I sighed, staring down in disappointment at my Town Map.

Trixa, June, me, and Pidove, the Pokemon sitting on my left shoulder, walked under the sun.

It wasn’t hot today, just sunny and windless. Striaton City was very calm. People walked by us, smiling and chatting with each other, enjoying the peaceful afternoon.

Pidove cooed and turned his head around, looking at his surroundings.

“I think that must be the Striaton Gym right there!” June said suddenly, pointing to the left of us.

We all turned and saw the very wide, very tall, brown building with a curved roof across the street. Several arches were lined up in front of the building, made of gray concrete.

I looked down at the Town Map and then squinted back up to the building. “Weren’t we just here the other day?” I asked.

After what had occurred with Purrloin and Liepard a couple of days ago, June and I had managed to reconcile our problem with each other and she was once again traveling with us.

Trixa was delighted by this and suggested we spend the day together and explore Striaton City. I tried to suggest we just continue going for our Badges, but Trixa vehemently disagreed, practically demanding we have a nice day out instead.

June had gotten her credit card at the Pokemon Center and offered to take us all out to eat lunch and then later, dinner, all at her expense.

I agreed to go, but I absolutely refused to eat on her dollar.

Trixa surprised me by getting extremely angry and screaming that I was ruining the day by acting like that, so I agreed in order to calm her down.

We then got through lunch at an amazing restaurant, explored the city, had a friendly introduction of June’s, Trixa’s, and my Pokemon, where June revealed that both Pidove and Pansear were both male, and we ended the day with a really delicious dinner at the same lunch spot. When we finally went back to the Pokemon Center that night, Nurse Joy had been kind enough to give me a paper Town Map she had lying around.

I took it in dismay, but showed an appreciative face, though I couldn’t hold back the sigh that escaped my throat. A paper Town Map was better than no Town Map, but that electronic one was incredible! I wasn’t going to get the weather, time, and every last detail about every place in Unova from a piece of paper. The electronic one did things I hadn’t even figured out yet!

The restaurant we ate at was definitely the building the four of us were staring at right now.

“Yeah, we were,” June responded to my question. “But this is where it says it is.” She pointed at the Town Map.

“Yeah, yeah, I see it,” I grumbled. “But it can’t be here.”

“Well, where else could it be?” she asked.

“Maybe the people in the restaurant know!” Trixa said. “Those three guys with the funny hair seemed pretty informative! And they had goofy names, too!” She laughed.

“Oh, yeah,” I remembered. “What were their names again?” For some reason, their names seemed awfully familiar to me when they had introduced themselves to us, but I couldn’t figure out why.

“I only remember the guy with the red hair,” Trixa giggled. “He was my favorite. I forgot the other two.”

“One had blue hair, and the other one had green!” June smiled. “But, yeah, I forgot their names, too.”

“Well, I’m not wasting their time with stupid questions,” I said. “Those three work really hard. They don’t have time for stupid inquires about Gyms.”

“I’ll bet they’ll enjoy seeing us a third time, though,” Trixa said. “They were so friendly to us!”

“Let’s just keep looking.” I was getting irritated and looked at the Town Map before scanning the area, looking at the buildings closest to us.

None of them looked like Gyms. There were food stores, clothing stores, furniture stores, a bar, and a corner deli store, but nothing resembled a Gym.

“Maybe this map is old or something,” I said in a low voice. “We should maybe walk around a bit. Do either of you remember seeing a Gym when we were exploring the-?” I stopped talking as I realized Trixa and June were gone. “Hey!” I called out when I saw they were both across the street, heading towards the restaurant. “Oh, come on!” I ran after them impatiently.

Trixa and June were up to the doors by the time I had caught up with them, and they both pushed them open, stepping inside of the golden carpeted floor.

I stepped in behind them and gazed around the familiar room.

The walls were also gold, though a lighter shade, and had red lines near the top. A fireplace sat against the wall. Several tables occupied by a few people were covered in a large, white cloth, plates of food and cups of drinks on them, the people speaking in quiet tones amongst each other as they enjoyed their meals.

