PokeSync (Pokemon Fanfiction)

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6:40 P.M. July 1, Wednesday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event)

Events:  The Joint Kanto and Johto Indigo Summer League is at its climax; the grand final for each bracket of the Summer Round Robin Cup is here, where Trainers from each Tier will be named Seasonal Best.  Currently, the momentous battle to determine the fate of Vermilion Gym—Saria Surge vs. Visquez—has begun.

Our girl started her journey on the 9th of June—she’s been a Trainer for 22 Days (21 officially; 22 since getting Maya and Nova).

 

Rhea sat on the edge of her seat, food untouched in front of her with everyone else in the battle restaurant Amira had sent her directions to; the match to determine the fate of Vermilion Gym was on the line, and her Pokemon watched the amazing battle in awe.

Mya was practically drooling while watching every move the Mega Mawile made, and Rhea thought her adamant girl found a new role model in Zaneeta; she’d been the longest Pokemon to last throughout the battle, showing phenomenal resilience and power.

Nova and Alice were currently out, pink eyes sparkling with wonder as Inja turned into a brilliant fulmination that took out all three of Visquez’s Pokemon in a single radiant blast.

Gardevoir are so beautiful and powerful…

Saria’s focused image took up the screen after showing the scarred stadium barrier, bound blonde locks flowing back in the wind that managed to make it beyond the shell from the pressure; in the silence, almost every Gym Leader rose to give the daring tactic a standing ovation.

Rhea had witnessed many Master-tier battles throughout her life, growing up so entrenched in the community, yet hadn’t seen Moves on that level beyond the struggles her father’s Pokemon had against her aunt at the Grandmaster-tier.

Yes, it was a one-use and the most powerful Fairy Move, yet that didn’t change the force involved; she’d seen Saria around a few times but never expected this level of performance from the woman, and it showed how much stronger the High-Master had become in the last several years.

Lori and Amira were glued to the screen.

“Incredible…”  the redhead muttered.  “Addie is so powerful—Holly can’t keep her eyes off him, and he’s able to instantly trade places with his teammates while keeping their energy matrix topped off.  Protection against critical hits, Stat debuffs, healing, Helping Hand—Ally Swap is so powerful…”

“Yeah,” Rhea whispered, “and Inja used it, too.  I’ve never seen it used at the last second like that and so often like Addie just did to put Zaneeta in a prime position mid-attack.”

“Mmh, and double-attacks, too,” Mallory added.  “I’ve seen it in the League Battles my sister does, but not in Gyms.”

Bianca sipped at her drink as the match closed; Saria was declared the victor.  “Mmh-hmm-hmm…  That was War Tactics at this stage—dangerous stuff—and I’m not a fan, but I could see why Saria would go that far in this match.”

“War Tactics?”  Jason asked, joining them to watch the reruns of the anticipated showdown.  “You mean the Ally Swap stuff Amira talked about?”

Amira shook her head, watching the reruns of the rivalry play out, mainly highlighting the pivotal moment of Inja’s supernova.  “I’m guessing that…  Look at the state of Saria’s own Pokemon, and as we can see, all of the Pokemon stacked defensive barriers to mitigate the damage, yet the energy matrixes of Visquez’s Pokemon were still shattered.”

“Mhm,” Bianca sighed, playing with her straw.  “That level of an attack would have typically been seen as an act of war in almost any other setting—war crimes—seeing as it could have killed millions…  Take out an entire city.”

Lori whistled.  “That wasn’t just hype?”

“No, quite literally, everyone in Silver City would be dead—millions—if not for the extra power provided to that shield to contain it; it probably took the same amount of energy the city uses in three months to absorb that blast, stressing the nuclear reactor it uses.”

They all looked back at the deciding moment, highlighting the radiant, smiling Gardevoir as she waved at her opponents; the Raichu’s pulled-back ears told Rhea all she needed to know about the thoughts running through his head.

“Mmh…”  thinking back to her lessons under the various Master-tier instructors, Rhea shifted her arms against the table they were using, hearing the other groups around the restaurant overflow with energy at the match.  “I guess Visquez’s Pokemon could have been killed in that Misty Explosion if they weren’t trained to react to that kind of attack.”

