Amber Pine

Mesalon Gym

@Typical

As Aedre stood, so did Amber. "We'll watch a battle some other time, ok?" she said to her Pokemon, recalling Chalcedony and Larimar. Tacita, who'd been perched on the ledge next to Little, gave a hoot of disappointment and fluttered down, nestling in Amber's pocket. "I'm told there's a gym in Vareena... And speaking of Vareena," Amber added, following Aedre down the stairs, "from what Lan and Sophia said, Oscar's already heading there." If Sophia caught up with him en route, knowing those two, an argument would be all but guaranteed. Still, it was clear Sophia was much more concerned than she let on.

Amber headed over to Lan alongside Aedre. Noting her hesitant tone and understandable awkwardness, she took a deep breath and looked the gym leader in the eyes. "There was an incident yesterday," she began. "We've already alerted the police, but it seemed best to report it to you too... A theft. And we think it was a Pokemon who was stolen."

---

Lan Sohai

Mesalon Gym

@Typical

Despite Sophia's outburst and subsequent exit, Lan kept as composed as always. Nonetheless, a furrow appeared in his brow as the two trainers approached and brought an issue to light - more criminal activity, in the usually peaceful town of Mesalon. Given that it had happened so soon after the Team Noble attack and the agent's threat, there was a decent chance it was no coincidence.

"A stolen Pokemon? How exactly did it happen?" he asked.

---

Sophia Danvers

Start of Route 2

Gritting her teeth, Sophia straightened her posture. Maybe she shouldn't have stormed ahead like that. Then again, she shouldn't be this woozy before midday either. Yesterday's overexertion was still taking its toll. It didn't matter, though. Not when she had someone to catch up with, give a good talking to... and make sure was safe.

"I'm ok," she muttered to Clarus, who floated over, offering sturdy support. "And I hope he is." That annoyance burned out, leaving nothing but concern, and it was only when she picked up on a nearing otherworldly presence that she realised why. "Fanto, I said I'm ok!" She turned round, her irritation welling back up as Fantoccino stopped draining it. The Shuppet drifted to the side, sulking like a Lillipup who'd been caught eating something it shouldn't. "Ugh, I guess you'd know better..." Sophia mumbled. "But still! Sometimes I have every reason to get mad. Especially at him."

Ty leaned his ear to the wide door for a couple minutes, listening for the sounds of battle. He couldn't hear anything, though, so he must've gotten there between battles. Perfect timing!

The punk opened the door just in time to spot Aedre descending the stairs, followed by Amber. They went up to talk to Lan - probably to discuss who would be the next to challenge the gym leader. With a confident-enough smile, Ty casually strolled toward the conversation. His Pokemon were still away, so he wouldn't throw his hat into the ring just yet, but he was eager to learn which of these two ladies would battle next.

@Typical@LuckyBlackCat

---

^{Mesalon City: Gym || @Luckyblackcat@Zanavy}
Aedre gave Amber a thankful glance as her friend spoke up for her. Right, she wasn’t alone. Little was on her shoulder, and she had friends at her side.

“Yes, hi, I’m Aedre, and I work in a lab in Hoenn,” she said. “I was sent a package by my professors yesterday, but it went missing from my bag soon after I got it. My Honedge, Decus, helped find a footprint of a Sneasel, which I remember passing. We suspect that it used Thief to poach the parcel, and I believe I saw a woman with the Sneasel. Dark hair, black clothes, didn’t stand out from the crowd.”

She paused, wondering if she sounded like a conspiracy theorist. Half of her story was based on guesses, after all, and even the things she remembered were fuzzy. How close to her height had the woman been? What exactly had she looked like, and was her face as blank as Aedre believed to remember? Thinking it over now, she had nothing but fuzzy memories, and the next part was basically conjecture, but she pushed on for now.

“Since the package I got was roughly the size of a Pokeball, we suspect that that’s exactly what it was. I asked my mentors about it but the whole thing is very secretive and I wasn’t given much more information,” she trailed off, but, meeting Amber’s eyes, she exhaled, looking back at Lan. “I told the police already, and they’ve been looking into it, I think, but we felt that, maybe, informing you would help.”

She’d gone over the same details with the police, albeit in a slower, clearer process facilitated by the officer who’d spoken to her. Simplified, though, the story seemed to lose a lot of its credibility, if it had any to start with. But, with Ty, Amber, and Little around her, all looking at her with everything but doubt, she felt her doubt ease up. That’s right, she wasn’t alone, would never be alone in this.

---

Lan Sohai

Mesalon Gym

@Typical

For all the nervousness evident in Aedre's voice and mannerisms, Lan listened intently. Ghost types were perceptive, and if the Honedge had brought such a detail to her attention, it had to be for a reason, which gave likelihood to her theory. "Trouble truly has been stirring up around here lately," he replied. "You have my word, though. I'll help the police look into the matter, and watch out for anything suspicious."

As a Kosei gym leader, he'd worked with the police a few times - particularly decades ago, when the region hadn't been quite such a pleasant place. Now, calm seemed to be giving way to chaos once again.

---

Amber Pine

Mesalon Gym

@Typical @Zanavy

Amber gave Lan a slight smile. "Thanks." Going by the way she'd seen him calmly solve a crisis a few days ago, she and Aedre had done the right thing to report it to him. Now to hope the combined efforts of the gym leader and the police would turn up the missing package before long, or at all.

At a rustling in her pocket, she looked to see Tacita flutter out and perch on Aedre's other shoulder, opposite Little. Clearly aware of Aedre's distress, the Rowlet hooted and nuzzled her face. "Aw, it's certainly a great help to have Pokemon by our side," Amber commented, that smile brightening. "No matter what happens."

She glanced from Aedre to Ty, who strolled over as if ready for his challenge, or close to it. Given Sophia's exit, and Alexis' apparent hesitation for all her earlier blustering, it seemed Ty would likely be Lan's next opponent. "Hey, how did the training go?"

Ty Westgrove

Mesalon Gym

Ty's cheerful swagger faded when he got close enough to hear the conversation. He was so excited about the gym battles, he totally forgot about that theft. And apparently some trainers had attacked people, too, if he recalled. The punk hung back and waited for Lan and the two women to finish their serious conversation.

Ty's smile returned, though more subdued, when Amber spoke to him.

"Good. Hunk just needed a little time to practice his kicks on something that can't fly away."

Ty froze mid-breath, eyes slightly wider. Maybe he shouldn't be giving away such details in front of his opponent...

"Annnyway, who had their battle so far? How did they do?"

@LuckyBlackCat @Typical

---

^{Mesalon City: Gym || @Luckyblackcat@Zanavy}
As intimidating as his title of gym leader was, Lan was attentive and calm enough to reassure Aedre’s jittery nerves. His eyes, unwavering and intent, communicated his belief in her, and his words confirmed this further.

“Thank you. Thank you so much,” she said, clasping her hands together as she searched for more words. When she found none, she hesitated, then settled for a grateful smile. Gym leaders were gym leaders for a reason—a lesson she’d learned early on with Tate and Liza, who were much too mature for their age, and a lesson she continued to learn as she traveled. No matter how old, unfriendly, or otherwise unapproachable they looked, there was a kind heart somewhere in every one of them, and Aedre wondered faintly if she could ever live up to the kindness they and other trainers showed her on a daily basis.

