Hannah and Zac were scheduled one right after the other, during lunchtime at 1 and 1:10 where there were a couple openings with gym trainers. Not to say that they could pick the gym leader of course, that would just be a waste of time for inexperienced trainers like us. Usually only older repeat trainers or ter in the year when the top first years started earning their 5th or 6th badge did the gym leaders really step in.

  Zac was first, Hannah was too nervous to go first when they registered so he was told to show her that 'even a bnd nimrod' could get a badge.

  I had no idea what my best friend was pnning but when I released my team to let them watch to the annoyance of the other people around. Puff and Fly were very vocal in their encouragement and fed on each other's respective singing and howling to take the cheering to new heights. Puff earmuffs were activated and I waved when he stepped up to his podium.

  This time a young guy was on shift and after the rules were decred and Froakie and Mime Jr. were sent out he used just one Mimikyu. Hannah saw my confusion and expined "There was a drop down box that had different types of contest battles, the standard type is automatically chosen but we searched and found other options. In this type, the gym trainer is using one above badge Pokémon against Zac's two so it's fair." Tucking the knowledge away for ter and watching the battle which was what it was, there was no contest part at all from my friend's side.

  He ordered attacks and the Mimikyu dodged and dazzled with charms that floated around instead of nding on Zac's team. It was like he was taunting him. Zac tried switching it up and dropped his opponent a couple points for using Froakie's fruffles but a tiny wood hammer ter and they were knocked down. Mime Jr. scored against the Mimikyu with a teeter dance and a mimic that were not ordered but it was only a matter of time.

  With a very dazzling dazzling gleam the Mimikyu shaved off the st of Zac's points. My friend looked saddened but not too much, he wasn't suited to contest battling and it wasn't like he wouldn't have other chances to get badges. There were a full 10 gyms so there were plenty others out there for the needed 8.

  Hannah was looking nervous, she really wanted this particur badge. She had run around to the trainer entrance as soon as the ref called the match. It was the same gym trainer who came out to face her after a 5 minute break. The rules were stated once again and she sent out Chimchar and Fidough. The cute dough doggo made Fly bark louder and howled. I tried holding her down as it looked like Fidough was getting distracted "Quiet down, Hannah needs Fidough for the match so you can meet him ter."

  Zac rolled into the stands and sat down next to me after the gym trainer released a Fbebe. It floated looking really weak and yet sharp at the same time. Chimchar was the first to move after the match started and condensed an ember into a ball shape before shooting it out ahead of Fidough who started running, surprisingly fast for those legs.

  Fidough then tackled the ball, hitting it such that it exploded towards the Fbebe who was stirring up a fairy wind and juggling a razor leaf at the same time with it. The explosion missed the tiny flower but was followed up with a head on tackle. Due to the size difference the Fbebe lost hold of its flower and had to fly back over to it. In that time Chimchar had stirred up a couple more balls that she tossed at Fidough. He pyfully started tackling them and the explosions around the Fbebe destroyed its flower.

  In rage the Fbabe stirred up a rge razor leaf and also a disarming voice. The razor leaves cut at Fidough and made the doggo retreat, the fairy infused sound traced his path and hit him in the back.

  "Copycat Fidough, do it now" Hannah commanded across the field. With bigger lungs and size but less finesse the doggo flung a disarming voice back. In the background I saw Chimchar juggling some leftover ember balls and the gym trainer's points being reduced quickly as they randomly exploded in the air.

  He looked calm, having nothing on the line but still demanded respect from his Pokemon "Get ahold of yourself, we will go find a beautiful flower for you after this challenge. Now rain dance and sunny day, make it flower shaped."

  The Fbebe still gave murderous looks at Fidough but listened, with concentration it influenced the opposing water and fire TE to make both rain clouds and an area as if the morning sun was peaking through. The small area of the sunny day increased its power and the light shone more brightly in comparison to the surrounding darkness. With a dazzling gleam the Fbebe knocked out 20 points from Hannah as light bounced around all the raindrops making the rain look shimmering.

