Pokébook: Kanto

Laura Sherwood | Celadon Gym

"So which two won't be braving the wild pokemon that live here to get the Lum berries?" the girl with the Tangela said, smirking.

Laura glanced at the others standing beside her, cursing herself for joining them. If she was on her own, maybe she wouldn't have to be sent out on some crazy berry-chase through this jungle gym. Although, Sam was the only one to have already sprinted into the jungle, leaving everyone else staring after him. Maybe it wouldn't be too hard to get herself a berry after all.

Kristine bounced from foot to foot, pulling at the rope tied around her waist that Sinclair held in his hand. "Let's gooo, Sin! We'll find a berry together, and I'll battle you for it!" She giggled, throwing her hands over her smiling mouth. "Just kidding!"

Laura raised an eyebrow and shifted her gaze to David. She had a feeling she was going to have to take Kristine in doses. Very small doses. David was pacing down part of the walkway they came into the gym on, as if forming a strategy, which Art stood nearby him, his eyes darting over the PokePad he held in his hands.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather face a derganged Mankey than give Sam the satisfaction of getting one of those berries first," Laura said, pulling a pokeball from her backpack and slinging the bag back over her shoulder.

"Toby, go!" she called, tossing her pokeball dramatically into the air. The Eevee appeared a moment later, landing perfectly with a loud "eeeev!".

Laura smirked, casting a glance over at the others, who were paying more attention to their own strategies than to hers. "Our showmanship is impeccable," she said, regardless of whether anyone was listening or not. She turned to Eevee, "Come on Toby! Let's find ourselves a Lum berry!"

They ran into the jungle, breaking loudly through the underbrush for a few strides until they were far enough away from the others to be out of earshot. Laura sighed, falling back to a walk. "How are we feeling today, Toby?" she asked as Eevee fell into step beside her. "We feeling a gym battle?"

"Eev eeev!" Eevee responded, springing a little as he walked.

Laura laughed lightly, shaking her head. "Of course you are," she said. She sighed and lifted the side of her jacket, examining the three gym badges pinned to the inside. She'd been on her journey for so long, and all she had to show for it were three measly badges. Tom would have done so much more by now.

"Eev?" Toby said, nudging her calf with his nose, sensing her discomfort.

"Just thinking about Tom," she said, ruffling the branches of a bush as they walked. No berries. "By this time, he had five badges. I only have three."

"Eeev."

"I know, I know," she said, holding her hands behind her head and shrugging as she looked up at the treetops towering above them. "I don't have to be my brother. Still, all mom and dad talk about is Tom this and Tom that. 'Tom's a gym leader', 'Tom's a world-class Breeder', 'Tom Tom Tom Tom Tom Tom Tom'." She frowned letting her arms fall beside her. "Tom's already done everything worth doing."

"Eeev."

Laura laughed reaching down to ruffle the fur at the top of Toby's head. "Yeah, yeah. You're right." She stopped, kneeling and letting her backpack fall to the ground in front of her. She dug through it and pulled out a treat for Toby. "You know, I heard in some regions there are pokemon Contests. I don't really know much about them...but I know it's nothing Tom would ever do!" She jumped to her feet, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "And until we figure that out, we'll keep on our journey to defeat the Elite Four and become pokemon Masters! Something Tom could never do."

With a wide smile on her face, her eyes fell on a familiar bush growing directly in front of them. "Toby, there's out Lum berry!" Laura shouted, pointing at the bush.

"Eev!"

She took a step toward it, only to be sidelined by a small male body that Laura so happened to - and was so displeased to - know by the name of Sam. "No way Miss Blue Hair, that berry's mine!"

Kristine Cook A Pot Of Meatballs For Dinner | Celadon Gym

"Kristine, let's go!"

Kristine giggled some more as Sinclair jerked at the rope again. "I told you! I can't! The rope is caught."

Sinclair stomped back, and his scrunched up face softened as he realized the rope was magically tangled with the bush they had passed. "Alright, fine. Take it off."

"Don't sound so excited," she said and laughed at her apparent-yet-really-just-awful humor. She fumbled with the knot at her waist until it finally gave loose, and the rope fell to the ground. Sin wound up the rope and stuck it in his bag. Kristine blinked.

"We might need it," he said with a shrug and turned back around to continue walking.

Kristine skipped after him.

"So, where do you think they would hide Lum Berries?" she asked, looking around the forest as they hiked.

"Anywhere, really," Sinclair said. "If there are only four, I doubt there's an entire Lum Berry tree. There's also the more likely possibility that they're fake. People don't just play with Lum Berries."

"Maybe it's in some place obvious," Kristine mused. “Do you think only one person can claim the Lum Berry, or does teamwork count?”

Sin hesitated to respond. “It sounds like only one person to a Berry.”

Kristine giggled. “Do you think my bulbasaur would count?”

Sin’s mouth twitched.

Kristine shrugged. “Well, you’ll have the Berry. It’s perfectly fine. It’s not like I’m trying for the Tournament anyway.” They stepped over a large trunk and continued hiking through various bushes and weeds. Kristine was unamused by the fresh tears in her stockings, but Sin moved too quickly for her to stop and stare.

Fwoosh! was the sound of a Pokeball opening. Kristine froze in mid large-step, but Sinclair whirled around, his jaw stiff.

"Muuuuk!"

Sin gave Kristine that evil look he usually gave her when referring to her untrained pokemon. Kristine gave a weak smile before picking up the pokeball.

"Muk!"

"What is it, Melon?" Kristine hissed, crouching down by her muk. The purple ooze held his chubby arms out wide, indicating the desire of a muk-hug. "Not now! We have to go find a Lum Berry, and you know how Sin gets--"

"Kristine, just put him away!" he snapped.

Kristine jumped and fumbled for her pokeball while Muk held out a muck-dripping piece of paper. She aimed her pokeball, but before she put it away, her heart melted at the sight of Muk's crayon picture he did back in the hurricane shelter. "Oh, Melon! This is--"

"WOAH!"

Sam Martin Apparently | Celadon Gym

"No way Miss Blue Hair, that berry's mine!"

Sam stomped out from the bushes and dashed for the bush. Laura ran as well, and they both fell to their knees, digging around for that Lum Berry.

He didn't see any sign of a berry when he first got there. He only overheard Laura mention it, so he went with his gut and searched the bush for that Lum Berry. His entire upper half was buried in that bush before he finally spotted the Berry right under his nose -- literally.

"Gotcha!" he said greedily, and closed his fist--

--but Laura swiped it from under him.

"No way, Bluesi!" Sam growled, scrambling out of the bush. "I saw it first!"

"I beg to differ," Laura said, an eyebrow lifting curiously. Her eevee stood in front of her protectively as if ready to battle for it.

Which Sam was more than happy to do.

"Go, Manny!" He released his scyther. "Get me that--"

Laura laughed.

Sam blinked a moment before another growl erupted in the back of his throat. "Normal people don't laugh in the face of defeat!"

Laura held up the Lum Berry, allowing Sam to get a good look at it, before stuffing it in her pocket. "You're not a very intelligent trainer, are you?" Before Sam had the opportunity to defend himself, she explained, "There are four berries. Sin and Kristine are after one. David and Art were left behind and are most likely working together -- can't say for sure, but it's an accurate deduction at the moment. That leaves two left. One for me... and one for you."

Sam stared at her, piecing together the puzzle. It got a bit complicated, and eventually, he just took her word for it that she was right. He didn't care. "I saw that Berry first! I shouldn't have to find it--"

Laura laughed, throwing her arms up. "You're hopeless, really. C'mon, Toby. Let's go turn in our Lum Berry."

Sam sighed, rubbing his temples. "Okay, hold on." Laura paused. He wasn't sure why he was asking this. He just wanted this stupid Lum Berry. "I think it's quite clear I found the Lum Berry first, but--" he said before she could make even a squeak, "--I'll let you hang on to it for now, and I'll help you find the other Lum Berry."

There was an abrupt laugh from her -- one of those shocked ones that left the person speechless. "You're unbelievable."