A fluttering sound caused Aedre to flinch, ducking in surprise as Tacita flew towards her, and she recovered herself with an embarrassed smile. “Sorry about that, Tacita. You surprised me,” she said, reaching up to give the Rowlet a thankful pet. “Thanks.”

Though some people thought certain Pokemon, like Lillipup or Skitty, were more calming than others, Aedre would gladly argue on the behalf of all Pokemon. No bird, fish, or sword was anywhere less empathetic than the next Pokemon. Sure there were trainer and Pokemon differences, but those were individual cases. Statistically, she was sure, there would be no difference.

On her other shoulder, Little gave a bright chirp of approval, ruffling his feathers. Seeing him get along with Tacita brought a smile to Aedre’s face. Here was another friendship in the making, a fire-type and a grass-type who defying stereotypes and proving how much potential and intellect Pokemon truly had.

Ty started a conversation with Amber then, and Aedre drifted over, listening in. Apparently training had gone well for Ty and Hunk, which she was glad to hear. After Sophia storming out and her talking to Lan, she was happy to hear some good news.

“Oh, I think Sophia’s the only one who’s fought Lan so far? But she left early to catch up with Oscar in Vareena,” she said. “She looked like she had a good chance for the badge, but since she didn’t finish the challenge I don’t think she’s getting the badge…”

She trailed off, then, realizing she was dampening the mood, attempted to brighten up again. “But I’m excited to see your battle! Reaper and Hunk seem so strong!”

---

Amber Pine

Mesalon Gym

@Typical @Zanavy

"Yeah, she was about to, but she left a few minutes ago," Amber replied. "We thought it best to go after her, and Oscar, I mean it's better to stick together..." She trailed off. She didn't want to dampen anyone's enthusiasm here, not Ty's, or Aedre's about seeing the battle. Part of her wanted to go and make sure Sophia and Oscar were ok, while part of her wanted to stay with Aedre, and watch this important milestone for Ty.

"We can stay a little longer and see the match, though," she decided. It would probably take only a short while, and Sophia wouldn't travel far in that time. She needed to relax, Amber told herself, no matter how much Sophia reminded her of Coral...

The two birds getting along certainly provided a soothing sight. As Tacita responded to Little with a warm, friendly hoot, Amber's expression lightened. "Looks like you've made a friend there," she commented, "and this is a great insight into bird communication."

Not that this was the time to get lost in studies, she thought as she looked back over at Ty. "Good luck!"

---

Lan Sohai

Mesalon Gym

@Typical @Zanavy

As Aedre thanked him, Lan gave her a gentle smile. "You're welcome," he replied, "and if you need any more help with matters like this, you can go to us gym leaders. It's part of our duty." A duty it seemed they now had to take on even more than usual. Just like before.

Expression settling back into neutrality, he faced the trainer who would take Sophia's place in the upcoming challenge. A young trainer, but a strong one by the sound of it. Now to put his recent practice to the test. "When you're ready for the challenge," Lan said, "let me know."

Ty Westgrove

Mesalon Gym

Ty smiled at the women's well wishes.

"Thanks," he replied. "Don't worry, I'll make it fast so we can catch up to the others, haha." It was a shame the big group had to be split up right after he met them. He wished he and Sophia could've seen each other's battles. But he had been expecting to take this gym challenge alone, so any amount of company was good.

"I'll be ready soon, I think," Ty answered Lan, faltering a bit in his confidence. He didn't add the detail that he sent his Pokemon off to the Pokemon Center by themselves because he was too worried about missing an awesome battle. That was... probably a dumb decision, in hindsight.

Ty thought about walking toward the Pokemon Center to meet up with his Pokemon. But Reaper was expecting to meet him at the gym, and the flashy bug might be too busy zooming toward his goal to notice the small speck of a trainer walking the other way down the road. Besides, the group of trainers got split up unexpectedly, and someone might mistake his brief absence for yet another person wandering away from the group.

So, Ty stood and waited awkwardly right outside the gym's door. It was super boring. Ty watched a Caterpie crawl up a tree until it disappeared into the canopy. Then he rifled through his backpack to double check if he had enough snacks for humans and Pokemon alike. Then he read the sign near the door that described the gym challenge, just for something to do. Halfway down the sign, his glazed eyes sharpened into shock.

Just then, a faint buzzing sound quickly grew louder. Ty turned around to see Reaper hit the ground in an epic three-point landing. The Scyther smirked and spit Hunk's pokeball onto the dirt. Then his expression changed to a serious frown as he noticed the trainer's pale look.

"Hi... yeah... uh, we need to have a talk," Ty said, pulling out Medic's pokeball. Soon, all three Pokemon looked expectantly at Ty. He knelt down to meet most of them at their level, save for Reaper who now towered over them all.

"So, I screwed up,” the leather-clad man began, fiddling with his eyebrow piercing. “I mixed up this gym and Unova’s Normal gym. I thought we needed two Pokemon.”

Ty was never quite sure how well Pokemon could understand the intricacies of human language, so he held up two fingers to illustrate the crux of his message. He shook his head, then held up three fingers.

“But we need three.” Ty lowered his gaze for a second. Then everyone looked at the tiny Igglybuff.

“I know you’re not supposed to be a battler,” the blond continued solemnly. “It’s- it’s on me, I goofed up. We all got so excited, and this might be our only chance! ...What I’m saying is, worst case scenario, I might need you to battle. I’m sorry.”

The Igglybuff’s big brown eyes stared at the trainer in dutiful focus as he spoke. They somehow grew even larger as the situation dawned on her. Medic frowned at the ground and shrunk back for a couple seconds. Then the ball of pink fluff took a deep breath, looked up to her trainer, and nodded. Ty grimaced. Medic looked like she might burst into tears soon, and Ty didn’t wait around to find out.

“It’ll be ok,” Ty said emptily as he rushed to return Medic to her pokeball. He looked back to his other two Pokemon and forced a smile. This was such a downer right before the big battle. Everyone needed to get their hype back.

“That just means both of you will have to be even awesomer than ever before!” Ty shouted, pumping a fist in the air. “You two are such epic BEASTS, we’ll still win this if we give it everything we’ve got!”

Hunk yelled a rowdy battle cry and hoisted his log into the air, instantly re-pumped. Then he gently massaged Ty’s shoulders like he was a boxer about to go into the ring. Ty chuckled and did the same for his smirking fighting type. Reaper didn’t seem so convinced, but he gave a focused nod before both Pokemon were returned to their pokeballs.

Ty made his best attempt to regulate his breathing and get his head back in the game as he headed back toward the arena. This was too much of an emotional roller coaster before noon.

“Okay!” Ty shouted, bursting through the door with what he imagined to be a dramatically tough flair. “Let’s do this!”

@LuckyBlackCat

Lan Sohai

Mesalon Gym

@Zanavy

It was only a few minutes until the doors burst open again. Lan looked over as his newest challenger strode in with the same swagger he'd shown earlier, eager to battle. At once, some of the spectators began cheering Ty on as the picture from his trainer card appeared on a wall screen, next to a VS sign and the gym leader's photo. Beside each picture were three Pokeballs.

