The Barefoot, Fighting Genius!

[Kyuuketsuki]

Saffron City has been plunged into darkness; Sabrina was trapped in her Gym, and Crasher Wake had his hands full with three opponents. The red-haired woman stood behind her Pokémon, giving Maylene a challenging grin. The young girl knew winning was almost impossible; both of her Pokémon were tired after spending the whole day training against each other.

‘Go on, then,’ said Ariana. ‘You’re the target, and it would be easy to get to you if you don’t use one of these Pokémon to defend you.’

Riolu took a step forward, ready to defend his Trainer, but Machop jumped straight towards the Arbok. His fist collided with the tall creature, but it gave no response.

‘Do you honestly think that will do you any good?!’ Ariana laughed. ‘If all you have are these two Pokémon, then I’ll take care of both of them!’

Machop jumped towards the Arbok again, but she swatted him away with ease. As the much smaller Pokémon struggled to get to his feet, Arbok dashed for Maylene. She targeted the young girl, and was flying towards her faster than the Houndoom’s attack, but once again, Riolu was ready to face his opponent.

His palm gave an orange light, and he jumped up to face the Arbok. She hissed in pain as the attack hit her neck, and in those few seconds, Maylene could’ve sworn she saw the pattern on the Pokémon shift to form an angry face. Arbok was knocked backwards, her tail lashing out at the Riolu as she flew. It didn’t seem strong, but as soon as one of her hits connected, Riolu flew to the ground, creating a dent as his body his the concrete.

‘Machop, use Focus Energy!’

As Arbok struggled to get upright, Machop managed to relax his body and focus on the target. The serpentine Pokémon hissed at him, but he only gave a grin; he had been in this situation before. Arbok made her way towards him, slowly rising up and seeming to grow in size. When she was fully uncoiled, she gave a hiss that sent shivers down Maylene’s spine.

Riolu was struggling to get back up. A purple bruise where Arbok had hit him confused his vision, sending flashes of pain through his body. He tried to regain his footings, but the poison was slowly working his way through his body, and he couldn’t even lift his body off of the ground, stumbling with each attempt.

Maylene was in danger, and he knew that he couldn’t help her. He looked at Machop and Arbok, who were standing against each other in a standstill, when a pair of arms wrapped around him.

‘You’re hurt, Riolu,’ said Maylene. ‘Don’t try to battle; you did enough.’

He struggled at first, but his previous strength had faded away. He had spent a year training throughout Kanto, and had vowed to always protect Maylene, but if Arbok was to target her again, he would be helpless to do anything. He only hoped that Machop knew what he was doing.

Behind her, Crasher Wake was trying as hard as he could to rush to her side, but the Houndoom, Weezing, and the Raticate were not targeting his Pokémon, but himself. Any attempt of escaping was met by a Pokémon who would block his way, and his own Pokémon who would protect him.

‘Strike now, Arbok!’

The tall Pokémon let out another hiss, louder than all those that came before it, and much more vicious. She lunged forward, bearing her fangs as she approached the Machop; they were dripping with venom. He didn’t jump away, and Maylene flinched as her Pokémon let out a scream of pain.

Arbok had closed her fangs around his arm, and she thrashed her head around, dragging the smaller Pokémon with her, and smashing him against the ground.

‘Let go of him,’ said Ariana. ‘We’re not killers.’

With a grin, Arbok tossed Machop back towards Maylene. The area around his wound took on a purple shade, just like Riolu.

‘There’s nothing you can do,’ said Ariana. ‘Run away before your Pokémon get more hurt.’

‘Not w-without Crasher Wake,’ said Maylene. ‘Tell them t-to stop their attacks.’

‘I can’t do that. I can only promise that I won’t let anyone come after you.’

‘Why only me?’

‘Because you’re just a child,’ said Ariana, almost with sympathy. ‘Believe me when I say you were lucky that you ended up facing me; the others wouldn’t hesitate to kill you. They’re heartless as it is.’

‘I won’t go without Crasher Wake!’

‘Well, too bad,’ said Ariana. ‘It’s not your choice.’

With a signal of Ariana’s hand, Arbok lunged towards Maylene and wrapped her long tail around her. Machop was stuck at the end of Arbok’s tail, while Riolu was unconscious. Maylene felt the Arbok about to jump away; her tail was tightening, and her body was being pulled to the ground as if she were a spring, but she gave a sudden yell of pain, and was thrust forwards.

