Pokemon: A Statistical Oversight

~Sahara~

The lake in sight and the sun warming her back in the last little vestiges of light, Sahara decided this would be a good spot to stop in and get some rest. Today had been a long day for her, and she felt tired in more than one way - especially after what happened early that morning. What was Adam all about, anyway? Sahara figured there was no use worrying about that now and spent much of the last few hints of light preparing dinner for herself. She built a fire close to the water's edge using kindling and dead wood from the forest. Thanks to the heat, Hoenn suffered from mny thunderstorms - meaning trees became targets.

"Okay, out you come," Sahara whispered, poking her Pokeballs to make them grow bigger. The two Pokemon inside reacted instantly, escaping from their cages and immediately set about to stretch. "I have dinner for both of you ready," Sahara said, reaching for two small bowls near here and placing them in front of both. Pokemon food was in ready supply and extremely nutritious - much better than simply foraging. The Pokemon seem to like it as well. Frodo and Sam dug into their chow graciously.

Sahara ate in relative silence, watching her two little friends and smiling at them whenever one looked back at her. Froakie and Shellos, two water-type Pokemon. If she wanted to have a balanced team, she couldn't just pick up every Pokemon she thought was adorable. She had a terribly hard time picking between Froakie and Fennekin, but in the end the frog won her heart with the little gurgling sound it made.

Sahara heard grass rustling behind her and turned her head back to see. She saw nothing, but knew someone was there, watching her. She felt a shiver creep up her spine but decidedly ignored it. "I know you're there, show yourself," she spoke loudly. Slowly from the bushes, a young man stepped out, scratching the back of his head and clutching a small, orange Pokemon to his chest.

"Sorry to disturb you," he says. "I don't normally sneak around like that. Can I join you? It's getting a bit chilly." There was a slight nip in the air, the nights here were a bit chilly, Sahara noticed.

"I suppose," Sahara responded a bit slow. She didn't recognize the Pokemon in his arms. It seemed content to rest in his arms, though. "I'm Sahara, and this is Sam and Frodo. Who are you?"

"Nicholas," he answers. "Oh, and this is Terry, my Torchic. Thanks for sharing the fire." Nicholas scooted closer to the fire and sat near it, sighing gratefully for the heat. He wore a styled black hat and open-zipper jacket. He also wore a white undershirt with a design-like picture of a dragon of some sort.

"No problem, Nicholas."

"You can call me Nick, if you'd like." He had a nice smile, at least. "Can I call you Sarah?"

"If you'd like," Sahara answered with a nod and smile of her own. She didn't feel anything bad about this guy. Maybe he could be someone worth hanging around? "Where are you headed, Nick?"

"Ultimately Fallarbor Town, up north. I'm taking a bit of a long detour through Meteor Falls first, there's a Pokemon I want to catch there."

"And what's in Fallarbor Town?"

"You don't know? The Pokemon Contest Spectacular. I hear there's a special theme for this year, but no one's been told yet. Apparently they decided to put it in Fallarbor Town's contest hall first."

Sahara hummed a bit in response. She hadn't known about the contest hall in Fallarbor, though she knew about Contests. The Kalos Queen Contests in Kalos were an exciting thing to see, though she could only ever watch that by the Holocaster. "If we're going the same direction, we can stick together. At least until Oldale Town. I don't want to make you run late because of my detour."

"It's no problem, the contest in Fallabor isn't for another two weeks, almost. But sure, I'd love to tag along."

~Minerva~

Her eyelids clenched in a brief second before they opened, as the rising sun had awakened Minerva under its peeking halo of aurulent rays. The young woman pushed off from against the tree, brushing off the dirt and grass clippings that clung to her coat. She had not been visited in the night by any mischievous and troublesome persons, as the meadow of pavonated plants Minerva chose to sleep in was secluded from the ordinary road and did not consist of anything of interest to the average trainer. As Minerva picked up the incubator, she flipped her hood back down and converged onto the path towards Mauville.

The hind locks of her hair were neatly tucked into the coat's hood; Minerva always kept a certain order about her, if nothing else. Though the sidereal brilliance of her marine eyes emanated an appearance of subdued pensiveness, her face was well-maintained to an almost doll-like point. Her aspirations (or the lack thereof) never fancied the intention to ascend through Team Rocket's hierarchical ladder, and such an occurrence was a coincidence credited to her competence and expediency. Despite it all, she was still very human.

The rolling countryside was just about as peaceful and scenic as one would expect. The distant hills sculpted the grand horizon, with the sun climbing to its place in the sky. For once, Minerva could appreciate this. Not for the sheer pictorial aspect of the moment, but rather the moment itself. The capacity to acknowledge the fact that she hadn't always been fortunate enough to have this time. Time to waste to enjoy quaint vistas or sleeping in a bed of Forget-Me-Nots. Time to waste by enjoying all the little things. The freedom was nigh-palpable, and it was a splendor that could not be bought.

Before the break of noon, Minerva had finally arrived at Mauville where she could mingle into the flock once more.

Day and Time: Wednesday – Night

The duo quickly made their way to the Pokémon Center with all of their partners and belongings in tow. Melanie held Oddish tight to her, but the Grass-type did not seem to mind; in fact, when she glanced down at it, it seemed rather content in her arms as it took in the all of the lights and smells and sounds and commotion. She allowed herself a small smile of victory – perhaps she could manage to turn things around with the little mandrake! She did not voice this aloud, however, for slight fear of ruining this sliver of bonding that they shared. Instead, the older twin allowed herself to refocus on the path they were taking. Merrick had chosen to go ahead of her and, thankfully, he had led them in the right direction. The siblings entered and were happily greeted by Nurse Joy.

"Hello and welcome to the Mauville Pokémon Center," she chimed, "if your Pokémon require medical assistance, please come to the front desk. If you're here to stay the night then please sign up on at the computer and you'll be given your key cards." The twins nodded in kind and strolled over to the computer. Melanie took control and signed each of their names into a shared room – it seemed there were still plenty available which took the older sibling by surprise. She was grateful nonetheless as a machine to the right of the computer spit out two keycards and a printed welcome that detailed when meals were served. The duo had already missed dinner, but in a city as large as Mauville, they could surely grab a bite to eat somewhere. Before Melanie could ask, Merrick's stomach answered her – a loud gurgle followed by a sheepish grin from the younger twin.

"Sorry," he responded in turn, hands reflexively covering his stomach as if that somehow would shield him from being noticed. It was an odd habit, but a quirk that did not bother his sister in the slightest. "I guess that oatmeal this morning didn't quite cut it," he chuckled as he shifted the bag on his shoulder and took one of the keycards. "We didn't stop the whole way here," he continued seriously, "can we get something?"

"Yeah," Melanie responded with a small smile, "I noticed a couple places on the way in. The food court is apparently a big deal." Even back home in Johto, she had seen commercials on TV about how good the food made in the tiny court was – people lined up hours in advance just to get a sandwich! Melanie's own stomach let out a low growl at the thought and she blushed. "Let's drop our stuff in our room and head over. I hope they're still open."

