<As Chad spent the morning doing some basic training, he caught up with the gang during breakfast; his cooking gained several more fans and raving reviews. Everyone was excitedly chatting about the journey to Lumiose City as they made their way towards the entrance of Route 4.>


    <The road ahead was peaceful, and Trevor shared his gratitude that they would not need to pass through another forest. Shauna laughed, teasing him about an encounter the group had with a Caterpie. Tierno was walking alongside Chad, before he spun in place, leapt forward like a ballerina, and posed with a flourish. “Now that you are no longer in a rush, Chad, I must ask if you also appreciate dancing the way I do!”>


    Chad kept walking, eyeing the energetic boy, before simply shrugging. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Tierno’s smile exploded, and he pulled a pokeball off his belt.


    <”In that case, shall we dance? I can teach you-” he was interrupted mid-sale by Shauna who cleared her throat. “Tierno, can you wait until we’ve at least made some progress? We have a long trip, and you can teach him to dance when we stop for a rest, OK?” she reasoned, powering ahead by walking backwards.>


    The group continued past the expansive and well-maintained gardens on either side, as several wild pokemon were seen scampering about. Shauna waved at a pair of Ralts, and beamed in happiness when the two of them waved back before teleporting away. “I hope I can convince a psychic type to join me; seeing everything would be great, but it would be better if I could always return to places and see them in a different light,” she rattled off, head in the clouds.


    Chad, thoughtful for a moment, searched around until his eyes landed on a trio of wild pokemon off on the right, who were enjoying the soft sunshine and colorful flowers. [WAIT, HERE] his device buzzed, as he began to slowly approach the group, taking the extra effort to appear nonchalant. The three noticed him, and he immediately stopped, keeping his distance and trying to convey a lack of hostility. “Hey,” he initiated, hoping the group wouldn’t run away.


    Of the group of Ralts, Budew, and Skitty, the lone cat stepped forward, placing themselves between the group and the outsider. “What?” they questioned, stance wide and ready for a fight.


    “I just wanted to ask if you knew a Ralts looking to travel Kalos. My friend,” he motioned back towards Shauna, “is looking to see every breathtaking location in the region, but she’ll need a psychic type to help her get around. If you know or find someone, can you send them our way, please?”


    The trio shared a look, but Skitty spoke for them all, “If we find one, maybe we’ll let them know another human is looking for them.” The cat’s voice was condescending, and outright rude, but Chad didn’t press the issue, thanked the group and walked back.


    “What was that about?” Shauna asked, with Tierno looking on in interest as Trevor quickly tucked away his pokedex. [WANT, AD] was their only response, as Chad continued to walk along the route.


    <The rest of the morning continued to be wonderful as the four trainers soon stopped for a break. While Trevor and Shauna took refuge in the shade, Tierno and Chad were standing across from each other in a more open area nearby. “First, I’ll show you how my starter and I dance,” Tierno began, as he withdrew his pokeball and released its resident beside him, a Corphish. The lobster looked to be a little slow, but it slowly waved in greeting to Chad. “Now, watch closely!”>


    While Tierno was doing some elegant footwork and movements, Chad observed as the crustacean waved its claws back and forth, did a small spin, and then ran each claw along the length of the other. At the end of the little show, its claws were distinctly sharper, glinting in the sunlight when before they had been rather muted and soft.


    <”Most of it was for style, but the last part is called Swords Dance. It varies between pokemon, but the result is a higher physical attack power,” he explained, boasting with pride.>


    Chad glanced from Tierno to the lobster before asking: “How did you do that?” The Corphish blinked, each eye separately and at a speed that was closer to intentionally closing an eye and then opening it again. There was a pregnant silence, before Chad looked back to Tierno.


    <Sensing the confusion, Tierno could only pride himself on his knowledge. “If you want to learn it, dancing is super easy! You just need to move your body in a way that feels right, that expresses yourself, and then charge up with energy!” He began to swivel side to side, displaying a different type of boogie from earlier.>


    Nervously, Chad began to attempt several different dances, even replicating Corphish’s, but was having trouble getting into the groove. Nothing felt right, he’d get maybe a few seconds in each attempt before giving up and resetting to another idea. Even Tierno was getting concerned.


