The scene that awaited them ahead was a living nightmare. For someone that was terrified of bats, of course. Chloe didn’t have anything against Zubats, but she didn't relish being swarmed by dozens of the Pokemon while alone in a cave, which was exactly what was happening to the poor trainer up ahead.

  He was, as Fiona would probably phrase it, built like a brick shithouse. Tall, wide, rippling with muscle, the trainer was currently attempting to karate chop the horde of attacking Pokemon, a little Pancham at his feet mirroring his actions.

  Chloe paused, was he…?

  “Hyah!”

  Yes. Yes he was.

  He was making karate noises.

  “Holy fuck,” Fiona said beside her. “That is one fine piece of man.”

  “He looks like he’s in trouble,” Chloe replied.

  “Shame he’s not my type,” Fiona added casually, with a sidelong glance in Chloe’s direction.

  But Chloe was already focused on her Jigglypuff.

  “Mochi, you’re up. Get in there!”

  Fiona looked back at the trainer, then across to her own Pokemon.

  “Star, give him a bubble.”

  A glimmering shield sprang up around the Trainer, forcing the Zubat away from him.

  Mochi, already inflated, stepped up.

  “Puff!”

  A hypervoice smashed into the Zubat, scattering them.

  The trainer and his Pancham gave a few more chops, then froze in identical kung fu poses. Then he looked over and saw the girls.

  “Hi!” he called, waving happily, “Thanks for the help! I’m Troy.”

  “Happy to help!” Chloe chirped, “I’m Chloe. I love your Pancham! He’s adorable!”

  “He’s a mighty warrior of muscles and grit,” Troy replied seriously, Pancham striking a hero pose, chest puffed out, hands on hips.

  Chloe melted.

  “He sure is!” she cooed, dropping to her knees to lavish the little Pokemon with attention.

  “You're just the strongest little man, I bet you could lift a truck. Such a fluffy little guy.”

  Of course, Mimi immediately demanded her own attention, and Mochi couldn't be left out either, both crowding Chloe as she descending into babbling.

  Fiona looked at Troy, “She’ll be a while, we heard a scream, sounded like a girl. Was she with you?”

  Troy nodded, “That's Eleanor,” he said, “She’s crying in the corner over.”

  Troy gestured to a pile of rocks, where Fiona could barely make out the huddled form of a person.

  “I am not crying!” the girl sniffed, climbing to her feet, “I’m just… having a moment.”

  Chloe, having recovered from her temporary affection blindness, bounced to her feet.

  “I have just the thing!” she said, brightly, holding out Mochi like a prized pumpkin.

  “Hug this,” she insisted.

  Hesitantly, Eleanor took the Jigglypuff from Chloe, and at an encouraging nod from the other girl, gave Mochi an exploratory squeeze. The girl’s eyes lit up in delight, and was soon smooshing Mochi like it was her job.

  “Better,” Chloe asked, and Eleanor nodded.

  “Thanks,” she said, “I’m Eleanor.

  “Chloe!” Chloe chirped, “That's Mochi, the princess at my feet is Mimi, and that's Fiona and Star.”

  There was a pause, then she added, “Star is the Ponyta,” just in case she needed to clarify.

  Fiona snorted, “I think she worked it out.”

  Chloe shrugged, “You never know! People have weird names. I knew a girl called Siffany. You know, Tiffany, with an S.”

  Fiona considered for a moment, before tilting her head in acknowledgement, “Fair enough,” she agreed.

  “Anyway,” Fiona said, “Are you two good now?”

  Troy nodded emphatically, offering a big thumbs up.

  Eleanor however, blushed, looking down at her feet.

  “I uhh, I stepped on my phone,” she admitted, holding up a square that, even by the light of their head lamps, Chloe could see was helplessly smashed.

  Chloe winced. That looked expensive.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  “I have a spare,” Eleanor explained, “But it's back at home.”

  “Where's home?” Chloe asked, eyes of full of curiosity.

  “Floaroma…” Eleanor replied glumly, “Sorry Troy, we have to go back.”

  Troy, who appeared to have broken into some impromptu stretches, shrugged.

  “All G, El,” he replied, “Hiking is good for the soul.”

  “Ooh,” Chloe said, bouncing on her toes, “We’re going that way too! Wanna join up?”

