Layla

**Layla Birch** (Japanese: **オダマキ・レイラ** *Odamaki Reira*) is a Pokémon Trainer hailed from Petalburg City in the Hoenn region. She is the firstborn of the Petalburg Gym Leader Gwendolyn and Top Coordinator Jethro, and the older sister of Elizabeth.

## **New Era**

### **Background**

Layla was the first child born to Gwendolyn and Jethro. During her childhood, she would often spend time with her childhood friend Dwayne, and they became fast friends, with both of them developing a rivalry with each other. At the same time, Dwayne, at the time, also developed a crush on Layla, which she picked up, but did not share because she only viewed Dwayne as a friend, but nonetheless continued to tease him over his feelings throughout the next several years, even after Dwayne overgrew said feelings.

### **Hoenn Again**

While Layla was making her way towards her grandfather's laboratory in Littleroot Town, she ended up crashing onto Dwayne with her bicycle, who had just arrived in the Hoenn region, sending both Dwayne and Layla flying. A group of bystanders help both Trainers up to their feet, and ask both of them if they were okay, and Dwayne says he was fine, but Layla complains about the pain, her bicycle being dented, and her scraped knee. Dwayne offers a bandage and when both Trainers share eye contact, they immediately recognize each other.

When Dwayne asks why was Layla in such a hurry, she explains that she was headed towards Professor Birch's laboratory to obtain her starter Pokémon. Interested in seeing what she'd choose, Dwayne asks if he could accompany her, and Layla teasingly remarks if Dwayne was serious after destroying her bicycle, which leaves Dwayne feeling bad. Layla, however, laughs and says she was joking, and agrees to his offer and both of them head towards the laboratory by foot, with Layla pushing her damaged bicycle.

Once there, Birch greets both Trainers, and while not surprised to see his granddaughter, Birch was indeed shocked to see Dwayne, but nonetheless welcomes him to Hoenn. When Birch asks about her bicycle, Layla side-eyes Dwayne, but says that she had an accident, but doesn't specify the details to her grandfather, all the while Dwayne seems rather embarassed. Birch offers to leave her bicycle with him for repairs, and Layla agrees, and Birch takes both Trainers inside his laboratory. Birch then presents the Hoenn starters: The Grass-type Treecko, the Fire-type Torchic, and the Water-type Mudkip. When Birch asks Layla which one she'll choose, Layla says she already knew which Pokémon she'd get even before arriving, and picks up Torchic, saying that she wanted to start with the same Pokémon as her mother, as she wished to become just as strong as Gwendolyn is.

Birch smiles at this, and promptly gives Layla a Pokédex and six Poké Balls for her journey. Outside the laboratory, Birch asks whether Dwayne would participate in the Hoenn League, and Dwayne confirms, and Layla interjects, saying that she, too, would participate, and declares both of them rivals from this point on, and with a sassy tone, asks if she could get a kiss if she beat him at the tournament, causing Dwayne to become agitated with her teasing, and Layla laughs, saying that she would teasing her until the day she died. Subsequently, Dwayne and Layla agree to travel together to Oldale Town as both Trainers would require to register for the Hoenn League at the town's Pokémon Center, and they bid Professor Birch farewell.

As the pair continue to walk along Route 101, Dwayne prepares to run ahead, while Layla lags behind. When Dwayne asks her to hurry up, Layla says her legs were hurting, and Dwayne teases her by saying that she could more exercise. Returning the act, Layla spitefully says that her bicycle was her form of exercise, and says that her legs were probably hurting from Dwayne walking in front of her bicycle, which causes Dwayne to shut up and agree to slow down.

Finally arriving at the Pokémon Center at nightfall, Dwayne and Layla both successfully register to participate in the Hoenn League, and Dwayne begins showing Layla around the Pokémon Center. Dwayne first shows her the rooms that they get to stay in, then the Trainer lobby. Afterwards, Dwayne decides to make a call to Professor Oak to update him on his latest ventures. During the conversation though, Layla butts in, asking Oak if he remembers her, and Oak says he could never forget any of his pupils's children, and says that Layla had grown a lot since the last time they met, and asks if she already obtained her first Pokémon, and Layla shows off her Torchic, and Oak comments on how Layla chose the same Pokémon as her mother.

After the phone call ends, Dwayne and Layla call it a day and head to their bedroom, with twin beds, where they quickly fall asleep, tired from their long walk. The next morning, Dwayne and Layla set off towards Petalburg City, with Dwayne eager to earn his first Badge in Hoenn. After they arrive, the duo sit down at a park, and Dwayne expresses his desire to challenge Gwendolyn, and Layla says that she would first need to run some errands and tells Dwayne they would meet later, and bids him farewell.

Layla regroups with Dwayne at the Petalburg Gym, where she encountered him in a heated arguement with her younger sister Elizabeth. Layla, unimpressed, asks why Elizabeth was bothering Dwayne, and Elizabeth says that she wasn't doing anything, and Gwendolyn, aware of her youngest daughter's sassiness, gives Dwayne permission to give her a spanking if necessary, and Dwayne's evil grin causes Elizabeth to run away.

