Faces Of The Blade {ON HOLD}

Gym Badge (Part 1)

~~~ Jadeite ~~~
I trudge through town after leaving Nephrite alone at the park. No doubt he'd head towards the Pokémon Centre, so I walk on the opposite side of town. 

"Ah, I should call him back..." I mumble, pulling out my PokéGear from my pocket. With a finger hesitating over the button, I take a deep breath and press 'Re-Call'.

"Jadeite." A deep voice answers immediately.

"Yes, boss. I apologise for my rude behaviour, it will not happen again. However, there were grunts in the park, which I was not informed of."

The boss doesn't seem too pleased about this, "Did you collect the first gym badge already?"

I heave a small sigh at the question, "I was on my way to the gym when I noticed a Pokémon tailing me from above. I had no time to -"

"Then you failed. Is that right?"

"Yes sir." I meekly reply. There is silence on the boss' side, and I decide to push my luck further. "Sir there has been... an interruption in our mission. A new male trainer has gotten in my way, and I am unable to remove him. He is also quite powerful for a newbie."

"The boy is of no concern. Jadeite, I am assigning you another mission now. Along with discovering where the mythical Pokémon resides, you are to collect all Gym Badges and defeat the Pokémon League. Once you are Champion, no one will dare defy you. If that annoying boy comes along again, I expect you to crush him. Do you understand?"

"Yes boss."

"Do not disappoint me again."

The call ends immediately after this comment, and I release a breath I didn't know I was holding. With a heavy heart, I make my way towards the back of the Gym, retrieving what I needed.

~~~ Neprhite ~~~
Two hours later, with the sun shining in the sky and my Pokémon healed thanks to Nurse Joy, I weave through the crowd of screaming fans at the front of the Contest Hall and approach the Gym. I push the heavy wooden doors open, and immediately a rush of warm wind greets me, as well as a very familiar face.

Jadeite stops in her tracks, her mouth wide open in shock. 

"Jadeite?" I address, giving her a warm smile. 

She doesn't reply, but tries to step around me instead. I let her pass, talking to her while she does.

"Did you escape at the park? I was worried you were still there during the battle, but it's a relief to see you're safe." I continue, giving her a big smile. 

Jadeite stops for a moment, before turning around to bow to me. "Thank you for looking out for me. I'll be going now."

I open my mouth to stop her, but something in my throat prevented me from saying anything - perhaps it was guilt or fear. Shaking my head, I approach the man wearing the same purple tie around his neck from last time.

"Hey future champion. Is this your first time battling a gym?" He asks, answering his own question before I could reply. "Of course it is! The gym leader is called Sora, and she specialises in flying type Pokemon. This is a secret between the two of us - she doesn't do extremely well against electricity, rock or ice types. Go for it now!" The man laughs, leaning away from my ear as he returns to his original position, standing straight against the wall.

I gulp, my eyes gazing towards the door that lead to the front of the gym. With a nod of determination, I place my hand on the handle, taking a deep breath before pulling open the wooden panel.