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7:01: A.M. July 4, Saturday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event)

Events:  The Joint Kanto and Johto Indigo Summer League have concluded; Saria Surge has become the new Vermilion Gym Leader, converting it to a Fairy Gym.  It will be open for challenges on the 10th.

Our girl started her journey on the 9th of June—she’s been a Trainer for 25 Days (24 officially; 25 since getting Maya and Nova).

 

Amira stretched out under her covers with Serenity sleeping beside her; it was the Fish Pokemon’s turn to snuggle next to her during the night and, puffing out a soft breath, she shifted quietly on her bed to lift her up and smile at the cute little black and white Feebas.

At first, she wasn’t so sure about her emotionless, big-eyed stare, but with every passing day, she grew more and more adorable.  Amira giggled to herself, Serenity had a funny personality that contrasted her blank appearance, which made Amira recall a saying she’d heard in the past, ‘A Pokemon only a Trainer could love.’

Before the technology era, Feebas used to be seen as a slow, dimwitted, ragged, and tattered pokemon with such a shoddy appearance that people that bonded with them were ridiculed.

And while its Milotic transformation had become a symbol for the young teenage girl, taking the place of Butterfree in Kanto, Feebas just took on a new negative tone from the haters.

People admitted, partly due to the sensationalization of Champion Wallace and Cynthia, that Milotic was an S-tier Pokemon.  Yet, at the same time, the effort to raise one was more than most Trainers could handle, and most would never evolve, even when Trained for a decade or more.

Of course, there was the incredibly rare and ludicrously expensive Prism Scale, but since they only came from Feebas or Milotic and their creation was still a mystery, it didn’t help the bad reputation among most Trainers, and if that wasn’t enough, its insanely low Stats and extremely limited Move Pool made Battle Training a joke.

Smiling up at her shimmering, unique Feebas, Amira didn’t feel any of that; at first, Feebas’ reputation did intimidate her, yet the more she’d browsed through Pokedex entries, only able to be written by Elite Trainers or researchers, the more starstruck she was by Serenity’s uniqueness.

Are you ready to beat Misty and prove to everyone you’re terrific?

Her fins' emotionless up and down motions didn’t do her internal battle cry justice.

Good.  Hmm-hmm.  Holly and Amber still sleeping, huh?

Rolling out of bed, she glanced at her phone with a short puff of air, Serenity floating a meter away to look at her.  Yeah, we slept in again, but… it did take us a bit to settle down.  At least our match isn’t until 10:30.

Rhea was resting soundly on her bed in the dull light bleeding through the curtains, and Lori was dead to the world, as usual.

I’m sorry you have such flawed teammates, Rhea…

Attempting to clamp down on the guilt flooding her tight chest, Amira went to the bathroom to start the shower, Serenity offering her own thoughts from the late-night conversation she’d had with Nova.

Her Feebas made a valid point that bothered Amira; Rhea wasn’t the type to hold grudges like her.  Amira wouldn’t have been able to forgive someone who stepped across that line, and perhaps that was one of the reasons it bothered her so much.

It didn’t help to rationalize it either; she wanted to do something to try and remove the guilt in her own breast, yet there wasn’t something someone else could do in reverse, and there was the issue.

I know I’m stupid, she mumbled to the fish while scrubbing her shabby scales.  Mom always says I expect too much from people, but… I expect no different from myself, and that’s why this is so… ridiculous.

“Haaa…  Am I helpless?”  she whispered upon leaving the shower to look at the mirror; next to her Feebas, she saw a reverse reflection.  “Pretty on the outside, and rotten on the inside…  What everyone says in the media, hmm?”

She shot a melancholy smile at her Pokemon as Serenity floated down to slap her hand with the back of her tail.  Stupid, am I?  Not wrong, Serenity…  Not wrong.  Why are feelings so complicated?  They should be logical; everything would be so much simpler.

Puffing out a short sigh, she dressed in her black bathing suit and rogue dress, exiting the room for Serenity to be replaced by a yawning, shiny Fennekin; Rhea was beginning to stir from their noise.

Amber gave her a dull look while jumping onto the counter to blow-dry her damp hair, receiving an update from Serenity.  Hehe.  Stupid is as stupid does, huh?

The Fennekin’s ears flared with a blaze of heat as she huffed, telling her to get over herself, apparently using some kind of reference to a new Pokemon-Only Drama series that had just come out of Hollywood in a play to compete with Pokéstar Studios in Unova.

