The day had gone by rather swiftly for Seth. As he stood before the Coumarine Gym, his team carefully selected for the upcoming match, the conversation he had with Allie replayed in his mind. He had told her that he would do his best to make the day fun tomorrow, and with a little help from a certain fashionable canine, he was able to reserve a table at one of Allie's favorite spots in all of Coumarine. With the rest of the planning and a little advice from his sister as well, he could now focus on the task at hand: overcoming Ramos. 

"You ready?" Serena asked from his left. "It's going to be a tough..."

"I think I'm prepared... the three I've selected for this match should be able to hang in there," Seth said confidently, going through the order of placement in his mind as he looked up at the gym. 

It wasn't a structure like the rest of the gyms of Kalos. In fact, the gym itself was located within what was known as the Pledging Tree. This meant that they would all need to ascend the tree in order to reach the battlefield sitting at the top. 

"You're more than prepared, Seth. If you've selected who I think you have, you will be fine," Allie reassured him, earning a smile from the brunette. 

"Good to know I have your support... I mean it. Thank you," Seth replied as he turned to the rest of the group. "Now, let's go get ourselves another badge!" 

Jacqueline stepped through the doors of Team Flare's hideout in Lumiose City and heaved a sigh. Anxious thoughts raced through her mind as she recalled the previous day's events. With the recent news she'd learned about Seth, it was imperative that she informed her colleagues about it. Someone who was already considered trouble just graduated from an annoyance to a disaster level threat just with the mere mention of the Chevalier's name. Walking through the corridors of the bustling base, she finally made it to her sector where she was due for some training. 

Upon entering, she was greeted by the sight of Charles knocking Derrick in the back of the head with the hilt of his rapier, flooring him. Derrick rubbed his head and slowly pushed himself up and sat down with a grunt. 

"Damn, you always seem to hit that same spot every time!" Derrick grumbled. 

"It's not my fault you always leave yourself open like that. You cause yourself more pain by not thinking at least a step or two ahead of your opponent," Charles replied as he removed his helm, turning as he heard the doors opening. "Ah, there you are Jacqueline. I received your message the other day about having important news for me..." 

Jacqueline adjusted the settings on her gauntlets while she was addressed and then nodded at the mention of her message to him the previous day. 

"Indeed I do. It's about that guy, Seth. You know, the one who handed my ass to me, in the most frustratingly beautiful way possible mind you, and is on the target list? well... strap yourselves in because there's even more reason to be wary of him now..." Jacqueline said with a grin as she prepared to begin her drill with Charles. 

"And what might that reason be?" Charles inquired curiously. 

"Well, the thing is..." 

The inside of the Coumarine Gym was as beautiful as Seth had envisioned it to be. Mathilde had spoke of being there as a little girl when Ramos had just began tending to it as a garden. He'd always wondered what it looked like on the inside and now that he was there, he wasn't disappointed in the least. The energy of nature flowed all around him, opening his senses to complete awareness of its presence. Something about this place made him feel right at home. Whether it was the elaborately made gardens filled with shrubs and flowers of all varieties, or the many Grass-types that called this tree home, Seth had a feeling that this place would serve as a true test of how far he'd come as this was indeed the halfway point in his journey. 

"Quite the sight, don't you agree?" came the voice of an elderly man, drawing the attention of the group of young trainers. 

Standing off to the side was an elderly gentleman wearing a primarily green gardener's outfit with overalls, holding a pair of gardening sheers that he used to steady himself as he walked. The old man made his way over to the trainers and looked up at them, his eyes lighting up in recognition of the princess. 

"Good day, Princess. It's been a while since you've last visited here, hasn't it?" he said with a bright smile. 

"Good day to you too, Ramos. It has been far too long since I've come here. With the recent events that have passed, well... I'm sure you've heard," Allie replied politely. 

Glancing over at Seth, who stood next to Allie, he stroked his chin as he analyzed him. Returning his gaze to Allie he said, "I assume this fine young whippersnapper is one of your suitors?"