I spotted the blue haired waiter first, across the room, a white cloth on his left arm. He looked up at us, his smile widening.

“Welcome once again!” an urgent voice came from the left of us, making us all gasp in surprise.

“Chili!” Trixa squealed.

“It seems you just cannot stay away from the delectable pallet of food we have to offer here,” the green haired young man said with delight, appearing to our right, a white cloth on his right arm, taking us by surprise. “I insist that you all have a seat and make yourselves comfortable. We have quite the special on the menu today which we promise will leave you refreshed without the bloated feeling of a meal with too much to offer, and at a price that will leave you without fear of taking a second glance at the menu for seconds.”

The three of us were ushered over to a table, and it seemed that we were practically forced to sit down.

“Welcome back, friends,” the blue haired water suddenly appeared, placing a menu before each of us. He smoke in a much deeper, calmer tone. “What a delight to see you all here. I’m glad our food is satisfactory for your tastes. Might I start things off with a bottle of fresh water and a plate of soft biscuits, fresh from the oven? Or are you ready to order already? We have a special today in our lunch menu. We have a vegan based special, a southern based special, and a uniquely flavored seafood dish, specifically seasoned, that tends to appease to the ladies.” The man winked at Trixa and June.

June giggled, lowering her eyes.

Trixa smiled brightly, her eyes glued to Chili.

I noticed the blue haired man staring at me, his hair covering one of his sea-blue eyes.

“Huh?” Something about what he said, and how he was eyeing me, perplexed me.

The man smiled and looked away.

“If spice is geared more towards your desire, we also have a dish I’ll be making myself that is as flamboyant as it is filling,” Chili said to us, his red hair evidently not brushed, pointing up in the air. “It is a bit pricier, but once you try it, you’re challenged to say that the price and taste are not equal!”

“I want that!” Trixa cried out loudly.

“Wait!” I shouted.

Everyone in the restaurant turned around to stare at us as complete silence filled the building.

“If it sounds too pricey, we have plenty of other dishes to suggest,” Chili laughed lightly.

I shook my head. “No, no, it’s not that! It’s just that, we didn’t come here to eat.”

“Really?” Chili asked, his red eyes matching the other waiters’ as they widened.

“I’m sorry,” I told them. “We loved your food, but today, we were trying to locate the Striaton Gym. The Town Map said it was in this area, but we can’t locate it. We were hoping that maybe you guys knew where it was. Well, actually…” I shot June and Trixa a dirty look. “Those two were wondering if you guys knew.”

June looked away from me, a slightly bitter look on her face.

Trixa looked up at Chili, nodding her head quickly, smiling eagerly.

“Striaton Gym?” the blue haired man asked, staring at me.

“Yeah. Me and Trixa were looking to battle the Gym Leaders.”

The guests in the restaurant gasped and stared at us with eager smiles.

My eyes widened in surprise. “What the…?”

Chili snickered.

The green haired man smiled, closing his green eyes. With a snap of his fingers, the lights dimmed drastically.

The three men walked with their hands on their hips towards a fireplace against the wall, walking very professionally, specifically, haughtily.

“Well, then, my guests, I shall happily grant your very wish!” the green haired man said as a light shined down on him from above and he swiftly turned around to us, pointing, and gave a wink.

A few of the girls in the restaurant stood up and cried out as if their favorite celebrity had just walked in.

Chili turned around as a light shined down on him from out of nowhere, winking. “I’m sure you’ll appreciate a battle as raw and intense, unforgiving and hot, as the sun in its afternoon peak.”

A few more girls screamed out for Chili, a couple of guys in the back clapping and hooting eagerly.

A light shined on the blue haired gentleman as he turned around and shrugged casually, his hands up in the air. “Their taste seems more geared towards a much more relaxed battle. One with a gentler flow and a cool, crisp, refreshing linger, like that of fresh water over ice in the middle of a summer day.”

“This is incredible! Today, we get to watch a Gym battle!” a girl yelled over several cheers from a large group of girls. “I can’t believe my luck!”

