd be in the news soon enough and then Unova could work together to decide what to do, since there were few if any supporters of Team Plasma still around.

She gave me a wink and said that if I'd done it once I could do it again, especially if they were weaker this time, and most likely they were.

My mind traveled back to the meeting on the bridge with the Shadow Triad. I'd only told N in a voicemail about that encounter… I contemplated telling Juniper and Hugh but decided against it. It'd been published in newspapers about the Sages' escape and now they were wanted men but nothing too awfully shaking had happened. No one seemed too bothered by it, most likely because things had just calmed down so much. Pokémon had been returned and there was no sign of them being taken again. The citizens didn't see a need to worry. At least not yet.

I wished I could take Juniper's advice, or even follow in the footsteps of Unovian citizens and push the thoughts of Team Plasma out of my head. We'd only seen one grunt after all, one, in the middle of nowhere. Even if he was the beginning of the second uprising it appeared they had a lot of work to do before they'd be something worth demolishing.

However, whenever I felt a prick of hope in my stomach that maybe it wasn't anything to worry about, the Ice Gem in my bag felt like it weighed a ton and I remembered the second half of the conversation I'd had with the Shadow Triad. It wasn't just to tell me the Sages and Ghetsis had escaped but also to give me that gem as a "gift" from the leader of Team Plasma himself. And even though I had no idea what the gem could mean, it made me worry. Ghetsis was a cunning man and even if it seemed unlikely that Team Plasma could pick itself back up, if he was somehow at the front of it again, not hiding behind N and the "liberating Pokémon" façade, it worried me. He'd be stronger this time… I could feel it.

I hadn't told anyone except N about the gem either, and something told me it was definitely a fact to keep to myself.

And so after a long and oddly comforting conversation with Juniper, she looked down at her watch and sighed. "Time really flies."

I glanced up to the clock on the side of the café and nodded. It was around three in the afternoon. We'd been talking for hours. Hugh slouched slightly beside me and I caught the drift he didn't want the conversation to end.

"Well thanks for the info on Snivy," I said, looking over to the one empty chair at our table which now held Snivy. He'd inched closer and closer throughout our conversation, apparently a little curious of all of us. We didn't pay him any mind and before long he'd hopped up in the chair and sat there like a dignified human, his tiny leafy arms crossed as he looked back and forth from all of us as we spoke. He acted like he didn't care, or didn't want to care, anyway, but he did. Not to mention he seemed oddly distinguished for such a small Pokémon. I wondered how old he was.

Juniper waved a hand. "Not a problem; thanks for taking him off my hands." Snivy shot her a glare and she winked at him. "If you ever need anything else at all White, Snivy-related or not, don't hesitate to call~!" She stood up and stretched.

"I will," I reassured. Ten to one I'd end up taking her up on that offer. I stood next, followed by a reluctant Hugh.

"So where're you two kids headed off to after this?" Juniper took a last sip of her coffee and made a face at how cold it was.

"Well," I said, holding out Snivy's pokeball, "I'm off to challenge Roxie today." Snivy eyed me carefully before turning his nose up into the air. I figured that was him saying it was alright to call him back since he wasn't exactly protesting… he had some odd mannerisms. The ball's red light sucked Snivy back and I placed it back into my bag.

Hugh looked around. "I'm hoping to maybe watch White's battle if she'll let me… but I'd like to get on a boat to Castelia before night sets."

Juniper winked. "Ah, good thinking; it's about a what… eight hour ride? It'd be best to do it at night." Really? Eight hour ride? I was beginning to miss Zekrom… he was so much faster than other modes of transportation. "Well if you two don't mind I think I'll be on my way. I left Bianca in charge of the lab while I was gone and goodness knows how that's going," she chuckled.

"Ooh, yeah you better get back," I laughed. "If I know Bianca as well as I think I do she's probably panicking."

Juniper smiled, her eyes sparkling. "You're probably right. Although, she's grown up quite a lot White! I wouldn't put it past her to have everything calm and under control," she said, pointing a finger at me before chuckling in spite of herself.

It was hard to imagine Bianca having anything under control but I guessed I hadn't seen her in a while, for all I knew she'd grown up a lot. Although she had been just as much of a mess as I remembered when she'd met me in Aspertia to give me Snivy, and at Cheren's Gym.

"Alrighty then," Juniper called, tossing a Pokeball up into the air.