Allie and Seth exchanged glances at that remark, the others doing their best not to laugh as well. Clearing her throat, Allie replied, "he is, in fact on the list of those competing for my hand. I'm here with him to evaluate his progress and... get to know him a little better. Something I should have endeavored to do from the start," she said quietly. 

Ramos smiled faintly at her response. He had known this stubborn young woman from when she was a little girl, and to hear such a mature statement from her now, was something that warmed his heart greatly. 

"Well, I can assure you that your time won't be wasted in getting to know this one," Ramos replied reassuringly. "As far as I can see, he's worth getting to know," he finished, not blind to the fact that Cerise was strapped to his back as if she were a regular sword. 

Allie smiled softly. Ramos always was very insightful, and nothing ever seemed to slip by the old geezer. She wasn't sure how she felt about him being able to read people so well, but she knew there wasn't much she could do about it. The warm greetings continued as everyone introduced themselves and explained their reason for their being at his gym, reasons that were obvious by the looks in their eyes upon entering. It was obvious to everyone, however, who would go first. 

Seth and Ramos locked eyes knowingly, both eager to begin what was sure to be a heart-pounding battle. After calling over the referee, everyone took their places on the sidelines while Seth and Ramos stepped into their trainer boxes. 

"I have to say... I like what you've done here. I don't know what it is about this place, but I feel energized just standing here," Seth said as he felt a rush of energy race through his body, fueling his desire to battle even more. 

"There's nothing like it, young man. It's that same feeling that puts life back into these old bones," Ramos replied with a laugh. "Nature lives and breathes like the rest of us, and we would do well to take care of it. And speaking of which, why don't you show me just how well you've taken care of what nature's given you..."

At this, Seth grinned. Indeed nature had been kind to him over the time he'd spent thus far in his journey. The teammates he'd acquired were a testament to that. Now it was time for him to show the fruits of his labor, and what better way to do that, than with his first choice. 

"This is an official gym battle between Ramos, the Coumarine City Gym Leader, and Seth Da Silva, the challenger. This will be a three on three match-up! Only the challenger will be able to switch Pokémon. Seth will also have the honor of the first move of the match! trainers, send out your first Pokémon!"

"Jumpluff, come on out!" Ramos hollered, tossing his first choice upward and releasing the Cottonweed Pokémon into the air. 

The round, blue, beady-eyed Grass-type floated aloft the battlefield, anticipation in his eyes as he waited for the appearance of his opposition. Seth reached down to his belt and carefully selected the teammate that he had chosen to match the current adversary. Expanding the ball, he launched it with a shout. 

"Tyrunt, let's go!" 

The little rock dragon roared out of his spherical home, landing on the battlefield with a heavy thud. It was finally time for him to battle. After the lengthy amount of time Seth had spent drilling him and training him to handle various scenarios, as well as helping him learn to keep his overenthusiastic self in check, Tyrunt was now ready to make his battling debut. 

"You may begin!" the referee called out with a wave of his hand.

"Okay Tyrunt, let's show everyone how much you've learned in your training! Stone Edge!" Seth commanded fiercely. 

"Starting off lively eh? Jumpluff, take off and use Sunny Day!" Ramos countered. 

Tyrunt roared ferociously and leaped high into the air before slamming down on the ground with both feet, shaking the ground with the force as massive, jagged stones erupted from the ground in attempts to wound the flying ball of blue cotton who was now quickly ascending to avoid the deadly attack. Seconds later, the sun's rays pierced through the treetop and illuminated the battlefield while imbuing Jumpluff with renewed vigor. In a matter of seconds, Jumpluff rocketed downward, golden orbs forming around his cotton balls as he shot toward Tyrunt. 

The explosive spheres were launched straight at Tyrunt in an unrelenting barrage, an assault that was barely thwarted by swiftly conjured Ancient Power which tore through the attack, detonating the assault before it could do any harm. Seth swallowed the lump in his throat and willed himself to remain at ease. He had expected Jumpluff to be fast, but this was going to be trickier than he originally thought. 

"Acrobatics!" Ramos commanded, keeping Seth on his toes with the pure speed that Jumpluff possessed. 