    <Trevor, having been watching the whole time, called out from his shady retreat: “Chad, it only works with specific types of energy,” he explained, pulling up his left wrist and holo caster before tapping through and navigating a few windows only he could see. “There, I found it. There’s no Fire-type dances on record, so there may not be one. Your best bet would be the normal type or dragon type, Swords Dance and Dragon Dance respectively.”>


    “A little direct on this one aren’t you,” Chad grumbled, as he reset to a relaxed pose and steadied his breathing. Faint flickers of purple crossed his body, as the tell-tale plumes of Dragon Rage began to creep out from his closed muzzle. Chad raised his right foot, then promptly stomped the ground with a thud and a bent-knee stance. He clapped his claws before having one swing down and created a ‘smack’ sound off his thigh. Symmetrically, he leaned to the right while raising his bent left leg in a traditional sumo pose, before slamming that foot on the ground a step forward. Again there was a clap, and a slap on his left thigh.


    Chad released a low grumble of a growl, as the draconic purple flames streamed out the sides of his mouth like two plumes of smoke. He slapped his chest twice, before bellowing a deep roar of challenge. Visibly, his entire body took on a light purple sheen, his muscles now slightly more defined than before. “Woah,” was all he could utter, as Tierno applauded his success.


    <”Seems like that did it, now you can join us in any future dance contests!” he cheered, excited about having a dance partner for double battles. Corphish did not react, continuing to stare blankly ahead. Tierno thanked his partner for the demonstration and recalled him, just as Trevor and Shauna began to walk over with a Ralts.>


    ”Hey guys, look this Ralts wants to travel with me! Isn’t that lucky?” she said, as the small fairy pokemon hid behind her legs from the scary fire type. Chad gave a gentle wave, as Shauna tried to convince the small pokemon that he wasn’t that scary. Just up the road, a young boy was skating directly towards the group on a pair of roller blades. His white helmet and shirt were pristine and clean, as he began to slow down upon reaching speaking distance.


    “Yo! I heard your pokemon’s roar from up the road and had to come see,” he explained, slowing to a stop just a few feet away. “That’s a cool pokemon,” he admired, clearly referring to Chad. “Does his trainer want to have a battle?” he proposed, as the three humans looked straight at Chad, who gave a noncommittal gesture towards the others.


    <”Actually would you mind if we had a battle instead? Nurse Joy said Chad’s not supposed to battle today; he’s still recovering from fighting Viola,” Trevor explained, causing the newcomer to grin in pride.>


    “Viola, huh? Did all of you face her? I heard she’s been tougher to beat this year, especially for trainers with fewer than 3 badges,” he inquired, as he reached down to undo the straps on his skates and remove his feet from the wheeled platforms. He removed his helmet, and with it tucked under his left arm, extended his right for a handshake. “I’m Roland, not doing the gym circuit this year but I’ll be blowing by everyone next year.”


    <Trevor matched the handshake, “Trevor, and no; the three of us just faced gym trainers. I think if we had faced Viola, we probably wouldn’t have a badge between us,” he jested, as Shauna mumbled something about how she would’ve won.>A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Roland appeared confused, “But if he fought- oh there’s four of you; yea that makes sense. Simple one on one match; any suggestions for a wager?” he laughed, stepping back as the two made space between them for the match.


    <”How about two-hundred?” Trevor opened with, citing the cost of a potion or pokeball, both common items newer trainers would need.>


    Roland paused for a moment as he palmed his sole pokeball. “Are you sure you can afford to lose that much?” he asked with a predatory grin, expanding the pokeball to full size as he stood ready for the match.


    <Tierno quickly moved to the midpoint of the field, taking over as the referee. “This will be a one on one match between Trevor and Roland. On the count of three, both competitors will release their pokemon. Ready? 1, 2, 3!” he counted down, as two pokeballs flew towards the field. On Roland’s side, an attentive Pidgey appeared, scanning the ground and eyeing its opponent. On Trevor’s side, a yellow mouse with red cheeks and black markings crouched on all fours ready to go.>


    “Pidgey, get some distance and stir a storm!” Roland commanded, donning a pair of sunglasses that had been hanging from his shirt neck. The bird chirped and quickly departed the ground with a powerful flap; the rapid ascension causing a cloud of dust and sand to cover the field and obscure Pikachu.


    <Trevor raised his glasses by the bridge, having withdrawn his pokedex and aiming it at his opponent’s pokemon, unmoved by the Sand Attack that covered the field. “Play Nice, then restrain them with a Thunder Wave,” he commanded, as Pikachu took a cutesy pose.>


    “I think we got off on the wrong foot; do you want to come down and start over?” Pikachu asked with a nervous chuckle, obscuring the building charge covering his tail. The question seemed to catch the bird off-guard, as its height faltered a bit, slowing it down enough that the follow-up zap connected with the mouse’s jagged tail, resulting in a full-body spasm by the flier.