Mhmm…

Finding it hard to look at Rhea in the mirror outside the bathroom as the blonde brushed her fingers through Alice’s fur—the bunny still curled up on her chest—Amira whispered, “Morning.”

“Morning…”  There was an unusual note in the girl’s voice as she passively stared up at the ceiling.  “Mmh…  Amira?”

“Yeah?”

“What do I do about Heneli when we see them later?  Is it going to be awkward?”

“Probably…”

She paused as Amber grunted something to Nova, who was apparently crawling—still half asleep—up Rhea’s leg under the sheets, eventually poking her head out in her Trainer’s lap, big ears peeling back with a yawn.

Amber.  What did you say?  Amira scowled, but her Fire Fox returned the look with Serenity agreeing.

After a few seconds, Rhea scooted to the back of her headboard with a slow groan.  “Amira…  Just so you know, I’m not mad anymore; I’m happy you listened to me and said you’d listen about my eating stuff…  I’m more worried about the kiss.”

Amber!

She didn’t back down, blowing hot air in her face while sassily flicking her gaze away and imitating her tone, but Rhea forced her attention away from the traitor.

“What kind of message did I give him?  It’s so…  Haaa… frustrating.  I don’t want to make meeting them awkward for Kekipi and you or Kekoa and Lori.”

“Mmgmmm!  Girl…”  Lori grumbled, rolling from her back to her side to stare at Rhea in the glow of the half-shut bathroom door.  “You know what Amira and your problem is?”

“What?”  the blonde whispered, shifting her ponytail around to look at the Unova girl.

“You’re both too serious!  Muk,” she groaned, working around her neck.  “Just own it, and it doesn’t, mmgm, matter; it was a peck on the cheek, not droppin’ his pants.”

Amira’s cheeks darkened, averting her eyes with Rhea at the girl’s crude mouth, but it did silence anything they could say in response as she continued.

“I get it’s your first time tryin’ it, and that Muk’s scary, but he’s probably had girls do that all the time—pfft, his cousin has probably kissed him on the cheek before.”

“T-That’s different—”

“Not really…  If you make it a big deal, it’s gonna be a big deal; when you see him, just say you had a good time yesterday and move past it.  If he brings it up, say it was a, heh, country-bum thank you—hah, that will make him laugh—yeah, make a joke out of it.”

I don’t… know if that’s the best coping mechanism, Amira thought but didn’t voice her opinion.

“Easier said than done,” Rhea mumbled, playing with her two fluff balls’ fur.  “I just…”

Lori swung her legs over the side of her bed with Gables hanging off her shoulder.  “Yo, and don’t get it Tangela, I gotta own up to my Muk, too.  My bad, Rhea.”

“F-For…”

“C’mon, you don’t gotta be all clueless—I shouldn’t tease you two like I do with Len; we all got our Muk, like me with water.  Heh, by the way, I’m takin’ the shower second; best be expectin’ cold water!”

She paused by Amira, making her comb linger in her hair as she stared at Lori’s bare belly.  “As for you…  Gah, can ya stop overthinkin’ every little mistake?!  It's exhausting to watch!”

The violet-haired girl crossed her arms under her large bust with a light glare.  “For real, I get ya want to make all the right moves, but the point of mistakes and losses is to learn, right?  If ya can accept Rhea, and my many, many mistakes, then accept it of yourself.  Good?  Done!

“Oh!  And I’m really, really sorry about using you to start a Kanto Fire Summer Fest!  I wasn’t thinking about how it would put you in the spotlight and stress you out so much.  Good?”

Unable to help a chuckle at her forward charge into the conversation and admiring her courage and fearless bluntness, Amira nodded, rising to her feet to enter her hopeful, open embrace.  “Yeah-heh.  We’re good…  Honestly, I’m nervous, but… a little excited to sing since…”

“Your family will definitely be there?”  Lori grinned, squeezing Amira against her chest.

“Yeah, and I bet my Mom will grab her parents, too.”

“Nice!  My parents will be there, too!  Rhea?”

“I-heh, bet my brother and Kate will show up sometime later today with my aunt.”

“Wooh!  Another party!”  she cheered, breaking away to enter the bathroom for a second, only to open the door again two seconds later to retrieve her clothes.  “So, uh-heh, guess you’ll be getting drinks Amira, since, you know, you’re the first one ready?”

The pressure in Amira’s chest deflated as if a balloon popped, and she forced a chuckle at Amber’s haughty nod of satisfaction at the tongue-lashing.  “Heh… sure.  Thanks, Lori.”

