We all rest for about an hour or so until we begin walking away from the foot of Mt. Chimney. Steven happily pets Skarmory while humming a fancy tune.

“What song is that?” I ask.

He stops his sweet melody, flashing me a smile. “It’s Le Clair, one of my favorite classical pieces. I used to play the piano back in the day.”

“The piano does sound like a rich people instrument,” I comment.

This makes Steven chuckle as he changes the topic.

“Since you have your first Pokemon now, why don’t you and Blaze-Blaze have a battle?”

Blaze and I both glance at each other. Then we look nervously at Steven and Skarmory. The silver pair only smile at us, oblivious to what we’re thinking.

“Uh we’re okay. I don’t want Skarmory crushing Blaze,” I say. 

Blaze chirps in agreement as he snuggles closer to me. I see Skarmory cackling his metallic laughter which slightly offends me. 

I know they’re strong, but Skarmory could be more humble about it.

Steven’s eyes widen from hearing my answer.

“May, I meant that you two should partake in a battle with someone nearby. There are trainers who like to train near Mt. Chimney,” he clarifies.

I sigh in relief while Blaze relaxes in my arms. I’m just glad I won’t be losing in my first Pokemon battle.

“Oh we can definitely do that,” I reply.

“Excellent,” Steven says. 

He starts jogging ahead, forcing Skarmory and me to catch up. It isn’t long until we see a small group of trainers lounging around in some wild grass. The group stops talking when they see us approaching.

A young guy wearing a blue hat comes over to greet us.

“Hi,” he says. “Are you guys trying to look for some Machoke too?”

“No,” Steven answers. He gestures toward me with one hand as he continues speaking. 

“I was hoping that perhaps one of you is willing to battle the lovely May. She has just obtained her first Pokemon. It will be a very valuable experience for them.”

The other members of the group talk more to themselves while the guy in front of us studies Blaze and me. He gives me a thumbs up.

“I’d be more than happy to be your first opponent, May,” he says. “I’m Jackal.”

“It’s nice to meet you Jackal,” I reply. “Don’t hold back just because it’s my first battle. Blaze is pretty strong.”

Jackal reaches into his pocket, pulling out a blue Pokeball. He smirks as he backs away to give us some distance. Steven, Skarmory, and Jackal’s friends also give us space.

“I like that confidence of yours. Our champion can also be very cocky,” Jackal comments.

He swings his arm back before throwing the ball out. “Come on out Mayu!”

A white light flashes in front of us as it reveals Jackal’s Pokemon. I see a cute yet fierce Pokemon with large teeth behind it. Mayu seems to be a little bigger than Blaze, but there’s no denying it radiates with power.

Blaze jumps from my arms immediately. He cries out in excitement, itching for battle. Mayu also shrieks as the mouth attached to its head opens up.

“I’ve never seen a Pokemon like yours before,” I note. “What Pokemon is it?”

“Mayu is a Mawile,” Jackal says. “She’s also my first Pokemon partner. We started traveling together a few years ago.”

“It’s nice to meet you Mayu. This is my partner Blaze.”

Both Pokemon cry out in acknowledgement. Jackal fondly looks at Mayu before settling with a serious expression.

“Alright May,” Jackal starts. “The rules are simple. Whichever Pokemon can’t fight anymore or if they get knocked out loses. The Pokemon trainer of the losing team usually has to pay the winner some money. It’s how Pokemon trainers make money in this world. Are you ready?”

I just nod while I lean down slightly in anticipation.

“Okay. Good luck to you May,” Jackal says. He points directly at Blaze.

“Mayu! Feint Attack!”

Mayu dashes over to Blaze, and I’m immediately shocked by how fast she is.

“Blaze! Jump up and try to dodge it!” I yell.

Blaze tries to do exactly what I say, but Mayu jumps up and still smacks Blaze with the mouth on its back. This sends Blaze flying to some patches of wild grass.

“Blaze! Oh my Arceus!” I exclaim. 

Steven comes rushing to my side. “May! Do you not know what moves Blaze can use?”

I grit my teeth. “No! Ugh I should have looked into that first. I don’t have a Pokedex.”

My silver-haired friend reaches into his bag to get his Pokedex out. The screen on his device toggles a few times while it scans Blaze who is now trying to stand up. I quickly memorize the information and then smile at him.

“Thank you. I got it Steven.”

Steven smiles back at me before jogging back to his previous spot. Blaze returns to my side. Jackal looks at me with concern while Mayu gets ready for her next move.

“Are you two good? You don’t have to battle us. I’ve been a trainer for a while now. You just barely started on your journey,” Jackal says.

“It’s okay. We’re fine. Let’s keep going,” I state.

Jackal nods. “Mayu! Feint attack!”

Mayu runs over toward Blaze again.

I bite the inside of my mouth while Blaze glances at me warily. I read once that it is very difficult to dodge Feint Attack. There are some moves which hit your opponent almost every single time.

So if Blaze can’t dodge it, we’ll just have to confront the attack head on.

I analyze Mayu once more. Maybe attacking the mouth on her body would be best.

Mayu leaps up in the air before shooting toward Blaze. The large mouth on her back gets ready to strike once more.