After everyone calms down, Dwayne exchanges pleasentries with Gwendolyn and Jethro, who remark on his growth and praise him reaching the finals of the Silver Conference. Hearing this, Elizabeth mumbles that Dwayne still lost, but Dwayne's glare of fury causes her to shut up immediately. Jethro asks to see which starter Pokémon Layla chose, and she sends out Torchic. Elizabeth is disappointed that Layla picked Torchic, and states that she would have picked Treecko, angering Torchic, who starts pecking her, much to Dwayne's amusement. Gwendolyn doesn't mind the extra company, so Dwayne decides to enjoy lunch with the family. During the meal, Dwayne asks about the rules Gwendolyn uses for her matches; Gwendolyn states that she used a three-on-three match rule. Dwayne sighs, saying that he only had two Pokémon with him, causing Elizabeth to laugh at his misfortune, but quickly shuts up after Dwayne slaps her on the back of the head. Jethro tells him that he can have his Pokémon sent to the Pokémon Center. However, Dwayne replies that he wants to start fresh and only use Pokémon he catches in Hoenn. Gwendolyn is impressed by Dwayne's ambitions and offers him an unofficial match, but Dwayne doesn't mind. Just after lunch, everyone goes back to the arena for the battle.

As the battle starts, Dwayne uses Gardevoir and Gwendoyln sends out Blaziken. Layla's Torchic marvels at the sight of its evolved form, and begins cheering for the Fire-type Pokémon. The first strike is a Moonblast from Gardevoir, but Blaziken uses his quick reflexes to easily jump away. Blaziken soon runs towards Gardevoir at high speed and scores a direct hit with Focus Punch. Dwayne then decides to confuse Blaziken by ordering Gardevoir to continuously teleport around the battlefield, but regardless, Blaziken uses his quick reflexes to foresee Gardevoir's next location and scores another hit, this time with Aura Sphere. As Gardevoir stumbles, Blaziken knocks her out with a rapid-fire Blaze Kick, giving Gwendolyn the victory.

After Dwayne makes sure that Gardevoir was okay, Gwendolyn gives the Embrace Pokémon an Oran Berry to restore her strength. Layla and the others walk into the battlefield, and Layla comments on Gardevoir's performance, and says that she was glad to see that the little Ralts that used to play with them evolved into such a graceous and beautiful Pokémon, and Gardevoir expresses her appreciation towards Layla with a warm hug. Elizabeth says that Gardevoir still lost, which earns her Gardevoir's fury, who begins charging a Moonblast to intimidate Elizabeth into silence, which causes everyone else to laugh. Layla's Torchic begins jumping up and down in excitement, and begins running around Blaziken in circles, and Jethro comments that Torchic has become inspired by Blaziken, and Layla says that she specifically picked Torchic because she to grow up as powerful as her mother, and Gwendolyn puffs her chest, saying that Layla made the right, and obvious, choice, causing Jethro and Elizabeth to simply groan at Gwendolyn's smugness.

That night, Dwayne spends the night at their house, and shares a room with the sisters, although Dwayne sleeps on the floor, which amuses Elizabeth, who sarcastically remarks that she should be careful to not "accidentally" step on Dwayne if she needed to use the bathroom, and Dwayne says that she would regret if she actually does it, and Layla simply chuckles at their bickering. The next morning, Dwayne prepares to head off, but not before Gwendolyn gifts him a Badge case. Dwayne asks Layla if she would travel with him, but Layla says she wanted to travel by herself, and asks if Dwayne felt disappointed, but Dwayne assures her that he understands, and bids her and the family goodbye.

Layla and Dwayne meet up again at Rinshin Town, where she was looking for wild Pokémon to capture, and asks if Dwayne wanted to join her, which he accepts. After eating a burger, Layla and Dwayne head off to the alleyways in the city, where they peer in looking for Pokémon and spot a Shroomish, who doesn't look too happy. Layla wants to feed it and make friends with it, so Dwayne hands her some Pokémon food. Shroomish is suspicious and uses Stun Spore causing Dwayne and Layla to retreat. Afterwards, Dwayne takes out some more Pokémon food and takes a piece to Shroomish that it's safe to eat, trying his best to hide the fact that the Pokémon food tasted awful for a human. Shroomish tries the food and loves it. Dwayne and Layla are surprised because Shroomish is in the city instead of the forest, where it normally would be. They think it might have been separated from its Trainer and maybe they should take it to a Pokémon Center. Dwayne takes out a handkerchief and ties it around the top of Shroomish's head, as a gift. Shroomish is very happy with this, and Dwayne picks up Shroomish and they head off.

While passing by an old mansion, Dwayne and Layla stop in front of the manor house after noticing Shroomish staring intently at it. Shroomish, still in Dwayne's arms, gets very distressed and runs off. Dwayne and Layla follow it as Shroomish goes into the mansion through a broken window. Dwayne and Layla follow after Shroomish, but they lose track of and instead find a man standing outside the lodge. The man, Alex, approaches the duo ordering them to move on because of the demolition works. Dwayne explains that they were just following a Shroomish, but Alex refutes the claim entirely. He informs them that the Green Lodge belonged to his grandfather, and he used to stay over and play with the resident Shroomish as a child. Alex claims the Shroomish have since disappeared because of Rinshin Town’s growing city blocks and his grandfather's passing. Alex explains that he is simply on site to check on the demolition’s progress, but strange occurrences have been hampering efforts. Dwayne is keen to hear more details, but Alex replies that it’s just rumors. Dwayne and Layla again affirm their story, so Alex decides he'll have to go inside and see for himself and the duo follow him.

