#msw2019

"Please don't call me that," Alain muttered as he walked towards her, more annoyed that she was declaring his nickname to the public more than he was about her using it. She simply flashed him a grin as he approached, before darting off around the corner. Her Pokemon were in pursuit– a Chespin, Flabébé, and Mareep right at her heels. Alain flinched as they danced about her legs and crutches, afraid one of them would trip the young girl.

"We're going to have a gym battle!" Mairin cried excitedly. "My very first one– hurry up, Alain!"

No matter how worn down he looked, Alain was actually looking forward to the gym battle that would be taking place. He had taken on the gym challenge only a year before– but those battles had been him literally sweeping through the matches with one member of his team– or just using Charizard when the gym leader had mega evolution. The battles had been swift, interesting, and had only been done last minute so he could get to the league and battle Ash.

...And collect mega evolution energy...

He pushed the thoughts from his mind without even blinking, having grown use to these intrusive thoughts. The mocking voice in his head only popped up on occasion, his fear having died down in the last year– the only thing that remained was the horrendous guilt. It was still a struggle he dealt with, but he found that shoving it aside worked. Usually.

He eventually caught up with Mairin– who was staring up at the giant tree that was the gym with a look of awe. Her Pokemon quivered in excitement as well, but soon a frown crossed Mairin's face. She glanced down at her ankle, then at Alain, shifting uncertainly.

"Um, I know the gym is in the tree..." Mairin said slowly. "But it isn't at the top of the tree... is it?"

"Usually, yes," Alain said, heading towards the gym. "That's where I had my battle with Ramos. That's one of the reasons why I wanted to schedule your gym battle for you– I requested that you have your match outside the gym because of your ankle."

"Oh," Mairin said, relaxing slightly as they continued on to the gym. There was a smile tugging at her lips again, and her Pokemon were chirring with excitement. Alain didn't blame them, since Mairin had always been such a passive trainer this was really their first real competitive moment. He knew that none of her Pokemon would want to let her down, but Alain knew there was really nothing they could do to upset Mairin. She'd love them no matter what.

"And I'm guessing this is our little gym challenger," A voice said behind them, and they could hear the clopping of hooves. They turned around to see Ramos riding up on his Gogoat, a smile on his face. Ramos nodded at Alain, clearly recognizing him from when he had signed up Mairin for the battle– but Alain knew that he also recognized him from everything that had gone down with Team Flare.

Alain was just glad he didn't bring anything up.

"Are you the gym leader?" Mairin asked eagerly, while her team nervously stared at the Gogoat.

"I am indeed, lass," Ramos said with a tip of his hat. "And I see why we couldn't have a match on the main field. Don't worry though, we have another outdoor battlefield just on the other side of the tree. I can let Gogoat here carry you if so you don't have to walk all the way."

Mairin's eyes lit up. "Really? That would be awesome!"

Ramos dismounted his Gogoat, nodding at the grass type– who summoned two vines from his shoulders. Alain quickly stepped forward to take Mairin's crutches as the Gogoat reached out, wrapping his vines around Mairin and placing her on his back. The young girl had the biggest grin on her face as she sat on top of the Pokemon, grabbing his horns for balance. The goat Pokemon tossed its head, and with a small whistle from Ramos it began to trot towards the gym.

"Don't go too fast–!" Alain cried to the grass type, and the gym leader set his hand on his shoulder.

"Gogoat can sense her emotions as long as her hands stay on his horns," Ramos said. "He won't do anything that can hurt her ankle more, don't you worry," His eyes glanced over Mairin's team with a frown, looking at Alain with a slightly confused look. "So these will be her Pokemon?"

"Don't underestimate them," Alain said, starting forward so Mairin wouldn't be alone when they reached the battlefield, her crutches under one arm. The Pokemon followed his lead, all of them bolting after their trainer, leaving the gym leader behind.

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The Gogoat came to a stop at the end on a simple battlefield, kneeling down near where a trainer was supposed to stand. He used Vine Whip to help her get off, standing next to her so she had something to hold onto since she had left her crutches with Alain. She smiled as she slowly stroked the Pokemon.