With a plan of action decided, the twins rushed to their room and dropped off the non-essential items before dashing out of the Pokémon Center in the direction of the famous food court. Merrick was the first to arrive, darting in and out of the crowd of people milling about without a care in the world; Melanie did not match her brother's energy and, although she ran, got caught offering strangers a mixture of "sorry's" and "excuse me's" as she went. It took her just about two minutes longer to arrive than her younger brother, but when she did the sight of the food court gated off caused her stomach to sink just a tad.

"We just missed it," Merrick announced with a frown, his hands once more going to his stomach. It let out another low gurgle and he grimaced. There was always the food they had packed to eat on the road, but he had hoped that this would work out for them. He looked to Melanie and sighed. "Where to then?" he asked, not quite enjoying his sister's shrug. The later it got the less likely they would be to find a place to sit down and eat – thankfully it seemed the world was looking out for the two. Just as he was about to pipe up an old woman tapped on his shoulder. He spun around to see her and took just a step back; she looked kindly and carried several plastic bags with her. Of course, she seemed friendly enough, but this was a big city, not unlike Goldenrod or Saffron. Appearances could be deceiving.

"Pardon me dears," she began with a smile, "but I couldn't help noticing your dilemma." Merrick took another step back and inched his hand toward his sister's outstretched one. Although the old woman certainly didn't seem like someone who would do them harm, they had to be careful. Perhaps she wasn't part of some sort of evil syndicate, but that didn't necessarily mean she was incapable of it. "My daughter works for one of the restaurants in the food court and brings me leftovers if there are any. I have some extra sandwiches and chips here if you'd like them. I certainly won't be able to eat them all by myself." She offered the duo one of the bags she was carrying. Merrick hesitated a moment. Looking to his sister for her approval, he carefully accepted the parcel when she nodded and glanced back to the older woman.

"Th-thank you," he responded with a little extra cheer in an attempt to make the situation seem normal. His and Melanie's gaze fell to the bag and noticed there were two styrofoam boxes in it – likely two sandwich plates which would be just enough. "We appreciate it," he continued, looking back up only to see that the woman was gone. He looked to Melanie. She looked around but when she found no trace of the elder, she shrugged. "That was weird," Merrick voiced.

"Agreed."

~Selena~

Selena stepped out into the sun as morning dawned in Mauville. She had made the trip to Mauville easily and now had a choice to make. She could go east, towards Mt. Pyre. She could go west, towards Verdanturf. Or she could go north, towards Lavaridge or Fallabor. She knew a contest hall would be in Verdanturf, but according to the schedule the contest would be over by the time she got there. Fallabor's contest, however, would be a little less than a week's time away if she decided to make the trip there.

She felt a nudge against the back of her leg and looked down. The two Pokemon, Vulpix and Electrike, stayed in the Pokemon Center for the night and now both looked up at her endearingly. "Did you want to thank me again?" Selena asked, turning around and crouching down. "I just did what any person would, you don't have to. Now go home you two." The Electrike and Vulpix wouldn't budge. They barked up at her.

"I think they want to go with you," a woman who noticed what was going on stepped up. Selena glanced at her and frowned. The woman had ebony skin and ivory hair and a flying squirrel rested on her shoulder. The Vulpix and Electrike both nodded in agreement, poking Selena with their snouts. "See? Definitely want to go with you." She definitely seemed happy with being right.

"You are?" Selena raised her eyebrows at the woman.

"Call me Ebony. Nice to meet you. Will you take them?"

"If they want to come with me," Selena looked down at the two Pokemon. "Then I'll take them along with me. It's their choice."

With their oddly obtained sandwiches in tow, the twins began to retreat back to the Pokémon Center. Merrick had snagged his from the bag and began chowing down almost immediately – much to his good fortune, all of the ingredients were fresh and nothing tasted out of the ordinary. He smiled as he chomped down on the Fletchinder strips and MooMoo cheese, savoring the rich Oran berry jelly spread that lined the homemade bread. "Mel, you have to try this," he exclaimed between bites, "it's so good!"

The older twin peeked at the other box which contained her food. As much as she wanted to get back to the Pokémon Center quickly to eat and train with Oddish, she had to admit to herself that her brother's food looked really good. Yet another low gurgle emitted from the depths of her stomach. She blushed once more and quickly dug the box out of the plastic bag. The sandwich inside was more or less the same as Merrick's own; Fletchinder strips and MooMoo cheese, but a thick pink spread – likely crushed Pecha berries – lined the bread instead of Oran berry jelly. Melanie took a hearty bite and her mouth watered as the sweetness from the berries crashed over her taste buds. She chewed and swallowed and took another bite. "I can see why they're world famous," she remarked as the two began moving once more.

The duo chowed down and soon dug into the bags of chips that had been provided to constitute a meal; although processed and typical of what they would see in their local mart, both of the siblings felt as though there was something different to the taste. It was something neither of them could quite put their fingers on. Nevertheless, both bags were quickly emptied and they finally made it back to the Pokémon Center, slipping in quietly and heading straight for the room they had been assigned. Both changed into sleepwear and brushed their teeth in the communal bathroom, but whereas Merrick plopped down on the bed contentedly, Melanie grabbed Oddish's Pokéball and released the tiny Grass-type.

"Okay Reed," she announced jovially, "let's get some practice in!" The little mandrake Pokémon looked around and blinked. It made a motion with its leaves that seemed to imply a shrug. "What attacks do you know?" Melanie asked, wondering what else it had besides the ability to spit spores. The Oddish didn't make a movement. A few seconds passed. Melanie deflated a tad as it became evident the Grass-type wasn't going to react without a little prodding. "How about Stun Spore?" she nudged with a hopeful tone. The Pokémon blinked and then, after a moment, shook its head. "What about Poison Powder?"

Another shake of its leafy head. Melanie groaned but tried to keep a smile on her face. "Sleep Powder?" The second the final syllable left her lips, the Oddish sprang into action and shot off a cloud of greenish-blue powder at Melanie. The substance made direct contact and she stumbled backward and fell to her bed. In no time at all, she was out like a light. The subtle rise and fall of her chest confirmed she was fast asleep from the Pokémon's attack. Merrick chuckled sleepily.

"I guess it's bedtime," he responded, shuffling out of bed to grab Oddish's Pokéball. The Grass-type bounced over to him and released a sound of delight as he pressed the button to return it to the resting confines of the Pokéball. He set it next to his sister's Pokégear. "Night, Mel."

