Violet immediately felt all the fire she had in her extinguish when her father's eyes narrowed. "No, you're not. End of discussion."

Violet looked to her mother pleadingly but found no sympathy. "Dad, I'm ready! I've been preparing for years! I can do it!"

Her dad stifled a laugh. "Are you kidding me? You've never even battled! How do you think you're going to get a Pokémon?"

Violet stood up, channeling whatever confidence she might have buried in her. "I already have one." Her father was expectantly speechless. "I saved a Sprigatito on the way home all by myself, because I'm good at this sort of thing!"

Violet's dad took a deep breath and then stared directly at Violet. "You're not going to go out there when you're young, dumb, and inexperienced, and embarrass us by failing. No, and that's final."

"Rick..." Violet's mom jumped in, trying to reign him in.

Violet scoffed. "I won't fail, I'll do better than you ever could! I get that you must have failed your Gym Challenge or whatever, but I won't! And even if I do, who cares? Everyone loses, Florian is the only trainer since Nemona to get through the Gym Challenge in his first year! That was three years ago! I've been studying and practicing my whole life, waiting until I could finally get this chance! I'm tired of waiting!"

"Violet, I didn't fail my Gym Challenge." Her father replied. "I won, and I expect you to as well. You will fail miserably if you go out now, and I can't have that. You have no idea how to fly in this world!"

"Prove it," Violet countered, feeling anger boil up in her stomach.

Her father raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Let's battle. Setting aside the fact there's no way you became a Champion," Violet ranted, stepping away from the table. "I want you to show me just how bad at Pokémon battles I am. Maschiff against Sprigatito. Tomorrow."

Violet's mom tried to step in, getting to her feet. "Violet, don't you speak to your father that way! There's no need to be so childish as to think a Pokémon battle is the solution to-"

"Fine with me." Her father cut in. "We'll settle this, and maybe it'll finally get rid of that attitude of yours."

Violet had to keep herself from outright cheering as she went off to her room. There was no point in trying to eat dinner, she wouldn't be able to keep anything down anyways. The girl shut the door to her room and nearly collapsed, feeling all of the confidence drain from her body.

Apparently, her father had become a Champion. That was almost impossible for Violet to believe, yet he had to still have some battle experience. Maschiff had battled under his wing plenty of times, and they seemed to be a competent duo. Violet's pulse started to race as she considered the weight of the situation. Losing was not an option.

Violet had learned a lot about battling. Not just from her father, but from the Uva Academy. The girl tried to calm her breathing and felt the paw of Sprigatito against her leg. "Hey buddy, we've got ourselves an intense battle tomorrow," Violet told the Pokémon, kneeling down to pet the tiny cat.

"It won't be easy, my dad's a tough trainer." Violet monologued to the small Pokémon. "I have a few strategies in mind, and I'll be counting on you for them." The Sprigatito looked at Violet with those determined eyes, and the girl knew they would get through it.

She decided to distract herself by getting together a bag of essentials that she would bring with her if she won. A little bit of money, some sets of clothing, a sandwich recipe book, and her journal containing all the most important things she had learned from her father and the academy.

Her Rotom phone already came installed with a Pokédex app. All she would need to officially become a trainer now were Poké Balls.

Violet picked out the outfit she wanted to wear for the next day and tried her best to get to sleep in her room. The familiarity of her bed and room provided some comfort, but the girl's mind couldn't stop racing.

If Violet lost, she would surely never be allowed to leave the house again. She would be lucky if she could even go back to the academy. That would mean having to spend all her time with her parents, and never getting to learn more about Pokémon. Not getting to battle, not getting to make friends. Not getting to see Aya again.

Violet simply couldn't let it happen. She had to win and prove her dad wrong. She was ready for this. The purring of Sprigatito, fast asleep next to her, was a strong reminder that the girl wasn't taking on the task alone.