“Tch…  What’s a loudmouth like me good for?”  She winked at Rhea with a grin before disappearing into the shower and shutting the door.  “Oh, and what’s up with the two of you and cold water—y’all are weird!”

A strained look came across the Blonde’s face.  “I… use it half and half…”

They giggled, and Lori waved her hand dismissively.  “Fine!  I’ll leave you a little, hehe… maybe!”

“Lori!  I want a bit of a warm shower today!”

“Should have woken up sooner!”

“Lori!”

“Fine!  Fine!  Muk, you’re too cute with those big blue eyes!”

“Victory, Nova; we won’t freeze!”

The Eevee cheered, dancing on Rhea’s palm with two feet, and clearly the instigator behind the request.

”Amira took a deep breath while finishing up her quick morning prep, looking at Rhea in the mirror; there was a light, thankful smile on her lips.  “Hmm…  I’ll say it one more time, Rhea…  I’m sorry, and… I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll try to do better.”

“Haaa.  Me, too, Amira.  I am self-conscious about all this stuff I’ve never done before.  Forget all the growing pains of yesterday?”

“That’s a pretty accurate way to describe it,” Amira mused as Rhea opened up her phone, still in bed.

Vision falling to her smiling Fennekin as she resumed blowing her hair, Amira puffed out a long breath of her own; there was something different in the way Lori exposed everything to be resolved all at once that worked, and she couldn’t put a finger on why, but there was almost some kind of magic in how it helped ease the tightness in her chest.

Thank you, Lori…

“Amira.”

“Hmm?”

She glanced up to see Rhea pointing at the holographic display on her phone.

“Nova’s asking about a show your Pokemon have been hyping up; what’s it called?”

“Oh, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon.  It’s starting on the Red Rescue Squad season based on a few popular wordless comics drawn by a famous Smeargle.”

“Cool.  Ah, got the trailer…  It’s all in…  Are there subtitles?”

“Nope.  Evidently, a lot of Bonded Pokemon feel like they’re in a little club since it’s one of the first movies directed and cast all by Pokemon.”

“Wow.  Really cool.  Uh… a Hollywood streaming subscription, huh?”

“You can use mine.”

“Really?  Awesome!”

Amira linked her family account to Rhea’s newly created one, finished getting ready, and went to get them coffee.

Her journey wasn’t long, and she noticed it probably wouldn’t rain today by the puffy, white, partly-clouded sky, and by the time she got back, Rhea was watching the show with her Pokemon, seemingly enthralled.

“This is so good!  It has an Eevee main character, too!  Nova instantly connected her, heh, and now she wants a red scarf, too.”

“Haha.  I thought you would like it.”

A bit more time passed as they drank and talked about the show but, eventually, it was about time to get going.  Amira had mentioned the possibility of the city’s streets being flooded with freshly arriving partiers in the newly-founded, week-long festival and suggested they give themselves a cushion in getting to the Gym.

 Leaving the hotel, Amira had Serenity swap places with Amber to get used to actively gauging her Fortitude draw; her nerves were beginning to rise, making her play with her collar, her fingers in search of glasses.

Making it down the stairs, she cleared her throat, causing the other two to pause and look back at her as Nova took the chance to get on Mya’s big mouth to practice her balance.

“Umm…  Can we stop off at a store to pick up some stuff?”

“Hmm?”  Lori lifted an eyebrow, Miky now sitting on her shoulder with a nervous smile.  “What’s up—somethin’ specific you want?”

Focusing on the smiling Mawile as she held Rhea’s phone and started the second episode, they could help but smile as Nova jumped up to settle atop her large steel jaws with a cute, eager grin to watch with her as they walked.

Amira tucked in her lower lip with their attention off her.  C’mon, get yourself together!  It shouldn’t be this hard to say I want to get something stupid…

“I, umm, want to get… some sunglasses.”

“That it?”  Lori smirked, giving Rhea a sad sigh.  “Come to think of it, hmm… ours got wasted by that Pidgeot, huh?  Yeah, I could go for a new pair, too; got a place in mind?”

A chuckle bubbled out of Rhea’s throat.  “Mhm!  I wanted to find a nice brown pair—with the tint that you know…”

Lori pointed at her.  “That you can’t see your eyes—incognito mode, as Cass calls it—pfft, not that anyone can mistake her with that hair?!”

“Haha!  Yeah, the cool look my brother has when he just has that half-smirk in the commercials; I, heh, hated to admit it, but seeing Kate with the same look—back to back—it was pretty cool looking, and, uh, I was thinking we could all pose for like a secret agent photo!  I think my aunt would love it.”