Day and Time: Thursday – Dawn

Early next morning, the same piano music drifted from Melanie's Pokégear. The older twin fumbled as she awoke, searching for the alarm for a moment before finally landing her hand on the snooze button. A stretch and she tried to wipe the sleep from her eyes. "Ugh..." she groaned as she cracked her neck, whatever position she had slept in had not treated her too well. Another stretch and suddenly the last few moments from when she fell asleep came rushing back to her – her scream of frustration woke Merrick with a start. He settled down when he realized there was nothing wrong physically.

"Good morning to you too," he yawned, stretching before getting out of bed. If looks could kill, the glare his sister shot him would have ended his life instantly. He blinked. "What?"

"I can't believe that happened!" she exclaimed in aggravation, grabbing the Pokéball on her bedside. She released the offending Grass-type from the Pokéball and as soon as its beady red eyes were on her shot a glare in its direction. "I didn't mean for you to use Sleep Powder on me!" The Oddish shot back a confused look and then meandered over to Merrick.

"To be fair, Mel," the younger twin spoke up, "you didn't exactly give it direction." Once more the killing glare landed on him. "You just told Reed to use Sleep Powder. How was he supposed to know?"

Melanie opened her mouth to argue but no words came. She ended up sighing and shifting her gaze to the Oddish. "I guess you're right," she grumbled under her breath. As much as she didn't want to admit it, her brother did have a point.

"Of course I'm right," he retorted snidely, earning another glare. He held up his hands in defense. "Look, it probably wasn't the best idea to practice in here last night anyway. It was late, you were both tired, and there really isn't room. Why not go outside? There's a training field you can use to prepare and then we can head over to the gym."

Melanie didn't say anything in response, but when she got up to get ready Merrick knew that she agreed. He breathed deeply as she stepped out into the hall to freshen up. At least he had dodged that bullet.

~Gabriel~

After Gabriel had checked his Pokemon in at the counter with the Nurse Joy, he was offered lodging upstairs. He crashed onto the bed in one of the rooms and passed out until morning, where he sprang wide awake upon hearing a scream from another room. "Quiet down!" he shouted through the wall. "Some people are trying to masturbate over here!" Though he wasn't. With a new day started, Gabriel made his way downstairs into the Center's own bistro, taking full advantage of the breakfast offered to trainers.

As he filled his tray, Duke popped out from his Pokeball and climbed on the counter, helping himself to the muffins. "Slow down there," Gabriel advised. You're gonna get real chubby if you keep going like that." The penguin angrily pointed back at Gabriel with an accusatory flipper and made a muffled garble with chunks of muffin still in his beak. "Me get fat? No, no, no. See, I'm one of those people that can eat as much as I want and not gain a single pound. Some people were born smart, and some people were born talented. I'm a total dumbass, but at least I'm a total dumbass with great metabolism. That's my thing." Gabriel finished his breakfast and plopped Duke onto his shoulder, heading out to do what he came to Mauville for.

The gym was fortunately within walking distance of the Center; convenient placement for challengers preparing or finishing their battles. The trainer stood before the gargantuan building that was the Mauville Gym, where an arena and the site of his first official gym battle would await inside. "Do I... knock? Or do I just go on in?" Gabriel looked at his Piplup and shrugged, before tapping at the door to see if he would get a response. "Hello? Anybody in there?"

~Minerva~

She had never seen a metropolis so plugged in - at least not in Kanto. The absolute labyrinth-like structure of the city was the perfect place to disappear away from prying eyes, or rather it would be, had Minerva not been spotted and recognized the moment she set foot into the town. Nick, the cyclist she had met the other day called to her from a bench he had been resting on, waving his hand vigorously and putting in the utmost effort in trying to grab her attention. "Katherine! Hey, Katherine!" he hollered as though he had known her for ages. "It's me, Nick! Over here!" Minerva elected not to acknowledge the voice addressing her and stopped to examine a posted directory of the city's layout.

Ever so persistent, Nick decided to approach Minerva, sounding the bell on his bicycle as he rode up next to her. "H-H-Hey..." he uttered, unable to keep the tincture of nervousness from his voice. The poor bastard. Nick had been so excited to talk to Minerva again that he didn't plan on what he was actually going to say when he met her. Minerva turned over to face him for a second before looking back at the directory to see if there were any particular locations that would be of interest to her. "Oh... hey," she greeted back, though only by conduct of decorum. "You made it after all! Ha ha... um... I mean uh... so... how are things?" Nick fumbled over his own words. It seemed as though he wasted his entire playbook of smalltalk in their last conversation, as he was now the physical embodiment of awkward.

"Fine," she extended back with minimal engagement in the conversation.

"Ha ha yeah... that's... cool. So uh... what brings you to Mauville? You um... going to Wattson's gym?" Dark spots were beginning to form under the sleeves of his jersey.

"Possibly. I was considering applying for a position there."

"Uh... a position? Like... a job? You're not doing the challenge?"

"No. Are you?"

"M-Me? Ah ha... uh... no way! Yeah! Challenging gyms are stupid! Who needs gyms? Pfft! Not me! If you don't mind me asking though... uh... why are you looking for a job?"

"I was considering renting an apartment and living here."

"Oh... uh... that's cool. Pretty cool. Ha ha... nobody knows more about cool than me. Yeah... all my friends call me 'Mr. Cool'."

"I thought they called you 'Tricky'."

"I uh... got lots of nicknames! Yeah! That's uh... how cool I am! Totally!"

Unconcerned with listening to Nick make an ass of himself, Minerva began walking away towards Mauville's residential district. Nick rode after her in panic, trying to salvage the catastrophe of diarrhea that he had been spewing from his mouth. At this rate, he was well on the way of digging his own grave and having cement poured into it.

"W-Wait up! Where are you going?"

"I was planning on checking out the apartments before heading over to the gym."

"I uh... I could show you around! Yeah! The apartment complex is a big place! I could be your guide! What do you say?"

"...If you really know your way around, then I suppose."

"Ha ha, score! I mean uh... yeah! Just follow me!"

Nick proceeded to "guide" her into the Mauville Apartments, with no actual idea where he was going. Along the way, he once again tried his hand at making coherent conversation.

"So ha ha... do you like shorts? I like shorts. They're comfy and easy to wear... uh... how about shoes? I like shoes, you like shoes? I wear shoes sometimes too, I mean not all the time. I take my shoes off when I sleep, ImeanI'mnotweirdoranythingIpromise."

The entirety of the time, Minerva was tuning out his ramblings, and instead stared up at the second floor of the city and marveled at the design. Her attention fixated in front of her when she heard the sounds of revving motorcycles and purring engines. A biker gang had apparently taken their run of the lanes, as one rode forth to meet Minerva.

"Well, well, well... ain't you a pretty thing?" the thug crooned, wagging his eyebrows.

"Y-Yikes! Are you guys... b-b-bullies?" Nick quivered in fear.

The presumable leader of the gang looked back at his lackeys and a split-second of silence passed before they all laughed and hooted at Nick's questions.

"Who's this nerd with the inferior two-wheeler? Does your mama know you're riding without your training wheels?"

