<Rested and still riding that battle high, Chad restocks the team’s supplies from the local store before beginning their journey north along Route 10. But with their food restocked for the new team size (and a little extra just in case), our heroes dare not delay any longer.>


    Choosing not to remain in their stasis storage, Ginette and Gaston walk alongside their team leader, opting to enjoy the silence and the sights as they cross the wooden bridge hanging over the rushing water below. The early morning air is chilled by the nearby ocean, leading Chad to emanate a bit of his fiery aura to comfort his group.


    <The path forward was rather short, not even a day’s travel if they kept this pace, which once again displayed the oddity of how the distance between cities seemed to warp, stretch, and compress depending on the required plot elements.>


    “OK, they get it. It’s not the author’s fault you can literally travel the distance of a route in-game in barely a few minutes. They just didn’t want the kids to get bored with the slog of a long hike.” Chad chimed in, as his two compatriots simply listened in to the odd conversation.


    Though, as a point of clarification, if you line up the map of Kalos with northern France, you’ll notice how the cities seem to align very closely on both maps.


    <Oh, and pray tell, what is the distance between the equivalents of Cyllage City and Geosenge Town?>


    Well it’s only a rough approximation, but on foot it looks like about 2 days.


    “...Ah damn it.” Chad cursed.


    <Chad and his friends, despite their impressive pace, recognized they would need to camp out roughly halfway along the route; somehow they had overestimated their pace and the distance between their destination and starting point. This realization only reinforced their desire for a proper flying pokemon on their team, if only to cut down on this grueling travel method.>


    “We get it, you really want me to just stick with my fire and flying evolution.” Chad grumbled in discontent, kicking a nearby rock to send it skipping down the trail.


    “Is there anything particularly wrong with it?” Ginette inquired, walking a pace ahead of Chad to slightly look back at him. She seemed to be spending more time walking upright rather than hopping about lately.


    “I mean, no? If I take it, then we can fly anywhere in the region and never travel on foot again.” Ginette waited for further elaboration, triggering Chad to roll his eyes away from her. “I just– I don’t want to be a fatass, that’s all.”


    “Would you deny yourself such a convenient method of travel, simply to avoid a specific body shape? Surely there’s more to it than that?” Gaston spoke up, now keeping pace with Ginette as the group formed a reverse-V.


    At which point, Chad simply stopped, pulling to the side of the path to not impede any other travelers (of which there were none). “Let me put it this way,” he began, using a claw to trace out shapes in the dirt. The art was crude, but covered the main proportions of a Charizard, including a possibly exaggerated belly size. “I go from this–” he said as he motioned along his entire body, “to this overweight stereotype.”


    Gaston, with a dignified grace, turned up his nose and walked slightly to the right; he used his foot instead but also drew in the dirt. His work of art was remarkably better, drawing a ferocious Tyrantrum. “I shall have you know a little body fat is nothing to be ashamed of so long as you have the power to crush any who would otherwise mock you. Do not fret or worry about becoming obese, focus on how easily you wish to decimate any who would disparage you over something so petty.”


    “Ooh, let me try!” Ginette vibrated, as she borrowed Chad’s claw for a drawing tool. Chad opted not to fight it, as a few minutes later an incredibly detailed illustration of a female Lucario was winking seductively back at the group. “This is fun!”


    “Must you have so vulgarly enhanced her mammaries?” Gaston voiced in disappointment, as he opted not to focus on the detailed yet crude image.


    “I feel tainted just for being on the same team as you, gremlin.” Chad frowned, agreeing with the brown dino. With a grumble, he used his foot to erase his sketch in the dirt but leave his two teammates’ intact. “But, I suppose the love bug bit you pretty badly, huh?”


    Ginette shrugged, longingly eyeing her artwork. “I don’t know, but I would like to see her again, maybe have a bit of a spar.” She threw out a karate chop, taking a fighting stance before following up with a high kick.