"Oh jeez," both Hugh and I said in unison, ducking away as a large Pokémon materialized. She could've waited to call it out until she'd at least walked away from the tables.

The Unfeazant landed gracefully, easily dodging chairs and the umbrellas above the tables. It cocked its head at us before giving a trilling greeting.

With a hop Juniper was on its back and gave us a loose salute. "You kids have fun now! And good luck on getting your badge, White." Before I had time to answer, the Unfeazant had let out another small trill and launched itself into the air. I waved as the bird took off, flying gracefully up into the sky before slowly drifting out of sight.

Juniper, while seemingly calm, was actually just a whirlwind of a woman. One moment she was there, and the next she was gone. It was almost a little freaky sometimes.

"Well she's… interesting," Hugh mumbled, still looking toward where Juniper and her Pokémon had disappeared.

I patted him on the shoulder. "You'll get used to it." Indeed she was a bit of a handful, but then again, she was a genius in her field, and usually geniuses were hard to handle. "So you wanted to watch me battle?" I asked with a grin, crumpling up my sandwich wrapper and tossing it along with my cup into the trash.

Hugh shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "Yeah, I did. I told you I'd seen you and your Emboar battle on TV so I figured it'd be neat to watch you in real life."

Talace's ball wiggled slightly at the mention and I looked down at the necklace his ball was attached to with a smirk. "Well aren't you a prideful little thing," I muttered to his ball and it stilled. No doubt he was pouting now. I'd kind of hoped the first time Hugh watched me battle was when I was battling him. For a few reasons, the most obvious being that it was usually unfair if one trainer had gotten to view the other battle, but also because it would be special. I could practically feel the talent just oozing out of Hugh the longer I stayed around him.

He was determined, yes, but there was also a natural flare. Not to mention he apparently beat Roxie on his first try, and the only Pokémon I knew of him having was a newly hatched Tepig.

"Yeah, sure you can watch. Although it probably won't be too exciting since it's only a level two Gym and I'm planning on using Mareep to see what he's got."

Hugh shrugged. "I'd still want to watch." He was acting tough but I could see in his eyes that he was beyond excited to watch. Not necessarily because of me… just because he liked to watch Pokémon battles, I guessed. Yeah, there was something unique about this kid.

"Alright so where's the Gym?" I asked.

"Oh! Right this way," Hugh said haughtily, walking forward with his chest puffed out. He was as bad with pride as Talace was. I shuffled after him, taking a deep breath of the salt-filled air.

I was a bit surprised that Marlon's water type gym wasn't the one to end up in Virbank, with it being a port town and all. Although, I guess I'd heard some things about Humilau having a few beaches… which would make sense. Wingulls were prevalent in Virbank; there wasn't a single patch of sky without a few of them dotting and darting around.

Hugh and I turned a corner on the wooden dock and began walking down a row of buildings. There were a few souvenir shops, a grocery store, and a store selling bathing suits. Perfect weather for swimming. "So what's Roxie like? Care to give me a few tips?" I asked, elbowing him playfully and peering into a shop window.

Hugh snorted. "You've already met her haven't you?"

I cupped my hands to the glass, peeking in at a few glass necklace trinkets. "Yeah, I have. Even seen her battle but… I dunno… like what Pokémon does she have?"

"Am I allowed to tell you that?" Hugh replied as I shoved off of the window and began walking with him again. He seemed a little jittery; maybe he was excited.

I scoffed. "Of course you are, but I guess you don't… have to, I was just trying to get some info." I chuckled. "So, what Pokémon did you use against her?" I couldn't keep my eyes off of the ocean. It was a blue unlike any other blue I'd seen before; even more intriguing than the shops selling sparkly things to my left.

"I used Tepig and a Pidove I caught day before yesterday. They both did great." The admiration in his voice was palpable.

So he had in fact caught another Pokémon. "And she was easy for an old-timer pro like yourself?" I teased.

Hugh gave me a sideways glare, but he was smiling. I was glad he seemed to be relaxing a little around me. When we'd met in Aspertia I'd been afraid he would continue on the path of knowing me as 'White the Champion' not 'White the friend'. He seemed to be getting used to me, even if we had only been traveling together for a day or so… were we really traveling together? Mei and Hugh and I? Yeah, I guess we kinda were. When I'd set out on my first journey I'd been alone most of the time, meeting up with Cheren and Bianca here and there but traveling on my own. I figured once we hit Castelia and other cities where I didn't need to challenge the Gym I'd probably end up parting ways with them. The thought made me a little sad but I was sure I'd meet up with them again and have that battle with Hugh and whatnot.

