"Tackle, Seedot!"

  The Grass type sprang into action, slithering across the battlefield. The creature's stature sat short, its stubby limbs struggling when its trainer pressed for a quick strike. Yet, it still battled with a fierce expression, disregarding the disadvantage it found itself at. Digging its feet into the ground, the Seedot charged headfirst with the ferocity of an angry bull. Lucas watched carefully, glancing between the approaching Pokemon, and his own partner. Then, just at the right time...

  "Dodge it!"

  Torchic, crouching down and bending its knees, flung itself far into the air above the Seedot. Unable to stop, with its momentum carried forward, Seedot faceplanted the floor where Torchic once stood. Lucas fought back a giggle, watching the Grass type groggily pluck its head from the Earth, scrambling to its feet. He could've ordered an attack while it had fallen, but couldn't bring himself to humiliate the Seedot further. Rather, Torchic simply bounced backwards, leaping from one foot to another. Without a single idea of the Pokemon that lurked in the tall grass.

  "String Shot!" another trainer cried. Lucas' eyes widened in alarm, his body tensing. A Wurmple from the tall grass, relatively large compared to its bretheren but still with an unassuming and limber frame. Qualities that leant well to a sneak attack. Such as the attack it inflicted on Torchic.

  A strand of string shot like a bullet after Torchic. The Fire type attempted to react, but found its reactions coming up short. The string struck to Torchic's leg like glue, wrapped around its spindly leg. Then, Wurmple's body tensed, the string growing firm under Wurmple's grasp. It knocked Torchic to the floor, attempting to pick itself up only to lose its footing once more.

  "Drag it along the ground!" cried Wurmple's trainer. The bug, with a heavy heave of its head, began dragging Torchic further towards it. The chick faced scuffed stones and dirt galore, its body grinding roughly against the ground. Even worse, Wurmple's body seemed prepped to attack with a Tackle when the Fire type came close. But, in a double battle, he always had the help of another Pokemon by his side. Or, at least, he should've.

  His eyes peered over to Ellie. "Could use a little help!" he shouted at her. Not so harsh as to scare her outta her skin, but just loud enough to wake her from her seemingly busy thoughts. The girl hadn't responded much to the battle at all. And, now, certainly, she seemed to forget she was even part of one. Only upon Lucas' shout, accompanied by her partner Pokemon's cry, did she finally respond.

  "R-Right!" her eyes took a moment to adjust to the battlefield. But, it didn't take a great deal of time to see Torchic getting dragged through the mud. Clearly the source of Lucas' strife. "Water Pulse!"

  Mudkip bounded across the battlefield, swishing water around its mouth before letting out a sphere of aqua from its mouth. Wurmple, too focused on reeling Torchic further in, didn't notice the mistake it had made in ignoring Mudkip's attack. Nor had its trainer anticipated the speed with which the projectile moved. It shot like a silver bullet with Wurmple's name on it.

  "Dodg-" a cry left the trainer's throat, although interrupted by the thundering sound of contact. Slicing through the string like butter, the Water Pulse slammed into Wurmple's body. It exploded on impact, sending the Bug floundering in the air, then thudding against the ground. Wincing, it retreated into the tall grass. A move not commanded, but one the trainer wouldn't disagree with.

  "Follow it!" Lucas cried, determined not to be the victim of another sneak attack. But, with a quick glance over to Mudkip, he spotted Seedot, diving out of the tall grass in its own attempt to land a sneak attack. Ordinarily, Ellie'd have been acute enough to stop the plan dead in its tracks. But, with her eyes glassy and unfocused, Mudkip remained none the wiser to the attack coming its way. Seedot dived down onto Mudkip's head, the Water type thrashing to get rid of the Grass type. But, Seedot refused to budge. Lucas's warning came too late to be of much use, drowned out by the other trainer's cry.

  "Seedot, Absorb!" the trainer shouted with blazing excitement, finally landing the super effective move they'd been eagerly waiting for. Seedot's stubby legs kicked Mudkip's head straight into the ground, the Earth shaking with the impact. The Water-type cried out, writhing and trying to knock Seedot off. That cry seemed to be enough to awaken Ellie once more.