Suddenly, a light went off in my head! “HEEEEY! Chili! Your name was one of the names from the Town Map I had that told me about Striaton City’s Gym! You’re a Gym Leader! And that must mean…”

“That’s right! We three are all the Gym Leaders of Striaton City! We are triplets, know as Cilan!” the green haired waiter introduced himself.

“Cress!” the blue haired waiter bowed.

“And of course, Chili!” Chili winked, raising a shaky fist.

The entire restaurant erupted in the shrill shrieks from the girls, the hooting of the few guys here, and the gleeful applause of Trixa and June.

“And now, it is show time!” the three brothers exclaimed, Cress opening his arms wide, Cilan with both hands in the air, and Chili down on one knee, his fists raised towards the fireplace as the light shining on them went away.

The walls behind them suddenly spread apart from behind the fireplace, and the fireplace began to sink into the ground, taking June, me, Trixa, and Pidove by surprise. A white light shined from the new opening until the walls were far apart, and I gasped at the sight before me.

“It’s a battlefield! You three really are the Gym Leaders! This is the Gym!” I exclaimed.

“We tell no lies,” Cilan laughed lightly. “This is indeed the Striaton Gym, and we welcome you!”

“Come on, let’s go get changed!” one of the girls gushed, and the entire crowd of diners ran down separate hallways in the back.

“So, which of you will be challenging us?” Cilan asked with a gentle smile.

I noticed Cress was staring at me again, his smile gone, his eye staring intently at me. His eye widened as he caught my stare and his smile returned.

I kept my eyes on him, squinting at him in confusion.

“Well, I won’t be battling,” June spoke.

“Uh, yeah,” I said, looking away from Cress, facing Cilan. “It will just be me and Trixa. I guess if Trixa wants to goes first, she can.”

“Yeah! I wanna battle Chili!” Trixa said, bumping me aside and jumping eagerly in front of him.

Chili laughed happily. “Well, that will depend on who your Starter Pokemon was from the Unova region.”

“Huh?” Trixa asked. “Oh, yeah. I remember now. You guys cheat and use the Pokemon type that has the advantage! Why is that?”

The three brothers laughed.

“It’s not that we are cheating,” Cress, who laughed the calmest and quietest, explained. “You see, we seek to teach, as is the duty of a Gym Leader. Our approach is perhaps just slightly different than some Gym Leaders. Usually, a Gym Leader is expected to be able to overcome their weakness in battle, so if a challenger brings Pokemon with a type advantage, the Gym Leader should still be able to combat that and give the opponent a good challenge. Our approach switches that role, so that the challenger must work his or her way around a disadvantage in type. We use this advantage to show that type is not a deciding factor in a battle. What’s more, we try to connect the bonds between Pokemon and Trainer by allowing them the chance to face a situation that can only be overcome by a close relationship and teamwork.”

“Hmmm,” Trixa crossed her arms. “Sounds like an excuse to cheat, but I don’t mind. I’m here to win my second Badge with my Tepig! So does that mean I have to battle you?” A sad look came over her face.

Cress nodded, maintaining his smile. “Yes, young lady. You’ll have to battle against me.”

“Fine,” Trixa said with disappointment. “I’m sorry, Chili! I wanted to battle you!”

Chili laughed heartily. “I’m sorry, too.”

Hmm, I thought. How will I challenge these guys? I didn’t choose a Starter from Unova. I don’t even have my Kanto Starter! All I have is this little Pidove. I turned to Pidove, who looked back at me.

Cilan turned to me. “If you’d like, you and June can watch from above with the others through the hallway! Perhaps June should take the hallway path to the left, where the girls are changing in the locker room, and Gary can take the one on the right, where the boys change. A set of stairs will lead you both upstairs and you can watch safely from there. Or, you’re welcome to a massage in the back, courtesy of myself and Chili, while Trixa has her match.”

“I’ll pass,” I waved at them.

“Oooooh, well…” June’s hands clasped together down by her legs as she slowly walked over to Cilan, her face as red as Chili’s hair. “Will it be you who’s administering that massage?”

I raised an eyebrow in surprise at June.

Cilan chuckled lightly. “Well, sure. I suppose so.”

“In that case, just tell me where to go, and I’ll gladly do as you say,” June went on in what I clearly must have mistaken for a seductive tone of voice.

