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Fox: Huzzah! Happy Holidays to everyone! It's a little shorter than the previous ones... but it was so neat, nice, and self contained!

Brimcon:I wish everyone happy holidays!

Disclaimer: Pokémon is copyright of Nintendo, Game Freak, etc. Individual characters are my own imaginening, and are not intended to be any part of main cannon / plotline. Individual characters like Aaron, Song, Zin, etc, are my own creations, so please ask before using. Thank you.

Chapter 26: Cascade

I motioned to stand and leave Misty alone, but she interrupted that process. She insisted that I stayed, seeing as we were going to fight. Her grin widened as she patted the chair that I had just vacated.

"Nervous?" she asked.

I nodded. "I won't lie. This is the first time dueling someone of League caliber."

She shrugged. "Don't worry about it. We'll see where you stand. Just do your best, and don't let anything get in your way. You have to fight to earn your strength anyway."

"It's not like we haven't trained at all." I said in my defense. Misty turned to me, her grin widening. "I'll admit, probably not as consistent as most, but we're not weak."

"You think you're not." she said. "There's always someone tougher than you."

"Don't you think I know that?" I asked. "Because getting my face shoved in by Darkrai wasn't enough to explain that."

Silence fell in our conversation, but her grin didn't go away completely. After a quiet moment, she continued.

"Tell me about Darkrai. If you don't mind, that is."

I looked at her a little surprised. Uncertainty made me hesitate, and it wasn't until Iolanthe touched my shoulder did I shake my stupor. Nodding, I started with my first meeting of Darkrai in Celestic Town. I made sure to avoid anything relating my personal relationship with my own Pokémon. Somehow, she didn't strike me as someone that appreciated that. She asked questions, about the town and what I saw. It didn't feel like lying to this woman would be a good idea. It was the same feeling that I got when dealing with Joy or Zin. Steel hidden under a veil of silk. In Zin's case it would be a layer of lava hiding under the silk, but all the same.

It took a while, trying to explain my thought process to Misty. In hindsight, it felt like everything was barely under our control. To be truthful, it still felt that we never have been. Even when we finally made it to the monastery, it felt that we were falling into another hole.

"Damn Aaron, you've been through the wringer, haven't you." she said, shaking her head. "I'd be worried too, if we were swapped."

"You haven't heard the best part." I mused.

"There's more, huh?" she said before laughing. "That's just what happened in Sinnoh? Then what?"

I continued from there, laughing together about Joy's theft of the singer's Pikachu doll from Jubilife to my air sickness while on the plane. I skimmed over certain things that weren't mine to say, like Jon's relationship with the Zapdos, but she wanted to know everything about the fight. As I gave a rather quick summary of the fight, footsteps echoed as someone came towards us from the way we came. Misty groaned.

"That has to be one of my sisters."

Who appeared wasn't just one lady, but three women. All three of them were in bikini's, as opposed to Misty's one piece suit. One of the sisters had a head of bright orange hair, while the other two had bright blue and pink. How much did they have to pay for that? Well, since they get constant customers, they might have enough to cover their lifestyle.

But pink? I bit my tongue and steeled my face, not wanting to show my surprise. They all wore a similar style of swim wear, just different colors. The orange haired sister bikini was a solid gold color that slightly shimmered as she moved. She definitely wasn't shy of attention being drawn to her assets. The blue haired sister had a matching bikini color to her hair with only stripes of red and yellow breaking the solid color. The pink haired one bikini color was a bright red with white hearts for decorations.

The lady with orange hair walked up to us, passing by my Pokémon with a polite smile. Her eyes stopped on Iolanthe for more than a casual glance, but didn't say anything until she looked towards us.

"Hey sis. Not planning on another trip without us knowing are you?"

"Not on your life, Daisy." Misty retorted with a smile. "Just planning a little surprise for this next show."

"A challenger?" Daisy asked, her green eyes wide. "Why didn't you say so? At least you aren't going to dye your hair at the last second like last time, right?"

I turned to see Misty give me a grin. "I don't know about that just yet. Still think my orange looks good on you, by the way." she said. "We'll have to see how well he does for later, though. He's a breeder, really."

"Interesting." the blue haired sister said. "But you aren't really a breeder, if you're planning on fighting."

"Shush, Violet!" the remaining sister said.

"Don't you shush me, Lily."

"And why not?" she demanded. "Misty's the one that handles all the fighting."

I blinked. "Wait. All four of you are the gym leaders for Cerulean City?" I asked, confused.

Lily shook her head. "Just Misty. Even since she's come back from training, we've managed to give Cerulean City a good standing gym. It was hard when she wasn't here."

"Here we go again." Violet groaned. Daisy giggled, patting Lily on the shoulder.

"It was tough times back then, but that's behind us now. Sis is back, kicking ass and taking names." she said with a wink. "We haven't had anyone stroll through here with a cocky grin in... five or six years now, I think."

"So Misty fights, and you three organize the shows?" I asked. "I'm sorry for asking questions. This is actually my first time in a gym."

"Don't worry about it." Daisy said, waving my apology away. "We're more than happy to answer, as long as you can put up with Violet's whining."

"I am not whining!" Violet complained, putting on a serious face.

"Right. You're complaining. It's what you say every time." Daisy said, turning to give her sister a smile. She turned back to me again. "Still with us so far?"

I nodded. "I think so. Don't mind me if I lose the thought process."

"You don't have that much time to think. Misty, we wanted to let you know that the next show starts in a bit over an hour. Just giving you a heads up so you can set up whatever it is you're planning."

Misty nodded, giving her sister a thumbs up. "Don't worry, I got this."

Daisy nodded. "Come on girls, let's get ourselves ready." she said, grabbing the two other sisters by the arms and pulling them away. Misty laughed at the display, shaking her head.

"They haven't changed." she said with a smile.

"That's a good thing, right?" I asked. She nodded.

"Oh yeah. Way better than things used to be!"

That didn't make any sense at all, but I nodded anyway. It was probably for the best. Understanding the woman mind wasn't in my to-do list today.

"Anyway, Daisy did have a point though. I have to work a few things out. Don't chicken out on me now."

"Is there anywhere that you want me to wait?" I asked.

"Follow me." she said, standing up. "I'll take you to the waiting room. By the way, do you have swimming trunks?"

============================/////////////////////=========================

I had gone back to get my swimming shorts from the Pokémon Center. By the time I came back, there was already a sign declaring that there was a challenger for the Cascade Badge propped up next to the ticket booth. People were forming a line already, all of them with eager looks on their faces. While having some problems going back inside, Misty appeared to part the crowd and let me through. The crowd was on us instantly, asking all kinds of questions. Misty pointedly ignored them all before turning around, with me in hand, and pointing first at the sign and then to me.

"Yeah, this kid is the one that's going to challenge me." Misty said, without preamble. "It's going to be different than the usual affair, so maybe you'll be surprised. You're gonna have to pay to find out!"

Before anyone could say anything, especially me, she turned around and pulled me along with her. The hallways passed by in a blur, leading me to a door and pushing me inside without much time to adjust. While I did manage to stay upright, Misty caught my attention by knocking on the door.

