Whitney's opponent sent out her Houndour, and ordered it to incinerate the Lum berry she kept on Miltank's horn for emergencies. The Hound shot a stream of fire from it's mouth, and burned the berry to ashes, then ran up to the cow in order to use Foul Play.

"Aw, what's the matter? I thought a girl like you would appreciate the challenge?" She had also mentioned her brother, which caused the pink haired Gym leader to furrow her eyebrows. She did not like thinking about that. "Yes him... The one with Gible... Let's not talk about that hm? Let's focus on the task at hand. Milly, don't let that dog bother you! Use Attract on him, then follow up with Rollout!"

The Miltank mooed, before blowing a kiss at the Houndour, and sending a flurry of pink hearts in his direction. then the cow curled up into a ball, and started rolling around the Gym to pick up speed before charging the Dark type dog.

---

Stella had looked up to see Emil had won his battle. She wasn't particularly impressed. After all, it isn't that hard to beat a Clefairy, Still, something strange happened during it that piqued her interest. The Emil boy had asked her about it once he took his seat. "Yes, I saw that..." Stella replied to Emil's comment. recalling something she heard from one of her father's friends. "I heard a new type was recently discovered. One that was immune to Dragon type attacks. I thought it was ridiculous at the time. However, after seeing that, I think it might be true. Could you imagine something like Clefable being able to stand up to something like Garchomp? I find the idea absolutely hilarious!"

"Aw, what's the matter? I thought a girl like you would appreciate the challenge?" Whitney taunted as Cecil burned the Lum Berry, her look changing to one of distaste. The Gym Leader seemed to harbor negative feelings towards Dorian...or was it Crassus she hated for beating her Miltank? Nerissa did not flinch, however.

"Challenge? Sure, I'm up for one. Stupid? No. Not killing any chances here, man!" She replied as the Houndour made his next move. Whitney however, wasn't finished.

"Yes him... The one with Gible... Let's not talk about that hm? Let's focus on the task at hand. Milly, don't let that dog bother you! Use Attract on him, then follow up with Rollout!" The Gym Leader ordered. The pink cow leaned forward and winked at Cecil, before blowing him a kiss and shaking her udders, causing multiple pink hearts to fly out towards the puppy. Cecil tried to dodge the move, but one of the hearts hit him from the side. Immediately, the look in his eyes turned from one of focus and determination to one of infatuation, one might even think longing. Nerissa shook her head, glaring at Whitney.

"Girls and their damn pink girl Pokemon... Dude, why am I not surprised? Cecil, dodge the idiot and go for a Fire Fang!"

Cecil did not budge, evidently immobilized by his lust for the bovine Pokemon. The Miltank was now rolling at full speed, hitting the tiny dog and knocking him back. Cecil got up, but the strange look was still in his eyes. The Miltank was once again rolling around the Gym, this time twice as fast.

"Focus, Cecil! It's coming close...slow it down with a Thunder Fang!"

Again, Cecil did not charge. Nerissa stepped forward instinctively, worried for her Pokemon. His eyes were still trained towards Miltank in all their gooey attraction. The cow hit once more, this time harder. Cecil was pushed towards Nerissa's feet, clearly in pain. Nerissa knelt down to pat his head momentarily.

"Don't give up, tough guy. Go for another Fire Fang!" She encouraged, before the Pokemon got up and ran back into the arena, the infatuation in his eyes momentarily fading, as the Miltank finished her third round and rolled towards Cecil. She crashed into the still-slightly dazed Cecil, but this time, the Houndour managed to sink his burning fangs into the cow's upper back, causing the latter to moo in pain. Nerissa grinned, both for herself as well as for Cecil. He was a trooper, despite his small size, and she knew that he wasn't going down without a fight.

The Miltank made its fourth round, now so fast that she was almost a blur. Cecil had just managed to stand up at this point, and was already looking worn-out. The attraction took over him once more as Nerissa tried to command him to execute a Smog attack. Miltank managed to hit him once more and send him flying. The dog crashed onto the ground, whimpering in pain as he tried to stand up one more time. Nerissa knew that Cecil was almost to his limits, but she wasn't going to give up, and she knew that he wasn't about to either, seeing him tremble as he managed to very shakily get on his feet. The Miltank was speeding around the Gym at top speed, and Nerissa knew that this was her last chance. She was going to take the risk.

"Cecil, you can do this! Just a little more....REVERSAL!"

Cecil was on his feet now, and growled as he started shaking and a red glow began to emit from him. The attraction had not immobilized him this time, and he was now focused. The Miltank was rolling closer and closer. The Houndour stood his ground, the red glow growing stronger. The Miltank was literally a few inches away from Cecil before he gathered up all his strength and fought back, letting loose a powerful all-out attack. The impact was so great that dust from the arena stirred and rose into a cloud. Nerissa looked on, unable to see what happened, but hoped that it was enough.

Emil felt more than just a bit relieved as he heard that Stella had indeed also born witness to the strange occurrence earlier on. A small wave of reassurance and revitalized self-confidence washed over the boy, and he found himself straightening his back as if on reflex. Her having seen the same thing he did meant he was not a loon, and that he had not overlooked an ability or a similarly simple explanation. He had done his research well. The fault was not his, and the mistake could have, thus, happened to anyone.

"You did..." Emil mumbled in confirmation, curiosity being the next emotion to take over his mind. Brows raised expectantly, he focused all his attention on the girl now. He wasn't sure what to expect, but what she said was definitely not it. A new type? That sounded ridiculous. They had not discovered a new type in ages, not ever since the evolution of the steel type decades ago. He did have to admit that he was not an expert on type evolutions, as he had only read a few books on the subject during his years of education, but still... Why now? What brought about this new type, and why the resistance to dragons? Emil glanced at the sole Pokéball on his belt. Why dragons, when that was the only type he currently possessed?

He did have to admit that a Clefable defeating a Garchomp would be hilarious though, if utterly outrageous.

"I see," Emil replied after a moment, not really sure what to say. He didn't want to straight out admit not having heard anything of the sort in case there was some truth to her words, as he didn't want to appear ignorant. At the same time, he didn't want to just blindly agree with hearsay. "That is an interesting piece of rumour, indeed. And if true, it definitely begs the question of why and how. I'd personally be very interested in hearing the specifics. I studied type theory a little in the past few years, and it was intriguing."

Emil hoped, partly, that Stella would also share some background information as far as her education went. He wanted to know if he surpassed her in that regard, at least. He glanced at the battleground, at the intense battle unfolding between Nerissa and Whitney and found his lips slightly curling into an amused smile. She definitely didn't beat him in academics, at least.

"Girls and their damn pink girl Pokemon... Dude, why am I not surprised? Cecil, dodge the idiot and go for a Fire Fang!"

But the Houndour didn't move, immobilized by his newfound love for the bovine Pokemon. The Miltank was now rolling at full speed, hitting the tiny dog and knocking him back. The Houndour got up, but the look of longing was still in his eyes. The Miltank was once again rolling around the Gym, this time twice as fast. "Hehe, I think your little puppy likes my pink Pokémon." Whitney teased. "Isn't it cute?"

