*art not mine*

When the Minior shower ended, the others and I stayed at Strato Town's Inn. Our talk about the spectacle lasted an hour.

I hope Eric got some good pictures!

Morning dawned, and the seven of us rode the cable car back down to Mount Haven's summit. Once we reached the ground, the seven of us started walking down the dirt path to Maidbury City.

Nina had told Caps about their famous ice cream, and he wanted to try it. Who were we to object to something like that? Also, it would be Elsu and Rina's first time trying it.

Upon arrival, Rachel greeted us at the city's entrance.

"Welcome back to Maidbury, kids!" Rachel said.

Nina grinned and ran up to embrace her mother.

"It's so good to see you again, Mom!" Nina said happily.

Rachel chuckled and looked over at us.

"And how are you three doing?" she asked.

"We're doing well," Kat said, "We made some friends while on the road."

The brunette gestured her hand to Rina, Elsu, and Caps.

"Meet Rina, Elsu, and Caps," I said, "Guys, this is Nina's mother, Rachel, Maidbury City's Fairy-type Gym Leader."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Rachel." Rina said.

"Likewise, my dear," Rachel said, "I was about to go out to train, then you kids came along."

"Hey, is that someone at your gym, Rachel?" Eric asked, pointing behind her.

Looking behind Rachel, there was indeed a person at her gym.

"Well, you kids have never seen a full gym battle before," Rachel said, "Wanna come see?"

"We'd love to, Mom!" Nina said.

Rachel nodded with a smile, and the seven of us followed the Fairy-type gym leader to her gym.

"Hello!" Rachel said, approaching the trainer, "Apologies for the wait. Are you here for a gym battle?"

The trainer turned around, and it was a young man dressed in all different shades of blue.

"Yes, I am." he said.

The woman pushed open the doors to her gym, and she and the trainer went to respected spots on the battlefield. The others and I went over to the seats that looked over the battlefield.

"How about we have a one-on-one?" the trainer suggested, "Your strongest against my strongest."

"Even though my gym battles are 4-on-4, I can do that!" Rachel said, throwing her Pokéball, "Gardevoir, come on out!"

At Rachel's command, her Gardevoir came out with a benevolent cry. The trainer grinned before throwing his Pokéball.

"Go, Gengar!" the trainer cried.

At his command, the Shadow Pokémon appeared with a cackle-like cry.

"A Gengar? Your mother's Gardevoir is at a devastating disadvantage, Nina dear." Caps commented.

"Yeah, I know," Nina said, "But that's how my mom likes her battles. The more Pokémon she battles that's stronger against her in typing only makes her stronger. Go, Mom! You can do it!"

Rachel smiled at her daughter before looking back at the trainer.

Rachel can do this. She's one of the strongest gym leaders in Ezonia!

"Battle begin!" the referee announced.

"Shadow Ball!" the trainer cried.

The Gengar let out a cry before hurling a shadowy blob at Rachel's Gardevoir.

"Counter with Shadow Ball as well!" Rachel said.

Gardevoir uttered a cry as it launched a Shadow Ball of its own. The two attacks collided, causing an explosion.

"Moonblast!" Rachel ordered.

Obeying its trainer, Gardevoir charged up its attack before firing a bright pink blast.

"Shadow Ball again!" the trainer cried.

The Gengar then launched another shadowy blob that canceled out the Moonblast attack.

"Shadow Punch!" the trainer cried.

The Gengar floated in the air before charging towards the Gardevoir with a fist blacked out by shadows.

"Stand your ground, Gardevoir, and block it!" Rachel said.

Gardevoir crossed its arms as the attack drew near. When Gengar was upon Gardevoir, the Shadow Pokémon disappeared.

Where did it go...?

Then, the Gengar reappeared behind the Gardevoir and attacked it with the charged-up Shadow Punch. Gardevoir let out a strained cry as it slid across the battlefield.

"Gardevoir!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Sludge Bomb!" the trainer cried.

Gengar cackled before hurling filthy sludge at Gardevoir.

"Dodge, Gardevoir!" Rachel cried.

Gardevoir staggered as it stood. Before it could find its footing, Gardevoir got hit by the super-effective attack.

"Gardevoir!" Nina cried.

Whoa. This battle certainly took a drastic turn. Is Rachel going to make it out of this?

"Gardevoir, get up, please!" Rachel pleaded.

Gardevoir let out a strained cry as it forced itself to stand.

"Shadow Ball!" the trainer cried.

Gengar cackled as it launched another shadowy blob.

"Moonblast!" Rachel cried.