Cilan’s face showed he was extremely flustered by June’s words and actions as he managed a smile on his now red, sweaty face and led the way to a door in the back and disappeared behind it with June.

“Hm,” I muttered, staring at the door they disappeared through.

“A glass of wine, perhaps?” A small wine glass with a little bit of dark wine in it appeared in front of me as Chili held it up.

Cress also had a small glass of lighter wine in front of Trixa’s face. “Perhaps a light drink to loosen up before the battle?” Cress offered.

“No, thank you,” Trixa shook her head, a disgusted look on her face. “Let’s battle!”

“Um,” I looked over at Trixa.

Trixa turned back to me, tilting her head to the side.

“I guess not,” I mumbled, though I was curious to have a sip, the strong, yet mysteriously curious aroma testing me.

Chili and Cress bowed and stuck out their pinky fingers as they drank down the wine before sitting their glasses on a table.

“Perhaps a treat for your lovely Pidove, then,” Cress offered, and opened his palm, a small, red nugget in it, and raised it to Pidove.

Pidove pecked at it for a second, and then eagerly devoured the entire treat.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Cress bowed. “Well then, please, Trixa. I insist that you join me on the battlefield.”

“Gary, you’re encouraged to watch from upstairs,” Chili reminded me.

“Oh, yeah,” I nodded. “Good luck, Trixa.” I turned and ran to the hallway, taking the path to the right. Almost immediately, I spotted the stairs, leading away from a path leading further into the hallway. I ran up one long flight of stairs, hearing cheers and cries ahead, and saw an opening at the top. I reached it and turned to see cheerleaders!

Male cheerleaders in blue shirts with a couple of black stripes across them with matching sweatpants. Female cheerleaders in the same colored outfit, but with shorter shirts and skirts and red pom-poms in their hands. They were all cheering and clapping and making a huge racket.

I walked over to the metal barricade and stared down at the rocky battlefield where Trixa and Cress were entering, taking their positions.

“This is a Gym battle, Pidove,” I explained to him.

Pidove cooed on my shoulder, keeping his eyes on the field below.

“This is the first battle today at the Striaton City Gym! This will be a one-on-one match between Striaton City Gym Leader Cress, and Mistralton City’s Trixa!” Chili announced, taking his role as referee, standing just outside of the battlefield, an eager smile on his face, his fists balled up near his chest. “This match will officially end when one side is unable to fight! There is no time limit!”

“Let’s go Cress!! Let’s go Cress!! Prove to us that you’re the best!! YAAAAAY!!” the cheerleaders next to me chanted.

Weren’t these people just eating in the restaurant? I wondered suspiciously.

“Now, let’s begin the match!” Chili swung a fist high into the air as he leaped high.

“With a wave of power, let’s win this one, Ducklett!” Cress tossed his Poke Ball.

“Duck Duck Ducklett!” a light blue duck uttered.

I pulled out my Pokedex and listened to it as I watched Trixa do the same with her Pokedex.

Ducklett. The Water Bird Pokemon. This Pokemon lives around ponds or rivers. Its favorite food is peat moss.

“Tepig, I believe in you! Let’s win this!” Trixa threw her Poke Ball.

“Tepig!” Tepig grunted.

“Tepig, use Tail Whip, now!” Trixa ordered.

Tepig ran towards Ducklett.

“Such a daring rush of a move shall be responded to justly,” Cress said snottily. “Water Gun, now!”

“Duck Duck!” Ducklett opened its beak and sprayed a stream of water at Tepig, forcing it back, slamming it into a rock.

“She’s at a type disadvantage,” I muttered angrily. “She can’t be so reckless.”

Tepig shook off the hit and got back to his feet with a grunt.

“Then let’s just go straight for a Tackle!” Trixa continued.

“Tepig! Tepig! Tepig!” Tepig charged at Ducklett again.

“Déjà vu, if I do say so myself!” Cress said calmly, waving an open palm in front of his face. “Another Water Gun!”

Tepig was hit with a second Water Gun and thrown back, rolling along the ground before coming to a stop, groaning.