"Yeah, your Pokémon are here." she said, pointing to my left. Song, Iolanthe, and Xola were there talking quietly among themselves.

"They've been quiet enough while they waited for you." she continued. "One of my sisters is going to come and get you when it's time. Don't freak out on us now."

"Wait!" I exclaimed, scrambling for the door before she closed it. "Are all those people over there coming to see us fight?"

She laughed. "You bet your ass they are!" she said, patting my shoulder. "No pressure, right?"

She left me there, struggling to come up with anything to say, as she closed the door softly. Not even the clicking sound of the door closing jarred me to move. It felt like I was in shock. Not only were we going to fight a gym leader, but in front of a crowd as well? And, not to mention that this would be the first time we fought someone that most of their focus is battling.

"Shit." I mumbled. "This is bad, isn't it?"

What have I gotten myself into? All of a sudden, the implications behind what we were doing crashed inside of me. Panic settled in me, and it didn't leave until something pulled at me. Iolanthe held me tightly, her tentacles wrapping my body. My struggle was half-hearted, fully knowing that it would be impossible to break out of it. I stopped when her face pressed against my cheek, stroking my hands.

"We will be fine." she said, holding me. "Believe in us."

I nodded slowly, my heart feeling like it was about to burst out of my chest at any moment. Iolanthe dragged me toward Song and Xola, making me sit on her lap. Song held me as best she could, resting her head on my shoulder. Xola leaned forward, resting against me and my lap. My body shook uncontrollably for a moment, forcefully held still by Io's hold.

"We'll be fine." Song said confidently. "It sounded more like she wants a show more than a serious fight."

I shook my head. "She's a gym leader." I pointed out. "If she doesn't take this as seriously as any fight before, she'll probably lose the intimidation that she's enjoyed. It doesn't feel like she's going to hold back."

"I wouldn't want it any other way." Xola said, nodding. "If it's a fight she wants, it's a fight she'll get. We don't plan on just giving her an easy time with us."

"If she thinks we are an easy victory, she will be disappointed in what she will face." Iolanthe said. "We will do our best."

We stayed quiet, my nerves slowly calming down. The situation wasn't that bad, in all honesty. At the very least, compared to what we've gone through already. Nobody's going to be permanently injured after this is said and done. Compared to the alternatives that we could have gone through, that's a step in the right direction.

The realization of thinking in such grim terms was a bit shocking. It wasn't even about winning or losing. Survival was the reason we fought half the time, anyway. Well, except for that Zapdos. Though we did end up picking a fight with her instead of the other way around.

"I'd better tell everyone what we're getting into." I said. Song grabbed the Pokéballs one by one, releasing everyone around us.

It was nice to see everyone was well, but the surprised look on all their faces reminded me of what we were doing. I shook my head, forcing my brain to think of something to say.

"We're about to fight a gym leader." I said without any preamble. "I don't really know how else to say it or what we're about to encounter, either."

"But isn't that impossible?" Baast asked.

I nodded. "It's supposed to be." I answered, nodding to the Lucario. "Apparently, Misty doesn't approve of that rule. For what information we got from Misty, her request is that we fight her."

"Well then, that doesn't sound like a big deal." Zin said confidently.

"She's a water-type Pokémon specialist." I said, frowning. "We're also fighting in front of a crowd."

Mist, Xola, Baast, Akalia, and Song didn't seem that bothered about that bit of news. Zin didn't take the news well, her usual calm demeanor deflating instantly. Aurora's claws clicked together. Iolanthe still looked impassive over the entire situation. Spirit was shaking slightly, her wings making a soft humming sound. I disengaged myself from Iolanthe's grip slowly, approaching the Flygon and holding her head within my hands. Her wings stopped their humming as she leaned towards me.

"Why does it always come down to me giving some rallying speech?" I asked, smiling to Spirit. Her eyes widened slightly, as if she was at fault. She struggled against me for some reason, but my grip kept her still.

"I'm not blaming you, so stop squirming and hug me." I said softly. Spirit finally relented, holding me tightly. I turned to face everyone, making sure that my Flygon's claws were across my chest.

"We're going to fight a water-type specialist." I said. "It's obvious that this isn't new to her, and she gives the air of someone that just hasn't sat at home and trained. She's experienced and perhaps more than us, but it's not like we've been sitting on our asses this entire time. Sure, it isn't the same training she may have done, but training is training.

"This isn't a life or death scenario, either, so we have that going for us. We give it our all regardless. Doing any less is a discredit to both ourselves and our opponent. I highly doubt that she's going to go soft on us, so we have to bring our best. All nine of you are fighting, most likely. Also, we're fighting in front of an audience."

My Pokémon murmured among themselves, but I kept talking. "Regardless of what happens, we'll give her a fight that she'll remember. Win or lose doesn't really matter. We get to see how we fair against a battle hardened opponent."

"We can't back out, can we?" Zin asked.

I shook my head. "Not really, especially after she made the trouble of announcing it to the people making the line outside." I said, frowning.

"Figures." she said, snorting a puff of flame. "Well, it looks like I'm the weakest link for once."

"Zin, don't say that." I said, frowning. "You're not the weakest link in our team by far. No one is."

"In this match I am." she said, narrowing her eyes. "One solid hit and I'm out for the count."

"Then we make it so you don't get hit." I said. The look on her face told me she wanted to argue, but a knock on the door stopped her from talking.

The door opened to reveal Daisy and Lily, still in their swimsuits. They took a look at me and smiled.

"Ready?" Daisy asked.

"In a second." I said with a smile. "Was giving my team a pep talk."

She nodded. "The show starts in five minutes. We're here to escort you."

I nodded as they closed the door. A grin appeared on my face.

"Turn around, so I can change."

Song laughed. "Half of us have had sex with you, while all of us have seen you naked at one point or another. Change already!"

=======================/////////////////////////==========================

"And that was Lily and her spectacular musical, staring our beloved Dewgong and the crew!" Daisy's voice said, almost being drowned by the cheer of the crowd.

We were under the stage, my hands shaking slightly. My heart pounded, the tips of my fingers slowly going numb. Iolanthe and Spirit were trying to keep me calm. Io more than Spirit, as the Flygon was still as nervous as ever.

"And now, for something a little unexpected!" Violet said, taking over the microphone. "Misty has accepted a challenger that just showed up a little while ago this morning. We don't even know where he's from, so prepare for a little impromptu introductions and such. Give us a second while we make sure that he's not shaking in his boots."

Laughter from the crowd echoed to us. It made me stand abruptly, still shaking. Out of fear or outrage, I wasn't completely sure. Maybe a little of both. Daisy showed up, a big smile on her face.

"Nervous?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah." I said, still shaking. "I've never done anything like this before."

"Look, do your best." Daisy advised. "Misty's a little crazy, but all she wants is a good fight. Give her that, ignore the comments that Violet throws, and you'll be golden. That's all we're expecting, though if you beat Misty you'll have people chasing you to the ends of Kanto and Johto."

"Why?"

"We have a reputation as one of the toughest gyms in Kanto." she said, reminding me. "Misty made it this way. Don't expect her to go easy on you just because you're a breeder."

