During the walk in the forest, Harper got to familiarize himself with his two rescuers. The male herdier went by Winston, and the female herdier's name was Willow. Both of them were under the care of their ranch owner and his wife. It felt odd to converse with beings that weren't human but apart from the physicality of it, their conversation would be as normal as it would get. If he ignored the fact that he was talking to two pokémon and instead pretended that he was talking with people, it was easier to take in the situation.

To pass the time while they walked, the two herdiers began talking about their encounter with an evil human. Winston was gradually becoming angrier as the story unfolded, the fact that he was remembering was boiling his blood.

"So get this son, some evil-looking trainer in some strange black costume decided to steal my dear Willow!" Winston barked with outrage. "Our trainers and I had no idea how she went missing, and we wouldn't have ever found out if it weren't for those two trainers who came by."

Willow continued the story as Winston tried to catch his breath from his rant. "They immediately started looking for me when they heard I went missing. The evil trainer stole me while I was behind the barn, leading a lost Mareep back to the field. He tried to run away from the scene as fast as he could but got lost in the forest. Then, the nice trainer found us and roughed up the bad guy."

Their story was parallel to how everything played out in the games. He remembered fighting the new Team Plasma member before his hunt for a riolu. Wondering if the "nice trainer" was the same as the video game main character, he proceeded to ask Willow.

"What did the trainer that saved you look like? Did he have a visor with a blue jacket and shorts?"

"Why yes, he did," Willow raised an eyebrow. "How did you know that?"

Harper couldn't find a proper response without revealing the truth, he felt like he shouldn't tell anyone his real identity just yet. The herdiers and their trainers already have too much to worry about with his injuries, so telling someone that he was a human would be immoderate. Unable to explain why he knew the player character's appearance, he shifted the topic of the conversation.

"Was the bad guy arrested?"

"That bastard ran away as soon as the authorities were called," Winston growled. "If only I were there to battle him, I'd clamp my jaws straight into his neck for taking my wife like that."

"Dear, watch your language," Willow chided. "Not in front of a child like that."

"I'm not a child," Harper blurted out.

"Of course, you aren't, you're very brave for handling your injuries so well."

~There's no convincing anyone.~

As the three continued to walk, Harper felt something drip down his chest. Looking down, he realized that the burnt skin was beginning to rip due to stretching his arms sideways to hold onto the herdiers. He was also feeling slightly weaker as time passed, the pain was beginning to feel less ignorable. Harper tapped both of their shoulders, grabbing their attention.

"Can we pick up the pace? My chest…"

"Oh dear, it's getting worse," Willow gasped at Harper's fur, stained from blood and dirt when he crawled on the ground. "Let's hurry, Winston."

The three sped up their walking and quickly made their way to the edge of the forest. There was a fence that bordered the cluster of trees and the flat expanse of land.

"Is that the ranch you live at?" Harper asked, pointing at the barnhouse.

"There's no ranch around here, son, other than our Floccesy Ranch," Winston answered. "Our trainers should be nearby; they'll be able to help you further."

The human-turned-riolu nodded in response as the herdiers began walking faster. After ducking under the fence and exiting the forest, Harper looked around the ranch, amazed at how ordinary it looked. The farm was surrounded by a fenced perimeter with a vast field for the Mareep to graze. A smaller field section was fenced off, and mounds of hay sat in the corner. The wooden barn, stablehouse, and silo stood side-by-side with a bright red roof on each one. If the Mareep were replaced by sheep from Earth, Harper would have assumed that he was back in his original world.

The trio of pokémon walked up to the two ranch owners who were reboarding the side of the stablehouse. The woman was working on the bottom of the wall as the man did the same with the top while on a ladder. The man wore a bandana damp from sweat and green overalls dirty from sawdust and dirt. The woman was clothed in a vest and dress just as dirty as her husband's, her visor blocking the bright rays of the sun.

"Hey, Reed! We need urgent care right now!" Winston barked loudly, surprising the man and causing him to drop his hammer and nail. Just as he was about to fall off, he regained his footing and grabbed the ladder's sides, catching his breath.

"Winston!" The man said in a tense voice as he descended the ladder. "You know how easily I get scare—"

His face of mild irritation soon turned into shock as he glanced at Harper. His body was covered in injuries, the first and second-degree burns singing the fur, the chest area being the largest. Cuts covered nearly every part of his extremities, a multitude of unsanitary colors staining his fur.

"Meadow!" The rancher called out. "We got an injured pokémon here! Get the first aid kit in the living room!"

His wife stopped working on the stablehouse, rushing over to Harper with the same face the man made. "Oh goodness, Reed. I'll do just that, go take Riolu to the kitchen table." She requested, leaving the group behind.

