Princess Allie sighed contentedly as she played in the garden below with the palace Pokémon. Several Vivillon fluttered around her and Furfrou as well as a few Floette. She smiled as one of the Floette glided towards her open hands. A smile curved onto her features as she held the little flower-sailor.

"Last night was simply wonderful," she began, patting the little one on the head as she spoke. "Charles set up the most delightful date. The table was reserved near the stage where the music was heard best. Dessert was delicious, and to top it all off, he gave me the most beautiful boquet of flowers after a carriage ride home!" Allie exclaimed excitedly.

"After that date, the others will probably be stepping up their game once they hear of it," Allie grinned, glancing around at the many little friends that were now gathered around.

As she talked with the inhabitants of the garden, her parents were watching from the balcony, smiles on their faces as they observed her interactions.

"Our daughter has a nack for attracting them doesn't she?" The King said with a chuckle.

"That she does, love. It's times like this where it's hard for me to believe that she acts the way she does around everyone she meets. As spoiled as she is, when it comes to Pokémon, she's a deeply caring individual. She'll do anything for them," the Queen sighed, leaning on her husbands shoulder.

"Louder."

A gutteral growl emitted from Litleo's throat, followed by a little roar. Seth, who sat on the ground just ten feet away from Litleo, didn't seem the least bit impressed. His eyes were shut in meditation.

"Louder," he repeated.

Litleo snorted and planted her feet and roared again, the sound echoing a little louder this time, but still no reaction from Seth.

"Put more feeling into it. Louder," Seth commanded again.

Frustrated, Litleo snarled at Seth and opened her mouth, spitting a small fireball towards him. The ball sped past Seth who didn't seem to budge. A smirk crossed his visage as he felt the heat of the flames.

That's it girl. Just a little more and you'll learn it. "Louder," was his reply.

Now Litleo was irritated. She crouched low, her tail swishing to and fro in frustration. Rearing her head back, she snapped it forward and emitted a much stronger roar than the previous one, scaring off a few Fletchling who had been nesting in a tree nearby. Seth still remained unmoved, but his smile grew more.

"Better. Now louder," Seth encouraged.

Once more, Litleo drew in breath and blasted the sky with her voice, causing a few trees to shake slightly in the process as the sound waves traveled through their branches.

"Louder, I want you to knock the branches off that tree!" Seth commanded in a more firm tone.

Expanding her chest, Litleo's voice exploded, the sound slicing through a few branches, causing them to crash to the ground near Seth who finally made a move. The sound of metal singing out of a sheath was heard as Aggron steel met with a sturdy oak branch, carving it in two. Seth opened his eyes, a look of satisfaction on his face as he saw the results.

"Nice work Litleo," Seth smiled, beckoning the lion cub towards him.

Litleo breathed a sigh of relief and trudged towards Seth, crawling into his lap. She purred as he scratched her ears and chin.

"Remember that feeling in the gym battle today. Echoed Voice may start off small, but once built up it can do some major damage," Seth grinned.

A rustling sound caught Seth's attention, prompting him to turn his gaze towards the bushes in the clearing. Immerging into the clearing was Serena, followed by the others.

"So this is where you've been hiding," Serena stated, her eyes shifting towards the collapsed tree branches on the ground. "Training?" She queried, getting a nod out of Seth.

"Yep. Just teaching Litleo something new," Seth replied, scooping her into his arms before standing up. "She's still getting the hang of it, but she'll be just fine," Seth added, cradling the bundle of fur in his arms.

"Ah, you're getting her ready for the gym battle then? That ought to be interesting. Viola's a Bug-type specialist so expect some surprises," Trevor inputted.

"Trust me, I know. My sister wants to study under Viola for photography. She's gotten to see her team in action so she's told me all about how tough they are," Seth explained.

"Well, if you fight like you did yesterday, you should have no problem," Tierno said with a grin, recalling the matches Seth's Pawniard had fought.

"True, but I'm not going to be fighting just any trainer. This is a gym leader, so I'll need to take it up a notch," Seth replied, stroking Litleo's head lightly.

