10-12

Thad stretched his arms out wide and let out a yawn as he walked through the waystation leading into Goldenrod City. With Jasmine's assistance, he'd managed to get in some much-needed practice against the trainers on Route 36 with his crew of Pokemon after walloping several strange creatures. He'd flipped through Chuck's journal, marking some of the moves and creatures alongside the chart he'd created in Ecruteak.

A playbook was in the making, and Thad was determined not to be embarrassed again without a strategy. Granted, having bigger muscles was usually a pretty good strategy.

Chad continued to carry Jasmine's oversized backpack of necessities without complaint, humming along in a pleasant tone, and occasionally dropping into a squat or lunge when the group's pace would slow. Jasmine watched with mild amusement as Thad would congratulate and continuously shower his proud Machop on his form and dedication.

"Now, this is a city." Thad craned his head, his childlike wonderment taking in the multistoried buildings and large bustling streets filled with people and Pokemon alike. "So, where we going shopping?"

"The department store," Jasmine pointed down the main street, "it's the six-story building on our left just across the Magnet Train tracks."

"Then let's hustle, eh? Feelin' a bit breezy in the thigh area," Thad said, flapping the shredded ends of his gi pants that barely came down to his midthigh. "As much as I don't mind showing off the quads, I feel it's time for an upgrade."

Jasmine gave the hint of a nod and grabbed Thad by the wrist, pulling him along. He shrugged and let Jasmine lead him through the crowd, his eyes drawn to the various Pokemon following folks or doing labor tasks, looking at billboards for strange products, looking up at the giant spire to his West that he assumed was the radio tower. Chad scampered behind them, latching onto Thad's free hand, creating a hand link between the three.

Not too much different from back home, Thad scooted to the side, letting a large bipedal green Pokemon with a leaf on its back lumber on by. Two sets of vines sprouted from its back, holding a bundle of two by fours with a man in hardhat leading it. Instead of a forklift, he's got a viney dude. Neat.

Jasmine pulled Thad to the side of the street and in front of the large glass sliding windows of the department store. Her eyes darted around haphazardly, but Thad paid no mind. He figured it was just the crowds getting to her.

"So, how many Pokedollars do you have?" Jasmine asked.

Thad unslung his travel sack from his right shoulder and withdrew a small drawstring bag. "Last time I counted, probably a few thousand," he lowered his voice, "but considering your economy, that's not a whole lot."

"It should be enough for clothing. Only Pokemon accessories and materials tend to cost a dramatic premium," Jasmine noted. "Will it be fine to shop by yourself as I do some of my own?"

"I've dressed myself before, Jazzy, relax," Thad waved Jasmine off. She crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow, standing her ground. He massaged the bridge of his nose and groaned. "I will not buy more protein until we have more money. Promise."

Jasmine looked to Chad. "Keep an eye on him for me?"

"Chop!" Chad shouted, giving Jasmine a thumbs up. Jasmine smiled and nodded at the Pokemon as Thad rolled his eyes.

"Trusting Chad over me?"

"He's proven to be a little bit more responsible than his trainer." Jasmine covered her mouth with her hand, hiding the beginnings of a smile. "Just… meet me back down in the lobby in an hour, okay?"

"Lobby. Hour. Got it," Thad repeated. He waved Jasmine to go on with a kind smile. "Now, let us have some bro time. See ya soon."

"Macho Mach!"

With a nod, Jasmine turned on her heel and entered the department store, disappearing into the crowd of people. Thad turned to his companion and leaned down, a wide grin on his face.

"She said we couldn't buy anything, but nothing about looking or maybe getting some samples!"

Chad's eyes lit up and he pumped his fist in the air. "Machoooo!"

"Damn right, whatever it is you said! Let's go bag us some stuff! And some pants." Thad took a step, then paused and rubbed his chin, and looked back at the Machop. "Wait. Do you need pants too? Do Pokemon wear pants?"

Chad shrugged and shook his head. "Machop?"

"Uh, do you want pants?"

Chad shrugged once more. Thad furrowed his brow, deep in thought. He slowly continued to walk into the department store; the employee's greeting near the glass doors went unheard as Thad contemplated the mysteries of the Pokemon universe.

To have pants or not to have pants?

Jasmine tapped her foot on the tiled lobby floor of the department store. She glanced at her PokeNav for the time, and let out a sigh.

"He should have been here by now," Jasmine whispered to herself. She set her two bags of materials on the ground; her arms arching from Thad's regiment that she'd been gently persuaded to join in on. She massaged her bicep, feeling a slight pulsing from the tired muscle.

I feel like a wet noodle, Jasmine thought. I just can't understand how he doesn't get tired.

"Ey!"

Jasmine's head perked up as she turned toward the boisterous voice. She noticed Thad's head tower over the crowd of people; a great big smile plastered on his flawless face. She couldn't see Chad, though she suspected he followed. She glanced down, straightening her flowy summer iron-colored dress out a bit, frowning at how it had wrinkled slightly while being stowed away in her pack.

Thad made his way toward her corner of the department floor, and her eyes immediately inspected and appraised his attire. He'd actually bought a shirt, granted it looked nearly painted on with his biceps testing the limits of the short sleeves, broad shoulders stretching it sideways, and his pecs on full display. He'd paired the sleek red, white, and orange shirt with the silhouette of a Dragonite on the front with a pair of red and black compression shorts that were popular amongst bikers.

His trusty Machop stood next to him, grinning ear to ear with a matching shirt and no pants. What caught Jasmine's eye though was the two extra bags in Thad's hands.

"So, how does it look? Sporty, right?" Thad said, twirling around to give her a full view.

She pursed her lips and felt her face heat up as she glanced at his toned rear; while the shredded gi pants were borderline scandalous, the compression shorts left very little to the imagination. A protest died on her lips as he finished his rotation; she figured he knew what he was doing in wearing that, or at the very least only considered the 'tactical advantages'.

"It looks good," Jasmine replied with an even tone. She tilted her head, pointing at the bags in his hands. "What else did you get?"

"You ain't gonna believe the deals I found." Thad dropped the bags and began sifting through them. He tossed a few extra garments to Chad, who clumsily caught them. "They were having a discount on a few extra things, so I managed to snag some snazzy stuff. Also!" Thad pulled out a large container of protein. "I managed to persuade the lady at the supplement counter to give me a free sample. Said I was a trainer, and they were looking for sponsors."

"And you agreed?" Jasmine squeaked out.

Thad threw his head back, laughing in a deep, rumbly manner. " Of course not! This isn't the first time I've been scouted and someone has tried to recruit me. The gifts are natural, like this sweet, sweet powder." He gave the white container a kiss on the lid and looked at it with half-lidded eyes. "We are gonna build so many muscles, my friend."

Jasmine let out a breath of relief. "That's good. I was worried for a moment. Some businesses can be very predatory when it comes to hooking in trainers into deals."

"For sure, Jazzy. For sure." Thad agreed, nodding his head. His eyes wandered downward towards Jasmine's bags. "So, what'd you end up getting?"

"Some essentials. Some trail rations, a few extra potions, and a technical machine disk I think that might be handy." Jasmine retrieved the light blue circular disk from her bag. The disk was about a millimeter thick and slightly larger than a CD. "Since you enjoy punching things, I figured you might like something to help expand your move pool."

"Uh, that's kind and all Jasmine, but I'm not sure how some new tunes are gonna help me and my bros punch better," Thad said with a heavy side of skepticism. He gently grabbed the disk between his fingers, checking the back and front of the sheer object. "So… it's like an instructional video or something?"

"Not quite, may I?" Jasmine held her hand out, and Thad handed the disk back. "A technical mechanic, or TM as most trainers call them, store information and data much like a Pokeball. Think of it as like a one-time use thumb drive, but instead of pictures or files, it has a memory core that a Pokemon can absorb simply by holding it and focusing."

Thad's jaw dropped. "No way. That's rad as hell."

Jasmine shrugged. "I'm not sure if it's that amazing. We've had them around for a while. I know you're out of the loop a bit, but… you've never seen this stuff before?"

"Does it work on people?"

Thad's voice took on a hopeful tone but quickly died down as he noticed Jasmine shake her head. He looked over to Chad and scratched his head, exchanging a confused glance with his PokeBro.

"So, why's it not work on people?" Thad asked.

"It's to do with our bodily chemistry and how our inner aura reacts to energy as far as I know," Jasmine said. She patted the downtrodden hunk on the arm. "I'm probably not explaining it well, but that's the gist of it. The good news; you could teach Chad here Ice Punch either by handing it to him, or placing him in his Pokeball and placing it in the center of the disk."

"Chop?"

Thad looked down to his companion and smirked. "You wanna have some frosty fists, my dude?"

Chad flexed his biceps and puffed out his chest. "Chop chop!"

"Nice. You're gonna be one icy king!" Thad placed the TM on Chad's head, balancing it on the wavy grooves that served as a kind of hair. "Alright, just think really hard about ice or whatever, and then science will happen." Thad looked toward Jasmine out of the corner of his eye. "Right?"

Before Jasmine could reply, the disk shattered into dust with a dull crack. Chad's nose twitched and he itched at his ribbed chest, but otherwise seemed unphased by the event. Thad inspected his Pokemon, but Chad merely shrugged at his trainer's inquisitive behavior.

Jasmine gestured for Thad and Chad to follow her out of the store, and the two did so without question, though Thad skeptically looked around the area for the particles of the technical mechanic. The sun was bright and the weather was cool as they left the stuffy department store and made for some shade provided by the department store overhang. A few people gave Jasmine and Thad odd looks, whispering amongst each other, but otherwise, the less crowded area gave the group a chance to relax away from the public eye.

Thad took the moment of respite to sit on the pavement and lean against the building. He leaned forward to stretch, managing to get a few pops from his back, and Chad quickly followed suit by mimicking his trainer's behavior. Jasmine remained standing, facing toward Thad and the wall. Her hands gently tugged at the hem of her dress, making sure the flayed-out edges were at least covering her knees.