Inside, they find Shroomish shivering by one of the old fireplaces. Dwayne approaches to attend to his friend when two other Shroomish emerge, also looking frightened. Dwayne realizes that they must be upset because they'll have no home when the mansion is torn down. Not wanting to scare them further, the humans decide to back off to prevent irritating the Shroomish further. Outside, Alex and the others affirm that the strange footprints and odd occurrence are because of the large number of Shroomish that call the Green Lodge home. Dwayne adds that the Shroomish are in pain, and he informs Alex that the Shroomish want just want to play with him like the old days. Alex admits that he shares their sentiments. Alex formally apologizes to Shroomish, but he admits that the demolition must progress. Dwayne asks if there was really no other way to keep the Green Lodge standing, but Alex remarks that the structure was too old, and could prove dangerous if it was kept standing. The Shroomish that Dwayne found earlier approaches them and offers Dwayne and Layla an Oran Berry, a proof of its trust towards them.

Afterwards, Layla asks about the fate of the Green Lodge and Alex affirms that the mansion will still have to be demolished, but adds that he'll replant the whole area full of trees so there will be a forest like there was before, and the Shroomish agree enthusiastically. As Dwayne and Layla prepare to leave, the Shroomish that they helped earlier comes in running and blocks their path. Dwayne realizes that the Shroomish wants to join him, and Shroomish nods, while Layla pouts that Shroomish was choosing Dwayne over her. Dwayne throws a Poké Ball and Shroomish gets captured.

Back at the Pokémon Center, Dwayne and Layla comment on that day's situation, and Layla again complains that she couldn't catch a single Pokémon since arriving in town. To cheer her up, Dwayne offers to battle her, and Layla accepts. At the Pokémon Center's battlefield, Dwayne and Layla agree to a one-on-one match, and Dwayne chooses his newly-caught Shroomish while Layla chooses her Torchic. The battle starts when Dwayne orders Shroomish to use Seed Bomb, but Torchic dodges and uses Ember, but Shroomish easily dodges. Shroomish then uses Sunny Day, creating a harsh sunlight, and Layla urges Torchic to perform better, and Dwayne notices that Torchic was having trouble keeping up with Layla's demands. Layla then orders Torchic to use Peck, but Shroomish dodges again.

Layla pushes Torchic to do better, and orders him to use Quick Attack, but Shroomish continuously dodges, and finishes off Torchic with a devastating Solar Beam. Layla complains about the loss, and says that she needed to train up Torchic better because his performance was underwhelming, and Torchic lowers his head, saddened by Layla's comments. Dwayne cuts her off, scolding her for not realizing that Torchic was pushing himself beyond his limits to keep up with her demands. Dwayne then walks over to Torchic and pats his head, assuring him that Torchic did great, and Torchic instantly cheers up and gently pecks him as a sign of affection. However, Shroomish seems unimpressed with Dwayne's methods, and seemingly agrees with Layla's tough love treatment, something that Dwayne disapproves. Realizing that both Pokémon preferred the others's training style, Dwayne offers a trade, but Layla adamantly refuses, saying that she needed Torchic to become just like her mother, but Dwayne cuts her off again, angrily exclaiming that because of her desire to take after her mother, she was ignoring Torchic's nature, because Torchic preferred being treated with care instead of being pushed with pressure.

Layla says that she wanted to become just like her mother, and Dwayne says that Gwendolyn was indeed one of the toughest Trainers in Hoenn, but also says that Gwendolyn nevertheless treated her Pokémon with care, and asks Layla if she'd ever seen her mother pressure her Pokémon during battle, and Layla realizes that Dwayne was right; not once did she ever see Gwendolyn push her Pokémon beyond their limits. Dwayne then says that she can still become as strong as her mother, but there was no need to rely on the same Pokémon that Gwendolyn owns, and urges Layla to forge her own path instead of following her mother's shadow. Layla finally agrees with Dwayne's sentiment, and apologizes to Torchic, who forgives her, aware that Layla wasn't pushing him out of malice. Shroomish, while understanding, still disagrees with Dwayne's more calm and patient training methods, and both Trainers agree to the trade.

Back at the Pokémon Center, Dwayne and Layla prepare for the trade, and each bid their goodbyes to their original Pokémon, before subsequently starting the trade on the trading machine. After a few seconds, both Pokémon are traded, with Dwayne receiving Torchic and Layla receiving Shroomish. Dwayne sends out Torchic while Layla sends out Shroomish, and both Pokémon immediately prove more compatible with their new Trainers. Outside the Pokémon Center, Dwayne and Layla promise to battle each other the next time they meet, and both bid farewell to each other, and their original Pokémon before heading their separate ways.

Sometime later, while passing through the Petalburg Woods, Layla's Loudred runs off, prompting her to chase after him, and she ends up running into Dwayne again. Layla attempts to calm Loudred down but can't seem to, until she jumps on its back. Layla apologizes to Dwayne for the trouble, but Dwayne assures her that it was nothing, and asks how many Badges did Layla obtain, and she shows off her five Badges, and Dwayne comments that he was heading towards her mother's Gym for his fifth Badge. After exchanging further pleasantries, Layla says that not very long ago, Loudred has grown to be a troublemaker that sometimes has trouble listening to her commands. Dwayne considers his Treecko's current odd behavior, and suggests a battle would help ease Loudred's angst. Layla agrees to the idea. As Dwayne goes to select his own Pokémon, Treecko leaps down and is determined to battle Loudred.

