"Alright, that should do it!" I said and hit "send form" on my phone. Moments later I got an email back, informing me that I had successfully entered into the Kanto Pokémon League.

"I've signed up!" I chimed and got up from the park bench I'd been sitting on. Roark and Guzma had been checking out the wild Pokémon on the route back to Viridian City. The two of them looked up as I walked back over to them.

My Squirtle, who had been sitting on the bench next to me, dangling and kicking his little feet as he waited, now jumped off and followed me happily. I looked down at him and smiled. "Oh, so energetic! How adorable," I told him. "Squirtle!" he cried back at me in response.

"So, what do you want to do?" Roark asked me. "Well, I think I ought to grind a little, Squirtle's level is not quite as high as I'd like it to be yet. Plus, I want to check out the Pokémon here! I bet we can find some cool mons."

Guzma snickered. "Yeah, Rattata and Pidgey, very cool." I laughed. "Hey, Rattata are super cute and Pidgeot is a force to be reckoned with! Never underestimate a Pokémon."

Roark laughed along. "I definitely underestimated you and your Magikarp back then." I chuckled, thinking back of when my gigantic and powerful Gyarados was just a guppy. "Oh yeah, I remember. We still lost to you, though, quite a few times if I recall correctly."

A few years ago I had looked upon Roark's then Cranidos, which had headbutted all my Pokémon unconcious but one. I was frozen in shock and bit my lip, completely outmatched by the rock type gymleader. Turtwig, Starly, Zubat, Shinx... Each and every one had been beaten down by the insanely fast and strong Cranidos.

"Magikarp!" I could not give up. No matter what, I would keep fighting, keep trying. I sent out my very last Pokémon, my Magikarp. Roark, standing on the opposite side of the battlefield, furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why does she keep this up..?" he muttered to himself, "A Magikarp, are you kidding me?"

"Headbutt."

Tears filled my eyes as Magikarp fainted. I called my last Pokémon back too. I turned around, and without saying a thing I ran away to the Pokémon Centre.

We had dominated the first part of the fight, taking out both Roark's Geodude and Onix with ease, so for his last Pokémon to completely overwhelm us was crushing.

Once I got my Pokémon healed, I took a moment to breathe. I knew that we could do it, I believed wholeheartedly in my team. Even though I had just endured the most terrible of defeats, I narrowed my eyes in determination.

"Let's go again."

I returned to the gym. "I'm back!" I called out to Roark. "Already?" The Gymleader looked a tad surprised, evidently he wasn't expecting me back so soon. "What, you thought I would've given up already?" I grinned. "Not a chance. I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

For the third time that day I entered the Pokémon Centre to heal all of my Pokémon. Fainted, all of them. Once again by Roark's hand. I had tried everything, from potions to strategically switching up my line up, but nothing worked. I clenched my hands to fists and narrowed my eyes as Nurse Joy healed up my Pokémon. I muttered a "thank you" when she gave them back to me, and with a determined look on my face I walked right back to the Gym.

Roark seemed beyond surprised to see me again. "Haven't you had enough?" the Gymleader asked. "Can't you see that it's pointless?" I shook my head and looked him in the eye. "Once more," I told him. "Please, just one more time."

Roark, taken aback by the serious, determined look on my face, hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Once more." 

Turtwig and I took the first two Pokémon down easily, like before, but only when Cranidos came into play did the real battle start. "Use headbutt!" Roark called, and Cranidos did. "Absorb!" I commanded, and Turtwig absorbed his foe's energy, taking it for himself and restoring his health. "Headbutt, again!"

I gave Turtwig a potion, and restored his health almost completely. "Okay, use absorb again!" I commanded, and Turtwig did.

Almost there... I realised, biting my lip in anticipation and anxiety. "Razor leaf!" Turtwig followed my command and let out a loud cry.

With the same fierceness as his trainer, Turtwig attacked, and landed a critical hit.

My eyes widened in disbelief as Cranidos fell over, and fainted, but then I grinned widely and with a "YES!! We did it!!" I hugged my little Turtwig, extremely happy.

Roark chuckled as he watched the two of us. "That was a great match. Well done, trainer." I grinned up at him. "You are an awesome Pokémon trainer!" I exclaimed and he chuckled. "That determination of yours will carry you far. Here, you have definitely earned this," he said, and handed me my very first Badge. The Coal Badge.

That was the first time Roark and I met. We kept in contact as I gathered more badges and after I had challenged and defeated Byron, his father, he had joined me on my journey and we had fought and defeated Team Galactic together. It was strange to think it was so many years ago, I remember it like it was yesterday. 

"I can hardly believe you didn't think to just grind a little more then," Roark laughed, and I did too. "Right, a few extra levels would've probably won me the fight. But it was a lot more fun like that, I think. More suspenseful." Guzma snickered. "Right, just wait for the crit and you'll eventually win." I laughed. "Joke's on you, I didn't even know what crits exactly were and did back then, so I really was just running on anime protagonist plot armour." 

We all laughed as we resumed our walk. "I'm serious though," I said, "I do enjoy me a difficult fight, I love strategising and using my team optimally." Squirtle, who was jogging by my legs, cried out his name, seemingly agreeing with me. "Though of course Torterra and I love dominating every fight in our way too," I added with a chuckle. "But unga bunga beat downs get pretty boring after a while." Guzma snorted and Roark chuckled. "True. Oh, hullo, look who's there!" 

I looked up to see Professor Oak's grandchild, Blue, striding up to us. "Saskia!" he called out and I glanced up at Roark before back at the child. "Battle me! I want a rematch!" I chuckled softly. "Actually, I was going to look around the tall grass for some new Pokémon, maybe later, alright?" 

But Blue wouldn't take "no" for an answer. "I won't let you through unless you battle me!" he yelled. Guzma crossed his arms in annoyance. "Listen here, you little brat," be began, but I shook my head. "Fine then," I told the child, and sent Squirtle out for battle. 

"Bring it on!"