Gardevoir let out a cry before firing a bright pink blast. The Shadow Ball canceled out Gardevoir's attack before coming in contact with it. When the smoke cleared, Gardevoir was unconscious.

"Gardevoir is unable to battle," the referee said, "The winner is the challenger... I apologize; I didn't catch your name."

"The name... is Xenon!" the trainer cried.

The trainer tore off his coat and revealed his uniform underneath.

No! Not now!

"Rachel, call back your Gardevoir now!" I cried, vaulting over the seats.

Before Rachel could react, the grunt's Gengar cackled before its eyes glinted blue. Rachel and I couldn't move. I was suspended in the air as I was jumping over the seats.

"Mom! Era!" Nina cried, pulling out a Pokéball.

"Nina, don't!" Rachel cried.

Before the others, including the referee, could do anything, Gengar looked their way and froze them in place with Psychic.

"Now that you're all caught in my Gengar's Psychic," the grunt said, tapping on his ear, "Hey, it's me. I've infiltrated the Maidbury City gym and subdued the gym leader and her Gardevoir. Meet me in the front with the truck."

I struggled against Gengar's Psychic but to no avail.

We've got to get out of here! Team Xenon has already tried to steal a Gardevoir before; I'm not about to let them succeed in that goal!

Looking back, I saw my friends struggling against Gengar's Psychic. Then, I saw Caps get up from his seat without a problem.

Wait. How is he..?

"Caps!" I cried.

He turned to me and placed a finger over his lips. That's when I saw a familiar purple aura wafting from his hands.

His psychic abilities, I forgot!

"Hey, blueberry!" Caps cried.

The Team Xenon grunt turned around and gasped.

"How are you not trapped in my Gengar's Psychic?" the grunt asked.

"You're not the only one here with psychic powers," Caps said, drawing two Pokéballs, "Magnezone, Beheeyem! Show yourselves!"

At his command, the Cerebral Pokémon and the Magnet Area Pokémon appeared.

"Release my friends, and you won't have to feel the wrath of the Cosmic Champion!" Caps declared.

He's still playing that champion card, especially at a time like this?

"Hah! You, a champion?" the grunt laughed, "Oh, please. Give me a break! If you don't have any mega Pokémon to donate, get lost, buddy!"

"Alright," Caps said calmly, "Don't say I didn't warn you... Beheeyem, use Psyshock! Magnezone, Flash Cannon"

The two Pokémon let out a cry before launching their attacks at the Gengar. Before Gengar could react, the Shadow Pokémon got hit by both moves. Soon, my friends and I were set free from Gengar's Psychic.

"Thanks, Caps!" I said, sprinting up to his side.

"All in a day's work for a champion!" he said with a wink.

He's still keeping up that champion facade, huh?

The grunt turned around and growled at us. He then turned to the door and grinned.

"No matter!" he said, "My friends are already here."

Like clockwork, more Team Xenon grunts burst through the gym doors. In seconds, they surrounded us.

"This isn't looking too good." Rina mumbled.

"Don't worry," I said, "We can take 'em, right, Libby?"

Libby hopped off my shoulder and let out a bold cry. Angel stepped forward and did the same.

"Don't exclude us from this battle," Nina said, tossing up a Pokéball, "Mawile, show yourself!"

At her command, the Deceiver Pokémon appeared.

"Samurott!" Eric exclaimed.

"Get out here, Yanmega!" Elsu cried.

"Uh, help us out, Jumpluff!" Rina cried hesitantly.

In a minute, my friends' Pokémon appeared. The Team Xenon grunts tossed up their Pokéballs, and out came their Pokémon.

"Rachel, go get Gardevoir," I said, "We'll handle them."

Rachel nodded before running over to her fallen Pokémon.

"Shall we dance?" Caps asked, raising a hand towards the grunts.

A purple aura encapsulated Caps' hand, and soon, the grunts and their Pokémon started floating.

Whoa. Caps' psychic abilities are really powerful.

"I can take it from here, guys." Caps said.

"Whoa! What in the world is going on?" asked a female grunt.

"Put us down, you nitwit!" cried a male grunt.

Caps chuckled and shook his head.

"Now, why would I do that?" Caps asked calmly, "You people have some nerve to barge in here unannounced and uninvited."

The grunts and the Pokémon struggled against Caps' hold, but his grip on them was unrelenting. Then, Rachel walked over to us with her Gardevoir at her side.

"How's Gardevoir, Mom?" Nina asked.

"She's fine," Rachel said, "What's going on?"

"I think Caps is about to teach Team Xenon a lesson." Kat said.

This is about to get interesting...

"Put us down!" said a male grunt, "This is unfair!"