“That’s the point, though,” Amira commented, glancing at her smoothie.  “Gym Leaders have to be able to respond and perform Moves like that.  A weak Gym Leader that couldn’t make that pivotal decision and locks up would only put those they protect in danger…  When dealing with threats on a City-State scale, you must be decisive and be willing to take the consequences, just as Saria did, which is why my grandfather gave it a standing ovation.”

Bianca sighed, folding her fingers to rest her chin on them, glaring at the screen of Saria’s highlights.  “You’re not wrong… but it’s so complicated…  It’s a problem Unova faced that got Drayden in hot water.”

Mallory hissed, fingers tightening in her lap.  “Plasma in the Opelucid City disaster…  Yeah, I remember kids in school talking about how hard it was for their parents to believe they were safe when High Master Drayden couldn’t stop it and gave in to their demands.”

“He didn’t have a whole lot of options,” Bianca mumbled.  “Sometimes, you’ll be criticized for any action you take.”

Rhea forced a smile.  “Why are we talking about depressing stuff?  We just saw a great match!”

“Haaa…  My bad, Rhea,” Bianca scooted over to hug her.  “It just brings back a lot of memories from Unova…  It was a hard time, but you’re right!  Saria and Visquez put on an amazing show.  Oh, and look, I think it’s time for the speech!”

Everyone quieted down as the screen flipped to the new Gym Leader of Vermilion City, her father’s Electrode coming out to teleport him to his daughter’s side; the platform detached from its base to float into the center of the stadium, Saria stepping aside for her father to take the podium.

It slowly spun to Visquez for the Magneton-powered cameras followed his gaze, arms behind his back, left hand closed above what remained of his right wrist as he surveyed the silent throng.  Surge’s trademark big grin and glasses in place.

“I have looked forward to this day ever since Lieutenant Colonel Visquez and my beloved daughter first made their intentions in life known to me…  I couldn’t be happier to see two of the most respected women in my life put their all into achieving their dreams.

“Lieutenant Colonel Visquez,” he said in the strong voice that characterized the bold military man, and the screen split to show the smiling dark-skinned High Master giving her general a salute, yet it was plain to see the pain of her loss in her light green eyes.  “It has been an honor serving with you—the hardships we shared—you’ve been my biggest supporter from the day you walked into my Gym.”

“It has… been my pleasure, Lieutenant General Surge, Sir!”

“Hehe… you’re one of the toughest women I know, Visquez, and you proved it by adapting to my daughter’s surprise Carbink Starter.  It may have been an unfortunate match-up that my daughter won in the selection process, but holding out your aces until the end forced Saria to take such drastic action—you played your hand well, Lieutenant Colonel.”

“I will not give up, General!”  Visquez responded, fighting past the emotion in her voice.  “In four years, when the grace period to challenge the Gym returns, I will see your legacy reinstated, Sir!”

Rhea could feel the heat, disappointment, and desire to see her mentor’s shocking history remain in her home City-State in her every word; the looks on both Saria and Surge showed they expected nothing less from the fierce woman.

“I’d expect nothing less from that fiery determination you’ve exhibited, Lieutenant Colonel, but before I move on to my daughter, I’d like to highlight something for everyone to note… the kind of woman you are, and something the cameras and analysts missed.”

Amira, Rhea, and Lori blinked, looking at one another before shifting to Bianca, who shook her head.

“Don’t look at me; I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

The General turned to the screen.  “As you can see in the frame by frame… not only did Visquez show superb commanding forethought regarding the rescue of her Pokemon but tried to minimize the potential damage Saria and Inja’s Misty Explosion caused.

“Mac broke Tismra out of her Fairy Lock, allowing her to teleport them both to a safe distance to prepare for the coming devastation, yet they didn’t try to just save themselves…”

Rhea watched in amazement as the screen expanded to show the frame by frame, the General explaining what they saw.

Protective barriers were created around each of Visquez’s pokemon before the electrified webs, and Electric Terrain, still active on the field, flashed the instant the eruption sparked—a tsunami of electricity rose to meet it—instantly being overpowered by the maxed Fairy Move.