Sam winked.

Laura's expression fell into a tight frown, staring him down with sharp eyes. She crossed her arms. "Fine, I'll help. It would be a crime to let a child out in the wild on his own, I suppose."

She walked away, leaving Sam to stare after her open-mouthed. He threw his arms up this time, still gaping. "Aw, c'mon, Blue Moon." She didn't stop. "You saw me standing alone without a Berry of my own--" His voice got dramatically louder. "--and you mock me out of pure cruelty?!" He marched after her. "Bluesi!"

Kristine | Celadon Gym

Kristine froze again. Muk continued to watch her with the widest smile of pride and pleasure. She stood up, noticing Sin's vacant spot. "Sin?" she called.

"I'm fine," she heard him say. She followed his voice and found him doubled-over behind some trees. He held out his arm to prevent her from walking in front of him. "Look down," he said between breaths.

Kristine looked. How she didn't notice the giant hole in front of them was beyond anyone's common sense. It was as obvious as a Team Rocket trap.

"C'mon," he said. He led Kristine and Melon around the giant hole and continued forth.

"Why do you think there was a hole there?" Kristine asked. When Sin didn't respond, she continued chatting away. "It seems rather silly to have a hole in the middle of a gym, don't you think? Kind of a waste of floor space too. Unless we climbed uphill and I didn't notice--"

Sinclair stopped suddenly as a vinewhip hurled out in front of him, Kristine running smack into him. They peered into the flora, but they didn't see anything. Sin waved his arm out carefully, but no vinewhip shot out.

"...Something did shoot out of there, right?" Kristine hissed.

"We're going to have to...KRISTINE!"

"Muuuk!"

"Oh, dear. Melon, come back--"

"Kristine, don't run out there--"

She stopped and spun. "Why not--"

"RUN!"

Sinclair pushed her forward. Vinewhips flew out from the bushes on either side of them, trying to slow them down. Some of them actually whacked them -- Kristine tripped more than once as they ran -- but they all struck straight through muk without him even noticing. He just kept smiling, laughing like it was some sort of game.

They finally made it to the other side.

They both doubled over to catch their breaths. Muk danced around them in his muk-ish way, waving his coloring picture around and flailing about with that jolly grin on his face. Kristine gulped hard, and Sin walked away, seeming to have given up on the muk shenanigans.

"Sin, this is a bit ridiculous," Kristine said, catching up to him. Muk slithered from behind. "Shouldn't we let our pokemon help? They can probably sense these things way better than we can. We're not--"

"Look," he said, holding out an arm. Kristine stopped and looked up.

A Lum Berry sat on a fake wooden pedestal.

"Get it!" Kristine hissed, shoving him forward.

"Why me?!" Sinclair said, looking at her incredulously.

"Muuuk."

"...Touche."

Sinclair walked to the pedestal. He thought. Kristine was getting more and more nervous, wondering why Sin make this more difficult than it was. Picking up a Berry shouldn't be so tense!

She saw him pick up a nearby rock -- as big as his fist, it appeared -- and he made a ninja-fast move in replacing the Berry with the rock. He froze.

Nothing happened.

Sinclair pulled out his rope and whipped it out like a... whip. He nodded his chin pridefully at Kristine. "Just call me Indiana Johto."

Sam | Celadon Gym

"So," Sam finally said after a good five minutes of silence, "who do you think's not going to battle?"

"Kristine and Art."

Sam looked at her. "That was fast."

"It seems obvious to me," Laura said with a shrug. "Neither of them seem intent on becoming Pokemon masters."

"And you are?"

Laura didn't reply. She knelt down to pick something up, then fed her Toby a berry-that-wasn’t-a-Lum-Berry.

Sam sighed and shrugged. "You might be right, Bluesi. I promise not to tell anyone though if you decide you're too scared--"

"That's the weakest strategy in the book," Laura said flatly, standing up suddenly and looking at him with a cocked brow.

"Okay, okay!" Sam said defensively. "Battle all you want. I promise not to hate you if you lose. In fact, you're more than welcome to cry on my shoulder--"

"Really." Laura stopped in her tracks. Sam turned and faced her narrowed eyes, still wearing a clueless expression.

"Scytherrr..." Manny stood behind Sam, tugging at his pant leg with his claw.

"Thanks for the support, buddy," Sam muttered.

Laura slowly walked toward him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I'm fighting the gym leader. I'm going to win my badge. And then I'm going to wipe the floors with you."

"Eeexcept that I'll be battling the gym leader after you," Sam corrected, "and I'll be making an even better impression." He shrugged, flashing his sly smile. He held out his arms. "No one beats the Samachine."

She looked at him. "Alright, fine. We'll ask the others after the gym whose battle against the gym leader was more phenomenal. The loser buys the winner lunch."

"Deal," Sam said before he had time to think over what she just said. "I'll find you an ATM later."

"That'll be swell. And by the way," Laura said. She took Sam's hand and thrust something into his palm. "I like my Sammiches toasted."

She walked away.

Sam looked in his hand.

And clutched the second Lum Berry.

David Birch | Celadon Gym

“It’s just a speculation,” repeated Art, pulling apart thorny vines in a tree, “but one would think that Creepers would make a bit more noise before detonating!”

David shrugged, walking crouched on the path made by Nidorino and Paras. Their claws were speedy, but they still left David dancing impatiently...but just a bit. “I totally see your point, but if the noise was too distinguished, then the player would instantly realize, ‘Oh, I’m about to blow up!’ and just never die by Creepsplosion.”

Art stopped in his tracks, leaning against a tree with a heavy breath. “Let’s pause. We’re turning this into a hike, and these things are minimally conducive to my mediocre respiratory stability.” He took out a pokeball and clicked the button in the center, bringing out Venonat, his newest team member. “Dodge, Supersonic, if you will!”

Venonat stood up on its tip toes, shaking as its eyes took on an eerie luminescent green hue, seeming to nearly ripple as it scanned the room on a frequency David couldn’t hear.

“In theory,” Art suggested, “Dodge’s supersonic will be able to pick up on the particular shape of a Lum Berry--since it’s believed to be the largest berry of them all--and register that as one of its known facts. Aaaand, once we have a location, it’s just a matter of--”

“Nat! Veno Ven!” Dodge hopped and turned to the south, sending a wave of psychic energy down through a grove of trees, parting them into a perfect walkway.

At the end of the walkway stood a huge pokemon. It was bent over in a ramming position with claws on its head and fangs that looked ready to chomp down on David’s head.

“...Art...w-what is that thing?”

Art took out his Pokedex as the pokemon dug its foot into the soil, readying to attack.

“Dave, you may wanna step back and to the side. At least three paces, I’d say. That thing’s a Pinsir, and they’re brutal attacker pokemon, capable of ripping its prey in half with the scissor-like claws on its head.”

David slowly, fearfully moved away from the path, motioning for Nidorino. “Dax...?”

“Nido!”

The Pinsir shuffled back two steps and reared forward, clamping its huge claws together with a clamoring bang. “Siiiiiiiiir!”

Nidorino glared down his target before dashing off in a mad dash down the pathway. Pinsir charged right after, locking horns with Nidorino with grunts and cracks as twigs snapped beneath their feet.

David and Art looked on, astonished. “It’s like watching Animal Planet.”

“There’s a good chance that Pinsir has taken some kind of ownership over the berry...assuming it’s still there. If he feels that his berry is threatened, he’ll likely fight to the death.”

“If that’s the case,” said David, “then we need to make this quick. Dax! Toxic Spike Attack!”

Nidorino forced Pinsir back, rolling onto its haunches and forcing its momentum into a moving ball, sending his own body into the air. Once it brushed the canopy above, it spread out its quills, thrusting out a fan of poison thorns across their makeshift battleground.

Pinsir went wide-eyed, staggering back and bringing a heavy foot down on the first of hundreds of spikes, sending him to his back. With another dozen jutting into his body, his eyes began to roll; within seconds, he was out cold.