Displaying his usual stoicism, Lan stepped back into his place at the far end of the arena and nodded, his voice as calm as the spectators' encouragements were loud and lively. "Take your place, and let's start."

---

Amber Pine

Mesalon Gym

@Typical @Zanavy

Amber took her place at the seating area once more, casting a glance at the doors every so often. Was everything ok? Was it just a matter of nerves before the battle, or was there more to it? This, it seemed, was already turning out to be another emotionally fraught day.

Just as she considered going to check on Ty, the doors swung open, the punk boy reappearing. No need to worry so much about everyone, Amber thought, leaning forward, not out of unease this time but enthusiasm. For all the other things on her mind, this was an official gym battle. A chance to see the skills of trainer and Pokemon truly put to the test. "Give it your all, Ty!" she called through the others' cheers. She whipped her notebook and pen from her bag, ready to start scribbling. "Hmm, I wonder how these battle moves will compare to the practice ones earlier."

Ty reached for one pokeball, then his hand paused for a moment before brushing against another one. Jeez, the plan was already unraveling before the battle even started. The blond deliberated for another second and settled on the second capsule.

With a burst of light, Reaper appeared. The Scyther quickly gauged his surroundings. Once he knew he was actually about to battle this time, he sharpened his scythes and unleashed a fierce hiss.

Lan waited patiently as Ty took the time to choose his first combatant. Despite the unsure look on the teen's face, thinking over decisions was no bad thing. Once Ty chose a Pokeball, Lan held up one of his own. "Munchlax, begin this." The little bulky bear appeared in a flash of light, waddling forward, as calm as his trainer even as he looked up at the much bigger Pokemon.

"No holding back this time!" Ty began. "Use Quick Attack!"

Reaper grinned for a moment. Then he zoomed toward Munchlax in a green blur, blades swiping at their face.

Munchlax's thick coat absorbed most of the blow as he staggered back, but two scrapes could be seen through his fur. Nonetheless, the hardy little Pokemon ignored the wounds and lumbered forward again to stand up to the Scyther.

"Chip Away," Lan commanded, calm as his Pokemon. Lunging, Munchlax flailed, aiming for any weak points in the bug's chitinous shell.

"Good one," Ty called. "Just keep doin' what you do best!"

The blond rapidly, mindlessly drummed his fingers against his legs. Anything to release some of this antsy energy. He could only hope the Kamikaze Scyther plan could barrel through enough health to let Hunk sweep whatever was left.

Reaper circled around and zipped back for another blow. The Scyther had a big upper hand in terms of raw speed - but he wasn't prepared for the precision of Munchlax's slower attacks. As Reaper flew in from the side, Munchlax's paw jabbed the small space between his left blade-arm and his shoulder. The bug type let out a startled buzz, stunned for a second. Then Reaper whapped Munchlax with the broad side of his other blade-arm (Quick Attack) and backed a few feet away, shaking out the pins and needles in his damaged arm.

Tottering, Munchlax backed away as the Scyther did. When he regained his balance, he pulled a Sitrus Berry from his fur and chomped it down in a matter of seconds. His posture became a fraction less slouched as he perked up to the extent that such a lazy Pokemon could.

"Chip Away, again," Lan called. Stomping over before Reaper had a chance to shake off the previous attack, Munchlax lashed with his paws once more.

"Watch out!" Ty shouted super helpfully. "Dodge up and use Quick Attack."

Reaper shot straight up as Munchlax aimed for the same weakened spot on his arm. The normal type's paw moved a little too slow to hit the intended target, but it slammed down on another vulnerable spot on Reaper's knee while he flew upward. The Scyther hissed in pain as he zipped toward the ceiling. Then he dived back down to rake Munchlax across the back.

Munchlax yelped, lurching to keep from falling. Once he'd steadied himself, he spun his rotund body around to face the Scyther. Although he continued to stand up to his opponent, he panted, shoulders drooping as fatigue set back in.

"Recycle this time." At Lan's command, Munchlax gripped the berry stalk, which glowed white as a new fruit formed. He wasted no time in scarfing down his second refreshment, Sitrus juice dripping from his fur as he stood tall once more. Well, as tall as a young two-foot-high Pokemon could.

Ty watched a new berry grow instantly and froze, dumbfounded. Crap, he'd never seen that move before. The Munchlax could keep healing itself over and over again, while Reaper only had a set amount of health to work with. Reaper was stuck running a race he could never win!

Unless..... did he still have that one stupid baby move?

"Reaper, use... Leer?"

The Scyther hovered in place and slooowly turned his head toward his trainer with a scalding glare that clearly conveyed Are you freaking kidding me?

"Not at me!" the punk stammered, putting his hands up as if the bug type were an accusing police officer. "The Munchlax!"

Reaper rolled his eyes but obeyed. As Munchlax prepared for his next move, Reaper zoomed right up to his face, harshly hissing, sharpening his blades, the gaze of a cold-blooded killer in his eyes.

Reaper's most chilling performance yet should drop the calm normal type's guard just enough to overcome its unending wellspring of berries. At least, Ty hoped so. Whatever the outcome, this was starting to look like a REAL gym battle now.

"Try to show more conviction when addressing your Pokemon," Lan advised. Despite Ty's uncertainty, though, and Reaper's initial response to it, the technique seemed to work. The Munchlax, for all his usual level-headedness, staggered back and shuddered at the Scyther's intimidation display.

With his guard down, the usually sturdy Pokemon would have to keep his health up as much as possible. "Hold out with Recycle again," Lan commanded. This time, Munchlax restored the berry in an uncharacteristic rush, watching for the Scyther's next move as he ate.

Ty unwittingly clenched his fists, adrenaline spiking at the thought of his plan maybe possibly working. Hopefully Munchlax was too rattled to hear his next command to Reaper.

"Go for the hand," the leather-clad trained called, pointing at his own fist. "Take away its advantage."

Reaper flew away for a few seconds and then gained speed as he charged back toward Munchlax. The round Pokemon had barely enough time to pluck off the latest berry and scramble to shield itself from the blade heading straight for its stomach. At the last moment, Reaper stopped his flight and swept his blade-arms up. Munchlax yelped as the sharp edge cut his arm and he lost hold of his berry stalk. It flew through the air and clattered to the ground several feet away.

Also fallen to the ground was Reaper, who crash landed after attempting to stop on a dime. The Scyther panted for a second and then lurched back to his feet. If Munchlax wanted his berry stalk back, he'd have to beat Reaper to it.

"Take the opportunity," Lan called as the Scyther picked himself up. "Use Chip Away."
Lumbering towards Reaper, Munchlax swiped his paws at an unsteady leg. As his opponent's knee buckled, he seized the chance, waddling past and reaching for the berry stalk. Before he could retrieve it, a blade lashed across his back. "Muunch!" Unable to regain his balance, he toppled forward and lay there, the last of his strength spent.

Lan raised his arm. "You put up a good fight," he said, recalling Munchlax and sending out another Pokemon. "Your turn, Doduo."

The bird strode forward, studying his opponent with two sets of beady eyes.

"Yeah!"