“Wow…”  Bianca whispered in awe as the former Gym Leader explained.

“Inja managed to get a Psych Up against Tismra before swapping with Zaneeta—maxed Special Attack, Misty Terrain, Fairy Zone, and to top it off, being in Mega—just like the soldier you are, Visquez, fearing the barrier couldn’t contain such a catastrophic explosion… you acted, even knowing it would endanger the lives of your Pokemon.

“They, and you, decided to risk it all to dampen the impact as much as possible—Drowlo and Tismra stabilizing and strengthening the Electric Terrain—Mac used Rising Voltage to meet the Misty Explosion, which very well might have stopped the barrier from becoming totally unstable.”

Surge chuckled, and every Gym Leader was now standing, clapping at the snap decision.

“You are an exceptional officer and woman…  You’ve done a great deal to gain the respect of your fellow High Masters in that decision, putting peoples’ lives over even your own, and for that, you should hold your head up high…  You will make a fine Gym Leader one day.”

Tears were now in the woman’s eyes, taking a moment to respond.  “General…  I was not properly prepared to face Saria…  Gym Leader Saria.  I lost, and I accept that; Saria has shown me her resolve in willing to do whatever it took to represent Vermilion.  In four years, I will show her the same determination.  Thank you… for this amazing opportunity to see where I was lacking, Sir.”

Nodding, Surge shifted to smile at his daughter.  “Saria…  I cannot express how bold and courageous a Trainer you have become since your days on the battlefield.  I have had the pleasure of watching you grow into the finest young woman I have ever known… to be the brilliant star you are today, and that glow in your eyes shows…  You really are my daughter.”

Rhea’s chest burned, tears already in her eyes with several others in the shop, just imagining her own father saying those words.

“Not every Gym Leader would approve of the tactic you displayed, and you know that well, but it is something we taught you in the Ultra War.”

Saria’s voice showed just as much emotion as Visquez’s.  “Do… whatever it takes to protect the people you serve…  Show them the resolve to stand and fight—shield the defenseless—to face threats and win for those who cannot…  I serve the people of Vermilion.”

Taking a deep breath, Surge stepped forward to embrace his daughter.  “I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become, Saria…  And in the end, it doesn’t matter if Vermilion Gym is Electric or Fairy…  A Gym Leader isn’t beholden to their favored Typing, but the people they protect and represent.”

“Saria…” he pulled away to take the High Master Encrusted Thunder Badge and hold it out for her to take.  “I find you worthy of wearing the pride of Vermilion.  Do you accept this honor?”

Clearly holding back a sniffle, Saria took the pin.  “I do, Dad,” she answered, placing it on the flare of her cream overcoat.

Surge turned to stare at the standing Gym Leaders.  “Are there any objections…  No?  What of the Indigo League?”

Chase stood to address the question, the display swapping to him.  “I did find your use of deadly force distasteful for a competition, Gym Leader Saria… but understand why you did it.  The League looks forward to working with Vermilion’s new representative.”

Finally, Surge turned to those in the stands behind his chair, most of which were from his City-State.  “I know some of you had questions regarding my daughter taking over my position, and I hope her performance this evening has silenced those concerns…

“It has been my pleasure and honor in serving as your protector… testing our nation’s rising generation to meet the challenges that the future will bring, and we have seen many amazing Trainers come out of our beloved City-State.”

Rhea could see tears in the eyes of many from his city, showing how much of an effect he had on the hearts of his people.

“A new generation is rising up, and I was blessed to see it in the struggles of my daughter; it was a hard road, but now she stands before you a woman…  Hehe…  A fully grown woman, ready to take on the challenges this world has for our beloved City-State, and this victory isn’t the only thing she will be bringing to Vermilion.  Gym Leader Saria…”

Stepping aside, the blonde brushed back her left bangs upon changing directions in the wind to look at the people she now served.  “Thank you, Dad…  I know the shoes I’m trying to fill… hehe, I tried to fit in them quite a few times as a child… I hope I’ll do a better job at it as an adult.”