"She wasn't… easy," Hugh said, slowing to a stop and nodding toward a tiny building. "It kinda came down to the wire. Anyway, that's her gym."

"W-what?" I pointed at the small door. "That's her Gym?!" It was a hole-in-the-wall kind of place, sandwiched between two different shops. It was really just a beat-up door with the muffled sound of rock music thumping behind it and neon purple signs above the door. Oh, and yeah sure enough the largest purple neon sign was the League's symbol… just when I thought I'd seen it all…

"Yeah, surprised me too," Hugh sighed, "but it really is-" Hugh was cut off by a ringing sound and he took his arm out of his pocket to take a look at his X-transceiver. "Oh it's Mei," he said, answering it.

"HUGH WHERE ARE YOU TWO?!" Mei's voice blared out of the tiny device and Hugh and I both stepped back away from his arm on instinct.

Hugh held his hand out as far away from himself as possible. "We're near the Gym. I thought you were at Pokestar Studios making a movie; why're you looking for us?"

"I was," Mei said. I heard a loud sigh. "Hugh I can't see anything but the sky; why are you holding me out so far?"

Hugh brought the X-transceiver and his arm along with it back down to look at. "Sorry you were just so loud-"

"I was not loud! Even if I was I have a right to be! I'm so lost right now it's not even funny!" I peered over at the screen to see Mei walking around, looking flustered. She was passing shops as well although they weren't any I'd seen. "I went with Mr. Deeoh to Pokestar Studios, he gave me a tour, introduced me to actors and crew members, I watched a show, and then we filmed a movie right then and there! But now I'm done and I thought I'd go find you guys but apparently that's easier said than done," Mei sighed, looking even more flustered than she had a moment ago.

"They filmed a movie in a few hours?!" I coughed.

Mei nodded, looking around herself. "Yeah, he said they were the most productive studio in Unova… or something like that… I don't know just… I'm so lost." She slouched over in defeat.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. "You better go find your girlfriend before she gets hurt," I snickered to Hugh.

Hugh's eyes bugged for a moment before he sent me a rattled glare. "I-She's-I'm not-Mei- We're friends," he hissed before clearing his throat. "But yes, I'll go find her," he stuttered, his face growing slightly red with embarrassment. Wow, I hadn't expected that reaction, although it was absolutely amusing. Hugh looked back down at the screen. "Sit tight Mei, I'll be there in a sec."

Hugh pressed a button on his X-transceiver and it went black. "Guess you won't get to see my battle after all," I smiled.

He frowned for a second before shrugging. "Ohwell, things come up, but I will watch you battle one day," he said, pointing a finger at me and walking backwards.

I gave him a thumbs up. "Sure thing. Maybe it'll be when I'm battling you."

His entire face lit up and he nodded. "You bet!" With that he turned around and broke into a jog, rounding the end of the shops and running out of sight. He had energy; I'd give him that. Part of me wondered how long until he had a fully-evolved and powerful team. Something told me it wouldn't be too awfully long. I just hoped all of my newbies were used to me by then. It'd be embarrassing if I lost to a new trainer.

I couldn't help but smile at the thought as I took a deep breath and readied myself for the battle to come.

The wooden door to the gym didn't really have a handle and it took me a little while just to figure out how to get the stupid thing open. Once I'd pulled it open far enough to slip through, the pounding music had become a little louder.

The door closed behind me with a thunk and I eyed the walls filled with battered and torn concert posters and tickets carefully. The door opened up into a steep stairwell leading down to another more sturdy-looking metal door, although the walls were fascinating.

I'd guessed Roxie had decided to decorate the hallway with memories because after a bit of observation I realized all of the posters were ones for her own concerts. From Olivine City to Pallet Town she'd been absolutely everywhere on tour. Pictures of her and her band with neon lights and blaring speakers were everywhere. She even had a section of the walls dedicated to fan letters which were so abundant they were about to fall off. If she was this popular, and apparently enjoyed performing this much… why had she become a Gym Leader?

I slowly made the descent down the flight of stairs, reading every scrap of paper on the wall that I could. That hallway was like a gigantic life-sized scrapbook of all her achievements. It was definitely a sight to behold.

The metal door at the bottom actually did have a handle, thankfully, and before I knew it I'd been plunged into the ear-splitting sound of rock music and whiny guitars.