  Hannah took a pause in her orders, not having anything to counter the Fbebe she took a long time to get Fidough to py rough. In that time her points sunk to an even amount with the gym trainer's. From there she took back control, Chimchar used helping hand on Fidough and the py rough looked almost magical, sparkles dancing around, making the scene look like a puppy pying with a toy. The motions seeming nice but really the Fbebe was getting stomped on.

  It was unable to recover anything, its physicality being too weak to handle the assault and it got knocked out and when the points were totaled Hannah won by a good 13 point margin as the extra show Chimchar put on in the background kept going while Fidough wrecked Fbebe.

  She jumped with joy and when the barrier went down she recalled the two and released them near to her to celebrate. I let go of Fly and started cpping, a couple other audience members doing the same. I waited until she got her badge and waved before Zac and I left.

  We talked for awhile and watched some TV through the window of a store.

  "Breaking news for the Oxdirt area, the rogue Flygon attack during the summer is still being fixed. The gym is under maintenance and after the first few days back the heavy usage of ground type moves has ruptured the foundations and opened the sinkhole back up. It is unknown how long repairs will be, but it is expected that the gym will be closed for the rge majority of this year's circuit to ensure the safety of gym trainers and challengers. Leader Mason Rebinks has made a statement that instead the gym is offering off site tutoring for the time being until it is safe enough at the gym.

  On another note, conference goer Hope Kilger has compined about the gym leader of the Mystic city gym not showing up for her te afternoon challenge and allowing her to mop the floor with the poor gym trainer that was sent as a repcement on such short notice. It is unknown where he disappeared to but he returned the next morning with a personal apology to Hope over coffee. After said coffee they both declined to comment further.

  Now onto the seer's forecast for today and tomorrow..."

  "Hey guys, I did it!" Hannah tapped us on the shoulder and we looked away from the news. The ground gym being closed was unfortunate as it was on the south route but I had other reasons to head that way even excluding the gyms.

  "Nice going out there Hannah, you really did well and shut down that Fbebe" I gave her a high five and a fist bump as I looked at her badge. She was using the attachment ring on the back and a hairpin to hang it on her shirt above her heart. I had mine stuffed in my bag somewhere in the smaller pocket. It is safe, I'm not irresponsible.

  Fly jumped up on the 'new' person like she had me and wagged her tail "Awwww, hey cutie."

  "Can you release Fidough? Fly wanted to meet him I think" she rubbed the rge head and all around her chin.

  "Strange name for a girl, are you sure that's what you want to call her?" Zac commented. He had met her during Hannah's match and gotten the same treatment except she had an easier time getting at his face.

  "I have a method ok?"

  "Not a good one. I mean come on Puff for puffball, that's what you came up with?" Hannah joked but Puff made some gestures in agreeance from my head. She picked up and pressed Fidough's ball to release him.

  Fly barked and started sniffing him which he returned and we started walking back to the campsite. Talking about our pns I told them I wanted to stop by the Colosseum before heading to Darkuf. They were pnning on heading straight there in a bigger group with some others they met through route 8. Supposedly it took two weeks to get there on route 8 but my estimates were different. I bet I could beat them there even by taking the route 9 detour and Hannah took me up for a 100 pokedolr bet.

  We exited the city to find a group of water types being shepherded around and I went to take a closer look. There were Wooper, Shellos, Mantyke, Corphish, and a couple I couldn't name that were likely from Paldea.

  I wanted some better ranged fighters so I looked at the Mantyke selection. I set Ian and Puff free to do what they wanted and Ian started wide guard training while Puff watched a TV farther away. That wide guard was taking far too long for my liking but I wanted for him to be able to make it at least my height in a second so that I had a fast way of protecting myself.

  Fly meanwhile was coming with me. With so many new people I didn't exactly trust her yet and she would be a big help catching a water type. The Mantyke I found were mainly babies, at most three weeks old. This wasn't bad per say but I didn't want to have to train one from scratch if I had the choice. I switched over to looking at Shellos when a Corphish walked up to me.

  It looked mean and older than the Mantyke, waddling really close to me. I backed out of its way but then it jumped at me with a dark covered cw and a purple knife that cut a big ssh onto my chest. I fell back and it dug into me harder to stick my nding.

  I nded hard as it was looking to crabhammer me into nonexistence...