Rhea chuckled at the joke, many others mirroring her; this was the new Fairy Gym Leader of Kanto.

“I know I haven’t been in Vermilion for a while—Lieutenant Colonel Visquez has so much experience I lack—and I have nothing but respect for my rival.  I can recall many days as a teenager, challenging her to battles and declaring I would beat her one day…

“My first victory against her was tonight, and it was one of the most brutal matches I’ve had.  Trying to hide Minli’s existence from the bothersome news stations or journalists that hounded my every step was difficult, but in the end, it was only because of that that I believe I currently stand here instead of the Lieutenant Colonel.

“I do not pretend to be able to meet your needs the same as my esteemed colleague and rival, and so I hope to work closely with her in the coming months to meet not only your but her expectations.”

Applause came at the open invitation to work with her opponent and the humility she displayed in knowing she couldn’t handle everything herself.

Visquez smiled up at her.  “It would be my pleasure to advise you, Gym Leader Saria.”

“I did not believe I would be standing here now if I hadn’t given you everything I had.  You truly are a skilled Trainer and Commander; your brave and selfless act in trying to contain Inja’s fatal attack—as little as it may have been—shows just what kind of woman you are, and I couldn’t be happier to have you working by my side.

“Speaking about being by my side…  Zack, could you come up here?”

Mallory lifted an eyebrow.  “Who?”

Memory triggering from her browsing the Gossip App, Rhea’s eyes widened.  “Zack… is her boyfriend from Kalos.”

“Ooh!  Why would she call him up?”  Bianca asked, eyes sparkling with the answer she’d already come to, which was on everyone’s mind.  “You don’t think she’s going to propose?”

“Maybe?”  Rhea mumbled.  “But… she’s been through dozens of relationships; they never tend to work out.”

“Oh, my heart’s pounding!”

A Claydol teleported a dark-haired, handsome man to stand on the opposite side of Saria from her father, Surge wearing a grin, but Rhea got the impression she’d see watering eyes if he removed his sunglasses.

“This afternoon, Zack Ellis proposed…  and I accepted.”

Bianca and Rhea gasped, and Lori nudged her with a big smile.

“Ooh!”

“Look at that ring!”  Rhea muttered as the camera zoomed in on her finger; she hadn’t even noticed it throughout the match or speech, but now it was clear as day.  “It’s in the shape of Fairy energy; so cute!”

“She certainly does look happy,” Amira whispered.  “Good for her, heh, but I’m sure it will be busy, being a new bride and Gym Leader.  Oh?”

Saria stepped aside as Zack took the stage to address the stunned Vermilion crowd, his Kalos accent thick.  “Gym Leader Saria has made me the luckiest man in accepting me as her fiancé and future husband.  I will do my utmost in supporting her in the duties she has taken and hope to get to know the people of Vermilion.”

He turned to face the new Gym Leader, cheeks slightly flushed.  “Saria is the most beautiful, intelligent, and strongest woman I know…  I could not imagine a world without her, and I am aware she must put her duties as a Gym Leader first, which only makes me love her more…

“I love you, Saria Surge, and I cannot wait to spend every moment helping you in your passion and dream of serving this great City-State you now oversee.  I will say it one more time,” he repeated, taking her hand, “I love you, Saria Surge, and I look forward to making your every day better than the last.”

“He’s perfect,” Bianca cooed.  “Aww, and look at her blush!  She’s so cute!  They’re so cute!”

“I ship it,” Lori giggled.

Amira mirrored her.  “I think the ship has already sailed, Lori!”

“They look so good tog—”  Rhea’s breath caught as the tall man leaned in.  “He kissed her!  He just—right after…”

Bianca couldn’t sit still.  “Kkkaa!  I want to kiss Hilbert now!  Gah!  Where’s my husband when I need him!”

“Bold!”  Lori snickered.  “Man, and it’s long!”

“Well,” Amira mused, “he is from Kalos—the region of romance.”

“Aww… best ending ever…”  Bianca chirped.

A voice came on in the background, Champion Chase taking the screen as the pair broke apart, Saria looking dizzy and breathless.