Ty pumped a fist in the air. But his celebration was short-lived. The punk's smile faltered into a grimace as Lan's next Pokémon appeared: a flying type. Ty probably should've guessed this worst-case scenario was inevitable, but seeing his biggest worry confirmed was a blow to his team's confidence.

Reaper gasped in pain as he fought to stand back up. Try as he might, his left knee was practically useless after two well-practiced hits. Still, the fierce Scyther did his best to hide how battered he was. As Doduo took measured steps closer, Reaper pushed off with his good leg, hovering unsteadily in the air. The bug's wings beat erratically to compensate for his leg's dead weight. He probably wouldn't make it through one super-effective attack...

"Ok Reaper," Ty commanded, "you're too hurt to do enough damage flying straight across. Gimme a last-ditch dive bomb- NOW!"

Reaper flew straight up just in time to avoid a sharp peck from one of the Doduo's heads. He zipped higher for another second until his wings gave out. The Scyther let out a crazed buzz and swiped down with his arms as gravity carried him toward his target. He knew he might miss, he knew his guard was completely down. That's just how it had to be this time.

Doduo tried to dodge, but squawked as the blades swiped across its back. With only fuzzy feathers protecting the bird Pokemon, the scythes left deeper cuts than they had on the Munchlax. Tottering on spindly legs, Doduo stuck one of his beaks into a pouch around his other head's neck, pulling out and eating a Sitrus Berry. He livened up right away, but being unable to create new berries as Munchlax could, this energy boost would have to last. At least Reaper didn't look like he could take many more hits.

"Aerial Ace," Lan commanded. Running at full speed with white streaks surrounding his body, Doduo leapt, flipped, and jabbed his beaks at the Bug type.

Ty's breath caught with excitement as Doduo took a few precious seconds to eat its berry. Maybe Reaper would have one more chance.

"Get up, Lightning Bug!" Ty shouted. "You got dis!"

The Scyther groaned as he again struggled to stand up after a hard landing. His wings fluttered to lift him off the ground. But Doduo's attacks came too fast. Reaper swiped toward the beak that hit his shoulder, leaving his head wide open for the second peck. The Scyther collapsed at Doduo's feet, immediately out cold.

"Epic, Reaper," Ty said as he returned the Pokemon. It looked like he had whittled down about half of Lan's team. Ty could only hope his fighting type would fare equally well.

"It's all you, Hunk!"

The Timburr appeared from his pokeball with a battle cry, slamming his plank down in a show of power. He cowered a bit when he spotted the two-headed flying type across the arena. Then he gritted his teeth and straightened back up. Nobody saw that, right?

"It's okay, just use... Rock Throw..." Ty glanced at the battlefield and widened his eyes. "Crap, there aren't rocks around here..."

Hunk responded with a warlike yell and hoisted his log above his head. Within one second, the wood turned hard as a rock. Ty stared at the transmuted plank and blinked blankly.

"Huh, must've missed an important day of science class... WOAH, look out!"

"Again, Aerial Ace."

In a blur of white light, Doduo zoomed forward once more. Just as the attack hit home, though, the transformed log came down with a thud on both his heads. The bird swayed from side to side before collapsing into unconsciousness.

"Your Timburr has a way to cover a type disadvantage, I see," Lan commented as he recalled Doduo. Not that many Pokemon knew coverage moves at low levels, but it was still important for trainers to think about. "Minccino." In Doduo's place, he sent out a tiny, fluffy grey Pokemon who scampered into the fray. Despite being nearly half Hunk's size, Minccino faced her opponent with the same calm confidence most of Lan's Pokemon displayed.

"Use Thunder Wave." Minccino rubbed her paws together until they crackled with static, and shot a thin stream of electricity at the Timburr.

As the Doduo went down, Ty released a rush of breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Hunk had weathered the Aerial Ace, but he looked worse for wear. As the fighting type feebly crawled toward his log, his next opponent appeared. Hunk jammed his hand into a hollow in his plank and pulled out a rather bruised Sitrus berry. The healing fruit gave him the strength he needed to start standing again. Unfortunately, Minccino's static shock hit him halfway up. Hunk cringed, falling back down as his muscles locked.

"C'mon, get back up!" Ty shouted, a bit frantic. "We're so close! Just one Low Kick!"

Hunk gritted his teeth and forced himself back up, leaning on his log for support. He just couldn't force Medic to join the fray, not if there was anything he could do about it. His limbs were weak, but his Guts were fired up.

With a focused gaze, Hunk aimed a Low Kick right at Minccino's abdomen.

With a squeal, Minccino rolled over and over across the ground. Despite the attack's effectiveness, though, she wasn't out just yet. Slowly, she stood and straightened her posture, dusting herself off with her tail and adjusting the stone-studded helmet strapped to her head.

"Wear your opponent down with Double Slap," Lan called. In an instant, Minccino scurried up to Hunk, one paw lashing out after the other as she dealt a barrage of slaps so fast that not even the Fighting type could block. The move may have been called Double Slap, but Minccino's precision proved the name a misnomer, the attack landing no less than five times.

Hunk grunted and rubbed a bruise the Rocky Helmet left on his knee. He crouched to perform another Low Kick, but his muscles were still stiff, and Minccino struck first. A dizzying slap to the face stunned Hunk for half a second, giving the normal type time for a jab to the ribs. The Timburr panicked as he feebly scrambled to find an opening between the Mincinno's flurry of slaps.

Ty looked equally flustered.

"Ge-GET IT!" was all he could manage to stammer.

With a raging yell, Hunk dropped all attempts to protect himself. Using his technique from the battle with Spinda, he supported himself with one elbow and kicked out with both feet. Minccino squeaked as the kick connected with her stubby legs. The long-tailed Pokemon fell forward into Hunk, their foreheads colliding with a solid thud.

Ty didn't dare breathe as both Pokemon lay on the ground for a few seconds. A blank, stunned expression remained on his face as he silently recalled Hunk. Then he broke out into jarring laughter.

"Go, Medic!" the leather-clad trained called with a grin.

The pink puffball appeared on the battlefield. She immediately squeezed her big eyes shut and inflated a couple inches as she held her breath, bracing for a scary attack.

"You won, Medic!" Ty shouted. "Good job!"

Medic dared to open one eye, then the other. She gazed upon the now-empty battlefield with confusion. The blond trainer whooped victoriously as he picked up the plush Pokemon and hoisted her in the air like a trophy, a baffled expression still glued to her face.

A double knockout. Not something Lan saw often, but his face remained neutral as ever, showing no outward surprise. As cheers rose up through the hall, he withdrew Minccino, took several discs from a box and advanced.

"While relying on type advantage won't always be a viable strategy," he commented, holding out the Simplicity Badge with one hand and the TMs with the other, "you and your Pokemon displayed skill, so take these symbols of it. Which TM would you prefer, Hidden Power, Double Team, Swagger or Round?"

He fanned out the discs, allowing Ty to read the descriptions on the labels.

Ty forced himself to stay still long enough to look at the TMs. Two of them seemed awesome. The punk agonized over the decision for what seemed like hours, though to anyone else it was mere seconds. Then he chuckled lightly.