"Willow, Winston, you heard her. Let's go," Reed picked up Harper and ran to the nearby house. Harper's consciousness was beginning to drift away, being both physically and mentally tired from everything that happened since his encounter with an explosion was taking a toll on his body.

~Maybe, just maybe… I'll wake up in my real body after all this… I'll be back in my bedroom before I know i…~

Harper passed out as soon as Reed opened the front door.

----------------------------------------

Nate's battle with Cheren was a tough one. His inability to capture a riolu left Nate in a moody state; a fighting type would've made Cheren a breeze to complete; despite not catching a riolu, catching his new partner, Mareep, lifted his spirits. Snivy and Mareep fought tooth and nail against Cheren's Normal-type pokémon. Normal types, having no resistances or advantages to Nate's pokémon, made his first gym battle reasonably tricky. He had overheard that Roxie was a Poison-type, which would be difficult for Snivy, but he had to face the disadvantage. The path to Champion was going to be tough, and the second gym was just another obstacle.

Winning in unfavorable odds would only help Nate be a better trainer.

The entrance to the Virbank City Gym was unlike any Nate had ever read about in his research of the gyms he had to compete in. Unlike Cheren's gym, which was behind Aspertia City's trainer school, Roxie's gym was deep underground. The first entrance led to a network of stairs where rock music grew louder as he descended. As Nate walked down the steps, he noticed a sign on the wall showcasing the schedule for the next couple of days. All the slots for today read:

Koffing and the Toxics

Practice Session: 12 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Concert: 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Upon reaching the actual entrance to the gym, the attendant behind the front desk sat up from her slumped position and faced Nate. The attendant was visibly tired, with bags under her eyes, and used herbal tea bags in a nearby trash bin.

"You here for a battle?" She grumbled, annoyed that her attempted nap was interrupted. "If you're here for the concert, it's not happening anytime soon."

"No, I'm here for the battle I registered for at 3:00 p.m.," Nate responded. "You were the one who wrote down the appointment for me two days ago."

"Did I?" She questioned herself as she began clicking her pen on the side of her head. The attendant started to flip over her clipboard and noticed his name. "Oh yeah, right, you're Nate, correct?"

"That's me."

"Well, you're here a little early. Just go inside and wait for their practice session to end."

Nate thanked the attendant in response, but she spoke up right before he touched the door handle.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Hey, can you make the battle as long as possible?" She requested as she returned to her slumped position on the desk. "The battles here are so much quieter than Roxie's band. I haven't slept properly in ages."

Wanting to finish the fight as fast as he could, Nate gave the attendant a shrug and a nod, neither responding with a yes or no. When he opened the doors, volume blasted Nate's body with the full force of the underground club's music. Many speakers and subwoofers decorated every free space in the room.

"P! O! K! É! M! O N! POKÉMON!"

Covering his ears, Nate walked over to the table furthest from all the speakers and waited for the band to finish playing. While waiting, he looked around the underground club and noticed several people listening to the band. The DJ was in the back of the club, playing with his turntable and adjusting the balance levels of the song. Roxie's band was so absorbed in their playing that they never noticed Nate entering through the double doors. The main stage was small, but it was the perfect size for Roxie's band, consisting of a lead bass, electric guitar, and drums. The back wall of the stage had a picture of a koffing, fitting the band's name. The club's center was empty since it acted as the battlefield for the gym.

As Nate observed the club/gym and looked back at the band, Roxie finished her final riff, ending with a strum that reverberated across the room. She stood dramatically, looking down with her playing hand held up high. When Roxie looked up, the audience began to lightly applaud. She noticed the loudest person clapping was Nate, standing out from the crowd with his visor and bright blue jacket.

"So you're Nate? The trainer set for 3 o'clock?" She spoke as she held the mic, pointing at Nate. When he nodded in response, Roxie flung her guitar behind her like a backpack and jumped off the stage, pokéball already in hand.

"The attendant told me a while ago that this is your second badge, so I'll be using a corresponding team for that," She explained as she walked to her side of the arena. "I'm also not going to hold back; I have some anger in me that rocking out won't fix."

The DJ picked up his mic, and after tapping it twice to test its functionality, he announced to the sparse audience. "Today's match is between Challenger Nate and Gym Leader Roxie. As this is Nate's second badge challenge, Roxie will be using her second badge team. This will be a two-on-two match, and only the Challenger is allowed to swap out. The battle is over if the Challenger calls forfeit or renders the defender's team unable to battle."

