I had trained up Ivy to about level 15 so she was ready to face the gym. The Viridian city gym was tough, and I wanted Ivy to be ready. Pearl could take on the gym, she was about level 30, but I wanted to prove to Ivy that I believed in her. Friendship with my Pokémon matters to me, I'm not one of those people who just uses their Pokémon to get money. For me, battles just mean that my Pokémon can become closer to me, gym badges prove that I trust my Pokémon and evolutions means a new level of bonding. My Pokémon are my best friends, not a creature to exploit.

I was nervous, I was battling the gym first. Avie was already in there, waiting to watch me battle. I swallowed and walked in, pushing open the glass doors. It was a hall full of statues of dark type Pokémon, and certificates, ribbons and princess keys showing the prestige of the gym leader's Pokémon. I walked down a corridor that served as a hall of fame. I gazed around the vast stands and saw Avie, who gave me a wave and a reassuring smile. I finally reached the bottom of a stage, where a small child sat on a dark throne, bathed in shadows.

"Hello, my name is Ellie, I am the dark type princess. Look around my walls and see the achievements of my Pokémon!" She emerged from the shadows and I saw her for the first time. Ellie's hair was dyed a deep shade of purple and her eyes were a dark brown that looked almost black. She wore a barbed black crown on her temple with a black dress styled like that of a medieval princess. Her hair was in thick braids and her heeled black thorny shoes made her look older than she was. She was about 8 or 9, but she looked about 12.

"I keep my podium in darkness to make sure the focus is on the power of my Pokémon, not my appearance," She stared me in the face and smiled, "What is your name, challenger?" It seemed like a delicately built façade, Ellie's toughness. She wanted to be tough so the challengers would take her seriously, but underneath it all was she was graceful and polite, a little girl at heart.

"My name is Skye Flamer." I said it defiantly, determined to make her see me as myself, not my father. "How many gym badges do you have?" Ellie asked, her face expressionless.

"None." Ellie chose two Pokeballs from the six on a black glass side table, "I'm tempted to go hard on you just because you're the champions daughter, but that's really not fair of me. Now, let the gym battle start! Go Zorua!" She threw the Pokeball onto the smooth marble floor and the tricky fox Pokémon burst out.

"Ivy, let's go!" Avie caught my eye and gave me a thumbs up, she thought it was the right decision. Ivy cried "Snivee!" and launched herself onto the battle field, determined to prove herself.

"Zorua, use scratch!" Zorua launched itself at Ivy, slashing at her with sharp claws. Ivy took the attack in her stride, but it still opened wounds which dripped sap, hardening by the minute and forming a sort of scab. Although it pained me to see her like this, she needed to attack or she would faint and be wrecked by this Zorua.

"Ivy, use leaf tornado!" As soon as the command left my mouth Ivy summoned a tornado filled with razor sharp leaves. Ivy swept the Zorua up and it flew into the air and slammed to the ground. The Zorua seemed to be sleeping, but when Ellie spoke it rose weakly. "Zorua, leer!" He stared at Ivy weakly, summoning up his remaining strength. "Ivy, finish it with tackle!" I yelled and Ivy charged at the weak Zorua and ploughed him to the ground. The Zorua finally fell to the ground and was returned to his Pokeball by Ellie.

"Good job Zorua," She cooed at the Pokeball, "Come out Umbreon!" Umbreon emerged from his Pokeball snarling. Ivy held her ground, but I could see she was freighted. "Ivy, get the first move with vine whip!" Ivy pulled out her vines and hit Umbreon hard, causing deep lacerations. They easily scabbed over but by the minute Umbreon seem to be getting weaker.

"Go on Ivy, use it again!" Umbreon jumped back, in recoil from the harsh vines. "Umbreon, use quick attack! Finish that Snivy!"

"Ivy! Dodge it!" Ivy tried but she just wasn't quick enough. Umbreon launched at her and knocked his strong body into her fragile one. Ivy was sent flying and she landed on the cold marble floor in a heap.

"Ivy! I know you're weak, but you can do this!" my words seemed to do something to Ivy. Blue light surrounded her and she seemed to change. The blue light slowly disappeared and it revealed a bigger version of Snivy.

"Serrrvineee!" Ivy called and bared her teeth at the Umbreon. It seemed like she was telling the Umbreon to back off from her trainer. He backed up, back towards Ellie.

"Ivy! I trust you! Use whatever you think would be best!" Ivy ran at the Umbreon and tackled it, knocking the moonlight Pokémon to the ground. He didn't get back up again.

"Formidable battle, Skye. I am sad to see that you defeated me, but this Princess is on her way to stardom!" She pulled a badge out of her pocket and presented it to me.

"This is the Dark Moon Badge. It shows that you have beaten me, Ellie. Choose which gym you go to next wisely, I would suggest Granite in Pewter city. Thank you for the amazing battle! Because you defeated me, take this TM for Dark pulse! It proves, along with your badge that you are a superior trainer!" On that note Ellie walked back up and sat on her shadowy throne, awaiting her next challenger.

I walked down the long hall of fame and up into the stands. I plopped down next to Avie and set down Ivy on my lap. I pulled a potion out of my bag and Ivy sipped at it gratefully. Almost instantly the hard-as-amber scabs all over her body disappeared.

"I'm not going to challenge the gym." Avie said the statement flatly, with no expression.

"What do you mean?" She wanted this, she was the whole reason we came, why did she want to back out now?

"Because it's not for me, I don't want this anymore. I don't want my Pokémon to be hurt like Ivy was before that potion!" Her voice softened, "I want to be a Pokémon performer, like my Mum. I can still be in sync with my Pokémon, but not see them get hurt for me."

I understood what Avie meant and I knew that if she hated it, it just wasn't right for her.

"Avie, that's okay! I understand completely. Come on, let's get out of here!" And we walked out of the gym,  I was clutching Ivy to my chest.