"Better get in there then, there's a lot of trainers waiting to get their shot at the badge. And a few of them include that guy we met back in the forest and a few others who I swear are related," Serena frowned.

Seth raised a brow, a gesture that suggested that he wasn't too pleased with this new revelation. Needless to say, he wasn't about to be deterred by the competition. With a sigh, he returned Litleo and began walking towards Santalune City.

"I'll head to the center first. Litleo needs some rest before the battle," Seth stated.

"Sounds good. We'll meet you at the gym then," Shauna called out as the group parted.

"It was noon when the princess awoke from her slumber. As tired as she was, she was happy as can be, for the night she'd spent was- hmmm," Melody paused as she typed, knitting her brow as her fingers hovered above the keys.

With a sigh, she deleted a few words before continuing.

"Never before had she felt so much passion from someone. The loving look in his sapphire depths was now etched in her mind. His touch, forever to be remembered by her body," Melody smiled, reading over what she'd written before saving her work.

A sigh escaped her lips as she sat back in her swivel chair. Her camera sat on her desk, along with a few pictures that she'd taken, including the one of her brother and Allie. Along the walls of her room were pictures she'd taken of various places all over Kanto and the inhabitants within. A look of pride etched onto her face as she stared up at her prized wall.

"All this time, and I still haven't filled my room yet," she sighed, leaning forward to look at the computer screen.

"Melody, lunch is ready!"

"Coming mom!" Melody called back, standing up to stretch.

Her eyes shifted over to the picture of Seth and Allie, a curious expression on her visage as she picked up the photograph.

I wonder how he's doing. Maybe I'll call him later...

The Santalune City Gym was abuzz with activity as a multitude of trainers stood around while talking strategy. Serena and her friends were standing on the sidelines while waiting for Seth to enter the gym.

"It's been over an hour, where could he be?" Shauna queried, tapping her foot as she looked at the door expectantly.

"I don't know, but I'm sure he'll show up soon," Tierno reassured her.

At these words, the doors to the gym opened and in walked Seth, a calm expression on his face as he progressed farther into the gym. At the same time, Viola, the gym leader, who was conversion with a previous challenger, paused to acknowledge the new face. Emerald clashed with sapphire as their gaze met.

What do we have here? Viola thought as she held up her hands in the shape of a picture frame. He looks a lot more serious than the previous challengers.

Viola watched as he was greeted by his companions. Her eyes shifted to the sword on his hip as well as the spheres clipped to his belt. A smirk crossed her visage as he looked her way once more. Moving forward, she made her way towards the crew in order to introduce herself to Seth.

"Welcome to my gym, challenger. I'm Viola," she greeted, a smile on her face as she reached out to shake his hand.

"Seth," was his reply as he extended his hand to take hers.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Seth!" Viola stated, glancing around at the number of trainers that had gathered in her gym. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as she counted the heads.

"It's gonna be a long day," she breathed, frowning once she finished. "I've fought a few so far and I'm not even close to done,"she muttered, crossing her arms and looking over at a group of well dressed individuals with an expression of amusement.

Seth raised a brow at the gathering of huddled, suited youth. Meanwhile, Serena dawned a displeased look at the sight of one in particular. Balling her fists, she willed herself to calm down, although it was difficult given the circumstances of their previous confrontation.

"I know you wanna hit the guy...but that's probably not the wisest thing to do at the moment," Seth said simply, getting a huff out of Serena.

"I suppose you're right. I shouldn't sully my hands on him. Still, just one good punch in the nose-"

"Would probably give him leverage over you," Seth added, getting a sigh out of the honey blonde.

"You know, there is such a thing as being too reasonable, right?" Serena muttered.

"True, but I was always taught to pick my battles. If you really want to get back at the guy, say it with a battle, not a brawl," Seth replied.

"Easier said than done," Serena frowned.