Finally, Violet was able to fall asleep. Her father's voice haunted her dreams, but Violet just had to get through one more night. Then she would be free.

The next day finally came, and Violet took her time getting out of bed and ready for the day. The girl threw on a pink cardigan and white tee, placing the Vivillion clip back in her hair. She also decided to add a rainbow Eevee pin to her shirt for good measure. Violet finished her outfit with a pair of blue jeans and white sneakers.

A practical outfit, perfect for travel. Yet just gay enough to keep the girl feeling like her fashion was effective.

Violet put her backpack on, and Sprigatito followed her out of her room. The girl walked into the kitchen and made herself some cereal. Both of her parents were in the living room and acted as if she didn't exist while she ate breakfast.

The tension was palpable, but Violet wasn't going to be dissuaded. She knew this tactic well enough, but it wouldn't throw her off. The girl finished her breakfast and then strode into the living room. "Mornin' mom, mornin' dad. You ready for our battle?"

Her father sighed, and she immediately averted her gaze. "Still with this? Violet, do you realize how immature you're being? This alone proves you aren't ready for that world."

Violet shook her head. "You agreed to a battle, now c'mon! Or I'll consider this you forfeiting. Great start to my Gym Challenge, beating a Champion without even using an attack."

Violet's mother scowled at the girl. "Where is this attitude coming from, young lady? This behavior is unacceptable!"

"Attitude?" Violet clenched her fists. "Why are you ignoring what I'm saying?"

"I get that you're getting older, Vi." Her father started. "But really, this is extremely childish of you." Violet could immediately sense that one of her dad's lectures was coming, but she shook her head.

"I'm being childish? You promised to battle me last night to settle this. The only way I'm even staying in this house is if you beat me, so either shape up or say goodbye." Violet stomped off towards the door, with Sprigatito tailing behind her.

The door opened up, and her father called out. "Violet, wait! Fine, you want to battle? Let's battle."

"Alright, meet me outside when you're ready," Violet called, trying to hide the glee in her tone. They had no power over her anymore, the girl was finally done being controlled.

Violet stood around in the yard, taking in yet another beautiful day. There was a bit less of a breeze, so she was glad that she was dressed for slightly warmer weather. After winning, her first stop would be Cortondo.

The town was located in the middle of numerous farm fields, so it would be a trek with little reprieve until reaching the town.

Sprigatito began running around the yard, rolling around in the grass and placing with various weeds. Violet couldn't help but chuckle at the behavior of the adorable Pokémon.

Finally, her father emerged from the house with Maschiff and her mother in tow. "Alright Vi, let's get this over with." Sprigatito ran to Violet's side, and her father moved to the opposite end of the yard. "You really have one, huh?" His eyes fell on the small Pokémon before he regained his focus. "The first move is yours, let's see if you can even get into the air."

Violet grinned, having gone through Sprigatito's move-set during the previous night. "Use Scratch!" Sprigatito dashed across the grassy field, running directly at the orange dog Pokémon. His claws started to glow and extended outwards, and the Pokémon slammed the appendages into Maschiff's face.

Violet felt a bit bad about attacking a Pokémon she had grown up with, but she also knew Maschiff would want her to succeed. Landing their first attack made Violet feel just a bit more confident about what was to come. "Great work Sprigatito! Follow up with Growl!"

Spirgatito let out a ferocious meow that seemed to weaken Maschiff's offensive power. Violet's father shook his head and thrust his hand forward. "Maschiff, use Headbutt!" Maschiff charged directly at Sprigatito, landing the move with ease and knocking her Pokémon back. Maschiff was surprisingly speedy on the battlefield.

"No worries, we've got this! Sprigatito, use Leafage!" Sprigatito swiped its paw at the air, flinging several leaves from its fur that flew through the air at their foe.

"Destroy them with Snarl!" Maschiff let out a low growl, followed by a wave of darkness that obliterated the leaves. "You're falling short, Vi. Now use Bite!" Maschiff was close enough that he could lunge out and sink his teeth into Sprigatito's leg.