“Oh!  Nice idea, Girl!  Yeah, let’s get some shades—know the spot, Amira?”

Surprised at the enthusiasm her question invoked, she nodded, releasing the tension in her chest.  I am being stupid today.

The feelings she got from Serenity were the Feebas rolling her tiny eyes, and a pointed prompt by the youngest of her Pokemon made Amira hiss; she’d been way too distracted lately.

Setting her GPS location while tilting her head to side for them to follow her down the right street, Amira started their path.  “Also…  Rhea, I wanted to ask you a bit about your Fortitude draw…”

The blonde’s pearly blue eyes widened.  “Wait, was that what Nova was trying to tell me yesterday?”  The Eevee gave a short chirp below, making her Trainer hiss, true concern swimming in her ocean irises.  “What happened?” 

“Umm…  I just… kind of ran out of energy, I guess,” she mumbled, “and we didn’t even battle yesterday, but having both Amber and Holly out at the same time seemed to have had a larger effect on me than I thought.”

“Ooh!”  Lori nodded fervently.  “Only Gables was out during the dance stuff; Roxie, eh-heh, wasn’t liking how many people almost stepped on her, and Miky didn’t like the crowd.  Still, uh… yeah, I think I was getting way more tired than I usually do from such a light dance-off.”

Light…  Amira wanted to reply but refrained; she’d seen the social media posts.

She flexed her hand a few times, her braid shifting against her back as she shook her head.  “I’ve… never felt that exhausted—ever.  It was like my chest was on fire, and every fiber of my body was…  Is there a way you mitigate the Fortitude draw?”

Unsurprisingly, Rhea gave a helpless shrug.  “I dunno…  It was super rough on me when we first became a team—hehe, remember how old I sounded getting up in the morning… Ugh… so sore!”  she giggled.

“When Mya accidentally—none of us knew,” she pointedly stated with a downward glance at the steel Pokemon, “utterly drained my Fortitude, and I ended up in the hospital; I had memory problems, couldn’t even move, and felt like my heart was going to stop at any moment.  Did it feel like that?”

“No, not that extreme.  Hmm…  I felt a bit of stress when Serenity joined us, but that gradually faded a few days ago.  Amber and Holly don’t have the same draw as Serenity since she requires my Fortitude to live,” she mumbled, studying the levitating fish by her head.

“Did my mom say anything?”

Lori popped her tongue against the roof of her mouth, swaying a bit to a beat still playing in the distance as they made their way to the train that would bring them into the inner city.  “Basically, she said it would affect everyone differently in some ways and not at all in others.”

“Heh, yeah… typical, Mom.  Ask her a question, and she gives a bunch of technobabble that means, I don’t know!  Let's experiment…  Are you worried about your match?”

“Mmh…”  Amira moved her hands behind her back to grip her wrist while looking at the party-cloudy sky.  “Kind of…  Not fully about the match against Misty herself, and more about this sudden change in how I battle with Amber and Holly.”

“Ah, I think I get it,” Lori hummed, shifting around to walk backward as they made it to the station.  “You’ve already battled with Serenity in a pretty intense battle with Kekipi and Mika’ele, but you don’t know the effect on how that will change Amber and Holly’s battle style?”

“Yeah.  Huu-haaa.  The Encrusted Gym Challenges are meant to be the most difficult battles you can have at your level.  Still, between the League Match Program and the High Master’s experience, they typically always leave you with a solution to win.”

“Wait… why didn’t you say so before?!”  Lori huffed, crossing her arms.  “Hold up…  Isn’t that cheating; they know what Pokemon we’ll have, even when it is a blind pick?”

“Wasn’t that… obvious?”

Stopping at the boarding area and taking up an empty corner, Rhea’s head tilted to the side, and a slight smile lifted the corner of her lips as she likely thought about her battle against Forrest.

“Now that you say that, Amira…  Oh, the League Scanner analyzes our Pokemon and then gives them a set of available options they can use.  So, in a way, it could be considered cheating, I guess, heh, seeing as they’re so experienced and can instantly know what conditions need to be met with the number of Pokemon available to select, but…”

She grinned.  “I’d say it shows why they’re Gym Leaders, and stacks things in the favor of the Trainers; Gym Leaders are first and foremost, instructors on what a Trainer should be.”

Rhea’s eyes lit up.  “Is that how Forrest knew Mya could have won with our Move?  I thought it was purely Aura Control, but he also has the computer.  Huh.”