"Focus, Cecil! It's coming close...slow it down with a Thunder Fang!"

But the dog was still in love with the bovine Pokemon to even think about hurting her. The cow hit once more, this time harder, knocking the dark type towards her trainer's feet. Whitney threw her head back, and laughed. "Haha! If we keep this up, this battle will be over in no time!"

"Don't give up, tough guy. Go for another Fire Fang!" Her opponent encouraged, before the Pokemon got up and ran back into the arena, the attraction faded, as the Miltank finished her third round and crashed into the still-slightly dazed Houndour, but this time, he managed to sink his burning fangs into the cow's upper back, causing her to moo in pain. If Whitney was at all worried about the Fire fang hitting, it didn't show on her face.

The Miltank made its fourth round, The Miltank was rolling as fast as she possibly could. The Houndour looked beaten up, and had barely managed to stand up. The attraction took over him once more, as Miltank managed to hit him again and send him flying. The dog crashed onto the ground, whimpering in pain as he tried to stand up one more time. Milly was now rolling around the Gym at top speed. At this point, Whitney was jumping up and down happily. "Hahahaha! It looks like I win!"

"Cecil, you can do this! Just a little more....REVERSAL!"

The Houndour got back up on his feet, and growled as he started shaking and a red glow began to emit from him. The attraction had not immobilized him this time, and he was now focused. As the Miltank rolled closer. The Houndour stood his ground, the red glow growing stronger. When the cow was literally a few inches away, he unleashed a powerful attack. The impact caused dust from the arena stirred and rose into a cloud.

Whitney's stopped her celebration, and her eyes widened as she saw what had just happened. "Wait, What...?!"

When the dust cleared, Whitney saw her precious Miltank was lying on the ground unconscious. "Oh no... NONONONONONO!" She shouted while running up to her Pokémon. Tears started welling up in her eyes. When it was clear that her Pokémon had been beaten, she let it out and started sobbing. "WAAAAAAAH!"

---

"Unfortunately, you know as much about this new type as I do." Stella replied. "I didn't hear anything else about this new type other than it has an advantage against Dragons, and that the proposed name of this new type is Fairy." She smiled when she said the name. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of adorable fairies being able to defeat monstrous dragons. It would teach some of those immature boys she had to share a class with at Trainer's School a lesson. They probably couldn't stand to see their precious Salamence being downed by something pink. "Which I suppose would explain why Clefairy of all things would be one."

She had only knew a little bit of how type evolutions worked from her days at the trainer school. Though, not any more than someone who was required to take a basic Science class would to know, and was far from being an expert on the matter. She was sure she knew more than this kid however. After all, she had already graduated. "If I had to guess, it could be a similar situation to the deviation between Rock and Ground types, just shared with Normal. Although I can't explain where the immunity to Dragons comes from..."

Out of the corner of her eye, Stella saw Nerissa's Houndour getting trounced by Whitney's Miltank and smirked. She liked it when people got what they deserved,

"Wait, What...?!" Nerissa heard Whitney exclaim in surprise as the dust cloud that enveloped the middle of the arena cleared up. This was followed by loud sobbing. Did she really do it? Had Cecil managed to beat the Miltank after all? She pumped her fist in the air, grinning cockily. If anyone thought her stupid or judged Cecil to be inept due to his small size...this was all the proof she needed to show that she could hold her own in battle, without having to be structured and erudite.

The girl was only half right, however. As the dust continued settling, she noticed not one, but two figures collapsed and lying motionless in the arena. One was the much bigger Miltank....and the other was a very small Houndour. Her own Cecil. The battle had ended in a draw. Now, had it been a situation where Cecil lost to a Clefairy, Nerissa would have suspected foul play and demanded an investigation. Her pride wouldn't have been able to handle such a loss, and blaming Cecil was out of the question. However, this was no Clefairy situation, and despite the fact that her Houndour fainted, she was proud of him for putting up a fight with the Miltank and managing to bring her down. She rushed forward to the center of the arena and picked up her fainted Pokemon, carrying him with both arms.

"Such a brave little rascal, aren't you? Took down that Miltank and made a big girl cry...what can't you do, man?" She teased, pointing at the Miltank, as well as Whitney as she laughed. Nerissa didn't like how Whitney just had to cry because her Miltank went down...was she that emotionally fragile? She herself never resorted to bursting into tears after losing, though she was probably even more of a sore loser than the Gym Leader was...at least she knew that she wasn't the type to become a sobbing mess.

Nerissa stood there as Whitney sobbed. She was already annoyed at the rose-haired girl's crying over a tie. Was she that unaccepting? Or did she not realize that there was a tie in the first place? Groaning as she shook her head, Nerissa went over to Whitney and shook the Gym Leader's shoulder roughly.

"Snap out of it, would ya? It's a draw, man. A draw! The hell's wrong with you?" She growled, holding Cecil in front of the crying Gym Leader for her to see.

Emil wasn't sure if he was more relieved or disappointed to hear that Stella had no further input to give on the matter; on the other hand it meant that at least now he wouldn't look stupid or inferior to her, but on the other, it also meant he wouldn't learn anything more about this new type, not here. He raised his hand to his chin and allowed himself to fall into ponder, still listening as the girl next to her spoke. At the mention of the proposed name, Emil's brow furrowed slightly. Fairy? The name didn't feel right on his tongue. Was that a joke? The rest of the types were named in reference to their elements, while as Fairy sounded more like a way to describe a Pokémon's appearance than anything. Then again, Dragon type shared that detail with the new type... Was there a connection somewhere, then? Something he didn't see?

"Similar to Rock and Ground?" Emil repeated, one brow raised. He didn't see it. "I must strongly disagree with that point of view. Rock's separation from Ground was a slow process over centuries, directly influenced by the change in certain species' environment. It was evolution to support Pokémon living in mountains or caverns, much like the recent discovery of the Dark type amongst Pokémon that preferred to hunt during nighttime. Fairy, however, does not sound like it has any connection to the world as a whole. Perhaps it's just the peculiar naming sense whoever coined up that name has, but I do not think you can compare it to the relationship between Ground and Rock."

He fell back into thought. "And indeed, the immunity to Dragon sounds more than just a little baseless..."

Before he could think on that any further, a loud crying sound snapped the boy from his thoughts and almost sent him stumbling down from his seat. A quick look towards the arena revealed the source of the noise to be no one else but Whitney, apparently incredibly disheartened by what seemed to be a loss. Emil's mouth opened in surprise. Did... did Nerissa really defeat the strongest Pokémon Whitney had? This fast? Whatever pride he had felt over being academically more gifted than her was quick to vanish. He did regain some of it when he realized that it was not a clean win, however, rather a tie. Still impressive, but something he was willing to handle.