Roxie turned back to face Nate, who was prepared, standing on the opposite side. "Get ready, 'cause I'm about to knock some sense outta ya!" Roxie shouts, ready to throw her pokémon into the battlefield.

"I'm ready to return the favor," Nate replied, grabbing a pokéball from his belt and touching the button, enlarging it.

After their short conversation, the DJ spoke into the mike. "Are both trainers ready?" When they both looked at the DJ with a fiery glare, he took it as a yes and continued. "Then let the match… BEGIN!"

Nate and Roxie throw their pokéballs in tandem into the arena, both shouting their pokémon's names simultaneously.

"Let's do this, Mareep!"

"Go, Whirlipede!"

With a click from both pokéballs, a shimmer of light escapes them. When their respective pokémon appear in front of them, their trainers issue out their commands instantly.

"Mareep, use Cotton Spore!"

"Whirlipede, Rollout!"

Mareep's wool began to glow as vast clumps swiftly flew towards Whirlipede's route, blocking rollout's stampede.

"Tch, you made the right play," Roxie scoffed. "Whirlipede! Turn and switch to Poison Sting!"

Whirlipede halted before it hit the first ball of wool on the ground and jumped to the right, shooting a sharp, pointy needle in Mareep's direction. A Poison Sting hits Mareep in her front leg, the venom beginning to course through her veins.

"Shit! Mareep! Take the needle out and use a Thunder Wave!"

Using her hoof, she knocked the needle out of her leg before more poison could enter and proceeded to send ripples of electricity around her. The Thunder Wave successfully hit Whirlipede before he could roll away, causing the pokémon to twitch erratically.

"How astounding, ladies and gentlemen!" The DJ exclaimed. "Both trainers have already inflicted status effects on each other in such a short time frame! This match is getting shockingly toxic!"

The crowd began to cheer for the two battlers, equally split between the Challenger and the Gym Leader.

"Go, Roxie! Beat him for the next concert!"

"Go, Nate!"

"Beat Roxie!"

"Stomp the newcomer!"

Nate grinned as he heard the encouragement ringing around the underground club. This was his first gym battle with public attention and hearing people cheer for his opponent didn't deter him. In fact, it motivated him to prove them all wrong.

"Use Tackle and then Cotton Spore on his eye!"

Before Whirlipede could react, Mareep was already in front of the poisonous Bug-type and hit Tack squarely in the eye. When Whirlipede stumbled, making clicking noises as it was bearing the pain, Mareep shot a ball of wool at its injured eye.

"Ooooh!" The DJ recoiled, putting his hands before his mouth when Mareep connected her Tackle. "Whirlipede is now both paralyzed and blinded on his left side! How will Roxie fight with more disadvantages weighing her pokémon down?"

"Fight off the paralysis, Whirlipede! Use Screech!"

An ear-splitting noise emanated from the bug's mouth, causing everyone in the underground club to cover their ears, Nate included. Roxie wasn't fazed by Whirlipede's screech, Nate assumed it was from the frequent loud volume she always played in. Roxie took the opportunity to issue another command while his ears were still deafened.

"Perfect! Now use Rollout at 10 o'clock!"

Whirlipede shifted left and began to roll towards Mareep. Despite paralysis affecting his top speed, it still packed a punch when he pummeled Mareep right on her forehead. Mareep stumbled around after receiving the blow, still trying her best to stay afoot.

"Mareep, use Thunder Shock while Whirlipede's close to you!"

Sparks of electricity began to accumulate around her wool and she soon shot the collected energy, zapping Whirlipede. The continuous electrocution was too much for the Bug-type as he began to roll side to side until he fell onto the floor like a loose tire.

"Roxie's Whirlipede is unable to battle!" The DJ exclaimed. "With Nate's Mareep still standing and his other pokémon on standby, let's see how Roxie can turn the tide in her favor!"

Roxie called back Whirlipede into her pokéball, whispering into it as she brought it to her forehead. "You did well; your poison brought his pokémon to its knees."

Nate looked over at Mareep. She was barely keeping it together, her face scrunched up from the poison that's been in her body far longer than it should've. Her leg looked the worst, Mareep was leaning on her other three legs to disperse the pain away from it. Not wanting to strain her too much, Nate called Mareep over as he took her pokéball out.

"Mareep, you did great," Nate complimented her, soon calling her back into her pokéball. "Good job on holding it out till the end. Let's have Snivy take over now."

"Nate uses his right as a challenger to swap out his pokémon! What will our battlers change to now?"

"Let's finish this, Snivy!"

"It's on you now, Koffing!"

Nate released his starter pokémon while Roxie let out the namesake of her band.

