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One of Lemon’s earliest memories of travelling in Unova is of her papa carrying her on his back through Chargestone Cave. Their flight had come into Mistralton City early, so he suggested killing some time there; he would later confide to Lemon—a secret whispered into her ear, where the man in question could not hear him say so—that the reason why was because Chargestone Cave was one of her dad’s favourite places in the world.
“The earth’s magnetic field lines are all around us,” Gary explained to her that day. “All together, they create the field that shields the planet from the sun’s radiation. It deflects harmful particles, so that we can go out and enjoy the beach in the summer. Cool, huh?”
But that’s not the reason why Goh loves Chargestone Cave, as it turns out. Rather, it has to do with the quiet thrum of energy that resounds between its walls, the pull between the lifeforms within and just beyond it. Forces of attraction and repulsion in perpetual conversation with each other. In Chargestone Cave, simple devices like compasses and GPS don’t work. The only way through it is by the force of one’s own wit.
That’s what awaits Lemon now—but she’s not concerned. Her heart will doubtless guide her true; if she gets lost, then that is simply the hands of fate guiding her to exactly where she is meant to go, exactly when she is meant to be there.
Perhaps that’s why she felt compelled to stop outside of the cave in the first place. Fate has clearly led her here, too: standing in this tranquil quiet across the otherwise all-too empty terrain from her rival.
Under the gleam of the midmorning sun, Lime positively shines. When the surprise of seeing Lemon just outside the cave wears off, she tilts her head up to meet Lemon’s eyes and her lips twist into an expression instead caught somewhere between goading and encouraging. Since the day they met, it has sent Lemon’s heart running amok.
“And here I was starting to worry you’d gone and raced ahead of me,” Lime teases. She shifts her weight, angling her hand toward the Balls strapped to her belt with that same characteristic grace that underlines her every move. “You weren’t lost, were you?”
“Of course not!” Lemon protests. “I just…took the long way here, that’s all.”
Lime’s lips part around a soft—dare Lemon let herself think endeared?—puff of laughter. With nimble hands, she plucks a Ball from her belt and rolls it contemplatively between her fingers. When she glances up again, she’s smirking.
“I’ve already beaten Skyla,” she boasts. “So if that’s where you’re headed next, I guess we’ll just have to see how ready you are to face her, won’t we?”
“I already know I can beat her,” Lemon says proudly. “Galvantula and I would never lose!”
“Just as confident as ever, I see.”
Lemon grins. “For good reason! I’ll show you what we’re made of, just you watch!”
Even with all the distance between them, the glimmer that catches under the sun in Lime’s eyes never fails to send a thrill down Lemon’s spine.
“All right, then!” With flourish, Lime brandishes her Poké Ball, and tosses it up above her. It’s arches through the parabola, flashing open in a shower of red and white. “Let’s see what you’ve got! Zebstrika! It’s Lime time!”
As her Pokémon materializes, Lemon catches a glimpse of her amidst the sparkling energy of the release, shining with power and pride. Perhaps she watches for a few moments too long, because then the colours fade out, and in their absence Lime quirks an eyebrow up at her.
“Well? Weren’t you gonna show me what you’re made of?”
Heat creeps up on to Lemon’s cheeks, but she holds her stance and straightens her back, reaching to her belt for her first partner’s Poké Ball. She twirls in place, throwing the Ball up into the air as her rotation comes to three-sixty, and cries, “Come on out, Galvantula!”
Her own partner appears before her with a mighty cry, landing hard on his feet and ready for battle.
As quick on the uptake as ever, Lime throws out her arm and commands Zebstrika, “Use Flame Charge!”
“I don’t think so,” Lemon singsongs. “Galvantula, slow it down with Electroweb!”
Her partner’s web shoots out and hits Zebstrika head-on, obscuring her vision her long enough for Galvantula to dodge the move as she barrels haplessly on. Jumping on Zebstrika momentary confusion, Lemon shouts, “Use Screech, then follow it up with an X-Scissor!”
Galvantula’s Screech rings through the air, making Zebstrika shake her head in disorientation. As she lifts her head again at last, Galvantula raises its pedipalps and shoots off his next attack, but just before it careens into Zebstrika, Lemon sees Lime’s lips stretch into a pleased grin.
Oh no, Lemon thinks, her blood running cold beneath her skin, one beat before Lime calls out, “Use Stomp on its X-Scissor!”
The force of the two Moves colliding sends Galvantula’s stored energy up and around them in a sophisticated flash of light. Zebstrika bounds off of it with all the speed and majesty Lemon has come to expect of Lime’s Pokémon—and then comes crashing down on Galvantula embroiled in the scarlet blanket of her Flame Charge.
The surge of power slams into Lemon, whipping her hair back as the acrid smell of smoke winds around her. She squints her eyes against it, gritting her teeth, and holds her breath as the smoke clears to reveal Lime’s self-satisfied smirk. All at once, her blood begins to boil anew. Before Galvantula can even get back on his feet, she snaps out, “Use Skitter Smack!”