"Thank you," She told the Gogoat softly, and he tossed his head. He was a beautiful and powerful creature– and she hoped that she wouldn't have to battle him.

But this was her first gym battle, and she doubted that a gym leader would use stronger Pokemon for such a match.

The others eventually caught up to them, Alain hurrying straight to her side and giving her back her crutches. He took his time, making sure that she was balanced on them before backing away. Mairin let out a giggle as her Pokemon pressed up around her– Bébé on her shoulder, Chespie wrapping his arms around her leg– glaring at Zach as he nuzzled that same leg. She grinned down at her Pokemon, heart hammering in her chest.

"Are you guys ready for this?" She asked in a small voice. They had been training all week, under Alain's guidance as well, but...

They called out happily, excitement in their eyes. Ramos' Gogoat trotted away from them, heading towards the other side of the battlefield where the gym leader now stood. The grass type user had two Pokeballs in his hands, a smile on his face as he expanded one in his hand.

"Are you ready for your battle, lass?" He called.

"Y-yep!" Mairin said, a slight waver in her voice.

"Wait," Alain said, frowning. "Don't we need a battle judge for an official match?"

Ramos nodded. "Yep. And that's going to be you– no playing favorites though!"

Alain's eyes widened. "Wait– I'm not qualified to be a judge!" He said, shaking his head. "I'm just a trainer."

Ramos let out a hearty laugh, stroking his Gogoat. "You won the Kalos League last year, which opens up several doors for you. The obvious one is the right to challenge the Elite Four and eventually the champion– but you also are considered an ace trainer, which means you can judge official battles of gym ranking and lower. So will you be willing to judge this match?"

Alain looked slightly skeptical at this information, or perhaps he simply didn't want to be reminded of the league. He looked towards Mairin for a moment, as if wanting her to decide, and she gave him an uncertain smile. She didn't mind if Alain judged this match, she knew that he knew every rule there was to a battle, and that he would be fair when it came to calls as well. He pressed his lips together for a moment, before slowly making his way to the side of the battlefield, and Ramos beamed.

"Wonderful!" The gym leader said, then he turned to face Mairin. "This is going to be a two on two match– the gym battle will be over when one side's team is no longer able to battle. Substitution is also allowed for you as the challenger."

Mairin nodded, Alain having already informed her of the standard rules for most gyms. Chespie and Zach both stepped forward eagerly as Ramos sent out his first Pokemon, a bright burst of light coming from the Pokeball. A Skiploom took shape on the field, before it rose up into the air.

"Alright..." Mairin said, fidgeting nervously. "Um... Zach– you're up first!"

"Mar!" Zach cried excitedly, bolting onto the battlefield.

"Ch-ches?!" Chespie cried, freezing up as she said this. The Chespin spun around to face Mairin, giving his trainer a look of shock.

"This is, um, an official gym battle between Mairin and Ramos," Alain said uncertainly. "I mean, between challenger Mairin Floraison and Gym Leader Ramos. Challenger gets the first move!"

"Zach, er, use Thunder Shock!" Mairin ordered, not allowing herself to hesitate. The Mareep grinned, sparks forming around him as he released a bust of electricity up at the Skiploom.

"Dodge it," Ramos said, and the green Pokemon drifted away from the attack. "Bullet Seed."

The Skiploom opened its mouth, releasing a flurry of seeds down onto the Mareep. The seeds burst as they hit Zach, causing the Mareep to let out a cry. The orb on his tail began to glow, and he formed another Thunder Shock. The Bullet Seeds were still raining down on him as he released the second burst of electricity, this time striking the Skiploom.

"Tackle!" Mairin said as the grass type began to fall, and Zach raced forward, lowering his head. He slammed into the Pokemon, sending him across the battlefield. Zach puffed up his wool proudly, but the Skiploom merely spread its petals as it hit the ground, catching a breeze and bouncing back into the air.

Ramos didn't look too concerned. "Tackle it back, then go for a Fairy Wind."