"I think it's time for a protein break before we get moving again." Thad set his shopping bags aside along with his travel sack. Chad set down Jasmine's overstuffed bag to the side as well as Thad dug out three protein bars from his shopping bag. He handed one to Chad and held one up for Jasmine. "Here, keep up your strength. Gotta feed your muscles with the good stuff."

"That's a Pokemon nutrient bar," Jasmine said as kindly as possible, trying not to sound condescending. "Thank you...but I'll pass."

Thad rolled his eyes. "I know that. But!" He turned over the bar and began reading the label. "When I compared it to the human protein bars or whatever, they had nearly the same ingredients but the Pokemon one has way more vitamins and protein!"

"Uh, how much protein does it have?" Jasmine asked hesitantly.

"Only 45 grams." Thad peeled open the wrapper and took a bite of the brownish bar. The food was chewy as he struggled to mow down on the fibrous treat. "Ish full o' fiber too!" He said with a full mouth. "Ish real gud. You try, yesh?"

"Alright! I'll try it!" Jasmine's voice was upbeat, though it petered off into a defeated tone as she grasped the protein bar from Thad. She made a sour face as she peeled open the wrapper; the strong scent of meat and sawdust emanating from the stick of nutrition. "Are you sure it's good?"

Thad nodded vigorously, and Chad chewed on the treat with delight. With one last deep breath, Jasmine sunk her teeth into the bar. She began to chew, letting the flavors of Oran berries and milk swirl around in her mouth, and then she felt her stomach do a somersault as she reached the chewy core; an oily flavor that could only be attributed to ground-up Feebas.

Jasmine covered her mouth and her eyes widened. A life of primarily vegetarian lifestyle hadn't prepared her for something so pungent, let alone trying Pokemon food wasn't considered the most civil of things, even if some trainers and breeders swore by the practice.

"You doing okay there?" Thad asked, having swallowed his first chunk.

The gym leader shook her head. She forced down the vile concoction in a few rapid chews, and then one large swallow. Her eyes were nearly tearing up in the corner as she handed Thad back the rest of the bar.

"I don't think I'm ready for that… it's a bit strong," Jasmine choked out. Thad nudged Chad in the side, and the Machop nodded. A waterskin from Jasmine's bag was quickly provided, to which she greedily drank from the leather container. "Yeah. Sorry, but it's a no from me."

"All good, girlie. You gave it the ole' college try. I can respect it."

Thad gave her a genuine smile; not one of the usual cheesy ones he'd flash at pedestrians they crossed whilst he'd flex his muscles. The unease in Jasmine's gut fluttered for a moment, distracting her from the oily flavors that lingered on her tongue, for just a moment before draining the rest of her waterskin, and devolving into a coughing fit from drinking too fast.

"Take it slow! Haha!" Thad shook his head but kept on smiling. "Let's meet up at the Pokemon Center in an hour or so, yeah? I gotta go talk with Whitney, or whatever her name is about setting up Thadmania."

Jasmine narrowed her eyes slightly, and her lips formed a thin line. " Thadmania?"

Thad snorted, as if the answer were obvious. "It was that or 'Wrestle with the Thadman' but I liked the other one. Chad helped me pick it out when we were shopping."

"Machoo!"

"See?" Thad jabbed his thumb toward Chad. "He likes it."

Jasmine closed her eyes and took in a slow, deep breath. "Thad. Nobody has even agreed to it yet. And it still depends on me securing an interview at the Radio Tower and you convincing Whitney. Why are you so sure this will work?"

"Because look at us." Thad gestured to himself and then to Jasmine. "You're adorable and a gym leader, so anybody who turns you down is insane. Just gotta play the cute girl card. Easy. And don't you worry about Whitney. I've got a plan."

Jasmine's eyes squinted at the jock. "Why do I feel this is another thing you cleared with Chad." She looked at the Machop, the little guy shrinking back from the brunette's scrutinizing glare. "You were supposed to keep an eye on him, not encourage him!"

The Machop gave Jasmine a meek shrug. Thad consoled his buddy by giving him a back rub, much to Jasmine's dismay.

"Alright, alright." Jasmine pumped her hands out, steadying herself. "You've clearly got something in mind. Just… don't push it, okay? Whitney can be a bit, uh, excitable. Pokemon Center in an hour?"

Thad hopped up and dusted off his compression shorts. He swallowed the rest of the protein bar like a Wailord gobbling up seaweed. "Fo' show, Jazzy. Have faith in me and my muscles. There hasn't ever been a problem I couldn't flex my way out of." Thad paused and rubbed his chin. "Except those times it didn't work. But, that's like five tops."

"Can Chad come with me? He's got my stuff, and the Radio Tower is near the Pokemon Center. I can reserve us a room on the way there," Jasmine offered. She looked away and rapidly continued, "plus I'd like the support."

"He's yours if he agrees." Thad glanced down to Chad, but the Machop was already on his feet and marched up to Jasmine, giving her a wide grin and a thumbs up. "Well, there ya go."

"Thanks. See you in a bit."

Thad began to stretch, leaning side to side. "No problemo, Jazzy. See you in a hot sec."

A faint bell chimed as Thad burst through the double doors of the Goldenrod City Gym. He dusted off his shoulder and looked up at the large skylights that illuminated the high stacks of flower boxes and tile walls. A tired-looking middle-aged man in a striped shirt stood near the door, leaning up against the wall adjacent to the entrance; his arms crossed and eyes closed.

Napping on the job, Thad noted as he looked ahead at the labyrinthine path ahead of him. Well, no weird skate rink here. Some kind of corn maze fan, I guess?

Thad took a sharp right and walked along the path, hands resting behind his head. He began to whistle a quiet tune, as he needed something to fill the space in his head since the gym seemed all but abandoned. Well-tended with the lush boxes filled with verdant flowers, but no sign of any groundskeepers or sounds of chatter or battle.

"Maybe I should get a better look?" Thad looked up at the nearby tile wall. It was only about 8 feet tall off the ground and looked to have enough space to stand on top. The jock rolled his neck and pulled each of his knees up to his abdomen quickly. "Time for the ole' squat jump and climb."

With a small backstep, Thad launched himself forward like a panther pouncing on its prey. He soared as his hands caught the edge of the platform, and then he lifted himself up with ease. He let out a deep chuckle as he placed his hands on his hips, taking in the view.

"Hey, you're not supposed to be up there!" A shrill, feminine voice called out.

Thad's head swiveled toward the voice, his eyes squinting to try and find the source. He smiled and waved. "Hey! Just someone that can help!" Thad hopped down from the platform, landing nimbly on his feet. He quickly ran a hand over his shortened hair, making sure a strand wasn't out of place.

The woman in front of Thad had tanned skin, vibrant shoulder-length blue hair, a white sleeve tank top, and matching blue pointed heels and skirt. She came up to Thad's chin and looked up at him at first with scorn, but as he returned a soft smile she slowly lowered her finger.

"Ey! So, you work here or whatnot?" Thad asked. He held out a hand for a handshake. "Thad by the way. I'm looking for the boss lady, Whitney. You know where she be?" He paused, glancing over her curvaceous body. "Wouldn't mind knowing who you are either."

"Akemi," she curtly replied. A sly smile crept over her lips as she playfully tapped a Pokeball on her waistband. "You must be a trainer, right? You don't look like the usual maintenance crew."

"Yeah, more or less. Can you point me in the right direction towards Whitney, but, uh," Thad waggled his eyebrows, "if you got a number, I'd be down to hit you up later for a drink or something."

Akemi closed her eyes and shook her head. "Oh, that's very sweet of you. How about I say yes if you beat me in a Pokemon battle? I'd rather not get chewed out by Whitney if she catches me not doing my job." She leaned forward, nearly brushing her chest against his as she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Think a big strong man like yourself can handle me?"

Thad inhaled and exhaled deeply from his nose. He pressed his hands together and smiled warmly. "I know I can, baby. We doing this right here, right now?"

"A man with initiative." Akemi licked her lips. "I like it."

She pulled forth the PokeBall from her waistband and cracked it open, the red light giving way to a small marsupial with a white circular pattern on its chest. Thad nodded thoughtfully, and reached for his own Pokemon, but cursed under his breath.

Shit, I left Chad with Jazzy. Looks like I gotta go with my other equally amazing plan that I completely considered.

Thad reached for Dwayne's Pokeball, but as he almost touched it, the other adjacent Great Ball flashed open, and his Sneasel appeared before him. Akemi placed a hand over her mouth, hiding her soft giggles and Thad looked at the ground and shook his head.

"Why do you got to live up to your name?" Thad bemoaned. He quickly looked up with a slightly forced smile. "Alright, hope you and that flying squirrel of yours is ready for some action!"

"Snee!" Trouble shouted, smacking its long claws together like someone would sharpen a chef's knife. The small Normal-type Pokemon looked back toward its trainer, shivering a bit, but Akemi gave it a nod.

"Alright, show me what you got!" Akemi shouted. She pointed at her fuzzy Pokemon. "Sentret, use Defense Cu—"

"Thbhbbbhbh."

Trouble stuck her tongue out, blowing the loudest raspberry Thad had ever heard. Akemi and her Sentret blinked and looked at the Sneasel in astonishment. Whatever defensive maneuver Akemi had instructed had fallen on deaf ears as the Sentret raised its tail and reared back on its hind legs to pounce.

"Uh, I didn't teach 'em that," Thad protested. He leaned down and whispered in a harsh tone, "C'mon, you're embarrassing us in front of the blue-haired hottie. Go give 'em the swipe and slap."

Trouble rolled its eyes, but begrudgingly followed her trainer's orders by dashing toward the Sentret with blistering speed. Akemi's eyes grew wider as she stomped her foot and pointed at the zipping Sneasel.

"Sentret, quickly dodge and—"

The order didn't come fast enough as the Sentret tried to step aside, but the more agile Trouble pounced onto the smaller critter and began smacking it repeatedly with its claws in a harried frenzy with hardly a pause between the furious blows. Akemi gasped at the barbarity and Thad also winced at the display. He'd practiced a bit with Trouble on the route to Goldenrod City, but the persnickety Sneasel definitely didn't fight with honor and gave its foes no quarter.

