Pokémon Crossing: Fly Me to the Moon

Yellow Brick Roads of Rustboro!

Rustboro City: Integrating science and nature for centuries. It's always sunny here, and many intellectuals call it home. Standing proudly in the city's heart is the Hawkwind Corporation. This behemoth of a business is dedicated to improving the Hoenn region all while researching the latest in the Pokémon world. While some departments research Pokémon from centuries past, others study bizarre phenomena like Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, Dynamax or even Terastal.

But what only few residents realize is that there's an ugly side to the revered company...

Don pounded his fist against the guest room's door. "Frank!" he hollered. "Get your ass up and get the hell out!"

Frank groaned as he forced himself to crawl off the bed sheets. He slipped his boots back on, threw his bag over his shoulders and checked his Rotom Phone; dammit it was only five thirty in the morning!

"You told me I was out of here by seven!" he hollered as he slammed the door open. "What gives?!"

Don checked the time on his wristwatch, sneering the entire time. "Well, I changed my mind. I have a meeting in thirty minutes and I don't need you here to ruin it."

"Why? Are you and your, quote on quote, business partner using the guest room?" Frank snarked.

Don facepalmed. Why did Frank have to make everything around him into some sort of joke? Yes, he was family, but that didn't excuse him from getting on his nerves. "Get out of here," he glared as he grabbed an Ultra Ball from his suit pocket. "Or I'll make you."

Frank tensed up, his heart pounding against his chest. "Y-yes sir." He shuddered as he made his way to the staircase. His wing faintly brushed against the marble bannister.

"Five...four...." Don's eyes went dark as he pulled out another Ultra Ball.

Frank turned around and ran down the first staircase. The hem of his kimono flew behind him, as he headed towards the second floor, then the first one, then right out the door.

With the exception of calming blue streetlights, Rustboro City was pitch black. The soles of his boots crunched against craggy brick roads, as he rushed towards the empty alleyway. His heart raced as he stopped to light up a cigarette, taking several quick puffs before a long drag. The refreshing taste of menthol lulled him back to reality, but only for a brief minute.

Frank's eyes widened as he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He whipped it out, swiped right to hastily dismiss the call, and shoved the phone back in another pocket. His heart paced as he rushed through the streets and towards the untamed wilderness of Route 115.

Luscious green grass swayed in the cool winds, joined by stray brown leaves and fluttering indigo petals.

Minutes passed as Frank wandered through the grass, occasionally stopping to take several rushed puffs from his cigarette. With each field he passed through, his sight cleared up.

Looking to his left, Frank couldn't help but notice the gentle sunrise creeping from the horizon. Twinkling stars faded away, replaced by streaks of cherry blossom pink and cerulean blue.

He took a deep breath in before heading towards an old tunnel, silent as craggy boulders replaced tender flora. The damp smell of mildew made his beak twitch in disgust, but it wouldn't be the worst he'd have to go through.

Meanwhile, back in Rustboro City...

Orange and pink clouds filled the morning skies, creeping through the Pokémon Center windows. Gentle snoring rumbled from the beds and sofa. Tank's nose twitched as he tossed and turned in his spot, groaning in distress.

Red and orange leaves tornadoed through the air. Heavy drumming and dainty flutes played through bamboo speakers, rattling through the entire city.

A dark blue rhino sauntered across the bridge, his hooves lightly brushing against the wooden rail. His face was completely worn out, yet the rest of his body could carry on. Olive green fatigues adorned his body, except for the left pant leg rolled up to his upper thigh. His black prosthetic shined underneath the sky, with pale jagged scars trailing up what remained of his leg.

"Dad!" Tank called out as he ran across the bridge. Countless large Pokémon charged right behind him, skidding across the wood as they crashed on top of each other.

The other rhino tenderly smiled as he opened his arms, laughing as Tank tackled him in a bear hug.

Benedict and Kidd walked towards the duo, dressed in rather bizarre outfits. Kidd adorned a Kalosian military uniform with a billowing sash, while Benedict wore purple hollyhocks in his hair and a ruffled dress straight out of a magical girl show.

Kidd held out an elaborate silver sword, his heart pounding as he opened his mouth, as if to confess something. Until–

Tank yawned as he stretched in his spot, refreshed from the events of last night. While the dream he had made no sense whatsoever, at least today should be a good day of adventuring!

He glanced around the room: Benedict laid flat on the futon, while Kidd curled up next to one of the bed's pillows. Last night was a pretty hectic way to start a Pokémon journey, Tank thought to himself. Well, at least that guy got them to a Pokémon Center rather than ditch them in the woods.

He picked up the letter and sat down on the bed, carefully unfolding the paper before skimming the contents. Sloppy writing lined the pen, with the contents scribbled in crude kanji.

"You three kids,
I wanted to tell you more about what was going on, but I had to get the hell out of here before the bastards at Cottage could track me down and leave me for dead. Don't rely on me too much, but here's my number in case shit goes down: 090-4444-4444
F. Hawkwind"

Kidd groaned as he woke up next. His head pounded from both a lack of sleep and food. He made a beeline for the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it twice.