Skiploom dove at Zach, aiming for his feet to knock the sheep to the ground. The Pokemon weaved away from a jolt of electricity meant to deter him, a happy little smile on his face as he began to glow. A pink light came from him, a small gale being sent right at Zach. The Mareep braced himself as he was hit, trying to keep his footing.

"Meep!" He cried, releasing a Thunder Shock– but once again the Skiploom merely looped out of the way.

"Loom!" Skiploom said, tauntingly flying above.

"Stop, Zach," Mairin said, knowing that repeated attacks weren't going to work. "Let's use... Cotton Spore– slow him down!"

His wool faintly glowed, spores floating up from him. Skiploom swiftly went into a dive, but the Cotton Spore seemed to track him, drifting after the grass type. They stuck to him as they hit, the puffs of wool clinging to his petals and body, throwing the Skiploom off balance. He spun around in the air, spiraling towards the ground.

Zach didn't wait for an order, charging forward with a Tackle, slamming into the Pokemon once more.

Ramos frowned. "Bullet Seed."

The Skiploom rolled over onto its feet, releasing another flurry of seeds. Zach turned to the side so the Bullet Seeds were hitting his thick wool coat instead of his face. The orb on his tail flickered, sparks running across his body as he prepared another Thunder Shock. Mairin saw he was about to attack again, and swiftly called out.

"Use Thunder Shock!" She gave the order at the same time he released the attack, bolts of electricity flying from him and hitting the grounded Skiploom. The grass type let out a small growl, still trying to get the Cotton Spore off of him so he could get back into the air. "Tackle!"

Zach charged forward, once again hitting the Skiploom– but the force of his strike knocked some of the remaining puffs off of him. The Skiploom spread its petals, spinning them about, slowing himself so he didn't crash into the ground. Skiploom flicked his body, knocking the rest of the Cotton Spores off from him, zipping back into the air.

"Meep!" Zach cried, releasing another Thunder Shock up at him.

"...Your Pokemon is attacking on its own," Ramos said with a slight frown. "Recently captured, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah..." Mairin said uncertainly, glancing at Zach.

The Mareep wasn't disobeying her or ignoring orders– he just liked to throw in his own attacks when he saw a chance. Alain had told her that this was to be expected with a new Pokemon though, since they weren't used to acting only on orders. It took time for them to learn to only depend on their trainer, and to gain the trust to do so.

"Fairy Wind," Ramos said, and a gust of pink energy was fired down onto Zach.

The gale hit Zach straight on this time, the breeze knocking him onto his side. The Mareep let out a small groan at this, lifting his head up unhappily– but the Skiploom was already diving down, a Bullet Seed forming in his mouth. The flurry of seeds rained down onto the Mareep, the electric type being hidden in a small cloud of dust as they exploded.

"Eep!"

"Zach!" Mairin cried nervously. The gym Pokemon were so much stronger than she had expected, and she was slowly realizing that she should have trained more. The Skiploom gilded near the ground, waiting for the dust to fade so he could strike once more.

A small yellow shape rushed out of the fading plume– Zach ramming into the Skiploom with a powerful Tackle.

"Mar!" He snarled, knocking the grass type from the air, the force of the blow slamming him into the ground. The Skiploom was panting as it hit the battlefield, and Zach wasn't waiting to see if he was down. Sparks crackled around his wool, a Thunder Shock being sent out from him. "Meep!"

The Skiploom let out a groan of pain, and didn't rise back up into the air.

Alain raised a hand up into the air. "Ramos' Skiploom is unable to battle– that means this first round goes to Mairin and Zach!"

"Mar," Zach said, holding up his head proudly. The electric type looked back at Mairin, who took a moment to realize that they had defeated the first Pokemon. A smile slowly spread over her face, and if it wasn't for the cast on her leg she would have ran forward and hugged the Mareep.

"Awesome work, Zachy!" Mairin called out instead. "Um, can you still battle?"

"Mar," He nodded, throwing a smirk at Chespie– a dark scowl appearing over the little grass type's face.

"Are you ready to face my next Pokemon?" Ramos asked as he recalled his Skiploom, and Mairin gave a small nod. "Alright then– Carnivine you're up next!"