“I’ll never get how you pull off these quick wins.” Art recalled his spectating pokemon, taking the first quick steps around the KO’d pinsir and to the nest in the back of the shrubs.

David pulled Dax back into his pokeball with a grin, and then joined Art in the nest, digging around through bristles and leaves for what, after what a long time had passed, had to be the last berry. The question was...which of them would get it?

“Great Scott!” exclaimed Art, digging into a mesh of vines and flowers. He pulled out the huge green berry, but stared at it for a moment, curiously.

“What’s up?” David nudged in a bit closer, trying to catch a glimpse of the freakish berry.

“It’s...it’s a double berry?” He turned it, revealing the huge, Lum-Berry-Sized Lump on the tail end of the fruit.

David’s head tilted to the side, but he then grinned. “This means we can both compete!” He slapped Art on the back victoriously. “I don’t have to, like, knock you out for it now!”

Art turned, staring at David for a moment. “Heh,” was all he said, tucking the berry into his pouch. “Right. Let’s go, Dave. The others are probably waiting for us.”

Sinclair Audley | Celadon Gym

"And then after the match we should go look for PONYTA!" Kristine said happily.

"Why don't we just borrow Laura's?" Sinclair asked, probably at great personal risk.

Kristine's eyes widened. "Borrow? I could never! Besides, 'we'? Two people can't ride a Ponyta!"

"I could ride something else, I suppose," Sinclair mused, patting Cade's Pokéball and imagining his four-poster bed.

"We could ride off on a rainbow and eat candyfloss clouds all day!"

"... Are you sure there was just hot chocolate in that cup?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing." Besides. It's not as if Kristine was the sort to get her hands on anything... controlled. No, that would be ridiculous. "Where are the others?"

"Hiiiii-ya!" With a sort of ninja kick/karate chop thing, David and Art jumped out of the bushes, with David's Poliwag holding the biggest Lum berry Sinclair had ever seen in its hands.

"Oh my goodness that is such a big berry have you ever seen such a big berry that is a HUGE BERRY Sin look at the size of that berry can I touch it-"

"No!" David pretty quickly took the Lum berry off the Poliwag and out of Kristine's reach. "This is our berry."

"Both of yours?"

"Well you see-"

"Come on, Bluesi, where are you?"

"Shut up, you idiot, and keep moving, I- ow! Forwards, not backwards, that was my foot!"

Sam and Laura came bursting out of the foliage in a tangle of limbs and rucksacks. Sam seemed rather pleased, Laura, not so much.

"Martin, if you've crushed my Berry..."

"It's okay, you can always borrow my berry!" Kristine said, accompanied by a 'Bulba!' which sent her into a fit of the giggles.

"Think we need to do a few breathing exercises with Kristine before we go in," David muttered and Sinclair agreed, taking his friend's wrists and urging her to breathe deeply a few times. It lasted about ten seconds of blissful silence before Kristine spluttered out laughing once more.

Sinclair sighed. "At least she'll be more enthusiastic in her cheering," he said.

"She cheers?"

"Sinclair, Sinclair, he's our man, if he can't do it no one can!!- hic," and more giggling were what came out of Kristine's mouth.

Sinclair sighed. "Everyone got a Berry?"

David nodded. "Let's go up. Where's that ranger?"

"Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo," said Kristine. "We have beeeeeeeerrieeees."

Sinclair clamped a hand over her mouth, but her call did the trick. Pretty soon the ranger appeared, twirling her walkie-talkie. "So. You have decided who's not battling?"

"Kristine's not," David said. "However, this Berry," he presented it, "allows for two, by your rules."

The ranger inspected the berry then smiled slowly. "You're a quick bunch. There's not many trainers your age who would pick up on that being a double berry. But whether to let you in on that or not is a different matter entirely."

"Oh, please!" said Kristine. "PleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasePLEASE let them in! It'll only be half as fun without them! Or... three fifths of the fun! Oh pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease? With sugar on top?"

Seeing that she might never be free of Kristine's begging otherwise, the Ranger produced the card. "Go on up then," she said, swiping the elevator.

"So, we're about to find out the identity of the mystery gym leader!" Sinclair said, stepping into the lift.

"But I've been trying to tell you all this time, it's-"

"It's a secret, yes, Art, we know, but we'll still have to see their face."

"No- you don't get it, the gym leader is C-"

"Quite unusual, yeah, but we'll easily take them down."

Art opened his mouth again but Sam was still talking, "Grass types are always weak anyway."

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Laura. "I've seen some pretty strong Leafeons in my time."

"Maybe that's what Lucy would be or Lea or Toby or Ellie or oh - oh - oh - we're here."

The doors slid open.

The gym area was just as densely forested as the lobby had been, with creepers on every side, but there was a clear arena in the centre with markings around the edges. And on the other side of the arena was a man in black.

A very familiar man in black.

The others hung back almost instinctively, all eyes on Sinclair as he walked ever so slowly towards the edge of the arena.

"Well," said Crebbins. "Here you are at last."

"B-but... you're not a gym leader."

Crebbins looked around himself. "Sinclair, I think you're a little confused."

"You're my butler."

"I'm both. Back when I was only applying for the job as gym leader, I planned to use the Audley job as a temporary substitute. But in the end... being a gym leader isn't so taxing, not even in a city as large as Celadon, and your parents do pay me handsomely, Sinclair."

"But... but you never told me?"

"And why should I give you an advantage over any other trainer who comes in those doors? I've been careful you know. You've never seen my true fighting strategy, never even truly known my team. A pity, really." He sighed. "Perhaps you would have turned out a better trainer if I had."

"Sin's a really good trainer!" Kristine protested.

Crebbins laughed. "I'm sure you think so. Well. We'll see. He'll have to stop here once he misses out on the badge, after all. Maybe we can get some extra training in."

The world swam in front of Sinclair. David steadied him. "Sin? You need to sit down?"

Sinclair nodded and promptly plonked himself on the floor, head in his hands to avoid the disdain radiating from the man he had once considered his best friend, in fact his only friend, a man closer to him than even his own father.

"Well, we'll let the child recover." Crebbins said, ignoring Sinclair and turning to the others. "Are any of you brave enough to battle me?"

David Birch | Celadon Gym

Kristine split from the mass of her friends, taking a knee beside Sin and draping her arm over his shoulders. The others stared down Crebbins with expressions in an array from total anger to--at least on Sam’s face--shock. David was the first to step up, taking a pokeball from his belt. “I have to hand it to you, Crebbins. You really put the butt in Butler.”

The man didn’t respond, simply taking out his own pokeball. “Since there are plenty of you who will desire vengeance on me today, we’ll make this a series of one-on-one battles.” David nodded to him. “From what I could gather, you’re a decently-skilled trainer, David, so I’ll be happy to take you on first. Please step into the ring.”

David broke from the others, leaving their whispers and sounds of Sin sobbing behind him. He stood squarely in the challenger’s box and stared across at Crebbins. “Don’t get confused, Butler--this isn’t my fight to win out of betrayal.” He nodded back to Sin. “You’ll have your battle-long-coming with him later.” He rolled his shoulders and turned his hat backwards. “Now let’s do this! Charmeleon!”

Crebbins grinned, holding out his right hand with his pokeball in the palm. Clicking the button, he released a flash of light that grew...and grew...and grew further into a towering Coconut Tree with three heads.

David heard a pokedex behind him beep. “Watch out, Dave,” said Art, “that’s an Exeggutor, a formidable pokemon as much psychic as he is grass-type.”

David took out his own pokedex and checked the screen.

Exeggutor, the Coconut Pokemon. Originally from the tropics, Exeggutor's heads grow stronger from exposure to strong sunlight. Each head can think independently, and communicates via telepathy.

“Exeggutor may be a good grass-type, but he’s no match for fire,” said David, balling up his fist. “Vash, fire spin!”

Charmeleon dashed forward towards the towering pokemon, launching himself into the air with his hind legs and parting its large jaws to release fire just as Exeggutor let off a flash of yellow light.

“Exeggutor, Sunny Day!”