Once the Sentret went limp, Akemi quickly returned the wounded Pokemon to its ball. She grimaced looking at how the Sneasel hopped around triumphantly, waving its claws in the air.

"Alright," Akemi announced, holding up another Pokeball, "I think I've caught onto your games, Thad. I should have assumed you'd have such brutish Pokemon by looking at you."

"First off, hurtful," Thad said, raising a finger, "and secondly, we just wanna call it good there?" Trouble blew another raspberry at the flustered bluenette, and Thad sighed. "Trouble, I don't think Taunt works on people."

A mix between a scream and a groan came from deep within Akemi's throat as she hurled the Pokeball, revealing another Sentret. Or does it? Thad thought he watched Trouble go to work, taunting, tormenting, and eventually slashing up the Sentret. And the third Sentret Akemi would hastily thrust out in a desperate attempt to land a scratch on the Sneasel.

She didn't. Trouble pranced around on the tile, humming a whimsical little tune with a great big smile on its face. Thad scratched the back of his neck and walked past his mischievous Pokemon and over to Akemi, who had recalled all her Pokemon and was now in a staring match with the floor.

"So, uh, good match?" Thad went to pat her shoulder, but she raised her arm, pushing herself away. He put his hands up defensively. "Whoa, whoa there. Just checking on ya."

"You raised a terror," Akemi sniffled. She looked up at Thad, her eyes glossy on the verge of tears. "I'm supposed to be a challenge, but I didn't even get off a single attack. Wha-what do I even tell Whitney?"

Thad pursed his lips. "We… don't tell her? I'll put in a good review for you, or however this works. I'm just looking to talk with her about a business project."

"Wait," Akemi wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, "you aren't here for the gym challenge?"

"Nah fam, I'm rolling around with my good friend Jasmine. Ya know, the cutie from Olivine? We gotta spit some deets with Whitney about Thadmania."

"Is that... a Pokemon?"

Thad scrunched his face and furrowed his brow. "Do I look like a Pokemon, honey?"

Akemi tilted her head to the side. "Not going to lie, but it looks like your best friend is a Machoke."

"His name's Chad, and yeah we lift—" Thad paused and clicked his tongue. "We're getting sidetracked. Take me to Whitney if you're all chill?"

"I suppose so…" Akemi waved to Thad to follow and began to lead him through the bevy of planter boxes. "She should be down here wrapping up some paperwork. She has a small office at the far end of the gym."

"Great! Also, did you want to swap digits?"

Akemi glanced over her shoulder, batting her eyelashes. "I think I'll pass. While you are sweet, I don't think my Pokemon will be as forgiving as me."

"Sneeehehe." Trouble snickered from behind Thad. He whipped around and gave Trouble a stern look, pointing two fingers at his eyes and then jabbing them toward the Sneasel. "Sneash," the Pokemon retorted with an eye roll.

Maybe I should have named 'em 'Rule Follower' or something, Thad pondered as he followed Akemi's swaying hips. He rubbed his chin as he paid close attention to the gym trainer's gait. I'll need to work on more with Trouble. Little bugger is gonna get me into a lot of trouble… I'm a victim of my own genius.

"Bruh," Thad mumbled. Akemi looked over her shoulder, a slight frown on her face. Thad deflected with a smile and shook his head. "Nothing. Keep on going. I'm right behind you."

Chapter 11: Wheelin' and Dealin'

"So that's the gist of Thadmania, whaddya think?"

Whitney leaned back in her office chair, fingers interlaced on her desk in the form of a tent. The pink-haired gym leader hummed, nodding her head back and forth, considering the jock's carefully chosen words. Her pinstripe baseball shirt was partially open, revealing a full-coverage black sports bra underneath paired with cream-colored loose-fit shorts.

She scrunched her face and released her hands, drumming one along the surface of the metal table while wiping away a rivulet of sweat from her forehead. Thad had managed to catch her at the very end of a training session with her team, and in her exhaustion, she didn't have the heart to send him away.

A towering adonis knocking on her door with the proposition of revenue? It was too hard to pass up, especially in the saturated markets of Goldenrod City, and her spotty record as a gym leader has not led to the best of available funds for her gym trainers and arena upkeep.

"I think this… 'Thadmania' has potential," Whitney said. She cleared her throat, slowing down her speech to a formal and graceful pace. "And you said Jasmine would be on board? Do you have any potential sponsors for the event? Advertising? A single man challenging Pokemon would also accrue a sizable health risk."

Thad nodded. He stretched his arms out and rotated his hips. He'd been standing for a while and was feeling a bit stiff. He'd practiced the speech already three times to Chad while in the department store for good measure.

"Jasmine said gyms tend to have waivers. Could we modify one?" Thad asked. "Also, advertising is being taken care of. Jasmine is getting an interview at the Radio Tower where I can plug it."

"What kind of revenue share would you expect? Since you're using my gym and all? Not to mention my staff to keep guests safe and in order."

"Thirty-five," Thad stated, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Since I'm taking on most of the risk, not to mention being the bro that's taking on the advertising, y'all just gotta sit pretty for the most part and enjoy the show." Thad flexed his biceps for good measure and winked. "A fair amount, don't you say?"

Whitney slowly drew her tongue across her bottom lip, and then cleared her throat again. "Yes. Yes, that would be fair I think. But I want a minimum guaranteed amount if this ends up flopping. You are renting out my gym."

"Twenty-five percent plus base rental then," Thad countered. "Coverage for venues tends to be hourly, so we can agree upon a renting term and then pool a quarter of the entry fees." He rubbed his chin, the gears in his mind whirring. "If a t-shirt at the department store costs 130 Pokedollers, and a lemonade costs 350….then we should charge around 500 Pokedollars. Make it accessible to a lot of folks, but also not too low where people think it's an amateur thing. Gotta be professional."

Whitney nodded. "That makes sense. How'd you come up with that number?"

"Been at a lot of sports venues in my day, baby. track and field, judo, football, rock climbing, swimming, and," he raised a finger and lowered his voice, "I was on the national duck-duck-goose team. I don't play around."

"Wow, what teams do you or did you play for? Kanto? Or are you off the coast somewhere like Alola?"

"Los Angeles," Thad said. He paused, rubbing a knuckle along the edge of his jaw. "It's...actually been a bit since I thought of home. Huh."

"Is that bad?" Whitney asked in a careful tone. She gave him a weak smile. "I didn't mean to offend or anything."

"Nah, it's all good, girlie. Just been a bit I thought of my old bros before I trained with Chuck over in that one place, uh… Cinnamon wood or whatever."

"Cianwood?"

Thad snapped his fingers. "Eyyy, that's the one! Me and him go like, way back to my first steps in this country. He's a true bruddah, ya know?"

"I suppose. Chuck has been with the League for a while. Most of Johto's gym leaders are relatively new blood. Jasmine and I have only held the position for a few years, and Falkner has just recently taken over for his dad." She sharply blew out her lips and ran her hands over her messy pink twin-tails. "You sure this thing is gonna work? If it flops, Goldenrod's city council is gonna have a field day with their 'farm girl' gym leader landing another flop. I can't take that kind of pressure."

Thad thumped his chest with a fist. "Never doubt the Thad-man. You're in safe hands with me, speaking of which, you play catcher, don't you? Softball, right?"

Whitney's eyes lit up. "How'd you-"

"Your knees are scuffed and a little red, which means you're wearing pads. Some with around your face," Thad traced around his jawline, "you gotta face mask. Add that with the slightly raised mound in your gym arena and your cute little outfit, I had you pegged the second I walked in the door as one of my athletic kin."

"That's...what else can you do? How are you at Pokemon battles? Can you-"

Thad waved his hands and frowned. "I don't claim to know much, honey. We just talkin' 'bout the thing in my wheelhouse." he held out his hand, giving her a thumbs-up. "So, uh, yeah. I'm just in my element, ya know?"

"That's fair," Whitney replied. Her voice lacked the energy from earlier, despite her putting on a smile. It was a bit sadder than before, despite Thad's infectious presence of hype. The gym leader stood up, taking a few lunges to stretch out her legs. "Is Jasmine still at the Radio Tower?"

"Should be, yeah. Why?"

Whitney chuckled under her breath, as she switched into another lunge. "Then we should go check on her. She might need our help. Besides, I want to be there for the promo. It's only natural as the gym leader I talk about this event you've got planned."

"Lead the way," Thad said, extending his arm out toward the door. He grinned as Whitney gave him a faint grin, and he nervously scratched the back of his head. "Uh, I may not know where it's at…."

"The big tower that everyone sees on their way into the city?" Whitney giggled

Thad spread his arms out and shrugged. "I thought that was a cell tower. I've been having some trust issues since I learned all y'all's gyms don't have weight sets and stuff. The last one I was in had a pit to Hell or something."

Whitney's attempts to contain herself were long gone as she let out a long-winded, knee-slapping laugh. She wiped a tear from her eyes. "Oh. My. Gosh. That's hilarious. Are you sure you're doing okay? I shouldn't be laughing, but that is hilarious. I've never heard it like that before."

"I've been getting used to it. I still feel like the odd man out at times. These Pokemans are sure dope though."

Whitney came to a dead stop at the door and whirled on Thad. She squared her stance and looked Thad in his eyes. "How long have you been a trainer?"

"Like a week or two. Why? That weird?"

"And Chuck gave you his approval?!"

Thad dug into his pocket, pulling out his trainer card. It was a bit like his old driver's license, except with a bunch of acronyms he didn't quite understand, topped with a headshot of his beautifully, square face. Whitney snatched the card from his hands and scanned it fervently.

"That's what I got. He said it's a bit better than the standard ones, or something like that. Jasmine did the same thing when I showed her," Thad said. "It's cool, right?"

She looked up with a tired and utterly baffled look. "Two. WEEKS?!"

