"Battle, you say?" Clara pokes her head out from behind a tree."I'll ref this time! "She jumps out and wraps me in a big hug. 

  "My Millie, proposing battles already! You've grown so much!"

  I giggle. This will be a battle against someone I've never seen battle before! Not only that, but Chloe is a Pokemon Performer just like me!

  "Petilil!" Petilil hops to my feet.

  "Ah! Petilil! Great timing! Let's battle together!"

  Petilil hops up and down with excitement. "Lil! Lil!"

  I turn to Meowstic."Let's do it together!" Our last double battle was pretty much against Lennie, which was quite unfavorable. This time, I'm not being forced to fight; I want to battle!

  Clara grins, pulling out her Holocaster."Videotaping functions! Heated Performance Battle # 2!"

  I stare at her in confusion."Two?"

 "Are we gonna get this battle started or what?!" Clara jumps around restlessly, as if it's her battle.

  I look over at Chloe."Double Battle?"

  Chloe pulls a small brush from out of her pocket and draws it over her fountain tails. Once she's done, she smiles with certainty. "Yep!"

  "Battle... Begin!"

  Meowstic and Petilil take their positions in front of me, while Litleo and Spritzer stand eagerly in front of Chloe. Just then do I notice an element missing.

  "Where's Clyde?"

  "Who cares? Start!"

  I'm a little shocked at Clara rushing us, but then again that's just who she is. "Let's do it, you two!" Chloe points at Petilil."Flamethrower on Petilil! "

  "Litleo!" Litleo jumps a forward, its tiny mane glowing as the Pokemon uses Flamethrower.

  "Protect her, Meowstic!"

  Meowstic nods in understanding, springing to Petilil's side with a protecting barrier. The Flamethrower fades into dark orange glitter as it lands on the transparent barrier.

  "Whoa!" While Chloe's busy marveling over the display, I order Meowstic to use Charge Beam on Spritzee.

  "Spritzee!" Spritzee floats out of the beam's range, easily avoiding the move.

  "Oh, yeah!" Chloe brings back her focus to the battle in front of her. She points to the sky. "Dazzling Gleam!"

  Spritzee whizzes through the air and stays suspended mid air. Out of her eyes is a bright light that lands on both Meowstic and Petilil.

  "Mrow!!"

  "Lil!!"

  "Are you okay?"

  The two get to their feet rather quickly, not yet finished fighting. "Dazzling Gleam!" I spend too much time on my Pokemon that I completely forget about Spritzee.

  My Pokemon get hit once again, and I begin to sweat nervously. I have to fight back! If they use that move again...

  "Dazzling Gleam!"

  "Meowstic!" Meowstic moves toward the light with tremendous psychic power. She blocks the move completely, but is left looking a bit tired.

  "It's okay, Meowstic! It's time to work together!" If I can just guide my Pokemon... Then we have a shot at winning.

 "Moonblast!" At Chloe's command, Spritzee is surrounded by a short-lived night sky, summoning what looks to be the moon, coming straight for Petilil.

  "Protect!" Meowstic is back to protecting Petilil.

  "You won't last long with that!" Chloe then points at Petilil. "Flamethrower will surely hit!"

  "Litleo!" I can't keep using Protect!

  "Teamwork!"

  "Mrow!"

  "Peti-lil!" Petilil rushes over to Meowstic, hopping onto her paws. Meowstic tosses Petilil up, who at my order spins and uses Energy Ball on Spritzee.

  "Zee!" Spritzee is sent crashing down towards Litleo, which throws off its guard as it accidentally uses Flamethrower on its teammate.

  "Bwuh?!"

  I feel a shot of confidence. Maybe we can win this battle after all!

  "Get back into formation!" A tired Spritzee takes its original position, floating in midair next to Litleo.

  "Quick Attack!" With speed like Clara's Frogadier, Litleo plunges toward us.

  "Charge Beam!" Meowstic readies a Charge Beam, but she and I are completely dumbfounded as Litleo speeds right past her and spins around.

  "Flamethrower!"

  "Lil?"