"Hmmm...let's see," Allie hummed, looking over the expansive list of names. "Forty to choose from, yet only one shall be the victor. I know I've used my date day with Charles already, but I simply couldn't resist. Now I need to accompany him on his journey for a few days. Which means I'll be needing some proper clothes," Allie mumbled, looking towards her closet with a frown.

Standing up from her bed, she walked over to her closet and opened it to dive into its depths. Meanwhile, Furfrou relaxed on her bed, an ear lifting at the sound of the rustling noises coming from Allie's closet. Allie soon came out of her closet with a flustered look on her face.

"Well this won't do," she frowned. "I'm in need of some clothes more suited for a journey. What I have isn't sufficient for traveling by foot," Allie sighed.

Furfrou raised her head and gave her trainer a curious look.

"Yes, I know I'm not really the adventuring type. But this part of the contest was issued by my parents, and I do wish to make them happy," Allie said with a faint smile. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to contact Yusuf. I shall acquire proper attire before starting the two days with Charles," Allie finished.

"Well, if it isn't the louse that I trounced back in the Santalune Forest. Don't tell me, you plan to take on Viola, right?" An unpleasantly familiar voice stated, getting a sigh out of Seth and the rest of the group.

Trevor shifted his gaze towards the approaching young man and then looked away, doing his best to ignore the comments thrown his way. Serena, however, was not as inclined to do the same.

"Didn't I tell you to get lost before?" Serena scowled, standing up and placing her hands on her hips.

"Hmmm. Seven out of ten. You've got some potential. It's a shame such a pretty face is ruined by a hideous frown," the youth retorted, getting a flustered expression from Serena.

"Listen you conceited asshat-"

"And here I thought we settled this back there," Seth cut her off, standing up from his seat in the stands to face the adversary. "Don't you have anything better to do?" Seth inquired with a blank expression, stepping in front of Serena, giving her a knowing glance, a queue for her to back off a little.

"You must mean acquiring my badge. See, I've already done that," the youth explained, holding up his badge case with the Bug Badge inside. "As expected, Viola was a difficult mountain to overcome. But, that's to be expected of a Marchioness," he grinned. "But in the end, I was able to claim my prize. And soon, I shall claim the real prize. Princess Allie herself," he boasted.

"If you think she's a real prize, you need to get your eyes checked. She may be pretty on the outside, but what comes out of her mouth paints an ugly picture," Seth quipped, getting a glare from the young man.

"Y-You dare insult the princess!?" He fumed, drawing the attention of the rest of the room, Viola included.

"It's my opinion, and I'm entitled to it. You don't like it? Too bad, you're gonna have to deal with it," Seth snapped, fixing the pest with a penetrating gaze.

"Take it easy Enzo. No need to waste your breath on these ignorant fools," one of the other well dressed young men stated as he walked up beside Enzo.

Enzo took a deep breath and crossed his arms.

"I suppose you're right, Hugo. These infidels aren't worth my time," Enzo chuckled, shaking his head. "For a moment, I nearly lost my head. I don't think the princess would like it if her groom lost his cool all the time," Enzo mused.

This guy, Shauna thought, sweat-dropping as the conversation continued.

"Good luck battling Viola. You'll probably fail, but that's just the way things are right? Au revoir," Enzo waved, exiting the gym with the others who accompanied him.

Serena balled her fists and drew in a deep breath.

"That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," Serena sighed, taking a seat in the stands and crossing her arms.

"Honestly, I wouldn't have faulted you for hitting the guy," Viola laughed. "He got on my nerves the entire battle," Viola said, rolling her eyes. "So, which one of you wants to have a go?" Viola inquired, glancing around at the group.

Standing up, Seth faced Viola, a confident expression on his face as he met her eyes.

"I was hoping it'd be you," she grinned, causing Seth to smile in return. "Shall we get right to it, Seth?"

Seth nodded. "Of course," Seth replied, getting a nod from Viola.

"Alright, it's decided then. Go ahead and stand in the trainer's box," Viola beamed, heading to her side of the gym, mentally preparing herself all the while.

Atop the Santalune City Gym, Mathilde and Lucario both sat in a meditative position, their minds both focused on the battle that was about to begin.