The Cottonweed Pokémon hammered into Tyrunt, forcing him back with blow after blow before soaring off and coming around for another assault. With a snarl and a roar, Tyrunt rounded on Jumpluff and powered up his jaws as Jumpluff neared. 

"Bring him down with Ice Fang!" Seth roared. 

As Jumpluff closed in, Tyrunt utilized his powerful legs and launched himself at Jumpluff as he came within striking range. As Jumpluff began to twist to avoid the strike, Tyrunt's teeth caught onto its left cotton puff with his powerful jaws and clamped down hard. Jumpluff cried out in desperation and pain as the weight of the dragon suddenly dragged him to the ground. The icy cold energy that powered the bite caused Jumpluff to writhe and thrash about, trying as hard as he could to shake Tyrunt off, but as he would soon learn, once Tyrunt had a hold on something, he wouldn't let go that easily. 

It wasn't long before the ice completely encased Jumpluff, putting him out of the fight completely. 

"Jumpluff is unable to battle! Tyrunt wins the round!" the referee called out as his hand went up. 

"Way to go Tyrunt!" Shauna cheered excitedly. 

"To be honest, I half expected him to start with Pyroar," Serena said with a slight chuckle. "But that's so like Seth, always full of surprises." 

"So it would seem," Allie replied, a slight laugh escaping her lips as she found herself in agreement with Serena. "I half expected that as well, Serena. But it looks like we were both surprised. Makes me wonder what else he'll do."

"Trust me princess, you don't know the half of it," Serena said with a nervous laugh, remembering the spars that Seth had with his Pokémon. 

Seth breathed a sigh of relief as Ramos recalled Jumpluff to his ball. Getting rid of a speedy threat like Jumpluff was a necessity and now that it was done, he could focus on whatever Ramos had next in line. 

"You sure handled yourself well out there. Not many are able to stay cool under pressure when it comes to being outdone in the speed department. But seeing as how that didn't faze you, I can say with confidence that I can afford to be a lot more serious from this point forward," Ramos stated with a stern expression as he cocked back his hand to release Tyrunt's next foe. "Victreebel, come out!" 

The bell-shaped Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield with a piercing screech that sounded worse than nails on a chalkboard. His piercing eyes stared directly at Tyrunt as though they were seeing through to his very soul itself. Seth knew from the instant Ramos mentioned Victreebel's name, that he would need to be careful. 

"Leaf Blade!" 

Victreebel shrieked as he extended his razor sharp leaves before charging full throttle at Tyrunt. Due to the effects of the sun still being in play, Tyrunt was not at all prepared for the speed that Victreebel possessed as the plant closed the distance unspeakably quick. With little time to react, Tyrunt was broadsided only to be slashed again from behind as Victreebel got around in back of him. Tyrunt was sent tumbling end over end after being dealt two very heavey blows. 

"Slow it down with Rock Tomb!" Seth called out fiercely.

With an annoyed snarl, he stood back up and stomped the ground hard, launching a barrage of massive boulders at his adversary. Victreebel shot forward and easily weaved around the onslaught of stones that were flung in his direction, slicing through a few on occasion before whipping his vines out at Tyrunt. Seeing his chance, Tyrunt opened his maw and clamped down on the vines with crushing force, getting a screech of pain from the Flycatcher Pokémon. 

"Now, Fire Fang!" Seth shouted hastily. 

"Don't let him do it! Power Whip!" 

Tyrunt ignited his fangs with intense flames which shot down the vines of Victreebel right as he received several harsh lashings on his head from thick, heavy vines that shot towards him. As the flames scorched Victreebel's body, Tyrunt fell to the ground with a loud thud, his jaws still clamped to the vines despite the fact that he'd been knocked out. 

"Tyrunt is unable to battle! Victreebel wins the round!" announced the ref as his hand went up. 

Victreebel gave a relieved sigh as Tyrunt was retracted to his ball, allowing him to recover from the wound he'd been dealt. 

"That Tyrunt was really feisty. I was surprised he was able to get the jump on me like that. You really trained him well," Ramos commented. 