The overgrown coconut tree thrust the blast of light from its leaves, enveloping Charmeleon in the flood of gold. The red lizard tumbled back to the ground, claws covering his eyes as Exeggutor’s sunlight flooded the ceiling and windows, coating the entire room in blinding light.

“Now, Exeggutor! Let’s make this quick! Solarbeam!”

Exeggutor slammed down its feet, rearing back its trunk and gathering golden sunlight from the room. It let out a thundering yell as the blast of white energy gushed from its head, blowing Charmeleon out of the ring and into the wall above the elevator.

Crebbins snickered and tossed his pokeball up and down in his hand. “Charmeleon is unable to battle. I win.”

David stared straight ahead, dumbstruck.

He hadn’t even gotten in a single move.

Sam Martin | Celadon Gym

"Gotta say: I didn't see that coming."

Everyone was watching David as he sprinted toward the elevator and crouched down next to his charmeleon. Eventually, he had returned, cradling Vash in his arms. The pokemon flinched, saying faintly, "Char..."

"You did good, buddy," David had said.

When Kristine hurried by David's side to inspect the charmeleon with him, Sam turned around, uninterested. The gym leader was watching them impatiently.

"I presume you will battle next, Samuel Veronica?"

Sam paused, his hand hovering over his pocket full of pokeballs. His brow twitched. "How do you know my name?"

"My dear boy, I'm a butler. I know my way around a young man's belongings." Crebbins retrieved his Exeggutor and stowed the pokeball away, pulling out a new one. "Are you prepared, or do you wish to take a moment to plan your strategy--"

"Alright, toto--"

"Don't.... Don't use totodile." Sam stopped with his arm in midair. He turned to look at Sinclair, who held his head with his hand as if annoyed by Sam's decision. With his eyes still closed, Sin said, "Any other pokemon would work. Just... don't use totodile."

Sam fell out of his stance and turned slightly to better see the gang. "Like you're in a position to criticize my battling technique--"

"What technique are you using, exactly?" Art inquired, his head slightly tilted.

"Oh, I'm sure Sam knows what he's doing!" Kristine piped up.

"You mean Veronica."

Sam cast a dangerous look at Laura before turning around again. He didn't want to follow their advice -- in fact, he wanted to use totodile just to spite them.

So he did.

"Show 'em what you're made of, Dexter!"

Groan, said the audience.

Crebbins didn't laugh. He didn't criticize. He didn't really do anything except smirk a bit more. "Sinclair, I am still at a loss as to why you travel with these companions. I have, so far, been unimpressed."

There was shuffling behind him, but Sam didn't care. He wanted to battle. "I don't know what ya'll are getting at. Just toss out a pokemon so I can win already! My lunch is riding on this." He could only imagine the look on Laura's face right now.

Crebbins sighed. "If you insist, sir. I'm certain Weepinbell will give you a run for your, ah, lunch." He tossed the pokeball, and out came a bell-shaped pokemon with lipstick.

Weepinbell
Species: Flycatcher Pokemon
Type: Grass / Poison
A Pokémon that appears to be a plant. It captures unwary prey by dousing them with a toxic powder.If its prey is bigger than its mouth, it slices up the victim with sharp leaves, then eats every morsel.

There were a couple comments about how disgusting the description was, but Sam honestly found it--

"Freaking awesome!" He gaped at the pokemon before him. Totodile bounced a bit, not really paying any attention to what the Pokedex said. When neither gym leader nor Sam said a word, the totodile turned around and looked at Sam with a very annoyed expression. "Where'd you find that pokemon?"

"It attacked my own pokemon while I was out in the forest," Crebbins said. "I'm sure he'd be more than willing to demonstrate how vicious he was that day."

"Heck yeah!" Sam stashed his Pokedex and punched the air. "Give me your best shot! Ready, Dex?!"

"Tote!"

Kristine Cook | Celadon Gym

"I can't believe this."

Kristine looked at Sinclair, who was still as distraught as ever. He was really worrying her. She sifted through her bag and pulled out an apple. "Here."

He shook his head and his his face in his hands again. "Food is not going to fix this."

"Char?"

Kristine heard the charmeleon's voice a hair louder than before, and she looked down at the pokemon's pleading eyes. David's mouth twisted in a regrettable smile, but before he had the chance to even say anything, Kristine had already given the apple to the injured pokemon. Vash curled up with his apple closer to David's chest and nibbled at his new treat. "Chaaar."

"Water pokemon are weak against grass," Art said helpfully. "At least David made a smart choice in pokemon."

"Sam tends to not go by the book," Sin muttered. He propped his chin in his hands. "He's always prone to embarrassing himself."

"His name is Veronica," Laura said. "I think he's already accomplished that." She folded her arms and nodded. "It's good to know I won't have to scrounge up money for lunch today."

Kristine sat and thought a minute, watching the totodile spend all his time running out of the weepinbell's fast attacks. "You never know," she said. "Jason always pulled through in the most unlikely situations. Sam might be the same!"

"You're a little too optimistic sometimes," Sin said, giving her a firm look.

"I think that's a bit of an understatement," David muttered. Kristine frowned at him, but he shrugged and saved himself with, "I'm not about to say he's a shoe-in for losing, but Crebbins isn't exactly... easy. He knows how to sweep up the competition. I didn't even get an attack in!"

No one seemed to want to argue against the hopeful thought of Sam winning, especially after witnessing David's harsh defeat. Kristine sighed and held her knees to her chest, rocking slightly. She wondered if Berry would have been any match at all if she were given that chance to battle.

The thought of putting Berry in such a position made her heart sink. It was too much of a frightening thought. She was starting to understand David's position and worried immensely for Sam and Dexter. Did she bring enough fruit for everyone?

Sam | Celadon Gym

"Dexter! You good?!"

"To...to...DILE!" The totodile popped back up on his feet, breathing heavily but glaring at the weepinbell in front of him. Dexter was scratched up and bruised already, and his entire body was shaking from all the running.

Sam clenched his teeth.

Crebbins smirked. "I suppose now would be a bad time to say I'm holding back."

Yeah. It was.

Dexter was small, but that was the only advantage he had. All he could do was run away, and that thought made Sam irritable. But the thought of admitting his stupidity for putting Dexter on the field made him even more tense.

There had to be a way.

"Go ahead and use Poison Powder," Crebbins said smoothly.

"Use water gun to... wash it away! or something!" Sam said. He wasn't sure what the science was behind it, and he was certain Art was explaining his logic to the others right now, but all he could do was hold his breath and hope his instinct didn't let him down.

Totodile braced himself and sprayed water as soon as the poison powder threatened to overwhelm him. It was raining down on the weepinbell, which didn't seem to have any sort of effect, but the poison never hit Dexter.

"First smart move all day," Crebbins said.

The entire group started muttering to themselves as if shocked that Sam would get that compliment rather than anyone else.

"Enough of this," Crebbins said. "I still haven't finished straightening the penthouse. Weepinbell, take it away."

"Totodile, dodge his attacks and bite him when you can!"

"Close range is a BAD IDEA!" shouted David. The others all had their own say -- except Kristine, who was watching with fearful eyes -- but Sam ignored their criticisms, his head fully in the game.

Dexter was slow, though. Weepinbell had worn him down so much already, Dexter was getting pushed around even more by vine whips and razors and bites. The totodile never had a chance to get in close before he was knocked down to the ground, too weak to get up.

"Dex... c'mon..." Sam was holding his breath, hoping that the totodile could scrounge up a bit more strength. "C'mon, Dex. Wash away the pain and get back in the game! You never let a pokemon get you this badly without getting them a piece of your mind!"

The words helped a little bit. The totodile whimpered as it struggled -- seriously struggled -- to get up on all fours.

Weepinbell's vine whips threw him aside and back onto the ground.

"HAVE A LITTLE RESPECT," Sam said without thinking. "Dexter, c'mon buddy!"

"Totodile is unable to battle," Crebbins said. "Weepinbell wi--"

"TOTODIIIIILE!"