I nodded. "We're expecting that."

She nodded. "I hope so. Come on, let's go introduce you."

I nodded, everyone standing up one by one. We followed Daisy up the stairs and reaching the stage. We were still out of sight, and Daisy held out a hand before we passed her. It didn't take long for Violet to look our way, and Daisy nodded. Violet made a hand gesture up in the air, and the lights dimmed slightly. A spotlight landed in front of us and Daisy motioned for us to follow her.

The stage itself wasn't that different, viewing it from the stands or from my current position. The only thing that was more obvious was how wide the pool really was. Was that the fighting arena? The water had floating platforms as well, so it looked like there was an even spread of land and water. Though obviously this still favored Misty.

As we stepped forward, we were followed by the light as well as by the crowd. The cheering was deafening, making my ears hurt slightly. How many people were in here anyway? Was it sold out? As we approached Violet, the spotlight faded and allowed me to see the rows and rows of people that were going to watch this. I didn't hear the question Violet asked me, but I heard the crowd laugh. Daisy tapped my shoulder, smiling at me brightly. Violet coughed loudly into the microphone, getting my attention.

"Like I said earlier, this is a bit unscripted." she said with a smile. "What's your name, and where are you from?"

I swallowed, leaning towards the microphone slightly. "My name is Aaron Elazar from Solaceon, Sinnoh." I said, doing my best to keep my voice from wavering.

Violet didn't look like she was going to give me any slack, though. She grinned at me wikedly. "Nervous?" she asked. "Don't be. Just avoid getting slammed down by Misty too fast."

I frowned, but kept my opinions to myself. It wasn't like that needed to be rubbed in. Daisy looked she wanted a few choice words, but kept quiet as well. Probably for the sake of the show. Her face didn't look like she appreciated the heckling that her sister was giving me. It was only after a moment that the laughter from the audience made it to my ears. Fine, let them think that way. They'll see what we can do.

"Well, that sure was exciting!" Violet said, turning to the audience again. "I think I've heard of Elazar somewhere. Maybe a book? I dunno, but whatever! That isn't all that important right now! Ladies and gentlemen, kids of all ages, please welcome the Cerulean City gym leader! The one and only Misty!"

An explosion of cheers made me wince slightly as Misty made her way to the stage, walking side by side with Lily. The only difference on Misty's attire was the belt on her waist. The Pokéballs gleaming from the stage light made it obvious what it was for. As Misty made her way to Violet, she handed the microphone to the gym leader. Misty grinned, patting her sister on the shoulder.

"Thank you all for coming today!" she said, her voice echoing through the arena. "We're bringing you something a little different than the standard battle. Instead, we're going to have a nine on nine fight. We'll swap after every fight, and the best one overall is the winner. Best out of nine wins."

Misty passed over the microphone back to Violet. She grinned as she turned back to me. "By the way, we're fighting on the water. No Pokémon here on dry ground."

I frowned. This is bad from my perspective. This is a complete disadvantage for Zin, and probably for most of my team. I looked over to my team behind me, nodding to everyone. Akalia, Zin, and Aurora nodded as my fingers touched their Pokéballs. Before I could recall them, Zin stepped forward.

"Send me first." she muttered. "I don't care what it is that I'll be fighting, but I want to get it over with."

I nodded, recalling them and placing the Pokéballs in my pocket, Xola helping me get in the water. Daisy walked up to me before I moved.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I can't swim." I muttered. She nodded immediately.

"I'll make sure that if you fall we can get you out." she said with a smile. "Our Dewgong and Cloyster are on the case. Focus on fighting."

I nodded. "Thanks, Daisy."

Holding tightly to Xola, we headed towards a golden floating platform. Standing on it, at the very least it was stable. Iolanthe and Xola climbed on top of it, their weight not tilting it. I wasn't about to complain, that's for sure. Baast and Song jumped towards us, using other platforms to stay near us but not crowd mine. Mist and Spirit floated by, landing on another platform close by. It still bothered me how large this pool is.

A cheer from the crowd made me turn towards Misty, seeing her standing next to a large shelled Pokémon. With cannons on its shoulders. A Blastoise. Saw one on a tournament once. It wiped the floor with the competition. And Zin was going to fight it. Somehow, I got the feeling that I would never hear the end of this one.

"Well, here goes." I muttered, grabbing the Pokéballs in my pockets. My hands froze, holding Zin's Pokéball. We were probably going to regret this. I let her out, throwing the ball forward. The device landed ahead of me on another platform, Zin appearing without much fanfare. I could swear I heard a laugh from the crowd. All I could hear was my own breathing and heartbeat.

"Well, this is interesting!" Daisy said, apparently taking hold of the microphone at some point. "Aaron is using a Houndoom to combat Misty's Blastoise. Alright! First fight out of nine! Give our audience the show they deserve! Go!"

The Blastoise dove into the water as Zin moved forward using the platforms. Thankfully it was still visible, not going underneath the surface of the water for some reason. Zin attacked, spitting fire in the Blastoise's general direction.

"Zin, Smoke Screen!"

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!"

Shit! Zin disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, but it wouldn't stop the torrent of water headed her way. The Blastoise jumped, clearing the surface of the water and using the water cannons on its back to saturate the platform that Zin was on with water. Thank Arceus, Zin bolted out of the way and completely avoiding the attack. She leaned forward, unleashing a gout of fire towards the airborne target. Blastoise retreated into its shell quickly before disappearing inside the flames. A loud splash could be heard as Zin stopped blowing fire.

Smoke Screen wasn't going to help much, unless she covered a wide area. It looked like she came to the same conclusion, dropping clouds of black smoke as she moved from platform to platform. This was obviously a match we couldn't win easily. It was really a matter of wearing the Blastoise down, or getting hit and taking the loss. Knowing Zin, though, she would rather take the Blastoise down with her if she could.

"Blastoise, Flash Cannon!" Misty yelled out.

Her Blastoise came out of the water, standing on a platform in front of Zin. The problem with his positioning. Zin could only evade going towards Blastoise, or falling back enough. Or jumping into the water. Oh, and it was in my direction, too.

"Zin, Feint Attack!"

Not much wasn't going in our favor, so I decided to press what advantage we could. Zin darted forward through the smog covered platforms. Whether he was aiming for my Houndoom or not wasn't the problem anymore. Twin balls flashing multicolored light headed towards us. Zin jumped out of the black smoke, clearing the attack and nailing the large Pokémon.

Of course, now the attack was headed towards us. Before it got any closer, a large prismatic barrier appeared. The attack landed on it, dissipating harmlessly. I looked towards the stage, seeing Daisy smile at me. I nodded, turning my focus again towards the battle.

Fact: we weren't winning, but we weren't losing at the moment. Fact: that attack took out all the smoke screens that Zin deployed in one attack. I wasn't about to let Misty have all the glory. That Blastoise was about to get a surprise.

"Blastoise, Hyper Beam!"

Figures. This Blastoise seems like a range specialist. Fine, we can both play that game.

"Zin, Smoke Screen!"