  She looked at Fiona, who was glaring at her, and shot the girl her most innocent grin.

  “Come on Fiona, the more the merrier!”

  Chloe turned to Eleanor, “Don't worry about her, she thinks being mean makes her cool.”

  Then Chloe hesitated, before admitting, “It kind of does, actually.”

  “I… fuck it, I’ll take the compliment,” Fiona muttered, “But seriously, that is rich coming from the girl that thinks dresses are cave wear.”

  Chloe gasped, scandalised.

  “What's wrong with my dress,” she demanded.

  Fiona just rolled her eyes, “Let's get going then, else we’re pitching tents in the dark.”

  “FIONA! What’s wrong with my dress!?”

  “Nothing, if you’re an airheaded blonde bimbo with more boobs then brain,” Fiona replied.

  “You, what?” Chloe spluttered, “That's so mean! My boobs aren't that big!”

  Fiona shrugged, “Neither is your brain.”

  “FI!” Chloe pouted, eyes welling, “Well at least I’m not a… a… Troy! Help me out here!”

  “A trashy skank whose flat ass has a waiting list longer than most dentists?” Troy supplied.

  “Yeah, that!” Chloe began, before trailing off to stare at the big guy.

  “...holy shit,” she said.

  Eleanor face palmed, while Fiona’s eyes narrowed, her murderous stare fixed on Troy.

  Troy shrugged, “What? You asked for an insult.”

  Fiona burst out laughing, doubling over while pointing a finger at Troy.

  “I like this one,” she told Chloe, through cackles.

  “Now come on, let's get out of this fucking cave.”

  They reached the fair side of the path in the early evening, the delay in the tunnel causing them to emerge at sunset rather than in the afternoon, though it took some time for Chloe to convince Mimi to leave the cave. Eventually though, Chloe had managed to bribe her pouting princess with promises of Poffins, and they quickly found a spot to spend the night.

  Using the last of light, they began to set up camp. All four of them had small tents in their bags, though Chloe couldn't help but notice that Troy’s was a little optimistic, his feet would definitely poke out of the entrance.

  All six Pokemon were out of their balls. Fiona released Thistle so that the bird Pokemon could stretch his wings, and Star was currently grazing nearby. Eleanor, it turned out, had a Chatot named Echo. Echo was currently “Helping” Troy with his tent, and Chloe wasn't entirely sure if Troy realised that the Pokemon was undoing the knots after he tied them, or if he was simply playing along. It really was hard to tell with Troy. Mimi was pouting in Chloe’s tent, while Mochi and TJ were wrestling.

  “Echo! Put that back!” shouted Eleanor, who had looked up from her own tent to see the Chatot flying off with one of Troy’s tent pegs. Chloe grinned, watching her try, and fail, to convince Echo to relinquish it.

  “So, you guys are headed for Eterna? Eleanor asked.

  They had finally gotten Troy’s tent to stay up, and the trainers were all relaxing by the small fire they had managed to start, in spite of their combined lack of any camping ability between the four of them.

  “Yep!” Chloe said, we plan to beat the queue, then head up to Snowpoint, rather than wait around in Oreburgh.”

  “Better match ups for us too,” Fiona added, Chloe would be fine, but Thistle and I would struggle.”

  “How about Star?” Chloe asked, curiously, and Fiona shrugged.

  “He doesn’t particularly like battling,” Fiona told her, petting her Ponyta’s big nose, the Fairy Type having stuck his head over upon hearing his name, “He’s just here to watch Thistle and I

  win.”

  Chloe nodded, that made sense to her.

  “I’m here because my two are battle maniacs,” she said, and Fiona laughed.

  “I noticed,” she said, looking over at where Mochi was attempting to challenge Echo to a battle. The Chatot sat on a branch, repeating back all of Mochi’s yelled threats.

  “I don’t really like battling either,” Eleanor said, and Chloe looked at her with interest.

  “Why the Challenge then?”

  Eleanor blushed, “I want to be a photographer,” she said, lifting the camera she wore around her neck. Chloe didn’t know much about cameras, but it looked expensive. Chloe frowned.

  “How are they connected?” Chloe asked, not following the logic.