Out of nowhere, Dexter jumped and hurled himself at the weepinbell, chomping down on the poison plant's bell-shaped body. The weepinbell flailed, causing totodile to swing back and forth. The tiny crocodile held on with all the little strength he could muster, biting as much and as hard as he can while digging his tiny claws into the pokemon's side.

It didn't last long, and eventually, Dexter was tossed aside yet again. Weepinbell had also fell back on the ground, leaving both pokemon lying silently and catching their breath.

Dexter wasn't getting up any time soon.

Sam knew as well as everyone else that the weepinbell would eventually get up and claim the victory. Dexter was out cold, his body twitching. His wounds and bruises were awful. Thankfully, he didn't get hit with any poison, but Sam knew he had done a very bad thing -- he pushed his totodile way too hard.

"Weeeep..."

Crebbins made a sigh of relief. "Weepinbell wins that round."

Kristine | Celadon Gym

Kristine bounded on her feet just as she did for David and rushed up to Sam, who carried his totodile toward the group. She put a hand on the totodile's head as gently as she could and squeaked when he whimpered. She took her hand off.

Sam released one arm around him and dug for the pokeball in his pocket, but Kristine waved her hands. "No, no! Let's give him some medicine. Berry can help look after him and Vash while we wait on the other battles. Come on!"

"Don't waste your meds on us, Sunshine," he said, and the depressing sound of his voice made her heart sink ten stories. He nodded toward Vash, who was already looking slightly better with some food in his belly. "You've got your hands full."

"Don't be silly!" Kristine pulled out her pokeball and released her bulbasaur.

"Bulba!" he said excitedly, twirling around to face her. "Bulbasaur!"

Kristine made to sit Sam down near where she sat next to David and Sin. "I have a little medicine. It's not much, and it's actually very weak since my budget is awful, but it'll help for now. Berry--"

"Are you next?"

Berry's vines were already wrapping around the bottle of medicine when Crebbins spoke. Kristine and the bulbasaur both froze in mid-preparation and looked up at the gym leader, both a bit terrified. She then laughed uneasily and scratched the back of her neck. "Oh, no! No, I didn't get a Lum Berry! Besides, I couldn't possibly do well in battle against someone as good as you!"

Crebbins sighed and shook his head. "Sinclair, once again, your company is heartbreaking."

Kristine felt a pang in her chest. Berry meandered behind her to tend to the totodile and charmeleon -- much like when he worked at the pokemon orphanage -- leaving Kristine to feel incredibly guilty.

"That puts us both on the same level," Sinclair spoke up. "It's a fairly heartbreaking situation right now."

"I thought you were raised much better than this." He twirled the next pokeball in his hand, whipping out some skills without dropping it or flinching once. "I highly doubt your parents would let you continue traveling with them at this rate."

Kristine didn't want to interrupt, but she could see Sinclair's heart just feeling more and more heavy as the day went on. Her fists tightened into balls as she tensed up and said, "We're plenty of talent! And everyone here can win! They're all very good trainers. You haven't seen them train like I have!"

"I beg to differ, sweetheart," Crebbins said. "Are you next? You're quite a ball of fire."

"She never is," David muttered. Everyone was watching her.

"I'm not next," Kristine said and sat down on the floor again with the boys. "I won't be next either. I have other priorities to attend to." She dug around in her bag.

Crebbins' eyebrow raised slightly, but he didn't say a word.

Sinclair leaned in and put a hand on her shoulder. "Relax. You have no reason to get involved. I'll handle it."

Sinclair made to stand up, but Kristine laughed -- actually giggled as if she didn't just chew out the butler. "Don't be ridiculous! I may not be as strong as you guys, but I can tell when someone's blindly criticizing my friends' talents." Her voice wasn't quiet, but that was on purpose. There were no secrets to hide. "I could go on for hours about how wrong he is, but I'll spare everyone. Now, someone go battle him so we can get to the pokecenter!"

"I vote Bluesi! Sam finally spoke up. "We've got a deal to settle!"

Kristine laughed and dug out another fruit for the totodile. Yup, this was what she was traveling for.

Laura Sherwood

"Just hold on a minute, Veronica," she said as she turned back and knelt beside Kristine, dropping her own backpack beside the group. "I have a few medicines left in my bag," Laura told her. "I haven't really gotten making them right, but the ones there are from the ranch and my parents made them. They should help until we can get to a Pokecenter. Don't waste all of your own medicine, okay?"

She grabbed the pokeball she intended to use for the battle from a side pocket of her bag and jumped to her feet, spinning to face Crebbins.

"I presume you're next?" he asked, still twirling his own pokeball in his hand. "I have been rather interested to see Sinclair's newest companion perform. I wonder if you'll put up as sad a show as everyone else?"

"I wouldn't bet on it," Laura said, her voice calm, stable. She grasped her own pokeball in her hand, wondering if she truly was strong enough to take down such an obviously strong gym leader. Get it together, Laura, she thought to herself. Tom got this badge, and Tom didn't even win a tournament of become a Pokemon Master or anything. If he can do it, so can you.

"Very well," Crebbins said. He tossed his pokeball into the air, and a pokemon that looked like a large sort of mushroomy flower appeared.

Vileplume Laura thought. As soon as the name flashed through her mind, a pokedex somewhere behind her was repeating it.

Vileplume
Species: Flower Pokemon
Type: Grass / Poison

Vileplume has the world's largest petals. They are used to attract prey that are then doused with toxic spores. Once the prey are immobilized, this Pokémon catches and devours them.

Laura groaned inwardly, wondering if they were going to have to pokedex every single pokemon they encountered. She thought back to long afternoons spent out on the ranch with Tom, him quizzing her over and over again on every known pokemon. She could probably recite Vileplume's top five attacks, along with the name and birthday of the first researcher to ever study it extensively.

"Let's go, Toby!" Laura shouted as she released the eevee from his pokeball. He did a flip as he materialized in the air, landing on all fours, the hair on his back raised, ready to battle.

"Eeev!"

Crebbins raised an eyebrow. "Such... showmanship," he said. "Let's see if his strength stands as highly."

---------

"Glaceon," Tom said from the other side of a Rapidash he and Laura had been grooming out in the middle of one of the wide open fields that compromised the infamous Sherwood Ranch.

"Glaceon, the fresh snow pokemon," a much younger Laura said. "Ice type. By controlling its body heat, it can freeze the atmosphere around it to make a diamond-dust flurry."

Though she couldn't see it from where she stood on the opposite side of the Rapidash, Tom nodded and smiled proudly. "Flareon," he said.

"Flareon, the flame pokemon. Fire type," she paused, biting her lip. She knew this one, she knew it. "When...storing thermal energy in its body, its temperature can soar to over...1,600 degrees?"

"You got it," Tom said. "And why does it make sense to have both of those evolutions in your party?"

"You're a stronger trainer if you have a lot of different types of pokemon," she said.

"That's right," he said as he came around the side of the Rapidash. He lifted her up and set her on the back of the horse pokemon. "A party of six Eevees may be cute, but you'll be a terrible trainer. So you can't go adopting every Eevee mom and dad hatch if you're not going to evolve them."

------

Toby flew backward, landing hard but on all four paws. He cringed in a way that tore at Laura's heart, but he held on. "That's it, Toby, never quit!" she called to him.

Crebbins' Vileplume stood as well, though it was breathing hard. If Laura played her cards right, she might actually stand a chance of winning this.

"Let's go, Toby! Quick attack into your best take down!" Laura shouted, thrusting a pointed finger toward the Vileplume.

Toby sped forward at light speed, colliding with the Vileplume at full force. Vileplume flew back, but not without first emitting a cloud of poison from the flower on its head. It quickly surrounded Toby, causing him to stumble for a few moments before falling on his side.

"Toby!" Laura sprinted into the ring, falling to her knees beside the Eevee. The cloud had cleared almost as quickly as it had come, but it was too late for Toby. She gathered the pokemon into her arms, and was prepared to run as fast as she could to the nearest PokeCenter, but Crebbins stopped her.

"You have quite the spectacular Eevee," he said, extending a hand to her. He spoke quietly enough that only Laura could hear him, leaving the other's watching in confusion.