Maylene flew in the air as the world around her flipped. The sky became the floor, and she closed her eyes in desperation. She didn’t know where Machop was, and Riolu had fainted in her arms; she should never have taken on Ariana, especially when she knew that she was not going to win.

Familiar grips held her; the cold hands were something that she experienced before, but she couldn’t place it, and she was too frightened to open her eyes. A few droplets of water hit her, and the realisation that she was safe dawned upon Maylene. She slowly opened her eyes; Floatzel had caught her, and his hands surrounded her entire body, protecting both her and Riolu.

Maylene turned her attention to where she had been, taking some seconds to figure out where she was. Crasher Wake stood panting where the Arbok had grabbed her, being protected by Quagsire from the Weezing. The left side of his face was bleeding, purple ooze bubbled at the tips of the wound, Arbok was on the ground, and Weezing had a red smudge that covered a part of his face.

He said something to Ariana, who looked panicked. She looked up again as she registered the sound of rushing water; a jet was being shot out of Floatzel’s mouth, and the Houndoom was responding with a violent stream of fire, having clearly formed some resentment for the Pokémon and abandoned his previous plans of going after Crasher Wake. Almost as if the scene was waiting for Maylene’s gaze, Floatzel’s attack overtook Houndoom’s, and the black Pokémon flew back with a howl.

Floatzel jumped again as the Raticate’s limb body rolled towards them and crashed into the wall behind where they were. Gyarados roared as his opponent lay in a heap, like Houndoom. Floatzel stared at the taller Pokémon, but the Pokémon only responded by scoffing.

Floatzel jumped again, and it was higher than all the times before it. He landed on the rooftop of a building, and set Maylene down before trying to jump back into the fight.

‘Don’t leave me here,’ said Maylene, grabbing the Pokémon. ‘You know I won’t stay still! I’ll just find the stairs and come down, and if I don’t, I will jump down! You can’t keep me out of this fight!’

It seemed that all of Maylene’s foolish enthusiasm had returned to her. With a quick swipe, Floatzel snatched Riolu from the girl’s arms, and jumped to a rooftop adjacent to the one Maylene was on. He let Riolu down, and jumped back into the battle.

If Maylene could see Floatzel’s face, she was sure he’d be laughing mischievously to himself; he knew that she would never leave Riolu, even if he were unconscious. She jumped to the rooftop next to her, towards Riolu, and she ran before she leaped again. In the few seconds, Floatzel must have considered the best and safest option for Maylene; all the rooftops she jumped towards were lower than the one before them, and the gap between each two was small, if nonexistent. Riolu was lying on the lowest of them, and the buildings after him were high enough to give Maylene difficulty.

As soon as she reached her Pokémon, she considered jumping down, but the ground was still far away, and the drop was intimidating. She wanted to get back to the battlefield, and she didn’t care if she couldn’t battle nor help; Machop was still there, probably amongst all the attacks, and he was too weak to run from anything. She quickly searched the battling Pokémon; they were far, but Machop’s silhouette was not amongst them.

Grabbing Riolu between her arms, Maylene smashed into the door that led to the staircase, and she was knocked back. It was locked, and probably barricaded as well, as it didn’t budge at all. There was no fire staircase to be found; she had to jump down, or slide down. Just as she was approaching the edge of the building, the door flung open, and an elderly woman crawled into view.

Her cane was shaking, and the woman was panting. But her hair was strangely organised and tied to a bun. Her eyes were only marginally open, and she was wearing a very messy kimono. She was much shorter than Maylene.

‘Little girl,’ the lady said. ‘Come here! Hurry!’

Maylene rushed into the building as the woman shut the door behind them.

‘What were you doing? I saw you jumping from rooftop to rooftop. I was walking back to my apartment, and it was just luck that you ended up on my building. Oh, your Pokémon is hurt; that bruise looks like it still pains him. Bring him to my apartment, and I’ll patch him up.’

‘No, really, it’s fine,’ said Maylene. ‘I have to go find my other Pokémon. Did you see a Machop by any chance?’

‘I’ve seen plenty of Machop in my day, but none in this mess,’ the woman said. ‘I kept my head down and ran, and you’re not going back out there.’

She wrapped very frail fingers around Maylene’s arm as she rested on each step for a second.

‘I really have to go,’ said Maylene; she wanted to just run away, but she suspected that doing so would pull the old woman down. ‘Please, just let me go.’