Tank set the letter down, leaning back to hear the sound of squeaking pipes and running water. He folded it back shut, tucking it in his pants pocket before pulling out his phone instead. He swiped left and called Professor Nook's number.

The phone dialed for several seconds before Nook picked up. He wore a crisp white lab coat over pale green button-up pajamas with a dark leaf pattern.

"Hello, hello!" Tom Nook greeted him, with a twitching nose and cheery smile spread across his face. "So, how'd yesterday's adventure go, hmm?"

"It was insane," Tank yelled at the top of his lungs. "We got chased in the woods by a wild Duskull, then we saw this Team Cottage guy lose to some other guy, and then we passed out in the Pokémon Center BUT the guy from earlier got us in a room here. Anyways, we're in Rustboro City right now!"

Tom Nook's face went white as he scrambled backwards in his office chair. "Good heavens, Tank! I told you that I didn't want you to rush things through!"

"Awwww, why not!" Tank groaned as he threw his head back, slumping against the firm couch cushions. "Most of these towns are places without wild Pokémon to go catching. At least here I'd get to watch Benedict fight a Gym Leader!"

Tom Nook pinched the bridge of his nose as he shook his head. "Tank, please, just listen to me," he explained as he set his paw back on the table. "While it may seem fun to rush around Hoenn like you're checking off a bucket list, that's not what going on a journey is about."

"Then what's it really about?" Tank snarked as he leaned forward in his seat.

Nook's eyes went dark as a chill ran through his body. "It's about what you make of it. There's meeting new faces, learning more about yourselves, perhaps convincing someone to turn over a new leaf, hmm?"

Tank tilted his head to the left, subconsciously reaching up to touch his hair. "What do leaves have to do with a journey?"

"....It's a metaphor," Tom Nook chuckled as he wagged a finger at the camera. His ears pricked up as a faint beep echoed from off-screen. "Oh, that must be my coffee. Please, let me know how Rustboro City goes, hmm? And try to spend more than one day there if you can."

The call immediately ended, leaving Tank to look down at his lockscreen; a picture of a white dog playing guitar in front of purple skies and palm tree silhouettes.

Kidd scowled as he slammed the door open, stomping over to pick up his messenger bag.

"Sheesh, what happened, Kidd?" Tank asked as he put his phone away, walking over to throw on his backpack. "Did a wild Pokémon jump out of the bathtub?"

"Yes and it happened to tear me into pieces" Kidd scoffed as he readjusted his scarf, retying the back into a perfect bow. "The shower didn't have any hot water."

"Oh, that's it?" Tank shook his head in disbelief. Sheesh, talk about a primadonna. "That's not too bad!"

"Maybe for you it's not," Kidd sighed as he grabbed his messenger bag, shifting the strap so it wouldn't dig into his collar.

Benedict groaned and yawned as he got up from the futon. "Hey, where'd that eagle guy go?" he asked as he looked around the room.

"Oh, he left already," Tank said as he pulled out the letter. "He said something about us not getting in his way, but he left us his phone number for some reason."

"Probably so he can blackmail us," Benedict snarked, raising an eyebrow as his companions glared at him. "What? Any time a guy leaves a number after doin' somethin' nice, it means he wants to get somethin' outta us!"

Tank rolled his eyes and huffed, "I don't know what you're talking about, but we'll figure something out over breakfast."

"Yeah, but where are we getting breakfast?" Kidd asked.

"From the Pokémon Center!" Tank yelled as he pointed at the door. His companions looked at him in disbelief. "What? Free breakfast is a thing in most Pokémon Centers, now come on!"

Benedict and Kidd glanced at each other. While the idea of a free breakfast sounded nice, there had to be a catch of some sort. Whether that catch was sitting through a lecture that went on forever or filling out some sort of form, hopefully it wouldn't take the rest of the day.

Tank beamed in joy as he led the group to the Pokémon Center lobby.

A small buffet was set out near the windows, the smell of sizzling Magikarp meat catching the trainers' attention. Several other animals stood in line, helping themselves to anything and everything that looked good. A wide variety of food was spread underneath the heating lamps, ranging from sweet tender tamagoyaki to fluffy white rice to comforting miso soup and zesty pickled vegetables.

"I'm getting a coffee," Kidd deadpanned as he tried to sneak away from the duo, but stopped in his tracks when Tank yanked on his sleeve."Hey, let go of me!"

"No way, Kidd!" Tank told him. "You'd have to be crazy to turn up a free breakfast!"

Kidd scoffed as he pulled his arm back. "T'es vraiment une emmerdeuse..." he muttered under his breath.

Tank tilted his head as he crossed his arms. "What was that?" he asked. "Sorry, I can't speak Kalosian."

Kidd sighed in relief; otherwise he'd be in a world of hurt. "It's nothing to worry about. Anyways, breakfast isn't really a thing in Kalos, not in Lumiose at least. For us, it's a pot of black coffee and a box of cigarettes."