“Excuse me for interrupting your moment, Gym Leader Saria, but urgent matters are to be discussed; we’ll begin with the finishing Summer Cup celebrations as the Gym Leaders and League retreat for a recess…”

“Booo!”  Rhea, her cousin, friends, the restaurant, and what seemed half the stadium mirrored.  “Let them have their moment!”

“Hehe, I couldn’t have asked for a more eventful day with this torch being passed on.  Heh, allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your engagement, and I wish you a happy marriage.  Now… if you will meet your fellow Gym Leaders in the Silver City Administration Conference Room.”

Rhea pouted with the rest of the viewers, but a small smile touched their lips as Saria recovered and gave her fiancé a light peck on the cheek before her father teleported the two of them away; Zack gave a sheepish wave at the smiling crowd before vanishing in multi-hued lights himself.

“I loved that ending,” Rhea sighed.  “She looked so adorable.”

Lori got up to stretch left and right, releasing a low groan.  “Eh-heh, yeah, and the contrast from how she looked like a total boss in the fight to that cute, vulnerable blush she gave Zack.  Man, I wanna slug him in the arm, hehe, because he totally killed it!”

“He does seem sweet and cares for her,” Amira agreed.  “Proposing before the match was a bold move but shows he’s not in it for any other reason than loving her.  I guess it was his last chance to prove that.”

Jason hissed, not having the same reaction as them.  “I mean, bold, sure—but c’mon, the day she would be competing to be a Gym Leader?”

“Don’t spoil the fantasy!”  Bianca huffed, Rhea right behind her in defending his timing.

“Yeah!  We don’t know the full story, but it sounds romantic, and by the way Saria reacted—this was magical—a moment I want to experience one day!”

“Woah… wha?”  Jason’s eyes widened upon seeing Amira and Lori nodding in agreement.  “Is that… really something girls want?  I don’t know—seemed so…  Yeah, I’ll just be here sipping my drink.”

Bianca gave them a cheery smile.  “You beautiful girls will have that feeling one day—I remember the moment Hilbert proposed to me.  Hehe, he took us on this romantic day trip to White Ruins—he cooked this amazing lunch—and he showed me all the things he was researching there before taking us to Dragonspiral Tower to propose at sunset…”

Face flushing at the memory, Rhea held her breath while listening; even after hearing the story dozens of times, it always hit differently when seeing the look on her cousin’s face.

“His handsome smile and light blush in the crimson light filling the sky… just the two of us, and then he gets down on his knee—my ankles feel like they’re going to buckle—and he holds out the box—Arceus, his voice—so smooth and sure that he wants me to be his wife…  Butterflies!  Kkkyaa!”

“Sounds special,” Amira smiled.  “Hehe…  My mom was the one to propose to my dad.”

“I can see it,” Lori snickered.  “Hmm…  So, now that Saria is the Vermilion Gym Leader…”

Amira’s expression fell, a hiss passing through her teeth.  “Yeah…  I’ll need to look into her Battle Record more closely, but she’ll be recruiting Fairy Masters, and the Gym will be closed for a week as it changes hands.  Mmgm…  We’ll save it until we at least get to Fuchsia—we can take a boat back to Vermilion if needed.”

“Good plan!”  Rhea chimed.  “So…  Should we finish up here and plan out your battle against Misty on the 4th?”

Amira shrugged, already finished with her plate.  “I’m fairly prepared besides practical Training, but wasn’t there something you were teasing us about on your way back from the Lighthouse?”

“Right!”  Lori’s teeth flashed as she scooted closer to nudge her.  “C’mon!  Spill, Girl!  Did you find a boyfriend?”

“What—no!  Why would you think that?”  Rhea protested, cheeks reddening.

“Totally it!”  Jason teased.  “You should have seen this dude—almost two meters tall—jacked, with a Shiny Kadabra!  I mean, muscles and brains!”

“Shut up!”  Rhea squawked, slugging him as their table laughed, her Pokemon bewildered by the whole exchange, thinking they were fighting.  “No…  Gah—let me check my messages…  Mukin’ do I have a boyfriend—Kadabra my…  Oh…”

“Hmm?”

Bianca and Jason leaned in to read her text.

