No sooner had the sun crowned the peak of Mt. Coronet, casting a shimmering corona of sunlight upon the land, that Inyssa found herself before the doors of Eterna City's Gym. One hand on her belt, the other hidden inside her pocket, eyes brimming with determination.

She inhaled the sharp, cold air around her and the sweet scent of her ivory cotton scarf, freshly washed that morning of all the dirt and soot which had clung to it ever since the Chateau's collapse. She felt something poking her in the forehead. Steven's tiny legs were adjusting his body while on top of her hat, the wind from the north threatening to topple him backwards. To her left and right stood Shadi, her thick mustache shivering with the morning's cold, and Enma, his body steaming and the flame on his tail burning brightly. Behind her, she could barely hear Barry's breathing, and when she turned around she found him in the same state she'd seen him since they had left the Pokemon Center; chin up and hands clenched into fists. His smile was thin and pale, stretched across his face in the same way Sarah's always was. His body was still but she could almost feel the electricity coming from his pores, a good night's sleep apparently being enough to restore the boy to his usual overexcited state.

She smiled back, the dryness in her lips hurting slightly, and she felt her heart starting to beat faster.

"Last time this didn't go as expected." She broke the silence, inadvertently delaying their entrance to the establishment. "But this place does seem to have an actual Gym Leader, so I say we mark this as our official first test in the Sinnoh League."

He nodded, arms crossed. "Back in Oreburgh we didn't even give each other points after our battles. How's the score right now?"

"Forty six to forty four." She allowed herself a coy smile, which she made sure Barry could see. "I'm winning."

"Well, I'm feeling lucky today. Whoever has the least fainted Pokemon at the end of the battle wins a point. If you lose the fight, you lose a point. Sounds good?"

A simple nod was her only response, and after another moment of hesitation her hands moved towards both sides of the door, pushing them aside. The path ahead opened up to a mess of green and browns, with occasional different colors adorning what appeared to be a mix between an indoor park and a winter garden. Unlike Floaroma, there was no overpowering cloying smell, but a subtle citric scent which danced around them like mist, complementing the cold wind. As she stepped over the near-frozen soil beneath her feet, her eyes studied the different flora: camellias, winter berries and witch hazels created a mix of colors that were quite pleasant to the sight, so much that she started walking slower just to appreciate their beauty. Unfortunately, Barry protested by clashing his head against her back, in a similar way to when they were kids.

"Come on Niss! We already smelled flowers in Floaroma, let's go fight the Gym Leader!"

Enma nodded, arms crossed, impatient. She shot them an icy look and reluctantly continued until the beautiful garden was behind her and the second door towards the actual Gym was at hand's reach. Once again she walked through, and at the other side she found the place they had gotten into so much trouble trying to find. The arena was twice as big as Oreburgh's, the sand beneath her feet shimmering under the sunlight filtering through the open roof. A few kids and teenagers were scattered through the place, either talking to each other or training their grass Pokemon. In the exact middle, where the chalk outlining the arena formed a Pokeball, stood Gardenia and Sarah, the only two adults in sight.

"Mom! When did you get here?" She felt her body being jerked forward as Barry almost jumped on top of her to get a better view. "We didn't find you when we woke up so we though you were working!"

Sarah's turn was sudden, her body freezing for a fraction of a second before her eyes moved towards them with the speed of a Ninjask. Inyssa could see a glimpse of surprise in her face, although it only lasted a second before she dropped her guard, her lips forming a relieved smile. She was clearly on edge, ready to jump to action at a moment's notice. Dark bags adorned the underside of her eyes, revealing just how little sleep the woman had gotten the night before.

"Barry... Inyssa..." She spoke in a low, raspy voice, and behind her Gardenia winked at both of them. "Good morning, I wasn't expecting you until twelve at least."

"Is everything okay?" Inyssa asked.

"Yes, don't worry about me." She raised a hand, showing a thin smile. "We were simply discussing town matters."

"Still working on that terrorism case," said Gardenia, both hands on her hips. "We haven't gotten much info on those Galactic guys, but there's some weird stuff going on around here. A couple people have reported their Pokemon missing... Actually, a little more than a few, really."