"That doesn't sound like it tastes good," Tank pointed out.

"It's not supposed to," Kidd snarked. "What, you thought that in Kalos we'd be all about croissants and fresh fruit and café au lait, non?"

"Dude, I didn't say that!" Tank yelled as he threw his hands in the air. "I'm just saying that coffee and cigarettes don't count as breakfast!"

Several animals turned around to face the boys, some looking confused while others resisted the urge to laugh.

Benedict groaned in frustration; not just from their stupid argument, but from the sound of his grumbling stomach. "Can y'all just shut up and get somethin' to eat already?!" he snapped.

Kidd and Tank glared at each other, unaware that they were both furiously blushing. Fine, they might as well eat and get it over with!

The boys headed to the buffet, each grabbing a red bento box and piling them with a beautiful spread of food. Tank stuck his tongue out as he tried to balance his plate in one hand, while holding a large cup of green tea in the other. Benedict held a pair of chopsticks with his beak, grabbing a little bit of everything. Kidd gulped as he filled his plate, albeit with lighter portions in case something tasted too disgusting to finish.
Tank grabbed an empty booth, sinking down in the plush couch cushions. Benedict plopped down next to him, while Kidd claimed the seat across from them.

"Well, let's eat, guys!" Tank declared before digging into his breakfast first.

Kidd frowned as he untied his scarf, setting it on the seat before nibbling from his bowl of steamed white rice. The faint taste of vinegar, sugar and salt made the flavors much better than expected. Despite the steam rising in his face, he ate a larger serving each time he lifted his chopsticks.

Benedict, on the other hand, grabbed a bowl of miso soup and chugged the broth like a college student slamming cheap beer. He groaned as he set the bowl down, carelessly wiping his mouth clean with his hoodie sleeve.

Tank's eyes widened as a piece of filet fell from his chopsticks and onto his plate. "Holy hell, Benedict!" he gasped.

"What?" Benedict snorted before clearing off the green onions and tofu blocks. "I haven't had miso soup this good in weeks!"

Kidd rolled his eyes as he cleared off his rice. After setting down the bowl, he frowned as he tried lifting another dish with his chopsticks.
Obviously it was a type of seafood, one in a pretty pink color and with the light scent of soy sauce, but not knowing what it was felt like a gamble. What if it was something he was seriously allergic to?!

"Dude, are you gonna eat that Magikarp?" Tank asked as he looked down at the plate.

"Oh, that's what this is?" Kidd gasped. "And here I was thinking I was eating, oh I don't know, Qwilfish?"

Tank blinked twice before deadpanning, "Yeah, that's totally Qwilfish sashimi being served at a Pokémon Center."

"You can't fool me," Kidd glared before lifting the filet with his chopsticks. He took several small bites, blushing in delight from the strong umami taste. "Mon dieu, c'est délicieux!" He gasped after clearing off the entire filet, including the thin scales.

Benedict turned around and asked, "Wait, y'all had Qwilfish? Is it any good?"

"In some nabemono, sure, but sashimi? No way, it's super poisonous" Tank shook his head. "Only Johtonian chefs with three years of experience can serve Qwilfish sashimi!"

"Johto?" Benedict raised an eyebrow. "Wait, so y'all are tellin' me that a guy from Hoenn or Sinnoh can't serve Qwilfish. What the heck?"

Kidd rolled his eyes as he nibbled on some pickled radish. The crunchy texture and tangy taste were a pleasant surprise. While nobody was looking, he snuck some pickled vegetables off their plates and for himself.

"So, what do you guys wanna do in Rustboro?" Tank asked before he ate two bites of tamagoyaki. "Because I was thinking of checking out some of the districts here."

Benedict slightly flinched before looking back up. "Obviously I'm gonna take on the gym," he scoffed before scarfing down the rest of his food.
"And I'll just go wherever you're heading," Kidd said before clearing off everything on his plate.

After the boys put their dishes on a busing tray, they gathered in the Pokémon Center lobby and whipped out their phones.

Tank zoomed in on his map and explained, "So this area here is the food district while that one's the historical one."

"An' which one of those got the gym?" Benedict asked as he crossed his arms.

"Right here in the league district," Tank said as he zoomed in on one of the neighborhoods.

"Well I know where I'm goin' then," Benedict cheered as he threw a fist in the air. "Hey I'll see y'all once I get my badge!" He yelled before waltzing out the door.

"Wait, Benedict!" Tank yelled as he held out one of his hooves. "Oh who am I kidding myself. He'll be running back to us once he gets that Badge!"

"Or he calls us about getting stabbed by another guy in an alleyway," Kidd deadpanned, scoffing as Tank glared at him. "What? You have a first-aid kid on you, non?"

"I do, yeah," Tank shrugged his shoulders before laughing. "But I don't think Benedict's gonna get stabbed. Now come on, let's go check out the historical district!"