“This looks to be over by now,” Cress said, his eye closed, shrugging his shoulders, his open palms up in the air.

“This isn’t over!” Trixa inisisted. “Tepig, let’s show these cheaters that we can win this battle! We can’t just lose that easily!”

“Tepig…” Tepig groaned, glaring at Ducklett.

“Ducklett!” Ducklett pointed at Tepig with one of its wings.

“Do it, Ducklett.” Cress lowered his hands to his sides.

A spray of water blasted from Ducklett’s wing towards Tepig.

“Get away, Tepig!” Trixa screamed.

“Tepiiiiiig!” Tepig screamed out as he stumbled onto his feet and took a strong leap into the air, over the Water Gun attack!

I gasped. “Whoa! Look at Tepig!”

Tepig’s eyes were completely red, and his body was giving a red glow.

“Could that possibly be…?” I wondered out loud.

The cheerleaders near me stared at Tepig, stunned by what was happening.

Chili looked up in awe at Tepig.

“Tepig!” Trixa looked up at her Pokemon, her mouth wide open, eyes wide at the sight of Tepig.

“Tepiiiig!” Tepig smiled determinedly.

Cress’ only eye that wasn’t blocked by his hair was wide open now over Tepig.

“Tepig, let’s use Ember attack!” Trixa told her Pokemon.

“Teeeeep! TEPIG!” With a loud grunt, while still in the air, Tepig sent out a spiral of flames at Ducklett.

“It is!” I pointed as I saw the noticeably stronger, brighter flames than Tepig would normally send out, surround Ducklett.

Ducklett screamed out and backed up from the impact of the attack.

“Now, slam right into it! Tackle attack, Tepig!”

Tepig came down to the ground and landed, running once he connected with the floor, and tackled Ducklett.

Ducklett stumbled back, flapping its wings frantically, its eyes closed. It shook its head and pointed at Tepig, screaming angrily at him.

“Another Water Gun will end this, Ducklett! Attack right away!” Cress said swiftly.

“Duck Duck!” Ducklett got ready to attack, but suddenly, its body erupted into flames. “DUUUUUUUCK!!!” Ducklett fell to the ground, flinching from the Burn.

“Hey, wait! I know that one! It’s a Burn!” Trixa squealed.

“Ducklett!” Cress gasped. “The tables shall not be turned around so easily, young lady. Your Tepig has Blaze Ability activated, which may very well boost its Fire type attacks, but that also means your Tepig is low in health. We end this with Bubblebeam!”

“Do it, do it, Cress, Cress, Cress!! Will he win it? Yes!! Yes!! Yes!!” his squad of cheerleaders supported him, leaping around in excitement.

Who are these people? I wondered, staring at them before turning back to the match.

“Blaze?” Trixa said, pulling out her Pokedex.

Ducklett attacked with Bubblebeam, spraying a barrage of bubbles from its beak, while Trixa focused on her Pokedex, leaving Tepig to jump around the powerful attack that was threatening whether he’d be able to battle any longer.

Trixa’s eyes remained glued to her Pokedex.

“Catch that Tepig!” Cress said strongly. “One hit and it’s over, Ducklett!”

Tepig kept up the dodging, leaping around the attacks and just barely managing to stay on his feet.

Ducklett stopped attacking as it was covered in flames again from the Burn. Once it ended, Ducklett was still standing but exhausted, glaring at Tepig.

Tepig is good, I thought. He’s really nimble. But he can’t keep this up. What is Trixa doing?

“Again, Ducklett! Catch it this time!” Cress kept a calm though hardened demeanor on his face.

Trixa didn’t look up from her Pokedex as Ducklett opened its beak to attack once more.

I grabbed the bars of the barricade in front of me, feeling the anger inside of me build. What is wrong with her??!! I was losing it! “TRI-!!!!!”

Before I could finish my yell, Trixa looked up and smiled. “In the air, Tepig! Jump!”

Tepig leaped over the stream of bubbles, high.

“Now we’ve got it,” Cress smiled. “Follow it! It has nowhere to run.”

Ducklett used Bubblebeam to the air, aiming for Tepig.