"He still has a lot to learn, but I'm satisfied with his growth for now," Seth replied with a smile. "And since he's done most of the work for me, it won't take much to take Victreebel out of the picture," Seth added with a smirk as he reached for his next teammate. 

Ramos knitted his brows at Seth's remark. It didn't take long for him to figure out what Seth had meant. Victreebel had been injured quite a bit and if that wasn't enough, he was also burned. 

"Let's continue. Vespisol, en garde!" Seth bellowed, firing the Soldier Bee Pokémon into the skies. 

Vespisol burst forth with a mighty battle cry, the wind picking up viciously after flexing his power upon release. Now here was something that Ramos had never seen. The coloration was likened to that of the Combee line, giving him the impression that the two were linked somehow. 

"Now that is something! I've never seen anything like it as long as I've been alive. Tell me, Seth, where did you find it?" Ramos inquired, curiosity lingering in his eyes as he admired Vespisol as it fluttered in place. 

"To put it simply, he came as a bit of a surprise to me. You see... I caught him as a Combee," Seth finished, confirming Ramos' suspicions. 

"I thought as much. There is only one Pokémon with that pattern on its body. Still... to think that male Combee have the ability to evolve. I was always under the impression that they never could," Ramos laughed. "Well, let's see what he's made of shall we!? Sludge Bomb!"

"Mega Punch!" Seth boomed. 

Victreebel opened his mouth wide and regurgitated several balls of highly toxic sludge towards his airborne opponent. Vespisol dove towards the barrage and weaved between the sludge balls on the way down, his fists encased in wind as he shot towards his intended target. Vespisol delivered a swift one-two punch to Victreebel's body, each blow as heavy as the last which sent him skidding along the ground while crying out in pain. 

Ramos almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was days like this that made him feel blessed to have lived as long as he has. New experiences were something he cherished, and this young man provided him with another in his lifetime. Needless to say, it fueled his fighting spirit filling him with even more vigor than before. 

"I haven't felt this alive in a battle in a long time! Victreebel, we may be down but we're not out yet! fight back with Poison Jab!" 

"Double Edge!" Seth belted out, aiming to finish the round. 

A bright azure glow surrounded Vespisol as his battle cry filled the air. Wind blew around him like a tempest as he bolted forth with both fists in front of him towards the swiftly closing in Victreebel. The two collided with a bang, shaking the Pledging Tree with the force of the exchange. When all was visible, Victreebel was flat on the ground, motionless. Vespisol hovered over him and watched as he was returned. 

"That's about how I expected that exchange to turn out," Ramos chortled, placing Victreebel back onto his belt after thanking him for the effort he put into the fight. "You're definitely as strong as I suspected you to be, Seth. You train your team with compassion and it shows. I can see why Allie has her eyes on you," Ramos stated as he reached for his final teammate. 

Everyone looked at Allie and Seth. By that time, she was already looking away, doing her best to hide the blush from rushing to her face. It was as if people lived to embarrass her. Seth did his best to keep his head clear, despite the fact that he knew at least part of Ramos' statement could be considered true. 

"Is that what you think?" Seth asked, wondering what gave him the idea that Allie was actually interested in him. 

They may have started getting along, and he might be starting to like her a bit more, but he wasn't about to venture into that territory yet. 

"I may be old, young man, but I'm not blind. It's not hard to tell when things are as out in the open as this. After all, you are competing for her, are you not?" Ramos responded with a knowing smile. 

Seth didn't know how to respond to that. Considering he was in it for the help that the queen had offered him in exchange for entering the competition, he wasn't exactly there to find someone he was ready to settle down with. However... over the course of the past few days, he'd been introduced to a different side of the princess. One he didn't know existed, and it intrigued him. Oddly enough, now that he thought of it, it was because of her coaching that Vespisol even existed in the first place. They had accomplished something together aside from exchanging insults... something he wasn't sure would ever happen. 

"At any rate, we have a battle to finish, do we not?" Ramos said as he primed his last ball and gave it a toss. 

What came out was something he knew would cause him the most trouble. It was a Gogoat, and by the looks of things, this one was not the run-of-the-mill one either. A powerful presence radiated from him as if he knew that his victory was assured, regardless of the overwhelming advantage his enemy had. 