Kidd gulped as he followed Tank out of the center. The city's architecture was more outdated compared to the flashiness of Lumiose, but it had a welcoming charm. Brick skyscrapers surrounded the area, varying from beige to red to brown.

The boys walked down a well-lit alleyway, looking around at the flyers lining the walls. Some advertised karaoke nights at local bars, others bragged about who had the best tonkotsu ramen in the city.

"Are we anywhere near the district?" Kidd asked as he brushed some dust off his shoulders.

"Almost!" Tank winked as he grabbed Kidd's wrist. "Just a few more feet!"

Kidd blushed hard as he felt Tank grip his coat sleeve. His heart pounded slightly from the physical touch, but he couldn't figure out why.
Tank led the way through the last of the alley, smiling to himself as he took in the new surroundings. Finally, the historical district! Cobblestone buildings lined the streets, decorated with brown and green banners. Chiming bells rang through the air, greeting the city for a new hour.
Kidd looked up and pointed, "Hey what's that building for?"

Tank stopped in his tracks and turned around. A cerulean blue skyscraper towered over the rest of the city, its gaudy metal surface shining under the afternoon sun. A group of animals in business walked to the building, lined up as they entered one by one. "Oh? That's the Hawkwind Corp headquarters!"

"Hawkwind? Seems Galarian....And what exactly do they do?" Kidd squinted as he looked closely at the building.

"They do a bit of everything!" Tank said as he bounced on the tips of his toes. "Let's see here... they make all sorts of Poké Balls for catching Pokémon, fancy tech for trainers, researching the world, oh and they even revive fossil Pokémon!"

Kidd's ears pricked up as he watched Tank skip in his step. "I see," he noted. "Hey, would they let us inside?"

Tank shook his head. "As much as I'd love to drag you in there, they don't just let anybody in for a tour. It's employees only."

"Somehow I'm not surprised," Kidd deadpanned. "Is there a place that does let anyone in?"

"Oh, yeah, there is!" Tank perked up. "Tom Nook told me about this place called Cornimer Park. Wanna go check it out?"

"Sure," Kidd shrugged his shoulders. "I can't say no to a nice park or two."

Meanwhile, back in the League district...

Benedict grabbed onto his backpack strap as he ran through an alleyway.

Gold and silver banners hung from the thin blue street lamps, adorned with white kanji. Advertisements lined the city benches, ranging from gym badges to Pokémon items to all sorts of Hoenn brands. Several buildings lined the streets, some with few floors and others that towered into the skies. Terracotta, wood, brick, all called this street home.

Right in the middle of the street was one peculiar building; a Galarian-style castle with a vibrant brick exterior and copper green roof. White granite pillars complemented its numerous windows, which were covered up with colorful curtains.

Benedict walked up to the building and stopped in front of the sign. It read, "Rustboro City Pokémon Gym. Leader: Coco Haniwa. The rocky valedictorian of wits, doyoing!"

He charged up the staircase and into the gym, his ponytail coming undone as he leaped through the door. Benedict placed his hands on his hips as he looked around at the gym's interior. Hey, was this even the right place? The sign said it was a gym, wasn't it! Did he accidentally walk into a museum instead?!

Several exhibits were displayed across the gym floor, showcasing countless fossils from around the Pokémon world. Near the entrance, several Hoennian fossils gleamed under harsh lighting. A large glass case displayed an intricate topographic map of the Hoenn region. In the back of the gym, massive fossils lined the wall. One fossil resembled an aquatic arthropod with scythes protruding from its arms, while the other looked like a potted plant with long tentacles sprouting from the top.

A pair of animals sat on a red bench, playing a game of poker. One of the animals, a brown hamster in a poncho, looked up from his hand of cards. "Hey, can I help you?" he asked.

"Yeah, is the gym leader inside?" Benedict asked as he walked up to the bench, his wings in his pockets as he looked down at the table.

The other animal, a fuzzy brown elephant with large tusks and wearing a dark green school uniform, turned to face his friend. "Clay, you forgot to lock the door again."

"That's because Coco doesn't trust me with the keys, Tucker," Clay pointed out as he ran one of his paws across the deck of cards. "Not since we let Club Helix come inside!"

Benedict blinked twice before raising one of his eyebrows. "An' Club Helix's got somethin' to do with the gym leader how?" he deadpanned.

"It's gym business, kid," Clay informed him. "But if you're looking for her, she's off at the Trainer School."

"Thanks," Benedict yelled as he walked back to the door. "I'll see y'all in a bit!"

He smiled to himself as he headed outside, his heart racing just from the thought of earning his first Badge.
Several animals wandered about the district, seemingly minding their own business. While some looked down on their phones, others skimmed through pamphlets.

"Yeah, they're gonna be real helpful for findin' the gym leader," Benedict thought to himself as he kept his eyes peeled for the trainer school Clay mentioned. A-ha!

Right in the middle of the street was a peculiar building, out-of-place just like him. Its slate grey exterior, mint green trim, stone pillars and octagonal tower made the building look straight out of a Kalosian period drama.