“Totally not obvious!”  Mallory huffed.  “Here I was thinkin’ he chose a Rock Pokemon with Electric attacks out of pure coincidence and guessing, but he had a program just pop out a bunch of Pokemon he could be like… ho-ho-ho!  How am I going to Muk this girl over this time?!”

“So sinister!”  Rhea snickered.  “I couldn’t see Forrest doing that.”

“That’s totally what he does!”

Amira forced a laugh.  “I think you’re… projecting there, Lori.”

“Muk yeah, that’s what I’d be doing; this fool got a Slowpoke?  Hehe, I raise you a Houndoom—by the way, LOVE Atreyu, Rhea—your brother’s Houndoom is gorgeous!  Hehe.  She thinks she’s gonna get me with her Type advantage; little does she know I got a cheat sheet!”

“He’s great, but a bit silly!  Hehe.”

“So, hehe, ridiculous,” Amira whispered, unable to help herself; Lori had a way of making her laugh that no one else had.  “My grandfather doesn’t sit in his chair—”

“Throne!”  Lori corrected with a big grin.

“Chair… and look down on the—”

“Plebs!”

“Trainers… with an evil look…”  she trailed off upon recalling the numerous times she’d seen her grandfather gaze down upon his challengers.

Sighing, she remembered his imposing presence silencing the whole stadium as they eagerly waited to see who the legendary Gym Leader would send out to crush his opponent, and Rhea voiced her thoughts.

“Her, uh, does have a, heh, intimidating presence, though…”

“Mmh?”  Lori shuffled her feet in what seemed to be a semi-dance-like way to nudge the blonde’s side.  “Like a king gazing upon the audacity of the peasants.”

“He’s not mean,” Rhea defended, to which Amira had to rub her temple and sigh.

“He… can be mean, but… it’s always in more of an educational way…  I think you’ve been reading too much of your sister’s novels, Lori.”

“Not lately!  I boycott that Muk—I’ve been on strike since the start—if she wants me to read it, she has to spend time with me!”

Scanning their Bronze Trainer pass that allowed them free passage on inner-city public transport, they walked inside, Rhea asking, “Have you finished any of them?”

The question had a hidden one inside Amira listened carefully for.

“Huh?  Oh, yeah, I’ve been through all her novels… four times?  A deal is a deal, and if she spends time with me, I read—even if it’s just to talk about her novel—which… does happen sometimes,” she grumbled.  “Stupid loopholes; I think Dad put it to her because she doesn’t think like that.”

Amira couldn’t help a chuckle, her nerves easing as their team grew more united again; she still felt stupid and a total Garbodor to the Gigantamax—utter Sludge—for what she’d done to Rhea, but the fact both her friends were willing to move past it made her rethink quite a few interactions she’d had in the past.

She used to think everyone had ulterior motives, and she had to watch her back all the time, which wasn’t necessarily wrong, given her lifestyle and place in life, but a new thought started to pluck at the back of her mind.

Don’t attribute malice to what can be explained by incompetence… and if I can be so incompetent, as hard as I try, how many more people did I wrongly label?  I’m such a Slowpoke.

“Ack…”  Amira winced as Serenity slapped her shoulder with the back of her tail.

“Serenity?”  Rhea questioned, drawing a few passengers’ gazes at the hovering Feebas.

“Haaa.”  Amira reached out to pull her little girl in.  “She’s, heh, training me.  I know, Serenity…  Thanks for keeping me on my toes.”

We all have a long way to go…  And I’m not giving up.  How could I do that to you guys or Rhea and Lori?  We’re in this until the end.

Her Feebas happily squirmed in her hands, with Holly and Amber agreeing while cuddling against her spirit, making her heart start beating again.  Who am I punishing if I can’t forgive myself when everyone else has, huh?  Thanks, Holly.  I’ll keep that in mind.

Leaving the train, they stopped off at a clothing store and bought relatively expensive sunglasses—235 credits—pre-celebrating their victory; they had their own dreams, and they’d help each other achieve them.

Amira waved Rhea off as they separated; the blonde’s brother had texted his sister the seats they’d already reserved.

Once in the locker room with Serenity by her side and dozens of other challengers filing into the Gym to roars from the flooded stadium, Amira pursed her lips while checking her phone.

Nose burning with her burning chest, Amira took a shuddering breath to calm down.

 

10:03 A.M. Grandpa:  Let them see what I already know.