“Did Grandpa respond?”

“Yeah…  Hehe…  It looks like he got us a way on—tomorrow!”

Jasin pumped his arm.  “Sweet!  Oh, and he got it approved for my team, too?  Dude, your grandpa’s the best, Rhea!”

Lori and Amira gave her blank looks.

“What’s… going on, Rhea?”  the redhead asked, trying to get a better look at her phone.  “What are we doing tomorrow?”

 

5:57 P.M. Grandpa Drake:  Yo!  Lizabeth would be thrilled to show you around Samiya!  They gotta keep a low profile, but they’re planning on making their first trip to the city to restock tomorrow morning—around 7 A.M. before the docks really start filling up—they said to be there around 8 when they get everything there to pack up!  Oh, and be ready to work because ya ain’t gonna freeload!  Love you, Little Swablu! 

5:58 P.M. Grandpa Drake:  Oh, and message me more T_T I get depressed when you don’t give me my weekly Swablu fix…

 

“Samiya-wha?”  Lori mumbled, scratching her neck.  “We’re gonna do manual—woah!”

“No way…”  Amira leaned across Lori’s lap to look at the screen.  “Samiya—legendary underwater metropolis, Samiya?”

“Shh!”  Bianca forced a smile.  “They don’t like to advertise their presence until the big announcement about their performance—the day before they leave—you know, to make sure no one tries to do anything funny to get into their city…  People have drowned trying.”

“Right…  Seriously, though?”

“Mhm!”  Rhea’s heart thumped while pulling up some online pictures to show an enthralled Lori.  “We’ll get to have first-hand experience!  My mom’s been telling me stories since I was a kid!”

“Okay…  Hype!”  Lori cheered, taking the phone to look at the information.  “Wait…  They dance—Girl—oooh!  I wanna see them strut their stuff!  I can’t wait!”

Excitement rolling in their bellies and chests, they paid for their food and left to walk the streets as Jason returned to his teammates.

Amira, Lori, Bianca, and she found themselves wandering the evening, hearing the High Master match was on everyone’s minds; eventually, they found themselves on the Golden Nugget Bridge, overlooking the bay and watching the matches between pumped Gold-tier Trainers.

Mya had been a storm of emotion, which ended with her tossing the Mawile’s ball to an empty battlefield on the lower bridge area to face Amber; it was more of a play-match than serious, and they stayed on the upper level to talk as the pair faced off.

Watching the slow Steel Pokemon try to dodge the Embers Amber shot at her made Rhea smile; Alice balanced on the metal railing they leaned against—that the Buneary and Mawile were out simultaneously said a lot about their enthusiasm.

“Mya wants to be cool like her new idol…  Hehe, watching her take that big explosion and be the only one standing was like watching a hero rising from the ashes.”

Bianca giggled.  “It was the Klefki that allowed her to stay in.”

“Hehe.  Shhh…  Let Mya have her imagination.  Saria was amazing, though, huh?”

A goofy smile touched her cousin’s face.  “I just can’t get over that romantic ending…  It was so perfect.  I mean, sure, the battle was alright, but that look in Saria’s eyes when Zack showed up…  Kyaa—it just makes me think of Hilbert—I can’t help putting myself in her place!”

Eyes soft as she stared across the bay, a rumble came from Amira.  “Mmh…  So, Samiya is out there somewhere, huh?”

“Yeah, pretty insane,” Lori mumbled.  “An entire city underwater, waiting to be explored.  Ugh… but we gotta share it with Mukin’ Lucian!”

“Mmgm…  Don’t remind me,” Amira grumbled.  “I don’t want to spoil my enthusiasm.  Maybe we can split off into different groups.”

Rhea forced a laugh; she didn’t quite have the same aversion as her teammates, yet understood why they held their opinions.  Lucian wasn’t Darkrai or anything.  “Hmm…  I’m a bit sad we couldn’t have Sam, Jade, Hannah, and Jay join us.”

“Oh?”  Amira asked, looking at her phone as Rhea pulled it out to go to her app.  “Where are they right now?”