Laura took his hand, shaking it. In the middle of the gesture, something small was passed from Crebbins' hand to her own. As she withdrew her hand, she opened it to see a small key laying in her palm.

"This particular Vileplume's poison is extraordinarily strong," he told her. "In my office, there is a closet - I believe you know the space well, already - in which you will find an antidote that will hold your Eevee over until you may take it to the Pokemon Center. I would not want you to miss Sinclair's attempt at battling me."

He took a step back, glancing at his own pokemon lying unmoving on the ground. He called it back to its pokeball and turned back to Laura. "I do not award badges on the grounds of ties," he told her. "You may return tomorrow for a rematch, so long as that Eevee is your pokemon of choice, and battle Vileplume again. Although, I do not suggest leaving your Eevee unevolved for our next battle. He is strong, but will never be as strong as he could be unless he evolves."

Laura nodded and turned, running past the others as they stared at her in bewilderment. The only thing on her mind, though, was helping the small, trembling Eevee in her arms.

Katychild | Southwards ho!

Katya’s eyes quivered as she rubbed the angry red bruise on her thigh. Normally, she wasn’t one to cry because of pain, but then again, she had never had a Cubone viciously hit her leg with its bone...club...thingy, before. Beside her, Eve looked like she was the kid who got stuck in a Beedrill costume come Halloween, especially since Eve didn’t exactly like-like Bug Pokemon. In front of them, Hayden’s Ophelia marched on, bone-club held firmly in her grasp.

Katya suspected she saw an evil glint in the corner of the Pokemon’s eye.

“Why did I have to get lumped in with the kleptomaniac?” She could hear Eve muttering. “It’s not my fault she’s such a...”

“Such a what, exactly?” Katya stopped, scowling at her, but before either of them could say anymore, the Cubone slowly turned around and glared at them. She could swear that it had an evil grin on its face. She and Eve exchanged glances; for once, they were agreeing on one thing. Hayden might not be scary, but his Pokemon sure were. “...Never mind.”

“Right.”

They approached the Lum Berry tree the boys were sitting under. Hayden waved them over and then went back to the book he had been reading, while Nick remained oblivious, staring at a Pokeball in his hand. “Nicky-boy, what is it?”

Nick looked up, surprised. “Oh, it’s you.” He went back to staring at the Pokeball. “I don’t really know. It seems like I’ve seen it before, but then again...I don’t know,” he admitted, sighing. “I really don’t know.”

“Huuuh.” Katya tapped her cheek thoughtfully. “I wonder...?”

Nick blinked. “What?”

“Nothing.” It wasn’t as if she didn’t want him to regain his memory, she reasoned. It was more like she didn’t really want him to be angry at her for stealing Rose, especially this soon. She was planning to give her back to him, after all. “So you really don’t remember what Pokemon are or anything?”

He sighed. “I told you, I don’t even remember if Nick really is my real name.”

Katya rubbed the side of her head, exasperated. Beside her, Eve and Hayden were arguing about when to set out. When. Seriously, even she knew they had to leave before it got dark. “What are you two being fussbugs about?” she complained. “We’re leaving this place before dark, aren’t we?”

Eve glared at her and turned back to Hayden. “I think it’s better to leave tomorrow morning. That way, we can cover a lot of distance while it’s light.”

“B...but what if we’re attacked by wild Pokemon?” Hayden whimpered. “If we keep moving, there’s less chance of us being targetted, but if we stay here, with only the four of us...” He gulped. “I don’t know.”

Katya looked back at Nick, who had been left out of their conversation all this time. “What do you think, Nicky boy?”

Nick | Makeshift campsite

But Nick hadn't even heard the question. He didn't notice the silence or the other trainers staring in his direction -- he was busy with something much more engrossing. He was looking through his satchel.

"Uh, Nicky?" asked Katya again, elongating the "y" until Nick noticed.

"What?" Nick looked up at the group. "Sorry I... wasn't listening."

Katya started to repeat the question but Eve cut across her. Again.

"I don't know why we're even asking him," she said without making eye contact with Nick. "He can't have an informed opinion if he doesn't remember his own name."

Ophelia, as Hayden referred to her, cocked her head to one side and pointed her bone club at Eve. The girl narrowed her eyes at the Pokémon but instinctively reached down to protect her already bruised legs. Unfortunately Katya felt the moment was a victory for her and stuck her tongue out at Eve, earning a similar threat from Hayden's Pokémon.

Hayden breathed in like he was about to speak but only exhaled instead. He turned away and busied himself with unrolling his sleeping bag and taking a sip from his water bottle. Nick thought it was interesting how dissimilar he and Ophelia were. It was as if these Pokémon had their own natures and personalities.

Nick turned back to his satchel and leafed through the contents. It felt awkward, like searching the bag of a stranger. He recognised his handwriting on the covers of several notepads -- he removed them and placed them to one side.

The rest of the bag contained samples of one kind or another. There were leaves and dirt and crushed berries in plastic bags, though Nick couldn't tell whether they were actually meant to be crushed. Even worse, however, there were no labels. Then Nick opened a zip pocket and saw what he'd been dreading this whole time. He had some of those pocket monsters too, and as scared of them as he was he knew he couldn't keep them locked in there forever.

He gulped. This was it -- time to find out what monster he'd caught. He reached out his hand and touched the Pokéball and felt a shock run up his arm.

It felt... familiar to him. The size, the weight, the texture -- he knew this was Daisy's ball. As he held it in his hand he could feel her, his Oddish calling out to him from within.

This is it, thought Nick. I can remember it all with her help...

"Nicky boy?"

"Are you alright?"

"What are you doing with that?"

Nick ignored the questions. "Daisy," he cried, old words from new lips, "I choose you!"

The ball opened with a flash of pink light. But it was no Oddish that greeted him when the brightness cleared -- it was a Gloom.

Hayden | Makeshift Campsite

Well, I guess Murtle's clear smog snowballs worked...

Hayden stared in a mix of bewilderment and shock as Nick began investigating his pokemon. From the looks on Eve and Katya's faces, it was newly evolved.

"N—Nick?" Eve asked. "You—you remember things?"

Nick looked up, blinked a few times, then nodded. "Yeah... I guess I do."

Both girls' faces lit up right before they tackled him. Hayden stood to the side and let one booted toe dig into the snow. 'Felia was standing beside him, tugging on his pant leg to drag him into the group, but he shook his head.

"I'll leave them alone..." he muttered, going to spread out his stuff. 'Felia tried tugging on his clothes a few more times, but eventually had to give up. Murtle was more interested in watching and hiding around the campsite than anything else.

As he sat down and kept watching, she softly hit him on the head with her bone. He put his hand on the spot and got that hit instead. "Ow."

"Cu-bone!"

He shook his head again, watching the old group get back together again. He'd talk to them later. Maybe. Once they'd all calmed down.

Nick | Makeshift campsite

His Pokémon were beautiful.

Eve the Caterpie had become Eve the Butterfree, and she hovered in the cool evening air. Her wings beat softly backwards and forwards as she looked around. Nick could only guess how long she'd been cooped up in that Pokéball -- it looked like she was enjoying the fresh air.

Daisy shuffled rhythmically in the centre of the camp. Her steps were uneven and she still leaned from side to side with each one, but her new voice as a Gloom sounded much lower and she crooned melodiously. Nick thought it sounded like she was singing about freedom.

"Oh isn't Eve beautiful," said Eve. "It was so lovely of you to name her after me!"

Katya stuck a finger in her mouth and made a retching sound. Of course she was snapping at her female rival in the group again, but Nick noticed she looked at his Pokémon in a strange way. It was almost regretful.

"Nice Pokémon," said Hayden from his sleeping bag. "I didn't know you had a Butterfree."

"Neither did I," he replied. It was the truth as well -- he still didn't remember anything about how he came to be in Mr Mime's shack. It was just the memory of the Cerulean sewers that still haunted him...