“Blaze! Use Sand Attack and run to the right!”

Blaze did exactly what I said. I smile when I see that the attack worked. Mayu has sand in her eyes and is now stumbling on the ground.

“Blaze! Flame Charge!”

A coat of fire surrounds Blaze’s entire body. Blaze proceeds to try and slam into Mayu himself.

“Fairy Wind! Max power!” Jackal orders.

Before Blaze could even hit Mayu, pink light comes out of the big mouth on Mayu’s head. A strong gust of wind also follows suit which knocks Blaze and me down to the ground.

“May!” I hear Steven call. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah! I’m fine!” I quickly stand up as fast as possible. I look to my right and Blaze trying to stand up to.

Mayu lets out a scream as I see her eyes finally opening. She probably got all the sand out now. I smirk when I see Blaze raring to go for another round.

“Mayu! Fairy Wind!”

Mayu blasts the same pink light and gushes of wind directly toward Blaze. I point directly at the mouth on her back.

“Blaze! Quick Attack! As fast as you can!”

I guess Blaze realizes where I’m gesturing to because he quickly nods at me. He runs toward the Fairy Wind light before flanking in a zig-zag direction in order to avoid the attack. Blaze is now only a few feet away from coming in direct contact with the mouth.

Jackal must have noticed what I’m trying to do because he looks at Mayu knowingly. He cockily smiles as he adjusts his hat.

“Mayu! Vice grip!”

This makes the mouth from Mayu’s head reach up, capturing Blaze in its sharp hold. The mouth only ensnares Blaze’s legs since he tried to jump up. Blaze cries out in pain as Mayu’s big mouth closes more.

“You should give up now,” Jackal says. “Your Pokemon will only get hurt at this point. No one can escape from Mayu’s grip.”

“I was hoping this would happen,” I comment.

“What? Blaze is trapped! You wanted Blaze to get caught!?”

I laugh while pointing at Mayu. “Blaze! Use ember and shoot it directly in her mouth!”

Blaze chirps and then releases a beam of fire. He aims it correctly as ordered. Mayu immediately releases Blaze from her hold as she stumbles back from the searing flames.

“Let’s finish this Blaze! Flame Charge!”

More layers of heat cover Blaze’s body, and he tackles Mayu head on. This hurls Mayu’s body hundreds of feet away. When the fires on Mayu finally disappear, she lays slumped on the dirt with both of her eyes closed.

“Mayu!” Jackal calls out. He runs to his Pokemon’s side. Jackal places Mayu’s head on his lap and starts to stroke her face gently.

Blaze jumps up and down, knowing he won the battle. I make my way to my fiery partner so that I can hug him tightly.

“We did it Blaze! You’re so strong!” I praise. 

Blaze happily chirps as he nuzzles his head into my neck. Steven and the others join us.

“That was quite the battle,” Steven comments. “Even though this is May and Blaze’s first victory, both of you still performed beautifully.”

Jackal stands up while carrying Mayu in his arms. A few tears slip from his eyes before he wipes them away.

“Congratulations May and Blaze,” Jackal says softly. “You’re very strong. For a novice trainer.”

He reaches into his pocket so that he can give me a couple of Poke Dollars. I look at the money sadly while Blaze stares at me in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” Jackal asks. “You earned it.”

I pet Mayu’s head. “I hope Mayu wakes up soon and feels better. I’m sorry.”

Jackal only smiles, planting a kiss on Mayu’s head. “You’re really nice, aren’t you? It’s alright May. She will wake up after getting some rest. We’ve been through some nasty battles before. Please take the money. You can use it to buy a treat for Blaze. He’s one tough Pokemon.”

I sigh and finally accept the money. “Okay. Thank you for being my first opponent Jackal. I wish you and Mayu luck on your journey.”

“Thanks May. I wish the same for you and Blaze. I’m going to join my friends now, but you guys take care!” 

Jackal gives us one last wave and then runs back to his group.

“That was remarkable May!” Steven says ecstatically. “I’m amazed at how you two tured the tides. It seemed as if your opponents had the advantage the whole time.”

“They did,” I say. “Mayu is pretty powerful. But even though the mouth on her back is strong, I figured it also had to be her weak spot. I’m sure there are other Mawile who are much stronger than her. This tactic probably won’t work on them.”

“You have a good eye May,” Steven says. “What would you like to do now? I still need to get the Ampharosite from Professor Birch.”

I giggle nervously when I think about my mom. She’s probably really angry right now since I haven’t come home yet.

“Steven, we should go back to Littleroot,” I say. “My mom is really worried about me. And probably angry as heck. I’m gonna get grounded.”

Steven laughs as he squeezes my shoulder. “You’ll be alright May. I will also explain the situation to her. I’m sure her anger will quell once she sees Blaze.”

“I love how positive you are,” I say. This makes Steven blush as he grins. He turns to Skarmory.

“Skarmory! Set a course for Littleroot!”

Thanks for reading Red Silver Hearts!

Let me know what you think about the story in the comments down below.

Disclaimer: The image above is only used to help the reader visualize what the chapter is about.

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