"Oh man," I flinched, clapping my hands over my ears. Her Gym was the epitome of what I'd call grunge music. The entire Gym's interior was painted with black and dimly lit, only accented by splashes of neon green and pink on the walls and some brightly-colored speakers. Of course, the gigantic stage at the front of the room was lit up like the sun. There Roxie stood, guitar in hand as she sang out loud and clear, a grin on her face. She was so into it I doubted she had any idea what was going on around her.

A few band members were practicing with her on the stage, including a drummer who was banging away, not even exactly to the beat.

It was sensory overload for sure and I wasn't exactly sure where to start. Luckily, I heard a familiar voice.

"Well hey there, Champion-to-be." I looked to my right to see Clyde sauntering up next to me, a pair of noise-canceling headphones adorning his head. Clyde. I hadn't seen him in such a long time! His face was always the first to meet me at a gym… I still wondered how he got around that quickly.

"Hey Clyde," I yelled over the music.

He gestured up to the stage. "As you can see this Gym is also a rock club! It's loud but she's talented. Don't be afraid; just go on up and get her attention if you want a battle. She's just practicing."

If this was practice I'd be afraid to see how into it she'd get in a real show. She was grinning ear-to-ear, banging her head to the music and laughing like crazy.

"Thanks," I yelled again, although I doubted Clyde could hear me, especially with those headphones.

I kept my hands over my ears as I quickly shuffled up to the stage. When I was down front Roxie's eye caught me and I waved. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise and she waved a hand at her other band members to stop. The music died down with screeches and off-key notes. She jogged up to the front of the stage and crouched down with a grin.

"Heya White! I've been expectin' ya!" She held out a hand to me and I took it, expecting a handshake. Instead, she yanked me upwards, successfully pulling me on stage with a yelp. "I'm assumin' you're here for a battle?"

"Y-yeah," I answered, getting my footing and holding a hand up to shield my eyes. How could she even perform with such blinding stage lights being blasted into her face?

"Oh, hey guys dial those down will ya?" Roxie asked, calling out toward the door. Apparently there was someone out there that I hadn't seen because the spotlights dimmed down enough to be considered normal. "Alright, I'm gonna skip the casual talk," she grinned with a wink, jogging over to one side of the stage and motioning me to the other. "All this nonsense Gym Leaders do with talkin' to their challengers. I just wanna get straight to it! Plus, I've got things to do, people to see! Guys, some battle music puh-lease!" She pointed at her other members and they nodded.

The drummer started up a steady beat and the bass player moved to the back, lightly giving off a few chords.

Wow. She really did get straight to business. I felt like I'd just been in a tornado. One minute I was outside the gym, hearing some odd but muffled music and the next I was on stage and Roxie was already calling out her first Pokémon. I needed to reign in my thoughts or my Pokémon would sense my hesitance and confusion. That never made for a good battle.

"Get ready, White! I'm gonna knock some sense outta ya!" With that she tossed out her first Pokémon, which made its appearance in a cloud of gas. A Koffing. Unlike Cheren, Roxie didn't seem worried about what Pokémon I'd be using. I'd seen her strong team when she'd tried out for Gym Leader, but I hadn't witnessed the little ones she'd been assigned for her Gym.

"Alright Mareep," I called, tossing out my choice.

My sheep appeared on wobbly legs, his wool floofing out and bouncing exaggeratedly. He took one look around himself and I could've sworn I saw all his dreams come true. He saw he was on a stage and immediately let out the happiest bleat I'd ever heard, followed by trotting a small circle… and then a striking a pose at the last moment. He was definitely a drama king.

Roxie stared at my flamboyant Pokémon for a moment before breaking out into a laugh. "Alright Koffing, try a tackle!"

The poison Pokémon let out a wheeze of understanding before hurdling itself at my sheep. "Try to dodge it Mareep!" I called. I hadn't gotten really any chance at all to work with Mareep, although we'd somewhat bonded when I'd tripped over him in Floccesy and again when I'd had to give him a bath in the Pokémon Center, so I hoped maybe that would help our synchronicity in battle… at least a little.

Mareep apparently had understood me, although he didn't exactly let out any sound or motion to let me know he had, instead twirling to the left and easily out of Koffing's way. He ended gracefully in a bow and even the Koffing was staring at him with confusion after that. What an odd little Pokémon I'd picked up.