“Rollout attack!” Trixa said confidently.

“Rollout?” I couldn’t believe my ears.

Tepig curled up into a ball and started spinning in midair. He zipped through the air, away from the bubbles, and landed on the ground, immediately flying at Ducklett, dirt kicking up behind him.

Cress uttered a horrified gasp, his hair in front of his eye leaping up to reveal his other eye briefly before covering it again.

Tepig rolled right into Ducklett with the super effective Rock type move, sending the duck Pokemon flying through the air and crashing into a rock.

Ducklett slid to the ground, groaning wearily.

“Ducklett! Watch out!” Cress called.

Ducklett opened its eyes and screamed as fire surrounded its body. It moaned weakly as the flames died, and before it could move, Tepig slammed right into it again! Ducklett crumbled on the ground and laid out flat on its back.

“Ducklett has been defeated!” Chili declared. “Tepig is the winner of this match! This round goes to Trixa!”

Trixa let out a shrill shriek and ran to her Tepig. “Tepig!! You won!! You won!! I can’t believe this! Wait!! Yes, I can! I knew all along that you would win this! YAY! YAY! YAAAAAY!!!” She lifted up the joyful pig and spun around in happy circles.

The cheerleaders let out sad groans of disappointment.

“Ha! She won it, Pidove!” I took off downstairs and stopped near the battlefield, several feet away from Trixa. I was happy for her, and at the same time, eager to begin my battle. “Congratulations, Trixa!”

Trixa spun around in a happy daze around the battlefield before tripping over one of the large rocks and landing on her back.

“Oh, my,” Cress said as he returned his Pokemon to its Poke Ball and took a step towards Trixa.

Trixa wrapped Tepig up in her arms and rolled around on the ground, dirtying her blue jean shorts and light blue jacket.

Everyone got quiet and stared at her.

I sighed and shook my head. “Anyway, I think I’m up next!” I called, ignoring Trixa.

Cress looked up at me, and then back to Trixa. “Uh…”

I growled and walked over to Trixa. “Trixa!!” I said loudly.

Trixa stopped rolling around and looked up at me from the ground. “OH!! Heya, Gary! Guess what? I won!”

“That’s great!” I said with feigned surprise. “Now, it’s my turn!”

“Awesome!” Trixa got to her feet.

“You can wait upstairs if you’d like and watch from above!” I offered with a forced smile.

“Or, you’re welcome to receive a massage from one of us who Gary will not be battling, which includes a foot rub, as well as a luxurious hair wash with the finest, most gentlest, alluringly scented shampoo,” Cress suggested.

“Is Chili going to be doing that??” Trixa questioned hopefully.

Chili laughed nervously.

“Well, let’s find out,” Cress said, turning to me warmly. “What Pokemon did you choose in the Unova region as your Starter?”

“Unova region Starter?” I asked.

“Yes. Tepig, Snivy, or Oshawott. You chose one of these, yes?”

“Gary’s from Kanto,” Trixa said before I could speak. “He only has a Pidove. Does that mean he can’t battle you guys?”

A gasp came from Chili’s throat as Cress’ eye widened in silent surprise.

I sighed and looked at the ground. “She’s right. I’m from Kanto,” I acknowledged. “My Starter was a Charmander, who’s now a Charizard. I’m no beginner. I competed in the Pokemon League a couple of years ago. But now, I’m in Unova, and I don’t have any of my Pokemon with me. All I have is a Pidove right now.”

Chili smiled at me, but Cress didn’t.

Cress nodded, still eyeing me in disbelief. “I knew it!”

“Huh?” I said, staring back at him.

“Gary! I knew when you came into my restaurant the first time that I recognized you! You’re the boy who survived the attack two years ago at the Pokemon League in Kanto! You were involved in that incident in Saffron City that shut down Silph Co. for so long! You-!”

“Uh,” I interrupted, feeling uncomfortable as I ignored Chili’s horrified face. “How do you know all of this?”

“How could I not? It was worldwide news!” Cress replied.

“No way!” Chili’s hands were in shaking, tight fists at his sides. “Impossible! It’s really him?”

