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Mike stood above the gasping boy with crossed arms. "Yeah, pretty poor." He remarked. "But if you think about it, instant transportation is still very impressive, shotty mechanics or not." The room was narrow, a large fenced off pool separating another walkway which held another warp tile. Ahead of them was yet another tile, but both were guarded by another pair of strangely familiar looking Grunts. Behind them a sharp 'ping' was heard, Prickles stumbling out of the transporter, disoriented. "Good. Let's go."

As Mike led the little entourage to the Grunts closer it hit him. He remembered who they were. Images of a Cloyster in a net, a nearly dead Charmeleon, a fainted Steelix and a terrified Shroomish flashed through his mind. "You!" He shouted, heat waves wavering from his clenched fists. It was Marty and Vince, the two Aqua Grunts that tried to steal Shiver back in Rustboro City. Mike practically ripped off Shiver's Pokeball in anger, thrusting it forward aggressively. "I demand a battle from you worms, NOW. I'm going to make you sorry you ever even looked in Shiver's direction."

The two men jumped at Mike's sudden shouting, whirling around to be met with the boy in full Magma gear. "Agh! It's an attack!" Marty shouted, reaching for the alarm.

"No," Mike said, pulling off his hood and lowering his scarf. "It's me, the boy you attacked in attempt to steal my Cloyster." His eyes were intense, nearly burning holes in the two men. "And I demand a rematch. A fair one, one that I'm going to absolutely decimate you in."

Upon the realization of their foe, the two men actually began laughing. "Oooh yeah, the cry baby." Vince chuckled menacingly, slapping Marty on the back amusingly. "We remember you alright. Sure you got a few lucky shots, but that's it. We'll settle this like men." Without any more words both men released one Pokemon each: A Tentacruel and a Mightyena.

They have the same Pokemon they did that day. Mike donned his hood and scarf again. "Let's go Kilik." He released Shiver, ready to start.

Kilik glanced over at the two Pokemon in front of him then at Mike. It seemed as if Mike had met these two Grunts before. The boy didn't say anything as he took up Lairon's Great Ball and held it in his hand. He took a quick survey of the Tentacruel and the Mightyena. Which one would he decide to attack? The Tentacruel had a clear type advantage over his Steel-type behemoth. Luckily, the Mightyena wouldn't be able to harm Lairon at all. With a flick of the wrist, the Great Ball was sent flying.

Lairon slammed against the metal floor with a crash, his armor plating shining brightly, even in the dim lighting of the room. His eyes looked around wildly for an opponent. When he first caught sight of Shiver, he took a step towards him. However, Kilik's affirmative 'NO' made him growl about for another foe. His blue eyes caught onto Mightyena immediately. Now that he had his target, he would not take his eyes off of him.

"Ready, Mike?" Kilik smirked.

"The girls from Vermillion. Yes, I will go out with you all. Can I get a kiss first?" Ray reached and massaged a face. "Your skin is nice and soft." He was slapped and woke up. "What? Noooooo!!!" Flametail stood there, staring at him as if he slept in that same area for months. "Oh, I'm sorry Flame." Ray stood up and dust off his pants. He stretched and looked around, "No girls?" Flametail shook his head; Ray reached in his bag for berries. "No berries? How? I thought we pluck a bunch of them. You ate them, didn't you?"

His Charmander quickly jumped and slapped him once more. Using his expressions and his great charades skills, Flametail explained how the berries were gone. "I gave them away to a girl? I must of been sleepwalking." Fake tears fell down Ray's face, Flametail then bit him. "Ow! You know you don't have soft teeth." Ray picked up his bag and was heading north, Flametail followed. "You know, you don't really obey much. I do wonder where those girls are now."

Miharu had to admit that she felt a little worried when the female Pinsir took hold of Aska, but somehow she knew that her Pidgeotto would not give in so easily. The Pokemon's cries were difficult to listen too, and the green-haired girl looked around frantically before spying a rock lying nearby. She picked it up, looked at it and then hurled it at the Pinsir, hitting her in the back of the head with a soft 'thunk'. The distraction allowed the speedy Pidgeotto to slip from the Pinsir's powerful pincers, but not before she smacked it upside the head with a wing, grateful to be putting some distance between her and her foe. She screeched at her trainer, and if Miharu could understand what she was saying, she'd be throwing another Park Ball right about now.

"Gust attack, now!" Miharu shouted, pointing at the Pokemon she fully intended to capture. The Pidgeotto let rip another tornado of wind, and it slammed into the Pinsir's chest, knocking her to the ground. This time, Miharu did indeed throw another Park Ball, staring at the sphere intently as it hit the ground, shaking and wobbling. For a moment Miharu thought the battle would never end and she'd use nearly every Park Ball in her possession, but when a soft chime sounded and the ball came to rest, a relieved sigh escaped her lips as she bent down to pick it up.

"Gotcha," she said with a proud grin, as Aska came to land beside her.

"I wouldn't say well-behaved," Keegan mumbled under his breath, glancing down at the electric type. He looked at the poor paralyzed Skitty, again feeling a bit guilty for not buying anything for healing. "She'll be okay, it won't take us too long to get to Mauville," he said reassuringly, walking along beside her. Themis yawned loudly, and Keegan recalled him as well, knowing it would be easier to keep tabs on the mischievous Manectric if he was in his Pokeball.

"I got into a battle too," he said finally, shaking his head. "Some stupid kid made me fall off of my bike just so he could challenge me to a battle. I tell you, that sort of gag is seriously getting old. And fast." He grumbled, wishing he could have gotten at least one shot at the kid, but as he recalled Tierra's evolution, his mood changed. "We won though," he said with a nod. "Artemis was amazing, as usual, and Tierra evolved into Graveler," he said proudly. "All I need to do is find a trade partner and then she can become a Golem." Being a fire type fan, most people would have thought it weird for him to be a fan of the Megaton Pokemon, seeing as it was ground/rock, but he knew the diversity was needed in order to maintain balance. It was then he realized he didn't have any fire type Pokemon on his team at all at the moment, and he chuckled. Mike would be ashamed of me, he thought, shaking his head.

Keegan grinned. He knew Kasiya was going to say just that, and he nodded. "There's no one I'd trust more with my Pokemon than you," he said, taking her hand in his as they walked. The last time he'd been this way, his mood hadn't been nearly this good. The grass seemed greener somehow, and the sky a bit more blue. You're sad, he told himself, but with a smile. It was a bit sappy of him and perhaps a little sad, but it really didn't bother him. For the first time in a while, he was happy, and that was all that mattered.

He did know that this route was usually jam-packed with trainers and their Pokemon, and again he found himself silently praying that none of them would challenge them as they continued towards Mauville.

((I can do sucky small posts too!))