"So it begins," Mathilde chuckled, a smile fixed on her face as she tapped into her aura sight to see through the structure and feel out the auras of the two combatants.

He seems confident, that's a good sign, Lucario mused, a smirk crossing his visage as he felt out every movement.

"That's just how he is. I just hope that he doesn't let his overconfidence get the best of him," Mathilde replied, getting a nod from Lucario. "He has a habit of getting cocky. That's the only downside to all this training he's had," Mathilde sighed. "Fortunately this is his first battle, and he's more than prepared for it."

Lucario folded his arms and concentrated.

This gym leader is as strong as her reputation makes her out to be. Let's hope that Seth doesn't underestimate her, Lucario added.

"This gym battle is between the Santalune City Gym Leader; Viola, and the Challenger from Vanville Town; Seth Da Silva! This will be a two on two matchup. Only the challenger will be able to substitute Pokémon! Seth will have the first move. Trainers, send out your first
Pokémon!" The referee called out.

Seth reached down and snapped off the first ball from his belt and primed it. With a practiced hand, Seth launched it onto the battlefield with a shout.

"Litleo, en garde!" The lion cub erupted from her ball, throwing her head back with a roar before crouching low in a battle ready stance.

"Straight out of the gate with a Fire-type huh? I can tell you're not going to make this easy for me. But that's what I was kinda hoping for. So, Masquerain, it's picture time!" Viola exclaimed, thrusting her hand forth to release her teammate.

Litleo snorted smoke from her nostrils and snarled at the flying adversary. The teardrop shaped moth simply stared as she fluttered to and fro.

"Begin!" The ref declared.

"Litleo, Incinerate!" Seth commanded.

"Water Sport!" Viola called out.

As Litleo launched a ball of heated flames towards Masquerain, the crafty Bug-type began to loose streams of water all around the battlefield, one stream dispersing the threatening blast of fire, the others, weakening the overall firepower Litleo commanded.

Seth knitted his brows at this tactic.

As expected, she's as tough as they say. It's a good thing fire attacks aren't the only things in Litleo's arsenal, Seth thought, a smirk dawning his features, his confidence unwavering as he stared down Viola.

"Wow, Viola took the advantage really quick!" Shauna exclaimed. "Fire attacks are pretty much useless now."

Trevor frowned and shook his head. "Something tells me, that's exactly what Seth wants her to think," Trevor deduced.

"Ya think so Trev?" Tierno chimed in, getting a nod from Trevor.

"Just look at Seth's face. While he was surprised she used Water Sport, he doesn't seem all that shaken up by it," Trevor added. "Something's fishy..."

Serena took a closer look at Seth. Sure enough, he was not at all swayed by the turn of events. He seemed calm, cool and collected.

He definitely has something planned...

"So, I've taken away your biggest advantage. I'm curious to see how you'll answer to this," Viola stated, gesturing towards Litleo before giving a sharp command. "Bubble Beam!"

Masquerain fluttered her wings rapidly before launching a stream of bubbles from her mouth. The fast moving beam shot towards Litleo with increasing velocity, prompting the cub to take evasive action and leap aside and dash away from the continuous stream that followed him.

"Echoed Voice!" Seth shouted fiercely.

Litleo leapt aside to avoid another blast and then opened her mouth with a mighty shout. The penetrating sound shot through the air and pushed against Masquerain's frame, pushing her back slightly.

"Use Aqua Jet!" Viola commanded.

"Echoed Voice again!" Seth called out.

Masquerain wrapped herself in water and rocketed forward at breakneck speeds, battering Litleo before she could even open her mouth. The sudden impact winded Litleo and sent her skidding along the floor. Extending her claws, she slowed herself to a halt and pushed herself up onto all fours. Shaking off her fur, she leapt aside as she heard Masquerain approaching from behind for another strike.

With a roar, she fired off a small blast of flames, barely clipping the right wing of Masquerain, causing her to falter slightly in the air. She snarled up at Masquerain, her mouth crackling with flames, ready to burn her to the ground.