Treecko commences the battle with a Quick Attack which appears to do no damage. Loudred counterattacks with a Stomp that traps Treecko, but it manages to break free by using Bullet Seed. After this, Loudred responds with a Screech that knocks Treecko back, and follows up with Earthquake. Treecko dodges the seismic waves and sends Loudred flying into a tree with a powerful Pound attack. After this, both Pokémon glare at each other, and start to evolve at the same time. As both Trainers seem to be awed and surprised that Treecko and Loudred simultaneously evolved, Dwayne's newly evolved Grovyle reveals that it has learned a new move, Leaf Blade. The battle continues and Grovyle charges in with another Leaf Blade, when Layla commands her newly evolved Exploud to dodge. But instead of dodging, Exploud sends Grovyle flying back with its newly learned Hyper Voice attack. After this, Exploud begins rampaging once again and Grovyle tries to stop it with Bullet Seed, but it does nothing. Grovyle then uses Quick Attack, but Exploud hits it away and continues charging, and Layla and Dwayne then chase after Exploud.

Dwayne and Layla start calling Exploud's name but get no response. As Layla begins to feel disheartened, Dwayne offers her hope that they'll find Exploud soon. Dwayne notices that Grovyle is becoming agitated, but he refuses to return and instead leaps into the trees. Layla looks up at Grovyle and is reminded of how tame Loudred used to be when it was a Whismur. Meanwhile, Exploud sees an apple up a tree and uses Stomp to knock it down, although this also disturbs the many Beedrill sleeping the in the tree, and they all attack Exploud, releasing a loud cry in the process. Grovyle hears this cry and proceeds towards it. Grovyle makes it to the location and saves Exploud from the Beedrill. Grovyle then stares Exploud down for a while, until they resume their previous battle as the sun comes out. Grovyle charges in, and Exploud uses Stomp. Grovyle dodges and uses Pound, only to provoke Exploud to strike back with Hyper Voice. After taking the hit, Grovyle lands a direct hit with Bullet Seed that knocks Exploud down. Dwayne and Layla then arrive at the scene and the real battle begins. Dwayne commands Grovyle to use Leaf Blade while Layla orders Exploud to dodge. But instead of dodging, Exploud takes the hit head on. Grovyle goes in for another Leaf Blade and Layla again commands Exploud to dodge. Exploud once again ignores Layla's command and blocks Grovyle's attack, while Grovyle breaks free using Pound. After Layla scolds Exploud to listen to her commands, it walks away just as the Beedrill return for another ambush.

Just as Layla notices Beedrill in the bushes, the Beedrill fire off multiple Pin Missile at Exploud, but Layla pushes it out of the way just in time. As the Beedrill attack Exploud again, Grovyle uses Bullet Seed to knock them down, and the Beedrill are scared off once and for all. Feeling touched that Layla saved it despite its previous treatment towards her, Exploud helps Layla up and it explains that it wants to continue training with her, making the two hug each other. After this, Grovyle and Exploud resume their battle once again. Dwayne orders Grovyle to use Pound, but Layla orders Exploud to dodge, which it does, and follows up with Hyper Voice, but Grovyle dodges and knocks out Exploud with a Leaf Blade, giving Dwayne the victory. Afterwards, Dwayne and Layla shake hands, as does Grovyle and Exploud, and Layla offers to join Dwayne towards his path towards Petalburg City, wanting to visit her family, and Dwayne agrees, and both Trainers head off together towards the city.

Arriving in Petalburg City, Dwayne and Layla split up for the time being as Dwayne goes to heal at the Pokémon Center, while Layla visits her home. When she gets there, Elizabeth greets her at the doorstep, but she quickly changes to a suspicious tone when Layla asks about her father. Layla is left utterly confused, but before she can say anything, Gwendolyn comes and greets her. She too is acting suspicious and invites Layla inside to enjoy some lunch.

Meanwhile, Dwayne arrives at the Pokémon Center, and Dwayne is surprised to see that aside from Nurse Joy being there, Jethro is leaning over the front desk engaged in a deep conversation with her. Dwayne begins to approach them, but Jethro is quick to say farewell to Nurse Joy, but the chuckle filled goddbye only leaves Dwayne curious as to what they're hiding.

Back at the Petalburg Gym, Layla is seen eating and bragging about her journey. Layla then talks about her recent adventures, and mentions that she met up with Dwayne, and asks about her father, which causes Gwendolyn to tense up and hold back her anger. Elizabeth then quickly steers her off that subject by asking about her recent captures. Layla mentions having recently caught a Beautifly, but this only infuriates Gwendolyn more. Elizabeth quickly steps in, through Layla mentions that Beautifly helped her to win some Gym battles. Gwendolyn is now nearly losing her temper, though she turns around and pretends that nothing is amiss. Soon after, Elizabeth takes Layla into the greenhouse to explain the situation. She begins to warn Layla that this may give her a nasty shock, and whispers that rumor has it that Jethro has been visiting the Pokémon Center a lot recently and is having an affair with the local Nurse Joy. Layla refutes Elizabeth's claims, adding that a lot of people visit the Pokémon Center. Elizabeth then adds that Gwendolyn has been frustrated with the situation, and the mention of “Beautifly” really angers her. Inside the house, Gwendolyn is busy packing her possessions and places a photograph of her and Jethro surrounded by Beautifly facedown. Dwayne suddenly arrives at the greenhouse, interrupting the secret conversation.

