Flora opened up her bag and handed the clerk a wad of cash. "I'm running low on funds, how about you?"

I pulled out my wallet and peered inside. "I've only got a little bit left too." Man, living is really expensive! Why can't parents just pay for us forever?

"Hmmm... We're going to have to either find a part time job or win more battles, though we might be out of luck if we lose any..."

"What about challenging the gym leader here right away?"

"What if we lose that one? It'll be a little bit more expensive than losing to a normal trainer?"

I looked again into the void of my wallet. The pieces of lint reminded me of tumbleweeds blowing on a desert plain. "I think that's a risk we should take."

She sighed and nodded in consent. We put our groceries into our bags and made our way out of the store.

"Man, I'm so excited to finally sleep in an actual bed!" I shouted.

Flora stopped in her tracks, causing me to stop as well. "What are you talking about? We can't afford a hotel or anything like that! We're camping outside of the town."

My jaw dropped and I started to sulk. "I may never know the comfort of a proper bed again..."

"Stop being such a baby. Come on, being a trainer is all about living on the road!"

I'll just add that to the list of reasons not to be a trainer then....

-----

I awoke to a heavy weight on my chest. More specifically, to the weight breathing in my face. Why the heck are you out of your pokeball Aron?!

"Good boy Aaron! Wake up Elron!"

"Ugh. I'll wake up once my pokemon goes back into its pokeball." I closed my eyes in rebellion.

"Could you go back into your pokeball? Just for me?"

I could feel a weight being lifted off of my shoulders. And torso. Mainly I could breath again. I forced my eyes open and sat up. You really will do anything that she says, won't you? I sighed. "So why are we getting up this early?"

"Isn't it obvious? You need to train if you're going to challenge Roxanne in a few hours."

"Oh yeah, Roxanne, the rock type gym leader right? Can't I just borrow your Marill for that?"

Flora's stare pierced like a Drillbur's claws. "You expect to win using someone else's pokemon?! Forget it! You have to use your own pokemon! Now make us breakfast!"

Ugh. Too much effort for this early in the morning. The training and the cooking. "We can just eat granola bars today."

-----

We pulled our pokeballs out from our bags.

"Would you like separate trays or is just one fine?" Nurse Joy looked at our six pokeballs, the perfect number for one tray.

"One's fine," said Flora, putting down her pokeballs. I proceeded to do the same. "Do you have any crazy strategies for this one?"

"Not really, I'm just going to wing it like usual."

"With a dragon and a rock type? You really sure that's going to work against rock type pokemon?"

"Pfff... Aaron's a steel type, though I don't think he knows any steel type moves. No use worrying about it, I'll either win or lose."

"Have you forgotten that we're almost out of money here?!"

"Here's your pokemon," the nurse interjected. "Have a nice day!"

It sounded to me like she wanted us out of her hair. We took our pokeballs and were on our way.

"Hey, how do you feel? Excited? Nervous?" Flora looked at me while we walked.

I looked back at her with my usual expression. "Same as always. Am I supposed to feel something?"

"I mean, yeah." She squinted. "Most people have a wide range of emotions."

Ouch. That hurt. Hearing that from her was pretty bad too, but I was not expecting to trip on a stone face first.

Flora couldn't help letting out a giggle. "I see a drop of funds in our future. We're not even to the gym and you're already losing to rock."

I stood back up and brushed myself, and had a burning sensation on my face. This time I watched where I was going.

The gym wasn't all that special or anything, and if it was anything it was packed to the brim with young trainers.

Flora explained. "It was like this when I came too. Most people make this their first gym so it can get a little crowded."

"I figured, but man, this is a lot of people."

"Excuse me," called out a receptionist, "if you'd like to face the gym leader you'll need to get a number!"

63

Wow, that's a pretty big number. Just how busy is this gym leader?

We secured a spot a bench and waited. Every few minutes a trainer would leave, either in tears or happy and sporting a shiny new gym badge.

If I was pumped up at all before coming then it would definitely be gone by now.

"Number 63, please make your way to the court."

"Well, that's you! Good luck!" She practically pushed me into the next room.

I was greeted by a girl in a preppy uniform and brown ponytails. "I don't have all day, are you going to show me how you battle or not?" I had hardly walked in and she was already being abrasive as sandpaper.

"I suppose so. Go, Aaron!" I threw out a pokeball and from it emerged Marill. For a second I was confused, but I quickly grasped the situation. Oh, the nurse flipped around the tray. How convenient!