Thad held his abs, leaning forward and laughing. "That's right. The shirtless bossman has an eye for talent." He looked up and gave the exasperated pinkette a toothy grin. "If you couldn't tell."

Whitney handed back the trainer card, her lips pulled back into a thin line and she opened the door to the arena with a stiff motion like one would manipulate a puppet. "Let's just go to the Radio Tower. I need a minute to let this sink in. And maybe a drink." Whitney shivered and blinked. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Years of training, all for a big, sexy jock to come knocking on my door and show me up."

"You say something?" Thad asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing!" Whitney chirped, her body jolting. "Let's go, c'mon!"

She waved Thad onward, and he happily jogged after her. It was time for an interview, and Thad smiled thinking about how he would reel in the audience.

Everyone liked a good hype reel, and he knew what sold at any kind of event. He only feared the way a certain person would react to his bold course of action.

The Radio Tower of Goldenrod stood tall on the West side of town, and as the automatic sliding doors opened up Thad immediately made a b-line for the lobby assistant. The ceilings were high and air conditioning was on full blast throughout the lobby, along with many people dressed from suits to casual wear, focused on their own conversations.

A few heads turned and murmured as they took note of the hunky-tanned man asking for directions with an exasperated Whitney hot on his heels. Whoever the gym leader sought to entertain must've been a big deal was the general consensus of the idle chatter, though Thad paid them no heed.

"Fourth floor?" Thad confirmed, his torso slightly hanging over the raised up desk. "I'll just go on up and meet her then. Thanks for the information."

The brown-haired woman grimaced and held out a hand as Thad began to walk away, swaggering his way toward the stairs. Whitney walked up to the desk and flashed a kind smile.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he finds his way," Whitney said, managing to draw a sigh of relief from the clerk. The Normal-Type leader dashed away from the service desk and back up to Thad, who had nearly made his way to the staircase. She tugged on his shirt and whispered, "Hey, there's usually a check-in protocol around here. That, and they're not the biggest fans of me."

Thad paused and looked over his shoulder. He gave a look of utter disbelief and scoffed. "You? Forreal? You are cute as all get out. What did ya do? Go postal on air or something?"

"Uh no, more like I wasn't able to help much when Team Rocket occupied the building not too long ago." Whitney had taken a sudden interest in the cracks in the tiled floor, pressing her index fingers together. "Let's, uh, just keep going, yeah? I'm sure Jasmine is waiting for us!"

"So that boy band is popular?" Thad scratched his head. "Huh. Guess I really am in some weird backward world. Alright," he stepped away from the staircase, "Lead on."

Whitney led Thad through the bulk of the Radio Tower, dragging him by the hand mid-way through the second level due to his slow pace and childlike awe of all the working Electric-type Pokemon and complex technology. Upon reaching the fourth floor, Whitney looked at a posting on the wall and continued to lead Thad around like a prize stallion until they reached a small waiting room, where Jasmine and Chad were seated all by their lonesome.

"Jazzy! Bro!" Thad yelled out. Whitney released her grip, not wanting to be dragged along as he dashed forth to his traveling companions, giving Machop a fist bump and giving his head a playful rub. He looked back at Jasmine and smirked. "Told you it went well. Brought Whitney, too!"

Jasmine's face became full of panic, her lips forming a thin line and her eyes widening. Thad swore he heard the sound of a tea kettle blowing out steam from Jasmine's mouth, but that quickly dissipated as the diminutive steel specialist was swallowed up in a great big hug from Whitney.

"It's so good to see you again!" Whitney cooed, lifting Jasmine off the floor. Despite being only about 5'5", Whitney still had almost six inches of height on Jasmine. Thad held back a chuckle as he watched Jasmine groan and flop like a lethargic fish in Whitney's toned arms.

"You...too...Whitney…" Jasmine wheezed out. She tried to push off Whitney's shoulders, prying herself free to no avail. "Space?"

"Oh, yeah." Whitney released her grip, and Jasmine fell back to her feet. She immediately straightened out her grey sundress, checking for wrinkles.

Thad stepped between both gym leaders, his hands raised as if he were about to give the play call in a game. "So, we got the gig? Are we on?"

"In about 30 minutes," Jasmine said, her breathing still a bit labored from being squeezed. "Mary wanted us to come onto her show since professor Oak is out. Figured having a gym leader would be a good guest." She gave Whitney a quick, skeptical look. "But I can let her know that she'll have an extra guest."

Whitney patted Jasmine on the shoulder and chuckled as the brown-haired girl winced slightly. "I'll go let Mary know I'm here. I can't even remember the last time we had a dual interview. Was it at Worlds when we visited Unova?"

"Must've been," Jasmine replied, offering a weak smile. "You know they'll ask us about it again since Worlds is coming up soon again."

Thad looked between the two gym leaders with an excited gleam in his chocolate-colored eyes. "This sounds like some slappin' tournament. I know the sound of one when I 'ere it."

Whitney began to walk off toward the recording booths at the end of the lobby, and Thad let out a deep breath with his hands on his hips. Chad mimicked him, nodding along in the same direction as his trainer; where Whitney's toned backside was.

Jasmine snapped her fingers below Thad's chin, the highest she could reach. "Hey, focus? You said you had a plan?"

"Of course I have a plan! I also have a plan!" Thad blurted out. Jasmine quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms, resting them underneath her bust. Thad laughed, throwing his head back. "Never said they were all good plans, Jazzy. But this one is straight fire." He looked down at Jasmine, flashing a toothy grin. "But, I'mma need your consent and complete trust."

Jasmine narrowed her eyes and her mouth partially opened, biting her tongue for a moment. "That doesn't inspire confidence, Thad. Keeping me in the dark and asking me to complete trust in you is…slightly worrying."

Thad squatted down until he was at Jasmine's eye level. He placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it tenderly. "Jazzy, I'm packin' one hell of a plan here. But I know if I told you," He gave a quick glance toward the recording booth where the pinkette had disappeared, "you'd probably say no. And we agree that I'm good with money? Marketing is like that, plus hyping people up. I've got a straight-up lethal case of the big brain, and you just gotta let me play my game, ya know?"

"Okay," Jasmine softly said. She took in slow breaths and nodded. "Alright. I trust you. And Whitney is on board?"

"Gave her the deets on the way here," Thad casually replied. Jasmine's face scrunched up as skepticism took root in the forefront of her mind, but she held her tongue. "Alright, now you gotta give me your PokeNav, Jazz."

"What?!"

Thad rolled his eyes and stood back up to his full height. "I gotta call in a favor. No biggie."

Jasmine dug into her shallow dress pocket and pulled out her grey-colored PokeNav. She gently handed it to Thad, who typed a few buttons and then held it to his ear. She leaned in close as the device rang.

"Hey?" Thad answered the phone. "Yeah, it's me. Crazy right?" He paused. "Yeah, I'm in Goldenrod." He looked at Jasmine, who mouthed to him 'who is that'. He smiled and placed a finger to his lips. "Yeah, she's here. She's chill. So, bossman, you free this weekend?" Thad paused again, nodding along to the muffled responses on the PokeNav. "Dope. I'll let 'em know. Keep killin' it on the weights, and let Tyrone and the missus know I said hey. Laters."

Thad clicked off the PokeNav and handed it back to Jasmine. "You called...Chuck?" Jasmine asked. "Why?"

"All part of my master plan," Thad said with a dirty grin. "But all the pieces are falling into place." He paused, hearing a shout from Whitney across the lobby, waving them on. He nudged Jasmine in the shoulder playfully. " And now it's time to flex."

"Why do I have this sinking feeling in my stomach?" Jasmine bemoaned, slowly following behind Thad and alongside Chad.

"That's just the protein bar from earlier, Jazzy," Thad laughed. "We ain't got no worries. Just let me know when I can do the plug, yeah?"

Jasmine put on a brave face, bringing out her more authoritative voice she'd use at her gym. "Of course. I'm ready."

The trio went to the recording booth, and Thad opened the door to reveal Whitney talking with a woman wearing a green sweater with the sleeves rolled up, circular glasses, and a flared-out hairstyle. There was a large oaken table that dominated the room with enough stools for everyone each with a pair of bulky black headphones. The far end of the wall was made completely of glass, showing the heads of two men working behind large switchboards.

"So, the rest of your group is here!" the redhead said, her voice bubbly and friendly. She waved to Jasmine and approached Thad extending her hand out. "DJ Mary at your service. I take it you're Chuck's protege?" Thad returned the gesture, giving the woman a gentle squeeze back. "Only thing I ask is that you place your Pokemon in the Pokeball within the booth. Radio Tower policy for when we record."

"Yup that's me, and understood." Thad pulled out Chad's Pokeball, giving the beefy Machop a remorseful glance. "Sorry bud, I'll tell you how it goes down afterward."

Chad gave his trainer a salute and then held out his arms, flexing his biceps. "Chop!"

The red light of the Pokeball absorbed Chad, and Mary clapped her hands together. "Excellent! We have a few minutes before we go on air so why don't you three get settled! I'm going to double-check with the technicians one last time, and then we should be ready."

Mary walked out of the booth, leaving Whitney watching the DJ leave while Thad picked the middle seat on the table. He figured with one stool on one side and three on the other, the natural place to sit. Plus, he'd picked up on Jasmine's apprehensiveness to being snatched up by Whitney, and a small pang of protectiveness rang in his heart to keep his mentor and travel companion as comfortable as possible.

"Isn't this exciting!" Whitney chirped, sliding onto her stool and placing the headset on. "And Thad, did you tell—"

"Jazzy knows enough," Thad said. He began to fiddle with some of the switches on the headset. Jasmine sighed and pressed a couple of buttons on the side of Thad's headset in a quick sequence, and he smiled giving her a thumbs up. "Aye, now I can hear better. Thanks!"

Jasmine rolled her neck and took a seat at her stool to Thad's right. "It's no problem. I'm just...well I've never liked interviews."

"Preach," Whitney grumbled. "I can't wait for Mary to grill me again for another losing record for the month. At least the Olivine City Council doesn't give you much crap."

