Finding his favorite two humans (low bar) outside, Chad took note of their current training focus, as Marcelle and Remy appeared to be trading pointers on dark energy while Dorothy demonstrated her skills with psychic energy. In another area, Hugo and Katia appeared to be practicing against a bipedal polar bear paired with a quadrupedal living glacier.


    Serena noticed him first, waving Chad over to watch as Claude had a practice match with a recently-evolved green and red dragon with polygonal wings and odd red eyewear. Calem seemed to be watching Fernand intently, learning his new fighting style, while calling for a halt when he saw any specs of sand start flying. Serena appeared to be buzzing just as much as the flying bug was.


    “New friend?” She asked, pointing towards Rousseau, who laughed and shook his head no. “Oh, well how did the gym go?” Chad held up his shiny new badge, which got a thumbs-up from the excited young woman. “Great! Maybe you can give some tips to Marcelle and Remy later. But first, can I ask you about that note you gave me back in Dendemille Town?”


    Chad grimaced, making a few odd gestures which appeared not to translate at all. “Is… is it like some secret you don’t want to share in public?” He shook his head no, again with more odd gestures. “I don’t– Can you just grab your device please?”


    “No, no I can’t; it was destroyed,” Chad lamented, as Serena’s eyes shot wide open in shock.


    “Destroyed?!” Her voice rose, catching Calem’s attention from nearby and putting the battle on pause.


    Chad studied her response in confusion, before remembering who stood right beside him. “Thanks, Rousseau,” he whispered, as the benevolent psychic patted him on the back. “Yea, it was destroyed back in Geosenge Town. Things have been… rough since then.”


    “I am sorry to hear that, Chad. It was always entertaining to see people react to it the first time.” Calem commented, having fully joined the conversation circle.


    “Yea… Anyway, about the note. As you’ve met Alexandre, the note was about the evolution method for your team member, Louise. She requires a Moon Stone, which are fairly rare–”


    “You mean like this one?” Serena says, pulling out a shining diamond of a stone, interrupting Chad’s entire train of thought. He nodded, as she continued her inquiry. “So, do I just use the stone on her, or are there other conditions?”


    “Let her decide, it''s a big change. But otherwise, no it will be just like giving a Fire Stone to an Eevee.” Chad responded, as Alexandre chose that moment to appear from his ball.


    Serena called out Louise, holding up the stone beside her. “You heard them, turns out we’ve been sitting on a power boost for you for several days now. Want it, or would you rather wait, or just continue as you are?” She asked her pokemon, who was captivated by the glow of the stone.


    After a minute of thinking it over, Louise nodded, and reached out to touch the stone with a gentle tap. She grew, pushing herself up onto her rear legs, her muscles condensing and expanding. When the light faded, her appearance was similar to Alexandre’s, with fewer spikes and almost a half of a meter taller. Serena smiled in joy, while Calem commented on the continually increasing food costs for her team.


    Offering his hand, Alexandre led Louise away to an open area of the training grounds, explaining his understanding of ground-type moves and things he had learned from his own evolution.


    <”So, are you going to stick around for-”>


    “Knock that off, Narrator.” Chad demanded, as Rousseau’s eyes flared. Serena shook her head, dispelling the foreign influence before shuddering.


    “Yuck, always felt weird when he did that,” she admitted, as Claude pulled her into a protective hug; his massive body eclipsing her.


    <What, am I just along for the ride now? Just another member of the audience?>


    “Yes.” / “Yes!” / “Correct.” Calem, Serena, and Rousseau responded simultaneously.


    Chad pinched the bridge of his snout. “Author-sama filled you in on the rules; time-skips are still acceptable, but you need to leave people their agency. Especially the two I just risked my life for last week!”


    <My apologies, Serena.>


    “You’re lucky I can’t punch you for that,” she quipped, gripping Claude’s thick arms with a pout.


    “Yes, he is very lucky he is merely an intangible presence who can be seen and heard, and not punished.” Chad affirmed, crossing his arms and nodding sagely. “That said; Narrator, I believe the current plan is for the three of us to continue traveling together. These two are still not licensed to fly, and there’s only one gym left in the journey anyways.”


    “Our gym matches are tonight as well, so we could all leave in the morning.” Calem suggested, recalling Fernand and waving for Remy’s attention. “Any tips?” Chad side-eyed the undeclared gym pokemon beside him, who was twirling his mustache while amused.


    “Just trust in your team; you two will be fine. I can even come watch if you want?” The fire type offered, to which both trainers signaled their consent.


    <Wonderful. To confirm, you wish you cheer them on during their gym trials, have a relaxing evening, then set out tomorrow morning?>


    “Yes, although maybe after their matches, we can let Lucielle and I chat with their contenders for the Snowbelle Gym; a little brainstorming and sharing of ideas could go a long way. Oh, and Louise needs more time to practice with Alexandre.” Chad listed off, covering his bases for the major things which would need to occur.


