Leaf

  —

  I wouldn't say that I was nervous as I waited for my Gym Battle. In fact, I was mildly worried that it would be too easy again. Indeedee would be my main fighter as a Psychic/Normal type, not that she gained any resistances against Poison due to her normal typing. Her Psychic attacks were still far more effective against poison…

  My steps were steady as I exited the waiting room, the crowd slightly larger than the other day for Alex's battle, the stands packed. Her and Erin were in the Challengers corner, obviously, and I smiled at them briefly before I turned to face my opponent. Well, them and Hope holding Tinkatink up, her club waving as she babbled out cheers.

  Dexter was hovering there, too, but while he was recording, it wasn't necessary anymore. Fifth badge battles and beyond were all recorded and posted. It was generally assumed that if you went beyond four, you could handle the attention…

  He was probably a better camera-Pokemon than whoever the gym had, though, so mom would probably still prefer to watch his recordings…

  "Think you have what it takes to win my badge, challenger? Have you tempered yourself since the last time you were in these halls?" I actually laughed a little at that, and Janine smiled back.

  "I know I have what it takes to win your badge. The only question is how badly you're going to lose!" She laughed at my words as well before she nodded at the referee.

  I hated waiting for them to drone on with the rules… It was basically the same every time! It just changed based on how many Pokemon the Gym Leader could use and how many switches I got!

  "Gym Leader, release your first Pokemon!"

  Skuntank weren't nasty Pokemon, at least? They were actually quite affectionate, they didn't drip with poisons, and they didn't smell bad at all! They actually disliked the smell of their own attacks! They still used them, however, and I wasn't looking forward to the stench. I also grew slightly nervous, because that was obviously a sixth badge Pokemon, judging by the referee's face. I guess I was getting the Erin treatment, now?

  Fine by me!

  Even if they were Poison/Dark, and thus completely immune to any of Indeedee's Psychic attacks… Which, judging from the smirk on Janine's face, was exactly what she had planned. Not that I was all that surprised by this. Ninjas were known for gathering information on their opponents, and Janine ran a Gym full of them! Not to mention I had used her in here…

  Instead of panicking, or getting upset, I just smirked right back at her. Sure, Indeedee would have been faster, and Hope was too strong, not to mention up in the stands with Tinkatink, but the two boys on my team should have their own moment to shine, right? Shouldn't my lazy boy get some exercise?

  "Noibat, time to put some work in!"

  He came out with his usual yawn, like he had been sleeping in his ball as I stood on the Challengers podium. Because of course he had been… He still flapped into the air and spared me a quick smile. He liked me, sure, but he was just along for the ride so far. I was working on it, but he really was just… so lazy…

  "Match begin!"

  "Skuntank, long range spray!" Oh, eww, that's a nasty order!

  "Noibat, evasive ranged!" He was already moving, of course.

  Evading the horrid smelling liquid that shot out of that Skuntank's tail in an arc, creating a thin wave of disgusting fluid. That had to be Sludge Wave, or maybe a truly overpowered Toxic. My lazy boy flapped right over it, of course, and began unleashing Air Slash after Air Slash at the Skuntank. They were long range Moves, sure, but the distance meant it was easy for the Skuntank to dodge out of the way. His followup Dragon Pulse, however, was much faster.

  The draconic energy slammed into Skuntank, driving it back slightly, even as its tail aimed upwards once more. I just smiled, though. I also pulled my ear plugs out. He loved to chain these moves together…

  The Supersonic was as loud as he could make it, and my head began to pound even as that poor Skuntank reeled backwards from the pain, not to mention the Confusion. Noibat didn't let the chance go to waste, though. He was already diving at the smelly Pokemon, draconic energy glowing along his small claws. Also his ears, which had surprised me the first time, but they were sturdy.