    Roland’s sunglasses hid his reaction, but his response was immediate, “Pidgey, keep your distance and blast it!” The bird gathered its wings together as they began coating with a glowing sky blue energy. With an impressive thrust, the bird expanded to its maximum wingspan, launching a pair of mini tornadoes at the ground-bound foe. Unfortunately, a mild spasm mid-attack caused the two swirls to go wide, each assisting to clear the remaining sand cloud to reveal an unharmed rodent.


    <”Now Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!” Trevor commanded, capitalizing on the opening and tucking the pokedex away in his pocket.>


    His partner bristled with static charge until an aura of power began to radiate. The connection, the attack, was near-instantaneous, lighting up both the source and target briefly, before Pidgey began to fall to the ground. With a thud, everyone waited for them to stand.


    <After a few seconds without response, Tierno raised his arm towards the victor. “Pidgey is unable to battle; the winner is Trevor!” The victory was met with a light applause from the three members of the audience, the small Ralts completely caught up in the display of skill the two battlers had shown.>


    Roland returned his Pidgey, whispering to it before shrinking the ball to take its proper place on his belt. Reaching down into his socks, he pulled out two-hundred pokedollars and offered them to Trevor. Trevor, after seeing where they had been stored, grimaced and motioned for Roland to keep the money. Appreciatively, Roland tucked the money away and began to put his skates back on. “Good match, but now I gotta head for the center and get Pidgey checked out. Safe travels, and watch out for me next year!” he called, as the buckle on his helmet clicked and the young lad was rolling away south.


    ”Good job Pikachu, I’m proud,” Trevor said with a smile, returning the grinning yellow mouse to his pokeball. “I think that’s enough of a break, should we continue?” he asked, interrupted when he felt a tug at his pants. Looking down, a small white flower was floating near his left leg, with an even smaller white being trying to get his attention. “Uh, hi?” he asked, trying not to startle them.


    ”I bet they were impressed by your battle,” Shauna guessed, crouching down to see the small pokemon better, “weren’t you?” The fairy nodded vigorously, looking up at Trevor, pleading. Trevor’s face softened, as he crouched down to better see the flower.


    ”Are you sure? My goal is to meet and document every pokemon in the region,” he explained, withdrawing his pokedex to show the prospective team member. The flower pokemon was not dissuaded, standing as tall as it could to communicate their dedication. “Well I’d be happy to have you with me Flabébé,” he smiles, offering a fresh pokeball which quickly becomes occupied with a pleasant chime.


    <Tierno glanced all around them, eyes sharp, “I bet I’ll get my second team member soon too; I hope they also love to dance!” he shouted in excitement, but deflated as no new pokemon stepped forward. Shauna gave him a reassuring pat on the back. The group continued north, reaching a giant fancy fountain just as the sun was beginning to set. Several other trainers were seemingly setting up camp for the night around it, chatting with one another, some even sharing food.>


    The three humans turned as one, giving their best attempt at Baby-Doll eyes towards the fire lizard. With a light-hearted sigh, Chad grinned and set his bag down to begin setting up a cooking station. [INGREDIENTS] his speaking-aid chirped, and the group began digging through their own packs to find what they could. “I really need one of those bags, this is getting heavier with each route,” Chad grumbled, lighting the kerosene canister with a puff and placing it on the ground in a circle of rocks.


    <We’ve got one lined up, should be yours in Lumiose.>


    <Tierno offered a bottle of water and a bag of uncooked pasta. Trevor produced some olive oil and his newest team member held up a bushel of some herbs. Shauna pulled out a pack of six frozen sausages, declaring herself the victor of the micro challenge.>


    Chad had to pause and plan, before pouring the water into the wok and placing it over the flames, thankful he had a wire rack to hold it. He held the sausages up to Tierno, [FISH, WASH] he quickly typed out, before pointing at the herbs. [CHOP] was his instruction for Trevor, before one final command went to Shauna, [SKEWERS].


    <A credit to their academic standings and past two years with the odd lizard, all three immediately understood their assignments. Tierno brought out his Corphish, using a gentle Water Gun to clean and defrost the sausages. Trevor pulled out a folding pocket knife and cutting board, dicing the fresh herbs. Shauna set off with Ralts to find something they could use to cook the meats with.>


    After a moment, Chad motioned for the no-longer-frozen meat cylinders, and placed them inside the now-heating water while still packaged. The thermal sink slowed the boil rate of the pot, but continued to defrost the proteins for cooking later. Once the water began to bubble, he removed the bag, handing it to Tierno and replacing the water’s occupant with the raw pasta, stirring it gently to circulate the contents of the wok and distribute the heat more evenly.