‘That’s not going to happen,’ the woman said. ‘Those blasted Team Rocket; thieves and murderers! You’re not going out there until it has all settled down. Where is that girl Sabrina when we need her? Terrorising our town when nothing is happening, but as soon as Team Rocket shows up, she disappears.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Oh, Sabrina is a psychic,’ said the woman. ‘That’s how the rumour goes at least. They’re dangerous folk, these people, almost as dangerous as the buffoons out there.’

‘I met Sabrina, and she seemed nice,’ said Maylene; the pair had finally reached the platform at the end of what was marked as the 6th floor. It was going to be a long way down. ‘And now she’s trapped in her Gym by those people.’

‘No matter,’ the woman said. ‘You’re going to stay in my apartment, as I said, and not leave until this whole ordeal blows over. It’s a dangerous affair for a young girl like you out there.’

‘No, it’s not,’ said Maylene. ‘I was just out there!’

‘And your Pokémon is obviously not unharmed,’ said the woman. ‘And you ended up on a rooftop, and now you’re searching for a Pokémon of yours; it’s obviously not safe for you, either.’

‘But I can handle myself,’ said Maylene. ‘I have friends out there.’

‘That big guy in blue, you mean? He’s barely keeping it together!’

‘You saw Crasher Wake?!’

‘I was keeping my head down, but he’s hard to miss, even in a night as dark as this one.’

‘How is he only barely keeping it together?!’

‘Oh, you don’t fret your mind with that,’ the woman said. ‘Whatever he is doing, you won’t go out to help him. Over my dead body.’

‘No, please, I have to,’ said Maylene. ‘I don’t want to lose him. Please. I saw him bleeding, and I don’t want to leave him alone.’

‘What’s a small girl like you doing with such a big guy anyway? He doesn’t look safe to befriend.’

‘No, you don’t understand, he’s like a father to me,’ said Maylene. ‘I can’t leave him. Just let go of me.’

‘I’m not doing that,’ said the woman, stopping on a step halfway to the 5th floor. ‘I’ll stay here all night if I have to. If you run, I will fall and die. And if he’s only like a father to you, then that means he’s not your father.’

Maylene pulled her hand away, and the woman lost her balance. She quickly pushed her back to her place with her free arm, and ran down. The old woman shouted after her, but Maylene was sure the lady would be safe; she still had her cane, and the railings were right next to her. And if she ran all the way up, then she can slowly go down to her apartment.

The door came into view, and the darkness outside was much more welcoming to Maylene than the safe, warm walls. She threw her body at the door, and once again, she was knocked back.

‘Stupid doors!’

‘Turn the handle!’ the old lady shouted from some floor above her. ‘I heard the crash all the way up here! I want your safety, young girl, but I want the door to keep everyone inside safe as well! And if you can run that fast, then you can outrun the people outside!’

‘Thanks!’

Riolu had stirred in Maylene’s arms. She looked down to see his open eyes; the bruise above them had slightly faded.

‘Are you okay, Riolu?’

The Pokémon gave a nod. Maylene lifted her body up, and turned the handle. The door was easily opened, and the cold air of the night outside attacked Maylene. She was from Sinnoh, and used to such weather, but after the comfort of the apartment building, it seemed harsh. Riolu shivered as well, but he jumped down from Maylene’s arms, and ran outside, prompting Maylene to follow him.

They were too far from the battle. Floatzel must have known that by trying to get to Riolu, Maylene would put a lot of distance between herself and the battle. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop was easier than running through a level street. Ariana’s back was towards Maylene, and Crasher Wake must have been somewhere amongst the Pokémon.

Maylene started crying. The idea of losing him had never crossed her mind, but seeing him bleed, as well as poison covering part of his face, planted the seed in her mind, and the old woman triggered it. She almost wanted to go back and rush into the building, ignoring whatever misfortune was happening outside, and to pretend it wasn’t happening.

Riolu was running with a limb, and Maylene had overtaken him, but her mind was full only of thoughts of Crasher Wake and Machop. She only hoped that the unwavering strength Floatzel had shown wasn’t just to comfort her, and had remained with all of Crasher Wake’s Pokémon.

Her bare feet were hitting the cold concrete harder than ever, aching her with every step. The pain shot through her entire body, and Maylene almost tripped more than once. She wanted to trip and to stay on the ground, she wanted anything to stop her, because if Crasher Wake was not standing when she reached him, then she’ll cease to stand as well.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Still reading this, and my god have you evolved! The tension is getting bigger, as well as Maylene's internal struggles. I like the way you portraited the connection between different regions and their gymleaders. Looks like they're in tight situation, so I'm eagerly waiting what's gonna happen next

I root for Machop evolving!