  "M-Mudkip!" she cried in alarm. Her first instinct was to tell her Pokemon to shake Seedot off. But, roots bursting from Seedot's body latched the Grass type steadily to Mudkip's head. No matter how much Mudkip wished to struggle, Seedot wouldn't be toppled so easily. Especially once those roots started to siphon away energy from the Mud Fish.

  Small green beads of energy ran around the edge of the roots, nutrients passing from Mudkip right back to the Acorn Pokemon. Mudkip made meagre cries, feeling its struggling amount to nothing. Even worse than nothing, in fact. Pointless struggling, that seemed to drain Mudkip even more, with the Absorb added on. Mudkip's energy became Seedot's strength, and Ellie found herself held in a moment of hesitation.

  Lucas' eyes darted to his friend. Eyes focused now, but worried. His eyes snapped back to the battlefield. Torchic had made a sport out of hunting down the Wurmple. Burning the tall grass, it attempted revenge, only to come up short as the Bug type refused to reveal itself. And, Lucas could see his priorities needed to lie elsewhere, rather than hunting the already weakened.

  "Torchic, forget about Wurmple!" he cried. Torchic turned its attention instantly, diving from the fluttering ashes of the tall grass out into a more open part of the battlefield. There, it planted its feet.

  "Hold steady!" Lucas added, Torchic's eyes locking onto Seedot like a sharpshooter. With Mudkip's sudden movements, however, it was hard to get a steady shot. It thrashed around like a rogue bull, brain frazzled from the energy being siphoned from its body straight to Seedot's body. But it could still listen and act. As could its trainer. Lucas' eyes darted from his Pokemon to Ellie, his eyes drifting between the two rapidly. Ellie squinted, then her eyes widened with understanding. She was switched on enough for that.

  "Duck down and don't struggle!" Ellie cried to her partner. At first, Mudkip's mind muddled at the request. Even with its brain feeling like it had been lit aflame, she wanted Mudkip to lie down and take it? Feel every shockwave of pain through its body and do nothing to stop it? Mudkip didn't believe in the command. But, if Ellie uttered the words, its faith didn't waver.

  And so, it crouched down onto the ground, laying flat and lifeless. Even with all the faith in the world, it still did little to hold back the pain of battle. Mudkip's body tensed and cringed, every second passing one closer to defeat. A struggle it wouldn't have to wait too long for now. Lucas glanced to his partner, Torchic's eyes sharpening with intensity. A sign of good things to come, surely.

  "Now!"

  A puff of smoke erupted from Torchic's mouth. Followed shortly by the crackling flames of an Ember, power sourced from the deep fire blazing in Torchic's heart. With the precision of a trained sniper, it struck Seedot's chest. A black, ugly mark burned on the Grass type's chest. The vines erupting around Mudkip's body withered and faded to ash. From Mudkip's head, Seedot toppled like an acorn out of a tree. Mudkip stood up, cracking its head, then staring death into Seedot. The acorn whimpered.

  "Tackle, finish it!" Ellie cried. Mudkip bashed its head right into Seedot's body, sending the Grass type flying into the air. Then, Seedot tumbled, its small stubby legs kicking for dear life. But, kicking wouldn't help it now. The acorn came crashing to the floor once more, head knocking against the Earth. When the dust cleared, out lay Seedot, with swirls in its eyes. One down.

  One to go. A slippery Wurmple fending for itself, slinking through the tall grass. Every side allowed a moment for Seedot to be returned, then the battle resumed. Heavy rustling brewed in the grass. But, what was the wind's calm breeze, and what was intentional movement, neither Pokemon nor trainer knew. It seemed even Wurmple's trainer struggled to track their own Pokemon amongst the grass, a thoughtful hand rubbing their chin as they attempted to decipher where their Pokemon had disappeared to. A game of hide and seek of which everyone but Wurmple was playing. A game...Lucas and Torchic grew rather bored of.

  "Ember!" he cried, Mudkip diving back to avoid the coming blasts of fire erupting from Torchic's beak. The grass wilted and faded to ash under the force of the flames. But, Wurmple disguised itself amongst the tall grass still, picking the plots of land untouched by the scorn of fire. Its trainer seemed to crack under pressure quicker than their Pokemon, however, anxiously biting their nails, until...

  "String Shot!"