    <As the group progressed, they faced two other trainers who gave each of the three of them a unique challenge to overcome. Some matchups were closer than others, but the experience let them refine their techniques and recently acquired moves. Though, as the sun began to fall and the group sought a location to set up camp, a stranger approached them.>


    Chad looked over from setting up their tent with Ginette, the newcomer not trying to hide their footsteps. Once they were better lit by the campfire, a familiar brown-furred fox stood with a smile. “Hi! I was watching your battle earlier, with the human, and uh… Can you teach me that thing you did, with your hand?” He asked, eyes sparkling as they were aimed directly at Chad.


    Sensing the impending conversation, Chad stepped away from the tent to leave its construction in the hands of his teammates. “Can you be more specific?” He asked the Eevee, uncertain of either his aims or desires.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    “When you were fighting that Dunsparce, and you swung at it like ‘kya!’, but your hand was covered in bright brown energy, and when it hit they went ‘aaah!’, remember?”


    Chad did, in fact, remember. “You mean Rock Smash? I mean, I could try, but…” Chad trailed off, as he dug through the backpack to withdraw the pokedex. With a quick scan of the Eevee and some checking of the displayed data, he frowned.


    “Buuuut?” The cute quadruped asked, tilting his head at the cutest angle.


    “We’ll try, but you may not be able to learn this move. It seems that your species has difficulty learning any moves that aren’t normal typed until you evolve.” Chad was trying to set the bar high, his face visibly concerned the kid may not like the answer.


    “I want to try, because if I want to become the strongest fighting type, I’ll need to succeed.” The Eevee declared, his resolve shining brightly next to the campfire.


    Smiling weakly, Chad simply lifted his left claw, coating it in the brown soft glow he had become so adept with. “This, as my sensei instructed me, is called Ki. It’s also known as fighting type energy, and you’ll need to be able to produce it before we continue onto the actual move itself.” He held out the hand, at a level low enough his student could touch it. “Get a feel for the energy, try and have it coat your paws or legs.”


    <As the student became the instructor, Ginette and Gaston finished assembling the tent to a functional level. Encouraging Chad’s new role, Ginette also took the liberty of arranging dinner for the four of them, which translated to just serving up sandwiches that had been held inside the refrigerated stasis compartment of the magic bag.>


    <Gaston, inserting himself in the lecture, managed to replicate the fighting energy quite quickly. Not to be outshone, Ginette also picked up the Ki with surprising ease. Conjuring up boulders for them to practice on, Gaston and Ginette took turns channeling the Ki into various attacks, both managing to nail Rock Smash after Chad suggested visualizing the rock as someone they desperately wanted to demolish. When asked who they visualized, Ginette nervously admitted it was her previous trainer. Gaston simply lowered his eyebrows in annoyance at the fire type.>


    <As the Eevee practiced into the night, the three seemed collectively invested in helping the young fox achieve his goal. After a restful night’s sleep, he followed them on their travels, continuing to try and channel the elusive energy. Using the trainers who challenged them along the way, the trio leveraged these battles to demonstrate the move to their protege, while also honing their own mastery of the energy.>


    <However, as the day went on, hope began to fade and frustration permeated the ambience around the young Eevee. It had been a full day of almost non-stop practice, countless attempts to channel his inner Ki. And yet, without a single mote of the fierce energy to show for it.>


    The young fox had come to a complete stop, his face twisted. “Why..?” He asked, as the corners of his eyes began to moisten. “You two picked it up so easily, so why– why can’t I..?” The trio looked on, Chad nervously rubbing his elbow. The brown fox, with a sudden pivot from sadness to rage, charged at a nearby rock. The stone was just one among many mysteriously located on either side of the route, all evenly-spaced and almost identical in size and shape.


    “WHY?!” The Eevee shouted, as it bashed head-first into the stone. The collision produced a large ‘smack’, as the stone was undamaged when the fox pulled back their head. “I was told I could be ANYTHING!” Another smack against the rock, this time leaving a bit of red. “So WHY–” Smack, more red. “CAN’T–” A fourth smack, much more red blood on the stone. “I DO–” Fifth smack, but a slight wobble of discoloration around the fox’s head. “THIS?!”