"Because my family owns the largest metal importer from Sinnoh," Jasmine lamented. "It's not so much respect, as it's just tolerating my family. Hence why I'm even allowed to take a hiatus."

"Not like you have a bad record either." Whitney idly played with one of her curls. "What was your record last year?"

The corner of Jasmine's lip twitched, and she covered her mouth with a hand. "Sixty-four wins to five losses."

"And one of those was the regional champ so that hardly counts." Whitney hung her head down, shaking it. "Jeez, you trying to compete with Clair? Making the rest of us look like push-overs."

"Sixty-four and five?" Thad said, rubbing his chin. He looked at Jasmine with an appraising nod and patted her on the back. "Well done, girly. In any sport, that's a helluva damn record."

"Thanks." Jasmine brushed a stray brown hair behind her ear, and her cheeks began to redden. "I think it's just because trainers aren't used to battling Steel-types all that often."

Whitney snorted and let out a hearty laugh. "Sure, Jasmine. Play it off like it's nothing. Pretend you didn't get plenty of experience in the Sinnoh league before. Which reminds me...who is in charge of your gym right now?"

"Janina was left in charge. I've been calling her every other day to check-in," Jasmine said. "Ever since that Onix debacle, she's shaped up."

"Good, good—"

The door to the booth opened, and Mary strode in giving everyone a thumbs up. "Two minutes until we are live!"

Thad stretched his legs out underneath the table and let out a yawn. It'd been a busy day for him, and he was still breaking in his new clothes. Despite the flashing lights and fidgeting from the female gym leaders that flanked him, Thad's thoughts drifted toward Trouble and how to iron out the issues with his techniques. Though the gorgeous hunk would never admit he was nervous to talk on live air in a world he hardly knew anything about, thinking about how to refine his craft steadied his heart and calmed him.

"Three, two, and...one!" Mary announced in a boisterous and welcoming voice. "Welcome listeners to the evening program for Pokemon Talk! It's currently 7 PM out there in Johto on a sunny Thursday, and today I'm joined by some very special guests! Not one, but two of our local gym leaders are here to talk about the upcoming World tournament, answer questions from our viewers, and share a special announcement at the end! Let's hear our guests introduce themselves."

Mary made a circular wheel-like motion with her finger toward the guests, and Whitney coughed and cleared her throat, putting on a high-pitch and friendly voice. "Heya, it's Whitney from the Goldenrod City gym!"

"Jasmine, from the Olivine City gym," Jasmine announced with much less bravado than the other females. Even her face looked a bit like she'd eaten something sour.

"Uh," Thad cleared his throat, and leaned forward toward the mic, "Thad, fitness enthusiast and Cianwood gym member."

Mary nodded and began laying into the two gym leaders with a bevy of questions. From how they trained their Pokemon, comments to how Team Rocket's influence had dwindled but hadn't completely gone away, The World tournament at the end of the year that would be held in Sinnoh, and even what products they used in their hair. DJ Mary was relentless in her pacing as Thad's mind struggled to keep up with the rapid-fire.

They really don't hold much back in the booth, Thad thought as he glanced over to Jasmine. She had a plastic smile on her face, but her posture was rigid and stiff. She's being a trooper though. He snuck his hand under the table and patted the of her thigh, and gave her a curt nod from the corner of her eye. Jasmine smiled and he could see a small, genuine smile forming on her lips as she continued to push through the interview questions.

"So, Thad was it?" Mary asked, snapping Thad from his daydreaming. "How is Chuck in Cianwood? Being from such a remote place, it's no surprise he would have sent a messenger."

"The bossman is doing well. Training extra hard, even doing more cardio these days." Thad leaned his forearms on the table and chuckled. "We had one hell of a training montage not too long ago. Pretty sure he dropped like ten pounds."

"I see, I see," Marry rattled off, nodding. "And you've got an announcement. Some sort of...event that will be held this weekend at the Goldenrod gym? Tell us more about that?"

Time to flex my stuff.

"Well, radio host lady, lemme tell you about Thadmania." He spread his arms out, nearly clocking Whitney and Jasmine in the head with his wingspan. "Limited time only, 500 Pokedollars a ticket at the Goldenrod gym this Sunday. Trainers can enter into a drawing, and the five lucky winners we pull," He lowered his voice, "I'll wrestle one of their Pokemon. Human versus Pokemon. Can't miss it."

Mary's jaw dropped, but she quickly collected herself. "Wow. That's...quite the bold venture, I must say. Pokemon versus Human sport has been a hotly debated topic in the past but considering you come from a Fighting-type specialist gym, you would seem to be properly suited for such a task."

"Oh yeah, but it gets better," Thad said. "If the wrestling action was enough to pull you in, get a load of this. Chuck from Cianwood gym will be the announcer for the event, and Whitney and Jasmine will be the ringside girls." He chuckled, ignoring the gasp from Jasmine. "What's not to love about your beautiful gym leaders out there strutting their stuff in bikinis and speedos, eh?"

Whitney's face had turned a deep shade of red, biting her tongue to prevent laughter from spilling out as she looked at her fellow gym leader. Jasmine's eyes had narrowed down to slits. If looks could kill, there would be no doubt that the sheer coldness of her glare would kill Thad several times over.

"That's quite a bold proclamation, but one cannot deny that several gym leaders gathering together for a special event is one that cannot be overlooked," Mary announced, smiling at the various states of disarray from her guests. "So, I believe that will be a wrap for today's evening interview! I'd like to thank Jasmine and Whitney for joining us today on Pokemon Talk, and a shoutout to Thad for organizing this 'Thadmania' event. Sounds like it'll be a hot affair that you won't want to miss if you're in the area! Until next time, and here are some tunes!" Mary made a gesture toward the men working at the switchboards, and she pulled off her headset. "Alright, we're clear."

Jasmine rounded on Thad, standing up from the stool immediately. "Thad," her voice was low and growly, "you really should have told me this was your plan."

"Sex sells, Jazzy, that's just straight-up facts," Thad replied. "Why do you think I asked for your permission beforehand? You trust me right?"

"Yes, but—" Jasmine's lips became a thin line, and a small, muted scream seeped out. She blinked and shook her head. "Why must you torture me like this? I don't even have a—" She paused, and clicked her tongue. "You bought me a bikini, didn't you?"

Thad softly chuckled. "Damn, you read me like a book. I was betting on you not digging underneath those protein bars in the bag, and it looks like it was a smart move. Don't worry," he gave her a sultry wink, "I made sure to get one in your size and the colors you like."

"How do you know my size!?" Jasmine squealed, her voice shrill and fragile.

"Uh, Chad told me?" Thad said as if it were obvious. "Little bro has got quite the eye for what fits people."

Jasmine blinked, her jaw wide open. "That's...unreal" She threw up her hands, letting out a guttural, exasperated noise. "Fine! Fine, fine, fine. There are worse things I suppose…"

Thad pumped a fist in the air. "Yes! Awesome! We're gonna rock this place!" He pointed at both Whitney and Jasmine, backpedaling his way out the door. "You won't regret this!"

Whitney snuck up beside Jasmine and leaned toward her ear. "Where is he going?"

"I don't know. And I don't care at the moment," Jasmine pinched the bridge of her nose, rubbing it a bit. "You really agreed to his crazy plan?"

"It sounded like fun, and we worked out a deal." Whitney hooked her arm around Jasmine's neck, bringing her in close. "C'mon, don't be so down. He seems like he knows what he's doing."

"I know," Jasmine weakly said, her eyes fixated on the door still moving on its hinges from when Thad burst through. "That's what terrifies me."

Chapter 12: Thadmania

News of Thadmania spread like wildfire through the streets of Goldenrod.

The days leading into the weekend quickly passed as Thad finalized a contract with Whitney, helped adapt the arena for a wrestling bout, and continued to train with his ragtag team of Pokemon. From lifts with Dwayne, cardio with Chad, and Thad trying to get Trouble to do yoga, he kept himself in peak condition and state of mind for the competition. With Jasmine off spreading the word of the event and letting her Pokemon out in the National Park, Team Beefcake was ready to come in hot.

On the eve of the event, Thad had turned Whitney's office into a makeshift changing room and staging area. With the help of Whitney's gym trainers, tickets, seating, and management was handled swimmingly. Thad stretched in the backroom, loosening himself up for the maneuvers he'd have to perform. The flexening had arrived, and a whole lot of protein was on the line.

The muscled jock donned a speedo, tailored in the style to mimic the belt of a Machamp. Oiled up with the last of Jasmine's hyper potions, he glistened in the dim light of the office like a firestone. From his pecs to his cultivated quads, Thad placed his hands on his hips and struck a pose for his Pokemon before jumping a bit and shaking, getting some of his pre-match jitters out.

"Alright, bros," Thad said, addressing the entirety of his Pokemon team. They filed into a line before him like troops before a battle, though Trouble took a keen interest in the ceiling. "We've got the big one out there. We've been training hard and long, and now I'm gonna go out there and rep us." He began to pace in front of them, feeling the spirit of pregame pep talks surge through his being. "We stand before a large crowd, and I don't know what they're gonna throw at me. But you can bet that your bossman is gonna throw hands unlike anything ever before." He gave Chad a pointed look, slowing in his stride. "Make sure to take notes, my dude."

"Chop!" Chad replied, giving his trainer a toothy smile and a thumbs up.

"Alright, we're gonna do a team break and then wait until Chuck calls us out, but first," Thad walked over to his shopping bag, digging through it for a moment. He hid the objects behind his back, the Geodude looking mildly curious and Trouble trying to peek around his back. He pulled out three red headbands with a fist insignia on the front and presented them to his team. "I bought these when Chad wasn't lookin' and figured we gotta look like a team, ya know?"

Thad took a moment to outfit each of his Pokemon: placing the headband on Chad's head, around Dwayne's left arm, and on Trouble's head. He gave Trouble a pointed look as they began to pick at the fabric band with their claws, they blew a raspberry and whined, but stopped fidgeting.

"One last one for me," Thad said, placing a matching headband around his slightly curly brown hair. "Alright, let's roll."