  A line of string suddenly shot through the tall grass, brushing past the sharp blades of green. Once more, the strand of string aimed for Torchic's leg. Lucas' eyes shot down to track the quick moving projectile. His mouth opened to shout at Torchic. But, there seemed to be no need. Torchic reacted just as quickly, bringing up its aimed for leg, letting the string shoot straight through. Then, Torchic stomped back onto the string, holding it against the Earth.

  "Get away, Wurmple!" its trainer cried. Wurmple obeyed the command, attempting to reel back its attack, or get it to snap off. But, the strength of its fabric proved to be its undoing. Not only would it not snap, but Torchic's legs held more power in Wurmple's whole body. The bug was stuck there, with an eager eyed Torchic ready to strike.

  "Burn through it with Ember!" Lucas cried. Torchic puffed up its chest, the fires coursing through its veins, then let loose a flaming hot coal. It burst through the string, slicing it apart as a sword cuts through paper, leaving only ashes in its wake. Wurmple's eyes widened, realisation of its fate hitting the worm like a ton of bricks.

  A firey combustion followed, as Wurmple was sent flying, landing on the ground in a heap. Needless to say, the battle had been won. Torchic exhaled, steam escaping from its mouth, huffing with pride in its victory. Its proud smirk showing off to the two defeated trainers, then to its eager trainer.

  "Awesome job!" Lucas' hands dived to the ground, scooping up Torchic into his arms. Torchic huffed again, a small kernel of steam from the constant Embers blowing into the atmosphere, before settling with the rewards of headpats. Then, a further reward of a Sitrus Berry.

  Mudkip, after a quick scan of the battlefield, turned back to its trainer, letting out a chirp of victory. Even if its victory had been needlessly hard fought, the Water type still had the privilege to say it had won. And, Ellie did too. Even if she didn't feel it was an earned victory. She met her partner with a quiet and subdued smile, stroking it gently over the head and muttering, "You did great. I'm...sorry for not doing my best. I'll be better when we challenge the gym."

  Mudkip tilted its head, then nuzzled gently into Ellie's leg. She smiled. In spite of everything, her starter held no bad feelings for how she'd done. A bad day, that's all Mudkip thought. But, the pit in her stomach remained. The guilt. Of being too focused on one thing or another, or her mind being somewhere other than the battle. It bugged her to no end to know that her mind lay somewhere else, while her Pokémon was focused intently, putting its all into every move of the battle. If Ellie used a word to describe how she felt, she'd say pathetic. A pathetic effort.

  Ellie mentally shook her head, attempting to throw those thoughts to the wayside. She couldn't talk to herself like that. Nothing good would come of it. Even if it was true, she couldn't let herself get down. She shouldn't even believe its true. Have confidence, and that'll help her thro-

  "Earth to Ellie?" Lucas asked, crouching down to face her expression. Her body remained that of this world, stroking Mudkip's head gently, the Water type soaking up all the pampering it could get. Yet, her eyes sat dull, telling of her mind travelling through a different land. Lucas stood there, tapping his foot, glancing at an invisible watch. But, when his presence failed to wake her, a gentle shake did the trick to break Ellie from her trance. "Earth to Ellieeeeeeeee!"

  Ellie's eyes flickered up to meet Lucas's. But, the shaking didn't stop. The boy hadn't even bothered to check whether she was attentive. He shook her back and forth regardless.

  "Alright, alright!" Ellie gently lifted Lucas' arms from her shoulders, taking a moment to adjust to not being shaken like a washing machine. And, only in that moment, did she realize the irony of her thoughts. Even when thinking about zoning out, she had zoned out. Chuckling to herself, she apologized. "Sorry, was just thinking."

  "Yeah, no kidding, you looked really lost in your thoughts. Care to share it with the class?"

  "I was just dwelling on the battle," she muttered rather vaguely, an answer that Lucas was happy enough with, smiling and chirping.

  "About how we won together?"

  "Something like that," Ellie lied, still chuckling. Lucas' energy just did that, even without the compulsion to hide her thoughts. Ellie glanced around, stretching her limbs and marking the trainers beginning to turn tail already. Pouting, she turned to Lucas, "Why are they leaving so soon?"

  "Well, I talked to them. Just didn't want to interrupt your train of thought to drag you into the conversation." Lucas fell in suit with Ellie's stretching, dragging his arms behind his head, and limbering up his legs. "Still, they said that Petalburg is very close by, so we're getting somewhere!"