"Maybe my Pokemon already have enough swagger to begin with. I'll go with the Double Team. Thanks man!" He envisioned a platoon of Reapers slashing in perfect sync... yes, this was gonna be sick.

Ty took a step toward his new companions, pivoted back to collect the badge he almost forgot, and then returned to the trainers with a giddy grin. He'd play it cool later, but right now the flood of excitement was too much to hold back.

Amber Pine

Mesalon Gym

@Typical @Zanavy

Scrawl-filled notebook on her lap, Amber clapped with the other spectators. "Congratulations, that was great!" she called as Ty strode over, badge in one hand, the Igglybuff in the other. "I had no idea a Timburr could turn a log into a rock, I wonder how he does that? Just imagine the other applications that technique could have, for battle and otherwise... And seeing those moves Reaper practiced in action was quite something!"

She put away the notepad and stood up. That had been quite the experience, even for a non-challenger. She imagined the day she'd be the one up against Lan, testing out what she and her Pokemon had learned, but sadly it wouldn't be today. "Well, Aedre and I had better get going," she said as she approached Ty, "but if you're planning on doing the same, it's not like we'll be too far ahead once you've stopped by the Pokemon centre."

---

Lan Sohai

Mesalon Gym

@Zanavy

At Amber's words, Lan turned to Ty. If the boy wanted to heal his Pokemon right away, the monastery's facilities meant he didn't have to go all the way to the Pokemon centre. "Feel free to use the gym's healing machines, they're just in the other room," Lan told him, gesturing to a door across the hall.

Robes sweeping, he headed in the direction he'd signalled to heal up his own team. He placed the three Pokeballs in the machine, listening for the telltale beep, thinking which Pokemon to switch out for if some wanted to rest. There'd be at least one more battle before the morning was out, as reception had informed him of another challenger.

Ty Westgrove

Mesalon Gym

"Thanks!" Ty enthused, grinning at Amber's praise. Then he heard Lan and blinked at the gym leader for a moment.

"Oh - yeah, thanks."

That information would've been useful fifteen minutes ago. Oh well.

Ty waited closely behind as the gym leader healed his Pokemon first. It was... so weird. Nothing at all had changed about Lan, but the way he walked, the way he stretched for a second, he seemed... more human. Ty supposed he had always seen gym leaders as larger-than-life figures and never questioned that belief. It hadn't fully sunk in that Ty's team was good enough to actually beat a gym leader, that not even gym leaders were perfect.

The punk quickly healed his own Pokemon and walked back to the two women.

"We headin' out?" he asked. "I think we can catch up."

Ty took a glance toward the other blonde woman, the one who randomly swooped in only to pick on Sophia and apparently take her own gym challenge. He guessed these people must know each other somehow. Did Aedre and Amber want to watch her battle? Ty couldn't read that situation well enough to know.

"I know I just met you all," Ty added. "I'm just along for the ride. You can pick when to go."

Amber Pine

Mesalon Gym

@Typical @Zanavy @OtomostheCrazy

"Yeah, we should make a move," Amber replied, pulling up the straps of her backpack. "Both of you got everything?" Knowing the group wasn't likely to hang around in Mesalon much longer, she'd already packed up everything she needed. She started towards the doors, hesistating when she spotted Alexis waiting there. Alexis, who for all her apparent confidence, wasn't immune to pre-battle nerves by the look of it.

Amber hoped her smile would reassure the other girl. "Hey, good luck with your match." If she was going to take on the challenge, that was. Stepping aside to let her past, Amber wondered what to do. If they waited any longer, it'd be difficult to catch up with the people out and about. Yet hadn't she just said it was best to stick together as a group? Alexis would be able to quickly catch up, but even so... And if they headed out now instead of watching the match, would she take it the wrong way?

---

^{Mesalon City: Gym || @Luckyblackcat@Zanavy}
While Ty’s battle with Lan showed his inexperience, it also showed how strong the bond between him and his Pokemon had already gotten. He knew their moves and tics, knew how best to lead them in battle, and though Aedre could say she knew the same of her Pokemon, a part of her was sure that it was very much not the same.

Aedre clapped enthusiastically with the rest of the audience as Lan awarded Ty his badge, hesitantly searching herself for jealousy behind her smile. She’d decided she wanted to try training her Pokemon too, after all, and badges were a part of every trainer’s journey. Despite knowing that, though, she found no ounce of envy or negativity inside, which relieved her until she realized that really, she should be jealous. If she wanted to be a trainer, she needed drive, needed some sort of competitive spirit to keep up with people like Ty, and the fact that she had none… It meant she really wasn’t cut out to be a trainer.

A glance at Amber, who looked all professional interest and zero jealousy either, relieved Aedre, but she couldn’t shake that small voice in her head that put her down for her lack of drive as they regrouped with Ty. She needed to push herself to get better, both for her Pokemon and for her future, considering what might lay down the road. Whoever had taken the package from her likely wouldn’t give it up without a fight, and if she wanted to right that mistake, she needed to get stronger.

“Yep, I’ve got everything!” she said when Amber asked, hoping her smile was bright enough to hide her thoughts. She’d been told before that her emotions tended to show on her face, which she hadn’t thought to mind much until now. On a day to day basis, lab assistant Aedre had nothing to hide. Aspiring trainer Aedre, however, was racking up secret insecurities every few minutes.

When Amber spoke to a girl nearby, Aedre looked over, smiling when she recognized Alexis. She didn’t know the girl well, and what came to mind were Alexis’ interactions with Sophia, but even she could see that Alexis was missing her earlier bluster.

“Good luck!” she called, waving goodbye at the blonde girl in the dress. While part of her felt she should ask whether Alexis wanted them to stick around and watch, another part was eager to get a move on. Watching all these trainer battles was exciting, and she was learning lots, but more than that she wanted a chance to call all her Pokemon out and walk around outside. Maybe she’d get into a battle with some wilds, maybe train and work on tactics she could use in the next battle she got in because she would get in one. Eventually. So, she didn’t suggest asking, settling for looking between Amber and Ty instead.

“Let’s go,” she said, her tone gentle. “Sophia and Oscar are probably waiting.”

---

Ty had won, and neither Sophia, Aedre nor Amber were taking part in the challenge for now, but there was still one more opponent to battle. Once he'd gotten his Pokemon healed, Lan calmly headed back into the arena, eyes turned to the doors as he awaited the next challenger.

The seconds ticked by, but he remained ever patient. It seemed the combatant needed some time to get ready.

Alexis looked at her team once again. She had to win this time. She just had to! She didn’t know why, but this felt personal...everything felt personal. If she couldn’t win here, then how was she supposed to achieve anything she wanted? … She took a moment to breathe. She had to focus. She wasn’t even through the door yet, and she was worried. It wasn’t like how it was last time. To her, the doors were no longer simply doors, but a gateway that exudes despair and desperation. She can’t have that. She won’t have it.

Alexis returned her Pokémon to their pokeballs, and proceeded to the room, donning a confident grin. It was all she could do until they begin.

Facing Alexis from the opposite side of the room, Lan bowed his head. Despite her grin, the girl showed none of that bravado from last time round. Only the referee's voice filled the room, announcing the terms of the challenge while Alexis remained silent.