“Yes, it is,” I muttered, nodding my head, my eyes to the ground. I really didn’t want to talk about this.

“What an honor to have you as a Gym challenger!” Cress bowed with his brother as he spoke. “To see you here in Unova is humbling and we appreciate your trip. Good to see you looking so well.”

“Thank you, thank you,” I said quickly. “But I really didn’t come for the fanfare. I just want to put that behind me now and focus on competing in the Unova League. So, is there some kind of problem with me not having a Unova Starter?”

“No, not at all,” Cress replied immediately. “You can choose which of us you would like to battle. You’ve already met my Ducklett.”

“And this is my flaming star right here!” Chili said with balled fists before throwing his Poke Ball and sending out his Pokemon.

A tiny little bug looking creature cried out at me.

“Eww,” I muttered, pulling out my Pokedex.

Larvesta. The Torch Pokemon. This Bug type Pokemon is also part Fire, giving it protection against predators. This Pokemon can be found at the foot of volcanoes.

“Our brother, Cilan, who is still catering to your friend, has a Deerling,” Cress informed me.

“Deerling?” I checked my Pokedex.

Deerling. The Season Pokemon. When conflict arrives in the area, they hide. They are usually found in herds due to their timid personalities.

I recognized the Pokemon from my ride with Virgil, nodding at the rotating, moving 4D image of the brown fawn. I noted in my mind that it looked different than the orange Deerling I had seen when traveling with Virgil, but then I recalled that their evolved form, Sawsbuck, change their color depending on the season. Deerling probably operate the same way, I considered. Does that mean that it’s already Winter? Does the Pokedex picture change or is it always the same colored one?

“For a truly inspiring battle, you’re best to go with the hottest match you can get, which is from me, Chili!” Chili shouted, waving a fist at me challengingly.

“You’re free to battle against me, Cress, if that’s what you so desire, for a battle as collected and moving as flowing streams.” Cress waved his open palms through the air.

I stared at Larvesta and thought about battling a Deerling for a moment before looking up at Cress.

Cress looked back at me expectantly.

“I want to battle against you!”

“Oh? How delightful,” Cress smiled.

Pidove cooed happily on my shoulder.

I pet his head and smiled. “Sounds like he’s ready for that, too!” Turning back to Cress, I said, “I did choose a Fire type as my Starter, and while I don’t have him right this moment, I want to battle your Ducklett!” I smiled.

“Sound like an engaging battle. I can’t wait. Of course, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow when my Ducklett has recovered from its battle today.”

“Right!” I nodded.

Chili laughed. “A Charizard, you say?”

“Yeah. What’s so funny about that?”

Chili laughed even harder. “Well, you must be quite the experienced Trainer! Had you had your Charizard with you, you could have had a more interesting battle!”

“How so?”

“Take a look for yourself!” Chili took a second Poke Ball from his waist and sent out a Pokemon.

A tall, red monkey resembling Pansear appearing, greeting us all sharply. I immediately guessed that it must be Pansear’s evolved form.

“Please, see mine as well,” Cress said, and sent out a blue monkey from a Poke Ball.

“Hey! What are these?” Trixa asked, pulling out her Pokedex.

Simisear. The Ember Pokemon and Pansear’s evolved stage. It can attack by scattering flames that are inside of its body, out of its head and tail.

Simipour. The Geyser Pokemon and Panpour’s evolved form. It stores water in its hair, and when it is low on water, it siphons water from its tail. Because of this, it requires living in a place where clean water is accessible.

“Ooooooo! Evolved forms!” Trixa knelt down, staring at the two Pokemon.

Simipour and Simisear smiled back at her patiently.

