Chapter 23

The next day, Emmet found himself seated at a corner bench, eyes fixed on the arena where Leaf was taking on Lt. Surge. They had been there for each other's gym battles, and today was no exception.

No surprises on Surge's team. Same ol' Voltorb, Electabuzz, and Raichu. But Leaf was nothing short of brilliant. Her Pokemon were strong, well-trained, and more than capable of meeting the challenge.

Her Oddish shredded Voltorb with a precise Razor Leaf, but then took a surprising Fire Punch from Electabuzz. No worries, though. Leaf switched to Pidgeotto. The bird, despite its elemental disadvantage, kicked up a storm—literally—blinding Electabuzz with Gust enhanced Sand Attack, a creative combination courtesy of Emmet's sick mind, and then smacking it down with a barrage of Take Downs.

But the real show came when her Ivysaur took on Raichu after the mouse Pokemon one shot Pidgeotto. As soon as the electric mouse hit the field, it got hit with a Sleep Powder, leaving it snoring. Then, a torrent of Poison Powder had Raichu changing color schemes. But Leaf wasn't done. A Leech Seed and barrage of Razor Leafs later, Raichu was done for. Even the crowd was silent.

It was like watching a master class in status affliction. Ruthless. And Emmet absolutely loved it. When the referee declared Leaf the winner, he shot up from his seat and bolted toward her, mirroring what she had done for him the previous day.

"You did it! Leaf, you were incredible! I'm so proud of you!" Emmet was practically shouting in his excitement, his words a rapid-fire torrent.

Leaf's cheeks turned a shade of red that rivaled a ripe tomato, but her smile was blinding. "Thank you, Emmet! Seriously, I couldn't have done it without your training tips. My Pokemon have gotten so much stronger because of you."

Emmet pulled away and shook his head, his eyes meeting Leaf's. "I might've given some pointers, but it's your dedication and execution that really made the difference. You took what I tried to teach and made it your own. That's all you, Leaf." Cue to Leaf's face getting a deeper shade of red.

Just then, Lt. Surge cleared his throat, loud enough to startle a Snorlax. "Ahem! If you lovebirds are done with the mushy stuff, can we get to the badge ceremony? Unless you'd like me to get a room for you two?"

—PKEM—

The sun was setting over Route 6 as Emmet and Leaf set up their camp for the night, both enjoyed camping out too much and besides, the Vermillion Pokemon Center was too packed. 

Leaf poked at the firepit while Emmet, focusing intently, used his Psychic powers to assemble both their tents as if they were snapping together like puzzle pieces.

Leaf glanced over at Emmet, her gaze lingering longer than she'd like to admit. The firelight made the display of his Psychic powers look even more surreal. She thought about how rapidly his abilities had evolved since their first meeting in Cerulean City.

"You know, Emmet, it still blows my mind," Leaf finally broke the silence. "You discover you have Psychic powers right before setting out on this journey, and now look at you—floating tents and all. You've become a pro in like, zero time."

Emmet paused, his tents momentarily wobbling in the air before stabilizing. "You know, once I figured out I had this...ability, it was like growing an extra limb. At first, it's awkward, you're not sure what to do with it. But every day I practiced, it felt more natural, like learning to walk all over again."

Leaf shook her head, her eyes narrowing a bit. "Come on, Emmet. I'm not a Slowpoke. I know you realize that your growth rate is crazy fast, and it's not just your Psychic powers. Have you seen your muscles lately? If I hadn't been around you every day, I'd think you were secretly chugging down Macho Brace-flavored protein shakes or something."

Emmet laughed, the sound echoing through the forest. "You've got a point. Maybe my Psychic powers and my, ahem, physical development are linked. Or maybe I've got some Fighting Energy mojo going on, too. Could be both."

Inside, Emmet knew Leaf wasn't far off. Ever since he'd captured Mankey and bonded with the Pokemon, the concept of Fighting Energy had increasingly nudged him through his EM. Every push-up, every run, the EM was encouraging him to tap into that Fighting Energy, which, in turn, accelerated his physical growth. Good thing he had the foresight to balance strength training with stamina drills and occasionally Yoga.