"I trust you've grown as a trainer," Lan said softly, taking a Pokeball. "Now, show me what you've learned." With that, he let out his Pokemon of choice. "Furfrou." In a flash of light, the dog trotted onto the battlefield.

”Oh, please. This won’t end the same way. This time we won’t play around!”

That’s what Alexis says, but even then, the Furfrou would be dangerous even for her new Pokémon. She couldn’t send Meditite in just yet. She had to whittle his team down as much as they can. It wasn’t that she lacked faith in the rest of her team, it’s just that she knew that no matter how prepared they were last time, it didn’t matter. All they could do for now is hit as hard as they could.

”Gabby! You’re up first!”

Alexis sent out her Eevee, who snickered like she was cause some mischief mid-fight.

Standing before Gabby, the Furfrou remained calm even in the face of the snickering, as did Lan. For all Alexis' joking around last time, the difference in her behaviour showed her willingness to take this match seriously. Maybe even too seriously, as if, like Sophia, she had something to prove.

"Start this with Toxic," Lan called. Padding forward and shaking his fluffy body, Furfrou sent a cloud of purple spores flying into the air and scattering all over Gabby.

After Gabby got covered in that purple haze of obvious poison, it was clear that she wasn't feeling all that well. She still snickered, but you could see the effect that it was having on her small body. Thankfully poison used in official pokemon battles aren't lethal, so that wasn't a cause for concern, but even so, they had few options in order to work with. For now, Alexis knew the only way forward from here on out was to whither his first pokemon down as quickly as possible.

”Gabby, whatever happens, just Tackle it!"

The Eevee responded with gritted teeth and a brave charge forward. She sprinted straight at the Furfrou, and slammed herself onto him, yelping in surprise. Though she had harmed him, she had felt something like sharp rocks dig into her body upon impact. Upon looking at it now, it seemed as if there was some sort of rocky protrusion hiding amongst the fluffy fur of its head.

”That sneaky little-", muttered Alexis. She didn't even know how he even put that helmet on the dog like that.

Furfrou's thick coat cushioned most of the blow, but still he staggered, dazed and bruised. Shaking off the attack as much as he could, he straightened his posture, ready to retaliate. The successful poison attack and the rock-studded helmet, while certainly helpful, didn't mean he could lower his focus or his guard.

"Move in to attack with Secret Power." At Lan's command, Furfrou built up a white aura around his body, sending it at Gabby in a wave of energy.

As the ball of energy collided into Gabby, it didn't hurt as much as it looked, but certainly put pressure onto the trainer and pokemon. There was only one on the team that could properly counter the setup this gym leader had to offer, and they were less likely to win without a handycap. They had to keep going. They were only one move in, and they hadn't even sent in their trump card yet. So against better judgement, Alexis repeated her command,

”Tackle again!"

Though Gabby wasn't a big fan of slamming into a pokemon with natural cushioning and a helmet with rocks sticking out, she did what her trainer had said. One could see that the pain was starting to get bad. the Eevee was panting, exhaustion beginning to reveal itself to everyone watching...But then she started snickering again. Gabby flicked her tail upwars, and from it a berry had flung out. When it began its descent, Gabby jumped into the air and ate quickly. Her mouth wasn't big enough to eat the whole thing in a single moment, so it was a messy action, but by ingesting it, the Eevee looked as if she could go on, if only for a little while longer.

' When did she get that?!', thought Alexis. She hadn't found or bought anything of the like. Gabby must have found it while they were training...

Lan watched as Gabby replenished her energy with a mid-battle snack. "You're prepared, I see, as it's important to be for official challenges." Even if said preparation hadn't been planned - Alexis' surprise wasn't lost on him - it was still something to take note of.

He turned his attention back to Furfrou, whose strength had started to falter, as evidenced by a slight totter. "Now, defend with Cotton Guard." The poodle's already thick fur puffed up to twice its usual volume, making him look like a cloud with eyes peering out. Giving Gabby a sharp stare as if daring her to make fun of his appearance, Furfrou braced himself for her next move.

Both Alexis and Gabby knew the situation they were stuck in. Gabby wasn't gonna make it through the match. Her moveset was limited, she was lightly poisoned, her opponent had a helmet that countered physical attacks, and Gabby only just barely hung on to consciousness with that berry she found. Even if she was swapped out, she would be knocked out the next time she fought. So, they both had silently agreed on one thing: keep fighting until the end.

If Gabby was gonna go down, she was going to go down swinging, and thus there was no need for Alexis to say anything. The mere look in their eyes showed that they both knew what the next action would be. Gabby simply charged forward and tackled into the furfrou once again, only feeling the pain of both the poison and the helmet after impact. She still stood, but she looked close to passing out.

Gabby may have been on the verge of fainting, but Furfrou's state wasn't much better. Even with the mass of fluffy fur protecting him, he panted, legs trembling. Nonetheless, both Pokemon showed equal resolve, as did Alexis, neither trainer nor Pokemon having to speak to understand each other's intentions. Quite some bond, Lan noted.

"Use another Secret Power," he instructed. Furfrou steadied his legs, that white glow building up again to form a searing energy blast.

After the attack hit, it seemed to throw Gabby into a daze. Not a confused daze that would result in her hurting herself, but her body seemed to drop in strength immediately. She collapsed, but did not drift into unconsciousness. She wanted to fight, she wanted to hit the furfrou one more time...but her strength failed her. All she was able to do before losing consciousness was kick sand at the furfrou...

Alexis returned the Eevee to her pokeball. Despite how much closer they were to winning this time, she felt despair begin to well up inside her. She had started to doubt herself again...but that self-doubt was not enough to prevent her from continuing. She needed to keep going. Otherwise...Otherwise...

Before she thought too deeply, she reached for Yuki's pokeball and sent her out. She hadn't meant to, but she simply needed to keep going.

Furfrou shook dust everywhere, some of it clinging to his fur as he blinked and rubbed his eyes with the back of his paw. When he looked up, the bleary image in front of him wasn't of the Eevee, but his next opponent, a small cone-shaped Pokemon.

Lan, on the other hand, had watched the switch, noticed the prior hesitation. Still, for all Alexis' silence, it was clear she wasn't about to give up. "A wise choice, to keep going," Lan told her with a slight gentle smile, "as it's too early to predict the outcome. You'll just want to make sure to inspire your Pokemon with that resolve." The more confidence a trainer displayed, the better for their team's morale, so Alexis would do well to have more faith in herself.

"Furfrou, use Toxic again." The poodle shook once more, scattering not sand but purple spores. Despite his watering eyes from Gabby's attack, the spores hit their mark.

This wasn’t good, they had to stop the spores somehow. How does a dog like that even have poisonous spores without getting poisoned itself anyway?! She had to focus. They had to trade-off. It was probably too much to hope for this to blow away the Toxic attack, but at least they can get a hit in.

”Powder Snow, now!”

Yuki complied, and exhaled a strong breeze that carried soft frozen energy. Alexis was right to think that it wouldn’t stop the Toxic attack from landing, but what she hadn’t expected was for it to be enough to freeze the furfrou in place.