Mairin couldn't help but gulp slightly as the grass type was released, the Pokemon hovering menacingly above the battlefield, a grin on its face as it looked down at Zach. The Mareep took a startled step back, and began to spark his wool to show he wasn't going to back down. She had never seen this kind of Pokemon in person before– but boy did it look powerful.

Alain shot a glance at her, but raised his hand to start the next match. "The challenger may switch Pokemon if you– if they wish to."

"We're good," Mairin said quietly, and at her side Chespie let out a bitter huff. "Zach, use Thunder Shock!"

The Mareep released a burst of electricity, but the Carnivine barely looked affected, leaf-like hands curling as she waited for orders. Ramos was watching Mairin and her Pokemon closely, as if waiting for a reaction of some kind.

"Carnivine is a pure grass type– meaning she has a natural resistance to electricity unlike Skiploom," He said, leaning back against his Gogoat. "Carnivine, use Growth."

The grass type spread its leaves out so they were facing up towards the sun, and a glow engulfed the Pokemon, increasing its energy. Zach let out a nervous titter, and charged forward with a Tackle, but the grass type merely drifted up out of reach.

"Try a–" Mairin began, but Ramos cut her off.

"Leaf Tornado," Ramos snapped his fingers, and a burst of razor sharp leaves began to form around the Carnivine. They whipped around her faster and faster as they gained speed– before being released down at Zach. The swirling twister of leaves engulfed him, sending the electric type across the battlefield with a cry of pain.

The attack died down, leaving a fainted Mareep in its wake.

Alain closed his eyes for a moment. "...Zach is unable to battle, Carnivine wins this match. The challenger may switch in their last Pokemon."

Mairin reached for a Pokeball, recalling Zach in a burst of red light. She struggled to hold the Pokeball and her balance on both of the crutches, and Alain looked like he was going to hurry to her side. But Chespie summoned a Vine Whip to help keep her stable, but yet he refused to look at her.

"Good job, Zach," Mairin said softly, slipping the Pokeball away. She glanced at her two remaining Pokemon– Bébé on her shoulder and Chespie at her side. She sat up a bit, squaring her shoulders. "Okay Chespie– you're up now!"

"...Pin!" A voice snapped, and she glanced down at Chespie. The grass type was retracting his vines, looking away from her, arms crossed.

"Chespie?" Mairin asked uncertainly. "Don't you want to battle?"

The Chespin hesitated, looking back up at her for a moment– and this was enough for Mairin to know that he did want to battle. But there was a bitterness in his eyes, and he swiftly looked away again. Worry spread over Mairin's face, and Chespie again looked at her, frustration in his gaze.

"Chespin ches!" He cried, tears stinging his eyes. He pointed towards Zach's Pokeball, then towards Mairin. "Pinpin chespin pin ches! Chespin pinpin!"

Though she didn't understand a word of what he was saying, Mairin was slightly taken back by this sudden attitude. She nervously glanced towards Alain and Ramos. Alain looked worried, but yet not surprised, while the gym leader looked impatient. Bébé was staring down at Chespie, unimpressed.

"...Are you upset because I sent Zach out?" Mairin said uncertainly. She knew that the two of them didn't get along, but still... it wasn't like this was the first time she had used someone besides Chespie– Bébé had been on the team nearly as long as Chespie had.

"Pin!" Chespie cried, stamping one of his feet. He nodded, but Mairin had a feeling that this was only the tip of his anger. Again he let out a long series of chitters, waving his arms and vines– pointing from her, to himself, to the gym battle, even to Alain– desperately trying to convey his frustration. "Chespin ches ches!"

"You're upset because..." She hesitated, not knowing exactly what the Pokemon was trying to tell her. "Because..." She swallowed. "You feel I've been paying more attention to Zach than you... right?"

"Pin!" He cried, nodding angrily– pointing out to the gym battle once more.

"You think I've been depending more on him than you," Mairin said– and apparently this was exactly what Chespie was trying to say. The anger faded from his gaze, the little grass type looking up at her watery eyes.