[Kyuuketsuki]

Still reading this, and my god have you evolved! The tension is getting bigger, as well as Maylene's internal struggles. I like the way you portraited the connection between different regions and their gymleaders. Looks like they're in tight situation, so I'm eagerly waiting what's gonna happen next

I root for Machop evolving!

Thank you so much! I was starting to think that no one is reading this anymore, so your comment really made me happy!

The series is approaching the point I had always wanted it to approach, so I'm putting my best efforts into these latest chapters. I'm really glad that you like them, and I hope you like what is to come.

As for Machop evolving, Maylene does have a Machoke in the games, so it's only a matter of when he will evolve than whether he will evolve or not. You'll just have to wait and see.

[Kyuuketsuki]

Maylene was sitting cross-legged on the floor, holding a towel and rubbing out any smudges she could spot on the egg. It had only been a few days since Crasher Wake gave her the egg, but she was sure that it would hatch soon. Whatever Pokémon was inside, it was going to be Maylene’s first Pokémon.

‘Come on, hatch!’

Maylene started swinging the egg around; maybe it’ll hatch then. Her mother was sitting on one of the dining room chairs, and papers filled the space in front of her. It was probably some grownup thing that Maylene couldn’t care for; all she wanted was for the egg to hatch. She started shaking it; maybe that will wake the Pokémon up.

‘Stop that, Maylene,’ said her mother. ‘It can’t be safe for the baby.’

‘Fine,’ said Maylene, putting the egg back on the floor. ‘I just wish it would hatch sooner, you know?’

‘It’s been four days,’ said her mother. ‘Why don’t you walk with it? Pokémon hatch faster when you walk with them.’

‘Maybe I’ll go to the big man who gave me the egg,’ said Maylene. ‘Pastoria City isn’t far, right?’

‘You’re not allowed to leave Veilstone City,’ said her mother. ‘At least, not alone.’

‘Then come with me!’ said Maylene. ‘You look like you need fresh air.’

With a slight chuckle, Maylene’s mother gave a nod of agreement and waltzed back to her room to get ready, humming to herself as she did so. Maylene kept on observing the egg. She considered tossing it into the air; maybe it’ll fall back in the form of a Pokémon.

Her mother emerged from her room, wearing a white sundress. She put her sun hat on as she walked to the door.

‘Come on, Maylene,’ she said. ‘We want to get there before it’s dark. No, no, wait. Where are your shoes?’

‘I keep forgetting,’ said Maylene. ‘And I don’t really need them, anyway.’

‘I’m sure you can walk just fine without any shoes, but we wear them because we don’t want our feet to get dirty.’

‘Dad doesn’t care,’ grumbled Maylene, reluctantly putting on her sandals. ‘Dad would let me go out without these.’

‘Well, I’m not dad,’ said her mother. ‘You know what would be a good idea?’

‘What?’

‘If you take the egg with you.’

‘I forgot!’ Maylene rushed back to the egg, which had been lying motionless on the floor. She grabbed it between her arms, and dashed through the door.

Her mother was following closely behind, and it seemed that she could never walk fast enough. She would stop to smell flowers, or say hello to people that she knew, and all Maylene wanted to do was rush to her destination. The sandals felt restrictive, like each of her feet was being squeezed into itself.

Maylene wanted to fling them off, and run towards Pastoria City, but with her mother’s slow, pandering walk, they only got to Pastoria after a little more than fifteen minutes. It was not her first time in Pastoria City, but Maylene was still amused by all the Croagunk adoration; from kids walking with little plush toys of the Pokémon to graffiti of it. What if her egg hatched into a Croagunk?

But regardless of all the distractions, Maylene ran to the Gym and smashed herself against the doors. She heard her mother gasp in awe when she reached her; the Gym was a large pool, with some platforms and wooden planks dotting the clear blue waters.

Maylene took off her shoes, as politely as she could, and started running. She jumped over the water and landed on the platform on the other side, almost stumbling into the pool. She was never fond of water, as it mostly hindered her sight. Maylene didn’t need to see her mother to know that she was shaking her head at her daughter’s actions. Maylene jumped to another platform; it was bigger than the one before it, and she continued her run to jump onto yet another platform.

It was then that she heard the loudest laugh. It was as if the walls exploded and filled the Gym with more water; the man had his arms crossed in front of him, and he was laughing joyfully. He pressed an orange switch on the wall behind him, and the water started draining.