As Nerissa was trying to cheer Whitney up (if it could be called that - she seemed more annoyed by her crying than anything, really), a well dressed man pushed himself away from the backmost inner wall of the Gym and walked into the middle of the battlefield, steps calm but determined. He cleared his throat loudly to gain the newbie trainers' attention, then brought a paper up to his face.

"Emil Shields, Stella Gold, Nerissa Lovell," he began, his voice loud and clear. "I hereby declare you three official members of the Trainers' League, as per the International Rules of Qualification." He didn't turn when he addressed each of them separately. "Emil Shields, for displaying impressive strategical ability and preparation, Stella Gold, for displaying impressive calm and confidence in the skills of yourself and your Pokémon and Nerissa Lovell for displaying an unyielding spirit even in the face of a powerful opponent, you three shall receive the official seal of the League" - as he said this, three assistants walked up to the young trainers and pressed gold seals on each of their license cards - "and are free to challenge the Gyms worldover. Your goal? To become the Champion of the Pokémon League."

He lowered the paper he was reading from, and then offered the three a far less formal smile. "Good job, you three." He turned to look at Nerissa, and nodded. "And should you wonder why you passed despite the tie - I can tell you that victory is not the only proof of skill. You did well. Be proud." He turned to them all again, and this time addressed the whole group once more. "Your next step, if you'd like the advice, should be to stock up on supplies at the Department Store, have you not yet done so. They have some amazing sales just for greenhorn trainers like you."

Emil looked down at his newly 'upgraded' license, and allowed a small smile to grace his lips. He'd done it. He'd really become a trainer. If it hadn't been very uncharacteristic of him, he would have let his inner child take over for a second and scream his success for the whole Gym to hear.

But, since Emil was just Emil, he merely scoffed, pocketing his license and walking to the Gym's door with hasty steps before turning around. "Are you two coming?" He groaned impatiently. "I would like to pick up my supplies before they sell out on everything useful."

Nerissa, shook the Gym Leader's shoulder roughly, "Snap out of it, would ya? It's a draw, man. A draw! The hell's wrong with you?" Shs growled, carrying her own unconscious Houndour in her arms.

"I guess... but... I...I...I wanted to win!" She sniffled as she recalled her Miltank back into her Pokeball. "Hold on... I'll be right back... I need to... collect myself." Then she went back to her office in the back of the Gym.

While she was impressed by Emil's knowledge, Stella had to restrain herself from slapping this kid. How dare he make her look like an idiot. "Like I didn't know that already... But we don't know that for certain yet now do we? After all, it is only a type only recently discovered. Besides, Dragons and Ghosts don't have any connection to the world either dear, yet they exist. There are certain aspects of Pokemon that Science simply cannot explain."

Before she could say anything else, a loud crying sound interupted her thoughts. A quick look towards the arena revealed that Whitney had broken down in tears over her a loss. Stella facepalmed, and shook her head. Even if her opponent was possibly a thug, a Gym Leader should be able to handle a loss with some of her dignity. Her behavior was just embarrassing. What was even more embarrassing was who she lost to. Could Nerissa actually be more skilled than she seems? Upon closer inspection, it turned out that Whitney hadn't lost, but had tied, the Houndour was also unconscious. Stella was relieved to know at least it wasn't an easy victory, and it very easily could've occured through luck.

Thankfully, the pitiful scene didn't last long. As Whitney had left to calm herself, a well dressed man that seemed to appear from nowhere, pushed himself away from the backmost inner wall of the Gym and walked into the middle of the battlefield. Reading off of a piece of paper, he explained that they had received the official seal of the League, as three assistants magically appeared to stamp their trainer cards. Stella grined, liking the compliment she had received very much, "displaying impressive calm and confidence in the skills of yourself and your Pokémon." It's easy to be confident when your skills are a matter of fact.

He then advised them to take a trip to the Department Store to stock up on supplies before leaving. Stella didn't need to do that, having had the foresight to buy her important supplies before she came to the Gym. Still, it was a good excuse to return to the store to get some things for herself that she missed out on earlier.

Emil had already gone out the door once he got his license stamped, and urged them to do the same. Stella waited behind, because Whitney still had to give them their badges.

Sure enough, the pink haired Gym Leader emerged from her office, looking much more chipper than before. "Ah, I feel soooo much better! It feels so nice to have a good cry once in a while!" First, she approached Stella, and handed her a simple golden, diamond shaped badge. "This is the Plain Badge. A symbol of your victory here at the Goldenrod Gym." Next, she handed her what appeared to be a Pink CD. "And this, is a gift from me! That's TM45. It's Attract! It makes full use of a Pokémon's charm. Isn't it just perfect for a cutie like me?" She said with a wink. Next she approached Nerissa, and handed her a badge and TM. "I suppose you can have these too. You earned them fair and square... But, you owe me a remath later!" Then she looked around for Emil, "Oh, where did that other boy go? He forgot his badge."

After putting the disc away, and pinning the Plain Badge to her purse, Stella took Emil's badge and TM from Whitney. "Oh, I'll give these to him. Anyway, I suppose I'll be going now. Good-bye, and take care..." Then, she turned around, and made her way to the Department Store.

Whitney waved back. "K, come for a visit again! Bye-bye!"

"I guess... but... I...I...I wanted to win! Hold on... I'll be right back... I need to... collect myself." Whitney sniffled before heading to her office in the back of the Gym. Nerissa snorted, half with amusement and half with exasperation towards Whitney's overreacting. Did Emil and Stella believe her now? She looked back and gave her two companions a "told ya" smirk.

When she turned her head towards the centre of the arena, a well-dressed man emerged, seemingly from one of the Gym's back walls, and walked into the middle of the battlefield, holding a sheet of paper in one of his hands. He cleared his throat loudly, then started reading from the paper, as if he needed to read a script for whatever he had to say. He explained to them that they were now officially qualified to be Trainers, before complimenting each of the three individually. Nerissa grinned when he got to her, praising her "for displaying an unyielding spirit even in the face of a powerful opponent", glad that he did see her potential and skill, as well as her passion, despite her lack of bearing.

"And should you wonder why you passed despite the tie - I can tell you that victory is not the only proof of skill. You did well. Be proud." He added, acknowledging the fact that Miltank was indeed the most challenging opponent.

"Heh, to think that nobody saw that coming! You should have seen the look on her face!" She agreed rather loudly as an assistant stamped her blue license with a gold seal. The man suggested that they head to the Department Store to grab some supplies.

"Oh, shit..." Nerissa realized that she forgot to stock up on Pokeballs, though she did have a few of vending machine drinks stashed into her bag from her trip earlier that morning. Before she could run off however, Whitney emerged from the back of the Gym, carrying Badges, as well as pink TM discs.

"I suppose you can have these too. You earned them fair and square... But, you owe me a rematch later!" The Gym Leader said as she handed Nerissa a diamond-shaped badge and a TM, which apparently contained Attract. Nerissa pinned the badge to the strap of her sling backpack and put away the TM. After Whitney remarked at how Emil forgot his Badge, Nerissa tipped the brim of her flat cap down at the Gym Leader.