She looked at be dubiously, but I answered her anyway. "Show me what you showed Morph at Jubilife!"

Her eyes widened, before giving me a grin and disappearing behind a cloud of black smoke. She leaped between platforms, doing the same tactic we did previously. Zin was getting closer, though, doubling back to try to feint out the attack.

"Fire!"

At first I was startled that there really was a fire in the building. Then it hit me that it was Misty shouting to her Blastoise to actually shoot. The twin beams rocketed in front of the Blastoise, colliding with the platform that Zin was last on. Water exploded upwards, but the blur headed towards the overgrown blue Pokémon made me grin.

"Zin, Thunder Fang!"

Leaping towards the Blastoise from an angle, he didn't get a chance to avoid the attack. Zin bit into his leg, electricity making the Blastoise light up the arena in painful whites and yellows. After the attack, Zin jumped away from the Blastoise. Still twitching from the after effects of the attack, we pressed what advantage we could.

"Zin, Overheat!"

My Houndoom's body glowed faintly for a moment, the flames in her mouth visible even at my distance. A bright white and blue fire exploded forward, swallowing the Blastoise inside of it. It was my real hope that it didn't fall forward into the water or anything. Zin was putting way too much power into this one attack.

"Blastoise, Aqua Jet!"

Well, that didn't sound good. The blue and white fire was parting slowly, revealing a spinning shell headed towards Zin. It parted the flames slowly, pushing his way towards Zin slowly. It picked up speed quickly, though, and pushed his way past Zin's flames and sending my Houndoom flying through the air. Her body hit the shield surrounding the arena with a thud. Before anyone said anything, my hands were on her Pokéball and recalling her. Technology saved me from having a heart attack, as the beam reached her and got her to the relative safety of her home.

Even if we probably knew the end result, it still bothered me. It was a losing battle, but I still held hope for at least a fighting chance. Misty wasn't going to give us one, especially since she probably knew that she would win that one easily. Even then, Zin wanted to fight. My hands shook as I shrunk her Pokéball and placed it gently in my pocket.

I didn't wait for Violet or Misty to say anything. "Song, you're next." I said softly.

Song placed a hand on my shoulder. "Let's see what her next Pokémon is." she said. I sighed, but deferred to her idea.

Misty recalled her Blastoise, to the loud cheering of the audience. She grabbed another Pokéball, releasing a Floatzel. I looked over to Song, who nodded. "I will take on this challenge." she said, holding her staff in her hands.

She walked forward, standing on the water as if it was solid ground. With staff in hand, she stood in front of me calmly. Even the Floatzel was slightly surprised, but didn't wait for long before diving into the water. It moved quickly in our direction, but Song stood her ground. The Floatzel jumped towards her, but Song brought her staff forward. With one jab, she stopped the attack from reaching her. Song stepped forward, swinging the staff in a wide arc and catching the Pokémon with the full swing. The impact reverberated loudly, sending the Floatzel bouncing across water and platforms.

Before the Floatzel could recover, Song ran forward using both water and platforms. The Floatzel was already in the water, swimming extremely quickly towards Song. She avoided contact, using the platforms as a makeshift barrier to slow down her opponent. The swimming Pokémon turned hard, water flying into the air and shooting an Ice Beam towards Song. She avoided the attack easily, though it wasn't the only one. More beams shot from the water, the thin beams beginning to freeze the surface as the temperature dropped slowly but steadily.

"Floatzel, Surf!"

The Floatzel dove down under the surface before surging upwards. A wave of water formed in front of me, the Pokémon riding it towards Song. It grew rapidly, easily large enough to shadow the entire pool area and most of the stage. This was probably why they asked me to wear swimming trunks. Song's only reaction to the wave was to stand straight and jump straight for the surfing Floatzel. The staff swung, but the Pokémon avoided the attack, diving under the wave. The attack seemed to shrink, the wave falling on itself. My Gardevoir didn't seem bothered, landing gracefully on the water.

The instant she did, five Floatzels surfaced. My voice died in my throat as they all piled on top of her. A splash of water was all that was visible from my end of the fight. When the frothing water calmed, only a Floatzel was visible. Misty shouted something, but above the Floatzel was my Gardevoir. With staff in hand, she swing downwards. I don't know if she hit or missed, but the impact made the water rush outwards, splashing everywhere. The wave almost knocked me off the platform, but Iolanthe prevented me from being swept away.

"Floatzel, Agility!"

Floatzel appeared, breaking the surface for a moment and shaking his head. There was at least a hard blow to the side of the head. I couldn't tell very well. Before I could inspect any further, he almost disappeared from view. Only the trail of water left behind was the indication where Floatzel was. Before long, he was spinning around in circles around Song, who was standing still.

"Whirlpool!"

Even while the Floatzel swam in circles, before diving under water but continuing to swim in circles. The dark shape of the Floatzel could still be seen, but now bubbles were forming around Song. Before long a torrent of water shot up encasing the Gardevoir within the vortex. Song, I hope you have a brilliant idea...

"Now, Ice Beam!"

Floatzel jumped out of the water before glowing a bright white for a moment. Opening its mouth, the Floatzel launched another Ice Beam. Connecting with the water, he didn't stop immediately even after contact. The ice climbed up the column of water, freezing it slowly in place. When he landed, Floatzel took a few deep breaths. Was this Song's plan?

"Giga Impact!"

Well, that didn't sound good. The Floatzel spun around a few times before breaking the surface. The supersonic Pokémon was engulfed in a swirl of purple and orange. As soon as that happened, the ice shattered as Song rushed towards the charging Floatzel. Her staff met the Pokémon's attack, the impact sending a wave of purple energy flying upwards. A resounding crack reached my ears, as the Floatzel was sent flying sideways, slamming against the barrier and falling into the water. Song stood straight, adjusting herself for a moment before nodding towards her fallen opponent and walking towards us calmly.

It was funny to see her smile, before leaning heavily on me. She must be completely exhausted. I offered her to rest inside her Pokéball, but she shook her head and hugged me tightly. Smiling, my hands held her tightly. If she wanted to rest here, so be it. Though if things got rough she would go and rest where it was safe.

So, one to one so far. With seven to go, it looked like Misty was as shocked as everyone was when Song fought. I don't know if she was waiting for her Floatzel to recover, but she eventually pulled out a Pokéball and recalled him. Misty's face was hard to see from our distance. I was sure that she wasn't expecting Song to do the things she just did. Much less actually fight, or pose such a threat. Pretty sure that she wasn't expecting a Gardevoir to be so physically strong. Don't know what she was thinking about the staff, either.

Misty unleashed her next Pokémon, a purple star shaped Pokémon with a bright jewel in the middle. I grabbed Aurora's Pokéball, the Weavile appearing in the platform in front of me. The Weavile turned and nodded, before focusing on her opponent.

"Starmie, Thunderbolt!"

What?! The Pokémon spun in place, half of it spinning in one way while the other spun the opposite way. Electricity began to form in front of the gem before blasting towards Aurora. My Weavile jumped, dodging the attack completely and landing on another platform. She began to run towards her target, claws gleaming from the spotlights above.

"Aurora, Night Slash!"

