The sun began to set over Highway 1. Realgam Tower lit up in the colours of Orre's eight Gym Badges. Its light painted the rolling dunes and rock formations. Signs on the exit turning to Phenac City bore Justy's face with the phrase 'the Orre League's last stronghold.'
Dirk continued on Highway 1. The cracked road ran almost the length of the Orre region until it finally terminated at a lonely gas station, the Outskirt Stand. Wagon wheels and crates surrounded a recycled train engine. Wild Pokémon cooled off in a murky pool. Dirk parked to refill the car. After hitting traffic near Realgam Tower, they were in the car for over four hours. They planned to have dinner at a café Rustie recommended in Nascott City, but they only ate snacks since breakfast and their Pokémon were as hungry as they were. They trudged wearily into the Outskirt Stand.
Plates and glasses clinked. Colourful jukebox light glinted on a cabinet stocked with Poké Balls and healing items. Taped to one of the doors was a faded sign, from when Duking discovered Poké Spots and Jovi began her project, advertising the return of wild Pokémon. A faint smell of smoke mingled with pre-cooked food. The ragtime music jingling from the jukebox was almost drowned out by the rumble of turning wheels. Sports critics on the TV were baffled by Cameron.
A pair of Ace Trainers stood to return their plates. The young challengers took their seats. At the next table, on a scuffed and faded green couch, a pink-haired man in leathers sat between two Linoone. Rustie nudged her friends.
'It's Willie!'
When the Gym Leader glanced up, he smiled. 'Oh, hey, it's you! Dirk!'
'Yo, Gym Leader! Can you believe it? Tomorrow, I'm comin' for ya!'
'I sure can!'
Willie beckoned them over. 'Y'all are challengers, too, right? What do you want? This one's on me.'
'Are you sure?' Zileh asked, 'We do have some prize money...'
'Yeah, yeah. No problem. Don't be shy! Order whatever you want.'
The food was good value. Zileh's hot dog came covered in sauce and salad with a fried egg. Dirk's burger was so big, it fell apart when he picked it up. Chalcedony and Rustie shared a 'Mega Evolved' meat feast pizza. The bowls they ordered for their Pokémon overflowed.
'Personally,' Willie said, 'I don't think any Orrean journey's complete without a visit to the Outskirt Stand.'
'Right!' Rustie exclaimed through a mouthful of pizza, 'This is where Wes started out! He drove here after blowing up the Snagem Hideout!'
'Yup. And that's the Eclo Town Gym now. Has Dirk told y'all his story?'
Dirk shook his head. 'Uh... no. You can tell 'em if you want, Gym Leader...'
'Well, about 15 years ago, I met my "biggest fans" – a little boy and his Poliwag. He came to see all my battles. And he was real proud of his signed poster. He grew up to be a great football player. Even got offered a scholarship.'
'Willie's too nice to say I was too dumb to go to college otherwise...'
'You weren't. You spent your whole life wanting to be a Trainer. You didn't want to go to college just 'cause your parents and friends expected you to. Anyway, earlier this year, that boy and his Poliwag were working as personal trainers for people and their athletic Pokémon. And he came to me in tears with his football coach's ultimatum: commit to football or never come back. So I asked him, "what are you waiting for?" He acted all confident, but he was full of doubt. He didn't think he was good enough for the Gym Challenge. But when he found out how many times I've lost to Wes and Michael, he realised it doesn't matter how many times you lose. You can do great things anyway.'
'But I still had to deal with my parents... and Willie is way too nice. He talked to them for me. They couldn't argue with a Gym Leader.'
'And they'll see I was right.'
Willie took his motorbike key from the table. 'I'm a Gym Leader, but I'm a regular guy, too. Gotta get home. I'll see y'all tomorrow. Good luck!'
He signed Chalcedony's guitar and leaned in to Zileh's group selfie before he left. Dirk already had several autographs. They were full and content when they returned to the car.
