What the Wind Carries [Pokémon Black and White 2 fanfiction]

29| Skyla and Her Flock

The humongous airplane hanger loomed over me, dark gray metal roof dripping with rainwater. There was not a single window on the hanger's exterior, the only entrance being the set of equally huge doors built into the hanger's front. The one thing that gave it away as being a Gym was the easily recognizable Gym insignia painted over the doors.

Out of all the Gyms I had been to so far, this one was the most foreboding. Still, I swallowed back my apprehension and entered.

"Welcome to the Mistralton City Gym, are you here to challenge the Gym Leader?" the single attendant asked cheerily.

"Yeah. Not to seem impatient, but I want a battle as soon as possible," I said.

"I'm so sorry, Skyla is not in at the moment. She just went out to Route 7 to pay a visit to Celestial Tower. She might not be back for the rest of the day."

"Oh, really?" My heart sank. This would be the one time I could challenge the Gym Leader before we left Mistralton. After the mess that occurred in Chargestone Cave, Hilbert wanted to be nowhere near the place, declaring that we were leaving tomorrow morning. If I didn't battle this Skyla lady and win my badge today, I wouldn't get another chance for a long time. On top of that, Hugh had just won his badge too! Meaning that in the twenty minutes between him getting back and me going to the Gym, Skyla had left.

"You said she was out on Route 7? Would she mind if I went looking for her?" I asked hopefully.

"Possibly, it just depends. I mean, feel free to look for her," the attendant said, an unsure look on her face.

"Thanks." I left the Gym, determined to find Skyla.

Route 7 might've been a very pretty country road for all I knew, but it couldn't tell as it was completely shrouded in a soup-like fog. I could just make out shapes of trees or tall grass. The grass stretched up past my head, a thin trail carved through it being the only way to navigate the route. It was still raining too, making the abysmal visibility even lower. How was Skyla even able to find her way to the tower?

Eventually, I saw the huge tower spiraling upwards through the mist. Its spire was so high that it seemed to pierce the clouds themselves. Like back in Castelia, I was in awe at the tower's sheer size. Could I really find Skyla here? I was about to enter the building when a woman walked out of the gaping maw that was the door. She had long red hair put up into a Ponyta-tail and wore a matching shirt and skirt combo made with several shades of blue fabric.

"Hello. Am I in your way?" she asked calmly, a somewhat somber edge to her tone.

"Not really. Actually, maybe you could help me. I'm looking for a woman named Skyla. She's the Gym Leader of Mistralton City."

The woman's expression brightened by the slightest, the corners of her mouth quirking upwards into a smile. "Then you're talking with the right person. I'm Skyla, and you must be a challenger."