"Sure, sure. Don't expect me to take it easy though, man!" She laughed, before running and catching up with Stella.

"Hey. Race you to the department store! Last one there has to buy everyone's Pokeballs!" She taunted, before running off outside the Gym, heading for the Department Store.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nerissa was the first to reach the department store. Her hair was messy and she was slightly sweaty. It was hot that day after all. Shielding her eyes from the hot sun, she looked out, seeing two approaching figures...whoever was going to lose and buy the Pokeballs...it definitely wasn't her.

Getting to the Department Store had turned out to be more difficult than Emil'd anticipated as he'd exited the Gym some minutes earlier. Not only were the streets still just as bustling as they had been in the morning, the weather had taken a turn for the hotter by now as well. It was almost midday, and it being June, that meant quite the high temperatures. And while it was nothing compared to some of the more Southern cities and regions, it was still nothing to sneer at. The asphalt seemed to almost radiate heat, and the thousands upon thousands of people pushing past you no matter where you went certainly didn't make breathing any easier. Simply put, the city was suffocating.

And to make matters worse, Nerissa had completely ruined Emil's plans of maintaining a steady but moderate pace to avoid bumping into people and exerting himself too much. The girl had passed him by somewhere a little past the railway, and, with a way too forceful a slap on the back, announced that the last to reach the Department Store would be responsible for providing the other with money for Poké Balls - something Emil knew right off the bat he couldn't afford. As such, the second he'd recovered from her sudden assault, he'd dashed off after her in an attempt to keep himself from losing. Unfortunately enough, the girl seemed to possess some genes of a Ninjask, because she had long since disappeared form sight and was presumably already waiting at their destination.

Curses...

Emil was still running even now, back soaked underneath his fine coat. He never was one to excel in physical activity of any sort. Still, he hoped that he'd at least beat Stella. He absolutely did not want to be the one paying for two women's shopping trip. If he'd learnt anything from living with a household full of women, it was that they never missed the chance to spent money - especially if said money wasn't theirs. Besides, Stella looked like she had enough income to afford whatever he and Nerissa wanted. The opposite was not true. So, basically, this way it would be the most fair, yes?

It was in the middle of those thoughts that Emil ran around a corner - and smashed his shoulder against someone before he could catch himself and stop his forward dash. He winched, stumbling from the impact and snapping his frustrated glare at the stranger in an instant - only to shrink back when he saw the man he was looking at. Standing at a good six foot and then some, the man had relatively wide shoulders, and his face was adorned with piercings. His hair was spiky, short and red as fire, and his icy eyes drilled into the smaller teen's forehead. Behind him, adorning a similar glare as its master was a rather rugged Arcanine, its fur spotty and one ear looking like something'd taken a bite out of it at some point.

Emil caught himself staring, and quickly drew in a breath, straightening his back and brushing his shoulder with one hand.

"I beg your pardon," he began as dauntlessly as he could, brows furrowed. "You would do well to watch where you-"

"You're lucky I'm in a hurry, fucker," the man shot without a pause, the chains around his wrists clinging as he pulled his overcoat to cover him better again, as if in an attempt to hide something. "Otherwise, I would've pounded your face into mincemeat for Terror to munch on and then shit out on your parents' porch."

At the mention of "Terror", the man slightly nodded his head backwards towards his Arcanine, the various chain necklaces making a clinging sound at the motion. Emil was at a loss for words. The answer hadn't been quite what he'd expected.

"Wh-"

"Next time, you're dead. That's all I'm saying. Now fuck off."

And with that, gone was the man and his huge canine, disappearing into the crowds as if never there in the first place. Emil stared after the guy for a while, emotions ranging from terrified to angry, to flabbergasted at the nerve and the language. Where in the world was that person raised? The teen scoffed, crossing his arms for a few seconds, before he suddenly realized he was in a hurry. The contest was still on! He swore, if that... freak cost him the loss, he would let him hear it. Probably. Possibly with Nerissa and Stella standing behind him as support...

Shaking his head Emil kicked himself back into a run. Much to his relief, it seemed as if the pushy salesmen that had tried to get trainers to visit the Department Store had vanished for now, possibly thanks to the guards that now stood around the shopping structure's entrance, making sure the crowds didn't go too crazy and keeping count on the people that entered and exited. Had been about time they got some order into the building! This way, shopping would be done much faster, thank god. He wasn't particularly fond off the act, mostly because he never had enough money to get the things he wanted. He had an expensive taste.

Emil sighed in relief when he got close enough to the building to notice only Nerissa standing there, seemingly exhausted (though probably not even half as much as he did). So that... had to mean that Stella was yet to arrive, yes? Then, he was on time? Praise the heavens if so!

"You... what in the world were you... thinking?" Emil panted as he slowed down and stopped next to the girl, leaning on his knees and gasping for air. He could feel his face was red. Well, at least he wore a lot of cologne and probably didn't smell of sweat, despite being soaked - that would have been the worst. "Running around like a madman in scorching heat like this - do you have a death wish!?"

Stella rolled her eyes as Nerissa challenged her to a race. She liked competitions as much the next girl, but there was no way she was going to exert herself in this heat. She hated running, especially when the temperature was as high as it was. She wasn't going to get sweaty and out of breath just to win some ridiculous wager, how disgusting! She wouldn't want to be seen sweating like some kind of commoner. That would be downright embarrassing. Never mind the risk of heat stroke, and skin cancer that came with being out in such weather for too long.

She pulled out a paper fan from her purse, opened it, and started fanning herself with it as she continued her leisurely stroll to the store. Even worse than the heat, was the crowds of people pushing past each other like a bunch of ruffians. If there was anything worse than sweating, it was bumping into one of these people, and the awkwardness that usually followed.

As she expected, Stella was the last one to reach the store. Emil and Nerissa had been waiting there some time, but Stella didn't care what they thought. She wasn't willing to sprint through the streets of Goldenrod like a madwoman. "Have you lost your mind?!" Stella scoldedd Nerissa while continuing to fan herself. "Did you honestly expect me to race you in this heat?! Don't make me laugh. A lady like myself wouldn't be caught dead sweating and panting. Seriously, how childish can you be?!"

She turned to Emil, and saw his face had turned red, was drenched in sweat, and was catching his breath. Did he really take up Nerissa's challenge? Stella giggled to herself. At least Emil was a child, he had an excuse. Nerissa was old enough to know better. "Oh, you poor dear! This heat must be getting to you." The blonde said as she started fanning him. "By the way, you forgot these back at the Gym." She took out Emil's Plain Badge, and TM disc, and put them in his hands. "Maybe next time you won't run off before the Gym Leader has a chance to give you your badge, hm?"

After fanning him for a moment, she closed her fan, put it away, and walked up to the entrance of the Department Store. "Now, as for the terms of our... wager..." She pulled out her credit card from her purse, and held it between her fingers for the other two to see. "The two of you should consider yourselves lucky I'm feeling charitable today." It wasn't worth arguing about the fact she never agreed to this bet. She knew very well that she had more than enough money to pay for a few Pokeballs, anyway.