"I-I-I don't need training wheels!" Nick stammered in response, slowly pedaling backwards and positioning himself behind Minerva.

"Pfffffft! Is this kid for real? Hey, pretty thing. This wimp your boyfriend?"

"No," Minerva retorted in a manner that was more blunt than a ball-peen hammer.

"Heh... I should hope not! You oughtta hook up with a real man."

"Stellar advice. Do you know one?"

The biker thugs looked at one another, and exchanged a wave of laughs and "ooh"s.

"Hey, easy there, angelface! That really hurts my feelings. I don't know if I can let that slide. Tell ya what, though. My chopper's seat here has enough room for two. Why don't you help your dainty little self on over and get patched in with my crew? We'll have a grand ol' party tearin' up this town, and it'll be a lot funner with a doll like you around. I may even just forget what you just said to me."

"Ha! No way Katherine's ever gonna join a bunch of goons like you guys!" Nick barked back.

"Wasn't talkin' to ya, dingus. Hey, Doc! Why don't you teach this kid to show some proper respect, yeah?"

A large, tawny member of the group cruised forward, causing Nick to squeal in terror and flee away on his bicycle. The gang continued laughing at the act of cowardice while the leader motioned them to quiet down.

"So, you're Katherine, huh? Nice to meet ya. I'm Mitch. So how about it? Ready for the party of a lifetime?"

"Sorry, but Dingus was right. I'm not interested."

"That's too bad. Because now I ain't askin'. There's only one real way to settle this."

"And that would be?"

"Tell you what, you have a Pokemon battle with me, and the winner gets to decide your fate," Mitch proposed, looking back at his gang. "Pretty cool, right guys? I came up with that line myself."

"Very well. I accept."

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Watch out, 'cause Slick Mitch doesn't lose!"

The biker reached for a Pokeball at his belt and tossed it ahead of him, and with a flash of red light, a Grimer emerged. Minerva responded in turn, grabbing a Pokeball from her coat and sending one of her own to battle. Fighting on her side for the battle was her own Bulbasaur, who she had named "Cepheus". Mitch only seemed amused by her choice of Pokemon. "You got a poison-type, too? A woman after my own heart," he commented. "You're gonna fit in real nice with the crew."

"Sludge Bomb," Minerva commanded. Cepheus fired several violet, spherical projectiles from his bulb to land a direct hit on the Grimer, who shrugged it off with ease. "Tch, that it? C'mon, Monstro, show 'em what a real Sludge Bomb looks like!" Mitch scoffed. The Grimer hurled the same move back at Cepheus, inflicting a very noticeable impact. "Leech Seed," Minerva followed up without missing a beat. Cepheus launched a seed at the Grimer, which upon contact spread roots and tangled it. Monstro cried out in pain as its energy was being sapped, retaliating with another Sludge Bomb. "You know what to do, Cepheus," Minerva prompted her Bulbasaur. "Drain and evade."

Cepheus performed the technique Giga Drain, causing a stream of green energy to be pulled from the Grimer into Cepheus. In tandem with the Leech Seed, Cepheus was now recovering more health than any attack the Grimer could connect with, and inevitably, the Grimer could no longer fight. Mitch recalled his Pokemon as it fainted, visibly bitter in defeat. "Grr... let's just go, guys. We don't need this stinkin' town, anyway. This ain't over, Katherine! Next time we meet, I'll be sure to pay you back!" The gang revved up their motorcycles and sped off, leaving Mauville.

One of the doors of an apartment block slid open, revealing a man who had been watching the entire time. "Young lady," he hailed. "That gang has been terrorizing this neighborhood for weeks. You just did us a great favor. What is your name?" "Katherine," Minerva obliged. The man stepped into the middle of the apartment complex and yelled for everyone in the vicinity to hear. "Hey everyone!" he began. "It's safe to come out now! We're saved! Those biker thugs are gone!" More residents of the apartments came out from their homes and gathered about, whispering and wondering what was going on. "Katherine here has fought off that awful Mitch, and now his gang will trouble us no more!" he continued on. The group cheered and rejoice; admiring eyes fell upon Minerva as she garnered more attention than she cared to have.

"Tell your friends! Tell your family! Let everyone in Mauville know what a brave hero Katherine is!"

"You don't actually need to do tha-"

"Nonsense! No need to be so modest! Hoenn needs more kind souls like you! Now go on, everyone! Spread the word!"

The people took to their social media devices and much to Minerva's chagrin began sharing the news upon their respective networks. Minerva sighed and began the trudge back into the main district of Mauville. Hopefully by the time she came back to seek an apartment, the commotion would die down.

~Selena~

"Are you going to visit the gym?" Ebony got a bit curious about Selena. She had asked questions earlier which were answered pretty shortly, but this one Selena felt she could answer. They were on their way to the gym anyway, the dark-skinned girl decided to drag Selena around town. Mawile liked seeing the buildings and all the different shops, so Selena decided to put up with the strange girl.

"Mr. Wattson helped me earlier," Selena said. "I'd like to thank him properly for it."

"You too huh? Wattson's always helping someone out. He's pretty cool for an old guy. I work at his gym, see, fixing stuff. Like New Mauville. It's pretty state-of-the-art down there, though it looks pretty shabby. I keep telling Wattson he needs to fix that but he just laughs at me! Can you believe it?" Ebony sure did like to talk a lot. Here Selena thought the girl would have quieted down after receiving her answer, not take it as an incentive to talk more.

Mawile grabbed Selena's shoelace, stopping her in her tracks. The little one was pointing to a little cart handing out what looked to be frozen treats for pokemon. Sweet things that a bunch of children were already gathered around - even during the morning hours. Then Selena noticed only the pokemon were getting the treats.

"Looks like little Maw-Maw is craving something sweet!" Ebony sang, grinning as she crouched down to look at Mawile. "Right?" Mawile drew back a bit, clearly shocked by the sudden movements. Ebony snuck closer with that stupid, big grin still on her face.

"Oh, you shouldn't get so close-" Selena started, but Mawile already threw its jaw around and chomped down on Ebony's head. "to her..." Selena finished uselessly. To stop Ebony's cries for help, Selena bent down and picked Mawile up. 25 pounds of steel, but not too bad of a weight. The horns are more than just for intimidation. "We'll get one for you later, okay?" Selena murmured to it. "After dinner, how's that sound? And I promise when I pick your name it will not be as stupid as 'Maw-Maw' is." Mawile seemed content at that.

"Ooh, that stings," Ebony groaned as she got back onto her feet. "Sorry Mawile, I didn't mean to frighten you."

"No harm done, Ebony." Well, not to Mawile or Selena at least. Ebony had three large tooth marks on her face now - she probably won't notice them until she takes a look in a mirror. With nothing else keeping them there, the two moved on to the gym, where someone was already standing at the doors, knocking on them and calling inside. Ebony squinted at the kid, then took in a massive breath - as if realizing something strange. She ran right up and stomped the ground behind the boy, Selena soon catching up at her own pace.