Benedict walked across the street and headed to the tower. He stood on his tiptoes as he peered through the floral curtains. While the schoolhouse's interior looked perfectly ordinary, what was going on inside? Not so much.

A moss green sheep strolled through the rows of desks, arms folded behind her back as she watched her students write at a breakneck pace. With a bitter scowl across her face, she stopped in front of one of her students.

The student in question, a pink goat with chestnut brown hair, froze in her spot, nearly dropping her pencil on the table.

The sheep turned her chin up, scoffing as she snatched the notebook from her student. "Well, what do we have here, Velma?"

While some students kept writing, others stopped to watch their teacher tear her apart.

The sheep's eyes twitched as she slammed the notebook back on the table. "This is all wrong!" she snapped. "Fire types are not super effective against fairy types, and they never will be! Where would you get a stupid idea from?!"

"B-but Ms. Cashmere," Velma held her hooves up as she tried to defend herself. "It's only what you wrote on the board!"

Cashmere sharply turned around and looked back at the whiteboard. Huh, she did write that apparently. "You must be seeing things wrong, Velma," she shook her head. "Of course, I'm not surprised. Most students fail or drop out of my class for a reason."

She pulled out a wooden brown ruler and smacked Velma's wrist, sneering as Velma flinched from the attack. "Get back to your work," she tisked.

"Y-yes, Ms. Cashmere," Velma sniffled as she erased her writing, correcting it with the proper type matchups.

Cashmere held up her chin as she walked down another aisle, eyes looking down for another student to scold.

Benedict's blood boiled as he looked away from the window. While he wanted to back away from the school and find Coco another time, something else told him to stay behind and just find her anyways.

Minutes passed before the bell rang inside. The students packed up their belongings before heading out the door, some of them making idle conversation as they left the building.

Benedict pressed his back against the wall as he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Tank. "No luck on findin' the gym leader yet, but I'm getting close!" After it was sent, he put his phone away and looked over when someone bumped into him. Oh, it's the girl who got yelled at!

Velma kneeled down to pick up her glasses, blushing slightly as she put them back on. "Oh! S-sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you here for the battle class?"

"Battle class? No way," Benedict shrugged his shoulders as he looked back at the door. "I'm lookin' for Coco. Was she in y'all's class?"

"Oh, no, she already graduated from here," Velma shook her head. "But she'll be a guest speaker at the battle class if that helps."

"Heck yeah it does," Benedict said as he adjusted his backpack strap. "That's inside, right?"

Velma looked down as she stopped to clean her glasses lens, then put them back on. "Nope, it's out in the courtyard. I'm not sure if they allow anyone to join in though, but I assume you're here for the gym challenge?"

Benedict nodded and pointed to himself. "Yep, I sure am! You too or nah?"

"I've heard about it, but," Velma shook her head again. "I'm not sure if I'm ready for it yet." She gently smiled. "But maybe I need to see a gym battle for myself."

"Sounds like an awesome idea," Benedict suggested. "Y'all could watch mine against Coco when I find her!"

The outside speakers crackled as a deep voice spoke up. "Attention students. Battle class with Mr. Sarutobi is starting in five minutes."

Benedict jumped up in his spot. "Welp, I gotta find that courtyard. See y'all later!" He waved to Velma before rushing to the back of the school. Phew, nobody is around, but not for long. He glanced around the courtyard; a basketball hoop, a box of chalk, a moldy piece of cheese, a-ha! He jumped into a large bush, carefully adjusting himself so he was tucked away like a Trapinch in the desert.

Another group of trainers gathered in the schoolyard, surrounding the blacktop. Some students whispered to each other, while others checked their phones or fixed up their appearances.

The school's door opened. An orange monkey walked outside, wearing a loose-fitting blue jumpsuit with a Poké Ball clipped to his waist.

"Alright everyone," he said as he waved hello to the students. "Welcome to battle class. Now normally we'd jump into today's lesson, but we have a special guest today."

A beige rabbit walked out of the door, holding a textbook in one hand and a cup of boba tea in the other. Her outfit was vaguely familiar to the students; a school uniform consisting of a white button-up blouse, an olive green pinafore dress with a gyroid pattern on the hem, and white socks with black loafers. Several blue and pink Poké Balls were clipped to her right wrist. She stood next to the instructor, gently smiling as she sipped from her cup.

"Glad I could make some time to be here, Flip," the rabbit said as she tucked the book under her arm.

"Likewise," Flip folded his palms together before looking up at the students. "Some of you might remember this young lady; this is Coco Haniwa, one of our recent graduates and valedictorian of her class."

"And Rustboro's current Gym Leader," Coco added as she wagged a finger at the crowd. "If any of you are interested in taking on the Pokémon League, that is."

The students stayed silent. Some of them looked at each other in confusion, while others yawned from boredom. Several even pulled out their phones and scrolled through social media.