Thad pressed his ear against the metal door of the office, listening to Chuck's bellowing voice go over the stakes and rules. He knew that the five Pokemon had been chosen earlier in the evening, but refused to know what he was up against. All part of the mystique and awe that would encapsulate Thadmania.

Not that a simple name of a random Pokemon would help Thad, either.

After a few more announcements that echoed from the boom mic, Thad opened the door and jogged out toward the center of the arena, waving at the crowd that shouted and cheered. His Pokemon poured out behind him, Chad paving the way forward toward his small water station opposite the fan seating.

Full house, Thad noted, looking at the chairs and makeshift guardrails they had set out beforehand, but even then people were still standing, pressed up against the wall. Looks like we got some revenue from the entrance fee.

"And our brave human, from my very own gym!" Chuck bellowed, gesturing toward the taller man. Chuck looked a bit more fit from before with less of a gut, still wearing his gi pants with no shirt, topped off by him wearing a colorful blue and red luchador style mask. They quickly gave each other a fist bump, and then Thad raised his hands, beckoning the crowd. "Give it up for him and the mysterious Pokemon that he will face." Chuck lowered his voice to a less grandiose tone. "We also have medical on standby and you are aware of the stakes, Thad?"

Thad leaned over toward the mic. "I do. If I lose, the event is over and the owner of the Pokemon that defeated me will get half our earnings."

"Aye, that is what it is!" Chuck affirmed.

Thad's eyes drifted toward the walkway toward the entrance as Chuck wrapped up his speech. He spotted Jasmine and Whitney making their rounds with the crowd, pumping them up. Whitney was tailed by her Miltank while Jasmine patrolled around with her Magneton. He gave Jasmine an understanding nod, as she didn't hop around and flirt much like Whitney did with the crowd as she donned a silver bikini on her slender body, hugging her petite yet defined curves.

"You ready?" Chuck asked Thad, drawing the jock's attention back. "It'll take a minute to retrieve the first contender. You're free to use the arena as you see fit for the next minute."

"Right on, bossman," Thad replied. He gave Chuck one last nod before jogging off, meeting up with Jasmine as she waved at the crowd.

Jasmine made her way all the way to the sectioned-off staff area, grabbing a large white sign with a '1' printed on the front. She handed it to her Magneton, and Thad paused and furrowed his brow as he saw sparks jutting off the magnet Pokemon's prongs. The sign gently floated until it was raised above the Magneton, slowly rotating.

"Oh, Thad," Jasmine said. She eyed him up and down quickly, and then met his eyes. "You look, uh—"

"Like I'm out here running around in my chonies?" Thad chuckled, slapping his thigh. "Yeah, hard to imagine you're the one in the swimsuit and have better coverage than me."

"It's not as bad as I thought it would be." Jasmine gestured to the modest cut of the top that covered the entire front of her torso with spider-like straps on the back, and bottoms that flared out like a skort. "I was really worried for a moment. That you might get me something like," her eyes wandered toward Whitney, who wore a dramatically less conservative white string bikini, "you know."

Thad nodded. "Aye, that's why I let Chad do the picking. Figured that something in your style would be best. Plus, can't have you lookin' too good when the audience is supposed to be watching me." Thad gave her a playful wink. "But, just between you and me, you rock it damn good."

"I needed to hear that," Jasmine breathed out, her face relaxing. "Though, I'd be lying if I wasn't worried a bit about you not putting hard limits against restricted Pokemon…"

"I'll bow out if I need to, but I can take on whatever some bro throws at me," Thad said, grinning. "Just make sure to cheer for me, and keep an eye on Trouble for me." He looked over his shoulder towards his Pokemon stationed on the far wall, near his personal water station and corner. "That one's a little bugger, ya know?"

"Oh I do, and—" Jasmine paused, her brow wrinkling as she bit the inside of her cheek. Thad cocked his head to the side, waiting for her response. She folded her hands and let out a deep breath. "Just… be safe out there. I wouldn't want to see anything bad happen. And Sparky and I will be on the watch for anything funny, right buddy?"

"Bzzztt!"

"Solid," Thad replied. Though I think she was gonna say something else.

He gave one last wave and trotted back to the center of the arena. Chuck had ushered a teenage boy, about high school age, from Thad's estimations by his graphic t-shirt of a Pikachu and thin, gangly frame. He pulled out a Pokeball and released it, the red light filling the space in front of Thad and slowly forming into the shape of a bull with three tails.

"A Tauros!" Chuck shouted. "What a start! Can my student of fighting style truly take on such a large, majestic creature!"

The horned bull snorted, and its hooves pawed at the dirt flooring. Thad took up a square stance in front of the creature, his knees bent and arms held out at the ready.

"You ready?" Chuck asked, looking toward Thad. He nodded and looked back to the young trainer who gave him a thumbs up. "Alright, you have 1 minute in the arena. Now...begin!"

The Tauros charged at full speed ahead toward Thad. The crowd cheered and shouted for him to dodge, yet he merely dug in his heels. Gasps started to fill the air as it became apparent Thad wouldn't move for the creature, and cries of astonishment echoed out as they made contact.

The gym fell silent.

Thad held each of the Tauros' horns in his hands, having only skidded back a few feet before the Pokemon couldn't push into him any further. Quiet murmurs replaced the cheers and cries as they watched the chiseled trainer stand up, lifting the Tauros by its horn and off its forelegs, twisting the bull's head to the side, and then performing a body slam on the bull, landing with a loud thud and plume of dirt.

Either paralyzed by the sheer force of the slam or merely surprised, the Tauros laid on the ground wide-eyed, unmoving. Thad stood up and brushed himself off, taking note of the silent crowd, and then in one swift motion grabbed the Tauros by its hind legs and slung it over his shoulder.

He walked the Tauros back to its stunned trainer, whose mouth was agape. "Uh, here's your cow back. I don't think I bruised him too much."

With a shaky hand, the trainer took out his Pokeball and recalled the Tauros, and then walked away back into the crowd. Chuck walked up to Thad, grinning ear to ear.

"They really don't know the power of Fighting-type trainers, do they?" Chuck commented, drinking in the stunned silence. "How are you feeling, Thad?"

"I'm feeling like I'm ready to see who is number two." Thad snatched the mic from Chuck and motioned to the crowd. "Alright! Who's ready for the next one! Let's go!"

The crowd began to pick up again, starting slow with murmurs, then clapping, and then full-on cheering. Whitney was perched atop her Miltank, waving at folks to hype them up and encourage the fun while Jasmine went back to the sidelines, shaking her head, to change out the metal panel for her Magneton to hold.

'Nother one, let's go, Thad thought as he rotated his hips, stretching his joints. That bull was no different than dunking on a dude in a football tackling drill.

"Alright, our next contender for Thad is here!" Chuck shouted into the mic, gesturing to a man in his early twenties with long brown hair that covered his eyes, a white lab coat, and a black Pokeball with two yellow stripes clenched in his left hand. "Reveal your Pokemon, and we shall commence round two!"

Thad settled into an aggressive stance, left knee bent in front of him and hands up at the ready as the red light of the Pokeball settled in front of him. The Pokemon formed from the red light took up the squat form of a clown. A bulbous white and pink body, round happy face, and white hands with pink dotted fingertips.

"An interesting option! A Mr. Mime!" Chuck announced. He and Thad exchanged a knowing look, and then Chuck gave the opposing trainer a thumbs up. "Alright, begin!"

Mr. Mime...is that a nickname or does he have another name? Thad thought, watching how the Pokemon began to make a series of rapid gestures. The Pokemon's trainer crossed his arms and smiled.

"Get moving Thad!" Jasmine shouted, startling the jock. He looked back to see Jasmine at the sidelines, gesturing for him to go on the offensive with wide eyes that screamed 'what are you doing?!'. "Go on!"

Thad shrugged. Guess no scouting what the weird little dude can do first. He took three steps forward, and then stopped abruptly as he dashed into what felt like a solid wall. He stumbled back a step, rubbing his nose.

"The heck?" Thad said, putting his hand out. The air in front of him felt solid as a rock. "Bruh. That's straight-up magic hacks."

"It's no use! Mr. Mime is able to solidify the very air!" the opposing trainer said, his voice shrill and squeaky. "It doesn't matter how strong you are, no human can through a Mr. Mime box," he looked toward Chuck, "so I'll be collecting that reward money now—"

"Thad, do you concede?" Chuck asked. The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves, whispers of doubt filling the gym. "We need an answer."

Thad traced the edge of the wall with his hands, going around in a full box around him. He even jumped up, bumping an invisible seven-foot ceiling with his head. He gave an appreciative nod, at the effort.

"You think you got me boxed up, eh?" Thad said, squatting down. He rotated his hips in a vicious motion and slammed his elbow into the wall. No sounds of cracking or breaking, just a dull thud rang out.

"Go ahead! You cannot break the molecular bonds of the air!" the trainer shouted in a mocking tone. "You lose, you over-muscled meathead!"

Name calling too? This stringy bro gotta lotta pent up anger, Thad mused. He rubbed his chin and looked over to his Pokemon team. Chad was fixated on him, pumping his arms in the air to punch, Trouble seemed more interested in the crowd, but Thad noticed Dwayne above all else. The sapient kettlebell was making a clawing motion toward the ground.

"That's it," Thad whispered. He dragged his bare feet across the soft dirt; perfect for a softball field, but also loose and silty. "I go where there ain't any air!"

Thad bent down in a crouch and began to claw at the ground with unrelenting fury. Dust plumed inside the invisible box until it became a swirling mass of dirt. The crowd began to speak up, and Whitney even stopped to squint at the strange course of events.

Jasmine remained quiet, though a sly smile spread across her face. The arena was silent for nearly a full minute until the dust inside the air prison settled, revealing that Thad had disappeared, only a hole in the middle of the ground where he was digging.

"D-did he just use Dig?" the long-haired trainer whispered out. Mr. Mime placed a hand over its eyes, shielding the brightness from the overhead floodlights and mimicking searching for the speedo clad trainer.