  The Dragon Claw smashed right into the Skuntank's nose as it blinked in Confusion, and using the sudden force on his claw, my lazy dragon whipped his glowing ears into the side of the Skuntank's head in a devastating Breaking Swipe he had learned from Hazard, claw being dragged even further by the action. He was already launching himself away from the reeling, stumbling, heavily bleeding Pokemon, when Janine pissed me off!

  "Skuntank, Memento!"

  I cursed under my breath as my uninjured bat was seemingly grasped in the air with void-dark energy tinged with a crimson red, the Move sinking into him before disappearing. I scowled as the heavily bleeding Skuntank was withdrawn, because my lazy boy was having a hard time flying now. He was weakened, and unfortunately he didn't have a lot of strength to begin with. He was small, and his Evolution was still far away at this point. He could barely fly, and as he started to glide to the floor I recalled him. After Janine recalled her Pokemon, of course.

  "I'm switching out Noibat!" I whispered my next words to his ball.

  "Don't worry, if I need to, you can come back out. That Move doesn't last forever." It rattled, very slightly, and I knew what that meant… My lazy dragon didn't care if he was returned. Of course…

  "Go, Scolipede!" I smiled as the huge red and black Bug Pokemon came out.

  "Hazard, it's time to have some fun!"

  I really enjoyed the look on that poor Scolipede's face, not to mention Janine's and the audience, when my murderous dragon came out like he enjoyed coming out. Arms thrown wide, one leg leading, snarling as he shook with repressed bloodlust. I think it was real bloodlust, too, he just didn't direct it at us anymore. I still couldn't really believe what I had seen yesterday when I pulled myself onto that pier.

  He had been playing with Tinkatink! In a relatively violent way, sure, but he hadn't hurt her at all! He had let her strike his blades! He might have just been testing them, too, but still!

  The referee was giving Hazard a look, everyone was, but after a moment he shrugged and dropped his flag.

  "Match resume!"

  "Scolipede, Rollout!" I smirked at the order.

  "Hazard, full power, no lasting damage, and have a good time!"

  He snarled at me even as he was kicking off, Dragon Pulse leading the way as he charged headlong at the huge, rolling bug-type speeding at him. It only had a second to do damage, but it slowed it down… slightly. The Dragon Claw that followed it, as he barely dodged to the side, actually did far more damage. Hazard had learned from his mistakes against that Onix in Pewter. He didn't try to slash along its spinning sides, or down. No, he clawed up, letting its rapid spinning tear vivid lines in its entire carapace.

  The force still bounced him off the ground and into the air momentarily, but Hazard was very used to being thrown into the air by now. As he twisted in midair to land cleanly his blades began to glow, and even as his back foot touched down he was spinning into a Swords Dance, Normal energy settling into his body as he smiled at the Scolipede.

  That poor Scolipede looked rough from that strike, but this had to be a sixth badge Pokemon, because it sped back up into its Rollout again, straight towards my baby.

  Hazard just laughed as the Scolipede closed in, draconic energy visibly radiating from his blades. He was still laughing even as he twisted around, our eyes meeting for a moment. He could see the excitement on my face, and he grinned at me, bloodlust dancing in his red eyes. Then he flung himself into a spinning Breaking Swipe just as the Scolipede reached him.

  Hazards blades cut into it so badly that I was honestly worried about it, even as it slammed into him with its entire body weight. There were startled sounds from the audience, but I wasn't paying attention to them. My eyes were on my dragon, or where he should be, and as Janine recalled her Pokemon I released the breath I had been holding.

  Hazard was mostly fine, if a little smashed into the wooden flooring here. He clawed his way out easily enough, smirking at me as he returned to our side of the court, and set himself into his original, snarling position.

  I smiled widely at Janine as she glared at me. She was mad her Pokemon got badly hurt? Don't send out a sixth badge level against a fifth badge fight! Or if you think I'm that powerful, then treat me like I'm that powerful!

  She looked like she was, now. That would explain the Gengar that came out next. It cackled at Hazard, but if it was trying to infuriate him, well, Hazard had gotten a lot of 'anger management training'. He didn't let his anger go, of course… That wasn't a very Hazard thing to do. He just saved it.

