Pure of Heart [ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE]

Chapter 6: New Beginnings

I couldn't help but smile and roll my eyes a bit. "That's where you're wrong. It was tough. There was so much information to record all by myself. Sometimes I wish I had a partner to help me." That was a lie told to comfort my new friend, I had managed perfectly all by myself. Another person would have slowed me down. "Thank goodness for trainers that were willing to let me borrow their Pokémonfor research purposes. I couldn't have done it without their help." I could have, but it would have taken me much longer.

"So, you didn't really catch them all?" Akemi asked. She raised her eyebrows at me.

"Technically? No," I admitted. It hurt me a bit, to tell the truth, but I swallowed my pride. "That would have been almost impossible to complete in the time frame I was allowed. I had to borrow gym Pokémon, trade with the odd trainer, and observe anything that I found in the wild. It takes time to evolve some species since Pokémonrequire strong bonds and plenty of battle experience to evolve. Plus, migration patterns are a bitch to track sometimes," I chuckled at my last comment.

"You cheated!" Akemi said. Her voice level would've suggested that she was mad, but her smile betrayed her. The edges of her mouth curled up slightly, creating leeway for her wide smile that seemed to be permanently glued on her face. "But, if I am calling you a cheater, then I guess Ethan and I were too. We did similar things so that we could get it done within our schedule too. Man, if only the media knew, they wouldn't have gone all gaga for any of us."

I jabbed a finger at her. "Cheater." With that, we both started laughing. "I'm guessing you got the same royal treatment here too?"

Akemi cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"The news crews following your every movement, the interviews, the pictures, and everything else," I droned.

"Yeah, we did. It sure was fun," Akemi replied with a swing of her arm across her body. She ended the motion with a cheesy thumbs up. Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

We both laughed, realizing we had the same experiences. It was comforting to know there were others my age that understood what I've been through after achieving fame. It was not the typical teenage experience. "How about a battle? For fun, of course." Typically, battles were held for some kind of reward. Whether it be cash, berries, potions, or the odd knick-knack. However, it was fun to just kick back with a battle for fun with friends or new acquaintances.

"Oh, I was never the battler. That was always Ethan. He actually beat all eight gyms and is off on a trip to the Elite Four. He won't be back for a while, which is why I will be the one tagging along with you throughout the region. He was always really intense about training and everything. I primarily stuck to studying Pokémon, battling only when I had to. That was mainly during the Rocket crisis and the odd gym battle to gain access to their resources."

"Okay." I shrugged, pulling Charizard's ball out of my bag to recall him.

I was about to press the button when Akemi spoke again. "But, since we did just meet each other and we are trainers, I would be okay with a short one-on-one battle." Meganium stepped forward at this, puffing its chest out proudly.

I grinned. "Alright." I put Charizard's ball back on my belt. The fire type stomped forward, letting out a fierce roar.

The crowds surrounding us created a wide radius on all sides. An energy radiated from us, the energy of a battle about to begin. It was a feeling that everyone knew well, either from experience or spectating. My heart thudded in a familiar rapid beat as adrenaline pumped through my veins. Charizard moved in front of me, flexing his wings as he stepped toward his foe. The grass type in front of him lowered its head and the flower on its neck rippled. I noticed Charizard's tail flame glow brighter. He was as excited as I was.