“You see, we have these Pokemon that we’ve raised for years,” Cress said gently as he gazed down at his Simipour. What appeared to be sadness came over his face as he spoke. “Cilan has a Simisage, as well, which evolved from a Pansage. A while back, we closed down the Gym and restaurant. We wanted recognition as powerful Gym Leaders, and we didn’t really feel we had that respect. So, we trained for a long time to better ourselves and our Pokemon. We returned some time later and reopened the restaurant, rebuilding the Gym in our spare time. The final step was the hardest, because we weren’t comfortable doing it. In fact, if not for the encouragement from our three closest friends, we wouldn’t have done it in the first place. We would have continued to raise them without the need for evolution, but they insisted. They wanted to be stronger, and knew that we wanted to be stronger, ourselves. We all had a dream to be great Pokemon Trainers since we were children, and we would stop at nothing to achieve that goal. We evolved our Pokemon, and it brought a new life, love, and pain, between the six of us. Indeed, our Pokemon did get stronger, and actually, haven’t lost a battle since evolving.”

Chili’s head had lowered sadly as he listened to his brother’s story.

“Wow…” I whispered, my eyes widening. I couldn’t help but realize how similar this was to June’s story about her Electivire. I was reminded of her warning to Ike, and how her warning came from a place of understanding. I had a newfound appreciation and respect for how difficult it must be to have a career where just about everything is based on winning. The life of a Gym Leader.

The life of an Elite Four member.

The life of a Pokemon Champion.

The life of a Pokemon Master.

“Soon, we realized we were just winning, but not teaching,” Cress continued. “Our Pokemon were too strong. We don’t use them for beginning Trainers anymore. We save them for more experienced battlers. As Gym Leaders, our goal is to teach, not defeat. So, we captured new Pokemon to use against newer Trainers. We’d gladly use these Pokemon if you had your more experienced battlers with you.”

“Teach, not defeat,” I repeated. “Wow. That’s really thoughtful of you guys. I can tell that your perspective on being a Gym Leader is really from the heart.” I paused as a memory resurfaced in my mind.

“Thank you, Gary,” Cress replied. “I like to think that all Gym Leaders are about as concerned as we are with guiding Pokemon Trainers as opposed to just beating them.”

“Ha. Well, I wish Pewter City’s Gym Leader, back in Kanto, was as concerned as you guys are,” I laughed. “Her name is Aurora. She was the first Gym Leader I ever faced. Her Pokemon were monstrously strong. I faced her with my Charmander, and we weren’t all that strong at the time. We were just beginners. She tore through us easily, without mercy. Her Kabutops was unstoppable and one of the reasons she hadn’t been defeated in so long. I challenged her Gym again after earning... more Badges and finally beat her, but even in victory, we only just barely won.”

Cress shook his head sadly as he gazed at me, Chili frowning at me.

“Well, at this Gym, we find that kind of battling inappropriate of a Gym Leader,” Cress told me.

I nodded. “Yeah, but I’m grateful for the experience. I feel like I learned a lot from her and I’m glad me and my Pokemon went through that difficult time and came out even stronger and wiser.”

“I suppose that’s a way to look at it,” Cress said uncertainly, his open palm underneath his chin.

I smiled, but then looked down for a moment as I thought of all of my Pokemon back in Kanto, and I sighed. Charizard. Porygon-Z. I wonder where those guys are, I thought, my heart beating a little faster, tears starting to build up behind my eyes.

“But, anyway, Trixa.” Cress turned to her, a small black box in his hands now. “We certainly must insist on handing this to you.” He bowed before her and then stood up straight, opening the box. “This is for you, young lady.”

Chili raised a fist eagerly. “This Badge is proof of your win at the Striaton Gym! It’s called the Trio Badge!”

I looked over at the box containing the Badge. Its design was three golden triangles stacked on top of each other, each triangle containing a jewel, the top one colored blue, the second one colored red, and the bottom one was green.

Trixa took the Badge from the box and held it up in the air, her Tepig in her other arm. “Yes! The Trio Badge is mine! Badge number two! I’m really doing it!”

I laughed as she hugged her Tepig even closer to her face and laughed joyously.

Trixa now had two Badges.

I felt a sense of pride, having helped this new Trainer become an even better Trainer and earn two Badges.

But first thing tomorrow, it was my turn to battle Cress’ Ducklett with my Pidove and earn my first Badge in the Unova League. I pet Pidove’s head again and laughed happily, excited for tomorrow to arrive for our first ever battle together.

It would be the beginning of a relationship like nothing I’d ever had before.

For better.

And for worse.