  "Match begin!"

  "Gengar, Dazzling Gleam!" Oh you bitch… Fine, then!

  "Hazard, close in and get mad!" He laughed, even as he was charging the ghostly Pokemon. Said ghostly Pokemon started unleashing rapid-fire Dazzling Gleams, the sparkling pink energy fast! This may be a seventh badge Pokemon…

  Hazard managed to dodge the first three, because my murder boy was very used to getting ranged attacks thrown at his face. He still took the fourth head-on, but he was close now, and he was mad! How dare this blob of ectoplasm use something like a fairy attack on him! Him! A dragon!

  Hazards Outrage was honestly scary, even for me. As he closed in, draconic energy radiating from his entire body, Gengar attempted to flee, but the gym was bright, there were very few shadows around it, and Gengar weren't very fast in the open. It still raised a Protect, one that held firm under the first slash of Hazard's right blade. The followup right claw as he twisted his entire body into the attacks broke it. The left blade came at the Pokemon next, and it bit deep, well, it went right through it in a small explosion of ectoplasm as only the draconic energy did damage, even as his left claw was coming in, enlarging the wound.

  I saw him shimmer with ghostly energies, and I had the feeling he wouldn't be using Outrage again in this Gym battle. Not that it interrupted the current one, oh no! He sprang forward as the Gengar threw itself backwards, leading with his right side again. Then his left, again! The next blade cleaved right through the ghostly Pokemon, and Janine returned it. Gengar would be fine, they were incorporeal ghosts, but Hazard? He was furious!

  He wasn't happy his foe had run! Like a coward! Stand and die!

  "Hazard! Calm!" It wouldn't stop the Confusion that I could see starting to take hold, but my dragon snapped out of his rage, growled at me for a moment, then rushed to our side of the field before the status effect could fully take hold.

  Janine was glaring at me now, but I just smirked right back at her. What was next, huh? An eighth badge Pokemon?

  Well fuck…

  The Dragalge that came out was easily an eighth badge Pokemon. I knew that even without the massive scowl on the referee's face, but after he glanced at mine he stopped frowning… much. It wasn't the huge Alpha dragon that Kallen would Evolve into, of course, but it was still six feet tall, and dangerous looking. Janine smirked at me, obviously pleased with herself, but I just smiled right back at her.

  So did Hazard.

  "Match resume!"

  "Dragalge, Dragon Pulse!"

  "Hazard, show it how weak it is!"

  I laughed at the look on Janine's face as my baby, fully Confused by now, staggered a little, shook his head, and then easily dodged the Dragon Pulse that came flying at him. It was a powerful attack, for sure, but Hazard was great at dodging attacks these days. The Dragalge tried to swing the beam and catch Hazard before it ran out, but it failed to make contact.

  Hazard's Dragon Pulse didn't.

  The energy blasted into the opposing dragon, causing it to unleash a high pitched keen of pain that hurt to hear. It was already radiating sickly poison energy from its entire body, but I didn't care as my baby closed in.

  Hazard liked combo moves. He really liked combining Dragon Claw with something like Breaking Swipe, so he could strike more or less the same spot back to back. He may have been Confused, but not very much any more. Hazard had been exposed to a lot of Sweet Kisses from Hope… Quite a lot, actually, considering she found it hilarious to kiss him on the snout before darting away from his sluggish attempts at revenge.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  Hazard didn't quite scream in pain as his blades went through what I could only assume was Acid Armor, but he came close. It didn't stop my aggressive dragon from following it up with a Dragon Claw, but as he spun to bring his left side to bear the Dragalge retaliated with a point-blank Dragon Pulse that launched my baby into the barrier.

  He didn't move when he landed, and I had seen Indeedee cause that enough to realize he had been knocked out. I returned him with a huge smile on my face, though.