"Chespin pin," He whimpered.

"Chespie, do you remember what Alain told us at the beginning of the week?" Mairin asked quietly, and the grass type looked slightly confused. "Before we started training?"

"...Pin?"

"The reason why I've been training Zach more was because he needed more training than you, he wasn't as experienced as you are," She closed her eyes for a moment. "Alain said that gym leaders save their strongest Pokemon for last– so I was just doing the same thing when I sent out Zach first."

Chespie went still.

"I wasn't trying to replace you with Zach," Mairin said. "I didn't mean to make you feel like you were being ignored– you're the most reliable Pokemon I've got."

The grass type was watching her with wide eyes, looking slightly taken back. All the anger in his gaze was now gone, and he glanced around at everyone uncertainly, before returning his eyes to Mairin. He swallowed– before bolting forward and hugging her leg. Mairin wished she could kneel down and return it, Chespie's small arms wrapping around her.

"Ches..." He whispered apologetically, clutching her tighter.

"Do you want to battle, Chespie?" Mairin asked, and the Chespin pulled back.

"Chespin ches!" He gave her a nod– before running and bolting onto the battlefield. The Carnivine looked down at him with narrowed eyes, but the Chespin held his ground. Mairin glanced towards Alain, who gave her an approving nod.

"Are we ready to continue?" Ramos asked, sounding slightly impatient. Not as if he were in a rush, but more as if he were silently saying that this problem was one that should have been handled before the gym battle had begun. Mairin nodded, and Alain raised his hand over his head.

"Both trainers are down to their final Pokemon– Chespie versus Carnivine. Begin."

"Pin Missile!" Mairin shouted, and the spines on Chespie's head began to glow green.

"Growth," Ramos said, and Mairin shifted nervously as she watched the Carnivine gather more strength, her leaves glowing. Chespin fired the Pin Missile, the green spines speeding towards the grass type, who flinched as she was hit with the bug type move.

That was of some relief to Mairin, showing that the Pokemon wasn't just strong enough to take Chespie's moves without a flinch. Still, those jaws on the Carnivine looked nasty... it clearly wasn't a weak Pokemon. She knew that gym battles were supposed to be a challenge, but she also knew that gym leaders were supposed to use weaker Pokemon for newer trainers. This was her first match, but the Pokemon were much stronger than what she had been expecting. Perhaps gym battles weren't meant for her after all...

Mairin swiftly shook her head, trying to regain her focus. "Um– Tackle!"

"Bite," Ramos ordered, and his Carnivine dove to meet Chespie as he charged forward. Her jaws snapped open, a dark aura surrounding her fangs. She crunched down onto Chespie, the small Pokemon letting out a cry of pain as he was lifted up into the air.

"Toxic!" Mairin snapped, surprising even herself when she didn't freeze up. Chespie struggled in the Carivine's jaws for a moment, his head and one arm hanging out of its mouth. He gritted his teeth as her heard Mairin's command, a glow surrounding his spines. He released a cloud of purple around him, the Carnivine choking as the Toxic engulfed her.

Mairin's heart was pounding, but a few moments later Chespie was released, falling to the ground as a Leaf Tornado attempted to blow the Toxic away. But the damage had been done, a purple tinge spreading across the Pokemon's skin. The Carnivine was coughing, small eyes narrowed in frustration as the poison began to take its toll.

"Pin!" Chespie called.

"Tackle it," Mairin said, but the Carnivine was too high in the air for the Chespin to reach her. This doesn't stop him from trying, jumping up in an attempt to grab its form.

"Up you go," Ramos said with a flick of his hand, and his Carnivine drifted even higher into the air. Chespie huffed up at it, then glanced at Mairin for another command. "Acid Spray."

The Carnivine opened its mouth, choking back a cough, before releasing a purple liquid from her mouth. The Acid Spray rained down on Chespie, the grass type letting out a scream as the poison sizzled against his skin. Chills raced up Mairin's back, just staring at her Pokemon as he quivered in pain.

At Ramos' command the Carnivine formed a Leaf Tornado, the whirlwind of razor sharp leaves slamming into Chespie, sending him across the field.