Sarah scowled at her. "Gardenia, they don't need to hear that."

"Right, right, sorry." She smiled nervously, wiping her palms on the fabric of her pants. "Aaaanyways, it's nice to finally met you two, I've been waiting for ya." She moved her gaze from the kids to Inyssa's Pokemon. "I see you already got your companions ready."

"We didn't want to wait in line for our fight," Inyssa admitted, trying to imbue her voice with as much confidence as possible. "And we figured it'd be better for your reputation if as few people as possible saw you lose against two newbies."

Gardenia's eyes sparked with either amusement or irritation, perhaps a mix of both. She approached the kids, her cinnamon hair waving with the wind coming from the open roof of the arena, and with a simple flick of her wrist she produced a shiny Green Pokeball on her palm.

"Oh, I like you," she whispered, the husky drop in her voice sending a pleasant chill down Inyssa's spine. "Alright sprouts, how many badges do you have? I wanna make sure I give you a proper challenge; I might be a gardener but tending to flowers and plants ain't the only thing I'm good at."

"We have one badge, miss... I mean Gardenia!" Barry replied, his voice an octave higher than usual.

"Yeah, we got it from Grumpy McFossilFace," Inyssa added. "Also you already used that sprout pun last night."

"Ah, you must have fought against Roark," she nodded. "I can see how that would drop your spirits a bit. Poor guy's not really made for the job, is he. But don't you worry, I'll make sure you get your time's worth here!"

She punched the palm of her own hand, the soft brown of her eyes bursting ablaze with brightness and energy. Her demeanor was completely different from last night, a wave of energy exuding from her all of a sudden She'd seemed so chill and relaxed back in the Pokemon Center... Inyssa smiled. She knew what it was like. When the heat o fbattle overtook her, it was like she became a different person too.

"We're ready when you are."

"Actually... before we start, I have a proposition for you two." She told them, making her Pokeball spin on her index finger. "As long as Sarah doesn't mind if I bend the Association rules a little bit."

"Pretend I'm not here," said the woman.

"Perfect! Alright you two, listen carefully. League regulations set three Pokemon as the maximum I can use against trainers with five badges or less, but that doesn't sound very fun, does it? And since you both seem to know each other..." A sly smile formed on her lips. "What do you think about a double battle? Both of you against me, four Pokemon on each side. That way I can really see what you kids are made of."

The idea caught both of them off guard. Inyssa stood there, weakly stomping her feet in the ground, her eyebrows knit. But before she had time to consider it, Barry's voice boomed at her side, almost deafening her.

"Oh my gosh, can we do that!?" She hadn't seen Barry so excited since he'd gotten that Snorlax plushy from her on his last birthday. "You're on! Right, Niss!?"

Stolen story; please report.

She shrugged. "Fine by me."

Gardenia needed to hear no more. With a simple smile she turned around and started walking towards the other side of the arena, ordering her students to clear the battlefield as she passed through. Sarah shot them a warm smile and headed towards the stands.

"Guess that means we can only use two Pokemon each." She whispered, biting her finger. "Sorry Enma, but you'll have to stay out of this one."

Enma's flame shot up until it was twice its size, and from his flaring eyes and the fact he was baring his fangs, she guessed he wasn't too happy about her decision.

"You've already gotten a ton of experience these past days," she said. "Your other teammates need to fight once in a while too."

Enma simply spat at his side, crossing his arms and looking away from her. She figured that was the best possible reaction she was going to get from him, so she took it. Turning towards Barry she found him lost in thought.

"Do you mind telling me what Pokemon are you going to use?" she asked him, bringing him back to reality.

"And ruin the surprise? Come on Niss, you know me better than that," he said, grabbing a Pokeball from his belt. "Trust me, I've got an amazing idea, probably the best I've ever come up with! You'll absolutely die of shock."

She shrugged, and figured that she would find out eventually. Without another word they walked towards the designated ring for challengers, and before a minute passed the arena had been completely cleared. At the stands on the side were a couple spectators, mostly Gym students. Gardenia's voice filled the stadium, with a booming sound like that of a sport's commentator.