  I flinch as Meowstic's Charge Beam is unleashed but hits nothing, and Litleo's flames hit Petilil.

 "Lil!!"

  "Petilil!"

  "Looks like a critical hit!"

  Petilil falls to the ground, and this time doesn't get up. "Petilil!!!"

  "Meowstic!" Meowstic gently lifts a fainted Petilil with Psychic to place her next to me.

  "Petilil..."

  "It's okay, Petilil! You still did great!" Looks like we still have a long way to go, but it's not over just yet!

  "Who has the advantage?" Clara giggles.

  "It's too early to celebrate!" 

  "Meow!" Meowstic in a slow and elegant dancelike movement lifts Spritzee and tosses it into the air.

  "Spritz?!"

  "Mrow!!" She jumps in Chloe's direction and brings down a Charge Beam.

  "Whoa!" Sometimes I'm surprised at just how good a battler Meowstic can be.

  "Zee!"

  "No fair!"

  I look over at Clara's Holocaster. I wink with a cute smile."All's fair in love and battles!"That was so unlike me I blush. I was supposed to say something cool, right?

  "Litleo, Flame Wheel!" Litleo curls into a ball and begins rolling swiftly towards Meowstic, hot fire trailing after it.

  "Guard!" That's not even a move, but Meowstic knows what I mean.

  Meowstic nods and uses Spritzee to shield herself. Litleo accidentally hits the small pink Pokemon again, and this time, Spritzee is left knocked out. Spritzee is unable to-

  I expect Clara to say those special words that only the referee of a battle can say, but she seems completely enthralled with the ongoing battle itself, drool spilling out of her gaping mouth. "Uh..."

  "Return!" Spritzee is pulled back into her pokeball by a blue and white light, leaving the intense battle.

  "One on one!"

  "Right!"

Meowstic stares down Litleo, and Litleo attempts to do the same until Chloe orders the dark brown Pokemon to use Flame Wheel again.

  "Protect!" Litleo bounces off the barrier, but Chloe is quick to have it use Flamethrower. What other moves are they hiding?

  Meowstic, unable to defend against the fiery attack from above, is hit by it. At first she seems okay, but then tiny flames from her fur seem to keep her from giving it her all.

  "Oh no!" She must have gotten a Burn! Attack power as well as health take a toll with this status effect!

  "Mrow." Meowstic, despite her condition, still stands strong, even though I can tell that she's getting tired.

  "Then we'll do the same!" Chloe grins with even more confidence, even as her own Pokemon is getting weaker as well."Quick Attack!"

  Litleo plunges itself directly into Meowstic's side, forcing her into the ground. "Meow!!"

  "Meowstic!"

  "Finish this with Flamethrower!" Chloe commands Litleo to use its signature move, but Meowstic manages to jump out if the way in time.

  "Psychic!" Meowstic throws Litleo onto the ground with weakened force, but it still works. Litleo is almost down!

  "Charge Beam!"

  "Quick Attack!" Litleo uses its hit-first move, making one last attack that lands in Meowstic and causes her to go down.

  "Oh, snap!" Clara turns from referee to excited Trainer watching the Pokemon League or something.

  "You did great, Chloe!" I congratulate the victor, then walk over to Meowstic with Petilil next to me.

  "Petilil! Lil!" Petilil seems to be admiring her, and I hug Meowstic. 

  "That was amazing!"

  "Meow..." Meowstic manages a small smile, and I decide that we ought to go to the Pokemon Center.

  "Thanks for that!" Chloe walks up to us."That was just what we needed."

  "Thank YOU!" I shake her hand."I'll still give it my all in the Showcase, okay?"

  "Promise to do the same!"

  "Litleo is the victor!" Clara comes in late with the ruling.

  But I smile at her. I never would have gotten the confidence to battle anyone, let alone a stranger. But... Chloe is definitely a new rival for me, with specific rivals if her own. I have a feeling things will get interesting from here on.

"See ya at the Pokemon Center!" Clara laughs while running off, the film in her hand.

  "W-wait up!"

                  Chapter 11... End! ; )