Dwayne informs them that he saw Jethro at the Center talking to Nurse Joy, though the information only alarms Elizabeth and Layla. However, this only fuels Layla into wanting to solve this situation and orders everyone to follow her towards the Pokémon Center, although Dwayne remains confused as to why, and Elizabeth says she would explain it to him later. Layla, Elizabeth, and Dwayne enter the lobby and they’re all shocked to see Jethro speaking with Nurse Joy. Jethro notices everyone and happily greets them. Layla and Elizabeth are unable to speak to their father, while Dwayne remains confused as to what was happening, and Elizabeth pulls him down and whispers to his ear about the situation, and Dwayne almost freaks out, but gets slapped in the back of the head by Elizabeth, who demands him to keep quiet. Dwayne decides to subtly confront Jethro, adding that Gwendolyn is worried sick at home about him, but suddenly, a very angry Gwendolyn, with her suitcase in hand, arrives at the Center and reveals she is leaving. Jethro doesn't explain still, and Gwendolyn repeats that she is going somewhere else. Jethro, however, remains dense, asking her if she needed help with her bags, causing everyone to become dumbfounded at him. Dwayne eventually explains the rumored situation to Jethro and Nurse Joy, and the tale takes the pair aback. Gwendolyn reiterates that she cannot forgive him for being unfaithful, especially on the day of their wedding anniversary. Dwayne and Elizabeth urge Gwendolyn and Jethro to figure things out, but Layla demands that they give Jethro the benefit of the doubt. Gwendolyn understands Layla's idolization for her father, but is still set on leaving. Though Jethro smirks, before explaining that there has been a big misunderstanding. He calls for everyone to head back home where they can figure things out.

By nightfall, Jethro explains that Nurse Joy was helping him with a gift for Gwendolyn, and Joy sets off the machine, and Beautifly-shaped fireworks are shot into the air. Joy also apologizes about being secretive, but she reveals that Jethro knew that she is also a fireworks technician. He wanted to arrange a special gift for Gwendolyn to celebrate their anniversary, with the Beautifly fireworks commemorating that day in the flower field with all the Beautifly. Gwendolyn begins to cry, and apologizes to her husband for her suspicions, and wishes him a happy anniversary as they kiss. Dwayne sighs in relief that everything worked out well in the end, and mumbles to himself to never try as hard as Jethro did, as Jethro's kind gesture almost resulted in the end of his marriage, and jokes that he was surprised that Gwendolyn didn't just beat him to a pulp instead of simply deciding to leave. The next day, Dwayne enters the Petalburg Gym, ready for his battle against Gwendolyn. Despite being conflicted about her allegiances, Layla decides to root for both Dwayne and her mother, and after Dwayne defeats Gwendolyn, Layla openly congratulates him on his victory.

After obtaining seven Badges, Layla runs into Dwayne while the latter was returning to Slateport City for some training, as her rice ball was rolling down a hill, right onto Dwayne's arms. Once they exchange greetings, Dwayne asks Layla whether she obtained all of her Badges, and Layla says she's only missing one, and Dwayne shows off all his eight Badges, which leaves Layla both impressed and envious. She then challenges him to a battle, to which Dwayne accepts.

Both Trainers decide to make it one-on-one, and Layla chooses her Breloom. Happy to see that Shroomish had evolved, Dwayne decides to choose Combusken, as both Trainers were familiar with each other's Pokémon. The battle starts, with Layla ordering Breloom to use Seed Bomb, but Combusken effortlessly blocks with Flamethrower. Layla then orders Breloom to use Mach Punch, but Combusken retaliates with Quick Attack, and both attacks clash and both Pokémon are sent flying. Layla then orders Breloom to use Dynamic Punch, but Combusken takes the attack head-on, which confuses Layla as to why he didn't dodge. As Combusken withstands the heavy damage, Dwayne orders him to use Reversal, a move that causes more damage the more the user is damaged, and Combusken scores a direct hit, which knocks out Breloom.

As Combusken roars in victory, he suddenly begins evolving into Blaziken, much to both Dwayne and Layla's joy. After evolving, Blaziken shakes hands with Breloom, who despite showing respect towards him, is nonetheless angry about his loss, and doesn't hide his explosive temper, shooting out his Seed Bomb at a nearby tree to calm himself down. Layla laughs at Breloom's temper, but says that she liked that about him, using his anger as motivation to become stronger. When Dwayne asks Layla which Gym she would challenge next, Layla mentions the Petalburg Gym, having always decided to leave her mother's Gym for last as a symbol of her growth. Dwayne smiles at this, and says that he was looking foward to meeting her at the Hoenn League. Both Trainers shake hands and head their separate ways, intending to meet again at the tournament.

After obtaining her eighth and final Badge, Layla speeds towards Ever Grance City, the location of the Hoenn League. Whilst Dwayne was training with his Pokémon, Layla gets accidentally burned by Blaziken's Flamethrower, although she quickly shakes it off. Spotting the rest of Dwayne's Pokémon team, Layla calls out her team for comparison: Breloom, Beautifly, Swellow, Steelix, Medicham, and Exploud, all of which receive approving comments from Dwayne, especially Swellow as it was Shiny.

When Dwayne hears an announcement about the registration time nearly ending, Dwayne frantically reminds Layla that she still needs to register for the tournament. Scared that she might not be able to take part in the League after all her hard work of collecting Badges, Layla instantly runs off to register, leaving a trail of dust behind her. At the Pokémon Center, Layla manages to register for the tournament with five minutes to spare and reunites with Dwayne, while also meeting Raven, Jannette, and Josie, three of Dwayne's rivals.