The crowd gasped as Thad's head popped out of the ground directly underneath the Mr. Mime. His arms shot out of the dirt with lightning speed, the Mr. Mime was frozen in shock as Thad's hands wrapped around its bally ankles and dragged him down into the hole.

With the downward force, Thad propelled himself out of the ground as he rooted the Mr. Mime in the arena floor up to its neck. The crowd was once again silent and the opposing trainer had fallen down onto his rear, pointing at the display with a shaky, accusatory finger.

"I-impossible!"

Thad brushed the dirt off his chest and speedo, even leaning his head to the side and tapping it with the bottom of his palm to push dirt from his ears. He looked at the baffled trainer and grinned. "Nah, bro. Just gotta think outside the box. Or, uh, under it in this case."

The crowd erupted into pandemonium. Chief among them, Jasmine was already running toward the supply area, switching out the sign for her Magneton. Thad stretched his arms out to his full wingspan, drinking in the attention as Chuck quietly received a concession from the Mr. Mime trainer.

"Can you dig it?" Thad bellowed, slowly walking around the arena with outstretched arms. Dirt continued to fall off of him in clumps, and the crowd returned his quips with a greater roar of enthusiasm.

"Let's not stop this, eh?" Chuck said into the mic. He adjusted his wrestling mask and ushered a young middle-grade school girl, still in her school uniform, to the edge of the arena. He crouched down and listened to her whisper into his ear, nodded, and looked back to Thad. "Are you ready for Pokemon number three?"

Thad pounded his chest with a closed fist. "Oh, I'm still fresh as hell fam, gimme whatever you got."

The young girl reached to her belt, revealing a standard Pokeball, and opened it up. Thad craned his head upward as the red light climbed upward higher and higher until the creature was nearly skimming the top of the gym ceiling. As the red light dissipated, Thad took notice of the segmented rock body of the behemoth creature.

"An Onix! Wow, what a magnificent specimen!" Chuck elated. He gave Thad a curious look. "Are you ready to continue?"

"Uh, yeah…I think I'm good?" Thad scratched his head, his jaw set as he observed the large Pokemon. He looked over to Jasmine and shouted, "Ey, Jazzy! How much do these guys weigh?"

Jasmine whirled, looking at Thad as the crowd began to settle down, ready for another event. "Usually around 450 pounds, give or take, why?"

Thad gave a thumbs up, as Chuck lowered his arm for the match to commence.

The schoolgirl made a series of hand gestures toward her Onix, and the rock snake compiled by immediately elongated its body around Thad and tried to wrap him up. The muscled Fighting-type protege squat jumped above the rock snake's attempt, landing on its body. He wobbled for a moment, getting his balance as the crowd gasped.

"Onix, use Dig!" a small, dainty voice called out.

The Onix rumbled and quickly dove headfirst into the ground. Thad jumped off the creature, tucking and rolling as the nearly thirty-foot rock snake disappeared into the ground in a matter of seconds.

So, we playing that game, eh? Thad crouched down, placing a hand on the ground, and closed his eyes. It's big as hell. I should be able to feel it moving around.

Thad felt a rumble through the earth grow, and he immediately dove and shoulder rolled away from the Onix uprooting, nearly clipping him, and then it entered the ground once more. He stole a glance toward his Pokemon crew, and Chad was demonstrating a punching motion at the ground.

Could I? I didn't try to eat me last time. Thad rubbed his chin, humming in a deep, rumbly tone. He looked to Chuck who stood on the sidelines, and he flexed his bicep and patted it with his hand. The shirtless gym leader narrowed his eyes and gave Thad a nod. Sometimes you gotta face your problems head-on.

The rumbling came just like last time, but Thad didn't prepare to roll away. As the ground shifted underneath him, he leapt up into the air as high as he could. The Onix burst through the earth as Thad reached the apex of his leap. He started to fall rapidly as the Rock-type rocketed upward toward him, and then he extended out his right arm and did his best to maneuver himself in the air.

His bicep collided with the Onix's beak-like mouth. Thad grunted loudly, moving his arm to deliver a skyborne clothesline. The Onix bent backward and shook the ground as it tumbled like an avalanche. Thad fell to the ground, tucking and rolling, though his arm throbbed mightily.

That boulder training with Chuck helped, but damn that hurt.

"We have ourselves a knockout, ladies and gents!" Chuck roared in delight. He rushed over and patted Thad on the back, cackling like a madman. He moved the mic away from his face, unable to hide his grin. "Well, no matter what happens, I'm sure Bruno will want to meet the guy who laid out an Onix in a single blow." He moved the mic back toward Thad. "Anything to say to the crowd?"

"Yeah, big surprise, but rocks are hard. Don't try that at home," Thad said, massaging his bicep.

"You heard him, folks! He's a professional so don't get any ideas!" Chuck bellowed.

As Chuck departed to collect the next challenger, Thad jogged over to his water station. Chad and Dyawne immediately prompted Thad with a fist bump, which he returned in kind. He looked to the Sneasel, frowning a bit as the mischievous little critter was on its back, snoring without a care in the world.

"Well, at least she is behaving," Thad said with a shrug. He snatched up a water bottle and immediately drained half of it, and then poured the remainder on his dirt-caked body. He shook a bit at the cool water and rubbed a hand through his short hair. "Alright, that feels a bit better."

"Macho!" Chad cheered, flexing for his trainer.

"Geo geo!" Dwayne chirped in unison, a smile carved into his rocky face.

"I'll teach ya'll how to do that, no worries," Thad said, "but I gotta get back out there and win some money."

He gave a salute to his team and ran back to the center of the arena. He waved at the crowd and gave a quick bow. He peered to his left, taking note of the man Chuck was talking to; an older teenager dressed in a beige safari outfit with a net in one hand and Pokeball in the other.

"Ey, I'm ready to keep on going!"

Chuck gave a nod to the bug catcher and then turned his attention toward Thad. "Very well. Our contestant is prepared as well! Once the Pokemon is released, begin on my signal for the start of round four!"

Thad shifted from side to side, staying light on his toes as the bug catch casually tossed out their Pokeball, revealing a two foot long green creature with no limbs and eyes on its side.

Thad stuck the tip of his tongue out of his mouth and tilted his head. What in the goddamn? His thought wasn't uncommon as many cries of confusion came from the crowd as well.

"A...Metapod?" Chuck's voice trailed off. He cleared his throat, trying to recapture his bravado. "An interesting choice for sure."

"Hey," the bug catcher said, addressing the crowd, "he's literally all I have at the moment. I didn't think I'd actually get picked…"

"...Okay then. Uh," Thad walked over to the motionless Metapod. He poked at it with his foot, managing to get a deep, belching-like protest from the cocoon Pokemon. He looked up at the trainer. "Uh, are we actually doing this?"

"Considering I just saw you dunk on an Onix, I think you can beat my Metapod, unfortunately," the bug catcher recalled his Pokemon, "but if we could have an actual Pokemon battle sometime? Name's Wade. Look me up in Violet City sometime."

"Fo' show my dude," Thad said. He then walked over to Wade and gave him a firm handshake. "Sorry 'bout it."

Wade kindly bowed out, walking back toward the crowd. As the bug catcher slipped through the bars, a red-headed teen in a dark purple jumpsuit brashly pushed past the defeated trainer and strode out toward Chuck. He stuck his nose in the air with haughty grace, running his fingers through his shoulder-length hair with a flourish.

Thad looked over to Jasmine who stood near the sidelines, holding a steely gaze at the fifth contender. Whitney, distracted by talking with her staff, failed to notice the bold trainer as he brushed off Chuck's introduction, dropping the lottery ticket at his feet, and leaving the older man to come back toward Thad grumbling.

"Careful with this one," Chuck said in a low voice. "He's nothing but trouble."

"Kid with a bad attitude?" Thad asked. He looked at the teen who casually tossed a Pokeball up, catching it, and tossing it again. "Maybe I should go talk with him?"

"Don't bother with this one, Thad," Chuck held the mic low at his waist, and then pulled Thad into a shoulder hug. "Just watch yourself out there. This kid was no joke when he did the gym challenge just a bit over a year ago."

Thad patted the Fighting-type specialist on the shoulder and ran out to the center of the arena. He held his arms out, lifting them up to pump up the crowd and beckon them to cheer. Whitney bounced along with Thad's encouragement, though he did tilt his head she dashed up and down the sideline with her Miltank rolling behind her, taking time to note her tone and other generous assets.

That's one strong bikini, Thad thought, humming under his breath. He lightly slapped his face a few times, blinking rapidly. Head in the game, dude. Think about booty later.

With the crowd whipped up into a frenzy and the contenders set, Chuck gave a gesture to each trainer and then let his hand down in a karate chop. The red-haired trainer tossed the Pokeball near Thad, the red light quickly forming into a slug-like creature formed of pure magma; two bulbous eyes, complete with a dark molten shell on its back and flames spurting off its body randomly.

Thad wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead and took a tentative step back. The heat radiating off the Pokemon was like standing inside a furnace. The trainer folded his arms across his chest and smugly looked on as Thad slowly circled the Pokemon. The crowd began to murmur once more, and a few booes began to erupt.

"A Magcargo?!" Thad looked out of the corner of his eye toward Jasmine. The petite woman looked furious, nearly ready to charge the arena as her fists shook by her sides. "A restricted Pokemon like that is hardly sporting!"

"I have the license and there was no stipulation," the trainer scoffed. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Maybe don't have such a dumb event. Now," he pointed toward Thad, " Go ahead and use Flame Burst and then—"

Thad raised a hand. "I'll throw in the towel. I've wrestled a lot of weird things, but I don't think I can take on a lava monster." He let out a sigh, resting his thumbs on the belt of his Machop styled speedo. "It's the rules. You win."

The trainer recalled the Magcargo and pocketed the Pokeball. Thad waved to Whitney to come over to assist and walked over to the trainer. The older teen scowled at Thad as the rather somber jock forced a smile on his face.