Sprigatito writhed in pain, unable to break free from the Pokémon's iron jaw. "Sprigatito, hang in there!" Violet started to panic, how would they get out of this? Sprigatito only had so much stamina in it, and could only take so many hits.

"Throw Sprigatito into the air!" Violet's father commanded. Maschiff executed the command instantly, tossing the tiny cat up and into the sky. Sprigatito immediately began to plummet, and Maschiff seemed ready to end things.

They needed a counterattack, and they needed one fast. "Use Leafage right now Sprigatito!" Sprigatito wasted no time firing the leaves downward and into Maschiff.

A few of the leaves impaled themselves into the ground, while several others found their target. The attacks managed to kick up some dirt, which dazed Maschiff. "Now use Scratch!" Sprigatito swiped his claw downward and into the enemy Pokémon as he landed, piling on damage.

Maschiff was flung back, covered in scratches from the repeated attacks and a small amount of dirt. The grass that had once been on the lawn was already turning into a wreak. Sprigatito had noticeable bite marks on his leg and seemed to be running low on energy. They needed to finish this battle.

Violet's father shook his head. "You've made a complete mess Violet. Once this battle is over, you're going to have to give Maschiff a bath. For now, I'm going to end it right here. You'll thank me when you're older, kids like you need a push before you can really fly! Maschiff, use Take Down and finish this!" Maschiff took a few steps back and began to sprint at Sprigatito, glowing white.

The entire Pokémon's body was shining from the energy of the attack. If that move hit, the match would be over. They would need to somehow do enough damage to bring down Maschiff before that happened, but Leafage would just bounce off its body in this state.

Violet scanned the battlefield and had an idea. "Sprigatito, run in and grab hold of one of the leaves on the ground! Then keep running right at Maschiff!" Sprigatito did just that, dashing directly into danger. He grabbed hold of a leaf in his mouth and continued to charge straight ahead.

"Now, grab it in your paw and use Scratch! Overwhelm Maschiff!" Sprigatito seemed to glow bright green as it lunged directly at the dog Pokémon, clutching the sharp leaf in its claw and extending it outward.

The combination attack clashed against Maschiff's pure strength, threatening to give way to the stronger Pokémon. Violet had to believe that this would be her first battle of many and that she'd finally get to escape all of this. Sprigatito was billowing with power, channeling its Overgrow ability for her. The two of them needed to come out on top.

Sprigatito defiantly pushed back against Maschiff, and her father's Pokémon collapsed under the pressure. The Maschiff went flying and rolled across the ground, passing out. Sprigatito stood tall on the other end, cleaning some of the dirt from its fur.

Violet had done it, she had won against her father.

The girl could hardly believe it and ran up to her Sprigatito to give it a giant hug. She held the Pokémon close and felt the high from victory start to leave her, and then turned to her father. The man had knelt down next to Maschiff, and wouldn't meet her gaze. For once, he was the one who looked away from her.

"That was a pretty great battle, Dad," Violet told him, placing Sprigatito on her shoulder. "I've got to get on my way now, there's lots to cover. Time to fly, and all that." Still, her father didn't move to say goodbye.

Violet sighed and looked over at her mother, who was also speechless. "Whatever, I'll let you guys know when I get to each town so you know I'm safe. If you aren't even going to say goodbye to me, don't bother calling. This guilt tripping isn't going to work on me anymore." She declared.

Her father sighed and glanced up at the girl. "Violet, I never failed the Gym Challenge because I never took it on. I never got the chance to explore Paldea, because I always had to work. I had responsibility from a young age, and it was never a chance I had. We had to work insanely hard just to get you into that academy. I didn't want you to go out into that world because it's dangerous, especially not while you're so young. Please, stay."