"Hey! You're the kid who was roaming New Mauville!" Ebony recognized the boy, somehow. "Glad you made it out." Her last sentence seemed extremely odd - calmer than her first. She glanced up at the gym for a moment. "Are you here for a gym battle? This one might be ranked third, but that doesn't mean it's good for newbie trainers. You'd have a much better time over at Roxanne's place in Rustboro."

This was the same kid that stopped by her tent during the night. She had be caught humming - well, not really. But now a confrontation seemed avoidable, given Ebony's incessant babbling. It felt so wrong, being next to this girl. She had better things to do - like going north towards Fallabor. Instead she's stuck here because she's too damn courteous to a girl she doesn't even like.

"So, are you dead set on challenging Wattson? He only takes two challengers per day, so I'll need to ring him up if you are." Ebony looked blankly at Gabe, waiting for his response.

Day and Time: Thursday – Morning

"All right, Reed! Use Acid! Quick!" Melanie shouted, pointing right at the Bug-Rock-type Pokémon. Oddish sprang up and shot a blast of purplish-green goo from its mouth at the turtle who sat there and took the brunt of the attack like a champ. "Follow it up with Grass Knot!"

"Defense Curl, Mozart!" Merrick retorted, causing his partner to retreat into his shell. The vines conjured up from the mandrake knocked his shell around a tad but did not seem to have their full effect. "Transition into Roll Out with pomp and artistry!" From within the confines of its shell, the Shuckle span forward, breaking through the vines and speeding toward the Oddish at a surprising speed. If Melanie didn't react quickly then a direct hit would surely spell the end of their little practice battle.

"Grass Knot, Reed! Give it everything you've got!" The little Grass-Poison-type Pokémon faltered a moment but managed to conjure up enough of the glowing vines to knock the Shuckle off course. When it noticed that it finally was no longer in immediate danger, it set off yet another array of glowing vines which used the opposing Pokémon's momentum against it. Shuckle hit the ground hard.

"Are you okay, Mozart?" Merrick called out, frowning when he saw that the turtle had no response. He began to approach it and its wriggly head appeared from the confines of the shell. It looked like it couldn't take much more. "I'm gonna call it there," the younger twin announced, grabbing the Shuckle's Pokéball from his hip. "That was very good, Mozart. You deserve a nice long rest," he directed back toward the injured Pokémon – it elicited a quiet murmur before being drawn into the Pokéball's red light. Merrick exhaled deeply.

"That was great!" Melanie chimed, swooping in to grab her Oddish. The mandrake's beady eyes narrowed. It sighed. "We're gonna do so well today, I just know it!" She looked down at it expectantly, but the vacant look in its eyes didn't tell her much. It shifted and she grabbed its Pokéball. "You rest up now! We'll be fighting Wattson later!" It did not say anything in response, merely nodded and brushed its leaves against her in a semi-squirming manner until she returned it to its Pokéball.

"We should get you over to the gym before anyone else gets there," Merrick stated as he rejoined her. "You wouldn't want to miss your chance cause some other trainer beat you to him." Melanie gave him a firm nod and the two began to make the relatively short trek to the gym; when they arrived there seemed to be quite a crowd gathered out front. Melanie frowned. That wasn't how she hoped this would start.

"So, are you dead set on challenging Wattson? He only takes two challengers per day, so I'll need to ring him up if you are." Melanie's stomach nearly dropped to her feet – only two challengers and two unknown trainers. If they both wanted to battle then she wouldn't be able to take on Wattson today! She opened her mouth to speak up but found herself fumbling over her words a bit. Merrick glanced over to her and nudged her, offering her a small smile to boost her confidence.

"I... umm... I was hoping to challenge him today too, actually," Melanie piped up forcibly, her knees shook a little. "I didn't realize there was a challenge limit, though... if both of these trainers want to challenge him I guess I'll have to wait..."

~Gabriel~

Gabriel turned around when he was approached by two familiar faces that he had encountered before. One was the girl that had been camping outside not too far from New Mauville, and the other was the girl he saw inside New Mauville who was concerned for Duke being lost. For whatever reason she seemed relieved for him. "Huh? Yeah, I'm here to face Wattson," he confirmed. "I may as well, if I'm here. After all, even if this is the third ranked gym, it wouldn't help to try. I gotta get it out of the way at some poin-" Gabriel stopped for a moment and squinted his eyes as he examined Ebony's face. "Did something try to eat you? You got bite marks on you. Anyway. Even if I lose, I'll know what I'm in for, and I'll be better prepared for my next attempt. I'm not in any rush, it's all just a learning experience. Sometimes a man shits himself, and sometimes he doesn't. It's just the way of nature, y'know?"

Then came the twins; one of which was also another challenger for the gym. "Oh hey, you guys were at the Center back in Slateport a few days ago," Gabriel acknowledged. "Looks like almost everyone's on point with their timing. Only two challengers a day, though? Gym leaders must have it pretty easy. I can dig it." The female twin seemed nervous and upset that she might not be able to challenge the gym today. "I'm not in any rush, like I said," Gabriel restated. "If it really comes down to it, you can just go ahead of me and I can wait until tomorrow. No biggie. I can still just watch your battle and get an idea on Wattson's battling style." Despite his languid way of speaking and stern face, he was being sincere. Either way, he had nothing to lose.

~Selena~

Odd kid, but not totally annoying as Selena first thought. The aloof nature didn't sit well with her, but he wasn't doing or saying anything wrong. Totally different from Ebony's constant yammering, but this guy seemed to enjoy talking too. When another boy and girl came up, Selena found herself frowning. "I'm not here for a gym battle," she said. "I only wanted to speak with Mr. Wattson."

"Which means both of you will be able to battle him!" Ebony declared. She turned her cheerful smile to Gabriel. "You know, I'm kind of impressed by your attitude. I'll go ahead and call him, so why don't you guys head on inside? Be careful not to touch any of the machinery while you're in there, shock hazard and all that." Ebony stepped forward and produced a ring of key, from which she took the large copper key and jammed it into the door. With the door unlocked and sliding open for them, the group was allowed to enter the gym while Ebony hung outside to call the gym leader.

Beyond the front door laid a comfy-looking waiting room equipped with a modern-looking furniture set, complete with a television displaying recent news events and a self-service Pokeball cleaner. A couple blue-colored Pokeballs lay to the side of the machine, labeled with black 'E's on each one. These likely belonged to someone, so Selena let them be. Another sliding door remained sealed at the other end of the hall. The gray steel was decorated with the red and black Pokemon League insignia, as well as an image of a circular blue and yellow badge in the center.

Selena made herself comfortable on a solitary cushion, letting Mawile sit in her lap while the others went about whatever they wanted. She vaguely listened to the droning of reports on route 119's incessant weather problems and the abundance of Absol in the area. Apparently the so-called Disaster Pokemon were fleeing from something in that area, which of course puts the superstitious folk on edge, but Selena didn't care much for them.