"Starmie, Ice Beam!"

Misty knew that Aurora was an ice type, right? Aurora didn't even bother dodging completely. She ran on top of the attack, her claws hidden beneath a sheath of darkness. Aurora's attack left darkness across the body of the star shaped Pokémon in a cross shaped pattern before dissipating slowly into the air. The Starmie reacted quickly even after the attack, spinning towards Aurora. The roaring crowd was a bit distracting. It was impossible to tell who they were cheering for.

Aurora pushed off the Starmie eventually with a sweep of her claws. The Starmie, unperturbed by being pushed around floated over to one of the platforms nearby. A bundle of red energy began to pulse next to the Pokémon, followed by three more in quick succession. We weren't left in the dark for long when Misty pointed towards Aurora.

"Starmie, Hidden Power!"

Flames everywhere! Aurora jumped away, diving into the water to avoid the fireballs that Starmie's attack made. Aurora surfaced but only for a moment, before diving and avoiding the fire. The surface of the water burned where she was, and it was easy enough to see where she was. Aurora rose once more, but Starmie spun through the air and tackled the unsuspecting Weavile. A cloud of white smoke appeared instantly, obscuring the battlefield. Something made me look up, and what I saw made me grin.

Aurora was up in the air. How she got so high was a question for another day. Multiple Ice Beams launched from her position, hitting the water and freezing the Starmie in place. A ball of dark energy formed in her claws, shattering whatever ice was along the way before enveloping the cage where Starmie was. Balls of fire appeared alongside the pillar of darkness. Aurora jumped away from her position, avoiding the fireballs aimed at her. Misty's Pokémon flew out of the water, not even where Aurora had aimed her attack, and slamming its body hard against her.

Aurora recovered, retaliating with a slash that left a ghostly afterimage around it. It didn't look like it did any physical damage, but it made Starmie back off immediately afterwards. Another bunch of fireballs appeared, hurled towards Aurora as the Starmie fell into the water. My Weavile dodged one, but couldn't see the one flying from behind. That allowed the rest to follow suit, the fire pushing her into the air and landing unceremoniously into the water.

Aurora broke the surface, climbing on top of a platform. Turning to me, she smiled. She had a plan? I raised an eyebrow, but she clicked her claws together. Nodding, it was the only thing to do and trust her judgement. She winked at me quickly, before launching herself back at the Starmie. The water froze under Aurora as she slid her way towards the Starmie. Red fireballs flew in her direction again, but she avoided them this time. A stream of bubbles shot towards Aurora, but she countered with an Ice Beam. The bubbles froze in midair, falling as she skated around them.

"Starmie!" Misty exclaimed. For the first time there seemed to be panic in her voice. "Take that Weavile out!"

More fire orbs appeared, joined by the crackling of lighting again. When the fireballs moved, Aurora didn't dodge them this time. She was engulfed in flame! Without missing a beat, the Starmie shot the lightning towards the fire, the two energies pushing the air and water out. Aurora was still standing, and rushed towards Starmie. Her claws glowed with jet black energy, much darker than when she used Night Slash.

Starmie didn't move, though out of what I have no idea. Aurora didn't hesitate in slamming her claws into the jewel at the center of her opponent. A loud sound, like the echo of ice shattering, could be heard throughout as the Starmie was flung backwards. Misty's Pokémon bounded across the water and from the platforms, before landing next to her. The crowd erupted in cheers as Daisy's voice finally reached its way into my ears announcing Aurora's victory.

Aurora used the water to skate her way towards us, taking her time and even acknowledging the crowds cheering. I blushed a little bit as Aurora reached and jumped into my arms. The grin on her face made me smile widely, as she cuddled against my bare chest for a moment. My fingers grabbed her Pokéball as she nodded, disappearing inside to rest. Misty must have recalled her Starmie, as another Pokémon was in the water.

A bright yellow light came from eye level. My eyes adjusted slowly, revealing that the light was coming from a Pokémon in the water. It turned slightly, allowing me to see what was our next opponent. A blue sleek body was on the surface of the water, with a tendril hanging from the Pokémon's forehead. From the tip of the tendril was a yellow orb that hung low, almost to the surface of the water. The tendril had a second yellow orb, but this one was much higher and closer to the Pokémon's body.

Spirit placed a hand on my head, nodding towards me. I almost voiced my concern, but she smiled widely. My complaint died in my throat, nodding towards my Flygon as she flew to the air and prepared herself. For a moment, neither we nor our Pokémon made any moves. Daisy's voice was the one that broke the sudden stagnation.

"Well! Our fourth fight is already interesting, with our challenger presenting a difficult target with a Flygon. But will Misty's Lanturn have a chance? What does the audience think?"

The wave of sound that hit me made me wince, but it didn't disturb Spirit in the slightest. I couldn't hear for what Pokémon the audience was cheering for. Misty didn't let me contemplate on much as she announced announced her first attack.

"Lanturn, Ice Beam!"

From the Lanturn's position, the attack came right from underneath Spirit. She tilted to her right, completely avoiding the attack though the ice beam created an icicle hanging from the barrier surrounding us. Spirit grabbed hold of it, just in time to see the next Ice Beam be launched her way. She idly dodged to the side again, throwing the held icicle in her paws down to her opponent. The Lanturn cried in pain suddenly, as Spirit's impromptu attack landed on a part of the Lanturn's body. Spirit was almost disinterested, especially from her opponents reaction.

Out of all the times we trained, Spirit had trained the hardest. If Misty didn't actually take this seriously, I was afraid of what Spirit would unleash against Lanturn.

"Thunderbolt!" Misty cried out loud.

Really? An electric attack against Spirit? Electricity arced around the Lanturn's lights, before a bolt of lightning shot upwards towards Spirit. It was slightly amusing how she didn't even bother dodging the attack. Though she did react by giving a yawn. Well, a yawn that turned into a Flamethrower headed downwards. The Lanturn avoided the attack by going underwater, though it didn't stop the water from steaming slightly. I almost wanted to laugh at Misty, but that wasn't right. She better figure out something quickly, though.

"Hydro Pump!" Misty yelled.

A column of water sprayed upwards from the Lanturn's mouth. Spirit looked downwards once and seemed to shrug. She dropped from the sky, avoiding the attack and was instantly at my eye level. Skimming the water towards the Lanturn, Misty's Pokémon turned the attack on Spirit. A beam of purple and white fired from Spirit, cutting right through the Lanturn's attack. Spirit's beam connected, stopping any further water flow. Spirit grabbed her opponent by the tendril, swinging the Lanturn in wide circles before bringing her over her head and slamming her down onto one of the platforms.

Bright red and blue flames flickered in her maw before she unleashed a torrent of flame on the helpless water Pokémon. Spirit grabbed the Lanturn up into the air again, but Daisy called a halt to the fight loudly through the microphone. Spirit looked almost angry, her eyes almost glowing before placing her opponent on the ground almost reverently. She flew towards me, landing softly.