'So... we can go to a Pokémon Center, or I can take y'all to my house... unless Rustie wants to go home.'
'Uh... no. Thanks. I think it's for the best you guys don't meet my mom... but I don't want to impose on you and your family, Dirk...'
'It's all good. My mom and sisters won't mind. They'll be glad to meet some friends who aren't "one-track-mind jocks." My dad isn't home from Castelia yet.'
Highway 2 cut through the barren Phenac Desert to Nascott City's sparkling skyline. Fairy lights and flags bearing the Road Badge hung over wide, dusty streets. Theatre signs glowed. They turned before they reached the city centre. Flat-roofed buildings rose to sprawling suburban homes. Dirk parked outside a convenience store.
'So my family don't see that passenger seat...'
Their Pokémon carried their bags to a white picket fence enclosing a garden filled with flowering cacti. A black SUV was on the drive. Another car was behind the patterned garage doors. Light spilled through window shutters. Dirk opened the gate. It wasn't locked. The porch light flickered on as they approached. Dirk didn't want to barge in, so he rang the doorbell. Keys turned. A petite woman with a red bow pinned to blonde curls answered.
'Oh! Dirk, sweetie! You're home!'
'Hey, Mom. I brought my friends. I hope you don't mind.'
'Of course not! Come on in!'
The girls felt especially scruffy when they stepped into the spotless hallway. Dirk's mom, who introduced herself as Ronda, passed their bags to a pet Sandshrew. Poliwrath rushed to help. Little Sandshrew was far too small to drag the bags up the stairs.
'Poliwag! Is that you?!'
'Sure is! Isn't he great?! Check out my Beedrill! And Pupitar!'
The living room filled with Dirk's Pokémon. 'And Tauros! Last but not least – Talonflame!'
'Oh, my gosh! Do you girls have strong Pokémon, too?'
Dirk's youngest sister, Iylene, peered down from the landing when she heard a raucous chorus of Pokémon cries. She padded downstairs in her Buneary slippers.
'No way! Poliwag actually evolved?! Lauri! Come here!'
Lauri was the middle sibling. Boots thudded down the stairs. Iylene was admiring Chalcedony's and Zileh's hair.
'Dudebro Dirk has actually made cute friends! They all have cool Pokémon! Check 'em out!'
'I do love y'all's hair! Is that your natural colour?'
'Mine's dyed. But Zileh's is natural.'
'Ooh! That must've taken forever! Was it expensive?'
'My ex did it at home, so not really. I've topped up the roots myself since. The No. 1 Pharmacy bleach is really good.'
'Oh, wow! Would you bleach mine? I've always wanted pink hair!'
'Sure. I know you can get that bleach here in Nascott, actually. It came from the Wail-Mart on 4th Avenue.'
'Dirk! Go get us some No. 1 Pharmacy bleach!'
'Uh... I don't know where that Wail-Mart is.'
Chalcedony didn't mind going with Dirk. Driving past Wyatt's family's apartment block with a friend, on the Gym Challenge, was strangely liberating. When they got back, Iylene was playing a dancing video game with Zileh and her Banette. She thought Zileh was inspiring. Next year, she wasn't going to let feeling too young put her off the Gym Challenge. Chalcedony bleached Lauri's hair over a plastic car sheet to protect the carpet. She insisted on driving them to the colosseum the next day.
Modelled on an old saloon, Nascott Colosseum captured the feel of the 'wild west,' complete with a lonely harmonica playing over speakers. Fans were beginning to avidly follow that group of friends. Whenever they challenged a Gym, four sets of exciting battles were guaranteed. Ardine joined the line behind them. He was still annoyed about Wyatt. When excitement exploded at the sight of Jet, more because he was Justy's son than another challenger, Rustie hastily turned her back. Zileh and Chalcedony linked arms with her. At least Ardine was between them. Jet reached to tap her on the shoulder, but the Gym Guide interrupted.
'Let's get y'all registered!'