"Chespie!"

"Bite."

"Um... Vine Whip!" Mairin countered, but the moment she called it she knew it was a poor idea. Twin vines formed along Chespie's neck, and he swung them at the incoming Carnivine. Her jaws snapped open, seizing them with her mouth, and she threw Chespie into the air. Her heart was racing at seeing her starter in such a position, but yet her mind seemed to remain clear. "Pin Missile!"

Chespie twisted himself around as he was falling, the light green glow forming along his spines. He hit the ground with a thump that made Mairin flinch, but he landed on his feet. The Pin Missile was released straight up at the Carnivine, the ranged move able to reach it in the air. She let out a bitter hiss as she was struck, drifting closer to the ground.

"Tackle!"

"Bite," Ramos countered as Chespie ran forward, a dark aura forming along its fangs.

"Vine Whip!" Mairin cried as the Carnivine pounced forward. "Vine Whip instead, around its mouth!"

Chespie ducked and rolled, the Bite snapping right where he had been standing, two vines forming from his shoulders. They shot out, wrapping around the Carnivine's giant mouth, muzzling the Pokemon as it turned to try to land another Bite. Its eyes widened in surprise as it was now unable to open its mouth, and with a grunt of force Chespie slammed it into the ground.

"V-vine..." The Carnvine sputtered through the Vine Whip-muzzle, the poison working its way through her. Chespie was huffing as he started to lift the large Pokemon up into the air with his vines once more, but having caught Mairin many times from her falls he didn't even struggle. He threw the Carnivine across the field, smiling back at Mairin.

"Tackle!" She cried, knowing they needed to strike while the Pokemon was grounded. Chespie began running forward, head lowered as he charged. The Carnivine raised her head, Ramos commanding her to use Acid Spray, the poison type move forming in her mouth to intercept the Tackle.

A flicker of light ran across Chespie, Mairin's eyes widening as a white glow engulfed the Pokemon.

His body began to swell in size as the light danced around him, the Chespin instinctually tucking his arms and legs in close to his body, going from a charge to a roll. He barrelled forward as he grew, his form becoming rounder and larger with each passing second. The Pokemon was merely a blur as the Acid Spray hit him, the attack being deflected by his speed. The glow faded just as he slammed into the Carnivine– the Rollout sending it flying across the battlefield.

"Quill!" Chespie cried as he landed on his feet, grinning happily. He then paused, looking down at his hands in confusion. He stumbled back a few steps, taking in the new form with shock, and he turned to look back at Mairin, the Quilladin blinking as it tried to process what had just happened.

"You evolved!" Mairin cried, awe and surprise in her voice as she looked over her starter. "You evolved, Chespie, you evolved!"

"Din!" He said, flashing her a smile, though he still seemed very shocked.

"Leaf Tornado," Ramos called, reminding them that the battle was not yet over.

"Dodge it!" Mairin cried, and Chespie instantly curled himself up into a ball, rolling away as the twister of leaves sped at him. He uncurled himself, looking at the Carnivine as it slowly drifted into the air. Her entire face was now a dark purple, the Toxic spreading swiftly with each passing moment. "Pin Missile!"

His spines twitched, glowing as the bug type moved was formed. Carnivine attempted to drift forward, but cringed in pain as the poison took its toll. The speeding Pin Missiles was launched out at the grass type, multiple hits striking the struggling Carnivine. Chespie didn't relent, the Quilladin firing one right after another as the gym leader's Pokemon struggled to stay in the air.

Another wave of the poison damage washed over Carnivine, and the grass type collapsed down onto the field.

"Ramos' final Pokemon is unable to battle!" Alain said, a smile flickering over his face. "That means that this gym match goes to Mairin and Chespie!"

There had already been a smile on Mairin's face, but as she heard these words that grin only grew. She had won– she had won the gym match! And not only that, her starter had evolved. She hurried onto the battlefield as quickly as her crutches would allow, and Chespie was beaming at her. He raced to her side, looking as if he were about to jump into her arms– before realizing he now came up to her elbows.

