Forever my Home: Axel and Hunter take the stage!

Axel groaned boredly as he sat on the ground, his legs spread out to the sides of him as Froakie took a nap in front of him. "Maybe if you ate your cookie more slowly, you wouldn't be acting like a child not getting what they want," Saylor tells him, taking a sip of her tea.

"And what about you? You act like some fancy-smancy business. What's with that?"

"Have you ever thought of it because a female likes to look nice at all times?" Silence dawned on them before Axel nods, "far point." Hunter rolls his eyes before going back to looking at Fennekin. "I found out that the gym leader is coming back soon," Jax announces, coming outside of the Pokemon Center to their outside Cafe. "How did you find out?" Hunter asks.

"I met Viola's sister, Alexa," Jax says, a lady with light brown hair coming out next to him, waving, "hello there."

"Hi," Saylor smiles after taking her white hat off Chespin, who was being blinded by it and couldn't eat its green Pokepuff. "I was told that you are Axel," she points at the whining boy, then the stern one, "you're Hunter, and lastly, Saylor."

"That's us!" Axel beams politely. Alexa smiles back, "very nice to meet you all. I was told that the two of you were battling the gym, is that correct?"

"It sure is!" Axel replies, being his loud self as Hunter gives a firm nod. "I'm terribly sorry about my sister. Once that girl sees a Pokemon, a picture must be taken."

"No, it's quite fine," Saylor shakes her head before getting a confused look from Alexa. "Might I ask why you aren't challenging Viola?"

"Oh, well, you see... I don't really think Pokemon battles are my thing," she scratches her cheek, "but my mom wants me to become a Pokemon Groomer, which I don't." Alexa rests her fingers on her chin before smiling, "I think I have an idea of what you could do."

"And what's that?" Jax asks as if he were the one given the idea. Alexa digs into her waist bag, like Jax's, and pulls out a notebook. Flipping through a few pages, she sits across from the female and next to Hunter. Saylor takes the book and reads through her writing. "Kalos Queen Aria has announced her excitement of seeing the new Performers this year. She questions if her title will be taken, or will she be the Kalos Queen three years in a row?"

"Kalos Queen?" Hunter repeats, all four of them looking at Alexa for further explanation. "The Kalos Queen is a professional Pokemon Performer that has collected three Princess Keys, which allow you into the Master Class. The Master Class determines the Kalos Queen. This event is to show the beauty of the Kalos region and get Pokemon and their trainers closer together by dancing while making an elegant performance. The more votes, the more chance you have of winning the Princess Key."

"That sounds awesome!" Axel exclaims, looking at Saylor for her reaction. "How do I get in?"

"To be able to become a Performer is simple; being a female, and going to the Showcase where it will be held, then tell the front desk that you'd like to register. They'll give you a key that you wear on your outfit for the votes, and a Princess Key chain to collect."

"What do you think?" Jax asked, leaning his body on one arm while the other was on the back of his chair. "I..." Saylor was about to admit, but then a loud ring came from Alexa's pocket. Her face was flushed with red as she slowly sweatdrops, "I'm sorry!" She shouts before quickly taking the call. "Oh, Viola! It's about time!" Silence before another nod, "alright. We'll be right there."

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"Sorry it took longer than expected!" Viola apologized as she approaches into the lobby of the gym, the four trainers looking at the large pictures on the walls. "It's no worries," Axel smiles at her, meeting with the other three friends of his. Alexa stands next to the smaller female, "everyone, this is my younger sister, Viola, the gym leader here of the Santalune City gym."

Saylor smiles at her, earning a nod. "Alright then, who would like to go first?" Axel was about to explode, but before he could speak, Hunter stepped forward, "if you don't mind, I'd like to." Viola nods, "a bit brave, I see? We'll just make it more difficult then." Hunter shook his head, "I'll be the judge of that."

"He used to be so dark and silent," Saylor whispers to Jax over Axel's hunched over, upset, body. "He probably still is," he replies, both softly giggling as they headed to the battlefield.

The two trainers took their spots and the others stood behind the outline of the field. "Hunter did a little bit of training while we were at the Pokemon Center," Saylor recalls, setting Chespin on the outline, making it get a good view. "Then he came back before I announced the news of Viola, and before meeting Alexa," Jax adds, earning a nod. "I wonder if he caught a new Pokemon," Axel said, setting his elbows on the outline as his head was held up by them; he was acting just like a little kid. "That's a good theory," Jax nods.