"Bold of you to have a Grass-type sent out!" Roxie scoffed as she crossed her arms. "Hope you have a strategy knowing you're under a type disadvantage! Koffing, use Smokescreen!"

Fumes emerged from the Koffing's geysers, covering the combat zone in a thick haze of smoke. Snivy began looking over his shoulder frantically, expecting an attack from an unexpected angle.

"Snivy, use Magical Leaf to blow the smoke away!"

Snivy began to spin on the tip of his feet as he summoned leaves, revolving alongside the grass snake pokémon. The whirlwind that the magical leaves created from rotating repeatedly sucked up the smoke. When Snivy stopped spinning around, the smoke and the leaves dissipated from the arena.

Roxie scoffed at Nate who was grinning, glad that his idea worked.

"I'd better end this fast! Koffing, use Sludge!" Roxie commanded as she threw a hand to her side.

Koffing's cheeks began to fill up before shooting muck in Snivy's direction. The bile hit his tail leaf, the edges sizzling and melting away. Snivy winced in pain as he shook off the excess as much as he could. Nate wanted to help him get the sludge off but doing so would be forfeit. Ending the battle as quickly as possible was the only way to help, and that was exactly what he intended to do.

"Use Wrap on Koffing while he's close!" Nate shouted.

Vines began to extend from Snivy's shoulders and wrapped around the surprised Koffing like a ball of yarn. Without another command from Nate, Snivy began to slam the gas pokémon up and down onto the ground multiple times.

"Damn it! Koffing, use Poison Gas!"

Purple fumes emanated from Koffing's holes and Snivy let his vine whips go, the poison beginning to burn off the first layer. The damage had already been done, as Koffing was having difficulty keeping afloat, slowly gravitating towards the floor as time passed.

"Alright, let's finish this Snivy! Use Vine Whip and smack him down!"

Without sparing another second, Snivy withstood the pain inflicted by poison gas on its plant-like tendrils and used two vines to smack Koffing onto the ground. In an act of desperation, Koffing released another Poison Gas, this time much larger than the last. The impact created a cloud of poison, and unease festered in Nate. When the gas dissipated, the only one remaining was Snivy, standing firm. Koffing remained motionless on the ground, fainting from the repeated physical blows.

The silence left from the final attack was broken by the DJ, who tapped into the mic and spoke. "M-my goodness, ladies and gentlemen! I have not seen a spectacular battle like this in ages! The victor is Nate!"

The DJ's announcement led to the crowd erupting into a frenzy of applause. Not wasting another second, Nate rushed over to Snivy and released Mareep from her pokéball to heal both at the same time. Taking out a potion from his bag, he sprayed his pokémon simultaneously. As he healed the two, he noticed Roxie sending Koffing back into a pokéball before she walked over to Nate. She dug into her pockets and took two pecha berries out.

"You're gonna need these as well," She held the berries forward. "Nice battle, Nate."

"Thanks, Roxie," Nate replied, taking the pechas and passing them to his pokémon. The berries were doing their job, as Mareep and Snivy were looking much more lively than how they looked a moment ago.

She then asked him. "How did you come up with clearing the smoke with Magical Leaf?"

"Well, I knew I was going to have trouble with this battle since I was under a type disadvantage with my two pokémon." Nate turned back and faced his Snivy, who was shaking the nearly empty bottle on his tail. "I know that the snivy evolution learns Leaf Storm much later in their life, but spinning around some summoned leaves is fundamentally the same as its move counterpart. And since Leaf Storm uses wind to a certain extent, I expected my discount version to be the same."

Roxie laughed. "Tricks like this will get you far, Nate," She rummaged through her other pocket and took out the Toxic Badge, dropping it on his open hand. "Here you go, you deserve this."

Nate stared at the golden badge with embedded purple gems, laughing cheerfully as he held it high to his head. The club broke into another round of applause in response. When the noise died down, Roxie tapped his shoulder.

"So you're going to Castelia City next, right?" when Nate confirmed her question, she continued. "Well, you're out of luck. The only person who has a round trip from Virbank to Castelia by boat is my Pops, who's too dense to listen to me." She sighed, looking down at the ground with her hands on her hips.

"I know you're capable, especially after seeing you battle, so I'm gonna ask for a favor for Virbank's and my sake. Can you get my Pops to leave Pokéstar Studios and return to his job?"

"Sure, Roxie," He accepted as he called back his pokémon, who returned to their pokeballs in healthy condition. "I'll find him as soon as I can."

"Thanks, Nate. Just look for someone named Liam O'Connor; he should be doing whatever actors do at movie studios."

Nate hummed in response, turning around and exiting the underground club through the double doors. He was now one step closer to his dream of being Unova's champion.