‘Do you like it?’ Crasher Wake shouted.

‘I don’t like water…’ Maylene said, unnecessarily jumping towards the last platform.

‘What brings you here?’ Crasher Wake said with a loud voice. ‘Is it the egg?’

‘Yeah,’ said Maylene. ‘It’s not hatching fast enough!’

To her side, Maylene saw her mother walking on a single long platform; it must have been a simpler way around.

‘I don’t have any experience with Eggs!’ Crasher Wake laughed. ‘I caught all my Pokémon without hatching them! But I will try to help you!’

‘Maylene insisted on seeing you,’ Maylene’s mother said. ‘You must be Crasher Wake.’

‘And you must be Averell!’ said Crasher Wake. ‘Maylene told me about you in that party, and she only had nice things to say!’

‘It’s a wonderful Gym, by the way,’ said Averell. ‘Love this design. I used to be on the swimming team, so pools are a soft spot for me.’

‘You’re welcome to come to the Gym anytime,’ said Crasher Wake. ‘And you can bring Maylene, if you want. I understand she wants to be a Gym Leader?’

‘Yes!’ Maylene said. ‘The Strongest!’

‘Well, to start with, we better hatch that egg!’ Crasher Wake let out yet another one of his loud laughs. ‘Let’s start by going back to Veilstone; I think eggs need warmth, and there’s only damp in here!’

Without a warning, Crasher Wake heaved the two girls onto his shoulders. Maylene squealed with delight, and Averell in fear. He jumped down entire flights of stairs before zooming out of the open doors. Maylene started laughing as her surroundings shifted and changed at such a rapid pace for the first time.

*

She was still running through the streets of Saffron when the sounds of battle reached her. She could make out Floatzel and his attacks, even though her eyes were closed; he must’ve been battling at least two Pokémon.

Riolu was still running by her side, but the pain coursing through his body seemed to intensify with every second, and every step. He started falling behind, helpless to do anything but watch as Maylene became a silhouette and disappeared into the darkness. He tried to run faster, to keep the vow of always protecting Maylene, but his body gave in to his wounds, and he stumbled to the ground.

Maylene opened her eyes to the sight in front of her; Crasher Wake’s Gyarados and Quagsire were unconscious on the floor, and her Machop was barely standing as Floatzel was battling the Arbok and the Weezing.

‘Riolu! We have to help!’

Normally, there would be some sort of response from the Pokémon, but there was just silence next to Maylene. She halted herself between the battle and the darkness.

‘Riolu!’ Maylene shouted. ‘Are you behind me?!’

Once again, there was silence. Maylene didn’t want to choose between Crasher Wake and Riolu; she was already on the verge of breaking down, and that decision could be the one to push her. Her voice quivered as she called for Riolu again, fearing the worst once more.

It was then that his outline emerged from the darkness; his walk was sluggish, and he was holding his head in pain. Maylene walked over to the Pokémon just in time to catch him from his fall. She had hoped to battle with Riolu, to help Crasher Wake in any way she could, but it seemed impossible after seeing how badly injured Riolu was.

‘I don’t get it,’ said Maylene. ‘You should have recovered by now. What’s wrong?’

Riolu knew exactly what was wrong. A little more than a year ago, he had sworn to never use his Aura powers, so long as Maylene is unable to use them. His powers had quickened his recovery in the past, but since locking them away, he needed all the help he could get to heal his injuries, especially since he was inexperienced.

‘Riolu,’ said Maylene. ‘Please be okay.’

He could just draw these powers; open the gates and flood his body with the Aura that would give him the strength to stand up. He didn’t want to watch Maylene be sad or concerned, but he didn’t want another rift between them. He didn’t want those powers if Maylene couldn’t use them. He didn’t want the powers.

‘You’re not even moving,’ Maylene started crying. ‘Please, Riolu. I shouldn’t have made you run. Please, don’t die. Please. I don’t know what I’ll do without you. I love you, Riolu, please.’

It felt like silence. The sounds of battle were still behind Maylene, but Riolu’s lack of sounds was unbearable. It was Maylene’s worst nightmare. Riolu’s chest was rising and falling with unsteady breaths, but no sound came from him. The clouds shifted in the sky and covered the faint moon. It was the darkest night, and Maylene could barely make out Riolu’s outline.