  "Oh, great!" Ellie exclaimed, finding great solace knowing they'd soon be back in modern civilisation. With an opportunity to challenge her first gym, too. The plan had been to go in with two Pokemon, as advised by those at the Pokemon League. But, as times changed, and opportunities came and passed, she'd simply have to adapt. A new plan that rested solely on her and Mudkip's shoulders. Nothing she could do about it now, other than press on forward.

  "I'm excited for my first gym battle! I'll have to get Zorua up to scratch in terms of battling, but I think Torchic is just as eager as me to get to battling!" Lucas replied, letting Torchic hop back onto his shoulder, wobbling a small amount before coming to a steady stance. Lucas smiled, rubbing Torchic's beak, then looking back at Ellie, "What are you planning to do when we get there? Get some training in?"

  "Challenge the gym," Ellie spoke without a single quiver in her voice, her expression trying to remain as stoic as possible. Lucas looked at her again, his hands fidgeting around as he placed them into the safety of his pockets. He didn't respond for a moment, gathering his thoughts. So, Ellie took advantage of the silence. "It sounds reckless, but I can always challenge the gym again if the battle doesn't go my way. Mudkip's getting stronger, I just have to be strong too."

  "Right, yeah!" Lucas responded with a smile, betraying the thoughts still running through his head, as the moment returned to silence. The heavy burden of something not quite right weighed on Lucas like a ton of bricks. Particularly with Ellie.

  Ever since she lost the Ralts, while she tried to act like it wasn't the case, she had been downtrodden. Lucas awoke that day to find her still asleep, well into the break of sunlight. Ordinarily fine. But, what he found most curious were the hanging clothes, drooped loosely from a branch. Still soaked to the touch, with no hope of drying, even in the time they were asleep. Lucas hadn't asked what had happened before. And, Ellie didn't mention anything when she eventually woke up. So, she didn't want to talk about it. Whatever it was. Now, she was rushing into a gym battle, knowing that its reckless and only having one Pokémon. It was unlike of Ellie. At least, unlike what Lucas knew of her.

  As they approached the edge of a hill, the city they had long searched for loomed in the distance, large and expansive. Lucas's eyes sparkled as they set upon it. Finally, their key to civilisation. Only a short walk away. Lucas turned to Ellie, finding her with the same smile on her face, brushing away her hair. No doubt happy to move on from the Ralts incident.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "Well, I wanna explore the city before we do the gym. Help us settle into the place, if that's ok with you?" Lucas spoke.

  "Fine by me," Ellie responded. Maybe a detour or two would do her some good before the inevitable gym battle. So, she was more than happy to tag along with whatever Lucas was planning. With his mind already set on running around Petalburg, he began speed walking forward, keeping a brisk pace Ellie struggled to match. Although she didn't say to wait up, finding some amusement in watching Lucas speed off into the distance. His excitement breathed some life into the air around them, as did Torchic's energy, bouncing on Lucas' shoulder. Clearly, they were of the same frame of mind.

  Lucas' shoes skidded onto the stone brick path, the dirt flicking off his shoes as he took his first step into Petalburg City, his eyes quickly darting around to adjust to his environment. Plenty of buildings dotted around the area, each of varying shades of orange, white or blue. Flora bloomed in every corner like nature had taken the city for its own, leaving its mark on the manmade creations. The trees twisted above and gave shade to the entirety of the city. Where there were patches not covered by leaves or flowers, the light let through bathed the flower beds underneath with all of the nutrients they needed to grow. Daffodils shone in the sun, fuchsia sprouted out of a bed of dirt, and lavender whipped up its sweet scent all across the city.

  Lucas would've usually been able to spot the Pokémon Centre from the entrance of the city. But, it seemed that the Pokémon Centre had ditched the modern neon red and white lights, and instead worked on integrating more organically into the many buildings of the city. Ellie caught up with Lucas, thankful that he had stopped to look around for the Pokémon Centre rather than running ahead and getting lost.

  "Any ideas for where the Pokemon Centre is?" Lucas asked as Ellie approached.