With the power of the Move to propel him into motion, Galvuntal positions himself in front of Zebstrika in a flash, striking out with one of his pedipalps glowing green. As the attack hits its mark, Lemon sees Lime’s expression twitch in frustration.
“That’s a new one,” she comments. “Where’d you learn a move like that?”
“Pretty cool, right? But I’m not gonna tell you! It’s our little secret!”
Really, Lemon’s dad sent her the TM—a gift to him from a colleague in Galar—but admitting that would just be too uncool. The last thing she wants is for Lime to think she’s only any good in a Pokémon battle because her parents have helped her along.
No, she has to stand on her own two feet. She can do anything she wants, be whoever she wants to be, not because she’s an Oak, but because she’s Lemon Oak.
“Well, you’re not the only one with a few tricks up her sleeve,” Lime says. “Zebstrika! Keep going! We can win this!”
Zebstrika pushes herself back up to her feet, her mane sparking and nostrils flaring. She paws the ground boldly, raring to go—but Lime does not command her yet.
Though she knows she ought to be suspicious, Lemon is too lost in the euphoria of landing such a painful hit to stop herself. “Go on, Galvantula! Let’s finish this off with an X-Scissor!”
But even as Galvantula closes in, Lime does not tell Zebstrika to move. At the last moment, she bellows, “Use Endeavour!”
The X-Scissor hits first, but Zebstrika is poised to take in the damage. Immediately after the shocks run through her system, she lets out a burst of energy, blowing Galvantula back. He comes crashing down to the ground, legs twited awkwardly beneath him. Lemon bites back a gasp; there is no time to react, not when Lime is pointing at her partner and declaring, “Finish this off with a Flame Charge!”
It's now or never, and Lemon couldn’t bring herself to live with never. One last shot.
“Use Electroweb on the ground in front of you in three, two… Now!”
The web shoots out, just as Zebstrika’s hooves strike the ground where Lemon told Galvuntula to aim the attack, sending a vicious shock up through her limbs. She cries out, her knees buckling beneath her; she is too weak to sustain the Flame Charge through the attack.
Heart roaring between her ears, Lemon cries, “Use X-Scissor!”
Galvantula is too close now for Zebstrika to get away. The Move hits her flat in the front, sending her flying back. As she bodily hits the ground, Lemon waits, unable to even breathe.
But after a few more beats, it becomes apparent that Zebstrika cannot get up. Her head comes to rest against the ground, her flank rising and falling in a clear show of exhaustion.
As Lemon lifts her gaze back up to Lime, she sees her rival with her head bowed, a fist clenched at her side. But when she looks up again, the only emotion registering behind her eyes is pure joy—the same feeling that pumps through Lemon’s overactive heart.
“I concede,” Lime says, and steps daintily forward to crouch next to Zebstrika. She runs a hand over her Pokémon’s face, checking her over for injury, and then tells her gently, “You did great. Get some rest, now,” and recalls her to her Ball.
At last, Lemon lets herself breath again. With a shaking smile, she comes forward too, to stand beside Galvantula. He is clearly as worn out as Zebstrika, but keeps himself standing on the back of all his pride in himself and his Trainer.
“You did so good!” Lemon gushes. “You’re the best, Galvantula! Get a good rest now, okay?”
He turns back to look at her, pedipalps moving around a satisfied chitter. She clicks the button on his Poké Ball, holding it out to recall him back into it just as Lime comes to a halt in front of her—and sticks out a hand for her to take.
Grinning, Lemon does, and tries her best to ignore the fluttering sensation in her stomach as she gives it a hearty shake.
“I shouldn’t’ve fallen for the same trick twice,” Lime admits as she pulls her hand back. “But, hey, it’s a pretty good trick! I’ll be ready for it next time.”
“You took a big risk using Endeavour like that,” Lemon points out. “I totally thought you were gonna beat us.”
“Well, maybe we just went a little easy on you, that’s all.”
Lemon laughs. “Yeah, right! I could see it in your eyes—you weren’t holding anything back!”
“Maybe.” Lime reflects her smile back to her. “I guess that just means we need to train even harder. But Skyla will be no match for you. When you finish up at the Mistralton Gym, our paths had better cross again soon so I can give you a real challenge.”
Lemon can’t keep the smile from her face; it often feels too large, too radiant, too consuming, and yet, around Lime, it is simply the most natural thing in the world.
“You bet,” she says. “We’ll be ready to beat you then, too!”
Lime leans forward slightly, one eyebrow raised provocatively. “Don’t get overconfident, now. Anyway, ‘til next time, then. But don’t take so long this time. I can’t wait around for you to catch up forever, you know.”
As she pulls back for good, Lemon huffs. “You’ll be in my dust before you know it!”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Lime singsongs, twisting around on her feet. She sends a wave over her shoulder, but does not look back as she calls out, “So long, Lemon!”
For a long moment, Lemon stays glued in place, watching her go, that now-familiar flame searing through her veins. As Lime’s figure grows ever more distant, it ignites the passion within her all over again, and she turns to the entrance of Chargestone Cave with a grin twisting her lips. She jogs forward, determined to get through the cave as quickly as she can—the sooner that she can catch up to Lime once and for all.