"You... what in the world were you... thinking? Running around like a madman in scorching heat like this - do you have a death wish!?" Nerissa heard Emil pant as he arrived, several beads of perspiration rolling down the sides of his face. Nerissa laughed as she saw him, though the younger guy was clearly not amused.

"Hell yeah! If you guys walked like slowasses...how the fuck could we get started?! C'mon, you didn't lose the wager, man!" She chuckled, slapping Emil's back once again. His red coat was slightly sweaty, but not to a crazy extent. Why did the guy wear such a coat in this summer weather? She thought that he should have gone with a T-shirt, or at least, any short-sleeved top. The fact that he wore a long-sleeved button-down under his coat...of course he was going to sweat a lot more than she did in her sleeveless vest.

It took a while before Stella arrived. The blonde girl was walking, and fanning herself with a paper fan. Figures. Nerissa thought, unsurprised as she saw the pink-clad Stella, acting all "dignified and ladylike", words which made Nerissa make a face as she thought.

"Have you lost your mind?! Did you honestly expect me to race you in this heat?! Don't make me laugh. A lady like myself wouldn't be caught dead sweating and panting. Seriously, how childish can you be?!" She chided as she continued fanning herself. Nerissa leaned against the outside wall of the building, before flipping her off.

"Damn, Gold! Are you a trainer or are you a fucking pussy?" She shot back, crossing her arms. Stella had gone on to go all saccharine over Emil, fanning him as well as give him the badge and TM that he forgot back at the Gym. Nerissa snorted at the sight. Stella was weird, with her refusal to let loose and her abruptly-changing moods. Nerissa sighed as the other girl finished fanning Emil and walked towards the entrance of the Department Store. Stella pulled out her credit card, holding it up for them to see.

"Now, as for the terms of our...wager... The two of you should consider yourselves lucky I'm feeling charitable today." She announced. Nerissa squeezed the blonde's upper arm, before grabbing her. Well, at least there was one good thing about Stella...not that Nerissa couldn't afford the balls. She could, but she also wanted to have a little fun.

"C'mon then, guys!" Nerissa pulled Stella, beckoning Emil to follow with her free hand as she walked towards the automatic doors.

______________________________________

"Today's your lucky day, little guy." Nerissa murmured to herself, thinking of Emil as they reached their destination: the second floor. The display shelves behind the counters were stocked with many different kinds of Pokeballs and potions. Other shelves had different supplies such as stationery and Pokedolls featuring different species of Pokemon, a Goldenrod exclusive. She stopped in front of the counter that sold Pokeballs, before looking back at Stella and Emil.

"Hey, c'mere, before you go thinking of bailing out on our wager!" She called, in a tone that was very much the opposite of discreet, before checking out the Pokeballs.

Emil's knees very near gave in when Nerissa gave him another 'friendly' slap on the back, all the while sounding almost proud of her crazy antics. He swore, this woman would be the death of him one day. Why did he have to get stuck with the difficult females? Not that... there was any other kind of female in his book. Either way, he was just about to straighten his back and give the woman a stern talking to, when Stella finally made her way to the scene as well. Unlike he and Nerissa however, she seemed to be in absolutely no rush; she was walking calmly and with style with a fan in hand, like she had just been taking a casual stroll around the city. Emil found it rather impressive and at the same time, somewhat infuriating; if she could truly afford to take this contest so lightly, it must have meant she was practically swimming in money.

Wait... what, was he talking about? This 'contest' wasn't official, and there was absolutely nothing the others could do if the loser of it would simply refuse to hold their end of the bargain. All she'd need to say was 'no', and his hopes of winning some free merchandise would be ruined. And considering her attitude towards the race, it was very likely. How foolish of him to think otherwise.

As she reached the two, the girl pair immediately launched into an argument. What it was about, Emil had no idea, as he spent the entire time being fanned to high heavens. Stella's sudden act of kindness had come unexpected, but definitely not unwelcomed; the boy was almost leaning in towards the fan to get the maximum use out of it, and part of his brain was already wondering how many manliness points he'd be forced to sacrifice if he bought himself a fan to carry around as well. He still didn't particularly appreciate being called a 'poor dear' though - that was rather condescending of her.

But she had a fan. He didn't care right now.

Well, not until she handed him his badge and he realized he hadn't picked it up after his win. Staggering, Emil quickly snatched what was his from her hand and stuffed it inside his jacket in embarrassment. How... utterly discomforting! He actually forgot his badge. That had to be a mistake unpreceded in the field. And she was... taunting him about it too. Curses.

She stopped fanning eventually, and proceeded to confirm that yes, she was indeed paying for the balls they were about to buy. Emil raised both his gaze and brows in surprise. She was surprisingly nice, all of a sudden. Had she been stung by something on the way here? Before he could ascertain that in any way, Nerissa had already rushed past him, grabbed the other girl and, with a beckoning hand for him to follow suit, disappeared inside the mall.

Emil groaned and jogged to follow before Nerissa'd hog everything useful and use up all their prize money.

-

Emil took a moment to just look around as the trio reached the second floor of the mall. Unlike what he'd expected, the department store wasn't that crowded. Sure, there were a bunch of people gathered around the area, especially around the cashiers, but the crowds were nothing compared to the ones outside. Rather curious, considering a lot of people had been flowing in steadily since morning. Perhaps the majority had already done their shopping, then? Or perhaps the guards scattered about the floors keeping lines and gatherings in check had something to do with it? He didn't know and couldn't hazard a guess, but he never said no to organization.

"Hey, c'mere, before you go thinking of bailing out on our wager!" He suddenly heard Nerissa shout, and instantly brought a hand to his ear. Some of the guards turned to eye at them as if to assess if they were there to cause trouble, and Emil did his best to hide his face as he hurried to the older girl's side.

"I would recommend keeping down the volume," he reprimanded as he reached her, allowing his hand to fall back to his side. "Gaining a negative reputation this early on in our journey is hardly favorable. Now, what is it you wanted to-"

His sentence got cut off by sheer amazement as he followed Nerissa's gaze to the display windows in front of them; rows and rows upon Pokéballs, all brand new, shiny and in mint condition, just waiting for a buyer. And these weren't any ordinary brand of balls, either. No, the shop seemed to hold even the most elusive of balls, from Luxury ones to Dive, Heal and Dusk ones. There was even a handful of Master Balls set on display in beautiful, dark wooden cases atop the others. Goldenrod definitely was something else.

Emil glanced at the counter behind which the cashier looked at them with amusement, and then back behind them. There wasn't that big a line waiting to pass... so he could probably take his time, and - no. No, efficiency above all else. Time was money. Right.