One of the trees rustled in its spot, with flat green leaves falling to the ground. Benedict gulped as he fell out of the tree, planting face-first into a round topiary bush. He looked around the bush; oh good, barely any light so nobody could see him!

"I see," Coco deadpanned as she tightly gripped her cup. "Not one of you shows any interest in traveling through Hoenn, earning badges along the way at a chance to challenge the Elite Four. That's fine."

"Not me!"

Benedict yelled as he leaped out of the bush, beaming confidently as all eyes were on him. He stood behind the students and held out one of his Poké Balls. "I'm gonna take on Champion Apollo! Miss Coco, I'm Benedict Sussex, fresh outta Castelia City an' I wanna challenge you to a gym battle!"

Flip whipped out a walkie talkie and turned it on. "Security, we have a kid trying to challenge my guest speaker to a battle. Over."

Some of the students glared at Benedict, while others scoffed and ignored the outburst.

Coco stepped backwards as she held out her free arm. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOA. I don't just battle when a challenger tells me they want to!" she yelled, before taking a sip from her tea.

"Wait, y'all don't?" Benedict shook his hair loose as he put his Poké Ball away.

"Of course not," Coco shook her head. "I don't even have my Pokémon on me. But if you're still interested in challenging me for a Gym Badge?" She pulled out a blue planner and flipped through its contents, stopping at an empty page. "How does tomorrow at five work?"
Benedict raised an eyebrow. "Wait, is that in the mornin' or afternoon?"

Coco blinked as she neatly wrote 'Gym Battle with challenger' in one of the spots. "....That'd be in the afternoon, Benedict," she flatly said before chuckling. "Goodness, do you really want to be up that early for a battle?"

"No freakin' way," Benedict shook his head, a few strands of hair flying into his eyes. "So, where should I meet y'all to battle then?"

"How about Cornimer Park?" Coco suggested. "It's a fantastic battleground for all types of Pokémon."

"Sounds great to me!" Benedict said as he whipped out his phone and typed in a reminder to go find Cornimer Park. "I'm gonna get started on some trainin' then!"

A pair of dog officers, one bulldog and one akita, opened the door and headed to the courtyard.

"Seeya!" Benedict gulped as he ran out of the courtyard and back into the street. He rushed towards the district, occasionally looking behind his shoulders to make sure nobody was chasing after him. A group of animals whispered as they watched him run around, but they went back to their day. This wouldn't be the first passionate trainer raring to battle around here.

After making sure the coast was clear, he found the gym, waltzed through the door and shouted at the top of his lungs, "I'm gettin' my badge tomorrow!"

Tucker jumped up in his spot and dropped all his cards, yelping as he scrambled to pick them up. "Whoa, who came in this time?!" he said to himself. "And what's this about a badge tomorrow?"

Clay tisked twice. "I'll handle it," he said as he set his cards down, carefully making sure they were upside down. He walked up to Benedict and looked up at him. "So, first, congrats on booking a battle," he said.

"Thanks," Benedict nodded. "An' all it took was me gettin' kicked outta the trainer school!"

"That's...." Clay raised an eyebrow. "Not something to be bragging about, but if it'll get you your badge...."

"I don't see the big deal," Benedict shrugged his shoulders as he interrupted him. "I got suspended from school five times. So, are you an' the elephant guy like backup gym leaders or?"

Clay shook his head no. "Typical Unovans, I swear" he whispered to himself to explaining. "And no, Tucker and I are gym trainers. We train League Challengers so you and your Pokémon are ready for the Gym Battle."

"Alright then let's do this!" Benedict cheered as he undid his ponytail, keeping the hair band around his wrist. "Where are we fightin'?"

"Right here." Clay said as he walked to the museum's back. As he stood on his tiptoes, he reached up to press a button on the wall. The museum exhibits whirred as they folded into the walls. Wooden planks folded into the floor, forming a rectangular crater with a white line across the center. A ceiling fan on the wall slowed to a complete halt, the blades wobbling as they stopped for good.

He strolled towards the battlefield, holding out one of his Poké Balls. "So, shall we battle?" he asked.

"I've been ready since I walked in here!" Benedict shouted before rushing towards the end of the gym. He flipped his hair back before holding out a Poké Ball.

"Then prove it," Clay scoffed before shouting. "Geodude, rock out!"

A brown boulder Pokémon threw himself on the battlefield, roaring as he hovered above the ground. He curled his hands into tight fists as he flexed his muscles.

A Geodude? Oh this is gonna be a cakewalk! Benedict grinned as he threw his other Poké Ball in the air. "Ralts, let's go!"

Ralts whistled as he held his arms out and floated onto the battleground. His feet brushed against the smoothed planks.

Clay's nose twitched as he adjusted his pendant. "Geodude, use Tackle!"

"Ishiiii!" Geodude roared as he curled himself into a ball and threw himself across the air.

Benedict stepped backwards as he pointed ahead. "Ralts, use Confusion!"