"Thunder Wave Mareep!" I called.

He swished his ball-like tail to one side and threw a hoof out toward the Koffing with a pitying look on his face as a bolt of electricity crackled out of his wool and struck the Koffing with precision.

The Koffing flinched, squinting one eye but otherwise remaining undamaged. Thunder Wave wasn't meant for damage, more so for paralysis and slowing down the enemy. Koffing in general weren't fast, but I needed to be careful since Mareep was still so new and weak. Slowing down his enemy should help him out some.

The Koffing drifted back over towards Roxie, a still very confused look on its face as Mareep twirled back over to stand in front of me again. "Okay Mareep, Thunder Shock!"

With a bleat my Pokémon swished his tail again, shaking out his wool and sending a bolt of electricity toward Koffing again. This attack should actually do some damage.

"Use Tackle to Dodge then use Smokescreen!" Roxie called. My eyebrows shot upwards. Although I'd watched her battle before, she'd used almost solely raw power and speed to win her battles. It appeared she'd adapted her style to fit with weaker and younger Pokémon. She really was a pro; definitely fit to be a Gym Leader.

"Koff," the Koffing wheezed, rolling out of the way of the electricity before spitting out an acidic purple-colored smoke, enveloping itself and the surrounding area in the fog. The Koffing would've undoubtedly been unable to dodge Mareep's attack with its lowered speed, but the Tackle attack had made the paralysis seem absent. I was impressed.

I just needed to slow it down even farther then. "Cotton Spore!" That should render the smoke useless as well.

Mareep shook violently, shaking puffs of fluff and wool toward the Koffing, the floof doubling in size and seemingly soaking up the smoke before attaching themselves to the Koffing. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. The Koffing covered in wool looked almost like a very odd-looking floating sheep now, the only part of it visible being its blinking eyes. Roxie looked a little taken off-guard and I took the chance to call out what I hoped would be the finishing moves.

"Thunder Shock Mareep, followed by Tackle!" I pointed toward the fluffy Koffing and without hesitation Mareep shot off another bolt of electricity, shoving off of the stage and running as fast as his little legs would carry him toward the opponent.

The electric attack hit right on the mark, the Cotton Spore almost looking as if it acted as a conductor for the shock, the Koffing wheezing in discomfort.

"Reep!" Mareep cried at the last moment, jumping up and crashing into the Koffing. Part of me was a little surprised that such tiny toothpick-like legs could get him that high off the ground, but I was proud.

The Koffing went crashing to the ground in front of Roxie's feet, rolling to a halt, unconscious. The fluff attached to the poison Pokémon disintegrated and Roxie reluctantly called back her fainted Pokémon. She looked upset.

Mareep bleated happily, doing a small dance as he trotted back over toward me.

"It's not over yet!" Roxie called. "Time to turn this show around, Whirlipede!" With a screech her Pokémon appeared. I hadn't really had the opportunity to witness many Whirlipedes. I had had one of my own but I knew very little about it. One thing was for sure: it looked intimidating.

Although, Mareep didn't seem phased. He instead bowed toward the bug type and waited for the next order. I was beyond impressed with Mareep's performance so far. I'd known him for such a short time and he hadn't ever even practiced his moves with me before and yet I could already feel us slipping into a routine. I couldn't wait to sit down and train with him some; it would be a blast.

Finding Pokémon that were naturals in battle wasn't too hard of a thing to do, but finding one that melded with your battle style without even any prior conversation or observation was something truly unique. I was glad I'd tripped over him; I'd found one hell of a Pokémon.

Although, I doubted he could solo a Whirlipede. A Pokémon that'd already evolved and one that looked as if it'd have a good defense. I figured I better get as much damage on it and as soon as I could. "Thunder Shock Mareep and keep it going!"

"Rollout Whirlipede!" Roxie called afterwards as Mareep again shook a shock of electricity toward the opponent.

Just before the lightning hit Roxie's Pokémon it curled itself even tighter, whirling itself forward and spinning rapidly. It collided with the bolt of electricity and pushed hard, spinning in place as the shock bounced off of it and scattered sparks all around.

"Keep it up Mareep, you can do it!" I yelled. He grunted, digging his hooves into the stage to keep from sliding backwards. The Whirlipede didn't give up either, spinning itself into the attack furiously.