  "That was amazing, Hazard! You did so good! I'm so proud of you!" He couldn't hear me, of course, but I didn't care. I placed his ball onto my belt, pulling Indeedee's out with a small flourish. The field took on a strange tint to it as Indeedee unleashed her Psychic Terrain, and I enjoyed the way the Dragalge's eyes narrowed at her.

  "Indeedee, time to clean up Hazard's mess again!" She looked back at me with a determined, angry expression on her face. She was mad. Hazard may be… Hazard, but he was our Hazard! Her punching bag!

  "Match resume!"

  "Dragalge, Gunk Shot!"

  "Indeedee, don't humiliate them! Just knock them out!" She shook her head and I couldn't help the laugh that burst out at the sight. Also the sight of Janine's face as she heard my words.

  Indeedee began to… glide. She wasn't using a true Move, just slightly lifting herself off the ground. It was hard for her to lift her entire weight psychically. She could easily lift more than her own weight with her arms, or anything else with her mind, just not herself. She could make herself almost too light, though, and use it to move herself faster. Each step covered more distance than it should, so it looked like she was gliding as she barely dodged out of the way of the horrifying-looking Gunk Shot that splattered onto the floor… and began to melt through it!

  Indeedee wasn't paying attention to that, of course. She was focusing inward, fortifying and bracing her psyche, bringing her mind to a sharp focus. A keen mind. A Calm Mind, in fact. The next Gunk Shot almost hit her, but she never stopped her glide as she began to circle the dragon. She actually pulled herself back and spun out of the way of the next one, and I smiled as her eyes began to glow with a pinkish energy.

  The barrage of Psychics she sent towards that unfortunate poison dragon was dazzling, and far more powerful than normal. She had buffed herself with Calm Mind at least three times, and that was before you factored in the Psychic Terrain.

  When the psychic energies finally cleared enough to see, the Dragalge wasn't doing great, but it was powerful, and it didn't look bad either. I began to laugh as I saw a bubble of Psychic energy form between her raised hands, even as a rapid Sludge Bomb smashed into her. She stumbled, but maintained her footing with a pained grimace, even as her fur smoked.

  She smiled, not warmly at all, as she unleashed the bubble of energy at the Dragalge, and for its part it tried to evade. The small, rapid Psybeam Indeedee shot in front of its face, however, made it flinch back for a split second. That was more than long enough.

  Expanding Force was a fast attack, anyways. Also an expensive TM, I was kind of broke now…

  The bubble of energy slammed into the Dragalge, making it keen out in pain. Then the real Move began, the bubble contracting to a pinprick near its chest for a split second. Then it expanded, into a five-foot bubble of psychic energies that retracted once more, causing an implosion directly in front of the Dragalge. A Dragalge that keened once more before it crashed to the ground, unconscious.

  I smiled widely at Indeedee as I met her on the field. She gave me a single bow, then returned herself. That Sludge Bomb had hurt her, but it was worth it to see the look on Janine's face as she met me in the middle of the field. She looked disbelieving, and I couldn't stop the smirk that came to my face. Dangit, Erin, you've corrupted me!

  "I think you may have gone a little hard there, Gym Leader!" She shook her head a little as she reached out to shake my hand.

  "I mean, honestly? I was trying to find your limits, I just didn't think they would be that high!" I giggled a little at her words.

  "Hazard is… a hazard to all of your preconceived notions! That was actually the first time he's been knocked out by anyone not on our teams! He's going to be so happy when he wakes up!" Her tone was full of disbelief as she spoke next.

  "He can be happy?" I burst into laughter, even as Indeedee and Noibat's balls rattled in what had to be laughter.

  "He's actually a very happy dragon! He just likes to… fight." She winced, and I smiled. Yeah, he was a killer, had almost murdered me, but he was my killer, one who had accepted a leash. My killer who apparently liked my baby fae.

  The pink heart-shaped scale that she held out to me felt good to take.

  "Congratulations on your Soul Badge, Leaf. I'll see you at this year's Conference." I blushed a little at the certainty in her voice, but I still smiled widely.