He chuckled to himself, thinking about those brief Yoga sessions he decided to have to try and improve his own flexibility. Having Leaf spontaneously join him had been a fantastic bonus, and let's just say, those Downward Dogs were a sight for sore eyes. He quickly shook his head, clearing the less-than-Zen thoughts from his mind.

Emmet's thoughts were drifting towards Leaf more often than he cared to admit. She had been like a sister to him, but lately, he couldn't shake the feeling that his emotions were steering into new territory—more romantic, less platonic.

The signs were there. Leaf's smiles seemed different, her glances lingered. He wasn't dense; he'd noticed her glances, her lingering touches. The unspoken tension between them was palpable, like an Electrode ready to explode. But alas, there was no "Love and Relationships for Dummies" manual available in his life. Not that his deceased father or absent mother could've helped anyway.

Speaking of his mom, Professor Oak had mentioned she might be on an assignment in Lavender Town. That made Emmet frown; he had hoped to reunite with her sooner rather than later. But there was no way he'd venture near Lavender without a Psychic, Dark, or Ghost-type Pokemon to fend off the town's eerie residents.

"You look like you just stepped on a Weedle. What's on your mind?" Leaf broke into his thoughts.

"Lavender Town," Emmet admitted, shivering slightly at the mention while sitting beside her. "Thinking about that place gives me the creeps."

Leaf shivered at the mention. "If you're planning to go to Lavender, count me out. I'll set up camp in Fuchsia and wait for you to finish your ghost-hunting escapades."

Emmet chuckled. "No, I'm not going there, at least not yet. My mom might be stationed there for some assignment, but that's a different story."

"Speaking of plans," Leaf interjected, "I talked to my cousin at the Pokemon Center this morning. She told me that both the Saffron and her own gym in Celadon offer four, five, and six-badge challenges. So technically, we could take them on in any order."

Emmet pondered the options for a few moments. "You know, I think we should stick to the Classic Circuit. Celadon comes before Saffron, and I want to give Mankey and maybe even Firefly a chance to evolve before facing Sabrina. Professor Oak recommended I keep Firefly as a Charmeleon for at least two more months anyway."

"Why's that? Does Oak think Firefly isn't ready?" Leaf questioned.

"Yeah, he believes she's still too young," Emmet answered. "When a Charmeleon evolves into a Charizard, it gets harder to expand their energy reserves beyond what they gain from evolution. The stronger she is as a Charmeleon, the higher her potential will be."

"Does that apply to all Pokemon?" Leaf asked, genuinely curious.

"I asked Oak the same thing. He said it varies. Bug Pokemon, for instance, usually benefit from evolving quickly. For the Pidgey line, they grow stronger faster as a Pidgeot than a Pidgeotto. It's the same for Oddish, so we should try to get it to evolve into a Gloom soon," Emmet shared his newfound wisdom.

Emmet made a mental note to look for high-quality Sun Stones in Celadon. He was sure Leaf would love Oddish in any form, but he had a gut feeling she would absolutely adore a Bellossom.

Leaf hummed thoughtfully, poking at the crackling fire. "Oddish is teetering on the edge of becoming a Gloom, you know?" Leaf began, adjusting poking at the fire some more. "Also, my Pidgeotto has been growing like crazy lately. Pretty sure it's gonna spread its wings as a Pidgeot soon."

"You're probably right about both," Emmet replied, fiddling with a Pokeball in his hand. "How about we set up camp near Celadon for a week or so? We could focus on getting our Pokemon stronger, or in your case, evolved."

"You know, speaking of evolutions," Leaf changed the topic, her eyes meeting his. "I was looking through the Pokedex yesterday, and your Mankey is showing all the physical signs of being close to evolving. But it's weird, he's not acting like the typical rage monster that Mankey becomes pre-Primeape. What's up with that?"

"Yeah, about that," Emmet responded, with a slight shrug. "Ever since I caught him, we've been doing these little meditation sessions. Helps him channel his inner emotions, especially the rage. Instead of going full-on berserker, he's been focusing it into training or making his attacks more precise in battle."