"Raruuuu!" Ralts sang as he floated back onto the ground. His horns glowed purple as he held out his hands. Magenta energy rings formed around his wrists, growing with each second. He threw his hands back and hurled the energy rings across the battlefield.

Geodude yelped as the telekinetic force flung him through the air and smacked him against the wall. A loud crack echoed from the wall's interior, as Geodude landed on the palms of his hands.

"That better not come out of my paycheck..." Clay muttered to himself before yelling. "You alright, my dude?!"

Without any words, Geodude grunted as he flashed a thumbs up towards his trainer. He threw himself back into the air, bobbing back and forth in his spot.

"Yahoo!" Clay cheered as he pumped a fist in the air. "Alright Geodude. Use Rollout!"

Geodude roared as he curled his hands into tight fists and wrapped his arms around himself, forming a tight ball. He rolled across the battlefield, his erratic path zigzagging like a pinball.

Ralts backflipped multiple times as he narrowly dodged Geodude, flying higher into the sky with each flip. Eventually, he reached up and grabbed onto the ceiling fan's blade, holding on with his life.

Benedict snapped his fingers as he realized exactly what Ralts was doing. Tire him out, of course! A brilliant idea came to him, one shining if it must. "Hey, Ralts!" he looked up and yelled. "Y'all thinkin' what I'm thinkin' we do?"

"Raru?" Ralts chirped as he kicked his little legs in the air. "Ralu!"

"Then let's go!" Benedict shouted as he pointed ahead. "When Geodude rolls right in the middle, jump down an' use Disarming Voice!"

Ralts nodded once, his horns glowing pastel pink as he glared down at the ground. He took a deep breath before letting go of the ceiling fan, holding out his arms as he torpedoed through the air.

"RARUUUUUUUU!" He howled as he spewed a beam of pink and yellow star-shaped soundwaves, joined by an ear-piercing scream that rattled the entire gym in its spot.

Geodude uncurled in his spot, flinching as a duo of soundwaves batted him back and forth.

Ralts landed in front of him, his hands glowing cherry blossom pink as he clapped them together. The soundwaves smashed into each other, exploding into a cloud of hearts and stars.

The cloud dissolved into a sparkly mist that cascaded to the floor, revealing that Geodude fell to the ground and was completely passed out. His eyes stayed closed as his arm muscles faintly twitched.

Ralts whistled before he leaped into Benedict's arms, humming in content as his trainer spun in his spot.

Clay solemnly nodded as he returned Geodude to his Poké Ball, stopping to clip the ball to his waist. He walked across the battlefield and held out one of his paws. "That was a great battle," he said. "You've got a lot of potential, kid."

Benedict stopped spinning in his spot and set Ralts back down on the ground. He turned around and firmly shook Clay's paw. "Thanks!"
Clay nodded as he let go. He looked to his left and called out, "Hey! Tucker!"

"Yeah? What's up, Clay?" Tucker hollered back, sinking back in the couch as he finished putting away his cards.

"This kid just beat me in battle!" Clay yelled. "You wanna battle him before he takes on Coco?"

Tucker shouted back, "Of course I do! Coco's not paying us to only keep animals out!" He leaped off the chair and stomped towards the museum.

Benedict looked up and gulped, as Ralts climbed up his side and sat atop his shoulders. Sheesh, this guy didn't even need those tusks, he could knock him over with just one snort!

Tucker crossed his arms and chuckled. "In case you're wondering, I'm a respectable 190 centimeters."

"No kiddin'!" Benedict gasped. "And y'all didn't think about overthrowin' Coco as the gym leader?"

"That'd be silly," Tucker chortled as he snorted through his trunk. "She doesn't need my height to be a great gym leader. But I hope you put up a good fight."

The two trainers walked to opposite ends of the battlefield, while Clay scurried back to the lobby to clean it up for visitors.

"Let's see how you fare against ludicrous strength. Rhyhorn! Charge!" Tucker stepped forward as he held out his Poké Ball.

A red light zigzagged out of the ball and landed on the battlefield, revealing a cragged grey rhinoceros Pokémon. The spiky Pokémon fiercely roared as he clawed at the ground and tucked in his head.

Benedict snorted in laughter. "That's a pretty cool Pokémon. It'd be a shame if he were to lose to us! Alright Ralts, let's go two for two!" he yelled as he pointed ahead.

"Rurusu!" Ralts chirped as he jumped off his trainer and leaped onto the battleground.

"We'll see about that!" Tucker grinned as he pointed ahead and shouted, "Rhyhorn! Horn Attack!"

Rhyhorn kicked with his back legs as he tucked in his head, the horn on his head glowing a blinding shade of white. He roared as he charged across the battlefield, leaving a dust cloud in his trail.

Benedict glared as he pointed ahead. "Ralts, dodge it!"

"Raru!" Ralts yipped as he leaped into the air, holding out his arms as he watched the battlefield below him.

Rhyhorn turned around sharply as he watched Ralts backflip onto the ground. He charged again, headbutting Ralts in the back and throwing him through the air.