"This will be our first battle of the day so y'all better pay attention, you might learn something for once!" She bellowed to her students on the stands. "Barry Paladino, Inyssa Dawn, are you two ready?"

"Yes we are, Miss Gardenia!" Barry yelled, his voice cracking from excitement.

"Bring it!" Inyssa yelled.

"In that case, today's Gym battle..." She threw her hand up, pointing at the sky. "...begins now!"

Inyssa closed her eyes for a moment, and for the first time in days she felt perfectly in place. All her worries about what had happened recently disappeared from her mind and she felt the wild beating of her heart warming up her entire body. She allowed herself a simple smile; that was exactly the feeling she'd been looking for, what she had been seeking for so long. She clenched her right fist, and once she opened her eyes she pointed directly at Gardenia, voice shaking with enthusiasm.

"Shadi, I choose you!"

The Kricketune jumped into action, her red scythes glistening beneath the sunlight. Gardenia took two Pokeballs from her poncho and threw them into the air, the light from them materializing into two somewhat familiar Pokemon. One of them was the same shelled creature he'd seen Lucas use, while the other one was a taller, graceful figure with two roses instead of hands whom Inyssa recognized as Bret's evolution. The Turtwig and Roselia stood still, waiting for orders.

"Ohh I'm so pumped!" Barry stimmed excitedly, and with as much force as possible he threw his Pokeball into the air. "Go, Kitsune!"

That piqued Inyssa's interest, and she set her sight directly on the shape appearing next to Shadi, excited to see what new Pokemon Barry had managed to catch. The pulsing light turned into a small, yellow and brown fox with thin arms and legs and slanted, almost completely closed eyes. The creature's butt hit the floor as soon as he appeared, and the bobbing of his head told her that he wanted nothing more than to be left alone so he could go back to sleep.

"An Abra," she whispered, not believing what she was seeing. "Are you serious!? You're going to use an Abra in a Gym battle!?" Her fingers clenched, and she felt a strong urge to put her hands around his neck. "What is wrong with you?"

Barry simply smiled, not being fazed by her rage, and pointed at his Pokemon.

"Quick, jump onto Shadi's back!" he ordered.

The Abra turned around to look at him, and with a deep sigh he did as he was told, lazily grabbing onto the bug's back with his thin arms. Inyssa's mouth hung open, her brain trying to determine just what the hell was Barry thinking. Abra were useless in battle, the only move they knew was...

A light bulb lit up in her head, and she couldn't help but laugh. Barry's expression turned smug as he stroked his chin, staring at her expectantly.

"Turtwig, use Curse!" Gardenia yelled from the other side of the arena. "Roselia, Razor Leaf!"

The tortoise planted his four feet firmly on the ground, and a pulsing, dark energy began to swirl around his body, making him heavier and stronger. Meanwhile, his companion threw both her buds forward and made them glow a bright green, expelling wave after wave of sharp, knife like petals with a sharp shriek. Barry saw the barrage coming, and simply looked at Inyssa, allowing her to do the honors.

"Shadi, use Fury Cutter on Roselia!" she yelled.

"Kitsune, Teleport!" Barry followed.

Shadi brandished her two scythes, the dark red energy coalescing around them and their sharpness almost touching producing a sharp hum, like a string being plucked. The razor-sharp petals were still advancing towards them, but the moment before they were hit both Pokemon blinked out of existence in an almost imperceptible flash of purple. Gardenia's eyes went wide. A pop was heard as they materialized behind Roselia, who was too slow to react to the incoming attack. Inyssa was only able to hear the impact as the rose Pokemon went flying through the arena, landing face first onto the sand.

"Turtwig, they're close to you! Bite them!" Gardenia ordered.

Turtwig nodded and ran towards his opponents, maw opened wide. However, the energy he'd gathered upon himself had weighed him down, and his opponents managed to teleport away before he could reach them, slipping through his jaws. Roselia was still trying to get up, her body shaking from the previous attack, when Shadi appeared behind her and, with another arc of her scythe, sent her flying a good ten feet up. More and more energy began to gather on her scythes the more she attacked, building up exponentially.