"Use Psybeam!" Viola shouted.

"Noble Roar!" Seth cried out.

Masquerain released a beam of rainbow energy towards Litleo. In retaliation, Litleo let out a thunderous roar that blasted the beam in multiple directions with its sound waves. As she geared up for another assault, Masquerain blindsided her with another Aqua Jet, sending her flying and skidding across the ground.

"Bubble Beam!" Viola commanded.

"Echoed Voice!" Seth retaliated.

An explosion rang out through the gym as both attacks collided. Litleo could be seen leaping side to avoid another Psybeam and planting her feet for another Echoed Voice which pierced the air with its increased power. Masquerain was sent sprawling through the sky, her wings tiredly flapping as she struggled to stay aloft. To Viola's dismay, the wing that was clipped before, was giving Masquerain more trouble in her weakened state.

Litleo panted heavily, struggling to stay on all fours. She winced at the pain she felt from the blows she'd suffered.

"Let's end this! Bubble Beam!" Viola commanded.

"Give it all you've got, Echoed Voice!" Seth roared.

Masquerain geared up and fired a blast of bubbles towards Litleo who remained unmoved as she took in air. Rearing her head back, she lurched forward and shattered the air with a mighty roar. The onlookers put their hands over their ears as the sound erupted through the gym. The blast of sound waves carved through the beam of bubbles and crashed full force into Masquerain, sending her crashing into the wall behind Viola, out of the match.

"Masquerain is unable to battle," the referee declared. "Litleo wins the round!"

So that was his plan all along. Clever, Lucario mused, getting a chuckle out of Mathilde.

"It seems he learned how to battle quite well in that school of his," Mathilde beamed. "I can't imagine how much time he put into that strategy," Mathilde smiled.

While it was a good one, I have a feeling he's not out of the woods yet. His opponent may have one left, but as we both know, the leader always saves their best for last, Lucario reminded.

"As it should be. And from what I've learned from this leader so far, she'll most likely have a good strategy to combat her disadvantage," Mathilde grinned. "Let's see how our pupil handles her best..."

"As I thought. You're full of surprises aren't you?" Viola chuckled, returning Masquerain to her ball before reaching for her next one.

Seth shrugged and reached down to stroke Litleo's ears after she'd walked over to him.

"Trust me, that was nowhere near as surprising as what you started with. It's true what they say about you gym leaders. You really are on a completely different level," Seth said with a nervous laugh.

"And you're a pretty decent trainer for one who just started. I'm guessing you had some previous experience," Viola ventured.

Seth nodded, getting a smirk out of Viola.

"Thought so," she declared, priming her final choice. "This is it Seth. One more win and you'll secure your badge," Viola grinned as she hefted her last ball. "You ready?" She asked.

Seth ushered Litleo out of the box before facing Viola, confidence lingering in his sapphire depths as he nodded.

"Vivillon, picture time!" Viola shouted.

The butterfly-like Pokémon erupted from her ball with a high pitched battle cry. Viola's ace turned to face her would-be adversary with a determined gaze, not the least bit deterred by the disadvantage she held.

"Let's take her down Litleo! Incinerate!" Seth ordered.

Litleo, feeling the effects of Water Sport lifting, inhaled deep, gathering superheated flames into her mouth before blasting the sky with an earsplitting roar, searing the air with flames. The ball of fire rumbled towards Vivillon who rapidly flapped her wings. Wind picked up heavily and blew the destructive blast away from her, causing it to explode on the ground beside Litleo.

"Echoed Voice!" Seth ordered.

"Light Screen!" Viola countered.

With a shrill cry, Vivillon flapped her wings and erected a barrier of light before her, absorbing the majority of the ear-shattering sound attack that blasted through the gym.

"Psychic!" Viola commanded.

"Incinerate!" Seth exclaimed.

As Litleo drew breath, she was suddenly hoisted into the air by a powerful psychic force. Unable to move, she could only watch as Vivillon gathered rainbow energy into her antennas.