Ralts yelped as he fell onto the ground, lying on one side with his head barely propped up.

Benedict facepalmed before begrudgingly returning Ralts to his ball. "Great, just great," he thought to himself as he whipped out his other Poké Ball.

With a determined gleam in his eyes, Benedict stepped backwards and flung his Poké Ball in the air.

"Achaaaa!" Torchic cawed as he landed on the ground, bobbing back and forth in his spot.

Tucker's trunk twitched as he stifled a chuckle. "You know, kid," he pointed out. " It's pretty brave of you to pit a fire type against a rock type."

"Well Torchic an' I can handle anythin' flying our way!" Benedict scoffed. "Right, little guy?!"

Torchic peeped as he turned around and nodded at his trainer. He scraped his talons against the ground, glaring as steam blew from his beak.
"Then let's GO!" Benedict shouted as he threw a fist in the air. "Torchic, use Ember!"

"CHAMOOOOO!" Torchic cheered as he jumped in the air and spewed a flurry of tangerine orange fireballs from his beak. The balls of fire swept across the battlefield, zigzagging back and forth.

Tucker flashed a devious smile as he held out one of his arms. His tusks gleamed under the museum lights as his eyes went dark. "Rhyhorn, use Smack Down!"

Rhyhorn roared as he formed a golden rock on the tip of his horn. He threw his head forward and flung the rock in the air.

"Cha-mo!" Torchic yelped as the boulder hurled him across the gym, smacking him against the wall. The rock crumbled into dust as it fell towards the ground.

Benedict's face went dark as he rushed towards the wall. He sighed as he scooped up Torchic in his arms, holding him close to his body.

Tucker kneeled down to affectionately pet Rhyhorn on his spikes, gently patting him on the head before returning him to his Poké Ball.

"I think you got way ahead of yourself, but that was a fun battle," Tucker said as he walked towards the other trainer. "No hard feelings, right?"

"Yeah," Benedict sighed as he sent Torchic to his Poké Ball. "No hard feelings..."

He got up and wiped some dust off himself, frowning as he looked back at the ground. "I'm gonna need a minute..."

His heart slowly pounded as he walked away from the battlefield, his face darkening with each step. He pushed the door open before heading out of the gym, silent as the door closed itself.

Was this...was this some sort of sick joke played on him?! That guy just had to taunt him only to push him down like a pile of blocks! No, it wasn't his own fault! That Rhyhorn set up him and his Pokémon to fail!

Benedict's eyes twitched as he made his way through the league district, glaring at everyone around him. While some glared back at him, others looked fearful and ran back into their buildings.

Benedict clenched his fists as he left the city, rage flooding his entire body as he trudged down the dirt path. Clouds of dust exploded with each step, silent as thick forest canopies replaced the afternoon skies. Chirping birds and burrowing Pokémon echoed through the air, but failed to put him at ease.

If he could screw up something as simple as one battle, then whose to say he won't screw up in a gym battle, or getting to the Elite Four the Champion if he even earned those badges in the first place?!

Benedict stopped at a large bay tree and sat down underneath, crossing his arms as he pressed his back against the cragged bark. He looked up to the skies and sighed as one of his worst memories came to mind.

Instead of forests flooding with flora, it's a barren apartment with years of life packed away into sterile cardboard boxes carried by several Gurdurr. The company Pokémon stayed silent as they moved out boxes one by one. Tamoko and Mornay stood in the middle, screaming and yelling and hurling insults as the movers tried to pull them away from each other. Some about each other, the region they were in, even about their own child.

Benedict sighed as he walked into the building, exhausted after less than a minute. A week would pass before he'd be out of Castelia, whisked away on a boat to another region, left to carve his own path with the switchblades of fate.

A single drop of water splashed on Benedict's head, snapping him out of that memory and clearing his mind. While this battle sucked, it hurt much less than knowing what he'd been in before. His phone buzzed in his pocket.

He pulled out his phone and frowned. Damnit, no service in a forest, of course. But there had been a message sent while he was in Rustboro; aww, it was from Tank. "Aww, good luck on finding her! If you do, I wanna watch you battle her! Kidd says he doesn't, but trust me, he totally does!~"

Benedict gulped as he looked at the screen, his heart pounding as he reread the text several times. Even if he screwed up big time, Tank would be there for him. Sure, Kidd was doing his own thing, but if he didn't really care he wouldn't have followed them outside of Littleroot.

Yet at the same time, he was still frustrated with the day. Another memory came up, related to the last one. This time, it was him in an alleyway, heaving as he pelted rocks at an old brick wall. The stones shattered into pebbles and dust, crumbling down the walls and falling against the cement paths. Minutes would pass before the last rock was thrown, leaving him with nothing.

Another drop of water fell on Benedict, this time falling onto his beak. He blinked twice before shaking his head clear. Maybe going back to old habits would be the best thing to do.

With his heart resolved, Benedict stood up and began looking for some rocks, unaware of danger to follow.