Daisy's dancing-shuffle-steps were leading her toward Ophelia on a circuitous route. Despite her evolution she still seemed to be immune to feeling dizzy. Ophelia was watching her with scepticism but Nick noticed she was nodding her head in time to Daisy's singing.

But before Daisy reached Ophelia, Eve the trainer stepped in. She picked up Daisy, much to the Gloom's alarm, and gave her a hug.

"Come and look at my Pokémon, Nick," said Eve, walking down toward the nearest stream. "I want to show you how much stronger they've grown!"

With Daisy as a hostage Nick had no other choice and he followed Eve down to the water's edge.

Katya sat down next to Hayden. "Great job by your Haunter there," she said bitterly. "I think I preferred Nicky-boy before he got his memory back."

Hayden didn't reply. He looked down at the pair by the riverside, rolled over in his sleeping bag, and closed his eyes.

Katya, annoyed | Campsite

It was rather depressing to see Nicky-boy run off with Eve and not even notice her, even though she was the one who'd found him first. Hayden seemed indisposed to talking, as he'd simply closed his eyes and gone to sleep. Katya brought out the last Pokeball she'd hidden away in her belt, and turned it around in her long, slim fingers. I wonder how he'll react when he finds out about Rose. She pursed her lips, already a little surprised that he hadn't asked after his beloved Jigglypuff.

Nick came traipsing back, his Gloom safely secured in his arms, and Katya quickly hid the Pokeball in her belt again. The little Pokemon was still bobbing and singing to itself--what, Katya could probably never figure out. 'Gloom gloom gloom, gloom gloom~!' Hayden's Ophelia was now blatantly tapping its foot to the sound. Katya sighed and leaned back against the tree. "You seem happy to see Eve."

"You seem annoyed to see me." Nick pointed out. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing," she said, shifting her position in an attempt to be more comfortable. "I think you'll find you have something missing, though."

"Something...missing?" He stared at her, not looking happy at all. "Katya, did you steal something from me again?"

"And what if I did?" she challenged. "You don't seem to remember either way."

Hayden seemed to have woken up by now, and in fact seemed to be signaling Ophelia to do something. Katya immediately turned her icy green eyes on the boy, who stopped and simply curled into his sleeping bag. The Russian girl turned back to her opponent, who happened to be Nicky-boy this round. "Well?"

"You seem out-of-sorts," he mumbled. "What is it, then?"

She stared at him for one moment, wondering if she should tell him. Then, deciding to think about it no further, she reached into her belt and plucked the Pokeball out, throwing it towards him. He didn't grasp it, however--Daisy did. He picked it out of her hands, blinking. Then she saw the entire thing dawn on him. "This...this is--"

"That's Rose. Be thankful I kept her safe for this long."

He gawked at her.

Nick | Campsite

Nick squirmed in his sleeping bag. He hated confrontations, and Katya was just of fond of them as ever.

"Jiiig..." muttered Rose in her sleep.

She was in the sleeping bag with him too. Nick knew it was bad training and all that, but after being apart from him for so long it only seemed right to have her close. She wriggled her round pink body a bit closer to him and exhaled loudly. Everything had to be just-so for her, in stark contrast in Nick's whatever-works attitude.

Nick had turned on his side so he faced away from the group. Even when he'd lost his memory he hadn't felt like such a loner. Just when he'd got back to being himself it seemed like he was suddenly upsetting everyone.

"Freeee!"

Eve the Butterfree landed gracefully at his side. She fluttered her wings before settling down to sleep herself. Nick admired the way the moonlight outlined her in silver. It was almost as if her wings glowed in the dark. Nick could only marvel at the beauty of the world around him -- all the new things to see and the old things, like old friends, to meet again.

"Gloooooom," said Daisy, pressed against his chest.

Nick could only face the facts: when it came to Pokémon he had no self restraint.

But it hardly mattered. If his inner compass had guided him correctly then they would reach Saffron City tomorrow. Another city and another badge -- at least that was was what he hoped. Nick wondered if he could take three such beautiful Pokémon to battle... Was that still who he was?

"G'night guys."

That was Hayden. The boy switched off the last torch and the rest of the night fell properly over their camp. Nick felt more comfortable than he had in weeks. Despite the cold and the lumpy ground he felt like he was in the right place, even if he was with the wrong people.

Nick sighed and let his thoughts move to the one subject he'd been avoiding. He bit his lip and scrunched up his eyes.

He missed David.

After much confusion... I'm posting. So.

Sinclair Audley | Celadon Gym

Laura sat back down, defeated. Sinclair looked around the Gym, as if hoping there was an escape door, a way out of this easy-going day that had quickly turned into a nightmare.

"Well, Sinclair?" Crebbins was not his usual self, snarling rather than smiling. "Shall we? Of course, if you don't think you're up for it..."

Sin climbed to his feet and looked down at Cade, who was staring at Crebbins fiercely. "I'm more than capable of taking you on, Crebbins," Sin said.

"Go Sin! Sin, Sin, he's our man, if he can't do it, no one can!" Kristine cheered.

Sin didn't really agree with her. He glanced at Toby, being nursed in Laura's arms.

He stepped forwards.

"Go, Cade," he said, and his brave little fire puppy stepped forwards.

Crebbins fingered each of his Pokéballs in turn, then at last pulled one that Sinclair knew he hadn't yet opened.

The Pokémon grew bigger.

And bigger.

And bigger.

"What is that?" Sinclair breathed.

"It's a Venusaur!" Art said, clicking madly away at his dex.

Venusaur
Species: Seed Pokémon
Type: Grass/Poison
There is a large flower on VENUSAUR's back. The flower is said to take on vivid colors if it gets plenty of nutrition and sunlight. The flower's aroma soothes the emotions of people.

Sinclair didn't feel very soothed.

Crebbins spread his hands. "Go on then. I'll allow you the first move, Sinclair."

"Okay. Cade. Ember." It was a giant plant. It wouldn't move fast enough to avoid the attack, and it was a plant.

Cade sent a stream of fire towards the Venusaur.

It hit.

But the burn it left was a single red area on the Venusaur. The Pokémon barely flinched.

Crebbins laughed. "You were always a pathetic little boy, Sinclair. Vinewhip, Venusaur."

He said it in his normal, calm voice. But the consequences were nothing like anything else Crebbins had ever caused in Sin's life. The vines came so fast he barely saw them, and then Cade was on the ground ten metres from where he had been standing.

"Cade!" he shouted.

Crebbins laughed. "Is that all you have to show for yourself?"

Cade was picking himself up. The puppy was limping. Sin bit his lip.

"You don't have to..." he said softly, and even though he could hear Crebbins' derisive laughter, he didn't care.

But Cade apparently did. He spun around and charged the Venusaur without command, flames erupting from him. But they were feeble, just as Cade himself was.

Just a stupid puppy.

Sin watched numbly as Crebbins said, "PoisonPowder."

That was the end.

"I thought I had taught you better than this, Sinclair. Perhaps no amount of teaching would help you."

Sin put Cade back in his Pokéball. "Are you going to give me an antidote as well?"

Crebbins considered it. "No. You don't deserve it. I suggest you run to the Pokécenter before you run out of time."

--

It took Sin just enough time to get out of the Gym to the Pokécenter, shove his Pokéballs into Nurse Joy's hands and run to the bathroom before he burst into tears.

How could this happen?

How could any of this happen?

When did Crebbins, once upon a time his most loyal companion, his best friend in the world, become so awful?

But then he was never really his friend. Not like the friends Sin had now.

Not like the friends his Pokémon were to him.

But friends or not, they were useless. They would never be strong enough- not to beat Crebbins, not take on the Elite Four.

Sin would never be good enough.

"Sin?" Someone came into the bathrooms. It was David, his face the picture of concern.

"Nurse Joy says that Cade will be fine. It's you I'm worried about."

Sin wiped his face and stood up, not wanting to seem weaker than the other boy. "I'm fine, thank you." He started washing his hands.

"Laura's going for a rematch tomorrow, and we're going to go with her. Sam and I. Will you come?"

Sin shook his head. "I'm not good enough."