"Surskit, let's go!" Viola summons first, a little blue spider with four thin legs pops out. "Wow, coolio," Axel's eyes sparkle. "Surskit, the Pond Skater Pokémon. Surskit can walk on water as if it was skating. It attracts prey with a sweet aroma it produces."

"You were right, Surskit is one of her Pokemon," Saylor looks at Jax. "You act like I was lying about it," he jokes, causing her to laugh softly. "Alright... Then let's use..." Hunter pulls out two Poke Balls, making them curious; what was his new Pokemon? "Let's show them what we got, Pikachu!" A cute little yellow mouse popped out, waving to Chespin, who happily waved back. "Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pichu. Pikachu can help other Pikachu who are feeling weak by sharing its electric current," Jax's Poke Dex read off.

"Cute," Saylor compliments, setting her hands on both sides of Chespin, who plopped down happily. "Chespin pin pin!" It looked up at Saylor as if it were telling her it was excited. "Surskit, start it off with Sticky Web!"

"Pikachu, dodge it with Quick Attack!" Pikachu ran past Surskit's balls of cobwebs, then pouncing in the air quickly and hitting it down into the dust. "Surskit!" Viola called out after the dirty air cleared, seeing the Surskit was damaged, but not terribly. "Now, Surskit, use Ice Beam!" A ray of frozen water charged at Pikachu, who flattened itself against the field. "That wasn't too smart," Axel sweat drops, "Surskit can just move the attack downwards."

"Pikachu, lift your tail up quickly and use Thunder Shock!" Pikachu nods, lifting the bottom half of its body into the attack, screeching in pain but then cried its name, the attack flying towards Surskit. Surskit sweat drops in fear, and before it could move, the attack had hit it. Being a Water and Bug-type against an Electric-type move was terrible, meaning Surskit had fainted. "Surskit, return. Get a good rest, you were great."

"That was quick..." Saylor breathed, looking at Hunter's Pikachu, who had ice stuck onto its tail, making it heavy. "Surskit is a Bug and Water-type, right? That means Pikachu had the advantage by a long shot," Axel realizes. Chespin gives a worried, must've been to see if Pikachu was okay, look to Saylor, who gave it a rub on its head. "Vivillon!" Viola summoned her last Pokemon, a big pink butterfly flying out.

Axel scanned it once it had stopped flying around the gym; "Vivillon, the Scale Pokémon. Vivillon are skillfully able to find a source of water. It has been said that you'll find a spring if you follow a Vivillon."

"Vivillon is the fully evolved form of Scatterbug, so it's stronger than Surskit," Alexa crossed her arms over her chest. Jax nods, looking at Saylor, "when I battled Vivillon, it put up a good battle."

Axel recalls, "it blew Charmander away but Helioptile was fast enough to defeat it." Jax nods once more before gazing at the roof of the building; the night was falling. "Wow, time flies..."

Saylor and Axel looked up too, shocked. Alexa softly giggled at their reactions, "it happens when you have fun." The teens glanced at one another before laughing softly. "Vivillon is unable to battle! That means the winner is Hunter and Fennekin!"

"Huh?!" The three new Pokemon trainers exclaimed, looking back at the battle quickly. "That was quick again!" Axel says, shaking in shock. "We weren't paying attention..." Jax nervously smiles, rubbing the back of his head. Viola hands Hunter his first badge, making him the second receiver of the group. "How about we battle tomorrow? My Pokemon need a good rest, and it'll give you more time to train," Viola suggests, looking at Axel. "That sounds like a perfect idea!" Viola nods as she waves them off with Alexa, who offered to come to the Pokemon Center in the morning. Axel sighed, "I'm exhausted..." Hunter glared at him, "you haven't done anything today." Axel chuckled, his hands behind his head now.

"Hey, how about a battle once we get to the Pokemon Center?" Jax suggests, "Hunter and Axel, and then Saylor and I. We'll all be getting experience from it." Hunter huffs, glancing at Saylor, "if she even wants to battle."

Saylor quickly replies, "of course I do! I'll battle you, yeah."