    <Valid, and so it shall be. As the time drew near, all three trainers recalled their teams, enjoying the scenic view of the sunset below the mountains. The four made their way to the Anistar Gym, stepping inside the run-down house. I will assume that both Calem and Serena win their trials handily, as this city is prejudiced against magnificent beings such as myself, such that only corporeals are permitted on the premises.>


    <Reappearing with two more badges a little while later, Chad congratulates the two humans, commenting on their clever displays of techniques and their team’s showing of power. Rousseau, deciding that he can trust the benevolent Narrator, waves goodbye- >The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    “Narrator!” Chad grumbles, as Rousseau chuckles.


    <Right, yes, playing nice with others. The four enter the pokecenter, passing over members of Calem and Serena’s teams for medical care, while opting to continue their discussions in the training field. Alexandre gives Louise a few extra pointers on her new ground typing, while Chad and Lucielle have a short meeting with Katia, Hugo, Dorothy, and Corine. The six trade tips and ideas for their upcoming challenge against Wulfric.>


    <One celebratory dinner and a good night’s sleep later, the four pack up and fly south along Route 18. Rousseau, capable as he is, flies beside the trio under his own power while demonstrating superior maneuverability. As the route itself is rather short, Chad takes his time, gliding down for a landing near the mining caves when he spots something interesting.>


    With a flap of his wings, Chad and company gently touch down, as the ‘something interesting’ is revealed to be a Larvitar and Aron fighting over a berry bush. The two are clearly young, and calling it a ‘battle’ would be an embellishment. However, upon spotting a shared enemy, the two rock types end their feud and turn to face the challenger. “Ours!” They shout in unison.


    Chad smiles, holding his hands up to display his unwillingness to destroy a pair of kids over some wild berries. “That’s fine, I just had a question for you both. Are your families nearby? I’d like to talk with them if possible.” This caused the two to look around, and take on a worried aura. It was clear both were lost; having Calem and Serena dismount from his back only made them more frightened. “It’s alright, these are friends of mine. Why don’t we go find your families together?”


    Both glanced between each other, the stranger, and the berry bush. With a gentle wave of his spoon, Rousseau removed all the ripe berries from the bush, separating them into two equal clumps, placing the food at both children’s feet. After gouging on the offerings, the two tiny kids began to lead the way towards the mines, sharing stories about how powerful their parents were.


    It didn’t take long to find the packs of other Aron and Larvitar being watched over by an Aggron and Tyranitar, though the two adults seemingly went on alert as the group approached. The other littles, smelling the berry juice smeared across both of their clutchmates, surged forward. The two troublemakers ran before their siblings could do much more, leading to a transition into a new game for them to play. “Thank you for guiding them back,” Tyranitar stated, her voice gruff and curt.


    Aggron eyed the two humans in suspicion, then Chad and his belt of pokeballs, before asking her own question. “What do you seek from us?”


    Chad perked up, standing tall to appear impressive but not threatening. “I- “


    No, Chad.


    He faltered, thinking, before catching his smile from fading and re-applying it. “I just wanted to make sure those two got home safe.” Calem, with perceptive timing, placed a supporting hand on Chad’s shoulder.


    “Hmpf, those two get lost almost daily. I worry for the day we are unable to find them again.” Aggron replied, watching as the kids seemingly changed into playing a different game, teaming up and reenacting some sort of large battle (just without any real moves being used).


    “Those two humans feel strong, which of them is yours?” Tyranitar inquired, straightening up and crossing her arms.


    “Neither; I’m my own trainer, we just happen to be traveling together.” Chad responded, motioning to the three belts. The two rock types nodded to each other, before squaring off with the travelers.


    “If you seek to bring any of our children with you, first we desire a display of strength.” Tyranitar explained, as Calem and Serena caught on quickly, converging in a huddle.


    “These two seem strong, but my mom would kill me if I bring home something like a Tyranitar,” Serena commented, keeping her voice low.


    “Yea, same, though… I don’t think we’d have to worry about them right away?” Calem offered, as Chad nodded in agreement.


    “...Aggron was always one of my favorites growing up…” Serena trailed off, seeming to have come to a decision. Head held high, she moved to stand across from Aggron, palming a pokeball. Calem, with a shrug, moved opposite Tyranitar while holding a pokeball of his own.


    I think that’s enough to explain the short stop; you may continue, Narrator.


    <Both Calem and Serena displayed their strength phenomenally, earning the respect of the two mothers. Hesitant but sure of their decision, Serena adopted the little Aron from earlier, while Calem took in the Larvitar. Both kids were excited to be able to explore even further, and promised to come back much stronger.>


    <Back in the air again, the four fly past Couriway Town, appreciating the aerial view of the scenic waterfalls. Continuing south, the group makes great time blasting over the boggy terrain of Route 19. The temperature seems to drop as the group approaches Snowbelle City, landing in the snow-covered town just before noon. As the group stretch out the stiffness from the flight over, everyone is seemingly thankful to have avoided spending two or three chapters just to smash other trainers’ faces in for petty cash. That or another dramatic heart-to-heart between team members.>


    “We get it, Narrator. Thank you for speeding us along.” Chad stated, following the two humans inside with Rousseau floating behind him.