"Time for a photo finish! Psybeam!" Viola cried out.

A loud bang was heard as the energy that was crackling between the antennas was released in a powerful beam, crashing into Litleo with crushing force, driving her into the ground below. Dust kicked up from the explosion that resounded, soon clearing to reveal that Litleo was out of the fight.

"Litleo is unable to battle! Vivillon wins the round!" The referee declared, raising her hand high.

With a sigh, Seth reached for Litleo's ball and returned his faithful new friend.

"Good job girl. You deserve a good rest," Seth whispered, putting her away to reach for his final teammate, snapping his ball off and priming it.

"Pawniard, en garde!" Seth said sharply, firing his companion into action.

"And there's that Pawniard," Serena said as she watched him surge onto the arena, her mind going back to the battle she'd witnessed involving him and a Cubone. "He's been trained really well, that's for sure," Serena mused, watching as the Shadow Claw extended from the tip of his bladed hand.

"That thing is mean," Shauna mumbled, shaking her head vigorously at the thought of the defeat her Chespin took from him.

"Mean or not, he's Seth's best chance at winning this. And with what we've seen of him so far, I have a feeling Seth will claim his badge here," Trevor predicted.

All eyes turned back to the fight, completely unaware that two more onlookers were hiding out on the rooftop. They too were awaiting the final confrontation.

"Let's do it Pawniard! Shadow Claw!" Seth commanded fiercely.

"Vivillon, Quiver Dance!" Viola countered swiftly.

Pawniard leapt high into the air, claws ablaze with shadow aura as he lashed out. Moving quickly, Vivillon evaded the attack, leaving Pawniard stranded in mid-air. Viola grinned as she watched Pawniard descend.

"Spin and use Psycho Cut!" Seth retaliated.

Pawniard began to spin rapidly in the air, every blade on his body aglow with pink psychic power. Continuing his spin, several crescent blades of energy were launched in rapid-fire fashion towards Vivillon, catching the dancing butterfly by surprise. Taking evasive action, she moved to avoid them, only to roll away from a much larger, recently fired one from the tip of Pawniard's head blade. The distraction was enough for Pawniard to leap high and connect a Metal Claw to her backside.

Vivillon sprawled through the air from the impact and quickly righted herself to face her adversary. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of Viola's face as she saw how resourceful Seth's Pawniard was.

"Gotta hand it to you Seth, I have never seen Psycho Cut done like that before," she complimented, laughing nervously all the while.

"It's a work in progress," Seth admitted. "It seems to have worked though," Seth chuckled.

"I'd say so. But don't think I'm going to let that get me again. Vivillon, Energy Ball!" Viola commanded.

"Metal Claw!" Seth riposted.

A ball of verdant energy barrelled towards Pawniard whose claws began to glow brightly with steel energy. When the ball neared, Pawniard batted it away, sending it up and away from him, the ball exploding in the air. Before he knew it, a wave of emerald energy hit his right flank, sending him stumbling back while holding his head in pain.

"Use Gust!" Viola shouted.

Vivillon released an intense blast of wind, causing Pawniard to cross his bladed arms before him. The harsh winds steadily picked up, pushing him back farther and farther as he attempted to stand his ground.

"Push through it Pawniard! Revenge!" Seth bellowed.

Wincing from the gusts that sliced across his frame, Pawniard braced himself and began to push against the wind. With a mighty cry, a golden energy erupted around Pawniard who used the energy to leap forward, cutting through the gusting winds. A loud cry split the air, followed by a pink and gray blur crashing to the ground.

When the smoke cleared, Vivillon was revealed to be out cold.

"Vivillon is unable to battle! Pawniard wins, which means the victory goes to Seth the challenger!"

There you have it folks! Seth has acquired his first badge! Woot! Now, to be fair, Seth had the advantage from the start, hence the victory here. However, while Seth's Pawniard seems pretty strong, he won't always have such an easy time. But more on that later. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please vote and comment if you liked what you read. Feedback is always very helpful! I appreciate it very much!

Ciao for now!