Violet felt anger build up in her, shaking her head. "You can't twist things like this! I've been miserable, and you think it's ok just because you worked hard so I could be miserable and in school? I have no friends, I feel like you're always disappointed in me because I'm gay, I'm always expected to be working while in school and at home, and I've been completely stifled during the only chance I really had to enjoy this world. You're not taking this away from me."

Violet turned around without another word and left.

The girl stopped by the local Pokémon Center, purchasing some Poké Balls using the small amount of money she had. The spheres had a satisfying weight to them and put five of them into her bag.

She examined the final ball, admiring its red and white combination and pressing the button in the center to open it up. "Alright Spritagito, now we can become official partners." Violet held the ball out in front of Sprigatito, who early pawed the Poké Ball before being sucked inside of it.

The ball began to shake, and then dinged and clicked. Violet could hardly contain her joy, now having a Pokémon. The only thing stopping her from sending him out was the damage that Sprigatito had sustained. Violet handed the ball to the nurse running the station, and before long her Pokémon was fully healed.

Violet sent out the Sprigatito and then turned to face Mesagoza. "That's our next stop buddy, it's time to start our journey." The girl and her Pokémon walked out of the town, making their way back up the hill that Violet had entered the town from the day prior. She took one last look back at Los Platos and then continued walking.

The girl was finally about to breathe easy when Spirgatito started to yelp. Her head whipped around, and she saw none other than the Flamigo from the day prior looming over her and Sprigatito.

Violet's first instinct was to return Sprigatito, but Flamigo was fast. If it wanted to battle, she would have to face it head-on. "Sprigatito, use Scratch!" Sprigatito leaped into the air, swiping his claw at Flamigo's face.

Flamigo screeched and staggered back, before swinging a leg into Sprigatito's ribcage. The cat was sent flying into the grassy field nearby. Flamigo were fast and powerful. With a type advantage, this Pokémon would destroy her.

Sprigatito clambered back to his feet, while the Flamigo dashed directly at him. The Pokémon's beak began to glow, and it swung its head down at Sprigatito like a hammer. "Sprigatito, jump back, and then use Leafage! Then climb that tree!" Violet had to hope that they got lucky enough for her plan to work.

Sprigatito evaded the Peck and then tossed leaves into Flamigo's face, before turning around and scrambling up the tree. Flamigo shook off the damage and peered into the tree, and then started slamming its feet into the trunk of the tree.

Leaves were shaken from the tree, but not just leaves. A Shroodle fell from the tree, alongside a Tarountula. Just what Violet had been banking on! The Shroodle glared at Flamigo and tossed poison at it, while the Tarountula began to spew silk at Flamigo's legs.

The bird Pokémon started to squawk helplessly, and Violet knew it was time to finish things. "Now Sprigatito, use Scratch!" Sprigatito leaped from the tree branches and raked its claw across Flamigo's body.

A satisfying sound of the claw striking, and Sprigatito landing on the ground, signified a successful battle to Violet. The cat began to brandish its claws proudly. Violet ran over to Sprigatito but noticed that Flamigo was still standing somehow. The Pokémon unleashed a furious caw and raised its foot to strike Sprigatito.

Violet wanted to call out, but any command would be too late. The girl helplessly reached out a hand, as the foot started to descend. Sprigatito would be bested immediately after leaving Los Platos, they couldn't even get to the first gym.

It was already over.

In the blink of an eye, a fireball soared through the air and slammed into Flamigo. The bird Pokémon toppled over, overwhelmed by the surprise attack. "Violet, throw a Poké Ball and catch it! Now!" That voice was familiar, but Violet didn't have any time to waste. She reached into her bag and produced another sphere, tossing it at the rampaging Pokémon.

The ball flew through the air and into Flamigo, opening up and sucking the flamingo Pokémon inside. The ball shook a few times but eventually clicked to signify a capture.

Violet breathed a sigh of relief and looked to see none other than Aya standing in front of her.