April gasped at the sudden intrusion. Head in the clouds? She knew a little something about that. Head turned sharply, and she was ready to chastise the newcomer for interrupting her very serious thinking and reflection time but as her eyes flicked up and down his form she held her tongue. Hello hottie. Feeling a flutter in her stomach as she lumbered to her feet with all the grace and poise of a newborn deer, she dusted her jeans off and painted on her brightest smile for Damien. "Hi there stranger! What're you doing all the way out here?" it should have occurred to her sooner that he was likely a trainer and was probably on the route to you know, train. She cringed as the words escaped her and giggled nervously. "Sorry. I mean, it's just been awhile since I've seen someone else. I've been out here all afternoon and you're the only person to come along," April brushed a lock of black hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She could feel Nero growing restless at her feet, letting out an annoyed squeak. She still hadn't fed him. "Oops. Excuse me," [break][break]

She crouched down on the blanket and opened her bag. In the front compartment she always kept a little container of fish for Nero. She clicked the plastic box open and deposited a piece in front of him. With a huff, he gobbled it up as fast as she put it down, and flashed puppy-dog eyes at her for more. "Don't be a pig," April laughed, returning the container to its home and standing again. "That's Nero. He's a little-" [break][break]

Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a high-pitched HIII-YAH and the sound of a boulder shattering. April didn't react right away, struggling to process what she was hearing. The noises grew louder and closer, before she finally caught sight of the culprits. A pair of rogue fighting-types were locked in a contest to see who could cause the most havoc. As they approached, she could feel Nero drawing closer to her legs, the flames on his back igniting in anticipation of a battle. "You ready?" she whispered to him, arching an eyebrow while the Mankey attempted to kick a very large boulder. His attempt failed, and it only seemed to fuel his rage. In a huff, he locked eyes with Nero, bounding over at a rapid pace. Meditite followed her companion, and the two took positions in front of the trainers. [break][break]

For once, April felt she had the upper hand. A gust of chilly wind caused her to shiver as she tried to steady her voice. "Nero, use flamethrower on Mankey!" the order was concise and to the point. Although she was still a rookie trainer, April was starting to get the hang of battling. Nero had been her partner in more than a few scraps, and she was starting to get to know his habits and the limits of his power. [break][break]

Nero's flames fully ignited as he stared down his foe. The Mankey's tail lashed against the ground, kicking up a small dust storm as he pumped himself up for battle. Cyndaquil's mouth opened and flames poured out in waves, at the same time as Mankey dashed forward. Nimble monkey managed to dodge most of the flames, pogoing around the battlefield on his tail. With a crazed laugh he lunged for Nero with claws extended, taking a swipe at Cyndaquil's face. Nero let out a roar, recoiling back in pain. [break][break]

Well shit. That didn't work. April rubbed her arm nervously as she pondered her next move. "Try a swift! It can't avoid that!" she called, struggling to keep the nervousness out of her voice. Nero hesitated for a moment before he responded, giving his trainer a nod before steadying himself on the ground. Digging his feet in the dirt, his eyes glowed white and small stars materialized from the flames on his back. They circled him a few times before homing in on Mankey's position. Try as he might, the fighting-type wasn't quick enough to dodge the highly accurate attack. [break][break]

As he was struck, his eyes narrowed, leering at Nero. He dared the Cyndaquil to do it again, tail lashing against the ground harder than before. A small crack appeared in the earth, proof of his building rage. Nero hesitated again, taking a few steps backwards toward the safety of April. For her part, she did her best to be reassuring. "We've got him where we want him. Can you try another flamethrower?" she said gently, never taking her eyes off her Cyndaquil. She knew he was getting tired-- using fire attacks tended to wear him out quickly. [break][break]

Still, his flames flickered and grew in intensity as he prepared another fiery assault. He knew Mankey was about to move, eyes tracking his foe's movements as he launched his attack. Flames swirled around the battlefield, this time catching Mankey mid-hop. Nero knew Mankey was getting closer even through the flamethrower and braced himself for the counterattack. It came in a flash. Mankey leapt through the wall of fire, propelled by his pogostick tail, and aimed a quick kick at Nero. [break][break]

"No!!" April cried as her precious Cyndaquil was thrown backwards. He tumbled in the dirt, coming to rest next to the water's edge. "Nero! Can you move?" the concern was impossible to shake out of her voice as she rushed to his side and crouched over him. Struggling to stand, the Cyndaquil finally clawed his way into an upright position and glared daggers at the smug Mankey. It was personal now! "Do you want to keep fighting? You don't have to," one of April's hands darted out to smooth some of the fur atop his head, but he shook her off. Lumbering forward, he steadied himself for one final showdown. [break][break]

April wasn't sure about it at all. Still, she drew in a breath and tried to calm her nerves. "Rollout! Try to track where he goes!" it wasn't the worst idea she'd had, but it certainly wasn't the best. Nero cringed, struggling against his desire to win the battle and his loyalty to his trainer. The latter won in the end, and he curled himself into a defensive ball and launched himself at his foe. Mankey was tired now too and his attempts to dodge weren't as quick. It came down to a judgement call, right or left. Nero wheeled right and slammed into Mankey's chest. It was a direct hit. The force of the blow sent Mankey into the dirt, and he didn't move after that. [break][break]

"WE DID IT!" it was their hardest battle yet. April was ecstatic and rushed over to her victorious pokemon. Laughing in utter relief, she threw her arms around Nero and held him tight, squeezing her eyes shut. "I love you so much, you precious boy," she murmured into his messy fur. Suddenly she felt him go rigid. He glowed a slight white, and she let out a yelp and tumbled backwards away from him. "What the heck? Nero?" [break][break]

His chubby body stretched and contorted, changing shape and size right there beside the lake. When the light faded her Cyndaquil was no more-- in his place was a new creature. April rubbed her eyes a few times, wiping away salty tears and she cried out to him: "What happened to you?" [break][break]

Quilava let out a low purr, padding over to his trainer and nuzzling against her arm. He was much bigger now, more lithe. April grasped his shaggy face and peered into his eyes, searching for her familiar friend. Soon she was all smiles, choking out a sob of relief as she recognized him. "You evolved! You asshole! Why didn't you tell me you could do that!" she buried her face in his fur, hugging him for dear life.

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