Leaf blanched slightly, her eyes widening. "Sometimes your methods genuinely terrify me. Like that stacking strategy you've got for Ivysaur? You layer so many status effects on an opponent, they're practically paralyzed the entire match!"

Emmet just shrugged, letting out a small sigh. "If you're not using a Venusaur-line Pokemon to lay down all sorts of status conditions, you're not playing to their full potential, in my opinion. It's like having a Charizard and not teaching it Flamethrower."

"So, speaking of training, what's the plan for your Magikarp?" Emmet popped the question, gesturing to the Pokeball on her belt. "We've been pretty far from any water bodies lately, and I haven't seen you work on leveling it up."

Leaf unclipped the Pokeball containing her Magikarp and stared at it. After a thoughtful pause. "You're right, and it's high time I did something about it. What do you think about setting up camp near the sea, south of Celadon? Magikarp needs some serious training to catch up to the rest of the team."

"Sounds like a plan. I've been wanting to catch a Water-type Pokemon anyway, so it works out," Emmet replied, already imagining the team possibilities as he started scrolling through his Pokedex.

"Got any Water-types in mind?" Leaf quizzed, intrigued by Emmet's casual grin as he closed his Pokedex.

"Well, considering we need a good water mount, plus a Pokemon that can fight effectively on land, I've got a few options," Emmet said, counting on his fingers. "The Squirtle line, Slowpoke, Poliwag, and Staryu fit the bill. Oh, and a Vaporeon if I get another Eevee."

"What about strong options like Lapras, Seadra, or Golduck?" Leaf asked, propping her hand on her chin as if sizing up imaginary Pokemon in front of her.

"Look, Lapras are great in water but clunky on land. It takes them forever to turn around. Any trainer worth their salt would just run circles around them," Emmet began. "Seadra have the same problem. And as for Golduck, well, they're known for having tricky personalities. They don't usually like battling much, so training one is like trying to get a Snorlax to run a marathon."

Leaf tilted her head, giving Emmet a quizzical look. "You're not thinking about getting a Gyarados, then? They're powerful, you know."

Emmet sighed, shaking his head. "Gyarados are a nightmare for trainers—eating like there's no tomorrow, always challenging you, terrible team players. And they're so huge you can only really keep them out near large bodies of water."

Leaf looked at her Magikarp's Pokeball with a sense of hesitation, then shrugged. "I'll manage. But from your tone, it sounds like you're not too keen on large Pokemon in general."

"Exactly," Emmet nodded. "A good team should be versatile enough to function in any environment. Smaller Pokemon are easier to manage—they can walk beside you, help guard the camp, explore, you name it. Large Pokemon are basically arena-only material."

Leaf nodded slowly, conceding his point. Then her eyes sparkled as she changed the subject. "What about a Psychic type? You have Psychic powers. Or maybe even a Ghost or Dark type?"

"Psychic is a no-brainer for me. If I catch an Abra, it'll probably become a top-tier Alakazam, given my abilities. Ghost types, especially Gengar's line, don't sit well with me. As for Dark types, the options that interest me in Indigo are Umbreon, Tyranitar, Murkrow, and Houndour."

"Why not a Sneasel?" Leaf suggested, a playful grin on her face.

Sylveon, who was lying next to Leaf, growled at the mere mention of Sneasel.

Emmet took a deep, steadying breath, his face losing its casual demeanor for a moment. "Sneasel is off the table," he said firmly, controlling his voice.

Leaf looked back and forth between Sylveon and Emmet. She finally took Emmet's hand and looked at him seriously. "You know I've been patient, Emmet. Something happened at Mt. Moon, something that's still affecting you."

"I don't want to talk about it," Emmet cut her off, looking away, his gaze focused on the ground.

Leaf's other hand gently touched his face, guiding him to look into her eyes. She was taken aback by the vulnerability she saw. "You might not want to, but you have to. You wake up from nightmares, Emmet. I've seen you anxious in the Underpass, even angry when you feel like you're not growing stronger quickly enough."