  "Guess we've just gotta look around for it?" Ellie supposed, her eyes attempting to track any of the usual markings. But, just like Lucas, she struggled to mark the usual red and white neon lights that ordinarily blared up. So, their next best guess would be a Pokeball marking on the side of a building. From there, it was much easier to track their destination. Right in the centre of the town stood a great building, with an even greater Pokeball hanging from the front of the structure.

  "Do you think that's where it is?" Ellie nudged Lucas, pointing in the direction of the supposed centre.

  "Only one way to find out!" Lucas chirped, making his way over the Pokeball-marked building in a joyful stride. Despite the exterior matching the rest of the houses within Petalburg City, leaving only a red tarp as the entrance, the interior matched every other Pokémon Centre he had seen.

  The same clinical, blinding white lights that would wake you up in an instant if you were tired. The same colourful stools to sit upon while you waited for your Pokémon to heal, as well as chairs lined up against the sides of the building, typically for the elderly to be seated. Then, the desk with Nurse Joy and her partner Chansey standing behind it, giving a jovial smile to anyone who walked by. Lucas strolled to the front desk, placing a single Pokeball on the table, then letting Torchic hop onto the counter.

  "Can you please heal up my Torchic?"

  "My Mudkip too," Ellie added, lifting her partner up from the floor onto the desk, dropping its Pokeball next to it.

  "Of course!" Nurse Joy spoke, tapping each on the head with their respective Pokeballs, placing them on a tray that she then passed to Chansey. The Pokémon waddled into the backroom, a jovial smile on its face that spoke of calm and serenity. "Your Pokémon will take a short moment to heal back up. You can leave in that time if you have anything you wish to do."

  "I-"

  "Of course, we'll come back later! Thank you!" Lucas cut through Ellie's response, bouncing on his feet and gesturing for her to follow him. Ellie, rolling her eyes, followed him out of the centre, brushing aside the cloaked entrance and heading back out into the sheltered streets of Petalburg. "We may as well get exploring while we have the time!"

  "Right, just don't go too fast!" Ellie cautioned, with Lucas slowing down as soon as he heard her complain. An act of mercy, so she wouldn't end up running around chasing him through the streets. Lucas dug his hands into his pockets as he waited, his fingers brushing against a metallic Pokeball. Zorua. Lucas lifted the device from his pocket, then shrugged. Might as well give Zorua its first time in a major city.

  Exploding from its ball, Zorua gave a vague yawn as it touched down in the big city. Then, only as it felt the rough stone street beneath its feet did understanding appear in Zorua's eyes. First, the tall shadow of its trainer stretched over it, obscuring the warm glow of the sun. Then, in the next moment, it saw masses of people stumbling around, assaulting the Dark type from all sides with their mere presence. Zorua jumped at every sudden movement, even that of its own shadow, running back to Lucas and cowering near his leg.

  "Must be struggling with its first time in a big city," commented Ellie.

  "Hey, it's okay buddy." Lucas crouched down to the floor, coming eye-to-eye with Zorua. Zorua's eyes darted around with alarm. Oldale had been the perfect environment, without too many humans. But, now, in a city filled with people, right in the middle of rush hour, Zorua found itself overstimulated quickly. "Would you like to stay in my arms?" Lucas offered, outstretching his arms. Zorua leapt into them without a second thought. Lucas huddled the Dark type close to his chest, cradling it gently as they walked through Petalburg.

  It still jumped at the sight of every shadow moving around it. Yet within Lucas' arms, everything felt slightly more manageable. It wouldn't have to worry about getting lost either. It could always stick close, safe and secure in the arms of its trainer. Lucas pet it gently on the head, looking around and gesturing forward with his head, his hands being pretty full with a whole Pokeball cradled in them.

  "Should we go this way? Seems a lot of people are coming from this way," Lucas commented, noticing the long winding street laden with people. A decision unpopular with Zorua, but ultimately necessary for them moving forward. Ellie seemed to be of no objection too, seeming the obvious choice in her mind, but appreciating the consideration of her feelings regardless.

  Lucas took the lead again, carefully weaving through the mounds of bodies filing down the street. Ellie'd have struggled to keep pace. But, Zorua's touch seemed a blessing in disguise, Lucas slowing his pace to ensure his Pokemon went unharmed. Or, just had a smoother ride. Besides, Lucas knew he had to take it slow sometimes. Have a nice change of pace, taking in the beauty of the city that surrounded him. And, a beautiful place it was indeed.