    <Shauna returned with several sturdy-looking sticks, all very straight and unlikely to splinter or cause a health hazard. Proud of herself, she and Tierno began to stab a sausage on each stick. Holding the meat skewers in hand, the two glanced between the chemical fire, and Chad’s tail, looking for approval to use him as a living campfire.>


    Chad, not interested in tasting anything not meant to be eaten, held his fiery tail tip over towards them, serving as a secondary cooking area. If anyone nearby hadn’t been watching the odd display yet, they certainly were now. Each sausage only took a few minutes to cook, with the fifth and sixth being completed just as the pasta was done.


    <It was then when Chad realized he did not have a pasta strainer, and merely had a pot full of boiling water with no way to remove the pasta safely. With a soft purple glow, clumps of rotini floated from the water and were gently deposited on the waiting three paper plates. The young Ralts beamed in confidence and satisfaction at her contribution.>


    Once the last piece was removed, and without an ounce of shame, Chad flung the leftover boiling water into the fountain, leaving the empty wok on the stand to cool as he closed off the kerosene flame beneath.


    <Trevor and his Flabébé gently sprinkled the green herbs atop each plate of pasta, gently drizzling a little olive oil on the top, and lightly mixing each plate to coat the cute shapes with the flavorings. With each trainer having a plate, Shauna and Tierno passed around the sausages, eagerly digging into their dinners. Trevor pulled out some small bowls, filled them with pokechow, and spread them out for Chad and the trio’s pokemon companions to eat as a team.>


    <The night was uneventful, as thanks to so many trainers being in one spot, the group did not have to worry about being accosted by wild pokemon. The following morning, after a hearty serving of scrambled eggs with cheese, the group continued north. During that time, their conversation drifted between a variety of topics, until Shauna glanced at Trevor while he was scrolling through his pokedex. “Hey Trevor, does that thing say what other kinds of moves Chad can learn?” she inquired.>


    <Trevor glanced up at her, before fiddling with his pokedex and searching through its information. “It says here he can learn a lot of moves, but some of them may require a technical machine due to their complexity, or typing,” he responded, scrolling through the giant list. “What did you have in mind?”>


    <Shauna continued walking, her lips pouting while her eyes sparkled in a dreamy wonder. “Can he learn any psychic moves?” she eventually asked, leaning towards Trevor to glance over his shoulder. Trevor pressed a button towards the top of the screen and applied a filter, shrinking the list down to just one. “Hmm, I don’t recognize that one,” she said, returning to an upright posture.>


    <”Rest isn’t exactly a common tactic, you leave yourself wide open for a period of time, to the degree most trainers push to learn Roost instead if they can.” Trevor clarified, looking at the details of the entry. “Did you want to have him learn Confusion so he could make fancier dinners?” he chided, as she turned away in embarrassment.>


    <With a flick, Shauna called out her Ralts to walk beside her. “Hey Ralts, while we’re walking, can you try to help Chad learn about Psychic energy? I have a hunch,” she requested, her toothy smile encouraging the small pokemon to attempt the impossible.>


    “Rude; I bet you I’ll learn this Rest move before we even reach the city,” Chad whispered to nobody in particular.


    <It’s called setting the stage, plebeian. Just allow me to practice my craft and you’ll be begging for my invaluable assistance.>


    <Ralts did her best to channel the Psychic energies, giving Chad a feel for them and how they washed over him. After a bit, and with some uncomfortable goading from Shauna, the group paused for a break in the shade, whereupon Chad used his claws to cut himself lightly on the arm. Ralts supplied the purplish energy, which roamed his arm but to no effect. Tierno had his own idea on the matter, and suggested that Chad simply try to meditate into a slumber.>


    <After thirty minutes, and barely discernible progress on the injury, the group continued their journey. Chad wasn’t discouraged, but they had finally found something that would take him time to learn. On a positive note, during their break Tierno was approached by a Budew. After he challenged to a dance contest, the grass type happily joined his budding team.>


    <The group reached the gates of Lumiose City just as the sun began to set, and the city itself began to light up the night. Plenty of people and pokemon were out and about, some heading for dinner, others returning from a long day shopping, and others just enjoying a walk in the twilight. The four were awestruck and could not be more excited to be in the city, but Shauna pushed that they head straight for the pokemon center, citing her desperate need for a hot shower. The three boys laughed, but agreed; the town wasn’t going anywhere just yet.>