"Hey man," Thad said in a quiet tone, "I get it if it was your only Pokemon, but—"

"Oh, I have plenty," the teen retorted. Thad's eyebrows rose at the sheer audacity of the trainer, which managed to get a chuckle from him. "Don't act surprised. Your event had a loophole, and if it wasn't me, someone else would have exploited it. Maybe try not to be an idiot. I'm going to go collect my earnings now."

Thad narrowed his eyes at the man and clenched his fists. He stole a glance toward Chuck, who shook his head. Bossman is probably right. Assault is probably illegal, even if the kid is a dick. Hard to explain that a roundhouse kick slipped to the cops.

"Alright, time to face the music," Thad whispered to himself, struggling to keep a cheery disposition. The crowd booed and glared at the red-headed trainer as he met with Whitney, and she led him to a staff table where they kept their paperwork. "Alright, folks!" Thad shouted, his booming baritone acting as a magnet for the crowd's ill-mannered attention. "That's a wrap on Thadmania! I'll be taking a little break, but do give thanks to the gym leaders for helping organize this with me! Thad out!"

Thad dashed back toward his team of Pokemon and gave them a gesture to follow him into Whitney's office. Chad grabbed the sleeping Sneasel by its legs and dragged them along as Dwayne simply rolled along on the ground like a lumpy kickball. Once his team had assembled in Whitney's cluttered office, he gently closed the door and trudged over to the desk, taking a seat in the office chair.

"I can't believe I lost to a pile of hot cum," Thad said, rubbing his chin in disbelief. He looked at Chad and Dwayne, both curiously eyeing their trainer with rapt attention. He sat up in the chair and cleared his throat. "Hey guys, sometimes things don't swing your way, ya know? It's—" he paused, grinding his teeth, "it's fine to lose. But it's another thing to feel cheated. I should have made a stronger contract, I guess. Didn't know lava monsters were a thing…"

"Macho." Chad walked up to Thad's side, patting his tan thigh with his grey hand. "Chop chop."

"Geo!" Dwayne belched out, raising his arms. "Duuuude!"

I wish I knew what they were actually saying, Thad wondered, feeling a bit cheered up by his bros' encouragement. Still, play enough sports and you know exactly what these dudes are saying. We'll get 'em next time. I just need to be better for them. Damn that protein for being so expensive and awesome.

"Sneeesh?" Trouble mumbled out, rubbing the back of its head. The Sneasel's eyes fluttered open, and it looked around confused, then to Thad. "Sneh?"

"You missed all the action, girlie." Thad rested his arms on his elbows on his thighs, interlacing his fingers together. "Don't worry, the finale was kinda a flop."

The Sneasel shrugged and laid back down, mimicking doing snow angels. Chad facepalmed as he looked at Trouble's carefree behavior, and Dwayne was about as emotional as a rock. Thad collected his Pokeballs, shorts, and shirt from the desk and quickly got dressed.

"Alright fellas and, uh, lady," Thad said, looking at Trouble purring to herself and sliding her limbs on the floor, "time to get some rest. I'll take it from here."

With his team returned and back in most of his street clothes, Thad ran a hand through his hair and began to pace around the room. He pulled out a few chunks of dirt, flicking them down to the tiled floor.

Going to need a shower too once Jazzy and I get back to the Pokemon Center.

The door to the office creaked open, and Thad's attention snapped up toward the newcomer. Jasmine poked her head through the frame; a slight, sheepish smile on her face and moist, red-rimmed eyes.

"Can I come in?"

"Y-yeah," Thad said, frustrated at how subdued his voice sounded. "I just put the crew away, so it's just me."

Jasmine stepped fully into the room and gently clicked the door shut behind her. She strode forward, her steel-colored swimsuit a little dustier than he remembered, but still hugged her lithe frame with little left to the imagination. She placed a hand on his forearm, squeezing it gently.

"You must think I'm pretty dumb right about now," Thad breathed out. "This is where I get the talk about how I didn't think this through?"

"No." Jasmine's soft voice released some of the unconscious tension in Thad's shoulders. "I came to check on you. You left in a hurry," she stole a spiteful glance toward the door, "and Silver has been a thorn in Johto's competitive scene since he arrived."

"That's the punk's name?"

"Yes. He's an experienced, cold trainer that shot up the ranks last major season. One of the few trainers to sweep the entire Johto gyms in a single season in recent memory." Jasmine let out a deep breath. "But that's not what I came to talk about. Are you okay? It's not your fault, in fact, I should have looked things over, but I wanted you to have your event your way."

"Yeah, it would have been good to know a freakin' hot pile of fire goo would be my end," Thad hollowly chuckled. "Just wish I had a fair fight in the end. Makes losing easier to handle when you actually tried, knowing you gave it your all. Whatevs. I'll be fine."

"Thad," Jasmine said, though it was more of a command. He looked down at her, staring at her wide, brown eyes. "I know you're strong, but I just want you to know it's okay. Nobody is made of steel, not even the best. I can be strong too, if you let me. You're not alone here."

Thad flashed a smile and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "You got a point, Jazzy. Here, bring it in." he spread his arms and Jasmine immediately clung to him, squeezing him into a hug. He closed his eyes and wrapped his beefy arms around her, careful to not squeeze too tightly.

They stood for a moment, embracing and clutching each other as if nothing else mattered. Thad slowly opened his eyes to see Jasmine looking up at him, buried between his pecs, swaddled by his bicep. Her warm smile washed over him like sunshine; the resentment in his heart melting away.

"We should probably go help Whitney with cleanup," Jasmine softly said. "What do you think?"

"I think she has plenty of help with her trainers and whatnot. Right?" They began to sway a bit together, neither separating. "Besides, I think I need a break. What about you?"

"Mhmmm." Jasmine agreed, the side of her head nestled into his chest. "Let's just —ah!"

In a swift motion, Thad scooped Jasmine up by her thighs and brought her up higher to where they were face to face. Her eyes went wide for a moment, taking in the jock's cheeky, self-satisfied grin. She returned an amused smile of her own, wrapping her legs around his waist and hooking her ankles and her arms around his neck. Thad kept his hands underneath her spindly legs, keeping her supported.

"See, now we can actually talk face to face." He raised an eyebrow. "Enjoy the view?"

Jasmine clicked her tongue and pursed her lips. "Hmmm. I think it's missing something."

"Oh? Why don't you help a bro out and tell?" Thad lowered his voice to a husky, low tone. "Or maybe show—"

Thad's eyes went wide as he felt Jasmine shift in his arms. Once he felt her lean forward, he met her halfway, locking lips with the gym leader. He bent over slightly and moved his hands to support her back as they tilted their heads slightly to the side and embraced each other's warmth.

Heat rose from Jasmine's chest; the sheer fabric of the swimsuit provided the only barrier between her breasts and Thad's stretched t-shirt. A flood of Butterfree swarmed within her stomach as she parted her lips, stealing a glance at the Fighting-type trainer as he took a moment to catch his breath, then they clashed once more. Thad's fingers curled, caressing the small of her back as he cradled her with a firm yet gentle touch. She dug her heels more into his waist, granting her better mobility.

She drew a finger across his slick back, tracing her fingernail along the edge of his shoulder blades. They remained intertwined with one another, forgetting about the crowd leaving the gym. The necessary takedown of banners and makeshift guard rails. Nothing else mattered at that moment except one another's warm touch.

"Oh, hey there, so I was looking for—" Whitney's voice came from the doorway of the office, though it broke off as the door creaked partially open. Jasmine and Thad quickly broke off their kiss and looked over to see the pink-haired woman halfway inside the room, her jaw wide open with a hint of blush on her cheeks.

"We were just—"

"Yeah, Whit, we, uh were—"

"Sure, sure," Whitney giggled, covering her mouth. "I mean, that's one way to celebrate. Gotta say I'm a bit jealous." Jasmine hopped off Thad and smoothed out her bathing suit, while Thad expertly positioned the desk chair in front of his lower region. "Anyway," Whitney cleared her throat, "join me with the cleanup when you two are ready? Also, Thad, a Radio Tower reporter wants an interview. So, uh, yeah. I'll be going now."

Whitney quickly shut the door behind her, leaving Thad and Jasmine staring at the door.

Thad broke the silence first, coughing into his fist. "Uh, maybe go on ahead? Talk about this later?"

"Yes, absolutely," Jasmine eagerly replied, a bit too quickly for her taste. "Let's reconvene in the morning. It's already late as is and cleanup should take a bit, not to mention you have an interview."

Thad snapped his fingers. "Right, right. Interview. Cause I dunked on a big rock worm thing. That happened."

Jasmine adjusted her rounded hair barrettes and walked briskly toward the door. She looked over her shoulder as she opened the door. "But...we'll talk later?"

"For sure." Thad nodded vigorously, stretching out his back, using the office chair for support. "But, just answer me one last thing, Jazzy."

"Yes?" Her voice was breathless and wispy. "What is it, Thad?"

"You didn't do that just cause you felt bad for me, right?"

"No, I—" Jasmine's voice hitched in her throat, and her mouth parted. She licked her lips. "It's not like—"

Thad raised a hand up, making a cutting motion. "Sorry, that was a bad question on my part. Think about it, alright? We're stressed out, I feel. Tomorrow?"

Jasmine let out a heavy sigh. "Tomorrow. I'll see you when you get back to the Pokemon center."

The door clicked shut as the brunette disappeared, going off into the ravaged field from the upheaval from the Onix. Thad stood up straight, pinching the bridge of his nose.

I shouldn't have put her on the spot. Shit. Thad lowered himself to the ground, and he began to do push-ups. I Gotta take my mind off this. Put all that energy somewhere else. Wish I had muscle control over my thoughts like I do over...well, everything else.

Thad made sure to do at least 250 push-ups and an equal set of squats before setting off for his interview. Despite the workout and event, he answered the questions as briskly as possible without seeming rude and went for a jog to the National Park from Route 35 in the moonlight.

He didn't return to the Pokemon center until he was certain Jasmine was asleep, avoiding any further confrontation before going to rest himself.

It'd be a long day in the morning.