He tapped their names out on his tablet. 'So! Ready to roll, #94?'
'Sure am!'
'Good luck, Dirk!' his friends called as they took seats in the challengers' box, 'You can do it!'
His family cheered in the adjacent VIP box. Moments before the first battle began, an out-of-breath relative crashed in to sit behind them. Rustie couldn't help her eyes welling up when Winchester waved to her. After completing training at the Pre Gym to become an official Ace Trainer, he was one of the Orre League's volunteers who prowled Eclo Canyon, testing challengers brave enough to make the trek. He was always her biggest inspiration. Houston and Jimmy Lee trailed after him. Zileh nudged Rustie.
'Your little brother looks as grumpy as Wyatt.'
'Yeah... he's really depressed.'
'That makes it extra awesome that he charged in here, last-minute, to see you battle!'
Dirk defeated all four Gym Trainers without losing any Pokémon. Now he finally faced his hero, Willie.
'Yo, Dirk! We finally face off! Don't hold anything back!'
'I sure won't!'
'Yeeeah! Yeehaw! It's full-throttle time! Vrum! Vroom! Let's roll!'
Willie sent out the pair of Linoone that sat with him at the Outskirt Stand. Dirk sent out Poliwrath and Tauros. It didn't escape Willie's, or his Pokémon's notice that they faced the little Poliwag who was once so awed by them. Tauros was the fastest Pokémon on the field. It charged at one of the Linoone. Close Combat left it battered and bruised, but it leapt back up to strike Poliwrath with Thunderbolt. The other charged at Tauros. Return knocked it over. Poliwrath wrestled the first Linoone to the floor with its own Close Combat. It fainted.
Dirk expected to be nervous, but he wasn't. He knew that this time, his beloved Pokémon really could do this. Willie sent out Dodrio. It was fast, but after those weeks spent training in The Under, Tauros was faster. It brought Rock Slide tumbling down on its flinching opponents. Dodrio couldn't move. Linoone darted to batter Tauros with another Return. It lost its balance and fainted. Poliwrath's Ice Punch knocked Dodrio out.
Willie sent out Girafarig. Dirk sent out Beedrill. Linoone flew at Beedrill, pummelling it down with Return, but it stood its ground. Girafarig blasted Poliwrath with Psychic. It spun, gathering speed and power as it hurtled at Girafarig. Darkest Lariat left its legs trembling. Beedrill stabbed it with Fell Stinger. Girafarig collapsed. The power it sapped out raised Beedrill's attack.
Linoone knocked Poliwrath out with Return, but when it was stabbed by powered-up Beedrill's Poison Jab, it rolled over and fainted. Michael was referee. His whistle shrieked.
'Challenger Dirk wins!'
The commentator gushed. 'What an awesome battle! It takes real strength to flatten Willie like that!'
Willie wasn't even a little disappointed. He only glowed with pride when he shook Dirk's hand.
'You're just as tough as I thought. You did a real number on us. Hate to be the dad telling you "I told you so," but I did! I called it!'
Dirk looked about to cry when he accepted the Road Badge. Willie smiled.
'And I don't need to tell you what that Badge represents, right?'
'It represents big, barren Orre... and how when you get this far... you know you can go wherever you want with your Pokémon.'
'It sure does! But that's not all. I want you to take this, not just for showing me a great battle today, but for your support over the years. It means a lot, knowing I inspire kids like you.'
Michael threw a petite black box to Willie. It was tied shut by a sparkling ribbon. Dirk clumsily opened it. On a silky cushion inside was an iridescent Key Stone. It clinked against a Beedrillite.
'No... no way!'
Dirk couldn't stop his eyes overflowing then. 'Are you sure?!'
'You know it. That Beedrillite is actually a little gift from my bestie, Hebon. For a fellow bug-lover. We can't wait to see Beedrill's Mega Evolution!'
'I'll – I'll make it to Citadark Isle, Gym Leader! I will! You can tell Hebon that, too!'
'I know you will.'