Both Milly and I made it through to the next round and the rest of the rounds went all to quickly. Gardenia was sitting patiently on one of the lounges the waiting room held, carefully fixing up my hair according to Milly's specifications. She was humming a gentle song, the tune of a music box Jake had given me for my birthday back in Unova. Samurai stood by my side, his arms folded over his chest as the TV screen flickered to life.

"Attention ladies and gentlemen." The announcer cheered, filling the screen with her bright smile. "But the Second Round of the Battles are set to begin. The match ups will be randomly chosen through the shuffle on the screen now."

The TV changed from the announcer the 8 blank cards that soon flickered with the faces of the remaining contestants. I quickly found my face among the remaining trainers. I was facing a raven haired girl that I can easily recognised from both previous rounds. During the Performance Round she had used a Sandile, a Pokémon I recognised from Unova. They weren't native to Hoenn though as far as I knew. She had called the Pokémon Dilly during the first round and passed with flying colours. The Battle Rounds though seemed to be her element. She'd used a grass type Pokémon she called Megora but I was unfamiliar with it's species but the announcer had referred to it as a Maganium. It was a quadruped Pokémon with a thick long neck the base of which bloomed a magnificent pink flower. The two were in perfect sync the entire battle, leaving me nervous for the next round. Only eight trainers remained and once this round was over, there would only be four. The number seemed so small yet I was determined to be one of them.

~~~🌺~~~

:Samurai~!: I giggled, throwing his Pokéball into the air. A double spin of the spherical device let out a stream of black smoke that materialised into the Blade Pokémon. My Gallade stood calmly on his side of the field, smirking slightly in his usual fashion.

"Megora, steal the spotlight!" My opponent cheered, tossing her own Pokéball into the air.

A flurry of rose petals preluded her Pokemon's appearance. The form of the meadow green Pokémon took form with an elegant toss of her neck as the rounded head of the Pokémon rose up in an elegant superiority. Two yellow antenna like features flicked pollen from the top of its rounded face, browsing in the slight breeze the air conditioning gave. The pink petals that frayed it's neck shone with brilliance from beneath the spotlight and were a clear symbol of the amount of care its trainer gave it. ~Maganium.~ It cooed, looking at the audience with cheerfully amber eyes.

:Close Combat Samurai!: I ordered as soon as the starting bell chimed. Like a Rapidash in a race, fleeing it's stall for gold, Samurai charged. His bladed arms growing to double their regular length.

"Sunny Day Megora!" The ravenette ordered, a smile dancing on her pink painted lips. She wore a simple dress, seemingly made of flower petals giving her a matching appearance to the flower of her Pokémon.

Megora hummed softly, the petals around her neck glowing with a golden aura. She cooed as the light left her flower, filling the room with both light and warmth. A small portion of my points deducted while Samurai made contact with Magora. The grass type Pokémon cried out in pain, backing away from the shiny Pokémon in a failed attempt to dodge Samurai's fury of blows.

"Megora, use Sloar Beam!"

:Jump back Samurai:

He didn't have enough time move before the powerful grass type attack hit him hard in the chest. He was flung back through the air, crashing into the wall with a loud crash. He fell to his knees but got up, panting slightly from impact.

:Are you okay Samurai?:

~This Pokémon is definitely no push over, but then, neither am I.~ He smirked.

:Okay then, Psycho Cut!:

With out reply Samurai's blades coated in Psychic energy which he used to carve in on Megora and slash the Maganium several times, jumping daintifully out of the way each time she would try to power up a Solar Beam. I risked a glance at the score bored, seeing that both meaters were about even though I had slightly less points remaining then my opponent.

"Give it another Solar Beam Magora!"

:Counter with Leaf Blade!:

Samurai hardly had enough time to cross his glowing green blades in front of him, absorbing the Grass type attack with his own before rebounding it back with a super charged Leaf Blade. The combo deducted a large sum of points from my opponents total.

"Poison Powder while he's close!"

A flurry of violet coloured pollen flecks burst from Magora's flower, covering Samurai completely. He cried out sharply, flinching back as the power inflicted him with poison, resulting no doubt in a loss of points on my part.

:Close Combat!:

"Solar Beam again!"

Samurai attempted to block and absorb the Grass type attack but was ultimately blown back once more as the buzzer rang out, announcing the end of the performance round.
I turned to face the screen, feeling my heart drop when mine showed less yellow then my opponents.

A slight sigh passed my lips as Samurai came to my side. ~Are you okay?~ He questioned upon seeing the look of disappointment on my face.

The frown was quickly replaced by my usual bright smile as I threw my arms around Samurai, hugging him tightly. :Are you kidding, that was a ton of fun! Who cares I lost?: I beamed, handing him a Petcha Berry from my belt.

He ate the peach coloured berry with a word of thanks before patting my head lightly. ~That's my girl.~ The Gallade smiled with a slight chuckle of amusement.

:Do you want to go back in your Pokéball, you look exhausted: I observed.

~I'm fine, though I wouldn't mind a quick stop past the Pokémon Centre some time in the near future.~ He smiled as he followed me down the hall.

With a giggle of delight, I gave him an agreeable nod. :Count on it!:

~~~🌺~~~

After loosing my battle, I'd decided to go for a walk with just Samurai and Gardenia. My opponent had ended up winning the contest which made me feel a little better, knowing that no one else had been able to beat her either. Milly had been defeated in the round after I'd failed to move on but stayed to watch the rest of the contest with Jake and my four other Pokémon who'd wanted to learn a thing or two before their first contests. By now they'd be at the Pokémon Centre, waiting for me.

"Hey, Paige right?" An unfamiliar voice chirped from in front of me, snapping me from my daze.

With a surprised look on my face, I looked up to see none other then my former opponent. She smiled brightly at me before she turned to examined my shiny Pokémon. "You did really well for your first contest, and I absolute loved your Pokémon."

Being used to this sort of attention, Samurai and Gardenia stood patiently as the coordinator looked them over. "You're mute right? I'm sorry if it's a weird question but you didn't speak at all during any of your performances." She turned to face me with a puzzled expression.

I nodded with a smiled so she knew I didn't take offence to the question. I was used to it after being mute my whole life and I didn't take offence to things easily, only really when what is dead is meant as an insult.

"Is it hard, you know, not being able to speak?" She questioned further.

Before I could reply a voice cut me off.

"Jessica! Would you stop running off already, it's bad enough I have to babysit you for three months without you always disappearing on me every three minutes!" An all to familiar voice huffed.

I wrenched my eyes from the ravenette to be met with a sharp pair of blue eyes. Nichole walked briskly to my contest opponents side, paying little to no attention to me. Her Krookadile kept even pace with his trainer, narrowing his eyes at Samurai in the process. Samurai just gave a cocky smirk, raising his head in a superior manor since he knew the last time the two had battle, it had ended with my Pokémon as the victor.

"Yeah yeah, give me a moment would ya." The black haired girl, Jessica, mumbled as if there was no problem at all. She didn't notice me cling to Gardenia's arm timidly at the appearance of Nichole or Gardenia hug me back in the process, shielding me from the older trainer.

Nichole sighed boredly, pinching the bridge of her nose while the Jessica continued examined my shiny Pokémon with an awe struck gaze. "Aren't these just the coolest Nicholette? I've never seen a shiny Pokémon before, let alone a trainer lucky enough to have found two! Where did you find them Paige?"

I flinched backwards, clinging to Gardenia's arm. My Gardevoir thankfully answered for me. ~Paige hatched us from eggs.~ The Embrace Pokémon answered , gently stroking my hair as she watched Nichole cautiously.

"They talk!? How did you teach them that? Can you teach my Pokémon to do that? Please please please?" She bubbled clasping her hands in a begging position. Nichole simply rolled her eyes, examining her nails as if she had never tried to kill me in the past. Which she has... Twice.

~Any person or Pokémon can learn telepathy with enough time and skill. Samurai and I have used telepathy since we hatched but it takes several stages for the ability to form and much time and patience.~ Gardenia explained, shifting slightly when her eyes found Nichole's by mistake. Samurai kept his focus of Krookadile, seemingly having a stare-down with the Dark and Ground type Pokémon.

"Can you teach me?"

~It takes years to perfect, and non-psychic types can take much longer due to the lack of knowledge of ones mind.~ Gardenia continued, looking at Jessica with quite a serious tone.

"Oh... So Megora won't be able to learn?" She frowned, looking at her long necked grass type who was grazing not far away.

~Not anytime soon.~

"Oh well." The ravenette smiled, sticking her hand out. "I'm Jess, and that grump over there is my big sister Nicholette though she goes by Nicky to friends." Jessica smiled. "You did amazing Paige, you're new at contests right?"

Before I could reply Nichole jumped in with a scowl. "I've told you before Jessica, it's Nichole, not Nicky." She glared sharply at me. "Besides, you hardly know that ru--erm--kid."