"Finish her off!" Inyssa yelled, fists clenched.

The air pressurized around Shadi and Abra, and with another violet flash they appeared on top of their victim, the Kricketune's scythe contracting as far back as possible. Inyssa had to look away as the impact sent Roselia downwards like a cannonball, raising clouds of sand around her body as she went completely limp. At the other side of the arena, Gardenia froze for a moment. Her mouth went from being slightly open to forming a fiery smile.

"Oh hell yes," she said, her voice only a whisper. "That was a pretty nifty strategy. I can tell you two ain't gonna disappoint me." She returned Roselia to her Pokeball, and immediately took another one from her poncho. "But I'm afraid that won't work again. Go, Cherrim!"

Her new Pokemon appeared in the field next to Turtwig, light turning into what appeared to be a purple flower bud with two tiny legs. Inyssa couldn't even see a face or arms on it.

"The hell is that?" she whispered, narrowing her eyes. "I've never seen that Pokemon, it's kind of like a lame version of Bret."

"Looks super weak," Barry concluded. "Just focus on the Turtwig! Come on, before he has time to buff himself even more."

Inyssa thought about it for a second, her eyes still set on that strange Pokemon. Gardenia wouldn't have sent it if he wasn't useful, but then again what could something so small do to them? She decided to go with Barry's plan. For now the tortoise was the clear target to attack.

"Fury Cutter again!" she ordered, a speck of doubt in her voice.

Shadi brandished her scythes once more, and being the fourth time she used the same attack the energy emanating from them began to shake the ground beneath her. The Kricketune set her eyes on her opponent, and with a small jump she pushed herself towards him.

"Turtwig, Sunny Day, before she reaches you!" Gardenia shouted.

Turtwig raised his head towards the sky, and with a deep roar he gathered energy in a small, grey ball inside his maw, launching it upwards with extreme force. Inyssa couldn't help but follow its trajectory as it flew through the clouds above, disappearing above them. For a short moment nothing happened, and she entertained the idea that the attack had failed, but before she got her hopes up the sky started clearing, all the clouds above the stadium parting and letting space free for strong rays of sunlight to fall into the arena.

Which didn't particularly help the Turtwig as Shadi and Kitsune teleported in front of him and wrecked him with a single hit, his body flying backwards and almost breaking the stone of the wall behind Gardenia. He landed with a deaf thomp, and altough that had been the strongest slash from Shadi yet, the small Pokemon wasn't unconscious yet due to his fortified defenses. She was about to order another attack when Barry interrupted her.

"Whoa, what's that thing doing!?"

Furrowing her brow, she looked at what Barry was pointing at. The petals on the Cherrim's body were slowly opening, dark purple turning into a pale pink as he revealed his true form, two tiny arms coming out from inside the bud, finally showing his round, cute face. Inyssa stood in shock for a few seconds, head tilted to the side.

"Do you like this cutie over here?" Gardenia asked, smug smile on her face. "Cherrim's ability lets him change his form when under strong sunlight, and it gives him a whole lotta speed and power!" she explained, arms crossed and pride clear in her voice. "Oh and trust me, that's not the only trick this little guy has..."

Barry and Inyssa exchanged a worried look. She mentally cursed their lack of experience and her mind began to race trying to think of the possible implications of Gardenia's words. Whatever she meant with that, it didn't matter. As long as they had that powerful teleport combo on their side they had everything under control.

"Fury Cutter one more time!" she yelled, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible.

"I already told you that won't work again," Gardenia replied, voice firm. "Cherrim, Solar Beam!"

The woman greatly enjoyed the look of horror on their faces as they realized what they'd walked into. Inyssa's heart dropped as she witnessed the flower Pokemon slowly raising from the floor upwards, a tremendous amount of solar energy gathering between his tiny hands, until it looked like he was holding a miniature sun. It was so fast. Normally, gathering that amount of energy would've taken a long time, but with direct sunlight upon them... It took only a couple breaths. She wanted to yell to Shadi to hurry and attack, but it was too late. Her words died on her throat.

A roar like that of a bomb going off deafened her, and the explosion of light managed to blind her as well, bathing the entire arena a stark, burning white.