10:09 A.M. Grandma Ariana:  Don’t mind us, Sweetie; you have a fun time with your friends today.  Your mother…  A heads up, your mother has organized a… somewhat unreasonably large group to cheer you on.  I know you’ll be phenomenal; as you know, a win can even be a loss with what is learned, so no matter the results, I know you will always be a winner because you never stop learning. 

10:11 A.M. Dad:  Don’t think harshly of your mother…  She means the best.

10:13 A.M. Mom:  Everyone’s here, Little Mew!  We have a whole section of Rocket with signs—you can’t miss us—Veridian’s gonna be the loudest; believe it!

 

Oh, Mom…  What have you done?  Amira wanted to cry and laugh at the same time.

Spending the next several minutes clearing her mind, she slipped on her glasses, opened her eyes, got a nervous thumbs up from Mallory, got up, and walked toward the bright light exit to see the colossal water-themed Gym with its pool and floating platforms.

On the large screen floating to her left by a Magneton, she saw the smiling young woman they’d met in the underwater Sea Temple.  Still, her focus was snatched by the deafening shouts of a section in the left middle, wholly filled with black shirts with a large red R written on them, her mother in the middle with her Zelri floating thousands of signs they’d more than likely personally made by the handwriting.

Mom…

“Go!  Go!  Veridian’s Fire Stone!  Go!  Go!  Veridian’s Fire Stone!  Victory!  Victory!”

The personal barrier around the Trainer box she’d entered dampened some of the noise as Misty’s laughing voice carried over the personalized speakers, a left hand on her hip and showing off a bright yellow summer dress that hid the early signs of her pregnancy.

“Rocket certainly has changed since you were born, Amira…  It’s really something, seeing so many Grunts—eh-heh, employees of Rocket, and not feel threatened by it.  I hope you’re ready…”

A twitch from her eyebrow said it all as she forced a smile.  “Your team certainly did cause a ruckus in my city, and I’m not gonna let you get away with it without giving you a piece of my mind!”

“Eh-hehe…  Sorry about that, High Master Misty.  It really has gotten a bit out of hand.”

“A little…  I have Samiya off my coast, not one, not two, but three ‘foreign’ Champions in my city—one former in Bianca’s husband—and multiple League members breathing down my neck, and should I start on the celebrities flooding my streets with less than several hours notice?  I’m a little stressed, Amira.”

“Again… heh-he…  Sorry.  I didn’t mean for it to become… this…”

“Haaa,” she ran her fingers through her trademark, messy red hair before giving her a sad smile.  “It hasn’t all been bad; they’ve all been sweethearts and helped out.  Still, I need to release some of my frustration, and with me hearing from Cynthia herself that you have a little Feebas from her legendary beauty of a Milotic, I can already guess your pick.”

Muk…  Guessing is one thing, but being told by Rhea’s aunt herself…

She could now see the mischievous grin her teammate typically portrayed when talking about her troublesome aunt.

“I’ll… have a chance, though… right?”

“Always!”  Misty grinned, showing a twinkle in her eyes that would have photographers going crazy to capture.  “Well, I still have a schedule to keep—ugh, so busy—so, ready to go, Miss Rocket?”

Putting Serenity’s pokeball in the slot, Amira’s gut tightened at the playful lift that came to Misty’s lips without even looking at the stat sheet, reaching into the extending tray with the appropriate Pokemon she could use before it fully extended to pluck out a particular Ultra Ball.

“Good luck, Sweetie!”

“Get ready!” the announcer shouted over the crowd as the referee swimmers on the side held their hands in unison to start the match, and Amira took Serenity out of the machine; her little fish was rearing to go.  “Set…  Begin!”

She threw the ball into the air as Misty tossed her own out, hand still on her hip and an interested smile on her lips as she said, “I rarely get to use such tactics in Bronze-tier; thanks for the opportunity, Amira!”

The announcer’s voice shook the stadium, and Amira’s face paled as Serenity spun in the air to greet her opponent.

“Amira Rocket’s Feebas, Serenity, verses…  Gym Leader Misty’s Lotad—Stats on the board!”

Amira’s vision fixated on the number of the Water Weed Pokemon—rated Bronze 5 against her—far more robust than what they dealt with at Pewter.

“Strategize carefully!”  Misty snickered.  “Cynthia and I had fun discussing how this would play out, and we have a bet!”

Rhea…  Can you punch your aunt for me?  This isn’t…  No!

If that wasn’t enough, a bright blue aura birthed off the Lotad to collect into a decent-sized cloud cover at the top of the barrier; their first Weather battle.

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