As much as she wanted to celebrate the small victory, she couldn’t let Yuki keep fighting. They have a chance to finish this before they lose momentum. She recalled her Pokémon and took a moment to calm herself. She was about to use a Pokémon she had only recently caught. She had no idea how they would work together, only had a small idea of Meditite’s moveset, and was overall not confident in their coordination. But at the very least, she had to put her trust into the fighting Pokémon.

”Meditite...Let’s see what you got!”

The Pokémon simply levitated over to the arena, eyes still closed...

A Meditite. Now, this was a Pokemon Lan hadn't seen Alexis send out before. "Good strategy, although remember type advantage isn't everything," he told her. "Furfrou, hold on, and break through that ice."

For a few seconds, the crystallised Furfrou remained motionless. Just when it looked like the ice would hold fast, cracks appeared. Small shards fell to the floor as the Furfrou struggled. Still, it wasn't enough to break free. "You're getting there," Lan reassured him. "Use Secret Power." White light flickered around Furfrou, then flared, cracks in the ice deepening as it started to thaw from the energy. Once enough of it had melted for him to properly move, the dog lunged forward and unleashed another glowing beam. Between the shivering and the sand in his eyes, however, his aim wasn't at its best. The beam shot past Meditite and fizzled to nothing.

Despite dodging the first shot, Meditite was still wild and was not used to opponents being stunned in shock when their attacks miss altogether, so when the Furfrou shot out another Secret Power, Meditite was unprepared. Still, she took the hit like a champ and countered with a rather powerful attack of her own. A punch that would drain the energy out of her opponent in order to heal her wounds. Given it was a type advantage, it was an especially painful attack for the Furfrou. Yes, the rocky helmet that he wore still hurt Meditite, but it was much less harmful than a direct attack.

Alexis was surprised for a moment. She wasn't expecting Meditite to be as strong as what was shown. But after a quick moment to collect herself, she started laughing hautily, as if she had planned this moment out.

As the Furfrou collapsed, the last of his strength spent, the opposing Meditite's own wounds faded. "Good battle, Furfrou," Lan said, recalling the canine Pokemon before turning his gaze to Alexis. "Drain Punch. A powerful technique, for low and high levels alike," he commented. Alexis' suprise being obvious, he continued, "Still, you'd do well to call such moves. If your Meditite is a new Pokemon, you'll want to earn their trust and work as a unit."

He sent his next Pokemon, his Fighting counter, into the fray. "Doduo." The bird, with his four black, beady eyes, studied his opponent. "Aerial Ace." Darting forward at an alarming speed that not even a Meditite's grace could evade, Doduo jabbed with both beaks.

Before Alexis could think up a proper response, Doduo was released and put her into a state of fear. She knew the basic type advantages and disadvantages, and this was going to be painful for Meditite. When the dual beak bashing commenced, Alexis was worried that Meditite was done for...but much to her surprise, Meditite toughed it through, barely staying conscious.

Thinking quickly, the self-proclaimed rising star recalled something from earlier when she had caught Meditite.

”Thunder Punch! While it's still close!"

Meditite clenched her fist tightly, veins practically popping out as electricity suddenly generated out of her muscles at an astonishing rate. She pushed through the pain and forced her fist onto the body of the doduo. After a yell, the generation of electrity had suddenly doubled and could be visibly seen as it transfered from around her fist into her opponent.

Thunder Punch. Lan couldn't say he'd expected the Electric type move that sent Doduo toppling unconscious in one hit, not at early levels, but his surprise didn't show. Some Meditites, after all, hatched capable of the various elemental punches. "You know how to counter disadvantages," he commented, recalling Doduo and sending out his last Pokemon. "Bunnelby, your turn."

Materialising from white light, Bunnelby took her fighting stance, ears poised at the ready as she took in Meditite's weakened state. "Quick Attack." Bunnelby bolted forward, her sheer speed leaving a white energy trail, and struck with one of her paw-like ears.

Bunnelby using a quick attack! This was perfect! Meditite would finish this quickly! There's no way that she would go down from a single quick attack...is what Alexis would have thought if the combined damage of literally the entire opponent's team hadn't finally knocked Meditite out of consciousness. She returned her to her pokeball to rest, but now Alexis was in a bind. She only had Yuki left to use, and she was poisoned. They...They might not win this time either.

Alexis was scared. Scared that she would prove to be horrible trainer with not a single meaningful win to her name. All that bluster, all that talk...Meaningless if her win/loss record showed otherwise. She had to win. They HAD to.

So when she sent Yuki back out to fight, she could not think straight.

”Powder Snow."

Yuki released a wind of snow and ice at the Bunnelby.

The frosty wind buffeted Bunnelby, who staggered back several paces, shivering. She leapt over to where she'd been - only to slip in the snow, taking even more damage. Her shuddering and the powder all over the arena would hinder her usually speedy moves, but Lan had an idea how to offset the disadvantage.

"Slow Snorunt down with Bulldoze."

Bunnelby hopped to a dry patch and jumped up high, slamming her feet into the ground hard enough to send shockwaves at Yuki.

Yuki the Snorunt was knocked about by the shockwaves and felt the poison sting its way through her body, still, she stayed strong. She wasn't done just yet. Alexis should have some sort of idea for how to handl-

”Powder Snow"

...Again? For a moment, Yuki was confused, but decided to follow through anyway.

"Again, Bulldoze." Bunnelby, now with the upper hand in terms of speed, got in another shockwave attack before the second flurry of snow hit. She sagged, barely keeping herself upright, but kept her focus on Yuki.

As Lan called to her to repeat the attack a third time, she summoned all her strength, bounding up and striking the ground with such force the gym leader had to step back. Even the spectators would feel tremors from that. Lan watched the crucial moment unfold - whether or not the Snorunt endured the hit would likely decide the match's outcome.

"Again, Bulldoze." Bunnelby, now with the upper hand in terms of speed, got in another shockwave attack before the second flurry of snow hit. She sagged, barely keeping herself upright, but kept her focus on Yuki.

As Lan called to her to repeat the attack a third time, she summoned all her strength, bounding up and striking the ground with such force the gym leader had to step back. Even the spectators would feel tremors from that. Lan watched the crucial moment unfold - whether or not the Snorunt endured the hit would likely decide the match's outcome.

With the repeated bulldoze attacks affecting Yuki's surroundings, she slowed in a variety of ways. The now difficult terrain was rocky enough to both impede movement via bad footing, and impede aim via obstacles obscuring her line of sight. Still, Alexis directed Yuki to repeat powder snow once again, and after findin her aim, the Snorunt complied. Even when the poison began to worsen in terms of effect, she continued the snowy assault.

The blast of wind and snow flipped Bunnelby right over. She tried to stand, only to moan and flop back into the slush.

Applause went up as Lan withdrew Bunnelby. "You have indeed grown since last time," he told Alexis, fetching four small cases before making his way around the rather beat-up battlefield. "Take this - the Simplicity Badge." He presented her with the round, yin-and-yang patterned badge. "And one of these of your choosing."

Each case bore a label with a move name and description - Hidden Power, Double Team, Swagger and Round.

It took a while for Alexis to think straight. Without a word, she mindlessly took the badge and the case that was labeled as "Swagger" before leaving the gym. She didn't acknowledge the gym leader's words of praise, because they meant nothing to her. That victory was not brought about by any amount of actual skill, nor was it a result of their own training. It was pure luck. Luck always had its place in every success, but Alexis felt that any victory based on that alone was hollow.