Although it looked like Mareep's electricity wasn't doing a thing to the poison type, I knew it was. Maybe only a little but it was slowly weakening it, which would put us in a better position in the future. Plus, if perhaps we could throw the Whirlipede off –that of which seemed to look very confident… or angry… or something… it just looked really intimidating- maybe Mareep or another of my Pokémon would have an easier time with it. A lot of times the way to gain the upper hand in battle wasn't even to overwhelm your opponent, just to take them or their Pokémon off guard.

It seemed to go on forever: Mareep's bolt smashing into the ever-turning Whirlipede. It was a showdown, and I had a feeling Mareep was getting just as determined as the Whirlipede to win.

However, such a tiny Pokémon couldn't hold up an attack forever and eventually Mareep's shock whittled down to nothing and my Pokémon panted in exhaustion. The Whirlipede, sensing the attack had stopped, slowed down as well, steadying itself back to a halt. It looked very wobbly, its eyes having a hard time tracking anything. Although Whirlipedes were circular and meant for rolling, rolling that fast and for that long was too much for any Pokémon. It was dizzy.

And poor Mareep was definitely too tired to continue. I held out his ball again as Roxie leaned down to talk with her Pokémon. She'd apparently noticed its dizzy spell as well. "Return Mareep, great job." The sheep gave a weak bleat as the red light sucked him back into safety.

I needed to hurry up and finish this before the Whirlipede gained its senses back. "Eevee! Let's go, try some Quick Attacks!" I called, throwing her ball into the air. Roxie looked surprised and the Whirlipede teetered, trying to focus its eyes as Eevee appeared for a moment, immediately shooting off into a blur and fizzling out of sight.

I'd briefly thought of using Snivy but almost immediately pushed it out of my mind. Not only would he be at a type disadvantage in a Poison Gym but I also had only met him a few hours ago, and something told me he wouldn't be as easy to get used to as Mareep had been.

"Poison Sting, Whirlipede! Don't let Eevee get to you!" Roxie called, throwing an arm downward and strumming out a deafening note on her guitar.

"Pede," it grunted in recognition, curling itself tighter again. Tiny little shining needles exploded from the bug's shell, barraging the airspace around it in a dangerous poison minefield.

"Use your speed to dodge them!" I called. With Eevee in the middle of a Quick Attack it'd be her best chance to dodge the Poison Sting. While it looked as if the needles were everywhere I knew for a fact they couldn't be. There had to be a place somewhere she could fit in and she'd find it.

Eevee reappeared a second later, a few inches away from the Whirlipede and letting out a happy "Vee!" as she crashed into it. The bug type went careening to the side and Eevee took off in a blur again. The Poison Sting attack stopped as Eevee continued her barrage of Quick Attacks, just as I'd instructed.

It was a sight to behold: Eevee appearing for only a brief second, just long enough to hit the Whirlipede in a different direction, to then disappear again and appear on the other side, smashing it the other way. It almost looked like a Meowth playing with an oversized ball of string.

Roxie's mouth opened and closed as her eyes darted around, trying to find some way out of the situation, but ultimately failing.

Eevee sensed when it was over, shooting backwards to stand and watch as the Curlipede Pokémon teetered, then tipped over with a screeching noise, fainted.

It'd been a whirlwind but apparently Eevee had pulled it off. "Yes! Great job Eevee!" I yelled, waving her back over towards me. She trotted back, head held high and a smile on her face. I leaned down to scratch her head when she made it to me.

I hadn't realized it at the time but apparently the Poison Sting attack had actually gotten to her. She had tiny pricks all along her body, not deep enough to do serious damage but enough surely to put her in a little bit of pain. And yet she hadn't shown it in the least. She was a real trooper.

I whispered my thanks to her before calling her back into her ball and promising I'd take her to a Pokémon Center soon. Roxie had apparently already called her Pokémon back because she was already making her way over to me, a frown on her face. "What are you doing losing, Roxie?!" she hissed at herself. She halted in front of me as I slipped Eevee's ball back into my bag and swung the strap over my shoulder. I felt bad for Roxie; she seemed to be beating herself up quite a bit over a loss, but I still couldn't keep the goofy grin off of my face.

She sighed. "Well… I guess that means you're strong!" A hint of a smile twitched at her lips. "This stinks! I haven't lost yet without the challenger losing a Pokémon… but I gave it everything I had, and I feel revitalized and refreshed now!" She let out a puff of air and the smile overtook her face. She seemed to be taking battling too seriously before. She was undoubtedly stressed, being a new Gym Leader and having herself to prove and all, but it seemed she'd relaxed a little, realizing somewhere in that brain of hers that losing was an inevitability. "Here," she said, grabbing my hand and shoving a long skinny badge made of purple circles into my hand. "The Toxic Badge, proof that you beat me!"