    <As the young fox pulled back to slam his head once more against the stone, a whirl of brown energy formed to ensconce his noggin. With a swing forward, his forehead made a solid thwack against the solid rock. But as he pulled back, one could spot a teensy crack opening on the rock beneath the blood. The group was speechless, as was the young boy who possibly gave himself a minor concussion, if not outright brain damage.>


    Chad, with almost practiced ease, pulled a potion bottle from his bag, lightly spraying the distraught pokemon’s forehead. “If I learned anything, Ki is all about visualizing your body as a weapon; a force of destruction. And that, seems to me like you may be on the cusp of something.” He explains, pointing at the bloody crack in the stone.


    Blood lightly beading on his forehead, Eevee’s tears of frustration and pain become an expression of disbelief and joy as he takes in the sight. “I did it..? I did it?! I DID IT!” As the young lad celebrated, the trio gave him words of congratulations, praising his efforts.


    “So, Narrator, after he masters Ki, what will he need to do to evolve?” Chad asked the open sky, the brown fox eyeing the lizard with open suspicion.


    <Uhm, find a Fist Stone?>


    Narrator…


    “That isn’t a thing, and doesn’t really jive with fighting types anyway. What if he had a trial of some sort?” Chad suggested, the brown fox glancing at his two teammates for help, until both of them shrugged. “Like, he had to take down a full team of six pokemon on his own?”


    <That should be a sufficient display of willpower and might, yes. And with his new quest bestowed, the young Eevee thanked Chad for his help before bounding off back from whence they came.>


    As the cute little guy vanished into the tall grass, Chad smirked. “What’s his evolution going to be called? Puncheon?”


    <Close! I was leaning towards Angreon, but yours works better.>


    The trio laughed at the name, before settling in to watch the descending towards the horizon. The breezy seaside air was relaxing in the afternoon sun, as the large fields of tall grass swayed and danced around the massive rocks that stretched for the entire length of the route. Small figures of other pokemon could be spotted on occasion, all going about their peaceful lives in tranquility.


    “Hey, Narrator, about that thing… Have I set enough plot hooks? Have I been upholding my end of things?” Chad asked, flanked on either side by a teammate who enjoyed the view.


    <Yes, so far I’d say you’ve locked in two potential new options. As for the third, it’s faint; the plausibility is somewhat below the threshold. You’ll need to spend some time training with Korrina in the next town if you want to push it over the line.>


    “Korrina?!” Ginette perked up, her pupils narrowing in focus. “You mean–!”


    “Yea, looks like you might get a chance to show that Lucario how much stronger you’ve gotten since the skate park.” Chad confirmed with a nod, spurring the frog to immediately practice a variety of poses and greetings.


    <Continuing: so far you have made considerable progress on your Dragon and Psychic branch forms. However, your Fighting branch seems to be lagging, and that is the one you still must practice towards. Lastly, your trigger will be in successfully soloing another gym, specifically in Coumarine City. I am aware of the type advantage you’ll have, but it will be no walk in the park. I suspect you will once again need to step up your game.>


    “Yea, fire may be great against grass, but they can really dig in if you let them.” Chad mused, as Ginette seemingly selected the introduction she planned to use. A stray thought caused Chad to frown, before turning his gaze to Gaston. “I think I owe you an apology, you’ll be at a severe disadvantage for the next two gyms.”


    The rock dinosaur gave a barely-audible grunt in response, continuing to watch the ocean instead. “A disadvantage is just that, not an impossibility. A dragon is a power that must be recognized, respected, and challenged. For the dragon can only grow stronger through adversity and hardship. A rock, however, is inherently strong. When the waters attempt to sweep away the lands with flooding, the boulder stands strong, shouting ‘I shant move; YOU move!’ to the heavens above as it cuts the flow in twain.”


    Chad locked eyes with Gaston, whose age shone brightly in the windows of his soul. “Let these youngsters and upstarts try to challenge my throne; they shall find that few things survive time better than solid stone.”


    <As the moment passes, the three eventually decide to complete the journey, arriving in Geosenge Town just before sunset. Able to secure a room in the sleepy location, Gaston is introduced to the wonders of modern civilization, including hot water and comfy beds. The trio use the evening to watch some recordings of Korrina’s recent matches, discussing a potential game plan, some strategies, and what pitfalls to avoid.>


    <A pleasantly restful evening behind them, the trio wakes up to prep for the day, and runs into a familiar face just before breakfast.>