  —

  Erin

  —

  I was smiling as I walked to the Challengers Podium. Leaf had dominated Janine, despite Janine going far overboard for a fifth badge battle. That Dragalge had probably been close to eighth badge level!

  I kept my smile even as the announcer introduced me as 'Erin Greenwood, the Tiny Tyrant', and as the audience laughed. I knew by the huge grin on Janine's face that it had been her doing, but I wouldn't let that get me down, or distract me. She was trying to rattle me… along with poking fun at me.

  "Are you ready to show me your progress, challenger?" I smiled at her.

  "I think you might need to pull a personal Pokemon out if you don't want to look bad, Janine!"

  The Toxtricity she sent out startled me for a moment, honestly. I knew she was bringing stronger Pokemon against me, sure, but that was an interesting one. I recognized the Low-Key form, but other than them using sound-based moves I was flying mostly blind.

  Still going to dominate this thing. Especially as I felt a ghostly aura push at me.

  "Dhelmise, time to kick some butt!" It almost felt as good to say butt, but ehh…

  They came out with a crash of steel and the crack of floorboards snapping. Dhelmise had been very happy yesterday as we spent over an hour looking at various anchors, chains, and even wheels and compasses. Dhelmise was no longer five feet tall. Dhelmise was now ten feet tall, anchor shiny and brand new. They could have possessed a larger one, but the next size available had been twenty feet tall, and far too big for now. The wheel was new as well, four feet across, with no missing handles. The chain was also fresh, the links twice the size they had been. They had kept their old compass for now, but the rest of them was shiny and new, kelp already waving towards its opponent.

  "Match begin!"

  "Toxtricity, full poison!" Yup, half damage from electric, but…

  "Dhelmise, Shadow Ball barrage, don't eat their life force!" I enjoyed the way that poor Toxtricity froze up at my words.

  Dhelmise didn't freeze. Dhelmise was always ready to attack, really. Even when they were just… hanging out in the corner of our room.

  The wall of Shadow Balls was not what Janine or her Pokemon expected, for sure. That would explain why the Toxtricity got hit multiple times, staggering around briefly before it caught another in the face, going down in a pitiful slump. I frowned at the sight, and Dhelmise felt like it was frowning through aura. They had already been powerful when I caught them, despite their limitations from possessing such a small anchor, but now they were strong… and wanted to test themselves.

  I looked at Janine as she returned her Pokemon and raised an eyebrow. She scowled at me, so that was good!

  "You're up, Crobat!" I smiled widely as what had to be an eighth badge Pokemon came out. It was a friendship Evolution, and not one from a baby species. It would take time to evolve a Crobat. It flapped into the air and glared at me and Dhelmise. It almost intimidated me without a Move used, and I laughed. It didn't like that, however, and glared harder.

  "Match Resume!"

  "Crobat, full force!" Oh… shit.

  "Dhelmise, full power, don't kill it!" I might have to say that for a while, honestly…

  I got very worried when a fuc- Hurricane of all moves was generated by Crobat, and I should have been. Dhelmise's kelp, which had already been stretching out, was blasted back, parts shredded by the intense wind. My newest Pokemon screeched in pain and fury, a sound felt rather than heard, even as the Hurricane slammed into them. It stayed there for seconds, too, and I grew even more worried when I felt its rage disappear.

  Luckily I didn't panic and recall them.

  The huge anchor that spun through the Hurricane was very intimidating, honestly. That would splatter a human if it made contact with them. Crobat dodged out of the way of it easily, of course, they were fast, but now it was avoiding the kelp forest extending below it at the same time. Another Hurricane began to build, and I knew that would end Dhelmise's fight if it hit. They knew it too, however.

  Their Phantom Force was highly untrained. They had just learned it yesterday after possessing their new anchor, so it took almost a full five seconds to take effect, but they still conjured a shroud of ghostly energy around themselves just in time. The Hurricane blew right through them, and the instant it was past, Dhelmise struck.