"You used to go by Nicky, when you were, you know fun." Jessica shot back, folding her arms over her chest and obviously not catching Nichole's half insult. "Ever since you went to Unova you've been a total sick in the mud."

The elder trainers eyes narrowed as I flinched back again. "That is none of your business." She said sharply before turn around and walking back the she had come. "Well, not that this wasn't fun but unlike you, I have things to do." Nichole looked over her should to give me a disgusted glare and continued after see her sisters hesitate to be dragged away from our conversation so soon. "Come on Jessica or I'll tell mum you were talking to strangers again."

"You're absolutely no fun!" Jessica sighed, stamping her foot in irritation before waving at us with a slight smile. "Hopefully I'll see you again?"

I gave a slow nod as she smiled in response before slipping away to Nichole's side. She started arguing with her sister about how unfair it was from her to be stuck with such a stick in the mud, in her words.

~It's hard to imagine those two as sisters.~ Samurai mused, crossing his arms over his chest. ~Jessica seems nice enough though I'd still be cautious. Nichole seemed innocent enough on our first encounter and we know how that turned out. But what in Reshiram's name would she be doing here in Hoenn?~

~She seems to be chaperoning her sister.~ Gardenia answered as she released me, looking me over with worry in her pale red eyes. ~Are you okay Paige, you've hardly said a word.~

:I-- I'm fine: I squeaked. :Just-- I didn't expect to see Nichole-- here...:

Samurai started leading the way back to the Pokémon centre since it was getting late and no doubt Jake and Milly would start worrying about me if I didn't turn up soon. ~It was quite a surprise. Though Team Plasma has fallen apart, looks like she returned home afterwards, before detectives and police started arresting the scattered grunts.~

:Do you think she still works with Ghetsis?:

~It's hard to say.~ Gardenia answered, slipping her hand into mine and lead me back towards the Pokémon Centre. ~Team Plasma was divided between the ones who followed N's ideals of Pokémon liberation or equality, and Ghetis's for world domination. Nichole was clearly on Ghetsis's side for the most part but who's to say she wouldn't betray him as soon as things looked bad for her. She does seem like the type.~

"Nice to know what you really think."

I spun around to be met face to face with Nichole, immediately backing away from the older trainer. Samurai stepped forward, his eyes narrowing in her direction as he folded his arms over his chest. ~Leave.~ He snapped at her with a glare.

"Make me." She snorted back at my Gallade, her snap blue eyes looking righting into mine. "But in any case, the Gardevoir is right. I high tailed it out of the castle long before the police arrived. What a pity that we both decided to hide out in the same region isn't it?"

Samurai let out a slight growl, raising his head in a challenging manner.

"Anyway, if you dare tell Jessica, or anyone for that matter, what happened in Unova, I'm not afraid to bring Bisharp out to play once more. Keep your head down and out of my way runt and we won't have any problems, got it?" She sneered.

~Is that a threat?~ Samurai growled.

She gave him a sly smirk. "Far from it, it's a warning." With that she turned on her heel and left. "Stay out of my way."

~Well she's a pleasure to be around.~ Samurai frowned, looking at me with a concerned expression.

:What should we do Samurai?: I sniffled, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

~For now at least.... I think we should just stay out of there business. If Nichole doesn't want us telling anyone and is happy to stay out of our way, it's the best way for us to continue our journey without any hassle.~ Samurai explained hesitantly. ~But of course, we should tell Jake and Milly we saw Nichole here. They need to know to keep on guard and they know what happened in Unova anyway.~

I gave a stiff nod in reply, flinching slightly as memories of Unova surfaced once more. My scars almost seemed to burn along my arm and back. Biting down on my lip I gently rubbed my arm, trying to sooth the feeling. The thin scars had been caused by Nicole's Bisharp and I'd almost died of blood loss the night it had happened.

~But hey, don't worry Paige. We won't let what happened in Unova happen again, we just have to be careful.~

~~~~~~🌺~~~~~~
Word count: 2622

Done done done! I've been waiting to introduce Jessica for a long time. I originally early on in 'Find my voice' but never really had a good chance to include her in the story without having to many major characters but since Makayla won't become reliant u til much later, Jessica fits perfectly as Paige's second rival along with the conflict with Nichole, it's sure to make ever meeting interesting. As well as the fact I can now get decent character development for Nichole since I never had much of a chance during 'Find my voice'. Also made a new cover :33

Please please please let me know what you think. There is nothing that makes me feel worse then lack of comments because it seriously makes me feel like what I'm writing isn't good enough anymore...

So once more, please vote, comment and keep on reading on!