After making it through the preliminaries of the Ever Grande Conference, Layla finds herself battling against Dwayne in the second round of the Finals Tournament, something that leaves her extremely downtrodden and disheartened. The next day, the Full Battle between Dwayne and Layla begins. The stadium flame makes for the perfect backdrop as the field of choice this time around is the ice field. Back in Petalburg City, Gwendolyn, Jethro and Elizabeth watch from the television, although Gwendolyn notes that Layla seemed depressed, and Jethro comments that she was probably sad to be facing Dwayne so early in the tournament, and Elizabeth theorises that Layla was actually upset to have to face Dwayne at all.

Dwayne starts the battle off by sending out Absol. Layla responds, halfheartedly calling out Medicham. The referee declares the battle started, and Dwayne orders Absol to use Quick Attack. Layla, with her confidence shaken, tells Medicham to use Light Screen, which proves ineffective against a physical attack like Quick Attack. Absol crashes through the Light Screen and smashes onto Medicham's head. Medicham manages to the damage off, and Layla hesitantly orders it to use Pound. Absol slides straight into a curved upright icicle, allowing him to scuttle away from the attack. Medicham, unable to stop in time, gets injured as it rams into the icicle. Dwayne orders Absol to attack again, but Medicham slips and falls on the icy floor, causing Absol to miss. Dwayne then quickly has Absol slide onto one of the smaller icicles, allowing it to loop around and attack Medicham once again. Layla desperately orders Medicham to use Force Palm, though Absol manages to dodge before attacking with Razor Wind, knocking Medicham out. Layla gasps at her fallen Pokémon, before silently calling it back. Instead of sending out her next Pokémon, Layla stands there, petrified by indecision. The referee urges Layla to call out her next Pokémon, but Layla cannot concentrate. The announcer remarks that unless Layla sends out a Pokémon soon, it will count as a forfeit and Dwayne will win the battle.

Just before the referee disqualifies Layla for not choosing a Pokémon, Dwayne interrupts him, stating that Layla can still battle. Layla hastily sends out her Exploud to take on Absol. Absol begins the battle by firing Dark Pulse at Growlithe. Layla tells Exploud to evade the attack continuously, still unable to take any offensive action towards her friend and rival. Absol delivers a devastating Hyper Beam to Exploud, knocking it out. Layla tells Exploud that it did an excellent job. Dwayne, however, demands to know why Layla will not put up a serious fight and harshly attacks her honor, telling her that she might as well quit now if she does not battle like she means it. Layla says she does not need to be told that and apologizes to Exploud for her weak actions, but Exploud doesn't seem upset. With renewed vigor, Layla yells loudly and promises Dwayne real battling spirit. Layla's family are relieved at this change, and so are Raven and Josie in the stands.

Layla chooses Beautifly as her third Pokémon. Absol and Beautifly clash their Dark Pulse and Bug Buzz attacks with tremendous power. Dwayne and Layla exchange excited proclamations of their fighting spirit. Beautifly blasts a Silver Wind to match Absol's Razor Wind, but both Pokémon seem evenly matched. Absol uses Quick Attack while Beautifly uses Aerial Ace, but each attack hits the other Pokémon in the face, knocking them both out.

Since Layla has lost three Pokémon, the battle goes into intermission. During the break, Layla apologizes to Dwayne for her previous actions. She goes on to say that she usually relishes victory, but when she realized that Dwayne was her next opponent, she did not know what to do. Dwayne's scolding made Layla realize that fighting with all one has is what a real friend would do. Dwayne agrees, saying that they should finish the second round at full power. The Trainers shake hands and each refuse to lose.

The second half of the round will take place on a grass field. Dwayne chooses Crawdaunt as his second Pokémon to battle Layla's fourth selection, Steelix. Steelix spews Dragon Breath, but Crawdaunt dodges and uses Crabhammer. Steelix counters with a devastating Iron Tail. Steelix disappears underground and batters Crawdaunt into the air with Dig. Dwayne tells Crawdaunt to not give up and respond with Aqua Jet. Steelix dives underground to evade and smashes Crawdaunt into the air yet again. Crawdaunt lands a direct hit with Dark Pulse, but Layla shouts to Steelix to not give up. Both Crawdaunt and Steelix are commanded to use Crabhammer and Iron Tail, respectively, and the clash sends off blue energy in streaks. Crawdaunt is knocked to the ground by the clash and declared unable to battle, leaving Dwayne with four available Pokémon and Layla with three.

Dwayne releases Vibrava as his third Pokémon choice. Steelix uses Dragon Breath, which Vibrava dodges. Then, Vibrava uses Rock Slide while Steelix unleashes a second round of Dragon Breath, both attacks clashing. Rock Slide proves more powerful and lands a direct hit on Steelix. Vibrava unleashes Dragon Breath while Steelix also returns with the same attack. This time, the result is an explosive draw. Using the resulting cloud of smoke as cover, Steelix escapes underground. Vibrava guards itself against Steelix's Dig by flying upwards. Steelix immediately switches to Dragon Breath, hitting and knocking out Vibrava. This leaves Dwayne and Layla tied with three usable Pokémon each.

Dwayne chooses Sceptile as his fourth Pokémon. Steelix unleashes its Iron Tail right from the start, but Sceptile quickly dodges it, impressing Layla with its speed. Sceptile fires Bullet Seed at Steelix, who burrows into the ground once again in retreat. Dwayne tells Sceptile to prepare to dodge, and Sceptile dodges Steelix's Dig, but now Layla calls Steelix to use Dragon Breath. Dwayne calls for Sceptile to use Leaf Blade in order to power through Dragon Breath. Leaf Blade shields Sceptile as he makes his way to land the attack, knocking out Steelix. Layla matches Sceptile's speed by calling out her Shiny Swellow as her fifth Pokémon.