"Im... impressive," Emil commented as nonchalantly as he could as he walked in front of the capture devices. "Now then, what do I need..." While he did favor some designs over others, to him a Pokéball's worth was determined solely by its success rate in capturing Pokémon, and so he let no other attribute factor in on his decisions. He picked few of most kinds he believed would come handy from different kinds, while staying away from the pretty yet relatively useless Luxury and Premier balls. Once he believed he was done, he stepped aside to let Nerissa choose and glanced at Stella as if to silently ask if the amount he'd picked was okay. He didn't want to abuse his win too much.

Without warning, Nerissa grabbed Stella's arm. To which the pink clad girl raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" and then she dragged her into the store, and up the escalator. "What do you think your doiiiiiiiing?! Unhand me this instant!" Stella released herself from her grip once they got to the second floor. "Don't you ever do that again! " She reprimanded as she took out some anti-bacterial wipes from her purse and wiped the spot Nerissa held onto. "Who knows where that hand has been!" Then she took off in a huff, to look at a shelf containing Pokedolls, while the others went to look at Pokeballs. Stella had no reason to follow them, she already bought her own Pokeballs ahead of time.

As Stella looked over the collection of Pokemon plush toys, looking to see if there were ones she didn't already have. Nerissa called her over, but Stella rolled her eyes, and continued admiring the Pokedolls on display. She wasn't Nerissa's slave at her beck and call. She'd get there when she gets there. Right now, there were dolls to admire. For the most part, they were all adorable. Though there were some that looked worse as dolls, then they did as real life Pokemon. Some species just weren't made to be cute. Who on earth would buy a Scrafty doll? That thing is hideous. She thought to herself, giggling at the thought of someone like Nerissa actually buying that. After taking her sweet time browsing the collection of plush toys, She soon came to the conclusion that she already had all of the ones she liked back at her house. Nothing new, how disappointing...

By the time she finally got to the Pokeball counter, both of them had chosen their balls. Emil kept looking back at her nervously, looking like he was worried he bought too much. The boy had only bought a modest amount of balls (by her standards.) The girl raised an eyebrow. Surely if he knew someone else were paying for them, you would he'd had indulged a bit more. Nevertheless, she wasn't going to stand there and tell him to buy more. She was rich. but not crazy. If he wanted to buy so few Pokeballs, that was his problem.

Most of the balls they had chosen those niche balls that were only useful in certain situations, but otherwise had the catch rate of a Pokeball. Stella didn't waste her time with most of those, and had chosen to buy mostly Ultra Balls. The one with the best and most consistent catch rate barring a Master Ball, and as such were the most expensive of the bunch. Natrually if you want something high quality you have to be willing to pay a bit more. She had also gotten a few Heal Balls and Luxury Balls, because Heal Balls were a lovely shade of pink and yellow and actually had a useful function. While Luxury Balls were just beautiful. The name of the ball alone suggested as much. Even if their function wasn't as useful to a trainer, she was sure the Pokemon inside the ball appreciated it. "Well, I assume you're all finished here...?" She asked as she walked up to the cashier, and handed him her credit card.

Nerissa checked out the Pokeballs after Emil stepped aside. There were all sorts of them, from regular Pokeballs, Great Balls and Ultra Balls, to different specialized Pokeballs, all shiny and new and lined up on the shelves. There were even Master Balls, much to her surprise, their shiny magenta breasts popping out of their domed purple tops. Her eyes wandered to the rows of special Pokeballs, and decided to go ahead and choose.

"I'll need something cool, and not useless...or sick.. She thought as she looked at the different types one by one. Heal Balls, she immediately dismissed. Their colors turned her off, and she wasn't stupid enough not to think of carrying healing items around. The next up were Dusk Balls, and Nerissa snatched up a good number of them, instantly liking how they worked. Most of the Pokemon she liked came out at night or lurked in dark places, and the balls' cool and unique color scheme helped their case. Next up were the blue and yellow Quick Balls, and she got a number of them as well, knowing that some wild Pokemon had the annoying tendency to try to escape battle in different ways, and it was best that she was prepared for...that kind of situation. She also got some Timer Balls and a couple of Dive Balls to round up her choices. Satisfied with her choices, she turned to face Stella and showed her booty. It was a nice haul, more than Emil's, but not excessive.

As soon as Emil finished up his purchase, Nerissa took the card, counted her balls again before handing it to the cashier. Emil had chosen a similar array of balls, though in a more balanced, spread-out way. Once she was finished, she gave the card to Stella, before placing her hand on her shoulder and squeezing it.

"Thanks, man. This time, I'll buy all your potions. Just don't question my choices, they're for a damn good reason." She said, nodding before heading up the escalator. Now, while most people's idea of potions was sold on the same floor as the Pokeballs, Nerissa's idea of potions was a little...different, and her preferred potion line was found on the department store's rooftop atrium. She went up three more levels before reaching the sixth floor. Lining the far side of the floor were various vending machines, each carrying one of three types of beverages: Fresh Water, Soda Pop and Lemonade. These were Nerissa's potions of choice, as unlike the regular, overpriced spray-type line, they were drinkable by both humans and Pokemon, something that was more practical and functional in her eyes, especially when on the road.

She approached a vending machine holding Fresh Water, took out a wad of bills from her bag and inserted them one at a time in quick rhythm, the bottles falling one-by-one, until she got enough for the three of them. She did the same with the vending machines holding Soda Pop bottles and Lemonade cans, getting the same number for both, before stuffing all of them into her backpack and heading down once again.

Once she was back down, she jogged back to where Emil and Stella were, before unzipping her bag and taking out the small beverage bottles, lining them up on the counter before dividing them equally.

"There you go, guys. Trust me, you wouldn't be able to drink those spray potions without landing in the Pokemon Center." She said as she put her portion of drinks back into her backpack.

Emil kept himself from sighing out of relief as Stella walked up to the cashier, ready to pay without complaint. It would seem he hadn't gone too crazy with the amount he'd stacked in his basket, then. That was good, as his purchase would no doubt last him a while as things were; he didn't plan to need more than one ball per capture, after all. Wasting even two on one target would be unsightly, and not something he was willing to let happen. He had prepared enough special balls for most occasions to always keep himself on top of the game no matter what he was trying to catch. The girls however, either didn't seem to share his mindset or only planned to specialize in a limited array of species and Pokémon types, judging by their choices. Well, to each their own. He was going to be the champion before them anyway, they hardly needed to come as prepared as he did.

After thanking Stella for the purchase, Emil noticed that the first one to exit the store was Nerissa, who dashed out right after mentioning she'd be the one to provide the potions this time around. The teen cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Stella with a questioning look. Now what had that been all about? If she was planning to buy potions, why had she ran too the escalator? And did she... truly have enough fortune to afford treating them to anything, much less potions which could - especially when bought in abundance - be quite expensive.

Emil's questions were answered once the older girl returned and proceeded to, without so much as checking if the counter could be used for such purposes, line her purchase out in front of them.

"There you go, guys. Trust me, you wouldn't be able to drink those spray potions without landing in the Pokemon Center."

Drink? Emil repeated in his mind, confused. Was our intention not to buy potions for our Pokémon, not for ourselves? Honestly, this woman...