It was still frightening to see her fight like that. She smiled at me though, rubbing her cheek against mine. I did my best to reciprocate the affection with a Gardevoir still clinging to me. My eyes met hers, and she knew what my words were going to be. She nodded, cooing softly as she returned to her vacated spot before flying to fight. It was an awkward silence that surrounded us when Misty released her next Pokémon.

The large body and long neck of a Lapras was clear to me. I frowned, looking towards who should fight this opponent. Xola would be overpowered in raw strength. Maybe something more tactical? Iolanthe shook her head, but pointed towards Mist.

"I will go." she said with a nod.

I nodded. "Do your best." I whispered.

Something told me that this wouldn't be an easy match for Mist. She was my long range specialist. The Mismagius has made it abundantly clear to me that she has no physical skills whatsoever. If the Lapras had more powerful attacks, it would be obvious in the first few moments of the fight.

This is, of course, assuming that the Lapras is more powerful at range than physical. We were about to find out.

"Lapras, Ice Beam!"

"Mist, Shadow Ball!"

The beam of ice was almost instantaneous! Lapras' attack was almost to Mist before the Shadow Ball met it in the air. My Mismagius shook her head, a bit shaken but still intact. Another Ice Beam launched from the Lapras, but Mist was able to dodge it easily while not preparing her own attack.

"Mist, Ominous Wind!"

"Lapras, Surf!"

A wave of water formed, reaching a height not previously shown before by Misty's Pokémon. It was convenient that Mist's attack was successful, but the gigantic wave blocked the attack. The wave continued over towards me and my team, but thankfully the barriers were still in place. It was still a bit jarring to see water just slam into something invisible though. Especially if it was a wave easily four times Xola's length.

This wasn't going in our advantage at all. I frowned, but wracked my brain for anything that could help Mist in this situation. My breath was became visible. Was it getting colder? Lapras' mouth was emitting frost from the mouth before turning to Mist and exhaling.

"Shadow Ball!" I called out.

Mist formed another Shadow Ball, unleashing it before the attack could make it any closer. Thankfully the Shadow Ball was able to disperse the ice before reaching Mist. Lapras had to dive underwater to completely avoid the attack. I frowned though, still trying to think of anything to help Mist.

"Lapras, Hydro Pump!"

Again with the Hydro Pump from underneath. Mist noticed the attack, but even with forewarning she was hit. Not fully, but she wasn't fast enough to completely avoid it. Time to stop thinking and try to put this Lapras on the defensive.

"Mist, Thunder Wave!" I exclaimed.

Thin strands of electricity came from her jewels, lancing towards Lapras. Lapras was hit, crying loudly as electricity hindered the Pokémon's movements. It was my hope that this would work as best as possible.

"Power Gem!"

The jewels on Mist's dress glowed brightly again, glowing a brilliant white before launching towards Lapras. The Lapras, unable to move, was hit full force with the multiple brilliant pellets launched towards it. Lapras barely made any sound, but instead launched another Ice Beam towards Mist. This time my Mismagius seemed ready, and was able to avoid the attack completely.

"Sheer Cold!"

The temperature dropped to ridiculous levels instantly. The Lapras seemed to glow a bright blue before opening its mouth and unleashing a flurry of snow and ice towards Mist. It surrounded the ghost completely. She even fired a Shadow Ball, but it didn't have any effect. Before any words made their way to my mouth, the sound of a glass shattering rang through the air as a block of ice fell against the water.

The ice began to crack as it floated over towards us. The frozen form of my Mismagius was inside that block of ice. Iolanthe and Spirit flew over to it, Baast shaking our platform as she landed to help bring the block of ice off the water. With a solid punch, Baast shattered more of the ice and freeing the Mismagius from her prison.

"I apologize." she said softly. I shook my head, cutting off any more that she had to say.

"You did your best, that's all that matters." I said. "We'll train harder."

She smiled at me as I picked her up into my arms. She closed her eyes and slowly merged inside my body. With Mist safely inside of me, Iolanthe swept the remains of ice off the platform. Baast pounded her paws together.

"My turn." she said grimly. I nodded.

Misty recalled her Lapras, replacing it with the weirdest Pokémon I've ever seen. A large spiral shell was most of the Pokémon's body. Two large eyes sat above a mouth, with at least six tentacles writhing around. Four of them were very thick, and looked attached near the mouth like beak. I frowned, turning to the Lucario.

"Please be careful, Baast." I said. "Whatever that is, it looks strong."

"It's an old relic of a long forgotten age!" she barked, laughing. "One punch and that shell will shatter!"

With those words, Baast ran towards her target using the platforms as efficiently as possible. The Pokémon didn't react to the rapidly approaching biped, only curling inside the shell when Baast made it to its platform. Her punch was encased in energy before punching straight forward. The Pokémon went flying, shell and all, hitting the barrier surrounding the arena before falling into the water.

Two bleary eyes popped out of the water, the shell seemingly intact after the impact. Baast looked surprised, before growling loudly. A blue sphere formed in her paws before rushing towards the odd looking Pokémon.

"Omastar, Ancient Power!" Misty commanded.

A white ball of energy formed in front of the Pokémon. Baast formed her own ball of Aura energy in her paws. Like an unspoken agreement, both spheres launched from their respective owners, meeting each other halfway. Omastar's attack was overpowered by Baast's Aura Sphere, headed straight for her target. The Omastar didn't show any surprise, grabbing the sphere with one of its tentacles and flinging it back towards Baast!

"Baast, Extreme Speed!" I called in response.

She disappeared from view instantly, a blue and black blur of motion charging towards the Omastar. Misty's voice sounded surprised when she called to her Pokémon.

"Omastar, Toxic Spikes!" she shouted.

A dark purple and black ball appeared in front of Omastar's mouth. It grew before exploding outwards. Oddly shaped spikes landed around the water and on the platforms. If they were supposed to slow down or hinder Baast, they failed miserably. The Lucario just ran over them, the spikes disappearing as she charged by. Approaching the Omastar, Baast was a flurry of kicks and punches as she pounded on the Omastar.

Both Pokémon went under the surface momentarily. Baast was the first to surface, before blue tentacles wrapped around her and dragged her down again. A white light shined through the surface, the Omastar flying out of the water and Baast gasping for air. A nearby platform allowed the Lucario to finally get out of the water and out of the Omastar's reach.

"Omastar, Spike Cannon!"

A volley of white spiked projectiles flew towards Baast. The Lucario didn't hesitate, either outright dodging the projectiles or meeting them with fist or kick. If they missiles hit their intended target, they didn't do much to slow down Baast. This exchange continued for a moment longer, before Omastar changed tactics. A ball of blue energy swirled in front of Misty's Pokémon. I raised an eyebrow, recognizing the attack. Even from my angle, that Water Pulse was going to be huge.

Even knowing the attack was forming, she charged forward. Regardless of her speed, the sphere in front of the Omastar exploded forward. Like a water balloon bursting, a surge of water flowed towards the Lucario. It was a torrent that shook the water under us, nearly tipping us all. Xola and Iolanthe made sure that I wasn't in any danger of falling. Where was Baast, though? A laugh from the other end of the pool made me look towards Misty. It wasn't until a blur of motion on the side made the Omastar turn as well.