There was something different about him. His ears were longer, and his snout was more defined. With her hold over him, Maylene could feel the bumps on the back of his hand turning into spikes. He got heavier, and his body got longer.

His hand reached up to touch Maylene’s face; it was different, yet familiar. The clouds slowly revealed the moon, and he became clear to Maylene.

The Riolu she once knew had become something else. He looked at her with determined eyes, and all Maylene could do was stare back in awe. He lifted his body off of Maylene’s lap, and stared back at his Trainer.

‘Riolu, you…’ Maylene started. ‘You… You evolved… You look amazing.’

The Pokémon grinned as Maylene slowly shifted from sadness to excitement. Her smile spread across her face, and she threw her body onto her Pokémon, taking him in an embrace.

‘You evolved!’ Maylene shouted. ‘I can’t believe this! You’re a Lucario!’

Lucario gave another grin. He wrapped his arms around Maylene and flung her onto his shoulder. He vowed to protect her, and that is exactly what he’ll do. Crasher Wake meant a lot to her, and he would never forgive himself if anything happened to him.

Lucario started running towards the battle, Maylene still on his shoulder. Floatzel was clear and protecting Machop, who desperately wanted to fight, but froze when he spotted the approaching Lucario. His eyes widened as he immediately recognised Riolu.

Maylene saw Crasher Wake picking up his Quagsire, and taking him back towards Gyarados; he was unaware of anything that was happening, but he was safe, and that was all Maylene could care about.

Arbok hissed as she saw Lucario, and lunged towards the new opponent. Her fangs were dripping with purple liquid; it seemed that the poison was rushing from her. She was furious, and the pattern was clearly shifting and glaring at the Lucario. The Aura Pokémon stepped out of the way; he was bigger than Riolu, but much more agile.

Arbok crashed into the ground, screaming as she did so. Her body whipped around to face the Lucario, eyes unfocused, and rage coursing her body. She lashed towards her opponent again, but with a swift move, Lucario ducked and put his palm against the changing pattern, and with a quick punch, fired Arbok into the night sky. He leaped after her, and Maylene clung to her Pokémon’s neck in fear of slipping off.

‘I remember now,’ said Maylene. ‘Lucario, use Close Combat!’

Balling his hands into fists, Lucario waited until her was level with Arbok. She was falling, and he was rising, but only a split second was enough. His hits landed on the Arbok without fail, and she fell motionless to the ground.

‘You’re great, Lucario,’ said Maylene as the pair started descending. ‘I didn’t think you could get any better, but you proved me wrong. You were perfect as Riolu, and you’re ever more perfect now!’

The pair hit the ground next to Arbok; she was unconscious, and Ariana was staring in disbelief. Her face quickly turned from confusion to anger as she shouted for a retreat; it was bad enough with just Floatzel, but now that a new Pokémon joined the battle, there was no hope for winning.

‘MAYLENE!’

Crasher Wake rushed to the little girl, picking her up and pulling her in a tight hug. An onslaught of Team Rocket members flooded out of the building, pulling Ariana and the others into the commotion as all the opposing Pokémon were retreated into their Poké Balls. Floatzel and Lucario rushed to the crowd to round as many of them as they could, but Crasher Wake refused to let go of Maylene.

‘I was worried!’ Crasher Wake shouted. ‘I didn’t know where you went!’

‘I’m fine,’ said Maylene. ‘But I was worried about you too.’

‘There’s no reason to worry about me!’ Crasher Wake said. ‘I’m a rock!’

*

‘There! It’s hatching!’

Maylene picked up the egg and held it close as whatever Pokémon inside was squirming around, and the shell was slowly being broken. She was sitting on the floor of her father’s Gym, and Crasher Wake was opposite her.

The crack in the egg started widening, and small parts of the shell fell onto the wood. In quick seconds that seemed to have lasted forever, the egg fell apart to reveal a small, blue Pokémon.

‘It’s a Riolu,’ said Crasher Wake in a surprisingly hushed voice. ‘Congratulations.’

‘Welcome to the world, Riolu!’ Maylene said. ‘We’ll both get Strongest!’

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Cool chapter. The start of her journey with Riolu hatching from the egg, made a nice contrast with him evolving in the present. She got her powerhorse now, beware villains!

[Kyuuketsuki]

Cool chapter. The start of her journey with Riolu hatching from the egg, made a nice contrast with him evolving in the present. She got her powerhorse now, beware villains!

I'm glad that you liked the flashback; I was worried it would seem forced. Thank you for reading and commenting!