"Thanks," I breathed, beaming down at the badge.

"Here, I'll escort ya out!" Roxie grinned, motioning back at the two remaining band members to stop playing and to take a break. The battle music had gone on throughout our entire match… it was definitely interesting. I'd never had to listen to anything other than trainer's commands during battle.

The members of her band nodded and began conversing as Roxie led me to the side of the stage and jogged down a few steps. She turned around to walk backwards and watch me as we made our way towards the door. "I'm really glad I got ta battle you, White! I've watched ya a few times and I was just clamorin' for a chance to have a match. Although, I guess I assumed it'd be with the team I'd trained… but same difference I guess," she shrugged.

I gave her a nod. "You were something to behold when you were trying out for Gym Leader," I said, slipping the badge loose into my bag. I didn't have a slot for it in my case so I'd have to pin it in later. "I have to admit I was dying for a battle with you too! We'll have to have a match with your regular team sometime," I smiled.

Roxie's face lit up as we reached the door and she heaved it open. "You bet! You'll definitely use that dragon of yours, right?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, sure, if you want me to."

Roxie gave a fist pump and held the door open for me as she jogged up the stairs in and toward the door that led into the streets again.

"Hey Roxie," I called. "I was just curious… why did you give up performing to become a Gym Leader?" I looked at the walls of the stairwell, still plastered with posters. "I mean… you look like you enjoy it so much…" I trailed off. Not only on the pictures on these walls but also what I'd witnessed when walking into her Gym. She truly did enjoy her band.

Roxie tilted her head to the side. "I didn't give it up. Just… moved. Kinda." I watched her carefully as she stopped at the top step and turned around to look down at me. She smiled. "There are two things I love more than life itself, White: my band, and Pokémon. I've lived the dream, traveling all over the world on tour, but I hadn't given Pokémon as much attention as I would've liked. So I combined them! It's been my dream to be a Gym Leader since I was little, so moving here I was able to keep my band and live out a lifelong dream. I've fulfilled both. No, I'm not meeting fans all around the world anymore, but I'm still performing. If people want to see a concert, they come to me now." She grinned. "Performances on Fridays by the way; you should come sometime."

I gave her a nod and a smile. So she hadn't given up her dream, just compromised. She was probably living some sort of dream right now, just not the one I thought she'd had. Combining the two things she loved into one Gym: that was something truly spectacular. All Gym Leaders did it to some extent, but she was still actually performing as an Idol at the same time. Two jobs, in some respect.

I had a lot of admiration for Roxie after that. I could relate to her extreme love of Pokémon. Part of me had been sad to become Champion because I'd never get to travel around anymore, but after talking with Roxie I figured maybe I could make a compromise. Alder had traveled around during his time serving as Champion, but in so doing he'd sort of neglected his duties as Champion of Unova, as Sukizo had loudly complained about to anyone who'd listen. He'd been happy to have me as a Champion, although still a little hesitant since it'd been such a whirlwind that day.

N had beaten Alder and become "Champion" technically. About a half hour later I'd beaten N and therefore inherited the Champion title. Sukizo and the League weren't exactly sure how to handle such a quick overturn of power. The League was probably happy to have Iris now. She'd beaten Alder fair and square and rightfully earned her place. Of course, that meant if I beat her I'd rightfully earn the title as well… I hoped that day came soon.

Roxie pushed open the door and I followed her out onto the streets. Two familiar faces were right there to greet us.

"So, how'd it go?" Hugh asked. Roxie looked surprised to have more visitors but gave Hugh a fistbump. Apparently they'd hit it off. Mei stared at Roxie and then at Hugh with confusion.

"Well, she beat me pretty bad," Roxie laughed.

"She exaggerates," I sighed, letting the door close behind me. "I got my badge but my Pokémon were exhausted~."

Roxie stuck out her tongue playfully. "Giving out two badges in one day." She held a hand to her heart in mock hurt. "It's painful. You two better beat the other Gym Leaders or I'll be offended." She grinned and smacked both Hugh and I on the back.