After a couple minutes, Ebony returned with the old gym leader in tow. Wattson took one loko around the room, winked at Selena, and then laughed heartily. "I've been told I have a couple challengers!" He voice booms in the enclosed area, far more than it did out in the open. "Looks like I've got quite the crowd today!" He laughs again.

"Good morning, Mr. Wattson," Selena said kindly.

"Wattson, this guy was here first," Ebony informed, pointing to Gabe. "And this girl over here wants a battle as well. They aren't all here to battle."

"Do my challengers have names, Ebony?"

"Uh..."

"Don't tell me you even forgot to introduce yourself?" Silence on the other end. Wattson laughs. "Well don't worry so much about it! Good morning to all of you. I'm the Gym Leader here, though you already know me as Wattson. This is Ebony, my forgetful assistant, whom I might add has left two of her Pokemon here overnight again."

"Oh gosh, no I did forget!" Ebony groans, rushing over to the machine to find her two Pokeballs wriggling angrily at here. "I'm sorry guys, I swear I didn't mean to!"

"I'd like to hear my challenger's names before we begin. Both rounds will be two-on-two, so choose your partners wisely."

~Gabriel~

"My name's Gabriel Stiles, Mr. Wattson," Gabriel declared. "Professional money wasting consultant at your service. I'm also an expert on energy conservation - mainly my own. It's an honor to be the first to challenge you today." Duke, who was still perched on Gabriel's shoulder, raised his flipper in a salute while giving off a confident and proud chirp to add onto Gabriel's introduction.
"So it's a two-on-two battle, is it?" Gabriel went on. "That's fine. I didn't want to have to use Duke for this particular gym if I could help it. After all, this is an electric gym, isn't it?" He set his penguin down on the upholstered sofa, and patted his head. Reaching into his Sinnoh Air Force jacket, Gabriel grabbed and unwrapped a granola bar and handed it to Duke.

"Sorry bud, but I'm gonna need you to sit this one out. You just chill here until I'm done, alright?" Gabriel instructed. Duke nodded in compliance, and nibbled at the granola bar. "Now with that out of the way, I'm ready. Wattson, I'd like to begin my challenge now... I guess."

~Minerva~

Before too long, Minerva had found herself standing before the Mauville Gym. It had been so long since the last time she applied for a job, and the vestiges of reluctance made her hold a few doubts about returning to the lifestyle of living from paycheck to paycheck with just a bit saved over each time. Still, it was better than being hunted down by the law. The entire incident with Mitch and the notoriety she gained from it had that chance of attracting more unwanted groups. Working at a gym would be a nice change of pace, slowing down the excitement compared to getting involved with gang activity. If a position at the gym wasn't available, there was also the Mauville Game Corner where her experience working at a similar establishment would come in handy.

She looked down at the incubator, making sure the egg she was holding was still secure. It wobbled ever-slightly, indicating that the Pokemon inside was still alive and closer to hatching. After taking a deep breath, Minerva entered the Mauville City Gym. The initial room was a sleek lounge, occupied by a bunch of younger trainers and the gym leader himself. Not wasting a second, she went straight to the point. "Forgive me for interrupting, but you are Wattson, the proprietor of this gym, correct? I was wondering if you were hiring for any available positions here. My name is Katherine, and I would be interested in applying if you are."

~Wattson~

Not quite the fiery response he was looking for, but Wattson could be satisfied with Gabriel's answer regardless. It is good the boy decided to do some thinking about his team before coming here - too many of the challengers come without thinking of a proper strategy or even realizing this was an electric-type gym. That alone only meant frustration for the trainers, and Wattson did not want any challenger to feel that way. Instead he desired the challenger to learn something important from battles.

Just before Wattson was about to invite Gabriel onto the field, a young woman came in, adding to the already at capacity room. She was looking for a job, apparently, which was an odd thing to come across. Many sought to become apprentice to a gym leader - especially one as prolific as Wattson. "I'm sorry young miss," Wattson starts. "I have nothing open here at the gym for another worker. Tell you what, once I'm done with today's matches I'll help you find something in the city."

Wattson lead everyone into the room beyond, unlocking the door with a lightning bolt-shaped key. A standard field waited for them, surrounded by an electric fence. Wattson took to the far end of the field. "Welcome, once again! Ebony, would you be so kind to be our referee?"

"Of course!" Ebony bounced over to a platform slightly raised behind the electric fence. The constant electricity creates an unnerving static in the air, but Wattson was more than used to it. The other trainers went to go sit in the viewing seats, away from the action. Ebony raises her hand up. "This is a two-round official Pokemon League match! Leader Wattson will be defending the badge against Challenger Gabriel. This is a two-on-two single battle. When one side's Pokemon are no longer able to battle, the match will be over. Furthermore, only the challenger may switch out his Pokemon." Ebony let her hand fall. "Let the battle commence!"

"I'll show mine first," Wattson declares cheerfully, slipping a pokeball from his jacket and tossing it out. After a bright flash of light, a small ball Pokemon showed itself, rolling around the field carelessly. "You'll be first, Voltorb." Wattson says. The Pokemon growled back, its expression fierce despite the careless rolling about. "The first move is yours!"

Melanie followed in after everyone else, sticking close to Merrick as everyone filed into the waiting room. The boy, Gabriel, seemed incredibly calm given the fact that he was supposed to go first. In a way, her going second was a relief. Of course, it did little to calm her nerves – going second meant having to wait. Although Melanie knew herself to be way more patient than her brother, she could tell from the moment she leaned against the wall that this wait would be agony. To make matters worse, Wattson didn't even know her name! She had opened her mouth to speak, but he ushered them all to the arena before she could get a syllable out. She frowned and joined her brother in the stands.

"Well, this is off to a great start," she muttered to herself, trying to smooth the frown on her face in an attempt to look more confident. Merrick's hand found its way to her knee and she glanced over to him. He offered her another megawatt smile. The kind he offered everyone, but this one felt particularly crafted for her at this very moment.

"Hey, don't worry," he told her calmly, "you're gonna do great. I know you will!" When those words did not seem to provide the intended comfort, he leaned on her shoulder and gave her a sideways hug. "You're my big sister after all," he added cheekily, "you won't settle for anything less."

For a moment Melanie smiled, but it thinned out into a passive line. "You're right," she affirmed, even though she didn't quite feel so positive. Merrick had a point. She just really hoped that she could muster up the same certainty when she really needed it.

– – – – –

Day and Time: Thursday – Afternoon

These invisible walls were starting to get on his nerves. And I didn't bring Aster, so I have no clue what I get for this shit, Percy thought grimly as he tried to feel the space in front of him awkwardly. It certainly did not look like there was anything in front of him, but he had made that mistake when he started. The door out and the scroll containing the super secret passcode lay out in front of him, but if he ran at them he'd smack his head... again. He took another cautious step forward and felt his hands touch against another one of those damned invisible walls.