"You're right; this isn't fair," Caps said, "How about this: I will let each of you battle me and me alone. If I beat every one of you, I get to throw you out of this establishment personally. However, if by some miracle you freaks win, you can take everyone's mega Pokémon, including my own."

I didn't know Caps had a mega Pokémon... Hold on; he's betting our Pokémon along with his! Is he insane?!

Caps then released one of the grunts and her Pokémon and placed them on the other side of the gym, still holding the other grunts in place. The female grunt brushed herself off before glaring at Caps and his Pokémon.

"Crobat, use Aerial Ace!" the grunt said.

The Crobat screeched out a cry before flying towards Caps at incredible speeds.

"Thunderbolt, Magnezone." Caps said calmly.

When the Crobat was in range, Magnezone warbled a cry as it let loose a strong electric blast. The Crobat let out a strained screech before plummeting to the ground.

With just one attack? Caps may not be a champion, but he is certainly strong like one.

Caps grinned before looking back at the captive grunts.

"So, who's next?" Caps asked.

Caps then brought over a male grunt and his Toxicroak and set them on the opposite side of the battlefield.

"Your move, mon ami." Caps said with a wide grin.

"Toxicroak, use Poison Jab!" the grunt exclaimed.

Tokicroak let out a cry as its crimson claws started glowing purple. It then charged toward Magnezone and Beheeyem at amazing speed.

"Psybeam, dear." Caps said, running a hand through his green locks.

Beheeyem let out a cry before releasing a peculiar wave. The Toxicroak didn't have time to dodge before it got hit with the Psychic-type attack.

Toxicroak is a Poison/Fighting-type, meaning Psybeam does double the damage! It's a super-super-effective attack!

The Toxicroak was soon unconscious. Caps looked back at the grunts and smiled.

"Any volunteers?" he asked slyly.

One by one, Caps took down every grunts' Pokémon with ease. When he defeated the last grunt, he lifted them back into the air and walked them out of the gym.

"Could one of you get the doors to the truck?" Caps asked.

Kat and I ran past our green-haired friend and opened the truck's back doors. Caps then placed the grunts and their Pokémon inside, leaving a male and female grunt in the air.

"The doors, girls, please?" Caps asked.

"On it!" Kat said.

She sprinted up to the front doors and opened the driver's door, only for Caps to shove the two grunts inside, the male grunt sitting behind the wheel. Before Kat could close the door, Caps placed a hand on each of the grunts' heads.

What is he doing?

Then, Caps' eyes glinted purple. After a minute, the grunts' eyes soon turned purple and hazy.

"Go back to whatever cave you crawled out of and tell your boss this: leave my friends and their Pokémon alone." Caps said in a low voice.

"As you command, master." the grunts said in monotone voices.

Caps' eyes went back to silver as he hopped off the truck and closed the door. The engine started, and the truck pulled away from the gym and drove out of Maidbury City.

Did... Did Caps just...?

"Did you just... brainwash them?" I asked.

"Brainwashed is such an ugly word," Caps said, "I like to call it mind control."

Same thing...

"That was incredible! You took down every grunt with only two Pokémon!" Elsu said.

"Thank you, my young friend," Caps said, "I couldn't have done it without the help of Magnezone and Beheeyem."

His two Pokémon hovered over to him and let out friendly cries.

"Thank you, Caps, for protecting my gym and saving my Pokémon and the kids," Rachel said.

"No need to thank me, Rachel," Caps said, "I did what any good champion would do."

"You're a champion?"

"It's a long story, Mom..." Nina said with an annoyed tone.

I chuckled as I continued to look at Caps retract his Pokémon. Then, something came to mind.

"Hey, Caps," I began, "You said you had a mega Pokémon on you. Is that true?"

Caps looked at me and snorted a laugh.

"Obviously not," he said, "If I had a Pokémon that could mega evolve, I'd be unstoppable."

I promptly rolled my eyes and shook my head fondly.

Again, Caps may not be a champion, but he's undoubtedly one at heart. He's champion level, as well as his Pokémon. Now I'm beginning to wonder if he really is a champion. I highly doubt it, but who knows?

"So, where are you kids heading now?" Rachel said.

"I wanna visit Grasmere Town," Rina said, "Eric told me they have tasty berry-flavored treats, and I'd love to get one!"

"Then, Grasmere Town it is!" I said.

Nina sprinted over to her mother and hugged her.

"We'll visit again soon, Mom!" she said.

"I'll be waiting!" she said, pulling away.

With a final wave to the gym leader, the seven of us started walking toward Grasmere Town.

What awaits us in the little town? I have no idea, but I'm ready for it, whatever it is!