It wasn't until she had already been quite a distance away from the gym that she realized that she and her team had gotten the badge. Sure, she could and probably will still find a way to gloat, but she could never find a way to call this a good experience.

Amber Pine

Mesalon Gym -> Mesalon Town

@Typical @Zanavy @OtomostheCrazy

Amber had just been about to lead Aedre and Ty out, when an unusually quiet Alexis made up her mind to take on the challenge. Watching the battle unfold as Tacita hopped onto her shoulder to observe along with her, Amber stayed where she was. Yes, Sophia and Oscar probably were waiting, but the thought of walking out on Alexis during a crucial moment didn't sit well with her. They were all supposed to stick together.

As it turned out, Alexis had the skill to back up her bragging, securing the badge and TM in a matter of minutes. "You did great!" Amber called. "Fighting types, huh? So it's true they can learn all sorts of moves..." Her eyebrows furrowed as, without a word, Alexis left.

"Ok, yeah." With an inward wince, Amber glanced from the door to Aedre, then to Ty. "Looks like a good time to head out for real."

Which they should have done earlier, she chided herself as she hurried outside, Tacita fluttering close by. All they could do now was try to group up and check on everyone. "Alexis!" she called down the street. "You ok?"

@LuckyBlackCat@Typical@Zanavy

Alexis did not respond immediately. She was still stuck in her head about how close to losing she was. How heavily pure luck played in her team's victory. Her indecision, her hesitation, her faults. She hated faults. She got what she wanted because she earned it. She put in the effort to deserve it all. From makeup to acting, she earned her bragging rights... Maybe she was just overthinking things. She wom in the end, after all. Shouldn't that be what matters most?

Alexis stayed in her thoughts for a moment longer befre finally realizing that she was being addressed. She turned to Amber with a bit of surprise. She wasn't prepared to answer with her usual personality, so all that came out was, "Huh? Oh...uh, yes. I'm fine."

She realized immediately after she had spoken that her confident appearance wasn't up. She immediately began to put herself back in her usual state of being, pushing aside whatever problems she had for the moment.

Ty Westgrove

Mesalon Town

Ty Westgrove, doing a very good job of reading the situation, walked forward with a smile as he fished out his newly earned badge.

"Twins!" the punk declared, brandishing his badge to apparently another companion. It was only after a couple seconds of enthusiastic grinning that the blond caught a hint of something not-entirely-happy coming from the other gym victor. Fine... Ty was smart enough to know that if a girl says she's 'fine,' it rarely truly means 'fine.'

Buuuut he was not quite smart enough to know what to do with that knowledge.

"Your Eevee seems like a real scrappy fighter," Ty ventured, a bit less energetic but still sticking to a positive tone. "I wonder what it'll be like when it evolves? I think it could make a good Umbreon with that spirit. But I know it's your choice. OH yeah, my name's Ty!"

@OtomostheCrazy @LuckyBlackCat

---

^{Mesalon City: Gym || @Luckyblackcat@Zanavy@OtomostheCrazy}
Amber’s concern clued Aedre into Alexis’ mood, which she’d thought to be a happy one due to the girl’s recent gym victory. In Alexis’ shoes, Aedre would’ve been thrilled; she’d just won her first badge, proving that she had what it took to be a Pokemon trainer. Alexis’ lack of a smile, then, confused Aedre, and she could only offer the girl a sympathetic smile after Amber’s question. Was she okay? Was something wrong?

The answer Alexis gave confirmed that while she was okay, something was indeed out of place, but Aedre had no ideas as to what that could be. Still she had to cringe at Ty’s sudden outburst—did he not realize that Alexis was upset?

As he went on, though, Aedre realized that though Alexis was upset, maybe Ty had the right idea. A welcome distraction would take her attention away from whatever negatives she was dwelling on and redirect her to the positives, so Aedre tried a grin as she nodded.

“Yep, and Umbreon are super interesting! They light up when exposed to moonlight, and no one’s been able to figure out why. Plus, even evolving an Eevee into an Umbreon would be difficult considering that there’s nothing definitive proving why an Eevee that evolves into an Umbreon can’t evolve into an Espeon, so… ”

She trailed off, realizing she was rambling, and managed an awkward smile. “So, yes, I think Umbreon would be a really cool choice.”

---

Amber Pine

Mesalon Town -> Route 2

@Typical @Zanavy @OtomostheCrazy

Huh? Oh...uh, yes. I'm fine.

Amber's eyebrows furrowed. She recognised that tone, the exact one her sister used to use. "Are you sure?" she asked, even though Alexis didn't seem like the type to lower her defenses any more than Coral.

Hopefully Ty's changing the subject would help. "Oh yes," Amber chipped in. "Or a Jolteon! They're known for their boundless energy, after all." She smiled as Aedre delved eagerly into the conversation. Eevee, the subject of much speculation, with its many evolutionary methods. "Well, the theory is that it's the moon itself that affects an Eevee's unstable genetic code, and replenishes Umbreon's power from then on. Meaning when its markings light up, it's charging energy. Just like how Espeon draws strength from sunlight."

In what ways, Amber wondered, did the moon and sun evolve Eevee differently? Since moonlight was just the sun's reflected rays, was it more like the moon's effect on the tides than the actual light? Or did the different luminosity levels factor in? The latter fit how Eevee's type and body composition changed to suit its environment.

Not that there was time to ponder the subject, with two people to check on. "It certainly would be cool, but yeah, it's up to you and your Eevee to choose," she addressed Alexis, Tacita hooting in agreement. "Hey, if you're ready, feel free to come along with us! A few people ran on ahead a little earlier than we expected, we're just catching up with them."

Onwards and upwards, she thought as she led the group to the start of the trail. Well, downwards. The sloping path seemed to mirror how the whole journey was turning out so far, one thing after another going south. A literal downward spiral.

---

Sophia Danvers

Route 2

@Typical @Zanavy @OtomostheCrazy

By now, Sophia knew she should slow down.

She should slow down, but she shouldn't have to. Just a short distance along a downhill route, and yesterday's burnout was already nagging at her. Ridiculous. She pressed on, frilly parasol in hand for the shade-loving Shuppet beside her, and to stop the sunlight worsening her headache.

"Ita!" With an insistent cry, Lacey stopped and pointed at a tree stump.

"But..." Sophia started. Lacey's pleading, concern-filled eyes were difficult to ignore, and there was no hiding her condition from Psychic or Ghost types. She huffed as Clarus, ever the protector, drifted in front of her as if to block her path. "Ugh, ok, ok, but just five minutes or so," she grumbled, sinking down onto the stump. "Just so I'm better able to catch up."

Naturally, it was while she'd resigned herself to taking a break that the others had to show up. Hearing footsteps, she stood up too quickly, having to lean against a tree. She put up her usual air of poise as she faced the group.

"Some people, huh?" She shook her head in the direction of the green swathe that was Vareena Forest. "Dropping everything, waltzing on ahead, alone... Geez, what's gotten into that guy?"

Whatever it was had gotten into her too, not that she was going to acknowledge she'd done the exact same thing.