Mei looked around to all of our faces with confusion still etched into her features. Apparently Hugh had found her and she looked no worse for wear. "So Mei, you're gonna challenge Roxie too, right?" I asked. I still hadn't been able to figure out if Mei was taking the Gym Challenge or not. She hadn't gotten Cheren's badge but it wasn't a surprise, lots of trainers went out into more difficult areas to train Pokémon, then to go back. She struck me as someone who liked to battle… but I just couldn't figure out if she'd be Gym challenging material.

"Oh really? I got another challenger?" Roxie asked with a grin, peering over at Mei.

Mei blushed and waved a hand to dismiss it. "Ah, no, I won't be challenging. That's more of Hugh's thing; I'm just along for the ride."

"Along for the ride?" I repeated. Roxie slouched slightly. She'd already had two challengers in the course of a few hours and yet she'd looked absolutely stoked to have another. I wondered how many people she'd gotten to challenge her so far. I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't many; it was a new Gym after all. Soon enough word would get out and there'd be a line at her door.

Mei nodded. "I love Pokémon, and I'm not… bad at battling… but it's just not my thing. I like having matches for fun, not competition." She smiled.

Hugh rolled his eyes and patted her on the head. "'Not bad at battling'," he scoffed. "She's almost as good as I am. So modest."

Mei blushed and smacked his hand away. "Well you're not some champion battler yet, Mr. Cocky," she huffed before turning back to me with a smile. "The Pokestar Studios stuff is more what I'm into. Just having some fun here and there and getting to travel, that's what I'm into."

"Crap!" We all jumped in surprise as Roxie yelled, her eyes bulging. "Pokestar Studios!" she screeched. "I forgot! The old man! I have to get him back to work as Captain!" Without another word she'd taken off in a sprint, flying down the dock. "Oh! You guys wait there, okay? I'll be right back!"

We stared after her as she ran around the building and out of sight. "What was that all about?" I breathed.

Hugh sighed. "When I got here for my battle she was outside arguing with the ship captain who apparently owns the ship that takes passengers to Castelia. Apparently he was her dad… I dunno they yelled a lot and from what I heard of it, he wants to be a star in Pokestar Studios and Roxie's upset because he's neglecting his other job… it was a mess."

I chuckled. "Well, I hope they work things out because we probably need to catch that boat tonight."

Mei walked over to peer around the building where Roxie'd disappeared as Hugh nodded. "Yeah, it'd be a bummer if we had to wait till tomorrow to catch one… or even longer… depending upon how long he's at the Studio."

There was a tiny squeak from Mei and she turned back to us with frightful eyes. "Guys," she hissed. "Y-you've gotta come see this! Hurry!"

"What is it, Mei?" Hugh sighed exasperatedly. Something told me she said those lines: "You've gotta come see this! Hurry!" a lot and he'd gotten used to it.

"Just get over here!" Mei practically yelled, violently motioning at us.

Hugh sighed loudly and shoved his hands into his pockets before stomping forward. I followed in suit, quite amused. We weren't in any hurry today if the ship captain wasn't even around so there was no sense in getting worked up over Mei calling us over to see- "Oh, Arceus," I squeaked as I peered around the corner.

Roxie apparently hadn't gotten very far. Instead she stood just a few yards away, her hands on her hips as she stared down three Plasma Grunts. They were all in the same black uniforms that the grunt we'd seen in the Ranch was wearing, minus the dirt stains and tattered sleeves. They sneered at Roxie, looking just as strong as they'd been a year ago.

I felt the need to rub my eyes or pinch myself or do something to make sure that this was a dream and not reality, but I already knew.

Juniper had said to put Plasma out of our minds until they were able to surface again, which wouldn't be for quite a while, but staring at those grunts on the doc, looking as if they'd been waiting for this day their entire lives, I knew she'd been wrong.

So there it is! I hope you enjoyed! I really dislike writing battles, and it's oddly hard to do when Pokemon are so weak and don't know many attacking moves, haha XD So I apologize if the battle felt weird. :P

And lookie, I shoved a tiiiiiny bit of MeixHugh in there... if you squint hard enough. I do ship them, by the way. Hue hue hue.

Next chapter won't take as long, I swear, partially because I think it's gonna be kinda short... but I will pay attention to this story more. Promise.

And of course thank you so so so much for the absolutely amazing reviews and whatnot for the last chapter! I am just blown away every time someone sends me a note regarding this story! I love you all so much!

Anyway, have a great weekend!

~Poke-lover88