Alright... this is it. If I can just beat his Gogoat I'll win. But I have a feeling he's not going to go down that easily. The other two were tough, but from what I can gather... Seth paused, his eyes aglow as he assessed the power of the beast before him, I may be in over my head here...

Gogoat was in his element here. The surrounding trees and shrubbery were at his disposal while all Vespisol had was the wind at his command. 

"Grassy Terrain!" came Ramos' commanding shout, snapping Seth from his thoughts instantly. 

With a snort and a powerful stomp, power rushed through the entire tree, flooding the grass and shrubs around them and filling Gogoat with immense power while at the same time augmenting his defenses. If Seth thought he had his hands full before, he was really in for it now. 

"Mega Punch!" Seth commanded hastily. 

Vespisol shot towards Gogoat like a bolt of lightning, winding up before thrusting his fist into the grassy pelt of the beast, only to be met with firm resistance, barely moving Gogoat from where he stood. Gogoat shook off the blow and snorted, his horns glowing threateningly in preparation for retaliation. 

"Vine Whip and use Giga Drain!" 

Swifter than Vespisol had anticipated, vines shot out of Gogoat's pelt and latched onto him tightly. Struggling to loose the grip of the beast, Vespisol thrashed about only to be sapped of his strength as a blast of energy traveled up the vines and began draining his energy from his body. In a swift motion, Gogoat whipped his vines around and slammed Vespisol on the ground in front of him. Vespisol struggled to get back into the air. 

"Air Slash!" Seth retaliated. 

Vespisol carved through the air with his hand, sending a blast of sharp wind towards Gogoat, slashing across his reinforced coat, causing him to groan in pain and snarl up at the exhausted opposition. Irritated, he slammed his hoof on the ground and sent vines up from the ground to ensnare Vespisol, rooting him in place. 

"End it with Bounce!" Ramos commanded. 

"Break loose with Double Edge!" Seth countered. 

As Gogoat leaped high into the air and plummeted toward the ground with his hooves aimed to stomp Vespisol into the dirt, Vespisol mustered up the last bit of strength he had and blew apart the vines with the wind-powered Double Edge. Using the force from that, he propelled himself towards the descending Gogoat, colliding with him in mid air. A loud crash was heard as one of the bodies hit the ground and kicked up a cloud of dust that veiled the vision of those watching. Walking confidently out of the dust cloud was a relatively unharmed Gogoat which could only mean that Vespisol had not fared so well in that encounter. 

"Vespisol is unable to battle! Gogoat wins the round!" 

"That was..."

"Unexpected? I agree, Shauna. I thought for sure that Vespisol would have won that exchange. But it seems that Ramos planned for just about all of his weaknesses in this match," Trevor said as he observed the match. 

"I knew his last Pokémon was going to be powerful, but this is really something else," Tierno added. 

Allie glanced over at Seth who was returning Vespisol at the moment. She could tell that Vespisol's defeat was a crushing blow and that he probably was thinking he would have been able to win with it. He was down to his last teammate and she had a feeling she knew what he would do next. Seth reached down to his last sphere he'd chosen and primed it with a smile on his face. 

"You've done me proud since the day I caught you," Seth said as he set his eyes on the ball in front of him. "Now it's your turn to bring it home for us," he paused, giving Ramos a determined look as he launched the ball forward, shouting, "Pyroar, en garde!" 

In a blinding flash of light, Pyroar erupted from her chamber and landed in a crouching position, loosing a roar to herald her arrival. Her time had come, and she would not be denied the chance to make her trainer proud. 

"Well I'll be, so that's what you've been holding onto all this time! well we're ready for it! Let's show them what we're made of Gogoat, use Earthquake!" Ramos commanded. 

"Hyper Voice!" Seth riposted. 

Gogoat reared back and slammed his hooves into the ground, forcing Pyroar to jump to avoid what would ultimately be her undoing. A powerful blast of sound waves hammered into Gogoat, penetrating his ears with the intensity they carried and forcing him back several feet. Shaking his head vigorously, he regained his composure in time to see Pyroar lunging at him with her fangs crackling with fire. 