  Despite its age, the buildings stood just as strong as they would've years ago. Even the newer buildings, known from their lesser marks and scuffs on the sides of their architecture, stayed consistent in the style of structures that surrounded them. That coloured clay or sandstone type of style. Yet, the expansion still left room for trees to grow from every inch. Space that could've been bulldozed over to allow greater space for those living. But, in a bid to keep nature thriving, any new construction was to be built vertical, with flats stacking one atop another. Another testament to how well built the houses were, if they were holding all the weight of the new construction just fine.

  A Pokemart stood in the distance, fitting in with the same aesthetic of the buildings. Just two things stood out amongst the other architecture. The sheer size of the structure, as well as the large stained blue clay Pokeball out the front, in contrast to the red Pokeball that they stopped by earlier. But, having stocked up on supplies recently, they had no need to go back anytime soon. Besides, a normal Pokemart could wait. Something true to Petalburg is what Lucas sought. A commodity that he would only find there.

  A sweet pastry, perhaps. For, that's the scent that hit Lucas' nose, strolling through the streets of Petalburg. His eyes followed a trail of steam escaping from an open window, the source of the mystical smell. His eyes glanced to the small building encapsulating the sickly sweet scent. A queue out of the door lined almost around the block for whatever was being baked inside.

  "Look at the line!" Lucas roped Ellie by the arm, dragging her closer and pointing with excitement at all the people lined up. He'd only ever seen queues this long in videos from Castelia or Lumiose. Never could he imagine something would be this hyped up so close to home!

  "Wonder what they're selling," Ellie muttered in response, getting a whiff of the sweet scent escaping out the window. Sickly, like burnt sugar or a candied apple. Still, she had to admit her intrigue, even if the scent seemed a little too strong for her. Especially when she turned to Lucas, excitedly bobbing up and down. He awaited her answer like an eager dog, complete with the puppy eyes and everything. Ellie sighed. "We can get somethin-"

  "Great!" Lucas exclaimed, grabbing her arm tighter and whisking them away to the back of the line. Despite it nearly wrapping around the block, the line still moved at a steady pace, with most customers being served quickly, leaving the front door with their sweets wrapped in bunches of newspaper or kept in pink cardboard boxes.

  As the line moved, the scent wrapping around the line only seemed to get stronger. Ellie's stomach began to turn as the strongly sweet scent attacked her nose. But, Lucas only grew more eager to try whatever lay inside. Zorua seemed of the same mind, lifting its head out from Lucas' arms to stick up its nose and sniff. Then, its head settled back into Lucas' arms, watching the others file out from the door. Some even fed what looked to be pastries to their Pokemon, reaching down and handing the wrapped goods to those bipedal Pokemon. Or, for the others that couldn't properly feed themselves, like that of a small Skitty, their trainers would pick off chunks, then let their friends feed from their hands. The Pokemon's eyes sparkled.

  "Do you want one?" Lucas asked, with Zorua responding with an enthusiastic nod. The look on the Pokemon's faces as they passed by was unmistakable, and Zorua wanted a piece of whatever good stuff was found baked inside of those pastries. It seemed they wouldn't have to wait long, either. The queue out of the building had diminished significantly, so much so that the trio sat just outside the doors. Lucas was so close, he could just about taste it.

  "Doesn't that smell so-"

  Lucas turned to Ellie, his face in a wide smile. But, his smile dropped once he glanced to Ellie. Her pale hands covered over her mouth and nose, shaking her head from side to side. Feeble as it might've been, she attempted to mask the intense smell through her hands. But, it didn't prove very effective. Ultimately, she muttered, "I'll stay outside...bit too sweet for me-" her eyes glanced to the dying queue, adding, "Just get one for Mudkip, will you?"

  "Of course! You sure you don't want one?"

  Ellie shook her head, then soon retreated out of the queue, walking a good distance away from the bakery. Lucas pouted, watching her drift away without even facing him. But, with Zorua's excitement beginning to peak, he couldn't afford to be too downtrodden. Maybe she was just being particular about her environment. Lucas didn't truly know her enough to know if this was out of character, although he theorized it was. Still, Lucas wouldn't bother her much. It was her problem to share.