The newly evolved Pokemon hesitated for a moment, his round shape and stubby arms not meant for hugging. He then instead summoned a Vine Whip, using them to reach out and embrace Mairin. She let her crutches fall to the ground, knowing that Chespie would be able to support her better than ever. She let out a yelp as she was raised up into the air, the Quilladin proudly placing her on his head, using his vines to keep her in place.

"Quill!" He called happily, smiling up at her. "Din!"

"You were awesome, Chespie!" She said, unable to keep back a laugh. Bébé had drifted off of her shoulder, and was now darting around them with a happy smile on her face. Alain had dropped his 'official' stance from being the judge, hurrying over towards Mairin.

"Well that battle was certainly filled with surprises," Ramos said as he made his way over to her. "Here is the Plant Badge, proof that you have defeated me."

He held it out, but with Mairin using her arms to hold onto Chespie's spines she couldn't reach out to take it. Bébé came to the rescue, the little Flabébé darting out in front of them, a tiny little arm held out to take the badge. Ramos hesitated, but let the fairy type take it. Bébé sank a bit at the sudden weight, but raced to Mairin, holding it up proudly for her to see.

"We did it– we got our first gym badge!" Mairin squealed– and Ramos suddenly froze up.

"Wait, did you say this was your first badge?" He asked, eyes suddenly wide. Mairin blinked, then nodded, and Ramos then rounded on Alain. The raven haired boy was scratching the back of his head, the gym leader scowling at him. "You said that this was her third gym match!"

"No," Alain said, looking slightly guilty as Mairin flashed him a look of confusion. "I said that you should use the team you use for people's third gym matches. I was able to request to battle stronger Pokemon when I took on the gyms, so there should be no problem with that."

"That's allowed– but the thing is I didn't know that this was her first time!" Ramos cried. "I have very different approaches to challengers depending on their experience level– even if their team can take on stronger Pokemon! Here I was thinking that a third tier challenger was still dealing with starter pride and using freshly caught Pokemon, when that's what to be expected with a first time challenger," He turned towards Mairin, giving her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for my attitude in the battle, lass, if I would have known I would have handled this differently."

Mairin was staring at Alain. "...You set me up for a harder gym battle?"

Alain crossed his arms. "Mairin, I watched you and your Pokemon training all week. If you would have come in here facing his tier one team, you probably would have beaten them in just a few hits. I also knew that if I told you to request a higher tier team you would have felt that you weren't ready to handle that."

"Is that why you were so adamant on being the one to sign me up for my gym match?" She asked. She had thought it was because of her lack of experience and twisted ankle.

"Partly," Alain said with a shrug, and he looked at her uncertainly. "...I hope you're not mad at me, but gym battles are supposed to be a challenge and I knew a tier one team wouldn't give you that..."

Here she had thought she had been struggling against a team meant for new trainers, but in reality she had been battling Pokemon far stronger than she realized. There was no denying that she was slightly frustrated at Alain for going behind her back... but at the same time there was a warm feeling in her chest knowing she had defeated a strong team.

And that warm spark only grew as she realized that Alain thought she was a stronger trainer.

She looked down at Chespie as she sat on his head, who looked very proud as well. His quills twitched as she held them in her hands, and she then returned her gaze to Alain. "I forgive you– but you have to promise that you won't go behind my back like that again, Ali!"

Alain chuckled. "Fair enough, Mair," He reached out, ruffling her hair. "By the way, that was an amazing battle, and congratulations on evolving, Chespie."

"Din!" Chespie sang happily, before usings his vines to set Mairin back on the ground. Alain reached down, picking up her crutches and handing them to her.

Mairin bit her lip. "Hey Alain... we're going to be heading back to Lumiose soon, right?"

"Yes, when the doctor says you can put weight on your ankle again."

"...Do you think I can challenge that gym when we get there?"

He smiled. "The Lumiose Gym isn't easy, electric types have barely any weaknesses, but I'm sure you're up for the challenge."

"Well, the stronger I become the closer I am to battling you," Mairin said with a grin. "Trust me, you and Charizard are going down!"