Sceptile uses Quick Attack but Swellow swiftly dodges it and performs Steel Wing. Sceptile barely dodges Swellow's onslaught of attacks by hiding in the tall grass on the field. Sceptile jumps into the air and uses Bullet Seed, striking Swellow. Sceptile once again retreats back into the grass and Swellow pursues with Steel Wing. Sceptile leaps onto Swellow to perform Leaf Blade, but Layla tells Swellow to shake him off. Free-falling through the air, Sceptile tries Leaf Storm, but Layla commands Swellow to use Aerial Ace whilst spinning, and this allows Swellow to easily cut through the Leaf Storm and score a direct hit onto Sceptile's neck, and Swellow slams him into the ground. The attack is successful and Sceptile is declared unable to battle, leaving both Dwayne and Layla with two usable Pokémon.

Dwayne releases Altaria as his fifth Pokémon. Swellow attempts to quickly end it with Aerial Ace, but Altaria responds with a defensive Cotton Guard. Swellow bounces off Altaria's fluffy puff of cotton, allowing Altaria to retaliate with Dragon Breath. Swellow dodges and responds with Reversal, but Altaria evades with Mist. However, Swellow's Aerial Ace lands a direct hit, sending Altaria plummeting toward the ground. Altaria barely recovers by using Sky Attack, which Swellow matches with Steel Wing. Both Pokémon collide in mid-air, creating a large cloud of dust. Both Pokémon are told to repeat their attacks, resulting in another violent collision. The Trainers call for the same attacks again, resulting in a third collision and a huge explosion. Altaria and Swellow fall to the ground, unable to battle. This leaves both Dwayne and Layla with only one Pokémon each.

As their final Pokémon Dwayne chooses Blaziken while Layla releases Breloom. Blaziken performs Blaze Kick, which Breloom matches with Mach Punch. The Pokémon collide, but Breloom takes the brunt of the damage. Then, Breloom responds with Seed Bomb, but Blaziken's Flamethrower burns the seeds into ash. Blaziken follows up with Stone Edge, but Breloom uses Dynamic Punch to shatter the rock pillars into pieces. Layla then orders Breloom to use Growth, increasing its attack power, and Blaziken retaliates by using Flamethrower, but Breloom quickly uses Mach Punch, allowing him to dodge the attack and score a direct hit against Blaziken. As Blaziken staggers, Layla commands a barrage of Mach Punches, and Blaziken gets battered by the onslaught of attacks. As Dwayne tries to come up with a stategy, he notices a tip of the grass burned from Blaziken's earlier attack, and suddenly has a new idea in mind. After Blaziken manages to dodge the attacks, Dwayne orders him to blast the field with multiple Flamethrowers, and soon enough, the entire grass field starts to catch on fire, which also causes the fire to spread and engulf Breloom, leaving it severely burned.

As the announcer comments on Dwayne's unorthodox, yet brilliant, strategy, Dwayne orders Blaziken to use Stone Edge, and Breloom gets smashed by the rock pillars and sent flying. While free-falling, Breloom tries to use Seed Bomb, but its burn status kicks in again, cancelling the attack, and allowing Blaziken to score a direct Blaze Kick right on its face, and Breloom plummets to the ground, knocked out, and the referee declares Dwayne and Blaziken as the winners. Dwayne and Blaziken celebrate with a hug as the crowd applauds the amazing battle they'd just witnessed.

Layla then spectates the remainder of the competition, rooting for Dwayne during his next matches, and becomes extremely happy to witness Dwayne defeating Raven in the finals to win the Hoenn League. With the Ever Grande Conference now over, Layla bids farewell to Raven, Josie, and Jannette before leaving Ever Grande City with Dwayne. Whilst on their ship, Layla asks what Dwayne would do next, and Dwayne admits having no idea what was next for him. Then, they hear an announcement about the ship making a quick stop at the Battle Frontier island. When the ship docks at the island, Dwayne and Layla marvel at the many attractions, and Layla asks about the Battle Frontier. Just then, they both hear a voice calling out, stating that it would be a pleasure to explain it. They turn around and see a man, who introduces himself as Scott, and Dwayne mentions having heard about him from his parents. When Scott asks about his parents, Dwayne says his parents were Edge and Roberta, and Scott says that he didn't expect to run into their child here, but it was a honor nonetheless. Confused, Layla queries about Scott, and Dwayne explains that Scott is the owner of the Battle Frontier, and Scott confirms this.

When Dwayne asks about the island, Scott explains that the Battle Frontier island had been discontinued years earlier, and instead turned into a tourist attraction, complete with hotels, restaurants, and theme parks. Scott then reveals he had changed the Battle Frontier's system: Instead of having all facilities contained within a single location, he decided to spread them throughout Kanto, much like ordinary Gyms. Scott further explains that the Trainers running the facilities are known as Frontier Brains, and were much stronger than most Trainers, with some of them even considered to be in the same level as the Elite Four. Like Gym Leaders hand out Gym Badges, each of the Frontier Brains hands out a Frontier Symbol if defeated, and once six Symbols have been earned, the location of the secret seventh facility will be revealed.