"Go, Geodude!" A two armed floating head of rock was released by the gym leader.

Flora was angered at the happening. She pulled out all of the pokeballs she had and released their contents. She found two Bagons, a Swinub, and an Aron, which was very happy to see her. "Don't listen to him Ma--!"

"Water Gun!" Mari quickly obeyed, spraying the Geodude with a torrent of water, knocking it out instantly.

The girls' mouths dropped. "Hmph." Roxanne crossed her arms and puffed up her cheeks. "It's not like that was good or anything. Go, Nosepass!"

"Water Gun!"

"Here's your Stone Badge," said Roxanne, accepting defeat and hiding her face. She dropped a piece of metal and some prize money into my hands. "Your fighting style was too simple, work on that."

I shrugged. "Good enough for me. Hey Flora loo--"

She grabbed me by the ear. "What were you thinking?! You're supposed to get the badge through your own hard work!"

"I did. I told Marill what to do and I won. Isn't that what you're supposed to do as a trainer?"

She shot me a paralyzing glare, then turned to the gym leader. "Excuse me, but this trainer didn't use his own pokemon. Shouldn't you revoke his badge or something?"

"There's no rule that says you have to use pokemon you trained yourself," the gym leader replied, cleaning her nails. I saw a little bit of anger in the way she was picking at her nails, though, and it seemed as if she was going to break them. "Now, if you'd please leave so I can battle more trainers, that would be nice."

"Can he retry with his own pokemon then?! I refuse to accept this!"

I can at least understand where she's coming from, because she had to work hard to earn her own badges, but I don't see anything wrong with using pokemon you didn't raise yourself.

"Nope! I don't have time in my daily schedule to give rematches. Please leave before I have to force you to."

-----

"Hey, now we have enough to last a day or two more. That's good right?"

Flora was refusing to speak to me.

I've done it this time... "I tell you what, I'll actually make dinner tonight. How about that?"

She didn't move.

I sighed. Well, I guess I at least have to try. I spent the next thirty minutes working on a stew, without any words being exchanged between us. Dang it, she's making me actually feel bad about that. I handed her a bowl, and she took it, making sure not to look me in the eye.

She mumbled.

"Did you say something?"

She mumbled again, this time a little bit louder.

"You'll have to say it louder for me to hear you."

"I SAID YOU'RE TRYING AGAIN TOMORROW!!!" She looked me right in the eyes, almost tearing up. I could tell by the look that she gave me that there was no convincing her otherwise.

"You heard Roxanne, we can't get a rematch."

"Yes. We. Can! And we will!"

-----

"Hi, I'd like to register for a match here." I was wearing a fake mustache, sunglasses, a trenchcoat, and a hat to top off the standard creepy guy look.

"Didn't you come here yesterday? I'm sorry sir, you can't have a rematch since you already have won."

"Oh, but I didn't come yesterday."

"Your disguise doesn't fool me. You're even still standing next to the same girl as yesterday."

"Prove it!" I took a stance of confidence.

The clerk knew that she couldn't prove it without causing trouble so she just rolled her eyes and gave me a number.

We sat down on a bench, just like yesterday. "Well that was easier than I expected."

Flora ignored me.

I knew that she wouldn't actually talk to me anymore until I had battled Roxanne with my own pokemon, so I just sighed and sat there in silence. Eventually the wait left me quite bored, so I listened in to the conversations of the surrounding children. One conversation in particular caught my attention.

"Yeah, I'm totally going to win this match. My father gave me an Arcanine for my birthday, so I'm basically unstoppable."

"Eh? Then how could you be proud of getting a badge?"

"Because I got it! When you have money you don't need to resort to the training and stuff that normal people do."

"No fair!"

"Life isn't fair! I'll just keep asking for better and better pokemon until I get all the way to the Elite Four!"

Man, that rich kid's being a brat. Money can't buy you everything. I sat and pondered the conversation. I think I understand why Flora was mad with me now. Shoot, hate it when I'm wrong.

"Hey, are you listening? They just called your number, Elron! Get up there!"

I smirked to myself. Guess I'll just have to show her such a great match that'll she'll have no choice but to forgive me!

***

A/N: I may have gotten carried away with writing this chapter :P Was going to end on a good cliffhanger buuuuut I'll just have to save that one for next chapter. You guys have been awesome, but it's just so close to 100 reads, so let's see if we can get there before chapter 6 :D As usual, thanks for reading and you can expect the next chapter next Friday!