“Leaving Apple City, I think.  They had a blast last night and were kayaking down the same route we did before stopping off at a rest station to prepare for the match; it looks like they’re having a ton of fun.”

“Why can’t we have them join us?”  Lori asked, her big grin confusing Rhea.

“How?”

Understanding dawned on Amira’s face.  “Livestream it?”

“Yeah!”

“Oh!”  Bianca nodded.  “If you ask, I’m sure they can connect you to their network so you can get a signal.”

“Sweet!”  Rhea grinned, texting them that they had planned to share something spectacular with them tomorrow; if they could get to a place where their signal was good, it would be awesome for their crew to join them virtually.

“Well—what’d they say?”  Lori asked, crowding in as Sam answered.

 

7:56 P.M. Sam:  Hehe.  Always so mysterious, Rhea!  Hannah’s practically biting her bag strap, trying to figure out what it is.  Jay’s excited, too.  Wish we could be there, but virtual is cool, too; we’ll catch up!  Around 9?  Yeah, we should be able to do that.  How long?

7:57 P.M. Rhea:  Uh…  Probably a while!  You don’t have to stay for the whole thing; I just thought it would be awesome to experience it with you guys, too.

7:59 P.M. Sam:  You’re so incredible, Rhea!  Thanks for thinking about us so much; it really means a lot!  I can’t wait!  We’ll totally be ready, and if you guys are staying in Cerulean until the 4th, if we take the kayak route, we might be able to see you guys off!

8:00 P.M. Rhea:  Can’t wait to see you again!

8:01 P.M. Sam:  Jay wants to have a triple battle with you guys!  We’re super hyped after the Summer Cup match!  Saria won!  We have a Fairy Gym in Kanto!

8:01 P.M. Rhea:  I know!  It’s insane!!  I can’t wait to see how the Gym will change!

8:02 P.M. Sam:  We’re so nervous and excited!  Nothing like this has happened like… ever!  The Gyms have stayed the same for so long!  Anyway, talk to you tomorrow!  Peace!

8:02 P.M. Sam:  No, Hannah just corrected me…  Apparently, Blue had something going on with Viridian or something…

8:03 P.M. Rhea:  Yeah, he kind of stomped too many people…  Refused to lose… but, ugh, Ethan actually beat him at that time.  Anyway, sounds good!  TTYL!  <3

8:03 P.M. Sam:  <3

 

“They’re such sweet girls,” Bianca cooed.  “So, are we going to retire early tonight to be ready for tomorrow?”

“I’d like that,” Amira yawned.  “I can’t believe how exhausted I am after… well, not doing much today.  Hehe.”

“It be that way sometimes,” Lori groaned while stretching.  “Heh-eh…  Rhea?”

“Hmm—ehh!  Mya?!”

Her steely girl was spinning in circles, mirroring her eyes, and dancing with a snickering Amber and Gables.

“Amira,” Rhea puffed up her cheeks.  “Amber can’t embarrass Mya like that—no-ho-ho, Hypnosis—aww, she’s totally going to cry…”

“Eh-hehe…  Sorry, Rhea…  Umm, Alice seems to have put them up to it…”

Rhea turned her glare to the innocent, cute bunny as she smiled sheepishly, and as she guessed, Mya was holding it back, but there were big crocodile tears in her eyes as she yelled at Alice.

Amber and Gables felt terrible, not thinking it would be that big of a deal for the Fairy Pokemon, but Mya was all about looking tough—this was a nightmare for her—and in the end, Rhea promised to sleep with her tonight to help cheer her up.

Alice’s place would be taken by Nova; sadly, Rhea felt the bunny thought it was worth it.

What am I going to do with you two…  We’re a team!

Alice and Mya refused to face each other—the grudge she thought they were overcoming was now completely reinstated—and with prejudice.

“Haaa…”

Amira, Lori, and her cousin gave her encouraging smiles as they went to get Mya ice cream before retiring for the night.  Besides cheering her mortified Mawile up, the conversation moved back to the match for Mya to lose herself in her idol, romance filling Bianca’s head—Hilbert got a call, a sappy voicemail in there when he didn’t answer—and daydreams of Samiya.

Tomorrow would be another magical day!

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