Shaking his head, the boy nevertheless picked up one of the bottles he'd offered and turned it around in his hand. And, as he did, the ingredients and affects label happened to catch his eye. Bringing the bottle closer, Emil read through the text and, much to his surprise, found that the drink was indeed drinkable for Pokémon as well - and it possessed some healing capabilities on the side. In that case, Emil could certainly understand her decision to favor them over the more traditional potions; not only was this choice more healthy, it was twice as useful. He rather liked it.

"Well thought," Emil commented with an approving nod as he started to pack his own share into his shoulder bag as well. "Although, I will refrain from drinking these Soda Pops. Nutritious water is far closer to what I favor," he explained without being prompted to as he zipped up his bag and subconsciously fixed his hair. His hairdo had no doubt suffered from the earlier running sprint he engaged in, as well as the collision with the... the hooligan.

"Well then, are we done here?" Emil inquired after he believed he was done, at least until he could find a mirror. "We do have a journey to set out for, after all."

Without waiting for a reply, the youngest of the group turned on his heels to make his way to the escalators - only to find a pair of guards closing them down and blocking the way rather effectively. Emil stopped, tilting his head in confusion.

"Excuse me," he began, trying to get the men's attention in as formal a tone as he could muster. "What seems to be the problem?"

One of the guards turned, glancing at the boy from underneath his cap with indifference. "We're closin' off the escalators. Turned out they were malfunctioning a bit. Better do this before folks get hurt, you hear?"

"With all due respect, me and my companions used them just now, and they seemed to work fine. We're in a bit of a rush-"

"Not our problem."

And with that, the man turned back around and offered no further word of explanation. Emil scoffed, but turned back around to face the two girls either way, mumbling under his breath. "Someone certainly doesn't get paid to be polite..." He shook his head and then addressed the girls. "I believe this should mean the elevator, then, seeing as they did not have the mind to install regular stairs in this building."

He was about to continue, but before he could do so, he believed he caught a glimpse of a familiar man passing the group by on the other side of the floor. It was the man who had bumped into him earlier, and the mere memory drew the boy's face into a frown. That was three unfortunate events to counter the fortunate three of today. He figured the next one would decide if the day'd turn out to be a good or a bad one.

"Well thought. Although, I will refrain from drinking these Soda Pops. Nutritious water is far closer to what I favor." Emil commented as he took his share of the drinks. Nerissa grinned a bit. Not a sarcastic one, but a real one. At least Emil saw the practicality of the drinks and did not try to argue with the potion myth. She knew that the Fresh Water was more effective than a piddly Potion, even though it was fifty Pokedollars cheaper...it even matched the capabilities of a Super Potion, despite it being less than half the price. Couple those with the fact that humans could drink it too. She saw the effects with her own eyes as Dorian healed his Pokemon, and her Houndour a few times, and Dorian was a Champion, not some run-of-the-mill idiot trainer.

"Thanks! Not a burper, are you?" She replied, trying to imagine Emil accidentally losing his poise in front of her. Maybe she could sneak some Soda Pop into one of his water bottles? It was worth a try to see the effects!

"Wonderful, you bought us beverages. Although, I'm not drinking those Soda Pops either... Ugh... Besides, I prefer Lemonade anyway."Stella on the other hand, sounded less-than-impressed, as if she did not really see them as Potions, though she did claim some of the bottles for herself. What do they got against Soda Pop? It's refreshing! Nerissa thought, glancing at the bottles holding the fizzy blue drink, before stuffing the rest of the drinks into her bag.

"They're potions too, man. One Fresh Water is just as good as one Super Potion, and the others even better! Tried and tested by a real Champion!" She replied proudly and not-so-subtlely. She was always one to speak her mind, even though it got her in trouble. "'Sides, Soda Pop's my favourite! Hehe...maybe your Pokemon might share my tastes as well?" She joked, referring to Overture and Evangeline as she winked.

Emil started trying to fix his mussed hair for a bit, which amused Nerissa. A guy conscious about his hair? That was rare. Nerissa didn't care much for elaborate, neat hairdos, she preferred wearing a simple ponytail or just letting her strawberry-blonde hair loose. And then, there was that bandana, which he was adjusting. Somehow, despite being rather unusual, the sight still entertained Nerissa. How much worse was this when they actually crossed longer routes without Pokemon Centers and Marts? She guessed that it was up to her to toughen him up a bit.

"Well then, are we done here? We do have a journey to set out for, after all." He said as he finished up, heading towards the escalator. Nerissa fastened the diagonal strap of her backpack across her torso as she followed him. However, she noticed that two guards blocked the way. Emil was told that the escalator was malfuctioning and had to be closed. Nerissa did not believe their words. They had used them just a while ago, and things like that did not just happen at the snap of a finger. As Emil walked back in the direction of the girls, suggesting that they use the elevator after mumbling under his breath. Stella walked over to the elevator doors and pressed the button, waiting for the elevator to come up.

Nerissa on the other hand, was not entirely convinced. She continued walking towards the escalator, and stood in front of the guards' turned backs. Her five feet, ten inches nearly matched their height and allowed her to try and look over their shoulders. She was stopped however, by one of the guards, who turned around before she could see anything.

"The escalators are closed, do you hear? Trespassers will be arrested." He warned, pushing the seventeen-year-old roughly. Nerissa wasn't going to allow him the last word however, and shoved him back, before leaving and joining Emil and Stella.

"Guy's an ass. I was so close to checking the escalator out. Once we get downstairs, I guess we better take a look for ourselves." She grumbled as the metal doors opened and she allowed them to pass, before going in herself. She pressed the ground floor button and leaned against the elevator wall as it traveled down.

Stella and Nerissa's reactions to the malfunctioning escalator and the attitude the guards showed when questioned couldn't have been more different; while the former accepted the sudden change in plans without question and went ahead to call an elevator for them (with Emil at her heels), the latter apparently decided that she hadn't caused Emil enough stress yet. With her heels clicking against the building's polished floor, the tallest of the three strode to the guards, only to be swiftly - and surprisingly roughly, seriously, who was these guys' supervisor? - aside. Which, subsequently, caused the guards to throw angry glares at both him and Stella as well, once they realized the three were a group. Emil looked away quickly, not wanting a reputation of a trouble maker. Sure, their behaviour did grate on his nerves as well, but he didn't particularly mind less physical work; he'd gotten his share for the day already. So, elevator it was.

"Guy's an ass. I was so close to checking the escalator out. Once we get downstairs, I guess we better take a look for ourselves," Nerissa grumbled as she reached them just in time for the elevator to reach their floor and open for them to step inside. Emil winced at her crude choice of words, even if he did agree with her sentiments, but he felt like reprimanding her on it would have less affect than a Pikachu's Spark against a Groudon. So, Emil merely stepped inside the elevator, quickly checking its mirror and brushing his hair straight before he turned around, settling to stand at the far back and waiting for the girls to follow.