  “She probably wants to take like, wilderness photos or something,” Fiona explained when Eleanor simply flushed instead of answering, “You need Pokemon to keep you safe if you do that sort of thing, and some areas need you to have badges to access. Like Victory Road.”

  “Ohhhh,” Chloe replied, “That makes sense!”

  “Yeah, I need to do the Challenge if I want to get out there,” Eleanor agreed, and Troy nodded along.

  “You’ll smash it El,” he encouraged, “Trust me, that’s a Troy Guarantee.”

  “What about you, Troy?” Chloe asked, and the big guy thumped his chest proudly.

  “I’m going to be a Gym Trainer,” he declared.

  “Anyway,” Eleanor said, after Troy had finished posturing, “Good luck with Eterna, I guess Troy and I will be heading back this way again soon enough.”

  “Or,” Troy suggested, “We could come with you.”

  Eleanor whirled on him, “What? Troy, we had a plan!”

  Troy shrugged, “Their plan is better, you’ll get slaughtered trying to take on Byron or Roark with just Echo.”

  Fiona and Chloe shared a glance, Chloe giving the other girl her best Lillipup eyes, until Fiona rolled her own.

  “Why not?” Fiona said, “It would be safer with more hands.”

  “And more fun!” Chloe added, “The more friends, the better!”

  “Friends is a strong word,” Fiona muttered, and Chloe nudged her with her elbow.

  “Be nice!” she chided.

  “But bitchiness makes me hotter,” Fiona protested, “Isn’t that right Troy?”

  Troy nodded empathically, “Wear it sister, sass is your colour.”

  “See?” Fiona said, gesturing at Troy, “Would Troy lie?”

  “So he wasn’t lying when he called you a skank?” Chloe ventured, and Fiona gasped.

  “Her first insult!” Fiona cried, wiping her eye with a finger, “They grow up so fast, I’m proud of you Princess!”

  Chloe blushed, “...Shut up,” she muttered, while Eleanor giggled. The other girl stared down at her camera for a moment, before looking back up at the others.

  “Alright, let’s do it,” Eleanor said.

  “Eterna?” Troy asked, and Eleanor nodded.

  “Eterna.”

  That night Chloe sat in her tent, gently brushing the grass out of Mochi’s coat. The first day of the Gym Challenge had by all accounts been a tremendous success. In fact, her time in Sinnoh so far had been amazing. In just a few days Chloe had doubled her number of friends, more so if you didn't count her Mum in that.

  A tapping at her tent pole drew her attention. She looked up to see Fiona standing nervously at the entrance.

  “Hey,” Fiona said, “Can we talk?”

  “Of course!” Chloe said, curious. She hadn't seen Fiona looking so… uncomfortable.

  Fiona ducked into the tent, shuffling in to sit next to Chloe.

  “What’s up?” Chloe asked, setting aside the brush.

  Fiona looked down at her hands.

  “Sorry if I’ve been… kind of a bitch,” she muttered.

  Chloe blinked.

  “What do you mean?” she asked, and Fiona didn't look up, instead inspecting her nails.

  “I can be a bit… much,” Fiona said, “If I am being too much, you can just tell me to fuck off.”

  Chloe stared, she… she had no idea where this was coming from.

  “You’re not too much,” Chloe responded after a moment.

  “In fact, I agree with Troy. Being a bitch suits you.”

  Fiona's head snapped up, her brown eyes locking with Chloe’s green.

  “Seriously,” Chloe said, “Be yourself. That's why you're here, right?”

  Fiona didn't reply, just staring until Chloe began to fidget, blushing.

  “What? Do I have something on my face?” Chloe asked, hands reaching up to pat her cheeks, accidentally squishing Mochi who sat between her knees in the process

  Fiona shook her head. “No, it’s… You’re right. Thanks Chloe.”

  “You’re welcome!” Chloe chirped, “You're cool, you’re a badass. Don't apologise for that.”

  Fiona grinned, “You bet.”

  Fiona stood, shuffling out of the tent.

  “Good night, Princess,” she said, lowering the flap.

  “Night Fiona!” Chloe responded.

  Chloe went back to brushing Mochi, smile on her face. She hadn't realised that Fiona had such an adorable side to her.

  Her new friend was such fun, even if she could be a little mean at times.