"Ugh!" he groaned as his hands fell to his sides. His fingers brushed one of the luxury balls on his hip. He grabbed it. "Okay, Narcissus, help me out here!" he called as he pressed the button on the black ball. In a beam of red, a similarly colored Pokémon covered in glowing cyan rings appeared and let out a low yip. His red eyes focused on the seemingly empty space in front of him, but then they closed and the rings on his body began to glow. In a moment it began to retreat back the way Percy had come, going slow and testing the unseen walls without any difficulty. "Thank God," the man sighed as he followed closely behind. "This place is fucking creepy."

~Adrienne~

Adrienne found herself wrapped up in a room with seemingly no way out. The house looked so inviting and even had a sign out front welcoming strangers inside. Who would have guessed the Trick House was a house full of tricks? Adrienne got a kick out of it, she loved puzzles, but this one was leaving her all turned around. She saw a few other trainers here, messing around with the invisible walls - most seemed to be enjoying themselves. Adrienne knew she was enjoying it. Then one brought out a Pokemon, an Umbreon it looked like.

"Hey, I didn't know we could use Pokemon," Adrienne giggled, fingering a white Pokeball on her belt. She wanted to figure out the puzzle herself, but she couldn't find the way out. If she could make it to the guy with the Umbreon, she could just trail him until they found the exit, then jump ahead. Quickly, Adrienne took the Pokeball from her belt and with a flash of light a small, blue bat jumped from the ball. "Hey Momo, hit me with some sick beats. Supersonic our way to victory!" Adrienne waved her fingers in the air and pointed to the guy with the Umbreon. In response the Zubat opened its mouth and let out a shrill sound. It was so high pitch Adrienne couldn't hear it, but she jammed her head to it anyway and followed the bat wherever it led her.

"That idea you had seems pretty bright," Adrienne sang as they got closer, "But there's no escape from this plight. I can't figure out this puzzle, it's got me all befuddled. Help a girl out, y'know, and I'll repay it double." She ended her short rhymes with the double peace sign and a huge grin on her face. "Y'know?"

~Gabriel/Minerva~

As the spectators took their seats, Minerva sat at a secluded distance away from the others. It was probably in her best interest to avoid conversing with any more trainers for a while. Duke however, was intrigued that Minerva's hair was the same color as his down and waddled up beside her. When Minerva looked down at Duke, Duke held out the half-eaten granola bar and offered it to her. "Erm... no thank you," she rejected. Duke chirped and pointed at her hair. "My hair? What about it?" she asked. The little penguin blinked twice. "Did you want to touch it?" Minerva questioned further.Duke made an affirmative peep, and Minerva couldn't help but laugh shyly, placing a hand to her mouth. "Alright then. You may."

Duke brushed along her hair, feeling the silky locks against his flippers. Minerva turned towards the field where Wattson and Gabriel were about to face off and watched on to see what kind of Pokemon that Gabriel would bring out. "Is that your trainer, Piplup?" she inquired. Duke nodded, still playing with her deep hyacinthine tresses. "His hair is nice, too." Meanwhile down below, Gabriel reached at his belt for a Pokeball and enlarged it. "Here goes," Gabriel prepared. "Show us what you got, Sigma!" With a toss, the Pawniard that Gabriel had caught appeared onto the battlefield. As it saw Wattson's Voltorb, it extended its knife-like hands, ready to fight.

"Let's start ramping up our offense!" Gabriel directed. "Fury Cutter!" Sigma began sweeping its arms rapidly as it charged at the spherical Pokemon. Gabriel's plan was to set up Fury Cutter's momentum as soon as he could to wear down the opposition.

~Wattson~

"Roll away, Voltorb!" Wattson ordered and the spherical Pokemon obeyed, rolling backwards to avoid the Pawniard's attacks. The Voltorb was clearly faster than the bladed Pokemon, it would be difficult for it to get a hit in. The ball continued to roll in circles around the other Pokemon, in some vague attempt to confuse it with its speed. "Charge up!" Wattson didn't waste another moment and neither did his Pokemon, who seemed to know exactly what it was supposed to do even before Wattson called out an order. It charge power, drawing electricity in from the surroundings - the electric fence and its own power.

"Voltorb, use Charge Beam!" The little ball stopped rolling around and with a bright flash of light shot a continuous stream of electricity at Sigma, the power increased significantly thanks to the earlier Charge.

~Selena~

Selena was only half-watching the battle. She had little interest in making Pokemon fight, but Mawile seemed to be enjoying the action. She took her seat a little ways away from the others, but sat high enough so that she could see them. The Piplup Gabriel left started harassing some poor girl's hair, and the other girl seemed incredibly nervous. Even from here Selena could see her shaking. If the girl didn't get a hold of herself soon, she wouldn't do so well against Wattson. What bothered her, though, is that no one seems to have bothered finding a ground-type pokemon for this match.

"Numel would be a fantastic choice for this gym," Selena murmured to herself. The combination of fire and ground would make it an excellent attacker and defender versus electric types. She would have to consider grabbing one herself, if she ever intended on battling Wattson.

~Gabriel~

"...By the mighty shit of Arceus," Gabriel commented, in disbelief of how fast the Voltorb was able to avoid Fury Cutter, and how ridiculous it looked doing it. Sigma had already taken a significant damage from just one attack, and it looked as though it were going to be an uphill battle if Gabriel's Pokemon couldn't land a hit. "Fury Cutter won't do us any good if it can't connect to get stronger. A good trainer knows how to adapt on the fly, right? Sigma, use Pursuit! Don't let it get away from you!" Sigma charged full throttle as purple streaks traced over his form as he moved. The Pawniard ran with his bladed horn held outward, attempting to strike Voltorb headfirst.

~Wattson~

Voltorb couldn't roll away in time. The charge beam rebounded, strengthening Voltorb's special attack by a decent chunk but left it open to a direct hit from Sigma. Wattson was not too worried about his Pokemon as it reeled and rolled back from the hit. It quickly spun around. Even with the direct hit, Wattson knew the Pawniard couldn't last much longer. The hit it took was powered up from the charge earlier, and the charge beam powered up Voltorb's power even more.

"Good work Voltorb. Shock Wave!" Wattson ordered. Voltorb stopped rolling again to charge up, quickly releasing several bolts of blue lightning all around it, converging towards the Pawniard.

~Gabriel~

No point in trying to dodge that, Gabriel decided. Shock Wave doesn't miss. We can at least get another good hit in. Gabriel gave his command without impunity; the only effective technique left Sigma could do at this point. "Sucker Punch," Gabriel directed, with Sigma obeying immediately after. The Pawniard lurched forward at a blink speed, and tossed himself, blades out at the Voltorb before the bolts had stricken it. After its attack, Sigma collapsed onto a knee before it plummeted to the floor completely.