  "Hey, kid, you're next in line." the man behind Lucas tapped him on the shoulder. He had been so lost looking at Ellie, drowning in his thoughts, that he hadn't noticed the people in front of him moving out of the queue.

  "Oh, sorry!" Lucas quickly dived to the front of the queue, no one standing in his way now. Only now, however, did he appreciate the scale of the operation. And, by the scale, he meant the tiny scale of the business.

  The building was very small. You could tell as much from the outside, but the inside could only really fit two people in front of the counter. A tiny, cramped kitchen sat behind the counter, with an elderly woman and what appeared to be her husband working behind the counter. Yet, in spite of their old age, they worked with such steadfast efficiency.

  The place was a mess, no doubt. Flour, eggs and all sorts of dyes splattered across the work surface, even staining some of the walls. But, despite the mess, they always moved quickly, getting their pastries in and out of the oven as quick as possible, to then be put on display behind one of the glass panels. Lucas felt the woman's gaze upon him, finally noticing the boy's presence and strolling over.

  "Sorry, we were just getting some of the Pokepuffs out of the oven there," she apologised as her husband dished up the Pokepuffs behind the glass panels, falling into uniform rows. "What can I get for you?"

  "Pokepuffs?" Lucas questioned, having heard of the phrase, but only vaguely. Looking through the glass served enough to jog his memory of the treat, however, instantly recognising the shape and figure of the cake-like confectionery. He'd seen it a couple of times on his phone previously, or when he'd taken a (short lived) interest in whatever cooking show his mother was watching at the time. He'd never seen any Pokepuffs looking quite like this, though. Small wooden signs detailed what type of flavour that the Pokepuffs were made with, but with each one as stunning as the other, Lucas found himself at a loss to try and decide on just one. The woman laughed from behind the counter,

  "That's the expression of someone who's completely lost, isn't it?"

  "Of course! They all look so good!"

  Even Zorua was entranced by them, reaching towards the glass panel and swiping at one of the cakes. Black in colour, with a little blackberry stuck on top of the frosted cake. A shade almost exactly like its own fur. Only needed a couple stripes of red frosting, and it would've been a true Zorua Pokepuff. Lucas looked down, asking,

  "Do you want that one little guy?"

  Zorua nodded up and down, and the elderly woman immediately grabbed one of the cakes with her tongs, her hand grazing against the many different boxes they had for the different number of cakes.

  "How many do you plan on buying? Not the whole store, I'd hope!" she joked with a laugh. Lucas politely chuckled back, responding,

  "Give me that one, then thre-" Lucas suddenly stopped, glancing towards the door, then shaking his head, "Give me four more, please!"

  "Four more, ok!" she nodded her head, grabbing a box and carefully slotting the Blackberry Pokepuff inside. Lucas looked back at the panel, thinking of what Torchic, Mudkip and Ellie would want. A clear winner came to him for what Torchic would want, finding an orange Pokepuff decorated at the top with Sitrus Berries. Lucas could effortlessly picture his partner salvating at the mere sight of the desert, and swiftly chose it for Torchic, pressing a finger against the glass.

  "Sitrus Berry? Good choice," she spoke, taking one and slotting it into the box. Lucas's eyes then glanced over, looking for a blue-coloured Pokepuff for Mudkip. It was the best that he could think of for Mudkip, not knowing as much about its particular taste as Ellie would. But, with Ellie waiting outside, he'd just have to make a guess. He prodded his finger at an Oran Berry Pokepuff, with blue frosting as rich in colour as the deepest ocean.

  As for what Ellie would like, he hadn't seen her eat much. She had made some great soup for both of them, but other than that, his guess was as good as anyone's. So, he decided to pick a strawberry-flavoured one, with a coloured frosting that reminded him of her sweater. No doubt a silly way to decide on what Pokepuff to choose, but Lucas knew he'd be there all day if he didn't make a decision right then and there.

  "And what about yourself?" the woman asked, Lucas looking blankly at her as he looked down to the four Pokepuffs sat comfortably in their boxes. "Come on, don't tell me you forgot one!"

  "Must've!" Lucas giggled before his eyes set upon the Pokepuffs once more. But, one stood out to the young trainer immediately. A swirl of honey surrounded an orange coloured pastry. The base looked familiar, likely the same as the one used for Torchic's. But, the drizzle of honey and scent showed its difference. Especially when the scent was exactly that of home. Sinnoh Honey. The only possible explanation. Lucas prodded a finger towards the Honey Pokepuff. "That one, please."