    “That is indeed quite handy,” he comments. “Though I’ll stick to teleportation if you don’t mind. Instant, no travel time, and no reliance on an unknown entity to facilitate.”


    <It isn’t for everyone, but the ability to montage a boring training session without any willpower on their part is potent for raising even the laziest of fighters.>


    Chad shrugged at the notion, passing over his ID after Calem negotiated for him to get a room. “I’ve always been more of a Paladin or Magus type anyway. Pure martials just rarely fit the gameplay I wanted to do.”


    <It is shockingly unsurprising you would play a Paladin. Moving along, the trio attempt to register for their final gym trials and battle, with Calem and Serena able to secure theirs in a few days’ time. Chad, meanwhile, is relegated to a full week later. And thus the group was free to relax, plan, train, or socialize to their content.>


    “Train?” / “Train?” / “Train!” The three trainers spoke simultaneously.


    <As Wulfric was typically the final stop in many trainers’ journeys, the pokecenter was packed with tons of high-level opponents to practice with. And train they did, which allowed Lucielle to master Flash Cannon and Heal Pulse, while giving Chad the ability to finally learn Inferno. Additionally, Chad received a package in the mail, which contained a fancy metal pauldron with a distinctly-shaped socket for his Charizardite. The sender left only a cryptic message, “I’ll be waiting, with chocolate.”>


    <On the final day before Calem and Serena’s trials, the three agreed to a short break, where the two went on a “social outing as slightly more than friends but it isn’t a date”. While Chad wanted to focus on training, his day was tossed sideways once every screen began to discuss the unprecedented event happening in Lumiose City. A few reporters declared themselves shocked by the sheer violence of the event, with others criticising the police force for allowing the situation to have gotten so out of hand. It was reported the assailant was still at large, with a hotline for calling in tips on their identity or location.>


    <The next day, Chad sat in the stands, cheering on his two friends as they handily won their eighth and final badges for their journeys. To celebrate, the group held an outdoor picnic, with Chad and Dorothy operating the grills while Katia sliced up the meat. It was a proper party, as Alexandre, Remy, and Hugo decided to have an impromptu drinking contest. Alexandre, being a poison type, won without contest– except from Chad who scolded the three for drinking so much.>


    <With their entry into the conference guaranteed, Calem and Serena spent the remaining days until Chad’s own challenge pushing him to the limit. Up until the final day, when the group decided to rest instead. As the group laid about the lounge, talking with other trainers who had arrived both before and after them, a thought occurred to Chad which had been tickling the back of his consciousness since the three reunited.>


    “How are Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor doing?” He asked, glancing at Calem and Serena. Calem had Dorian in his lap, grooming the small rodent, while Serena was looking at pictures on her Holo Caster.


    “Pretty good, I think? Tierno and Trevor both have five badges, and are on-track to finishing by the conference.” Calem answered, Dorian preening under the gentle strokes of the small brush.


    “And Shauna’s been sending me these amazing pictures every week,” Serena added, showing a picture of their friend posing atop a mountain with an amazing sunrise in the background. “She wanted to send them to you, but none of us know your number.”


    <Chad doesn’t have a Holo Caster.>


    “Oh… yea I guess that makes sense,” Calem admitted, shrugging it off. “But in summary, they’re doing just fine. Maybe you should get a Holo Caster so we can include you in the group chat.”


    “I can only imagine the chaos if he got access to battle net. Actually, that’s something I kinda wondered; do you know why the League is suppressing all pictures and recordings of you?” Chad shook his head for no, wearily eyeing his silent guardian meditating within earshot. “At first, there was chatter about you, as a Charmeleon, but nothing concrete. Any pictures got auto-deleted almost instantly.”


    She flipped the screen around to show what appeared to be a forum thread. “Then, I think when you evolved, the League hadn’t caught on yet, so a few pictures of you in Coumarine were being shared for about a day, until somebody noticed and updated the filters.” The thread continued to discuss the ‘odd sightings’, with speculation abound. “You’re basically an open secret, an unofficial one at least.”


    “Huh, that’s certainly odd; most trainers seem to ignore me.” The large dragon summarized, not keen on reading any further as the comments began to stray from reality.


    <After your last incident of being swarmed by others, I have gone to great lengths to gently nudge others from bothering us.>


    “Is that why those cute girls are staying so far away?” Dorian asked with a high-pitched squeak, motioning to several female trainers around the edge of the lounge.


    “No, Dorian; they’re staying away because Serena has a potent Intimidate.” Chad jested, earning a solid punch to his unarmored shoulder for the trouble. He rubbed at the impact site, studying the mega stone socketed into the piece of armor on his opposite side. “Hey, Narrator, is there even a point to me wearing this thing if nobody on the team can activate it?”


    <About that…>


    Chad watched in surprise as his teammate emerged from their ball. Grabbing the mega bracelet from the backpack at Chad’s feet, they slid it on, causing both the bracelet and pauldron to glow a soft blue. “Well, that’s certainly a surprise,” the dragon remarked. “Wulfric won’t know what hit him.”