"I didn't even get a single move in. We just need to spend the night planning."

"Don't you get it?" Sin screamed. "I will never be good enough!"

He pushed past David, out of the bathroom, out of the Pokécenter, into the city. It was beginning to rain.

Sin shoved his hands in his pockets and started to walk.

Kristine | Pokecenter

She had just entered the door to the Pokemon Center when Sinclair marched through their group and outside again. Kristine stopped and watched him go while the others only cast him a strange glance. Sam had to grab Kristine's arm and twirl her back around into the Pokecenter.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and leaned on top of her as they traveled to the front desk. "Just let him go," he said. "Guy's having mommy issues, and trust me when I say that guys with mommy issues do not need your kind of attention. Am I right, Bluesi? ...Bluesi?"

They both stopped and looked around again.

"I guess she's still at the gym," Kristine said, worry still dampening her voice. "Maybe revisiting that antidote she was given."

"Ahhh, she'll get here soon. I'm really hungry, though."

Nurse Joy appeared and offered to take their pokemon. Sam was the only one who dropped his off before David finally arrived by their side. Kristine's hands flung together and she looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "Is Sin alright? Does he need anything? Where is he going--"

"I--I don't know," David stuttered. As Kristine's eyes fell downcast, he recovered with, "He's pretty upset by the whole drama thing going on. Give him a bit. He'll come back."

"These berries are stuck in a rather odd form," Art muttered behind the group. Sam stepped aside, and they all watched him turn over the double-sized Lum berry. "I wonder how they grew the berry like this. It's most likely the seed--"

"Wait, Art isn't battling Crebbins."

"You certainly are a smart one," David said and quickly looked away when Sam cast him a glare.

"I wasn't particularly planning on... battling," Art said, still inspecting the fusion of the berries. "Do you think splitting this double berry doubles the Lum effect?"

Sam looked down at Kristine and grinned widely. Kristine's face peered up at him with worry. "Yes?"

"You should go win Crebbins' favor and win a battle for Sinclair right now."

"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahano."

Sam | Pokecenter

"Oh, Sunshine, you can't hide from every battle," Sam said, throwing his arm around her once again. "Besides, it's such a waste of a ticket into the gym. AND! Don't you want to revenge Sinclair?"

"I think he means avenge," Art said. "And, well. If I can keep the berry, you can certainly battle with it."

"I thought you had to give it back to the ranger anyhow," Kristine threw in.

Sam looked back over the front desk to make sure Nurse Joy didn't need their attention before leading Kristine (and the rest of the group) to the couches by the window. "Listen here, Sunshine. This is what we call peer pressure, and this is toootally where you give in and say you'll do it just to shut us up."

"Why should I battle him?" Kristine said, pulling out from under his arm. "That wouldn't fix anything."

Sam and David both stared at her before laughing -- Sam much louder. Kristine felt her cheeks grow hot, and she suddenly wished she was with her original group of friends -- with Jason and Hayden as well as Sin.

"Why are you so touchy all of a sudden?"

"Leave the girl alone."

Sam whirled, missing Kristine's sigh of relief, and watched Laura strut in, helping her eevee drink out of a small vial. "Make way!" Sam called out, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Lady with a baby!"

"This argument is ridiculous," Laura said. "Kristine's right. Her battling is not going to fix anything. I just passed Sinclair on the way to his penthouse. He looked pretty distraught, so feel free to catch up to him, sweetheart."

Kristine smiled slightly but seated herself on the couch anyway. "I can wait. I'm sure he'd like to be alone for a bit."

"So, Bluesi," Sam said, changing the topic -- as usual -- back to himself, "that bet we made earlier. I'm thinking we should ignore it--"

"Or just tweak it a bit," Laura said. She suddenly pulled out a drink and took a sip through the straw, holding Toby with one arm.

"...You already got lunch? Well, I guess that's it then--"

"Yes, I already got lunch," Laura said, "but I'm definitely game for this bet. Since we both have to rematch, we'll just keep the same bet for then. Besides, Crebbins mentioned Toby needing some food to help cushion the side effects of the antidote, so I treated myself to something."

Laura sat down next to Kristine and offered her a french fry from the take-out bag in her pack. Kristine shook her head and fell back into the couch. Almost on cue, a pokeball opened and Peach swooped right into the crook of her arm.

Sam puffed out his chest. "Fine, deal is still on for tomorrow's rematch. But we both have to use the same--"

"No," the three of them said.

Sam blinked.

"Do not use Totodile again," Laura said. "I'm doing you the favor of taking that back. First of all, Crebbins already wants me to, and secondly, your totodile was crushed today."

"If you're going to be a trainer, fight smart," David said. "Your scyther would've stood a better chance."

Sam huffed.

Kristine | Pokecenter

Kristine was following every word of the conversation, but her heart was still concerned for Sinclair and how he was coping. She had never seen him run out like that. It had always been the other way around -- she would feel hurt, and he would come to her. Surely she should go to him?

"Wait, did you just list flying as resistant to grass?"

Art blinked.

Sam turned his focus slowly to Kristine, but Laura quickly stepped in. "Don't even think of pressuring her into battle still."

"Girrrrrl," Sam said, waving his hand at her and sitting on the coffee table, "did you hear the way she spoke to the leader? If anyone can stand up to that geezer, it's Sunshine. I mean, she didn't even get close to nasty and I already know that's the last place I wanna be."

David held out his hand for the berry, and Art hesitantly gave it up, his bottom lip protruding a bit. He held it out to Kristine. "Just hang on to it 'til tomorrow. Maybe you'll change her mind."

"Are you seriously siding with Veronica on this one," Laura said -- not asked. She took the berry instead and set it in her lap amidst just about everything else she owned. "You were the first one to battle Crebbins. You should be the first one to understand she shouldn't have to feel pressured--"

"Thanks, David."

They both looked at her as she took the berry and stared at it. "I don't think I'll be battling. I'm just worried for Sinclair." She stood up and handed it back. "I'll go talk to him, I think."

"There's nothing to talk about, Sunshine," Sam said, throwing his arms out. "Unless you want to talk to me 'cause I can talk about pretty much anything--OW!"

Laura kicked him. He grumbled, rubbing his shin.

Kristine laughed, suddenly giving them the usual Kristine-happy look. "Really, I'm perfectly fine with not battling. It would certainly be an opportunity Peach would love to take, but I wouldn't want to take up anymore time than we need. Besides, anything that I need to settle with Crebbins will be through verbal means -- not battle. Now, I think I'll stop by some place and get some ice cream."

Sam | Pokecenter

"On me, Sunshine--"

"You're willing to pay for her ice cream but not mine," Laura said.

"You didn't get ice cream," Sam pouted, letting Kristine walk out of the Pokecenter. Peach swooped from the couch, nonchalantly flew into Sam's hair, and out the door after her. Sam grumbled again, swiping his hair back into place.

"We'll remind her tomorrow," David said, giving the berry back to an ecstatic Art. "It isn't too late for her to accept it."

"Bah, she won't accept it." Sam threw himself into Kristine's spot on the couch, causing the cushions to bounce and Laura's possessions to fly out of place. Sam put his arm on the couch's back without paying his disturbance any mind.

"On the contrary," Laura said, casting one last glare at Sam, "she'll end up accepting it. I don't think Crebbins is an idiot. He probably knows about the double berry and Art not using it. He could pressure her into battling himself."

"His strategy is obviously along the lines of pushing buttons," David said, nodding and sitting down on the coffee table now. "He's certainly got under everyone's skin today."

"Well... most of us," Sam said, giving Laura another look. "He's playing favorites with you."

"If you actually battled intelligently, you might not be in the situation you're currently in. Be sure you have your cash ready tomorrow. I'm really craving some chicken and rice."

"That's not even cheap--"

"I don't remember a price tag being attached to this bet."

Sam looked at David for desperate help, but he only shrugged. "She's right. Just don't lose. What happens if you both win?"

The two looked at each other then to David, saying in unison (though whether they were joking was beyond David by the look on his face), "You're buying."