"Best just let the matter be," Emil finally said when the doors closed, trapping the trio inside with a decisive clank. His arms were crossed once again as the elevator nudged to motion and started its slow descend towards the first floor. "We hardly have time to waste on such meaningless matters. Heading towards the next gym should be our top priority."

That's right, even if he'd beaten one Gym, he couldn't just rest on his laurels; he had to move on and keep his pace up if he ever wished to become a champion. Considering they were in Goldenrod at the moment, the next step should probably be either Ecruteak or Azalea. ... Which effectively meant that he'd either have to face ghosts or insects, neither of which sounded pleasant. The boy shuddered just from the thought of it. Perhaps they should go through the ruins to Violet City instead? He wanted to be better prepared before facing either of his worst fears in battle. Which reminded him, he should also get a move on when it came to catching Pokémon. Overture was strong, sure, but he wouldn't do with just one Pokémon forever. Then, what way should they go? Where should he do his first catch?

The elevator had one more floor to go, after which he'd probably have to decide.

"Hm, about our next step, I w-"

Before Emil could finish his sentence, the elevator suddenly shook violently enough to knock the trio off balance. The lights flickered and the elevator's speed accelerated, easily passing the second - and much to Emil's horror, the first - floor. He screamed, his voice most likely more feminine than whatever came out of the mouths of his companions, and didn't stop until the elevator came to a sudden stop upon reaching the basement. Emil gasped, holding onto the wall with his eyes wide and feet trembling.

"W-what in the w-worl-"

Once again the boy's sentence was cut short, this time by the elevator's door opening. Light poured into the pitch black car of the elevator, causing the teen to blink his eyes and bring one hand up to shield himself from the brightness - not that it would've lasted; before any of them could take a proper breather, a group of shady looking men pushed their way into the elevator to grab the trio and forcibly drag them outside into a room full of other dark-clad men and women, and what appeared to be their victims; a group of scared people all backed against the furthermost wall, stripped of their belongings and Pokémon. A group of Muk kept the people at bay, their slimy hands reaching for anyone who attempted to get away. The poison Pokémon had a foul smell so was awful, that Emil had half the mind to stop struggling just for the sake of protecting his nose from the stench. What was going on? Who were all these people? Were they... all trainers? Was this why the advertisers for the department store had been particularly pushy today throughout the city? Was this where the crowds of shoppers he'd seen earlier had gone to? Was this why the... escalator had-

"Tch, these ones have only got one each," one of the grunts struggling to subdue the girls and bring them to the group of earlier victims called out, apparently referring to their Pokémon. Emil's heart jumped. Were... were they really going to steal their Pokémon companions? Overture? No, they couldn't, he'd barely started his journey, he refused to be mugged by these murky-clad freaks, and he let it show by attempting to struggle free - to no avail, considering he had little physical strength to call his own. So, before he could so much as begin kicking and biting, he was already thrown roughly against the wall, his Pokéball and wallet taken.

Fourth time was the charm. This day was not a good one after all.

"Best just let the matter be," Emil said as the elevator doors slid shut, before continuing on how they had to choose their own battles, and focus on heading to the next Gym. Nerissa snorted as she leaned against one of the elevator's walls. Of course she couldn't let something that odd get past her, not when she noticed that everything was alright just minutes ago, including the escalator. Something had to be off.

"Fine, but if anything stupid happens from letting things slide," She grunted, before thinking about the potential Gyms that they were heading to next. Ecruteak in the north, and Azalea to the south, past the Ilex Forest. From what she knew about the Gyms, Azalea Town had a Bug-type Gym, and Ecruteak had a Ghost-type one, which made her feel more confident in herself. Though both Gyms were said to be challenging, Cecil also had the advantage over both types, and she knew that at least, neither Gym could be as bad as Whitney's sickeningly pink one. She secretly wished for Ecruteak, however, as she longed for a darker atmosphere where she could feel more comfortable, for a change of pace. She knew though, that she had to train Cecil more. Yes, he survived a high-level Miltank's onslaught and knocked her out, but there was always room for improvement, and Nerissa wanted to conquer Gyms and become a Champion after all. Perhaps Cecil needed more companions? The Pokemon around Goldenrod weren't her type, however…

"Hm, about our next step, I w-" Emil began, Nerissa looking up from the floor at the sound of his voice. He was cut off, however, by the sudden jerking of the elevator. The force knocked Nerissa backwards against the wall, the girl falling on her butt and slamming her back as she shouted out loud, before letting out a stream of curses; the words escaping her mouth far from refined or appropriate.

"Shit, shit! I told you those motherfucking cunts were in on some damn conspiracy! Escalators don't just fucking break! I don't know why you goddamn suckers can't grow some fucking balls!" She shouted, but she wasn't the only one yelling, and her voice was drowned out. Emil was screaming, his voice unusually high-pitched and feminine as he did. Nerissa wanted to laugh at him, and tease him for it, but the elevator kept falling. After a few moments however, it stopped as suddenly as it started falling. Nerissa took the opportunity to pick herself up from the elevator's floor and check out where exactly they ended up in.

"W-what in the w-worl-" Emil started, before the elevator doors slid open, bathing the dark elevator car in bright light. Dark-clad men entered and grabbed the three of them forcibly, dragging them out of the car. Nerissa struggled, trying to pull herself away from her captor's grasp, but she was met with a resounding slap on her face. Another man joined her captor, and both of them held her tightly and started dragging her, following the ones who had Stella and Emil as Nerissa continued to struggle. The room they ended up in was occupied by more dark-clad men and women, and other people, mostly scared-looking, backed up against the wall, guarded by an army of Muk. None of them had their belongings or their Pokemon, judging from their empty pockets.

Nerissa was dragged and shoved towards the wall, flanked by two scared-looking men. The two men who brought her took away Cecil's Pokeball and her backpack, opening the latter to check if she had even more Pokemon. She stood up, giving her captors a warning glare as they examined the Houndour's ball. One of them looked at the man who was now holding Stella's things, including her Togepi's ball.

"Tch, these ones have only got one each," The grunt who was holding Cecil's ball called out, prompting Nerissa to lunge at him and reach for her Pokemon. She wasn't going to let them get away with taking her Pokemon, alright. She wasn't going to give them the pleasure of getting their way with her.

"Ha, asshole! Think I'll be a good little girl?! Well, if you want Cecil, you better fight like a man for him, asshole!" She snarled, before taking advantage of her height punching the man on the jaw. Two Muk were grabbing at her legs as she did, attempting to drag her back, and she tried to kick one of them off. The man used Nerissa's momentary distraction to act quickly. Taking out a small gun, he aimed at Nerissa's arm, and shot a tranquillizer dart. Nerissa gasped at the sharp pain, looking at her arm, then at the man, her face morphing into one of anger. Before she could act, however, she felt herself weakening, her limbs feeling heavy and her head feeling cloudy and light. Her eyes rolling back, she only manage to murmur "you'll regret that" before she swayed and collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.