The voltorb was still standing after the sucker punch. Though it appeared little worse for wear, the two powerful hits it took were going to affect it in the next battle. Ebony stepped forward to glance at the Pawniard and, after a moment raised her hand. "Pawniard is unable to battle, Voltorb wins the round!" Gabe would be at a disadvantage now with only one pokemon left to deal with Wattson's two. The old gym leader pats his rotund belly and grins widely at Gabe.

"An excellent fight! Make sure you thank your Pokemon properly for doing so well!"

~Gabriel~

"Take a break, Sigma. You fought like a real trooper," Gabriel commended as he recalled the Pawniard back into the Pokeball. When Wattson patted his belly and grinned in triumph, Gabriel couldn't help but recoil in disgust. "Eugh." He reached for another Pokeball at his belt and clicked the center button, staring at the Pokeball momentarily as if he were lost in thought. Gabriel shut his eyes and took a deep breath before sending out his last Pokemon for the battle.

Emerging from the light was an unusual Honedge, sporting a red blade underneath the sheath. The sword Pokemon slid out from its scabbard, the metal making a sleek noise as the Honedge drew out. "Good to see you, Regulus," Gabriel greeted his Pokemon. "I'm in an important battle right now, and I need your help. Are you ready?" Regulus brandished his body about as if he were making practice swings. "Glad to hear it. Let's start off with a Swords Dance!" A ring of spectral blades appeared around the Honedge which spun about, causing Regulus to glow brightly with energy. With Honedge's No Guard ability, it was going to be nigh impossible for any opponent to evade each other's attacks - and keeping that in mind, Gabriel knew Regulus could get away with powerful, decisive strikes.

"Sacred Sword," Gabriel commanded with confidence, his expression now turned fiercer than it was before. Regulus' blade grew, enveloped in a red light as he spun himself towards the Voltorb.

~Selena~

"Oh! Now that's an interesting-colored Pokemon!" Wattson called out, watching with that stupid grin on his face as the pokemon charged up. "Don't be shy Voltorb! Shock Wave!" Selena watched from the balcony as the blue electric waves sought out the stationary Honedge. The sword Pokemon shot forward, bypassing the electric and collided head-on with the little ball Pokemon. The electric waves converged around and followed, something Selena found odd - even for an electric-type move. She dug her Pokedex out of her bag and held it up.

"Honedge," the dex beeped out, "the Sword Pokemon. If anyone dares to grab its hilt, it wraps a blue cloth around that person's arm and drains that person's life energy completely." The Pokemon pictured in her dex was a different color. She didn't realize Pokemon could come in different colors at all - the sword really was beautiful, in a way.

"Oh, this ability," Selena murmured, glancing at the dex for another second. "That's why the electricity moved so weird." Voltorb was likely still standing when the electric converged. But now with the dust clearing, the little ball pokemon was rolling away from the battle.

"Voltorb is unable to battle!" Ebony cried out, "Honedge is the winner! Careful you don't cut yourself on all that edge!" Selena rolled her eyes at the referee's attempt to be funny. Wattson, on the other hand, laughed again and returned Voltorb to its Pokeball.

"Good work, Voltorb. You take a nice, long rest." Wattson stopped for a moment to look across the battlefield at Gabe. "You took me by surprise for a moment there, young man! Your Honedge is well-trained, so I suppose it would be nothing but bad manners if I didn't use my own ace! Manectric, you're up!" Another bright flash of light and the next Pokemon appeared on the battlefield. It shouted its battle cry and glared intimidatingly at the Honedge.

"Manectric, the evolved form of Electrike. Manectric is constantly discharging electricity from its mane. The sparks sometimes ignite forest fires. When it enters a battle, this Pokémon creates thunderclouds." Selena frowned at her Pokedex. She didn't ask it to do anything, but it went right ahead and identified the next pokemon for her. It did give her some useful info though, the Electrike she had now would evolve into that. It wasn't exactly very...cute.

"Manectrike, lets get fired up! Electric Terrain!" The Manectric roars and discharges so much electricity the battlefield soon swarms with it, brightening and changing color to reflect the electricity moving through it. "Now Discharge!" The bright flashes of lightning is immediately followed up by a huge amount of electric waves - firing indiscriminately. How will the Honedge manage to take this attack with that ability it has?

~Gabriel~

There was no use in trying to dodge the empowered Discharge attack, as the No Guard ability was both an advantage and a liability. All techniques directed from and towards Honedge were bound to connect, making it a rather fatalist Pokemon. Regulus was struck as expected by the attack, already showing signs of enervation. Wattson was indeed a skilled trainer, and Gabriel was catching on to his style of battling. The electric Pokemon had a tendency to set up or store energy before unleashing reinforced attacks, but it made Gabriel wonder how well they could fare if their connection to the trainer was severed.

"Regulus, Metal Sound through the electric field! Afterwards, start letting loose with Shadow Ball!" The Honedge blasted a pulse of ear-splitting noise that was only amplified through the Electric Terrain, ringing through the arena with a persisting screech. Gabriel's plan was to have Manectrike succumb to the deafening noise. If the Pokemon could not hear its trainer, then it would have to fend for itself. Following up on cue, Regulus fired a volley of violet, shadowy orbs at his target. In the midst of battle, Gabriel seemed to show more aptitude than he credited himself for.

~Wattson~

"What incredible sound!" Wattson had to put his hands over his ears just to drown out the sound echoing across the battlefield. "Manectric! Use Protect!" Wattson shouted. When the Pokemon didn't move, he momentarily thought it couldn't hear him. But just as the shadow balls were about to hit it seemed to catch a whiff of what was coming and immediately erected a protective barrier. The shadows impacted the barrier and smoke flew everywhere as the Honedge's attacks exploded. Once it cleared the barrier was just starting to fade, Manectric left undamaged.

"That was a good tactic, and it would have worked if it wasn't Manectric!" Wattson called out to Gabe. "You understand much about battling, much more than you let on, and your bond with Honedge is strong. I'm impressed! But after thirty years, you and your Pokemon get used to each other, and trust each other completely. That's why he's my ace! Manectric, use Flamethrower!" The Manectric roared again and fire immediately started building up in its mouth - half a second later being unleashed in a fury of flames across the electric terrain.

~Gabriel~

Despite his attempts to disrupt the Manectric's coordination with the trainer, it still possessed the instinct to shield itself from Regulus' attack. Gabriel had the skill and potential to become a great trainer, but as of this point he still lacked the experience. He had only just officially started his journey, and this battle would be a painful lesson. Flamethrower proved far too effective for Regulus to handle, as being a steel-type meant that it was weak to fire. It was all over as soon as the attack connected.

Regulus fell to the ground, trying to use the last ounce of his strength to stand himself back up - only to collapse once more. Gabriel had come close, but there was a lot of work to be done; as much as he lamented the word.

"Well shit."