Damn Lucario! Whatever she held in her hands glowed a bright blue and looked like a rod or bone. The first blow was an overhead strike that left the Omastar either dazed or confused. The next one sent it flying towards Misty, though the shield stopped it abruptly in mid flight.

Baast grinned as she finally made her way towards us. She laughed at my surprised look. "I took that last attack from you, Song." the Lucario said as she shook her head. "It was definitely the right thing to do."

My hands covered my face. "How much of that fight was improvised?" I asked.

"Did I hear you give orders?" she asked. "A bit of it, though it wasn't that hard to figure out. Give me some credit at least. By the way, I like the way that you battle."

I blinked, her words going way over my head. She sighed, shaking her head sadly.

"Never mind."

Misty recalled her Omastar, but she hesitated before releasing her next Pokémon. I looked towards Iolanthe, and she nodded. Song shook her head, pointing towards the main stage. Misty was standing by her sisters as Daisy handed the microphone to her. She closed her eyes for a moment before speaking.

"As gym leader of the Cerulean Gym, I concede defeat."

Her words were heard in silence. The crowds reaction looked like it was of pure disbelief. Then the claps began to echo through the silent room. Slowly but surely the sound could be heard. Cheers came next, one after another until the entire crowd was frothing like the pool was not that long ago. My knees gave out under me, hitting the soft platform. If there was any pain it didn't register in my brain. My reverie was only broken when Misty popped in front of us, climbing on my platform. She picked me up from the ground and held up my hand for a moment. The wall of sound nearly deafened me again.

When she brought my hand down from the air, she opened it and pressed something small into my hand. As she pulled her hand away, a badge lay in the palm of my hand. It was in the shape of three raindrops, blue in color and orientated in the same direction. A bright green gem was in the middle of the badge, holding the raindrops together. There were two letters etched on the green gem, a stylized capital P and L. I looked at Misty, who grinned at me.

"You did pretty good, Aaron." she said.

Just pretty good? I chuckled, shaking my head. "What are the letters for?" I asked.

She shrugged. "For the Pokémon League." she said simply. "Unless you change your mind."

"I think I'm good on that." I said, shaking my head. "We have to inspect the Cerulean Cave and find out where Lance could have gone."

"At least I tried." she said with a shrug. "In any case, you should stay for the rest of the show. At the very least, to avoid the mob that's going to be outside."

"Wouldn't waiting make it worse?" I asked.

Misty shook her head. "Trust me on this one."

=======================////////////////////////===========================

"Well, that was interesting." Iolanthe said.

We were in the same backroom we were in before we fought Misty. It was just me and Iolanthe this time, Violet making it clear that she will come for us when the crowd thinned out. We were both sitting next to each other on two stools, though she was leaning on me more than she was sitting.

"Why would people wish to talk to us?" she asked, turning towards me.

I shrugged. "Well, the gym did have a unbeaten record until now." I said, pointing out what Misty said. "Pretty sure they're trying to make sure we don't get stalked by strangers."

"That would be rather inconvenient." she said, nodding towards me.

"Yeah, we don't need people following my every waking moment. I have nine Pokémon that do that for me."

Iolanthe laughed, her hold on my hands tightening gently. I shrugged, not entirely sure why she thought it was funny. Regardless, her eyes were still focused on me with as much attention as Zin when she's getting what she wants. Which, in all honesty, felt a little weird.

"Is it that awkward to be around me?" she asked suddenly.

"I'm trying to understand you, too." I said, frowning.

"Was kissing you a bad idea?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No, that's not it Io. I'm trying to figure it out, and it seems to me that you want to figure out things in yourself. At least, before we do any more physical things like how Zin handles things."

"May I be candid with you, Master?" she asked.

"Of course, what is it?"

"What is it that you love of your mates?"

The question caught me off guard for a moment, but it was a legitimate question all the same. Mist was intelligent, always with an enlightening thought more often than not. Song was Song, with all her crazy laughter and sense of humor. Not to mention her dancing. I don't know if I would consider being in love with Baast, but she was quite infatuated with me to say the least. Zin.... well, she has her forceful personality. I still care for her, though, even through her rather difficult thought process.

Xola and Spirit have always had my respect. Spirit sees me as a son she's never had before. It's a bit intimidating, especially when she gets so protective. Xola feels like a sister I've never had before, keeping me safe from drowning. Never mind that she was the one that almost made that happen. Aurora was in a similar group as Baast, but she's made it rather clear that she doesn't want anything physical. I still care for her though, as it doesn't have to be purely physical attraction. Akalia has been like Xola, except we used to get in as much trouble as she helped me get out of it.

Iolanthe waited patiently for my answer. She sat up straight, vacating my side. Her eyes looked into mine, as if my word was final. How did I think about her? I cared about her, but I cared about all my friends. It was an abrupt meeting, to say the least, but she's aided us without asking for any kind of payment. All she's wanted is interaction with all of us, or specifically with me. Last time I checked, she's been getting plenty of that. Making sure that my bones were located properly set a pretty high standard.

Also, knocking aside two Steelix like it wasn't a problem didn't hurt either.

"Maybe it's better if I talked instead of leaving you to pick my thoughts." I said with a smile. She blinked, suddenly sitting up straight.

"I want you to know that all that you've done for us is extremely appreciated." I said with a smile. "You've never asked for much or anything. Your only wish was to be with us, interact, and to learn.

"My hope is that you've been able to do that and more. To answer your question though, it's hard to have one answer to it. The love of my mates is as varied as they are. I use the term mate extremely lightly, by the way. I don't completely buy into Zin's mentality."

Iolanthe laughed lightly inside my mind, which made me chuckle. "Regardless, they are all very dear to me. Spirit considers me as a son. Though I don't think of her as a mother, the affection is all the same. Song is almost like my first girlfriend, while Aurora feels like the baby sister that's too spoiled for her own good."

I shrugged. "I love them all for completely different reasons. Just like I love you, too."

She didn't verbally react, but her large eyes blinked. Her reaction made me smile at her reassuringly. I reached to her hands, her tentacles lying limply against the palms of my hands.

"It doesn't take much for me to like someone." I said, looking at Iolanthe. "Heck, I've probably loved you for a long time and I've been too stupid, blind, busy, or ignorant to tell you before. I'm leaning towards male stupidity, but that's my excuse for everything I do that doesn't meet the approval of all my Pokémon."

"What do you then? When you do not, I mean."

"Apologize profusely and do my best never to repeat the same mistake. Just like how I try to be sensitive around Mist and the whole breeder thing. That's one topic that doesn't need to be brought up again."

Iolanthe nodded. I continued, fully aware that my time wasn't over yet. "I care about you Io, because you've been here through the worse of it all. You've been extremely patient and understanding, just for an opportunity to be here like this. It makes me feel like a jackass, in all honesty, because it feels like I'm using you though you came by your own free will. I also feel like I haven't been living up to my end of the bargain, or at least not until recently.

"You've been doing your best to understand me and my ignorance, and I haven't been doing my part to understand you and your needs. Zin sees you as a candidate for this crazy pack... family... thing that she has. Song seems to think the world of you, while everyone else doesn't seem to mind your presence. Especially Aurora, who seems to use your head as a resting spot as often as my own.