She paused, holding his gaze. "If you don't address whatever is haunting you, you'll make a mistake one day—a mistake that will cost you and your Pokemon. And I care about you too much to just stand by and watch that happen."

Emmet looked like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and it wasn't just any rock—it was the weight of Mt. Moon. While he obviously valued Leaf's advice, the raw emotion he felt made him just want to curl up and forget the world.

Firefly who so far had been lazily longing close to the firepit notices the tension and lets out a concerned growl. She exchanges a quick glance with Sylveon, as if saying, "Our human needs help."

Sylveon seems to catch on to Emmet's internal struggle. She saunters over and gently bumps her head against his side, her eyes almost pleading as she softly vocalizes her name, "Sylveon." The silent message was clear: it's okay to open up.

Emmet's eyes briefly wander to his trusty Charmeleon, whose tail flame flickers in a comforting manner. It's as if both of his Pokemon are urging him to break the emotional deadlock.

Something about Sylveon's gentle nudge lifts the corners of Emmet's mouth into a small smile. Looking at Leaf, who's still holding his hand, he takes a deep breath. "Okay, I'll tell you what happened in Mt. Moon."

Leaf grips Emmet's hand tighter, her eyes widening as she realizes he's about to pull back the emotional curtain. She takes a deep breath, bracing herself for the storm of memories.

Emmet talks. And talks. And talks. Nearly two hours pass as he recounts the nightmarish ordeal, making several shaky pauses when describing the cave-in and the chaos that followed. His words are punctuated with deep breaths and swallowed emotions.

By the time he wrapped up his story, both were in tears—Leaf, out of immense empathy for Emmet's traumatic experience, and Emmet from the sheer catharsis of voicing his haunting memories. It's not a complete healing, but it's a start.

Unable to contain herself anymore, Leaf lunged at Emmet and sobbed uncontrollably, her tears soaking his shirt.

Leaf's reaction acts like a final release valve for Emmet. As her tears soak into his shirt, he realizes how much he needed this moment, not just for himself, but for everyone who's part of his journey.

"I'm so sorry, Emmet," Leaf choked out between sobs. "I pushed you to open up, and now I feel awful. I just wanted you to feel better, to be free from all this pain."

Emmet, still soaked in shared tears, holds Leaf tighter. "Don't be. I needed this, more than I realized. And I'm thankful I have a friend like you in my life to push me when I need it."

Leaf looks into Emmet's eyes and feels a wash of relief. She had feared that her insistence might have done more harm than good, but now, his words dispel her worries.

Leaf looks down at their intertwined hands, and then mutters just loud enough for him to hear, "I just wish we were more than just friends." The heavy atmosphere evaporates like morning mist under the sun.

Sylveon, ever the intuitive creature, nudged Emmet's side again, as if telling him, "Dude, make your move now!"

Emmet takes a quick, surreptitious swipe at his nose to make sure it's snot-free. Then, he gently lifts Leaf's chin, locking eyes with her. For a heartbeat, they both hover in that charged moment before their lips finally meet.

The kiss was like a Thundershock—simultaneously jolting and electrifying, making both of them forget, if only for a second, the subject they were talking about.

In the background, Sylveon was practically doing backflips of joy while Firefly, the ever-so-stoic Charmeleon, looked like she was holding back a satisfied chuckle. "Charmeleon!" she purred, as if saying, "Finally, the humans get it!"

Pulling away from the kiss, both Emmet and Leaf wore beet-red faces but couldn't conceal their ridiculously happy grins. The atmosphere was a cocktail of relief, newfound courage, and utter joy.

Suddenly, Emmet's gaze shifted upwards, captivated by the full moon now shining down on them. It had slipped into the night sky unnoticed while he was unloading his past. "Wow, how did it get so dark already?" he mumbled to himself.

Turning to Leaf who was quickly drying her tears, Emmet grinned wider. "If you think that was a surprise, there's something else you might like to see tonight."

Leaf burst into laughter. "Are you kidding me? I get a Thunder Badge, make you spill your guts, and end it all with the best kiss of my life? What more could there be?"