  "Alright, I believe that's all of them!" the woman lifted the lid on the box, slamming it down and securing it safely with a few strands of tape. Then, she slid them over the counter into the boys arms, leaning against the glass case for a moment. "Who are they all for? Hope they're not all for you!" she joked.

  "Only one's for me! One's for this little guy," Lucas spoke, rubbing Zorua gently on the head. "One's for my partner Torchic, and two are for my friend and her partner Mudkip!"

  "Sharing around, very thoughtful, kid."

  "Yeah, she's just outside right now. She's been having a rough couple of days, as has Zorua, so hopefully this can fix that, even for a moment!"

  The woman stood, contemplating Lucas' bubbly expression. She then smiled,

  "Well, I can assure you that you won't find a Pokepuff better in all of Hoenn. I hope you enjoy."

  "How much do I owe you?" Lucas asked, but the woman's expression went unwavering,

  "You owe me to tell me later if your friend and Zorua liked them. That is all."

  "Really?" Lucas giddily exclaimed, stars flickering in his eyes. The woman nodded,

  "Mhm. Make sure to make good on that promise though. Don't wanna make an old grandma chase you around for payment now, do you?" she joked again, Lucas chuckling in response.

  "Thank you so much! I promise I'll be back!" Lucas cried, waving to the woman as he exited the store, positively beaming. Carefully running so that he wouldn't ruin the pieces of artistry held within the box, he greeted Ellie with a massive smile.

  "Someone looks happy," Ellie commented, finding a small sense of relief in seeing Lucas so excitable.

  "The nice lady inside gave me all of them for free! So, yeah, I'm really happy!" Lucas exclaimed, nearly bouncing up and down in anticipation. Zorua, too, was eager to dig in, clawing at the cardboard box that held the treats inside. "Not yet, little guy," Lucas warned the Dark type, much to the Illusion Pokemon's ire, pouting and turning away from Lucas. "Gotta go back to the Pokemon Centre to pick up our friends first!"

  "Then, my gym challenge," Ellie added, immediately regretting speaking, when the daunting task of her first gym badge being mere minutes away dawned upon her. Still, she shook away those thoughts as best she could, helping Lucas pack the treats into his backpack. "You did get one for Mudkip, right?"

  "Of course, who do you take me for?" Lucas giggled, adding, "Thought it could be for after the fight. Something to look forward to?"

  "Right, a nice reward for Mudkip." Ellie smiled, taking enjoyment in the idea of watching her Pokémon have a nice little cake after a hard battle. However, she still needed to make that step towards the hard-earned battle. Luckily, they hadn't ventured too far from the Pokémon Centre. Ellie counted herself lucky that Lucas had allowed himself to be distracted so easily, so they didn't have to make a long trek back to the Pokémon Centre.

  Only a skip and a hop later, Lucas and Ellie were reunited back with their starter partners. Torchic mounted Lucas' shoulder once more, finding a strange, sweet scent sticking to him like glue. Mudkip nuzzled against Ellie's leg as affectionately as it did once the battle on Route 102 had concluded. Ellie's expression reminded it of the intent of that battle, though. Training. For this very moment. An upcoming gym battle. They returned once more to the town centre, where the Petalburg Gym soon became clear to them.

  By far, it stood as the most unique building placed in the city. It looked akin to an ancient dojo, constructed out of firm oak wood. Stone steps ran upwards to the entrance of the gym, the structure lying slightly above the rest of the city. Before the stone steps, however, lay a battlefield. Presumably a practice battlefield, for rookie trainers to go head to head in a semi serious environment. Even with the low stakes, however, there appeared to be a good few locals stopping to watch and cheer for the youngsters.

  No doubt the battlefield had been placed there so that trainers could get in proper training before the first gym. Almost like a warning of what could happen with ill preparation. But, Ellie paid it no mind. Her attention stood fixed solely on the building in front of her. Her eyes stretched to the triangular roof, where a giant Pokeball marking lay where the two halves of the roof met. Then, downwards, to the sliding doors of the gym. With a heavy heave, Ellie slid them open, taking a deep breath...