Dwayne expresses his interest in the new concept, and Scott asks if he was interested in partaking in the Frontier challenge, and Dwayne accepts, mentioning he had just come off winning the Hoenn League, impressing Scott, who deems Dwayne eligible to participate. Just then, they all hear an announcement about the upcoming Battle Frontier Flute Cup, and Scott explains that it was a tournament that was created as part of the attractions, and suggests that Dwayne participate, and Dwayne agrees. When Dwayne asks whether Layla would participate, she declines, saying she would much rather spectate. Dwayne then hears a voice calling out to him by name, and turns around to see a familiar face: Magna, whom Layla also recognizes.

Magna explains that he, too, would be participating in the Flute Cup, and Scott reveals that Magna was in charge of running the island's day-to-day activities. Magna explains that his origins as a Trainer started at the Battle Frontier, and therefore owes the facility everything that he ever achieved. Magna says he was looking foward to battling Dwayne, and bids him goodbye. After the tournament ends, with Dwayne coming out on top, Layla congratulates Dwayne on the win and admits that his skills as a Trainer greatly surpassed her own, but Dwayne urges Layla to keep training to one day achieve the heights that she was dreaming of. Just then, Scott approaches the duo, and asks whether Dwayne decided to partake the Frontier challenge, and Dwayne eagerly accepts. Happy, Scott says that he would send him the details of the first facility tomorrow, and suggests him to prepare for the toughest challenge of his Trainer career yet. At the port, Dwayne and Layla prepare to say goodbye, as Layla would continue towards Slateport City while Dwayne would return to Kanto in a boat directly towards Vermilion City. Both Trainers shake hands, and wish each other luck on their future goals, before embarking on different cruise ships and heading towards different destinations.

## **Character**

Layla is a high-spirited and energetic individual, striving to become a very powerful Pokémon Trainer, with her goal being to reach the same heights as her mother, someone whom Layla clearly looks up to as a role model. As such, Layla picked Torchic as her starter Pokémon simply because it was her mother's starter Pokémon when she embarked on her journey.

However, in her desire to take after her mother, Layla ignored her Pokémon's feelings, unaware of how much she was pressuring Torchic beyond his limits, and wasn't capable of seeing that her training methods and battling style wasn't suited for Torchic's nature. Nevertheless, Layla isn't above admitting to her mistakes, tearfully apologizing to Torchic after being called out for this behavior. At heart, Layla truly cares about her Pokémon, willing to go on to great lengths to keep her Pokémon safe and sound, seen when she refused to give up on her Exploud, despite his tremendous disobedience towards her, ultimately winning his trust after saving him from an attack by an angry herd of Beedrill.

Layla and Dwayne have known each other since childhood, with the two becoming friends and rivals at the same time, sharing the same battling spirit and drive to become strong Trainers. Even after Dwayne developed a crush on her, Layla never allowed his feelings to affect their friendship, and even after Dwayne had overgrown his feelings towards her, Layla found enjoyment in teasing him about it, occasionally making flirtatious remarks towards him in an attempt to rile him up, all of which proved successful. Despite not seeing him in a romantic light, Layla truly cares about her friend, even cheering on his behalf during Dwayne's battle against her mother, and was extremely happy to witness Dwayne's victory at the Ever Grande Conference.

As a result of her friendship with Dwayne, Layla was unwilling to crush his dreams, and when they were announced as each other's opponents during the Ever Grande Conference, while Dwayne was excited at the thought of battling her, Layla was disheartened and depressed, secretly hoping that either one of them were eliminated from the tournament instead of being forced to fight each other. This also resulted in her fighting spirit being affected, as Layla was unwilling to battle effectively, but after Dwayne attacked her honor in an attempt to renew her fire, Layla was finally able to overcome her sadness and battle her friend and rival to the fullest.

## **Pokémon**

### **On Hand**

Breloom was originally owned by Dwayne as a Shroomish, but because of Shroomish's temper and his battling mentality being the opposite of Dwayne's, but much like Layla's, the two Trainers decided to trade their Pokémon, with Shroomish going to Layla in exchange for her Torchic. Since then, Breloom has become Layla's main battling partner, and her most trusted Pokémon.

Exploud has been with Layla since he was a Whismur, but after evolving into Loudred, he began to disobey his Trainer, and even attack her whenever he felt irritated. His temper only grew worse after reaching his final evolved stage, even running away from Layla, but after she risked herself to defend him against a pack of Beedrill, Exploud regained any and all respect towards her, finally start to obey her once again.

Beautifly's known moves are Bug Buzz, Silver Wind, and Aerial Ace.

Medicham's moves are Light Screen, Pound, and Force Palm.

Steelix's known moves are Dragon Breath, Iron Tail, and Dig.

Swellow's known moves are Steel Wing, Aerial Ace, and Reversal.

### **Traded Away**

Torchic was Layla's very first Pokémon that she received from Professor Birch after becoming a Pokémon Trainer. However, because her training methods were suited for Torchic's nature, Layla ultimately decided to trade him for Dwayne's Shroomish, as the Grass-type Pokémon proved more compatible with Layla than Torchic.

## **Achievements**

### **Badges Obtained**

#### **Hoenn Badges**

This listing is of the Badges Layla has obtained in the Hoenn region:

* Heat Badge
* Mind Badge
* Knuckle Badge
* Stone Badge
* Rain Badge
* Feather Badge
* Dynamo Badge
* Balance Badge

## **Pokémon League**

Dwayne has competed in the following Pokémon League Conferences:

* Ever Grande Conference – Top 16