  The eruption of ghostly energies barely managed to reach the Crobat, but reach it did. Crobat began falling momentarily, catching itself before it hit the ground. It was still close, though.

  The anchor that slammed into that poor bat made me, and most of the audience, wince.

  "Dhelmise, hold!" I looked at Janine in concern, but she was already returning her Pokemon. She didn't look upset, though. She was smiling at me, and now I began to feel really worried.

  Especially when her next Pokemon was a Gengar. A Gengar that looked far more solid, and thus more powerful, than the one she had used against Leaf.

  "Match resume!"

  "Gengar, full ghost, avoidance!"

  "Dhelmise, go insane!" I could feel the amusement radiate off of them at the order. For Dhelmise, that order meant 'take as much life force as you want, so long as you don't kill them'. Basically only useful against ghosts. Dhelmise could easily gauge how much life force a fellow ghost had instantly, so that Gengar wouldn't die.

  Considering how it smiled at Dhelmise, it was unaware of that. Obviously, but still… funny!

  The forest of grasping kelp made its reappearance, even as Shadow Balls began to pelt Dhelmise. It accepted the trade, as the second it managed to grab the Gengar the kelp retracted itself… mostly. Gengar couldn't phase through ghostly energies, so it was stuck in our physical plane for now! Even as it dragged that poor, panicking Pokemon towards its central anchor, the rest of its kelp was enveloping it. It slammed into Dhelmise's anchor in an explosion of ghostly energies from both opponents, and I laughed as I felt Dhelmise 'gag' at the taste.

  Ghostly life force didn't taste good to other ghosts at all, apparently. Like it was… already eaten… Eww…

  I stopped laughing when both Pokemon fainted a moment later. Fucking Destiny Bond! Sorry, Hecate… Still!

  I scowled at Janine as I recalled Dhelmise, and she just smirked back at me. As the one with the most downed Pokemon, she had to release her Pokemon next, and I smiled.

  Clodsire didn't look like much, honestly. Like a large, funny-looking salamander… I knew they were tanky, though, and their spines made it a dangerous prospect to attack them from above, and considering most of their surface area was above, this would need to be a ranged fight, preferably.

  Luckily I had one who was eager to fight.

  "Hecate, want to avenge Dhelmise?"

  I really enjoyed the way the crowd gasped at the sight of her. Hattrem weren't common Pokemon to find even in Galar, much less as a trainer's Pokemon, surrounded by people and emotions all the time, so she was rare and mostly unknown here in Kanto. She was also adorable, but beyond all that?

  She was intimidating even in her cuteness, because what did she do when she came out? She slapped the floor, cracking it even as she launched herself into a tight flip. She loved her new mobility, and I imagined she would be sad to see it go when she Evolved… Actually, maybe she could control her hair 'body' to make two huge ponytails? Aside from the hair-claw, I guess?

  "Match resume!"

  "Clodsire, Megahorn!" Good call, Janine… too bad, though!

  "Hecate, have fun!"

  ""They fear me! Good!""

  Oh no, I corrupted her, too… maybe. Hecate had always been vicious underneath all that cuteness and love…

  I knew how this was going to work out the instant I had sent her out, and I was not disappointed in the least. That Clodsire was, however, as it found itself smashed backwards by a Psybeam, then another, then another… It's Megahorn attack never even got the chance to happen. It tried to curl up in some defensive Move, but it did no good. With a final dual Psybeam my not-so-little wood witch turned back to me, smiling happily.

  ""Too easy! Need challenge!"" 'Sweetie, I think you're going to get that.'

  Janine wasn't glaring at me this time. No, she looked happy, and I knew why when she unleashed her final Pokemon.

  Drapion fell into that 'so awkward looking you felt bad for them' category, for sure. They also fell into the 'that thing looks fucking terrifying' category as well. It wasn't much taller than Hecate at all, actually, but I could feel the bloodlust from it, the anger. This was one of Janine's personal Pokemon, I felt sure of that fact.