"I talk too much, too. I care enough about you that if you left, your presence here will be missed. It's not about your strength that will be missed, but you. And I don't want that to happen."

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at me. It felt like she was thinking of something. "And what would you do in order to keep me here?" she asked softly.

"If I can do it, and it doesn't harm anyone, if it's in my power I will." I said with conviction.

"I want you to love me."

"Didn't I say that I did?"

She shook her head. "Please, do not interrupt me."

I shut my mouth and waited for her to explain. "It is a bit complicated for me to explain, so if it is confusing accept my apologies. I want to feel like how your mates feel, to feel... special and unique."

It was honestly a bit confusing. Special and unique? By Arcues, she was Deoxys! Well, one part of the whole being, but doesn't that make you rather unique?

"What is it that you're looking for, Iolanthe?" I asked, leaning forward.

Her body latched into mine, her stool flying as her body rested on my lap. My own stool teetered precariously, but by some miracle we didn't fall in a heap of limbs. Her face pressed against my own, the odd feeling of kissing a smooth surface making me feel a little awkward. Her tentacles held me tightly, exploring my exposed back. With my own arms wrapped around her body, I managed to free myself to breath for a moment or two. It was a bit surprising to see her act so intensely, but it was enough that I was doing something wrong.

With an eye towards the door to make sure it was still closed, I began to trace... well... her jaw I guess, reaching her neck with my lips. Her body stiffened suddenly, grasping me tightly. It was a labor to keep breathing, but eventually she uncoiled her tentacles around me. She shook her head, as if she was waking up from something.

"I want you to complete me." she whispered.

A grin wanted to form on my lips and I did my best to stifle the chuckle that wanted to escape me. Pulling away from Io, our eyes met for a moment. Her face colored deeply as she quickly turned to avoid my gaze. Bringing my hand slowly to touch her cheek, she turned back to face me.

"I will, if that's what you want."

She shook her head. "I want you to feel like I do, too." she whispered.

"Then look inside my head, because if that doesn't convince you nothing will." I said.

It was already hard to control my arousal, and only the fact that we weren't in a safe location stopped me from acting on impulse. The gentle tug on my mind let me know that Iolanthe was asking for permission. It reminded me of how Song would do the same thing. It felt funny having my mind actively being read again. At first Iolanthe's touch was gentle, as if she was scared of what she found. Whatever she saw, her hold on both my mind and body tightened as if afraid of letting go.

She rested her head on my shoulder as I slowly calmed my body down. Her psychic grasp on my mind softened, but not releasing me from her hold. It felt good to see her calm for once. I felt like there was something always on her mind. Perhaps whatever she saw put her at ease. Her laughter echoed in my ears.

"It did, Master." she said happily. At the same time, a knock came to the door.

"Give me a second." I called as Iolanthe slowly left my lap. We both stood side by side as I opened the door. Daisy and Misty were both there, along with like fifteen or so others that I didn't recognize.

"These idiots didn't get the message." Misty said, using her thumb to point at her entourage. "They would like a word with you, if you don't mind."

"Reporters." Daisy said.

A guy pushed his way through, shoving aside Daisy to get access to the room. Misty took that persons camera and shoved it into his face.

"You shove my sister again, and your teeth get broken next." she snarled. "You're going to show proper respect around here, and that starts with my sister and me."

I approached Daisy as Misty helped her stand on her own. Daisy winced as she put weight on her feet, and the look that was on Misty's face would kill if it could. Violet and Lily came around the corner, hurrying over as if called.

"What happened?" Lily asked, pushing her way past the crowd.

"This retard pushed my sister." Misty said, looking towards the offending reporter. "Get Daisy to her room, please."

Violet and Lily helped their sister stand, the crowd parting quickly to allow the three ladies space. As soon as Daisy was out of sight, cameras and recording devices were pointed towards us. Misty turned to me, frowning as she pointed again to the crowd beside her.

"I tried to tell them that you weren't available." she said loudly. "But Violet thought it would be good for you to get some time in the spotlight. Don't mind me if I stay and listen. They're still convinced I threw the match for you."

"What?!" I exclaimed, surprised. Shaking my head. "No, there's no way Misty threw the match."

A woman with a recording device was the first to speak. "So, are you really Aaron Elazar, son of Daniel and Laura Elazar?"

I raised my eyebrow and tried not to laugh. "Yeah, that's mom and dad alright. They're still in Sinnoh, before you ask. No, the next book isn't done yet because I was still helping them record information before I went to become a trainer."

"What made you become a breeder?" someone else asked.

"Circumstances that are pretty personal."

"What kind?"

"I just said they're pretty personal. I don't want to share." I answered with a shrug. Misty laughed for a moment as the reporters looked at each other dubiously.

"How did you capture a Deoxys?" someone else asked after a moment.

"I didn't. She chose to come along with me under her own free will."

"How many Pokémon do you have with you?"

"Nine."

"How did you come by your method of battling?" a quiet voice asked. Everyone looked to see a young reporter with a steno pad and pen in hand.

I shrugged. "They know themselves better than I do." I answered. "They know what they can or can't do. They don't need me shouting orders all the time."

"So you take a more passive role in a fight." she said.

"Like I said, it's better than shouting myself hoarse. I trust them, and they trust me. It's more than I ever wished for. My path as a trainer isn't the same as everyone else."

"Sounds like you have a story to tell." the lady said, a grin forming on her face. The reporters all jumped on the chance of a possible answer.

Something tightened around my left hand. Iolanthe was looking at me intently, two of her tentacles wrapped tightly around my fingers. I smiled at her and she nodded to me.

"I'm sure there is one, but it's probably not my own. My story isn't going to make anyone famous, and just because I beat Misty doesn't make me something to expect in the next tournament or whatever. Don't expect to see me again, because I don't plan to stay here for very long either."

I turned to Misty, smiling at her. "We'll be taking our leave. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure Iolanthe has me covered. Will you be alright?"

"As long as Daisy is fine." she said, shrugging. "If not, someone's gonna pay."

I laughed as I turned to Iolanthe. "Can you teleport us back to our room?"

She nodded. My world blurred together, Misty's laugh and the clamoring of the reporters the only things that echoed throughout. Iolanthe's teleporting felt slightly less disorientating, though maybe I was just getting used to the effects. As soon as my world stopped spinning, my back landed on the bed as Iolanthe rested on top of me.

A tentacle stroked the side of my face. Iolanthe's face was in front of mine, eyes looking straight into mine. She lowered her face against mine, her smooth skin meeting my lips again. No part of my body was safe from her touch. A sliding tentacle hooked around my trunks, pulling them down and off my body. She pulled away for a moment, her eyes peering into mine.

"Since when was the light on?" I asked.

"Don't change the subject." she said sternly. "I want to be able to look at you."

I chuckled, but another concern surfaced in my thoughts. "I have already mentioned to Nurse Joy that we should not be disturbed." she said.

"You think of everything, don't you."

"Song suggested that I take what I want from you." she said softly. "I intend to follow on that today."