"Horn Leech!" Ramos countered. 

Gogoat planted his feet and swung his body weight into the strike, nailing Pyroar with his horns with brute force, sapping strength from her and sending her sprawling along the ground. Scrambling to her feet, she gave him a hissing roar, blowing small flames from her mouth out of aggravation. Her tail swished to and fro as she began to prowl towards Gogoat. 

"Flamethrower!" 

"Wild Charge!" Ramos commanded loudly. 

Pyroar gathered flames into her maw and blasted the air with a searing stream of fire that raged through the air towards Gogoat. Lowering his horns, Gogoat took off running, electricity gathering around his body as he rampaged toward Pyroar, pushing back the scorching flames as he charged. Gogoat slammed hard into Pyroar and sent her flying backward, landing on her feet and scraping her claws against the ground. Gogoat winced in pain after the impact and straightened up, ready to face Pyroar once more. 

There was no denying he'd been hurt. After sustaining a punch from Vespisol as well as an Air Slash and a Hyper Voice, he was a fool to think that he could continue to tango with this Pyroar without suffering severe consequences. However, this was a match, and he trusted his trainer just as Pyroar trusted hers. She had earned his respect, which meant she had the right to face him full force. 

"You've done well Seth. It's been a while since anyone's pushed us this hard. You've got heart, and I greatly appreciate you putting everything into this match. So to show you our appreciation, we're going to put our all into this attack! Gogoat, Giga Impact!" Ramos exclaimed. 

Gogoat began gathering immense amounts of energy into his body, lighting up his frame with spiraling oranges streaks before powering forward, his hooves hitting the ground hard and fast as he charged toward Pyroar. Pyroar stood her ground, knowing that this would her last stand as well and her defining moment. Planting her feet, she dug in her claws and waited.

"Fire Blast!" 

Pyroar opened her jaws and began gathering power. She could still feel the effects of the sun that were in play from the beginning of the battle, and allowed that to flow through her and fuel her attack. With a deafening roar, she let loose a heated stream of fire that forged itself into a five-pointed blast that cannoned into Gogoat as he was only several feet away, resulting in a cataclysmic explosion that rocked the arena. Everyone shielded their eyes as the smoke rose up from the tree, dying down eventually to reveal the result. The referee's hand went up swiftly. 

"Gogoat is unable to battle! Pyroar wins which means the victory goes to Seth Da Silva, the challenger!" 

"I see..." Charles said as Jacqueline finished her explanation about Seth's identity. "He was trained by the Chevalier. Most swordsmen would give anything to be acknowledged by that woman. How someone as lowly as he managed to become her pupil is beyond me."

"Be that as it may, you saw what he did to our comrades. He's not someone we can deal with easily," Claude remarked. 

"How infuriating!" Enzo fumed. "First he ranks above me on visitation. Then he beats me in battle and now this!? No. I won't stand for it!" 

"And just what do you plan to do about it newbie? you're not much of a match for Charles, so what makes you think you can take on someone like Seth?" Jacqueline inputted, earning a glare from Enzo. 

"Don't you dare put me in the same class as that pauper! I could destroy him with little effort thanks to this," Enzo replied with a devilish grin as he held up a gauntlet with a shining keystone in it. 

"Ah yes... I had almost forgotten you'd been given one as well," Charles said casually, placing his chin in his hand as he gave Enzo a quizzical look. "If I'm reading this right, you intend to go after him don't you?"

"Of course. Nothing would do me greater pleasure than to run him into the ground," Enzo spat. 

"Alright then. Go ahead and seek him out," Charles replied, giving his seal of approval on Enzo's wishes. 

Without so much as another word, Enzo stormed out of the training room. 

"You sure about this, Charles? that guy's not exactly in the same-"

"Let him go," Jacqueline interjected. "If he gets his ass kicked it'll be his own fault. Besides, Enzo might actually be able to put up a decent fight."

"What makes you say that?" Derrick asked with a raised brow. 

Jacqueline grinned. 

"Because, idiots... Seth doesn't have Mega Evolution..."