  "Match resume!"

  "Drapion, dark times ahead!" Okay, kind of cool, but I can do one better.

  "Hecate, dazzle them!"

  The Drapion charged with dark energy gathering around its jaws… and its claws. It was screeching out as it did, and Hecate actually flinched slightly, probably from its emotions.

  Then she got mad.

  Dazzling Gleam wasn't one of her favorite Moves, not by a long shot. She still unleashed two overpowered ones directly into its charging face, but it didn't even slow down. Its jaws rushed towards her even as its claws were swinging. So was Hecate, though.

  She spun as she slid herself underneath the charging Pokemon's left arm, dropping briefly to her actual feet as she completed her spin. Her spin into a double Brutal Swing. It didn't do much damage at all as a Dark Move, but it did launch Hecate away, quite far considering she had also launched herself with a Psybeam at the same time. She unleashed another four Dazzling Gleams into its face, once again, before it managed to charge into melee range.

  The Crunch that slammed into her made me cry out in fear, but it had only gotten one of her ponytails… Something she was not happy about, not in the least.

  Her other ponytail swung out, covered in flickering fairy energy, and smashed it in the face, causing it to let go of her. The second smash wasn't as powerful as the first, but Hecate was in the zone now! We had been working on this Move for the past week, so it was still very weak.

  It didn't matter as Hecate practically unleashed a Fury Attack comprised of Play Roughs into its face, and even as it managed to grab her body with one claw, piercing deeply into her, it was being returned, already unconscious. It had attacked while unconscious out of pure muscle memory!

  I leapt over the railing, but my panic was unnecessary. Hecate was already healing herself, but I still rushed to her side.

  "Hecate, are-"

  ""Fine! I fine! Hurt lots… Need sweets to heal!"" I burst into laughter at her words, her words and the smile she was giving me.

  "Good job, Hecate! That had to be Janine's personal Pokemon!" She giggled a little before returning herself, a stick-like arm still holding her stomach.

  I stood up to meet Janine as she approached, but apparently training wasn't entirely over, because her open hand lashed out towards my face. I leaned backwards, letting the surprising, but not fast, attack pass me by. Judging from the lack of mutters from the audience, this was a fairly frequent thing, and I smirked at her.

  "Thanks for the battle, Janine! Seriously, that was fun for both of them! That was Dhelmise's first fight, too!" She frowned at me.

  "You had to have caught it recently, and it was that powerful? How did you even catch it? I assume you fished it out?" I nodded, my smile still huge.

  "Yeah, it took me a half hour to reel them in, but they were only about five feet then. They were already powerful, but couldn't find a better anchor, so we went down to their old haunt to grab some kelp before buying them new material to possess." Her mouth didn't drop, but the audience sure murmured.

  "You went down to its old… haunt?" I laughed at the disbelief in her voice.

  "It was safe! Well, other than the pack of Sharpedo, but Dhelmise ate them. Kind of interesting all the way down there, but not very pretty. Not to mention dim, and cold." She shook her head a little and held her hand out. I eagerly received my fifth badge, but she pulled me in for another handshake. And to talk quietly.

  "Be careful, there's been a suspicious lack of Team Rocket around lately… Either they're waiting for the heat to die down, which is likely, or they're preparing for something." I frowned at her words, but…

  "Thanks for the warning. I know I have a bounty, but it's not me I'm worried about…" She smiled at me, just a normal smile, and released my hand.

  —

  —

  Dhelmise was not happy to be knocked out by a Move like Destiny Bond, and I couldn't blame them. Still, it was a valid strategy against a Pokemon like Dhelmise, and Hecate was happy enough for the both of them.

  We were relaxing in our room for the evening, and would be up early tomorrow to head to Saffron… Although, we had time…

  My grin made everyone nervous, but I didn't care… I also sent Dexter a message through aura. He hit me with an actual Spark for the offense, or it felt like it, but I wanted to try to surprise the other two.

  He was grinning either way, the ghostly little bastard.