Emmet chuckled, then looked her in the eye. "So, was that your 'best kiss' out of a long, distinguished line of kisses?"

Leaf's cheeks turned a shade pinker. "Well, it was my first kiss, so by default, it's the best kiss of my life."

Emmet rolls his eyes playfully, amused, and then opens a Pokeball. Cleffa pops out, immediately exclaiming "Cleffa!" as she takes in the odd atmosphere.

"It's time, Cleffa," Emmet said, then proceeded to release his other Pokemon one by one, each looking around curiously at their unexpected gathering.

Cleffa seems momentarily puzzled, her eyes flitting around. Then it clicks. "Cleffa!" she yells, her voice vibrating with excitement, practically dancing on the spot.

Leaf watches, her eyes wide with curiosity. Then her jaw drops. Cleffa turns toward the full moon, shouts her name once more, and starts to glow. Leaf can only gawk as the light envelops Cleffa, and her form begins to expand and morph.

Cleffa completes her transformation with a joyous cry of "Clefairy!" A burst of Fairy Type Energy radiates from her, enveloping the surrounding area in a wash of comforting pink light. Firefly, the Charmeleon, flares her tail in approval, while Sylveon chirps cheerfully. Only Mankey seems perturbed, shivering as if hit by a cold breeze. Pidgeotto seems indifferent but Emmet knew better.

Emmet can't help but be struck by Clefairy's newfound strength. He'd encountered many Clefairy during his harrowing time in Mt. Moon, but this Clefairy exuded an aura akin to the Clefable that had once saved his life. It's as if a piece of the moon's mystique had imbued her with an extraordinary vigor.

"Look at you, Clefairy! All grown up and radiant," Emmet cheers, kneeling down to hug his elated Pokemon. "You're almost as tall as Sylveon now, aren't you?" Sylveon, listening to this, perks her ears up, almost as if acknowledging the gentle tease.

Emmet often attributed Sylveon's petite stature to her age. She hadn't reached the 1-meter mark yet, still navigating the awkward phases of growth. And honestly, he wasn't complaining. Hauling around a full-sized Sylveon would be more burden than blessing in their on-the-go lifestyle.

Leaf squats down next to Emmet and wraps her arms around Clefairy, who returns the hug with enthusiasm. "Congratulations, Clefairy! You look so strong and cute. I can't wait to see what you'll achieve in this new form!"

Just then, the rest of Emmet's Pokemon crowd around Clefairy to offer their own versions of kudos and high-fives. Sylveon is particularly exuberant, as she and Clefairy have been thick as thieves since their Cleffa days.

Leaf turns to Emmet with a twinkling smile. "You know, this day has been incredible. Between earning the Thunder Badge, your emotional catharsis, and now Clefairy's evolution, I'm almost tempted to forgive you for making us miss the S.S. Anne and wasting those tickets!"

Emmet's face twitches, just for a second, at the mention of the S.S. Anne. He recalls the shady couple in Vermilion who gave them a sob story and the tickets. He'd suspected instantly that they were Team Rocket members, angling to pack the ship with potential victims.

Emmet waves away her comment. "You'll get over the S.S. Anne thing, don't worry. But listen, we should hit the sack early. The coming days we've got a lot to do: find a Water Pokemon for me, get some proper training for Magikarp, and oh, Clefairy's going to learn Gravity!"

Leaf raises an eyebrow, her arms crossed. "Gravity? I've never heard of that move. It's not even in the Pokedex. Are you making stuff up again?"

Emmet mentally kicks himself. Right, he keeps forgetting that his advanced knowledge doesn't always mesh with what's commonly known in the Pokemon world at this time period.

He looks at Leaf with a mischievous grin. "Alright, you caught me. But I promise you, Gravity is a real move and it's going to revolutionize our training. Just promise not to tell anyone; it'll be our secret weapon."

Leaf smirks, "Okay, fine, your secrets are safe with me." With that, she plants a quick peck on his lips and chirps, "Goodnight!" before zipping off to her tent like a Jolteon on a sugar rush.